Reviewed by Jordan Pomeroy

 

Standard book of pool and billiards is the clearest, and most comprehensive, most readable, and most accurate book ever published on the subject. It is the best instruction for beginners. The guide will help to improve your play and will extend the skill of even the expert. No other book offers such an abundance of information, so many illustrations, or logically organized text. The book is well designed for the readers use. The first half of the book is based on pool. It starts off discussing the fundamentals of the game such as the stance, stroke, and equipment. It then discusses relatively easy shots and then moving to ever-more-advanced ones. It includes full description of the rules and tactics for all the major pool games.  

 

 

Dragon Knights 4

Reviewed by Jordan Cross

 

In this story the famous dragon knights meet Bierrez the infamous demon after the princess Cesia. He searches after Cesia to keep her away from Nadil as well, but the dragon Empire thinks the other way around they think he is up to sending her to the dreaded Nadil.   ***** out of 5 stars

 

Reviewed by Lance Osborn

 

The book ESP for the Millions by Susy Smith involves stories and description of events and experiments conducted by mostly one man named Dr. Rhine. The book contains stories and testimonies from doctors and many other men of importance in the fields of siceortry and composition. One of the most well known experiments performed in this book involves the Zener cards which now are referred to today as ESP cards. These cards come in a pack of 25, have 5 different symbols and which they figured that by chance you could possibly get one out of 5 right. Anything more than the 5 correct would be proof of a degree of extrasensory perception.  Many view points of ESP are shared and will really make you wonder if ESP is a real thing or just luck. I would recommend this book just to get a different point of view on ESP.  *** out of 5

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Written by Drew Karpyshyn

 

Reviewed by Raymond Johnson

When you think Star Wars, you probably think of Jedi, the Force, epic space battles, blaster shootouts, and more.  But this book is focused more on the dark side of the Force.

Starting on the mining world of Apatros, Dessel, more often referred to as Des, has a hard life working off large debts owed to a corporation called ORO (Outer Rim Oreworks) by working in a cortosis mine, a near indestructible mineral that is very valuable to the Republic’s war effort against the Sith’s newly formed Brotherhood of Darkness. 

After being attacked in the mines, winning a large pot in a game of sabaac, and being ambushed again outside the pub by the losing players, Des is forced to leave the world of Apatros and the despised ORO, and join the Sith army as a foot soldier.

After rising through the ranks and saving his fellow platoon members on several occasions, he is singled out by a member

of the Brotherhood of Darkness and sent to the ancient Sith world of Korriban to be trained in the ways of the Sith.  Using cunning, treachery, deception, all the tools of the Dark side, he takes on a new name at the academy: Bane.  Taking his hate of his abusive father, his life on Apatros, the ORO, all his fears, and transforming them into rage and power, he climbs through the academy ranks.  The events that unfold are too numerous to detail in this review, but I will leave you with this, the motto, the mantra, of the Sith.

Peace is a lie.

There is only Passion.

Through Passion, I gain Strength.

Through Strength, I gain Power.

Through Power, I gain Victory.

Through Victory, my chains are broken.

 

Look for the meaning behind these words, truly understand them, and your potential is limitless.

The Life Before Her Eyes

Laura Kasischk

Reviewed by Christina Stebens

Diana sees herself at 40 years old as happily married to a older philosophy professor, mother to a daughter named Emma, spending her days sketching in her studio. She lives in the town of her childhood, but under improved economic and social circumstances: her husband is celebrated in his field; her daughter attends a local private girls' school. The few troubles in Diana's almost-middle-aged life are the recent death of her cat Timmy, whom she acquired when she was a teenager, and a growing distractedness mingled with intense headaches.

The author gives readers a perfectly formed mature woman, right on the heels of a prologue in which teenaged girlfriends are confronted by an armed classmate who demands they tell him which of them he should kill. One girl directs the gunman to herself, while the other points him toward her friend. How would a girl live with that sort of guilt, the knowledge that her friend sacrificed her own life while the one who lived told the killer to take her friend's life rather than her own? But, it turns out, as the narrative weaves back and forth between the daily lives of the girls before the shooting and Diana's idyllic maturity, this isn't the drama of the story after all. The drama is even more intense than the half-life of a murdered friendship: Diana's maturity, the reader finally learns, is the flight of the teenager's imagination in the moment after she, too, is shot. "The life before her eyes" has flashed ahead as well as back.

High Powered Rifles and Handguns

Ryan Trackwell

 

This book is about guns. It talks about hunting rifles, military rifles, and police rifles. It also talks about revolvers, police pistols and military pistols. The book gives good information on types of ammunition the rifle uses its, capabilities and what it’s commonly used for. The rifle section contain information on such rifles as the M1, M14, and the Browning M.50 Cal. The book also has a bit of information on an anti tank rifle that is bigger than its user. For police use they describe an interesting rifle that is a rifle and a shotgun in one. Some of the revolvers in this book are .44, .357, and .45. There are also some interesting pistols in this book like colts, glocks, and desert eagles. This book is a good book if you’re interested in rifles and handguns or just want to learn about them this is defiantly your book. It’s a good guide if you information about a certain rifle or handgun like size of round, reloading mechanism, or to see what the inside of the gun looks like. So if you like guns you should get this book.

 

The Catcher in the Rye

By: J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye is an intriguing novel involving the life of a troubled boy named Holden Caufield. The book is written as though Holden is telling the reader his life story. The reader will be able to come to the sad conclusion that Holden is in a mental hospital or institution. He tells, detail by detail, the events which lead to his breakdown. Holden leads the reader through his trying and troubled teen-age years. One will begin to sympathize with him and end up feeling sorry for him since he has had such a difficult time with almost every situation. Having a pessimistic attitude toward life, he never learns how to enjoy life or absorb some of the good that life has to offer.

            The way that Salinger, chose to characterize Holden’s character so well, with such a realistic personality made the book a lot more realistic. Holden is a very opinionated person, butt very interesting as well. People enjoy books where realistic values and opinions are kept in mind.
            The Catcher in the Rye, in my opinion, is a book which can enable the reader to achieve a better understanding of our harsh society and what impact it can have on a teen-ager. This is an interesting, easy-to-follow novel and I recommend it as a book that teenagers can possibly relate to. Review by Jessica Mastrianni

 

John Marsden has gone to a lot of trouble showing what "Tomorrow, When the War Began" is about. This isn't a novel about a war, it is a novel about how eight very ordinary teenagers respond to a war brought to their homeland of Australia and their adventures in that time.  Reviewed by Dan Tanner  ****

Eleven on Top

Janet Evanovich

 Reviewed by Marsella Lavender

This novel is one of a series about a young woman, Stephanie Plum. Stephanie faces many obstacles with her job and other affairs in her life. Some of the not so every day obstacles she faces are such as car bombings and shootings.

In this novel Stephanie decides that her life and job are too dangerous and she wants to live a normal life. So she quits her job as a bounty hunter and goes on the search for normal.

Well no life for Stephanie is normal. As Stephanie searches for a normal quiet job she becomes the target of who she thinks is an old acquaintance holding a grudge. She looses three jobs and then goes to work for Rangeman, owned by Ranger which Stephanie once had a relationship. Which is a bounty hunting business but she is safer working on a computer.

****

 

 

Under The Blood-Red Sun

Reviewed by Jesse Schutter

 

Scott O’Dell and award winner Graham Salisbury wrote the novel Under The Blood Red Sun. This historical fiction is about a Japanese family who lives in Honolulu during World War II when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and the U.S. declares war on Japan.  All Japanese men are rounded up and arrested. The main character, Tomi’s father and grandfather, are arrested and Tomi and the rest of his family are living in awry.

          This novel was very good.  The stories introduction  gets you caught in the story and a climax that kept you wanting more. I would recommend this book to any one who likes a god storyline and suspense. This has been one of the best books I have ever read. ***** out of 5 stars.

 

Reviewed by Daniel Gillespie

 

Everyone has heard of Pinocchio. It is a timeless classic of a magical puppet who seeks out his destiny of becoming a real boy. Of course, he has no real sense of what is going on. He believes everyone he meets, which we all know will lead him into a lot of trouble. From here to there, Pinocchio slowly learns that there are people out there who care and there are those who do not care. As he travels the world, time passes and he meets a lot of new friends some are enemies in disguise and others are not.

 

Losing Forever

By Gayle Friesen

Reviewed by Carmen Howard

 

Holding on as tight as she can her normal life seems to be slipping out of her hands. Jes’s mother is getting married and is occupied with the wedding plans which make her feel emotional, lost, and irritated. She is soon to have a step-sister Angela who is tall, gorgeous, smart and devious. Angela seems to have a head on her but when the security gets involved Jes realizes people are not always who they seem to be. Just when Jes thinks she and Sam are friends, her feelings turn into jealously when Angela and Sam start dating. At the Corn Festival, in a maze contest Jes finds her best girlfriend’s boyfriend and Sam’s girlfriend Angela kissing. All she could do is run and hide but who does she tell? The lake is where she spends most of her time hiding her feelings and learning to deal with the changes that are happening in her life. One thing leads to another and at last she finally lets go. This is a story that is very strong, thoughtful, and gives you a true sense of emotion. * * * out of 5 stars

 

 

Stuck in Neutral

By Terry Trueman

reviewed by Brittany Howes

 

          The author Terry Trueman has written many poems and articles but Stuck in Neutral is his first book. This universal fiction story is told through the eyes of the main character who is a 14 year old boy named Shawn McDaniel. This compelling book tells of a boy who suffers from cerebral palsy which is a disorder in which Shawn can not control anything in his body. He is not able to control his eyes, walk, talk, or eat on his own. He is seen by many as a vegetable or retard because he can not communicate. What is revealed by Shawn telling the story in first person is that Shawn is really a genius and fully aware of everything that happens. The suspense in this story is how Shawn thinks his father may secretly be plotting to kill him, but why? To find out you should read this straightforward and interesting book for your self. * * * * out of 5 stars

Zach Yonkers

 

Weapon: A Visual History Of Arms And Armor

By Dorling Kindersley

Reviewed by Zach Yonkers

                                     

From Stone Age axes and hammers to U.S. Navy SEALs sniper rifles, this book has them all. This is an interesting book that has many graphic and exotic pictures that explain in detail about all the weapons in the book. Descriptions in the book include origin, or who used it, time period in which the weapon was used and the dimensions (weight, length, caliber, etc.). Besides all of the weapons, it also gives information on the various armor and tactics used at the time of each of the weapons. This book is a good cultural experience you will learn about the Mesopotamians Egyptians Assyrians Roman and many more cultures of the early ages.

 

Reviewed by Brett Joanette

 

This story starts out in a small village of hobbits called the Shire. There they are holding Bilbo Baggins 111th birthday. This is where he gives his heir, Frodo Baggins, his ring of power. Once Frodo learns of its power, he sets forth on a journey to destroy the ring with three of his hobbit friends. Along the way they have a counsel meeting at the great elf city of Rivendell where several more men join him in his quest to destroy the ring of power. As they go along they get spilt up and begin same journeys of their own where later will take place as epic battles. The story ends with them repelling an orc attack and the hobbits finding Smegal that becomes their guild to Mount Doom. The story was good, in depth and has a good original story line. The first book lacks some action which I thought should have.  *** out of 5 stars

 

Reviewed by Nichole Bradford

The book The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans is a book filled with love, mystery, suspense, and survival. This is a book about two best friends, Ed and Connor, who are both in love with a girl named Julia. Julia is in love with both of them, and neither of them knows it. Also neither does Ed and Connor know that they both love the same girl. This is a book with many different stories but it all comes together. If I would rate this book out of five stars I would give it five stars. I highly recommend this book to anybody and everybody.  It is like reading reality. My suggestion is go to the library, borrow this book and I can guarantee that you will not want to return it back.

 

Under the Wolf, Under the Dog

Adam Rapp

Reviewed by Jackie Klajda

 

UNDER THE WOLF, UNDER THE DOG is the emotion-filled story told to us by Steve Nugent, a lovable and confused sixteen-year-old. He is a gifted and talented student who is tall and skinny, tends toward the socially inept side of the scale, and who, when we meet him, has ended up in a facility after his mother dies from cancer and his big brother kills himself shortly thereafter. But above all, this is a terrifying and heartbreaking story about a sensitive kid with whom we can so easily identify, who's had so incredibly much to deal with.

Steve Nugent recounts the events that brought him to Burnstone Grove, a therapeutic facility for teens with substance abuse issues and/or suicidal tendencies. Intellectually bright, emotionally immature, and only moderately adept socially, Steve is coping with his mother's death, his older brother's suicide, his father's depression, and his own erratic behavior. Rapp creates a likable character leading an existence so grim that his crimes seem understandable.

***** out of 5 stars.    MAGNIFICENT!

 

The Vietnam War

Reviewed by Luke Fogarty

 

The Vietnam War was a good book if you like the informational kind of books. This book was not a story about the war like you might think. It is more of an informational book. It says this is what they did and this is when they did it. This book also describes weapons and technology that was used during the war. There were no characters in this book and not much excitement either. But if you were about to write a book on the Vietnam War, this would be the book to read. This book is also good if  you’re into wars and just want to learn more about them.  ** out of 5 stars

Freewill

By: Chad Tolin

 

The book Freewill is about a boy named Will that attends a special programs school. Will has voices in his head that tells him what he should do. People in his town think he is responsible for multiple suicides that have been occurring. I gave it a rating of 3 because it doesn’t have that much excitement in it. It is still a good book though. So if you like books with a lot of action, you shouldn’t read this book. Rating: *** out of 5 stars

                                  

The Green Mile

By: Stephen King

Reviewed by Kristen Kochick

                                                                                     

          The Green Mile is a very suspenseful story about life and working on death row. It also shows the relationships between the correctional officers and the prisoners. During the course of the novel, a specific inmate, John Coffey shows his innocence with a miraculous healing power that he has. He cured Paul, the main character of a urinary tract infection, saved a mouse from near death, and was smuggled out of prison to remove a brain tumor from a woman on her death bed using only his hands and mouth to heal with. At the end of the story, John uses his powers for evil instead of good, and uses the body of a correctional officer, a bad man named Percy, who later went to the mental institution, to shoot and kill the man really responsible for the death of the twin girls he was being held captive for. After all that, John Coffey is sent to death in the electric chair after all, and all of the officers who bonded with him personally, quit their jobs and moved on after his execution.

**** out of 5 stars

Day after Tomorrow Review

John Marsden

Reviewed by Patty

 

The Day after tomorrow was a suspenseful book.  Anyone who reads it will enjoy it very much.  There is a first book and this is the second book of the trilogy. There is a lot going on in the book with Ellie and her friends, as their county gets invaded. Everyday they fight to survive so there is a lot of interesting little pieces throughout the story. People who read this book will learn a lot from it.  Some of us may be able to relate to what the author is writing about. It is a good and interesting story for any age to read

 

The book called Beka Cooper is a really good book. I give it ****  out of 5 stars. It is about a girl who is joining the police of that time period. They were called Dogs. She finds out that there is someone hiring people, and then killing them. And then she finds out that someone else is calling themselves the Shadow snake and is killing little kids if he doesn’t get a ransom. All together, this book is a really good book.  Review by Alana Wiltshire

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