The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

This is HOT off the presses! I pre-ordered this book after I saw an article about

the author, the story seemed dark and ominous, It does not disappoint.

Twin sisters, Lia and Alice, become orphans after the mysterious death of their father. Strange things start to happen and the girls find themselves as fierce enemies. They discover they are part of a long line of sisters born to fulfill a prophecy. One sister is good, the other evil, but which one will win?

I have to say some of the plot is predictable but I was so into the story that I didn't care.

It has mystery, a little romance, and supernatural happenings all the things I love.

Make sure to check out the link to the author's website.

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Madapple is centered around Aslaug, a girl who is raised by her mother in isolation from the outside world. They gather herbs and flowers and live off the land. Aslaug is desperate to find out information about her father; who her mother claims doesn't exist. Not that he just left them but that she became pregnant by divine intervention.
When Aslaug's mother dies, she is unprepared and unsure what to do. She has never been on her own.

This story is full of mystery and intrigue.

Was she really a child of divine intervention?
Each time she finds information you are torn in both directions.

I really enjoyed this story and would have to say it is in the top 5 books I read this summer.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

I love Sarah Dessen books and this one was no exception.

The main character, Auden, is wanting to get away from her controlling mother and her boring parties. She decides to pack her bags and head to

her dad's house at the beach. The beach house is one of the things I love about this story. It is so easy to create this setting, I mean who doesn't dream of spending the summer in a gorgeous beach house steps away from the water? But everything is not perfect at her dad's house either.

This is a fast read and I even liked the ending... that doesn't happen very often! If you enjoyed this book too you might try some of her other novels.

Lock and Key, Someone Like You, Just Listen, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, and Dreamland.

Safe at Second by Scott Johnson

I first picked this up when I was looking for a sports related story for a student. The blurb sounded interesting. It tells the story of a high school senior Todd who plays baseball and his friend Paulie. Todd Bannister has had offers from colleges and even the pros. He is that good but one day a line drive drives straight at him and hits in in the eye. Todd loses his eye and has to cope with his new glass eye.
Paulie has always traveled in Todd's limelight and tries to find his place now. He believes it is his job to help Todd and encourages him to make a comeback. He believes in his friend, so much so that his life is on hold.
If you enjoy sports related books you will cheer for the characters in this book.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

At first I wasn’t thrilled that this title was on our book club reading list as I don’t really enjoy fantasy reading and didn’t like the idea of reading about vampires. The book is very popular among the students and it rarely sees the library shelf. Bella the main character moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father. Her first day at the new school brings her face to face with Edward, her science lab partner. He glared at her and pulled himself as far away as possible. She wondered what was wrong with him. Edward is a vampire and the smell of Bella made him dangerous. This is a love story between the human, Bella and the vampire, Edward. Meyer keeps the reader turning pages and keeps the relationship tense.
I was bothered by the recklessness of Bella to abandon her caution for her love of Edward. Edward was making choices that were difficult and I wonder if he can maintain his decision to not give in to the ancient desires of vampires. I think young girls need to keep a cautious stance and not be mesmerized by physical attributes and manners. Too many times girls get themselves into abusive relationships and then find it difficult to get away as they can’t see the “forest for the trees” so to say. For fantasy fans, I would suggest you try Twilight. You probably won’t want to stop there. She has two other books that follow the story of Bella and Edward

I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark

This was a fun read. I began it one day during lunch and brought it home over the weekend. I finished it that evening. Like most of Clark’s books it was pure escape. The plot was not particularly extraordinary but it still kept me turning the pages. Kay Lansing must rely on her memory of an incident during her childhood to save her new husband from prison. She believes he is innocent of the two murders even though evidence and the people around her are certain he is the one. Even Kay’s mother warns her to be careful. If you enjoy a quick mystery read and like Mary Higgins Clark, I would suggest you try this one.

7 Days at the Hot Corner

I just finished 7 Days at the Hot Corner by Terry Trueman. This is Scott Latimer's senior year and he plays third basemen on the championship team. His goal is to be invited to play professional ball, that is what he has been working for all his life. Third base, the hot corner, means you have to ready for anything that comes at you. Scott was not prepared for what life was going to throw at him. His best friend tells Scott that he is gay. Scott shares with the reader his thoughts, anger, fear and uncertainties as the news gets out in his school. The story is intermingled with baseball. This was not one of my favorite books by this author. Trueman has written several stories. The two other books which I have read include No Right Turn and Stuck in Neutral. I liked both of those books alot. One deals with suicide, the other with mental illness. I think Trueman tackles some tough issues and makes the reader think and he usually does it in a small number of pages.
Another book that deals with the gay/AIDS issue is Fade to Black by Alex Flinn, only in this book the guy is not gay. He gets AIDS from a sexual experience with a girl, but it does deal with the reactions of the students in his school as well.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

I just finished re-reading Copper Sun by Sharon Draper. This was the book our book club decided to read since it was the winner of the Kansas Heartland Award last year. This novel is considered historical fiction.
It begins with a young 15 year old girl living in Africa. Her life is like many of our students. She has a little brother who teases her about her "boyfriend" and parents who are respected in their community.
One day strangers come to their village, they brutally kill most of the villagers and take the rest to be slaves. So begins the journey of Amari, first through the jungle in chains and neck irons, then held in a dark hole with little to eat and no hope, then on a ship to America only to be taken by the men on the ship. After landing in America, Amari is sold to Master Derby to be a birthday present to his son.
Even with the odds against her she still finds hope that freedom is in her future. At times you cringe at the treatment of slaves described in this book but you also cheer for Amari and her desire for freedom, and her personal strength.
I would give this novel a 5 star rating.
You might want to read some of Sharon Draper's other books. I have read both Tears of A Tiger and Battle of Jericho. I liked both of them. Check out Sharon Draper's website.
http://sharondraper.com/