The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)











If you are looking for an inspirational story that has romance and mystery then this may be the book for you. It is a sweet story and I read it in a day. The process of making the animals for carousels was really interesting and they sounded beautiful.

Carrington Brouwer moves from Paris to Ohio and gets the enviable job of painting carousel horses for a factory owned by her friends father. She has to deal with prejudice in and out of the workplace. Then a valuable necklace is stolen and she is the prime suspect. Will she find out the truth before her livelihood and budding romance is put at risk?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvator

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)


This book has a whole new take on werewolves. Forget about changing with the moon, they change with the seasons. Sam lives two lives. In the winter he is a wolf and he watches over Grace and in the summer he is human but never dares to talk to her. Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. The yellow eyed wolf, her wolf, watches back and he feels deeply familiar. Then one day Sam changes back to being human even when it's cold out and him and Grace look for a way to have a future together.

This is the start of a new series. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one.

Mouth To Mouth by Erin McCarthy

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)








If you are looking for a fun, sexy read then look no further. Erin McCarthy had me giggling from page one and I didn't stop until I turned the last page. Some moments in the book had me laughing out loud. Russ Evans is a detective trying to catch a con man that cons a lot of money out of his female victims. On a stake out he meets Laural Wilkins the con mans next target and Russ wants to keep her safe. But Laural has an agenda of her own, she not only wants Russ but she wants to help him catch his con man. I think I found another favorite author.

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Reading Level: Young Adult
(3 out of 5)

What does a horse in a bathtub, fairies, and acting all have in common? They are all in this book. Seventeen year old Kelley Winslow lives in New York and has a bit part in a Shakespeare play. You have to start somewhere right? Then she meets Sonny Flannery and he isn't from around here. He grew up in the Otherworld and he is in New York to guard the Samhain Gate, which happens to be in the middle of Central park. Once a year the Samhain Gate opens and Fae from the Otherworld try to make it to the other side that is why Sonny and the rest of the Janus guards have to stop the Fae from coming through. The Fae are not always nice. I liked this book but it left me wondering if another book is to follow. Not everything is resolved at the end and I hope there is another book so I can find out what happens. All in all it was a fun read. I especially liked the horse in the bathtub.

The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale

Reading Level: Young Adult

(5 out of 5)

The Soldiers of Halla is the tenth and last book in D.J. MacHale's Pendragon series. Finally questions are answered! Bobby and the other travelers have this one last chance to save humanity. This is the last war against the antagonist, Saint Dane. Saint Dane has created worlds where there is no freedom. Bobby and the others have to keep rebels/exiles safe because they are what's keeping the universe still going and not under complete control of Saint Dane.

Like the ninth book, this book was awesome. Very fast paced and full of adventure. It keeps you reading and makes you lose sleep time. I loved the ending. I hate when series don't end well, but this book ended in a way better than I expected. I recommend this book for everyone, all ages. Especially those who have read the first nine.



Written by Amanda Cronin

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)

Life of Pi is about a boy nicknamed Pi. As his family is moving from India to Canada the ship breaks somehow and Pi is thrown on a lifeboat out in the middle of the ocean. Unfortunately, he is not alone. Also on the boat is a Bengal tiger, a hyena, a zebra, and a chimpanzee. What helps him get through is his faith in three religions.

Reading that, you might be thinking this is a boring book like I did at first. But, it really is a good book. It's full of many good quotes too. It's a real adventure with faith and truth, fact or fiction, man versus nature, and innocence and experience.

Written by Amanda Cronin

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman

Reading Level: Young Adult
(5 out of 5)

This is the third book in Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. The first two are The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife. I like the whole trilogy, but this one is my favorite book. It's about a young girl named Lyra and her friend Will, who she met in the second book. They're on a quest to find Lyra's father and stay our of danger, because the Church is out to find and kill Lyra. I don't want to say why they want her dead, but I'll say that it's about a religious prophesy. The two kids find help from an armored bear and two tiny Gallivespian spies. At one point in the story, they go to the world of the dead, which I thought was really cool.

Throughout the book, Lyra's father is assembling an army to wage war against God and the heavens. An assassin is out looking for Lyra and Mary who's fate has also been prophesied. Dust is falling from the sky, and everything depends on Lyra and Will, just two seemingly normal kids. This book has demons which are people's souls in animal form that are outside of their bodies. Different worlds, one with people who look like our world's deer with elephant trunks and cruise along on wheels made from seed pods. Angels! There are two angels who help Will when he is separated from Lyra. This book really has it all. Adventure, war, politics, fantasy creatures, and the true experience of growing up. It's one of my favorite books of all time.

Written by Amanda Cronin