Another One Bites the Dust

I wrote this last week but forgot to publish it for you. Please Enjoy!

For you that don't keep up with Harry Potter, the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is set to come out this fall. It takes place in America, and J.K. Rowling has released information about the American wizarding world accordingly. The American equivalent of Hogwarts is Ilvermorny. Ilvermorny has it's own four schools which you can be sorted into on Pottermore. I am a Wampus, in case you were wondering. This makes me a Hufflepuff and a Wampus! Go Wamplepuffs!

Knowing that I won't be reading for entertainment for a while, I've been trying to knock as many books off my "to read list" as possible. I took a great class on Adolescent Literature this last semester that gave me an even bigger list, so I have some good ones to share with you. I will try to link to goodreads, but most of these I can't give you a review because there are too many great books and too little time.

Middle Grade Novels
Dead End in Norvelt - Jack Gantos. It is absolutely hilarious. You don't need to be a kid to read these.
The Wednesday Wars- Gary D. Schmidt
Countdown- Deborah Wiles

Fantasy and Science Fiction:
Throne of Glass- Sarah J. Maas (PG- 13 for sure.)
Howl's Moving Castle- Diana Wynne Jones
Unwind- Neil Shusterman

Realistic Fiction for High Schoolish Readers:
Exit, Pursued by a Bear- E. K. Johnston
Mexican Whiteboy- Matt de la Peña
The Queen of Water- Laura Resau
Witness- Karen Hesse. The lines are in verse but they read like someone speaking to themselves, so don't let it scare you off.
Monster- Walter Dean Myers
I Am Not a Serial Killer- Dan Wells. I actually didn't finish this because the main character helps his mom in a mortuary and it made me a little queasy. However, I have a pretty weak stomach and other people would probably enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed what I managed to read.
The White Darkness- Geraldine McCaughrean
Saving Francesca- Melina Marchetta
Speak- Laurie Halse Anderson
Running Loose- Chris Crutcher. I was prepared to dislike a sports book, but I ended up really enjoying the story. I am going to have to try more books by this author in the future.

Graphic Novels
American Born Chinese- Gene Luen Yang. I had never read a graphic novel before, so it took some getting used to, but I really enjoyed it. Give it a try!
Trinity- Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

A couple of favorites Mom and I discovered that are set during WWII:
Code Name Verity- Elizabeth Wein
Rose Under Fire- Elizabeth Wein

Adult Fiction:
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry- Fredrik Backman
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet- Jamie Ford
The next two books are rather similar in that they follow the experience of two families after they lose their daughters. They are very good but deal with adult issues like rape and adultery. However, I think in the end they also validate the importance of families.
Everything I Never Told You- Celeste Ng
The Lovely Bones- Alice Seabold

Nonfiction
Devil in the White City- Erik Larson. This tells the story of the Chicago world fair from the side of the people who planned it and the serial killer who used it to hide his misdeeds. I would save it for older readers.
Hole in My Life- by Jack Gantos This is the autobiography of Jack Gantos, the author of the middle grade novel above. It is an easy read and very enjoyable. I wouldn't suggest it for his middle grade readers though because he turns his life around in prison which has some scary stuff in it even if he doesn't dwell on it.
Bomb: the Race to Build-and Steal- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon- Steve Sheinkin