We’ve been reading, and we’ve got thoughts. Below, some members of the book blog team share there current reads, and provide a little insight about each one.

James B., ’24:

The best book I read recently was Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross which is a YA romance fantasy with some WWII inspiration + gods, magic, and folklore. I was putting it off for a bit because of the hype but a lot of it lived up to expectation. I loved the WWII-era inspiration with the addition of fantastical elements, I liked the characters and romance a lot, and damn…that ending. I’m not ready for book two but I need it instantly.

The worst book I read recently was The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson which is a non-fiction exploration of psychiatry (“The Madness Industry”). I was super excited for this because Jon Ronson’s TEDTalk about this book is one of my favorites, so imagine my surprise at the mentions of the autism “epidemic” and transvestites. Imagine my even greater surprise when I found out the book came out in 2012 despite including some truly 2005 takes on psychiatry. It’s funny at points but not very well researched and reads like an opinion piece.

Currently, I am reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik which is shaping up to be wild fun. It’s an adult fantasy/folklore standalone with influence from…Germanic fairytales, maybe? I’ve only just started it but it’s a lot less dense than I was expecting and pleasantly Howl’s Moving Castle-esque! It’s possible I’ll change my mind over the next ~350 pages but I’d recommend it so far.

Tara N., ’26:

Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital, Elise Hu. Hu takes Korea as a case study and uses it to make incisive statements about the global beauty industry and its effect on women from both an emotional and socioeconomic lens. It gives voice to a lot of things that have been bothering me about the language beauty marketing uses and the societal equation of beauty with morality – major recommend! Other nonfiction books I’ve been loving include Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, The Daughters of Kobani by Gale Tzemach Lemmon, and Glossy by Marisa Meltzer. 

Ms. Pelman:

I’m currently reading The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor. It’s speculative fiction about a researcher who helps uncover an advanced race of octopuses who create symbols using their chromatophores, and the corporation who has purchased and is controlling the part of the ocean where they reside. I call it, Remarkably Bright Creatures meets “The Arrival.” Fun fact: the author, whose really impressive resume includes his current post as the international advisor to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is CS teacher Ms. Peregrino’s nephew! 

Felix C., ’25:

I’m currently reading Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar on the recommendation of a friend who’s trying to get me to read new genres (it’s gently structured in the form of a letter to Marcus Aurelius, and I don’t normally read works in that format). Right now, I’ve got to say so far, so good — I really like the prose, and am really enjoying the read. No final judgements till I’m done, of course, but I think this might end up being a memorable favorite!

Wanke L., ’27:

A really good book (or book series) I read was Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, which is a danmei (chinese bl) romance that actually has a GOOD romance (which wasn’t all that shallow).

I read the translated version because the original is in Chinese, so through my eyes, the writing was alright and not stellar. The worldbuilding was a bit weird for me (some of the things were probably in Chinese and I couldn’t understand a lot of it) and the side characters are a bit hard to track, but for the most part it was good.

The romance is extremely well written as the two characters share a deep-rooted relationship. The author explores moral conundrums and how it affects the surrounding characters and their developments.

The relationship between the two main characters is a good breath of fresh air after reading way too many “trope-y” romances. The two characters are dependent on each other and find common ground despite being extremely different in personality and experiences. They don’t fall in love immediately or deny it for a long stretch of time before finally admitting it (just personal preference, but those two tropes are kind of meh for me). Instead, they grow closer together as they go through the story.

Also a great read for anyone who likes xianxia aesthetics I guess. Or has a 10 hour+ plane ride to binge reading it.