Saving Sophie by Ronald Balson

I loved this book. I loved the story, the plot, the characters, the mystery, everything. I am a big fan of Ronald Balson after reading Once We Were Brothers. I highly recommend this book to all.

Amazon Summary

Jack Sommers was just an ordinary accountant from Chicago-that is, until his wife passed away, his young daughter was kidnapped, and he became the main suspect in an $88 million dollar embezzlement case. Now Jack is on the run, hoping to avoid the feds long enough to rescue his daughter, Sophie, from her maternal grandfather, a suspected terrorist in Palestine.
With the help of investigative team Liam and Catherine, and a new CIA operative, a secret mission is launched to not only rescue Sophie but also to thwart a major terrorist attack in Hebron. But will being caught in the crossfires of the Palestine-Israeli conflict keep their team from accomplishing the task at hand, or can they overcome the odds and save countless lives, including their own?

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart was on last years Abe list. To tell you the truth I didn't like the cover and it didn't look like a book I would enjoy ( how terrible to judge a book by its cover). I picked this title for book club this year to guarantee a representation of all genres. I have to say, I was hesitant to start this book, but once I started I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed this book and I think I am going to continue with the series.

Amazon
  How far would you go for revenge if someone killed your father?
   If someone destroyed your city?
   If everything you ever loved was taken from you?
   David Charleston will go to any lengths to stop Steelheart. But to exact revenge in Steelheart’s world, David will need the Reckoners—a shadowy group of rebels bent on maintaining justice.
   And it turns out that the Reckoners might just need David too.
   Look for book two in the Reckoners series, Firefight, available now.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard ( Abe Book)

This book has gotten a ton of buzz the past year. I finally sat down and read this book. I thought it was a little predictable with the genre but I am going to move forward and keep reading the series.

Amazon Summary
Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I have been avoiding reading this book for YEARS. I didn't like the title or the cover. My friend donated 10 copies to the library for my book club and figured it was time to read this book. I had also heard that Steven Spielberg was turning it into a movie which piqued my interest.  It took me about 30 pages to truly get into this story but I did find myself engrossed and  reading just one more chapter before bed to finish it ASAP. I think some students will like it but think some will dislike it for the length and small font in the book.

Amazon Summary

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. 
   But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway ( Abe Book)

I really enjoyed this book. I just finished it and I am crying just a tiny bit at the emotional ending. I think this was a realistic fiction book about friendship with romance on the side.  Highly recommend to all.

Amazon Summary

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy's soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. . . . She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents' relentless worrying. But Emmy's parents can't seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart. . . . He'd thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing, and his thoughts swirling.

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will devour these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver's father's crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli ( Abe Book)

I loved, loved, loved this book. I finished it in a few days and adored this book and the characters. I think everyone would enjoy this book. It has humor and heart with a little mystery and romance.

Amazon Summary

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith ( Abe Book)

This is one of the titles on the 2017 Abe List. I was interested in reading about it when I heard the summart at the Abe meeting last month. My expectations were pretty low for this book. I LOVED it. Hialrious, heartfelt read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I think boys and girls will both enjoy this book but especially the boys.