Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Eric Lindstrom's Not If I See You First is a beautiful story about a teenage girl who is blind. She is coping with the death of her father and her aunt and family moving into her house to take care of her. Like any teenager, high school has its own issues and this book does not fall short on that. It's a great story about friendship, love, grieving, and healing. I highly recommend this one!

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

So we all love The Wizard of Oz, this is a follow up story line much different then the original. Dorothy takes over Oz, but she isn't the sweet, innocent girl who originally landed in Oz. There are a lot of magical forces in Oz, but they are not all good, or working together. I enjoyed the story, but would have liked more closure at the end. All the original characters are in this story, but with way different personality traits.

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

Not sure if you are into stretching your brain, but people like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs make me want to think outside the box all the time. I am not sure I want to emulate their personalities, but I would really like to create wonderful things.

I didn't realize Elon Musk was involved in so many endeavours. What really appealed to me is the he gets involved in things that could help the world or humanity. I don't really want to go live on Mars, but the general ideas behind making things more green friendly is appealing. I definitely think this was a worthwhile read.

The Martian by Andy Weir

I had not even heard about the hype of this book when I picked it up. I was consumed by the story. An astronaut left for dead on Mars and having to try to survive. Sounds incredible! Mark Watney, the stranded astronaut, was funny. I totally enjoyed his sense of humor. It's hard to imagine that one could be funny after being left on Mars, but Watney captures your attention. I loved the book so much, I couldn't wait to see the movie. I totally recommend it.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Are you interested in history? This is a great story that is associated with the Chicago World's Fair. Plus, you'll find out about a serial killer. A bizarre story, but quite intriguing. I have wanted to read this for some time. Glad I did, it was definitely worth the read.

Wayfaring Strange by James Lee Burke

A little historical fiction, a little danger, a love story, all are enveloped in this Texas based story that begins in the era after the Great Depression. A young man, Weldon Holland grows up in a small Texas town. He is raised by his mom and his grandfather. His father left to find work and never returned. Weldon has a wild streak, but settles down after he returns from WWII.  He and one of his war buddies start a pipeline company and many people seem to have it out for them. Murder and threats abound.

I enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the historical side of it, but the characters were interesting and grew throughout the story.

Cold Fire by Dean Koontz

Cold Fire by Dean Koontz

I have read several Stephen King novels and thought I should try Dean Koontz. I have always veered away from the scary novels, as I don't want to have nightmares, but this wasn't that kind of book. Cold Fire is about a man who seems to have supernatural powers. He saves people, mostly children, from disasters that are about to happen. To be able to foresee the future sounds great, but he does not always know what is going to happen, just that he needs to save someone. Then right at the last minute it is revealed to him, who he is saving.

He then meets a reporter and she begins to investigate his saves. Their lives become intertwined and you need to read it to see what happens.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Everyone was raving about this story about a young woman, Cheryl Strayed, who felt compelled to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), in order to find herself. Of course a movie was made, starring Reese Witherspoon, so I thought it would be great.

Cheryl is one of the stupidest people I have read about. I hate to say this, as she struggled with the loss of her mother, and her life basically falls apart. In order to find herself, she plans to hike the PCT. But she didn't plan well. Cheryl's poor planning really bothered me. I trudged through, as I wanted to find out how she makes it. I am glad I did not quit reading. It was a story that shows that most people, not all, that she encountered were truly wonderful, welcoming people. That makes me feel good about people in general.

The Escape by David Baldacci

The Escape by David Baldacci

 Remember how Alcatraz was supposed to be inescapable, well there is a prison in Levenworth that is supposed to be too. Deceit is all over this story. Who are you to trust? I love a story like this.

Levenworth is a military prison and John Puller's older brother, Robert, has been sentenced to life there. Robert has been accused and sentenced for treason. Military trials are different than other trials. Robert thought because he was innocent, he would be vindicated. John is brought in to help locate his brother, after his brother escapes. Everyone knows that is against protocol, but it happens anyway. You have to read the story to find out what happens.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I learned so much about elephants in this book. The story is about a young girl, Jenna, who is searching for her mother. She does not know if her mom is dead or alive. If she is alive, she wants to know why she has not looked for her. Jenna's mom, Alice, was a scientist who studies elephants. Alice lived in Africa, where she was working on post-doctoral work in the field. Alice meets Thomas, another scientist, and they fall for each other. Jenna is a lost soul looking for her mom and cannot seem to find answers. She solicits the help of a washed up psychic and a has been detective, who turns to private investigations. It is a strange journey, but worth the read. You will learn to appreciate elephants, if you do not already. Their relationships are similar to many human ones. Apparently, elephants really never do forget.

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Panic by Lauren Oliver

As a parent and educator this book gave me chills. It's about a game that teenagers pay after graduation. They take risks that made me jump in my seat while reading. They jump off cliffs, cross highways blindfolded, and take various daring challenges in order to win a great deal of money. Well, teenagers will make some poor choices when given this opportunity. I highly recommend this book.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

This is a story similar to A Fault in Our Stars. Julie Murphy brings to life a girl with cancer who is angry. In order to face the fact that she will die, Alice decides to create a list of things she must do before she dies. A type of bucket list you might think, but she is kind of mean. Alice takes revenge against people she has had issues with. Alice enlists her longtime, best friend, Harvey, whom she has drifted apart from to help her fulfill her list. Harvey is in love with Alice, which sort of complicates his life.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

I had said I would not read any more Jodi Picoult books, as I read a few that were pretty depressing. Well, I take that back. Picoult's story is beautiful. It is another World War II era type book. I told you I was stuck on WWII. Anyway, this is a current day account of a young, troubled woman, Sage Singer, who is struggling with the loss of her mother, her poor relationship with her sisters,her guilt of her mother's death, her disfigurement from an accident, and her inability to move past things and make friends. While in a grief group she meets an old man who tells her he wants her help. This favor ultimately changes Sage's life. She learns about a past she knew little about and really had not wanted to know about. The story tells of an imaginary tale, that parallels real lives. It is beautifully written and reveals a great story.

Gray Mountain by John Grisham

Gray Mountain by John Grisham

I have always enjoyed John Grisham's books. Gray Mountain is a story about a young, ambitious lawyer, Samantha Kofer a prestigious New York law firm, who ends up in rural Virginia. She has been furloughed from her job and must work in a legal aid position for no pay for an entire year, and then she may get her job back. Virginia's way of life is very different than her busy, important job in New York. Samantha finds more than she bargained for in Virginia. Someone is murdered, the people of the area are being bullied by the coal companies, and she could really make a difference there.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken is another true story from World War II. The main character, Louis Santorini, was an Olympic athlete. Louis had a very strong will and that may have been to his detriment. This is a story of bravery, friendship, family, and the ugly side of being a prisoner of war. I read the book, so I felt compelled to go see the movie. The movie was great, but not near as good as the book. Read this first, then see the movie!!!

Flyboys by James Bradley

Flyboys by James Bradley

I started on a World War II kick and this book is one of many I have read. Flyboys is a true story of the flyers that were part of our World War II air attacks over the Pacific. I had never really read much about the Japanese side of the war, so this was a real eye opener. It is a tragic story with real heroes. The respect you gain from reading this story for the men who put their lives on the line was incredible. This is a must read and when the movie comes out I am sure I will see it, but will probably be disappointed, as the movie hardly ever hits the same mark as a great book.