Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a survivor, has won a place at Yale because of her ability to see ghosts. She's the newest initiate of Lethe, the ninth of the university's notorious secret societies, responsible for oversight whenever magical rituals are conducted by the other eight. Alex is supposed to learn how all the societies operate, make sure they're not breaking the rules, keep ghosts from interrupting arcane rites, and take a full load of courses and keep up appearances. Then Alex's mentor disappears and a townie with connections to several societies is murdered. Alex's violent past hasn't necessarily prepared her for the academic and arcane rigors of Yale, but she finds she is admirably suited to the role of tenacious detective as she works to understand how all the puzzle pieces fit together.

Malcolm Gladwell never disappoints. I’m a big fan of his books simply because he forces his readers to think. “Talking to Strangers” upends many of our preconceived notions about strangers. He grabs current stories from the news and takes them apart bit by bit to show us how we often get things wrong—especially when dealing with those we don’t know. The audio version is a must as Gladwell inserts live audio throughout the book.

This book was funny, endearing, and thoroughly entertaining! I want to be a good friend of the main character and run around with her eccentric crew of friends and family! Oh, and did you know all racehorses have the same birthday?!

Discover the hidden origins of the world's favorite miserly duck! Follow along as a young Scrooge searches the wilds of America in an attempt to strike it rich, and in the process runs into a few well known characters eager to help. The beautifully rendered art of Don Rosa will suck you right into this cartoon epic of unbridled ambition and unchecked greed.

David Sedaris’ books are favorites of mine. Several of his books are in the style of epistolary writing. This books is as well and consists of his diaries over a span of nearly 30 years. The diary entries are his usual somewhat humorous style of dry and ironic tales—often sad, although you will still laugh. I always get his books on audio because you absolutely have to have him as the narrator to enjoy his work. If you are a fan, you’ll find this the perfect antidote to help you endure any kind of dreary and boring day that you might otherwise be having.

He broke the chains. Then he broke the world…. A decade ago Darrow led a revolution, and laid the foundations for a new world. Now he’s an outlaw. Cast out of the very Republic he founded, with half his fleet destroyed, he wages a rogue war on Mercury. Outnumbered and outgunned, is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will he become the very evil he fought to destroy?

This book is a modern-day twist on one of my all-time favorite movies, The Parent Trap (original Haley Mills, not the remake with Lindsay Lohan!). Avery and Bett are the daughters of single gay dads who have fallen in love. They are first pushed together and later torn a part. Then the tables turn and they are covertly pushing their parents together! This is a sweet story of friendship and of families that are built with the people we choose.

It’s rather rare to find a novel so well-written and compelling that it stays with you long after you’ve finished. I read about this book in an article in the Rotarian magazine. The columnist mentioned the book as one he continues to read over and over because of its many layers and how he has a different experience every time he reads it. If character development in a book something you like, I highly recommend “Stoner.”

Wow, the last pages brought me to tears, but I won't tell you how it ends! Macomber brings together the stories of the three Palmer sisters. Being an abused wife, Cassie fights for her survival, sanity and family with determination. Receiving a grant from Habitat for Humanity and meeting Steve throws her world topsy-turvy. Getting a phone call from her sister about inheriting some of her parents' furniture, and reconnecting her to her sisters "puts the icing on the cake!"

He was told he'd never walk again. She was losing hope that she'd ever feel whole again. This is their miraculous true story of defying the impossible.