The Pigeon Post

  Have you ever wondered how the Everest summiters felt on their journey up to the top? How many different kinds of challenges they face? Well I have and lucky for me, my sister recommended reading The Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure: Everest — You Decide How to Survive!  This is not a passive read. It’s a branching, choose your own adventure style story where you are part of an expedition to climb Mount Everest. From the moment you lace up your boots things start going wrong. There are sudden storms, altitude sickness, equipment failures, and tough calls about whether to push forward or turn back. After every few pages you are faced with a tough decision, and each and every choice shapes your fate. There are 26 possible endings to this book. Some are almost victories and others are disasters. But there is only ONE path that will lead you to the ultimate success(summiting Everest).  What makes the book interesting is how grounded it feels. Like the scenarios aren’t...

     The Cousins is a novel written by Karen M. McManus, the author of the well known book One of Us Is Lying. I haven’t read this book since first reading it two years ago and decided to reread it. The story begins when one summer, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah Story get invited by their grandmother Mildred to work at her island resort. Mildred and her husband raised four kids on Gull Cove Island as one of the wealthiest families. But soon after Mildred’s husband passes away, she disowns her children in their teen years without telling them the reason. The children split apart and continue to form their own families. Years later, Mildred unexpectedly invites only Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah (her eldest grandchildren) to her island for the summer. The three cousins barely know each other and are not interested in going to the island. However, their parents who are desperate to regain connection with their mother and their part of the fortune, force them to go on the trip. Onc...

Artemis Fowl is the first book of the series and it’s about a 12 year old genius trying to restore his family’s fortune, which was lost by his dad. Artemis’s dad was a criminal trying to sell cola and took his ship of cola to Russia but got attacked by the Russian mafia. The ship sank and the whole crew was lost…or were they? Because if the book goes into detail about how a character who we haven’t met died, then they’re probably actually alive and will come into the story/series later. But anyway, Artemis is trying to become rich again mostly so that he and his mom can stay at their fancy estate which has been passed down over centuries with their family of butlers (who have the last name Butler). Oh and this is a fantasy book. I was thinking that it was sort of sci-fi by the cover and overall vibe but then it started talking about fairies and dwarves which was when I started getting confused. I mentioned Artemis is a genius, so here’s his plan to earn back the fortune. He already ha...

  For the past few weeks, I have been reading a book called Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I had heard about it a few times online, and so I decided to borrow it from the library, only to be slapped in the face with some of the most beautiful writing I have ever seen that reads so musically I forgot more than once that the book was prose– and now, this may be one of my favorite novels I’ve ever read. Aristotle and Dante (for short) is a book following two teenagers in 1980’s El Paso, Texas: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza, and Dante Quintana. Dante is carefree, kind and artistic, giving little mind to what others think of him. Ari is the opposite— he is a quiet, closed off person easily prone to anger and worries extensively about his masculine image, often confused by Dante's way of thinking. They become friends quickly after meeting despite their differing personalities, though it doesn’t take Dante very long to feel like something is ...

Bridge to Terabithia , written by Katherine Paterson, in my opinion, is a quite moving story about imagination, friendship, and growing up. The main characters in it are fifth graders, Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke. They become close friends despite their different personalities and backgrounds.  Together, they create Terabithia, an imaginary kingdom in the woods which they go into every day to escape daily pressures and build a world that’s full of freedom and creativity. For Jesse,  Terabithia becomes a place where he can feel understood and confident. And Leslie’s imagination helps open up his world in new ways too.  Then unexpectedly the story takes a very emotional turn (I’m not going to specify what happens because it would be a big spoiler). This plot twist forces Jesse to face some hard emotions far too early. But I think the author handles the moment really well with honesty and simplicity and that I think makes it especially powerful. So, in the end, I think thi...

  Matched by Ally Condie                    When I first heard about this book it was because my aunt recommended it to me, and from what I heard, I was a little skeptical about it. But, in mid to late January, I was at a thrift store, and I found it for a really cheap price and decided to buy it, and looking back I am very glad I made that decision. SUMMARY                    Matched by Ally Condie is told through the eyes of the main character, a seventeen-year-old by the name of Cassia Reyes living under a dystopian government (known as "The Society") that controls the peoples' every move. In this society, citizens will attend a Matching Ceremony where they will be "matched" with their ideal partner. cassia is partnered with her best friend Xander, but a glitch shows up in the system also matches her with a boy named Ky. She is assured that her true match is Xander, and ...