NW

NW by Zadie Smith

This book is not for everyone. If you like to read traditionally narrated books then you may not like this book but give it a chance. There is not a single plot but 4 as we are introduced to each of the characters and their lives. Each story is written in a different style, for example one is written in poetry and one as online chat and yet another is a series of vignettes.

NW follows the lives of 4 friends in NorthWest London. All close growing up in a housing project but each growing up to live very different lives with very different secrets.

The Snowman

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

This is the first book by Jo Nesbo I have read and I can tell you it will not be my last. I think he just might take the place of Dean Koontz as my favorite author. This is a very dark detective story full of twists and turns.

Jonas awakes to find his mother is missing. The only clue is a snowman with the pink scarf Jonas gave her for Christmas around its neck. Harry Hole is the detective bought in to solve the crime. He is convinced that this is the work of serial killer who calls himself “The Snowman” and may be responsible for a dozen murders. Unfortunately his co workers do not believe him. Harry is caught in a "catch me if you can" game with the killer.

Accelerated

Accelerated by Bronwen Hruska

Have you ever thought that ADD is over diagnosed then you have to read this book? It will make you think.

Sean Benning a recently single dad is pressured into getting his 8 year old son, Toby, tested for ADD. Toby attends Bradley School, a school for the gifted as well as the wealthy. The school administration suggests Toby be medicated to control his behavior. Sean disagrees and begins to dig into the school. He soon learns that some parents will do anything to have their students succeed.

Care of Wooden Floors

Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles

This book will make you laugh out loud and squirm at the same time. I have to admit I might have seen just a little bit of myself in one of the characters.

Oskar is to put it nicely is a little OCD. He has to leave his home and go to LA to settle his divorce. He asks his old  friend to stay at his apartment and take care of his two cats. Sounds simple right well it’s not. The story is narrated my Oskar’s  friend whose name we never learn. It seems Oskar is a neat freak and leaves notes all over the apartment for his friend. He tells him how to take care of his apartment. especially his beloved French wooden floors. As you can expect things go terribly wrong and the more the friend tries to fix it the worse he makes it. The more he tries the more you laugh and shake your head in disbelief. The only thing stranger than the experiences of the narrator, is the ending you never see coming.

Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

The United States no longer exists. It is called the Republic and is made up of the west coast of the United States. Sound familiar well. If you liked The Hunger Games you will absolutely love this book. It is non-stop action from the first page to the end and there’s even a little romance.

The Republic is a country always at war with its neighbors. June is a 15 year old rich girl who is being trained for the Republic’s military elite. Day the Republic’s most wanted criminal, fights for his family’s right just to survive. June’s brother Metias is murdered and Day is the number one suspect. June vows to bring her brother’s killer to justice. As June hunts down Day she finds out that things are not as the Republic would like everyone to think.

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

If you like historical fiction then this book will blow you away from the first page to the last. The characters are strong and believable. From the moment you are first introduced to Verity and Maddie you want to know more about them and what happens to them.

Julia, Queenie, Eva, Katherine or Verity her name changes to suit her mission, is captured and tortured by the Nazis during WWII after her plane crashes in France. They want the wireless codes she has memorized for the British government as an operator. We are lead to believe that she sells her soul to save herself. As her confession unfolds we learn about Maddie, the pilot that flew her to France, their friendship and more details about her capture by the Nazis. We also learn Maddie’s story told in her voice. The final third of the book will blow you away.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Hazel is a 16 year old girl suffering from terminal thyroid cancer. I know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to read this book? Because this is a great book! Yes she has cancer but there is so much more to this book. It is beautifully written so keep the tissues handy.

Hazel is struggling with how she will be remembered once she is gone. A question I think all of us have thought about at some point in time. To complicate things Hazel meets Augustus, a member of a cancer support group she attends, and they fall in love. This is not your typical YA love story. Hazel is obsessed with a book she once read and wants to know what happened to the characters. She travels to Amsterdam with her family to meet the author and is very disappointed. She soon realizes that things are not always as they appear.

Graceling

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

In Katsa’s world being “graced” is not gift it’s a curse. Those who are “graced” have a special gift and are marked by having two different eye colors. Katsa’s grace is she can fight, not only can she fight she is virtually invincible. This is a skill her uncle, the king, uses to keep his people in line. Katsa is forced to torture people who go against him. She tires of her uncle’s injustice and secretly forms the Council. Together with Prince Po, another Graceling, they plan to end her uncle’s ruthless tyranny.

This is not your typical fantasy book. The action is nonstop and keeps you engaged. Katsa is torn between having her grace and using it. You see her character grow throughout the book.