#52-55

#52 Heist Society by Ally Carter (Heist Society Book One)

Fun read!! My 6th grade girls will love this book. Katarina Bishop's father loves art. He loves it so much, that he has made a career of stealing it. Katarina, being her father's daughter, has a knack for the same lifestyle. But instead of following in her infamous father's footsteps, she's decided to stay in boarding school and follow the rules...until she's kicked out of school for a crime she didn't commit. She ends up back in her father's world of art dealers and stealers, but this time she has to make a difficult choice. Stay out of the thief life or jump back in to save her father. This story takes the reader on a fast-paced exciting adventure through different countries and landmarks. And a little romance along the way is always nice. Very fun!

#53 The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

Remember Allie and Noah from The Notebook? Remember crying while turning the pages and looking up at your husband with a newfound love while he looked back at you with a look of bewilderment? Oh! Was that just me? Well, in this story, Noah and Allie's children continue their story. Wilson is married to Jane, one of Allie and Noah's daughers. They've been married for 30 years and Wilson realizes that his wife has fallen out of love with them. The everyday tasks of life, a job, and four children has taken its toll on their relationship. Wilson decides it is up to him to save his marriage. With the help of his romantic father-in-law Noah, he sets out to win her back while his own daughter plans her wedding.

In typical Sparks' fashion, a quick read, a fun read, and a sappy read. But hey! This girl ain't complainin'! Sometimes, that's exactly what you need.

#54 A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (Gemma Doyle series Book One)

Thank you Libba Bray! A terrific trilogy you've got here! This first in the series introduces us to Gemma Doyle. Gemma grew up in India, but ends up in a London finishing school after foreseeing her mother's murder in a disturbing vision. The visions that plague Gemma leave her scared and unsure. Once at Spence, her knew home and school, she tries to make friends, but can't quite find her place...until she blackmails a group of girls to let her into their clique. An Indian boy named Kartik warns Gemma to resist the visions, but when Gemma is given a diary with detailed secrets of The Order, she can't ignore what she knows is real. Gemma is able to take herself, and anyone else she wishes, into a secret realm where she has powers beyond her wildest dreams. Gemma begins to understand her role in the realm is more than she realized and her mother may not be who she thought she was either.

I would absolutely share this with my girls! Very adventurous and beautifully crafted. Set in the late 19th century, it is thrilling to read about a time period so different from our own, but yet so similar.

#55 Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (Gemma Doyle series Book Two)

After an exciting first book, this second in the trilogy does not disappoint. It is now Christmas at Spence and Gemma, Felicity, Ann and Pippa (kinda) are thrilled to spend the holidays in London. But even though they leave Spence, they don't leave their adventures in the realm behind. In fact, Gemma's visions become stronger and the mystery of The Order more intense. Kartik warns Gemma of danger and the magic found in the realm while the danger she faces may be too much for herself and her friends to handle.

I have a hard time reviewing series books for the obvious fact that some facts can spoil the first book for a new reader. I realize I've given very few details here, but trust me...if you enjoyed the first Gemma book, you'll enjoy this one as well.

#51

#51 A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

This book surprised me. After I was about 100 pages into it, I posted to Goodreads and Facebook "This is one twisted tale." I still believe that...this is dark and twisty folks, but I now see that it is more than just that. The characters have been marinating in my mind this week and are more than simply one-dimensional, freaky, heartless beings. (Although there's a lot of that going on too.)

The story follows three characters: Ralph, Catherine and Antonio during the early 1900s. Most of the story occurs in a bleak, isolated, often snow-covered Wisconsin town. Ralph is looking for a "reliable wife" and places an ad in the newspaper. Catherine responds and heads to Wisconsin. (So much easier than what most of us go through to find a mate huh?) Come to find out, Catherine is quite a bit more than she seems, and by quite a bit I mean she's a very bad girl with very bad intentions. However, it's not all her doing...enter Antonio. Antonio, tall, dark and handsome, has a direct connection to Ralph and a reason to wish him harm. (Ssshh...I not tell you how...) Much to her surprise, Catherine does grow to love Ralph and has to decide if her initial intentions for his demise should continue.

These are not good characters friends. They are horrible to one another and themselves. Destructive, hurtful, downright naughty. But, doesn't everyone deserve love and kindness and forgiveness?

I'd recommend this one friends, but be prepared for some surprises along the way. And if you're like me, the biggest surprise came at the end when I actually started to root for these guys.

A friend of mine suggested to I read Goolrick's memoir The End of the World As We Know It because much of his inspiration for this novel came from his real life. I think I may need to check into it. Let's be honest. What's a good story without some good drama and conflict?

#50

# 50 Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Incarceron Book 1)

What comes to mind when you hear the word "incarceration?" Prison right? Bars on the doors, no windows, prisoners, isolation. Get rid of all you know, or think you know, about prison before reading this book. This is a prison you can't imagine. It is alive, it changes, it is unpredictable, it thinks, it's a nightmare. Finn is a prisoner in Incarceron. He can't remember ever not living in the prison, but has strange, fuzzy memories of life Outside. Has Finn ever been Outside? He has a strange tattoo and a desire to find a way out. He believes in Sapphique, an enigmatic character all prisoners believe escaped Incarceron in the past. But how can he escape when the prison is always watching and listening?

Claudia lives Outside in a world of imprisonment, doomed to an arranged marriage she dreads, raised by a father she fears. She knows her father is the warden of Incarceron, but what that truly means, she doesn't understand.

Finn and Claudia both find a special key and discover a connection to one another. Finn's desire to escape becomes Claudia's quest.

I don't typically enjoy science fiction titles, but this may be the exception. There was just enough action and believable character development, but not too much weirdness to turn me off to the book or confuse me. Whey are sci-fi books so hard for me to read? Maybe it's a character flaw, but this one I'd recommend to my young readers.

Oh, and the second in the series? Sapphique! I'll be looking for it in the library this summer!