God and the Astronomers

by Robert Jastrow

Why You Will Like This Book:

• Although written by an agnostic, it discusses how the Big Bang Theory (not the show) and other related cosmological theories are surprisingly true to Genesis. It also discusses the scientists involved in these discoveries, and their reluctance to agree to something so seemingly Christian. (The second idea especially is not one discussed frequently, which makes this book cool.)

And Why You Might Not:

• It's really short and there's not a lot there besides the central idea and some short scientist biographies.
• It's really not a great book physically, either. The layout is confusing, they typesetting is strange, and there are page errors. 

Jinx's Fire

by Sage Blackwood

Story summary: The trees are panicking because the forest of Urwald is being cut down and burnt. The wizards are panicking because they might have to actually do something together for a change. Sophie is not panicking because she's smart and sensible, but she feels like panicking because her husband Simon is caught in life-sucking elvish ice. Jinx is panicking because it's all down to him to save everything.
RED is panicking because she can't think up a better story description than this, and what if it turns people off a really excellent series?
Sequel to Jinx and Jinx's Magic.

Why You Will Like This Book:

• It has all you could want in a children's book. Friendships and familial relationships, vivid imagery, human insights, surprising humour, magic and adventure.

And Why You Might Not:

• I really can't think of any good reasons, unless you're not a fan of children's entertainment like Narnia and Pixar. I suppose the battle could be a little scary for younger readers? But yeah, that's pretty much it. Great books!

Catch & Release

by Blythe Woolston

Story summary: Polly gets flesh eating disease and loses her eye. This other victim, a kid aptly named Odd, takes her on a fishing trip to take her mind of things. It turns into a road trip to Portland, with friendship and personal growth and all that.

Why You Will Like This Book:

• Deals with difficult life events like the loss of a limb or eye.
• Has an unusual friendship and complex character relationships.

And Why You Might Not:

• It's strange. The characters are strange, and pretty unhappy.
• And...I can't really criticize more than this, though not because it's necessarily very good. See after the break for more on this.

Durarara!!

by Ryohgo Narita

Story summary: Last unfinished book I read, I used the Goodreads description because I hadn't finished the book and so couldn't actually summarize it. This time I don't have that excuse, because I know the story in fairly good detail, having devoured the anime and manga versions. But I like the Goodreads summary and I'm behind on reviews and I'm super lazy, so here goes:

"The Ikebukuro district in Tokyo is full of interesting people. A boy longing for the extraordinary. A hotheaded punk. An airheaded pseudo stalker. An information broker who works for kicks. An underground doctor who specializes in truly desperate patients. A high school student infatuated with a monster. And a headless rider on a pitch-black motorcycle. Their story may not be a heartwarming one, but as it turns out, even weirdos like these sometimes fall in love.
There's no shortage of bizarre characters in Ikebukuro--read the light novel series that started the anime and manga phenomenon!"

Jinx's Magic

by Sage Blackwood

Story summary: Jinx, the apprentice of the crabby and possibly-evil magician Simon, learns cool new kinds of magic, meets a werewolf with spectacles, gets his memory wiped by creepy elves, and gets even closer to his new friends, the trees of Urwald.
Sequel to Jinx.

Why You Will Like This Book:

• Characters and relationships and humour and human insights and adventure! So good.

And Why You Might Not:

• Cause you don't like kids entertainment, even the awesome stuff like Narnia and Pixar? Only reason I can think of really, because these are great books.

Jinx

by Sage Blackwood

Story summary: Jinx is abandoned by his step-father in the wild woods of Urwald, and then promptly kidnapped by a possibly-evil magician. He becomes his apprentice, starts talking to trees, meets a thief boy and a cursed girl--and another magician who has knives in his thoughts.

Why You Will Like This Book:

• THE CHARACTERS!
• THE FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS!
• Also the world and the humour and the adventure and the insights, but mostly those first two.

And Why You Might Not:

• The only reason I can possibly think of is if you're against kids' entertainment, even if it's fabulous. If you wouldn't read The Chronicles of Narnia and wouldn't watch Pixar because they're for kids, then yeah, you probably won't like this either.

No Exit and Three Other Plays

by Jean-Paul Sartre

Why You Will Like This Book:

• The fascinating ideas. It's all about that, really.
• Although I found most of them surprisingly entertaining in their own right as well,  There was some well done creepiness and tragedy and even characters.

And Why You Might Not:

• These are existentialist plays, and every one is depressing.
• Did I mention depressing?