The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The Secret History, a 1992 novel by Donna Tartt, carries one theme throughout: Beauty is terror, and the incessant pursuit of beauty, whether through constructing a certain persona or chasing a sensory experience, leads to evil. The characters’ descent into madness and subsequently, ruin, illustrates the consequences of pursuing a glamorous, hedonistic existence and reminds us to appreciate the good, not the beautiful.

Book Corner: ‘Beauty is harsh’

by Alena Suleiman, Co-Arts & Entertainment Editor January 19, 2023

An onslaught of white as far as your eyes can see. Freezing, you trudge your way through heaps of snow. Yet the blindingly beautiful scene masks a treacherous murder, as you and other Vermonters discover...

Intimations is an approximately 100 page series of essays in the form of a memoir written by Zadie Smith that was first  published in 2020. Smith is also the author of White Teeth and On Beauty.

Book Corner: “Nothing to be afraid of — we’ll get through this, all of us, together”

by Sarah Mohammed, Features Editor October 21, 2021

Entering Zadie Smith's “Intimations,” I expected to see loss alongside love, loneliness alongside care. I didn’t just expect it: I needed it — so I could try to do the same myself. As a writer,...

“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” is a 390 page nonfiction written by Yuval Noah Harari that was first published in 2011. Harari is also the author of “Homo Deus” and “21 Lessons for the 21st Century.”

Book Corner: The rise of humankind

by Arely Sun, Co-Managing Editor September 13, 2021

Arely’s ranking: ★★★★★ Ever wondered why your body allows you to down an entire tub of ice cream in one sitting? Or how money, the root of modern tribulations, came into existence? I never...

Odd Girl Out (The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls) is a 368 page nonfiction written by Rachel Simmons that was first published July 1, 2002. Simmons is also the author of Odd Girl Speaks Out and Enough As She Is.

Mean girls: Rachel Simmons explores what causes aggression among girls

by Sally Zhu, A&E and Lifestyle Editor August 17, 2021

Sally’s ranking: ★★★★☆ “Mean Girls,” “High School Musical,” “13 Going on 30” all share a similarity in the way they portray teenage girls: jealous, backstabbing, vengeful. Characters...

“Three Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty” is a 390 page nonfiction written by Jeff Pearlman that was first published Sep. 22, 2020. Pearlman is also the author of “Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL” and “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”

Three-peat

by Aditya Singhvi, Managing Editor May 21, 2021

Aditya’s ranking: ★★★★☆ What do you get when you combine a “Santa-like,” seven-foot-one hulk who can’t hit a free throw for his life; a legendary coach coming off a legendary three-peat;...

Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade is a 200 page true crime memoir by Walter Kirn that was first published on March 3, 2014. Kirn is also the author of Up in the Air, Thumbsucker and Lost in the Meritocracy.

A murder for the sake of literature

by Aastha Mangla, Reporter April 20, 2021

Aastha's ranking: ★★★☆☆ From simply grazing my eyes over my bookshelf, I can easily identify red covers and crackled text, the telltale signs of horror novels. My interest in horror novels...

“Becoming is a 421 page memoir by former first lady Michelle Obama that was first published on Nov. 13, 2018. Obama is also the author of “American Grown.

Politics, race, family: Michelle Obama shares her challenges and triumphs in “Becoming”

by Lucy Ge, Winged Post News Editor April 9, 2021

Lucy's ranking: ★★★★★ As I flipped through the first pages of Michelle Obama’s memoir, “Becoming,” I felt as if Obama herself was sitting next to me, speaking directly to me in a candid,...

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is a 274 page novel by Anne Lamott that was first published on May 5, 1994. Lamott is also the author of Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Sons First Year, Traveling Mercies and
Almost Everything: Notes on Hope.

Taking flight: Discovering a candid, transformative message in “Bird by Bird”

by Arya Maheshwari, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief March 26, 2021

Arya's ranking: ★★★★☆ Weaving witty dialogue together with honest reflection, “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions to Writing and Life" surveys the realities of writing and its extensions to...

Harker Aquila introduces Book Corner, a project intended to share our staffs reviews on a non-fiction book.

Book Corner: A warm welcome from Harker Aquila

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor February 28, 2021

Welcome to Book Corner, Harker Aquila's newest project introducing our staff's reviews on one non-fiction book each staff member has chosen to read. At the end of each week, one review will be published...

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