Most Popular Books - 11/10/14

Most Popular:

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.

Second Place:

The Compound
by S. A. Bodeen

Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.

Third Place:

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover
by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston and the two escape a kidnappers' plot using their espionage skills, and when Macey goes on the campaign trail with her father, the vice-presidential nominee, Cammie and other friends use their spy training as part of the security team.

Fourth Place:

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
edited by Kazu Kibuishi

An anthology of short graphic works by such artists as Kazu Kibuishi, Dave Roman, and Raina Telgemeier, all on the theme of a mysterious box and the marvels, or mayhem, inside.

Fifth Place:

Found
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

When thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.




Honorable Mention:

 

Most Popular Books - 10/27/14

So, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the most popular book again this week. This dark fantasy, one of my favorites from a couple of years ago, has a touch of a creepy feel to make it perfect reading close to Halloween.

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.

At the number two spot is Tenth Grade Bleeds, the third book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer. These books continue to circulate well based on the fabulous covers -- very eye catching!

Tenth grade does not bring any relief to Vlad who is finding it increasingly difficult to resist feeding on his classmates and to avoid the evil vampire D'Ablo who wants to drain his powers.

Next up is The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. It's a chilling story that captures the interest of many a reader early in the story. 

Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.

Another book with a fabulous cover takes the number four spot this week. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter is a solid entry in the Gallagher Girl series.

Cammie Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston and the two escape a kidnappers' plot using their espionage skills, and when Macey goes on the campaign trail with her father, the vice-presidential nominee, Cammie and other friends use their spy training as part of the security team.

At number five, How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart is a humorous look at life in middle school. 

When eleven-year-old David Greenberg's best friend makes the start of middle school even worse than he feared it could be, David becomes friends with Penny, who shares his love of television shows and posts one of their skits on YouTube, making them wildly popular--online, at least.






Honorable Mention:

 

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls #3)

The third in the Gallagher Girl series finds Cammie helping to save her friend Macey from an apparent kidnapping attempt while at Macey's father's political convention. (He's the vice presidential candidate.) Enter Cammie's elusive Aunt Abby (a Gallagher Girl herself) who's been pegged to be Macey's Secret Service protection while back at school. Little does Cammie know that there's much more to the kidnapping attempt than first meets the eye. And why does Zach seem to show up at just the right moment again and again?

For those that enjoyed the first two in the series, this is a must-read. Little is shown of the girls' junior year classes, for much of the story takes place outside of Gallagher Academy. With the introduction of Aunt Abby, the reader catches a glimpse of what Cammie's dad was like and a fresh look at Mr. Solomon and even a bit more of her mom. There are many loose ends at the end of the story, which will make the reader beg for the 4th book immediately. But, overall, a fun adventure with plenty of action and suspense to keep you turning the page. A solid read -- 'B' rating.