The Great Alone

The Great Alone is by Kristin Hannah. Realistic fiction that will move you. Ernt Albright is a former POW, he suffers from severe PTSD and his wife and young daughter follow him through numerous moves as he tries to fit back into society. When a fellow POW leaves him some land in Alaska, Ernt and his family head north. They are totally unprepared for the harsh Alaskan wilderness, yet they find friends among others who have made the wilderness their home. Yet, as the endless night of Alaska's winter closes in, Leni and her mother realize that the darkness of the wilderness is mirrored by that in Ernt. This novel is a poignant look at abusive relationships and the tragedy they leave in their wake.

Ratings: 12th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence). 

River of Teeth

River of Teeth is by Sarah Gailey. The first in the American Hippo alternate history science fiction series. This is the story of an America that might have been. The American government imported hippos to the swamps of the South to lessen the meat shortage. However, this was a bad plan. Hippos are savage and fierce, and are now feral infesting the swamps and bayous. Winslow Houndstooth and his gang of hippo wranglers set out on a mission for the government to get rid of the feral hippos, and if he can avenge an old wrong in the process, so much the better. A completely entrancing novella. 

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

The Tenant

The Tenant is by Katrine Engberg. The first book in the realistic fiction Korner & Werner mystery series. When a young woman is found murdered in her apartment with a strange design carved into her face, Korner & Werner are called in to investigate. These Copenhagen detectives quickly discover a link between the victim and the murder mystery novel her landlady is writing. Is the landlady the killer or is she simply another victim of a puppet master? Fans of Scandinavian crime novels, or crime novels in general, will enjoy this book.   

Ratings: 12th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content). 

Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire is by Anne Rice. The first book in the fantasy Vampire Chronicles series. A young reporter interviews a vampire. The vampire tells the young man of his history, how he became a vampire, and the horrors and sorrows he has experienced. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 5 out of 10 - V (violence). 

A Murder in Time

A Murder in Time is by Julie McElwain. The first book in the historical fiction science fiction Kendra Donovan mystery series. After her team is betrayed and caught in an ambush in which she is nearly killed, F.B.I. agent Kendra Donovan goes rogue to seek revenge. Following her target to an old English castle she stumbles into a secret passage and finds herself transported to 19th century England. As she struggles to come to terms with the reality of time travel, a girl's body is found and Kendra realizes that a serial killer is hunting young women. Can she find a way to catch the madman in a time when women are to be seen and not heard?

Ratings: 12th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence). 

The House of Silk

The House of Silk is by Anthony Horowitz. The first book in the historical fiction Sherlock Holmes mystery series. Horowitz takes us back to 221B Baker Street, where we find Holmes and Watson involved in another mystery. A fine art dealer is being menaced by a man in a flat cap, his family is being threatened, his home is robbed, and then there is a murder. As Holmes and Watson begin to unravel this tangle, they hear rumors of the House of Silk, a mysterious group that has tendrils that reach to the highest levels of power. Will Holmes be able to survive a threat to his life even greater than that of Professor Moriarty, one where even his reputation and his powerful brother will not be able to help him? Fans of Conan Doyle's work will thoroughly enjoy this new edition. 

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