Shelf Life

Click to hear an excerpt.

This amazing debut novel was another impulse buy at Barnes and Noble (note to self: must trust my impulses more). In it Cashore has created a compelling story with memorable, complex characters—especially the protagonist, Katsa. The author has combined the best of fantasy and romance and created a story that will appeal to all readers (even teen boys—if they are brave enough to open it up).

Katsa is Graced. That is to say she has a talent of almost supernatural ability. Many Gracelings are feared and avoided because they are different, but Katsa is especially reviled because her Grace is killing. Against her will, she is used as a tool by her uncle, the brutal king Randa. At his orders she scares, tortures, and kills those who dare to defy him. Over time she has come to see herself as others see her—a brutal killer. She hates the king, hates her Grace, and, frequently, hates herself. She feels powerless to change her fate until she meets Prince Po, a Graceling fighter from a distant kingdom. He sees the real Katsa beneath the killer exterior and helps her to see herself differently. Together they embark on a dangerous mission to unravel the mystery of Po’s grandfather’s kidnapping. They push themselves to the limits of their considerable physical abilities, risking life and limb to free a kingdom from a tyrant and, in the process, discover their true selves and true love.

Cashore’s writing skill is impressive. While she is very descriptive, the story never bogs down. The book is peppered with enough action sequences to keep the reader in a state of anticipation but not overwhelmingly so. And Katsa is a heroine that you will not soon forget. She is reminiscent of the similarly named Katniss in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

Highly recommended for grades 8-12.

By Mr. Doyle

A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks is a wonderful novel. Miles Ryan thought his life was over when he lost his wife, Missy, in a terrible hit-and-run accident. Miles is a deputy sherriff in New Bern, North Carolina. After nearly two years he thinks he is ready to love again when he meets his son, Jonah’s, second-grade teacher Sarah. After spending a lot of time together Miles and Sarah fall deeply in love but they have no idea how they are secretly connected. Miles still loves Missy with all his heart and he misses her dearly but he can’t seem to let her go until he solves her death. When the secret is reveiled about Missy’s death, Miles and Sarah are forced to look deep inside their hearts and figure out how or if they can move on from this terrible tragedy. The secret is who killed Missy and how it is secretly connected with both Miles and Sarah.This book was one of the best i have ever read. It was very realistic and suspensful. Its full of love, passion, hope, and faith. This is the kind of book that you just can’t put down. I definitly reccomend this book to everyone.

By Victoria Plagenza

The novel, Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks is about a divorced mother named Theresa, who finds love where she least expected. Out of no where, she finds a bottle with a love letter inside as she was walking on the beach. This love letter expressed deep feelings about loneliness which touched Theresa’s heart in a way she never thought possible. As a result, Theresa’s curiosity to know the person who wrote this letter over throws her. After hunting for answers, she finds out where the man, Garrett lives and what he does so she decides to meet him. The moment they meet they both connect instantly like they know each other for a long time. Each day, they are becoming more closer and end up dating. However, each love story has a down fall and in this story Garrett’s wife, Catherine had died from an accident. However, Garrett has not yet recovered from his wife’s death. This leads to problems in their relationship. If Garrett has not recovered from his wife’s death then how will he be able to give himself to Theresa? Will Garrett choose Catherine or Theresa? To find out read this remarkable and jaw dropping book.

By Nina Bajwa

April 27, 2006
The novel Born Confused is about a teenage girl, Dimple Lala. Dimple turns seventeen and suddenly realizes that life is more complicated than ever. Her parents are trying to set her up with a traditional, suitable boy but her best friend, Gwyn, falls for him instead. Dimple wants an unsuitable but what happens when the traditional and suitable boy her parents tried to set her up with becomes unsuitable? Throughout the novel, Dimple struggles in trying to understand her culture and her best friend. She tries to ignore the fact that she is curvy and Indian; instead, she tries to behave like her best friend who is American. Dimple does not want the suitable boy, Karsh, but when she sees him at a club, he becomes suitable. She falls in love but does not want to tell her best friend. I recommend this book to all teenagers who think that only their life is complicated. I also recommend this book to girls who are struggling with their traditional and the American culture. The novel keeps you hooked and is very humorous. It teaches about trying to find yourself and your culture in the midst of peer pressure and teenagers. I really enjoyed this book.

By Gurpreet Kaur

In the book A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, Gemma Doyle is taken from her home in India, and sent to a finishing school in London. While she is there, she learns about the schools history, and the death of two girls and a teacher that happened many years before she arrived.This book has mystery, supernatural powers, and a good storyline. It is a really interesting book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery or supernatural stories.

By Kim Davis

If you’re in need of a heart warming romance to read on a cold afternoon or just looking to escape into a touching love story, then you need to get your hands on a copy of Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas.

The story opens with the protagonist Katie Wilkinson struggling to understand her unexpected break up with Matt, the love of her life. It seems that Matt and Katie’s eleven-month relationship had been well on the road to marriage, but out of the blue Matt broke it off. Soon after the break up a package is delivered to Katie’s home. What she discovers inside the package is a diary written by Suzanne for Nicholas. Curiosity and confusion lead Katie to open the diary where she discovers a note from Matt. Matt’s note apologizes to her and asks her to read the diary written by his wife to his son. Matt’s hope is that after reading the diary, Katie will be able to understand why he had to end their relationship.

As Katie reads Suzanne’s diary, the story of Matt and his former wife is revealed. The ensuing chapters alternate between Suzanne’s life and Katie’s reactions to it. The uniqueness of this story lies in the fact that the reader really gets to experience two stories of love and loss at one time. If you are a true romantic at heart, you will not be able to put this book down.

By Miss Yates

Time Traveler’s wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a riveting love story. It is the story of Henry Detamble, a handsome and daring librarian. Henry has been born with the ability to time travel. However, he has no control on when and where he time travels. This takes him into the childhood and adolescence of his future wife, Clare Abshire. Henry and Clare share a most peculiar relationship and must endure the test of time. Their bond is sacred and their love pure, but can they withstand the test of time?

To find out read The Time traveler’s Wife. The Time Traveler’s Wife has received tremendous national acclaim. It is a national best seller. The Chicago Tribune calls it “A soaring celebration of the victory of love over time.” The Washington Post says “Readers will see a love that works despite all travails and impediments.” It is an untraditional love story but an epic one nonetheless. Niffenegger mixes elements of suspense, drama, and romance to form a love story like no other. It is a true page turner and sure to satisfy any reader’s appetite.

By Bushra Choudhry

Kenyon, a big city teenage photographer, must give up his Boston lifestyle for the quiet and boring (or so he thinks) life of Cape Cod. Here he meets a strange, complex, and completely unique Angel of Mysteries who quickly becomes his muse. Razzle Penney is unlike anyone Kenyon has ever met and he soon finds himself caught between embracing her originality and pushing her away because she is too weird.

Razzle is a story about a summer of friendship, mistakes and lessons learned. The characters and their complicated lives pull the reader into a world too exciting to put down. Anyone who picks up this wonderfully written story will surely be left with cape sand in their shoes.

By Nora Garcia

Jane Eyre is a book of mystery and love. It goes up against all obstacles of life. Jane is a young girl who is raced by an aunt who is not very nice to her. She is sent to an institute where she is treated badly by the teachers there, she stays there for many years until she applies for a teaching job for a little girl. Coming to that house changes her life forever.

The owner of the house is extremely rich and travels constantly. Jane comes to stand up against him and his will. Jane doesn’t let him overcome her morals. But many tragedies occur in the house and it is inevitable for them to become close. What becomes of Jane? Do they become in love and marry? Or does she leave the house to pursue her destiny as a mentor? It is a great ending. This book is a must read.

By: Yajaira Magallanes

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a love story about Henry and Clare. However, this is no typical love story, there is a twist: Henry can time travel. Henry travels back and forth between his past, present, and future and sometimes learning more than what is necessary. Clare and Henry’s love blossoms into a wonderful marriage but their love is then tested through time. Many times Clare is left waiting for Henry to return from his time traveling adventure but their love runs so deep that their bond cannot be broken. Through their marriage, they endure many hardships and joys which only serves to strengthen their bond. Will their bond last forever…? However a terrible accident occurs when in one of Henry’s time traveling adventures that changes things forever. Henry and Clare’s patience and sincerity are tested when Henry gains knowledge of what the future holds for him.

By Kamaljit Bains

The novel, The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks is an eye opening book that everybody should read. The novel is about a single mom who has a child who has a speech problem and learning disability. However, this problem does not stop the mother, Denise to give up on her child, Kyle. Everyday, it gets harder and harder for Kyle to catch up on his education. One day, a terrible storm occurs in the small town where Denise lives in. This strong storm ends up getting Denise into an accident. That day, Denise meets Taylor, a volunteer firefighter who saved her life. After that day they became close and started going out. All of sudden, Taylor starts getting away from from Denise and Denise can’t understand it. The only way she will find out is by finding out his past.

By Nina Bajwa

Angela Dunham
The novel Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause is an amazing story. This novel revolves around a teenage werewolf named Vivian and the hardships she faces in a werewolf coven. Vivian has to cope with a new high school, grief about her father’s death and the increasing disintegration of the werewolf pack. She is also frightened by the proprietary sexual interest of her packmates, a group of ungoverned teen wolves, the Five. She soon meets Aiden, a “meat boy,” and she falls in love with him. However, she is forced to me with Gabriel, the new leader of the pact. This story is filled with twists and turns that endanger the pact and leave you on the edge of your seat. This book is amazing, its filled with danger, love, and suspence and should be read by all!

By Angela Dunham

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier revoloves around a teenage girl named Dimple Rohitbahi Lala. It is a novel that I recommend to everyone, especially teenage girls. Dimple is a typical Indain girl living in the United States. She turns eighteen on her birthday and now her parents want her to get married to a person of their choice and even though Dimple refuses she is forced to meet Karsh, the boy her parents have chosen. Dimple doesn’t admire Karsh and has no intention of getting married to him. Dimple tells her best friend Gwyn about Karsh and how she thought their meeting was like Titanic without the romance. However, one day Dimple and Gwyn see Karsh at a club. Gwyn and Karsh start to have and intimate relationship and Dimple realizes that she has feelings for Karsh and can’t see him in another girl’s arms. Dimple is faced with a dilemmna. Either she can tell Gwyn that she likes Karsh or she can remain quite and sacrifice her love. Read Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier and find out

By Jyotti Pannu

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel is an inspirational book to young women and girls. It illustrates how a teenage girl should grow and stand up for herself. The girl’s mother tells her she can’t get married or have a family because she is the youngest daughter and she must stay at home and take care of her mother. However, “God is on her side” and her mother dies while she is still young. She never marries but she did stay in love with Pedro, her only love, even through his marriage with her sister. She ends up raising her sister’s daughter when her sister dies, at a young age. She dies in a fire with Pedro in a tragic fire right after her nieces, his daughters, wedding.

By Angela Mireles

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is about a teenage girl named Isabella Swan, or Bella for short, who finds herself in a small town called Forks, so that she could spend some time with her father.

Compared to her old hometown in Phoenix, Forks is very gloomy town, with dark clouds covering up the sky and often raining daily. When she first moves to the town and attends her first day of school, she thinks that she’ll stand out like a sore thumb because of her unusual skin tone and become a loner among the students. However, she quickly befriends everybody and becomes popular with the students.

Often, excitement and adventure never turn up expected, rather the opposite. In Bella’s case it comes in the form of a boy named Edward Cullen. Edward isn’t your typical everyday guy; he is a mystery to everyone along with his family members. At first when they meet, there some kind of tension surrounding them, but after a few weeks, they begin to talk to one another, mostly him asking the questions and her responding.

Everything seems to be going well with the two, but Bella can’t seem to shake off a feeling that she is missing something. Although she asks and probes, she doesn’t find out much about Edward and his family. Eventually, she finds out Edward’s secret and later on, finds herself in a terrible situation of life and death.

If you are into fantasy and a bit of mystery and romance, than I would recommend that you read this book. It’s a good wholesome story that tells the tale of a young girl who finds herself mixed up in a world of the most unexpected.

By ReJon McGuire

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier is a story about a seventeen year old girl, Dimple. And throughout the story Dimple learns about herself as her and her best friend pull away from one another and as her parnts try to find her a “sutiable” Indian boy to marry. Born confused is a non-stop whillwind of teenage emotions and betrayals. A funny and witty story to read.

By Yesenia Maldonado

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier is about a 17 year old Jersey girl named Dimple Lala. Dimple does not like anything about herself; she is obsessed with her weight and still has not gotten over her ex-boyfriend from sophomore year. Trapped between the Indian traditions of her parents and the trends of her peer, Dimple searches for herself, love, and her own culture. Dimple’s friend Gwyn is all Dimple wants to be but her best friend is not around all the time like she used to be, and the boy she’s crushing on doesn’t want anything to do with her. And to top it all off Dimple’s parents decide for her to meet a “suitable boy” and if she likes him they can get married. Dimple does not want anything to do with him and they first time they meet it is a disaster. But then she meets him again at a club party and he is a DJ there and suddenly Dimple starts to like him but the problem is Gwyn likes him too.

This book is about finding out who you are and appreciating your culture and where your roots lie. I would recommend this book to all people especially American Born Indians. I love the way Dimple’s attitude changed in this book about her culture and I hope after you read it you will appreciate your culture some more.

By Perveen Mann

Holly and Gerry are the perfect loving couple they are a couple that others envy. When everything seems good for Holly the worst happens, Gerry is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Holly knows that there is no way that she can live without her love, Gerry. But before Gerry leaves he decides to write a series letters with special tasks that Holly will have to perform, so she can take her mind off his death. With opening the letters every month Holly learns
to have fun and move on to a new life with even a greater meaning. Find out what happens when there is no more letters left does Holly fall into depression again or does she move on to a new life? Does Holly stay single or find someone to love, you can only find out by reading the book!
By Anu Gandotra