4. The Female of the Species, by Mindy McGinnis
Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone. As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.
This is an excellent book. The three main characters are well-developed and believable, as is a secondary character who has an important role in the story. The consequences of taking the law into one's own hands are explored in a thought-provoking manner, as are the stereotypes concerning both boys and girls.
5. Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, by Michael Wolff
The first nine months of Donald Trump's term were stormy, outrageous—and absolutely mesmerizing. Now, thanks to his deep access to the West Wing, bestselling author Michael Wolff tells the riveting story of how Trump launched a tenure as volatile and fiery as the man himself.
A riveting story this was not. It read like a gossip magazine (which I tend to find approximately as interesting as watching paint dry). After all the fuss (which was why I bought this book in the first place), the book commits the cardinal sin of being boring. Bleh.
