Win, Lose, or Die

Gardner, John. Win, Lose, or Die. Book 8 of the James Bond series. 1989. 319p. ISBN 9780425122617.

M receives intelligence that BAST (Brotherhood of Anarchy and Secret Terrorism) plans to infiltrate and destroy the "Stewards' Meeting," a top-secret summit aboard a Royal Navy aircraft carrier involving President George H. W. Bush, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. To counter this threat, James Bond is reactivated to duty in the Royal Navy and promoted to Captain, tasked with infiltrating HMS Invincible to identify potential sleeper agents before the summit, scheduled a year later.

In the months leading up to the summit, Bond undergoes training to fly a Navy Sea Harrier jet. BAST, aware of his mission, attempts to eliminate him, first during a training exercise and later while he is on holiday in Italy, where his girlfriend, Beatrice Maria da Ricci, is seemingly killed. Upon returning, Bond boards HMS Invincible to manage security for the "Stewards' Meeting" amidst a massive joint war game, Landsea '89. However, he soon finds himself at the center of a murder investigation involving an American Naval Intelligence officer, and while he leaves to report the incident, BAST seizes the opportunity to capture the ship and hold the world leaders for a staggering $600 billion ransom.

A Copycat Conundrum

Yee, Lisa. A Copycat Conundrum. Book 2 of the Misfits. 2025. 288p. ISBN 9780593564226.

Fresh off their triumph in the Royal Rumpus case in A Royal Conundrum, the Misfits are riding high as San Francisco's elite team of crime-fighting underdogs. Working for the covert agency NOCK (No One Can Know), Olive Cobin Zang and her team are confidently tackling every mission thrown their way. However, their latest case proves to be a perplexing challenge: their classmate Zeke is receiving threatening notes, and the Misfits are stumped as to why anyone would target such a kind and friendly individual.

As the Misfits grapple with the mystery surrounding Zeke, strange earthquakes begin to plague San Francisco, affecting only specific city blocks. Coincidentally, priceless works of art start disappearing, prompting NOCK to call upon the Misfits to investigate. The team must determine if these unusual events are connected to Zeke's mysterious notes or if they are part of a larger, more sinister plot. The Misfits soon realize they may be facing a scheme far greater than any they have encountered before, one that could threaten the entire city.

Fans of action, adventure and mysteries will love this fast-paced story as the Misfits attempt to discover what happened to Zeke's ancestor and his rumored treasure. 

The Misfits #1: A royal Conundrum

Yee, Lisa. The Misfits #1: A royal Conundrum. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9781984830296.

Olive doesn't fit in anywhere. She attracts troubles through no fault of her own, and has a tendency to find herself in tight spots. Her grandmother, who used to take care of her when her parents were gone on their frequent trips, has recently passed away, and the home has been lonely and empty without her. Called down to the school office, Olive wonders what she's done now to earn yet another trip to this dreaded place. Strangely, she's met by her mother, who tells her she's not in trouble, but it's time to go.

Back home, Olive discovers that her mother, who is about to leave on yet another trip with her father, has enrolled Olive in a boarding school up the coast, and she starts today. Surprised, Olive packs quickly, and drops her suitcase in the car. She soon finds herself in RASCH, a reforming art school located in a former castle on an island that was then turned into a prison before becoming a school. Left with her mother's suitcase by accident instead of her own, Olive must navigate being the new kid at a new school.

But RASCH is not what it seems. In fact, RASCH also train teen spies, and soon Olive joins an eclectic crew of specialists and starts training, honing skills she didn't know she had. However, RASCH is threatened with closing due to a lack of funds. A planned fundraiser centered on a famous jewel auction is planned to replenish the coffers, but one of the greatest jewel thief is also on the prowl, looking to steal this amazing gem. It will be up to Olive and her friends to prevent the theft and save their schools, otherwise they must return to their own boring lives!

The Misfits' story continues in A Copycat Conundrum.

Malcom Kid and the Perfect Song

Paramore, Austin; Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (letterer), and Sarah Bollinger (illustrator). Malcom Kid and the Perfect Song. 2023. 208p. ISBN 9781637152232. Available as a graphic novel on the library shelves.

Malcolm loves music, and he is pretty good at it. His father, however, sees Malcom's choice of a career to be wrong, and he would prefer his son do something else, anything else. Plus with the death of his older brother, Malcolm has to be the oldest brother to his younger sibling. Malcom is poor, and even the subway robber takes pity on him, earning him the unflattering title of "2 Poor to Rob." When his friend accidentally destroys his portable keyboard, Malcolm is crushed. What will he do without a musical instrument? 

January was Malcolm's best friend before she moved away. Now that she's back, she's dating the friend that destroyed his keyboard, and she feels partly responsible for that because he was chasing her. So she reconnects with Malcolm, and she offers to replace his keyboard. She's located a pawnshop a few blocks away, so Malcolm and her visit the place. The man offers to sell him a wonderful LK-2000, but at a price that does not include money. January immediately accepts, though Malcolm has misgivings.

That night, Malcolm falls into a dream that feels very real. An older musician sits at a piano, looking for the perfect song. Malcolm awakes to find this was not a dream. The keyboard is actually haunted. Malcolm unloads his keyboard to January, who has the same dream the following night. Unlike Malcolm, however, she talks with the musician, and learns that his name is Midnight, and he was a famous jazz artist in their town. He is stuck here, until he completes the perfect song. January promises that Malcolm will return, and will help him complete his song. The old man is thrilled.

Angry, Malcolm reluctantly agree to help Midnight. As he and January begin to look for clues as to where the perfect song would be, they learn details about themselves and about Malcolm's family that shines a light on secrets that were long buried, and reveals the power that music has on his life.

First Family

Baldacci, David. First Family. Book 4 of the Sean King & Michelle Maxwell series. 2009. 449p. ISBN 9780446539753.

Solicited by the sister of the President's wife for a possible assignment, private detectives and former Secret Service Agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell arrive at the house late at night only to be shot at by two guys wearing body armor. Inside the house, their potential client is dead, and Willa, her eldest daughter, niece to the President, has been kidnapped. Her husband was attacked as well, but not seriously hurt. The other two children were drugged but not otherwise harmed.

With time ticking and the first 72 hours of a kidnapping the most important, Sean and Michelle are hired by the First Lady to track down her sister's killers and find Willa before it is too late. In the midst of a re-election campaign, the First Couple does not trust the FBI to quickly solve this dastardly attack.

Sam Quarry has been planning the demise of the President and his wife for many years. Extremely meticulous and careful, he has assembled enough information to convict both of them of crimes, let alone that they do not deserve another term. But Sam wants revenge for all of the evil things they have done, including the harm that happened to his daughter Tippy, now in a coma.

As Sean and Michelle use all means, legal or otherwise, to find the President's niece, they must contend with a powerful adversary who has noting to lose. With the Presidency and the life of a young girl in the balance, time is already running out!

Pretty Dead Queens

 Donne, Alexa. Pretty Dead Queens. 2022. 336p. ISBN 9780593479827. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Cecelia lost her mother to a brutal cancer, and with no father in the picture she has to move from Los Angeles into her grandmother's house in a small coastal California town located hours from anywhere. Cecelia doesn't know much about her grandmother, with whom her mother cut ties with years ago, except that she is a successful murder mystery writer. The large Victorian house on the edge of town is as creepy a place to live as any of the settings in her novels, and Cecelia has difficulty adapting to a new routine with someone who might be flesh and blood, but who is a virtual stranger.

Cecelia also enrolls in the local high school, where she soon discovers that divisions run deep. Decades ago, the girl who was crowned homecoming queen was murdered in the school's pool, and the custodian who was convicted of the murder continues to proclaim his innocence. Relatives of both the victim and the convicted still live in town, and the tragedy, which was at the center of Cecelia's grandmother's first book, continues to fascinate the locals and the fans who come from far away to visit the murder scene. Enterprising high schoolers even offer a performance during the weekend, recreating the tragedy, much to the delight of the tourists who visit the town.

With so many secrets carefully piled on top of each other, Cecelia's arrival is bound to destroy the harmony the town settled on to move past the tragedy. Except that on Homecoming night, the new queen, who happens to be the Mayor's daughter, is found dead in the pool by Cecelia, wearing a similar outfit to the first girl. A copycat killer has just recreated the same scene. Secrets upon secrets begin to unravel as Cecelia's morbid fascination with the murder turns into her own private investigation. As she unearths more clues, she gets closer to the killer, who could maker her the next victim ...

Fans of murder mysteries will enjoy this fast-moving and suspenseful tragedy and copycat murder. 

The Poet X

 Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X. 2018. 368p. 210 mins. ISBN 978-0-06-266280-4. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Xiomara Batista shares a small bedroom with her frail twin brother in their stifling Harlem apartment. Her Dominican mother is domineering and had hoped to become a nun before getting married. She keeps Xiomara on a tight leash, especially since she became curvy. Her father works hard and defers to his wife, who's committed to seeing Xiomara confirmed. But at 15, Xiomara doesn't care about the church. She doesn't want to be confirmed. She yearns to have the same freedoms other in her school enjoy. 

Poetry really gets Xiomara's creative juices flowing. She loves to write about her own thoughts, how she feels, and what she experiences as a girl who draws the gaze of older men as well as other students. When she sees an ad for a Slam Poetry club at school, she really wants to attend, except that it conflicts with confirmation classes.  

Ever since she was born, she's been protective of her twin brother, who is super smart but weak and unable or unwilling to defend himself. She often lets her fists do the talking. But now, both he and Xiomara have secrets. She has a crush on Aman, her lab partner, and he encourages her to keep writing poetry. Twin, as she refers to him, is gay and loves another boy. Neither love is welcome in the Baptista household.

The more she writes, however, the more Xiomara realizes she needs to spread her wings and take risks. As secrets accumulate, can poetry be the avenue that allows Xiomara to break free?

A story told in verses, Poet X explores issues of loneliness and oppression. The characters are realistic, and their emotions are easily relatable. Fans of poetry will enjoy Xiomara's story and cheer for her as she works through her relationships with her mother, her brother, and Aman.

The Brontë Plot

 Reay, Katherine. The Brontë Plot. 2015. 334p. ISBN 9781401689759. Available at FIC REA on the library bookshelves.

Lucy works in an antique shop, where she is in charge of the rare book collection. Over the years, she has developed a talent for acquiring rare books that have handwritten notes in them, sometimes from the author themself, sometimes from strangers who left their impressions of what they read or dedications to loved ones decades earlier. When James walks in the store looking for a specific book, Lucy is thrilled to have that book in the collection, and enthusiastically lends it to James for an art project. Smitten, the two of them soon become an item, and James buys several rare books from Lucy. Then he discovers that the handwriting in all of them is very similar to that of Lucy.

With her forgery exposed, Lucy suddenly loses James and her position at the store is at risk, since the owner prides himself on providing only the best authentic antiques, and forged rare books could sink his business. Helen, James' rich grandmother intervenes by offering Lucy a job as her personal consultant on a trip to England to help her on an antiques acquisitions tour of the old country. But Helen also has a secret of her own, and she needs Lucy's help to complete unfinished business ...

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan

 Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan. Book 4 of the Enola Holmes series. 2008. 183p. ISBN 9780399247804.

Following her resolution of the mystery of the bouquets and the disappearance of Dr. Watson in The Curious Case of the Mysterious Bouquets, Enola attempts to return to a semblance of normalcy. Secure in her knowledge that her enterprise of solving mysteries has not been detected by her brothers Mycroft and Sherlock, Enola nonetheless has put off finding her mother.

When she runs into Lady Cecily, from The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, she is very perplexed. Last time she had seen Lady Cecily she had revealed her true identity to the left-handed youth. Imagine her surprise, then, to see Lady Cecily flanked by two aristocratic matrons and being forced into an arranged marriage. Using a pink fan, Cecily manages to communicate her distress to Enola, who decides to investigate the manner.

Her inquiries reveal that Lady Cecily's mother has departed the family home with the children, and that Lady Cecily's father, concerned that his daughter is now damaged goods following her disappearance, has decided to marry her off to a less than desirable suitor. Enola runs into her brother Sherlock, who is on the same trail but possesses less information than she. Putting her grievances against her brother aside, the two of them team up to discover where Lady Cecily is being kept against her will. With the revelation that Lady Cecily is being held in an orphanage on the outskirts of London and that the wedding is this very day, Enola must infiltrate the place and device a plan to rescue Lady Cecily without being captured by her brothers!

That Inevitable Victorian Thing

Johnson, E.K. That Inevitable Victorian Thing. 2017. ISBN 978-0-525-49352-5. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

At 18, Victoria-Margaret is poised to make her entrance in the world of adults. As the Crown Princess of the British Empire, and a descendant of Queen Victoria I, Victoria-Margaret has a heavy heritage to uphold, The Empire has long since adopted arranged marriages based on genetics for its royal family, so Victoria-Margaret will soon be matched with someone who will bring political advantages to the Empire.

Before her debut, she is allowed to go spend time with Elizabeth Highcastle, the daugther of a Canadian Admiral who is friends with her father, the Queen's Consort. Her father and royal mother hope that this last summer in semi anonymity will provide her with great friendships and good experiences. Arriving in Toronto with only Elizabeth and her family knowing her true identity, Victoria-Margaret transforms into Margaret Savage and joins Toronto's circuit of social events. Margaret has received her genetic profile from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and this profile is all of her information, except for her name so she can explore the Empire's genetic computer network for fun if she wants. Margaret sets up a profile for a girl called Lizzy.  At Elizabeth's debut, Margaret meets Helena Marcus, a shy and quiet girl.

Helena has always known that she would marry August Callaghan, heir to a lumber and shipping empire on the Great Lakes. From a tender age, they have spent all of their summers together, and now that Helena is preparing her own debut, she looks forward to August proposing. But then she discovers that her genetic heritage marks her as male. She is intersex, which means she has male characteristics including testes, and she will never bear children. Crushed, she doesn't know how to reveal this information to August, but she uses her male profile, which she named Henri, on the Empire's genetic computer network and soon attracts the attention of Lizzy, who is a perfect genetic match to Helena's Henry. Lizzy is funny and soon her and Helena's fake persona start to feel more than just a passing interest.

Meanwhile, August has been busy illegally bribing American pirates from attacking the Callaghan ships in the Great Lake, and now finds himself caught in a wheel of deceit that he wants to escape. Unwilling to drag Helena with him, he postpones his desire to propose, and instead casts about for solutions to his problem.

Soon the three of them find themselves spending the summer at Helena's cottage. Together, they have a chance to change the Empire for the better, if only they can get past their secrets.

Fans of Victorian England will enjoy this story of love and romance set in a near future where the British Empire survived and thrived. The characters are authentic, and their struggles to find their own identity is real.

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets

Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets. Book 3 of the Enola Holmes series. 2008. 170p. ISBN 9780399245183. Available at FIC SPR on the library shelves.

After successfully escaping her brother Sherlock Holmes in The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, Enola returns to her home to recuperate and consider her next move. When Dr. Watson goes missing, however, Enola knows she cannot remain hidden and must help find the good doctor, especially since even her own brother is despairing of finding a solution. Weary it is a trap to lure her out in the open so Sherlock can capture her and make a proper lady out of her, she approaches Dr. Watson's wife only to discover that Dr. Watson is indeed missing and hasn't been seen for days. One of the bouquets of flowers left by well-wishers attracts her attention. Why would there be flowering aspargus?

Armed with this smallest of puzzle piece, Enola sets forth on a dangerous path to discover what might have happened to the good doctor, who might have done it, and, more importantly, whether or not he is still alive. This time, Enola will have to effect the most radical disguise of all, and turn herself into a beauty the world cannot ignore. With dangers lurking, time is of the essence to resolve this mystery!

Fans of the style of mysteries popularized by Sherlock Holmes will appreciate this take on his younger sister, who is both more motivated and more interesting!

The story continues in The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan.

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady

Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady. Book 2 of the Enola Holmes series. 2007. 234p. ISBN 9780399245176. Available at FIC SPR on the Library Shelves.

Having escaped her brother Sherlock Holmes in The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, Enola has set up shop as an investigator of missing persons, hiding behind the persona of a recluse doctor and acting as his secretary. Her mother has gone with the gypsies, and Enola at 14 finds herself living alone in London, away from the strictures that were bounding her to be a "proper" lady. That's the way she wants to keep it, and she will do anything she can to escape the reach of her famous detective brother.

When Lady Cecily goes missing, Enola is intrigued. Acting as the young wife of her persona, she visits Cecily's mother to get more information about what happened. Cecily disappeared on a ladder from the fourth story of her house, and she took no clothes. No ransom note has been received, and no other details were noticed. Elona quickly realizes that Lady Cecily was left handed, which is rare in the British nobility. 

Following the clues, Elona visits a department store where the owner's son works. He was rumored to have a relationship with Cecily, but his lodgings were searched and no clue as to Cecily's whereabouts were found. From him, she discovers that Cecily was very interested in radical idea like Marxism, and that she thought workers should have a better deal than what they were getting. As she continues looking, however, Elona almost becomes the victim of a garroter. Looking for Lady Cecily has just turned deadly!

Fans of the style of mysteries popularized by Sherlock Holmes will appreciate this take on his younger sister, who is both more motivated and more interesting!

The story continues in The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets.

Monday's Not Coming

Jackson, Tifany D. Monday's Not Coming. 2018. 444p. ISBN 9780062422675. Available at FIC JAC on the library shelves.

Claudia and Monday are inseparable. They've been together since kindergarten, and the only time they don't spend together is when Claudia is at her grandmother's house for the summer. Imagine Claudia's surprise when she returns from vacation to find that Monday is not waiting for her at the airport with Claudia's mother. Her confusion increases when she doesn't get a phone call from her best friend, and calls to her home are unanswered. Confusion turns to distress when the new school year starts, and Monday does not show up.

Claudia relies on Monday to help her complete her homework. Claudia is very artistic, but reading is tough, especially since the letters seem to get mixed up when she tries to read. Monday lives on the wrong side of the tracks, and Claudia's mother has always insisted that Claudia should never go there as the neighborhood is too dangerous.

Everyone around her seem unconcerned that Monday is missing. Her mother doesn't seem worried. Teachers barely noticed. April, Monday's oldest sister, tells Claudia to mind her own business. With Monday gone, however, Claudia resolves to visit Monday's house and find out why her best friend is suddenly missing. Monday's mother threatens Claudia, and she flees back to her own house. Where did Monday go?

The more she digs, looking for clues into Monday's disappearance, the more confusing explanations seem to become, and the more unmoored Claudia feels, living live without Monday. Did Monday leave her behind because Claudia was holding her back and cramping her style, as April implies? Did she go live with her father, as Monday's mother yells at her? What happened to Monday? Finding the truth might save Monday, but it could very well destroy Claudia ...

Fans of psychological thrillers and unreliable characters will appreciate this story. Claudia's anguish is real, and the steps she takes to find Monday are appropriate for a teen. Those who enjoyed this book should consider reading Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, If I Stay, Zoe Letting Go, Black Box, The Vanishing Season, or Kiss of Broken Glass. All of these books feature a tragedy and a voyage of self-discovery as the central element of the plot.

The Fill-In Boyfriend

West, Kasie. The Fill-In Boyfriend. 2015. 344p. 394 mins. ISBN 978-0-06-233638-5. Available as an ebook and an audiobook from Overdrive.

Gia Montgomery is the alpha of her group of high school friends. Her position has been contested since Jules joined their group. For months she's been telling them about her boyfriend Bradley, who goes to UCLA, and she's been looking forward to her high school prom and the day she can finally introduce Bradley to her friends, and shut Jules up.

When the day arrives, however, Bradley, who drove from Los Angeles for the night, realizes that Gia only wants him here to prove to her friends that he exists. Angry, he breaks up with her and leaves her in the parking lot, so tantalizing close to the entrance. Gia can already see Jules' gleeful look when she walks in alone, and this is intolerable.

So Gia does the only thing an alpha like her could do. She recruits the guy who just dropped his sister off at the prom to be her date. It takes some convincing, but Fake Bradley reluctantly agrees to go with her and to participate in her plan to break up at the end of the night. She shows up Fake Bradley to her friends, and all except Jules are impressed. Jules keeps a smirk on her face.

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable ... convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. Will Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship?     

Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares

Copling, Steve. Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares. Book 1 of the Sage Alexander series. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9781612549422. Available at FIC COP on the library shelves.

Sage has heard all his life from Leah, the fairy that guards him, that he is the boy of prophecy, who will save humanity from the perils of the seven Princes of Hell, also known as the seven deadly sins of envy, greed, gluttony, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath. Unfortunately for him, no one else in the world sees Leah. Growing up was thus very hard, with Sage constantly talking with someone his mother, father, and brother Nick could not see. Thinking him delusional, Sage had to undergo treatments and eventually had to deny that Leah even existed. Despite her best efforts to train him, Leah has thus far failed to adequately prepare the boy for the role he is called to play.

Sage knows he is not alone in the world. There are others like him, members of the Council, who seek to vanquish the Princes. But he has never met any of them. Most descendants of angels and humans relationships possess one Trait, a power they can use to defeat the dark hordes. A few are blessed with two Traits, while only one or two individuals throughout history have had three Traits. Sage will eventually have all of them. Right now he has Pathfinder, the ability to track and see Where the Dark ones have travelled, and Fighting Arts, which make him a deadly sword fighter. However, Sage has not taken his training seriously, and has been slacking the last few years.

His father has been working on a large business deal and has been absent for most of the year, creating marital strains and harming his relationship with his kids. All he can talk about is this deal, that will set up his family financially. When he returns from one such trip, Sage is startled to see his face turning golden, and small wings sprouting from his back. Suddenly Sage realizes that he has just acquired Clarity, the ability to see clearly the Dark Ones and their influences. His father clearly is under the sway of Mammon, Prince of Greed. All of the tales that Leah have told him are true, and now Sage is unprepared to protect his family. When people around him are revealed to also work for the Council, Sage is assuaged that he is not going crazy, but none of them are willing to help him save his father. Alone, except for his guardian fairy, Sage decides to embark on a quest to find the thirty-two Council members who have disappeared in the last thousand years. Saving them from the Dark Ones would provide him with an army to assist him. Yet the road is fraught with dangers, and ultimately Sage will be the one who must confront Mammon in a battle only one will survive...

Future Threat

Briggs, Elizabeth. Future Threat. 2017. 266p. ISBN 978-0-8075-2684-2. Available as eBook on Overdrive.

Six months ago in Future Shock, Elena, Adam, Chris and two others travelled forward in time to a life thirty years in the future. Sent to collect and bring back new technologies, they were instructed not to look into their future selves to avoid a sickness called “Future Shock.” Of course they did, and Elena discovered that she died shortly after her return from the future. She was able to modify it and avoided the fate that was waiting for her.

Now Aether Corporation is back, and they want Elena, Adam and Chris’ help again. A group has recently travelled to the future, but one of them did not return. The trio agrees to perform this action one more time, but only if Aether leave them alone afterwards, a condition the company readily agrees to. Once again in the future, Elena realizes that it is a lot better than the last one. Adam and her are married, they have a child, and together with Chris they run a multinational corporation designed to improve humanity. Things immediately go awry, however, when the group separates. Kevin, the missing man, is found dead alongside Chris.

Crushed by Chris’ death and what it means for the future, Elena and Adam are determined to return to the future yet one more time to see if they can fix things. That third future looks very bleak. And as things continue to go wrong, more complications arise and more lives are lost. Should they risk one more trip to help those they love or is the future already mapped out for them?

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 2011. 295p. ISBN 0-674-05792-9. Available at FIC WIL on the library shelves.

A beautiful youth of 20, Dorian Gray sits for Basil Hallward, a famous painter of the time. Basil has kept him a secret from his good friend, Lord Henry Wotton. When the two meet, Dorian is immediately captivated by Lord Wotton’s philosophy that pleasures of all kind are the only reason one should live. Convinced by Lord Wotton that a youth’s beauty is all that matters, Dorian makes the wish that his painting would age instead of him, and, unbeknownst to him, his wish is granted.

Falling in love Sibyl with an actress, Dorian attempts to convince his friends that she is amazing, only to witness her poor performance during a play. She reveals to him that she loves him and sees no point in pretending through plays. More in love with the idea of her than the actual person, Dorian breaks off his engagement and castigates her. She commits suicide, and her brother, James Vane, vows to avenge her but doesn’t know Dorian’s name.

As Dorian comes of age, he falls further in corrupted experiences along with Lord Wotton, affecting the lives of many aristocratic youths as well as the youths of other social classes. His portray, meanwhile, begins to show the signs of aging and of the evil influences of his life, and soon Dorian cannot bear to look at it. Years later, Basil Hallward visits Dorian on his way to Paris, and confronts him about his wanton ways. Dorian, in a fit of rage, kills Basil and disposes of his body. That murder haunts him, however, and when he crosses path with James Vane, Dorian is shaken to the core and worried that it is time for him to provide an account of his life.

The violent death of James Vane during a hunting trip frees Dorian from the guilt he had, but he decides from now on he needs to lead an exemplary life, with the hope that the portrait will once again show him his beautiful self. When it doesn’t, Dorian decides to destroy the portrait, but a yell awakens his household and they find the portrait on the ground next to a disfigured and ugly old man who’s recognized as Dorian by his rings and clothes.

A tale of moral duplicity and corruption, The Picture of Dorian Gray remains controversial today for the themes it addresses and its (at the time) scandalous nature.

Freakling

Krumwiede, Lana. Freakling. Book 1 of the Psi Chronicles series. 2012. 309p. ISBN 0-7636-5937-1. Available at FIC KRU on the library shelves.

The city and countryside of Deliverance has lived at peace ever since its people, led by Nathan, removed themselves from the Republic and sought shelter behind an impassable chain of mountains. Persecuted for their abilities to manipulate their environment through psionics powers, specifically telekinesis, psy wielders found rest and created a new society. That society is now in danger, however, as the priesthood seeks to gain control of psy weapons and enter in an alliance with the Republic against its enemies.

Twelve-year-old Taemon has never known any other world. He uses psi to eat, dress, wash, open locks and turn on the lights. His older brother, Yens, hopes to become a psi ball professional player so he can escape the fate of becoming a religious teacher like his father. For Taemon, however, he still has a year left before he needs to make a decision. When the head priest, Elder Naseph, announces that the True Son prophesized by Nathan has arrived, all eyes turn to Yens, who demonstrates an understanding of psi beyond his years.

However Yens is evil. He attempts to kill Taemon by throwing him over a cliff, and only Taemon’s clairvoyance saves him from drowning. In the process, he loses access to his telekinetic abilities. Having to fake your way through life without the ability to manipulate the environment through his mind, Taemon is soon discovered to be psi-less, and is sent to the Colony, a space reserved for those people who do not have psi.

There Taemon discovers people who do things the old fashioned way: with their hands. He begins a new trade, and makes new friends, including Amma, a beautiful girl. But even in the Colony there are secrets. Why is there a door hidden in Amma’s house that is locked by psi when no one has any here? Why are people disappearing in Deliverance? As secrets are revealed, Taemon must decide if he is willing help his people, knowing that this help will come at a deadly price.

Brisingr

Paolini, Christopher. Brisingr. Book 3 of the Inheritance series. 2008. 763p. ISBN 978-0-375-82672-6. Available at FIC PAO on the library shelves.

In Eldest, Murtagh reappeared as a dragon rider under the control of their enemy, King Galbatorix. Eragon and Saphira now find themselves at the center of events affecting Alagaësia. Having nearly been defeated by Murtagh and Thorn on the battlefield, Eragon knows he is hopelessly outmatched against the magical skills of the king. He will need more training in order to gain enough strength to overthrow Galbatorix. Fortunately, the Varden was able to win the battle in the end, and now Nasuarda and her troops are on the offensive, moving deep in the Empire.

Hoping to save Katrina, Eragon and his cousin Roran set out on Saphira to Hellgrind, the Ra’zac’s lair. Discovering the fell beasts and their parents, the trio triumph and dispatch the monsters, rescuing Roran’s love in the process. Unfortunately, Eragon finds that Sloan, Katrina’s father, is a prisoner of the Ra’zac. Having been rendered blind and tortured, the butcher is in bad shape, but Eragon knows he cannot be both judge and jury on the penalty he should suffer. He lets Roran and Katrina escape on Saphira, while he rescues the old man and sends him on a quest to seek shelter in the land of the elves.

Trekking back on foot, Eragon is reunited with Arya, who departed the Varden to meet up with him when Nasuarda learned what had transpired at Hellgrind. Together they travel back to the Varden. There Nasuarda sends him out to travel to Farthen Dur, the dwarves’ capital, to convince them to elect a king and support the Varden’s efforts. Saphira, meanwhile, stays back and runs patrols in the sky to let the Varden and its supporters believe Eragon is still with them.

Following the election of King Orik and his support to the cause of freedom, Eragon travels back to Ellesméra to meet once again with his teacher, Oromis. There Eragon and Saphira finally discover Galbatorix’ secret of collecting dragon heart of hearts. Filled with the consciousness of a dragon before he or she died, these items are powerful magic and the evil king has been drawing off them to oppress the people of Alagaësia.

With Roran fulfilling several dangerous missions for the Varden, and with Eragon, Saphira, Oromis and Glaedr heading back to the various battlefronts, the fate of an entire continent rests in the efforts of this motley crew.

Eragon tries to uphold the oath he made to save Katrina from King Galbatorix, while being pulled in different directions by the needs of the Varden, elves, and dwarves--all of whom need his help and strength to overcome the tyranny of the king.

Beyond the Bright Sea

Wolk, Lauren. Beyond the Bright Sea. 2017. 283p. ISBN 978-1-101-99-485-6. Available at FIC WOL on the library shelves.

Placed in a boat shortly after her birth, the baby girl was cast at sea. When found by a solitary man living on a small island off the larger island of Cuttyhunk, which is part of the Elizabeth chain of islands, the girl was named Crow. She not only survived in Osh’s gentle hands, but thrived and became an inquisitive girl.

At 12, Crow has spent her entire life on their island, living in a makeshift house but not wanting for anything. Everyone on Cuttyhunk assumes she came from Pekinese, Massachusett’s only leper colony, and treat her as a leper even though she has no symptoms. Crow has always been curious about where she came from, but both Osh and her other friend, Miss Maggie, who lives across the sandbar from them, has told her not to look into her past too closely as surely nothing good will come of it.

When Crow begins digging, however, she comes upon a dangerous mystery that involves a treasure left behind by the famous pirate Captain Kidd. Others are also searching the treasure, however, and as Crow seeks to unravel her past it throws the present into turmoil, with Osh, the father who is not her father, concerned that their relationship might change if she discovers who she truly is. But as she explores the dangerous past of the leper colony, Crow realizes that home and family are what you make of it, and not what others tell you they ought to be.

Beautifully written, Crow’s story will be appreciated by readers who enjoy a light mystery and those who like historical fiction.