Low Pressure/Sandra Brown/467 pgs.

Bellamy Lyston has written a fictionalized account of her sister, Susan's, death 18 years ago. Her book, Low Pressure, written anonymously, becomes a best seller. A sleazy reporter, Rocky Van Durbin, discovers Bellamy's identity, and reveals that there might be more truth than fiction to Low Pressure. "Someone" is not happy with Bellamy's account, and the threats and attempts on her life begin. There's mystery, family dynamics, and romance. I think it's one of Sandra Brown's better efforts--highly recommended.

The Vow / Kim Carpenter / 183 pages

This is the story of Kim and Cricket Carpenter's courtship, marriage, and the terrible accident that forever changed their lives.  The story of their miraculous recovery and inspiring Faith in God are important life lessons for all.

Flutter. Erin E. Moulton / 200 pages

Maple is looking forward to the arrival of her new baby sister.  She loves baking and singing with her mother and loves to hear stories of the Wise Woman - a rock like formation said to grant miracles.  When Lily comes too early and her life is in danger because her heart is not working properly, Maple is determined to go to the Wise Woman and bring back the healing water to cure Lily.  Her bossy big sister, Dawn, accompanies her and the perils they encounter are numerous, frightening, and life-threatening.  This happy ever after story stresses the importance of believing in something bigger than ourselves; the presence of miracles in daily life, and the all-powerful bond of family.

Mark Twain Preliminary Award 2013-14

Waiting/Carol Lynch Williams/335 pages

This is a sad tale of a family falling apart after a tragedy. London and her family are mourning the death of her brother Zach. Although it's been many months, their grief is still dictating their lives. A couple of new friends as well as some old ones help London start to come to grips with her sadness. It's heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

Mister Death's Blue-eyed Girls/Mary Downing Hahn/330 pages

Nora and Ellie can't wait until the last day of their junior year. The night before, they go with a bunch of friends to the rec center to dance and afterwards to the park to drink and dance some more. One of the girls ex-boyfriend follows them there and causes some problems, but everyone gets home safely. The next morning, Cheryl, whose ex was the problem the night before, and Bobbie Jo stop by to walk with Nora and Ellie to school. Nora and Ellie are running late because they are slightly hungover, so Cheryl and Bobbie Jo go on without them. That would be the last time they see Cheryl and Bobbie Jo alive. Someone waits for them in the woods and shoots them. The whole town assumes the murderer is Buddy, Cheryl's ex, but the police have no evidence, so they have to let him go. Nora's summer and whole life have been changed by this tragedy. She starts questioning everything, even Buddy's guilt.

This is an fictionalized account of a true crime that happened during the author's teenaged years. It's obvious that she has been haunted by it for years and has struggled to make sense of all of it. Clearly, this was a book she had to write.

Dead End in Norvelt / Jack Gantos / 341 pages

Winner of the 2012 Newbery Award for the best children's book published in the United States in 2011, Dead End in Norvelt richly deserves the reward.  Have you ever read a book and known it was special?  Dead End in Norvelt fills the bill of special.  It is hilariously funny, thoughtful, populated by appealing and eccentric characters, and emotionally evocative.  It is a coming of age story that takes place in 1962 in a small, dying town that was established by Eleanor Roosevelt & the federal government to help impoverished coal miners during the Great Depression.  Dead End in Norvelt captures this time in our history, relates how history has important lessons, and shares the impact of reading on at least one young man, Jack Gantos.  Highly recommended.  A great family read aloud. Perfect for that book discussion group. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children/ Ransom Riggs/ 351 pages

This is a supernatural tale of a boy trying to solve the mystery of his grandfather's death.  His grandfather had always told him stories of the magical people he knew and was raised with during the war.  But, the stories seem to fantastical to be true.  Then Jacob's grandfather is murdered and Jacob suspects a monster.  The most fascinating part of this book is that the author has this great collection of old photos in the book.  He collects them at antique malls, etc. and used them to support the story.  Some of the pictures are pretty creepy and it's fascinating how he's worked them into the story.  Be warned: this is clearly the first in a series...

Tempest / Julie Cross / p. 339

After his girlfriend Holly is fatally shot during a violent struggle, nineteen-year-old Jackson uses his supernatural abilities and travels back in time two years, where he falls in love with Holly all over again, learns that his father is a spy, and discovers powerful enemies of time who will stop at nothing to recruit him for their own purposes.

The book is a little confusing because the rules for time travel change throughout the story.  I was also listening to the book on audio, so I kept forgetting which timeline Jackson was in and I didn't have the book in front of me to check back a few pages to remind myself.  Still, it was an enjoyable story as long as you suspend belief for awhile and just go with it.  The ending was also not what you would expect, which made the book all that more interesting. 

Recommend for teens, the only warning is that Jackson and Holly are in an intimate/sexual relationship, which is not described in detail; but parents who feel it's inappropriate for a YA novel should just skip this one.

There is also a sequel coming out called Vortex in January 2013!  And the movie rights to Tempest has been optioned by Summit Entertainment. 

Drama / Raina Telgemeier / 233 pgs.

A very cute story about a Junior High student named Callie, who has taken on the task of being the set designer for the school's annual musical.  She is very enthusiastic and ambitious even wanting to fire a civil war cannon on stage for one of the special effects.  By working on the school musical, she meets some new friends and develops new crushes.  Hence the story is about the "drama" of putting together a play, friendships, relationships, and life.

Anyone who has worked as part of the stage crew for a play in Jr. High/High School will be able to relate to this story.  I think any Teen who is involved with the drama club will really enjoy this story.

Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You (Vol. 1) / Karuho Shiina / 205 p.

Sawako nicknamed Sadako because she looks like a traditional ghost from Japanese horror movies (think the girl from the movie "The Ring"), is very introverted and socially inept.  However, things start to change when she becomes friends with the most popular boy in school.

There is really not much to this story, and in fact there is so little happening there is tons of filler.  Over and over we see Sawako trying to befriend people, but end up scaring them away.  And then there are many drawings of Sawako's confused/determined face close up, as she is marveling over and over about how nice the popular boy, Kazehaya, is.

Needless to say I got pretty bored with this book and I doubt I will continue with the series.

Hot Shot / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 490 p.

Adopted daughter of a computer industrialist, Susannah Faulconer spent her entire life doing what was expected of her right up until on her wedding day she jumps on a motorcycle with Sam Gamble and finds herself cut off from her family and working in the burgeoning personal computer world with Yank and Mitch where she grows and triumphs in the board room and in romance in this contemporary romance and possible women's fiction work (per Rebecca Vnuk). Fast-paced, historical, character-driven, intricately plotted, witty, engaging

Last to Die / Tess Gerritsen / 338 pages

Gerritsen does it again!  Fans of Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles will enjoy this book.  Both women are such interesting characters that you would like to have a beer or a glass of pinot noir with them.  Last to Die has plenty of twists and turns.  Maybe you'll see the end coming but you find no plot spoilers here!  I will say that when the book ends, you will immediately want to know what happens next in the lives of Jane and Maura.  Read it!

Barn Boot Blues / Catherine Friend / 142 pages

Taylor McNamara is twelve.  She likes to shop, watch TV, and hang out with friends.   She is an excellent student.  Unfortunately, she's discombobulated.  In the middle of August, Two Guys With ATruck moved her family from their Minneapolis neighborhood, with its Mall of the Americas, to a farm 100 miles away.  The closest town is Melberg (population 7,380).  The population of the farm is 77 - 40 chickens, 20 sheep, 10 ducks, 4 goats, and three humans.  Now Taylor has to figure out how to make new friends, fit into a new school and a new town, and learn about sheep, goats, ducks, and chickens.  Erk!  One of her new friends, Megan, decides to help Taylor escape from farm life with her TEFF plot - Taylor Escapes From Farm - research statements on the dangers of farming which are left all around Taylor's house, Taylor getting bad grades and detentions...and Taylor giving up another new friend, Carleigh, a farm kid.

"A baseball has a rubber core wrapped with 220 yards of wool yarn."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Bitter End / Jennifer Brown / 359 pages

Alex Bradford doesn't have a mother.  She took off for Colorado and was killed in a car accident on the way.  Her father has been distant ever since.  What Alex does have is two best friends, Zack and Bethany.  They have been planning a trip to Colorado since they were 8 years old.  Alex believes she will experience closeness to her mom and closure.  Their plans and their friendship are threatened by a new boy in school, Cole Cozen.  He has transferred in as a senior because his family recently moved.  He wears his letter jacket, covered with letters and medals, from his old school.  What begins as a tutoring session turns into much more. 

"Maybe being with an abuser was better than being totally alone again."

"'This was what best friendships was about:  forgiveness and unconditional love, and cookie dough."

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-1

Underdogs / Mike Lupica / 280 pages

The Forbes (sp?), Pennsylvania Bulldogs are the underdogs.  They have no uniforms, no coach, not enough players, and their field is a mess.  When the Forbes Flyers plant closed many people had to move away to find new jobs.  Many businesses closed and the town...and residents...are depressed to say the least.  Will wants to play football and looks with longing to Castlerock, last season's champions, with envy.  He writes to New Balance and asks that they sponsor his team.  He recruits an awesome coach, and convinces his meager roster that they need Hannah.  This is a perceptive fell good book about youth sports, equal gender access, sportsmanship, and determination.  Great audio book!

"Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel."  (newspapers) Mark Twain

"You want to make god laugh.  Tell Him about your plans."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Great Escape / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 420 p.

Lucy Jorik, of First Lady and Call Me Irresistible, escapes on her wedding day on the back of a beat-up motorcycle with a rough looking stranger, straight into a summer of new undertakings, new persona—Viper, new friends, new passion, and a new direction all in a house with a past for Panda, her biker, on an island on the Great Lakes. Contemporary romance, moving, fast-paced, witty, engaging, realistic complex characters, multiple characters with several story lines.

A Reliable Wife/Robert Goolrick/291 pages

Set in rural Wisconsin in 1909, Ralph Truitt has advertised for "a reliable wife".  The simple, honest woman that responds is anything but honest, much less reliable. Catherine Land has a plan, marry this rich, successful man and slowly kill him, but Truitt has a plan as well. Both characters have a dark disturbing history and then we throw in Truitt's son who is even darker and more disturbed.  So many dysfunctional family relationships that we soon lose count, but the author creates such a shocking and suspenseful tale, it's hard to put down.

Odd Apocalypse / Dean Koontz/ 355 pages

Who is Odd Thomas? Is he a humble fry cook or Will Rogers of the supernatural or superhero?  He can see dead people, he saves those in need from evil, he doesn't blink an eye at bizarre creatures or supernatural occurrences, and he can crack a joke or comment on world events and political situations with deadpan humor.  I'm a big Odd Thomas fan and wonder if Koontz enjoys this character as an outlet to his own bizarre sense of humor.  Read the Odd Thomas novels; I believe you will become a huge fan. 

Steve Jobs/Walter Isaacson/627 pages

I'll start off by saying that this is a book club selection. Although I enjoy biographies, Steve Jobs is not someone that interests me, and I'm not a computer person. (That's my husband in the background saying, "Nope, she's not. Not at all!") I was a little intimidated by the length of the book. I was afraid it would be dry and much too technical. Plus, I'm not a fan of Apple as a company. All that being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. As someone said to me recently, a good biographer can make all the difference. Isaacson's style is very readable, and I never felt like I was over my head in any aspect of Jobs' life. It was hard to put down even knowing the basics of the story.

Sometimes I read biographies because I want to know if my low opinion of the subject is undeserved and should be altered or at least updated. Sometimes what I discover is the person is worse than I thought! (Pete Rose comes to mind.) Steve Jobs falls into this category as well. Although he is hailed as a genius, it seems that his true "superpower" was being able to bully people into doing what he wanted. He was called a visionary and maybe that's his legacy. It seems that we as a society excuse bad behavior by saying someone is a genius or an artist or a visionary as if that's a necessary trade-off to being civil. I'm in the process of picking out my first smartphone. My first instinct was to go with an android because, as I mentioned before, I'm not an Apple fan. That's because they don't play well with others. I thought after reading this I might be a convert to the iPhone. Nope.

Line of Fire/Stephen White/371 pgs.

I didn't realize, until I read the book jacket, that this is part 1 of a 2 part conclusion of the Alan Gregory/Sam Purdy series. That bummed me to begin with, and the manner in which this book ended, didn't lift my spirits! That being said, it is one of the more engrossing books I have read in awhile. The key players: Alan Gregory, a clinical psychologist; Sam Purdy, a detective; Lauren Gregory, Alan's wife and a district attorney. A "problem" from Alan and Sam's past rears its ugly head creating a potential domino effect for their families. Add to that some "interesting" patients of Dr. Gregory, friendships gone awry, overheard conversations, and you have one heck of a story. This is not the book in which to start this series. I can't begin to imagine how the series will conclude! Highly recommended.

Zookeeper's Wife / Diane Ackerman 376 p.

Naturalist Diane Ackerman begins with a lovely description of the pre-war Warsaw Zoo. Jan and Antonina Zabinski were Polish Christian zookeepers horrified by the Nazi who work to extinguish the lives of all in power, teachers, priests, along with the Jews. Throughout the war, Antonina records in her diary the destruction of Warsaw and their zoo. Of the aftermath of the Gestapo New Year’s Hunt, sponsored by Lutz Heck, the zoo director of the Berlin Zoo, of zoo animals (penned or caged), she wrote:

“In the cold blue evening light sunset was playing funeral bells
for our just buried animals.”

Director Heck “borrowed” his favorites for a project where he would breed back lost and extinct animals.

The Polish citizens were to be decimated along with the Jews. With the converting of the zoo to a pig farm the Zabinski found an official sanctioned purpose as the Nazis loved pork. There, they preserved some of the remaining animals, saved Jews, and continued resistance work. Jan, personally, brought out Jews from the ghetto using loosely guarded gate. For the safety of the cell, resistors were known by a code name—Jan’s was Francis from Francis of Assisi. Hidden people had animal names and pet animals, humans. The villa cryptic name was “The House Under a Crazy Star”.

Where to hide the Guests, Jan and Antonina hide the Jews in their villa—in plain sight. They orchestrated visits from family and friends to conceal the Jews-- Jews who were awaiting forged papers and a place outside the ghetto. Others were hidden in the empty zoo cages. Jan did even more; he buried an ammo depot near a German warehouse. He was an officer in the Polish resistance. Through his connections as the zoo director and naturalist he sought to save what he could. When Dr. Szymon Tenebaum was moved into the Warsaw Ghetto, Jan stored his mammoth beetle collection (half-million plus specimens--a collection still in existence today). Even their son was involved. He carried food to the Guests in the animal cages. Being a naturalist, Ackerman marvelously describes specimens from his collection.

Over the years of German occupation, the Zabinskis, saved over 300 people. With Germans and Poles almost continuously around their home, they never stopped. Ackerman weaves in local happenings, natural history, and animal behavior as well as Naturalist Diane Ackerman begins with a lovely description of the pre-war Warsaw Zoo. Jan and Antonina Zabinski were Polish Christian zookeepers horrified by the Nazi who work to extinguish the lives of all in power, teachers, priests, along with the Jews. Throughout the war, Antonina records in her diary the destruction of Warsaw and their zoo. Of the aftermath of the Gestapo New Year’s Hunt, sponsored by Lutz Heck, the zoo director of the Berlin Zoo, of zoo animals (penned or caged), she wrote:

“In the cold blue evening light sunset was playing funeral bells for our just buried animals.”

Heck director “borrowed” his favorites for a project where he would breed back lost and extinct animals.

The Polish citizens were to be decimated along with the Jews. With the converting of the zoo to a pig farm the Zabinski found an official sanctioned purpose as the Nazis loved pork. Thus, they preserved some of the remaining animals, saved over three hundred Jews, and continued resistance work. For the safety of the cell, resistors were known by a code name—Jan’s was Francis from Francis of Assisi. Hidden people had animal names and pet animals, humans. The villa cryptic name was “The House Under a Crazy Star”.

Where to hide the Guests, Jan and Antonina hide the Jews in their villa—in plain sight. They orchestrated visits from family and friends to conceal the Jews-- Jews who were awaiting forged papers and a place outside the ghetto. Others were hidden in the empty zoo cages. Jan did even more; he buried an ammo depot near a German warehouse. He was an officer in the Polish resistance. Through his connections as the zoo director and naturalist he sought to save what he could. When Dr. Szymon Tenebaum was moved into the Warsaw Ghetto, Jan stored his mammoth beetle collection (half-million plus specimens). Being a naturalist, Ackerman marvelously describes specimens from his collection.

Over the years of German occupation, the Zabinskis, saved over 300 people. With Germans and Poles almost continuously around their home, they never stopped. Ackerman weaves in local happenings, natural history, and animal behavior as she presents a couple who heroism has fallen through the cracks. One must marvel at what they accomplished. Antonina's journaling showed how they faced death without becoming bitter. After the war, Guests called the microcosm of safety the Zabinskis created an Ark. One is in awe of two people who "were just doing their duty".

First person narrative, richly detailed, biography, autobiography, journalistic, intricately plotted, sobering, and strong sense of place.

Continents book--Europe
Award winner

A Mutiny in Time / James Dashner / 190 pages

First in the new Scholastic series, two children must fix all the "breaks" in history by going back in time using the Infinity Ring.  Following the Rules for children's books, the parents are missing in that they inadvertantly were lost when the first test of the time machine Infinity Ring went terribly wrong.  Set in the future, Dak and Sera must fix history for the current world to turn out okay.  They must escape the SQ and the Time Wardens so each book will be a different historical time period.  The first is Columbus.  It is great concept.  Fantasy and learning history at the same time.  However, I am not fond of James Dashner (Maze Runner).  The book is okay and I liked it better than 39 clues.  There will be six authors.

Fit to Be Tied / Robin Lee Hatcher / 395 pages / September Challenge - 1910's

Sherwood Stratham is banished to America by his wealthy father who has had enough of his carousing, drinking, and gambling.  It is 1916 and Sherwood is almost relieved to go.  He won't have to see any more of his former school chums leave to fight in the war, nor be required to attend another funeral when they returned in a box.  He himself was injured in the war and now walks with a limp and has an awful scar on his face.  In August of 1914 nearly everyone in England had thought the war would be over by Christmas.  Almost 2 years and thousands of casualties later, there was no end in sight.  Sherwood is sent to Idaho to work the ranch of Griff Arlington.  Griff's daughter, Cleo (Cleopatra), doesn't care much what traditional wisdom said a woman should do or not do.  She dresses like a cowhand and works like one.  Of course, Woody and Cleo fall in love and are willing to sacrifice all for each other.  This is an inspiring story of life during World War I, the changes faith effects in individuals, and the importance of family.

"The only way to keep from getting hurt is to quit living, to never take the risk of loving."

""God make each one of us for the time into which we are born.  He creates us for a purpose.  Our job is to know Him well, discover what He created us to do, and then do it for all we're worth for the rest of our lives."

The Light Between Oceans/ M.L. Stedman/ 343 pages

I may be buying this book to give away as a Christmas gift this year.  I loved it.  Great story revolving around a baby that washes up on an island off of Australia.  The only inhabitants of this island are the lightkeeper and his wife.  I don't know how to tell much without giving away the story, but it's a fantastic read, where you love the characters and feel their pain.  It would be an outstanding title for book discussion.  I need to find someone else who has read it!

Fables: Rose Red vol. 15 / Bill Willingham / 245 pg.

This story arc explores Rose Red's life.  Rose Red is the sister of Snow White.  The book starts out with Rose Red suffering from a deep depression.  As she examines her life from childhood to the present, she sees all of the things she's done good and bad to become the person she is today. 

I loved the artwork as everything is detailed and beautifully drawn.  Even the margins have colorful embellishments and each character has a design that is displayed when the story is focused on them.

The content, on the other hand, is definitely dark for the older / mature crowd.  Even though the story is smart and has a sarcastic tone towards finding "Prince Charming" and living "Happily ever After"; horrible things happen to the characters.  Some of which are just plain gross, like Snow White's treatment by the lecherous seven dwarfs.   

This is the first "Fables" graphic novel that I read and I could tell that I jumped into the middle of a long story.  I probably have spoiled a few twists in the story as well for not starting with book one.  I did enjoy this novel and again I loved examining the pictures that I would like to read more; probably starting at the beginning.

O Pioneers! / Willa Cather 308 p.

When Alexandra Bergson's Swedish father dies, she shoulders the responsibility of her younger brothers, scraping out a living on the Nebraska frontier farm while pushing her family to greater successes, and endangering her family relationships in the process.

Character-driven, leisurely paced, bittersweet, strong sense of place

Decades books: 1910's

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand/Helen Simonson/358 pgs.

What a great book! It's our September book club's read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is set in Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in England. There is a cast of characters, with Major Ernest Pettigrew (a widower) and Mrs. Jasmina Ali (a widow) being two of the main ones. Major Pettigrew's brother passes away, which results in the Major's developing friendship (and ultimate romance) with Mrs. Ali, the Pakistani storekeeper. The characters are so well developed and entertaining, that I would recommend this book to anyone.  We should have an interesting book discussion--there are societal issues, prejudices, etc., plus so many humorous incidents!

Close Your Eyes/Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen/353 pgs.

Kendra Michaels is a music therapist, who for the first 20 years of her life was blind. Thanks to a stem cell surgery, Kendra's sight is restored, and she has been able to see for 7 years. During her "sightless" years, Kendra developed her other senses--making her an extremely intelligent problem solver. She has a somewhat abrasive personality, and is called in to help find her ex-lover, Jeff Stedler, and FBI agent. Adam Lynch is the one who recruits Kendra, and the action begins. There is suspense, mystery, action--even a touch of romance. I'm not sure how I feel about Kendra--I don't think she's a very likable character, but I hope this is the start of a new series!

All Summer Long/Susan Mallery/376 pgs.

This is another "Fool's Gold" romance. This series takes place in Fool's Gold, CA.  This is Chantal (Charlie) Dixon and Clay Stryker's story. Charlie is a firefighter for Fool's Gold, and Clay Stryker is a former underwear model turned entrepreneur.  Clay has returned to Fool's Gold and wants to turn some land into "haycation" possibilities. Charlie and Clay have personal "issues" and help each other resolve them. It's a fast read, and Mallery's characters are more dimensional than other romance authors'. Recommended for Debbie Macomber fans.

Cabinet of Earths / Anne Nesbet / 260 pages

This debut children's book by Nesbet takes place in Paris so right off the bat you are happy to be experiencing the great city vicariously.  The main character, 12 year old Maya, moves with her family because her scientist father receives a fellowship from the Philosophical Chemistry Society.  Maya is typical in many ways, she has an adorable, charismatic 5 year old brother, a mother who is recuperating from a bout with chemotherapy, and she is missing her California home, friends and pet dog.  Readers get to experience what is is like to be thrust into a different culture.  It turns out that Maya is not typical in some ways-she has powers over a mysterious Cabinet of Earths, an evil immortal who literally sucks the luck, charm & personality out of children to make the addictive anbar so craved by the beautiful people, and must bring all of her stubbornness into play to save her brother.  Maya wrestles with a lot of issues and grows as a character.  I think it's a good story for grades 5-7.

The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls/Julie Schumacher/230 pages

Adrienne, Cee Cee, Jill and Wallis are all enrolled in AP English for the upcoming school year, but that's about all the girls have in common. Adrienne and Cee Cee each had more exciting plans for the summer, but an injury changed Adrienne's plans and an ill-advised and unlicensed car ride ended Cee Cee's summer fun. Adrienne's mom comes up with an idea for a Mother/Daughter book club built around the summer reading list, and Cee Cee and Jill's moms jump on board. Wallis somehow latches onto the group without ever producing her mom. The girls don't actually become friends, but they do learn more about each other. The story is told from Adrienne's point of view, and she becomes a little more adventuresome.

We learn more about Adrienne because it's her version of the story, but I wish we were given more information about the other girls especially Wallis. She seems to have the most interesting story, but we learn next to nothing about her. Mostly, we have to guess. I'd give it a 3 out of 5 if we were rating books.

New Challenge!!

September's Reading Challenge:

Hey!!  Do you remember the 20th Century?!  It really did not end that long ago.  So lets take a trip back down memory lane and try to read one book from each decade (ie. 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, ...).  You will get "5" bonus points for each decade covered for a total of "50" points!! 

And don't forget there is still time to complete earlier challenges for more points!! 

Killing Floor / Lee Child / 359 pages

This is Lee Child's first novel with his famous Jack Reacher character. Darn it anyway, now I'm going to have to read 16 more because I'm hooked on Jack.  Who can help but be drawn in by a character that is a wanderer, dishes out his own style of justice, and just buys new clothes whenever he needs a change.  Killing Floor is a great read.  Beware less you also just have to know more about Jack and which city and diner he ends up in next.

Stay Close / Harlan Coben/ 387 pages

Coben takes a break from his Myron Bolitar stories and writes about three characters Megan, a suburban housewife, Ray, a failed photo-journalist, and Broome, a detective with an unsolved case.  Each of these characters has a secret or something from the past that won't let them go.  Throw in a couple of pyscho Patterson style killers, and you got a story.  One common element brings all of the secrets to a close and the characters can move on at last.  Coben keeps you guessing.

Beyond Lucky / Sarah Aronson / 250 pages

Mac (Jerry MacDonald) is the luckiest person Ari Fish knows.  "Beyond lucky.  Always in the right place at exactly the right time."  He is the undisputed star of their under 13 soccer team.  Ari want to follow in his stormjumper (wildfire fighter) older brother Sam's footsteps and make it to first string - as keeper.  He is a soccer card collector and has always wanted to get a Wayne Timcoe (local hero) card.  The day he finds one, his luck changes.  The day he loses it, his luck changes again.  Who took the card?  Is it Parker, the only girl on the team?  Ari recites presidents and reads horoscopes for pregame rituals.  Great presidential quotes begin each chapter of this book sure to please soccer fans.

"I am a great believer in luck, and if find the harder I work the more I have of it."  Thomas Jefferson

"A person who stands for nothing will fall for anything."

"Fight to the end for what is important to you."

"18 is the most important Jewish number."  "Mitzvah means obligation."

"Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

In Front of God and /Everybody / K. D. McCrite / 298 pages / September Challenge 80's

 Summer 1986 was a rough one for April Grace Reilly.  Ian and Isabel St. James moved to Cedar Ridge, a small town in Arkansas right in the middle of the Ozarks.  They had lost everything in California due to bad business and gambling.  They are uppity and unkind, and unwelcome - at least to April.  April's parents take in the couple when their purchased home is inhabitable.  They are true Christians, some might say saints.  April loves to read and we are informed of her excellent selections. She loves her grandmother who lives nearby, helps her shop, and hates her new boyfriend.  She finds him snooping, distrusts him, and with the help of the librarian, proves him to be a polygamist and a fraud.  Her sister, Myra Sue, is a difficult older sister and is suffering from anorexia nervosa due to Isabel's influence.  While being treated to a flashback to the 1980's when the VCR was new technology, Little Ponies were the rage, and Madonna was on top the charts, we witness Faith in action and how hearts can be changed due to the power and presence of love.

"The way other people act doesn't make a difference in how your treat them."

"Hard work, good food, family and friends work toward keeping a person in good health and good spirits."

"There ain't never been but one perfect person in the world and they killed Him."

"Remember what Jesus said about treating others the way you want to be treated."

"Doing wash is like politics.  It's always there, always dirty, and there ain't no end in sight."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

PIE / Sarah Weeks / 183 pages / September Challenge - 50's

Polly Portman was the pie queen of Ipswich, Pennsylvania.  She had opened her shop called PIE in 1941 and soon became world famous.  She didn't want to charge her customers for her pies because she had no desire to be rich.  People always said that if she sold the recipe for her pie crust alone she would be rich.  Unfortunately, Polly dies suddenly in 1955, leaving her shop to the reverend and her pie crust recipe to Lardo, her cat.  Or did she?  Everyone in town is baking pies to win the Blueberry Award, especially Alice's mom, who bakes very badly.  Charley and Alice, Sky King fans, solve the mystery of Aunt Polly's pie crust recipe thief and the true recipient of her legacy.  This is a delightful tale of love, song, the 50's, and pie with a most satisfying resolution.  Each chapter begins with one of Aunt Polly's pie recipes and is sprinkled with Alice's songs.  This is a great audio book featuring Alice's songs sung aloud.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Taking the Fifth / J. A. Jance / 363 pages

Detective J. P. Beaumont must solve a double murder.  Although the first death obviously is, and the second is declared so, Beaumont has his suspicions and orders drug testing done on the corpse.  The second man did not die of aids as supoosed.  He, too, was murdered.  A hot singing sensation on a come-back tour after rehabilitation for drug use is accused of the crimes.  Eye witnesses have placed her at both crime scenes.  Is she guilty as charged?  This was an enjoyable read, but a bit too predictable.

Step-Ball-Change / Jeanne Ray / 227 pages

This is a delightful, feel-good revolving door of of developing and disintegrating relationships filled with awesome insights, love of dance, and the all-encompassing importance of family.

"Maybe we each get one thing, our missing half, the thing that was completely natural in life, the thing that is exactly a perfect fit, something that we step into and say Yes, this is who I am.  We feel completed, whole...and maybe it isn't always a person."

"What you need to ask yourself is this:  Are you  a better person when you're with him?  Are you kinder or smarter or happier?  Do you think you do more good in the world?'

"Marriage is a cliff dive.  You can do all the research you want, but you're never really going to know if it's going to work or not until you jump."

"Childhood is the time to cobble together and identity:  I am good at this, I love this, I could never do that, I wouldn't touch that. We put together lists, stake claims.  The people around us make assumptions and we grow to fit them."

"Every now and then you get a chance to start over."

13 Gifts / Wendy Mass / 341 pages

Tara Brenna's mom wants her to make friends and be involved in school.  During her final two weeks of school she agrees to steal the principal's goat in exchange for being included in the clique for the remainder of the school year.  Unfortunately, she is caught, expelled, and sentenced to two months with her aunt, uncle, and eleven year old cousin in the small town of Willow Falls.  During her stay, Tara learns a disturbing secret about her scientist mom; learns about bar mitzvahs; collects items for a mysterious woman in exchange for silence; makes friends, and finally finds a home.

"The universe doesn't care what our motives are, only our actions."

"Everyone should be allowed to keep their secrets..."

The sidelines may be safer, but life is played on the field." 

"Everyone can do their part to repair the world."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Odd Apocalypse / Dean Koontz / 355 pages / September Challenge - 20's

I love Dean Koontz!  I have read every one of his books, including Odd Apocalypse, his latest.  I should have bought this book because there were so many insightful passages I wanted to highlight.  His style, his command of the English language, his literary references, and his moral compass are incomparable.  In Odd Apocalypse we encounter Nikola Tesla, the `20's, mass murder, time travel, other-worldly beings, ...and hope.
These adventures of Odd Thomas - a man who sees shades of the restless dead (ghosts, if you will) and attempts to help them if he can, is set at Roseland.  "Once presided over by a flamboyant Hollywood mogul during the Roaring 20's, the magnificent west coast property is now home to a reclusive billionaire financier and his faithful servants."  Thomas stays in The Tower guesthouse. Perhaps having once served as a prison, it is decorated in the original 20's style - Craftsman: heavy wood-and-cushion armchairs, trestle tables with mortise joints and peg decorations, richly tiled bathroom and genuine Tiffany lamps.  Thomas and his traveling companion, Anna-Maria are urged by the owner to stay inside between dusk and dawn and to keep the doors locked.  What is he afraid of?  What is the hidden truth of Roseland?

"By our daily actions, we continually change the future."

 "Without Faith to act as a governor, the human mind is a runaway worry generator, a dynamo of negative expectations."

"Every talent is unearned and with it comes a solemn obligation to use it fully and as wisely as possible."

"Virtue is imaginative, evil repetitive."

"The devil and all his demons are dull and predictable because of their single-minded rebellion against truth."

"What does worry accomplish except to breed more worry?"

Harvest / Tess Gerritsen / 344 pages / September Challenge - 90's

Dr. Abigail DiMatteo's picture was on the front page of The Boston Herald, "Rigors of Surgical Training May Have Led to Tragedy".  The report had included everything...the lawsuits, Mary Allen's death (murder), the shouting match.  None of it was deniable.  All the elements taken together, painted the picture of an unstable, even dangerous personality.  It fed right into the public's secret horror of being at the mercy of a deranged physician.  But Abby in innocent and working with fired chief resident, Vivian Chau, to uncover an organs for cash conspiracy which has already led to the deaths of several doctors.  Is Abby's fiance, Mark, involved?  Are the organs being harvested from young Russian orphans?  As always, Harvest is a great, suspense-filled examination of medical and moral ethics by master storyteller Tess Gerritsen.

Masterpiece / Elise Broach / 367 pages

If you enjoyed Shakespeare's Secret, be sure to read Masterpiece by Elise Broach.  Elise was inspired to write it when she lost a contact lens down the drain.  She fantasized about how wonderful it would be if a tiny creature could go and fetch it.  This is exactly what beetle Marvin does in this tale of stolen art, forgeries, friendship, and the Four Virtues by Albrecht Durer.  Marvin and the boy James are friends and when James receives a pen-and-ink set from his artist father for his birthday, Marvin creates a masterpiece for James's birthday.  James is believed to be the artist and is offered thousands of dollars for his sketch.  He and Marvin agree to participate in a scheme to recover previously stolen art.

The four cardinal virtues are fortitude, justice, temperance, and prudence.
"This was the very heart of friendship - to be willing to accept your friends problems as your own."
"Humans are masters at making their own trouble."
When you saw different parts of the world, you saw different parts of yourself."

The Witness / Nora Roberts / 488 pages

Interesting new book from Nora Roberts.  The heroine of the story is Elizabeth/Abigail who witnesses a Russian mob killing and then is forced to flee.  Her character is the only one that could successfully do all the things she does since she is a genius and computer expert.  Of course, only a man can bring out her human side.  But Nora Roberts always does that pretty well.  Her character is, however, a pretty strong female.

Honey Moon / Susan Elizabeth Phillips 440 p.

Honey Moon, the hottest child star, really wants a family and affection, but gets her puppy love stomped by actor of the century and co-star Eric Dillon while Dash, the cowboy movie legend, gives her a cold shoulder. Fast-paced, amusing, contemporary romance, steamy, and characters with human flaws.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society/ Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows/ 274 pages

This was a great little book.  It's a quick read, written in letter format.  The story is centered around an island between England and France during Word War II.  The characters are so endearing and as with all WWII stories of man's inhumanity to man are sad and disturbing.  But, I loved it and would recommend it. 

Marvel Her-oes (vol. 1) / Grace Randolph / 110 pgs.

This is another superhero spin-off comic that I can get into.  This short series (only 4 issues) focuses on three teen girls, Janet Van Dyne (aka The Wasp), Jenny Walters (The She-Hulk), and Namora (An Atlantean).  They are living in a normal, small town going to a regular high school, but are coming into their superpowers and are pressured by their families to keep it a secret.  There are other "angsty" teen superhero series out there like Teen Titans, Spider-man loves Mary Jane, Hero High, and others; but this one features female characters!!  Personally, I think there needs to be more comics that focus on the female superheros (other than Birds of Prey).  Sadly, it looks like this was it for this series; because I could not find anything on the Net that indicated that there would be more issues published.  *Boo!!!*

Darth Vader and Son / Jeffrey Brown / X pgs.

This small book made me smile at the cute illustrations and at times laugh out loud just picturing the scenarios.  My favorite scene is the one where Luke wants to buy a Jar Jar Binks toy and Vader is standing behind him trying to do the 'Jedi Mind Trick' and is saying "This isn't the toy you're looking for..."  There have been time I've been thinking that about my own kids toy choices.  :)

Super Cute and if you are a Star Wars Fan / Parent you'll get a kick out of this book.

Astonishing X-Men: Northstar / Marjorie Liu / 136 pgs.

I picked this book up at the comic book store over the weekend.  I read comic books, but not usually Superhero comics.  I like stories that are more character and relationship driven over all action, but since the author of this story arc is the Romance writer Marjorie Liu I wanted to give this a try.  (Oh!  and btw this is rated T for Teen!)

The main point of this novel is the marriage between Superhero Northstar and his long time boyfriend Kyle.  It follows their relationship triumphants and struggles and shows a couple that is very loving and concerned for each other's well being.  The book is not preachy and does not blatantly point out the current political debate in America over gay marriage.  It just shows a long-term couple that love each other and would naturally want to get married. 

The bonus material is a nice addition to the overall story with excerpts from the collection "Nation X: #2" and "Alpha Flight: #106".   Nation X, shows Kyle and Northstar early in their relationship and the trouble they have with dating long distance (and with one of them having super powers).  The Alpha Flight #106 is the issue where Northstar officially announces he's gay.  I did not particularly care for this one as it comes off as super cheesy.  In it Northstar finds an abandon baby whose infected with AIDS.  As the infant is dying in the hospital Northstar is attacked by another SuperHero whose upset because of all the media attention the baby is getting; while his gay son who died from AIDS was shunned from society.  It ends with Northstar giving a press conference announcing he is gay and talking about the AIDS epidemic.  Over the top right?  Well, considering this was printed in the early 90's I can let the cheesiness slide.  I am just so glad that this is the bonus material and not the main story. 



This is an actual wedding that occured at Dragon*Con that was held over this past Labor Day weekend.  Stuff like this just makes the comic geek in me *squee* with joy.  I just wish I could get my husband to do a Star Wars themed vow renewal, that would be so Awesome!  Unfortunately for me he thinks that idea is just waaaayyyy to silly.  Ah C'est la Vie !!



The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman / Meg Wolitzer / 294 pages

Duncan Dorfman has a secret power - the fingers on his left hand can read!  His mother has asked him to keep this a  secret, but Duncan wants to end his "loneliness and his loserdom and the fact that he was just Lunch Meat."  His secret power could help Carl Slater a smart, popular school bully, win the national Youth Scrabble Tournament.   Duncan abandons his only friend to begin his scrabble training.  We are given backstories for several of the competing teams including their reasons for competing, and witness their strategic plays and interactions throughout the tournament.  Lost friends are found; dishonesty is discovered  and dissembled; respect is found; and friendships are galvanized. Great info on Scrabble.  Either read this one on an e-reader with a good dictionary function or have a dictionary close by.  You'll probably want to check on the definitions of some of their words.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Life Support / Tess Gerritsen / 326 pages

Dr. Toby Harper is an ER doctor at Springer Hospital.  She is single and childless so it became her responsibility to care for her mom who has Alzheimer's .  She recently lost 2 patients in the ER.  One woman died and an elderly gentleman was literally lost - he disappeared.  The patient had a possible viral infection to the brain which is now manifesting  in other residents of the prestigious Brandt Hill retirement communities.  In a search for a surgical fountain of youth, young prostitutes are implanted and bring pseudo-babies to term which are then used to extend the lifespans of the wealthy elderly.  Dr. Toby Harper becomes enmeshed in the investigation of the epidemic, risking her career, her family, and her credibility.  As always, Tess Gerritsen(a doctor) is a must read!!

Dead End in Norvelt / Jack Gantos / 341 pages / September Challenge 1960's

This was laugh-out-loud, oh-you-poor-boy wild ride.  Jack Gantos is the author and main character of this "entirely true and wildly fictional" account of a kid who has been grounded for life (2 months of summer) by his feuding parents.  He has frequent nose bleeds which are cauterized by a feisty old neighbor who writes obituaries for the newspaper.  She is terribly arthritic so Jack's mom volunteers him to type the obits as dictated by Miss Voelker(sp).  She always includes wonderful historical sidebars of events that occurred on days significant to the deceased - excellent!  She is paying homage to the original residents of Norvelt - one of the towns established at the behest of Eleanor Rossevelt.  A Pandora's box of fun,  Dead End in Norvelt has something for everyone - girl scout cookies, a bomb/fall out shelter under construction, a homemade airplane...even murder!

"History often spreads more light on the present than on the past."
"The only way to turn enemies into friends is with respect."

All These Things I've Done / Gabrielle Zevin / 354 pages

This book is set in the dystopian future where chocolate and coffee have been banned and all paper books have been pulped and recycled into something useful like toilet paper.  In less than a year Anya Balanchine has landed two boyfriends in the hospital.  One was poisoned by the contraband chocolate bars produced by her family's chocolate business, and the other was shot at the prom by a family member attempting to kill her brother.  Anya is a good /Catholic girl attending Holy Trinity School.  She is attempting to hold her family together.  Her mom and dad were murdered.  Her grandma is on life support.  Her older brother, Leo, is mentally impaired.  Anya tries to keep him and her little sister safe.  She is drawn into the intrugue surrounding her family's chocolate empire and is attracted to the son of the  D. A.  She saves his life but is imprisoned for possession of a firearm.  May god forgive her for this, and all the things she's done.  This is an excellent read, thought-provoking and motivational.

Lucky for Good / Susan Patron / 208 pages / Notable Children's book 2012

This is the third book in Hard Pan trilogy.  The first was the Newbery Award winner The Higher Power of Lucky which was somewhat controversial due to some inappropriate language.   In Lucky for Good, Lucky's mom's Hard Pan Cafe is threatened with closure to health code violations.  The people of the town rally to save the cafe, although in an entirely different form than the reader might have anticipated.  After being sent to the principal's office for fighting, Lucky is assigned a family tree project.  She is able to unearth some valuable insights about her father, her adoptive French mother, friendship, and community.  Her family tree is multi-trunked - her biological family and her family of the heart.

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach / Brenda Woods / 137 pages

What a timely read!  As Hurricane Isaac approached New Orleans, I read this book about Hurricane Katrina's arrival in the same city.  In 2005, Saint Louis Armstrong Beach is an 11-year-old who plays the clarinet in the streets to earn money to buy a LeBlanc clarinet.  One thing Saint knows for sure is  "that most important stuff comes in more than one part.  Things like skateboards, bicycles, computers, houses, cars, and life.  Life is made of this little invisible thing called time that we watch disappear into weeks, years that we track like greyhounds or K-9 dogs, and centuries that move so slowly that they may as well be standing still."  As for Saint, his "life has 3 parts, the before, the during, and the after...the during sure was hard...the during is also known as Hurricane Katrina."  Saint's dad is a chef at a famous restaurant and his mom is a social worker.  His best friend is a girl, Money (Mona Lisa) Lafayette, who is older than he is and just discovering boys, booze, and parties.  Saint's mom delays their departure to help people at the hospital.  Saint is separated from his family to find Shadow and is a hero when he saves Ms. Moran's life.

"Hard work makes time move with dispatch."
"Money don't make you cool." 

The Surgeon / Tess Gerritsen / 359 pages

Tess Gerritsen came to St. Louis last Thursday, September 6.  Because of her upcoming visit and because Tami Hoag endorses her books, I read The Surgeon.  Tami said "Remind me not to go to the hospital anytime soon.  The Surgeon grabbed my by the throat and didn't let go until its hair-raising finish.  Deep, dark and very disturbing."  To say this is a page-turner is an understatement.  Be sure your calendar is clear before attempting to read it.  Dr. Catherine Cordell, a surgeon, moved to Boston two years after being viciously raped.  She killed her attacker before he could kill her.  Savage attacks/murders are now occurring in Boston that mimic her attack.  Is she the ultimate target?  Great subthemes make this book more than a seat-of-the-pants read - dedication to career, sanctity of life, battling sexual discrimination, the realization that true evil exists and often walks among us unnoticed, are just a few.

"Books are wonderful things:  They can tell you anything, everything, even how to cut out a heart using a putty knife, with a minimum of fuss."

Kit's Wliderness / David Almond / 229 pages

Good can come from bad...or...there is good in everyone, are perhaps the predominant themes in Kit's Wilderness.  Kit joins a gang of kids led by the incorrigible John Askew, a ruffian and a bully, who plays a game called death in the abandoned coal mine pit in Stoneygate.  The wilderness, an empty space between the houses and the river, has a haunted eerie air to it and is typically avoided.  Kit descends into the pit, plays the game, and comes out changed.  He begins writing a story based on a cave family whose baby was snatched by a bear.  The young son endures many hardships to rescue the baby and reunite the family.  Kit relates the tale to John Askew.  Does the telling changes the hardened bully?

The Probability of Miracles / Wendey Wunder / 360 pages

Science is not enough this time for Campbell Cooper.   She has the big C and it has whittled her body down to a size 1.  Her Samoan fire dancer father is dead and her hula dancing/Disney performing mother has an ever -changing array of sleep-in international boyfriends.  When the doctors decree that there are no new treatments or trials available, her mother, Alicia, refuses to give up hope.  She moves the family (Cam & Perry) to Promise, Maine - a place where amazing, unexplainable events (miracles) are said to occur.  That's what Cam needs is a miracle.  She and her best friend, Lily, have written flamingo lists - things they hope to do before they die of cancer.  This is an awesome story of love, hope, reality, and miracles sure to reward all who read it - for mature audiences only!

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Defending Jacob/William Landay/421 pages

When a young teen is murdered in a small community outside of Boston, the suspect is the victim's classmate who also is the son the local ADA. Andy is certain that his son, Jacob, is innocent, and he will do anything to prove it. Unfortunately, Andy crosses the line more than once to help his son. Jacob's mother isn't as confident about her son's innocence especially after she learns about Andy's bloodline. Is there a murder gene and how far should a parent go to protect his child? A satisfying book with a nod to the old black and white movie The Bad Seed.

City of Ashes/Cassandra Clare/453 pages

City of Ashes is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series. Clary and Jace find themselves fighting more demons and creatures after someone has stolen the second of the mortal instruments, the soul-sword. Clary would love to return to a normal life and leave her shadowhunter world behind, but with her mother still in a coma and her best friend Simon  becoming more than a friend, she must find Valentine, the rogue shadowhunter who is trying to disrupt and control the dark Downworld of New York City. I'm not going to spoil anything, but at the end of book 1, City of Bones, we learned some family secrets that were a little disturbing, we still don't have all the answers but I really think the author will take this in a different direction in Book 3, City of Glass!

Dancing at Midnight/Julia Quinn/375 pgs.

Lady Arabella Blydon has been on the "marriage mart" for awhile, and is a bit of a "bluestocking." She has beauty, and money, but wants to marry for love. She meets Lord John Blackwood, a tortured soul, and is, of course, immediately attracted to him. The feeling is mutual, but there is something in his past that makes him think he isn't good enough for her. This is one of Julia Quinn's earliest novels, and it shows. It's an o.k. read, but not one of her best.

Julie and Romeo Get Lucky/Jeanne Ray/ 277 pages

This is the sequel to Julie and Romeo, and it takes place three years after the first book. Julie and Romeo have merged their businesses and their lives, but they still haven't taken the plunge and married. Julie has even more people living at her house which makes it hard to find time to be alone together. When Romeo tries to be romantic and carry her up the stairs during a rare time alone, he hurts his back and ends up flat on his back in her bed for an extended time. Julie's older daughter, Nora, ends up in a hospital bed in her living room as well. On top of all that, her granddaughter has been watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on continuous loop for the better part of a year and is sure she's going to win the lottery. She charms everyone into buying her lottery tickets every week. Can you take an 8-year-old to Gamblers Anonymous?

Fun book. I needed a break from all the YA drama, and Jeanne Ray was the perfect remedy.

Shadow of Night/ Deborah Harkness/ 577 pages

Love this book.  You definitely should read Discovery of Witches first though.  This takes up where it left off.  Diana (a witch) and her vampire husband (Matthew) have traveled through time to reach 1590 London.  Diana is trying to hone her witchy skills and Matthew is trying to inconspicuously replace himself among his friends & colleagues. 

This Thing Called the Future / J. L. Powers / 213 pages

Khosi is "all the time torn between her mama and Gogo (her grandmother), the new world and the old world, the science she learns at school and the African medicine Gogo sends her to fetch from the Sangoma (traditional healer)."  Her parents fought apartheid and have not married because her father cannot find a job to pay the lobolo (bride price).  Her mother is a teacher, but must work in a distant village and comes home only on week-ends.  South Africa is afflicted with the three letter plague - HIV.  Khosi is afflicted with nightmares sent by the ancestors and by a dirty old man she often passes while walking home from school.  She has just come of age.  Her mama wants Khosi and Zi , her sister, to be modern Zulu women - not dependent on superstition...or on men.  She counsels them to not look at the past. "It's there and will always be there and there is nothing you can do to change it...You must look ahead.  There is only this thing called the future."  The author's use of Zulu words lent authenticity to the story, but footnotes on  on each page would have been preferable to the end-of-the-book glossary.  This is an awesome, compelling, inspiring, book dealing with the devastation of aids, morality, death, and family.

"Anger leads us all to do things we regret."

"If we don't  help others what will happen to us when we are the ones needing help?"

"Science doesn't explain everything."

"It is true that evil is blind, but anger is a path in the forest, guiding evil through the dark, right to you."

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Rival / Sara Bennett Wealer / 327 pages

Kathryn Pease bears an infinitely awkward contradiction.  She is an overachiever who loathes the spotlight.  She also hates Brooke Demsey.  Brooke punched her after homecoming junior year.  Now they are rivals - "one that equals or almost equals another."  They are competing for the Blackmore Young Artist Festival Award.  Normally Kathryn and Brooke avoid each other except for choir.  Brooke swims and is uber popular.  Kathryn hangs out with her science-addicted-friend-since-kindergarten, Matt.  Kathryn really could use this $25,000 prize for college.  Rival deals with high school angst, cliques, a-listers, friendship, loyalty,under-age drinking, homosexuality, dedication, family...and, of course, music.  Told in alternating voices, this one is sure to appeal to most.

Gateway Award Preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Bird in a Box / Andrea Davis Pinkney / 278 pages / September Challenge 1940's

Hibernia longs to be a singer.  She sings in the choir at the church where her dad is the reverend, but she is constantly urged to tone it down.  Willie comes from an abusive home where his father deliberately burned his hand.  His mom took him to the orphanage to keep him safe.  Here he meets Otis, a riddle master, who lost both his parents in a car accident.  Hibernia's choir sings at the orphanage.  All three kids and most everyone else are caught up in the career of boxer Joe Lewis, the Brown Bomber and his reign as champion from 1939-1947.  Author Andrea Davis Pinkney actually took boxing lessons wearing Joe Lewis's gloves to prepare herself for writing this book.  This is a moving work of historical fiction based on the times of boxer Joe Lewis.

R My Name Is Rachel / Patricia Reilly Giff / 166 pages

Twelve year old Rachel and her family hope that President Roosevelt will end the Great Depression.  Her mother died years ago and Rachel is encouraging a relationship between her pop and Mess Mitzi at the local flower shop.  Pop cannot find work in town so he moves the family to a fixer-upper farm upstate.  He then must leave Rachel and her younger brother and sister alone on the farm as he joins a road crew.  The school and library are closed because of hard times and Rachel uses her imagination, creativity, hard work, and correspondence with Miss Mitzi to make their farm a success.

Mark Twain Award preliminary Nominee 2013-14

Julie and Romeo/Jeanne Ray/227 pages

This is an updated version of Romeo and Juliet set in a suburb of Boston and involving two rival florists who are quite a bit older than any traditional retelling of the story. Their families hate each other, of course, but no one knows how it all started. Julie and Romeo had their own reason to hate one another when they had to stop their teenaged daughter and son from eloping while in high school, but both of them have moved on. Romeo's elderly mother and most of their children have not. Their relationship comes to a head when Julie's ex-husband comes to town to straighten out his ex-wife and tell her how to live her life.

Pandemonium/Lauren Oliver/373 pages

Pandemonium is the second book in the "Delirium trilogy" by Lauren Oliver. Sometimes I think authors get a little lazy in the second book, saving all the good storylines for the finale, but not so in this book. Lena has finally escaped into the wilds, beyond the fence where she is rescued by a small group of resistors. This story is told in alternating chapters "then" and "now", showing her transformation from a weak, grief-stricken refugee to a full-fledged resistance fighter.  I thought the characters in this book were much more interesting and Lena has survived some tragedies that have made her stronger and given her a reason to fight. Of course, we are introduced to Julian, the son of the "pro-cure" leader of the society and although very predictable, by the end of the book there is a romance between the two.  This is book for those readers that like a little romance in their action adventure dystopia!

The Devil in Pew Number Seven/Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss/296 pages

This is a true story of a young family's harassment by a neighbor who wants to run them out of town whether it be by "crawling or walking...dead or alive" according to one of the anonymous letters they received. Rebecca Nichol's father was the popular preacher at the local church in a small town in North Carolina. When he and his young wife first arrived in Sellerstown, he made an immediate enemy in Horry Watts, a man used to controlling the local congregation even though he wasn't a member. Over the next eight years, he threatens the family while also doing physical damage to their home and their property. Several times, they were lucky to not be injured or killed. Throughout the book, Rebecca reiterates her parents faith that God will protect them and their calm in the face of constant threats and violence.

This is a shocking story of pure hatred and evil directed at innocent people. Rebecca's story of faith and forgiveness is inspiring even if it is sometimes hard to imagine. She is certainly a better person than I.

The Pregnancy Project/ Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer/218 pages

For her senior project, Gaby Rodriguez pretended to be pregnant. She wanted to gauge the reactions of her family, classmates and teachers. Her mother became pregnant at age 14 with her first child and all of her siblings were teen-aged parents as well. Gaby, as the youngest, was the last chance for the family to have one child graduate high school and go on to college. She knew this had a better chance of happening if she did not become pregnant. And yet, it seemed that many people just expected her to do just that. She wanted to find out how people would treat her if she fulfilled their expectations as well as see how this treatment affected a pregnant teen. Her project was revealed in a school-wide assembly, and the story went national.

I hadn't heard of this story before I read the book. This was a book club choice, and while it was interesting, it's not something I would generally read. It was very carefully written so you never really get to know Gaby.

The Fairy Tale Detectives / Michael Buckley / 284 pages

This is the 1st title in the Sisters Grimm series, and I really enjoyed listening to it on CD.  Sabrina and Daphne are orphans who have been shuffled from foster home to foster home until they are placed with an eccentric woman who claims to be their grandmother when they believe their grandmother is dead.  In this adventure, the girls encounter all sorts of characters from fairy and folk tales as well as characters from classic books and plays.  They help to save Ferryport Landing from a giant, learn about their history, and discover that their parents may still be alive.  Enchanting and fun for those who are familiar with fairy tales.  Might create some interest in reading the tales referenced in the book.

77 Shadow Street / Dean Koontz / 451 pages

There are few books by Dean Koontz that I wouldn't recommend.  He writes "just right" horror stories and knows how to hit that squeamish, tingling nerve that sends chills down  your spine and makes the hair on your neck stand up.  In 77 Shadow Street we experience a cataclysm in time that occurs every 38 years in the Pendleton which is a huge old mansion that has been converted to condos for the wealthy.  The past, the present and the future all collide and the residents of the Pendleton must try to figure out what is happening, survive deadly waves of glowing fungus, horrible creatures, killing machines with probing tubes that expel a viscous substance of billions of nanomachines down your throat and take over your body, and wiggly white things growing in the walls and save humanity.  Koontz always has a message about where the human race is headed but his books also have hope and confidence in people who do the right thing.  Thank you Pat K.who introduced me to Dean Koontz.   

Aunt Dimity & the Village Witch / Nancy Atherton / 232 pages

A cozy Cotswold village mystery.  Atherton has a long series featuring Lori Shepherd and her Aunt Dimity who is actually a ghost.  These stories which take place in the quaint village of Finch are full of characters who could be your neighbors, family & friends.  The stories are full of love and friendship with some pretty tame mysteries and just a hint of danger.  Thanks to Cindy B for recommending the series years ago.  It's what you want to read when you need something comfortable like an old slipper.

Eat Cake/Jeanne Ray/253 pages

Whenever Ruth is stressed, she thinks about cake. Then she bakes a cake or two. Her family loves her cakes, but they are ready to see less of them. But Ruth has stress in her life with a child in college, a sullen 16-year-old and her mother living with them, so they have cake regularly. When her husband comes home from work one day with the news he's been let go by the new management of his hospital, how can it get worse? By getting a call from another hospital that her pianist, ne'er do well estranged father has fallen and broken both his wrists and needs to come live with her indefinitely. Her parents haven't been together since she was 2 years old, and her mother has never hidden her anger at the man from anyone. Cake may be what ends up saving Ruth and her family.

A sweet, light-hearted story. Ray also seems to have a theme about really listening to the people around you running through her stories. Good advice for most people and families. Interesting cake recipes included.