Pam Bachorz

Candor is a perfect place to live. No one is late. No one overeats. Everyone is respectful to others. Everyone follows the rules. The Messages make sure of that. Oscar, son of the founder of Candor, has discovered a way to block the Messages. For a price, he can get people out and help them to keep their own thoughts. But when he falls for his newest client, Nia, his world is turned upside down. He has to save her before the Messages erase her, even if it means sacrificing his model reputation. This interestingly twisted book is hard to put down and has an extremely unexpected ending.

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants is a fictional inside look into the workings of a circus. The reader will get to see the ins and outs of the big top from main character Jacob Jankowski, who was only one exam away from his veterinary license before jumping the train of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Jacob learns who not to cross and the social ladder of the show. The reader will be totally engrossed in this story full of love, murder, and continual suspense. I thought that this was a great novel and hated putting it down. There was never a dull page in this book.

The Screwtape Letters

C. S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters takes a look into the assistants of  “Our Father Below” who is more commonly known as the devil. This book is comprised of letters written by a demon named Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood on how to win souls over from “The Enemy” known to us as God. This novel takes an amusing look at good and evil.
I personally enjoyed this novel as a light and somewhat humorous read. It was interesting to look at life in such an absurd way. From this book you’ll learn how the devil can manipulate anything into a way to take you further from God. 

The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks

Seventeen-year-old Ronnie Miller’s life changed when her parents divorced and she and her little brother are forced to spend the summer with their father in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.  They haven’t seen their father for three years since the day he left them. Ronnie was rebellious and rejects any attempt her father made to connect with her until she meets Will Blakelee.  He became the love of her life and he made her a better person.  She found joy in Will and she realized how important her father is to her.  Ronnie finds herself falling into happiness. I really liked this book. I found myself not being able to put it down. What Ronnie and Will have is very special and the bond she makes with her father is much needed. You will see how her life completely turns around for the better.

Harry Potter and the Scorers Stone

J.K. Rowling

Harry is a young orphan who one day discovers he is a wizard. He goes to a school for others like him and makes two very close friends. He learns about his past and how he got his scar. He comes face to face with his attacker and defeats him. I would definitely recommend this book to read because it captures you and makes you wish that all the things in it were real.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

J.K. Rowling

This book is the sequel to the first Harry Potter book and is just as thrilling. It is about Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s second year at Hogwarts. There are attacks going on at the school and Harry gets blamed for them. So he tries to clear his name and in the process he discovers who opened the chamber fifty years ago and who is doing it now. I would recommend this book, because just like the first it draws you into the story and makes you want to keep reading it.

Hatter: The Looking Glass Wars

Liz Cavalier

This book is basically a long comic book. The pictures are very cool though some are hard to follow. If you look past the comic book aspect of it, it’s really an interesting story. It’s about Allis the lost princess of wonderland and her bodyguards and the Hatter who is in desperate search for her. He first has to find his hat that turns out to be a pretty sweet weapon and when he finally finds the princess she is kidnapped and he must find her again. Hatter finds himself in many different situations all of which his skills and trusty hat can get him out of. When evil spirits try to stop the Hatter they find their way into his memory revealing the war that started in wonderland and how Allis and the Hatter escaped. The story doesn’t end but merely continues for the next book.

Nawuth Keat

Nawuth or “mop” as he was called lived in Cambodia. His family was one of the wealthiest in his city. One night while he was young the Khmer Rouge came with guns kicking people out of their houses and shooting anyone they wanted. Nawuth was shot and got treatment at what they would call a hospital; his mother, grandparents and baby sister were killed. For a while he lived with his older sister and visited his dad who stayed at their house. Eventually the Khmer Rouge came to where Nawuth was and moved them from their homes. He and his family ran but were forced to work for the Khmer Rouge in rice fields. They were given barely any food; had little possessions including a few clothes and a hut they made themselves. He came close to death many times but luck was on his side.  Eventually he and his family grew tired of being slaves and escaped to Thailand. From there, Nawuth was given an opportunity to leave Cambodia with a family that would say he was a part of their family. He made it to the United States and is currently living in California.

Infernal Devices: The Hungry City Chronicles

Philip Reeve

Wren, a thirteen year old girl, is tired of her boring life with her parents in the small town of Anchorage. She has an opportunity to run away with the “Lost Boys” and does to take her chances. She finds herself taken captive by a kid named Fishcake and it keeps getting worse. The book is set in the future after a nuclear war has destroyed most civilization. It was an exciting book that kept me turning the pages, although it was kind of confusing, I enjoyed it.

A Northern Light

Jennifer Donnelly

A sixteen-year-old girl named Mattie Gokey is given some letters by a woman staying at the hotel where she is works.  The woman was drowning and was saved by the innkeeper. She was with her boyfriend, going on a boat ride when it tipped.  Now Mattie has to decide whether to be faithful to the woman’s wishes and burn the letters or to read them and decide whether or not to show someone.  Mattie also has to decide whether or not to go off to college or to stay with her new found crush, Royal.  A Northern Light is a good romantic novel with a murder twist.  All she wanted in life was to be as pretty as her classmates, and get the attention of her crush, Royal.  When she finally gets Royal’s attention she has to decide what to do with the letters.  If you’re into romantic novels this is the book for you!!  Read it!

Going Bovine

Libba Bray

Going Bovine is an unusual, bizarre and fairly controversial book. Bray’s touching yet witty story won the Michael Printz Award. Cameron Smith is just an average, careless high school student whose world gets flipped upside down when he is diagnosed with mad cow disease. The drab story of his non-eventful life turns into a death and life struggle with all sorts of twists and turns that will keep anybody wanting to read more. With an abnormal cast of characters, including a dwarf and a living yard gnome, it is hard to draw a line between Cameron’s hallucinations and reality. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with the conclusion of the story, but it was definitely worth the ride.

Secret Life of Bees

Sue Monk Kidd

Lily is being raised by her harsh father T Ray after her mother was killed in a mysterious accidental shooting when she was a little girl. T Ray brings in one of the Negro pickers named Rosaleen from his peach farm to help out with Lily. After getting into some trouble with the most racist man in town, Lily busts Rosaleen out of jail and the two run off to Tiburon, South Carolina where Lily’s mom is from. Looking for some answers about her mother, Lily stubbles upon a house of three colored women, the Boatwright sisters. These women have their own strange religion and even stranger lifestyle. Lily and Rosaleen stay with August, June and May (the month sisters) and help them keep bees while Lily searches for answers about her mother. I enjoyed reading this book. It was somewhat suspenseful with the two characters on the run from the law and a cruel father. With a few twists and turns this book will keep you interested and hold your attention.

Dear John

Nicholas Sparks

Dear John is another Nicholas Sparks book that is bittersweet. Of course, it is romantic, sad, and redeeming. It is a story about an Army sergeant named John and a sweet southern girl named Savannah and their tough long distance relationship. It is also about the interesting relationship between John and his unique father. If you have ever seen the movie, there are definitely parts that are different. So I would advise doing both. Read the book, and then see the movie.

Running Loose

Chris Crutcher

This fiction story takes place in a small in town in Idaho. The main character of the story goes by his last name Banks. The story begins at the beginning of his senior year in high school. He starts on his football team that has won the past 3 state championships. He also starts to date a girl named Becky Sanders who was the prettiest girl in the school. Banks isn’t the most athletic or smartest kid at his school so he isn’t quite sure at first why Becky likes him over some of the other guys at school. They eventually fall in love. Everything was going great for Banks until they played Salmon River who had a very good quarterback. To make sure that his team won, the football coach told his players to intentionally hurt Salmon Rivers quarterback. Boomer Cowans follows his coach’s orders and intentionally hurt the quarterback. Banks strongly disagreed with this and made a huge scene on the field when it happened. His coach told him to go home and then he got kicked off the team for his actions at the game. Banks was upset but he still had Becky, which made him happy. One snowy winter day Banks received the bad news that Becky had jus been killed in a car accident. When this happened Banks felt like he had lost everything. He began causing some problems and he felt as though the whole world turned upside down on him. Banks now has to find a way to turn his life around and figure out the true meaning of life.
I liked this book. I liked how Banks always stood his ground when someone would test his morals. However I thought the ending could have been better.

The Fold

An Na

Joyce Park is a girl in her junior year of high school. She’s your average high school girl, she has crushes and problems with pimples and she’s just trying to figure out who she really is. But there is a spin on things when her grandma wins the lottery and buys the whole family gifts to help them. The gifts end up doing the complete opposite for Joyce’s family and when Joyce goes to receive her gift she finds out its plastic surgery to put folds on her eyes to make them wider. Joyce has always been compared to her gorgeous older sister who is great at everything. Joyce must decide if she wants to permanently alter her face to be different and stand out instead of being in her sister’s shadow. She also tries to impress the guy of her dreams, John Ford Kang. Joyce’s best friend Gina is all for the idea of the surgery but some members of Joyce’s family disagree.
I think the book is amazing and it will definitely keep you reading wondering what Joyce will do next and what her ultimate decision will be. This book is definitely worth reading if you like drama and suspense. I loved it.

The Boxer and the Spy

Robert B. Parker

This fiction story takes place on the coast of Massachusetts during the school year. The story starts off with the discovery of a student’s death. He was said to have committed suicide but there were a lot of questions about whether that was true or not. People close to the student who died didn’t think he would do something like that. It was also said that they found steroids in his system and people also didn’t believe he would do steroids. One of the friends questioning whether he committed suicide was Terry. He thinks he was murdered. Terry teams up with his girlfriend and eventually many other friends to find out who killed their friend. The only person stopping them from finding out what really happened was school bully, Kip Carter. Terry and Abby knew that Kip had something to do with the murder because anytime they would ask questions about their friend’s death Kip would find them and threaten them. You will have to read this murder mystery to discover what really happened to the dead student.
I thought this was a good book and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries and enjoys sports.

Cry, The Beloved Country

Alan Patton

Cry, the Beloved Country, is a terrific read. This emotional novel by South African author, Alan Patton, not only contains an excellent plot, more than capable of keeping any reader’s interest, but also serves as an excellent overview of the social and political climate of mid-Twentieth Century South Africa. Patton’s genius as a writer is evident throughout the novel. This novel is a story of the personal struggles with faith and family of a humble African pastor. The pastor’s story not only makes for an entertaining and emotional read, but also quite effectively illustrates how individual South Africans dealt with the political turmoil of the time period.
I would recommend this book both as an excellent work of fiction, and as a good illustration of a time a tumultuous time in South Africa’s history that called to question the place of old races in a new society.

J Adams Oaks

Wyatt Reaves was only twelve years old when his uncle swooped into his life and took him on the road with him. Wyatt’s parents didn’t seem to care. Wyatt rather large for his age enjoyed most of the time spent with his “traveling salesman” uncle who sold questionable things out the back of his old Chevy. One day at the age of fourteen his uncle sees the money making potential in Wyatt when he knocks out a pig to win a pig catching competition. His uncle then takes him to train in boxing with Gauge Coleman in hope that his young nephew could begin street boxing for money. Many twists and turns later in the story young Wyatt returns home at the age of sixteen to his parents only to be more and more frustrated with them.
The book in my opinion was very well written because the writing style gave a kind of Forrest Gump feel to it. Although the book was lacking in the fighting action department the story was more than enough to compel me to keep reading. I love the fact that the book is a coming of age tale of a young man growing into a young adult in an odd way. I just wish that the story had gone for longer because it seems to me that the story just sort of cuts off at the end. Otherwise a very good book for a short read. If your looking for a book about fighting though prepared to be little disappointed for the fights have very little detail about them. Also if you take strong offense to animal cruelty try to bare an open mind because I don’t think those scenes are too horrible

Killers cousin

Nancy Werlin

David Yaffe, an eighteen year old, is repeating his senior year.  He goes to live with his aunt and uncle.  Their eleven-year-old daughter Lily has a troubled mind. She wants David to know that he is not welcomed there. When he won’t leave, she starts to mess with all of his things.  David missed his senior year due to a death.  He then learns all about his cousin Kathy’s death and what happened.  He also has to finish his senior year and not worry about getting kicked out of his aunt’s apartment that his aunt and uncle is letting him rent.
I really enjoyed this book.  If you like a mystery along with suspense then this will be a great book for you.  The characters are ones that  in some way you might be able to relate with them and understand where they are coming from.  The ending of the book is amazing and unpredictable.

Black Mirror

Nancy Werlin

Frances lost many people in her life, her mother left them and her brother Daniel just committed suicide by an overdose.  Frances goes to a prep school on a scholarship.  She does not want to do charity work with Unity who gave her the scholarship.  When she finally agrees to it, her brother’s old girlfriend Saskia tells her not to go there.  The only people she can trust are her art teacher, Ms. Wiles, Andy, a mentally handicapped man who helps around the school, and James the post grad student that she is falling for.  But what happens when everything that she comes to know and loves turns out to be a lie?
I really enjoyed this book.  This is a story where everything you believe will turn out differently.  If you enjoy those twists and turns in the plot, then this book is perfect for you

Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins

In Mockingjay, the final book of the Hunger Games Trilogy, Katniss Everdeen finds that District 12, her home, has been completely destroyed. Although Katniss had escaped the Hunger Games, the Capitol had taken Peeta as prisoner. Katniss now began her life as a part of District 13. She agrees to be the “Mockingjay”, which was a symbol of District 13’s rebellion towards the Capitol. In return, she demands immunity for all the victors, the right to kill President Snow, and to go out in the woods with her best friend Gale and hunt. The victors were rescued from the Capitol. But Peeta had been brainwashed into hating Katniss and tried to kill her when he returned to District 13. The rebels began to take control of the other districts. Katniss and teams of rebels invade the Capitol. I really enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it for anyone. I was very happy with the ending of this book and it began getting better and better throughout every book of the trilogy.

Honeymoon

James Patterson

John O’hara is an undercover cop and he currently is on a case where he is an insurance agent. He is undercover to find out what Nora Sinclair is up to. There have been two mysterious deaths of men who she was very close to and the police think she is up to something. O’Hara meets her and becomes her insurance agent. Eventually the two fall in love. John, however forgets to mention to Nora that he is married and he also has not yet told her that he is an undercover agent. Is Nora guilty of murder? Will she find out John is an undercover agent? How will John’s wife find out he has been cheating on her? And will she be able to take him back? To find out the answers to these questions you will have to read this book.

Fire From The Rock

Sharon M. Draper

Sylvia Faye Patterson is in the ninth grade and will be entering High School soon. She planned on going to Mann a school for only black children, but they are taking kids to Central a school for whites. Sylvia has good grades and everyone believes she has the courage to do so. But she also just a got a new boyfriend Reggie who hangs out with her older brother Gary who believes the only right thing to do is fight. Sylvia has a lot to think about over the summer to decide is she will be one of the brave students to go to Central. I enjoyed this book because it showed so much effect that a couple of young high school kids could do. This book made me think about how it was when they started to mix the colors. I think this book and teach everyone about how we should really deal with hatred.