The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

This is a young adult novel that was recommended to me by my 15-year-old son.  When I first started reading it, I was a little surprised by the writing which seemed less than stellar and somewhat trite.  But the story quickly had me paying no attention to the writing!  (Although I really do think it improved as it went along.)

The Rithmatist is the story of a young man, Joel, who attends a prestigious school in a fantasy steampunk world.  He received admission because his father was a chalk-maker at the school and his mother is a cleaning lady, so he struggles to fit in with the wealthy student body.  The elite class at the school are the rithmatists who train to keep the world save from wild "chalklings" with geometric drawings that come to life.  (It's definitely fantasy.)  Joel is a non-rithmatist student with a fascination for rithmatics and a natural talent in math and geometric drawings.

SPOILER ALERT It does have a positive ending (I'm not a fan of a book ending with the bad guys ahead, even when I know the good guys will prevail in a later book.), but it's clear the bad guys are still alive and well and even thriving.  So the second book needs to come out quickly;  I'm interested to see what will happen!

Like past Brandon Sanderson books, The Rithmatist is 100% clean and safe for all readers.

It is a quick easy read.  Young adult books are easier, but it also draws you in, so that makes it go fast as well.  It's easily worth the time.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

I haven't read a book by Ann Patchett before, but this one was good enough that I will make an effort to read another.

Bel Canto tells the story of a group of international businessman who are attending a birthday party in a poor war-torn country.  The party is invaded by a group of terrorists looking for the President.  Since the president isn't there, they take the party goers hostage.  The situation becomes a long-term deal.  The hostages and terrorists develop connections and a strange alternate reality.  (We all know about Stockholm syndrome, but the relationships in this story seem completely real.)  Of course, the book doesn't end happily, but that was easily predictable early on because how could that situation possibly end happily?

The best part of this book are the characters.  The title is named after an amazing opera singer who performed at the party.  The middle-aged businessman whose birthday it is and his translator are also prominent figures.  The terrorists include many young poor recruits from the jungle, including two girls.

This book includes a great deal of violence.  There is also some sex, including adultery, although that isn't descriptive and is just mentioned.  It isn't appropriate for young readers.

This book is a quick easy read and definitely worth the time.

Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

This is the last Artemis Fowl book my son owns, so I may not be reading anymore, although I kind of want to!  I'm considering checking the next one out from the library just to see what happens!  I'm guessing that tells you I enjoyed this book.

In this third installment of the Artemis Fowl series, Artemis has decided to use fairy technology to make one last fortune before he goes straight.  The fairy world is facing its own threat from some of their own in addition to being concerned about Artemis's use of fairy technology.  Some of them feel very adamantly that Artemis should have his memory wiped, so he no longer knows about them.

This is completely clean, although there are situations where a child (albeit a genius criminal mastermind child) is in danger.  Also, a character we know well almost dies.  It's easy to read and worth the time.

Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

This is the second in the Artemis Fowl series.  Artemis needs to save his father, but he can't do it without the help of the fairies.  His grand plan isn't so much a criminal one this time, and of course he has good intentions.  It's fun to see him growing up, although I'm sure younger readers don't/won't feel that way when they read it!  I enjoyed the first book more, at least partly because a criminal/hero/child was a fresh concept in a children's book for me.  The second book is after that plot device has already been established, and Artemis Fowl is less of a criminal as well, so those are both drawbacks for me in the entertainment area, even if I'm happier for Artemis Fowl to be less evil!

This is another appropriate book, although there is discussion of violence and harm to Artemis's father.  It is appropriate for all readers.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

This is another selection from the British list "The Big Read."  I knew it was about a boy genius who was a criminal mastermind, but I didn't realize it also involved the fairy realm.

Artemis Fowl needs to recoup his family fortunes.  The dastardly plan he creates is to kidnap a fairy to get fairy gold.  The fairy he kidnaps, unfortunately for him, is a member of the elite fairy police squad.  The best thing about these books for me is the characters.  They are well-developed, especially for a fantasy children's book.  Even every fairy has a unique personality.

This is a super easy read and gets over quickly.  It is also completely clean.  A child is put in a dangerous situation, but since he is a genius and seems mature, he doesn't actually seem like a child.  It is appropriate for young readers.  It is definitely worth the time.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

I never read this book as a child because I watched the PBS TV show and hated it.  I was not a fantasy fan.  With the books that are available for pre-teens today, that is almost an impossibility.  My oldest son loves fantasy and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so my exposure to the genre has been greatly increased and I no longer dislike it so much.  I still wouldn't have read this book, except it appears on the "Big Read."  It was really quite good, even if fantasy isn't your favorite.  It is also a super easy read.  I am a fast reader, but I finished it in about two hours.

This book tells the story of four siblings who are sent to the country during the London blitz to keep them safe.  They stay in a large house with the Professor.  While exploring the discover a spare room with a large wardrobe.  The youngest hides in the wardrobe and finds it to be the door to a magical land called Narnia.  The older kids eventually come with her, too, and they all have many adventures in Narnia.  There are magical creatures like fauns and centaurs as well as a great many talking animals.  Even the villain is part giantess.  It is definitely fantasy.

This book is safe for all readers.  There is violence, but it isn't gory, and those who are killed are all miraculously brought back to life.  It's very clean and even teaches without being preachy.  It is a quick read and easily worth the time.

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulk

When I started this book, I very quickly considered quitting.  The first "part" has a few descriptive sex scenes.  Since that isn't something I enjoy reading, I skipped them and wondered if I really wanted to finish the book.  I was sure, however, that it was supposed to be a book about World War I.  Since the war hadn't appeared, I persevered.  And I was rewarded when I reached part 2!  There were no more sex scenes in the book, and the war dominated the story.

Stephen Wraysford is a young man who visits France about ten years before the war to inspect factories.  He then returns to France during the war and is involved in a great deal of fighting at the front for many years.  There are also a couple brief parts in the book that deal with his descendant.  I have read war books before, but not very many dealing with the first world war.  I learned interesting things and realized what I knew more fully (like the miners who dug tunnels through the war to blow mines under the enemy and the huge loss of life due to poor information and decisions).  I felt much more of a connection to that time and a greater appreciation for the experience of the men who fought.

This is definitely not a book for young readers.  In addition to the earlier mentioned sex, the war scenes are very violent and gory.  (They are very realistic.)  It can also be a bit disgusting, since the conditions at the front are very unsanitary.  This book is worth the time, in spite of the first part, which I didn't enjoy.  Just man up and get past it, and the rest of the book is very enjoyable!