- The Girl on the train by Paula Hawkins
- In a nutshell: the best psychological thriller I have ever read!
- What I liked/disliked: I loved the way the least expected turnarounds were presented, the depiction of the main character that felt so real, the way the emotional side of the thriller was explored, the significance of the train // I did not like the self-destructive behaviors of the character (how they were emphasized) and I felt that the beginning of the story was too descriptive
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D Salinger
- In a nutshell: Holden’s gradual discoveries of adulthood
- What I liked/disliked: I loved the metaphor of the “catcher in the rye” which symbolizes someone who prevents children from falling off a cliff by being the “catcher”; a way of representing his quest towards adulthood. I also really liked how simple the character of Holden is (his name can be understood as “Hold on”) and the fact that he mirrors a often under-looked aspect of growing up / I disliked the character’s outspoken pessimism
- Little fires everywhere by Celeste Ng
- In a nutshell: discovering family secrets when you least want to
- What I liked/disliked: a breathtaking mastery of suspense, a very captivating story, the complexity of the family history that makes it seem like an endless puzzle / I disliked the beginning because I believe it could have introduced the plot in a better way
- Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
- In a nutshell: the intellectualism of friendship at its finest
- What I liked/disliked: the book is divided into sections that are introduced by quotes/ideas of known authors that the subsequent part of the story illustrates very smoothly, the unconventional connection between Aristotle and Dante, the fact that they are very ordinary people but with names that suit their personalities // I disliked its Young Adult categorization because it prevented to go deeper into the subjects conveyed
- Tangerine by Christine Mangan
- In a nutshell: a tale of swappable identities
- What I liked/disliked: I LOVED the references to other books and writer as well as the familiar setting that is Tangier / I did not dislike anything!
Aïcha's bookshelf 