The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Originally published in two volumes, this memoir written in graphic format, chronicles Marjane Satrapi’s life as a child in Tehran, Iran during and after the Islamic revolution of 1979.  After the revolution, things changed dramatically for 10 year old Marjane.  Her school changed from a liberal co-ed school to an Islamic school that is segregated between girls and boys, and where the girls have to wear veils.  The first half of the book focuses on how Marjane and her family deal with the enormous changes in Iranian society as a result of the revolution.   In the second part of the book, teenage Marjane is sent to school in Europe and deals with the loneliness and isolation of being the one who is different from everyone else at her new school and in her new country.

This powerful story is written in an easy-to-follow comic strip format.  The simple line drawings add emotion and humor to an already poignant tale.  There is a lot of history contained within this memoir that will appeal to anyone interested in alternate viewpoints on the past and present situations in the Middle East.  Additionally, this is a coming of age story with universal themes of rebellion and the trials and joys of moving into adulthood.

Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Told through the eyes of bass player Sid Griffiths, this is the story of a group of jazz musicians caught up in events in Nazi Germany in 1939 and 1940.  The group consists of two African Americans (Sid and drummer Chip Jones), one Afro-German (trumpeter Hieronymus “Hiero” Falk) who is the star of the band, and three German musicians (including one who is Jewish).  In Germany in 1939 the jazz clubs have been shut down, so the band is passing the time drinking and playing music in an empty club when they are presented with an opportunity go play in France.  Eventually Sid, Chip, and Hiero make a harrowing escape to France, but soon find themselves back in a similar situation, full of fear and hiding from the Nazis, after Germany invades and occupies Paris.

Half-Blood Blues offers a unique perspective on WWII which will appeal to fans of historical fiction about this era.  Jazz fans will enjoy the insights into music at the time and the many references jazz legends.  This is also a story of friendship, jealousy, loss, and coming to terms with one’s past; themes that will resonate with a wide variety of readers.

Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

This is the eleventh book written in the Mitch Rapp spy-thriller series, but in the chronology of the series it is book number two; the second of the prequels that highlight Mitch’s early years as a CIA assassin.  Mitch, the rising young star in the CIA, resented by some, is sent on his first solo mission with no backup at all, when something goes wrong.  On his way out of a Paris hotel room, after taking out his target, he is attacked by a group of heavily armed men.  Mitch barely makes it out alive.  He knows he was set up and does not know who he can trust, so he takes it upon himself to find out who betrayed him.  When Mitch does not report back, the CIA is forced to send an extraction team to find him.  Unfortunately for Mitch, the man they sent has a personal vendetta against him.

This fast-paced thriller, full of action, political intrigue, and military jargon, will appeal to fans of classic thriller and espionage authors such as Robert Ludlum and John le Carré.

Ada's Rules: A Sexy Skinny Novel by Alice Randall

When Ada Howard receives the invitation to her 25 year college reunion and finds out that her old boyfriend Matt Mason is on the organizing committee, she decides that she is going to lose 100 pounds in the year leading up the reunion.  Each chapter of the book illustrates one of “Ada’s Rules:  Fifty-three Perfect Rules for an Imperfect but Excellent Health and Beauty Revival”.  Along the way we learn about Ada’s overly full days as a preacher’s wife, the director of day-care center, the caregiver to her elderly parents, and the mother of two grown daughters.  We also learn about her dissatisfaction with the current state of her marriage, the feeling that her husband might be cheating on her, and her own thoughts of having an affair.

This book can function as a diet book for anyone looking for inspiration to make some difficult changes in their life, such as Ada does and Alice Randall did while writing this book.  The book can also be enjoyed as a look into the life and relationships of a modern, African-American Women living in the South.

Blackout by Connie Willis

In Oxford, England, in the year 2060, historians are making preparations to travel back in time to study various points in history.   For unknown reasons, the time travel lab is changing around the historians’ schedules and cancelling some trips altogether.  Three historians eventually make it to England in 1939 to study the Battle of Britain and the London Blitz.  When they arrive, they have the feeling that something is not quite right.  They are not dropped exactly where they thought they would be, and some of the events are not unfolding exactly as they should.  When they are unable to locate the portals that will take them back to their own time, they realize that something has gone terribly wrong.  They don’t know if they have somehow altered history or if they will ever be able to get back home.

This science fiction novel is fairly light on the science, and at times reads more like historical fiction, with Willis’s lush descriptions of life in England during World War II.  Fans of time travel and/or alternate histories would be wise to check out this book.  Be forewarned that this is book one of a two part series, so you might want to have All Clear on hand when you finish this one.   

Horns by Joe Hill

When Ignatius Perrish wakes up after a night of hard drinking to find horns growing out of his head, he thinks he might be hallucinating.  Ig soon realizes that the horns are real, and after some very strange encounters with his girlfriend and a doctor, he discovers that they give him a strange new power that compels people to tell him their most depraved thoughts and ask him whether they should act on them.  He learns things about people close to him that upset him greatly and have him trying to figure out how to make it stop.  Soon Ig grows to like his new powers, and realizes that he could use them to find the person who raped and murdered his girlfriend one year earlier, a crime that most people, including his parents, think he committed even though he was never charged.

Most people would not consider this book to be very scary when compared with many horror novels, but a definite feeling of unease pervades throughout the book.  Readers of dark fantasy and those into dark psychological tales might enjoy this book.  

The Haunted by Bentley Little

The Perrys are disturbed by the decline of their neighborhood and the menacing teens that insist on skateboarding in their driveway.  It turns out that those issues are the least of their worries.  When they decide to move to a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood, their real troubles begin.  It starts with some unsettling dreams about a strange man in the basement, some objects mysteriously out of place, and then some creepy text messages from an unknown sender.  Pretty soon they all know that something is terribly wrong with their house and their neighborhood, but whatever is in the house has a hold on the family that is keeping them from discussing their suspicions with each other and making them slow to act.  Pretty soon it may be too late.

This creepy, slowly building ghost tale will make your hair stand up at times and may make you think twice about going down to the basement.  The violence is pretty tame by horror standards, but there are some sexual descriptions that could be disturbing to some.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (ebook)

In the year 2044 the US has been in steady decline for 30 years.  For many, the only escape from the drudgery of life is the virtual reality world called OASIS.  James Halliday, the multi billionaire creator of OASIS, passed away four years earlier and left his vast fortune to the first person who could find the Easter egg that he hid within the immense, galaxy-sized OASIS.  Wade Watts, who attends high school, and spends all of his free time, inside OASIS, is battling against an untold number of other egg hunters, as well as the evil IOI Corporation, to find the keys that will lead to the hidden egg.  The searchers look for clues in the movies, sitcoms, comic books, role playing games, rock music, and video games from the 80s that James Halliday loved. 

You don’t have to be a geek who grew up in the 80s to like this book, but it doesn’t hurt.  This book, written in a conversational style, will appeal to geeks and nerds of all ages, anyone interested in 80s pop culture, as well as fans of good old fashioned underdog vs. evil corporation/government tales.