Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This isn't a book I'd think to read on my own, it's one of those weird books. But, my favorite author, Stephenie Meyer recommended it, and a bunch of my friends read it, and I decided that I just had to read it too. This book takes place after the end of the world. All that's left in the rubble of North America is a communist government in a country called Panem. Soon after the country was established, there was a rebellion, which the government managed to defeat. The result was they lost a district. As a reminder, each of the remaining twelve districts of Panem has to give one boy and one girl to the Hunger Games, a game where each child is on their own to fight to the death in the hopes that they might be the survivor. In district twelve, the players are Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. These two children will have to battle each other, the other districts, and nature to win. It doesn't help that the government doesn't want them to win. It doesn't help at all the Peeta saved her life when she was a kid. I definitely give this one five stars.

The Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume

I didn't actually want to read this book, but I had to for a school book club. As the book started, I thought it was way too easy of a read. As I got more into it, however, I really started liking it. I mean, a book about an 11 year old who's completely obsessed with words? How cool is that? And when you add in not one but two world-famous piano playing parents and a wacky author with a the awesomest dog you could ever ask for, the book is bound to be great. So, to summarize, this book is about a girl who has two parents who are famous piano players. She hates music, and instead chooses to bury herself in words. One day she meets an old lady with a cute dog, and helps get the dog inside their apartment. Before you know it, Cornelia's in Miss Somerset's Apartment listening to her tell the most amazing stories involving Picasso, an Indian Prince, and a Gentleman's club in London. The stories Virginia Somerset tells are not only interesting, they also give Cornelia a way to make friends, become closer to her mom, and a reason to be happy. All in all, a very charming and up-beat book. I give it 3 stars.

In The Forests of The Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

This is one of my favorite books. Since I can't aptly describe the plot of the book, here is what Randomhouse wrote as the summary: By day, Risika sleeps in a shaded room in Concord, Massachusetts. By night, she hunts the streets of New York City. She is used to being alone. But someone is following Risika. He has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate 300 years ago. Three hundred years ago she was human. Now she is a vampire, a powerful one, and her past has come back to torment her.
I definitely give this one 5 stars.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

I read this book for English, actually. It's not a book I'd usually read, and it was a bit disturbing in parts. It's about a mentally retarded adult named Charlie, who gets the opportunity to get a surgery done on his brain to make him smarter. It is written as a series of journal entries made for science research. I think this is a good book because it looks at a lot of controversial issues, that although this was written in the sixties, are still relevant to today. I give this 3 stars.