Marion's Picks

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The blade itself

The blade itself

Abercrombie, Joe, author
2007

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught up in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian, leaving nothing behind but some bad songs, a few dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

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The eye of the world

The eye of the world

Jordan, Robert, 1948-2007
1990

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, and Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

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Gardens of the moon

Gardens of the moon

Erikson, Steven
2005


Hatchet

Hatchet

Paulsen, Gary
2007

This award-winning contemporary classic is the survival story with which all others are compared--and a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure, recipient of the Newbery Honor. Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read.

Since it was first published in 1987, the story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson's survival following a plane crash has become a modern classic. Stranded in the desolate wilderness, Brian uses his instincts and his hatchet to stay alive for fifty-four harrowing days.

This twentieth-anniversary edition of Hatchet contains a new introduction and sidebar commentary by Gary Paulsen, written especially for this volume. Drew Willis's detailed pen-and-ink illustrations complement the descriptions in the text and add a new dimension to the book. This handsome edition of the Newbery Honor book will be treasured by Hatchet fans as well as by readers encountering Brian's unforgettable story for the first time.

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A natural history of dragons : a memoir by Lady Trent

A natural history of dragons : a memoir by Lady Trent

Brennan, Marie
2013

Marie Brennan begins a thrilling new fantasy series in A Natural History of Dragons, combining adventure with the inquisitive spirit of the Victorian Age.

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart--no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments--even at the risk of one's life--is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

"Saturated with the joy and urgency of discovery and scientific curiosity." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Natural History of Dragons

An NPR Best Book of 2013

The Lady Trent Memoirs
1. A Natural History of Dragons
2. The Tropic of Serpents
3. Voyage of the Basilisk
4. In the Labyrinth of Drakes
5. Within the Sanctuary of Wings

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Unstoppable : harnessing science to change the world

Unstoppable : harnessing science to change the world

Nye, Bill, author
2015

New York Times bestselling author of Undeniable and former host of "Bill Nye the Science Guy" issues a new challenge to today's generation: to make a cleaner, more efficient, and happier world.For over 20 years, Bill Nye has inspired legions of fans with an empowering message: The combination of scientific curiosity and human ingenuity can transform obstacles into opportunities, and unlock a future of endless possibilities. Now, in Unstoppable, Bill applies his message of technological optimism to the serious challenge facing our species: climate change. With a scientist's rigorous understanding of how things are, and an engineer's vision of how things could be, Bill completely reframes the issue. He sees today's environmental crisis not as the end of progress but as an opportunity for a tremendous new beginning - a moment for our society to rethink the way we live and to create a cleaner, healthier, smarter world.

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War horse

War horse

Morpurgo, Michael
2011

The book that inspired Steven Spielberg's Hollywood blockbuster movie and an internationally acclaimed stage show . . . it can only be Michael Morpurgo's War Horse.

In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. The bedlam of battle had begun. All around me men cried and fell to the ground, and horses reared and screamed in an agony of fear and pain. The shells whined and roared overhead, and every explosion seemed like an earthquake to us. One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.

Former Children's Laureate and award-winning author, Michael Morpurgo, has written nearly 100 books for children, many of them war stories. But none have become as famous as War Horse. Inspiring a long-running stage show and a box office film directed by Steven Spielberg, War Horse has become an international sensation. Read the book that started it all; the stunning wartime classic.

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