Reading Recs

I highly recommend the Percy Jackson series to everyone. Both the movie and the book are really good, of course the book is better, but that is normal in most circumstances. These are great for people that like mythology. This series focuses on Greek mythology, but he has other series that have other mythologies. All of his series tie together though, but all have separate story lines. The book is very well written, and the movie stays true to the book pretty well also. – Cole

The Big Sky is a novel by A.B. Guthrie, Jr. that still resonates with me though I read it many years ago. Written in 1947, the novel details life in Montana starting in the 1830's. Through the many adventures of its protagonist, Boone Caudill, one gets a picture of what life might have been like in the old days. Boone's story begins in Kentucky, where he runs away from home as a teenager to escape an abusive father and meanders up through St. Louis and finally to Montana. Caudill becomes a trapper and learns 'the lay of the land' and hence, the adventures begin. The Big Sky is the first of a trilogy written by Montana native Guthrie detailing the development of Montana from the 1830s through 1870s. The next two books, in order: The Way West and Fair Land, Fair Land. All three books come highly recommended but the first is my favorite. Trivia fact: Montana's nickname is "Big Sky Country" (and yes, it came from the title of this book/movie). – John

“Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles.” This story has it all! Buttercup and Wesley’s true love overcomes pirates, kidnapping, and an evil prince with witty humor. The movie or the book? “As you wish.” – Stephanie

Just this year it turned into an OAV movie, the Kase-san and… series is adorable lesbian romance at its finest. So many yuri manga series tend to evolve into sad or negative drama, or fall into a tragic gay trope of some sort. That’s fine, of course, but sometimes you just want something to put a smile on your face. Kase and Yamada do have relationship problems, as one would expect from, you know, a story, but this romance is positive and light the whole way through. If you want some sweet romance as a little pick-me-up, I highly recommend you trying this series, starting with this first volume. – Alexis

Howl’s Moving Castle is a delightfully fairytale-esque story about an ordinary girl named Sophie who lives with her mother and sisters. She makes beautiful hats and is around beautiful, happy people, but finds herself quite melancholy. But her life becomes suddenly extraordinary when she insults and is, in turn, cursed by a vile witch. Now her life has more adventure and magic forced upon her than she could have ever imagined, or wanted, as she deals with the egos and tempers of the various magical beings of the realms, all while trying to reverse herself back to normal. This beautifully written book has been adapted by one of my favorite directors, Hayao Miyazaki, and also into graphic novel format. – Brittany

I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings/reimaginings, and Ella Enchanted is a Cinderella retelling in which the main character, Ella is cursed to obey any order given to her. As if the life of a Cinderella character was not horrible enough already. How can Ella free herself from this curse while fulfilling the tropes of a Cinderella retelling? Read this to find out! – Brittany