Dead Until Dark

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Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1)

Charlaine Harris

Ace Books: 2001, 292 pages

Reviewed by Kelci Bozada

Sookie Stackhouse seems like your average, small-town waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana.  Except she’s definitely not average.  Sookie can read people’s minds, something she’s been able to do for years but keeps it to herself.  All she wants is a little quiet, but knows she can’t date anyone whose thoughts she can hear.  Then comes along Bill Compton.  Bill is a vampire in a town where people are very wary of his kind, all except Sookie.  As Sookie starts to fall for Bill, a string of murders plagues the town and Bill seems like the prime suspect.  Can Sookie find out who the murderer is before she becomes the next victim? 

Marked

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Marked (House of Night #1)

P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Griffin: 2007, 306 pages

Reviewed by Kelci Bozada

Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has been chosen, or Marked, as a fledgling vampyre to join the House of Night.  The House of Night is a special school were Zoey will learn how to become an adult vampyre. Her new life is definitely not average: she has been given special powers by the vampyre Goddess Nyx, but her powers become stronger and make her different from everyone else as she tries to fit in at a new school.  Zoey must try to understand her new-found powers as she learns more about being a fledgling vampyre. 

Golden Son

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Golden Son (The Red Rising Trilogy, Book 2)
Pierce Brown

Del Rey (Random House): 2015, 466 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

In this sequel to Red Rising, Darrow falls out of favor with his benefactor, Nero au Augustus after losing his final battle at the Academy to rival Karnus au Bellona.  Without Augustus’s support, there is no one to protect Darrow from the bloodthirsty Bellona family.  Out of options, Darrow makes a deal with the duplicitous (and quite likely psychotic) Jackal.  Darrow also reestablishes contact with the rebel Sons of Ares – or what remains of them.  As Darrow becomes more deeply entrenched as a leader of the Peerless Scarred, does he risk losing touch with his Red origins?     

A Discovery of Witches

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A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)

Deborah Harkness

Viking Penguin: 2011, 579 pages

Audiobook length: 24 hours and 2 minutes

Read by Jennifer Ikeda

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Diana Bishop comes from a long line of witches (think back to Salem, Massachusetts) but refuses to give into her magical heritage.  She focuses instead on her work as a historian, spending the year in Oxford for her latest research.  When she unknowingly comes across a magical manuscript thought long lost for centuries, the creature world becomes abuzz with excitement.  Soon there are witches, vampires, and daemons coming into the Bodleian Library in droves, including one Matthew Clairmont, a very old and very intense vampire.  They all believe Diana holds the key in unlocking the bewitched manuscript but Diana doesn't want to be a part of it, at all.  Soon events bind Diana and Matthew to work together while facing increasingly dangerous enemies.  Audiobook narrator Jennifer Ikeda does an excellent job creating a soothing voice in Diana while also managing a wide variety of accents.

Red Rising

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Red Rising (Red Rising #1)

Pierce Brown

Del Rey (Random House): 2014, 382 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

The Earth is dying, so Mars is being colonized by a brave group of pioneer Reds.  Darrow is one of these pioneers, mining for Helium-6 deep under the surface of Mars.  After Darrow’s wife is executed, he is recruited by a secretive group of rebels who open his eyes to the truth: Mars has actually been colonized for generations and Reds like Darrow are toiling away to support the extravagant lifestyles of the Golds living on the surface. Fueled by his rage and a sense of justice, Darrow is reformed into a Gold and sets out to overthrow the colorful caste system from the inside. 

A Great and Terrible Beauty

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A Great and Terrible Beauty 

Libba Bray

Simon and Schuster: 2003, 403 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Sixteen year old Gemma Doyle lives in India with her mother and father, miffed at not being able to go back to London for her first season.  Suddenly there is a horrible family tragedy and she is sent not only back to England but straight to Spence's Academy for Girls.  It's the quintessential Victorian boarding school, focused on educating girls on how to be great wives, hostesses, and mothers.  But Gemma isn't like the other girls; she has a secret, a power that she doesn't understand and doesn't know how to control.  She tries to ignore it while she learns to navigate her new surroundings.  Gemma tricks her way into the mean-girl clique consisting of power-hungry Felicity and Pippa, the most beautiful girl in the whole school, bringing along her roommate, Ann, the scholarship student who is constantly picked on.  When the girls find a hidden diary of a long-ago student who shares the same powers that Gemma is experiencing, the foursome decides to try their hand at this new and unusual magic.  Are they just having some fun they wouldn't ever be allowed to have in the real world or are they acting beyond their control?  What is the price to pay for such pleasure?  Readers should be aware that this is the first book in Bray's trilogy.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

Quirk Classics: 2009, 319 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

In an interesting retelling of a beloved classic, this version of Pride and Prejudice is set in the same time and place as the original, just with the exception of the world having zombies. The lovely Bennet sisters are trained warriors, having studied in China under the expert tutelage of Master Liu, and have vowed to the King to keep their home and surrounding area free of the "unmentionables."  Lizzie is a most determined warrior, believing herself never to marry and relinquish her beloved katana sword.  However, the arrival of Charles Bingley and his friend Fitzwilliam Darcy is putting everyone in a tizzy, and Lizzie is no exception, even if she can't stand the proud and standoffish Darcy.  Readers of the classic story will notice how similar this retelling is to the original, with the exceptions of the brain-eating zombies, of course.

Into Thin Air

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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Jon Krakauer

Anchor: 1997, 337 Pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

Krakauer chronicles climbing Mt. Everest on a guided expedition in May 1996 while researching an article for Outside magazine.  Clients on Rob Hall’s Adventure Consultants guided expedition each paid $65,000 for the opportunity to ascend the world’s tallest mountain.  While Krakauer is able to successfully reach the summit, he is all too aware that reaching the top is only half the battle.  A strong storm hits the upper reaches of Everest as the climbers are returning to camp and claims the lives of multiple climbers.  Into Thin Air provides a first-hand account of the weeks leading up to the tragedy as well as the aftermath for the guilt-ridden survivors.     

Pennyroyal Academy

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Pennyroyal Academy

M.A. Larson

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers: 2014, 320 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

A girl, later named Evie because she has no name, leaves her family in a far away place, traveling through the haunted forests to come to the bustling city in order to enlist at Pennyroyal Academy.  Pennyroyal Academy trains future princesses and knights in order to fight the war against the witches and dragons.  Ever fearful of being cut and having to leave the Academy, Evie must survive the rigorous training by the Fairy Drillsergeant while also navigating this new world of friendships and enemies, of mean girls and cute boys.  The outside war continues to get closer to the Academy while also becoming closer and alarmingly personal for Evie.  She must draw on all her strength and courage in order to not just stay at Pennyroyal Academy but also to just stay alive.

Grin and Beard It

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Grin and Beard It (Winston Brothers #2)

Penny Reid

Cipher-Naught: 2016, 389 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

The second in Penny Reid's Winston Brothers series, this book focuses on oldest brother Jethro.  Jethro made some mistakes in his past but he's moved on and became a better person.  He feels like he's still making amends to his family but he knows he'll never go back to the way he was when he was trying to be a big shot in the local biker gang.  As a park ranger, Jethro finds a very lost but very beautiful woman who is part of the production company that's shooting a movie by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jethro doesn't realize, at first, that the lost woman is Sienna Diaz, the famous A-list comedian and writer.  She's America's sweetheart who is a workaholic but can't help but be captivated by Jethro's good looks and charm.  Will they be able to date like normal people?  Will Sienna's fame and Jethro's past ruin their future?  Readers don't necessarily have to read the first book in the Winston Brothers series but it is highly recommended.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

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Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

Chris Grabenstein

Random House Books for Young Readers: 2016, 288 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics is the sequel to Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.  Kids from all over America are upset at Mr. Lemoncello for not giving them a chance to escape from his library.  So what does he do?  He creates the first ever Library Olympiad!  Teams from across the country battles the hometown heroes as the winning players will receive a full scholarship to the college of their choice.  But something funny's going on.  Books are starting to disappear and a very persistent group of Alexandriaville natives are trying to wrestle control of the library away from Mr. Lemoncello.  Can Kyle and his friends win the game and figure out what in the heck is going on?

Confess

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Confess

Colleen Hoover

Atria Books: 2015, 306 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

Auburn Reed still hasn’t gotten over the death of her high school sweetheart when she was 15.  She’s recently moved to Dallas and is struggling to make ends meet when she accepts a one-night gig helping out at an art gallery.  While the job may be temporary, her intense attraction to the artist Owen is so powerful that neither of them can ignore it.  While their chemistry is undeniable, Auburn wasn’t looking for love and isn’t sure that she has room in her life for Owen.  Owen’s life is also more complicated that it initially appears.  Will Owen and Auburn be able to overcome their pasts and confess their secrets?

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

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Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Katie Alender

Scholastic Press: 2013, 296 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Colette Iselin is going back to her French roots!  A junior at a private school in Ohio, Colette leaps at the chance to spend nine days in France for a school trip.  But Paris is on alert right now: there's a serial killer targeting the young and beautiful and the killing method of choice is decapitation.  Colette isn't worried until she starts seeing visions of a pale woman in a pink ball gown and large white wig, like Marie Antoinette herself. Colette starts to investigate and teams up with a local French boy since her self-obsessed "friends" don't seem that interested.  Colette learns that her father's family may have been a part of something and now it seems that Colette is also involved and in danger! Can she solve the mystery and keep her head connected to her body before the trip is over?

Prom and Prejudice

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Prom and Prejudice

Elizabeth Eulberg

Point: 2011, 231 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet is a musical scholarship student at Longbourn Academy, the sister school of Pemberley Academy.  Things are hard for scholarship students, since the majority of the school's student population are wealthier than some foreign countries.  Prom is a big deal at Longbourn but Lizzie wants nothing to do with it.  Sure, she'll help her roommate and best friend, Jane - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from studying abroad - but that's the extent of her prom involvement.  But Charles isn't the only one back; Will Darcy is back at Pemberley after studying abroad in London too. Lizzie and Darcy's first meeting does not go well (surprise) and she's pretty sure it's because she's a scholarship student.  Chance keeps throwing them together even though Lizzie wants nothing to do with him...or does she?

The Winter People

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The Winter People

Jennifer McMahon

Doubleday: 2014, 317 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

This story flips back and forth between various characters all in a different point of time, beginning in the early 1900s to present time.  They all are affected by goings on at West Hall, a small town in Vermont, and an area of creepy land named Devil’s Hand.  It is a captivating ghost story that keeps the reader wondering up to the end.  I found myself wishing there were photographs to go along with the book.  It was a quick and easy read that I enjoyed and look forward to more by the same author.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Chris Grabenstein

Random House Books for Young Readers: 2013, 304 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Kyle Keeley is the youngest of three boys and considers himself the most average, especially since his oldest brother is a great athlete and his middle brother is considered a genius.  Kyle loves games, especially anything by the great Luigi Lemoncello, who also happens to be building the new library in town.  To commemorate the grand opening, twelve kids will get to spend the night in the library and figure out how to get escape, using the clues hidden in the library.  Kyle is lucky enough to win a spot along with his best friend, Akimi.  Kyle and the others learn that there's more to Lemoncello's library than meets the eye and readers will enjoy following the characters as they literally try to escape Mr. Lemoncello's library.

My Brilliant Friend

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My Brilliant Friend

Elena Ferrante

Europa Editions: 2011, 331 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

My Brilliant Friend is a novel translated from Italian.  I found it hard to follow in some parts, but the story line did keep me interested.  It basically interweaves the lives to two girls as they grow up into young women.  It details the paths they take and how each led to a traditional life or something a bit different.  The author did an excellent job showing how girls are friends and yet dislike one another at times.  There are more books in the series and I want to read to find out more about their paths in life.

The House at Riverton

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The House at Riverton

Kate Morton

Macmillan Pan Books: 2006, 599 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

This novel goes back and forth from present time to the past of one character, Grace.  In present day, she is at the end of her life and begins to reminisce about an old mystery that she was involved with during her time as a servant on a large estate.  The story of that time is being made into a movie and the makers consult her on some details.  This makes her return to that time and the reader slowly unravels the mysterious events.  I enjoyed this debut novel by Kate Morton, and I read it because I loved her book The Forgotten Garden, however the latter was noticeably much better.

The Collector

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The Collector

Nora Roberts

Berkley: 2014, 483 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Lila Emerson is a young adult writer and a professional house-sitter.  While on the job at a beautiful high-rise apartment in New York City, Lila witnesses a murder in the apartment across the street.  What seems like a typical murder-suicide turns out to be a convoluted and deadly mess.  Lila partners with Ash Archer, the brother of the alleged murderer, and together they try to sort through the mess that got Ash's brother and his girlfriend killed.  It's a whirlwind of priceless antiques, sudden trips to Italy, and dodging a psychotic assassin.  Throw in a bit of romance and you've got the perfect, if not typical, Nora Roberts novel.

A Little Night Murder

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A Little Night Murder (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #10)

Nancy Martin

NAL Hardcover: 2014, 384 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Nora Blackbird is at a good place in her life: her best friend Lexie is back home from prison and Nora is finally, finally pregnant.  She's still busting the society beat for her column but this time the news comes closer to her.  Next door to Lexie's hideout from the press is the estate of the famous Toodles Tuttle, a Broadway composer.  His widow is putting on a brand new show and everything seems peachy keen except for the dead daughter.  Nora's on the case while also trying to wrangle in her older sister Libby's libido (she's caught between a bug exterminator and a Broadway veteran) in addition to convincing her younger sister Emma to avoid her new and very dangerous beau.  Readers should be aware that this is the last Blackbird Sisters book until further notice from the author.