It's the End of the World as I Know It by Matthew Landis

 Junior realistic fiction. This book opens on three friends that appear to be building a shelter to withstand the end of an epic, end of the world, natural disaster. Derrick, the main character, is obsessed with the upcoming Doomsday, even though he is only in 8th grade. As the story unfolds his neighbor, Misty, enters who wants to help him build the shelter and for some reason Derrick does not want her help. Derrick's sister and father seem to tolerate his obsession, but don't try to dissuade him. 

This was a fascinating story as the reasons behind Derrick's behavior comes to light. I won't spoil the plot by revealing what he and Misty are dealing with, but it is a wonderful story that left me pondering how I deal with hard things and how others can best support those going through difficult times. 

Recommend: Yes

24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling

Junior realistic fiction.  Dusti Bowling may becoming one of my favorite authors. She wrote the two Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus books which I adored. Her books take place in the hot desert of Arizona and address bullying and not succumbing to peer pressure to be someone you are not, two really important subjects for young readers and for adults as well. 

Nowhere is a town in Arizona that tops all the charts: highest poverty rate, lowest high school graduation rate, most likely place to die by cactus impalement among others. Gus is stuck there like most everyone in the town and sees dead ends everywhere he looks, but within a matter of 24 hours hope blossoms in a most unexpected way. Gus discovers truths about others and himself and things don't look so bleak anymore, even though they are in the middle of Nowhere. 

Recommend: Yes. 

Blue Mountain by Martine Leavitt

Martine Leavitt wrote one of my most favorite books, Keturah and Lord Death. I've read other books by her as well and they are all very different from each other. This one was a gift from my sister because she knows that we like big horn sheep. This is a short story from the viewpoint of Tuk, a big horn sheep. He is born on the mountain and then as he grows he becomes obsessed with finding new grazing land free from predators of all kinds. 

I really enjoyed his point of view and the interactions within the herd. A great little story!

Recommend: Yes!

Sunkissed by Kasie West

 Teen fiction. I have a wonderful sister who surprises me by sending me books.  I recently moved states and states away and one day as I came home found a package on my doorstep with three books inside. I love coming home to packages! 

Kasie West writes teen romance novels. I acknowledge that these can be trite and formulaic, but they still have an appeal to many a teen girl. I've read several of West's books and they are entertaining, clean, and cute. I liked this one, but if you'd like a better one by her try By Your Side.

Avery and her family spend their summers camping, this year they are at a camp that has many amenities but Wi-Fi is not among them. Avery and her sister are not amused, but as they meet the camp employees and find some cute boys among them that changes. This book isn't just about flirting, although there is plenty of that, Avery finds out how to step out of her comfort zone and try things that have scared her in the past. She finds her voice (literally and figuratively) and by the end of the summer the lack of Wi-Fi is not among her least favorite things. 

Recommend: yes

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 Teen Fiction. This book had an interesting beginning and an engaging middle. Avery is a teen who has lost her mother and lives with her half sister and her sometimes boyfriend. Her father has been MIA since she was small. Her life is less than ideal. She soon discovers that a billionaire has left her all his fortune and she has no idea why a man she never remembers meeting would disinherit his own family in favor of her. Thus begins an intriguing discovery of clues to solve this mystery. I enjoyed listening to it, but was extremely disappointed in how everything was wrapped up. So much so that I really can't recommend it, which is sad because it had some really good plot points. 

Recommend: No

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

 Non-Fiction. The Olympics have been a favorite of mine since I was a child. I like watching sports I would never have exposure to and to cheer for the underdog and marvel at the skill and talent of the athletes. The Boys in the Boat is a wonderful true Olympic story of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany and a rowing team of boys whose world view began and ended with the farms they grew up on. They all had hard lives trying to survive in the middle of the Great Depression and found strength and support in each other as teammates. I listened to this audio book and felt myself being inspired by the grit and determination faced by the boys. 

Highly recommend!

The Romantics by Leah Konen

 Teen fiction. I drove to Utah and back twice in the past week or so and to prepare for these trips I downloaded about 10 audio books to listen to during the drive. I normally listen to one for about an hour and then grow tired of it and choose another one. This one held my interest and I finished listening to it after the drive was over. 

It seems at first that it will be a typical teen romance novel, but there is one thing that keeps it from being cliche and predictable and that is it's narrator. It is written from the point of view of LOVE, meaning that love is an entity that influences all relationships. LOVE understands what people are thinking and feeling and what relationships will work and which ones won't. Of course the people involved don't know any of these things and often make poor choices. This story focuses on one family, specifically the 18 yr. old son, and his attempts at having good relationships with his friends, girlfriend and his family. 

Recommend: Yes.