Staff's Picks for March Madness 2024

A Court of Thorns and Roses VS Six of Crows

Isha - Vote for Six of Crows

Bardugo’s clever writing style created one of the most intricate plots that I have ever read. Unlike my experience with A Court of Thorns and Roses, where I was able to predict the entire plot and solve the infamous riddle, Six of Crows kept me on my toes with the genius plan that Kaz and the rest of the characters came up with to get out of the most unexpected situations. This uniqueness of the plot and style with multiple POVs easily gives Six of Crows the spot for first place in this round of March Madness.

Claire - Vote for A Court of Thorns and Roses

May I just say ACOTAR has one of the most genuinely enjoyable female protagonists across all YA fantasy books! Feyre is genuinely that girl. She’s independent, clever, determined, and rebellious and ACOTAR does a brilliant job of making the reader fall in love with its protagonist (and also maybe Rhys). Also if you enjoy spicier romances this one’s probably for you. Love at first sight? Got it. Enemies to lovers? Got it. Love triangles? (Kind of) got it. It’s like one of those good love triangles where everyone knows the right answer, and the author knows it too. Plus unlike some of the other books in the series, ACOTAR focuses on a single POV, aka Feyre’ aka the best POV. (I’m kinda a Feyre Stan if you couldn’t tell). Aside from just its protagonist though, ACOTAR is genuinely a well-written and fun-to-read book that has a good combination of immersive tension, and enjoyable dialogue. 

Mira - Vote for Six of Crows

Few books can keep you captivated and on the edge of your seat like Six of Crows can. This action-filled book follows a group of incredibly diverse, complex, and well-developed characters as they embark on a dangerous heist. The leader, Kaz, is a cruel 17-year-old gang leader who develops plans and plots that genuinely have you staring at the book in confusion and shock. Bardugo does an excellent job weaving these intricate plot details and creating a unique storyline. Want to know more about the heist? It takes place in a world where people (called Grisha) have incredible abilities such as wind, sun, and darkness manipulation. All these powers are enhanced by a drug developed by this chemist (who has now become a huge threat to several nations of non-Grisha citizens). How does this tie back to Kaz? Well if you guessed that Kaz and his gang were supposed to break into an Ice Court and seize this chemist all for a huge cash prize then you would be correct. This is an enthralling read full of adventure and emotion. I see no scenario where this book shouldn’t be considered the winner.

The Selection VS The Love Hypothesis

Isha - Vote for The Selection

While the Love Hypothesis has an amazing representation that I love, all of the characters had such a bland personality. And I’m not going to lie… I didn’t really care for the romance. On the other hand, The Selection was the cutest read, and all of the characters were so loveable. I mean, who doesn’t want a Maxon Schreave in their life? Besides, the mashup of The Bachelor and a dystopian novel made the perfect plot, and the world-building in the series is unmatched. All in all, it deserves your vote in the upcoming polls!

Claire - Vote for The Selection

The Selection hooks you in from the first sentence. Jumping into its caste-based society that has an eerily dystopian feeling, the reader is then enchanted by the wonder of the romantic royal setting that America the protagonist is whisked into. The story switches seamlessly between harsh realities and romance, and you can’t help but root for the protagonist and her love interest. Even the side characters are charming and witty, meaning the protagonist’s headstrong and rebellious nature makes her an asset, but not an exception. The original selection trilogy is the perfect length to draw out the suspense without overstaying its welcome. Definitely a lighter series overall, but it has some hard-hitting emotional moments and it’s genuinely interesting how the author explores not just the romanticized aspects of ruling a country. 

Mira - Vote for The Love Hypothesis

Grumpy-sunshine? Fake-dating? You know when a romance book has this you’ve struck gold. The book follows Adam and Olive, two complete opposites who work/attend Stanford. Olive Smith is determined to prove to her best friend that she’s in a relationship, while the infamous and cold professor Dr. Adam Carlsen has motives of his own. So the two enter into a fake dating arrangement. Olive is a Ph.D. candidate and the book offers insight and discussion on the inner workings of STEM academia, which creates such a unique and ultimately realistic setting. This love story isn’t rushed or boring, but rather charming, sweet, and full of wit and humor. It’s a heart-warming read that kept me smiling throughout the book. The way the two balanced each other out was so entertaining to see, they embodied “opposites attract” in the best way possible. I would say it lacked the unnecessary drama, miscommunication, and unlikable characters that appear in other romance books. All in all, this book holds everything you could want. It’ll make you smile and laugh, and it should also totally be considered a winner in this category.

Make Your Bed VS Atomic Habits

Isha - Vote for Atomic Habits

In my opinion, the lessons in Make Your Bed could have been extremely insightful if it was delivered in a format like a short speech, but the message didn’t serve well in a long book format. All of the lessons in Make Your Bed seemed to lack a common connection while Atomic Habits provided extremely straightforward strategies to improve your life. Atomic Habits only provided necessary information and anecdotes that made the story have the perfect balance of engagement and knowledge which makes it worthy of your vote on Sunday!

Claire - Vote for Make Your Bed

Life changing. Inspirational. Revolutionary. Do I have your attention yet? If not, what if I told you this book was based on a graduation commencement speech given by a Navy Admiral? To do the big things, meet your goals, and make your mark on history, you have to start somewhere. It’s the simple lessons, the ones we often ignore in favor of extravagant ideas that go on about changing the world and waking up the nation, that end up being the most important. Make Your Bed introduces how we can use 10 small simple lessons to change your life, and then the world, by reframing our perspective on ourselves, and everything surrounding us. 

Don't forget to head to our instagram @storiesofchange_ on Sunday April 7 to vote for your favorite books!