Big Nate: In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce

As soon as our library got this book in, I had 2 or 3 kids reading it at one time. It is much like the concept of the Diary of the Wimpy Kid book, where illustrations help to tell the story. Nate creates many problems throughout a day at school and ends up with the record number of detentions. Yes, it was pretty humorous at times but is a much lower level reading than other books like it. It also appears as though it may have been a comic at a previous time.

The People of Sparks by Jeanne DePrau

My class just finished reading the sequel to The City of Ember, called the People of Sparks yesterday. Typical of a series, I felt like the first book was ten times better. This book picks up where we left off with the people of Ember leaving their underground world and searching for a new life. Lina and Doon lead the Emberites and find the town of Sparks. Naturally, when you bring two groups of people together there is going to be some disagreements. Food, shelter, and survival skills become a consistent battleground for these people and they quickly escalate into reaching the point of war. This book addresses how it is important to be nonviolent, and if someone does something bad to you you should strive to do good back to them. Otherwise, you end up where the characters in this book did. We are moving onto the third book in this series, which is actually the prequel, or the story before, the City of Ember.

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

The fifth book in Gerritsen's series touches on a very sensitive and hushed topic, trafficking of women and sexual slavery. Sadly enough, the US government officials take part in the acts against foreign women, lead to believe they were coming to the country for a better life. The novel goes back in forth between the past and present to tell the story of these women. At the very beginning of the book a corpse in Maura's morgue is actually alive! I think that is one of those things that would shock anyone, and everyones worst nightmare come true. After taking this woman to the hospital, she actually takes several people hostage, including Jane who is about to give birth to her first baby. There ensues a situation that is caused by government conspiracies that just couldn't possibly be true. Or can they? Jane, and baby Regina, barely escape their brutal murders, yet again. Rizzoli can't seem to catch a break with the murderers she tangos with... we will see what she gets herself into next!

Body Double by Tess Gerritsen

I'm a firm believer that the first book in a series is always going to be the best and most of the novels afterwards are a waste of time on the writers part. However, Body Double definitely reaches the same level as the Surgeon. Although this book was more focused on connecting cold cases than present murders it was constantly intriguing. When it appears as though Maura has been murdered, it is discovered that she in fact had an identical twin who was given to a different family during their adoptions. In the mix of finding the truth about Isles's birth family, Jane is carrying her first child and trying to solve a serial killing mystery involving the "harvesting" of babies and murders of their mothers. The two issues collide when Maura finds out the true identity of her schizophrenic mother who is serving life in prison for murder. The cycling pattern of murdered women proves to be a result of a twisted family business, which is finally ended by the most recently abducted housewife, Mattie.

The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen

Number three in Gerritsen's Rizzoli/Isles series... not as good as the first couple but still decent in the development of characters. Within this novel there is a web created between two brutally beaten nuns (one of which has recently had a baby), a corpse with leprosy, and a "massacre" in India. As if that's not enough action, add Maura's ex-husband, the humanitarian, and Jane finding out she's pregnant by Agent Dean from her love affair in the previous book. Yet again, one of the women is attacked by a major player in the murders and the novel winds up very quick towards the end of the book. On to the next one.... Body Double.

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

The Apprentice is the sequel to the last book I read, The Surgeon... and yes, it is just as good! While the Surgeon is behind bars a new serial killer, the Dominator comes out to play. He is notorious for committing murders involving couples by tying/duct taping down the husband to be a one man audience of what occurs to his wife. Then the husband is murdered with the coup de grace like the Surgeon used, while he keeps the dead wife as a play toy until decomposition makes it impossible to hide the body. Jane Rizzoli once again is trying to solve the murder, but is still facing the demons created by the attack the Surgeon made on her in the last novel. It only becomes worse when Hoyt, the Surgeon, manages to escape prison and joins the Dominator, creating ultimate terror through teamwork.Through a quick turn of events both murderers are caught, one being a little more lucky in his outcome than the other... well, kind of. These books are so fast pace that I just can't stop... and already have the next one on my Kindle. Can't wait to see what happens next!