A Tree, A Book, and A Breeze

Nyxia Scott Reintgen Crown Books Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family. Forever. Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe. But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.      I was trying to remember the last time I read delved into the YA genre because it feels like it's been forev...

The Massacre of Mankind Stephen Baxter Crown A sequel to the H.G. Wells classic THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, brilliantly realized by award-winning SF author and Wells expert Stephen Baxter It has been 14 years since the Martians invaded England. The world has moved on, always watching the skies but content that we know how to defeat the Martian menace. Machinery looted from the abandoned capsules and war-machines has led to technological leaps forward. The Martians are vulnerable to earth germs. The Army is prepared. So when the signs of launches on Mars are seen, there seems little reason to worry. Unless you listen to one man, Walter Jenkins, the narrator of Wells' book. He is sure that the Martians have learned, adapted, understood their defeat. He is right. Thrust into the chaos of a new invasion, a journalist - sister-in-law to Walter Jenkins - must survive, escape and report on the war. The Massacre of Mankind has begun.      I'm always ...

Jefferson's America Julie M. Fenster Crown Publishing      Despite being a lifelong history lover, there are certain "blind spots" that I have--and Jefferson's administration is one of them. I never knew much beyond the Louisiana Purchase, and even that was just the basics (Lewis & Clark & Sacajawea - that's all, right?) For instance, I had no idea about the tensions with Spain, which played a HUGE part in the tale, and I certainly didn't know very much about all of the many other men who were exploring the continent around the same time. This book was informative, although I also found some of the information hard to grasp. Not so much that it was difficult to understand , but simply that it was written in such as manner as to be difficult to remember . However, I do believe that this problem lessened as the book went on. Still, having read several non-fiction history books within the last month, this one wasn't as pleasurable to read...

The Barefoot Queen Ildefonso Falcones Crown A historical epic full of bravery and romance that follows two women as they make a life for themselves in 18th-century Spain. It's January of 1748. Caridad is a recently freed Cuban slave wondering the streets of Seville. Her master is dead and she has nowhere to go. When her path crosses with Milagros Carmona's-a young, rebellious gypsy-the two women are instantly inseparable. Milagros introduces Caridad to the gypsy community, an exotic fringe society that will soon change her life forever. Over time they each fall in love with men who are fiercely loyal and ready to fight to the death for their rights as a free people. When all gypsies are declared outlaws by royal mandate, life in their community becomes perilous. They soon find themselves in Madrid-a city of passion and dancing, but also a treacherous one full of smugglers and thieves. Caridad and Milagros must help in the gypsy's struggle against society and its...