Caution: A completely absorbing experience lies ahead

The Scorpion Rules
by Erin Bow
Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books
September 2015

The book's title doesn't tell it.  The less-than-alluring cover hides it.  The truth is, this tale is the most compelling story I remember reading: I read this every minute I could -- I broke away only because I had to, and I returned as quickly as I was able. There is no warning visible that would alert the reader to what is coming.

What's different about this book. 
It's a young adult title, and while these titles can be great, they are seldom enthralling.  The characters and the plot line explore amazingly huge concepts: love, life, intelligence, same-sex attraction, death, free will, pain, loss, torture.  And the reader is completely absorbed through it all.

What I'll do now that I've read it
This book may be the silver bullet answer for every reader's advisory question I receive:  I need something interesting. Check.  I want something with action.  Check.  Oh, I prefer something with romance. Double check. Well, I need something significant that explores serious issues. Check!  Oh, I only read adult literature. Check!  I regret that I can't begin to share this book until September.  That's hundreds of reader questions away!

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Gritty, suspenseful, and satisfying

Make Me, A Jack Reacher Novel (#20)
 by Lee Child
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press 
September 2015

One thing I can count on in all the Jack Reacher novels -- he never loses a fight.  But in this twentieth book, he does get pretty badly hurt.

What's different about this book
Make Me follows the best of Lee Child's Reacher series:  Jack always wins, the case is always a compelling one, and there are significant relationships that make the story all the better.  This latest release, however, seemed more gritty, the crime Reacher solves more violent and evil than I remember from previous books.  But there were some particularly good aspects: the scene where Jack and his ally snag some drug money and some needed firepower; the journalist that joins them and makes the action all the more interesting.  I appreciated the way Reacher was a touch more vulnerable, a touch more reachable, and all the good guys walk away at the end. This will be a hit for Reacher fans -- and will win the author more followers.

What I'll do now that I've read it
Definitely to be shared with my adult friends and library patrons, but I may wait to have this requested by my older high school readers.  Those that like the Jack Reacher series will come asking for the latest, and I'll be happy to oblige.

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An wholly entertaing (and endearing) mystery series

Scents and Sensibility, A Chet and Bernie Mystery
by Spencer Quinn
Atria Books
July 2015

One of life's recent consistent pleasures has been the Chet and Bernie series.  Book 8 expands that wonderful combination of full engagement between story, characters, and the reader who regrets reaching the end of the latest story.

What's different about this book
The initial novelty of having a dog narrate the story of his work with a private eye has not worn off, even 6 years after the publication of the first book.  The humor, as well as the pathos, of Chet's voice is magically able to tell a story so much more effectively than many human dialogs and descriptions.  I appreciate that Quinn allows the characters and the relationships among them to continue to grow over the years and to deepen the story line.  In this latest release, Chet and Bernie's relationship is all the more poignant as the mortality of them both is touched upon and developed powerfully.  This book is just a great read that keeps me reviewing books -- I know eventually another episode of Chet and Bernie's adventures will come along, and I won't be able to wait for the retail market to catch up.

What I'll do now that I've read it
There is no library or reading / listening patron I serve that would not be enthralled with this series (at least for readers who have made the move to stories about adults and evil-doers, of course).  We are adding this book to each of our libraries, and we'll be avidly book-talking and sharing Scents and Sensibility, along with the previous released in the wonderful story line of Chet and Bernie. Often the series' catchy titles are the first to attract new readers -- they are superbly clever.  If you don't know this investigative pair, you have a large treat in store for you!

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International Intrigue and Too Much Money

Vanishing Games: A novel

by Roger Hobbs
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
July 2015

Book 2 of the Ghostman tale picks up several years after the first story -- and it manages to top the first in grit, suspense, and foreign intrigue.

What's different about this book
As in the first book, Jack White carries the reader into his world as ghostman or international crime agent who has a knack for vanishing - and making other people or problems vanish. The global setting and the look into the life of the absurdly rich make this novel a compelling read.  I think I'm personally hooked by the way Jack somehow always manages to make it out alive. Compelling plot and resolution.  I don't like to like tales of violence and grit, but somehow Hobbs manages to overcome my reluctance with his excellent storytelling.

What I'll do now that I've read it
What does any read do with an outstanding suspense thriller? Share it, of course! The appeal of this book takes me beyond my school libraries and into my adult book clubs and private libraries.  Somehow not many folks seem to be familiar with Hobbs' Jack White.  We'll have to change that.

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An unexpected tale

Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Weren't You and I
Todo lo que podríamos haber sido tú y yo si no fuéramos tú y yo
by Alberto Espinosa
Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial / Grijalbo
July 2015

Quisiera haberlo leído en español – me habría caído más normal.

What's different about this book
 This story took me back to the years of my graduate work in Spanish literature.  The stream-of-consciousness narration that fills the first third of the book was more typical of that literary body of work.  Reading this in English, however, made me think the narrator was speaking of himself when he wrote, "sometimes you beat around the bush in order to avoid going straight to the root."  So while this book is tagged as for teens and young adult, that age reader will need to persevere beyond the first third of the book in order to reach the more engaging --and compelling-- plot action.  But the singular difference in this book is the unexpected plot twist: No, I'm not referring to the "future where everyone has given up sleeping."  That's almost secondary to the slow-to-develop but deliciously intriguing major action.  I was ready to put the book down one-fourth of the way in, but I'm delighted I stuck with it.

What I'll do now that I've read it
I don't know how popular this book will be for my typical patron.  I think I could easily sell it to young adults who are also studying global issues and languages.  And the shorter length of the book will help my book talks to students.

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Young adult love, loss, and learning

A Million Miles Away

by Lara Avery
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
July 2015

A good romance can be made better by a meaningful context.  Avery's A Million Miles Away avoids the superficial by the quality and depth of her story and the significance of her protagonist's growth.

What's different about this book
The plot twist of a surviving twin stepping in for her sister seems fresh and interesting.  I didn't always like Kelsey and her choices, but the story soon settles in to be an engaging read.  The difference in what transpires is the extent to which Kelsey and her family have to live through the loss of losing her twin, and the extent to which Kelsey grows and learns through the ensuing developments.  I liked the seriousness of the book's challenges -- juxtaposed with the inclusion of art and dance and family and friends.  This becomes an increasingly compelling story as one moves through the book.

What I'll do now that I've read it
Before opening my blog to write this review, I went first to my go-to book vendor for my libraries.  I had to make sure this title is on our list for our young adult libraries.  Beyond buying the title, though, I will really enjoy sharing this with readers who want some real-life challenges and adventure mixed with a compelling romance.  A story where the protagonist recognizes her flaws and learns to deal with them -- and grow beyond them -- is both rare and a pleasure to pass on to other readers.

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