Something Red

Something Red
By Douglas Nicholas
Simon & Schuster, 2012.  315 pgs. Mystery

Just in time for the Halloween season, along comes this atmospheric--by which I mean dang scary--story of a troupe of musicians and healers traveling over the northern mountains in thirteenth century England. Molly is the Earth Mother, Queen Maeve, the head of the company, and the heart, but the story belongs to young Hob, her apprentice. As the company travels, hoping to clear the mountains before snowfall, they are beset by uneasiness, glimpses of a malign something, red like a fox, but too large. People not of their group are found dead, torn and ruined. The travelers take shelter in a monastery, then an inn, and finally a knight's castle where the battlements and the defenses seem impenetrable, but can they find safety even here? This may be the most dangerous place of all. Something Red is filled with the panoply of medieval life as well as the coming into his own of a fine young man. One of the best books of the year so far if you ask me, and since you are reading this review, you are. Ha Ha

LW

No More Dead Dogs

No More Dead Dogs
By Gordon Korman
Recorded Books, 2001. 4.5 hours. Young Adult

Eighth grader Wallace Wallace never tells a lie--ever. Not even when it means that his English teacher gives him ongoing detention that forces him off the football team when he writes a book review of Old Shep, My Pal and calls it the worst book ever. Refusing to cave and say he likes the book, Wallace is forced to serve detention with his teacher, who is directing the upcoming school play, which just happens to be Old Shep, My Pal. With as much as he dislikes the book, Wallace can't help but offer ideas for how to improve the play. As Wallace gets some flack from his football friends, and someone seems out to sabotage the play, Wallace and some of drama kids, and even their teacher, find out a lot about life and what's important to them.

This is a good choice for those looking for a humorous book or a short audio book. Wallace is an endearing character, and readers will cheer for him as he points out that too many dog books involve the dog dying--so true! I didn't love the voice for some of the minor characters, but the narrator for Wallace did a good job.

AE

Masquerade

Masquerade
By Nancy Moser
Bethany House, 2010. 400 pgs. Fiction

Financial problems and personal scandal have left Charlotte Gleason's family on the outskirts of polite society in England, and Charlotte's parents feel that the only thing they can do to help their daughter now is to arrange a marriage for her with a wealthy American who doesn't know of their family's predicament. Charlotte, reluctant to marry for any reason other than love, is sent across the Atlantic, along with her maid, Dora, who she persuades to switch place with her upon arrival in the States. So Dora assumes Charlotte's place, being courted by wealthy Conrad, while missing a man she met on their voyage from England, and Charlotte becomes Lottie Hathaway and finds herself quickly becoming acquainted with the real world, beyond the pampering she's become accustomed to.

I found Charlotte to be a somewhat grating character, as it took her most of the book to become less selfish and think about someone besides herself, so it was good that half of the story was told through Dora, since she was a much more likable character, and I could step away from Charlotte to look at Dora's situation instead. The story is slightly predictable, but at the same time, it will still satisfy fans of historical romance who enjoy watching characters learn to follow God's plan for their lives, instead of following their own headstrong plans.

AE

Seraphina

Seraphina
By Rachel Hartman
Random House, 2012. 465 pgs. Young Adult

The kingdom of Goredd has had four decades of uneasy peace between the dragons and the people. However, despite the treaty that has kept the peace, the prince has been killed--and decapitated--by what is suspected to be a rogue dragon, and people are on edge. Seraphina, who is the product on an illegal marriage between a human man and a female dragon who took human form, has always hidden her identity because she isn't supposed to exist. However, with the kingdom on edge at the thought of a rogue dragon, as well as the upcoming visit of the leader of the dragons, Seraphina may be the only one who can keep the peace between the two species.

This multi-layered fantasy is truly one of a kind. The complexity of the plot line, as well as Seraphina herself, make this book a little bit slower read, but no less enjoyable. The ending leaves it open for a sequel, but there's enough closure to also keep readers satisfied.

AE

Beyond the White River

Beyond the White River
By Kristen McKendry
Covenant Communications, 2012. 197 pgs. Romance

When Joe Condie settles into his homestead in Wyoming, Faith Frisbee quickly catches attention--partly for her looks and partly because she has taken in eight orphaned or unwanted boys and raises them by herself. Drawn to her despite the fact that she is beyond prickly--initially rejecting every offer her makes for conversation or help--he eventually begins to win her over, helping her with the boys. But when he voices his feelings for her, she rejects him, and when she later shares the reason why, Joe faces a whole new round of emotions he must deal with.

While pretty predictable, fans of the genre will still enjoy it. It's pretty easy to guess what causes Faith's reluctance to wed, and the resolution comes quickly, easily, and somewhat unrealistically, but it's a fun, quick read to pass an afternoon.

AE

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
By Rachel Joyce
Random House, 2012. 320 pgs. Fiction

Harold is in his sixties, retired, and living a fairly mundane life. When the post arrives with a letter from Queenie, one of his old friends, Harold is saddened to hear that she has cancer. He writes back but on the way to the mail box a simple letter doesn’t feel like enough. He walks a little further to the next mail box so he can think. Then he walks a little further. Harold then decides to walk the entire length of England, all the way to Queenie. If he can just keep walking, perhaps Queenie can keep on living. Along the way Harold meets many interesting people, some which give him hope to continue on, others that make his journey more difficult. Yet, ever determined, Harold continues on.

This is a moving, character-driven story. Harold’s journey is interspersed with details of his life, slowly revealing who he is and why he feels so driven to visit Queenie. Just like Harold plodding along, the book had a slow and steady pace, but I never felt bored. If you find profanity offensive, be aware that there are a couple minor characters you won’t like, but for the most part the book is clean. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

ACS

The Masqueraders

The Masqueraders 
 By Georgette Heyer
Harlequin, 2004. 409 pgs. Romance.

In The Masqueraders, Heyer takes the classically unbelievable plot-line of gender-swapping and gives it at least a twinge of reality, and more than a good dose of humor. Prudence and her younger brother Robin travel to London to meet their adventurer of a father. This seems simple enough, but because the siblings are escaped Jacobites, an offense punishable by death, they must masquerade as each other – namely, large Prudence poses as 20 year old Peter, while tiny Robin makes a charming Lady Kate. The problem comes in when each of them falls in love with a member of the London high society and must skillfully reveal themselves to their intended partners.

 For me Georgette Heyer is the comfort food of books – I read her when life seems wobbly and uncomfortable because she is a constant. While her plots and characters, and even period language, may change, the tone and atmosphere of her regency-era quasi-romances stay immutably the same. Each of her books, and this one in particular, are charmingly elegant, humorous, and playful. You will not be able to help yourself from smiling the whole time – your cheek muscles may hurt by the end, but your spirit will inevitably be in better condition.

JM

Miracle

Miracle
By Elizabeth Scott
Simon Pulse, 2012. 217 pgs. Young Adult

When the small plane she's flying in crashes, Megan is the only survivor and is instantly proclaimed a miracle. Her parents, who thought she had died, now dote on her, rejoicing in the fact that she's alive, and Megan's afraid to let them know how messed up she is after the crash, since she knows how desperately they want her to be okay. But she isn't okay--she has no interest in her friends, school, or former hobbies, and while she can't initially remember anything from the crash, she begins seeing the people who died all around her. Tired of being called a miracle, and sure she's on the verge of falling apart, Megan finds solace in a couple of her town's less popular people.

Elizabeth Scott does a fantastic job of capturing the grief and confusions following a tragedy. As readers are taken inside Megan's thoughts, they're given the chance to explore post-traumatic stress disorder. While Megan's emotions, or sometimes lack thereof as she shuts down emotionally, makes this book almost cold in some way, it still provides a lot of understanding about how we deal with tragedy.

AE

Deadly

Deadly
By Julie Chibbaro
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011. 293 pgs. Young Adult

Prudence Galewski has long been interested in how death and disease happen--what make the human body fail. Although most girls are interested in marriage and family, Prudence doesn't want to settle down; she wants to use her brain to delve into the world of science. When she's offered a job taking notes for Mr. Soper, who works for the Department of Health and Sanitation, she's excited to have found an opportunity that lets her do just that. An outbreak of typhoid fever leads Mr. Soper and Prudence to investigate how the disease has spread, and they find themselves facing a possibility considered only rarely before: that a healthy person could be the carrier for a disease that proves deadly in others. Although they suspect Mary Mallon of being a carrier of typhoid, she and many others find it impossible to believe that a healthy person could reasonably be believed to spread a disease to others, and Prudence finds herself torn between her scientific mind, which wants to find and stop the disease, and her heart, which aches for Mary and the treatment she receives when suspected of being a typhoid carrier.

This is a highly engaging piece of historical fiction. Chibbaro has done a fantastic job showing the scientific ideas and limitations of the early 1900s, and especially demonstrating why "Typhoid Mary" would find it hard to believe she could possibly be making others sick and would keep spreading the disease. She also does a great job showing Prudence's struggle to find her place in the world and figure out what she wants, even at a time when options for women were still extremely limited. Very well written.

AE

The Sweetest Spell

The Sweetest Spell
By Suzanne Selfors
Walker & Co., 2012. 404 pgs. Young Adult

Born with a deformed foot, Emmeline was left at the edge of the forest to die--except, protected by a group of cows, she lived. Her survival and her deformity have made her an outcast among her people, the impoverished dirt-scratchers, who fear she has some sort of black magic. When a flood wipes out her entire village and carries her beyond the Flatland boundaries--the only place the dirt-scratchers are allowed to live--Owen Oak, the son of a dairy farmer, finds her, and after his family nurses her back to health, discovers that she has a magical gift long lost to the people of their country--the gift of making chocolate. While the gift suddenly offers Emmeline a way out of poverty and respect she'd never have as merely a deformed dirt-scratcher, it also the sort of gift that others will do anything to get their hands on. Just as Emmeline starts to hope for a better life, and perhaps even acceptance beyond the Flatlands, she becomes the target of the evil schemes of those who will do anything to get Emmeline's chocolate for themselves.

The idea of chocolate being the hot commodity in a society seemed a little silly to me, but Selfors did a great job of making it believable. This fantasy world is a delightful one to visit. With adventure, political intrigue, a dash of romance, and a heroine who dares to believe in herself and fight for her people, this book was fun from start to finish.

AE

11/22/63

11/22/63
By Stephen King
Scribner, 2011. 880 pgs. Fiction

The title of Stephen King’s most recent novel, 11/22/63, promises historical fiction, but what he actually delivers is a remarkable time-travel book. The feeling of the early 60’s permeates the atmosphere, but so does the feeling of ‘otherness’ that only a sci-fi work can bring. The protagonist, Jake Epping, is your average mid-40s bachelor, until a mystery involving a cheap hamburger brings him through a hole in time and into 1958. The natural conclusion is then, of course, to try to save J.F.K. However, the actual scheme only takes up a small amount of page-time; most of the novel is devoted to the characters and relationships between the time-traveler and the 1960’s-rooted cast.

 You do not have to be a King fan to enjoy this work, in fact, it is so little like his other works that I would hesitate recommending it to a life-long fan. Simply put, this is an excellent story. It is a story so enjoyable that the reader hardly notices the 880 page behemoth fly by. Highly recommended summer reading.

JM

Among Others

Among Others
by Jo Walton
Tor, 2010. 302 pgs. Fiction

Among Others  has already won the Nebula Award and is nominated for the Hugo, obviously a prime piece of speculative real estate.  Even though the book is to some degree about magic and fairies, Morwenna Phelps, the fifteen year old diarist of these pages, is besotted with science fiction. Growing up in the hills of Wales, Mor and her sister often saw and spoke (sort of) with the fairies who favored ruined and overgrown buildings and factories. Mor's own mother is a witch, and not a kindly one. Mor and her twin sister are forced at an early age to battle her to save, probably, the earth. Mor's sister is killed, and Mor is crippled. When she is sent to live with her father, whom she has never met, and his creepy sisters, and then on to a boarding school with a mean-spirited studentbody, Mor finds solace in books--books, books, and more books. (Interlibrary loan is one of the "heroes" of this text.) After Mor uses the tiniest bit of magic to find some friends, her mother finds her and their eventual confrontation leads to a life-affirming, even brilliant, choice by a young girl wise beyond her years. Though Morwenna is a teen, a few references to sexual situations make this book a best choice for older teens or adults.

LW

Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass
By Sarah J. Maas
Bloomsbury, 2012. 406 pgs. Young Adult

Celeana was once Adarlan's Assassin, the best assassin in the country, but after she was betrayed, the king sentenced her to work in the Endovier salt mines, where most people die in a matter of months. Celeana has managed to survive a year, when the Crown Prince, Dorian, and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol, show up to make her an offer. The king is hosting a contest to find his champion; the winner will have to do his bidding for four years, but after that, will be free. Desperate to be free, Celeana agrees to be the prince's contestant, but when she gets to the castle and begins her training, she finds herself dealing not only with the other competitors but some sort of monster that is brutally killing off contestants. And although the king has banished magic, Celeana finds magical symbols, a secret passage way, and has dreams of a long-dead queen who doesn't seem quite as distant as a dead person should be.

I really liked the action, adventure, and world-building in this book, as well as Celeana and the supporting characters. One thing I didn't like is that there's a bit of a love triangle and Celeana picks the wrong guy! If she straightens that out in the next book, though, I'm sure I'll love the series. It's a great pick for fantasy fans.

AE

The Absent One

The Absent One
by Jussi Adler-Olsen, translated by K. E. Semmel
Dutton, 2012. 406 pgs. Mystery.

Among the pots and pots of high-quality, austere, noirish Scandinavian mysteries on the shelves these days, how many would you describe as funny?  Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q mysteries are that rare exception, murderous stories set in Denmark that use comic relief like Shakespeare did, to provide counterpoint to the darkness of, in this case, a series of particularly sadistic criminal acts perpetrated by a gang of boarding school friends who have become rich and famous, but not the less cruel through the years. Carl Morck, long-suffering and jaded head of the cold-case department, is goosed along by two unlikely assistants:  Assad, the open-hearted but mysterious emigre from the Middle East, and Rose, the annoying new girl with the braying laugh and the blinding competence. Together the three take on the long unsolved case of a brother and sister murdered and humiliated in death by their attackers. Multiple points of view ratchet up the tension as the wicked and the mostly just dance their terrible dance of revelation and concealment.  As with most Scandinavian mysteries, this one is filled with brutality and occasional graphic sex. Certainly not for the faint of heart or stomach, but a terrific book to close out the summer reading season. (See also Adler-Olsen's first Department Q mystery, Keeper of Lost Causes.)

LW

Gone Girl

Gone Girl

By Gillian Flynn

Crown, 2012.  419 pgs.  Mystery

On the morning of their five-year wedding anniversary, Nick’s beautiful and brilliant wife, Amy, disappears from their beautiful mansion on the Mississippi River.  Signs of a struggle seem to be the only clues left, and the police have little to go on as a search begins in earnest. Nick is desperate to find her and to become the husband he knows she deserves.  Amy speaks from a journal chronicling their idyllic courtship and early years of marriage. What follows is a terrifying look at the impact the media can have on the direction of an investigation. Everyone knows the husband is often guilty and Nick has many secrets. Then again, so does Amy.

This is a psychological thriller of the highest order. Flynn presents characters you love to hate and hate to leave behind with the turning of that final page. Be prepared for some strong language and know that if you pick it up, you won’t want to put it down as you uncover the truth beneath the many layers of lies.

CZ

The Chaperone

The Chaperone

By Laura Moriarty

Riverhead Books, 2012.  371 pgs. Fiction

In the summer of 1922, Cora Carlisle has just sent her two boys off for a work experience in the country in Laura Moriarty’s “The Chaperone.” Without a lot to occupy her time she jumps at the chance to spend a few weeks in New York City as the chaperone to a feisty young woman, Louise Brooks, who has been accepted to a prestigious dancing school. Louise is on the brink of a brilliant career and Cora is on a mission to uncover her past. Both will come to consider these few hot weeks in the city as a turning point in their lives as they each discover important truths about themselves and each other.

Based on the true story of silent film star, Louise Brooks, “The Chaperone” provides a vibrant look at an America just pulling itself out of a depression. Louise and Cora’s stories, besides being extremely fascinating, perfectly demonstrate the changing roles of women in the 1920s.  My only complaint with this enjoyable historical novel is that at times the author seems to let issues eclipse the stories. Besides that, Moriarty has given a superbly rendered novel.

CZ

Shadow of Night

Shadow of Night
By Deborah Harkness
Viking, 2012. 577 pgs. Fiction

In book two of the ‘All Souls Trilogy’, Dina, a witch with more power than she can control, and Matthew, her mysterious vampire husband, have been transported to Elizabethan England. Their mission is to find someone who can assist Dina in harnessing her powers and, if possible, to also locate an ancient book that may hold the answers to their question and the key to their future happiness. A quest that they hoped would only take a few weeks stretches to months as both a witch tutor and the mysterious text prove frustratingly illusive.

I think I liked this volume as much, if not more, than the first one. As with ‘Discovery of Witches’, I’m not sure the story warrants the length, but it was still enjoyable. I grew to like the characters more and became a bit more invested in their fight against the dark forces. Hopefully the third and final installment in the trilogy provides adequate adventure and closure.

CZ

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy

By Karen Doornebos
Berkley Books, 2011. 374 pgs. Romance

Chloe, the divorced mother of an inquisitive eight-year-old, is almost at the end of her financial rope. Her custom stationary business is about to go under and her ex-husband is gearing up for an expensive custody battle. Fortunately, she has been cast in a documentary/reality show recreating, in extreme detail, Jane Austen’s England. Having been an avid Austen fan her entire life, Chloe feels her chances of winning the $100,000 in prize money are very good and she is thrilled about the opportunity to live in a world without the distractions of modern life. But neither the earlier century nor the filmed production turn out to be quite what she expected. Too quickly Chloe’s financial and romantic futures are in peril.

Learning about how Austen’s heroines actually lived their daily lives is undeniably interesting. Learning about Chloe’s romantic adventures…maybe not so much. Not that it’s bad, ‘Definitely Not Mr. Darcy’ simply doesn’t present anything new or exciting. It’s a decent addition to the already overflowing collection of Austen inspired fiction, but nothing to write home about.

CZ

The Boston Strangler

The Boston Strangler
By Paul Hoblin
ABDO Publishing Company, 2012. 112 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Between 1962 and 1964, eleven woman were brutally murdered, strangled and assaulted, and Boston was thrown into a panic, as the Boston Strangler, as he came to be known, was able to slip in and out of apartments unnoticed. With a killer on the loose, police were desperate to find the killer--and then Albert DeSalvo confessed. While many people accepted his confessions, despite the fact that it was riddled with inconsistencies and the interrogator asked leading questions, others weren't so sure that he really was the killer. There were numerous other suspects, and later in life--after being sentenced to life in jail for separate assault charges--DeSalvo seemed ready to offer up the name of the real Boston Strangler but was killed before he had the chance, leaving, the case of the Boston Strangler unsatisfactorily unsolved.

Hobin does a great job giving an overview of the Boston Strangler without going into gory details. With a highly readable format, including sidebars, timeline, and glossary, this book is a great choice for those interested in short true crime stories.

AE

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2005. 182 pgs. Fiction

Into the backlist for one of the great novels of the twentieth century. Ivan Denisovich Shukhov has been sentenced to hard labor in the Gulag because as a Soviet soldier in World War II he was captured by the Germans and after his release, accused of treason since he had been hanging around with Germans. The book begins as the zeks, or prisoners, are awakened by the banging of a hammer on the railing of the admin building and are happy that it is only thirty degrees below zero instead of the expected forty. During the remainder of the day, Ivan Denisovich is working hard:  to stay warm, to form up the brickwork well on his day's assignment, to get a little extra bread here, some gruel there, and to avoid going to The Hole for hanging on to a bit of steel blade which he can form into a shoemaker's awl. What is most astonishing about Ivan's life, and that of his campmates is not the suffering, which from our perspective of comfort and peace is unimaginable, but the matter-of-fact manner in which the prisoners accept their situation and adapt to it. Based on Solzhenitsyn's own experiences as a prisoner who served ten years for criticizing Stalin in a letter to a friend, One Day in the Life of Denisovich is a classic in both expression and themes. Best not to read it if you are having a whiny day.

LW

An Everlasting Meal

An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace 

By Tamar Adler

Scribner, 2011. 250 pgs. Nonfiction

Part cookbook, part philosophy, part poetry, this slim volume will have each reader re-imagining how to cook at home. Tamar Adler is a woman of strong opinions, among them the belief that aged food is better than fresh food, that we always under cook our vegetables, and that nothing should be thrown away. Through a series of innovative chapter titles, such as ‘how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat’, Tamar outlines a plan for how to shop, cook, eat, and live well. This cookbook does what no other recipe-laden one can: it shows what to do with the left overs – the ingredients, cooking liquids, and partial meals that are so often discarded. Her philosophy allows each meal to roll into the next one, so the ubiquitous question ‘what’s for dinner?’ becomes obsolete and is instead replaced by the continuous action of cooking.

 I am not exaggerating when I say: this book changed my life. I have loved cooking and recipe books for ages, but even with dozens of cookbooks at my disposal, I never knew what to make for dinner. Furthermore, I always felt guilty about not eating left-overs, or not knowing what to do with the rest of a bunch of radishes – cleaning out my refrigerator at the end of the week was my most dreaded chore. After having read An Everlasting Meal twice, I implemented Tamar’s well laid-out plan this week and I have been eating some of the most wonderful food I’ve ever had. Not only does her philosophy translate to everyday life, but her narrative voice is gorgeous in a way that I can only compare to poetry. This is a book for anyone at all concerned with food: those who like to cook it, think about it, read about it, and, most importantly, eat it. 

JM

Invincible Microbe

Invincible Microbe
By Jim Murphy and Alison Blank
Clarion Books, 2012.149 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Award-winning author Murphy teams up with his wife to trace the history of tuberculosis and the treatment of the disease. For thousands of years, tuberculosis killed countless numbers of people, who sought any treatment they could get--from having their king touch them to heal them to blood letting. In the 1800s, with people not knowing how the disease was spread and guessing at treatments, the sanitarium movement was started, with towns actually recruiting people to come and stay in their sanitariums, giving rise to the "curing industry". And initially, when respected scientist Robert Koch discovered the germs that caused the disease--and their contagious nature--people didn't believe him and continued to turn to sanitariums and quack treatments. Once he did show that he had truly discovered the cause, a new search for the cure ensued; just as they seemed to have discover medicine to fight tuberculosis, however, drug-resistant strains began cropping up.

This book is jam-packed with interesting information, from the treatments, to the populations who were denied treatments, to the current conditions that could lead to additional outbreaks. Highly informative but still readable, this is an excellent piece of nonfiction.

AE

Palace of Stone

Palace of Stone
By Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury Childrens, 2012. 336 pgs. Young Adult

In this sequel to Princess Academy, Miri and some friends from Mount Eskel, including Peder, have been invited to spend a year in Asland, the capitol of their country. Miri and the girls stay in the palace as ladies to Britta, who will become the princess when she weds Prince Steffan. Miri has been looking forward to the opportunity to attend a special school and pursue addition knowledge, but she finds her trip to Asland is more complicated than she could have expected. Despite her feelings for Peder, he hasn't declared his feelings for her, and when Timon, one of her classmates, invites her to spend time with him, she must wonder where her heart lies. But her heart faces further tests, as Timon and his friends are revolutionaries calling for reforms in the kingdom, saying that the king's tributes keep the people impoverished. Miri, while afraid that if the king decided to exact tribute from Mount Eskel, her family and her people will lose everything, also doesn't want to betray Britta, who is her dearest friend. Miri must use all her intelligence to help her people--and her friend.

Yay! Highly enjoyable, this is sure to please fans of Princess Academy, Shannon Hale, or fantasy. I loved Miri in the first book and I was thrilled to be able to see her further growth in this tale. The fantasy world is well-developed but doesn't have so many details that they detract from the plot. I can't think of anything not to like about this one.

AE

Second Chance Summer

Second Chance Summer
By Morgan Matson
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2012. 468 pgs. Young Adult

When her father is diagnosed with fatal pancreatic cancer and given only a few months to live, Taylor's family decides to go to the summer house in the Poconos that they used to visit every summer but stopped doing for the past few years. However, Taylor has no desire to go back because last time she was there, as a twelve-year-old, started out great, with her acquiring her first boyfriend in Henry Crosby, but end badly, leaving her without Henry or her former best friend Lucy. So going back is the last thing she wants to do, but she has to, and in so doing, she has to learn to stop running away from her problems. Instead, she learns to deal with her broken friendships and face the inevitability of her father's death.

Well-written and touching, this is an easy recommendation for fans of realistic teen literature. Taylor's learning to face her fears is something that will resonate with teens and adults alike. Her feelings are realistic and while readers might find themselves slightly frustrated with her for not dealing with things a little faster, they'll also empathize with how true-to-life her growth process is. A must read for fans of Sarah Dessen.

AE

The Gardener

The Gardener
by Kristen Randle
Ponymoon Press, 2012. 312 pgs. Young Adult

"The gardener came with the house." And the house is in New England, on the coast, a large and lovely old home overlooking the ocean, and surrounded by an acre of forest. Despite the beauty, Renny wishes her family could have stayed where they were--with her friends, with a spot on the yearbook staff for the coming year, in familiar surroundings. Worried about making friends in a new place, Renny is sort of glad when Mrs. Girbaud, the school counselor, sends a young man over to show her around the town; not so glad when the young man makes a heavy duty move on her and she has to fight her way out of his car to escape. But soon she makes good friends--real friends--though ominous happenings around her home keep her on edge.  There are footprints in the flower beds under the windows, the gate hanging open when Renny knows it was secured. Even more frightening are Mrs. Girbaud and her brother the Coach. Their relentless pressure on Renny and others of her friends to leave their "loser" crowd and join the "in" group is creepy. An extraordinary storm at the end of the book lays all things bare, bringing the book to a satisfying though bittersweet end. But through it all there is the gardener, who cares for the grounds and the home, who nurtures flowers, food, and children, who guards and guides without guile or self-interest.   The Gardener is by way of being a Christian allegory, the message clear but the correspondences subtle. There is so much good in these young people and their families, refreshingly loving and concerned parents (so rare in contemporary Young Adult fiction), and most of all, kindness and care. Kristen Randle's prose is vivid, colloquial but never condescending, full of life, as one might expect from the author of the much-honored The Only Alien on the Planet. A fine, fine book for teenagers and their significant elders.

LW

Secret Letters

Secret Letters
By Leah Scheier
Disney/Hyperion, 2012. 327 pgs. Young Adult

Four years ago, as her mother was dying, Dora Joyce found out that the man she thought was her father wasn't; her true father is none other than Sherlock Holmes. With this new knowledge, Dora read as much as she could about Sherlock Holmes and started acquiring some sleuthing skills of her own. Now, at age 16, Dora has the chance to go to London and seek out her father, since her cousin is being blackmailed over some love letters she wrote before she was married. However, when Dora goes to meet Sherlock and get him to take on her cousin's case, she finds that he has died recently. Although she can no longer hope to meet her father, Dora still wants to help her cousin, and when young detective Peter Cartwright offers his help, Dora accepts, and soon it seems that her cousin's blackmailer may be involved in another of Peter's cases, and Peter gives her a chance that no other detective would--to go undercover as a servant and try to find out more about the blackmailer, who may also be involved in a kidnapping.

This excellent detective story will appeal to fans of The Agency by Y.S. Lee or Death Cloud by Andy Lane. Dora is a great new character, smart and spunky, and the banter between her and Peter, along with an interesting plot line, keeps the story moving quickly forward. My only complaint? I don't want to have to wait for a sequel because I want to be able to keep going with the story right now!

AE

After Hello

After Hello

By Lisa Mangum

Shadow Mountain, 2012. 266 pgs. Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Sara is always trying to capture the perfect moment in a photograph. On her first visit to New York City she’s hoping to take in the sights of the city in person and record them on film as well. Sam is great at finding things, whether it is a hard to find book or a trinket for a friend. When Sam and Sara meet on the street, neither of them are prepared for the adventure they will embark on for the one day they spend together.

This was a really fun book to read. It is a great blend of humor, romance, and adventure. If you liked The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith, this book is for you!

AMM

Physics of the Future

Physics of the Future: How Science will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100

By Michio Kaku
Doubleday, 2011. 389 pgs. Nonfiction

Michio Kaku is a professor of physics with his own Science Chanel TV show titled ‘Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible’. In ‘Physics of the Future’, Kaku presents readers with a look at the present science that will shape our world over the next 100 years. From living on Mars to contact lenses that provide access to the internet, some predictions are more easily imagined than others.

Kaku tries hard to write accessibly and usually he succeeds. Movie and television references are frequently made to provide examples of how life in the future may or may not actually look like. Kaku’s forecasts are interesting and make up for when the writing seems a bit flat but ‘Physics of the Future’ is still a good choice for general readers interested in what direction science is taking us.

CZ