And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None is a compelling mystery about ten people from different backgrounds that are all brought to a huge mansion that is secluded on an island by a murder mastermind. All throughout the house the guests notice that the same poem is posted on the walls. The poem is about ten little soldier boys that all die one by one in different ways. The guests also notice ten little clay soldier boys on the table in the dining room. On the first night one of the guests dies and one of the clay soldiers is found shattered. As the guests disappear one at a time and the clay soldier boys have a similar fate. As the remaining guests try to figure which of them is the murderer they meet at a grim end and are all discovered dead. With even the police stumped on who killed the entire party of people this was a great mystery and I could have never guessed who did it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fantastic mystery.

The Wee Free Men

The Wee Free Men was a fantastic book about a young girl named Tiffany Aching who goes on a search for her brother who was taken by an evil spirit. She isn't alone though; she has the aid of the Nac Mac Feegle, otherwise known as the Wee Free Men. The six inch tall blue skinned, red haired warriors are always ready to fight and have a great sense of humor. They take Tiffany on an adventure through the magical realm and help her discover her real powers, which she got from her grandmother who was the best sheperdess, and witch of her time. For the first time in her life Tiffany must pull together all the things from her past and use them to save her brother, using her wits, skill, and physical endurance. This was a great story that I really enjoyed reading. It had the perfect balance of magic and adventure and at the same time managed to pull in a little comedy. The characters where relatable and the plot was great.

A Hat Full of Sky

This book is the sequel the The Wee Free Men and is all about Tiffany Aching developing her witch powers. Along with the help of Miss Tick, Miss Level, and the Wee Free Men. Tiffany continues on her journey of being a witch and fighting off evil. This time the monster she must destroy is a black shadow who tries to steal her powerful soul. As usual Tiffany uses the Wee Free Men to help her and often bribes them with alcohol and shiny objects. Fighting evil,saving her family, and discovering her power is just an average day for Tiffany Aching. This book was a great read and I enjoyed it a lot. There were some boring parts but you never stopped reading. The characters were funny and it was an all together a humorous novel filled with puns, jokes, and surprises. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a series and someone who likes sci-fi.

Wicked

Wicked is a classic tale about a girl named Elphaba who was born with green as clover skin who grows up to be  the Wicked Witch of the West. It starts off in a munchkin village where a couple is living. One day a visitor come s and attracts the wife living in the house. They have a baby who comes out green and is shunned by her entire village and family. All except the man who believes he's her father. As she grows up and goes to a college she meets friends and takes care of her crippled sister, Nessarose, who cannot walk. Throughout her college years Elphaba studies the mistreatment of Animals, which are talking animals. She also practices witchcraft and masters techniques of dark magic which fascinates her. One of the things she does with her magic is make a pair of ruby red slippers for her sister to wear that allow her to walk. They are stolen from her when her sister dies. As anger from years of being ignored and mistreated builds up inside of Elphaba she becomes evil and therefore becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. I really liked this book but it was a complicated and long read, in the end it was worth it though. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a lot of time on their hands.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of the sweetest and most beautiful novels I have ever read. It is filled with joyous bursts of happiness and just the right amount of sadness and excitement to keep you hooked. It is all about a dog who was born on a farm and was taken home by a race car driver named Denny. Denny and his dog grow very attached and communicate with facial and body expressions. But one day Denny meets a woman. This angers the dog slightly because he feels he cannot make Denny as happy as she can. As time passes the dog grows comfortable with the woman and Denny and her have a beautiful baby daughter named Zoe. Together Denny, the dog, and his family grow old and go through the problems and complications of a family. The dog throughout the whole book devotes his life to his family and never slouches away when he is needed. But as he gets old he can no longer care for his best friend Denny and make him happy. This book was wonderful and I loved every second of it, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a nice easy and slow read.

King Dork

King Dork is a funny story about a teenager named Tom Henderson who wants his highschool experience to be perfect: girls, bands, and  parties. But getting all this stuff is harder than he thought. Especially when: you're a nerd with an embarrassing friend, your mom is a druggie, and her new boyfriend is a hippy who seems to have no connection to the real world. Despite all of the roadblocks, Tom persists and does the only thing he can do slightly well, play guitar with his best friend Sam Hellerman. But if they don't find a drummer by the time the Battle of the Bands comes around they'll both be doomed. Oh, and Tom also finds his dead father's copy of Catcher in the Rye that's filled with secret messages and weird stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a slightly relatable main character and a funny short read, but I would not let anyone under 13 read this book because of sexual content and harsh language.

The Secret Life of Bees

This is a heartwarming story that brings joy to all that read it. It is a great summer read because it is short and sweet but at the same time fun and exciting. The Secret Life of Bees is about a girl named Lily Owens living in the time of 1964, when racism was at it's peak. Lily's mom was killed when she was younger and now the girl lives with her father and "stand in mother", who happens to be black. Lily decides to escape with her new caretaker to South Carolina where they meet a group of eccentric african-american beekeeping sisters. As Lily and her mom stay with them they learn the sweet secrets of being a bee keeper and living their life away from judgement and racism. The Secret Life of Bees is a great story for all ages that empowers women and puts a whole new perspective on life.

Night

The book Night is a true story about a boy named Elie Wiesel during the Holocaust. He and his family are taken to a concentration camp and suffer through the tortures of the Holocaust. Elie and his father are put in a "dorm" together and try desperately not to separate throughout the book. This book is filled with excitement,terror, and near death experiences that never end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good true story. It is a pretty easy read but is very sad and not for younger readers. The plot is good and stays consistent but rereading a page you don't understand is helpful every once and a while. I really enjoyed this book and it gave me an entirely different perspective on the Holocaust.

Hunger Games

This was a fantastic book about a teen girl named Katniss who lives in the futuristic United States that is split into 12 "Districts". Each year two kids from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death and whoever survives wins their district pride. When Katniss's little sister gets chosen for the games she valiantly takes her place instead, along with a boy named Peeta. She is quickly thrown into a tornado of emotions and troubles. Having a trainer who is a drunk and favors her partner Peeta, stylists always doing her hair and makeup, and being away from her family really puts a toll on the way her mind works.  Once she reaches the arena where the Hunger Games are held she makes friends and fights to stay alive, using only her wits, skills, and instincts to survive. She doesn't know who to trust and who to keep an eye on, and the whole time she is in the arena a thought keeps running through her mind, will she make it out alive or will she parish in the intense battle?

This was a great book that I really enjoyed reading and recommend it to all ages. It is a little descriptive but overall pretty kid friendly. There are two other books in the series that are also fabulous, make sure you buy them before you start reading the Hunger Games because you will immediately want to find out what happens.   Suzanne Collins is a fantastic writer and writes other books besides the Hunger Games series. This would be a great book to add to your summer reading list!