the giver

The Giver is a 1993 American Young-adult fiction-Dystopian novel by Lois Lowry. It is set in a society which at first appears as a utopian society but then later revealed to be a dystopian one as the story progresses." (Wikipedia)

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

This novel takes place in WWI and focuses on three Cree Indians, even though only two of them narrate. Xavier and Elijah, although exposed to the nuns and their teaching methods, know the ways of the bush. Due to this, when they sign up to fight alongside the Canadians in France, they become great assets to their Battalion. They face not only the Germans and the Huns as their enemies, but the weather, each other, and their inner conflicts as well. Can they triumph?

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas's world is perfect.  Everything is under control.  There is no war or fear of pain.  There are no choices.  Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver.  The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life.  Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth.  There is no turning back.

Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Alone in the wilderness, Cole found peace.

But he's not alone anymore.

Cole Matthews used to be a violent kid, but a year in exile on a remote Alaskan island has a big way of changing your perspective. After being mauled by a Spirit Bear, Cole started to heal. He even invited his victim, Peter Driscal, to join him on the island and they became friends.

But now their time in exile is over, and Cole and Peter are heading back to the one place they're not sure they can handle: high school. Gangs and violence haunt the hallways, and Peter's limp and speech impediment make him a natural target. In a school where hate and tension are getting close to the boiling point, the monster of rage hibernating inside Cole begins to stir.

Ben Mikaelsen's riveting saga of survival and self-awareness continues in the sequel to his gripping Touching Spirit Bear. This time, he weaves a tale of urban survival where every day is a struggle to stay sane. As the problems in his school grow worse, Cole realize that it's not enough to change himself. He has to change his world.

Ender's Shadow By Orson Scott Card

Andres "Ender" Wiggin was not the only child in the Battle School; he was just hte best of the best. Here is the story of another of those precocious generals, the one they called Bean-the one who became Ender's right hand, his strategist, and his friend.

Beans's past was a battle just to survive on the streets of Rotterdam. He was a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else's. Bean's desperate struggle, and his remarkable success, brought him to the attention of the battle School's recruiters, those people scouring the planet for leaders, tacticians, and generals to save Earth from the threat of alien invasion. Bean was sent to orbit, to the Battle School. And there he met Ender...

the shorter novel of Herman Melville.

For anyone interested in the not-so-often read novellas of Melville, this is a great little collection. The titles include "Benito Cereno," "Bartleby the Scrivener," "The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles" and "Billy Budd, Foretopman." The introduction is full of information about Melville and gives an excellent overview of the nuances of his work.

Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Beecher preachers

Harriet Beecher Stowe grew up in a family in which her seven brothers were expected to be successful preachers and the four girls were never to speak in public. But slavery made Harriet so angry she couldn't keep quiet. Although she used a pen rather than her voice to convince people of the evils of slavery, she 

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Temperance Brennan may not be competition for Kay Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell's medical examiner, in the romance department, but she's just as stubborn and almost as astute when it comes to sleuthing. While investigating a grisly discovery for the Montreal coroner's office, Tempe finds herself remembering a similar investigation she conducted on the remains of a woman who was savagely dismembered and stuffed in garbage bags. When Tempe's concerns about a serial killer are dismissed by the police, she decides to pursue the matter herself--a course of action that both puts her career on the line and so effectively upsets the murderer's plan that he sets his sights on her. Montreal, with its French culture, is an enticing setting for Reichs' first mystery, and as a forensic anthropologist who spends part of her time working for the Province of Quebec, Reich knows the city well. She also contributes a wealth of authentic medical detail as she follows Tempe on her gripping, convoluted quest to catch a psychotic killer. A high-voltage thriller that readers won't want to put down. Reichs' novel generated great interest at the Frankfurt Book Fair and prompted a big-numbers rights auction.

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R Martin

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House 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. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all. 

star wars from the adventures of luke skywalker by George lucas

The classic tale of good versus evil set in a galaxy far, far away, quickly became a cultural phenomenon during its time, inspiring a generation of story lovers and storytellers. Now, the original trilogy of Star Wars shines anew with the vibrant concept art of Ralph McQuarrie, the legendary conceptual designer behind the original trilogy.

Collected in a picture book for the first time, McQuarrie's art is paired with captivating text byNew York Times bestselling author Tony DiTerlizzi-a winning combination that will delight Star Wars fans old and new and delight generations of readers to come.

the mystery of the moaning cave by William arden

Many years ago, the young bandit El Diablo disappeared into a cave, never to be seen again. Now an eerie moaning sound is coming from his old hideout, and the ranchers who live nearby think he may still be alive.

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis

Narnia...the land between the lamp-post and the castle of Cair Paravel, where the animals talk, where magical things happen...and where the adventure begins.

Peter, Susuan, Edmund, and Lucy are returning to boarding school when they are summoned from the dreary train station (by Susan's own magic horn) to return to the land of Narnia- the land where they had ruled as kings and queens and where their help is desperately needed.

Enter this enchanted world countless times in The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself.

plop, hah!

A graphic novel that has a funny a goofy story for all ages.

Zodiac by: Romina Russell

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain....
 
Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancrian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon

The classic fantasy trilogy of Elmer Elevator and the flying baby dragon has delighted children and their parents for generations. Now, on the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary, Random House is proud to bring the three timeless tales together in one beautiful commemorative edition, complete with the original delightful illustrations.  A Newbery Honor Book and an ALA Notable Book, My Father's Dragon is followed by Elmer and the Dragon ("rich, humorous, and thoroughly satisfying"*) and The Dragons of Blueland ("ingenious and plausible, the fantasy well-sustained"*).  Each story stands alone, but read in succession, they are an unforgettable experience.*Library Journal, starred review

Voodoo child HC; The illustrated legend of Jimi Hendrix By Martin I. Green

This is a graphic docudrama, an account in comic-strip format of the turbulent life of rock star Jimi Hendrix. Like a cinematic docudrama, it hews to the events of Hendrix's career but creates dialogue and uses various devices--notably, snippets of Hendrix's lyrics as commentary on the action at appropriate moments--to heighten the drama of the guitarist's colorful life. Unfortunately, the events themselves are overly familar to most rock fans, and their treatment here generally falls into rock-star cliches. The banality of much of the imagined dialogue, which frequently lapses into sixties-speak ("Far out," "Dig it man" ), doesn't help. The project is saved, however, because it marks the return to comics of one of the medium's most innovative artists, Bill Sienkiewicz, who's been largely absent from the field for several years. His imaginative, evocative full-color illustrations and narrative mastery supply much-needed substance that turns a rock-bio-in-comics into a genuinely compelling package. Hendrix fans especially will also appreciate the accompanying 30-minute CD of previously unreleased home recordings. Gordon Flagg

Zodiac by:Romina Russell

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancrian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

A young sailor returned home from a dangerous voyage. His father and his sweetheart are waiting for him. But an act of jealous treachery changes his life forever!

An unexpected meeting changes everything and the man who was once an unknown sailor emerges as The Count of Monte Cristo, mysterious, rich, and powerful enough to take the ultimate revenge against his enemies.

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Cayce Pollard is an expensive, spookily intuitive market-research consultant. In London on a job, she is offered a secret assignment: to investigate some intriguing snippets of video that have been appearing on the Internet. An entire subculture of people is obsessed with these bits of footage, and anybody who can create that kind of brand loyalty would be a gold mine for Cayce's client. But when her borrowed apartment is burgled and her computer hacked, she realizes there's more to this project than she had expected.