Ashfall and Ashen Winter

We have both of these titles in the library. Ashfall starts with a massive volcanic eruption in the Yellowstone National Park in America. This created massive devastation and loss of life in several American states. Alex, the main protaganist, is separated from his family and sets off to find them amidst the chaos around him. Anarchy rules with corruption not far behind as the survivors attempt to stay alive in a totally altered world. This trilogy contains some fairly gruesome parts and is more suitable for seniors. What struck me most about these books is that living in a volcanic region as we do how would we behave in similar circumstances. I'm waiting for the final in the trilogy now.

Worm 

the following is from the 'about' page for the story Worm, a web serial that updates on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I felt the author himself  would be able to give you a better idea on what it is about that i could.  -Thomas

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An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local ‘cape’ scene’s politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons.

The story, titled Worm, takes the form of a web serial, posted in bite-sized reads in much the same way that authors such as Mark Twain would release their works one chapter at a time in the days before full-fledged novels.  Worm started in June 2011, updating twice a week.  It has (as of mid-May 2013) reached an excess of 1,150,000 words; roughly 9-20 typical novels in length.  The story updates on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with bonus chapters appearing on the occasional Thursday, as explained below.

The actual work is divided into a number of story arcs, each containing five to sixteen individual chapters.  Interludes (side stories) are inserted between each story arc to showcase events from different perspectives or provide some background information that the reader wouldn’t get from Taylor’s point of view.  Still more interludes continue to be released as bonus content when the audience reaches specific donation goals.

Readers should be cautioned that Worm is fairly dark as fiction goes, and it gets far darker as the story progresses.  Morality isn’t black and white, Taylor and her acquaintances aren’t invincible, the heroes aren’t winning the war between right and wrong, and superpowers haven’t necessarily affected society for the better.  Just the opposite on every count, really.  Even on a more fundamental level, Taylor’s day to day life is unhappy, with her clinging to the end of her rope from the story’s outset.  The denizens of the Wormverse (as readers have termed it) don’t pull punches, and I try to avoid doing so myself, as a writer.  There’s graphic language, descriptions of violence and sex does happen (albeit offscreen).  It would be easier to note the trigger warnings that don’t apply than all the ones that do.

All in all, this probably isn’t a story for the sensitive or the young.  I’d peg it with a PG-18 rating, but I think we all know that there’s kids who can handle that sort of thing and there’s adults who can’t.  Use your best judgement and ask in the comments below if you’re still unsure.

If I haven’t scared you off yet, you can begin reading Taylor’s story here at http://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/1-1/

Wildbow. 

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The Things We Did for Love

The things we did for love by Natasha Farrant
This romance is based on a true event. In June 1944 a contingent of German troops entered the little french village of Oradour-sur-Glane , not far from Limoges, and, for no apparent reason, massacred its inhabitants. This event is explored in the book where the village is renamed Samaroux but the dates and events echo historical fact. This is the love story of Luc, Arianne and Romy who must fight for what they believe in, and decide just how far they will go for love.

Blossoms and Shadows

If you enjoyed Lian Hearn's trilogy 'The Tales of the Otori' we have just received her latest book which is also set in Japan. Blossoms and Shadows follows Tsuru, the daughter of a village doctor, during a time of unrest in Japan. In 1857 Western influence is starting to spread in the country and many people react violently to this resenting the end of centuries of tradition. Tsuru longs to become a doctor, this has not been possible for a woman but will the changes brought from outside finally allow her to achieve this goal.

The Kid

The Kid is the sequel to Push that really popular book by the writer, Sapphire. Many of you have read Push and if you like gritty realism then I think you'll like this next offering by Sapphire. This book is for seniors only though as it can be pretty heavy going. Not for the faint hearted.

The Moorehawke Trilogy

This trilogy is set in a medieval fantasy world. It is fast paced with an edge. The main protagonists are Wynter, Razi and Christopher who have set themselves the seemingly impossible task of finding Prince Alberon in an attempt to bring stability to their kingdom. The series is full of intrigue, action and fascinating characters. Think Game of Thrones without the bad language and minus several hundred pages.

John Green's book signing marathon

John Green author of 'Looking for Alaska' and 'The fault in our stars' has posted this video showing all the copies of his book he has had to sign.
http://johngreenbooks.com/signing-madness/

On Two Feet and Wings

Imagine you're nine years old when you find yourself in a very dangerous foreign city alone!
This is what happens to Abbas and to make it more harrowing, it's a true story. Abbas Kazerooni the author of the book is an Iranian and the book is set during the Iran/Iraq war. Iran had lowered the age of conscription to ten and Abbas's birthday was coming up. His parents knew that if he went to war, he had little chance of returning alive, unable to leave the country themselves they sacrificed everything to ge Abbas out. His survival depended on his maturity, strength of character and wily ways.
A great story of danger, resourcefulness and overcoming adversity.