The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World is by Andrea Wulf. A wonderful biography of the famous German explorer, ploymath, and environmentalist. Wulf creates a readable biography that not only covers Von Humboldt's life, but the lives of other people he shaped like John Muir, Charles Darwin, and Henry David Thoreau. A book that will make you want to order all of Von Humboldt's books and read them yourself.
Ratings: Adult - 9 out of 10.
Killer Kung Pao is by Vivien Chien. The sixth book in the realistic fiction Noodle Shop Mysteries. Lana's mother wants her to redecorate the restaurant, Ian wants her to take charge of Asian Village's sidewalk sale, and her sister's got a secretive new boyfriend at work. Lana's plate is full; and then she witnesses a collision in the parking lot. The two women involved are next seen in the salon where Lana is getting her hair dyed and then one of them is electrocuted in the foot spa - and it's not an accident. Now Lana must figure out who is responsible and all of the suspects are her friends.
Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10.
The Essays of Sir Francis Bacon are by Sir Francis Bacon. Bacon's fifty-nine classic essays on a wide range of topics. A must read for all lovers of classics. These essays are thought provoking and extremely well written. Be sure to get a version that translates the Latin words and phrases.
Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10.
The Ghosts of Rose Hill is by R.M. Romero. A wonderful fantasy fiction in verse novel. Ilana is a Jewish Latina teen from American, who is sent to Prague to spend the summer with her aunt. While restoring an abandoned Jewish cemetery she meets a ghost boy and a man with no shadow. To save the boy she loves, and herself, she must defeat an ancient evil.
Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened is by Jenny Lawson. A charming memoir by The Bloggess. Jenny Lawson is nuts, and she admits it. A hilariously funny memoir that will have you laughing out loud even as you feel horrible for laughing.
Ratings: Adult - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic contents).
The Cask is by Freeman Wills Crofts. The classic historical fiction mystery from one of the members of the famous Golden Age Detective Club. When a man is sent a cask with a dead body in it, the police try to prove him guilty of murder. His lawyer hire a famous detective to prove him innocent - and the game's afoot. A wonderful Golden Age mystery. Fans of Sayers and Christie will love this one as well.
Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10.
