Changers: Kim (Changers #3)

Changers: Book 3: Kim by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper is the third book in the Changers series - about a separate race of humans. They experience relationships with the same people through the eyes of four different versions of themselves through their high school years.

Ethan woke up on the first day of high school as Drew, spent sophomore year as Oryon and is now changing into Kim. The shocking part is not knowing who you will become until you wake up that first morning. Overnight Oryon, a black football player, woke up as Kim, an overweight Filipina. She goes to the same school as last year, but as a new person.

Living different versions gives Changers a chance to see past the superficial. Being treated differently by the same people when you are same on the inside opens their eyes to the prejudice and injustice in the world. And gives them a chance to change people's opinions.

Changers is a great YA series that highlights the differences and similarities in us all. Kim might by my favorite version so far, but book three feels a bit like a middle novel - setting things up for book four. But the ending makes readers hope for a quick release of that forth book!

Cooper, T. (2016). Changers: Kim. New York: Black Sheep.

Romancing the Inventor (Supernatural Society Novella #1)

Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger is the first Supernatural Society Novella set in the same work as her Parasol Protectorate, Finishing School and Custard Protocol series. This one takes place a few years after the end of the Parasol Protectorate series finishes.

Genevieve Lefoux has been one of my favorite characters in these series. Now she has a novella focusing on her - or rather one in which the main character's attention is completely focused on her.

Madam Lefoux is an inventor. Even as a child she created useful gadgets. Now she is indentured to a vampire hive as punishment. She spends all of her time in the potting shed, come laboratory.

Imogene Hale is a parlourmaid. Her family needed the income and Imogene has no desire to marry, so she got hired at the local vampire hive. When she is sent to take a lunch tray to the potting shed, she becomes intrigued by Madam Lefoux. And finds ways to be assigned the duty more often.

Carriger has created a sweet romance story set in an alternate history England. Fans of the Carriger series will enjoy this novella and be happy that Vieve has finally found someone to help her get over her old lost love.

Carriger, Gail. (2016). Romancing the Inventor. ?: Gail Carriger LLC.

Night School (Jack Reacher #21)

Night School by Lee Child is the 21st book in his Jack Reacher series - a retired Army MP who wanders the US stumbling onto situations that need to be resolved. This novel is a jump back to his time in the Army.

In 1996, Jack Reacher is a major in the US Army military police. He is an investigator who sees things that others often miss.

Coming off of a successful mission, Reacher is given a medal and told he is going back to school. The vague title of the class sounds like improving agency cooperation with other US alphabet groups. But really it is a black hole - an assignment so boring that no one will look for him while he works with two agents (FBI and CIA).

The CIA has an asset in Germany who is part of a new group out of the Middle East. The asset overheard a messenger say that the American wants one hundred million. Of course, this set the NSA in motion. They don't know what is going on, but it must be big.

With so little information the team, supplemented by helper of their choice, can try to figure out what would be worth that much, or try to find the messenger for the next part of the negotiation - without burning the asset. Reacher calls his favorite sergeant, Francis Neagley. One of my favorite supporting characters in any series, I was thrilled to get another book with Neagley!

Child's series is filled with great reads. Fans of mystery, suspense, and characters with their own, unbending sense of right and wrong, will love this series.

Child, Lee. (2016). Night School. New York: Delacourte Press.

Echoes of Honor (Honor Harrington 8)

Echoes of Honor by David Weber is the eighth book in his Honor Harrington science fiction series.

Manticore and its allies are at war with the People's Republic of Haven. Although Haven is under a new government and the war began under the old, it continues. Many lives have been lost along the way. Most battles have gone in favor of Manticore, but the PRH has gotten some hit in.

Right now the people in Manticore think that their beloved Commander, Honor Harrington, has been captured and executed. They do not know that on top of forging a video of her hanging, she and a small team escaped the ship while in orbit over the prison planet of Hell.

They are now stranded on a planet with hundreds of thousands of prisoners and the State Security guards. The people are kept in line by being place in far apart camps. None of the plants on Hell are edible. The only source of food is the monthly delivery by the guards. Anyone who tries to rebel or attack the deliver, gets no more food. The guards live on an island miles and miles at sea and from the nearest camp.

Honor's people have a few advantages over the prisoners. They have two small ships equipped for battle, their own rations, and (most importantly) no one knows they are there. If they can come up with a plan and bring some prisoners onto their side, they will attempt to take over the planet.

Amazing series. If you are a science fiction fan or a fan of military fiction or just good storytelling, read it.

Weber, David. (1998). Echoes of Honor. New York: BAEN.

All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a World War II story from two different perspectives.

Marie-Laure LeBlanc is a young girl in Paris. Her father works at the Museum of Natural History. He is in charge of the keys - to all cabinets, rooms and safes. Marie-Laure is blind. She was not born blind, her eyesight slowly went away. Her father has helped her find her way around, including creating an exact model of the neighborhood she can explore with her fingers.

Werner Pfenning is a German orphan. He and his sister, Jutta, live in an orphanage in a coal mining town. Werner loves math and radios. He and his sister love to listen to a man speaking in French and teaching about science. Werner takes radios apart and fixes them - to the extend that people start hiring him to fix theirs. The Nazi leader of the town discovers this and has him sent to school to develop this skill.

The story is told in the current time and in flash back chapter of both characters. Both end up on the island town of Saint Malo on the coast of France near the end of the war. Marie-Laure at her uncle's house and Werner in the radio division that hunt for illegal transmitters.

Doerr has created a beautiful and heart-breaking book. After all of the novels set in WWII, this is a different approach. Both characters are wonderful and caught up in something too large to escape. Buy this book!

Doerr, Anthony. (2014). All the Light We Cannot See. New York: Scribner.

In Enemy Hands (Honor Harrington #7)

In Enemy Hands by David Weber is the seventh book in his Honor Harrington series.

Honor Harrington has been put in charge of a join Grayson and Mantacore Navy fleet of ships. They have at least a few weeks before they will have gathered all of the parts, so in the meantime, Honor is asked to take a few ships and guard a convoy of supplies and soldiers being sent to a planet that the Allies just took back from Haven's People's Navy.

As the commodore, Honor will not be in the ship that goes ahead to scout for enemies. She will be safely in a middle ship. But about half way to their final destination, Honor and a small team, transfers to the lead ship to discuss strategy with the captain.

What they don't know is that the system they are about to enter has been taken back by the Peeps. They are flying into a trap that has already destroyed a few ships.

Weber is a master of the space opera. He can juggle many storylines and characters and make the reader think she is there. Any fans of science fiction or just good storytelling should read this series.

Weber, David. (1997). In Enemy Hands. New York: BAEN.

Like a River Glorious (Goldscryer #2)

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson is the second book in her Goldscryer series which takes place during the California Gold Rush.

Leah Westfall can sense gold. When her parents were killed she followed her best friend West. Now she and Jeff and the rest of the people they collected on the way, are staking a claim in the Sierra Nevada mountains above Sacramento.

Once they find a place to search for gold, Leah tells them all what she can do. They will have to be careful not to show that they are luckier than the prospectors around them, but they will find gold.

She also tells them about her uncle. Hiram is after her. He knows what she can do and as her last living male relative, he is rightfully her authority until she get married - which she has no desire to do. If Hiram finds her he will put her to work finding gold for him. She will become his servant.

Carson has done a great job combining history with magic. Any fans of historical fiction, California history, westerns, magic, or of great stories will love this series.

Carson, Rae. (2016). Like a River Glorious. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Honor Among Enemies (Honor Harrington #6)

Honor Among Enemies by David Weber is the sixth book in his series featuring Honor Harrington - a space captain in the Royal Mantacore Navy.

After a couple of year on Grayson, Honor is asked to rejoin the RMN. She doesn't know that she will be getting a near impossible assignment - set up by two of her political enemies.

Honor will be in charge of a small fleet of converted cargo ships retrofitted to be Q-ships (attack vessels disguised as harmless transport ships). They will be sent to cover a huge area where pirates are raiding merchant ships. The Silesian Confederacy is huge and Honor will be given just a few ships to try to control the problem.

To add insult to injury, Mantacore cannot really spare the crew to fill her ships. They will be made up of people other captains want to get rid of - the screw ups of the RMN.

Weber has created a wonderful science fiction series. Honor is a well-named character whose people would follow anywhere. Any fans of scifi who have not read this series are missing out.

Weber, David. (1996). Honor Among Enemies. New York: BAEN.

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Empire of Storms by Sarah Maas is the fifth book in her Throne of Glass fantasy series. Caleana Sardothien was raised to be an assassin and thief. She did not know her birth story or to whom she was related. That changed when she was freed from a labor camp to compete to be champion to a king she hated.

Now the world knows who Caleana really is. But before she can claim her rightful place, she must help to defeat a great evil that is trying to take over the land. With some powerful friends, she will being to fight that evil back.

Also fighting against the evil, and against imprisonment as his soldier, the Ironteeth witches will try to gain freedom. Their wingleader, Manon, will do what she can to save her family - going against her training to be unfeeling and ruthless.

Maas has created a great fantasy series with wonderful characters. Each book in the series is better than the last. And I consider anyone who can introduce a character I think I hate and have her become my favorite later in the series to be a brilliant writer. Start this series today!

Maas, Sarah. (2016). Empire of Storms. New York: Bloomsbury.

Flag in Exile (Honor Harrington 5)

Flag in Exile by David Weber is the fifth book in his series featuring Honor Harrington. Honor is a member of the Royal Manticore Space Navy and a brilliant strategist in fighting - both with her space ship and her fists.

After upsetting political opponents on Manticore, Honor is on half pay with the Navy. She has decided to go back to the planet Grayson where she has a new steading - the only off-worlder to be granted the title of steadholder.

Protector Benjamin, leader of Grayson, has been trying to bring Grayson laws and customs into the current century - after being isolated for a thousand years - while not offending the conservative steadholders.

When Benjamin appointed Honor a steadholder, he stirred up those who think a woman should be in the home, not ruling. And a small group of them have a plan to get her back - by sabotaging her company and turning the popular opinion.

Weber has created a great character in Honor, and placed her in a variety of settings (space, military, political) with the world-buidling skills few can claim. This is one of my top three favorite science fiction series ever.

Weber, Honor. (1995). Flag in Exile. New York: BAEN.

The Black Widow (Gabriel Allon #16)

The Black Widow by Daniel Silva is the 16th book his series featuring Gabriel Allon.

Gabriel Allon was recruited years ago, first being called to hunt down the member of a group who killed 11 Israelis at the Munich Olympics. Since then he has done many things for the state of Israel. Gabriel wishes the world were a place where he could be a painter or an art restorer full time.

Now, as he is about to take over the office, Gabriel is sent to Paris in the wake of a terrorist attack that has killed one of his friends. His hand-picked team will follow clues around the work to find the man behind the attack. The trail will lead them to some very dangerous places in the world and end in a place we hope terrorists never reach.

Silva has created an amazing character in Gabriel Allon. This series is fast-paced, intelligent and addictive. If you have not read it, start at the beginning. I will read anything he ever publishes!

Silva, Daniel. (2016). The Black Widow. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is one of the best stories ever told. After being harassed to read it for years, I gave in. And I loved it!

Edmond Dantes is a sailor. He is only nineteen, but when his ship's captain dies, he takes over the running of the ship. Once they get back to port it looks like he will become the captain. Dantes, on top of being a good sailor whom the crew loves, is engaged to a beautiful woman named Mercedes.

But back in port in Marseilles, Dante finds out that not everyone is happy for him. Three men, all of who are jealous of him for some reason, plot together to have him arrested. The prosecutor, who at first seems like a good guy, is influenced by his ambitions.

Soon Dantes finds himself thrown into the notorious prison Chateau d'If - a fortress island.

All of this is just the set up for a story of revenge. I will not give any more plot details even though they are well known. I will say that at 1400 pages, I was not ready to leave this book! Read it. Buy your own copy because you will want to re-read it again and again. The Modern Library 2002 translation is the version I read.

Dumas, Alexandre. (2002). The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Modern Library.

Zero Day

Zero Day by Jan Gangsei combines intrigue, espionage, politics, terrorism, and more in a story about a kidnapped girl.

When Adele Webster was eight years old she was kidnapped. Right out of the Virginia governor's mansion. She has been missing for eight years.

Her father, now President Webster, has followed every lead or clue to find her. Now, a young woman has been found at a truck stop in Pennsylvania claiming to be Addie. She says she was kept in a lock room for most of her time with the couple who took her.

Once DNA confirms her identity, Addie has the challenge of settling into "normal" life in the White House. Her mother is, of course, thrilled she is home. Her younger sister is not home and no one will tell her where she is. And Addie has a sister who was born after she was taken.

Darrow, Addie's childhood best friend, has blamed himself for her kidnapping. If he had realized something was wrong and she wasn't just made at him, maybe she would have been found right away. This guilt has shaped him. Now that Addie is home, he just wants to be around her again.

But Addie has a secret. And a National Security Advisor will do anything he can to keep an eye on her until he is sure she is not a threat to the president.

Gangsei has written a great, fast-paced book. It is the perfect summer read.

Gangsei, Jan. (2016). Zero Day. New York: Hyperion.

Girl Mans Up

Girl Mans Up by ME Girard is the story of Pen deciding to be who she need to be for herself instead of who others want her to be.

Torn between what her immigrant parents want for her, what her best friend is pushing her to do, and what she feels inside, Pen (short for Penelope) is being pulled in too many directions. Add the fact that the girl she has a crush on is the girl her best friend, Colby, wants her to talk to - for him.

Set outside of Toronto, Girard's book about a girl who doesn't fit the stereotype of what a teen girl should be, is a griping tale that combines all of the pressures of being a teen with that of being split between two cultures and trying to come out in a homophobic setting.

Girl Mans Up will be released September 2016.

Girard, ME. (2016). Girl Mans Up. New York: Katherine Tegan Books.

Dept of Speculation

Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill is an amazing and unique book.

Beautifully written, this is the story of a relationship. Readers will follow the narrator through meeting someone, getting to know him, getting married and having a child.

Set in Brooklyn, people who live here will recognize some of the more ridiculous and charming aspects of the city.

The amazing thing about this book is that Offill took the time to make each and every paragraph perfect. Each one is physically separated on the page like a stanza of poetry. And each one stands on it own. But together they tell the story of a life.

If you are a fan of books or good writing, check out this unique novel.

Offill, Jenny. (2014). Dept of Speculation. New York: Vintage Books.

Before the Fall

After the Fall by Noah Hawley is a great book that tells the tale of a plane crash - and all of the people on the plane.

A small, private plane is flying from Martha's Vineyard to New York. Aboard the plane are two very wealthy couples, the crew, and a painter. Once the plane crashes, with only a two survivors, the story looks at each person and their lives leading up to that day mixed with the current day National Transportation Safety Board investigation, the news stations speculating on why and how, and the altered lives of the two survivors.

Hawley is a great writer. His book is a well crafted story of disaster, mystery and human interest. I cannot recommend it enough. Buy a copy today.

Hawley, Noah. (2016). Before the Fall. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Field of Dishonor (Honor Harrington #4)

Field of Dishonor by David Weber is the fourth book in his Honor Harrington series - a space captain from the star system of Manticore.

After a large battle with Haven, Honor's ship is limping home. Her armada suffered heavy losses but Haven was stopped from their almost continual expansion.

Meanwhile, back on Manitcore, the Royal Manticoran Navy Judge Advocate General is showing footage of the battle to a grand jury to try one Captain Pavel Young - Honor's nemesis whose ship fled during the battle.

When Honor returns home she will enter into a media frenzy - both for leading the battle and for the coming political fallout for trying a peer of the realm.

While Honor had nothing to do with the cowardice of Young, he will not let that stop him from exacting revenge.

Weber's Honor Harrington series is my favorite military scifi / space opera. It has all of the battles, politics, and science plus a kick ass woman at the center. If you are a fan of science fiction don't miss this series.

Weber, David. (1994). Field of Dishonor. New York: Baen.

Forged in Fire (Sarah Beauhall #3)

Forged in Fire by JA Pitts is the third book in his series featuring Sarah Beauhall - a lesbian blacksmith who lives in a Seattle with dragons, dwarves and witches.

The Black Briar team - a medieval reenactment/fighting group are healing after a battle with a dragon while also focusing on finding a dark magic wielder in the area. There is also the danger of the Dragon Liberation Front who want dragons to rule in public instead of behind the scenes.

Sarah and Katie are recovering after a fight at the home of a fellow blacksmith. The witch Quindra is still trapped inside that home, keeping the forces at bay. In the mean time, Sarah is filling in for Quindra with the dragon Niddog - she who controls the Seattle area.

Pitts has created a fun series for fans of fantasy and mythology. The setting is both familiar and drastically different than our own world, which makes it easier for new readers of fantasy.

Pitts, JA. (2012). Forged in Fire. New York: Tor.

Pacific Burn (Jim Brodie #3)

Pacific Burn by Barry Lancet is the third book in the Jim Brodie series. Brodie owns an antique shop in San Francisco and inherited half of his father's P.I. business based in Tokyo.

Jim Brodie is working the the S.F. mayor on the Pacific Rim Friendship Program - exchanging art with our neighbors around the ocean. Brodie is the liaison with Japan and has convinced his friend and artist Ken Nobuki to come display his art.

A couple of days before the opening of the first art exhibit, Brodie is called by Det. Renna of the SFPD. There has been a death and Brodie is needed. When they arrive in Napa, a young boy is repeating a sentence in Japanese - asking for Brodie.

Shu Nobuki and his father Toru, a sketch artist, have arrived early. But now Toru is dead. The young boy is the only witness to his apparent fall. But Shu says he did it.
Soon a sketch artist is brought in and there is a suspect in the death of Toru Nubuki.

When Shu's grandfather, Ken, arrives in California, he and Brodie are shot at. Someone is targeting the Nobuki family. Brodie Security takes it upon themselves to protect the remaining two siblings as well as guard Ken's wife and grandson who returned to Japan.

An investigation spanning multiple countries, with too many possibilities, beings. Lancet has created a great mystery / thriller. Jim Brodie is a great character who has been compared to Gabriel Allon by Daniel Silva - likely for his expertise in art along with getting into dicey situations because of work. This is a great series - my only complaint is that I now have to wait for him to write another one. Work fast Barry Lancet!

Lancet, Barry. (2016). Pacific Burn. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Tokyo Kill (Jim Brodie #2)

Tokyo Kill by Barry Lancet is the second book in his Jim Brodie mystery series. Brodie owns an antique store in San Fransisco that specializes in Japanese are and furniture, but Brodie also inherited half of his father's PI business based in Tokyo - a job he was groomed for from a young age.

While Brodie is in Japan on an art run, an older man insists on seeing him at Brodie Security. A WWII veteran, the man is convinced someone is targeting the remaining members of his team. During the war they were assigned to Manchuria, China - land conquered by Japan.

At the same time, art that hasn't been seen publicly for decades begins to appear. Paintings by Sengai, one in London and one in Toyko, are starting a buzz in the art world.

After agreeing to protect the older man, a murder shocks Brodie Security, setting off a race through the art world, a Japanese Kendo club, and the backstreets of Tokyo's Chinatown.

Lancet has created a great character in Jim Brodie. He has been compared to Daniel Silva and Jack Reacher. Fans of mystery fiction or Japan will love this well-written series.

Lancet, Barry. (2014). Tokyo Kill. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Boar Island (Anna Pigeon #19)

Boar Island by Nevada Barr is the nineteenth book in her Nevada Barr series about a national park ranger. Each book takes place in a different US nation park, this one in Acadia.

Anna has a small family. Biologically, it is just her and her sister Molly, who is a therapist in New York. Anna recently married Paul, a sheriff and pastor in Mississippi. And she has a few friends close enough to consider them family - Heath and her adopted daughter Elizabeth, Anna's goddaughter, and Heath's aunt Gwen. So when Heath calls in a panic about Elizabeth, Anna races over to help.

Elizabeth is the victim of cyber-bullying. Online and on her phone she is receiving photos and messages that are filled with lies and threats. When Heath finds out, she calls in reinforcements - Anna and Gwen. Together they decide to get away for the summer and let things cool off. The police are not very helpful - some issues over the jurisdiction in cyberspace.

Anna is being sent to Acadia National Park, Maine to cover for the district ranger. And Gwen has an old friend who owns an island in the area - really just a big rock with a lighthouse.

But the online stalker follows them. The threats get more violent and it sounds like he/she is in Bar Harbor. Who would follow a teenage girl almost three thousand miles to harass her?

Barr has been writing Anna Pigeon books for a while (since 1993) and the character has grown over the years. While she has changed a bit, she is still one of the best female characters solving mysteries. If you have any interest in the out of doors or the national parks, check one out.

Barr, Nevada. (2016). Boar Island. New York: Minotaur Books.

Japantown (Jim Brodie #1)

Japantown by Barry Lancet is the first book in his mystery series featuring Jim Brodie. Brodie grew up in Japan until the age of seventeen when his mother returned to California and his father stayed. He now lives in San Francisco where he runs an antiques business. He inherited half of his father's P.I. business - the main office is in Tokyo with a satellite in his antique shop in S.F.

When a family is murdered in the Japanese part of the city, SFPD Detective Renna calls Brodie in to consult. Brodie is an expert in the language and culture. At the scene, the kill has left a kanji, or Japanese character. Renna hopes that Brodie can read it. Unfortunately, Brodie has seen it before but could find no trace of it's origin or meaning.

As Brodie starts investigating, he gets the attention of a couple of people. A famous Japanese business man wants to hire him to do what the police have already hired him to do - but in exchange for a lot of money he wants the killer dead when found. And someone who was left behind to make sure the police investigation goes nowhere is wary of Brodie's involvement.

Lancet has created a great character in Jim Brodie. He has some Veronica Mars qualities, as he was trained by his father from an early age to be an investigator. His background and knowledge of two cultures makes his moves between the two seamless. I will be devouring the next two books right away and then impatiently awaiting the next.

Lancet, Barry. (2013). Japantown. New York: Simon and Schuester.

If I Was Your Girl

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo is a beautiful story of a young woman becoming who she is meant to be.

Amanda is moving to a small time outside of Atlanta. She will be living with her father for the first time since her parent's divorce six years ago. She is ready to start a new school - one where no one knows her. Her plan is to keep her head down and finish and get into a good college in a big city.

Amanda makes friends on her first day of school. Grant asks her out for his friend Parker. Amanda thinks that he is tricking her - she is not used to good attention. She does not think she is pretty - but her new classmates seem to think so. At her last school, Amanda was passing as a boy - the body she was mistakenly born into. Most of the attention was focused on shoving her into lockers. But now, after hormone therapy, starting over, she is starting to feel like herself.

After missing the bus home - due to a rather unscheduled art period - Amanda is picked up on her walk home (6 miles in 113 degrees) by three new classmates. Layla, Anne and Chloe are a group. They want to get to know the new, pretty girl, and add her to their group.

Readers will follow Amanda through a school year and her decision about whether to tell people about her past - her new friends and her first boyfriend. Amanda is a great and sympathetic character - she was written to be appealing to a wide audience in that she fits in as a girl (no trouble passing) who has had access to medical therapy (very expensive and hard to get so early in development) and she is straight. These choices Russo made do not make Amanda a less realistic character. She has obviously worked hard to get where she is at the beginning of the story. This book is a great introduction to a trans character.

Russo, Meredith. (2016). If I Was Your Girl. New York: Flatiron Books.

The Regional Office is Under Attack!

The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales is a story of female superheroes who regularly save the world from forces of darkness - until some of them decide to attack the very office that safeguards the world.

Sarah is the right hand of the person who runs the Regional Office - located a mile underground in midtown Manhattan. She was tracked by Mr. Niles until she was old enough to recruit. She doesn't know why Mr. Niles took her under his wing and seems to be grooming her to take over.

Mr. Niles started the Regional Office with Oyemi. She found the oracles who tell them what is going to happen. Henry picks up the recruits who help save the world. It is a strangely effective set up.

Rose was recruited by Henry - but not to work at the Regional Office. Rose was recruited to help attack the Office. Someone wants to bring the whole system down.

Told from the perspectives of Rose and Sarah, the attack on the Regional Office, is carried out with flashbacks to how each of the arrived there - plus interspersed papers from an academic study of the office. While there are superheroes and oracles, this book is a literary novel. It does not read like a Marvel comic. Gonzales beautifully writes about the characters in the style of someone like Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Ann-Marie MacDonald. 

Gonzales, Manuel. (2016). The Regional Office is Under Attack! New York: Riverhead Books.

The Short Victorious War (Honor Harrington #3)

The Short Victorious War by David Weber is book three in his Honor Harrington series. Honor is a space captain from the Royal Manticore Navy.

After a long recovery from battle injuries, Honor is ready to go back to work. She is surprised at her orders - she is assigned captain of the newest battlecruiser of the Navy, the HMS Nike.Honor's new crew includes on of her oldest friends - Mike Henke - from the naval academy.

The Nike is being sent to Hancock Station - a repair and staging area in the middle of know-where, halfway to the farthest wormhole station controlled by Manitcore.

The Peoples Republic of Haven and Manticore have been in a cold war for more than half a Terran century. Haven has been taking over small planets and systems, growing a larger presence. But the cost of the increasing population has taken its toll on the economy. People are starting to become restless. That is why the leaders believe they need a short, decisive war with Manticore to refocus attention.

Captain Harrington will be position to see battle if Haven attacks. Hancock is a strategic base because it lies at the edge of Manticore space.

Weber has created a great series with Honor Harrington. She is a great character - what I hope humans evolve into once we spread through out space. If you are a fan of science fiction or great female characters, read this series.

Weber, David. (1994). The Short Victorious War. New York: Baen.

Merchant of Alyss (Legends of the Realm #2)

Merchant of Alyss by Thomas Locke is the second book in his Legends of the Realm fantasy series.

Hyam, the reluctant hero who fought the Red Mage, is slowly recovering from battle. He and his wife, Joelle, live outside of Fallmouth Port. The city has grown with those who are against the tyrant king and want to live under a reasonable ruler - the rightful ruler of the realm.

When a mage arrives with a cart full of ancient scrolls, Hyam is drawn toward their power. Though no one else can even see writing on the page, Hyam can see and read the forbidden language of the Milantian. Also included are two small scrolls in a language Hyam has never seen.

The Earl puts together a group to travel with Hyam and Joelle to find more scrolls and a way to translate the new language. But their quest will soon change focus as evidence of a new evil appears.

Locke's first Legends of the Realm book, Emissary, is one of the best fantasy books I have read. Merchant of Alyss is of equal interest and quality. This is a great series for fantasy fans - and an approachable series for those who are not yet fans of the genre.

Locke, Thomas. (2016). Merchant of Alyss. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.

My Year Zero

My Year Zero by Rachel Gold is the story of one young woman finding her place.

Lauren lives with her father in Duluth, Minnesota. She is one of three out lesbians at her high school and she is hoping she doesn't have to wait for college to find her first girlfriend.

A visitor to her school will change everything. Sierra is in town from the Twin Cities visiting a friend. She is much cooler than the people in the school. And Lauren is drawn to her. After a conversation, Sierra invites Lauren to join her story group. They are writing an epic science fiction story online. Lauren can take over one of the characters already in the story - she just has to stick with is already know about her.

Convincing her father to let her travel to Minneapolis to stay with Sierra over break, Lauren joins the group. She tries to spend time with them, but lives three hours away. The distance between herself and the life she wants is more obvious than ever. And her life at home is not great. Her father pays no attention to her except to criticize. Her only outlet is the story and other people writing with her.

Gold is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I loved this book. The characters, both the ones I like and the ones I don't, are compelling and real. The story within the story was great - and a great idea. And two people coming together who understand each other - at a time in their lives when not many do - was beautiful.

Gold, Rachel. (2016). My Year Zero. Tallahassee, FL: Bella Books.

Powerless

Powerless by Tim Washburn reads like a great disaster movie.

It is the middle of the night in Boulder, Colorado when an alarm goes off at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center. The intern on duty was never trained on what to do if an alarm sounded - it was so unlikely to happen.

Satellites have detected a coronal mass ejection. A CME is a geomagnetic solar storm of invisible matter that can cause mass power outages if it hits Earth. Think a giant solar flare. The largest CME on record hit in 1859 - back when the use of electricity was pretty low compared to today.

The scientists best guess is that the storm would hit the northern hemisphere in as few at seventeen hours. If so, it will kill all electronics - from the power grid to cell towers, from the pumps that control fresh water and sewage to the controls at the nuclear plants. Basically, life as we know it will grind to a halt.

President Harris and his advisors have to decide whether to tell the public - causing a mass panic and wars over water and canned goods - or allow it to be a surprise and risk every person in a hospital or on an airplane.

Zeke Marshall lives on the edge of his parents land in Oklahoma. He is a retired army vet who makes furniture. His workshop has been losing power off and on all morning. He doesn't know that soon power from Anchorage to Boston to London will be out. But his time in Afghanistan may give him the skills to survive and maybe even make it to Dallas to collect his sister and her family and bring them home.

Washburn has written a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, worst-case scenario - one that could actually happen. This is a great read for fans of disaster movies, natural disasters and Earth science. It illustrates how much we rely on electricity for every part of our lives.

Washburn, Tim. (2015). Powerless. New York: Pinnacle Books.

Burn (Anna Pigeon #16)

Burn by Nevada Barr is the sixteenth book in her Anna Pigeon series - a park ranger with the National Park Service.

Anna is on leave following a couple of intense situations and injuries. In order to get away from just sitting at home - she has never been great at being idle - Anna decides to visit a colleague in New Orleans.

Geneva works at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. She is a ranger, but spends her days singing - most of the rangers assigned to New Orleans are singers and musician who educate about the history of the area and its music. 

Anna runs into a group of what she thinks of as gutter punks. When one of their dogs gets away, she automatically follows the dog. When she catches him, the man who lost him is not grateful - he lashes out at her. And when she returns to one of the apartments behind Geneva's house, he is there. Jordan rents one of the other apartments. 

Geneva, who is blind, has a different image of Jordan that Anna sees. Geneva pictured a woman, and Jordan always pays rent on time. Anna is convinced that Jordan is up to something and decides to follow him to find out what.

Barr has created a great character in Anna Pigeon. She has seen a lot through the series of books - each set in a different national park. Mystery readers will devour this series. Adventure and outdoor enthusiasts will love the setting and harrowing situations in which Ranger Pigeon finds herself. If you don't know the series, you can start at book one - Track the Cat - or book 17 which is a look back at Anna's first park assignment: The Rope.

Barr, Nevada. (2010). Burn. New York: St. Martin's Press.

The Honor of the Queen (Honor Harrington #2)

The Honor of the Queen by David Weber is the second book in his Honor Harrington series - Honor is a spaceship captain in the Manitcore Navy far in the future - after humans spread through the stars.

Generations ago a group of people left Old Earth in search of a planet free of the slavery of technology. They left to go back to an older way of life - a way based on the Bible. After founding a planet, a schism formed among the people  - between those who wanted strict adherence to the word of God in all thing and the more moderate.

Now there are neighboring worlds filled by the progeny of the followers of Austin Grayson. The planets Grayon and Masada. And the worlds are located in space between the two superpowers in the galaxy - two superpowers who are edging toward war. Each side - Manticore and Haven - sees the benefit of becoming allies with (and possibly constructing forward bases on) Masada or Grayson.

Captain Honor Harrington is in charge of a fleet of Manticore ships headed toward Grayson on a diplomatic mission. While she is a fine captain and tactician, she is an odd choice. For the Graysons do not believe women to have the capacity to be in any role other than wife. Women have no rights on Grayson and are protected by their husbands. Their delegates will be in for a shock. (And Grayson is the more liberal of the two planets.)

Meanwhile, the People's Republic of Haven has moved a couple of high tech war ships into orbit to aid Masada in their plot to take Grayson  - following God wishes.

Weber has created a fascinating military science fiction series with a great character at the head. Honor Harrington is the best we can hope to evolve into as a species. The politics and religion makes for interesting reading, partly due to current trends in our own society. Reader's will want Honor in charge if they ever have to face a threat in the galaxy.

Weber, David. (1993). The Honor of the Queen. New York: Baen.

A Tyranny of Petticoats

A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers, and Other Badass Girls edited by Jessica Spotswood is a short story collection of some of the most popular YA female authors writing historical fiction.

Stories across America - from dogsleds, ships, stagecoaches, trains - from 1710 to 1968 - some great authors tell stories of young women following their own paths in the times when gender roles were more rigid.

Highlights include Andrea Cremer's tale of the supernatural creatures competing to decide which side of the American Civil War they will help, the North or the South. Caroline Tung Richardson tells the tale of a spy for the South hidden among Washington, D.C. society.

Beth Revis's tale tells of a young woman leaving Chicago to avoid an unwanted marriage - and becoming a teacher to the child who would become known as Annie Oakley.

YS Lee, already a master of historical fiction, tells the tale of two sisters who own a saloon in the Alaskan gold rush - and of the man who tries to steal it.

Elizabeth Wein continues her theme of historical fiction and pilots to follows a girl who idolizes Miss Bessie Coleman, the first black woman in America to earn a pilot's license.

Kekla Magoon and Robin Talley finish out this great collection with stories of the Civil Right Movement. Magoon with a Black Panthers story set in California. Talley's set in Chicago.

A Tyranny of Petticoats is a great collection of short stories about American women, and a great addition to any book collection.

Full list of authors:
J. Anderson Coats
Andrea Cremer
Y.S. Lee
Katherine Longshore
Marie Lu
Kekla Magoon
Marissa Meyer
Saundra Mitchell
Beth Revis
Caroline Tung Richmond
Lindsay Smith
Jessica Spotswood
Robin Talley
Leslye Walton
Elizabeth Wein

Spotswood, Jessica. Ed. (2016). A Tyranny of Petticoats. New York: Candlewick Press.

Not Otherwise Specified

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz is the story of Etta's life from when her friends disowned her to when she figured out who she wanted to be as a person.

Etta is having trouble with her friends. She is a part of a group of lesbians at an all girls school in small town Nebraska. But she is not lesbian. She is bi. She told her friends, but when she dates a guy, they shun her.

Without her support network Etta focuses on the other parts of her life. She attends a eating disorder group after school where she befriends one of the other members - the shy, younger Bianca.

Bianca and her brother are part of a group of local kids who are auditioning for a prestigious performing arts high school in New York city. Though Etta has applied every year, she has not gotten an interview. But this year is different. There will be regional tryouts in dance, voice and theater before they ever look at the application.

Etta and Bianca, along with Bianca's brother and best friend, grow closer. Etta starts to look at the decisions she has made in her life and see that maybe some of them were maybe the right decisions but made for the wrong reasons.

Moskowitz has created a talented, likable character who doesn't fit into her school or town, but learns that it is more important what she (and maybe a close friend or two) thinks than people she would not like to hang out with anyway. Etta grown into herself - the person she is on the inside.

Moskowitz, Hannah. (2015). Not Otherwise Specified. New York: Simon Pulse.

Life After Life

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is an amazing book. Read it now!

Ursula was born on a snowy night in February 1910 to Hugh and Sylvie Todd. She is the third Todd child, to be followed by two more.

But there are complications. Ursula is born with the umbilical cord around her neck - blocking the flow of oxygen. She dies.

Again, February 1910 on a snowy night - Ursula Todd is born and the doctor arrives in time to save her.

And so her life goes. Either a divine intervention resets Ursula's life so that she lives, or we are seeing one of the possibilities - alternate timelines - of her life.

Ursula lives in a fascinating time in western history. Her father, Hugh, will fight in WWI. England, and the lives of everyone in it, will be greatly affected by World War II a few years later. Siblings Pamela and Teddy, aunt Izzie and Ursula's parents live through good times and bad - with the decisions Ursula makes bearing more weight that any of them would think.

I cannot say much else without major spoilers. This is one of the best books I have read. The writing is excellent, the storytelling superb and the twist - the thing that makes this book absolutely unique - combine to make it a must read. Fans of writers like Lauren Groff, AnneMarie MacDonald or Sarah Waters will especially love it.

Atkinson, Kate. (2013). Life After Life. New York: Back Bay Books.

Lumberjanes

Lumberjanes by Noelle Steveson and Grace Ellis, drawn by Brooke Allen, is a great (award winning) YA graphic novel series.

Lumberjanes are campers at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types. Five of them who share a cabin and are great friends - Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley - can find adventure anywhere.

Along with a strong message of girl power, the Lumberjanes use the best curses, siting famous women including Bessie Coleman and Mae Jemison, and solving puzzles with the likes of the Fibonacci sequence.

Follow them on an Indiana-Jones-like adventure through woods stocked with wacky and dangerous creatures from Yeti to talking statues.

Three volumes are currently out in the Lumberjanes series:
1. Beware the Kitten Holy
2. Friendship to the Max
3. A Terrible Plan

Readers from ages 13 to 50 will enjoy this wonderful series.

Stevenson, Noelle and Grace Ellis. (2015). Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy. Los Angeles: Boom Box!

Journey to Munich (Maisie Dobbs #12)

Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear is the twelfth book in her historical mystery series featuring Maisie Dobbs.

It is 1938. Maisie Dobbs is back in London after time spent in Spain, once again being a nurse in a war. She is still recovering from a personal loss. When she returns to London, she is not sure where she belongs. Her old flat is rented out and her house has too many memories. She finds herself walking toward her old office when she encounters a man with whom she used to work.

Robert MacFarlane is no longer with Scotland Yard. He now works for the Secret Service. And he has a job for which he needs Maisie's help. Having no plans of her own, Maisie agrees to a meeting.

The German government has been holding a British man in one of their prisons - at Dachau. They have agreed to release him, but only to a relative. Unfortunately, the man's only relative - his daughter - is not well enough to travel. And she does (slightly) resemble Maisie. The man is a boffin, or engineer, and England needs him for the likely war with Germany. Luckily, the Germans do not know how valuable an asset they have captured.

Maisie will come in contact with the Nazi machine, in a city cowed by fear. On top of her assignment, she will be asked by a family friend to look in on his daughter who is rumored to be in Munich, and ask her to come home - a request that will put Maisie in more danger as she is going not as herself but as Edwina Donat.

Winspear is an amazing writer. Of the one hundred plus books I read each year, this is one of my favorite series. Maisie Dobbs is one of the best protagonists in fiction. Read this series from the beginning. Read it now! Go on, run to your library or bookstore and get started!

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2016). Journey to Munich. New York: Harper.

Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens

Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens by Steve Olson is an account of the worst volcanic event in US history and its scientific and social backstory.

For months in early 1980 the Cascadia fault line under Mount St. Helens in the southwest Washington state began rumbling - concerning scientists and nearby residents and exciting media and sightseers. Scientists (volcanologists) at the time new little about the type of eruption that was to happen, but swarmed the area trying to both study the mountain data and give locals a warning if any large-scale events.

The government officials danced between restricting access to potentially dangerous area and popularity with hikers and residents. After a couple of weeks of shaking and some ash expulsion, things seemed to quiet down. But on one side of mountain a bulge began to grow. At some point, it could slide downhill or, if enough pressure built, erupt.

On the morning of Sunday, May 18, 1980 at 8:33am Mount St. Helens exploded. Instead of the stereotypical eruption straight up into the air, the bulge opened and slid, with a destructive, boiling cloud heading north, northeast and northwest. The sideways angle allowing the destruction to travel farther that anyone thought possible.

Olson tells the story of the people in the area that morning, including the 57 people killed and the survivors to made it through the eruption / ash storm, but starting earlier with the lumber tycoon who owned miles of forest around the mountain and early efforts to protect our wild land. Eruption is a great narrative nonfiction book that brings both the science and people of the Mount St. Helens 1980 eruption to life.

I remember where I was the day it erupted. I was 10 years old, in third grade, living in a small town in Northern California. A friend and I were playing in the backyard. The sky filled with ash that day - giant flakes - as the sun dimmed even though we were about 700 miles south of Mount St. Helens. Ash affected eleven US states and five Canadian provinces. I cannot fathom the power behind such an event.

Olson, Steve. (2016). Eruption. New York: WW Norton and Company, Inc.

Sound (Salvage #2)

Sound by Alexandra Duncan is the sequel to her book Salvage, set in the far distant future.

Miyole has wanted to be a deep space engineer since she was quite young. Rescued from a freak storm that killed most of the people in the Gyre, Miyole moved to India and excelled at school.

Now sixteen, but with papers that say she is eighteen, Miyole is on a Deep Sound Research Institute ship headed for the farthest reaches of known space. She is a research assistant working on adapting butterflies and bees to live in terraformed atmospheres.

When the ship is approached by another, smaller ship, all aboard are asked to go to their stations. Trained as a medic, Miyole is on her way to the dock when part of a fighter breaks through the wall. The bio-mechanical substance that forms her ship begins to heal right away, but Miyole's life has been changed forever.

A family is rescued from the crash, but pirates had one of the sons. His sister, Cessia, is determined to somehow follow and save him. Miyole, instantly smitten, will agree to help Cessia steal a shuttle, retrofit it, and search for him.

Duncan has created a fascinating science fiction world - multiple worlds, really - in this series. Miyole lived on a floating island, will visit a planet where everyone lives under the sea, and space ships are grown instead of fabricated.

Duncan, Alexandra. (2015). Sound. New York: Greenwillow Books.

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman is the first book in her series featuring Lady Helen Wrexhall in regency England.

It is 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is about to be presented to the queen and enter British society as an adult. Helen and her brother are being raised by her aunt and uncle after their parents death. Helen's aunt is hoping the stain of Helen's mother does not limit her chances at a good marriage. Her mother was accused of treason.

Two men notice her as soon as she is presented. Her brother's best friend - a match that would rank Helen so high she would be in line for the crown. And a distant cousin who is trying to find his way back into society after being accused of killing his wife.

Goodman has taken regency England and added a new element in this alternate history series. Hidden in the world Lady Helen is entering is another layer - Deceivers who feed on people and the Reclaimers who have to protect society from them. This is a great start to a wonderful series!

Goodman, Alison. (2016). The Dark Days Club. New York: Viking.

Emissary (Legends of the Realm #1)

Emissary by Thomas Locke is a beautiful fantasy novel - and the first in a (hopefully long, long) series.

Hyam of the Three Valleys is a likable young man who will make a great farmer someday. His plot of land in the forest is more than enough to feel him and his mom with left over to sell. But as his mother is on her death bed, she begs him to return to the Long Hall where he studied for five years as a boy.

Hyam's mastery of language was go great that it made people at the Long Hall suspicious. Humans usually spend a lifetime mastering the languages of the other creatures (Ashanta and Elves) and none can read more than a few words of Milantian. But Hyam mastered them all before he left the hated magic school.

Now, while delivering his mother message, the Mistress of the Long Hall gives him a startling revelation that will send Hyam on a path to his destiny.

Locke has created a novel that epitomizes great fantasy. It is rich in description and world with a hero's journey, a strong allies, and an evil foe. Fans of the genre or fans of great adventures will love this book!

Locke, Thomas. (2015). Emissary. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.

Fates and Furies

Fates and Furies by Laruen Groff is the story of a relationship between Lotto and Mathilde.

At the age of twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde met at college. Two weeks later they were married.

It is hard to say much more without spoilers.

Readers follow their lives through their marriage, with some flashbacks to childhood. Groff has written an epic tale of the lives of two people. Her writing is beautiful, her words and phrases poetic, her characters flawed - which makes them so real. Just pages in, you can see why this novel won the National Book Award.

It takes a masterful author to be able to write a book out of chronological order and yet lead readers seamlessly through the lives of Lotto and Mathilde. Groff's writing reminds me of Ann Marie MacDonald, though the feel of the story is different. Groff writes in a way that leaves readers breathless at plot twists.

Read this book! Now! You will both love and hate the characters, but in the end you will love this book.

Groff, Lauren. (2015). Fates and Furies. New York: Riverhead Books.

Honeyed Words (Sarah Beauhall #2)

Honeyed Words by JA Pitts is the second book in his series featuring Sarah Beauhall - a smith who repaired an ancient sword, restoring it magic and gaining the attention of the creatures around Seattle.

As Sarah settles into her new view of the world - one that includes dragons, dwarves, gods, witches and Valkyries - and recovers from battle wounds, she feels responsible for the other people who got hurt. Sarah is doing what she can for her boss's business while her boss, Julie, recovers.

The smiths around Seattle are taking up the slack and working with Sarah, who is still an apprentice, to keep Julie's clients happy. One of the smiths who is willing to help out lives way out of town in the mountains.

Anezka is a strange woman. She seems to be a great smith, but her house has a strange feeling. There is almost a force field around it. And she has a demon living with her.

Pitts has created a world within our own - filled with creatures from Norse mythology, witches, dragons, and more. Sarah Beauhall is a flawed character who is doing her best after discovering the hidden truth around her. Like many fantasy trilogies, the second book is about growing and/or recovering but overall I love this series.

Pitts, J.A. (2011). Honeyed Words. New York: Tor.

Symptoms of Being Human

Symptoms of Being a Human by Jeff Garvin is a book about a high school student who does not fit neatly into a box.

Riley Cavanaugh is changing schools. And Riley thinks life will be better in public school. Riley doesn't fit the stereotype of how a person should act or dress - Riley is gender fluid - sometimes feeling like a girl and sometimes like a boy. But classmates tend to react poorly if you change your look once they have labeled you, so Riley tends to dress androgynously - somewhere in the middle.

To make matters worse, Riley's father is running for reelection to Congress.

Garvin has written a great book where readers are never sure of Riley's sex. And why should it matter? Follow Riley through a school year - gaining two good friends and a handful of enemies.

Symptoms of Being Human is a great and important read.

Garvin, Jeff. (2016). Symptoms of Being Human. New York: Balzer & Bray.

Promising Hearts (Prairie Romance #2)

Promising Hearts by Radclyffe is the sequel to Innocent Hearts, a historical romance / western set in the Montana territory.

Dr. Vance Phelps is heading west after the end of the civil war. She is a surgeon - trained at the women's doctor college in Philadelphia - like her father and her brother. The war was not kind to her. During one of the last battles between North and South, Vance's trauma hospital was hit. Now she is adrift and needs a new start. She will not be the doctor she thought she would be - not with only one arm.

The town of New Hope, Montana Territory, is a place to start again. Her father knows the town doctor and called in a favor. And Vance thinks she might be better off away from the cities and the society rules she grew up around. She does not expect to find happiness, but a distance from the war would be welcome.

What Vance does not count on is the trio of women she is about to meet. Jessie, Kate and Mae will change Vance's life. When the local doctor assigns her to check on the women who work at the Nugget, he tells her to look for the prettiest woman west of the Mississippi. When she see Mae, her heart skips a beat.

Radclyffe has written a wonderful historical novel featuring women who love women and how they might have lived during the late 1800s. Her characters are strong, independent and brave to make lives of their own during the time period.

Radclyffe. (2006). Promising Hearts. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

The Guilty (Will Robie #4)

The Guilty by David Baldacci is the fourth book in his Will Robie series about a CIA assassin.

Will Robie is one of the best snipers the CIA has in its secret black book. He has been on numerous assignments and has pulled them off professionally. But on his latest mission something goes wrong and an innocent is killed along with his target.

When Robie gets word that his father is on trial for murder, his first response is to try to re-bury the past. But after a fail attempt at work, he decides to head to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to the town of Cantrell - a town he left 22 years ago with no intention of ever returning.

After some information hunting - like pulling teeth to get the locals to talk to someone who left - he puts together that his dad is accused of killing a man who was acquitted of murder himself. Robie will get to the bottom of what happened, but unlike his day job, the target is undefined.

Baldacci is a great writer of suspense and mystery novels. Will Robie is a great character who can take care of himself even within the twists and turns of this plot. Great series for fans of good books!

Baldacci, David. (2015). The Guilty. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Black Blade Blues (Sarah Beauhall #1)

Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts is the first book in the Sarah Beauhall trilogy. Sarah is a smith who lives in Seattle. During the day she works the forge and at night she works for a low budget movie as prop manager.

Sarah has loaned her favorite sword to the movie - a black blade she got at an auction. When the annoying main actor swings the sword and does not pull up, but hits the edge of the stage, it shatters.

As a smith, Sarah will be able to fix the sword, but it will not be easy. And she wants to do it right. One of the movie extras (who claims to be a dwarf) wants to watch. He says the sword is old and was not properly repaired or it would not have broken.

When Sarah fixes the sword things begin to happen. With the power of the sword restored, dragons can feel its power. A world Sarah never knew existed is taking notice of her.

Some of her friends in her medieval re-enactment group, including her girlfriend Katie, believe that the stories told as mythology are true. They are ready to help Sarah in the coming battle.

Pitts has created a fascinating world within our own. Sarah is a great, but flawed, character who is trying to overcome a childhood of brainwashing and learn to be happy in her life and with her girlfriend. This is a great book for fangirls everywhere.

Pitts, J.A. (2010). Black Blade Blues. New York: Tor Books.

Borderline (Nevada Barr #15)

Borderline by Nevada Barr is the fifteenth book in her Anna Pigeon mystery / suspense / adventure series which follows a National Parks ranger on her assignments in some of the most beautiful places in the United States.

After a harrowing experience, Anna is taking a little time off to recover. She and her new husband, Paul, are going on a rafting trip on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. It will be a few days on the river with strangers where Anna will not be in any type of leadership role.

Joining four college students and a river guide, Anna is getting used to people again. She is working through PTSD after an attack and is finding it refreshing to be around young people.

Due to some rain upriver, the water levels rise and the rapid around a previous rock slide become more intense - leading to the raft wrapping around a rock and dumping everyone out.

Once on the shore, looking for their gear and each other, one of the college student screams. The body of a woman is tangled in some branches. She appears to be dead. Forming a human chain, Anna reaches her and tries to free her, only to discover that the woman is alive and very pregnant.

Barr's books about Anna Pigeon make up one of my favorite series. Each setting plays a role in the story. The recurring characters - Anna and now Paul - are great people I would love to befriend. If you like mystery, suspense or the great outdoors read these books!

Barr, Nevada. (2009). Borderline. New York: G.P.Putnam's Sons.

Innocent Hearts (Prairie Romance #1)

Innocent Hearts by Radclyffe is an historical romance that takes place in New Hope, Montana Territory in 1860.

Kate Beecher's parents are moving from Boston to the Montana Territory. Her father is a newspaper man and has been invited by a friend to join him to grow the newspaper office. Since Kate is eighteen, her parents give her the choice of joining them or staying in Boston. Kate joins them. She sees the move as an adventure. Plus, she is not interested in any of the young men who have been coming by since her debut.

After a difficult couple of months, the Beechers arrive in New Hope - a town nestled in a valley in Montana just before the Continental Divide. Kate is charmed by the town and feels that the relaxed social rules of dress and gender roles to be an improvement over stuffy Boston.

Jessie Forbes is a local rancher. She was going to be sent back East for schooling when her father died. She took over the ranch and continues to produce some of the best horses West of the Mississippi. Everyone in the town of New Hope is used to seeing Jessie in her men's clothing and thinks nothing of it. But for Kate, the first man who peaks her interest -a dusty cowboy bringing a herd of horses to town for the round up - turns out to be Jessie.

Radclyffe has written a beautiful story of love and discovery. Neither of the women have ever considered that they could be attracted to another woman - only that they had never been very attracted to any man they met. Innocent Hearts is a wonderful western / historical romance novel.

Radclyffe. (2002). Innocent Hearts. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

The Renegade

The Renegade by Amy Dunne is a post-plague dystopian novel.

The Red Death has been killing millions of people. Alex is the last in her family who is not sick. Before he became ill, her father trained her in how to survive - including getting her the best equipment and teaching her how to shoot.

No Alex is on the move, trying to avoid people like her father recommended. But when going through a city she hears voices and gets caught. After getting out of a dangerous situation, she has gained a dog. She didn't realize how lonely she was until she met Paddy.

When an infection knocks her out, she come is nursed back to health by Murphy. She is, at first, afraid that he will be like the men in the city but Murphy is a good guy. Once settled, they travel well together.

Other survivors are living at an abandoned Army camp. It has been named Rapture's Haven and is run by a cult leader, Elijah, who has set back the women's rights movement to the stone age. Once people are found and taken to camp they remain there. Evelyn Bennett is the camp's doctor. As such, you would think she had some say because of her expertise, but that is not the case.

When Alex is brought to camp, she and Evelyn are drawn to each other. But in a camp where the doctrine is procreation, it is a dangerous attraction.

Dunne has written a novel with the feel of McCarthy's The Road, but from the point of view of a single, queer woman traveling alone.

Dunne, Amy. (2015). The Renegade. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Winter Study (Anna Pigeon #14)

Winter Study by Nevada Barr is the fourteenth book in her Anna Pigeon series, a ranger in the US National Parks. Each mystery takes place in a different park.

On loan from her current posting, Anna Pigeon is going back to Isle Royale National Park located on an island in Lake Superior between Minnesota and Ontario. Isle Royale is closed to the public for the winter when a fifty-year plus study is being conducted on wolves and moose on the island. Anna is going to learn more about wolves, as a pack has been reintroduced to her park, Rocky Mountain NP.

With the new government focus on terrorism, a representative from Homeland Security is also joining the team - to evaluate whether the remote park could be used by people trying to sneak across the border. Depending on his report, the wolf study could end and the park opened up to winter visitors.

Anna arrives to a winter wonderland on an island you can only be flown into - when weather permits. The scientists there can be trapped for weeks without a supply run if the cloud cover does not cooperate. Due to the Homeland Security man and his research assistant, the team has a strange dynamic.

A few days later, the research assistant goes missing. Alone on the island with no electricity in a frozen land, the team must find her. And when they do, Anna's background in investigation will compel her to find out what happened.

Barr's series featuring Anna Pigeon is wonderful for both mystery fans and those who love the outdoors. The setting always plays a part in the story. Anna Pigeon is someone you would want on your side in the great outdoors.

Barr, Nevada. (2008). Winter Study. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Salvage (Salvage #1)

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan is a science fiction book about a young woman in a male dominated society.

Ava was born on the ship Parastrata. Most people from the ship never leave the ship - unless they are a high rank or part of a boarding party - and few ever visit Earth. The Parastrata culture is one of men. The women are there to work and have babies.

Ava has always been interested in figures and how things work, but women do not work as fixies. They are not even taught to read. And as the captain's eldest daughter, she is to be married to someone from another ship.

When they travel to the Aether ship for her marriage - Ava is sure she is to be wed to Luck, a boy she met when he and his sister visited her ship years ago. But the night before the official announcement, Ava breaks a rule. A rule so rigid that she will likely be sent to the Void.

With the help of an ally, Ava escapes to Earth. She knows she has an aunt in Mumbai - but she doesn't know where that is, or even how to read. She will have many obstacles to overcome to make a life for herself planetside.

Duncan has written a book of one young woman overcoming great odds. Ava is a formidable character placed in a world that is against her in this interesting science fiction story.

Duncan, Alexandra. (2014). Salvage. New York: Greenwillow Books.