An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good is by Helene Tursten. A charming realistic fiction book of short stories about an 88-year-old serial killer. Maud is an elderly Swedish lady with no family or friends. She also has no problem killing anyone she feels deserves to die. If you are a bossy neighbor, an abusive husband, a gold digging girlfriend, or anyone else who annoys Maud - watch out. These stories are hilarious and utterly enjoyable to read. I LOVE Maud, even if she is a killer. I might be Maud when I grow up, you never know. 

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

The Well of Lost Plots

The Well of Lost Plots is by Jasper Fforde. The third book in the fantasy Thursday Next series. Thursday has moved to the Well of Lost Plots as part of the Character Exchange Program, she is trying to remember Landon, defeat Aornis, become an official Jurisfiction agent, and discover who is trying to kill her and why - just another day in the life of Thursday Next. Fans of the series will thoroughly enjoy this new installment. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 8 out of 10. 

Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun

Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun is by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke. A fantasy based on the movie by del Toro. Set during the Spanish Civil War, Ofelia and her mother travel into the forest to live with her new stepfather, an evil sadistic fascist named Vidal. The story alternates between Vidal tracking rebels, her mother's pregnancy, and Ofelia's adventures in the forest where she meets a faun and discovers she is really the princess of the Underworld and must perform three tasks before she can return to her home there. The story is also interspersed with stories which link the characters of the main story to past events. A wonderful book!

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

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place is by Alan Bradley. The ninth installment in the realistic fiction mystery Flavia de Luce series. After the death of her father, Flavia and her sisters go on a boat trip with Dogger. While dragging her hand in the river, Flavia feels something and grabs on; when she looks down she finds her hand hooked in the mouth of a corpse. Flavia, Dogger, and her sisters all team up to solve this mystery, which will lead to a new future for the de Luce family. Another charming installment in this wonderful series. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10. 

My Sister, the Serial Killer

My Sister, the Serial Killer is by Oyinkan Braithwaite. A fine realistic fiction novel set in Nigeria. Korede is a nurse in a local hospital, her sister is a serial killer. Every time she kills her latest boyfriend she calls Korede to help her cover up her crime and dispose of the body. But when a doctor that Korede has a crush on begins to date her sister, Korede must face some hard truths about herself and her family. An amazing novel by a promising new author. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence). 

A Study in Charlotte

A Study in Charlotte is by Brittany Cavallaro. The first book in the realistic fiction Charlotte Holmes series. An interesting re-working of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote stories, but Holmes and Watson were real people. Their descendants find themselves in a boarding school in America, where a student is murdered in a way similar to a Holmes mystery and Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are being framed for the murder. Fans of Holmes and Watson should enjoy this more modern re-telling. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10 - AC (some mature thematic content). 

Invision

Invision is by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The seventh installment in the fantasy Chronicles of Nick series. Nick just can't catch a break. All he wants is to get into a good college and spend time with his girlfriend; but unfortunately he's the Malachai - a demon destined to end the world. His friends seem to be missing and the Eye of Ananke is giving him visions of the further that don't make sense. All he can do is try to rescue his friends and figure out how not to end the world. Another day in the life of a young Cajun. Fans of this series will love this book as well. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence).