The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

I read (and really enjoyed) this book and the rest of the books in the series years ago (well, 7 of them the author hadn't written the 8th and the 9th yet so I haven't read those).  I had to reread this first one because it was one of the books chosen for the One Book One Family book club and I remembered why I liked it so much. I like fairy-tales and the retelling of fairy-tales and this one has both old characters and new action.  Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been abandoned by their parents and after some awful experiences in foster care have come to live with their Grandmother, Relda Grimm.  The problem is, their parents told them that she had died before they were born.  Sabrina is very suspicious of "Granny," especially when she starts spouting crazy stories about how the fairy-tale characters are real and living in their town and it's the Grimm family's job to keep them in line.  The Sisters Grimm is a great series.  

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

I had heard of this book, but did not realize we had a copy in the library till it literally jumped off the shelves when I was helping someone find a different book.  I just had to read it.  I love books that deal with near death experiences.  One of my favorites is "Heaven is for Real."  Anyway, this is the story of Eddie.  Eddie is a pretty gruff old man, and unfortunately, Eddie dies.  This is the story of the 5 people Eddie meets after his death.  They help Eddie make sense of his life and the choices that he made during his life.  Some of them are people that Eddie has no idea he had an effect on.  I liked the way this book showed that our lives are tied to others by even the smallest choices that we make.  I couldn't put this little book down!  I loved it.

Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin

This was a very interesting nonfiction title.  I loved the narrative nonfiction book about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after he shot Abraham Lincoln (Chasing Lincoln's Killer).  This book is equally good about the plot to steal Lincoln's body from his monument and hold it until demands were met.  Just like Chasing Lincoln's Killer, this book is written in narrative form so it reads like a "story." This is a true crime thriller.  You get a look at counterfeiting, grave robbing, detective work and the early days of the secret service.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Wow, this book was amazing.  I was kind of getting burned out on all the dystopian literature that is out there but this one was fantastic.  After the 7 stage war the US was in shambles (much of the information about what happened to the country comes as test questions the characters must answer).  They have put themselves back together as the United Commonwealth colonies.  To choose acceptable leaders for the United Commonwealth the best and brightest students are chosen for "The Testing."  If students make it through the testing (which is debatable since in these tests a wrong answer could mean death) they get to go to University.  Cia is our first person narrator and I really enjoyed her strength, her ability to solve problems and her lack of whining. There is a budding romance in this story, but it takes a back seat to the rest of the story.  Warning:  this story has teeth.  It is brutal.  Characters are gravely injured and die in this novel, others must make decisions to end lives. I have ordered the 2nd one in the series, which should be here by the end of the year and will be also purchasing the 3rd.  

The Fury by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Fury is written by the author of the Escape from the Furnace series.  Now, I haven't read that series but my good friend, 8th grader William V., HAS and raves about them.  He also raved about this book so, even though it is the size of a brick and is 681 pages, I decided to wade in with both feet.  Boy am I glad I did.  This book really moves.  The world has gone crazy but for only a few.  People turn into fury filled killers when they come in close proximity to  the main characters.  When they are not close to them they return to their regular sensible selves.  But WHY is it happening?  That, my friends is the big question.  There is something special about these kids and as they set out to find each other and forge an alliance to protect themselves they realize they have to protect the world from something bigger and badder.  I can't be too specific because the why and the what are what propels this story forward at breakneck speed!

A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine

If you were fan of R.L. Stine's Goosebump series, you are going to love this book.  If you were not a fan of his Goosebump series but love horror and gore you are going to love this book.  Claire's parents own a movie studio and decide to remake a horror movie from the 60's.  The original movie production was shut down when 3 of the 6 cast members were murdered in pretty ghastly was during the filming of the movie.  Claire really wants to be a star and is hoping the movie isn't really cursed like many think it is.  This is a book version of a horror movie with lots of blood and gore so I, of course, loved it.  If you are squeamish you may want to think twice about this book. 

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Well, I just loved this book.  I started it on Friday afternoon and finished it on Saturday morning.  I just couldn't put it down.  It was a fast paced thriller!  I loved the author's previous book "Girl, Stolen" that was a Golden Sower last year also.  Cady wakes up in a cabin and remembers NOTHING.  All she knows is that her captors want to kill her and she has to get away.  The bits and pieces that come back to Cady as the story moves forward are enough to keep you reading trying to make sense of what is happening to her.  Why are so many people out to get her and why can't she remember who she is??!!