Change in Altitude

By Anita Shreve
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I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again...Anita Shreve is one of my most favorite authors!! Each one of her novels keeps me enthralled and waiting with ever fiber of my being for her next novel! This most recent novel is no exception. Shreve delivered a novel that not only pries into the very heart of a relationship but also deals with the power of love to overcome loss and desperation.

The story centers around a couple living in Africa who are new in their relationship and struggling to get used to their marriage. After befriending another couple, they decide to summit Mount Kenya together. When an unforeseeable accident occurs and a life is claimed, the couple is left to deal with the fallout. The rest of the novel centers around their struggle to maintain their marriage with feelings of betrayal and mistrust.

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Similar Novel: All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve
Length: 307 Pages
Copyright: May 2010

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak

It took me forever to read this book, but not for the reason that immediately comes to mind. I got so into this book and wanted to never put it down. For that reason, I would only read this book when I had some serious time (which is hardly ever!!). With that being said, it is a seriously sad book so I want you all to grab a box of tissues before you read it. No, by saying that, I'm not giving away the ending, I'm just preparing you! The conclusion of this novel caught me by surprise and that rarely ever happens.

The book is told from death's point of view, which I must say was a pretty catching beginning to the novel. Death narrates that he rarely has time to pay attentions to the lives of his charges. When a small young girl crosses his path numerous times, he is captivated by her story and eventually her death. The book takes place during WWII in Germany so you can imagine death is fairly busy. Liesel (a.k.a. the book thief) stands out among the rest as she deals with loss, love, family, and eventually death.

Similar Novels: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Length: 257 Pages

Copyright: September 2007

The Passage

By Justin Cronin


Ummmmm...when is the sequal coming out for this novel and where can I get a pirated copy beforehand??? Seriously...this was the best novel I've probably read all year. It was a lengthy novel that I couldn't wait to finish. Then, they left it as a cliffhanger because it's the first in a trilogy. So...not...fair!! I would call this novel a cross between a military and a science fiction novel. It was captivating and unique all wrapped together.
The book started out as letters (or e-mails, I'm not quite sure which) between two co-workers who are civilians working with the military. They are searching for a lost tribe in South America who are rumored to live extended lives and have no illness. What they find is the basis for the rest of the novel as a war breaks out and few survive. The story is told from many points of view and leaves you salivating for the next in the series. Trust me...you WANT to read this book!!

Similar Novels: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and Congo by Michael Crichton
Length: 766 Pages
Copyright: June 2010

The Dead and the Gone

By Susan Beth Pfeffer

This is a companion novel to Life as We Knew It. I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel and was looking forward to the "sequel." I can, without a doubt, say that this novel didn't let me down! Even though this book is marketed for teens, I couldn't help but be enthralled with the story line. Apocalyptic events in novels is a weakness for me (as you can see by my previous reading material).

Just like the companion novel, this story deals with the aftermath of a meteor striking the moon and moving it closer to the earth. This causes mass destruction dealing with flooding, volcanoes, earthquakes and more. The main character of this novel is a teenage boy who is left in charge of his two younger sisters when his mother and father disappear in the damage of the city. The book chronicles their struggles to stay alive and stay together. It is a wonderful story of survival and family and shouldn't be missed!

Similar Novels: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank and The World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Length: 321 Pages

Copyright: 2008

13 Reasons Why

By Jay Asher

There really is only one word appropriate for this book: depressing. While I enjoyed reading the novel and it kept my interest enough for me to finish it, the subject matter was just depressing. The book deals with teen suicide. The story is told from a double narrative. One narrative is the girl who committed suicide speaking through recorded tapes, and the other is one of her friends listening to the tapes. I liked the storyline and the book really was intriguing, but it is just a depressing subject so there was no way around that feeling.

The main character is a teenager in high school who is dealing with the suicide of one of his classmates. About two weeks after the death, he comes home to find a shoebox of tapes sitting on his doorstep. Inside he finds seven cassette tapes that contain narrative from his classmate who committed suicide. She says there are 13 sides to every story and she begins her explanation of a chain of events that led to her death.

Similar Novels: Before I Die by Jenny Downham and The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Length: 304 pages

Copyright: October 2007

The Society of S

Susan Hubbard

So, usually if I finish a book and review it, that means it's a good book. I never really finish books that don't grab my attention and are poorly written. This book is an exception...I kept thinking it would get better, but it never did. I finished the book because I wanted to find out why the main character's mother disappeared, not because it was an interesting novel.

This novel centers around a 13-year-old girl who's family turns out to be vampires. The main character spends the entire novel obsessing about her missing mother. Towards the end of the novel, she goes on a quest to find the lady who left her behind. I had trouble getting into this novel, especially in the beginning. The author flew off on too many tangents for me to follow. There is a scene in the middle of the book that is never even explained. The best friend of the main character is murdered and afterwards, she comes to her house and asks her to play even though she's dead. It never explains if this is a dream or reality; the novel left it open for either, but it REALLY creeped me out. I don't think I'd recommend this novel to anyone but die hard vampire fans. Even then....

Similar Novel: The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

Length: 320 pages

Copyright: 2008

The Brief History of the Dead

By Kevin Brockmeier

This book was an intriguing novel that is the most original idea I've read in a book in a long time. I had never heard of this author before, but the title and cover art caught my attention. (Yes, sometimes I judge a book by it's cover!!) The quote on the inside of the cover tells about how some African societies divide death into categories. One of these categories is the living-dead, and no, they don't mean zombies. They mean people who are dead, but still remembered on earth by the living. When the last person dies who remember the dead, the dead can then pass on into the afterlife.

Brockmeier writes his novel in two different locations. The first is a place called The City, where the dead who are still remembered live and wait to pass on. Life in The City is very much like life on earth. There are jobs, cafes, and even newspapers. When the last person dies on earth who remembers a citizen of The City, the just disappear. No one knows where they go. The second location in Brockmeier's novel is a Antarctic research station where scientist Laura Byrd has lost contact with the outside world. Brockmeier does an outstanding job of weaving these two story lines together for an unforgettable tale.

Similar Novels: What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson and The Children of Men by P.D. James

Length: 252 pages

Copyright: 2006