Bryce knew his life was going to be over in the second grade when his parents dragged him to a new city, a new neighborhood, and, let's not forget, a new school. It all starts when Bryce Loski moves across the street from Julianna Baker. By then Bryce pretty much wants his life to be over. Julianna falls head over heels for Bryce. Now every opportunity Juli gets, she takes a peek at Bryce. Will this hate and love relationship go on FOREVER?

I think not. This classic will make you smile, laugh, and want to read more all at the same time! I recommend this book for middle school student girls and boys. Five stars with no hesitation.

"Outlander" is a historical fiction romance novel made interesting by time travel. The series begins in 1945 with Claire and her husband, Frank, on a second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands. Frank has just returned from seven years of service during World War II and has occupied his time with historical interests in the area. Claire, a British combat nurse, finds the Scottish flora and folklore more fascinating. During one of her botanical excursions, Claire falls through a crevice in a Stonehenge-type formation into a skirmish between the British and a Scottish clan in the year 1745. Her nursing skills keep her busy and bring about the acceptance of the "Sassenach" or "Outlander" into the fold of the Mackenzie clan. Her strength of character becomes evident as she contemplates her situation and plots a return to her own time. Her plans are delayed by humanitarian and political machinations of the period, and hindered by romantic considerations. Her passion for the gentle, but savage, Jamie forces Claire to reconsider life in this very difficult era. Claire finds her place in this time, but not without paying a heavy price. And here the adventure begins.... "Outlander" is an unexpectedly quick read with plenty of adventure, passion, savagery, history, and humor. And if you like this one, there are more. "Outlander" is the first of six in the Outlander series, followed by: "Dragonfly In Amber," "Voyager," "Drums of Autumn," "Fiery Cross," and the newest release, "Breath of Snow and Ashes."

British novelist Ian McEwan’s eighth novel, Atonement, explores the far-reaching consequences of two crimes, both committed on a summer evening in 1935 at the English country estate of the Tallis family. The eldest child, Leon, returns home for a weekend visit with college friend and ambitious businessman, Paul Marshall. Eagerly awaiting Leon’s visit are his two sisters, Cecilia and Briony and his frail mother. The first crime is an assault on a young girl, a visiting cousin, who with her young twin brothers, has been left with her aunt while her own parent’s marriage unravels. The second crime occurs when the youngest Tallis sister, thirteen-year-old Briony, falsely accuses a childhood friend who is the son of one of the family’s servants of committing the assault. The powerful story draws the reader in, revealing the events leading up to the terrible evening through the eyes of each character. The book then follows the Tallis sisters and Robbie Turner as they live out the consequences of that fateful evening and endure the war that has enveloped Britain. Cecilia, in love with Robbie and sure of his innocence, turns her back on her family. Robbie, after years in prison, enlists in the British Army and we find him France in the midst of the historic retreat to the village of Dunkirk in 1940. Eventually Briony too turns away from her family guilt ridden and determined to atone for her crime. This excellent novel has won several awards including the Critics Circle Award for 2002 and was chosen as an ALA Notable Book and one of Publishers Weekly Best of 2002.

Talk about change of pace! Patterson's latest novel is a departure from the thrillers he is known for, but his fans will be pleased to find fast-paced suspense in this love story. Katie Wilkinson is crazy about Matt Harrison, and she is surprised when, a year into their romance, he breaks it off. He leaves her with a diary to read, written by his first wife, Suzanne, for their son, Nicholas. In it, Suzanne tells her son about the time before she met Matt, when, while working as a doctor at a prestigious Boston hospital, she suffered a heart attack and, as a result, achieved a new perspective on life. She leaves Boston for Martha's Vineyard, where she opens a small practice. Suzanne is much happier in her new life, especially when she meets and falls in love with Matt, a dashing poet who works as a housepainter. Their marriage and the birth of their first child, Nicholas, are heaven-sent, but trouble is brewing ahead. As Katie continues to read the diary, she finds out what happened to Matt, Suzanne, and Nicholas, but the question remains as to whether Katie and Matt will end up together. Though there's not a murder to be found among the pages, Patterson's fans will find the familiar short chapters and surprising twists that they've come to expect from him.