Being a librarian, I was asked recently by a relative to recommend a short list of entertaining books to read, excluding anything infected by my boring tastes. Well.. how do you like that? The nerve. After getting over the initial shock of the insult I got right to the matter at hand, as any librarian can’t resist a list of good books. Here is what I recommended, considering this person is young and wants to read significant contemporary books. “No arcane authors in Latin or boring history,” was my charge:
The Watchers, Dean Koontz: Supernatural thriller like only Koontz could write, involving genetic manipulation that creates two extraordinary animals. Frightening, but exciting, page-turner that may keep you awake.
The Life of Pi, by Yan Martel: Fable like story about the adventures of a 16 year-old son of a zookeeper who takes 227 day wild ride on a freighter packed with animals through shark infested waters. Fabulous tale of ritual and self discovery.
Fly On The Wall, E. Lockhart: Story about a teenager Gretchen Yee who becomes a “fly on the wall” in the boys locker room and learns a lot about boys and life. Belief must be suspended for this one, but a good read full of lessons.
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson: A spellbinding combination of murder, mystery, family saga, love, and financial intrigue. Themes include violence, capitalism, and responsibility.
Rule of Four, Ian Caldwell Well I couldn’t resist adding something with a touch of history. This is an intellectual thriller involving the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. What you say? It’s a rare manuscript. In the story it contains codes that lead to buried treasure.
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