By Giulia Socolof ‘19, Staff Writer 

Summer Movies

4. X-Men: Days of Future Past

In the future, mutant-hunting robots called Sentinels target the X-Men. Wolverine must go back in time to stop the creation of these Sentinels, enlisting the help of young Magneto and Professor X. An excellent addition to the franchise, it’s a new movie with the young joy of X-Men: First Class.

3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

An intelligent thriller with fantastic special effects, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes makes our list as one of the best summer movies. It’s an excellent follow up in the franchise. Humans vs. apes: what’s not to like?

2. The Fault in Our Stars

Based on the book by John Green, The Fault in Our Stars is a drama and a comedy all rolled into one. With witty protagonists Gus and Hazel, it is a one-of-a-kind and truthful story about star-crossed young love. It’s definitely a tear-jerker, but its cleverly timed funny moments outweigh the bad.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy

As our number-one pick, Guardians of the Galaxy is a perfectly orchestrated and hilarious sci-fi movie. Chris Pratt is Peter Quill, a human who was taken at a young age to outer space and has not returned to Earth since. Now, he must team up with two aliens, a talking raccoon, and a tree named Groot to save the universe from Ronan and a mysterious power called Infinity Stone. We urge you to see it.

Music

Spotlight on:

All About That Bass

Received well by critics and American teens, the song’s catchy beat and lyrics have taken America by storm. Meghan Trainor, an up-and-coming artist who has been writing songs since she was a little girl, wrote the song. Its lyrics, while catchy and fun to sing, also relay a positive message. So if you haven’t heard it, listen.

Books

Side Effects May Vary- Julie Murphy

A fairly new book, released in March 2014, Side Effects May Vary  follows the journey of leukemia-diagnosed Alice, who decides to make the rest of her life meaningful. She and her friend Harvey do good deeds, settle scores, and get revenge however she sees fit. But, when she finally finishes, there’s just one problem-she goes into remission. How can she face all the things she’s done? A Fault in Our Stars-esque read, this book is definitely worth your time.