Summary: What are the best books for tweens graduating to grown-up books? Saying goodbye to authors we've lost. And rave recommendations for 12.21 by Dustin Thomason and The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. They Grow Up So Fast(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/hitchhikers-181x300.jpg) Ann's ten-year-old daughter seems to have graduated from kid's books to grown-up books. Which leaves Ann with a dilemma: how can she possibly keep up with reading and vetting all of the books her daughter wants to read. Luckily she has all of you! What books would you recommend for a ten-year-old who has already begun, and is loving The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series and Terry Brooks' Shannara books. I also recommended Brooks' Magic Kingdom of Landover series, but it seems that those won't keep Ann's voracious little reader busy for very long. So help her out by calling our voice-mail line at 209.867.7323 and leaving your suggestions of adult books that are safe for young eyes. Reading In Tribute (6:12) In the past week, the book world has lost Maeve Binchy (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3532.Maeve_Binchy), John Keegan (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4619485.John_Keegan) and Gore Vidal (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5657.Gore_Vidal). And recently, Nora Ephron (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5691.Nora_Ephron) and Ray Bradbury (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1630.Ray_Bradbury) passed away. After Ray Bradbury's death, I pulled The Martian Chronicles off the shelf and put it on my nightstand, and Ann has fond memories of reading Maeve Binchy, especially Circle of Friends. Why is it that we are drawn to the books of authors who have recently died? Ann and I think it's a way of honoring them by reading the books they've left behind. Also, bookstores and libraries tend to display the books of authors who have passed away, (re)bringing them to the attention of readers. Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (12:43) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/12.21-197x300.jpg) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/dogstars-198x300.jpg) I had so much fun reading 12.21 by Dustin Thomason! We all know the world is supposed to end on December 21 right? In this book, that Mayan prophecy and an outbreak of a new, virulent Prion disease in Los Angeles are possibly connected. It's a page-turner in the vein of Michael Crichton and it's the perfect book the lazy Summer weekends we have left. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller follows, Hig, a man who lost his pregnant wife in a world-wide pandemic that has left very few humans alive. Yes, it's a postapocalyptic tale (and we all know Ann loves those!), but Peter Heller is a poet and a nature writer, which brings something completely different to this story.
