Level 13 (A Slacker Novel) (MG)

Cameron Boxer founder of a club at school that helps people and such but he only did it to slack off because his parent said he could not play video games all the time he needed to join a club so he made this fake club but what did he know it took off and now  he is stuck but he wants to be a like a youtube sensation for playing video games so he fakes having bad grades and cites the need to study more for his time away from the club and pushing his responsibilities on others.  But when his success hinges on a beaver things start to change, will he make it to the famous level 13 and what happens if you do?
This is a funny, cute, action packed, and totally suspense filled book that will have you reading by flashlight under the covers to see what Elvis the beaver does next, or if Cam can squirm out of the next fix he is in or if he finally gets caught.  S grab a bag of gummy worms and get to reading you won't want to miss this book it will be a hit this year, Elvis says so.

Warden (Book 2: Lure of the Lamia) (YA AUDIO)

Wardens are magicians, trackers, the law, and monster hunters, for their respective territories and charged with protecting all the people in that area.  With Errol's brother Tom missing he has stepped up and filled his boots, very reluctantly, but he has done it since and he is the best they have at the moment.  In this sequel to Warden: Book 1 Wendigo Fever Errol is out to find where his brother Tom has disappeared too as well as do the job, as best he can, of warden.  Even if it means rooting out a blood sucking something that might be from a gypsy troop that has come to town.
This book is so good it has just the right amount of impending doom to keep you on the edge of your seat, but then the action starts and your holding your breath waiting to see what happens.  Author Kevin Hardman is a master of this type a mystery and you won't be able to guess who it is until the end. And if you are lucky to have this book as a audio, narrated by the very talented Mikael Naramore than you are in for a treat, as he can do all the voices so you feel as though you are there with all of these different people, it is so wonderful you won't want to turn it off.  So if your are  looking for a different type of fantasy book here is one for you.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox Book 2) (YA)

 Ms. Kagawa takes us on a trip through time and cultures in this awesome series, Shadow of the Fox, and Soul of the Sword continues the journey.  In this book the demon, Hakaimono, has been set free and Yumeko must protect her piece of the scroll of a Thousand Prayers from him and get it to the Steel Feather temple while also trying and send the demon back into the sword Kamigoroshi and releasing the boy she likes, Kage Tatsumi.  Sounds easy, well it is not when it seems everyone is after you for your piece of the ancient scroll.   
This was a great book the characters are full and the action and suspense is non stop.  I don't know how Ms Kagawa kept up the level of suspense and cliff hangers from one book to the next and still had a few left over for the next book, which I am now eagerly awaiting, but she did.  I really like the how this ragtag team of misfits has come together so spoil the big wigs at their own game over and over again, but can their luck hold out?         

Patron Saints of Nothing (YA)

This is a powerful coming of age book about a boy taken from is heritage when he was a baby, only to start questioning it again in his teens after the policia in the Philippines kill his cousin over drugs.  Jay just doesn't understand, so he gets his parents to send to to his aunt and uncles under false pretenses for a visit so he can investigate without anyone's knowledge what really happened to his cousin. But what he finds might not be what really wants to know.
This is a powerful book in many diverse ways, not just Jay's coming of age, but how Jay is also coming to terms with his Filipino side and the side that kind of ditched his cousin Jun when he might have needed him most, not to mention the social injustices going on in the Philippines right now.  The characters and the plot are so good in this story, not to mention the action and suspense, you won't want to put this book down.

Dragon Chameleon: Paths of Deception (MG AUDIO)

This is the second episode in the Dragon Chameleon series and a spin off from the Dragon School series Episodes 1-5 and Episodes 6-10 which were fantastic and narrated by the talented Jigisha Patel where Chameleon is narrated by Sean Rhead who also makes this set his own and is really good, but be aware if you have done all the audios like I have some of the pronunciations are different but it doesn't take long to get used to it.  I have loved the story lines from the first Dragon School and still can not get enough.  The action never stops and suspense will have you holding your breath.  Sarah has a way of capturing the dragons attitude and inner beauty, some of the best parts are the inner dialog between the dragons and the riders, and the ones between Tor and Saboorak are some of her best ever.  This can be read after Dragon School or as a stand alone, but being the purest I am I will always say start at the beginning.  But these really are some of the best dragon books around.

Random Survival (ADULT AUDIO)

A sudden disease has come and killed seemingly random people, many people are dead and those that are still alive are fighting for what is left of their lives.  They are hoping in time to rebuild and move on but it seems there is always people that wants to take there they have to so they don't take everything they  have, is possible that some day they might be left alone to randomly survive as they wish?
This was such a awesome book on so many levels, the characters were real, no one pretended to be someone they were not, but did what they had to do when faced with each situation.  The action was fierce and never ending, and the suspense at times had me holding onto my seat.  I was lucky enough to have the audio version narrated by the very talented Jack de Golia who seemed to bring it all to life right there in my car.  With his many voices each character was very distinct and real, Mr. de Golia had me rooting for the good guys and jeering for the bad (and they were bad, very bad).  This book didn't exactly lead to a sequel, but a epilogue where it would have mention what it was like 10 or 15 years later might have been nice just to see what happened down the line.

The Resurrectionists (The Salem Hawley) (ADULT)

Salem is now a free man after fighting for the colonies to free this  new land from original tyranny, only to find another war here at his home after one of his good friends wife's and baby's graves was robbed.  They claim they rob graves to further medicine, but some go to far, the Resurrectionist, doing things that might wipe out the new colonies and possible the world if they are not stopped for they know not what they are doing. 
This is another wonderful book by author Michael Patrick Hicks, I really like his style of horror.  This  book was a bit different since it was set so far back in time but it worked so well, it made it so interesting.  Hicks has a way of painting the whole picture for you in detail but at the same time not being wordy, he makes me feel as though I am really there seeing everything in full gruesome color.  I love his characters and I can not wait to see what happens with Salem in the future.