North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Terra Cooper, born with a port-wine birthmark covering half of her face, was known as "the girl with that thing on her face." After dealing with it for her whole life, she decides to undergo laser surgery to have it fixed. Everyone, including her mother and her boyfriend, tell her what a great idea that is. Then she meets Jacob, a Chinese boy who had a similar experience when he was younger.

Join Terra and Jacob on their journey through life--and China--as they find the true meaning of beauty, which Headly describes perfectly in this novel. It will hook you from the start.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

Told in poems, this tragic story reveals the life of a young teenage girl, Anke, who sits back and watches her abusive father hurt both her siblings and her mother. Anke feels as if no one loves her and that she has no importance in life until she joins the school's volleyball team. Here, Anke gains the courage to speak up.

This book will grab your attention and keep you wanting more.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

True Grit by Charles Portis

Fourteen-year-old Mattie Boss leaves her home in Arkansas and goes on an adventure to find the man who killed her dad. Plenty of twists and turns add humor to this  dramatic tale. See what happens to Mattie when she finds that she may be the killer's next target.

Those who are not fans of Westerns will still adore this novel. Join Mattie in her quest to find her father's murderer.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is one of those books that everyone should read in high school and then pick up later to re-read and enjoy. It is the classic love story between a poor, downtrodden female with an independent streak who falls in love with a man of means. The language is beautiful; the plot, full of mystery and passion.

If you like mysteries and romance, you won't be disappointed. If you read it in high school, you need to become re-acquainted.

The Confession by John Grisham

In The Confession, John Grisham makes a valid case for abolishing the death penalty through the character of Donte Drumm, the town's star football player who sits on death row for the murder of a cheerleader nine years before--a murder which he did not commit. The story revolves around the race to save his life when the real murderer comes forward and confesses to a preacher who lives several states away. Allowing the reader to see what goes on behind the scenes in preparation for a lethal injection and in the court appeals process, the story also reveals the racial prejudices in a small Texas town where the condemned is black and the victim white.

Grisham does an excellent job of creating suspense and leaves readers with many questions about the Texas penal systerm.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch and Lee Chadeayne

The Hangman's Daughter centers around a small German town's executioner, explaining how he is born into the job and how he protects not only his family but also the innocent. The title is a bit misleading; the book is not gruesome, but it offers a great history lesson.

This English translation was free on Kindle e-books for a while, making it a bargain as well.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

In Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson tells a story on many levels. On one, he relates a beautiful story of the love between an American boy and a Japanese girl which takes place during the World War II internment of Japanese-Americans. On another, his plot provides an element of mystery:  it begins with the murder trial of a Japanese-American fisherman. Lastly, the reader receives Guterson's tremendous insight into Americans' feelings throughout this time period.

The book is long by many high schoolers' standards and moves slowly in some places, but the character development and descriptions are worth the time. Be advised that it contains a fairly explicit sex scene.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

In Heaven is for Real, author Todd Burpo relates the "out of body" experience his son has during emergency surgery. Allowing the boy to tell much of the story via their father-son conversations, the preacher Burpo paints a beautiful, but fairly traditional view of heaven.

The book is inspirational and uplifting with a clear message: Heaven is the place to be.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander, one of the main characters of the novel, is not a typical do-gooder because of her punk style and dragon tattoo; however, she  helps Mikael Blomkvist (an atypical journalist charged with libel) investigate the disappearance of Henrik Vanger's grand niece. With her excellent computer hacking skills and his interest in finding answers, Salander and Blomkvist look into the Vanger family's secrets and find  a very complex story.

The book contains violence against women and sexual encounters, adding to the intricate plot.

The Girl Who played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who played with Fire is the second book in Stieg Larsson's triology.  Pubisher Mikael Blomkvist once again becomes entangled with Lisbeth Salander, who is accused of three murders. The plots twists around Sweden's sex trafficing laws and Salander's past life.

This book moves slower than the other two, but still provides quite a maze through which the reader can navigate.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

In Larsson's last book before his death, his reliable female character, Lisbeth Salander, wakes up in a coma, and once again, trusts Mikael Blomkvist to help her discover who has shot her and her father, a Soviet defector in the Swedish security force. Blomkvist and Salander communicate mostly on-line to take care of the evil forces at work around them.

Like Larsson's other two books, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest contains a plot so well-woven the novel is hard to put down.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen volunteers for a sure death sentence to protect her sister and her country in this futuristic novel. She must fight friends and enemies in front of a live television audience in the Hunger Games--a competition which is a fight to the death.

Even those who are not fans of science fiction will have a hard time putting down the novel. The plot is detailed, and Katniss's character is fully developed, making for an exciting reading experience.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Told in a flashback, Jacob Jankowski's story details his experiences as part of a circus family during the Depression years. Through all of life's twists and turns, he not only becomes a protector for his adopted circus family and for the mistreated animals but also manages to fall in love with Marlena, one of the star performers.

This novel has a little of everything: action, romance, and intrigue.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Imagine your friends and your parents being  disappointed because you came home from college with a degree but no husband. This perfectly describes Skeeter, one of the main characters of The Help. At the peak of the Civil Rights movement, Skeeter tells the world what is really happening behind the closed doors of households in Jackson, Mississippi.

On a personal note, reading the book reminded me of my childhood in the fifties. Because my divorced mom worked full-time, she hired a maid to care for my brother, sister, and me. I now wonder what tales her community heard about our family.

The Help highlights the shame of America's racism and is considered by some to be a new classic.