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Happy Place by Emily Henry

4.3 out of 5 Best known for her books “Beach Read” and “People We Meet on Vacation,” Emily Henry’s new book “Happy Place” is a delightful and heartwarming spring-summer romance. The book explores friendship, family, and love. The story takes place in a cottage in Maine where Harriet, Sabrina, and Cleo spend their summers since their college freshman year. Now that Sabrina’s family has decided to sell the cottage, the friend group is spending one last summer in their happy place. Harriet is excited to come back and spend a summer getaway with her best friends until she sees Wyn Conner, her ex-fiance who broke up with her five months ago. Although their split was painful, Harriet is surprised to see Wyn. Because they haven’t told anyone about their breakup, the two decide to pretend they are still together in front of their friends. Widely argued as Henry’s best book yet, the “Happy Place” is a touching and captivating story. This book is a perfect spring read that will leave a smile on your face. Written By- Kristina Yu

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A Room With A View by E.M. Forster

4.7 out of 5 Set in Edwardian England and Italy, Lucy Honeychurch is a young woman struggling with societal expectations and her own desires. During a vacation in Florence, Lucy encounters George Emerson, whose sincerity and passion ignite a spark within her. However, upon returning to England and becoming engaged to the socially suitable Cecil Vyse, Lucy is torn between the expectations of society and her true feelings. As she experiences the complexities of love, class, and personal freedom, Lucy must ultimately choose between conformity and authenticity. The story’s depiction and insight into human nature make “A Room with a View” a timeless novel about connections between society, the human spirit, and self-discovery. Written By- Kristina Yu

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Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

4.2 out of 5 Set against the backdrop of cherry blossoms in bloom and the warmth of spring sunshine, the book transports readers to a quaint Japanese bookstore. When Takako finds out her boyfriend is getting married to another woman and then forced out of her job, she has no choice but to move to her uncle’s secondhand bookstore, hidden in a quiet wooden building in Japan’s famous book district—Jimbocho, Tokyo; where she rediscovers friendship, love, and the power of literature all while trying to heal from her past trauma and betrayal. Written By- Kristina Yu

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The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story by M.L Wang

4.5 out of 5 Nestled on a mountainside bordering the Kaigenese Empire, reside the formidable warriors, possessing supernatural abilities to manipulate the sea and wield icy blades, defending the Kusanagi Peninsula for centuries, earning their name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’ Mamoru, a fourteen-year-old boy of the esteemed Matsuda family, is primed to uphold his family’s martial legacy and define his homeland. However, when an outsider arrives and provides revelations on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realises that the empire he was bred to defend may have been built on a foundation of lies, and that his journey to embody the warrior he was destined to become may be rapidly slipping away. Meanwhile, Misaki convinced herself that when she married into the Matsuda family, she put her youthful passions behind. She concealed her sword and all other mementos from her time as a warrior in a distant nation, now focusing on being determined to be an appealing housewife and mother. However, Misaki finds the fighter returning to the surface as a result of her son’s rising curiosity for the outside world, the looming prospect of an invasion across the sea, and her cold husband’s irritation. Written By- Leon Zhang

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

4.7 out of 5 The novel follows the extraordinary life of the icon and Hollywood’s legendary actress—Evelyn Hugo. Through the lens of Monique Grant—a young journalist tasked with writing Evelyn’s biography—Evelyn reveals her famous seven marriages and the tumultuous paths of her career. With plot twists that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, the book is the perfect companion for a springtime escape as readers are transported into the glamorous and ambitious world of Hollywood in the 1950s. Written By- Kristina Yu

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Stateless by Elizabeth Wein

3.9 out of 5 Amidst the years preceding the Second World War, Stella North, a strong young woman, is chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first international air race for young pilots. As the only female pilot, attempting to prove that she is a worthy competitor is nothing short of a challenge. However, Stella questions the promotion of peace in Europe, as the Nazi’s gain power and the civil war in Spain grows larger – and when a plane is sabotaged to get ahead of the competition. This novel explores the transformative power of shared experiences, the confusion and fear of identity, and the mysteries that lie deep within everyone. The world is looking for peace and entertainment in such turbulent times. But each of the racers is hiding a dark, violent past, and any one of them might be capable of murder, even Stella herself. Written By- Leon Zhang

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Normal People by Sally Rooney

4.3 out of 5 The story begins in a small town in Ireland, where Connell, a popular and athletic teenager, strikes up a secret relationship with Marianne, a social outcast known for her intelligence and aloofness. A year later, they are both studying at Dublin’s Trinity College. Throughout their time in college, drawn to their constant, powerful attraction to one another, they keep coming back to each other magnetically and irresponsibly. Marianne and Connell grapple with issues of power, intimacy, and the lingering effects of trauma. Written By- Kristina Yu

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Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

4.1 out of 5 Kafka on the Shore, a tour de force of metaphysical reality, is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an ageing simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it is to us, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbours soldiers apparently unaged since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the sky. There is a brutal murder, with the identity of both victim and perpetrator a riddle—yet this, along with everything else, is eventually answered, just as the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata are gradually revealed, with one escaping his fate entirely and the other given a fresh start on his own. Written By- Leon Zhang

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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

4.6 out of 5 Violet Sorrengail, at twenty years old, was meant to join the Scribe Quadrant, destined for a peaceful life immersed in books and history. However, her iron-willed mother, the commanding general, has other plans: she orders Violet to compete among hundreds of candidates aiming to become Navarre’s elite dragon riders. Yet Violet faces enormous challenges. Her slight frame and brittle bones make survival precarious, as dragons refuse to bond with “fragile” humans—they incinerate them instead. With more cadets than dragons, many would kill Violet to improve their own odds. Others, like Xaden Riorson, the fearsome wingleader of the Riders Quadrant, would kill her simply because she is her mother’s daughter. Violet must rely on her wits to make it through each day. Meanwhile, the war beyond the walls grows increasingly perilous, the kingdom’s protective wards are weakening, and casualties mount. Violet starts to suspect that the leaders are hiding a dark secret. At Basgiath War College, everyone has their own agenda—friends, foes, and lovers alike. Because once you’re in, there are only two ways out: graduate or die. Written By- Leon Zhang

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Drunk on swipes

Andrew Miao Tag(s): Technology, Addiction Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. An endless stream of content fed straight into the mouths of dopamine-starved teens. Colours start to blur, sounds begin to blend. This digital feast, where adolescents devour media, serves both as a bridge and a barrier. On one hand, young minds around the world are able to connect with one another, pushing voices across oceans. Promoting and fostering growth among like minded youth, individuals are able to seek community in the digital world, which they might otherwise be lacking in the physical world. However, on the other hand, the allure of instant gratification shifts self expression into a scoreboard of likes and shares. In this process, self-worth often becomes mistaken with online validation. Constant comparisons between “social media” life and “real” life exacerbate the existing doubt of self confidence. What was meant to be a platform for self expression became quickly overtaken as a stage for performance. Perhaps a relatable experience could be the following: You have an assignment due tomorrow evening, and you’ve just arrived home from school. Knowing there’s a whole evening ahead, you decide to lay on your bed and scroll through TikTok or Instagram reels. Swiping away, you perhaps crack a smile or two, but after a glance at the time, you quickly realise that hours of your time have flown by. Thinking back, you can’t even remember the third last video you’ve watched. Deciding that it is finally time to sit down and start your work, a sudden sense of fatigue glooms over your head. No motivation left to do any work, you hop back into your bed, going through the same cycle again. Maybe not applicable to all, but countless teens have gone through this exact experience. “This is concerning as a recent survey showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media. And when asked about the impact of social media on their body image, 46% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse.” The sense of freedom of swiping away endless does not come for free. The challenge lies in the ability to be disciplined. Social media is no different than alcohol; swipe responsibly.

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