House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult continues her run of timely issue-based narratives with this story of a young man with Asperger's syndrome, who must challenge society's perception of him when he is accused of a heinous crime.

Emma Hunt has her hands full - a single mom with two teenage boys who works from home, she also has the added pressure of maintaining a solid and predictable routine for her older son, Jacob, who has Asperger's syndrome. Although incredibly intelligent, Jacob has a difficult time communicating with others and picking up on social clues. He also is prone to throw a tantrum when his regular routine is disrupted. His younger brother, Theo, although also very intelligent, is floundering through his formative years while Jacob saps most of their mother's energy and time.

When tragedy strikes Jacob's social skills tutor, he finds himself in some serious trouble. Is Jacob guilty of a crime other than landing on the autism spectrum? Will his newbie attorney be able to understand and work with his "quirks?" Will this fragile family be able to weather the situation or will they crack under the pressure? Picoult handles the familial relationships with grace and her characters, as always, are perfectly drawn as imperfect humans.

Bound To Shadows by Keri Arthur

This is the 8th book in the Riley Jenson Guardian series. Riley, part vampire and part werewolf is smart, sassy and tough. She is a guardian for the nonhuman population, which is like a police officer for humans. In this book, she has to hunt down a killer who is beheading their victims. She also has to deal with her werewolf soulmate, Kye, who Riley hates plus keep her jealous vampire boyfriend happy. This book definitely has a twist at the end that was totally unexpected. So, if you like a paranormal romance that is suspenseful, who-done-it kind of book which includes some hot and spicy encounters, give Keri Arthur's Guardian series a try.

Something whimsical

Looking for something fun to read? Try Shanna Swedson's series: Enchanted Inc, Once Upon Stilettos, Damsel Under Stress and Don't Hex With Texas

These three titles feature Katie Chandler, a small town girl from Texas now living in New York. Katie was warned that strange people live in New York City but she seems to run into the strangest, like a flying gargoyle, mischievous fairies and a very powerful bad wizard. The weird thing is no one else seems to give these people a second glance. That's when Katie finds out she have a very powerful gift, the ability to see through the disguises the magic world wears to blend in and appear normal to humans.

When Katie accepts a job working for MSI Inc. life as she knows it will never be the same. These easy to read books are a little bit fantasy, a little bit romance and a whole lot of fun!

Let me know how you enjoy them!

Mary S.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I really must thank the "Bookies" book club for selecting this book to read for the April discussion - otherwise I might never have read it. I had read the reviews, knew it was a popular choice for readers of all types, but the description just did not do it for me. Once I started, however, I was hooked.

Told from the perspectives of three different women, The Help takes place in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960's, when the winds of change are just beginning to blow and civil rights are moving to the forefront of the American conscience. Aibileen is an older, wiser black woman who has spent her life raising her employer's white children. She is strong, faithful and intelligent. Her best friend is Minny, younger, spirited, and has a reputation for being mouthy and difficult (among her white employers.) Skeeter is a member of the white gentry, who grew up on a cotton plantation and was raised by her mother's black servant, Constantine, and whose friends are now hiring "help" of their own. The three women take turns narrating the story, as they become tied together in a manner that none of them could have anticipated.

A few readers I know had a difficult time getting into the story; once they made it through the first few chapters, they were invested. This is a powerful story of love, courage, empowerment, sisterhood and survival. This is a great read for a book club or just for your own enjoyment. It is hard to believe that this is Kathryn Stockett's first novel - I cannot wait for her next offering!

Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I first heard of this book while listening to a speaker talk about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois and my first thought was that sounds ridiculous! The author, Seth Grahame-Smith, claims that the idea came to him while he was in a bookstore, looking around at what people were reading. He noticed a display on Lincoln, and another on the Twilight series and the idea just clicked. He said it was his "chocolate and peanut butter" moment.

I have to admit I was skeptical when I first picked up the book. I've only read one other book that he had written, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and thought it was okay but not that great. I've enjoyed reading some of the vampire series that are available and I love historical fiction, so I thought I'd at least take this one home and look at it! I was really surprised that I really enjoyed this book! Grahame-Smith takes the things we know about Lincoln's life and introduces vampires in a totally believable way... if you believe in vampires that is! His stories and the use of photos in the book made me run to my computer and check to see what actually happened. I would recommend this book to any reader who likes to read horror and/or historical fiction.