Ashen Winter / Mike Mullen / 576 pages

As an unexpected snow began to fall and temperatures plummeted, I began reading Ashen Winter.  What a perfect item to read this amazing story of survival during the "frozen, desiccated, and dead" world smothered by the arctic snow and ash from the eruption of Yellowstone's super volcano.  In book one, Ashfall, Alex and Darla are living with Alex's aunt and uncle when they are beset by bandits - flensers, who raid, steal people, skin and sell them as food.  Alex overcomes the bandits and discovers that the shotgun one is wielding belonged to his dad.  He and Darla set off to find his mom and dad.  Rumor has it that they are being held in a FEMA camp.  Can Alex rescue them?  At what price?  This is an action-packed adventure story illuminating human compassion, integrity and character, and portraying the devastating consequences of life without them.