Mr Ripley's Memorable Reading Moments 2010 ( U.S Published)

book cover of 

The Kings of Clonmel 

 (Ranger's Apprentice, book 8)

by

John Flanagan
Last year, putting together a list of some of my personal favourites was a very hard and tricky thing to do, so I never actually produced a year end post. However, this year I have made the decision to do one list for books published in the UK and another list for US published books. Both lists give a true reflection of the books that I really enjoyed and that I would recommend without a second thought. So, without further ado here is the U.S list - I hope one of the following books or all of them might take your interest.
                                         
John Flanagan - The Kings of Clonmel:Book Eight (Ranger's Apprentice) - Published by Philomel - May 2010

Mankind puts its faith in many things—gods, kings, money—anything for protection from the world's many dangers. When a cult springs up in neighboring Clonmel, promising to quell the recent attacks by lawless marauders, people flock from all over to offer gold in exchange for protection. But this particular group, with which Halt is all too familiar, has a less than charitable agenda. Secrets will be unveiled and battles fought to the death as Will and Horace help Halt in ridding the land of a dangerous enemy.
The worldwide phenomenon is back with a gripping new adventure. Yet for these Rangers, the peril is only beginning . . .

book cover of 

Ship Breaker 

by

Paolo Bacigalupi

Paolo Bacigalupi - Ship Breaker - Published by Little,Brown Books - May 2010 

In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota—and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life. . . .
In this powerful novel, award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi delivers a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set in a vivid and raw, uncertain future. See Book Review


book cover of 

The Gardener 

by

S A Bodeen

S.A. Bodeen - The Gardener - Published by Feiwel & Friends - May 2010
On a visit to the nursing home in which his mother works, Mason discovers that her job does not involve caring for the elderly patients as he imagined, but for several apparently catatonic teenagers. When his mother steps away, one of the teens awakens in response to a DVD that he puts on. She suffers from amnesia but somehow knows she must escape her current environment and begs Mason for his help. He suddenly finds himself on the run from TroDyn Industries, the scientific corporation that owns most of his town. It has been using the girl as part of some sort of research—but what kind? And might there be some link to the father Mason has never met? See Book Review


book cover of 

The Danger Box 

by

Blue Balliett

Blue Balliett - Danger Box - Published by Scholastic Press - Sept 2010

A boy in a small town who has a different way of seeing.
A mischievous girl who won't stay in one place.
A mysterious notebook .
A fire.
A stranger.
A death.
These are some of the things you'll find within The Danger Box, the new mystery from bestselling author Blue Balliett. See Book Review


Erin Bow - Plain Kate -  Published by Arthur A. Levine Books - Sept 2010

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver’s daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade” — a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.
For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate’s father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.
Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he’ll give Kate the means to escape the town that seems set to burn her, and what’s more, he’ll grant her heart’s wish. It’s a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes that she can’t live shadowless forever — and that Linay’s designs are darker than she ever dreamed. See Book Review
book cover of 

The Steps Across the Water 

by

Adam Gopnik
Adam Gopnik - The Steps Across the Water - Published by Hyperion -  Nov 2010
Ten-year-old Rose lives in New York, the city of bright lights and excitement, and a seemingly endless variety of people, architecture, and food—where extraordinary things happen every day on every block. But Rose wasn't born in New York; she was adopted as an infant from a far-away country. Though Rose loves her home and her adopted family, sometimes she can't help but feel different, like she's meant to be somewhere else.
Then one day in Central Park, Rose sees something truly extraordinary: a crystal staircase rising out of the lake, and two small figures climbing the shimmering steps before vanishing like a mirage. Only it's wasn't a mirage. Rose is being watched—recruited—by representatives of U Nork, a hidden city far more spectacular than its sister city New York. In U Nork, Dirigibles and zeppelins skirt dazzling skyscrapers that would dwarf the Crysler building. Impeccably dressed U Norkers glide along the sidewalks in roller skates. Rose can hardly take it all in.
Then she learns the most astonishing thing about U Nork. Its citizens are in danger, and they need Rose's help, and hers alone...
In a masterful new fantasy evocative of Alice in Wonderland, the brilliant novelist, essayist and critic, Adam Gopnik, explores the powerful themes of identity and the meaning of home, with stunning illustrations from Bruce McCall. See Book Review


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