book reviews by ava

Books I've read you might want to discover for yourself!

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5 Dark Academia Books For When You've Read The Secret History

Loved #TheSecretHistory? Here's 5 #DarkAcademia books to read next...

Hi everyone! I haven’t posted on this blog for almost a year, but I was inspired by this New York Times article to make a post for one of my favorite subcultures, dark academia. I didn’t really know this subculture was a thing until I read the article, but it turns out I’ve been reading books in this category for years (here’s my review of The Secret Historyfrom last summer). Below are just five…

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I remember seeing Station Eleven in bookstores everywhere when it came out five years ago. I never picked it up because I didn’t read many adult books at the time, but I decided to come back to it this summer after hearing about its upcoming miniseries adaptation. I’m so glad I did because Station Eleven has quickly become one of my favorite reads of the summer, if not the year.

Station Eleven

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Bookstore Review: Book Culture in New York, NY

Bookstore Review: Book Culture in New York, NY

Karsten Moran for the NYT

Book Culture is the type of store you know you’ll love before even stepping inside. There’s something intrinsically lovely about nearly every independent bookstore, but Book Culture’s racks of discounted gems and fierce “Shop Indie” sign out front (picture below) set it apart from the rest.

Inside, the store is pretty massive. On the first floor, bookish tchotchkes…

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Let's Talk Boarding School

Let’s Talk Boarding School

I think people have this glamorous idea of boarding school as this place where people use “summer” as a verb and snort coke off a Gutenberg bible in their free time. That’s not what it’s like (most of the time). We have the same homework, classes, and sweaty school dances in the cafeteria, only we call our cafeteria “Commons.”

But, I do have a few quintessentially boarding school experiences.…

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Normal People by Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Ok, yes, I finally caved to the hoards of Glossier-wearing, Man Repeller-obsessed NYC cool girls and picked up Sally Rooney’s sophomore novel, Normal People. Don’t worry, I didn’t buy it just for the gram (but I did post a picture of it, in case you’re curious), I bought it for “research,” which is code for “Dad, I really want to visit Ireland.” Plus, when an author is called “Salinger for the…

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July Wrap Up + Big Changes on BRBA

July Wrap Up + Big Changes on BRBA

What I’m Up To

July was great because I mostly stayed at home reading and writing. A highlight was visiting lots of incredible museums such as The Frick Collection and the Guggenheim, which are super cheap ways to explore incredible artwork. I also started visiting colleges, which was not so fun. Stay tuned till the end of this post for my big announcement!

What I’m Reading

Right now,…

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The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

I’ve grown as a reader since the time I read Roshani Chokshi’s The Star-Touched Queen. This bittersweet realization came to me while reading her latest, The Gilded Wolves. Fantasy novels have always been a favorite of mine because of the vivid worlds they allow me to dive into, which is why I loved Chokshi’s debut. Unfortunately, three years later, her fifth novel falls flat.

“History is a…

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3 Reasons to Shop Indie Today

3 Reasons to Shop at Independent Bookstores During Amazon Prime Day

The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, NY

Today is the first day of Amazon Prime Day. This “day” is actually a two day event where Amazon Prime members can buy massively discounted products. But, should you buy into it? The answer is a resounding “NO!” Instead of adding to Jeff Bezo’s divorce bounce-back fund, support stores and people that actually care about you, such as indie bookstores.…

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Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

As soon as you pick up Why We Broke Up, you can tell it’s something special. Its thick pages that seem more suited to coffee table photography books make the book feel ridiculously heavy for only 350 pages. But, these pages are worth it: a quick flip through reveals beautiful illustrations by Maira Kalman before each chapter. Kalman also illustrated the dust jacket and the physical cover…

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The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Power by Naomi Alderman

The first half of Naomi Alderman’s The Power reads like a feminist revenge fantasy. Teenage girls suddenly have the power to electrocute people through touch. Even better, they can transfer this power to older women. The societal tables have turned and women now hold power over men. This flip, especially in a reality where my fundamental rights, such as access to healthcare, are being stripped…

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Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Only at Yale is it possible to ward off malevolent ghosts by reciting Horace. Such is the premise of Leigh Bardugo’s newest novel, her first foray away from Ravka, the fantasy world she created in 2012. I consider myself a Bardugo superfan. I’ve written rave reviews of everything she’s written. But, because Ninth Housewas such a radical departure from her norm, I was a little nervous to pick it…

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The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

When I read at school, I annotate like crazy. My books are filled with underlines and highlights and circles and notes. However, I have never annotated a book I have read for pleasure. It somehow feels perverse, like I am tarnishing the integrity of the novel. But, when I read The Secret History, it felt criminal not to underline, at the very least. Some of Tartt’s sentences (EXAMPLES) were too…

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Vox by Christina Dalcher

Vox by Christina Dalcher

If I had to describe Vox in one word, I would choose the word “wobbly.” The concept behind Dalcher’s full-length debut is compelling, but her execution is shaky and, at times, sloppy. I wanted to love Vox because its premise seems so timely and unique, but the intriguing narrative suffered at the hands of writing that felt unskilled and confusing.

Vox, from the Latin “voice”, is the story of…

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Bookstore Review: The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, NY

Bookstore Review: The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, NY

In January, I promised content that feels more personal. Four months later, I’ve finally figured out what that means: Bookstore reviews. Bookstores have been a huge part of my life since I was little. Warwick’s Bookstorein La Jolla, California is the reason I began reviewing books! When I road-tripped from San Diego to Brooklyn in 2015, I stopped at an independent bookstore in each town I…

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Five Books to Get You into the "Game of Thrones" Spirit

Five Books to Get You into the “Game of Thrones” Spirit

Game of Thronesis back for its final season! I am so excited (and terrified) to see what’s in store for my favorite characters this season, but I know that once the show is over, I’ll be in serious withdrawal. To mitigate this feeling, here are some fantasy series that bring all of the magic, intrigue, and romance that Game of Thrones is known for to your very own hands. Hopefully, you can find a…

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March Wrap Up

What I’m Up To

March was a full month for me! The first half of March I was on spring break, but I came back to school on the 19th, which coincidentally was also my birthday. School has been busy, but it’s great to be around friends and semi-warm weather.

What I’m Reading

I don’t normally read nonfiction, but I was given this book as a Christmas gift and I’m always excited to learn more…

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Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

I’ve been meaning to read Fruit of the Drunken Tree since before it came out. It sounded like everything I would want in a novel: class struggles, complicated female narratives, captivating writing. But, I just never got around to it. Until, one fateful day halfway into spring break. I had binged all The Bachelor I could bear, and finally decided I needed to read something before my brain turned…

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