Just a Few Recommendations

I'll start my recommendations with one of the Truman Nominees for next year, Elemental, by Antony John.  In Elemental, a plague has killed off most of the population of the U.S. and the few survivors have isolated themselves along barrier islands along the East Coast.  Thomas lives with a group of survivors who all have some control over natural elements -water, wind, weather.  Unfortunately for Thomas, he doesn't have this ability and has always felt like an outsider.  However, when a group of pirates attack their island, Thomas may be the only one who can save them.  This was an interesting story - and the first in a series.  There is a lot of action and suspense throughout the whole story with a science fiction/dystopian element.


If you're more into a romantic-type of story, you might like The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, by Jennifer E. Smith (author of my previously recommended This is What Happy Looks Like).  In this story, we meet Hadley, who misses her flight to London by 4 minutes and is forced to wait at the airport for the next flight.  She doesn't want to go to London for her Dad's wedding, but is going anyway, and the fact that she missed her flight just makes a bad situation worse...until she meets Oliver, a fellow passenger who helps her out.  They strike up a friendship and end up sitting next to each other on the flight.  They have a connection, but get separated upon reaching customs at Heathrow.  You'll have to read the story to see if they can find a way back to one another.

For an interesting fantasy/dystopian story with a star-crossed romance, you might want to check out Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Curse.  In this story, Kestrel is the privileged daughter of an important General who impulsively purchases a slave while out with a friend one day.  As she gets to know her slave, Arin, she starts to question the rightness of the acceptance of slavery in their society.  She develops a friendship with Arin, but knows more would be impossible.  However, when the tables are turned on Kestrel, she has to decide to whom she will be loyal - her father and society or Arin.  I loved this book - but I warn you - the ending is a bit of a shocker.  Have no fear, though, because this will be a series, so there will be much more to Kestrel and Arin's story.

Today I just finished a book that comes out on May 27th, so you can put it on your summer reading list.  I read an early copy thanks to my friends at NetGalley, who are so kind to let me preview upcoming books.  In Blur, by Steven James, we meet Daniel who is heading into a funeral for a younger classmate, Emily Jackson.  He didn't know her well...no one really did, but everyone from their small town has turned out for her funeral.  When Daniel goes through the line to pay respects, Emily sits up in her coffin and speaks to him.  When he realizes no one else saw it, he's a little freaked out, needless to say.  When she appears to him again - in the middle of the homecoming football game - he knows that he has to find out more about her death.  When her twin brother expresses his belief that Emily's death was not accidental, Daniel decides that he is going to do all he can to find out what really happened to her.  This was an excellent story - full of mysterious and supernatural things happening.  It was full of action and suspense...and guess what...it's the first in a series.  I can't wait to see what Daniel will do next.