Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

GENRE: YA/Action and Adventure

As usual Rick Riordan does not disappoint! I am looking forward to see how this merges with Percy Jackson. I love all of these books because of the snarkiness of the characters that is not rude but funny and sarcastic. Also the fact that kids learn of mythology through these books is awesome. I hope he keeps them coming.

Echoes Of A Dying World by Don Esquibel

GENRE: Post Apocalyptic, Survival

What starts out as a weekend of celebration ends up being the end of the world as they know it. 

Terrorists blow up major cities and set off an EMP. Morgan and his friends understand quickly that something is wrong and set off to get to Morgan's parents, 500 miles away.

This was such a realistic portrayal of human nature that it was scary. Not sure if the actual event could happen as it did because it took lots of organization. It was the relationships between the group of friends and how they grew throughout the journey that make this book a fast paced read.

This book made me feel a range of emotions. It was so good I laughed and I cried. I want more.

Reunited by H.L.Logan

GENRE: Lesbian Romance

This is a perfect lesbian beach read. It is not heavy and lots of romance(hot and heavy). It has a typical romance plot but sometimes you just want to read something like that.

Violent Ends by Various Authors

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

WOW! This book was amazing in many ways. Each "chapter" tells a perspective of the same event which is a school shooting. As a teacher we are always trying to get our students to think in different perspectives,this book does that to the extreme! I highly recommend this book although the subject matter may not be appropriate for younger children.

Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

GENRE: Historical Fiction

This book is set after World War II and broaches a subject that is not often talked about, The Japanese Internment. Kettle is a young refugee from the internment camps who takes care of a small group of children like him. He insist they earn it honestly so life is hard but they have each other.

Nora is the child of a famous lawyer fighting for the rights of the Japanese but he has a dark side that only his family knows. She is determined to protect her younger sister from the harm that can come within their own house.

The two main characters are well written and the perceptions they have of each other before meeting speaks truth. The time and place setting is very well developed, it puts you there. I love that Taylor used the Japanese Internment as a base of her story. Perhaps more will learn about this tragic time in America.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigberg

GENRE: Coming of Age/Gay

[Openly Straight] gets a new perspective on being a gay teenager. Rafe does not have the stress of coming out because in Boulder, CO he is out. In fact he is the face of being out and popular. He is just tired of being paraded around as the "gay" kid who is doing well. 

When he transfers to an all boys boarding school in the east he decided to go back in the closet and just be Rafe, the boy. Unfortunately it is hard to shove things back in when they already are out.

I really think this book is a great read for anyone but especially those young people who are questioning. The characters are genuine and even Rafe wanting to be normal is, well, normal. Labels are over rated and over used in our world and I think that is one of the points Konigsberg is trying to make. The other big point is just be yourself.