Mystery and Storytelling in One Package

Try these books if you're looking for:

• mystery, suspense, action
• good storytelling
• well-written stories

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents 
Terry Pratchett
YA F Pratchet
A talking cat, intelligent rats, and a strange boy cooperate in a Pied Piper scam until they try to con the wrong town and are confronted by a deadly evil rat king.

The Kraken Project 
Douglas Preston
F Preston
When a NASA accident kills seven scientists and enables a self-modifying artificial intelligence to escape into the Internet, Wyman Ford and the AI's creator, Melissa Shepherd, struggle to keep the evolving program out of the hands of scheming Wall Street traders.

Historical Fiction

Try these books if you're looking for:

• historical fiction, covering any topic or era

It Happened at the Fair 
Deeanne Gist
F GIST
A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder 
Eli Brown
F BROWN
In 1819, kidnapped chef Owen Wedgwood transforms meager shipboard supplies into sumptuous meals at the behest of his kidnapper, pirate queen Mad Hannah Mabbot, while she pushes her exhausted crew to track down a deadly privateer.

The Calligrapher's Daughter 
Eugenia Kim
F KIM
In early twentieth-century Korea, Najin Han, the privileged daughter of a calligrapher, longs to choose her own destiny. Smart and headstrong, she is encouraged by her mother, but her stern father is determined to maintain tradition, especially as the Japanese steadily gain control of his beloved country. ** The library has this as a book club set as well**