@TheHappinessFund I just started reading it, but I can normally power through a boring book. Mostly because I just want to see how it concludes. And yes the Giver is amazing.
@gardenstategal I honestly relate to Jo. Although I am not a good writer, I like writing and I love books. Also I used to have a bit of a temper which is something that she most definitely has. Although I do not completely agree on her ideas of marriage, I can understand her point on it.
I’ve been reading more too! I’ve been picking up random novels around the house and reading through them and honestly it’s a lot better than checking my phone. @TheHappinessFund What book recommendations do you have?
Just to average things out – my daughter has reclaimed her new-found post-J15 freedom by going to the beach and getting too many Starbucks pink drinks with her friends. 
@soo2024 I just want to say that Little Women (including part 2) is possibly my favorite book of all time. My other favorites are The Outsiders and The Giver.
@mondaydevil
I’ll give you 3 of my faves for now lol–
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City-- Matthew Desmond
The title sounds boring but it is actually a fascinating look into the lives of families in Wisconsin and their struggles with housing. There are a lot of homeless people in my city (and state, for that matter) and I often see people lose sympathy for them, so this is just a great read for understanding the conditions that lead to homelessness. It focuses particularly on how people are taken advantage of / mistreated by court systems, landlords, etc, but does provide the perspective of those in power as well.
How Democracies Die-- Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
This is my favorite book right now, lol. It’s written by two political scientists, one with a focus on the political history of western europe and the other with a focus the political history of latin america. The main book centers on the breakdown of democracy itself. I won’t spoil it (lol can you spoil a non fiction book?), but in the book they explore the ways democracy is subverted by leaders with authoritarian like tendencies, and talk about the two “guardrails of democracy”: mutual toleration and institutional forebearance. (I though that idea was the most interesting one in the book, tbh.
They do talk about the Trump presidency and what lead to its rise of a leader like him. They talk about how and why he won and the role of intense partisan polarization in his victory. Even if you do support trump, or lean more conservative, it’s a good perspective to have.
3)Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America-- Christopher Wylie
Written by the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower. This book was so so so good, my god. His story is so interesting, and the book provides a look into the worlds of people like Steve Bannon, and the tactics used by tech companies.
Also, it’s a little terrifying. But that’s fine.
totally off topic but I just spent way too much time reading through the m8/9/10 sections of last year’s m10 freakout thread
now im freaking out even more than before, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE
i need to get off this site
@doodlebean8 I honestly have read that thread around 10 times. Weirdly enough it actually calms me, but it also makes me impatient for M10. Which is still 7 WEEKS AWAY.
@TheHappinessFund
Wow you sound so intellectual; I often have a hard time reading about politics but it’s easy for me to talk about it. My strong suit is really philosophy, history, and science. A mix of both Stem and Humanities really feels nice for me. After seeing all of you guys posting your book recommendations, I kind of want in.
American Kingpin by Nick Pilton; It’s a true-crime writing about how this guy built a fortune off of selling drugs online, calling it the Silk Road. I’m really interested in pharmacology and the effect drugs have on the human psyche so this book was just perfect.
History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson; a science history book that deals with everything from fossils to asteroids. Bill’s style of writing is really funny and makes the subject matter good to read.
The Tale of Desperaux; my favorite book. Although it may be a children’s book, the message behind it shaped how I think today. When my 3rd-grade teacher read this to us, I was hooked from the start. It talks about good and evil from different standpoints and how it takes courage to stand up for your beliefs and dreams.
alright im adding these to my list of books to read. honestly nati’s my role model, i aspire to be as smart as she is. and @SolarJ i remember reading the tale of desperaux in elementary school but i definitely need to read it again!!!
my favorite books:
the night circus: a elegant, romantic mystery about a circus only open at night and a tradition that is centuries old
what if?: serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions: the author of xcxd answers random questions with science (like the title says lol)
i also love marie lu’s ya science fiction which seems a lil childish compared to your books but i love a good science fiction
@mondaydevil whAT I LOVE XKCD. high five.
Also, yo I am not a role model lol. Ace, i would advise you to seriously reconsider. But thank you (:
@mondaydevil ahhhhh I love marie lu’s books too SO WHAT IF IT’S CHILDISH
my friend had got me what if? last year for my b-day and it was a pretty interesting read. Another friend from my science class and I were joking about how kinda sounded like something our science teacher would write since these people in our science class kept asking weird hypotheticals in science class, and our teacher would answer in a really serious scientifical way like in the book. yeah, that was a good class.
Jumping in on this thread, but:
What about Ender’s Game?
I absolutely love this book and read Ender’s Shadow as well soon after. Re-read at least 5 times. I’m definitely not exactly a classics or literature fan, since I’m big on dystopian novels. If my interviewer (tomorrow!!!) asks what genre I like…
Also, @doodlebean8 @mondaydevil Marie Lu’s Legend series is simply amazing. (Have you read the new one?)
So, judging by what I’ve missed, we’re listing our favorite books? If so, I will gladly list mine:
Also, @mondaydevil, Marie Lu’s books are amazing! Never stop reading certain books because people say they are too “easy” or “childish” (and that’s on Legend). All my life I’ve been the farthest in my class reading-wise but I still love to read all sorts of “childish” books, like Legend, Wings of Fire, and Spy School. They’re the books I’ve grown up reading, so they hold a special place in my heart.
@TheHappinessFund wow you seem like a literature genius! If I’m being honest, it’s hard for me to read most non-fiction without becoming bored within 30 minutes. But I’m definitely going to check out the one about Cambridge Analytica.
This thread is for when admission decisions come out right? I wish everyone good luck! The process was probably difficult but it’s probably worth it now!
OOOooh I love books, here are my top 3:
1: Crime and Punishment.
Seems super pretentious to say that, but it is literally SOOO good. It is one of the best representations of human nature and it is so goooooood. It’s super long, but I could barely put it down- it was so awesome, it changed my whole outlook on life.
2: How to Set a Fire and Why.
It was so good. I cried. Many times. AAAhhhh it was amaaaazing
3: Olive Kitteridge.
I had a (one of many) mortality crisis 3am cry sesh because of this book. It was awesome, it’s so simple but so meaningful. I cried again when it was over, I wanted it to go on forever.
Ok, I failed at just listing my top 3, here are some more that I loved:
Jane Eyre (pretty solid; I read it for class, and then I read it again because I liked it)(I cried)
The Butchering Art (written by a historian, it’s about the development of modern surgical techniques and germ theory in 19th century England)
Little Fires Everywhere (I cried)
Everything I Never Told You (I cried)
Harry Potter (I read the series 9 times in elementary school, starting with kindergarten; I don’t love it that much anymore, but it was my childhood so it will always have a place in my heart)(I cried a lot, literally down to the 9th time Dumbledore died I cried)
lol I cry so much, tbh probably every day
@iusedtobesmart bruh what a mood omg.
also i love hp bro! my first all nighter was when i first got the series and stayed up all night reading it oop.
and celeste ng is so good ! omg
also, i am? So excited?? for rachel maddows new book?? holy crap.
It’s about Nixon’s vice president, and it sounds FASCINATING. I listened to Bag Man (the podcast) and it was so good.
anyways, it comes out in July so i have quite the wait.
I don’t think i’ve recommended them yet, but Blowout and Drift by rachel maddow are great, give them a try!
Blowout focuses on big oil and Russia, and Drift talks about the way America goes to war.
Speaking of books, if you all are a fan of sci-fi and the like. Check out The Institute by Stephen King. It’s unlike his other books and isn’t very gory.
Now that most deadlines are near (or already past), I want to know what kind of club you’d take part in. After looking through so many school’s student groups, I’d have to say I really like the idea of a tea club, a biology club, and a philosophy club. Having a break off of academics at least for an hour or two with other friends and learning more together about these topics sounds to amazing.
@CrackersCrayons I’ll definitely check it out! I’m a huge baby when it comes to horror, so I might have to have some friends corroborate your claims first, but i’ll at least check out a copy from the library.
@SolarJ yoo i get so obsessed with looking through all the club listings! I can’t imagine having so many activities to choose from when my current school has a grand total of 3 clubs, 2 of which have been forced to meet less regularly because of lack of participation lol.
If you’ve spoken to me, you know I’m a huGE political junkie (and also I care about the ppl the policies affect, want to make a change in the world through government, etc etc) so i’d definitely join the young dems club if available. I’m so happy that many of my schools have political clubs in general! Everyone at my school gets so tired of me talking about the news so much haha. I do wonder if the different politically aligned clubs collaborate with each other, I think that’d be so interesting!
I’d probably also join a few affinity groups as well, and maybe the art club!
AND I SWEAR IF THERE ISN’T A DND GROUP AT A BOARDING SCHOOL FILLED WITH SO CALLED ACADEMICALLY TALENTED PPL I WILL RIOT.