When asked the formula for success for the rich and famous, most people will answer natural talent. But is this really true? In the book Outliers, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell answers this question and many others in an effort to find what makes people successful. Gladwell holds that an individual’s background, opportunities and surroundings create success much more reliably than intelligence. From the story of computer genius Bill Gates to the disproportionate success of Asians in math, to the secret advantage of the best hockey players, Outliers offers many surprising tales and examples to prove Gladwell’s theory. By placing success in a whole new perspective, Gladwell gives readers a better idea of how to plan for it, and creates a read that is both entertaining and useful.

5 Stars

Sanjay

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This sixth book in the popular fiction series opens as Angeline Fowl, Artemis’ mother contracts a deadly disease – one which Artemis presumes (from his contact with fairies) is a rare strain.  In his struggle, Artemis draws in characters from all of the other books – both fairies and human – to help cure his mother.  With plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes, Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox is a great read for young teen science fiction and fantasy lovers and a fitting end to the series.

4 stars

Sanjay

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Lovers of Funke’s previous two books in the trilogy – Inkheart and Inkspell – will not be disappointed by the newest addition.  Set in the fantastic Inkworld, the novel follows protagonist Meggie, a girl who has faced much in recent books, and Farid, the enigmatic character who literally came to life from a book of Arabian tales, as they set to bring back to life Dustfinger, the man who plays with fire.  Cornelia Funke’s storyline is wonderfully woven, and the setting is very creative.  Inkdeath is a fun read that appeals to the imagination of all readers.

4 stars

Sanjay

Paolo lives peacefully with his parents in a small hut where the land meets the sea in Southern Chile, until a stranger arrives and kills his parents.  On the run from the law, the killer, a man named Angel, decides to live in Paolo’s hut.  This is the stage for The Killers Tears, a poignant novel originally written in French.  Although the book’s storyline is bleak, the story is beautifully told, and is very dramatic.  This is a good read for teens; however it offers a less optimistic view of life than most books that teens are used to.

3.5 stars

Sanjay

Deborah Rodriguez definitely shows her intentions of describing daily life in Kabul, Afghanistan, after rule under the Taliban in Kabul Beauty School.  Rodriguez explains how she managed to help a fraction of the female society undergoing spousal abuse by starting a beauty school.  She starts out the story by describing a Muslim wedding she attended (the bride was one of her closest friends in Kabul.)  Throughout this intro to her autobiography-type book, she explains, detail by detail, the different cultural traditions of marriage in Islam.  She then immediately describes how she got to Kabul in the first place.  This book could perfectly inform any reader about the cultural differences in Afghanistan; however Rodriguez’s story-telling skills could use some improvement.  All in all, this is a very intriguing and moving story, showing how people are trying to improve the lives of women in Muslim countries.  It was an “easy read” with so much entertainment, and Rodriguez made you feel as if you were in Kabul with her because of her great use of imagery.  Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are curious about the reality of what’s happening in Afghanistan from an average American’s first-hand point of view.

3.5 stars

Kate

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After writing the highly acclaimed New York Times best seller The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini had some pretty big shoes to fill. A Thousand Splendid Suns not only met the expectations held by readers of The Kite Runner, but also surpassed them. Even though I nearly used up every single tissue box in the house, this book captivated me from start to finish. The story follows two generations of Afghani women who grow up in the backdrop of Afghanistan’s changing political climate. The first part of the novel follows the story of young Mariam, the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man, who yearns for her father’s love but is soon shunned by her father and her family. Mariam’s father, Jalil Khan, marries Mariam off to a shoemaker named Rasheed. The second part of the story follows Laila, the daughter of Mariam’s neighbor, who is hailed as one of the most beautiful girls in town. Laila’s life shatters when a rocket hits her home and kills both of her parents, Rasheed takes her into his family and Laila soon becomes Rasheed’s second wife. Although the two protagonists, Laila and Mariam, are at first hostile towards each other, they soon begin a journey of self-empowerment and discover the true meaning of love and friendship. This book instantly became one of my favorite books; Hosseini’s captivating plot and heartbreaking story certainly won me over.  I would definitely recommend this book to everyone; but be sure to keep a box of tissues on hand.

5 stars

Sneha 

Do you believe in vampires? Well neither did Lucy Hellenberg. Lucy’s the typical teenager, hating her unmanageable hair and flat chest, and being in an unhealthy relationship with a vampire…wait, that’s not normal! But things have hardly been normal for Lucy ever since her mother died and her genius father developed agoraphobia, staying in their house which, as Lucy would say, “looks like something out of The Munsters.” So, on her sixteenth birthday, when her father hands her her mother’s diary and tells her a family secret, that she is related to the Lucy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and is basically a vamp-magnet in a town full of vampires (including Dracula himself), she thinks he’s finally crossed the c-r-a-z-y line between genius and insanity. But as she reads the diary, she realizes just how not crazy this whole thing could be, and how in danger she is, along with every person who is near and dear to her…even her cat is in danger! So what can a girl with so much on her plate do? She’ll have to fight them, of course, and somehow find a way to kill Dracula, go to the homecoming dance, and keep the vampire boys from “necking”  her best friend, without becoming one of the walking dead as she tries. I guess the only question is, WHAT WILL SHE WEAR?!?

4 stars

Amanda