Wonton Terror

Wonton Terror is by Vivien Chien. The fourth book in the realistic fiction mystery Noodle Shop series. Lana and her family are branching out; they are now running a food truck stand at various street markets around the city. At one weekly festival she discovers old family friends are now running their own food truck. At the end of the night, their food truck explodes and Lana can't resist the urge to solve the crime herself - again. She must also deal with her aunt who has come for a visit and is constantly feuding with her mother. Fans of the series will enjoy this installment. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 7 out of 10. 

Ink & Bone

Ink & Bone is by Rachel Caine. The first book in the fantasy Great Library series. The Library now controls all information, owning books is forbidden and smuggling them is punishable by death. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver digital copies of books to "blanks," while the Library keeps all originals. Jess is the son of the most famous book smuggler in London, his father pays to buy him a place in the Library so he can use his position to smuggle books. Jess becomes a Postulate, and discovers that the Library is not all they have been taught. He and his friends, along with their teacher, are at risk of losing everything, including their lives. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence). 

The Bat

The Bat is by Jo Nesbo. The first in the mystery realistic fiction Harry Hole series. Harry Hole is an Inspector for the Oslo Crime Squad. He is dispatched to Australia to assist the local police in finding the killer of a Norwegian woman who was found raped and strangled. Harry befriends one of the detectives and they begin to see a pattern; they may have a serial killer on their hands. A dark and depressing series with a strange cast and no end to the plot twists. 

Ratings: Adult - 3 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence). 

Rainbow in the Mist

Rainbow in the Mist is by Phyllis A. Whitney. Another great mystery realistic fiction novel from the master. Christy Loren has a "gift," she can touch an object and see visions about the person who possessed it. She has guided the police to the bodies of several murder victims, but her ability has taken a personal toll and she just wants to rest. She goes to visit her aunt in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains only to find herself trying to locate a missing woman. Can she find Deirdre and aid her tormented husband and son, or will she again arrive too late? 

Ratings: 9th grade - 7 out of 10. 

The Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, & History's First Global Manhunt

The Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, & History's First Global Manhunt. An interesting nonfiction tale of piracy and global politics. Henry Every joined the British Navy, took part in a mutiny, stole the fastest ship available, and sailed for the Indian Ocean to begin a career as a pirate. When he takes a treasure ship belonging to the Grand Mughal and commits horrid atrocities with the women they find on board, the East India Company and the English Crown begin the first global manhunt to bring him in. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10 - V (violence). 

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit is by Michael Finkel. A stirring biography of a man who doesn't fit into the modern world and how he tried to escape it. The residents of rural Maine have been dealing with a series of mysterious break-ins at their lakeside cabins for two decades. No valuables are taken, just food, batteries, books, back packs, sleeping bags, and assorted clothing. In 2013, a forty-year-old man is arrested at The Pine Tree Camp while he is stealing food. His name is Christopher Knight and he walked into the woods in 1986 and disappeared. Now as his strange story comes out, no one is sure what to do with him. He won't talk to anyone except a journalist who has won his grudging trust. A fascinating tale of a man who just wants to live his own life. 

Ratings: 8 out of 10 - P (profanity). 

The Lost Book of the Grail

The Lost Book of the Grail is by Charlie Lovett. A magnificent combination of realistic and historical fiction. Arthur Prescott teaches English at the University of Barchester in England; he is also hunting for the Holy Grail which his grandfather has led him to believe is in Barchester, not Glastonbury as legend has it. He hopes to find the key to his mystery in the medieval library in the local cathedral, but he must locate the missing Book of Ewolda which tells the story of the cathedral's founder, Saint Ewolda. Then an American shows up to digitize the library and Arthur decides to thwart her efforts until he discovers she is a kindred spirit and might be able to help him find the Grail. A booklover's dream and a wonderful story. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity).