Book Recommendations

Go HERE to make a book recommendation!

Here are some recommendations from our race participants:

Breakfast of Champtions by Kurt Vonnegut
"5 Vonnegut is a master of confusion! I love this novel's use of author as creator--very Nabokovian! This is the story of Kilgore Trout, a writer who is only known in certain circles, and Dwayne Hoover, a wealthy man who is slowly going insane. Trout is invited to an art festival in Hoover's hometown. Their meeting changes Dwayne Hoover's world."

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Kurt Vonnegut
"5 While I marked this as Fantasy, it is also a historical fiction and mystery text. This novel reminded me of "Night Circus" because it has two characters who are destined to meet--but not under the usual circumstances. Coralie works as a "mermaid" at her father's Museum of Extraordinary Things--which is essentially a Freak Show. Eddie is a Russian immigrant who runs away from his father to start his own life. The two are brought together under auspicious circumstances. A well-written mystery novel that keeps you turning the pages--I read it in two or three days!"

The Luminaries by Eleanor Canton
"5+ This novel is simply stunning and so beautifully crafted--however, it requires a dedication of time! At over 800 pages, you have to be willing to give up a couple of weeks for the first read. I can't wait to pick it up again this summer. It is a mystery novel, that in some ways is told backwards. It follows the cycles of the moon and astrological signs. It is set in New Zealand during the gold rush days. There is murder, intrigue, and so much more!"

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy
"3 I chose this because Justin Cronin (author of The Passage series) had a blurb on the cover. Aliens have landed---or just been here all along--and the mother ship has arrived to begin wiping out humanity. The 1st wave sends an electromagnetic pulse that wipes out all of our technology. This story follows Cassie, a teenage girl, as she attempts to survive and rescue her brother through the successive waves of the alien life form trying to destroy humanity. I can't say that it was a favorite book, but it did have some interesting ideas and frightening concepts about surviving in a post-apocalyptic world."

Maze Runner by James Dashner
"3, The Maze Runner is about a boy, Thomas, who has been thrown into an unknown world and must find a way to escape the maze with the help of his friends. The book has a good plot but doesn't offer much more than that. I liked the book but not enough to continue the series. I would recommend it to those who are looking for an easy read."

The Stranger by Albert Camus
"4, The Stranger is about a young man, Meursault, who lives in the French Algiers. Part one of the novel is about Meursault's actions leading up to the climax of that particular section. While part 2 is about the consequences of his actions. I would recommend this novel because it is insightful, and easy to read.:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
"3.5, If I Stay is about a girl, Mia, who has an out of body experience after a devastating car accident. She must choose to stay or move on. Throughout the novel Mia flashes back to her life before the accident, giving the reader a better idea about what life was like for Mia. I would recommend this book for those who don't mind a tear-jerker."

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winterss
"2 A ghost and mystery tale...while the book has interesting concepts about the spiritual realm, the writing style absolutely bored and annoyed me. Repetitive sentence structure and poor word choice make this book a middle school read to me. That being said...This is the story of a girl named Mary Shelley (after the author of Frankenstein which is a far more fascinating read) whose has had to move in with her aunt because her father has been arrested as a traitor. Her aunt lives near Mary Shelley’s girlhood friend and possible boyfriend, Stephen Embres. Stephen enlisted in the war and died. His brother runs the family photography business and has made a name for himself by “capturing” the images of ghosts in his pictures."

Looking for Alaska by John Green
"I am absolutely in love with this book and want to reread it. Looking for Alaska portrays a teenager's thoughts and feelings uniquely and vividly. If I had to rate this book on a scale from one to five, it would definitely be a five! I cannot wait to read more of John Green's books, and I strongly recommend that you do the same!"

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
"Magical, intense, romantic, mysterious...Girl on a Wire is all of these adjectives. I almost could not decide which genre to put it under! The story follows a teenage girl who tightrope walks, and is in the circus. However, strange things begin happening when her family joins the Cirque American. Who is behind it all and what do they have against her family? Read this book to find out!"

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
"It was a great book about Louie Zamperini surviving the impossible throughout WWII. I would rate it a five."

The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
"This poetry book was very well written and tells a lot about life and people. I would rate it a four. The poems were great."

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
"Another book by John Green that I have read, An Abundance of Katherines was absolutely amazing. A child prodigy, Colin Singleton goes on a road trip with his best friend in an attempt to escape a recent breakup. The catch? Her name was Katherine, as were the eighteen other girls he dated (and was dumped by). Find out what Colin discovers on his trip by reading this book. You won't regret it!"

Golden Boy by Abigal Tarttelin
"4 This is one of the best young adult books I have read in a long while. It is the story of Max Walker who on the surface seems to truly be a “golden boy.” He is popular, attractive, plays football, and is the all-around nice kid. However, he is living with a secret that may destroy him and his political family--he is intersex--and a rare type that presents as both male chromosome and female chromosome evenly. The story is told by the main characters involved; each “chapter” a different person and their limited perspective of the events unfolding. It is beautifully written, meticulously researched and presented. I couldn't put it down, and now that I have finished it, I want to pick it up again."

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
4.5, The Last Lecture is a true story written by Randy Pausch. The novel is about Randy's life after he has been diagnosed with cancer and only has months left to live. The novel is about Randy and his experiences throughout his life, and because of these experiences Randy has achieved his childhood dreams. You learn a lot about life and how you should live it in this novel. 

The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton
2, The Secret Under My Skin, is about a girl, Blake, who discovers herself. Blake as a teenager is sent to a work camp after living on the street since she was a toddler. After the memory day ceremony Blake is picked by the Master of the Way to train the new bio-indicator. While living with the Master and his wife Blake learns about her past.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
2, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, is about the events surrounding the death of Santiago Nasar. Santiago Nasar is said to have taken the virginity of Angela Vicaria, in turn, Angles brother find and kill him. The book jumps around form one event to another going form before his death to after capturing every detail surrounding Santiago's death.

Need by Carrie Jones
It has a very exciting story full of suspense. It definitely has fantasy with mythological creatures but with a great storyline behind it.

Watersong Series by Amanda Hocking
5+ This series is a GREAT suggestion for anyone who is into mythology and/or romance-mystery books! There are four books: Wake, Lullaby, Tidal, and Elegy (listed in chronological order). It's about mythical creatures, Gods and Goddesses, romance, mystery, and adventure. I really only recommend it for girls, because is has A LOT of romance. The first three books are almost 400 pages, but the last one is almost 600, so it's a lot of effort. Not for me, though! I finished the whole series in about two weeks. Read it if you get a chance!!(I checked out all 4 books at St. Louis Library on Tesson Ferry)

Paper Towns by John Green
John Green's Paper Towns is about a boy and the adventure that his childhood friend, Margo, took him on. This causes him to think about human nature and the reality on one's life. I would definitely rate this book a 10 out of 10! You should really read this book by Green.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Craig Gilner, a freshman at Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, deals with the many stresses of being a teenager plus depression. When the pressure gets to be just to much and decides its time to end his life, he ends up in an adult psychiatric hospital with an interesting mix of neighbors. This book is funny for having some serious topics but is relatable to high schoolers feeling too much pressure to be perfect. I would give it a 4 out of 5 and recommend it to John green fans.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Craig Gilner, a freshman at Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, deals with the many stresses of being a teenager plus depression. When the pressure gets to be just to much and decides its time to end his life, he ends up in an adult psychiatric hospital with an interesting mix of neighbors. This book is funny for having some serious topics but is relatable to high schoolers feeling too much pressure to be perfect. I would give it a 4 out of 5 and recommend it to John green fans.

A Midsummers Night Dream by William Shakespeare
Rating:5 It was written in Ancient Athens. The tale follows a love rectangle and the forceful marriage of a queen and a duke. The relationships appear doomed but in the end with the help of fairies there is a happy ending. Reccomended

A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Rating5. It is based in a future society where there is no religion, war, or diversity. Everything is controlled by the government. But the government passes what is considered right. Birth no longer occurs and all reproductionis manage by creating human clones in tubes. Social classes are determined before birth and determines work, physicality, and education. Society is based on immediate pleasure. I highly recommend.

Animal Farm by George Orwell
Based on the events of the Russian revolution, George Orwell sets the scene of a small farm in Europe, where an old pig gives his speech to his fellow farm animals about freedom hours before his death. This speech stirs the other barn animals into starting a revolution against humans, overthrowing the farm and making it their own. I would give this book a two out of five, for I was not too fond of it. The storyline simply aggravated me, causing me to question how the animals were so stupid to blindly follow such a terrible leader. I also found the book terribly bland.

In this book, based off of the Russian Revolution shows many different aspects of life. The pigs, who are the ones that start the revolution promise everything will be different. The only problem is that they lied and let the power get to them. As the other animals on the farm face troubled times the pigs keep living out their life. I would give this book a 3 because it has many good aspects to it and it gives you detail on the Russian Revolution without having to read a textbook.

The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
The genre in the book I am not too sure about because it is a collection of poems. This book full of poetry displays all different types of themes throughout the book. Billy Collins demonstrates the appreciation of life and death through poems that use rhetorical devices and figurative language. Many of the poems were written from different points of view. I would give this book a 3 because it displays many good messages, but yet I was not a big fan of poetry.

Diary of a Teenage Girl: Becoming Me by Melody Carlson
A high school girl named Caitlan O'Conner goes through many rough challenges during her junior year. Much like many other girls, she's trying to find out where she fits in and who she really is. Through many heartaches and sad times she finally finds her true identity. My opinion of the book is that I could connect to it very easily and it taught me/people very important lessons about life and make people feel like they aren't alone.

The Things they Carried by Tim O'Brien
Rating 5. This was one of my favorite books. It contains several tales of a man's experiences in Vietnam. They all have independent and over lapping themes on human morality. Many of them are emotionally moving and can influence you very strongly. I would recommend this as a great book.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Rating 4. The story follows a teen in the mid 1900's. The boy just flunked out of another private school his parents put him in. He describes the loss of innocence in kids he knows, through several flashbacks and encounters with people he knows. He then tries to hide out for a weekend in a Big City before his parents find out he was kicked out. During which he experiences the dark side and the good in the world. Would recommend.

Quarantine by Lex Thomas
Rating 5. This book takes place in a high school under quarantine for containing a virus deadly to adults. The school quickly falls under and soon gangs form for supplies. The main characters are a Junior and his brother who fight for survival. Would recommenced.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Rating:4 An old sea captain reminisces while on board a Yacht heading towards Africa. He tells of his experiences traveling up the Nile while on a steam boat. The tale he tells consists of dangers and fear. It cracks down on the morals of man kind. Would Recommend.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque
Rating:5. The accounts of a soldier during wwI from the German side. He tells of the brotherly bonds he has with his fellow soldier and how horrible war is. He shows how soldiers can never really go back home. I would Recommend. 

The Old Man and the Sea  by Ernest Hemingway
Rating:5 An old man, feels beat for he has been on a nearly 3 month streak with no big fish to account for it. But his experience calms him. The old man goes out and hooks the biggest fish of his life. He doesn't see It's size but it takes him days to real it in with is bare hands. While he and the fish fight he thinks about his life and all the aspects of human nature. Would recommend