The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva

     Gabriel Allon, top notch art restorer and part time Israeli Intelligence operative, has been drawn into the hunt for a Palestinian terrorist.  But, the real question is who will cause more damage to Allon: the terrorist, the beautiful agent he must work with or the Israeli Intelligence community itself?
     As a character study, The Kill Artist, is fascinating.  Allon is intriquing, as a spy should be, and his cool, calculating exterior hides a more intricate man.  On the other hand, the plot lacked suspense and action, especially for a spy novel, but the overall effect was intriguing, and Gabriel Allon is a character worth further study.
     Definately an adult book with adult language and situations, Silva's first novel in the Allon series was a New York Time Bestseller.

Confessions: The Paris Mysteries by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

     Reloacted to Paris, Tandy is now facing threats from Royal Rampling immediately upon her reunion with his son, James, her first love, but the real threat is coming from somewhere else and has something to do with her sister, Katherine's sudden death six years ago. 
     I was seriously disappointed in this novel that read like a bridge to something much more exciting to come.  I really liked Tandy in the first two mysteries.  She was complex and quirky and interesting.  The cases she was solving were twisted and thrilling.  This time around she was a whiny teenager, and I knew how it was all going to work out almost from the very start.  Occaisonally, there was a bit of true suspence, but for the most part the story was predictable.  I doubt that I will give up on the series yet; I am accutally interested to see if the first Tandy returns.

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.