101 Foods That Could Save Your Life by David Grotto

If you are interested at all in nutrition, this is a great reference book. Grotto has listed 101 foods, alphabeticaly by name, and included a great deal of information about each: a history, information about where it is produced/grown, what is in it that is helpful to your health, how it can help your health, and a recipe or two. What I really like about the book in addition to its great information is the quality of its index (you can look up medical conditions you are interested in and find out what foods help) and the bibliography (Grotto has done his homework and extensively cites major medical research stuides to back up his claims). This is not quackery; it is good, scientifically grounded information that is fun to read and consult.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

This is a true story that reads like a murder mystery. The story is set in Savannah, Georgia in the 1980's and is populated with an eccentric bunch of characters including a social climbing housing developer, an inept DA, a haughty antiques dealer, a woman who practices voodoo, a black drag queen, and a young male prostitute who just wants a big headstone when he dies. The New York Times Book Review said this book was "elegant and wicked" and I utterly agree. I loved it!

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

This is the third book in the series started by The Thief and The Queen of Attolia. If you made it through the first two books you can expect the same graceful writing, attention-getting action, and intriguing plot twists. The only problem with this book? The fact that the fourth book isn't out yet!

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

OK, so I liked The Thief so much that I had to go on to the next book in the series. The Queen of Attolia is just as good as The Thief and will keep readers on theif toes. Enjoy!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

This is a great fantasy book with some marvelous plot twists and turns. I read it because one of our student's parents recommended it and we are thinking of having Megan Whalen Turner, the author, come visit our school. I was delighted with the book!

The main character of the novel is Gen and he is the thief mentioned in the title. Gen is a great thief, or so he says, to a lot of people. His bragging and foolhardiness lands him in the king of Sounis' prison where he is left to rot. Unexpectedly, he is freed by the king's magus in exchange for finding and stealing a magical, mythical stone from the gods. Is Gen just full of hot air, or are his skills as a thief as good as he says? Readers should expect action, intrigue, fun and an old fashioned good read.