Inheritance Cycle by Cristopher Paolini

"Knowing is independent of being. I did not know you existed before you bumbled in here and ruined my nap. Yet that doesn't mean you weren't real before you woke me."  - Solembum 

Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. This series, previously meant to be a trilogy, is an epic fantasy series intended for young adults. Eragon  has no idea of who his mother or father are, instead he lives with his uncle, Garrow, and cousin, Roran, which to him they are his father and brother. Eragon helps in the farm as well as with the hunting. One day while hunting he finds a mysterious stone, no one knows what it is but it is fascinating. To his surprise the 'stone' hatches, it was a dragon's egg. Eragon has to flee, learn magic and mature if he is to fulfil his destiny, to become the next dragon rider and kill Galbatorix; the merciless and powerful dictator of the fictional world of Alagaesia. 

 Like many books the Inheritance cycle ponders on the coexistence of good and bad. Eragon himself realises that people might not be generally bad but really do believe their ideas to be beneficial. When Galbatorix talked to Nasuada about his plans there seemed to be some really good basis to what he wanted to achieve. Of course Galbatorix didn't care for people and manipulated them making him the 'baddy' however he made very good points, especially the fact that it was the Varden that went around killing people and then bashed Galbatorix for his cruelty. How do we know if what we believe in is really for the good of humanity? I may believe in something so profoundly that I do not realise that I'm hurting others or it may be that I am hurting others to help the many but in truth there is no line separating the good from the bad but a mix of both in everything.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a classic book. It is told by Scout as she looks back at her childhood, during the great depression in a Southern town of the USA. The second part follows the story of the court case of Tom Robinson and how he is judged unfairly because of his skin colour.

At the time of release this book was controversial; bashed by some and praised by others. Even now it is still  banned in some U.S states. Nevertheless it is now a classic and with the title of classic comes words such as 'ancient', 'educative'and probably 'boring'. To me, it was no exception. I was told to read for school. I was handed an old looking book and listened with dread as other students recounted how boring they bound it. Eventually when I started reading (I had to, there was a test coming up!) I found myself actually enjoying this book. I didn't think it was the best book ever written as my teacher said but it was definitely a book I would keep reading with or without a test.

The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter

"I suppose a lot of teenage girls feel invisible sometimes, like they just disappear. Well, that's me—Cammie the Chameleon. But I'm luckier than most because, at my school, that's considered cool. I go to a school for spies."

Cammie Morgan attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Although the school  appears to be an ordinary private school it is actually a girls' school for spies. Cammie is fluent in 14 languages and can kill a  man in seven different ways. She has been taught advanced martial arts and knows about the latest chemical warfare but she definitely doesn't know how to understand boys.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

“I don't want tea, I want justice!” 

Heist Society and its sequel Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter is a teen spy fiction. Katarina Bishop comes from a family of thieves.Kat tries to escape this life and scams herself into a boarding school where she plans to study and live a normal, honest life. This proves harder than she expected it to be. When her father is blamed for the thievery of major artworks she must be called back in action to clear his name and return the portraits to its original owners. If I say too much more it will spoil the rest of the book but lets just say that by the second book she is back in business but this time alone. She is only stealing what is already stolen, so it isn't bad is it? When she goes back to her family she must face trust issues and when she runs into trouble she starts doubting her skills.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd by Heather Brewer

“If citizens followed their leaders' example throughout history, the human race would have died out centuries ago.”― Ninth Grade Slays

The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd by Heather Brewer follows the story of Vladimir Todd from eighth grade through to twelfth grade. Vlad goes to school like a normal boy and encounters all the problems of a normal boy, from bullying to stress from homework; however he is not normal at all. Vladimir has a big secret, he is a vampire. His parents died and so he lives in the care of Nelly, his mother's best friend. Although he doesn't  want to hurt anyone he can't help being who he is, not even him knows the full extent of his powers. When a substitute teacher comes into the scene he thinks his cover will be blown. Even worse he thinks that the teacher knows more than he should and was connected to his parents' death.    

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.  ~J.K. 

I will write a very brief summary especially as this series is so well known that it doesn't need big introduction. 

On a special night a wizard boy was born with a heroic destiny set out for him. He was the chosen one. He was the only one who ever survived Voldemort's attack. Harry is left with his uncle and aunty who mistreat him because of their fear of all things magic. Harry only finds out he is a wizard on his 11th birthday and from then he finds himself in all kinds of trouble in his new school, Hogwarts. 

Don't Breathe a Word by Marianne Musgrove

'Kenzie! This is no joke. You have to promise never to breathe a word of it. You know what's at stake.'

Don’t Breathe a Word is a short non-fiction book written by Marianne Musgrove. It is about two sisters, Tahlia and Kenzie, which live with their grandpa because their parents died. Everything was fine until Grandpa starts doing strange things like walking in the middle of the night and saying things that don’t make sense. Kenzie and Tahlia promise not to tell anyone because if Grandpa goes to a nursing home, where would they go? The only problem is that their older half-sister starts to suspect that something is wrong and it’s only a matter of time before someone finds out…