The Poacher’s Son begins with the murder of two men in the north woods of Maine. This part-mystery, part-thriller book follows game warden Mike Bowditch as he attempts to prove the innocence of his father, the prime suspect of the murders, when everyone else is against him. One aspect of this book that I really liked was the constant suspense of it. Many intense or dangerous events happen continuously throughout this book, which keeps a feeling of danger constantly present as the story goes on. While The Poacher’s Son is considered a mystery, this makes it feel a lot like a thriller, and the book does a fantastic job of keeping this thrill going as the mystery develops. I also quite liked the setting of this book. Not many books like this are set right here in Maine, so this local aspect of it was pretty interesting. Plus, most of the story taking place in the backwoods of Maine really made it seem like Mike was totally on his own, which just adds to the feeling of danger that’s already present in the story. Lastly, the ending of this book was excellently done. I won’t reveal much about it, but I will say that I totally didn’t expect what happened, and I couldn’t pull myself away from the last quarter of the book. The twist definitely makes this book worth reading. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys thrillers and mysteries— this book should easily entertain readers who like either of these genres. Also, if you’re just curious about a book set in Maine, this is a great book to read. 
~J. McDevitt, Honors Project for "Reading for Pleasure Class"

White Rage is a book I read for a Race & Identity class that I took last semester. I found this book extremely interesting through its details about our country’s history with race and how oppression has adapted throughout the years. Everything from the Civil War to the working conditions to education to the war on drugs was discussed in this book. The author discusses how even after the Civil War there was still slavery and highlights how black people were seen as inferior by so many people as well as how the advancement of black people was seen as a threat to white people. This book also describes the lengths that white people went to stop black advancement. Even when it would have been in the best interest of the country to provide more funding for black schools they chose to give that funding to white schools. At the time it was determined that black people were the greatest source of potential for the United States if they were to be adequately educated and could have been beneficial to the United States because they were in need of scientists and engineers in order to combat the national security crisis. However, the southern states were so opposed to integrating schools that they devoted that funding to white schools. This is also the type of book that would be beneficial to read in a history class because these events are crucial to understanding racism and it is something we need to learn from and we need to acknowledge the negative things in American history. Whenever I have learned about Lincoln in school I have learned that he wanted to free the slaves and that he helped pave the way for equality. Although he did want to end slavery, he also wanted to move all of the black people to Panama so that that the United States could become an entirely white country. The topics in this book are still relevant today in examining how racism is present in our country.

~B. Gallace, Honors Project for "Reading for Pleasure Class"

I Killed Zoe Spanos is one of the first thriller books that I have read and it is a new favorite genre of mine. This book constantly kept me turning the pages. There was always something happening or a new piece of information that sparked a prediction. An aspect that I found especially interesting in this book was the flashbacks and strange details that are presented at almost random times. Every time I put the book down it left me questioning who was at fault for Zoe’s death because each character seems to be hiding something about their relationship with Zoe. This book throws you right into the middle of the story as it is happening and immediately has you questioning who is telling the truth and who isn’t. The back and forth of the time of events allows you to see how the story unfolds and leads to speculation of almost all of the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries or thrillers. Personally, I love true crime stories and I enjoy podcasts and TV shows that have the same sense of mystery and suspense. I think this book has a similar style especially with the incorporation of podcast transcripts that help to move the story along. This is a great book for high school or college students that are looking for a fun read full of twists and turns.
~B. Gallace, Honors Project for "Reading for Pleasure Class"