Sunday, July 28, 2013

Recent Reads

Here's a list of some books I've read recently. I haven't always included books for adult audiences in my lists, but I'm going to start doing that now. 

1. ANYA'S WAR by Andrea Alban (Feiwel and Friends- Young Adult) Based on a true story, a Jewish family finds refuge in China during World War 2.


2. DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth (Katherine Tegen- Young Adult) A young girl trains to be fearless to prepare for initiation in a faction she has chosen to be part of.


3. INSURGENT by Veronia Roth (Katherine-Tegen- Young Adult) A sequel to DIVERGENT, a young girl  must consider making big sacrifices for the greater good.


4. JACOB WONDERBAR FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSE by Nathan Bransford (Dial-Middle Grade) A boy runs for president of the universe against a power-hungry opponent. Check out my author interview here.


5. ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card (Starscape/Tom Doherty Associates- Young Adult) An intellectually gifted child trains to be a military commander to help Earth destroy a species known as the "buggers.


6. EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton (Balzer + Bray-Young Adult) A young girl returns from a hundred-year incarceration in the underworld to say good-bye to her boyfriend.


7. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak (Alfred A. Knopf- Young Adult) A German family hides a Jew in their home during the Holocaust.


8. SWITCHED by Amanda Hocking (St. Martin's Griffin- Young Adult) A girl finds out she is both a changeling and the princess of the Trylle, and she must leave her everyday human life as she has known it.


9. MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE by James Patterson (Little, Brown and Company- Middle Grade) A sixth grade boy tries to survive middle school while dealing with a bully at school and problems at home.


10. MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY BROTHER IS A BIG FAT LIAR by James Patterson (Little, Brown and Company- Middle Grade) A girl attends middle school under the dark cloud of the reputation her brother left behind.


11. MIDDLE SCHOOL, GET ME OUT OF HERE by James Patterson (Little, Brown and Company- Middle Grade) A boy starts over at a new school in his mom's hometown and he tries to find out about his MIA father.


12. LIKE MANDARIN by Kirsten Hubbard (Ember- Young Adult) A 14 year-old girl yearning to know what life is like beyond her small Wyoming town befriends a worldly but troubled older girl named Mandarin.


13. CHARM & STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn (St. Martin's Griffin- Young Adult) A troubled boy must confront his past and inner demons. Update: Check out my author interview here.



14. PROPHECY by Ellen Oh (Harper Teen- Young Adult) A young Korean girl strives to fulfill her duties as a demon slayer and protector of a young prince.


15. BLOOD, BONES, & BUTTER: THE INADVERTENT EDUCATION OF A RELUCTANT CHEF (Random House- Adult Non-Fiction) In this food memoir, Gabrielle Hamilton, owner of New York's Prune restaurant, dishes about her on-the-go life and the role food has played in it.


Have you read any of the books from this list? Read any good books lately?

I'm also doing my library's summer reading program this year, so stay tuned for a list of some picture books I've been reading to my kids...