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.