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A member of a species that takes over the minds of human bodies, Wanderer is unable to disregard his host's love for a man in hiding, a situation that forces both possessor and host to become unwilling allies. A first adult novel by the author of the Twilight series. Check catalog for availability.

A couple of friends kept telling me to read Twilight, but I was skeptical because I don't read 'vampire books.' But, they wore me down and I inhaled the first book in less than 48 hours. Now, I look forward to every addition to the series, the movie, and anything else Ms. Meyers has for me to read. The Host is also not a book I would typically expect to enjoy, but she has an uncanny way of making me want to know her characters and everything that happens to them in their lives. If you've read Stephenie Meyer, please share your comments. How did you hear about her? Would you recommend any other authors like her?

- Submitted by Jacki

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust follows the adventures of Tristran Thorn as he hunts down a fallen star to bring back to Victoria Forester, the woman he loves and wants to marry. The fallen star, however, has landed in the forbidden neighboring realms of Faerie. Witches, unicorns, flying pirate ships and other magical events do not phase Tristran, but do the reader. This novel comes in many formats - book, audio, graphic novel, illustrated novel and movie. The movie has been toned down to appeal to a wider audience, but Gaiman wrote the screenplay and therefore it remains true to the original story. This fairy tale is very entertaining and one I will most definitely read again. Check catalog for availability.

The Frog Prince by Stephen Mitchell

Mitchell puts a serious and contemplative spin on the traditional frog prince fairy tale. Both the frog and princess have unexpected and engaging personalities. Their stubborn behaviors immediately put tension into the story making the reader wonder if the tale will end happily ever after. The conflict builds and keeps you reading up to a shocking ending. Check catalog for availability.

Ever since reading this tale I hunted for other authors who similarly put a spin on traditional fairy tales. One such book is right below.

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

I have enjoyed all of the Mercedes Lackey books I read thus far. The Fairy Godmother puts a twist on the traditional Cinderella tale. What happens when Cinderella and the Prince cannot marry because one of them is an infant? Or when the fairy godmother is ready to retire without an apprentice? These and other traditional tales are interwoven by Lackey to create a new and fantastic fairy tale for adults. Check catalog for availability.

- Submitted by Paula @ MPL Central

H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was a highly successful English writer, historian, and teacher, but is mainly remembered for his classic and influential works of science fiction. His imaginative and scientific mind created a number of stories that have intrigued, terrified and thrilled readers for over a century.

Wells' works have been widely filmed and one of his stories was indirectly involved in what is often considered to be one of the greatest hoaxes in history. During an episode of a popular radio show on the evening of October 30, 1938, Orson Welles directed and narrated a reading of War of the Worlds, a story of an alien invasion of Earth written 40 years earlier. The radio broadcast was so well done that many people actually believed an alien invasion was occurring as they listened to the terrified Orson Welles perform.

Though Wells wrote many other distinguished works that cover a wide range of topics, I’d like to recommend the following classic works:

When a mysterious stranger appears at a country inn swaddled in bandages from head to toe, the local townspeople become curious, suspicious and terrified. What hideous fate has fallen upon THE INVISIBLE MAN?

When some shipwrecked survivors land on a deserted Pacific island they thought their lives were spared, but instead, they were cast into the living hell that is THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU.

A scientist builds a time machine and travels thousands of years into the future. He finds beauty, but he also finds the monstrous Morlocks! Can THE TIME MACHINE get him safely home?

Can the earth survive a martian attack? Find out in THE WAR OF THE WORLDS!

For these titles and all works by H.G. Wells, including audio books and film adaptations, please click on the link here: H.G. Wells catalog availability.

Submitted by Dan @ Central

Hugo Awards are awards for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy. They were first awarded in 1953, and have been awarded every year since 1955. The awards are run by and voted on by fans. The Hugo Awards are named after Hugo Gernsback, a famous magazine editor who did much to bring science fiction to a wider audience. Gernsback founded Amazing Stories, the first major American SF magazine, in 1926. He is widely credited with sparking a boom in interest in written SF. In addition to having the Hugo Awards named after him he has been recognized as the “Father of Magazine SF” and has a crater on the Moon named after him.

This year's Best Novella: “The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress can be found in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-sixth Annual Collection. The focal point is Henry Erdmann, a retired physicist, who takes the role of detective in figuring out mysterious ailments linked with visions and apparent mental powers that the residents begin to experience. There's a theme of human evolution and transcendence, but there are also moments of character conflict. Check catalog for availability.

Ken Masen, in the hospital with his eyes bandaged, awakens to a collapsing society brought upon by a green meteor shower that left everyone who witnessed it blind. After un-bandaging his eyes, Ken, able to see, wanders through a chaotic London populated by panicked and unruly blind people until he meets Josella, who can also still see. Together, they discover a group of other sighted people led by a disturbed man named Beadley.
While this bedlam is occurring, it seems man-eating plants named triffids, which can walk and communicate amongst themselves, are "walking" amok and preying on the weak and blind!
This fascinating story of morality and evil almost left me rooting for the repugnant plants to eat everybody! Truly a post World War II science fiction classic, Day of the Triffids should be savored for its shockability and pure ol' wackiness! Highly recommended.

Check catalog availability

Submitted by Dan @ Central

Helen and James are a kind of "ghost" that is trapped on earth for the cliché reason of unresolved issues. However, this novel is nothing like the cliché. The eerie story flashes back and forth to Helen's life and her unusual ghost life. The manner in which Helen and James find each other and figure out how to pass beyond earth to the next phase of their "life" mesmerizes the reader. Check catalog for availability.