Alex's Picks

Everyone I've talked to has either loved it or hated it... I loved it! Main characters Celia and Marco are raised from childhood for one purpose: to defeat each other in a mysterious magician's duel that neither truly understands. The venue for the years-long battle is called the Circus of Dreams, a circus that appears suddenly and is only open at night. Morgenstern's writing was wonderful, and her story truly unique.

Captivating and unique story-- on a remote island off the coast of Australia, a lighthouse keeper and his wife are heartbroken over their childlessness. When a boat washes up on their shore, containing a dead man and a wailing baby girl, they decide to tell no one and raise the child as their own. What follows is totally unpredictable!

Pure is a well-written and unique new dystopian novel. A great pick for adults who loved The Hunger Games!

I was totally captivated by this story, which tells how the young daughter of an Oxford professor, Alice, inspired Lewis Carroll to write The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. I loved it!!

In writing this book, Sara Gruen blended together the perfect mix of interesting science and thrilling action. This book made me think as I eagerly read each page.

This novel was a very interesting look at the lives of early twentieth century Chinese women-- definitely something I'd never read or learned about before. The fast-paced and emotional story made it difficult for me to put it down! The sequel, Dreams of Joy, is just as great!

While I loved The Kiterunner, I enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns even more. The relationships of and experiences encountered by the two main characters, two Afghan women named Mariam and Lila, created a captivating, beautiful, and sad story.

This was great historical fiction from a very turbulent time in American history; it asks the question "What if?"

This book goes behind the scenes in several American zoos. Examining the relationship between man and beast, Zoo Story tells stories I found both heart-lifting and heartbreaking.

Drawing on evidence from a range of sources and areas of life, Gladwell describes what makes "outliers," or very successful people, different from everyone else. I found this book easy to understand and utterly fascinating!