Refugee by Alan Gratz

Wow. What a powerful read. This book will stay with me for a long time. I can't recommend it enough. Everyone should read this book and learn some compassion.

Amazon Summary

JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . .

ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .

MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .

All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

I really enjoy Kristin Hannah as an author. I started listening to this book but life got in the way and I never finished. a few months later I picked it up and read it. The book was slow moving but the characters were well developed and I fell into the story and the setting of Alaska. I enjoyed this read.

Amazon Summary

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

This book has been getting a lot of buzz lately. It is the perfect companion read to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I knew the book was about social justice but I didn't know much else when I started reading. I finished the first half in 1 day. The book was quick and engaging. I highly recommend the book to any reluctant readers.

Amazon Summary
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi ( Book Club Book)

This is the IT book of the year. Everyone is talking about the book and everyone is LOVING this book. I was so excited to finally have a chance to read Children of Blood and Bone. I don't choose Fantasy that often so I was excited to enter into a new world.

Amazon Summary

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

"A phenomenon." ―Entertainment Weekly

“The epic I’ve been waiting for.” ―New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu

“You will be changed. You will be ready to rise up and reclaim your own magic!” ―New York Times-bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton

“The next big thing in literature and film.” ―Ebony

“One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of theyear.” ―Teen Vogue

This title has Common Core connections.

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin ( Abe Book) (Book Club Book)

This was on my to-read list for a while. I kept putting it off because I didn't like the cover. I know as a librarian it is horrible to judge a book by it's cover but in this case that is what I did. Book Club chose this book so now I had no choice but to read Wolf by Wolf.

I have to tell you, I LOVED it. I was so surprised but I could not put this book down!

Amazon Summary

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their combined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?

From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

I try really hard to read the book before I see the movie or show. When I read that Sharp Objects was going to be a show on HBO I knew I had to hurry up and read the book. I have read Gone Girl and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and really enjoyed both books. I was excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. Gillian Flynn is a master of mystery, darkness and twists.

Amazon Summary

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I saw the movie preview for this book and I was curious to learn more about the book. One of my co-workers read the book and said it was fast and fun and perfect for a long holiday weekend. The book did not disappoint. I still haven't seen the movie but I will as soon as it's on Netflix.

Amazon Summary

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor. 
 
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.