The Authenticity Project (Alyssa’s Pick)

“Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead? The one thing that defines you, that makes everything else about you fall into place? Not on the internet, but with those real people around you?”

“The Authenticity Project” by Clare Pooley is a romantic fiction novel in which six strangers are brought together through the serendipitous discovery of a shared notebook. The book explores themes of authenticity, life purpose, and identity formation.

“I randomly picked this book up off my local library’s shelf, and it was an absolute delight. The themes of community, found family, forgiveness, love, and relationships are just exquisite. I enjoyed exploring the mindset of each of the distinctly written characters, and I could hear each of their differentiating voices in my head as I read the book.”- Alyssa.

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (Blaire’s Pick)

“I’m not sure I’m the good girl I once thought I was. I’ve lost her along the way.”

“A Good Girls Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson is a young adult mystery that follows Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a small-town student, and her end-of-year project on her hometown’s murder case. When her research discovers buried secrets, Pippa begins to wonder what will happen to her if she solves the case.

“This book is a perfect mystery. It’s unsettling and captivating while also staying relatable and interesting to teenage readers. Even though you can form your own theories while reading, you truly don’t know “who did it” until the killer is revealed at the end.”- Blaire.

 Born a Crime (Hadia’s Pick)

 “We live in a world where we don’t see the ramifications of what we do to others because we don’t live with them. It would be a whole lot harder for an investment banker to rip off people with subprime mortgages if he actually had to live with the people he was ripping off. 

If we could see one another’s pain and empathize with one another, it would never be worth it to us to commit the crimes in the first place.”

“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah is an autobiographical comedy that follows Trevor Noah’s individual experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa. He highlights the undercurrent of racism, inequality, and lack of opportunities he faced throughout his adolescence while incorporating comedic notes through his writing style.

“What I loved was that it was hilarious, insightful, deep, and sad all at the same time. It made my day every time I opened the book!.”- Hadia.