Author: Mary Shelley
Title: Frankenstein
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Rating: 5
Summary: I’ve heard this book called the "mother of all horror novels" and I think I might agree. It’s not the campy Boogeyman horror that you find too often in today’s culture, but a story so unheard of for its time that it must have shocked more than a few people. Victor Frankenstein’s monster is literate, articulate and pensive but holds a vicious vengeful streak that gives me the willies. Definitely a must-read for horror fans.
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Title: The Hobbit
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: It wasn’t my intention to read the entire book, but it seems like every time I pick up The Hobbit I can’t put it down. Bilbo Baggins’ quest to the Lonely Mountain is probably my favorite read of all Tolkien’s books.
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Title: Skinny Dip
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Rating: 4
Summary: Chaz tries to kill his wife, Joey, by throwing her off the side of a cruise ship. Sadly for Chaz, he forgets that his wife is a good swimmer. A very good swimmer. Mick, a former cop, fishes her out of the water and agrees to help her avenge her attempted murder. I love Hiaasen’s style, funny, sarcastic, and even a teensy bit satiric. This is a very entertaining read.
Author: Sergei Lukyanenko
Title: Daywatch
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Rating: 4
Summary: The second book in the Russian trilogy, it focuses on a member of the Daywatch, Alisa, who falls in love with Igor of the Nightwatch. A sad Romeo and Juliet kind of tale, because we all know that when two people from opposing sides fall in love there is no happy ending. Not strictly the Shakespearean tale though, because the master plot involves Daywatch leader Zabulon's attempt to thwart the coming of the new Messiah, predicted to be born to Svetlana of the Nightwatch. Sort of a confusing plot to follow.
Author: Shobhaa De
Title: Bollywood Nights
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Rating: 3
Summary: A scandalous, daring insight to the world of Bollywood. As a very big fan of Bollywood, I was very shocked to discover how similar the their pop culture is to ours once you strip away the saris and happy musical storylines. Aasha Rani, India’s biggest starlet, goes through disappointment after disappointment as she fights to stay at the top. One of the saddest books, in my opinion, because no matter what Aasha accomplishes she’s never satisfied and always thirsts for more.
Author: Sergei Lukyanenko
Title: Nightwatch
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Rating: 5
Summary: Finally a vampire novel with originality! Although, it’s not strictly limited to vampires...ironically the Nightwatch are the followers of the Light eternally locked in struggle with the Daywatch, followers of the Darkness.
Author: Jean Sasson
Title: Princess Sultana's Daughters
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Rating: 4
Summary: Sultana’s story continues in the second book of the trilogy. The true story of the Saudi Arabian princess never ceases to move me. I highly recommend this series to any who are interested in the Middle Eastern culture.
Author: Alexandra Potter
Title: Me and Mr. Darcy
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Rating: 3
Summary: A totally cheesy novel theorizing the possibilities of what would happen if Jane Austen's sexiest leading man, Mr. Darcy, came to life. New Yorker Emily Albright takes an English tour going through the land of Austen and discovers a link into the world and Mr. Darcy.
Summary: The latest Stephanie Plum adventure involves Morelli’s cousin and nephew. When the cousin disappears, his nephew "Zook" must move in, though Stephanie thinks he looks a little to much like Morelli for comfort. The book is humorous as ever, though I think it’s lacking Ranger’s magnetic presence and some of Stephanie’s clumsiness since she didn’t destroy a car in this book.
Author: Janet Evanovich
Title: Lean Mean Thirteen
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Rating: 4
Summary: Stephanie Plum, bounty hounter extraordinaire (or so she likes to think) is back in another hilarious adventure. The plot this time revolves around her slimy ex-husband Dickie Orr, who has mysteriously disappeared and unfortunately Stephanie is the only suspect.
Author: Nancy Bush
Title: Ultra Violet
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Rating: 4
Summary: Second in the series, P.I. Jane Kelly is looking into the murder of Roland Hatchmere and getting nothing but a lot of dirty looks, probably because she is working on behalf of the victim’s ex-wife, Violet Purcell, who also happens to be the only suspect in the murder investigation.
Summary: Poor Ethan Frome is trapped in unfortunate circumstances. A farm/mill that makes no profit and leaves him in poverty, and a wife that is sickly and taciturn gives him no happiness. The only light in his life is his wife’s cousin, Mattie, with whom he falls in love. In my opinion, the book ends how Romeo and Juliet should have.
Author: Anita Naik
Title: The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Good Health
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Rating: 4
Summary: A handy-dandy guide to keeping your lifestyle nice and healthy.
Summary: Reporter Carl Streator has been assigned to cover several cases of sudden infant death syndrome. He discovers at each scene a copy of the same book of poetry, each opened to page 27. Streator discovers that it is a culling song that renders the intended listener dead. Streator unwittingly becomes a serial killer as he sets out with real estate agent Helen Hoover Boyle to destroy every copy of the book.
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Title: The Tale of Despereaux
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: A modern fairytale with a mouse as a hero, Despereaux is outcast from his family and mouse-home because of his fondness for human books, music and for the Princess Pea. After hearing an evil plot against his beloved princess, Despereaux goes great lengths to keep her safe and prove his love.
Author: Rudolfo Anaya
Title: Bless Me, Ultima
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Rating: 5
Summary: A thought-provoking coming-of-age tale of a young boy living in New Mexico. Thick in lore and legend, Antonio’s life begins to change when a curandera, Ultima, comes to live with his family. He struggles to discover life’s purpose and the true religion as a deranged man threatens his beloved Ultima.
Author: Iris Johansen
Title: No One To Trust
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Rating: 4
Summary: A mercenary takes pity on a former Columbian rebel fighter and her son, who are fleeing from the evil psychopathic druglord Chavez. Galen (the mercenary) helps get them into the US, but a deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues. Basic point of the story: there’s no one you can really trust, not even your own brother.
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Title: Le Petit Prince
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Rating: 5
Summary: I adore this book (it’s better read in French if you have the ability to do so). A pilot is stranded in the desert and a little prince from another planet finds him and tells him his life story. Charming, moving, and heart-wrenching, this book has a simple style but it is simplicity at its findest.
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Title: Andersen's Fairy Tales
LSU
Rating: 3
Summary: Some of Andersen’s fairytales, most of which are fairly unknown. Not as charming and child-friendly as a Disney movie.
Author: Terry Brooks
Title: Genesis of Shannara: The Elves of Cintra
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Rating: 5
Summary: The second book in Brooks’ latest fantasy trilogy, the Elves and humans unite to save their world from the demonic forces that threaten to take over.
Author: Ian McEwan
Title: Atonement
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Rating: 4
Summary: When young Briony mistakenly accuses Robbie Turner of a crime he didn’t commit, her older sister Cecilia cuts her family off from her and patiently waits over the next 5 years for Robbie as he goes from prison to the WWII battlefields in France. As Briony ages, she realizes her mistake and spends 59 years of her life trying to set it right.
Author: Terry Brooks
Title: Genesis of Shannara: Armageddon's Children
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Rating: 4
Summary: Brooks’ latest fantasy trilogy combines the two worlds of his other best-selling fantasy series: the modern apocalyptic Earth in The Word and the Void series, and the fantasy realm in the many series of Shannara. The gypsy morph is hidden once more in a world overrun with demons and once-men. The Earth is dead and it is up to the gypsy morph, Hawk, to give humanity and Elfdom alike a second chance.
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Title: The Last days
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Rating: 3
Summary: The "sequel" to Westerfeld’s first novel, Peeps, but with a completely different characters. The second one isn’t nearly as amusing, probably because the fate of the world relies on a teen-aged new sound rock band. The first book was way better.
Author: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Title: Oscar Wilde
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: This is a book that I could read over and over again. Oscar Wilde's brilliant tale of Oscar Wilde's slow, downward spiral into debauchery is entertaining, thought-provoking, and well-written. I think the most poignant part of the book is when Dorian learns that his portrait, which grows old as he never ages, also reflects all of his sins.
Author: J.R.R Tolkien, Edited by Humphrey Carter and Christopher Tolkien
Title: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Rating: 3
Summary: A fascinating read for any "Tolkienite" or "Ringer", as long as you can get past the tediousness of reading every detail of Tolkien's daily life. His letters to his son Christopher detailing his steps of writing The Lord of the Rings are particularly interesting
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Title: Peeps
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Rating: 4
Summary: A surprisingly well-written vampire novel with a twist: vampirism is actually a "parasite" and doesn't drive every victim crazy with bloodlust. Vampires, aka "Peeps" are actually the new last defense against an ancient and powerful evil.
Author: George MacDonald
Title: The Light Princess
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Rating: 5
Summary: This is my favorite fairy tale. A prince is cursed at birth by a wicked aunt and has no gravity until a prince comes knocking at her castle one day and she falls in love.
Author: Percy Bysshe Shelley
Title: Selected Works
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Rating: 5
Summary: Shelley is one of my favorite poets. For any fans of poetry, I suggest his!
Author: Terry Brooks
Title: Angel Fire East
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Rating: 4
Summary: The third book in Brooks’ The Word and the Void trilogy, in this last episode, Knight of the Word John Ross becomes the protector of a strange and powerful magic--a gypsy morph. Hunted by demons, he must rely on the help of Nest Freemark to discover the gypsy morph’s magic before it’s too late.
Summary: An easy-read to entertain you for a couple of hours. Serena Robar, fangless vampire extraordinaire, starts a sorority for other half-blood vampires, all the while adjusting to her new role as the Protector.
Author: Tim Burton
Title: The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories
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Rating: 5
Summary: It's a book of Tim Burton's poetry. It's bizzare, morose, and very strange. If you're a fan of Tim Burton, I recommend it. It's said that some of his ideas for "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Edward Scissorhands" came from his early poetry.
Author: J.M. Barrie
Title: Peter Pan
LSU
Rating: 4
Summary: One of my favorite tales from childhood, the story of Wendy, John, and Michael's adventures in Neverland with Peter Pan never ceases to be magical. Though I must say that the Lost Boys dealings with James Hook and the pirates are significantly more violent than I remember.
Author: Tim Burton
Title: Burton on Burton
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Rating: 5
Summary: For any fan of Burton's work, this book is a look into Burton's films as he describes the process of making them. The book stretches from his days as an animator at Disney to his last animated film, The Corpse Bride. I enjoyed reading about Burton's genius and imagination in his own words, and though perhaps I am a bit biased, I think that Johnny Depp's foreword is one of the best things about the book.
Author: Robin McKinley
Title: Beauty
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Rating: 4
Summary: For those who find the original fairy tale boring, too short, or just can't get into the oldish type of English, this is the perfect solution. McKinley adds the spice of her imagination to bring extra flavor to her retelling of my favorite fairy tale.
Author: Terry Brooks
Title: A Knight of the Word
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Rating: 4
Summary: 14 year old Nest Freemark was born into a legacy of magic, yet her grandparents carefully hide the darker side of her family's history as she comes to terms with her own magic. A stranger named John Ross comes to her small town of Hopewell to help guide and protect her from unknown dangers. The first part of a trilogy. The storyline is original, if a bit predictable.
Author: Terry Brooks
Title: Running With The Demon
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Rating: 3
Summary: The second book in Brooks' "The Word and the Void" series. Still a little predictable, but very well written. In this book, which takes place 5 years later, it's up to Nest Freemark to save John Ross from an unknown threat.