Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry

Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry is edited by Billy Collins. A wonderful collection of easy to read and understand poetry. A great book for a poem-a-day reading, especially for those who struggle with poetry.

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10. 

Aimless Love: New & Selected Poems

Aimless Love: New & Selected Poems is by Billy Collins. Billy Collins is such a wonderful poet! He writes poems that are easy to understand, moving, and funny. A great collection for those who think they don't like poetry. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10. 

The Widows of Malabar Hill

The Widows of Malabar Hill is by Sujata Massey. This is a marvelous historical fiction mystery set in 1920s India; the first in the Perveen Mistry series. Perveen Mistry is the first female lawyer in Bombay. She isn't yet able to appear in court, but she assists her father in his law practice. When her father receives a letter regarding the inheritance of a deceased client whose estate the practice is managing, she realizes something doesn't seem right. The three Muslim widows practice full purdah or complete seclusion and never have contact with men. Being a woman, Perveen is dispatched to discover why the women are wanting to give up their entire inheritance to a charity. While meeting with the women a murder occurs and Perveen must find the murderer and protect her clients, but what if one of them is guilty?

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10. 

Bombers and Nerdy Girls Do Lunch

Bombers and Nerdy Girls Do Lunch is by Lisa Boero. This is the second book in the realistic fiction Nerdy Girls mystery series. Liz is trying to study for her bar exam, manage her relationship with James, deal with her family and his, a political race, and if that isn't enough she is involved in a bombing. Her face blindness makes everything more difficult, or does it? If you loved the first book in this series you will greatly enjoy the second.

Ratings: 10th grade - 8 out of 10.

Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from the New York Times

Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from the New York Times is edited by the New York Times. This is a great collection of essays written by writers about the art of writing. There are essays by Saul Bellow, E.L. Doctorow, Louise Erdrich, Carl Hiaasen, Alice Hoffman, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Elie Wiesel, and many others. Whether or not you are interested in writing yourself, this collection is a fascinating read. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10.  

Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Vol 1.

Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Vol 1. is by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor. This is a collection of the scripts from the first season of the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast, including the script for the first live show. Each episode also includes an introduction from Fink, Cranor, or someone else involved in the podcast. Fans of the science fiction podcast will love this collection which documents the start of the obsession - one which I admit to having. All Hail the Glow Cloud!

Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10 - P (profanity). 

Meddling Kids

Meddling Kids is by Edgar Cantero. Wow! What a creepy, and yet funny, book. This is like the Stephen King version of Scooby Doo. Four teenagers and a dog solve mysteries in a small town in Oregon. In 1977, they "solve" their last mystery and then separate. Thirteen years later they must reunite to unlock the truth of their final case, which has haunted them and wrecked their lives ever since. The truth however, is something they have never faced before - a mystery in which the villain isn't a bad guy in a mask, but a real and terrifying force of evil. I loved Scooby Doo as a child and this book evoked the series for me, while at the same time being one of the creepiest stories I've read in a long time. A really enjoyable book, but not for the squeamish. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content). 

Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward & Why That's Awesome

Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward & Why That's Awesome is by Ty Tashiro. A very interesting book about giftedness, awkwardness, and how they are similar and different. The book also provides practical tips for the awkward among us to better understand social signals they might be missing. Tashiro also explained awkward behavior and thought well for those who are not awkward. The book was easy to read, yet was also very well researched.  

Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10.