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Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth a

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Steampunk novel about a family of inventors, focusing on a young lady with a clockwork heart. Despite her fragile health, she has many adventures and is completely untamed. Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book Kindle First My personal opinion (the review) This is my first steampunk novel, and I really enjoyed it. The guarded, proper behavior of society made the content clean, and the advanced technology wrapped in antiquated materials (no plastic anywhere) kept my imagination intrigued. I liked this enough to want to read prequels or sequels, but I don't know that it was enough to push me into a deep steampunk dive. I'll recommend it to my wife, though, who is a big fan of Jane Austen. Warnings Language: none Violence: not really "Adult" situations: none Death: a few, none graphic; the society is more casual with death (descriptions of family photos taken with cadavers) Movie rating equivalent PG Protagoni

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer. Category: Adult   Why I chose this book: Recommended to me   My personal opinion (the review): This book had an interesting premise. What would be the mental state of a kid who had never known the world outside an 11x11 foot room? I know how hard it is to keep a kid entertained, never mind having to do it in such a small space with no access to the outside world. And what about the Mom who ha

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Daniel's parents are both geniuses, and so are his 2 best friends. But when his parents and 1 friend can no longer help, he'll have to be good enough. It's a story about archaeology, religions, civilizations, and deep questions Category YA fiction Why I chose this book Kindle first title My personal opinion (the review) The story is almost frantic. People flying around the world, trying to decrypt ancient writings before some disaster strikes, pushing their bodies to physical limits. Sometimes, it was exhausting. And just about everyone in the story is a genius and completely unapproachable as a human. The story was good, the history fascinating, the anti-religious sentiment strong, the foreign language content frequent, and the teenage angst generally angsty. I will probably give the second book a try. And I might reread this book once, but I wouldn't buy it. Thank goodness for free stuff from amazon! Warnings Langua

Brief synopsis: History is broken, and three kids must travel back in time to set it right! When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel -- a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring -- they're swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course. Now it's up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak's missing parents while they're at it. (Amazon) Category: Juvenile Why I chose this book: It's similar to the 39 Clues series, quick reads, talks about history and travel My personal opinion (the review): Aristotle was devastated when his star pupil died what he considered to be an untimely death. Thus he theorized that there were "breaks" or events that went wrong/shouldn't hav

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) - Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding. (Amazon) Category: YA Graphic Novel   Why I chose this book: Recommended by a friend My personal opinion (the review):   The book started out really good and I was excited to see where it led. All of us have experienced change and the process of learning to define ourselves in a new situation. A few comments here and there lessened the enjoyment, but overall it was well done. The pictures were good and really helped me to get a sense for how Paige was feeling. Overall it was one of the better graphic novels I have read.   Warnings (language,