"Orleans"--a book whose time has come

Hurricane after hurricane after hurricane assaults the Gulf states of the US. Damages are beyond belief. Only bottled water is safe. Sound familiar? Right now, in September of 2017, with a fierce hurricane season afflicting Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, the dystopic novel Orleans by Sherri Smith seems prophetic. In the grim world she has created, the Gulf states are so badly damaged by repeated storms that they are dissolved as governments and walled off from the rest of the country, being deemed impossible to fix and riddled with highly contagious disease. The heroine, Fen, becomes caretaker of a newborn girl after the mother dies in childbirth, and she decides to get the baby over the wall before she becomes infected. 

The Night Gardener book trailer

Talking In The Dark a poetry memoir by Billy Merrell

As a high school student, Billy Marrell had to face who he was and who he wanted to be. He shares his struggles, his life, and his loves as a young gay man in poetry. Beginning high school he started to realize that he didn't like girls but boys. He knew he couldn't tell everyone; only a few that wouldn't judge him. As a gay teenager, he discovered what love really was with every experience that he had.

Some of his poems quote song lyrics and authors that told what he meant to say. In every relationship he had, he was learning what was the real feeling of loving your partner and not feeling lonely. His mom knew his secret but didn't put pressure on him to tell her the truth. When he told her his secret, she became the one to whom he told his love experiences. After finishing high school he continued his life now knowing what love really was and trying to forget Ed, his only love that died.

Many people will connect with his poems because some of his lines connect with people's lives. Some poems were kind of confusing because it was hard to figure out who he was talking about and to whom. Some poems were easier to understand because he went through troubles that everyone has gone through.

Rating: 3

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Jade Kelley wasn't the most popular girl in school. She had moved from her old home in Massachusetts to her new dream home in Boston. Being 17 years old and in her senior year in high school didn't make it easy for her to make friends. Finding out that her house was part of a murder scene was horrifying but discovering that her dream house was being haunted by Kayla, the girl who had died in the house, was unbelievable.

Her five-year-old half-brother, Colby, was the first to see the ghost of Kayla. Kayla possess Colby to find out who murdered her. Jade tries harder to find out who murdered Kayla so she'll leave Colby alone. Jade deals with her stepmother who won't believe her, a love triangle that involves the boy who was in a relationship with Kayla and a boy who was Kayla's best friend and her investigation of the unsolved murder.

Kim Harrington has created a book worth reading. Just like her series of books called Sleuth or Dare, it is filled with suspense, mystery, and horror but also with a touch of romance. Expect to read a book that you won't be able to put down.

Rating: 5

Just One Day By Gayle Forman

Allyson Healey is on a school trip to England after just graduating from high school when she meets Willem De Ruiter, a charming Dutch boy, starring in an outdoor performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Allyson feels there's something between them, although she is not quite sure if it's genuine. And so she does something out of the ordinary and embarks on a amazing journey. Allyson and Willem jump on the Eurostar and head to Paris for the day, even though Allyson will have to be on a plane home in a few days. She doesn't speak French, she's never been to the city before, and she is hopeless at reading maps, so she leaves it up to Willem to show her the beauty of the city--until he disappears and she is left stranded.

I picked up Just One Day and assumed that Willem would leave Allyson. From the beginning of the story you know he is going to leave; you suspect as always that there will be a happy couple, but no. Willem leaving makes for a much more interesting and emotional novel.

Just One Day really shows us the briefest of romances. We can see how both Allyson and Willem get caught up in the moment, in what Paris means to them. In reality it's not romantic and life isn't a movie and no, an inspiring movie score will not suddenly start to play. I liked Just One Day because it wasn't your ordinary romance book; it has a twist that you see coming but the story keeps you interested.

Rating: 5

Rose Madder by Stephen King

She lived a nightmare with Norman for fourteen years. Rose met Norman in high school He was strong and an 80's type of cool. When he proposed matrimony straight out of high school she thought she would be very happy.

Sadly she was very mistaken. For fourteen years, every time that Norman did something abusive to her she just said "Oh, it's my fault." Eventually, she finally woke up and realized that if she didn't do something he would eventually kill her.

She had to evaluate her options. Leaving involved so many things. How would she try to go who knows where on her own? Also, where would she get the money from? Knowing Norman, he wouldn't let this pass lightly.

This book is intended for young adults, and there are many concepts that led me to believe that this book was advocating for women's rights. I like how King wrote the book because it makes you want to keep reading. The only thing I didn't like was the very supernatural aspect that a painting she had bought "solved" her problems. However the concept is understood. I overall recommend this book.

Rating: 4

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini has been a life-changing book for me. It is about redemption and how it's never too late to fix a mistake. In the story the main character, Amir, lives with his father in Afghanistan. His father, Baba, is well known and wealthy. Amir's servant and closest friend, Hassan, is a Hazara. Amir and Hassan spend their days happily flying kites and reading stories by a tree in the local cemetery.

During this time period Afghan people did not accept and looked down upon Hazaras because of their difference in ethnic backgrounds. Due to this reason, Amir never said in public that Hassan was his best friend. But Hassan was still a loyal friend. This loyalty made him undergo a violent encounter. Amir knew of this but did nothing to stop it. Amir carried the guilt with him throughout his life.

                 I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to read a book that you won't want to put down. I like how the author describes how the characters are feeling and describes the setting. It makes you feel like you truly are there. By reading this book you will find out how Amir tries to fix his past mistakes to continue with his life.

Rating: 4