From the back cover: God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs—and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a … [Read more...] about Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler: A-
Books
The Keys to the Street by Ruth Rendell: A-
From the back cover: When Mary Jago donates her bone marrow to help a complete stranger, the act bonds her with the young man who lives from her transfusion. He will change Mary's life in ways she could never imagine. But every act has consequences, often unforseen. Mary's generosity returns her not only love, but also its opposite. She finds herself in danger from both the … [Read more...] about The Keys to the Street by Ruth Rendell: A-
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton: B
From the back cover: One hundred years ago, Dies Drear and two runaway slaves hiding in his house, an important station on the Underground Railroad, were murdered. Legend has it that the ghost of Mr. Drear still haunts the lonely old house. But Thomas Small's father, a Civil War history professor, doesn't believe the legend and buys the house. The house is fascinating, thinks … [Read more...] about The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton: B
Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian: A-
From the back cover: it is the dawn of the 19th Century; Britain is at war with Napoleon's France. Jack Aubrey, a young lieutenant in Nelson's navy, is promoted to command of H.M.S. Sophie, an old, slow brig unlikely to make his fortune. But Captain Aubrey is a brave and gifted seasman, his thirst for adventure and victory immense. With the aid of his friend Stephen … [Read more...] about Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian: A-
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines: A
From the back cover: A Lesson Before Dying is set in a small Cajun community in the late 1940s. Jefferson, a young black man, is an unwitting party to a liquor store shootout in which three men are killed; the only survivor, he is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, who left his hometown for the university, has returned to the plantation school to … [Read more...] about A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines: A