Fallen by Lauren Kate

Lucinda Price was sent to a reform school for something horrible that happened during the summer with a boy named Tommy. Her once long, beautiful black hair was burnt away along with her sanity. Luce does not know if the Shadows she sees that move and reach out to her is reality or some sort of illusion. At this school, the Shadows play a larger role in Lucinda’s life. She can touch them and for the first time… they can touch her as well. Luce’s new friends are anything from normal and the boys she finds herself stuck in between happen to be the big shots on campus. Cam, the “bad-boy”, openly shows his affection towards Luce while Daniel, the mysterious boy, keeps to himself and only socializes with Luce when he deems necessary. The mysterious Shadows that always creep up on Luce have gotten exceedingly worse throughout her stay at the school. They have reached the point where they can cloud any vision and block her from safe exits. The shadows go so far that they get an innocent boy killed. Meanwhile, secrets begin to form and rivalries become all too clear. A love triangle leaves Lucinda confused of who to choose. Lucinda’s life has become a crazy drama which she did not sign on for. What is to become of Luce when she finds out the true colors and species of her closest friends?

Posted by Hannah Peterson

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

In Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, Lily is in the middle of everything. Middle class, middle child, and most likely will make a middle class marriage. Little does Lily know that because of the shape of her feet, which is so important in mid-nineteenth century China, her fate will change. She will be able to make a lifelong friend that is known as a laotong. This girl, named Snow Flower, is from an upper class family and could help Lily make a great marriage which is the goal of every girl in China at this time. Through writing a secret language only known by women called Nu Shu, Lily and Snow Flower are able to communicate. They grow up together and become young women, the best of friends, while they record key events on a silken fan. They get through the painful years of foot binding together, they deal with tragic losses, and they must stick together when dark secrets of Snow Flowers past are revealed, threatening to tear them apart forever. This story shows the value of true friendship and the strength that women can bring when they stick together.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a romantic novel about a young girl named Angel, who is sold into prostitution at a young age. When Michael Hosea comes along, things begin to change for Angel. Michael marries Angel and brings her to his home. Slowly Angel begins to fall in love with Michael, but then starts to realize that she doesn’t deserve him and can’t give him what he wants. She is too ashamed of her horrible past to be with Michael. Angel runs away numerous times, but every time she returns to Michael something new is learned about herself. In the end, Angel finds out that it is not Michael who can save her from her past, but instead it’s God.

The Girl who Played with Fire

Steig Larsson’s novel The Girl who Played with Fire is the second book in a trilogy following his first work, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Larsson, a Swedish author, combines writing styles to form a thrilling mystery that is guaranteed to grab the attention of almost any reader. The main character, Lisbeth Salander, is a rebellious, antisocial, young woman who has her own set of rules and ideals. She has abnormal hacking skills, a photographic memory, and almost no friends. In the first novel, Salander collaborates with Michael Blomkvist, the publisher of a failing Millenium magazine, to solve two mysteries, the Wennerstrom affair and the Vanger kidnapping. Their teamwork earns both of them substantial rewards, but shortly after their victory, Salander embarks on an indefinite leave around the world. She cuts of all contact with Blomkvist leaving him with bruised feelings. As the second novel begins, Salander decides to return to Stockholm, where both Blomkvist and herself live, but continues to avoid him at all costs. Back at Millenium, Blomkvist begins to involve himself with the research of Dag Svensson. Svensson and his girl friend, Johansson, have been researching and naming men involved in Stockholm’s sex trade including: policemen, government officials, and Zala. Great efforts were taken to keep their research a secret, but when Blomkvist finds the two dead in their apartment, he realizes they must have found something that threatened a powerful, violent figure. Another man, Neils Bjurman, Salander’s sadistic guardian who raped her over a year ago, is also found dead. The murder weapon found at Svensson’s apartment belongs to Bjurman and has Salander’s finger prints all over it. The police immediately begin a search for Lisbeth with no luck. Weeks pass and the both the police and Blomkvist’s investigations come to many dead ends.

As the search progresses, Larsson shifts point of view rapidly to allow the reader into the minds of Blomkvist, Salander, the police, and murderer. This action packed book will keep you flipping the pages late into the night; however, the content of the novel is geared toward an adult audience. The subject, sex trafficking, is very interesting but also very mature. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any mystery loving, mature reader.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zafon

Shadow of the Wind is the chilling and compelling novel about the interwoven lives of Daniel Sempere and Julian Carax. The novel begins when Daniel chooses a book written by Julian Carax called “Shadow of the Wind” in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. The novel Daniel selects proves to be enthralling and he can’t put it down. However, when he tries to find more about Julian and read more of his works, he finds that there is nearly no information on the mysterious man. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zafon takes place in Barcelona starting in 1945 when Daniel is 10 up until his adult years as he struggles to piece together the story of Julian’s life. The novel also goes back in time when talking about Julian’s journey.
Filled with forbidden love, deep secrets and friendship, Shadow of the Wind is one of the best books I have ever read. Though long, it is a fast read because of the genius way that Carlos Luiz Zafon weaves together the similar stories of Daniel and Julian. This search for the truth and story of Julian puts Daniel and his friend Fermin in conflict with Inspector Fumero, a man known for his cruelty. As the novel goes on, the plot becomes more and more tangled as secrets are revealed. However as soon as one problem is solved, another problem quickly presents itself. The creative way that Zafon ties in the two stories of Daniel and Julian is flawless. If you like books about romance, secrets, and action, then Shadow of the Wind is perfect for you!

Unlike most love novels of the day, concerning only short lived romances that last for a while, and then come to a predictable end, Dear John introduces readers to true love: love that lasts a lifetime. John Tyree, a sergeant in the army, is taking his third leave in Wilmington, North Carolina, his hometown. Joining the army has changed his life for the better. Before he enlisted he was on the fast track to nowhere, but now he has a sense of purpose. John believes that this leave will just be a nice, relaxing break from the stress and structure of army life, but he has never been more wrong. One normal day at the beach, he helps a young woman retrieve her bag from the ocean, and this random act of kindness will change his life forever.

Savannah Lynn Curtis is volunteering for Habitat for Humanity during her summer break. She is staying with a group from her college in one of the beach houses in Wilmington, North Carolina. One day as she is walking along the pier, her bag falls into the water, but a complete stranger jumps in to save it. Through this event, Savannah and John’s lives are irrevocably changed.

Since John is in the army, his relationship with Savannah is difficult. He is away for months at a time, and he can barely ever communicate with her. Soon, multiple disasters strike in the form of 9/11, the war in Iraq, and John’s father’s death. This puts a great strain on John’s relationship with Savannah, and he tries everything he can to save it.

Nicolas Sparks, the author of Dear John, beautifully tells the story of two people’s undying love for each other, even through so many trials. Savannah and John must find a way to overcome their separation, or risk being separated themselves. I recommend Dear John to any person who loves the author Jodie Picoult, or even any person who enjoys an amazing love story.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

In the novel, The Body Finder, a teenage girl named Violet deals with remembering a haunting past. Violet gets these odd echoes that lead her to the bodies of dead people and animals, especially those who have been murdered. Even as a young girl at the age of eight she leads her father to the body of a brutally murdered young girl about the same age as her. Then a few years later when everything seems to be normal; a few echoes are heard and many girls show up missing in the small town that Violet lives in. It is not until Violet is lead to one of the girls missing body that she realizes there is a serial killer on the loose that is wanting young girls. Even with her echoes Violet cannot determine who the actual killer is until she comes face to face with him and it is almost too late.

This novel is not only horrifying and suspenseful, but also a love story as well. While Violet is trying to solve who the serial killer really is she is also trying to figure out how she really feels about her best friend Jay. They have been friends since she can remember and now she is beginning to experience a different kind of love for him. She can only think about Jay and wonders how he feels about her too. But will Jay realize how Violet feels when everything else is happening around town?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is a sad story about a girl, Mia, and the biggest decision of her life. She is blessed with a wonderful family, perfect boyfriend, and an amazing musical talent - playing the cello. Although she is the odd ball of her family, she truly loves her life. This is until her family is involved in a car wreck, each member of her family being killed. Mia has the choice to wake up from her unconsciousness and stay with Adam, but without her family, or to leave and be with her parents and little brother. She loves her boyfriend, her best friend, and her grandparents - how could she ever leave them? But how could she ever stay without the parents and little brother that she loved so much? It is her choice, but only she can make it. What will she choose?

           This book was one of the best I've ever read. I really encourage everyone to read it. It was a quick read and such a page turner. It really made me think - does this really happen? Before we die, do we get the choice? It's an interesting point of view, and I have never read anything like it before. This book was really awesome and you should all read it!!

Dear John

Dear John is a heart-catching novel by Nicholas Sparks. This novel follows John Tyree through his life after high school during his military experience and into his late twenties. John’s mother left him when he was very young so he lives with his father. His father has a quiet personality and he enjoys collecting coins, which is the only topic that he truly feels comfortable discussing. John graduates high-school but he isn’t really sure about what he wants from his future so he joins the military. On one of his leaves, he meets Savannah Curtis, a young woman who is conservative and well-mannered. He dives into the ocean waves when her purse falls in and then they are introduced. They spend about a week together and during that week they fall head-over-heels for each other. Savannah’s good friend, Tim, is secretly in love with Savannah but he approves of her relationship with John. When Savannah meets Mr. Tyree she understands his passion of coins and over the course of time she helps John change his view of his own father.

When John’s leave is up, he has to go back to Germany so they promise to write to each other and to call whenever possible. On his next leave, they meet near Savannahs hometown and he meets her parents and some of her friends while staying with her in her apartment. Time changed both of them so getting back to the way it was before was a lot harder that he thought it would be. John had less than a year left before he was a “free man” and he promised to marry Savannah when he came home for good but then America was attacked on September 9, 2001 and he re-enlisted with most of his other army friends and that hurt Savannah mentally because she wanted him to be home but she still admired his dedication to the safety of his country. The extra time apart was not good for their relationship and Savannah married her old friend, Tim, while John was away. When tragedy strikes Savannah and Tim’s home John is forced to decide whether to help Tim and Savannah’s relationship survive or to avoid helping them and maybe be able to kindle his love with Savannah.

Dear John is another great novel by Nicholas Sparks that causes you to truly consider what true love actually is.

Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult

Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult is a story of new beginnings for Rebecca Jones and her broken family. Rebecca, a fifteen year old from California, is the daughter of Oliver Jones, a world-renowned marine biologist. Oliver, while idolized by the scientific community, neglects his family to pursue his research and love of humpback whales. Finally, when Oliver returns home only to bring news that he will once again be leaving, Jane, Rebecca’s mother snaps and hits her husband. Realizing the enormity of her actions and hating the monster she has become, she flees with Rebecca from everything they have ever known and begin to drive cross country to Massachusetts, where her brother is living. Joley, Rebecca’s brother, guides them across the country through letters, sending them to important destinations along the way. Upon arriving at the apple orchard where Joley is living and working, Rebecca instantly finds herself at home. However, Jane finds the owner despicable and cannot stand the place. Despite the rough start, Jane grows to share Rebecca’s feelings for the place and truly starts her life over as she is entangled in new love, new friends, and new feelings.

Meanwhile, Oliver has been putting his tracking skills to use to find his two family members. Although the journey started out as a burden and an annoying task that takes him away from his beloved whales, by the end of the long journey he discovers that he loves Jane and Rebecca more than his whales. He figures out the true meaning of family. He decides to go to Jane’s brother’s house for a happy reunion and to regain his loving family. However, when he arrives at the apple orchard, tragedy strikes, and Oliver’s dream of reuniting with his family might not go the way he planned.

Jodi Picoult writes a beautiful story of loss, family, and love. To learn more about her visit: http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickman. Jr.

Homer Hickman is a teenage boy living in Coalwood, a small mining town. Homer's dad is a miner, along with most of the men in town. Elsie, Homer's mother, is a housewife always dreaming and talking about living on Myrtle Beach. She wants the best for her two sons, but Homer's brother Jim shows a more promising future than Homer with football. To the families of Coalwood, football is the only way out. Homer shows no talent until he sees the launch of Sputnik (a Russian space satellite). From then on, Homer and 3 other inspired friends are constantly building rockets with hope they have finally found their way out of Coalwood. Unfortunately things do not get immediately better for the Rocket Boys. There are constant battles throughout the book between the boys and their families. Homer's father is the least supportive and pushes Homer to give up all progress on the rockets in order for him to work in the dangerous mines. Will the Rocket Boys ever leave Coalwood?

Well written, interesting, funny, and inspirational are perfect descriptions of this memoir.

A Walk to Remeber by Nicholas Sparks

A Walk to Remember is by far my favorite novel by Nicholas Sparks. The story is told by a fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter, who is looking back to his high-school years in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Landon Carter is a rebellious and popular senior in high-school, while Jamie Sullivan is a shy, unpopular, and angelic senior. Jamie's dad is the minister of the local church, which holds an annual play called "The Christmas Angel", which is based off the story of the Sullivan's loss of Jamie's mom. Landon hangs around a bad crowd, which make fun of Jamie. Landon is the class president and he is stuck without a date to the Homecoming dance, so he asks Jamie to go with him. They bond over helping Landon's drunk ex-girlfriend get cleaned up. Later, Jamie asks Landon to play the part of the father in the church's play, and Jamie has already been cast as the angel. Landon agrees, and along the way learns some very interesting details about Jamie.

During the preformance of the play, Landon notices how beautiful Jamie actually is, and the love between them starts to spark. However, Landon knows his friends will not approve of her, so they have a fallout. Landon then realizes how special Jamie is to him, and they begin dating.

They kiss for the first time, and after a few dates, Landon notices bruises on Jamie's body and how weak she has gotten. Landon ignores the symptoms and tells Jamie that he loves her. Jamie cries and tells him she has a deadly form of lukemia and will not live much longer. Landon is set off by sadness and realizes that he needs to find her a miracle.

Landon asks Jamie to marry him, because he loves her and he wants to spend every one of her last minutes with her. Jamie agrees, and her walk down the isle gives the book it's name: A Walk to Remember. The book does not give away the main detail in the ending, leaving the readers to decide for themselves how they think it ended.

This book is a tear-jerking and smile-producing book that will have you not able to put it down and feeling the emotions that the characters feel! This is a must read!

A wonderful website for the author is http://www.nicholassparks.com/.

If you like a great love story with an excellent plot-line and wonderful characters, this book is for you!

Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick have been each other’s only friend throughout their childhood. They stood up for each other, were always spending every second of their time together, and experienced the best and worst times together. One of these times being a life threatening encounter with Cameron’s abusive father. One day Cameron disappears without even saying goodbye to Jennifer. Jennifer is dumbfounded, heartbroken and allows herself believe her snotty classmate, Joanna, who claims that he died. A piece of Jennifer is missing, a large piece that can only be fulfilled through her relationship with Cameron. When Jennifer comes home to her mother who is caught up with her own life and multiple jobs at the time, she hides the truth from Jennifer by letting her believe Cameron has died. Years later, Jennifer transforms into a new person as she endures many new changes in her life; a step father, a new home, a new school, friends, a boyfriend, and even a new name. As senior year approaches, the new Jenna Vaughn is making herself love her new life until a note from Cameron Quick appears in her mailbox. Jenna’s world is about to be changed as their treasured childhood memories are unfolded and the biggest loss in her life is regained.

To learn more about Sara Zarr follow this link: http://www.sarazarr.com/bio

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Two young teens, Chris and Emily, were hopelessly, aimlessly, and carelessly fallen in love, until Emily was found dead with Chris by her side. The families of the two were friends since the babies were born: the mothers were pregnant together and plans for the wedding were silently in the works. Now, however, the families are falling apart. Emily’s family asks Chris what happened. Chris’s answer shocks everyone. There was a pact. But, what was it? Did Chris do his part of the pact, or did he murder Emily? This book is a love story with a tragic twist that enthralls the reader in a page-turner like no other book.

Jodi Picoult is forty-three years old and studied at Princeton University. Now, she currently lives with her husband in Hanover, New Hampshire. She is also the author of My Sister’s Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, and Keeping Faith. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney Australia) commented, “With a strong, topical theme, Picoult gets into the heads of her well-developed characters.”

You may go to Jodi's website, www.jodipicoult.com

The Boleyn Inheritance- Phillipa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance is a beautiful work of historical fiction. The book begins in the year 1539 during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Anne of Cleves has just been betrothed to his majesty after the death of Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife. She arrives in England to meet Henry VIII and is greeted with an unfortunate welcome: she is shoved by a drunken man, which results in her spitting on him. The imbecile that she has just spit on turns out to be the king that she is engaged to be married to. This not so great first impression results in animosity through their entire marriage. King Henry immediately wants to find an out to the dulling marriage and starts to fall in love with the young Katherine Howard.

Katherine Howard is a young girl and is prized by every man. Her uncle sends her to be a lady to the new queen, and within the month, she has the king head over heels for her. Katherine adores the attention of the King, but is in love with another man in court, Thomas Culpepper. Under her uncle’s persuasion, she is convinced to lure the king and become the next Queen of England. This is a task that is not difficult for her as she is heavily rewarded with elaborate gifts and riches. King Henry is nearly fifty, and she is a young girl, not even 18. It is only a matter of time that the king too finds a flaw in her.

If you have a love for a romantic historical fiction this is the perfect book for you to read. The dramatic life around Henry VIII is used to create this enticing novel. Once you have picked it up, you will not be able to put it down.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

The story, The Glass Castle, is a memoir of Jeanette Walls, who grew up with a jobless mother and an alcoholic father that managed to drive the family into poverty with his horrible habit. The book begins with a story of Jeanette’s first memory—catching on fire from the stove while cooking hot dogs for lunch when she was just three years old. Her father decided to get her out of the hospital “Rex Walls Style”, by basically running away without paying for the hospital stay. It is quickly evident that the parents were not responsible. The family of five never remained in one location for longer than a few months, because, as her father would say, the mafia and the FBI were after him. During one particular move, the family got a U-Haul truck. Since there was little room in the front, the parents had the kids sit in the back on a ten-hour trip. In the dark room, the three kids were told to be silent and care for their new baby sister. The book continues with outrageous stories of Jeanette’s childhood, until one day, they end up in an extremely run-down home in Virginia, where Rex Walls bought a house in a poor neighborhood for almost no money. The young teenagers finally realize that in order to escape poverty, they will have to save and hide money from their parents. Together, they plan to run away to a new town without their parents and start their lives over. First, the eldest, Lori, graduates and goes to New York to get a job and a small apartment. Jeanette comes a few years later after she graduates, and Brian follows. The siblings escaped the poverty-stricken life, but no matter how much they offered, their parents would not accept their help.

Reading this book makes you really appreciate what you have. It will break your heart as you read what the children went through at such young ages. They were forced to fend for themselves early in life. Soon they learned to care for each other, but they lacked the basic amenities in life. It was astonishing to me that this was a true story, and real kids had to go through this.

A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks

A Walk to Remember is another tear-jerking novel by Nicholas Sparks. The book is told form the perspective of Landon Carter, who is flashing back on his 1958-1959 school year in Beaufort, North Carolina. To get out of taking a chemistry class, Landon signs up for a drama course, where he has to participate in his town's annual Christmas play. The preacher's daughter, Jamie Sullivan, is also in this class. Jamie is a genuine and conservative girl who spends hours helping the orphanage while Landon is the rebel who hangs out in the cemetery with his friends. When Landon can't find a date to the homecoming dance, he decides to ask Jamie. She agrees to go with him on one condition: that he won't fall in love with her. After a disastrous night, Landon and Jamie do not talk much about the dance but continue to see each other during drama class. They do not talk to each other a lot, but one day Landon starts walking Jamie home. On of these walks, the two are talking about their goals in life; the one thing Jamie wants is get married and have a beautiful wedding with lots of guests. Although they both get along, Landon does not like to admit that he hangs out with her to his friends. When it is time to perform the play, Jamie looks beautiful, and not much longer after this night Landon realizes he's in love with her.

Once Landon has the guts to tell her that he loves her, she breaks down sobbing and tells him that she has cancer and does not have much longer to live. The two of them spend as much time together as possible and try to focus on life rather than her looming death. Because he loves her so much and remembers what she once told him, Landon asks Jamie to marry him. Her difficult but triumphant walk down the aisle is the moment that gives the story its name: A Walk to Remember. The story does not give a definite conclusion and leaves it up to the reader to decide how it ends.

For anyone who enjoys romantic novels that will play with your emotions, Nicholas Sparks is the author for you!

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picout

Nineteen Minutes is a thrilling story about a small town in New Hampshire that is shaken by high school violence. Peter Houghton is a nerdy seventeen year old boy at Sterling High School. Ever since first grade, Peter was bullied physically and emotionally by his fellow classmates. Peter’s only friend, Josie Cormier, was what helped him get through every school day. As Josie grew up, she turned into a beautiful girl who joined the popular crowd. Peter was left alone, and soon he comes up with a plan that will forever end the bulling and social classes at Sterling High. The story includes everything from a legal court case to a love story that keeps the reader flipping the page. Nineteen Minutes is a book that is full of events and emotions from the very first chapter.

Jodi Picout is an author who focuses on realism and the reality of an everyday teenager. She has seventeen books on the New York Times Best Seller list, and she is still writing more with her most recent book House Rules. She currently lives in Hanover, New Hampshire with her husband and three kids. To know more about Jodi Picout and her many books go to the following link: http://www.jodipicoult.com/.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, a symbologist from Harvard University, is called to a research facility to help identify the symbol found on the chest of a murdered physicist. He soon comes to realize the symbol is a mark from the Illuminati, a secret society. Vatican City however is in distress because the Pope of the Catholic Church has just died and a few cardinals are missing as well as a canister of antimatter that could destroy the city. Langdon, with the help of a few coworkers, travel the city of Rome to retrace the “Path of the Illuminati”, a path in which the group used to induct new members and revealed their secret meeting places. Each stop what the researchers come across is related to an element: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. They also find a dead cardinal at each meeting place. Langdon realizes how much weight is on his shoulders to save the Catholic Church and the city of Vatican. With each chapter new hints are given to the reader about how to solve the Illuminati mystery.

Dan Brown has written many thrilling, mystery novels that have become award winners and have been published into different languages around the world.

To learn more about Dan Brown and his books check out http://www.danbrown.com/.

By: Katherine Ferguson