Ali discusses the Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel, Holes, written by Louis Sachar.
Ali discusses Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. She reads memorable passages from this noteworthy work of fiction, praising the main characters’ values while highlighting the important themes of empathy, courage, morality and justice.
Ali discusses the movie adaptation of the first book in Ann Brashares’ bestselling young adult novel series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She tracks the story arcs of each of the four main characters while touching on the timeless themes of self-love, growth, family, grief and, above all else, the true bond of everlasting friendship.
Ali discusses J. D. Salinger’s popular novel, The Catcher in the Rye. She analyzes the main character, Holden Caulfield, focusing on his unique way of speaking, his hypocritical hatred of all things phony and his cynical feelings toward growing up. She also talks about important symbolism throughout the novel and the key theme of preserving innocence.
Ali discusses The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the acclaimed epistolary novel by Stephen Chbosky. She cites various quotes that resonate with her, compares the novel to its movie adaptation and talks about the qualities she admires most about the main character, Charlie.