I SURVIVED THE WAIT: Artemis Fowl (MG)

Twelve year old criminal mastermind, Artemis will stop at nothing to get what he wants, but does he really know what he is getting into when he kidnaps the fairy Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit? 
This is not a new book, it has been around for a while but there have been talks of it becoming a movie for years, and years, oh, and years.  But the wait is over and now, this summer, we will see Artemis and Holly (and I suppose Root, Foley, and Butler as well) on the big screen.  So in preparation they are re-releasing the series with new killer, artwork on the covers.   These books were awesome then and are still just as good now, full of action and suspense, not mention the farting and explosive pooping tunnel dwarf.  This really is a great series that can span generations and I am totally happy I survived the wait to finally see the movie version, and so is my nephew.

Black Acres: The Complete Collection (ADULT AUDIO)

Kim and Julian were looking for their first house when they found the deal of the century, the perfect fixer upper with land in a secluded area, the Beacon House.  They get the house below market, move in, and start right in on the renovations.  But shortly after they move in strange things start to happen, could this have anything to do with the previous owners disappearance?
This is a great, but creepy, book!  This is not the book you want to read (or listen too) home, alone, on a dark and stormy night.   The characters are interesting and even if you think you don't like them they are right for the part, it works out.  I am not sure how the author kept track of all the loose end and got them all tied up but he did, it was  masterful.  If you get a chance get the audio, narrator Joe Hempel turns the creep factor up another notch.  Hempel is awesome keeping all the characters straight and  making the scenes so vivid, it is like you are there actually seeing it live, which in this case I am glad I was not, but still enjoyed the audio very much. 

Southern Lady Code: Essays (ADULT)

This book is hilarious it will have you laughing out loud with these twenty three essays.  With writer Helen Ellis' mantra "if you  don't have something nice to say, say something not-so-nice in a nice way. Say "weathered" instead of  "she looks like a cake left out in the rain." This a book that will have you hooked from the start and you will not want to put it down until you are finished which won't take long as this book is a fast read because it is so fun, especially if you are from the south you will be laughing and saying yes, and if you are not from the south than it will give you more insight.  Either way this is a fun book for all.

Revelation: A Kid Sensation Novel (YA AUDIO)

The strain of being a teen superhero can be tremendous, especially when your dad is the most powerful superhero around.  But Jim thinks he is going nuts when he  thinks he  is being follow but he kind of forgets about it when his uncle  (who he has never met) shows up and says his dad is missing and he finds out his deranged half brother has escaped secure imprisonment as well.  
This is not our normal superhero story as Kid Sensation (AKA Jim, or should that be the other way around?) does have normal teen issues to deal with as well, girlfriend problems, being left home alone even though he can teleport anywhere he likes, thing like that and more.  I think that is one  of the things that has drawn me to these stories, and since I don't have super eyes I get the audio version that stars voice actor Mikael Naramore who is just great with the voices of all the characters in the book, he truly is remarkable.  He and author Hardman do a invisible dance to get the story told with all the action and suspense relayed to the audience in a way that is  just wonderful to listen too and listener will not want to stop, maybe that could be a awesome superpower.

Mountain of Whispers: Island of Fog, Book 3 (MG AUDIO)

Hal and his friends were looking for a rest but it didn't work out that way.  They must head to the Mountain of Whispers in hopes the old man with the visions is wrong, but what they find is even more disturbing than anyone ever thought possible, now everyone on this side of the fog must come together to fight for their way of life or  be over run.
This is the last of the trilogy of the Island of Fog books, (Island of Fog Book 1, Labyrinth of Fire Book 2) and it doesn't  disappoint.  This book is just as upbeat, full of action, suspense that will have  you holding your breath, and if you are lucky and have  the audio version you can experience it all as if you are really there with all of them and part of the group, as voice actor Fred Wolinsky does a awesome job doing  voices for all of the characters just as he did in the first two books.  He really makes this series one you will want to listen to again and again.  It is so awesome when a authors story and narrator click like this, if  you have not tried the audio you are missing out, but it is a wonderful book as it is. 

A Monster Like Me (MG)

Sophie knows all there is to know about other worldly creatures, from her new best friend being a fairy, and the nice witch down the street, to the goblin boy and his orc friend that makes her world horrid, to the fact that she herself  is a monster, cursed as a baby to be a monster with the big blob of a monster mark that takes up half her face.  This mark is what made her and her mom move to this new town this year, but maybe just maybe she has found a cure for the curse.
This is a awesome book of strength and diversity among children, one to have the strength to finally make a stand against those who are mean and the others to willing accept others for who they are on the inside not what they look like on the outside, even when pressured not to.  This book will no doubt keep the attention of all that reads it just to find out what happens to Sophie and her friends in the next chapter, than the next and the next, until it is well past your bedtime.  Children as well as adults will find this book in captivating so look for it in many book clubs to come.  These children can be found in any school in any town if we just look, maybe not to this extent but I would bet there is always one child bullied for something if not more, and I just hope they have a fairy friend to help them with their goblins and orcs like Sophie did.

Greystone Secrets #1: The Strangers (MG)

This is a new series by Margaret Peterson Haddix and let me say it is another home run, she has knocked this one out of the park as well.  Siblings Chess (oldest sibling and protector) , Finn  (youngest sibling and best at being cute and silly) and Emma (middle sibling and best at math and codes) must figure out the clues and codes left behind when their mother disappears after leaving them in the care of Ms. Morales and her teenage daughter Natalie. But were those secrets ones they were to find just yet or when they are much older?  Did the kidnapped kids from a few days before have anything to do with it, they did have the same names and ages as Chess, Emma and Finn?  So many questions the children need answers to in order to find their mother, can they do it?
This book is awesome! So much action and suspense and twists and turns that you will think you are on a roller coaster at times so hold on to your lunch.  This is definitely a book that will have you up past your bedtime just to see what happens next.  The characters are great my favorites are a toss up between the very strong Natalie and the coming into herself Emma, they are not overbearingly so that boys won't like the story but I hope girls will see these girls strengths and take that away. Anyway you want to look at it, it is a great book and I think  tweens as well as young adults and adults are going to love  this series

Super Sons: The PolarShield Project (MG)

This is a fresh take on the super hero story, and it turned out awesome I wasn't ready for it to end. Now that the coastal cities are flooded and the ice packs are melting two unlikely boys come together and become friends, along with a strange girl named Candice, the boys learn to work together to save the town they both now live in and more.  Batman's son ( Ian) and Superman's son (Jon) team up in this the first installment of the Super Sons and it is one not to be missed, this is a great graphic novel and I can't wait for more I hope I get to review the next one as well.