Charles and Emma

Charles and Emma;  The Darwins' Leap of Faith
By Deborah Heiligman

There were several moments during this book that I thought perhaps adults would like it more than kids would.  I picked up Charles and Emma mostly because I'm interested in science.  I enjoyed learning about Charles Darwin's family life and the origins of his Theory of Evolution.  Much of the story is told in the language of the times--the 1800's--through letters written by Charles and his wife (and first cousin!) Emma.  The love story is wonderful.  It's incredible that Charles and Emma had such a strong relationship despite their religious differences.
(ISBN:  0-8050-8721-4)

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay
By Suzanne Collins

I stayed up very, very late on many nights reading each of the three books in this trilogy.  And that's saying something, because I have a toddler who wakes me up every morning at 5 am.  I also missed my bus stop more than once because I was so engrossed in this story.
Suzanne Collins is a brilliant storyteller and writer. At times, the violence in her premise really sickened me: an arena-based "reality show," where children kill other children as the whole country watches. How much more horrible can you get than that?  But then the sweet love story, the strength and perseverance of the main character Katniss, the thread of friendship and loyalty, and the secret plotting of a revolution kept me reading.  The realistic and horrific combination of flair and grim dystopia is just fantastic.  This is a jarring, provocative and important story. It would be a great choice for a book club! I couldn't stop talking about The Hunger Games once I finished. I'm still talking about them.