The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

215 pages

"On an autumn day, in the second quarter of the sixteenth century, two boys were born in England, one to a poor family by the name of Canty who lived in Offal Court, not far from London Bridge, and the other to a wealthy and high-placed family by the name of Tudor. Young Tom Canty, unwanted, unloved, began his day-dreaming early in order to forget the petty stealing to which he was forced by his cruel rogue of a father--and the royal Court and young Prince Edward became the focus of his dreams.

It was beyond Tom's dreaming that he would one day actually meet the Prince and enter the Palace. But Fate had decided that these two boys, born on the same day--and who looked exactly alike--should play a part in the history of England." -Cover

It was refreshing to read the original story, since the version of this story that's most told/heard/seen at our house is the Barbie one! Mark Twain is obviously one of the greatest writers of all time and this story, though not his most famous one, is definitely worth reading. You just can't go wrong with the classics...at least not when you're an adult. (There were plenty of classics I didn't fully appreciate as a teenager, i.e. Wuthering Heights.)

I loved that this book contained classic villains (John Canty) who are downright evil, and true heroes (Miles Hendon) who are good and noble and are rewarded for their actions. Tom and Prince Edward are also good. I loved their sense of justice and of righting wrong in their various spheres of influence, especially when Tom, acting as the prince, summons the prisoners who are about to be executed (in truly gruesome ways) and holds court to determine whether they are actually guilty or not. I also love that he's able to relinquish his crown to the true king without any reluctance or resistance. King Edward responds as a true king should and honors Tom. I think there's a lot to learn from this story about character and integrity.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

360 pages

"Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety...until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated--and with it, order--and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim...and meal.

The Gladers are far from done running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder--does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?" -Book Jacket

*SMALL SPOILER ALERT*
The second book in The Maze Runner  series is equally as good as the first and if you are a fan of Lost  you will love this series. So far, after two books, there are more questions than answers. You don't know who to trust/believe. You don't know what's real, and you still don't know who or what WICKED really is, although Teresa keeps reminding Thomas that "WICKED is good."

Thomas and his friends have been intentionally infected with the Flare and are separated from Teresa within the first few pages. They find out that they are one of two groups of "test subjects" to survive the Maze, the other group consisting of all girls and one boy, the Teresa counter-part. In addition, they find themselves with new tattoos indicating what their roles are to be in this second set of tests. Thomas's role is to be killed by the other group. Minho's is to be the leader and I really like his character.

The Scorch is a crazy place and the Cranks are frightening (think your worst nightmares frightening). You could absolutely visualize them, unlike the Grievers in the first book. Thomas and his gang meet up with some new people (in the early stages of the Flare) in the Scorch and it sets a love triangle in motion for Thomas. Together they try to help each other meet their deadline of making it to the safe haven. Again, the ending leaves you hanging, but Thomas finally becomes proactive instead of reactive. I can't wait for the last book. Oh wait...I'll have to, because it doesn't come out until October!

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

169 pages

"Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.

The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall but, crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten, was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson hopped, hobbled, and crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching the base camp hours before Yates had planned to break camp.

How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival; a poignant testimony to unshakable courage and friendship."

This is a short book but a great testament to the strength of the human spirit. About halfway through I thought, "Gee, I wish this book had a glossary so I could understand the climbing terms better." Well, there is a glossary...in the very back of the book! So, know that before you start and it will make your read that much more enjoyable.

After reading Into Thin Air I couldn't help but wonder if people who climb the world's highest peaks aren't just a teensy bit insane, risking life and limb to experience a brief moment of satisfaction before having to turn around and do it all over again. It's not something I would ever consider. (I'm afraid of heights and I'm claustrophobic, not a good combination for that sort of thing.) But I do admire the determination and fortitude they must have to do it. Joe Simpson is a great example of that. The things he goes through after breaking his leg are unimaginable and to keep going after so much adversity is impressive. The book is well-written and I liked how the points of view change from Joe's to Simon's after the accident so you get a feel for the anguish Simon was experiencing even though his decision ultimately saved Joe's life. I believe that God must have watched over these men, inspiring Joe to keep going and Simon to wait before leaving camp. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked to learn a little bit more about what happened to both of them after their ordeal, in particular Simon, but I guess the epilogue was a good way to end, too.

(FYI: Simon Yates was leading climbing expeditions as early as last year. In an article online he said that he had lost touch with Simpson - calling him a person he could no longer relate to - for several years until filming scenes for the documentary about their ordeal but Simpson has always defended his decision to cut the rope.)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

374 pages

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is blank.

But he's not alone. When the lift doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers are expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home...wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers - if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind." -Book Jacket

Mr. Patterson, this is how dystopian/science fiction is done. This book was such a fun ride. I saw it described online as The Hunger Games + Lord of the Flies. That was a pretty enticing description, but there's no cannibalism in this book...or kids killing kids for sport. The Gladers are actually very organized in their "society." Alby and Newt have been in the Maze the longest (two years) and are in charge. There are rules, jobs, and consequences. Order is everything. There are Keepers who are in charge of each job assignment and they make up a council that makes all the decisions. I was impressed by their ability to have such a high-functioning and orderly existence.

Runners go out into eight different sections of the Maze every day in the hopes of figuring it out. As soon as Thomas arrives he knows that he is supposed to be a Runner for some reason. But first he has to prove himself and earn the right to be considered for a Runner. He does that, somewhat accidentally, by getting stuck out in the Maze overnight while trying to help two Runners who he can tell won't make it back into the Glade before the doors close. The reason they don't want to be stuck in the Maze at night? Grievers, mechanical/biological creatures whose sound is easier to imagine than their appearance based on their description, come out at night. No one's ever survived a night in the Maze. The Griever's sting causes The Changing - a gruesome transformation that lasts a few days and allows you to remember parts of your past - if you can survive it, i.e. make it back to the Glade and get the Serum.

I could not put this book down. The ending was awesome...the epilogue contained a great twist. I thought Teresa's character was a bit underdeveloped. I didn't feel any attachment to her like I did with some of the other characters, but I'm hoping that will change in the next book. Book 2 is called The Scorch Trials and I just might have to go get it today.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

401 pages

"On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's Syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century - in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that long-ago winter night. Norah Henry, who knows only that her daughter died at birth, remains inconsolable; her grief weighs heavily on their marriage. And Paul, their son, raises himself as best he can, in a house grown cold with mourning. Meanwhile, Phoebe, the lost daughter, grows from a sunny child to a vibrant young woman whose mother loves her as fiercely as if she were her own." -Book Jacket

This story really is beautifully told. It's so heart-breaking. It's heart-breaking to see how much damage one fateful decision causes in the lives of these people. It shapes everything they do from then on and creates an impenetrable wall between David and Norah. You can't help but ask yourself "What if?" throughout this entire story. What if David hadn't lied? What if he had just told Norah sooner? What if Caroline had just said no? Would Phoebe have still become the independent woman she is and had the opportunities she had? Would David have still spent his life helping others? Would Norah have turned into the strong woman she is? Would their marriage have been different, better? Would they have all lived happily ever after?

These characters are so defined by that one moment. I felt so much regret for Norah...and for David. You realize by the end that all they can do is try to forgive, put the past behind them, and try to move forward. You realize how much your life experiences influence your decisions. This was a fantastic book about ordinary people. It reminded me of Once Upon a Day and The Friday Night Knitting Club, so sad but somehow inspiring at the same time.