The Lady and the Monk

Pico Iyer goes to Japan in order to learn more about Zen Buddhism and the Japanese culture. As he spends one year in Japan he learns more about Buddhism and also finds his new love Sachiko, who is already married. The journey of Iyer is very slow-paced but it is a good book to read if you want to spend a peaceful afternoon by yourself.

-Kelly

Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, ties together the stories of Julia, a middle-aged American living in France in 2002, and Sarah, a ten-year-old Jewish girl from Paris who lived through the Holocaust. This book gives a fresh perspective on France's role in the Holocaust and people's desire to forget the past. Julia's story kept me interested with family drama, and Sarah's story helped me understand what kind of trauma a Jewish child had to experience in the 1940s. I recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction but wants to also read a book that has a modern twist in its story line.

-Rachel

The Witch of Portobello

The Witch of Portobello is told from many perspectives: the people telling the story are all somehow related to the "witch" Athena, but Athena herself never narrates her own story. Athena's missing perspective creates a mysterious feel for the readers. While reading the book, readers think about the seemingly normal things in life, supernatural powers, and the people around them.

-Joy

Uglies

Which side would you choose if you were torn between friends and pretty appearances? Tally in Uglies, by Scott Westerfield, chose the latter at first. Tally was an ugly and she was going to have an operation to turn into a pretty on her 16th birthday. Before her operation, her friend Shay ran away from the operation and Tally made a promise that she wouldn't tell anyone about this. However, Tally got thrilled by specials before her operation. She was forced to be a spy to find out where Shay had gone or she would never turn to pretty. Which side will Tally side with at the end? Read Uglies.

-Orange

Uglies is an intriguing book about a futuristic society. It's a great book to read casually if you have extra time. If you like The Hunger Games, you will like Uglies because it is a similar setting but with less action. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun read.

-Erika

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The main character Eddie works as an amusement park and suddenly dies to save a little girl from a bad accident. The story is about Eddie's adventure through heaven as he is reunited with five people that had some form of impact on his life. This book teaches many life-long lessons and is a quick read. This book is great to read right before bed and gets you thinking what really is up in heaven.

-Madi

These Things Hidden

In the novel These Things Hidden, a young girl named Claire was always the perfect daughter. She got straight A's, was beautiful, popular, and was supposed to go to Stanford. However, after becoming pregnant her life seems to go off the deep end, and she ends up in jail for an unimaginable crime. Throughout the story, readers help to uncover the mystery of Claire's past, and they journey with her as she tries to reestablish herself and get back her old, perfect life. It's easier said than done, as she soon discovers her life may never be the same.

-Carly

The Virgin Suicides

The Virgin Suicides is quite an interesting read, not only because the subject matter revolves around death, but also the mysterious existence of the 5 Lisbon sisters: Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux and Cecelia. Eugenides' writing, in its simplicity, conveys the surrounding community's desire to understand the sisters' frustration with society and life along with the untold suffering they endured. This is an incredible book, and is highly recommended.

-Annisa

The Good Good Pig

When I was shopping in the bookstore with my mom, I was interested in this book because there was a cute little pig on the cover. The Good Good Pig, by Sy Montgomery, is in fact a book about a pig named Christopher Hogwood. Sy and her husband, Howard, received Chris because he was the runt at the local farm. At first, Chris ceased to grow. However, he eventually did start to grow, and his relationships with the people around him grew as well. You don't have to love pigs to enjoy reading this book because a lot of the book is about the relationships with the pig, not just the pig in general. At the end, you learn a good lesson about life and how a small pig named Christopher Hogwood grew to be 750 pounds and changed many lives of the people around him.

-Michelle

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress will take you into the world of two young teenage boys who lived in China during the Cultural revolution. Together they discovered a trunk of banned books, which widens their knowledge of the outside world, and makes them yearn to be free of re-education.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is a fictional character living in a fictional "real life." The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a collection of letters written by Charlie, explaining what's going on in his life. This book covers various issues such as homosexuality and teenage life crisis, much like The Catcher in the Rye. This book is entertaining, sad and engaging, mainly because most of the issues he covers are much like the ones we go through as young adults.

-Jenny

Calling myself loud is an understatement, so reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower gave me a perspective I'm not used to. It's a series of letters from a boy named Charlie who is known for being a "wallflower" to someone he does not know. Because he doesn't know them, he feels he's not being judged. He tells about his family, his new friends, and the adventures and situations they get into. I really enjoyed this book, and I know anyone who reads it will too.

-Ashlynn

Stormbreaker

Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz, is the first book in the series of the life of Alex Rider. Alex is a teenage boy raised by his uncle, but suddenly his life is ruined when his uncle dies in a car accident. Alex realizes though, that that wasn't the case. His uncle was murdered, but for what? Alex was then thrown into the world of M16, he must become a spy to learn for what and why his uncle was killed, all while keeping himself alive.

If you like this book, you might also like: Ender's Game

-Miya

Battle Dress

Have you ever wondered what it's like? Have you ever wondered what it's like for a girl? Amy Efaw's story Battle Dress follows a girl named Andi whose dysfunctional family leads her to apply and leave her home. But West Point isn't all it's cut out to be. Beast (the summer training program before freshmen year) is hard and has scary similarities to home. Will Andi survive Beast? Will the physically and emotionally hard experience break Andi?

-Lauren

Hate List

Hate List, by Jennifer Brown, is about a girl who is part of an unpopular gothic group. She and her boyfriend got made fun of everyday at school so they would make a list of people they hated for it. One day her boyfriend decided to get rid of all of the people that tortured her at school. The book is mainly about how his hatred turned into murder and how she recovered from a life-changing event during what was supposed to be a normal day at school. It is a sad book, but very interesting.

Dreamland

The book Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen, is about a young teenager trying to figure out why her older sister ran away. She leaves behind a journal and says she will see her in her dreams. Caitlin waits to hear from Cass and one day she gets a phone call from Cass. This book is easy to relate to and mysterious at times.

Willow

Willow is a girl who lost both her parents through a car accident when she was driving on a rainy day. After leaving everything behind, she now only has a brother who barely talks to her. She finds a solution to ease all her pain - she begins cutting herself. She also meets a guy who helps her and becomes her first love.

-Catherine

90 Minutes in Heaven

90 Minutes in Heaven is about a man who gets in a terrible car accident on the freeway. He dies from the car accident, but only for 90 minutes. In those 90 minutes, the man finds himself in heaven. When he is there he meets some old friends. When he wakes up he is faced with the struggle to live. He spends almost a year in the hospital having to stretch his bone because he loses about 4 inches of his femur in the accident. It is a great book full of hope and overcoming obstacles.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

I've read this book about three times - it doesn't get old. It's not anything terribly challenging to take in - the world of a teenage boy, battling depression. We all can relate. Every sentence is hilarity, a witty kind of humor - there's love, there's suspense, there's someone figuring themselves out. It could have been the story of someone in this room, it's so real. I'm pretty sure they're making a movie of it now, too, which must mean it's pretty cool.

-Claire

The Book Thief

The Book Thief is a story that takes place during Nazi Germany. The main character is Liesel, a young girl who is fostered by a family. The story is told from the perspective of death, which makes the novel very unique and interesting. The story begins with Liesel learning how to read and moves on to her stealing books from various places. This hobby of hers not only entertains her, but also helps save a Jew. The book is mysterious, depressing and interesting and I strongly recommend it to everyone.

Eon

Eona is a girl growing up in a fantasy China with a cripple, but there's a catch: Eona has the ability to see all 12 dragons of the dragon circle. With this ability, Eona hopes to one day become the famous Rat Dragoneye, master of the Rat dragon. Unfortunately, in a society where girls are looked down upon and absolutely forbidden to become dragoneyes, Eona must disguise herself as Eon to fulfill her powerful destiny. Will she succeed in becoming the Rat Dragoneye or become something more? Will her secret identity be revealed?

-Belinda

The Inheritance Series

The series consists of four books, the three that are already out are called Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr. It's a fantasy series about a boy Eragon who discovers a dragon egg and his journey and struggle against the evil empire with his dragon Saphira - with whom he shares a bond so strong that they almost become one. The storyline is interesting and gripping - it's one of those books that you can't put down.

-Marissa

Brisingr is the third book of Christopher Paolini's Eragon series. Unlike the first, Brisingr focuses on the rider Eragon and his brother Roran. The story begins with the brothers' dangerous journey to rescue Katrina, Roran's fiance, from the Razac. The story then goes on to tell of Eragon's training with the elves. While there, he learns the secret behind Galbatorix's, the evil King's, power. Overall, the book is full of suspense and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel.

-Tinnie