The Assassin's Curse (Assassin's Curse #1)

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke is the first book in her Assassin's Curse series.

Ananna of the Tanarau is a pirate. And now that she has come of age, she is to be married into another pirate family, the Hariri Clan. But when Ananna meets the young man she is to marry, she is less than impressed. His family spends more time on land than on the sea and he has some strange idea that she would have to listen to him instead of making her own decisions. When she escapes into the city instead of marrying him, he warns her that his family will retaliate. They will hire assassin to kill her.

Ananna has heard of the Assassins. Legend has it that no one has ever lived once targeted by them. And she is stuck in the land of Lisirra as she cannot go back to the harbor where two families search for her. A woman in the market tells her she must fight the assassin. The woman gives her words to say and a potion that will help. But Ananna has always been terrible at magic, not matter how much her mother tried to teach her.

When Ananna saves the assassin out of reflex, she sets off a curse that will change the course of her and the assassin's lives forever. Now they must try to find a cure for what is known as an impossible curse.

Clarke has created a fantastic world of pirates, magic, and legend. Readers will devour this book and head straight to the library for the next volume.

Clarke, Cassandra Rose. (2012). The Assassin's Curse. New York: Strange Chemistry.

Also Known As (AKA #1)

Also Known As by Robin Benway is a novel of espionage, safe cracking and high school.

Maggie Silver is a sixteen year old spy. Her parents are spies and she picked her first lock at age three. The work for the Collective and travel around the world stopping bad things from happening or collecting evidence to catch the bad guys. It is finally time for Maggie's first solo mission.

She is in New York to infiltrate a private high school and befriend Jesse Oliver to get to his father's computer. He may be writing a story that will expose the Collective and Maggie's family. What Maggie doesn't count on is how hard it is to fit into high school.

Luckily, she makes one friend - Roux. Maggie has never had a friend her age before and though it goes against remaining anonymous, she likes Roux. And Roux knows Jesse Oliver so it could all work out.

Benway has written a fun novel combining espionage, friendship, humor and intrigue. Fans of Ally Carter's Heist Society will love this book as will other readers of spy novels.

Benway, Robin. Also Know As. New York: Walker Books.

The Living (The Living #1)

The Living by Matt De La Pena is the story of a cruise gone wrong.

Shy is excited about his summer job. He wanted to save some money before his senior year of high school and the Paradise cruise lines pay better than fast food. It also gives him some time away from home after the death of his grandmother.

His second cruise is an eight day voyage to Hawaii. But as the crew and passengers are getting settled into the routine of the ship, news of a massage earthquake on the West Coast of the United States changes everything. Theoretically, in the middle of the Pacific, the ship is safe from tsunami, but the ship is not quite in the middle of the ocean. It is just off of the Hidden Islands.

Without much warning, the crew must put in place the emergency drills it has been learning and try to save as many passengers as possible. Shy will begin the hardest week of his life.

De La Pena has written a young adult natural disaster novel with a few twists thrown in for fun. This book is fast-paced and readers will devour it.

De La Pena, Matt. (2013). The Living. New York: Delacourte Press.

Pawn (Blackcoat Rebellion #1)

Pawn by Aimee Carter is the first book in her Blackcoat Rebellion series - set in a dystopian United States future.

Kitty Doe just took her test. At seventeen each citizen takes a test to see where he/she will work for the rest of their lives. Their ranking from I to VII will determine how comfortable their lives will be. Though people who score a I or II are rarely see again. Kitty is smart, but only scores a III. All of her life she believed that the test put people where they were supposed to be. Now she is told she will work in the sewers in Denver. But her boyfriend, Benjy, has yet to take the test. She is sure he will get a VI - the highest anyone outside of the ruling family can score.

Before Kitty can dwell too long on her fate, she is approached by someone she never thought she would see in person - and asked if she wants to become a VII. She will be Masked, or surgically changed, to look like the Prime Minister's niece, Lila Hart. What she doesn't realize, is the the real Lila Hart was just murdered.

Carter has created a believable world where rebellion is about to arise. She has placed her main character at the center of the fray - giving her a voice to influence the rebels, but possibly at the risk of her life. Read this fast-paced series that reads like a cross between dystopian science fiction and the feel of a royal family structure out of historical England.

Carter, Aimee. (2013). Pawn. New York: Harlequin Teen.

Be Mine (Jackson Hole, Kowalski Family)

Be Mine includes stories by Jennifer Cruise, Victoria Dahl and Shannon Stacey.

Too Fast to Fall by Victoria Dahl is part of her Jackson Hole series. Jenny Stone is a bartender at the Crooked R Saloon. She also has a habit of driving too fast. Deputy Nate Hendrix has pulled her over six times for speeding in her classic car. He can't understand why she can't just slow down and be safe on the roads. After another warning, he makes her promise to take a driving course on safety. But when they see each other in the Crooked R, sparks fly.

Alone with You by Shannon Stacey chronicles the opening of a new bar/restaurant in upstate Massachusetts. Jake has only a couple of days in the city before he heads up to begin renovation on what will become a second location of Jasper's Bar and Grille. To see if it might fit into the new place, while in town Jake goes to a local bar for trivia night. He is paired with Darcy. After one great night together, they lose contact to be reunited when her boss sends Darcy upstate to help with the opening of the bar.

Sizzle by Jennifer Cruise is the story of an advertising executive and an accountant working on the launch of a new perfume.

Cruise, Jennifer. Be Mine. New York: HQN.

Hostage Three

Hostage Three by Nick Lake is story of a British family being captured by Somali pirates.

Amy is in her last days of high school when her father decides he is going to buy an yacht and sail around the world with his family.

Unfortunately, just as they are all settling into the voyage, the enter the Gulf of Aden - between Yemen and Somaliland - the yacht is captured by a crew of Somali pirates. What follows is captivity on the yacht while the pirates try to negotiate an agreeable price for the hostages.

Lake has written a book that, more than a pirate novel, is the story of a young woman coming to terms with the death of her mother while coming of age. She develops a friendship with one of the pirates and seems fairly unfazed by her captivity. The setting eventually gives her and her father a chance to get to know each other again.

Lake, Nick. (2013). Hostage Three. New York: Bloomsbury.

The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike #1)

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith is (hopefully) the first book in the Cormoran Strike detective series. Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for JK Rowling.

Cormoran Strike is a private detective. He is not having much luck in business at the moment and he has just left his girlfriend to move into his office. He had been using a temp service for a secretary but can no longer afford to pay her - but forgot to cancel the service.

When Robin shows up for her first day of work for a PI, she just misses being run over by a beautiful woman leaving the building. When she gets to the top of the stairs, she is not missed by Strike, who knocks right into her.

Now Cormoran's luck might be changing. Robin seems like much more than a secretary and suddenly he has a new client - one who can pay.

John Bristow found Strike in the yellow pages and remembered his name from childhood. Strike was friends with John's older brother. And now that he needs help, Strike seems like the best option. John's sister, the supermodel Lulu Landry died three months ago. The police ruled it a suicide, but John is convinced she did not jump to her death. He hires Strike to prove it.

Galbraith is a great writer who weaves this mystery like a master. Anyone who likes mystery will love this book and hope for more featuring Cormoran Strike.

Galbraith, Robert. (2013). The Cuckoo's Calling. New York: Mulholland Books.

City of Lost Dreams (City of Dark Magic #2)

City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte (a pseudonym for authors Meg Howrey and Christina Lynch) is the sequel to City of Dark Magic.

Sarah Weston, a musicologist, is back in Europe. After her stay last year in Prague it is surprising she would return, but her friend Pollina needs her help. Pollina is a young music prodigy who is dying of a defect on one of her chromosomes. Sarah is back in Europe to hunt down a doctor doing experimental gene therapy.

Doing away with a linear passage of time, Flyte has created a mystery filled with long-dead musicians and alchemists, and a 400-year old dwarf, all in a setting of the amazing cities of Prague and Vienna.

While hard to fit into any one genre, the City of Lost Dreams series is bewitching and strange read that will stay in the minds of reader for a long time after they run out of pages.

Flyte, Magnus. (2013). City of Lost Dreams. New York: Penguin Books.

Reboot (Reboot #1)

Reboot by Amy Tintera is the first book in her Reboot series - a dystopian science fiction novel about life in what is left of the United States after the virus KDH spreads.

KDH, named after the city where it began - Kill Devil Hills, NC - is a virus that swept the US. In order to have an unaffected area, part of Texas was walled off and no travel was permitted into the city. The problem with the virus is that, while it kills many who contract it, they don't stay dead. But don't think zombies, these post-humans can still think and function. They eat actual food and not people. But they are stronger than humans and they don't necessarily have the same human emotions. That depends on how long it takes you to come back to life. Those whose bodies complete the change quickly will be more human.

Wren 178 is the highest number reboot known. She was dead for 178 minutes before she came back to consciousness. Now she is one of the best soldiers at HARC (Human Advancement & Repopulation Corp). She is also one of the top trainers of new reboots. As a 178 she always gets first pick of the new recruits, but she surprises everyone including herself when she picks Callum 22. The under 60s have too many human emotions left to easy to train, but there is something about 22 that is changing the way Wren thinks.

Tintera has written a novel with a new kind of zombie - many people will argue that they are not zombies - a post-human fully functioning being that could be the next evolution in human history. Her science fiction is great and her characters are compelling. She will have instant fans for this first novel in her series. I was reminded of both the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi in the feel of the story.

Tintera, Amy (2013). Reboot. New York: HarperTeen.

The Lady Risks All

The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens is a historical romance that takes place in London in 1823.

Miranda Clifford is used to taking care of her brother. Now that Roderick is an adult she needs to let him make his own decisions, but still she finds herself following him out of the house one night. When he enters the large white house down the street, Miranda is sure he is up to no good or about to get into trouble. The house belongs to Neville Roscoe, London's gambling king.

Neville Roscoe is not what he appears. Sure he owns dozens of gambling halls and hells, but that is only one part of his empire. He also runs a group called the Philanthropy Guild. And that is were Roderick was headed when Miranda broke into her neighbors house to save her brother. After being caught and invited to listen in on the meeting from the shadows of the library, Miranda is forced to concede that perhaps Roderick doesn't need her anymore.

But when Roderick disappears, Miranda turns to Roscoe for help. And in spite of a lifetime of warnings not to risk her or her family's reputation, she insists on accompanying Roscoe on the trail of the men who kidnapped her brother.

Laurens is known for her historical romance novels. If you are a romance fan and have not read Laurens, this is a great place to check out her work before diving into one of her many series.

Laurens, Stephanie. (2012). The Lady Risks All. New York: Avon.

Prophecy (Prophecy #1)

Prophecy by Ellen Oh is the first book in her Prophecy series. The Dragon King's Prophecy states: "Seven will become Three. Three will become one. One will save us all."

Kang Kira is the only woman in the king of Hansong's army. She is the prince's bodyguard as well as his cousin. The people fear her as the demon slayer. In fact, she is still killing demons, thought the populace thinks there has not been a demon among them for years.

The other skill/curse Kira has is that she sometimes has visions. And when she dreams of an invasion, the king sends her and his son to the mountains to be safe. Unfortunately, with the changing tide in the Seven Kingdoms, nowhere is safe. While she would give her life to save her cousin, it is also thought that he may be the one from the Dragon King's Prophecy from thousands of years ago.But the same blood that runs through the prince's veins also runs through Kira's. She could be the one from the Prophecy as well. Either way, she will have to fight.

Ellen Oh has created a fantasy series that reads like it is based on ancient legend. This series will appeal to readers who loved Graceling, Eon, or the many other great YA fantasy series featuring kick-ass chicks.

Oh, Ellen. (2013). Prophecy. New York: Harper Teen.

The Republic of Thieves (Gentlemen Bastards #3)

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch is the third book in his Gentlemen Bastards series.

Locke Lamora has spent most of his life as a thief. As a child he stole to live. When he was adopted into the temple of the Crooked Warden, he became a master of both thievery and lying. Now Locke is in a delicate situation. No one in his right mind would work with the Bondsmagi of Karthain. But he has little choice - it is work with them or be left to die.

So Locke and his best friend, Jean Tannen, are off to Karthain to help win an election. Each election is backed by money from the mages as they choose sides and help guide the party they want into power. Of course, they could do this by magic, but they see it as entertainment to watch the mere humans battle over seats to the city.

Told through both present day and flashbacks to their time being trained as Gentlemen Bastards, Locke and Jean - plus the other they grew up with - tell the story of the life of Locke Lamora. Lynch's series is great fantasy filled with capers and outrageous cons.

Lynch, Scott. (2013). The Republic of Thieves. New York: Del Rey.

The Murder of the Century

The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age of Crime that Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins is a narrative nonfiction look at a grisly murder in 1897 that turned New York City into chaos and allowed a change of guard in the newspaper world.

In June of 1897, parts of a body are found floating in the Hudson followed by other parts from the same body turning up in Harlem. Identifying the body, without its head, became the next order of business. Put together painstakingly due to the science available in that time period, the newspapers (and to less a degree, the police) build a case for no only who the murdered man was, but who killed him.

At the time, the largest circulating newspaper in New York was Joseph Pulitzer's World battled with the new Journal owned by William Randolph Hearst. Hearst went so far as to hire a team of detectives to search for clues. And the murder gave them the canvas to create a new style of journalism - the tabloid. News with more story than fact.

Collins has done extensive research of the time period and collected many sides to the story of the murder of the century. Though I do not usually read true crime novels, this is more of a complex look at our history using the lens of the one murder.

Collins, Paul. (2011). Murder of the Century. New York: Broadway Paperbacks.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas is the second book in her Throne of Glass series - a great fantasy series about a female assassin in a medieval setting where magic has been forbidden.

The King's Champion, aka Adarlan's Assassin, Calaena Sardothien is not your average champion. She hates the king she works for and would love to overthrown the crown. But her role as champion is a trade - four years of service for her freedom.

Princess Nehemia, from the land of Eyllwe, that the king recently conquered is staying at the castle and has become Calaena's best friend. Together they are trying to defy the king without getting caught. Nehemia wants her land to be freed and knows that the king is using some ancient power to keep the people in line.

Though magic has been outlawed, Calaena is finding evidence of it under the castle in the ancient catacombs. She will continue to explore and study the wyrdmarks to find out how the king came to power so quickly and how to free those he has enslaved.

Maas has created a great fantasy series. Fans of Kristin Cashore will love this series!

Maas, Sarah. (2013). Crown of Midnight. New York: Bloomsbury.

Champion (Legend #3)

Champion by Marie Lu is the third book in her Legend series - set in a dystopian future in the Republic of America.

After the floods and famine and fighting, the world looks different. What used to be the United States is now made up of the Republic of America in the west and the Colonies of America in the east. At the moment there is an uneasy truce between them in preparation to write a peace treaty. But when a plague begins to sweep the Colonies, they blame the Republic and give them three days to send a cure or face more attacks.

The Elector of the Republic knows there is no cure for the many sick kids his father sent to the Colonies to spread disease. But that does not change the fact that he has to do something or his country and people will be attacked. His one hope lies in a boy who was experimented on and then rescued by his brother - the infamous Day, who spent most of his youth fighting against the Republic that destroyed his family.

As the tension increases for what may be the final round of fighting between the Republic and the Colonies - deciding if the people will be ruled by a Senate and Elector or by corporations - Day will play a role in how the people respond. This thrilling conclusion to Lu's trilogy will delight readers as they stay up all night to finish it.

Lu, Marie. (2013). Champion. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Year of the Demon (Fated Blades #2)

Year of the Demon by Steve Bein is the second book in his Fated Blades series - revolving around ancient Samurai swords created by the Inazuma, who put so much into each blade he created that the blades were though to have magical properties.

Detective Sergeant Oshiro Mariko of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department works in narcotics. She is famous in the papers for a sword fight she had against a yakuza enforcer that ended in his death. In her latest case she is about to join a SWAT raid of a drug buy at a warehouse owned by the Kamaguchi-gumi.

Okuma Diagoro is a Samurai who lives in the late 1500s. He inherited the sword, Divine Victory Unsought, from his father. The sword will help the wielder win every battle - as long as it is an honorable fight and not for glory.

Kaida, an Ama diver who lives in a fishing village in the late 1400s. She is a young girl who spends her days diving for oyster and abalone. But she dreams of getting out of her village where her step-sisters make her life hell. Her only consolation is that she is a better diver than they are, even with only one hand. When outsiders come to her village in search of something lost, she may get her wish.

All three main characters, separated by time, are linked by either Glorious Victory Unsought, or by a demon mask that seems to seek the sword. Each of their lives will be greatly changed by the intention that apparently comes from the mask by altering the desires of its wearer.

Bein has created an amazing series combining mystery, Japanese history, and compelling characters. This series will appeal to many readers and each one will likely wait impatiently for the next installment of the Fated Blades series. This is a read-alike for the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hern.

Bein, Steve. (2013). Year of the Demon. New York: A Roc Book.

Outlaw (Robin Monarch #2)

Outlaw by Mark Sullivan is the second book in his series featuring Robin Monarch, an ex-Special Forces and ex-CIA agent and master thief.

Now retired, Robin Monarch is asked to meet with the President of the United States. He is flown on a military jet to Washington, D.C. where he is told that the Secretary of State has been kidnapped along with the foreign ministers of China and India. The three were meeting in secret on an oil carrier in the South China Sea.Monarch is being hired to find them.

Working with a Chinese Ministry of State Security agent and an Indian National Investigations Agency operative, Monarch will track clues all over Asia. Once word is out, they will have only a few days before the three captives are either rescued or assassinated live on the Internet.

Sullivan's character, Robin Monarch, could be compared to many other character in the genres of suspense, thriller or espionage, but I find him more compelling than most. He has not only the skills to get the job done, his heart is in the right place. His background makes him more compassionate and likable. Fans will hope for a whole slew of books featuring Robin Monarch.

Sullivan, Mark. (2013). Outlaw. New York: Minotaur Books.

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky recounts the history of New York and the surrounding waterways...and how we destroyed an ecological marvel to rival the Everglades.

Told from the time of the first European contact with the Lenape Indians up through the year 1999, Kurlansky explains the history of New Yorks estuaries through the life and consumption of oysters. At one time New York was famous for oysters, which grew in most of the waterway from the Hudson to the Gowanus canal. At one time oysters were New York's biggest export.

Oysters, along with apparently being delicious, clean the water in which they live. They pull in sea water and extract the nutrients expelling the water cleaner than it was.But with colonization and the influx of more people than the land was used to supporting, plus their habit of dumping waste and sewage in the water, the beautiful and clean water around Manhattan began to show signs of oyster die off.


Highlighting some of the many colorful characters who helped shape the city of New York, Kurlansky tells the ecological impact of the area. He shows how a rich, beautiful estuary can become what it is today - including the once oyster-rich Gowanus canal that is now a Superfund site of toxic waste. The Big Oyster is a fascinating and important read for all New Yorkers.

Kurlansky, Mark. (2006). The Big Oyster. New York: Random House.

So Tough to Tame (Jackson Hole #3)

So Tough to Tame by Victoria Dahl is the third book in her Jackson Hole romance series.

Charlie Allington just moved back to Jackson Hole. She had been gone since just after high school, but now she is in need of a change and is moving home where she can regroup. Also, her friend from high school is about to open a resort and Charlie is a trained security specialist. And after what happened, no one else will give her a chance.

When Walker Pearce hears that his high school tutor is moving back and needs a place to live, he asks his landlord if she can rent the empty apartment across the hall. Pearce thinks it will be nice to have a friendly face close by as he looks for a job. He is a ranch hand who has been working in dude ranches, but needs to line something up for the winter season.

But when Walker sees Charlie, the image in his head is shattered. She is not the cute, athletic girl from high school. Well, she is still athletic, but all grown up. And though they both have secrets they will risk being exposed for a chance to get to know each other as adults.

Dahl is a fantastic romance writer who captures characters' personalities and quirks while leading readers on un-put-downable romantic journeys. Her books are some of the best romance written.

Dahl, Victoria. (2013). So Tough to Tame. New York: HQN.

Never Go Back (Jack Reacher #18)

Never Go Back by Lee Child is the eighteen book in his Jack Reacher series. Reacher is ex-Army and was the head of the MP Special Unit, the 110th. Since retirement he has been traveling around the United States and both getting into trouble and solving problems he finds along the way.

Reacher just arrived in Virginia from North Dakota. He is back at the 110th headquarters in Rock Creek, just outside of Washington, D.C. He came all this way because he spoke to the current commander, Major Susan Turner and wanted to meet her in person.

But when he arrives, it is not Major Turner in the office. Major Turner has been replaced by a temporary officer because she has been arrested for taking a bribe. And Reacher is told not to leave, that there are two cases pending against him.

Child's series just gets better. Fans will read any adventure involving Jack Reacher, and this one includes a jail break, a manhunt including the FBI, Army, DC police and four unknown thugs, and a conspiracy that reaches up the military command chain.

Child, Lee. (2013). Never Go Back. New York: Delacourte Press.

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is the first book in her Throne of Glass series about an assassin who must pass a test to become the king's champion or be doomed to a short life in a work prison.

Calaena Sardothien is the Assassin of Adarlan. But few know that the infamous assassin is a woman who is only eighteen, though her work is well known. After a year in the salt mines of Endovier, Calaena is told she is to return to the capital city of Rifthold to a contest to become the king's champion. She is being sponsored by his son, crown prince Dorian, partly to spite his father. If she wins, she will serve the king for four years and then earn her freedom.

Twenty-three members of the king's counsel are sponsoring possible champions. Calaena is the only woman, but not the only assassin. Others include soldiers, jewel thieves and murderers. They will face a series of tests by the weapon master, each test eliminating one contestant until the last four face off in a duel. But someone or something in the castle is killing contestants.

Maas has created a world where readers will lose themselves. Calaena is a complex and compelling character fans will cheer. Great beginning to the series that has been called a cross between Hunger Games and Game of Thrones.

Maas, Sarah. J. (2012). Throne of Glass. New York: Bloomsbury.

The Power (Magnificent 12 #4)

The Power by Michael Grant is the fourth and final book in his Magnificent 12 series about twelve 12-year-olds who have to save the world from an evil force about to be released after being imprisoned by twelve 12-year-olds thousands of years ago. If only the original twelve would have use and opened ended spell...

Mack and the seven others he has found of the Magnificent twelve - each gifted with enlightened puissance - must find the other four to have a chance to defeat the Pale Queen. But they are running out of time. The clues send them from Paris to the Punjab before they head to San Fransisco for the final battle.

In the mean time, the Pale Queen is sending assassins and minions to try to kill the twelve before they can gather all of their power. And her daughter, Risky, has plans of her own.

The culmination of this fun and magical series is as great a read as the first. Grant created this series filled with everything a reader could want in a fantasy adventure.

Grant, Michael. (2013). The Power. New York: Katherine Tegen Books.

Kinslayer (Lotus War #2)

Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff is the second book in his Lotus War series that takes place in a land reminiscent of ancient Japan, the land of Shima ruled over by the Shogun.

Only now the Shogun is dead and Shima is on the brink of civil war to put another in his place. Only one person of the bloodline lives, and the Lotus Guild that controls the land has a plan to wed her to their new puppet. But the Kage rebels have a different idea, as do the other clans of the land.

Most of the upheaval was caused by one young woman. Yukiko tamed a thunder tiger, a mythic creature not seen in many years, and her bond with him lead to the change in power. But now the kenning, or mental connection she has always had with animals, threatens her sanity. The thoughts of others is becoming too loud and she must find some answers about how to control it.

Meanwhile, in the Shima capital city of Kigen, the Guild uses its machines to keep an eye on the public while rebels work their way closer to the palace to rescue the one remaining heir before she can be married off and turned into an heir producing slave.

Filled with espionage, fantastical creatures, technology and Japanese lore, the Lotus War series is a must-read for fans of fantasy, science fiction and steampunk.

Kristoff, Jay. (2013). Kinslayer. New York: Thomas Dunne Books.

Rose Under Fire (Code Name Verity #2)

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein is the sequel to her award winning book Code Name Verity - about World War II and the Air Transport Auxiliary. The ATA was made up of women pilots who ferried planes around the UK and allied territories to the male pilots who flew them into battle.

Rose Justice has been a pilot since she the age of twelve. Her father owns a small airport in Hersey, PA. Now she is in England with the ATA, flying all kinds of planes. Early in the war the ATA pilots were only allowed to fly within the UK, but as the Allies gain more ground in Europe, there is talk of expanding their territory.

When Rose is allowed to fly to France, she sees a flying bomb. Flying bombs are plane shaped bombs that fly until they hit something or run out of fuel and crash land detonating their explosives. Rose has heard that there is a safe way to cause them to crash before they can reach a populated area. But with no weapons on her plane, it would be a feat of flying.

After getting off course, Rose is surrounded by two German fighter planes and escorted to a runway. Arrested by the Nazis Rose is sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. There she experiences some of the horrors of the Holocaust, and witnesses even more. Ravensbruck is the camp where the Nazis did medical experiments on women.

Told through journal entries from after her time at the camp, Rose chronicles her time in the camp and how she came to be back in Paris afterward. Wein is a masterful storyteller who, with these two books, has become one of my favorite authors. Her words create such a vivid picture, readers will find themselves enmeshed in the story and want to learn more while cringing at the treatment of people during WWII. Amazing book. Buy Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire today.

Wein, Elizabeth. (2013). Rose Under Fire. New York: Hyperion.

Seven for a Secret (Gods of Gotham #2)

Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye is the second book in her Gods of Gotham series - about New York City in the 1840s and the beginnings of the NYPD.

Timothy Wilde joined the copper stars reluctantly. Now, six months later, he is the only copper who solves cases, as opposed to walking in a set circle on the lookout for a crime being committed. But in 1846 there are more laws to follow that those on the books - there is also pleasing the Democrats, who keep the police force in existence. And Wilde, unlike his older brother, has not use for politics.

While celebrating the recovery of a painting for a wealthy family, Wilde and a fellow copper are interrupted by Lucy Adams who returned home from work to find her family stolen. At the time, along with returning escape slaves to the South, it was fairly common for free blacks of the North to be kidnapped and sold at slave auctions in D.C. or other market.

Wilde teams up with his old friend Julius Carpenter to find Lucy's family. Carpenter is a member of the New York Committee for Vigilance - trying to protect free blacks from the crooks and criminals who see them as potential profit.

What follows is a twisting mystery of politics, criminals, civil rights and a colorful history of one of the most famous cities in the world. Fans of many genres will love this series. Faye writes in such a way as readers feel they are in the 1840s. You can almost smell the setting.

Faye, Lyndsay. (2013). Seven for a Secret. New York: Amy Einhorn Books.

Inheritance (Adaptation #2)

Inheritance by Malinda Lo is the second book in her Adaptation. In the first book, teens Reese Holloway and David Li were saved from a car accident by using alien DNA from the Imria.

Now Reese and David don't know who to trust. They have been kidnapped by the government for testing, lied to by the Imria - especially Reese who was to be watched by Imria Amber Gray who got closer than her assignment called for. Now the Imria want to train Reese and David to use the abilities they gained through the DNA. When invited onto a news show to tell their tale to the world, they are censored and given equal airtime as the anti-alien protesters making their lives difficult.

Lo has created a science fiction series of many layers, using it both to tell a story and to highlight some destructive habits of humanity. Both the science fiction and the story of a young woman falling in love with two people, are wonderful. Anything Lo writes should be read immediately! This series will appeal to both science fiction fans and readers of GLBT fiction.

Lo, Malinda. (2013). Inheritance. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Boston Jacky (Bloody Jack #11)

Boston Jacky: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of Business by L.A. Meyer is the eleventh book in the Bloody Jack series about a wonderful and outrageous young woman whose adventures are a joy to read.

Jacky, being done in Spain - both for British Intelligence and with the studio of Francisco Goya - is sailing for Boston. It has been a while since she was last in Boston - having been sentenced to life in the Australian penal colony, washed away in a typhoon, and presumed dead by many.

Returning to her adopted home of Boston, Jacky must take stock of Faber Shipping Worldwide and check on friends while impatiently awaiting the arrival of her intended, Jaime Fletcher. However, as trouble seems to find her wherever she lands, Jacky has some old enemies to deal with, a changing political climate that has closed her favorite pub, and a Puritanical population that does not like the direction of the plays she puts on at her new theater.

As ever, Jacky Faber is a wonderful character who gets into and out of trouble and delights readers of all ages. This series is definitely in my favorite books of all time!

Meyer, L.A. (2013). Boston Jacky. New York: Harcourt.

The Gods of Gotham (Gods of Gotham #1)

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye is the first book in her series by the same name. The Gods of Gotham is a mystery set around the founding of New York City's first police force, the "copper stars" in 1845. This creation coincided with massive immigration of Irish due to the potato famine to change NYC forever.

Timothy Wilde is a bartender. He dreams of one day saving enough money to marry the girl he fancies and move to Long Island or somewhere he can spend more time in the outdoors. But a massive fire that destroys much of lower Manhattan changes his plans. Tim's brother, Val, sets him up with a job - the newly forming police force. Though he does not think he wants the job, both because of the nature of it and because his brother got it for him, he show up the first day.

Tim Wilde is assigned as a roundman - a police who walk around a set path for his entire shift, both to prevent crime and arrest anyone committing a crime. At the time there were no investigative roles, only stopping what was going on. But Wilde, with his background as a bartender and his like of puzzles, will be given a situation that he must solve when a ten year-old girl in a bloody night dress literally runs into him on his walk home.

When the body of a young boy is found, and matches the story the girl told, it seems take New York has a killer of children hiding within its masses of people. Incorporating politics, race relations, clashing religion and the slang of the day, Faye has set readers up to dive into the past of our most famous city. Imagine a time when the wilds north of New York started just above Chelsea. Great story and characters in a fascinating setting. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series might like this grittier version of historical mystery.

Faye, Lyndsay. (2012). The Gods of Gotham. New York: Penguin.

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophesy and Prediction edited by Carrie Ryan includes stories by some of the YA fantasy writers today. I checked it out because that list includes Malinda Lo.

Lo's story, One True Love, tells of a girl born to the king. The seer who attends her birth sees that she will be the end of the king when she finds her one true love. Hearing this, the king locks her in the tower, allowed only to see other girls. Of course, the king could never imagine that his exclusion of men wouldn't be the solution.

Lo is a master storyteller who writes fantasy and science fiction. Read her books!

Other authors in Foretold:
Lisa McMann
Kami Garcia
Margaret Stohl
Laini Taylor
Michael Grant
Saundra Mitchell
Richelle Mead
Matt de la Pena
Meg Cabot
Heather Brewer
Diana Peterfreund
Simone Elkeles
Carrie Ryan

Ryan, Carrie. (2012). Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophesy and Prediction. New York: Delacourte Press.

The Hero (Thunder Point #3)

The Hero by Robyn Carr is the third book in her Thunder Point series - set in a small coastal town in Oregon.

Devon McAllister and her daughter, Mercy, are escaping a cult. They have to get as far away as quickly as possible, but when the old guy in the truck offers them a ride and then offers to supply breakfast, Thunder Point seems off the beaten path far enough to be safe. Though she does not like to take help from strangers - partly due to the brainwashing of the cult and partly because that is how she joined the cult in the first place - but Rawley seems like a nice old guy. And Thunder Point is a quiet town where she can hide while she figures out what to do next.

Spencer Lawson just moved to Thunder Point with his son Austin. He is the new high school football coach. And the second he sees Devon he is drawn to her. But his wife just died, he moved across the country, and she is obviously going through some life changes.

Thunder Point is filled with great characters. The series is about the people in the town with each book highlighting one relationship. Loved characters from previous and future books will be included so readers can keep up with all story lines regardless of main plot focus of this particular book in the series - all characters will appear in all books. This is a great was to write a book about a town - like a soap opera or a television show with a large cast. Fans will love it.

Carr, Robyn. (2013). The Hero. New York: Mira.

Bad Apple

Bad Apple by Laura Ruby is the story of one young woman's struggle to be heard in the chaos of scandal and high school.

Tola Riley is sixteen. Until recently her favorite class was Art. But now she and her teacher, Mr. Mymer, have been accused of having an inappropriate relationship. He is on paid leave while there is an investigation. Tola is at school, but no one will believe her when she says that nothing happened. Her parents see her as a victim, classmates use this opportunity to pick on her. There is even a blog dedicated to rumors about her.

And maybe chopping her hair off and dying it green was not he best choice, but if she is going to have a reputation for being bad she should do something against the rules.

Written in the vein of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak or Twisted, or Jennifer Brown's Hate List or Thousand Words, Bad Apple is a novel on an important subject that hints at the absurdity of being old enough to be accused of something but not old enough to defend yourself to your accusers.

Ruby, Laura. (2009). Bad Apple. New York: Harper Teen.

The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #1)

The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon is the first book in the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme - which tell of the adventures of Charles Magnus Polypheme, known as Ven.

Ven is the youngest son of a Nain shipbuilder. The Nain are a human-like race that usually lives underground, and they are known for their fear of water. But unlike his siblings, Ven has waited for years to be old enough to go out on one of the ships his family builds. But when it is finally his turn to sail the bay and sign off on the inspection, things do not go as planned.

Ven's ship is attacked by Fire Pirates, who never leave anyone alive. Through some quick thinking and high explosives, Ven finds himself floating in the wreckage. What follows includes sea monsters, mermaids, a floating magical island, and once on land, a haunted inn.

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme are adventure at their best. Haydon has reassembled the journals and filled in the blanks to create a wonderful series that will appeal to all ages.

Haydon, Elizabeth. (2006). The Floating Island. New York: Tom Doherty Associates Books.

City of Dark Magic (City of Dark Magic #1)

City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte (a pseudonym for the writing team of Meg Howry and Christina Lynch) is the first book in a series by the same name.

Sarah Weston is a PhD student in music history, focusing on Beethoven. She has been invited to Prague Castle for a summer internship cataloging and setting up a room in the castle to display original material and works of Beethoven. Sarah assumes she was offered the internship because her mentor, Professor Sherbatsky, is also working in Prague.

Though her roommate warns her that Prague is built over a hell portal, Sarah is excited about the prospect of materials that Beethoven actually touched and owned. Prague Castle is owned by the Lobkowicz family, the current heir being Max Lobkowicz Anderson. One of the previous Prince Lobkowicz was Beethoven's patron.

After Sarah arrives in Prague, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor is dead of an apparent suicide. Max is acting strange and is hiding something. Miles, who is in charge of all of the academics cataloging in the castle, acts like someone is watching him. And a mysterious dwarf who seems to be able to appear at will is either a friend or a spy.

Flyte has created a novel filled with music history, the history of Prague, magic, intrigue and humor. City of Dark Magic is a strange and wonderful read.

Flyte, Magnus. (2012). City of Dark Magic. New York: Penguin.

Diverse Energies

Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti is a collection of short stories by YA science fiction and fantasy authors to raise money for the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund.

"Good Girl" by Malinda Lo takes place in a future New York City. People who are deemed pure live above ground and the mutts live in tunnels that used to house trains. Kyle lives with her mother at their restaurant. She is about to reach her assignment day, which will determine what she will do for the rest of her life. But the day of her brother's assignment, he disappeared. Kyle has to find out if he is living in the tunnels.

Planning to pay someone to search for her brother, Kyle meets Nix. Nix is a tattooed, shaved-headed mutt tries to send Kyle back above ground for her own good. But there is something about Nix that keeps drawing Kyle in, even after she has paid the price promised for information on her brother.

Malinda Lo is a great author of YA speculative fiction, often with lesbian characters. Each of her books is amazing and fans (like me) will read anything she ever writes.

Other authors included in Diverse Energies:
Ellen Oh
Daniel H. Wilson
K. Tempest Bradfort
Ken Liu
Greg van Eekhout
Rahul Kanakia
Paolo Bacigalupi
Cindy Pon
Rajan Khanna
Ursula K. Le Guin

Whether you already like one of these authors, or they are all new to you, this collection is a great introduction to some amazing storytellers who write diverse fantasy and science fiction. For even more diversity in YA see the blog, Diversity in YA!

Buckell, Tobias. (2012). Diverse Energies. New York: Tu Books.

The English Girl (Gabriel Allon #13)

The English Girl by Daniel Silva is the thirteenth book in his series featuring Gabriel Allon - a Mossad assassin who just wants to retire, but keeps getting pulled back into a world of espionage, terrorism and politics.

Gabriel is once again retired. He and his wife, Chiara, are living in Israel. He is restoring a painting - at which he is a genius. Chiara is working at the Israel Museum overseeing the building of a new exhibit. Until his old boss comes for a visit telling him that Graham Seymour of MI5 has asked for a meeting.

Madeline Hart is a rising star in British politics. Rumor is it that she could one day be prime minister. But while on vacation in Corsica she disappears. One month later, the senior advisor to the British prime minister receives a photo of Madeline holding a current newspaper. Included in the envelope is a note that she will die in seven days. The note is given to the prime minster, who contacted Graham Seymour, who flew to Israel to recruit Gabriel Allon. Though Allon wants only to spend time with his wife and a string of great works of art, he will help look for Madeline Hart.

Silva is a master story teller. From his first book, The Unlikely Spy, he has been at the top of the espionage genre. His character Allon is a force who readers will follow to the ends of the Earth. Any reader even slightly interested in espionage or thrillers needs to read all Daniel Silva's books.

Silva, Daniel. (2013). The English Girl. New York: Harper.

Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin is a coming of age novel set in 1926 - a time in American history when young women began to realize they could make choices outside of family expectation.

Garnet Richardson is going to spend the summer with her aunt and cousin at a hotel on the lake in Excelsior, Minnesota. He aunt, Mrs. Harrington, is more well off than Garnets family. While she is away her mother hopes to help her father out the depression he brought back from the war.

Garnet is excited about a town on a lake. She is fascinated with birds. As a young girl, she and her father would walk through the woods and study the birds there. Later, once she got old enough that science and traipsing through the woods became unladylike (according to her mother) she could only watch the birds from afar.

When her aunt and cousin turn out to be boring, Garnet has the idea to get a job. And on the first day of her job, Garnet meets Isabella Strand - a flapper who dances at the local dance hall. And while Garnet can not exactly imagine going home after the summer and marrying her beau, she could see herself spending all of the time she can sneak away with Isabella.

Griffin has crafted a beautiful story of first love in a lush setting and time period. Her characters and descriptions will fill more that the page as readers fall in love with the book. And bird lovers will relish the themes.

Griffin, Molly Beth. (2012). Silhouette of a Sparrow. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed.

The Assassin (Grafton and Carmellini #3)

The Assassin by Stephen Coonts is the third book in his series featuring Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini.

After his son is killed in Iraq, a high up political official contacted the president and asked him if there wasn't a back channels way to go after terrorist. He and his group of friends would gladly supply the money if the president could point him toward the expertise. So the president called Jake Grafton - retired Navy Admiral now working for the CIA.

While highly unorthodox (aka illegal) a team is set up to track the active terrorists of al Qaeda, including the leader Abu Qasim who escaped a botched G-8 meeting attack in France due to the interference of Grafton and Carmellini. Now teams of ex-special forces snipers are taking out high ranking terrorists. But Qasim will soon find out where this new threat is originating and who is in charge.Soon Qasim will be after Grafton, Carmellini and the seven financial backer of the group tracking him.

Coonts writes high stakes thrillers with the best of them. And Carmellini, a relaxed CIA sanctioned burglar, teamed up with a no nonsense Admiral will have the bad guys running for cover. These books are intense but light reads that will eat up a subway commute.

Coonts, Stephen. (2008). The Assassin. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi is the second book in her Shatter Me series, which could also be called the Reestablishment series, a dystopian young adult novel.

Juliette has been afraid to touch people her whole life - with good reason. Her skin can hurt others. She is like a human Venus flytrap. Her touch pulls life force from the people she touches. So she tries desperately not to touch anyone.

But she has found someone she can touch without hurting. It is the most amazing feeling to be able to be hugged or to hold some one's hand. And, now that she has escaped from the Reestablishment, she has the chance to learn about others with "gifts."

There is an underground movement opposed to the Establishment. They are not the rebels who cause troubles, but a second group - Omega Point. And though small, their gifts allow them to move about in the military state without much problem. Which is good as they have to steal their supplies from the Reestablishment warehouses.

When Juliette joins Omega Point, she begins to feel like she could belong. But there is not much time for her to settle in because the Reestablishment is looking for her and Omega. Soon they will be at war and she must come to terms with what her body can do and how she can fight.

The Reestablishment series is great dystopian fiction. I could not put either book down and am now impatiently waiting for the third book to be written. (It is due out in 2014.) Read this series!

Mafi, Tahereh. (2013). Unravel Me. New York: Harper.

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is the first book in her Shatter Me series that takes place in the future, after we have destroyed much of the planet and a group called the Reestablishment has taken over as government of the whole world.

Juliette Ferrars has been locked away for much of her life. Her parents locked her in her room and people at school kept their distance. Now she is in a cell and she has not even spoken to anyone in the last 264 days. But that is about to change.

Juliette is getting a roommate. A guy. They will be locked together in a small cell 24 hours a day. What the boy does not know is that her skin can kill him. A simple handshake or hug could overwhelm him with pain until she absorbs his life force. For this reason she has come to believe she is a monster. No one knows why her skin is fatal to others, but it has made for a tough life with no affection.

But the Reestablishment has plans for her. They wish to turn her into a weapon of torture for their cause. They are still fighting rebels in an attempt to eradicate all previous culture and ties to any other form of government. And in order to convince her to work with them, they will use the one person from her past with whom she has an emotional connection.

Mafi has created a great dystopian world. Juliette is a complex and compelling character who readers will root for all the way.

Mafi, Tahereh. (2012). Shatter Me. New York: Harper.

Sparks

Sparks: the Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie by S.J. Adams is a young adult coming of age novel.

Debbie Woodlawn has done everything with her best friend Lisa since sixth grade. Now a junior in high school, it is time for Debbie to come to terms with the fact that she is in love with Lisa. But Lisa just got a boyfriend. Now Debbie has to either find new friends or come out to Lisa in the hopes that she secretly feels the same way.

When a classmate suggests she speak to Emma, Debbie does so reluctantly. Emma and her best friend Tim have created their own religion. It is called the Holy Church of Blue. As Blueists, Emma and Tim has written commandments go on holy quests when necessary. It is necessary for Debbie to go on such a quest now.

With the help of her new friends, Debbie will confront Lisa and hope for the best. But along the way, the quest will take her on a wacky journey of discovery reminiscent of a Libba Bray novel. Adams has created a quirky and lovable story that will inspire readers to be more open-minded and go after what they seek.

Adams. S.J. (2011). Sparks. Woodbury, MN: Flux.

Thousand Words

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown is the story of a text gone wrong.

Ashleigh Maynard is about to start her senior year of high school. Her boyfriend is leaving for college in a few days. At an end of the summer party her friends convince her to send him a picture of herself naked, and she is just drunk enough to do it.

But when Ashleigh and Kaleb break up he proves that he is not the great guy she thought he was. Kaleb shares the picture with his baseball friends - who share it with everyone else.

Now Ashleigh is doing community service. She was charged with distribution of child pornography. Her community service is to create a brochure about sexting and how it can be harmful. Plus she has to go to school every day with everyone staring at her and calling her names.

Jennifer Brown proved she could write a great YA novel about a tough subject when she tackled school shooting in Hate List. With this new novel she cements her place as a brilliant writer.

Brown, Jennifer. (2013). Thousand Words. New York: Little Brown and Company.

Starting From Here

Starting From Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow is a lesbian coming of age story.

Colby Bingham is a junior in high school. She is failing a couple of classes and her grades are not likely to get better now that her girlfriend has broken up with her. To make matters worse, her now-ex-girlfriend has just started dating a boy - and bringing him to the gay-straight alliance meetings.

Colby's best friend, Van, is just about the only person Colby is still talking to regularly. Her father is a long haul truck driver, gone for six days each week. And her mother died two years ago. Now Colby just wants to disappear.

But one night Colby and Van rescue a dog on the side of the road. The dog will give Colby something else to think about besides her life. And when someone from the school newspaper wants to write an article about the rescue, she will have a new change at love.

Bigelow has written a great LGBTQ young adult novel that captures the desperation and hope of being a teen. Colby is a wonderfully flawed character who will capture the heart of readers.

Bigelow, Lisa Jenn. (2012). Starting From Here. Las Vegas: Amazon Children's Publishing.

One Sweet Ride (Play by Play #6)

One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton is the sixth book in her Play by Play series featuring professional sports figures - this time a race car driver.

Gray Preston is a stock car driver. He started his own team that currently consists of two cars. Though his father is a US Senator and a wealthy rancher from Oklahoma, Grey is doing things on his own. He was written out of the family money when he chose a sports scholarship to a school in Oklahoma instead of pre-law at an ivy league.

Evelyn Hill works for Senator Preston, who is in the running for the vice president spot in the next election. He job is to convince Gray to help his father's campaign - bringing he thousands of fans with him. But her job will not be easy. Gray has not spoken to his father for a long time and wants nothing to do with him or politics.

Burton's Play by Play series is filled with sexy stories of hot athletes. This is the first in the series not featuring a member of the Riley family that began the series, but branching out to their friends. Still, look for cameos by the former stars of the series in this book. Grab one of these books to take to the beach this summer.

Burton, Jaci. (2013). One Sweet Ride. New York: Berkley Sensation.

Thrown by a Curve (Play by Play #5)

Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton is the fifth book in her Play by Play series featuring professional sports players.

Alicia Riley is a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team. She has earned her spot on the sports medicine team through study and hard work and is about to be assigned to her biggest case yet.

Garrett Scott is the starting pitcher for the Rivers, but he is out with a shoulder injury. He has been working for months to get back in shape for the start of the new baseball season, but it is not going quickly enough.

When Alicia comments that he is not recovering faster because he has his head up his arse, he requests to work with her. She has a different approach to his recovery because she recognizes that what is slowing him down is his head an not his shoulder. For the next few weeks they will be working closely together to get Garrett back on the pitcher's mound.

Burton writes steamy romances revolving around great characters. Fun read that will make you blush.

Burton, Jaci. (2013). Thrown by a Curve. New York: Berkley Sensation.

The Twelfth Enchantment

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss is the story of the fight of progress in England.

Lucy Derrick lives with her uncle. She has lived with him since her sister married a horrible man in the hope that he would provide for both of them. While she is from a good family and upper class, she has no money and her uncle wishes to be free of her. So he has agreed to marry her to a mill owner.

Before Lucy can figure out a way not to marry Mr. Olson, a man arrives at the house. He is dressed like a peer but from the knees down his clothing is shredded. He calls her name and tells her not to marry Olson and the collapses on the steps. When the doctor examines him he can find nothing wrong and suspects a curse.

Collecting the woman the doctor recommended, Lucy meets Mary Crawford. It seems like Miss Crawford was expecting Lucy to arrive. Indeed, the woman who admits her to the house gasps with excitement when she sees Lucy. And with her introduction to Mary Crawford, Lucy begins to be introduced to the world of magic.

England is at a time of change and Lucy Derrick will play a part in the outcome.

Liss is a master of historical fiction and his books pull readers into the stories like magic. The Twelfth Enchantment is a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction, like The Night Circus or The Golem and the Jinni - magic plays an important part of the story but is not the main plot. With the publication of Harry Potter the fantasy genre exploded, but this new trend is a more mature, subtle telling of tales of magic. Fans of historical fiction will be thrilled at this trend.

Liss, David. (2011). The Twelfth Enchantment. New York: Ballantine.

The Newcomer (Thunder Point #2)

The Newcomer by Robyn Carr is the second book in her Thunder Point series about a small town on the coast of Oregon.

Mac is the sheriff of  Thunder Point. His job is to keep everyone safe and happy. But now it is his turn. He has been in love with Gina James for a long time, but they had not take their relationship past friendship. They are both single parents, though with the help of an aunt/mother, and they put their families before their own happiness.

Of course about the time they are ready to become more than friends, obstacles pop up to challenge them. Mac's ex-wife, whom he has not seen or heard from in a decade shows up one day to see the three children she left him with. And Gina's teenage daughter goes through a difficult break up with her first boyfriend.

Also, Cooper and Sarah (who started dating in the first Thunder Point book) have some obstacles of their own. Though she is supposed to have a least one more year stationed in Oregon, the Coast Guard may be about to promote Sarah out of town. And Cooper gets a call about one of his ex-girlfriends, who needs to see him before it is too late.

Carr's series is really about the whole town and includes many characters, but each book focuses on one new or changing relationship. So any character you love will be featured in many novels, not just as a cameo, but as one of the main characters - think of the series as a soap opera, with less exaggeration! There is a whole cast of characters with whom to fall in love. This series is a great choice for a beach read.

Carr, Robyn. (2013). The Newcomer. New York: Mira.

Three Ways to Capsize a Boat

Three Ways to Capsize a Boat: An Optimist Afloat by Chris Stewart is the story on one man taking the job as a ship's captain and then trying to learn to sail.

When asked by a friend's elderly aunt to captain a boat in the Aegean sea for the summer, Stewart jumped at the chance. Then he realized he knew nothing about boats. Step one: get a book on sailing and learn the language. Step two: find someone with a boat to go to sea... when that goes poorly, step three: sing up for a sailing class.


Buy the time he arrived in Greece, he had the basics of sailing under his belt. Then he had to deal with the fact that the boat he was sent to pick up, a Cornish Crabber, had not been repaired as promised, but was sitting with other decrepit crafts in a pile on the shore.

After a rough start, a beautiful summer sailing the Aegean, led Stewart to a love of sailing. So when his sailing teacher called and said he was putting together a crew to sail from UK to Rhode Island via Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland, he jumped at the chance. Of course his summer sail did not quite prepare him for dodging icebergs and the storms around Greenland.

Stewart's humorous (and at times harrowing) tale of his early years in sailing illustrates both the joy and power of our waterways. He has been compared to Bill Bryson as an author of travel adventure and folly. This book will either make you want to sail, or never go near the water!

Stewart, Chris. (2009). Three Ways to Capsize a Boat. New York: Broadway Books.

Cold Steel (Spiritwalker #3)

Cold Steel by Kate Elliott is the final book in her Spiritwalker trilogy.

Cat Barahal is a daughter of two worlds. She grew up in the regular world thinking she knew who her parent were, but later found out that her biological father was of the spirit world. This dual identity allows her blood to open gates between ours and the spirit world. And this duality has placed her at the middle of both a war for control in Europa and made her a slave to her sire - the master of the Wild Hunt, who collect the souls of the soon to be dead each Hallows Night.

With war breaking out in Europa between General Camjiata and the radicals versus the mage houses and princes who are the top of the current class-based system, Cat must rescue her husband Andevai from the spirit world and then get to Europa to help her cousin Bee fight with the radicals for self-governance.

In this exciting conclusion to a great fantasy trilogy, Elliott brings enough closure to the series to placate readers while leaving them wanting more. Her characters are flawed and wonderful, her world is exceptionally well crafted, and her plot is filled with espionage and intrigue. As a cross-genre recommendation, fans of the Jacky Faber series by L.A. Meyer will recognize many of the traits that make Jacky so lovable in Cat Barahal.

Elliott, Kate. (2013). Cold Steel. New York: Orbit.

Stealing from the Dead

Stealing from the Dead by A.J. Zerries is a mystery that combines history, terrorism, murder, a great NYPD detective and a retired CIA agent to lead readers through an intricate, thrilling story of a scam to cheat Holocaust survivors of their right to reclaim funds hidden from them by Swiss banks.

Detective Greta Strasser is in her nineteenth year in the NYPD. Her boss is counting down the days and making sure to make each one as bad as he can. So when Strasser finds inconsistencies with a heart attack in an older Jewish woman, she is told to stop seeing what is not there. But Greta does not give up that easily - it is why she is a good cop.

Then, one late night when she gets back to her Brooklyn apartment, she is approached by an older man. At first she is suspicious - she has had a rough week. But soon he convinces her to trust him. He is an ex-CIA agent (though strictly desk work) who has been following a pattern of supposed heart attacks in older Jewish people whose names appear on a list. The list is of people whose parents or grandparents opened a bank account to try to keep their money safe during World War II. At the end of the war, anyone who attempted to reclaim one of these numbered accounts was told it did not exist. But after years of battle, the Swiss banks have to make the funds available to any living relatives of the men who opened them.

It seems that someone is killing the people who appear on the list. Some person or group is filing out the paperwork and then killing the relative so he/they can claim the funds. And the funds have been traced to an account the funds terrorism against Israel.

Zerries has written a fascinating tale that will capture readers of many genres with this great read. Check it out today. Then join me in hoping Greta Strasser has more books in the future.

Zerries, AJ. (2012). Stealing from the Dead. New York: Forge.

Flight of the Intruder (Jake Grafton #1)

Flight of the Intruder by Stephen Coonts is the first book in his Jake Grafton series. Grafton is a US Navy pilot - a character so loved he is in a second series after he retires from the Navy.

At the opening of the series Jake Grafton is a US Navy Lieutenant pilot assigned to the Shiloh aircraft carrier stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam war. He flies the A6-A Intruder. He and his bombardier are sent on many bombing raids into North Vietnam.

While on leave in Hong Kong, Jake meets Callie who works for the State Department. On top of meeting the woman we will spend the rest of his life with, Callie provides Jake with a sounding board for his concerns about the war. The idea that he and his fellow pilots are often risking their lives for patches of jungle that look just like other patches of jungle and the need to find meaning in the death of friends during such flights, causes Jake to circumvent the chain of command - an act that could ultimately put him in military prison.-, if he lives through it.
 
Coonts captures the feel and excitement of flying, the terror of flying in combat and the horror and boredom of war. Fans of airplane fiction like John J Nance will love this series. Grafton is a compelling character. Fans of the new Grafton and Carmellini series will enjoy a look back at Grafton's rise through the ranks of US Navy.

Coonts, Stephen. (1986). Flight of the Intruder. New York: St. Martin's Press.