This book is a combination of knights and magic.  Elspeth Cooper has written a swashbuckling tale with Gair as the protagonist.  Gair can fight with his sword or his magic.  He is also a shape shifter.

Magic in this land comes as “the music of power.”  This is the first in a series called “The Wild Hunt.”  In the second book more characters are introduced.

Veronica Roth’s book takes place in a futuristic dystopian society.  When Beatrice Prior turns sixteen she has to choose one of the five predetermined factions.  She discovers she is not entirely one faction but is drawn to several.  Tris (Beatrice) discovers that there is great unrest and danger as she trains to be part of the Dauntless faction.  There are some great actions scenes that make this book very exciting to read.

 One of the quotations that inspired Roth’s character Tris is written by Agamemnon, “My will is mine…..I shall not make it soft for you.”

Marie Lu has written a fast-paced science fiction thriller.  Day is a criminal and June is out to catch him.  The two teenagers are from opposite ends of the social spectrum.  Day is poor and June is rich.  June believes that Day is responsible for her brother’s death.  Day is a “Robin Hood” character and believes the government is not what it seems.  The second book in the series, Prodigy,  is also very popular with the cadets.

One of the cadets asked me about the Bluford Series of books.  I finally bought one, The Fallen by Paul Langan.  Martin Luna’s brother has been accidentally shot and killed.  The bullet was meant for his gang leader.  “And bullets don’t have names.  They cut down anyone.  Everyone.  Even eight-year-olds who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  This story was very touching as Martin conquers his anger and finally does the right thing for himself and his mother.

I have a fascination with the Holocaust dating back to high school when my Avon lady came to the house. My Avon lady, Hilda, had a number tattooed on her arm and I asked her about it. She told me the Germans had tattooed her arm during World War II.

Brzezinski’s book is really excellent and well researched.  He explains the different factions of Jews in Poland and why it was so hard for them to unite against the Germans in Warsaw.

I consider Ender’s Game a science fiction classic.  Card wrote, “Battle School is for training future starship captains and commodores of flotillas and admirals of the fleet.”  Andrew Scott Card created a military school of the future and the cadets love reading this book.  The battleroom scenes in null gravity are my favorite part of the book.

Tamora Pierce’s series about Beka Cooper is a fantasy mystery. The first book, Terrier, is excellent. This book is also a coming of age story as Beka deals with her family and her job. I really enjoyed reading my first book about the fantasy realm of Tortall!

Whoa, hold onto your seat!  This is one action packed book!  Pittacus Lore has written great science fiction.  My favorite character is Bernie Kosar, the dog, who is not what he seems.  I cannot wait to rent the movie and then read the other two books in the series.  The series title is “The Lorien Legacies.”

George Martin’s series is incredibly bloody and incredibly good.  This is a soap opera on a very grand scale.  Knights, queens, wizards, kings, and dragons all play a part.  Daenerys Targaryen is my favorite character of the series.  I have all five books in the series, “A Song of Ice and Fire.”  The cadets really like this series.

The final book in the Wake trilogy, Gone, was very dark but had a great ending. Morton’s fork is a recurring theme in Lisa McMann’s book. Morton’s fork is defined as “A situation involving choice between two equally undesirable outcomes.” (Wordsmith.org) The heroine, Janie, must choose between two bad outcomes. What a dilemma she has!

Janie meets her father who is also a dream catcher. He is in a coma getting ready to die when Janie finally meets him. Janie comes to terms with her alcoholic mother, the father she never knew, and her love for Cabel. The conclusion was very satisfying.