Souhegan Reads!Summer Reading, 2014

• To sign up for a Summer Reading book talk to your English teacher!

• Check out the summer reading books on display in the Info Center!

• For more information about the books, scan this code:

Fiction; Young Adult

Four waves of an unspoken horror after an alien invasion have left Cassie running from anyone and everyone. To trust is to die, until Cassie meets Evan Walker. On the dawn of the fifth wave, Evan might be the only person who can save her brother. But decisions must be made, and Cassie won’t know if Evan can be trusted until it’s too late.

(aliens, survival, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, dystopia, horror)

Fiction; Young Adult

(survival, kidnapping, war, love, abuse, outcasts)

It’s been four years since Judith and her best friend vanished, and two years since Judith returned; severely mutilated, with the state of her purity hanging in the wind. Ostracized by her friends and family, Judith turns to her writing and her childhood friend, Lucas, with whom she is deeply in love. Muted, Judith must endure an attack on her town, and a decision that will once again change her life forever. Written in lyrical prose, this novel’s mysteries don’t unravel until the very last page.

Brutally honest and intensely intriguing, this classic memoir describes the beliefs and experiences of Malcolm X. From racial prejudice to self-respect, Malcolm X details his philosophy on the reasons behind African Americans’ past, present, and future positions in society. Outlining his own spiritual awakening and activist journey, Malcolm X crafts a memorable piece focused, above all else, on freedom.

Nonfiction;Adult/Young Adult

(civil rights, memoir, race, politics, American history)

This is the true story of the University of Washington’s eight-oar rowing team and their journey to Olympic gold in Berlin, 1936. Overcoming the obstacles of being working-class Americans in the midst of the Great Depression, the crew found their way to Hitler’s Olympics in 1936, where they defeated team after team. An inspirational story of grit and determination, this story describes the losses and victories of a resilient group of American heroes!

Nonfiction; Adult

(rowing, Olympics, sports, history, Great Depression)

Fiction; Adult/Young Adult

(adventure, classics, dogs, Alaska, wolves, survival)

Follow Buck, a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie dog, as he gets moved from owner to owner in California and up to Alaska during the gold rush. The variety of owners finds Buck experiencing the many lifestyles a domesticated dog can live, including that of a sled dog. A 1903 classic, this novel shows a life of companionship, survival, and a journey through the wilderness.

Thousands of computer programs are benign systems designed to make technology run smoother, and humans’ lives easier. Renowned computer game designer Matthew Sobol knows better than anyone the power these silent servants possess. Unfortunately for the world, Sobol’s death brings about more than a lack of new computer games: it unleashes a daemon, a computer program that has the power to devastate society. This futuristic and technology centered novel will generate more questions than it answers, including whether or not the daemon is responsible for the murders cropping up after Sobol’s death.

Fiction; Adult

(thriller, science fiction, technology, cybercrime, hacking)

Uncontrollable power is more than Ruby asked for on her tenth birthday. Sent to the ruthless government camp, Thurmond, Ruby spends the next six years imprisoned, sheltered, and restricted from knowledge of the outside. Ruby manages to escape the camp only to find that the safe haven at East River for other kids like her is nothing like she expected. Romance with Liam, a leader at East River, might be the only thing to keep Ruby sane as her abilities are put to the test.

Fiction; Young Adult

(dystopia, paranormal, science fiction, horror, special powers)

The National Guard serving as crowd-control in Boise, Idaho, is a routine mission for Danny. His gun misfiring and sparking the second American Civil War is not. Layered with political questions and provocative plot, this action-packed story will describe what happens when the States are no longer United.

Fiction; Young Adult

(National Guard, civil war, suspense, Idaho, military)

Fiction; Young Adult

(boarding school, espionage, Victorian England, spies)

Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality sure sounds like the haughty finishing school it’s advertised to be. But Sophronia learns soon enough that this all-girls school has a curriculum equally divided between fine arts and spy warfare. Who knows what techniques Sophronia and her friends will need in their first year attending Mademoiselle Geraldine’s!

Simon Snow might be a book series, but to shy, college freshman Cath, it’s a life-style. Devoted fan and popular fan-fiction writer, Cath, must navigate her first college party, first year away from home, and first love with only the comfort of her fan-fiction to keep her going. A heartwarming, contemporary, “breaking out” story of how to love & leave favorite characters behind.

Fiction; Young Adult

(college, fan fiction, romance, sisters, writing)

Most people wish they were “graced- gifted” with an extreme skill. Katsa just wishes her grace could be a little more pleasant than what it is: the ability to kill. Niece to the king, Katsa is forced into crimes she does not want to commit, and Prince Po is the one person that Katsa hopes her terrible secret won’t affect.

Fiction; Young Adult

(fantasy, adventure, romance, magic, survival)

Fiction; Young Adult

(fantasy, horror, ghosts, murder, orphans)

When Nobody Owens’ family is murdered, what better place to find a home than a graveyard? Raised by ghosts and protected by the supernatural, Bod has grown up a normal boy with a few abnormal acquaintances. Dangers and adventures follow him always, but leaving the graveyard also means that Jack – his family’s killer – can follow him as well. Thrilling and mysterious, this story brings out the best in one of our most beloved writers of magical fantasy fiction!

Fiction; Adult

(assassins, conspiracy, CIA, thriller, espionage)

The two most well-respected assassins in the United States are Will Robie and Jessica Reel. Equally calculated and equally dangerous, they have been killing nasty terrorists and enemies for the government for years. But when Reel goes rogue, Robie’s one mission is to bring in Reel, dead or alive. Will Reel’s reasoning for her betrayal lead Robie astray?

Fiction; Adult/Young Adult

(romance, self-discovery, abuse, secrets, flashbacks)

What happens when the truth is even more hopeless than the lies? Dean Holder is as much of a mystery to Sky as she is to him. Both undeniably captivated by each other, Dean and Sky slowly spiral deeper into a relationship where emotions are intense, romantic chemistry is high, and memories are painful. This novel questions if ignorance – especially of first love – truly is bliss.

Nonfiction; Adult

(kidnapping, journalists, Somalia, terrorism, memoir)

Fulfilling her childhood dreams of escaping a violent home-life, Amanda Lindhout finds herself backpacking across Latin America, Laos, India, Syria, and Sudan. Exploring exotic places and enduring war-stricken countries like Afghanistan, Lindhout travels to even more extreme places like Somalia. It is in Somalia that Lindhout is kidnapped and held captive for 460 days. In a harrowing true tale of adversity, survival, and hope, Lindhout describes her journey to freedom.

Nonfiction; Adult/Young Adult

(skateboarding, sports, subculture, athletes, memoir)

This is the fascinating history of skateboarding and its founders. Contrasting its individual and community attributes, as well as its “outlaw” reputation and large-company support, this story highlights the rises and falls within skateboarding. Fans of history and skateboarding alike will enjoy hearing about the remarkable innovations of Rodney Mullen and Ryan Sheckler.

Fiction; Young Adult

(gaming, virtual reality, science fiction, warfare, dystopia)

In the midst of World War III, fourteen-year-old Tom Raines doesn’t know if he’s the hero for the occasion. With the Earth’s natural resources draining and the solar system’s assets at risk, Tom is given a spot in the coveted, military training program at the Pentagonal Spire. For video-gamer Tom, life at the Spire is full of new friends, new spying techniques, and a potential girlfriend. But what will it cost him?

Fiction; Adult

(slavery, abolitionists, women’s rights, Quakers, historical fiction)

Hetty "Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Intertwined more than they know, Handful and Sarah learn how they’re more similar than different, eventually taking their place as abolitionists and feminists. Taking a deeper look into the life of historical figure Sarah Grimke, Kidd provides a deeper understanding of wealth, freedom, and life.

Fiction; Young Adult

(college, travel, romance, Shakespeare, Paris)

A lot can happen in just one day. When Allyson “LuLu” Healey – an American teen on vacation in Europe – attends an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, she and a handsome Dutch actor recognize an intense spark, and travel to Paris for just one day. But can their connection survive the next year, when the expectations forgotten on their one day spent together come rushing back in?

Fiction; Adult

(crime, mystery, kidnapping, Denmark, police, cold cases)

Carl Mørck was one of Copenhagen’s finest detectives. But when a hail of bullets destroys the lives of two fellow officers, Carl blames himself. Unsure he’ll ever work again, Carl is surprised to discover he’s been “promoted” to Department Q. The city needs someone to crack some of their coldest cases, and Carl is assigned to the job. Can a promising politician still be alive, five years after her abduction? Carl and his quirky side-kick are about to find out! An international best-seller reminiscent of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, this novel ties in humor, dark events, and one genius detective!

Fiction; Adult

(Civil War, Battle of Gettysburg, military, Pulitzer Prize, history)

Four days amid the American Civil War is not nearly enough time to express the determination and loss of both the North and the South. But Shaara comes close. With dramatic battles and vivid memories, this Pultizer Prize-winning novel encompasses the lives of soldiers fighting for different causes in our nation’s bloodiest war.

Fiction; Young Adult

(football, sports, individuality, acceptance, coming of age)

Meet Hampton, linebacker and star of the Kennisaw Knights in Oklahoma. This small town football team has big-game magic – the Knights have been undefeated for four straight seasons. While pressure to win is nothing new to Hampton, new pressures during the fifth season start to distract him from the game he loves. From dealing with his mom’s boyfriend, to struggling with a teammate and best friend who is taking the game too far, Hampton fights for his legacy on and off the field.

Fiction; Adult

(disability, quadriplegic, romance, England, assisted suicide)

Lou Clark is comfortable just where she is. In her twenties and working at the small tea shop in a British village, Lou has no desire to fulfill the big plans her parents have for her. When the tea shop goes out of business, Lou figures that taking care of an old man in a wheelchair will be another comfortable – or at least easy – job to take. No one informed her that Will Traynor is actually in his thirties, paralyzed from the waist down, and suicidal. A captivating story of love and motivation, this novel transforms the meaning of living.

Fiction; Young Adult

(study abroad, romance, London, field trip, Shakespeare)

Rule-abiding, straight-A junior Julia is not supposed to be paired with dare-devil jokester, Jason, on the school trip to London. She is not supposed to enjoy a wild party that ends in texts from a secret admirer. And she is not supposed to grow closer to Josh on their whirlwind trip to discover the admirer’s identity. But does Julia really know what is meant to be?

Fiction; Adult

(fantasy, magic, epic, adventure, intrigue)

With most fantastical monarchies, the young hero organizes a rebellion that causes the empire to fall. The Lord Ruler’s empire is not one of them. A thousand years of this oppression and the people are itching for salvation. Can one brilliant criminal – a street urchin and unlikely heroine with the power of a Mistborn – save them all?

Nonfiction; Adult

(Alaska, pioneers, nature, wilderness survival, Kodiak Island)

Drawing from actual journal entries and first-hand knowledge, Sam Keith tells the story of how Richard Proenneke came to live off the Alaskan land. A combination of daily chores, survival tactics, and pure outdoors, this true story explains the harmony that can be achieved between man and nature. Join Proenneke’s transformation into a self-sufficient craftsman with the beautiful Alaskan wilderness as his only company.

Nonfiction; Adult/Young Adult

(college, writing, posthumous, aspirations, making a difference)

Marina Keegan had just graduated magna cum laude from Yale in 2012, and was headed to a job at the New Yorker, when she died tragically in a car accident on Cape Cod. Her life may have ended too short, but her intellect and beliefs are preserved in this posthumous collection of essays and stories. Including her Yale commencement speech, The Last Lecture, Marina’s words remind us of life’s opportunities, and the potential in all of us to make a difference in the world.

Nonfiction; Adult/Young Adult

(refugees, soccer, Georgia, survival, inspiration)

A soccer team gains a global perspective when its small town becomes a refugee settlement. In the 1990’s, Clarkston, Georgia, started to take in war refugees from Iraq, Liberia, Sudan, and beyond. To keep children off the street, a soccer team was formed, bringing friendly competition, success, and hope into the lives of the “Fugees.” An uplifting true tale of humanity’s goodness, this story shows the world how multiple cultures can live in harmony. Available in both Adult and *YA versions – choose either one!

Fiction; Adult

(thriller, bio-terrorism, zombies, military, horror)

Special agent Joe Ledger has plenty of skills – and now, with zombies on the loose, he has plenty of enemies. Recruited to the Department of Military Sciences (DMS), Ledger and his team must figure out how to stop a bio-weapon that is turning innocent people into zombies. Terrorists are abundant and answers are insufficient; can Ledger stop the disease before it infects the world?

Fiction; Adult

(romance, England, 19th century, classic literature, social class)

Peer pressure is a powerful thing. Eight years previously, Anne Elliot broke off her engagement with the humble naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, because of a friend’s comments. Regret follows Anne as her family’s wealth declines, and Wentworth’s sister living on the Elliot estate is a constant reminder of her mistakes. Will the return of a now rich and successful Frederick Wentworth reignite what once was lost?

Fiction; Young Adult

(dystopia, suicide, brainwashing, suspense, mental illness)

In Sloane’s world, teen suicide is the problem, and the Program is the solution. Already grieving over her brother’s suicide, Sloane must do everything she can to keep her boyfriend and herself out of the Program. A struggle of loss, this novel challenges society when the characters wonder if it really is better to forget.

Fiction; Adult

(bullying, private school, suicide, mystery, mothers & daughters)

A call regarding her daughter, Amelia’s, alleged cheating is shocking enough for Kate Baron; but then a call about Amelia’s suicide? Grief, confusion, and a mysterious note lead Kate to believe that there is more to Amelia’s death than what the police and ritzy private school are telling her. Digging to the bottom of Amelia’s case will release painful information on her daughter’s bullies and friends. But she needs to know; was it suicide, or something more sinister?

Fiction; Adult/Young Adult

(Mars, social class, dystopia, science fiction, colonization)

Darrow thinks “Helldiver” is a suitable term for him and his people, the workers that mine underneath Mars’ surface. They’re working for a greater cause, says the government; their hard work will pay off when Mars’ surface can become habitable for the humans still living on a fragile Earth. But then Darrow learns the government is lying – that people called the Golds are already living on the lush surface of Mars, and are allowing the Helldivers to suffer as slaves. The rebellion is swelling to a crescendo when Darrow joins in, and who knows the price they will pay for their freedom!

Fiction; Young Adult

(Little Red Riding Hood, cyborgs, science fiction, Lunar Chronicles #2)

In this futuristic, action-packed sequel to Cinder, Marissa Meyer will draw in her audience once again with new characters that have the power to save the world. Meet Scarlet, a French girl living in the country-side with her grandmother, whose life takes a turn for the worse when her grandmother goes missing. Encountering the street fighter, Wolf, Scarlet finds that their chemistry might be able to bring her grandmother home. Of course, this plan becomes even more complicated when she learns her connection to the world’s most wanted fugitive, cyborg Lin Cinder. New characters, new places, and a new plan will bring Cinder and her team closer to defeating Lunar Queen Levana, and saving Prince Kai!

Fiction; Adult

(Alaska, homesteading, magical realism, family, Pulitzer Prize nominee)

Childless couple Jack and Mabel are feeling much like the Alaskan landscape in which they’re living: cold, lonely, and empty. In the winter of 1920, they build a child out of snow, and for one afternoon they are lightened by the hope of first snow. But the next morning, their snow child is gone; and blonde-haired Faina appears running in the woods. The little girl and her hunting fox seem to be self-sufficient in the Alaskan wilderness, but Jack and Mabel take her in as their own daughter. Now only the discovery of Faina’s secret can change the family brought together by snow and destiny.

Fiction; Young Adult

(dystopia, science fiction, superpowers, assassins)

In this dystopian world, superheroes are real; they are also violent dictators ruling over the ordinary human population. The Epics and their invincible leader, Steelheart, have only a shadow group of ordinary humans called the Reckoners to stop them. And once David – with a thirst for revenge – joins the Reckoners, there is little that will stop them from putting the Epics back in their place.

Fiction; Adult

(existentialism, modernism, German literature, philosophy, classics)

Originally published in 1929, this novel’s wisdom translates even in today’s ever-changing world. Harry Haller is an intellectual who has lost meaning in his life. Happening upon a pamphlet titled “Treatise on the Steppenwolf,” Harry finds his struggle between rational man and animalistic wolf expressed in one publication. Meeting Hermine changes his life even more, when the carefree and elusive woman takes him to places in the city he never would have sought out – least of all, The Magic Theater – which will transform his life forever.

Nonfiction; Adult

(Boston Marathon bombing, memoir, terrorism, survival, resilience)

Follow the recovery of the man who became the face of the Boston Marathon Bombing victims. Photographed being wheeled to an ambulance moments after the first blast on April 15th, 2013, Jeff Bauman woke up the next day with no legs and no idea why anyone would target his city. His memory of the bomber’s face and the blasts themselves would become crucial in the FBI’s search for the terrorists. One year later, through love, hope, and determination, Bauman is walking again, and in this memoir shows the world what “Boston Strong” really means!

Fiction; Young Adult

(summer, romance, movie stars, Maine, small town)

When teenage actor, Graham, sends an email regarding his pet pig to the wrong person, he does not expect anyone to reply – least of all a girl named Ellie, who has no clue of his fame. As the emails continue and their last names remain unknown, Ellie and Graham begin to fall for each other; if only they recognized each other when Graham’s next movie is shot in Ellie’s town! A witty read, this book will question whether destiny can work her magic in a coastal Maine town.

Fiction; Young Adult

(coming out, LGBTQ, family, relationships, Nat’l Book Award nominee)

The world record for longest kiss is thirty-two hours, and it is held by two, seventeen-year-old ex-boyfriends. In a beautiful tribute to past, present, and future LGBT teens, David Levithan writes of the excruciating and elated hours when Harry and Craig become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with long-term relationships, coming out, and navigating gender identity.

Fiction; Young Adult

(friendship, racism, family problems, summer, suspense)

Even beautiful Beechwood Island cannot disguise the ugly fight for the Sinclair fortune. Each summer the wealthy, seemingly perfect, Sinclair family meets on their private island. But prejudice, greed, and shifting favoritism among the three adult sisters chafes against the camaraderie and worldview of the teenage cousins and their dear friend, Gat. The lazy days of sticky lemonades on the roof and marathon Scrabble games ultimately give way to twisty suspense, true love, and good intentions gone horribly wrong.

Fiction; Young Adult

(boarding school, bullying, coming of age, rugby, friendship)

Ryan Dean West is an unusually bright fourteen-year-old junior attending a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy. Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this novel shares one teen’s experiences with life’s unpredictable curveballs.