Anathema by Colleen Coble

The peace of the Amish country is shattered by a burglary and two murders. Hannah Schwartz, who has been taught to forgive by her Amish upbringing, can not find it in her heart to forgive whoever murdered her parents; therefore, she runs away with her Englisch boyfriend, only to find that she made the wrong decision.

Colleen Coble has great insight into the Amish ways and weaves a terrific story for the reader. This book was recommended by one of my sophomore students, so it is enjoyable for readers of all ages.

Mediator: Twilight by Meg Cabot

Suze finally has the man of her dreams--Jesse. Her life seems almost perfect, but not quite. Paul Slater, who is madly in love with her, finds a way to go into the past to save Jesse from dying. The catch is that Jesse would never meet Suze, and Paul would finally have her. Thinking it a bad idea, Suze follows Paul to stop him.

Now Suze has to make the decision of letting her love live a life he never had or to make the selfish decision to let him stay in her time. All Suze wants is to enjoy having Jesse with her at the winter formal.

The last book of the Mediator series will keep you hanging on every word.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR

Mediator: Haunted by Meg Cabot

Suze Simon's life is just as crazy as ever. Her crush Jesse, the ghost who lives with her, is going to leave her; then the one guy she doesn't like--Paul Slater--transfers to her school and decides he will make Suze like him.

When Paul invites Suze over to tell her that he can actually shift into other figures, he abruptly kisses her. Suze immediately leaves and finds Neil, her step-brother's friend. While with Neil, she discovers that his recently deceased brother is haunting him. How can Suze deal with all of this information? Will she ever get what she truly wants?

Guest review submitted by: RAWR

Mediator: Darkest Power by Meg Cabot

Suze Simon, our favorite mediator, is forced to get a summer job: watching whiny eight-year-old Jack. While on the job, Suze finds out that Jack can also see ghosts. Suze helps him realize that the ghosts only want his help. Jack then gains more confidence which affects his brother Paul who asks Suze out on a date. She, however, rejects his offer because the only man on her mind is Jesse.

At home, Suze's stepfather and brother start to dig in their backyard and find letters addressed to Jesse from Maria de Silva, his supposed fiance. Problems occur when her ghost pops up and threatens Suze. Not wanting to worry Jesse, Suze stays quiet, only to find that Jesse doesn't show up when she calls him because Jack has exorcised him at Maria de Silva and her husband Feliz's request. Knowing there is only one way to get Jesse back, Suze tries to be exorcised herself.

Will Suze be able to save Jesse? Or will there be more obstacles like Paul in her way?
Meg Cabot's books are simply addicting.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

The Mediator: Reunion by Meg Cabot

Suze and Gina, her best friend from New York, go to the beach to soak up some sun. While there, they get thirsty and decide to head over to a market for some drinks. Suze, however, finds more as she sees four formally-attired ghosts. With research, she finds out the are the RLS Angels and that they were accidentally rammed into by Michael, another student. Now, with only revenge on their minds, they will do anything to get Michael to join them in death.

By trying to protect him, Suze gives Michael the impression that she likes him and wants to pursue a relationship with him. Doing more sleuthing, Suze discovers that Michael's sister is in a coma because of the RSL Angels.

Now that Suze knows the truth, what will happen when she confronts Michael? And what are those weird feeling she has for Jesse?

The third book of Meg Cabot's Mediator series is even more action-packed than the first two.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

The Mediator: The Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

Having a love life is practically impossible with a ghost hovering over Suze constatnly. Mediator Suze Simons is becoming more popular in school and has been invited to a pool party. While at the party, she meets and dances with Tad. Maybe her love life is starting to go in the right direction. However, later that night, a woman-ghost wakes her up screaming, "tell Red he didn't kill me."

Becoming curious about this Red character, Suze investigates and discovers a lead to Mr. Beaumont. Disguised as a school news reporter, she is able to get an appointment with him and tells him what the ghost said. He asks Suze what others have not--to contact the others he has killed. Luckily, she is able to escape and comes across Tad.

What does Tad do as the plot thickens? And will Jesse make more surprise appearances?  This second book in The Mediator series will keep you on your toes.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

Mediator: Shadowland by Meg Cabot

Susannah Simon (Suze) packs up her bags and moves to California, thinking this will be her big break. Too bad for Suze that the thing or things she is running from wander back into her life--or better yet, her bedroom. Yes, Suze finds herself a smoking-hot boy in her room, but that's not the problem. The problem is, he's a ghost.

Suze is a mediator, a person who helps the dead move on. Ever since she was a little girl, she has gotten daily visits from ghosts who need her help; however, she has no ambition to help them. Luckily, this works out when Jesse, the hot ghost-boy in her bedroom says he doesn't need her help.

However, at her new school, she happens to come across a ghost who has only revenge on her mind and wants Suze gone. There goes the normal, peaceful life.

Watch Suze struggle through a new family, a new home, a new school, and a whole lot more ghosts.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan does a remarkable job with the audio-recorded book The Red Pyramid which follows the adventures of two children, Carter and Sadie, actual magicians who are bound to an organization called The House of Life. After their father releases the Egyptian god Set, the two embark on a dangerous journey to prevent the destruction of North America. Along the way, they make a few friends (and enemies) and discover a few bone-chilling secrets.

Guest review submitted by: MD

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Alex Flinn does a sterling job with a modern twist on another well-loved fairy tale--Sleeping Beauty--but instead of being asleep for about a day, Euphrasia is asleep for 300 years. Princess Talia pricks her finger on the spindle causing the curse of sleep. Three hundred years into the future, two teenaged boys excape from an educational trip and discover this long-lost kingdom. Jack is one of the boys who finds Talia. He is compelled by her beauty to kiss her. This kiss breaks the spell, and Talia awakens to find this oddly-dressed boy as her prince. Doing the only thing she can do, she follows him back to his home. Unfortunately for Talia, Jack thinks of her as a royal brat; plus, he can't seem to get his ex-girlfriend out of his mind. Talia only has about a month to get Jack to tell her he loves her, or she and the kingdom will be thrown back into an endless slumber.

Will Jack tell Talia he loves her, or will his ex-girlfriend win his love?

Guest review submitted by RAWR!

Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Two people bound by the same gift of magic, Kate and Jarrod, have two different thoughts. Kate believes in her powers and works with them while Jarrod thinks his talent is more hocus-pocus and lets his powers become unstable. When Jarrod transfers to Kate's class, she can sense his power but can't fully tap into his force field. Watching him practically blow up their class, Kate decides that she will learn more about him.

After confiding in him, the hardest task Kate has to accomplish is to make Jarrod realize that there is a curse on his family and that the only way to break it is to travel back in time and stop the spell from being cast.

In this book, Curley does a sterling job in helping the reader learn about true self.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

The Coffin by Ellen Schreiber

Once again Alexander leaves Dullsville for some urgent business. Unable to stay away from him for too long, Raven goes to the one place where he might be--Hipsterville. While staying  there with her aunt, Raven starts to investigate--which leads her to The Coffin Club. Thinking it's a club for vampire wannabes, Raven starts to leave when she finds a secret passageway leading her to something unexpected: real vampires. While trying to blend in with the night-wanderers, Raven sees the one person she never wants to set eyes on again--Jagger. Trying to avoid him, she runs into a new vampire, Phoenix, who seems oddly familiar.

What is Jagger's ultimate plan? Why is Phoemix so familiar? And will Alexander ever return? All of these questions will be unlocked in Schreiber's humorous fifth book.

Guest review submitted by RAWR!

Dance with a Vampire by Ellen Schreiber

Finally, with Jasper and Luna gone, Raven and Alexander can be together without interruptions. That is, until Jasper and Luna's little brother Valentine comes to town and annoys Raven's little brother Billy. It seems that Raven's relationship with her boyfriend is always troublesome.
Will this cause a separation? What does Valentine want with Billy? When will Raven and Alexander have peace?

This fourth book of Schreiber's is a never-ending ride which will keep your eyes glued to the page.


Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber

Reunited with her vampire boyfriend, Raven tries to succeed in doing what normal teenage couples do. This all backfires when evil vampire Jagger's twin sister Luna makes a visit to Dullsville. Luna, Jagger, and Alexander have a past together, and Luna and Jagger are back for revenge. In addition, Jagger wants to turn Raven into a vampire to make her love only him. But how does Trevor Mitchell, popular soccer dweeb, fit into this equation?
Jump into this hilarious third book of Vampire Kisses where surprises lurk at every corner.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

Kissing Coffins (Vampire Kisses 2) by Ellen Schreiber

Girl meets boy; girl falls in love with boy; boy turns out to be a vampire. The second book of Vampire Kisses shows Alexander and Raven going strong until Alexander leaves Dullsville. The last contact Raven has with him is a note saying that he is coming to meet her. Unfortunately, Alexander doesn't say when, and Raven decides to do her own detective work. While unwinding the mystery, she gets herself into some shady business.

Will Alexander be there in time to save her? And who is this Jaggar guy, and what does he want with Alexander? Find out by joining in on the adventure of Vampire Kisses.

Guest review by: RAWR!

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

Since she was a child, Goth-girl Raven Madison has had an obsession with vampires. In fact, her ready answer to what she wanted to be when she grew up was, in fact, "to become a vampire." In the small, boring town of Dullsville, the only excitement was the old abandoned Benson Hill Mansion.  When a new family moves into the mansion on Raven's sixteenth birthday, the rumor starts circulating that they are vampires. Raven decides that she will break into the mansion and investigate. Sadly, her technique fails and she is caught by the gorgeous Goth-guy, Alexander.

This book is the first in a series by Schreiber and is so good, you will want to read them all.

Guest review by: RAWR!

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

In this sequel, the supernatural group is in a safe haven away from the Edison Group. Chloe can now develp her powers, better control them, and sort out her feelings for a certain werewolf. The adventure does not stop here because one of the people who is protecting them may be a traitor.

How will these young powerful teenagers deal with this, and will they every have their happily ever after?

This is the best book of the "must read" Darkest Powers Trilogy. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride until the very last sentence.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

The second book of the Darkest Powers Trilogy gets even more exciting. Chloe and her gang of supernaturals are still on the run from the Edison Group. Now that her Aunt Lauren is part of the group that is trying to "cure" her, Chloe doesn't know who to trust.

Find out if Chloe makes it out alive or dies trying.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Chloe Saunders believes she is just a normal fifteen-year-old girl until she sees a ghost at her school. Unfortunately, Chloe is not only expelled from school because she is different, she is also shipped off to Lyle House, a special place for troubled teens where her housemates have abnormal abilities just like she does. As Chloe digs deeper into the Lyle House records, she finds that officials are hiding important information about her housemates, herself, and previous tenants who have died.

Unravel the mystery of the dark side in this first book of the Darkest Powers trilogy. You won't be able to wait for the second.

Guest review submitted by: RAWR!

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!