The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon – This fictional account of an autistic teen in England out to solve a mystery tries a little too hard, but is still very entertaining and at times, very funny.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – This was one I read for the 451 Challenge, and I certainly looked forward to it. The book is consistently voted one of the top sci-fi books and I’d heard about it for years. I have to admit I was disappointed, perhaps because of the political aspects of the story in the middle, but more because I think parts of the story were drawn out too long. Very interesting concept, however, and the plot was incredibly good.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen – Another novel for the 451 Challenge and one I had anticipated, this time with ample reward. A wonderful story about a young man who stumbles into life in the circus when his own takes a tragic turn. The narrator is the man in old age, and that aspect was quite a downer, but all is not lost. Part adventure, part mystery, part love story, this tale of the depression-era circus will keep you up reading late.
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball – This was a strange mixture that I couldn’t quite categorize. Was it supposed to be a sci-fi? Anti-child-labor lit? Not sure, but the characters were well drawn and unique enough. The bad guys were bad, the good guys were (mostly) good. Apparently, this goes on in sequels. Not for me.
© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves