The Fountains of Paradise

In the 22nd century, Dr Vannevar Morgan is a famous structural engineer who hopes to develop the 'space elevator' from a theoretical concept to reality and enlists the resources of his employers to carry out experiments. But the only suitable starting point (Earth station) for the elevator lies at the summit of a mountain in Taprobane occupied by an ancient order of Buddhist monks who implacably oppose the plan.

Light by Michael Grant

It's been over a year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

In the time since everyperson over the age of fourteen disap-peared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her Nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

voyage on the great titanic

it was after midnight and i could still hear people moving about in the passageway. before i had time to go out and join them there was a sharp knock on my door. i opened it to see Robert. he was smiling but his eyes looked urgent. good evening miss Brady he said. you need to put on something warm and report to the boat deck with your life belt. miss Brady he said you need to put on something warm and report to the boat deck with your life belt miss Brady when i heard that i felt alarmed for the first time but i was also startled a routine drill he said no need to fret. i knew he needed to go get on with his duties so i found a smile for him and nodded robert started for the next stateroom but then stopped you will not want to take your time margaret he said in a very quiet voice it didnt seem possible but maybe this was not a drill.

Redwall

An animal world as compelling as that of the wind in the willows… this epic adventure contains elements of all grand quests, whith heroic archetypes that will keep fans os Tolkien and king Arthur tales engaged the final battle

By Brain Jacques

Inside out and back again by Thanhha Lai

Hà has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope—toward America.

The sum of all fears by Tom Clancy

Peace may finally be at hand in the Middle East—as Deputy Director of the CIA Jack Ryan lays the groundwork for a peace plan that could end centuries of conflict. But ruthless terrorists have a final, desperate card to play: they have their hands on a nuclear weapon and have placed it on American soil in the midst of an escalation in tension with the Soviet Union. The terrorists hope to rekindle cold war animosity and prevent reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. With one terrible act, distrust mounts, forces collide, and the floundering U.S. president seems unable to cope with the crisis. With the world on the verge of nuclear disaster, Ryan must frantically seek a solution—before the chiefs of state lose control of themselves and the world.

Fear by Michael Grant

It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger, despite the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. A will to survive and a desire to take care of those they love endure in this ravaged band, even in the bleakest moments. But in darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. After so many months, is all about to be lost in the FAYZ?

Atlas of Military History

Whether you are a history buff, or fascinated by the military this large format book is just what you ve been looking for. With authoritive text and plenty of photographs, maps and illustrations this book takes readers on an expedition back in time to prehistoric battles, and up to the present world of drones, and computer guided missiles and everything in between. Although the nature of war has changed, the reasons for war remain constant; wars are still waged over territory, resources, hatred, intolerance, and vengeance, or glory. This book will not only explain the major wars & battles but also the reasons those battles were waged. War may be hell but this book is heaven for military history buffs. - This large format 8.5 x 11 book is 320 pages long - Filled with 100 s of full color and black & white art, maps, timelines, illustrations and archival as well as current photographs - Each section offers a clear and consist explanation of the conflict and the outcomes - A great resource for your family library especially helpful for writing term papers and reports

Shadows in Flight By Orson Scott Card

Bean stole away from the wars of Earth with three of his children-the three who share his genetic mutation that gives brilliance and a short life. A ship to the stars  will give them a chance-a chance for the scientists of Earth to find a treatment, if not for him, then for his children. As long decades on Earth flash by in a moment on their near-lightspeed ship, they flee into the future.

The three, Ender, Carlotta, and Sergeant, work to learn enough to help in the effort. But Earth holds no minds more brilliant then those of Bean and his children, and there is no cure. As the generations pass, there comes a time when no one on Earth remebers them, save as a voice on the ansible, a distant whisper from the stars.

And then their ship's life support begins to fail, and Bean's children must save themselves.

Gone Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright

“When Portia sets out for a visit with her cousin Julian, she expects fun and adventure, but of the usual kind: exploring in the woods near Julian’s house, collecting stones and bugs, playing games throughout the long, lazy days.

But this summer is different.

On their first day exploring, Portia and Julian discover an enormous boulder with a mysterious message, a swamp choked with reeds and quicksand, and on the far side of the swamp…a ghost town.

Once upon a time the swamp was a splendid lake, and the fallen houses along its shore an elegant resort community. But though the lake is long gone and the resort faded away, the houses still hold a secret life: two people who have never left Gone-away…and who can tell the story of what happened there.”

Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams

The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the white killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.
They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler, who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vicepresident of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head honcho of the Universe; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox.
How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it--and don't know it!

A Clash of Kings By George R.R Martin

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them, and they’re stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake. The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance

Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps. The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea’s army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

when their  whale watching trip goes horribly wrong skylar gabby and miles find themselves on an iflatable raft in the middle of the ocean. with no food and a small amount of water and only a first aid kit to help them they must spend three treacherous days on the waves hoping desperatley for help to arive sharks circle their water supply dwindles and gabby begins to hallucinate. will they survive or are they lost at sea forever.

Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Poe

 Auguste Dupin is a man in Paris who solves the mystery of the brutal murder of two women. Numerous witnesses heard a suspect, though no one agrees on what language was spoken. At the murder scene, Dupin finds a hair that does not appear to be human.

As the first fictional detective, Poe's Dupin displays many traits which became literary conventions in subsequent fictional detectives including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Many later characters, for example, follow Poe's model of the brilliant detective, his personal friend who serves as narrator, and the final revelation being presented before the reasoning that leads up to it. Dupin himself reappears in "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" and "The Purloined Letter".

Hershey by, Michael D'Antonio

The name Hershey evokes many things: chocolate bars, the company town in Pennsylvania, one of America's most recognizable brands. But who was the man behind the name? In this compelling biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio gives us the real-life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day. 

Hershey, the son of a minister's daughter and an irresponsible father who deserted the family, began his career inauspiciously when the two candy shops he opened both went bankrupt. Undeterred, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which brought him success at last. Eventually he sold his caramel operation and went on to perfect the production process of chocolate to create a stable, consistent bar with a long shelf life...and an American icon was born. 

Hershey was more than a successful businessman -- he was a progressive thinker who believed in capitalism as a means to higher goals. He built the world's largest chocolate factory and a utopian village for his workers on a large tract of land in rural Pennsylvania, and used his own fortune to keep his workers employed during the Great Depression. In addition, he secretly willed his fortune to a boys' school and orphanage, both of which now control a vast endowment. 

Extensively researched and vividly written, Hershey is the fascinating story of this uniquely American visionary.

Lies by Michael Grant

t's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

For a full hour, he poured lemonade. The world is a thirsty place, he thought as he nearly emptied his fourth pitcher of the day. And I am the Lemonade King.

Fourth-grader Evan Treski is people-smart. He’s good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart, but not especially good with people. So when the siblings’ lemonade stand war begins, there really is no telling who will win—or even if their fight will ever end. Brimming with savvy marketing tips for making money at any business, definitions of business terms, charts, diagrams, and even math problems, this fresh, funny, emotionally charged novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone’s intent.

The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre

This is the collection that true fans of horror fiction have been waiting for: sixteen of H.P. Lovecraft's most horrifying visions, including Lovecraft's masterpiece, THE SHADOW OUT OF TIME--the shocking revelation of the mysterious forces that hold all mankind in their fearsome grip.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm (and Grimm-inspired) fairy tales. An irreverent, witty narrator leads us through encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons, and the devil himself. As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of their destinies and create their own happily ever after. Because once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

Holes By Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has bad luck due to a curse placed on his great- great-grandfather, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he did not commit. Stanley and the other boys at the camp are forced to dig large holes in the dirt every day. Stanley eventually realizes that they are digging these holes because the Warden is searching for something. As Stanley continues to dig holes and meet the other boys at the camp, the narrator intertwines three separate stories to reveal why Stanley's family has a curse and what the Warden is looking for.

Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe

Ligeia" is an early short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. The story follows an unnamed narrator and his wife Ligeia, a beautiful and intelligent raven-haired woman. She falls ill, composes "The Conqueror Worm", and quotes lines attributed to Joseph Glanvill (which suggest that life is sustainable only through willpower) shortly before dying. After her death, the narrator marries the Lady Rowena. Rowena becomes ill and she dies as well. The distraught narrator stays with her body overnight and watches as Rowena slowly comes back from the dead – though she has transformed into Ligeia. The story may be the narrator'sopium-induced hallucination and there is debate whether the story was a satire. After the story's first publication in The American Museum, it was heavily revised and reprinted throughout Poe's life.

Every Dead Thing By John Connoly

Hailed internationally as a page-turner in a league with the fiction of Thomas Harris, this lyrical and terrifying bestseller is the stunning achievement of an "extravagantly gifted" new novelist.

John Connolly superbly taps into the torture mind and gritty world of former NYPD detective Charlie "Bird" Parker, tormented by the brutal, unsolved murders of his wife and young daughter. Driven by visions of the dead, Parker tracks a serial killer from New York City to the American South, and finds his buried instincts-for love, survival, and, ultimately, for killing-awakening as he confronts a monster beyond imagination...

Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

         Nature girl, Grace, has lived in the Smoky Mountains all her life, patrolling the wilderness with her father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and survival.

         When her forest ranger father goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he's dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

         One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating English accent and a deep-seeded secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to find her missing father. She must use her survival instincts to survive, find her father, and - hopefully - return home.

MS. Found In a Bottle

MS. Found in a Bottle is a short story classic written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1833. The plot follows an unnamed narrator at sea who finds himself in a series of harrowing circumstances. As he nears his own disastrous death while his ship drives ever southward, he writes an "MS." or manuscript telling of his adventures which he casts into the sea. Some critics believe the story was meant as a satire of typical sea tales.

The Cask of Amontillado

The story's narrator, Montresor, tells the story of the day that he took his revenge on Fortunato, a fellow nobleman, to an unspecified person who knows him very well. Angry over some unspecified insult, he plots to murder his friend during Carnival when the man is drunk, dizzy, and wearing a jester's motley.

Open Season, A Joe Gunther mystery by Archer Mayor

Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, Vermont police force has a serious problem: in a community where a decade could pass without a single murder, the body count is suddenly mounting. Innocent citizens are being killed—and others set-up—seemingly orchestrated by a mysterious ski-masked man. Signs suggest that a three year-old murder trial might lie at the heart of things, but it’s a case that many in the department would prefer remained closed. A man of quiet integrity, Lt. Gunther knows that he must pursue the case to its conclusion, wherever it leads. 

The Stand by Stephen King

A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge—Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.

Rushed by Brian Harmon

        Eric can't remember the recurring dream that keeps waking him in the middle of the night with an overwhelming urge to leave, yet he spends each day feeling as if he desperately needs to be somewhere. With no idea how to cure himself of this odd compulsion, he decides to let it take its course and go for a drive, hoping that once he proves to himself that there is nowhere to go, he can return to his normal life. Instead, he finds himself hurled headlong into a nightmare adventure across a fractured Wisconsin as the dream reveals itself one heart-pounding detail at a time. 

Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins

"My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead."

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Though she's long been a part of the revolution, Katniss hasn't known it. Now it seems that everyone has had a hand in the carefully laid plans but her.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay - no matter what the cost.

The Complete Fairy Tales Of The Brothers Grimm translation and illustration by Jack Zipes

The Complete Fairy Tales Of The Brothers Grimm translation and illustration by Jack Zipes is a compliation of all the fairy tales Grimm collected and wrote.

Perhaps no other stories posses as much power to enchant, delight, and surprise as those penned by the immortal Brothers Grimm. Now, in the new, expanded third edition, renowned scholar and folklorist Jack Zipes has translated all 250 tales collected and published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, plus twenty-nine rare tales omitted from the original German edition, as well as narratives uncovered to date, this critically acclaimed edition recaptures the fairy tales as the Brothers Grimm intended them to be: rich, stark, spiced with humor and violence, resonant with folklore song.

One of the world's experts on children's literature, Jack Zipes is a professor of German at the University of Minnesota and is the author of numerous books on folklore and fairy tales.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

A masterpiece of modern Gothic literature, Something Wicked This Way Comes is the memorable story of two boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a "dark carnival" one Autumn midnight. How these two innocents, both age 13, save the souls of the town (as well as their own), makes for compelling reading on timeless themes. What would you do if your secret wishes could be granted by the mysterious ringmaster Mr. Dark? Bradbury excels in revealing the dark side that exists in us all, teaching us ultimately to celebrate the shadows rather than fear them. In many ways, this is a companion piece to his joyful, nostalgia-drenched Dandelion Wine, in which Bradbury presented us with one perfect summer as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, he deftly explores the fearsome delights of one perfectly terrifying, unforgettable autumn.

Catching Fire By Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Hunger by Michael Grant

It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous. But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

There is only one word that I could use to describe this novel and it's "soaring." The novel soars as the reader progresses through a story that takes place well over the course of a hundred years and probably comes closer to covering around 160-180 years (it's hard to accurately keep track of.) The truth of the matter is that the author wants such details to be shrouded in doubt, mystery, and even a bit of magic.

It's very hard to describe exactly what is so special about this novel or even exactly what it is about. It would be much easier if you just read the book and experience it yourselves without any sort of pre-knowledge of what the book is. If what I could write here about the novel could contain even a 1/100 of the poetry and mastery of literary techniques that tricks the reader into a sense of wonder I'd be well on my way to being a award-winning author. Even in translation the delight Marquez has in language is clear and his writing comes off as playful.

"Magical realism," is a term that is often used to describe this novel and is a sub-genre of literature that has it's origin in Latin American writers. "OHYOS" is the finest realization of that style of storytelling. Marquez himself attributes this to the way his grandmother told him stories when he was a child; blending supernatural elements with real history completely seriously. Marquez in an interview mentions he tried to write the novel without believing the magical moments himself and it just didn't work as a story. When he started to believe the magical elements (like a character floating up to heaven with linen sheets, flowers that rained from the skies for months after a character died, or ants that could carry people, just to name a few) did the novel take on the form of a natural history that blends the fantastical with the mundane which acts to give significance and meaning to just about every line of the novel.

Look at the over-the-top reviews that some critics have given the novel. A New York Times review called the book, “the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.” I would imagine most writers would kill to have a novel of theirs be described as the most important story since the Bible. But I think the praises are pretty spot on, and while hyperbolic, they begin to do the novel justice.

Although not quite as long as what would normally be considered an "Epic," such as Homer's Odyssey or James Joyce's Ulysses. The story of OHYSOS is epic and sprawling. With the sort of world building that is often only seen in fantasy and sci fi stories it truly is something special when a writer brings that ability to juggle storylines and family lineages that would give George R.R Martin a run for his money.

If you are a fan of the HBO show "True Detective" then you know that "time is a flat circle." In the novel time is presented as cyclical and the past has a tendency to repeat itself. Although the plot follows a fairly traditional plot line that moves forward in time like a line the themes of the novel keep coming back full circle with each new generation in the Buendia family. The ending bespeaks the very act of reading and writing itself and how it's all wrapped up in a grand human drama. Through the act of reading we created the town of Macondo from our imaginations and when we are done it too must dissapear as the words literally end when Marques writes,

"He had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth."

The novel has a quality of making me feel a sense of strange joy by showing the beauty of human nature. Many times I would have to pause in my reading and really reflect on the signifigance of what was being said. An epic focused on human nature would not be complete without including all the sadness, misfortune, and, pain that exists in the world. In fact the title of the novel refers not only to the timeline of the family over seven generations but also the family's tendency toward solitude and closing themselves off from one another. Many characters have tragedy strike them and it colors the rest of their lives as they withdraw into themselves. The irony is that living together in one house the Buendias do not share in each others' solitude for the most part.

Again I would highly recommend this book to any reader and it's level is probably moderate to difficult. The language is not particularly challenging but distinguishing what is based in fantasy and reality requires a pretty attuned sense of literary analysis, requiring the ability to distinguish Marquez's straight-faced satire, comedy, and irony as it's intermingled with an equally fantastical sadness and musings on the more somber aspects of human life.

Books like this : David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, One Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zot; Dave Egger's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius ; David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest; All of Haruki Murakami's novels; Michael Chabon's Incredible Adventures of Cavalier and Clay; Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses

The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Where the red fern grows by Wilson Rawls

Billy old Dan and little Ann a boy and his two dogs a loving threesome they range the dark hills and fiver bottoms of cherokee country. old dan has the brawn, little ann has the brains and billy has the will to make them in to the finest hunting team in the vally. Glory and victory are coming to them but sadniss waits too. where the red fern grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure youll never forget.

From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming

James Bond is marked for death by the Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH in Ian Fleming’s masterful spy thriller, and the novel that President John F. Kennedy named one of his favorite books of all time.

SMERSH stands for “Death to Spies” and there’s no secret agent they’d like to disgrace and destroy more than 007, James Bond. But ensnaring the British Secret Service’s most lethal operative will require a lure so tempting even he can’t resist. Enter Tatiana Romanova, a ravishing Russian spy whose “defection” springs a trap designed with clockwork precision. Her mission: seduce Bond, then flee to the West on the Orient Express. Waiting in the shadows are two of Ian Fleming’s most vividly drawn villains: Red Grant, SMERSH’s deadliest assassin, and the sinister operations chief Rosa Klebb—five feet four inches of pure killing power.

A Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.

Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright

When Portia sets out for a visit with her cousin Julian, she expects fun and adventure, but of the usual kind: exploring the woods near Julian's house,collecting stones and bugs, playing games throughout the long lazy days.
But this summer is different.
On their first day of exploring, Portia and Julian discover an enormous boulder with a mysterious message, a swamp choked with reeds and quicksand, and on the far side of the swamp...a ghost town.
Once upon a time the swamp was a splendid lake, and the fallen houses along it's shore an elegant resort community. But though the lake is long gone and the resort faded away, the houses still hold a secret life: two people who never left Gone-Away...and who can tell the story of what happened there.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is a 1954 dystopian novel by Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on an uninhabited island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results. Its stances on the already controversial subjects of human nature and individual welfare versus the common good earned it position 68 on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–1999. The novel is a reaction to the youth novel The Coral Island by R. M. Ballantyne.

Published in 1954, Lord of the Flies was Golding’s first novel. Although it was not a great success at the time—selling fewer than 3,000 copies in the United States during 1955 before going out of print—it soon went on to become a best-seller. It has been adapted to film twice in English, in 1963 by Peter Brook and 1990 by Harry Hook, and once in Filipino (1976).

In 2005 the novel was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. It was awarded a place on both lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels, reaching number 41 on the editor's list, and 25 on the reader's list. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 70 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.

Acceleration by Graham Mcnamee

      Duncan's summer job is a nightmare.He's working in the subway's lost and found, in a room he calls the Dungeon, far, far below the city streets. He's bored out of scull, until he finds the little brown book.
      The book is a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of an anonymous serial killer stalking his prey. Duncan can't stop reading, can't stop thinking.Somewhere in the city, the writer of this diary is hunting.
      Duncan has to stop him before it's too late. He has to anticipate the killers next move. Stalk the stalker.
      Duncan knows - it's up to him.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Four by Veronica Roth

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

Pest Control by Bill Fitzhugh

I absolutely love this writer’s style. It is exactly how I want to write. The pages are dripping with sarcasm and humor. ­I should be done this by next Monday and then Tuesday I can get my Whispers book back. I love how the writer kind of put himself in the book. He makes it seem almost like he’s standing there watching the events happen but still narrating. The comments he makes in the book are hilarious. The plot is ecstatically funny. I must admit it is somewhat predictable but it still is everything I said and more. It feels like this book went by really fast though. It felt like I just started and it already is almost over. It goes up there with some of the best books I’ve read. It still is nothing compared to Big Trouble by Dave Barry. That was an amazing book. Everything about it is great. I must say though don’t go looking for it because it’s not exactly for our age group.

Escape from Zobadak by Brad Gallagher

It could be dangerous in there.

Probably not a good place for kids.

But the adults aren't listening-and even if they were, they would never believe it.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and of course, the character Tim O'Brien who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear. They miss their families, their girlfriends and buddies; they miss the lives they left back home. Yet they find sympathy and kindness for strangers (the old man who leads them unscathed through the mine field, the girl who grieves while she dances), and love for each other, because in Vietnam they are the only family they have. We hear the voices of the men and build images upon their dialogue. The way they tell stories about others, we hear them telling stories about themselves.

The Case of the Buried Clock By Erle Stanley Gardner

" -Perry Mason solves a baffler when he learns WHY
     -A glamorous widow who should have a husband, didn't.
     -A bank clerk boasted brazenly about a $90,000 embezzlement.
     -A client on trial for murder wouldn't even talk to him.
     -A gold mine yielded no gold.
     -A certain gal was always on hand when he wanted her miles away, but always missing when he needed her most.
     -And why an alarm clock ticked away cheerfully underground.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R Martin

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, Daenerys Targaryen rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way east—with new allies who may not be the ragtag band they seem. And in the frozen north, Jon Snow confronts creatures from beyond the Wall of ice and stone, and powerful foes from within the Night’s Watch. In a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, to the greatest dance of all.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

A Game of Thrones( A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R Martin

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Cayce Pollard is a new kind of prophet -- a world-renowned "coolhunter" who predicts the hottest trends.

Star Trek Excelsior Forged In Fire

A vicious pirate known as the Albino is cutting a deadly swath across space, creating turmoil in the Klingon Empire that threatens to spill into the Federation. But this criminal also has a secret that could shake the halls of Imperial power, and his genocidal plans against the race that bore him will have consequences even he cannot imagine, as several unlikely allies join swords to bring the Albino to justice: Hikaru Sulu of the U.S.S Excelsior; Klingon captions Kor, Koloth, and Kong; and a hotheaded young Federation diplomat named Curzon Dax. Tempered in the flames of their shared adversity, a captaincy is forged, a blood Oath is sworn... and a hunt begins that will stretch from one generation to the next.

Sugar Blues By William Dufty

Its a prim ingredient in countless substances that we eat and drink, from cereal to soup, from cola to coffee. Consumed at the rat of one hundred pounds for every American every year its as addictive nicotine or heroin and as poisonous responsible for modern plagues ranging from depression to coronary thrombosis. Its sugar And Sugar Blues inspired by the crusade of Hollywood legend Gloria Swanson is the classic bestselling Expose that unmasks our generations greatest medical killer yet at the same time shows how a revitalizing sugar-free diet can not only change your life but quit possibly save it.      

The Return of The King by J.R.R Tolkien

Concluding the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the final part of Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings.

The armies of the Dark Lord are massing as his evil shadow spreads ever wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves and Ents unite forces to do battle agains the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring.

Starship troopers by Frank Herbert

The first-person narrative is about a young soldier named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry, a futuristic military service branch equipped with powered armor. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an arachnoid species known as "the Bugs". Rico and the other characters discuss moral and philosophical aspects of suffrage, civic virtue, juvenile delinquency, capital punishment, and war. The protagonists laud the utility of corporal punishment as a means of correcting juvenile delinquents.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

The longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

The loss. Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human.

The linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces- wolf and human- with love baring two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

The Vermont Ghost guide by Joseph Citro

Vermont's mysterious mountains, hills, and hollows are rich with timeless tales of ghosts, phantoms, and horrible haunts, and Joe Citro has been covering that "dead-beat" for over a decade. In The Vermont Ghost Guide you'll encounter:

- a poltergeist raining stones on a hapless North Pownal farm;

- Northfield's Phantom Gravedigger;

- a Ryegate ghostly door that appears and vanishes;

- Charles Dickens's ghost guiding a writer's hand in Brattleboro;

- a doppelganger's prediction of death in Cavendish;

- the Midnight Cow, haunting the highways;

- a miner's specter, embedded in stone;

- the mysterious Eddy Brothers who marked Vermont as "The Spirit Capital of the Universe";

- and many, many more.

But Be Warned! Citro's Vermont is not the idyllic New England wonderland of tourist bureaus and scenic postcards. These are shadowy haunts and whispered horrors, the ghosts, ghouls, gores, and mysteries of the Green Mountain State, rendered in eerie black-and-white by artist Steve Bissette. Perfect for visitors and residents, children and anyone else with an interest in or curiosity about Vermont history, legend, and lore, The Vermont Ghost Guide is sure to have a long shelf life and be of continuing interest for years to come.

The two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien (Book IV)

This is the second part of The Two Towers, in which the narrator follows Frodo nad Sam along their journey through the sharp precipices and mazes of Emyn Muil, the rotting plane of the Dead Marshes, and the dark mountains of The Land Of Fire. Their guide, Smegol, or sometimes Gollum, has been sneaky and evasive, yet faithful and helpful. Sam and Frodo brace themselves for a journey over the mountains of Morder by way of a secret path called Cirith Ungol. There is little hope left in the small company, but where there is life, there is

hope.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy by T. A. Barron

Long ago, Merlin planted a magical seed that beat like a heart-a seed that grew into the Great Tree of Avalon. For centuries,  this world has  flourished as a land of wonder, and mystery, a link between Heaven and Earth, a place where all creatures could live in harmony.

Now, though, Avalon reels from brutal attacks, mysterious droughts, and stranger evils yet. Then one night, just as the elusive Lady of the Lake predicted, all the stars in the sky suddenly go dark.

The fate of Avalon now rests with three young people: Tamwyn, a homeless wilderness guide: Elli, an escaped slave turned priestess; and  Scree, an eagleman with a startling secret. One of them is the true heir of Merlin, the only person who can save Avalon . . . and one of them is the dreaded child of the Dark Prophecy, and the person fated to destroy it.

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo-alone and unaided-who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside!

Dune by Frank Herbert

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

Conquistador By Buddy Levy

It was a moment unique in human history, the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico, determined not only to expand the Spanish empire but to convert the natives to Catholicism and carry off a fortune in gold. That he saw nothing paradoxical in carrying out his intentions by virtually annihilating a proud and accomplished native people is one of the most remarkable and tragic aspects of this unforgettable story. In Tenochtitlán Cortés met his Aztec counterpart, Montezuma: king, divinity, commander of the most powerful military machine in the Americas and ruler of a city whose splendor equaled anything in Europe. Yet in less than two years, Cortés defeated the entire Aztec nation in one of the most astounding battles ever waged. The story of a lost kingdom, a relentless conqueror, and a doomed warrior, Conquistador is history at its most riveting.

Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card

Earth and its society has been changed irrevocably in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the formics - the unity enforced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered.  Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the battle school.

But one person has a better idea.  Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless brother, sees that any hope for the future of earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose.  And he has an irresistible call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors.  With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future.

Here is the continuing story of Bean and Petra, and the rest of Ender's Dragon Army, as they take their places in the new government of Earth.

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brien

They carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrated Bibles, each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried unrelenting images of a nightmarish war that history is only beginning to absorb. Sience its first publication, The Things They Carried has become an unparalleled Vietnam testament, a classic work of American literature, and a profound study of men at war that illuminates the capacity, and the limits, of human heart and soul.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

For centuries mystical creatures were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of true magic. Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother must face the greatest challenge of their lives to save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world.

Word War Z by Max Brooks

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

This childhood classic relates a small-town boy's pranks and escapades with timeless humor and wisdom. In addition to his everyday stunts (searching for buried treasure, trying to impress the adored Becky Thatcher), Tom experiences a dramatic turn of events when he witnesses a murder, runs away, and returns to attend his own funeral and testify in court. A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Op-center:State of Siege by Tom Clancy

Driven by greed, a group of U.N. peacekeeping soldiers becomes involved in activities on the wrong side of the law. When their tour of duty ends, the mayhem begins. Calling themselves the "Keepers," the rogue soldiers -- outfitted with stolen U.N. arms and ammunition -- devise a shocking scheme to get the world's attention... Meanwhile, Op-Center head Paul Hood has cleared out his desk. But his retirement is short-lived. Demanding one hundred million dollars in ransom, the Keepers have taken over the U.N. -- where ambassadors from ten nations have gathered for a gala function at which Hood's daughter will perform. This time the Keepers have made it personal. And the Op-Center forces will strike with deadly vengeance...

Love Me Forever

Love Me Forever, by Johanna Lindsay, is a fairy tail set in the days of earls, heiresses, and kings in England. A young heiress in mourning for her mother's death, Lady Kimberly has been abandoned by her lifelong fiance. But Kimberly's father, the recently widowed Earl of Amburough, is intent upon marrying her off as quickly as possible- to please the jealous lover he longs to wed.

So the rather indelicate business of matchmaking begins. And Lachlan MacGregor, the dashing and newly impoverished Laird of Clan MacGregor, is deemed the worthy suitor. Kimberly, however, harbors a deep-seated dislike of gold-diggers, and the whole woeful state of affairs in general.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

This gripping, action-packed novel tells the story of eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin—a fierce, hotheaded young man bent on revenging his father’s death by forcing the Romans from his land of Israel. Daniel’s palpable hatred for Romans wanes only when he starts to hear the gentle lessons of the traveling carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. A fast-paced, suspenseful, vividly wrought tale of friendship, loyalty, the idea of home, community . . . and ultimately, as Jesus says to Daniel on page 224: “Can’t you see, Daniel, it is hate that is the enemy.

Hercule Poirot (50 Stories) By: Agatha Christie

The Affair at the Victory Ball:

When there's a murder at a masquerade ball Poirot solves the murder. Lord Cronshaw, died i think.

Question about your records as a reader

Dear Once (and Future?) Students,

I’m curious about your use of the reading record.  Are you using it?  Did you ever use it (I know some of you were supposed to)?  If you can answer yes to either question, I want to know how it worked for you as a reader (I’m not interested in how much it satisfied your teachers).  Is it useful or interesting to keep track of the books you read?  Do you use all the columns?  Any information you want to add or delete?

I’m asking this because, recently, my local library asked for submissions of favorite books from 2013.  I couldn’t remember all the books I enjoyed from last year, much less all the books I read.  Recently, I’ve been consuming books for distraction, and I don’t remember them much later.  Wanting to change that, I pulled out the reading record and have tried to keep track.

While I’m using it, I find I want to tweak it a bit (Tweak!  Not twerk.)  Maybe add a few words to help me recall the plot or a few words about why I abandoned a book.  Maybe cut the genre column, especially since most fiction not aimed at teens doesn’t really have a distinct genre (ANOTHER naturalistic, depressing coming-of-age/critique of post-modern social values).  Have any of you taken steps to make it work for you?  Ever wanted to?  Let me know what it does for you to keep track of your books.

Cheers,

Josiah

The Plague by Albert Camus

The Nobel prize-winning Albert Camus, who died in 1960, could not have known how grimly current his existentialist novel of epidemic and death would remain. Set in Algeria, in northern Africa, The Plague is a powerful study of human life and its meaning in the face of a deadly virus that sweeps dispassionately through the city, taking a vas.t percentage of the population with it

Stronghold by Melanie Rawn

With her widely acclaimed, best-selling fantasy trilogy, DRAGON PRINCE, Melanie Rawn opened an enchanted gateway to a spellbinding universe of Sunrunner's magic and sorcerous evil, of a ruler fighting to bring peace to a world of warring kingdoms, and of the dragons- deadly dangerous yet holding the secret to wealth beyond imagining.

Now, in STRONGHOLD, the first novel of Melanie's new DRAGON STAR trilogy, there is a devastating new challenge to the power of both the High Prince Rohan and Andry, Lord of the Sunrunners at Goddess Keep, as a mysterious and seemingly unstoppable invasion force swarms across their lands.  For Andry it signals the start of a nightmare made real, the horrifying fulfillment of his of his long ago visions of his homeland in flames, and he will draw upon even the forbidden sorcerer's magic in an attempt to the enemy which is bent on the extermination of all Sunrunners.

Rohan and his son Pol will also fight the enemy with every weapon at their command- from their valiant warriors, to conjurations with sun, moons, and stars, to the terrifying presence of the dragons, to the unforgiving wrath of the desert itself.  Yet soon they begin to fear that this invasion may prove not only the end of their dream of an unbreakable peace but the beginning of the end of their entire world....

Divergent

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself..   During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Op Center Acts of War by Tom Clancy

Kurdish terrorists have attacked a dam inside the borders of Turkey, threatening the water supply of their very homeland. It is not insanity, but the fist step in a deceptively simple plan: force all-out war in the Middle East, drawing in the major players in the new world order.

What the terrorist don’t know is that a new Regional Op-Center is now on-line in Turkey. A mobile version of the permanent crisis management facility, the ROC is a cutting-edge surveillance and information mecca. And its team can see exactly what the Kurdish rebels are trying to do.

But the terrorist are more resourceful than anyone thinks. They also have ways of obtaining classified information. And the Regional Op-Center—the United States’ newest toy—is a prize not to be passed up…

The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien

The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor–the dark Kingdom where Sauron was supreme. Their guide was Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring. Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.

Digitial Fortress by Dan Brown

When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage--not by guns or bombs -- but by a code so complex that if released would cripple U.S. intelligence. Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves.

The Unseen By Joseph Citro

On the most rugged mountains, int the deepest woods of Vermont, they say nothing human lives...

   Butin the dorkest shadows, something huge, something feral has been waiting. Watchung. Protecting the land. Guarding against intruders. Now,as it emerges from the forests, the time for waiting is over. And all the old backwood legends, all the old sleep-shattering nightmares will suddenly become as terrifying and as real as death itself.

The Bookseller of Kabul

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad follows the life of Sultan. This mesmerizing portrait of a proud man who, through three decades and successive repressive regimes, heroically braved persecution to bring book tot he people of Kabul. Sultan is a wealthy man, who has a large family and unbelievable passion. With wits and luck, he has endured many hardships befallen upon him for his love of books.

The History Of Iran By Elton L. Daniel

With almost three thousand years of history, Iran is home to one of the world's richest and most complex cultures. Yet to the average American the name Iran probably conjures up an image of a remote and upstart country inhabited by a people whose religious fanaticism is matched only by the intensity of their disdain for the United States and its values, who speak an obscure tongue called Farsi, and whose identity is not clearly distinguished from that of their Arab neighbors. This work offers an objective and engagingly written portrait of the Iranian people and their complex history from the perspective of one of the world's foremost experts on the country. It is ideal for student use and for the interested reader.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

       Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a craving for tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbability--and desperately in search of a place to eat.
Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a longtime friend and expert contributor to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android who suffers nothing and no one very gladly. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food (literally) speaks for itself.

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, Daenerys Targaryen rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way east—with new allies who may not be the ragtag band they seem. And in the frozen north, Jon Snow confronts creatures from beyond the Wall of ice and stone, and powerful foes from within the Night’s Watch. In a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, to the greatest dance of all.

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears. . . . With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.

But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.

It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes . . . and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. . . .

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .

Champion

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. 

The Valcourt Heiress

The Valcourt Heiress by Catherine Coulter is about a man named Garron of Kersey. When Garron of Kersey returns home from the kings service to claim his tittle as Baron Wareham, he's shocked to find Wareham Castle very nearly destroyed by a man called the Black Demon.

According to the last surving servants inside the castle walls, the Black Demon was looking for silver belonging to Garron's brother Arthur. Among his remaining servants is the enigmatic Merry, the child of the castle's priest. Garron quickly suspects that she is much more than a servant: She reads and writes and makes lists, just as he does. They work together to bring Wareham back to its former splendor.

But this is only the beggining. Did Arthur have a cache of silver? Who is the Black Demon? And the biggest question of all: who is Merry?