All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Boise, ID doesn't have too many major league celebrities, so it made some pretty big waves when our resident author Anthony Doerr hit the bestseller lists and then proceeded to win the Pulitzer for his second novel, All the Light We Cannot See.

 Me, I'm a skeptic. The more hype something gets, the more reluctant I become to jump on the bandwagon. Not only that, but I've long betrayed my English major roots by doubting the readability and enjoyability of books that earn major awards. Consequently, I had no immediate plans to pick up the prize-winning WWII novel that everyone in town claimed to be reading until my book club named it as the choice of the month. Even then, I put it off until almost too late, and then began reading immediately to try to beat the clock. 

Except... I couldn't put it down.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

All Marcus wants to do is ditch school with his friends to see if they can figure out the new clue for Harajuku Fun Madness. Doing so puts them seriously in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is while the group of friends are skipping school in a post 9-11 San Francisco when terrorists attack. In the chaos that ensues Marcus and his friends are picked up by the Department of Homeland Security  and treated to a thorough questioning. Once released, Marcus very rightly feels very wronged by the very people that are supposed to be there to protect citizens. Marcus vows to make the DHS pay. One techno-geek and his friends create a network of hackers determined to expose the brutalities and injustices inflicted on the everyday people of San Francisco in the name of "Security" for all.

Doctorow masterfully describes the systems the Department of Homeland Security set up in order to track individuals and intimidate them. He creates an amazing array of technology based tools for Marcus and his friends to use to outwit the DHS out of easy to find and cheap materials, proving that sometimes an easy hack may function better than a really expensive device or system.
Readers that love technology, thrillers and the little guy fighting back will love Little Brother.

Monster by CJ Skuse

A mythical beast that supposedly roams the land outside of an English boarding school, the mother of all snowstorms and the claustrophobic hysteria worthy of The Shining. This is Monster by CJ Skuse.

Natasha, or Nash as she's known by her friends, is attending the highly acclaimed Bathory Boarding School. Nash is competing to be Head Girl, no easy feat when you consider the competition that surrounds her - conniving, ego-centric girls that will high five you with one hand and stab you in the back with a compass with the other.

Then there's Maggie, Nash's only real friend at Bathory. Maggie has issues, in that she appears to be desperate to leave Bathory under any means necessary. This includes violating every rule possible, resulting in the girls having all of their internet and mobile phone privileges removed by the school's Matron.

Nash has bigger fish to fry, though. Her brother, Seb, has gone missing on a trip to South America, the only contact she has with her parents is on a shoddy pay phone in the school's reception area. Added to this, she's convinced she saw something in the woods one evening after her school netball game. Something big, something with yellow eyes. Her instincts tell her it's nothing, a trick of her imagination, but there's also a part of her brain that tells her it could be the fabled "Beast of Bathory," a gigantic cat-like creature that prowls the area, feeding on unsuspecting tourists and students.

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam is a collection of letters (and a few poems) written by soldiers and nurses who served during the Vietnam War. The editor, Bernard Edelman, did a wonderful job, and I would've written this review sooner, but I picked up another book, Home Before Morning: The Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam. It was written by one of the contributors to this volume. Edelman follows each letter with a paragraph about the writer of the letter. He mentioned that one writer, Lynda Van Devanter, had written a book about her nursing experience during the war. It's maybe even more amazing than this one, but I have to say both books are for mature readers.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Freedom. Love. Family. Tyranny. Trust. 

All words that come to mind in relation to the epic story Sabaa Tahir has woven for her readers. 

The more I read, the more I wanted to know about the lives and society she had created for us. I wanted to know how far she would push her male and female protagonists and the cast of characters around them. What each of them was willing to do to secure freedom, to love, for their family - or in spite of it, all in the face of a tyrannical regime. 

Who could be trusted to help Elias and Laia - could they even trust each other? 

I thoroughly enjoyed finding out! For all of those readers out there looking for a new world to sink their teeth in to with new protagonists to cheer for - even if you don't really WANT to cheer for them - I highly recommend An Ember in the Ashes. I seriously hope that she gets to continue this story for us in the VERY near future!

The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

As if it isn't bad enough that Nick is being carted off to Inward Trek, a short term detention/reform excursion experience in lieu of doing time in juvie, but it just HAS to be the Zombie apocalypse as well. Nick has been stepping up lately working the night shift at the chicken processing plant in order to keep his family in their home, fed and his sister in her Asperger's meds. Dad - The Dude used to work R&D for the same chicken chicken company but that didn't really work out.
As a reader, you start to pick up on the fact that things might not be quite right, especially the really strange way people are acting as all of the kids are being transported to the excursion site to start their "rehabilitation." Once the zombies start to attack though, it's time to find out who can lead, who follows, and who gets eaten.
A fun zombie story with a little twist.

Big Game by Daniel Smith

Oskari REALLY doesn't want to go through the ritual hunt required by his village. What does spending the night out in the woods and killing something, anything have to do with signifying that he has become a man? As Oskari is heading to the hunting grounds he and his father discussed as his best chance for killing an animal, the sky opens up and a helicopter full of paramilitary men lands and proceeds to prepare for their mission - which happens to be shooting down Air Force One. As the plane goes down, the President is ejected from it in an escape pod. Oskari finds this pod, releases the President and they figure out just what is going on.They realize that they are now the prey being hunted. Now, the President must rely on the survival skills of this boy-in-the-process-of-becoming-a-man if he wants to get out of this wilderness alive. 

The book is now a movie slated for release on June 26th, 2015 and is rated PG-13. It should be an action packed adventure. 

 

Descent by Tim Johnston

I've got a bone to pick with Tim Johnston.

I read the last 100 pages of Descent in a flurry, staying up to 1:00 am and then going back and re-reading the last 10 pages just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

It's that good.




The problem is, I've got a two year old that has the sleeping habits of a wolverine on Red Bull, which means I'm running on three hours of sleep and about a gallon of coffee this morning as I write this.

Speaking of being a father, Descent represents a parent's worst nightmare. There is nothing more terrifying than the thought of someone kidnapping your child, it's the kind of stuff that can drive you insane just by thinking about it. That's why I make sure both of my children are always armed with semi-automatic weapons. Joking.

You might say that the kidnapping theme is one that has been done again and again, and you'd be right. However, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that there's a good chance you haven't read one written as powerful as this. This is no run of the mill "literary thriller." The writing in this story is about as good as it gets.

The Rule of Three by Eric Walters

As Adam and his classmates are working in the school's computer lab, all power goes out. Everything electronic is dead - no computers, no cell phones, no cars. No cars that is, unless you happen to own a car built before they were run by computers. As Adam and his neighbors start to realize just how widespread the problem is, they realize that things could get really scary  really quickly.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!  Walters does a great job of  detailing the downward spiral of civilization as people become more and more desperate for all things required for life. It really gets the reader in the frame of mind for what it would be like and what we would face if we were to lose power indefinitely.
I highly recommend this title to those readers that enjoy survival stories and post apocalyptic worlds.

Watched by CJ Lyons

 Technology has created avenues for exposure and at times overexposure. At times this can lead to making and breaking reputations. There are armies of hackers across the world who live by finding incriminating information about people from all walks of life and then blackmailing or extorting them. Celebrities usually have the resources to fight off these allegations but the average person does not.

Soccer is unquestionably the world's game and its legions of fans experience the highs and lows of each game and discuss the team feverishly all week. Some of the biggest stars of today came from humble backgrounds but they have used their skill to create a better life for themselves and their families. The game is not immune to real life concerns however and sadly sometimes politics becomes entwined with sports as occurred recently. Wars have been fought over results in soccer games and people have been killed over the outcome of matches.

In Eugene Yelchin's book Arcady's Goal, the title character lives in a rough camp for orphans in the Soviet Union in 1945. His parents have been deemed enemies of the state and he has been sent to live in a camp, guarded by tough armed guards and under the rule of the despot Butterball who organizes soccer exhibitions for Arcady to show off his skill. It is in one of these exhibitions that Arcady is spotted by an inspector called Ivan Ivanych. To his surprise the inspector returns to the camp with papers to adopt the young boy.

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

Standish Treadwell can't read, can't write, Standish Treadwell isn't bright. At least, that's what his teachers and classmates think. The truth, of course, is much different.

Standish's dyslexic brain does operate on a slightly different frequency than everyone else, that much is a given, but he's anything but slow. His hyper-vigilance gives him an extraordinarily sharp & vivid insight into the world around him.

And what a world it is.

Don't be fooled, Maggot Moon is no syrupy, coming of age story. Standish doesn't find redemption in a group of misfit friends, he doesn't grab the eye of the girl that's way out of his league, he doesn't score the winning touchdown to the cheers of his newly-converted classmates. No, there's none of that predictable claptrap in this novel. No happy endings in Zone 7.

The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson

The remaining members of a royal family are whisked away from their "somewhere" Middle Eastern home by the CIA and relocated to the United States after the King/Dictator/Tyrant/Father/Husband/Brother/Uncle is assassinated. As we read this story and follow Laila's attempts to fit in to her new Western surroundings we find out some of the details of what life was like under her Father's rule back home, and the changes that have taken place since her Uncle has taken over - as Laila finds them out.
I love the way that Carleson tells this story through Laila's eyes. Innocent and unknowing of the atrocities associated with her Father's regime, she seeks out information and learns things about her country and family that are not easy to digest.
In the end, we are left asking the question "How much like are parents are we destined to think and act?"
An intriguing story of family, friendship, war and those that wage it in relation to those around them.

NIL by Lynne Matson

NIL is a story of survival and self-discovery. When Charley is mysteriously transported to the unmapped island of Nil she must learn the rules and survive a year of deadly animals, gate-hunting, and new romance. Nil is a beautiful island paradise, haunted by the ghosts of those who have gone before and the howls of whatever dangerous beasts have been dropped in by gates. Charley is taken into Nil City by Thad, the current Leader, and initiated into the tribe of teenagers Searching for their personal gates out of there.

Peak by Roland Smith

As far as names go, you have to admit that Peak is an unusual one. On the bright side, he knows his name could be worse. His mountain climbing-obsessed parents could have named him Crampon or something. But Peak Marcello inherited his parents’ obsession, so maybe it’s the perfect name for him, after all.

The only problem with this is that Peak lives in New York City, and there aren’t a lot of mountains to climb there. Which is why Peak gets his kicks climbing skyscrapers. From the outside. At the age of 14, Peak has already successfully scaled five skyscrapers. He’s in the middle of climbing his sixth when things go unexpectedly wrong: it’s so cold outside that Peak’s face gets stuck to the outside of the building, witnesses spot him, and Peak is arrested.

SURROUNDED BY SHARKS by Michael Northrop

Davey and his family just arrived on the tiny island off Florida's Key West.  After spending their first night in the hotel, Davey wakes up early and decides to explore the island.  He grabs his book and heads off to find a quiet place to read. 
After traipsing through the hotel lobby and checking out the dock, Davey finds a tiny, deserted beach that looks interesting.  He notices the faded No Swimming sign, but he puts down his book, slips off his glasses, and wades into the warm ocean water.  The gentle waves gradually lure him  away from the shore until the water is up to his chest.  Before he realizes it, he is being pulled away from the beach by the current.
 

The Troop by Nick Cutter

The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared," but trust me, a team of Samurai-Ninja-Swat Team-Green Berets couldn't be prepared for the horror that is unleashed in Nick Cutter's pedal-to-the-metal shock fest that is The Troop. 

The story takes place on Prince Edward Island, an idyllic province on the east coast of Canada. I've been to Prince Edward Island, I grew up on the province next to it. It's a nice place and I have to say that I'm very glad I didn't read The Troop while I was living anywhere near there because I'd probably never go outside again. 

The Troop hits the ground running and simply doesn't stop. On the first page we are introduced to a news story about an emaciated man who wanders into a diner and begs to be given as much food as possible. He then goes on to eat everything they've got on the menu. When he is finished he walks outside without paying, steals a truck and disappears into the night. The papers dub him "The Hungry Man," but nobody seems to know who he is or where he came from. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Many women wanted to do what they could to help out the war effort during World War II. Despite the fact that women were not allowed to fly planes in combat, they were allowed to fly them over friendly territory through the Air Transport Auxiliary. Maddie and Julie come from different backgrounds, but manage to become fast friends. Each woman gets to tell her part of the tale and neither one knows what is happening to the other, despite the fact that they are in the same French town. One in hiding with the French Resistance, and the other as a captured spy subjected to interrogation from the Nazis. Wein has written an intelligent and captivating novel. The two main characters draw you into their world, demanding that you keep reading to see where the story goes, if both women make it out alive, to determine what is the truth and to connect all of the pieces from one woman's story to the other. Fans of historical fiction, spies and World War II will love this book.

Black Science # 1 by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera & Dean White

The good news: Scientists have discovered a way to travel inter-dimensionally, forever changing science and the world that we know. The bad news: Most of the things that live in those other dimensions want us all dead.

That is the conundrum facing Grant McKay and his team of researchers, who get stranded "Lost in Space" style within multiple dimensions, most of them extremely dangerous.

McKay is a broken man, struggling with the fact that he's put his family in danger, he's cheating on his wife, and yes, he probably smokes too much weed. He has to put all of that behind him, however, if he's going to get them all home alive.

Amazing Food Hacks by Peggy Wang

Have you ever looked at a bottle of sriracha hot sauce and thought "You know what would make that better? A spray bottle head!" How about dumping the crumbs from a party bag of Doritos into an empty pepper mill? Ever wanted to make a peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich but the only bread you had was a hot dog bun... and you went for it?

Maybe you haven't, but when the hungries happen and you're scrounging for something, necessity becomes the mother of invention. Of course these days re-purposing and finding new uses for things generally gets the term "hacked" in front of it, so why not food? Amazing Food Hacks is, perhaps, the ultimate afternoon snack-hacker's bible, complete with ideas that range from the mild (hash browns in a waffle iron) to the wacky (leftover pizza crust nachos) to the sophisticated (frozen yogurt dots). Peggy Wang, a founding editor of the website Buzzfeed and a non-foodie mom with kids to keep happy, packs a lot of interesting and (mostly) healthy ideas for breakfasts, main courses, snacks and sides that would make any kid rethink that plain old package of ramen taunting them from the pantry.