By Gordon Korman

A modern retelling of The Great Gatsby

Jake moves to F. Scott Fitzgerald high school as a new member of the football team and the ultimate Friday night party host. The question becomes, is he really who he appears to be, and how does he fund these parties? This book gives you an inside look at the quest for popularity and status in the high school and what it can ultimately cost. The story is told by Rick who befriends Jake and wants to see only the good in him as things become more and more complicated as the truth is revealed.

By Joanne Harris

Long after World War II had its effects on the small French village where she grew up, Framboise returns to open a restaurant and live a quiet life. Secrets from her past life in the village when she was just a child in the village continue to haunt her and, in the end, she must come to grips with the true story of her past to continue to live in the village. The story is told in flashbacks and tells of the family’s connection to the German soldiers stationed in the village during the war. As a nine year old child, Framboise is a wonderful character filled with determination and dreams for her life. I found this one almost as gripping as Gentlemen and Players, the newest book by Joanne Harris. Both books are available in our library.

By Julian Barnes

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, becomes involved in a real-life crime when he meets George. The story traces the upbringing of the two main characters as they grow up in two very different worlds of experience. This is a detailed account rather than a fast-paced mystery, and well worth the time to read carefully. It could inspire you to pick up some of our books by Arthur Conan Doyle found in our library as well. This book was one of five books up for the Booker Prize in England and has just recently been published in the US.

The Amulet of Samarkind

The Golem’s Eye

Ptolemy’s Gate

Bartimaeus is not your typical genie! He is a djinni summoned by an apprentice magician to steal a very important artifact, the Amulet of Samarkind, from another magician. But Bartimaeus is not your typical servant either. He has a wicked sense of humor and a tongue to go with it. The first book is full of adventure, emotion and laugh-out-loud lines and I’m looking forward to reading the next two in the trilogy as soon as possible. All three books are available in the library.