All American Boy by Jason Reynolds

I really enjoyed this book. What a timely story of a young black teenager accused of stealing and a white police officer who put him in the hospital.  With police brutality in the headlines right now this couldn't be a more important read for all young adults.

Amazon Summary
A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Laughing at my nightmare by Shane Burcaw ( Abe Book)

I truly enjoyed this book. I found myself learning a lot about the daily life struggles of living with a disability. Shane is an amazing and impressive young man and I think everyone could learn to laugh with Shane.

Amazon Summary
With acerbic wit and a hilarious voice, Shane Burcaw's Laughing at My Nightmare describes the challenges he faces as a twenty-one-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his situation with humor and a "you-only-live-once" perspective on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-opening perspective on what it is like to have a life threatening disease.

Fool me Once by Harlan Coben

I have read everything by Harlan Coben and I always enjoy the story. I was captivated by this tale and could not figure out how all of the pieces were going to fit together. Bravo Mr. Coben, another successful mystery/suspense thriller in the books.

Amazon Summary
Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who was brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.

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.