The Four Doors by Richard Paul Evans

I've come to truly appreciate Richard Paul Evans succinct, crisp writing.  That's it.  The concepts behind the four doors aren't new, but the presentation makes them not only accessible but also tangible.  I felt like I had something concrete to work on, a specific way to improve my thinking and my actions.  So, essentially, he accomplished his purpose, and that is worth five stars.

Goners, The Final Hours of the Notable and Notorious

Goners should reside in the bathroom, not because it covers Elvis's death which occured in a bathroom, but because it's one of those books you can pick up and read a section of and then put it down. Oddly enough, I couldn't put it down. Maybe I have an unhealthy interest in death that I never realized, or maybe my brain just needed a break. More likely it is the fact that Kerr writes clean prose with tantalizing tidbits that pull you from story to story.  A fun read for the morbidly curious.

The Map Thief by Michael Blanding

     Frequently, I find non-fiction written by journalists to be well written, efficiently paced, and detailed enough to be intriguing.   Such is the case with The Map Thief.  Blanding investigates the story of E. Forbes Smiley III, an apparently successful rare map dealer who was caught stealing maps from Yale University and later confessed to having stolen nearly 100 maps from other public institutions such as the New York Public Library and the Boston Library.  

     Blanding traces Smiley's rise in the world of rare map dealing, examines Smiley's motivations and personality, and introduces the reader not only to the world of rare maps, but the history of these unique historical artifacts.

     It's a fascinating world, full of meticulous scholars, grandious dealers, and determined collectors.  Smiley had a gift, a talenet for envisioning the way a collection of maps could tell a story, and an increasing need for money.  In the end, though, it is difficult to tell what possesed Smiley to steal from the institutions that trusted and helped him as well as the dealers who supported him.

    An excellent read for the history buff who loves intrigue and peaking into the minds of those who create it. 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Don Tilman is not your average professor, well maybe he is your average genetics professor, I don't know many of them. He has decided that it's time to find a wife. Of course, that means he orginates the Wife Project which includes a 16 page survey for women to take. This will save him time, and eliminate awkward dating situations. Then Rosie walks in his office door and changes everything. Totally unsuitable, Rosie and her Father Project have Don doing things he would NEVER do.      I couldn't put The Rosie Project down. A fast and fun read, I was surprised by Professor Tilman's narrative, the fact that he was at once weird and appealing was fascinating to me. I really spent most of the book rooting for him to figure it all out. A second book was hinted at, and I would definately pick it up.      Because it is an adult novel, The Rosie Project has some blunt presentation of adult themes and situations; usually presented in Don's frank and scientific thinking, but some may find the subject matters too liberal for young adult readers.

Send by Patty Blount

At thirteen Kenny clicked "send" and changed lives.  Liam, the target of his bullying, committed suicide. Kenny went to juvenile detention. Kenny's family and Liam's were damaged almost beyond repair. The boy Kenny becomes after jail and after moving and hiding with his family for five years is named Dan.  Dan is different than Kenny, but Kenny lives on in Dan's mind, plaguing him, pouting, threatening, and childlike.  Dan just wants to finish high school at what he hopes will be his last school.  Then he sees Brandon being bullied by Jeff.  Julie sees it too, but it's Dan who acts.  Now he is visible, now he is the hero, but Dan just wants to forget it and figure out what Julie knows.

I had a seriously tough time believing that two damaged kids, Dan and Julie, could fall so deeply in love. Blount did not provide enough substance for the depth of their feelings, largely because Dan was dealing with so much "crap" (in his words). The best support came from the unconditional love of his parents, and in the end that is what made me suspend my disbelief and embrace this story. The ending was AMAZING, and sustained the truth of the story. I am so glad that I read this novel. It shows the damage that we are perpetrating on each other through the anonymity of social media, and the warning is powerful. I will definately be suggesting it to all of my students.

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Jen's life hasn't been all fun and games. In fact, the tough exterior she shows the world is all she has left to protect herself. But, being a rebel is getting a little old, and she has gotten bored. Hence, the bet. Jen bets her girlfriends that she can turn geek, Trevor Hoffman, into a bad boy. She captures his attention immediately, but somehow she ends up doing charity work at an old folks home and watching sci-fi movies on Saturday nights instead of Trevor partying with her friends. Hanging out with Trevor isn't so bad, but when he finds out about the bet, nothing is fun anymore.

I liked Jen. She was tough, even mean, but her evolution was believable because she didn't really fit the protective shell she had created. Trevor was a little too good, but his own background, family and values rang true, and his kindness or as Jen would say "Trevor the Polite" was genuine. Overall, I simply enjoyed the ride.

Confessions of a Murder Suspect

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson is his splash into the whirlpool of teen literature, and for the most part it's a success.

Tandy Angel and her siblings have always been special.  Each are gifted or brilliant in their own given universe: music, football, academics.  Their parents made their wealth through pharmaceuticals; as a result the kids have all the advantages of wealth, including a private school education and the elite address of the Dakota building in New York City.  But, life for the Angel children unravels when their parents are discovered murdered in their bed and the kids become prime murder suspects.  It's up 16 year old Tandy to solve the case, even if it means that she did it.

Patterson's characters are difficult to relate to.  Tandy is the extreme of "outsider" in a family of odd characters. Her life is extreme, including weirdly controlling parents, but I liked her.  I had to be willing to  struggled with her convoluted memories, sudden emotions, and desire to go back to her "old self," the one who was perfect and perfectly controlled.  Perhaps be creating a character caught in the extremes, Patterson created a relatable character for teens.

Of course, it was the plot, and it's twisted, suspenseful revelations that kept me reading and sent me on to read the second in the series,  Confessions: The Private School Murders.  I would give both novels a 3.5 or 4 star review.