An Abundance of Katherines

Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines. 2006. 228p. ISBN 978-0-525-47688. Available at FIC GRE on the library shelves.

Colin Singleton is a mathematical genius, but he’s unhappy in love. He loves Katherines. Not just one, or two, but all girls named Katherines. Graduating from high school and being dumpted by Katherine XIX, he finds himself at a loss.

His best friend Hassan convinces him that what they need to do is go on a road trip. During this time, Colin will endeavor to work out the perfect mathematical equation that will predict the length of every relationship to a Katherine. The two of them don’t make it very far, however, for in Gutshot, Tennessee, they meet Lindsey and her mother, Hollis, and they get themselves hired to compile an oral history of the area.

Lindsey is quirky in more ways than Colin can count, yet she is also strangely attractive. And as Colin manages to derive a formula that applies to his love life, he realizes that in the end being able to predict the end of a relationship is not worth not having one at all.

Sharing Colin’s angst on relationships, readers who enjoyed this book will also like Grasshopper Jungle and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Are You Afraid? The Science Behind Scary Stuff

O’Meara, Stephen James. Are You Afraid? The Science Behind Scary Stuff. 2009. 80p. ISBN 978-1-55453-294-0. Available at 001.94 OME on the library shelves.

What makes us afraid? Vampires? Werewolves? Skeletons? Haunted houses? O’Meara explores the science behind some of the scarier stuff we experience or believe in, and takes it apart in hilariously illustrated pictures and well-written text. From what happens when one’s head is chopped off to the likely explanation behind Bigfoot, these topics are sure to provide you with a scary chill up your spine!

The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver

Lockhart, E. The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver. 2005. 229p. ISBN 9780385732062. Available at FIC LOC on the library shelves and as an eBook on Overdrive.

When Ruby Oliver experiences her fifth panic attack at the dinner table in front of her parents, they send her to see a psychiatrist with the hope that she can work through her issues. As a sophomore in a private high school, Ruby had a good life. But everything crashed around her as she was dumped by her boyfriend Jackson, lost her best friends, annoyed the girl’s lacrosse team, and caused chaos at school.

Her psychiatrist asked her to write about all of the boys she ever liked, and Ruby came up with a list of fifteen. Through her appointments, she goes through the list, attempting to discover what about herself gives her panic attack, and as she reflects she learns some hard truths.

An hilarious look at the dating scene in school, the Boyfriend List will be sure to please readers. For a male perspective on dating, read Grasshopper Jungle or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Unmarked

Garcia, Kami. Unmarked. The Legion Book 2. 2014. 384p. ISBN 0316210226. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Instead of stopping the demon Andras and preventing his escape from Hell, Kennedy was the instrument that released him. As one of the five members of the Legion, she participated in a ritual that opened the gate and released Andras.

Unmarked picks up right where Unbreakable left off. Kennedy has been enrolled in a private school for troubled teens by her aunt following the death of her mother. For days she has heard nothing from Jared and the other members of the Legion. But she’s been following the damage done by Andras, which is left unexplained in the press: large storms; people disappearing; mass murders. Andras is making his way for her, and she knows there will be no escape this time.

Fortunately, Jared, Lukas, Alara and Priest track her down, helped by Elle, Kennedy’s best friend, and rescue her from her school. Using details from her memory, Kennedy is able to track down her father’s sister, whom she did not know existed. Faith, Alex’s sister, reveals that she is the 5th member of the Legion, but having been tortured by the Illuminati she remains in hiding. She can’t reveal anything else because she is killed by a spirit later on in the night. An assault on the sequestered farm house follows, and the six of them escape. Armed with hints and a journal, they trace back information to Paul Revere’s tomb in Boston, then confront Andras, who has occupied a stranger’s body. The battle goes poorly, but the group is rescued by Gabriel and Dimitri, two members of the Illuminati, and they capture Andras.

Given the opportunity to destroy a vengeful spirit to earn her mark, Kennedy does so, but then remains unmarked. Dimitri reveals that Kennedy’s mother was also a member of the Illuminati, a group in direct opposition to the Legion. This makes Kennedy a member of the Illuminati, not of the Legion. Kennedy is crestfallen.

Meanwhile, Andras successfully transfers himself into Jared’s body. Needing to possess someone to survive, the Legion could kill Jared and therefore destroy Andras forever. But there has to be another way to rescue the one Kennedy loves. As the white dove, the outsider looking in, can Kennedy save her friend and the rest of the Legion?

Legends or Lies?

Blackwood, Gary L. Legends or Lies? History’s Mysteries Series. 2010. 32p. ISBN 978-0-76144359-9. Available at 398.2 BLA on the library shelves.

You have heard these stories all of your life: King Arthur and Merlin. The fearsome women warriors known as the Amazons. The sunken city of Atlantis. Robin Hood and his merry band. The mysterious city of gold high up in the Andes. These are all legends that have been passed down from generations past. But every legend has a kernel of truth behind it.

This book explores these five legends and presents information that discusses the facts that are currently known about each legend, as well as the historical evidence upon which they are based. It’s a fun and quick read to further one’s understanding of characters and events in history.

Short Life of Bree Tanner

Meyer, Stephenie. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. 2010. 178p. ISBN 9780316125581. Available at FIC MEY on the library shelves.

Bree Tanner does not remember dying. But she did, one of the many victims to become a vampire raised to form an army against the Cullens. She doesn’t remember what her life was like before she became powerful, fast, and agile. Most of all, she doesn’t remember what it was like to live without a never-satiated thirst for blood.

Now that she’s immortal, nothing scares her. Or almost nothing. She doesn’t understand the conflict she’s getting involved in. She’s not sure what will happen. All she knows is she must hang on to her new vampire friend Diego, or risk losing the little humanity she has left.

Taking place during Eclipse, where Bree gets a scant two pages, fans of the Twilight Saga will enjoy reading the short life of Bree Tanner as a vampire, and her role in Victoria’s newborn army.

A Turn of Light

Czerneda, Julie E. A Turn of Light. Book 1 of the Night’s Edge series. 2013. 864p. ISBN 9780756407070. Available at FIC CZE on the library shelves.

The small village of Marrowdell is isolated in the northern reaches of the country of Roth, bound on one side by the Bone Hills and the lazy river that runs from them. The colonists who arrived here two decades ago are hearty and healthy, and live long lives. But most visitors cannot stay, for their nights are populated with nightmares. And not everything is what it seems. Toads lay eggs. The wheat harvests itself. It’s almost as if a spirit watches over Marrowdell

Jenn Nalynn was born here, and on the eve of her 19th birthday, she cannot wait to escape. All of her life she’s been willing herself elsewhere. Her most precious possession is a faded map showing a large part of the world, and all of these places attract her. What mysteries lay beyond the limits of her small village? Living with her father and her older sister Pegg, Jenn is ready to leave with her aunt after the fall festival.

For as long as she can remember, Jenn has spent time in the meadow at Night’s edge, near the Bone hills. There, her friend Wisp lives. Invisible, Wisp talks to Jenn, but, more importantly, he listens to her. If she could only have one wish, it would be to bring Wisp to her. When she stumbles upon a magic ritual, she decides to turn Will into a man so they can live happily ever after.

Meanwhile, Bannan Larmensu’s war has concluded with a peace treaty, and the countryside where he fought as a truthseer has been turned over to the enemy. Surrendering his weapon, he makes his way north to the farthest place in Roth, where he hopes to settle with his loyal companion and fellow soldier Tyr and his warhorse Scourge. He arrives in Marrowdell in time to see the results of Jenn’s wishing, when Wisp, now Wyll, falls in the river and must be rescued.

Now Bannan and Wyll are engaged in a battle for Jenn’s heart. But something else is tugging at her too. Marrowdell itself is coming alive, and at the Great Turn, the solar eclipse of this lifetime, the edges of the world will fray with the Verge, and wishes will become possible.

An original tale of magic and wishing, the fantasy setting is exquisite and its inhabitants are worth the read.

If you enjoyed this book, you will like Seraphina.

Airshipwreck

Deighton, Len & Arnold Schwartzman. Airshipwreck. 1978. 74p. 0-03-046451-X. Available at 904 DEI on the library shelves.

Before the airplane became ubiquitous, the only way to travel across long distances by air was on an airship. Commonly known as blimps or Zeppelins, these giants of the skies were first developed in the 18th century, and became incrementally safer, faster, and more comfortable until a horrific accident, the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937, brought a swift end to the airship.

Hundreds of airships were built by Germany, Britain, and America. During the First World War, these ships were used as scouts and bombing platforms, but as the airplane gained the upper hand on the battlefield, the vulnerabilities of a floating platform filled with highly inflammable gas were exposed and gradually the airships were grounded.

When the war concluded, airships resumed their civilian lives and transported people between Germany and Brazil and Germany and the United States. Deighton and Schwartzman write the story of the airship through its many wrecks, exploring the development of the airship from its humble beginning to its golden age in the 1930s. Beautifully illustrated, fans of military history or of novel transportation methods will enjoy this short book.

The Infinite Sea

Yancey, Rick. The Infinite Sea. Book 2 of the Fifth Wave trilogy. 2014. 300p. ISBN 9780399162428. Available at FIC YAN on the library shelves.

Having survived the obliteration of Camp Haven in The 5th Wave, Cassie’s small team of survivors retrenched in a hotel and waited in hope that Evan would return from his improbable mission of sabotage and destruction. Ben, aka Zombie, is in bad shape, with several injuries. Sam, aka Nugget, still hangs on to his sergeant Zombie, even though his sister Cassie has returned to fulfill her promise of looking after him. Dumbo the medic, Poundcake the sharpshooter, Teacup the trigger happy, and Ringer complete this small party. But they’ve been here too long, in this old motel, waiting for Evan. It’s time to leave. The plan is as simple as it is dangerous. Ringer will explore an old system of caves not far from here, then will return and lead the party there.

Everything goes wrong. Teacup follows Ringer, with dire consequence. Meanwhile, at the motel, Evan does return, but drags with him Grace, a fellow silencer. The body count rises as the survivors fight off agents of the aliens. When you cannot trust anyone, who is left?

The pace is very quick, and major characters die in this book. Yancey tells the tale through different perspectives, which allow for the group to be split up, while exploring the thoughts and feelings of Ben, Ringer, Evan, and even Poundcake. As the tale weaves itself, more of the alien’s mystery is revealed, and the conclusion is shocking.

Fans of the dystopian novel will like this book, and might also enjoy the following: Arena 1, Starters, Maze Runner, Ship Breaker, Reboot, Not a Drop to Drink, and Birthmarked and Divergent.

The Black Death

Mee, Charles L. The Black Death. 2012. 18p. ISBN 9781612306216. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

No disease or plague excites the human mind as much as the Black Death. The scourge of the Middle Ages, the Black Death traveled on fleas from Asia to Europe, and in the process obliterated as much as a third of the entire population. Cities and lands that had been teeming with people were suddenly found bereft of human activity. Entire villages were wiped out. The plague entered the imagination.

In this short book, Mee discusses how the plague first came to Europe, and how it then spread to every corner of the continent. Our understanding of medicine at the time was limited, and often contradictory, and the advice provided was therefore not in any way related to the actual disease. The fact that this plague could travel through fleas was simply inconceivable to inhabitants of the 1340s. Mee also presents how laws and customs prior to the plague contributed to its spread, and how measures taken afterwards limited another pandemic.

The death of so many people left a void that contributed to the collapse of the feudal system and the rise of the nation state. Paradoxically, the more people died, the greater was the economic recovery as more land became available. Serfs were no longer confined to working for one person but could hire themselves out to the highest bidder in what became a workers’ market.

This short nonfiction work will have you completely mesmerized by this incredible event in human history. For an in-depth look at the Black Death, Life During the Black Death is the perfect companion volume. You can also consult The Bone Chapel to see how bones from the time period were used in decoration. Finally, look at Germ Warfare to understand how germs such as those who caused the Black Death can be used as weapons.

Sabotage, Sedition and Sundry Acts of Rebellion

Aretha, David. Sabotage, Sedition and Sundry Acts of Rebellion. A Peculiar History Series. 2015. 112p. ISBN 978-1-59935-406-4. Available at 306.3 ARE on the library shelves.

Slavery in the United States is intricately linked with the history of the nation, from the growth of this “peculiar institution” to the Civil War that brought an end to it. Facts about slavery are well known, but the slaves’ perspectives are often ignored. This short book discusses the various rebellions that took place during the first three hundred years of the United States, and places each one in its historical context. Leaders of these rebellions, from Nat Turner to John Brown, are presented, and their actions are explained.

But active rebellion was only one facet of a desperate people attempting to survive horrible conditions. There were many more acts of insubordination, from askew glances to not working very hard for the master.

Throughout slavery, slaves’ primary goal was to survive, and, if possible escape. The Underground Railroad is explored, and active participants are presented. Finally, a chapter discusses the plight that slave women endured at the hands of their masters.

This book contains a timeline, a list of sources and an extensive bibliography, as well as an index. It is an excellent resource to discover something new about a well-known subject.

Matched

Condie, Allie. Matched. 2010. 369p. ISBN 9780525423645. Available at FIC CON on the library shelves.

In the month of their 16th birthdays, teenagers participate in a matching ceremony. During this glamorous event, each girl is matched with her perfect companion, a boy from somewhere within the Society. Each are perfectly compatible with each other and will bring the best genes to their offsprings. Cassia is very excited to attend, and cannot wait to discover who her match is.

When it is her turn, the crowd gasps. She has been matched with Xander, her neighbor and a boy she’s known all her life. This rarely happens, as all matches are with people who do not live in the same city. So unlike her friends, Cassia’s courtship and getting to know her romantic partner will be much different.

When on the next morning she looks at her match card, she sees Xander’s face, but it quickly changes to that of Ky, another boy from the neighborhood. How could that be? Two different matches, both from the same neighborhood? The odds are astronomical that this would happen. But suddenly Cassia is curious. Why Ky?

An official from the Society meets her later that day, and advises her there was a malfunction in her match identification card and it was an error. But the Society doesn’t make errors. Cassia is confused, but as she gets to know Ky, who moved in her neighborhood from the Outer Provinces, she realizes that they have more in common than she does with Xander.

All around her, things are changing rapidly. Officials are cracking down on infractions, and are punishing people seemingly without cause. Her mother is called away repeatedly to investigate problems. Their artifacts are confiscated. And Cassia lives in fear of being caught, because what she’s doing with Ky is not permitted. It’s a dangerous game she plays, and more scrutiny seems to follow her. How will she resolve her dilemma between Xander and Ky? And what’s actually happening in the Society?

Matched continues in Crossed, the second installment of the Matched trilogy.

If you liked Matched, you will enjoy The Selection. You may also like reading about Cinder's exploits and her relationship to Emperor Kai in the Lunar Chronicles. For a different look at a planned and organized Society, read The Giver.

Arena 2

Rice, Morgan. . Arena Two. 2012. 332p. ISBN 0984975373. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

In Arena One, Brooke and her sister Bree escaped from Manhattan with the help of Logan, an ex-slaverunner, Rose, a surviving girl and now Bree’s friend, and Ben, another refugee from their former neighborhoods in the Catshills. They stole a speedboat and headed north on the Hudson, heading for a mythical city in Canada.

The ride on the river is eventful, and the small group of survivors is chased by slaverunners for days until they finally manage to eliminate them. Along the way Rose is attacked, becomes infected, and dies. Logan himself is also hurt during a fight. Brooke remains torn between Ben and Logan, both of whom are interested in her.

Unfortunately for them, they are caught again by slaverunners when they board a moving train for shelter and transportation. This time, they are taken to Arena Two. If anything, this Arena is even worse than Arena One. The game environment changes every day, and instead of competing one on one groups of teens all compete together to be the last person left alive.

Brooke will do anything to save her sister and her friends. When she encounters Flo and Charlie, she knows she has met kindred spirits. Together, will they survive the vicious and deadly game long enough to form an escape plan?

Fans of the Hunger Games will like this book, and might also enjoy the following dystopian novels: Starters, Divergent, and The Maze Runners. The story concludes in Arena 3.

This Shattered World

Kaufman, Amie & Meagan Spooner. This Shattered World. Book 2 of the Starbound series. 2014. 390p. ISBN 978-1423171034. Available at FIC KAU on the library shelves.

Avon is a young world, but colonization efforts over the last decades have stalled, and the planet is perpetually shrouded in clouds. The locals believe that the corporation which controls the planet’s development is stalling, preventing Avon from gaining full political rights.

Jubilee Chase is known by soldiers on Avon as Captain Lee Chase, a no-nonsense officer who respects her troops but demands the best. To the rebels, she is a cold-hearted soulless killer. But when she is kidnapped at gunpoint by Flynn Cormac, her life, as well as his, are forever altered.

Flynn wants to investigate a secret facility to the east of the town connected to Avon’s lack of development, but they cannot find it when they get there. In the midst of a nascent civil war, bringing her to the rebels’ hideout proves to be a bad idea, and the situation quickly devolves into open conflict. Now both Flynn and Jubilee must discover what is causing the Fury before the bloodbath engulfs the planet.

In the second book of the Starbound series, the mystery of the Whispers continue, albeit on a different planet. LaRoux Industries is still deeply involved, and the main characters from These Broken Stars make an appearance late in the book tying Avon’s mysteries to those they experienced. However, the focus is on Jubilee and Flynn’s relationship and how they cope with being on opposite sides in what appears to be a futile conflict. Kaufman and Spooner propose two well developed protagonists and a well rounded cast of supporting characters. Though action is plentiful, the plot is slow to finally evolve into a story where all the elements connect. Fans of the first book, as well as those who like impossible romance by two people on opposing sides, will enjoy this sequel.
The story concludes in This Fractured Light.