15 Seconds

15 Seconds
By Andrew Gross
HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. 324 pgs. Fiction

It only takes moments for our lives to be completely derailed. This is demonstrated tragically in the first few pages of 15 Seconds when a self-medicated young woman kills a mother and her newborn. Months later, in a different state, a seemingly unconnected plastic surgeon is on his way to a tee time with a friend when he is pulled over for running a stop light. This small event triggers a series of situations that force Dr. Henry Steadman to run for his life. Unable to turn to the police for help, Henry must figure out why he is being targeted and how to prove his own innocence.

15 Seconds is a fast paced thriller with enough twists and turns to keep readers riveted from start to finish. Gross does manage to include a few deeper issues into the story. Questions of cause and effect, ultimate accountability, and who the real victims are in a society of blame and permissiveness.

CZ

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
by Robin Spencer
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012.  288 pgs. Fiction.

Clay Jannon is not much of a paper pusher.  In fact, he is so connected electronically that before he gets a job as the night clerk at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore he rarely has any reason to touch paper. All that changes when he loses his job as a web designer for NewBagel and is hired on by Mr. Penumbra, mostly to scale the very tall sliding ladder that reaches the tops of the shelves in the back of the bookstore and retrieve books for the late-night clients. Penumbra's clients are not really customers. They rarely buy a book, but check them out instead on special card issued to members of what Clay later discovers is a secret society seeking the secrets of immortality. Three unusual characteristics set this book apart:  print and paper types and computer geeks work hand-in-glove to solve the mystery; there is no swearing in this book (and, yes, it was published in the 21st century); and finally, the cover of the book glows in the dark. What's not to like?

LW

Sentinel

Sentinel

By Matthew Dunn
William Morrow, 2012. 313 pgs. Fiction

Tensions are brewing between the United States and Russia and a double British agent in the Russia submarine division has uncovered a plot that one of Britain’s own is setting things in motion to create war between the countries. Special agent Will Crochrane is called in to rendezvous with the agent to vary the information, only to find the agent brutally stabbed and with his last breathe saying only Sentinel can stop it. It’s up to Will to find Sentinel and of course, save the world from nuclear warfare.  

This second installment in the Spycatcher series has tighter editing and more realistic outcomes (unlike in Spycatcher, when Will was shot in the stomach three times and two days later flying out on a mission with some pain killers. But than again, we expect that of Bond, so why not all agents?) Unfortunately with that, Dunn also has softened up Will’s character a bit, but I think Will will turn around by the next novel. Don’t get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward eagerly to the next installment. One of the best new series I have read this year.

KK

If I Lie

If I Lie
By Corrine Jackson
Simon Pulse, 2012. 276 pgs. Young Adult

Quinn has grown up in a military community, right near a Marine base, where the townspeople's military service goes back generations. So when a picture of Quinn making out with a guy who is not her boyfriend--shortly before her boyfriend is deployed to Afghanistan--goes viral, she quickly becomes the town pariah, and matters only get worse when Carey, her boyfriend, goes MIA in the middle of trying to save a child. Quinn longs to be able to tell the truth--that she didn't betray Carey and things are not as they seem--but she promised him to keep a secret that she'd have to give away in order to clear her own name. With all of her friends angry with her, her Marine father severely disappointed in her, and with her and the mysterious guy from the photo knowing they can't be together, Quinn's only solace comes in visiting the Veterans hospital and working with George, a crusty old vet, on the Veterans History project where they record stories from other vets, and learning photography from him.

Wow. Jackson does a great job connecting many story lines--Quinn's relationship with Carey, her relationship with the mystery boy, her relationships with each of her parents, and her relationship with George, and the back story behind all of those relationships--without bogging down the pacing of the story. There are some very thought-provoking themes and discussion points. The writing is fluid, the characters are realistic, and the relationships are very, very well written. Some content and language might make it more appropriate for mature readers, but other than that, this is one that I recommend wholeheartedly.

AE

Uneasy Fortunes

Uneasy Fortunes
By Mandi Ellsworth
Sweetwater Books, 2012. 233 pgs. Historical Fiction

After his abusive father's drunken death, Pete worked for years to pay back his father's debts. Now, having finally paid back everything owed, and with the impending wedding of his boss's daughter--the object of Pete's affection--he decides it's time for him to move on in life. He winds up on the Betteridge farm, where he enjoys working alongside Mr. Betteridge. He isn't quite sure what to make of Mr. Betteridge's prickly elder daughter, June, though. With a son and but no husband, she's clearly been hurt and pushes Pete away at every chance she gets. However, when an accident befalls her father, June is forced to work with Pete for the good of the farm--and both find that maybe they've found a chance to truly start over.

Somewhat predictable and with some passages that do much more summarizing than I enjoy, this book was tolerable but didn't distinguish itself from the many other similar books on the market. For die-hard fans of historical romance, this could still be a satisfactory choice.

AE

Feedback

Feedback
By Robison Wells
HarperTeen, 2012. 312 pgs. Young Adult

In this sequel to Variant, Benson and Becky have escaped from Maxfield Academy, but just barely. With Becky seriously injured and them having no idea where they are or how far it is to safety, they are desperate to avoid being recaptured. Against his better judgement, Benson takes Becky to a town his discovers--a town where his schoolmates reside, a town where he finds that several of his classmates were actually robot duplicates of real people living in the town. Although he still wants to escape completely, Benson is no longer confident that he knows how, as he comes to realize that he's up against something much bigger than he realized.

I really enjoyed Variant, but Feedback just wasn't as appealing to me. There was a lot of worrying, fighting against bad robots, and not a whole lot more. The plot felt very cyclical to me, and once the twist at the end was finally revealed, it pretty much lost my interest entirely. It will still appeal to fans of sci-fi and teen guys, but I didn't like it nearly as much as the first book.

AE

Long Lankin

Long Lankin
by Lindsey Barraclough
Candlewick, 2012. 455 pgs. Young Adult

     Long Lankin is a fearsome British folk character, who with a conspiring nurse, crept into the manor and killed its lady. He was hung in a gibbet and the nurse burned at the stake. And what does this have to do with Cora and Mimi, sent to their great aunt Ida's by their slacker father? Long Lankin, caught between worlds, is still about and "lives" near the church by Aunt Ida's home, Guerdon Hall, the Guerdons cursed by the nurse as she died.   Ida herself has lost family to the monster, and forbids the children to go near the church or to stay in the house with any window open or the doors unbolted. Long Lankin  is a fine, atmospheric horror story. The suspense builds slowly and richly as the narrative is assembled from multiple points of view--Cora's, her friend Roger's, Aunt Ida herself, and a collection of old letters and clues near the graveyard itself.  Plus, there are other evidences:  a ghostly young woman in the attic, singing Long Lankin's ballad, sightings of a manlike creature with a terrible smell dragging himself through the grass, and the missing children in the graveyard, still themselves but barely. Recommended for older teens who will have the patience for the foundation to be laid and the fearsomeness to build to the breakneck conclusion, and for adults who like a great old-fashioned Halloween read.

Death at the Chateau Bremont: A Verlaque and Bonnet Mystery

Death at the Chateau Bremont: A Verlaque and Bonnet Mystery
By M. L. Longworth
Penguin, 2011, 320 pages. Mystery

Étienne de Bremont is found dead beneath a window at his country Chateau, unsettling the city of Aix-en-Provence where the count was well loved and respected. The death has all the appearance of an accident, but to those who knew the nobleman the circumstances become increasingly mysterious. How could Etienne, a natural athlete from boyhood, have stumbled out of a window he knew so well? Verlaque, a seductive, dark-eyed judge, and Marine Bonnet, an elegant law professor, investigate these curious inconsistencies and slowly get drawn into the case. Readers not only get a suspenseful mystery, but also a romance, and a rich, luxuriously evoked setting.

To me, this novel is barely about the mystery: it is about Provence. One almost gets the feeling that the mystery was simply an excuse for Longworth to write about her love affair with France; and what a literary and beautiful affair it is. The book is steeped in atmospheric French cafes, vintage wines, and fine cuisine; perfect for anyone who loves Provence or desperately desires to visit. I suggest pairing it with whatever French music you have (or the French Café station on Pandora) and finishing it on a cozy chair all in one sitting. Fortunately for anyone else who may fall in love with Verlaque, Bonnet, and the Aixois, the second book in the series was just published: Murder on the Rue Dumas. Highly Recommended.

JM

The Existence of Sasquatch and Yeti

The Existence of Sasquatch and Yeti
By Carol Hand
ABDO, 2012. 112 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Carol Hand discusses the mysteries surrounding Sasquatch and Yeti. She describes some sightings, photographs, and videos of alleged Sasquatch and Yeti, as well as their acceptance by indigenous cultures in their areas. She describe the efforts of cryptozoologists to study the creatures, as well as the problems with conducting scientific research on these creatures. This book also includes opinions of skeptics and theories about what the creatures are. This is a great introduction to these cryptids, and it will likely have readers anxious to do some research of their own into sightings, videos, and photos of the creatures. A good choice for reluctant readers and fans of unsolved mysteries.

AE

Safekeeping

Safekeeping
By Karen Hesse
Feiwel and Friends, 2012. 294 pgs. Young Adult

Radley is in Haiti helping at an orphanage when she gets word that the U.S. has pretty much gone crazy. The president has been assassinated and anyone who opposes the American People's Party has been imprisoned. Radley heads back to the U.S. and finds, as her plane lands in New Hampshire, that she doesn't have the proper clearance to travel to her home in Vermont. She sets out on foot and walks home, only to find that her parents are gone and she has no way to find them. With the unrest in the country, and knowing that her parents were among those who opposed the American People's Party, she suspects they have been arrested, a suspicion that is confirmed when the police start stopping by her house. She manages to evade them and decides to head to Canada, once more on foot, since she can't get any sort of authorization to go legally. Along the way, she becomes adept at finding food in dumpsters and hiding from everyone. Along the way, though, she ends up meeting Celia, another girl looking for escape, and the two of them journey to Canada and try to find safety.

This book is much less about the problems of a corrupt government, which is what anticipated based on the book jacket's description, than it is about survival and friendship. Hesse never fully explains why the government has reached the point that it's at, so readers looking for that type of story will be disappointed. However, she does show what it's like to be displaced, homeless, and scared in the aftermath of a government breakdown, as well as the determination to survive and hope for a better future, which will be appreciated by thoughtful readers who are more interested in character development than plot.

AE

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher . . .

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher:  The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
by Timothy Egan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. 370 pgs.  Biography.

Edward S. Curtis lost his family and his fortune, but kept his sacred honor in his unwavering quest to record the rapidly disappearing tribal life, customs, language, and lore of the American Indian at the turn of the 19th century. After Curtis photographed "Princess Angeline," the eldest and last remaining child of Chief Seattle who had become a beggar woman living in Seattle's filthy shantytown, he put his hand to the plow and rarely looked back. As a result of his single-minded sacrifice we now  have portraits of Geronimo, Chief Joseph, a photograph of three Indians who had been present at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and who gave Curtis the true account of what happened that day, not to mention twenty volumes of photographs and text cataloging the now-lost lives and cultures of Native Americans from the desert Southwest to Alaska. Curtis was a prophet with scarcely any honor and no wealth in his own time. His unique and irreplaceable "The North American Indian" series sold for $5,000 in his day, when it sold at all. Now each remaining set is worth millions if, indeed, any value can be placed on such a seminal and revelatory work. Egan's biography is deeply engaging and powerful, the story of the right man doing the right thing, just in the nick of time.

LW

The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything

The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything

By Michael Saylor

Vanguard Press, 2012. 279 pgs.Nonfiction
Mobile Wave predicts the consequences of mobile internet technology in a wide spectrum of fields: education, entertainment, social networks, medicine, etc. Author Michael Saylor gives abundant examples of how mobile phones and other mobile devices can someday be used for financial transactions, tracking personal vital signs for medical conditions and more.  He maintains that the transformations may be difficult but many of them will be very positive – eliminating corruption and fraud and saving money.  Quality education will become available via mobile technology to millions of people around the world who presently lack access to adequate schools.  

Technology savvy readers have probably already been reading about the impact of mobile technology and won’t find much that is new in Michael Saylor’s book. But for the not so tech savvy person, this book is the perfect introduction to what the availability of cheap mobile devices and widespread broadband access will do to society, business and the economy. SH

The Crown of Embers

The Crown of Embers
By Rae Carson
Greenwillow Books, 2012. 410 pgs. Young Adult

Elisa has saved the people of Joya d'Arena from an invasion of Invierne and has started to understand more about her role as a bearer of the Godstone. However, with the death of her husband, she has become the ruler of Joya d'Arena and not everyone likes the idea of having a 17-year-old foreigner as their queen. With attempts on her life, enemies both within and without the country and even her own court, and only bits and pieces of prophecies about the Godstone bearers that need to be interpreted and understood, Elisa's life and her country are in just as much danger as ever. Determined to become the queen her people need her to be, Elisa sets off on a journey to discover more about her Godstone and the power it holds, all the while trying to maintain her tenuous hold on her throne and figure out what to do when she falls in love with a man she can never have.

This sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns is just as gripping as the first book and it will likely have fans screaming out loud at where and how the book ends, as they are stuck waiting for the next book. Block out a few hours where you can read it in one sitting because once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down. Elisa's struggle with her faith, with her own confidence, and with deciding who she can trust is riveting and the romance angle will have readers wishing for the impossible. This is a great choice for fans of high fantasy.

AE

The Final Four

The Final Four
by Paul Volponi
Viking, 2012. 244 pgs. Young Adult

The Final Four of this title refers not only to the March Madness of the NCAA Tournament, but to four young men playing against each other in a classic matchup between perennial powerhouse Michigan State and Cinderella school, Troy University, in a fictional but furious matchup. Malcolm McBride is the one and done freshman, playing only long enough to secure an NBA contract, and outspoken in his criticism of big money collegiate sports, with none of the money going to the athletes. Roko Bacic is a refugee from Croatia and the Balkan wars who has had to leave his family behind to play in the United States. Michael Jordan struggles with the legacy of a famous name without matching skills, and Crispin Rice is engaged to be married to a Troy cheerleader who has become the school's good luck charm. Radio play-by-play takes the ball game to a breathtaking conclusion and then through four overtimes, all the while giving background about each of the four young men. Malcolm is from the projects and his sister has recently been killed in a drive-by shooting. Roko's uncle and basketball tutor is also dead, killed by terrorists. Michael works hard in school and on the court but is not often included in Malcolm's self-centered offense, and Crispin keeps catching "his girl" making moves on other guys. Volponi skillfully blends backgrounds and basketball in an exciting, rich narrative of this beautiful game and the nuanced characters and backgrounds of the young men who play.  Highly recommended.

LW

The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy
by J. K. Rowling
Little, Brown, 2012, 512pgs. Fiction


Barry Fairbrother, a charismatic champion of the poor, dies suddenly from an aneurism and leaves the small town of Pagford in shock. His death has repercussions on everyone, his wife and family of course, but also on the town’s politics and even on family dynamics in isolated parts of town. The story chronicles a huge cast of characters as they deal with the daily goings-on of life: trying to keep their relationships and families together, upholding their ideals, and growing up. The book is largely a social commentary on class differences, the politics of addiction, and the ways in which we can affect the people around us.

For those looking for a Harry Potter read-alike, this is most definitely not it. The Casual Vacancy is gritty, full of sex and violence, and largely devoid of hope or whimsy. On the other hand, those looking for a wry commentary on modern life, who love deeply flawed characters, and slow, detail-oriented works, may take delight in this book. Personally, I found the ending to be unnecessarily tragic, and many of the ‘adult’ aspects to be over-the-top, but Rowling’s classic wit did prevail, and her biting commentary on the characters was worthwhile in and of itself.

I would recommend this book for lovers of English literature and die-hard J. K. Rowling fans, but that's pretty much it.

JM

Sutton

Sutton
by J. R. Moehlinger
Hyperion, 2012. 334 pgs. Historical fiction.

Willie Sutton was a bank robber, one of the best ever, and he was nearly as adept at "crashing out" of prison as he was at doing the things that got  him thrown in there in the first place.  In J. R. Moehlinger's fine new historical novel, Willie reviews his life and times in a one day--Christmas day--tour with a reporter and a photographer the day after he is released from prison for the last time. Much is imagined here, since Sutton's two memoirs contradict each other, but Moehlinger has not only a fine sense of what Willie's life may--even, must--have been like as well as a deeply engaging prose style. He brings back to life Depression-era America, sounds, sights, and speech. Willie is a deeply-engaging, sympathetic character in these pages. The reader begins pulling for him very quickly, just as his fellow-citizens cheered him on as the Robin Hood of his time and place. Besides, he loved to read.

LW

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