Second Wind - Dick Francis

Meteorologist are usually just looked upon only for the weather but Perry Stuart is a favorite of the racing crowd and his fame helps him get a ride into a hurricane.  Now you may ask how does a weatherman in England end up in a plane in the Caribbean and that would be a good question.  In typical Francis style it is answered in a very logical way that keeps you turning the pages until late at night.

Limited steeplechase exposure in this novel but still an excellent read.

Seeing A Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters

Amelia Peabody and her intrepid husband Emerson are back once again in Eygpt for a season of digging but of course none of that goes smoothly.  Mysterious messages, irritating gad abouts, danger, and secrets, pretty normal season.

In 1903 Cairo is a hotbed of dalliants, want-a-be archeologiest, and serous scholars. Seperating the grain from the chaff takes a sharp eye.  When Amelia dreams of a Large Cat she takes it as a message of something more to come. 

Ramses, their son, Nefret their adoptive daughter, and David, the grandson of their reis add a few more layers to the happenings within the family.

Filled with humor and a classic who done it style you will laugh out loud as your read.

Beyond by Graham McNamee

A ghost story, a mystery, or is it a tale of possession?  The reader must decide.  A face paced page turner that has a few disturbing moments which really stick with you later.  Good enough that I know I will wait a year and reread it again to find the things I missed the first time around because I wanted to see what happened next.

Note, does deal with a child molestor/abductor so not for the younger crowd, more a high school book in my opinion.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Being Divergent was bad enough, now the divergent are being targeted and the factions are fighting each other.  Tris is at the center of the Insurgent movement even though that is not what she wants.  She is confused about how to deal with Four, grieves for her parents, and is not sure of her brother Caleb.  Add in that Dauntless should face their fears and she freezes every time she sees a gun and things just got even more complicated.

Fast paced, intense, and makes you think! Several times I had to put the book down and just rest my mind but would go right back to it again after a short break.

I am looking forward to the next addition to this thought provoking series.

Night Mare by Piers Anthony

A night mare that no longer does well delivering bad dreams has a problem.  Xanth is being invaded by the NextWave of Mundanians, another problem.  The Kings of Xanth are being ensorcerelled, another problem.  How will all the problems be solved?  By following this advice, "Beware the Horseman!"

Of course everyone is beware of the horseman, but none know exactly who the horseman is and that is the flaw in the plan.

Filled with puns which are always fun and layers upon layers of twist and turns this is a very fun read which explains many of the "rules" of Xanth.  The best part of these books is they can be read more than once simply because there is so much to discover that you missed the first time around.

Note, the Accelerated Reader test has a mistake and says Day Mare insted of Day Stallion which will cause you to answer that question wrong.

Divergnet by Veronica Roth

A world broken into factions with each faction having a role in society.  At sixteen youth are tested through a mind simulation and the results give them the best choice for their life choice.  At that point they either remain in their faction or leave it and their families forever.

Beatrice is Abenegation, the quiet, self-less faction that runs the goverment and puts others first.  She must chose between Candor, who see things as black or white and do not lie, Erudite who live to learn, Amity that just want to be peaceful and are in charge of farming and food, or Dauntless who show no fear and protect their world.

The problem, Beatrice gets a divergent result, no clear choice is made, this is dangerous.  She choses Dauntless because she knows she is not selfless, she is willing to lie, does not love to learn, would smoother with the thought of being peaceful, and most of all she is draw to the danger of Dauntless.

Distopian novels are dark but they also offer hope. Ms. Roth has done an excellent job of combing the aspects of a superior novel.  It is the type of novel that invades your thoughts and sometimes your dreams.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle

The threat of war dims the Thanksgiving celebration of the Murray family.  Even stranger is the rune given to Charles Wallace by Mrs. O'Keefe.  As the family struggles with the news they are privy to due to Mr. Murray's high standing in the scientific field they also try to maintain normalcy as much as possible.

Charles Wallace takes a walk to the star watching rock, his favorite thinking spot.  Here he stays in touch with Meg through kything, a mental skill they have held onto for many years.  While there he meets with a unicorn who consults the wind and takes them through time and space. 

Charles Wallace goes "within" a series of boys and men and bends things just enough to change the future.

A fantastic blend of history, time travel, and fantasy.  My favorite of all of the books with the Murray's as a focus.