Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

Grant, G.; Link, K. Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. Candlewick, 2013. Digital

ISBN: 978-0763657970

What if all the steampunk people came decided to come together and great a mantra of their stories? That is exactly what this book is. Grant and Link took fourteen of the most creative and talented writers and had them come together to create a book like no other. It is a fun read. It is easy to sit down and read a story from start to finish. I love this book, and if you are in love with the steampunk style like I am you will too. 

Legend

Lu, M. Legend. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2011. Digital

ISBN:  9780399256752

The United States no longer exists. It is now the Republic, and the Republic is constantly at war. June is a prodigy and is trained from the beginning to be a great asset to the military. Day is one of the most wanted criminals in the republic. Soon June is on the hunt for Day to avenge the death of her brother. Only things may not be as they seem. The two soon learn that the Republic is full of secrets and will go to any lengths to make sure they stay that way.

This book falls right into that dystopian category. It is a great read though. Who doesn’t love a good war story? It is sure to hold your attention and keep you coming back for more. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, Sherman. The  Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2007. Print. 9780316013680. Hardback. $16.99.

Junior is not your average every day teenage boy. He is Spokane Indian. He was also born with hydrocephalus which has caused him to have a ton of health issues and be small for his age. This leads to him being bullied. The reservation is not known for having money, but Junior loses it when he is assigned his geometry book and realizes his mother’s name is written in it. The book is at least thirty years older than him. He transfers to Reardan High, a rich white school off the reservation. Here he learns that even though the whites have money they are not without their own problems.'

Anya's Ghost

Brosgol, Vera. Anya’s Ghost. Square Fish, 2014. Ebook. ISBN: 978-1250040015 Price: 7.06

Anya is an immigrant from Russia who is struggling to fit in at her private school. Anya manages to fall down a hole where she encounters a skeleton with a ghost still attached named Emily. The ghost, Emily, makes an appearance at the school after Anya is rescued from the whole. Anya realizes she accidentally took a tiny bone with her, or did she?  Emily vows to help Anya become popular and fit in at her new school. Anya notices though that Emily is becoming a little too attached and starting to look a lot like her. Anya realizes that maybe Emily isn’t there to help at all but to take over. The art of this book is simple but beautiful with dark colors that mimic that of the story.

The Coldest Winter Ever

Souljah, Sister. The Coldest Winter Ever. New York. Atria Books, 1999. Print. ISBN: 0-7434-9938-7

“We pay for every little choice we make. You traded everyone else’s life for yours. I traded my life for everyone else’s.” 

Winter is the daughter of a very wealthy drug lord in Brooklyn, New York. She has the life. Her father lavishes her with expensive gifts and all is grand until the FBI get involved. Winter’s father is sent to prison, and she just narrowly escapes being sent into Child Services. Winter quickly learns her father’s ways and hustles any way she can to get what she wants. Can Winter escape the same fate as her father or will she follow in his footsteps?

This is a book that anyone who loves crime movies or shows will enjoy. It is a detailed look into a girl’s life who falls into the trap of her upbringing. It can be a little vulgar and violent, but it is worth the read.