My Sister's Bookshelves

By Charlotte Carroll on July 9, 2014

I’m a big reader, so I’ve always loved the lazy summer days where I could just read and not have a care in the world. As a college student, you don’t get many of these days. And often, your free time is spent hanging with friends, sleeping or Netflixing. Reading for fun takes a back seat when you become overwhelmed by the mounting piles of textbooks.

So this summer, in addition to more serious reads, I took some suggestions from my high school aged sister on what’s popular in the young adult fiction section. Turns out I’ve missed a few good reads since I went to college. These kinds of books are fast and great reads for the beach. They’re engaging and entertaining, so take a step into the current high school reader’s mind and see what they’re putting on their bookshelves.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

A beautiful story about the power of fate, this book brings out the romantic in all its readers. It’s a story about the 17-year-old Hadley stuck at JFK airport en route to London for her father’s second wedding and all the feelings finally surfacing since he left her and her mother. After missing her first flight, the usual agonizing airport wait takes a turn when she meets the perfect guy who ends up sitting next to her on the flight over. The pair lose track once reaching London, but the rest is a question of whether fate will once again intervene. Though it may sound corny, it’s a great story and makes you ponder and believe that nothing happens without a reason.

Born Confused

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier

The title intrigued me and the opening paragraph kept me reading. Here we meet the soon to be high school senior Dimple who’s caught in between her two cultures. There are the Indian customs she’s grown up rebelling since birth and the American ones she is constantly trying to fit in with. It’s a great comedy about finding the balance between your roots and who you want to be. All the adolescent struggles of self-discovery, first love and the real world make an appearance, but are definitely worth the repeat with some great prose passages along the way.

The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair

The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker

Not a young adult book, but one my sister nonetheless had on her reading list, this novel finds a, so far, one hit wonder author, Marcus, with a case of writer’s block and a deadline. So Marcus heads back to his mentor and a successful author, Harry, who lives in a tiny town on the East coast. But it isn’t long before the body of a 15-year-old girl is found on Harry’s property and the mystery begins. Marcus stays to attempt to prove his mentor’s innocence and in the process writes an even greater success than his first book. I’m only halfway through this book, but the plot of this international best seller has kept me reading.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format