The City of Night (Frankenstein, Book Two)

Author: Dean Koontz

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: The manufactured young man who went AWOL from Victor Helios-ne-Frankenstein's labs in Prodigal Son turns out to be not the only improved Frankenstein monster who is behaving strangely. Some of his "normal" fellows are mutating, none more spectacularly than Victor's body guard. Thus begins the second part of the Frankenstein series. Deucalion, the original monster, now greatly humanized realizes that the mutations portend a much larger wave of breakdowns among the so-called New Race. That bodes very ill for a New Orleans heavily salted with Victor's creations, all of them programmed to kill mere humans at Victor's command, which the mutants no longer obey. Meanwhile, NOPD detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison prepare to hunt Victor down, even as a couple of hit-person New Racers tracks them. And then there is Erica Five, Victor's brand-new "wife," learning to be a better spouse by exploring hubby's house and discovering a mysterious entity housed in a sealed clear container behind a hidden door. Look for part three early next year.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and adult

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Whiteout

Author: Ken Follett

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: A bio-thriller which takes place over a wintry Christmas holiday in northern Scotland. Toni Gallo is the driven head of security for Oxenford Medical, a research facility working on a cure for Madoba-2, an especially virulent strain of Ebola. It is not until midnight on Christmas Eve that the plot kicks into high gear, as a band of desperate, violent thieves, led by Oxenford's wastrel son, Kit, lay siege to the well-defended facility in the midst of a terrible blizzard. Predictably, things go suddenly, frightfully wrong. A thriller, family drama and love story all rolled into one novel. This English novel will appeal to mature readers who enjoy suspense.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and adult

Rating: 3

This book is available in the AHS library

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Author: Mitch Album

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jess Moots

Department/Position: Business Department/FBLA Advisor
Summary: The Five People You Meet In Heaven is from the author of Tuesdays with Morrie. It is about an amusement park mechanic who dies trying to save the life of a little girl. The book begins by discussing the last hour of Eddie's life on earth. After his death, Eddie is greeted by five people who throughout his lifetime he has somehow affected. The five people he meets explain to him the meaning of life. A very thought provoking book and a quick read.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up.

Rating: 4


This book is available in the AHS library.

Gandhi; His Life and Message for the World

Author: Louis Fischer

Category: Non-Fiction

Reviewer: Roger Hess

Department/Position: Social Studies

Summary: By the end of sophomore year, most AHS students have seen Richard Attenborough's movie on Mohandas Gandhi's life and his role in India's movement to gain independence from Britain. This book provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about both Gandhi and India, and is necessarily more accurate than the movie. Part of the enjoyment from this biography comes from the comparisons one can make with scenes in the movie, many of which prove to be startlingly accurate. One also comes away with a good sense of what was left out of the movie or altered. Beyond the movie, however, the book provides an in-depth look at Gandhi's beliefs and techniques, many of which seem to be ignored or misunderstood in today's violent world.

Recommended Audience: Anyone interested in 20th century history or Gandhi in particular.

Rating: 4

The Next Accident

Author: Lisa Gardner

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: Someone has set out to systematically murder FBI profiler Pierce Quincy's loved ones. The maniac has murdered Pierce's oldest daughter and ex-wife, setting Pierce up to take the fall for the death of his ex-wife. Now Kimberly, the younger daughter, and Rainne Conner, Quincy's new love, are being targeted to die next. The question is not why, since Quincy is an FBI profiler and has tracked down many killers, but who and will he and Rainne, ex-cop turned private investigator, be able to identify the killer before he succeeds in destroying Quincy's life.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Frankenstein: Prodigal Son

Author: Dean Koontz

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: Did Mary Shelley get it wrong? Did Frankenstein survive his monster's attack? So it would appear according to Dean Koontz. Victor Frankenstein is alive after 200 years and living in (pre-Katrina) New Orleans. He has assumed the name Victor Helios, a highly respected and wealthy entrepreneur, and has improved his skills at creating "human" life. He also has a plan for a new world where all humanity will be replaced by his New Human Race. The only "person" who may be able to stop him is Deucalion, Victor's first creation. With the help of two detectives, the race is on to stop the invasion and save the human race. (First installment)

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Bringing Out the Best in Others

Author:     Thomas K. Connellan PH. D.

Category:     Professional     

Reviewer:     Lindsey Frasier

Department/Position:     Marketing Instructor/DECA Advisor

Summary: An outstanding lesson for anyone!  This book discusses how people will perform better:  1.)  If the expectations are clear.  2.) If they are held responsible 3.)  If they are given feedback.  The book shows how and why this is so important.  The book touches on the Hawthorne effect (when we are watched we do better), it explain how to get the very best out of those you have contact with.  The points were relayed in a simplistic matter.  

Recommended Audience:     This book would be great for anyone who has to deal with others.  The three components are not limited to just an authority figure.  They can be key for peers and spouses.  Great for coaches, teachers, bosses, spouses, and leaders of all kinds!     

Rating:     5 (high)

Potter's Field

Author: Ellis Peters

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Amanda Crosby

Department/Position: Social Studies Teacher

Summary : This mystery novel is one in a long series of books set in and around an English Benedictine Abbey during the Middle Ages. Peters’ protagonist is Brother Cadfael, the monastery’s herbalist and resident detective. Cadfael’s duty in this story is to figure out who killed the woman whose body was accidentally discovered in a field donated to the monastery. Complicating the situation is the fact that the man who once lived on the donated property left his wife in order to take monastic vows at Cadfael’s abbey. Although Cadfael does not want to believe that a fellow monk could have committed murder, many clues point in that direction.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction because it provides the reader with an interesting look at medieval monastic life. For those accustomed to John Grisham and Dan Brown-style page-turners this book might seem rather slow-paced, but I think that nicely fits a novel set in 1143.

Recommended Audience: This book is recommended for high school and adult readers.

Rating: 3

Princess; a True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

Author: Jean Sasson

Category: Non Fiction

Reviewer: Krista Bretz

Department/Position: Math

Summary: This is an excellent true story. It is written by a ghost writer (Jean Sasson) for a female member of the Saudi royal family. She tells all the truths about what happens in this country as experienced by a female. It includes how sisters and brothers are treated differently, how woman must endure husbands with multiple wives, how the ability of women to educate themselves is mostly not permitted, and how men choose their wife. This is the first in a series of three books: Princess Sultana's Daughters and Princess Sultana's Circle. If you have ever wondered about how women are treated in other countries, this book really opens your eyes. It is a page turner that you cannot put down and will lead to many discussions on the treatment of women in other countries. It shocks you with some of its information. I caution you when you read this - many women over there do not realize all they are missing because that is all they have ever known. This book makes you extremely proud that you live in a country that allows so many options for women. If you like this book, I highly suggest the other two.

Recommended Audience: adult or mature teens - (reads at middle school level)

Rating:

This book is available at the AHS library.