Impossible by Nancy Werlin

According to the author, this book is inspired partially by the ballad "Scarborough Fair" and the recent vampire-romance craze. For me, this book was the perfect antidote for Twilight -- a fantasy story complete with an evil fairy king, a female character who fights for herself and has power in her own individuality, a male character who helps but does not "save" the heroine!

I read this book in two days, and I plan to encourage my female students to read it for SSR.

I also think this would be a nice companion piece to Wuthering Heights. It's got some similar themes (the Elfin King is obsessed with Lucy and all of her female ancestors).

Also, check out this post by the author on her inspiration for writing this book: http://www.nancywerlin.com/impossible.htm

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

Imagine a world owned by corporations . . . not so hard to imagine, is it? That's the concept behind Jennifer Government. Nike's hottest new shoe is selling for literary over $1000, and now they've decided to increase the appeal of their product by setting up a murder that appears to be over the shoes. This action snowballs into a struggle between what little of a government is left and the corporations who want to do away with law all together.

I loved the concept of this book, and as I've noted, it's not a reality that is too hard to imagine. There were some slow parts, and I wasn't crazy about how it ended, but I did like this book.

I think this book would work nicely with any other dystopian/futuristic literature. I am considering using it in E2H as another pairing with Brave New World, and I think it might also pair nicely with Fahrenheit.

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

I picked up this book after Crutcher's presentation here at Central; this was the book he mentioned that features a character based on the little girl he told us about. True to his word, Whale Talk had lots of colorful language and some graphic and upsetting images of child abuse. However, it was not gratuitous or overdone -- it definitely seemed true to life.

I liked this story of TJ, the only black student in an Idaho school, and his struggles to help all the misfits earn their athletic letter jackets. There were parts of the novel that made me laugh, and even more, there were parts that made me want to cry. I wasn't crazy about the ending -- I thought it could have ended 20 pages earlier, but the overall story was worth my time.

I am currently using this book in my freshmen literature circles. Of the three students in the group, two had finished the novel in less than a week! My impression is that they are really enjoying it. I also think this book could work as a companion to Lord of the Flies to show both sides of conformity/nonconformity.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

This novel explores two major questions -- What makes us human? and What does it mean to truly love someone?

When Jenna wakes up from a coma, she doesn't remember anything -- even whether or not she has a best friend. Suddenly, however, she can remember the entire text of Walden or all the statistics of the Civil War. She begins to question what really happened to her.

I figured out what had happened to Jenna pretty quickly, and I thought that was bad, until I realized that it wasn't really the point of the book.

I am planning to use this book as an introduction to Brave New World in English 2 H.

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Ed Kennedy is a loser. He's twenty and he's accomplished basically nothing with his life; everything changes when he stops a bank robbery. He gets his 15 minutes of fame, but more importantly, he begins receiving playing cards (Aces to be specific) in the mail with cryptic messages. The messages lead him on a series of adventures in helping, and sometimes hurting, people to make their lives better.

This is one of those books that when I was reading, I wasn't sure how much I liked it. However, in the end, I can't stop thinking about it. In conversations, I want to quote this book. In class, I want to refer to this book.

I think this would be a great book for sophomores or juniors, and I think it would make a great addition/substition to the curriculum (it is not American Lit, so it might not work on the junior level in curriculum). Consider it! It's a well-written book with an interesting spin.

Thirsty by MT Anderson

Another vampire book, but much darker than the Twilight series. I really liked the fact that vampires exist in this book as an everyday, although horrifying and hated, occurence. Vampires are caught and "lynched" regularly. Chris begins to feel strangely thirsty. Guess what? He's becoming a vampire, and he really doesn't want anyone to know. And he really doesn't want to feed . . .

I read this book in a day. It has no vulgar language, yet it was one of the most graphic novels I've read in a while. An example: Jennifer casserole.

I read this book on David's recommendation. As he did last year, I am using it as an extra credit read while we are reading Macbeth in E2H.

An Abundance of Katherines

Do you see a pattern emerging yet? Clearly, John Green is becoming one of my favorite authors.

Colin is a former child prodigy with a penchant for anagrams. Colin loves Katherines; not Katherine, but Katherines! He has dated 19 Katherines, and he's been dumped by each and every one of them. After being dumped by K19, Colin's best friend, the lovable, chubby, hilarious, devoutly Muslim Hassan, drags him on a road trip.

This book is a feel-good book . . . something that usually makes me gag, but this book literally made me laugh out loud. I think this would be fantastic in a class (any level, really) or as a summer read.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Uglies is the first of a series by Westerfield. In the future, everyone becomes beautiful on his or her 16th birthday. Main character Tally can't wait to become pretty and join all her old friends in "New Pretty Town." But her new friend Shay isn't on board -- she thinks there is something better out there, and she runs away to find it. Tally, after being blackmailed by the "Specials," follows Shay in hopes of bringing her back for the surgery, but Tally discovers that there may, indeed, be something better than being Pretty.

This is a good young adult companion to other dystopian novels; perhaps Fahrenheit or Brave New World. I found the topic appealing, and the idea was well-developed, but the novel was slow in parts.

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Everyone picks on Simon Glass -- he is the epitome of nerdiness. However, one day Rob, the new-guy-cool-guy-big-man-on-campus, decides that it is his mission to make Simon Glass the "class favorite" of the junior class. His motives are not so genial, however.

Each chapter begins with what appears to be interviews from a newspaper article. Apparently, Young Stewart, the main character, has ended up in jail. But why?

This novel would be a great introduction or parallel read to Lord of the Flies. Both books concern "group-think" and the dangers of conformity. It is an easy read that could be undertaken in a week or two.

Tithe by Holly Black

I'm going to be honest; I did not understand this book at all. I think you have to be into fairies and/or urban fairytales, or something! I had a hard time following what in the world was going on in this book.

However, I have had a few students that have read this book and LOVE it. Mostly, it is girls who are into fantasy. This title is on my frosh lit circles list, so if anyone picks it, I'll update on what they thought of it.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I loved this book!

Miles decides that it is time to do something interesting . . . so he leaves behind his geekiness and starts over at a boarding school. There he meets the Colonel, his tough as nails, funny as hell, roommate, and Alaska, a brilliant and beautiful, but troubled, girl. His new friends introduce him to a number of new experiences -- smoking, drinking, sex, and, most important, the ultimate PRANK. However, a great tragedy leaves Miles wondering what life is really worth.

This book is NOT appropriate for freshmen; there is a lot of inappropriate language and some graphic descriptions of "more than kissing." But, I think this would be cool summer read or SSR recommendation for juniors or seniors. In fact, a number of my juniors are reading it now. I'll let you know what they think.

Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyers

If you haven't heard of these books yet, you've been living under a rock! These are the first two books in the series. Bella falls in love with Edward -- a member of the mysterious and beautiful Cullen family. What makes them so mysterious and beautiful; why the fact that they are vampires, of course! And to add to the supernatural, Bella also befriends Jacob -- a werewolve.

Honestly, I HATE the main character Bella. She is weak and insipid, and she can't survive without a man. NOT a good role! However, I am intrigued by the vampire family, so I will likely read the other two books in the series.

The Twilight series is not particularly well-written, but it is utterly readable, and therefore a good choice for an SSR recommendation.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Liesel lives in Germany during WWII. After watching her brother die and being given up by her mother, Liesel is adopted by foul-mouthed Rosa and kind, accordion-playing Hans, who teaches her how to read the book she stole from an SS guard in the cemetary. Liesel is witness to the horrors of the Third Reich, but it is who watches her that gives this tale a most unique spin.

This was one of the best books, adult or YA, that I have read in the past few years. I think it would make a good addition to any class, although I wonder how much they have already studied the Holocaust. I think this would make a good

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen receives a set of audio tapes in the mail, tapes from Hannah, who killed herself. On the tapes, Hannah tells the story of how she reached the point of hopelessness that led her to suicide, and the role each of the thirteen recipients of the tapes played in this decision.

This is a great book for freshmen, sophomores, or juniors. I also thought that this book would be a nice segue into The Scarlet Letter. It deals with repuation and regret, much like SL.