"The tops of the trees looked as though they were brushing the sky, and Esi wondered why leaves were green instead of blue." A debut novel from Gyasi details the lives of two step-sisters and their families through the generations. Slaves, slave-owners, Africa, America, beauty, pain, life, death, this book has it all. Beautifully written, each chapter told by a different character, showcasing Gyasi's talents. Just as you begin to fall into the deep waters of one chapter, it ends and a new chapter, a new generation begins. You learn to go with the flow and allow the story to take you places deep inside your mind.

"It's the kind of smile you smile when you're thinking someone over and trying to decide how you feel about them." Niven provided me with a slightly different novel from what I am used to reading. I'll say it here because it's not stated in the book: Trigger Warning - Suicide/Suicidal Ideation. That being said, this novel gripped my attention from the first few pages. It opened a window into a world of sadness, but also brightness. An unlikely relationship between a girl and a boy in high-school provides the setting for an unforgettable story. Every time you feel like you have it figured out, something changes and you're lost once again. It was an easy and simple read, aimed towards young adults, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

"Knowing can be a curse on a person's life." An absolute gem of a book that I picked up as a child, now reread as an adult. Each page is filled with wisdom that triggers your heartstrings. Be prepared to answer questions about life, and wonder why some people are the way they are. Kidd uses the life of bees as a metaphor to shine clarity on the difficult secrets humans keep. Lily is a young girl who runs away from home with her maid, to escape a terrifying father. The story moves through various themes of racism, love, lies, hope, empathy, trust, and betrayal. Read it.

“...So I stopped talking about it. There's no need to talk, because the truth of what one says lies in what one does.” I am instantly drawn towards authors who have a special way with words. Authors who can describe a taste, a moment, a note, a smell, in perfectly plucked words as if they were written just for you. Schlink seems to write from a darker place, and yet the story of a boy falling in love with an older woman (who may or may not be who she seems) is somewhat... touching and carefree. This book had my heart beating fast at times, while also halting it to a stop as it clenched in heartbreak.