Book Recommendations for YOU! Happy 2013!

First off, Happy New Year everyone! I decided to do something a little different and out of the ordinary today. Since its a new year and everyone is starting their reading challenges for 2013, I decided to give out some recommendations to start some people off. I picked my top five books that I would recommend and gave a short summary to get you started. Now, most of these books are fairly popular but I did throw some others in as well. Enjoy and I hope you find something great to read to start off the new year!

~ Marissa




1.  The Book Thief  By Markus Zusak 
This is one of my all time favorites. Set during the time period of World War II, a young girl named Liesel is living in a small town in Germany. During these dark times, Liesel finds comfort in not only reading books, but stealing them too. Whether its from Nazi book burnings, or the mayor's library, Liesel goes wherever there are books. As her foster father shows her how to read, Liesel begins to show everyone in her neighborhood the comfort of reading. This is a truly unforgettable story and I highly recommend it.

Click here for my full review.


2.  Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury 
I think this book is very appropriate to start off the new year. This book is arguably one of the most realistic dystopian novels ever written. It is set up in a future world which bears many alarming resemblances to our world we live in today. The scary part about this book is that it was written in 1953 and now thats its 2013, we can see how we are moving in the direction that Bradbury was trying to warn us about. We follow the story of Guy Montag, a fireman whose occupation is to burn books. Montag does not question it as he "thinks little at all about nothing in particular". Suddenly, he meets a girl named Clarisse who tells him about times when things were different. He starts to think about things he has never thought about before. When Clarisse disappears, he now knows what he has to do. I definitely recommend picking this book up!
Click here for my full review.


3.  I Am The Messenger By Markus Zusak
Another Markus Zusak book, because he is just that amazing. This book is completely different from The Book Thief but just as good. Enter Ed Kennedy. He is an underage cab driver, in love with his best friend, and lives with his dog. Ed thinks of his life as pretty ordinary and routine, until he goes to the bank. While it was never his intention, he surprisingly stops the robbery. Now he is labeled as a hero, but he still feels like just an ordinary person. Suddenly, he receives his first ace in the mail. And thats when the adventure really begins, as he becomes the messenger. Once you start this book, you will not put it down!




4.  Paper Towns By John Green
If you have yet to read one of the legendary John Green books, then this a great book to start with. Quentin, but everyone calls him Q, has been in love with Margo his entire life. Its no surprise though, since she is his next door neighbor and they used to play together when they were little. As they grew apart as they got older, Q's love for her never subsided. One night, she comes back to his life as she knocks on his window in the middle of the night, inviting him on a night full of adventure and revenge on people. When the night ends, Q is happy to be reunited with Margo and looks forward to seeing her at school the next day. One problem: she disappeared. Known to leave clues when she disappears, Q and his friends must figure them out and find Margo. This book is full of humor, romance, and adventure. Click here for Kim's full review.

5.  Divergent By Veronica Roth 
I recently just finished this book and I have to say, its amazing! The world in dystopian Chicago is divided in to five factions where people reside. Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice has lived in Abnegation her entire life until it is time the choosing day, where every sixteen year old chooses where they will live for their entire life. Their options are given to them through a test which gives them their faction result. During Beatrice's test, there is a problem and she is faced with a tough decision of staying with her family or becoming who she really is. She makes a surprising decision and braces herself for what is about to become of her. I definitely recommend this book if you love dystopian novels. It even has some romance in there! I am currently reading the sequel now.