Episode 48 – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Teen girl magically transported to a surreal land.  Killing the first person she meets she teams up with three strangers to kill again. – Rick Polito The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a book you think you know, but only slightly.  Dorothy a teen girl in turn of the century America is transported to the Land of Oz where she must find a way home.  Joining on the adventure is the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion all of which want their own blessings from the all-powerful Wizard of Oz.  But know that the movie stops halfway through this classic tale.  There is so much more you have never heard. Recommended Age: All ages Our Scores: Your Scores: Get the book here: Jump in on our Next book and read along with us. Looking for more books like The Wonderful Wizard of OZ check out or other Shows: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Giver by Lois Lowry 

Episode 47 – Legend of Sleepy Hollow In a sentence: Skinny dude with a funny name gets chased by a headless horseman and dies. Or runs away—unclear. The end. S —Shmoop.com Recommended Age: 15 for readability.  The content is clean but the archaic language would be difficult for younger readers.   Our Scores: Your Scores: If you haven’t read it yet, get the book from Amazon and support the show! Next Month we are reading the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so pick it up now! Looking for more books like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?  Check out our other Show: Dracula by Bram Stoker – Episode 40

Episode 46 – Percy Jackson Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction — Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend. From The Author Recommended Age: 10+ – Death discussed some middle grade violence Our Scores: Your Scores: If you haven’t read it yet, get the book from Amazon. Get ahead and read our October book Looking for more books like Percy Jackson check out or other Shows: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau – Episode 13 The Giver by Lois Lowry – Episode 17 Keeper of the Lost Cities – Episode 32

Episode 45 – Dodger By Terry Pratchett Summary from the Guardian: Dodger is a tosher who scavenges in the sewers and earns a living selling what he finds. All the poverty stricken people on the streets know him as a friend in times of need. But when he rescues a girl from a beating his life changes dramatically forever… Soon he becomes accidentally famous, discovers a dark plot against him, enters the world of the rich and learns the truth about the girl he rescued. Recommended Age: 13   Our Scores: Your Scores: Haven’t read the book yet?  What are you waiting for? Next month’s book is Looking for more books like Dodger check out our other Shows: The School for Good and Evil Artemis Fowl The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 tells of a future where books have been banned and entertainment is designed to dull the senses of the masses.  A fireman named Montag goes from burning books to discover what has been lost by his society.  He must make a choice of what he will do with his discovery and it could cost him everything. What can I say, we love dystopian sci-fi books.  At almost 70 years old this book holds up almost too well as we see a vision of our own future.  Disconnected by their earbuds and their reality TV, this book serves as a warning of things possibly to come. Listen to our discussion on Farhenheit 451 here on Reading Radio. For the record Jason was not making up words: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/prescient Recommended Age: 13+ based on the complexity of language and darkness of some topics covered. Our Scores: Your Scores: If you haven’t picked it up yet you can buy it here: Next Months Book Looking for more books like Fahrenheit  451  check out or other Shows: Animal Farm – George Orwell – Episode 22 City of Ember – Jeanne DuPraul – Episode 13 The Knife of Never Letting Go – Patrick Ness –  Episode 36

Episode 43 – The Inheritance Games In the Inheritance Games we learn that Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into a sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con artist, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive. Recommended Age for The Inheritance Games: 13+ * Mild romantic content * Inference and results of domestic violence * Murder is always a possibility Our Scores: Your Scores: Get Inheritance Games from Amazon: Next Month: Looking for more books like The Inheritance Games?  Check out our other Shows: Running Out Of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix – Episode 14 The Similars by Rebecca Hanover – Episode 41

Episode 42 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy One Thursday lunchtime the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun, and the galaxy is a very strange and startling place. Recommended Age: 13+ Our Scores: Your Scores: If you still need to pick up the book you can get it from Amazon, here Our Next Book The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – You can get it from amazon here Looking for more books like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (as if there are any) check out our other Shows: Mary Poppins

Episode 41 – The Similars When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class. The Similars are all anyone can talk about at the elite Darkwood Academy. Who are these six clones? What are the odds that all of them would be Darkwood students? Who is the madman who broke the law to create them? This book was a great rollercoaster ride.  Once you hit the top of the lift hill you are all set for a great thrill. Recommended Age: 13+ due to some darker context 10+ based on vocabulary Our Scores: Your Scores: If you haven’t already you can buy THe Similars on Amazon Next month we are reading The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for our 42nd episode! Get it and read it now! Looking for more books like The Similars check out or other Shows: Running out of time Asgardian Exchange – Referenced in the show Etiquette and Espionage – Referenced in the show

Dracula – Episode 40 Dracula represents our 4th year and our 40th show!  It has been wonderful to read and grow with all of you please continue to share us with your friends and form your own Reading Radio book clubs across the country. Dracula is the classic gothic tale that made the vampire so famous.  Written in a unique format using journals and newspaper clippings you feel as if you are solving the mystery along with the main characters. Join Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing as they try to solve the mystery of the original vampire before it is too late to save their beloved Madam Mina Recommended Age: 15+ There is no explicit content but the language is this book is archaic as it was written in 1897.  It could be hard to physically read while the audiobook would make it much easier. Our Scores: Your Scores: Join us for our next book The Similars by Rebecca Hanover Looking for more books like Dracula check out or other Shows: Etiquette and Espionage The Hobbit  

Episode 39 – Dune by Frank Herbert Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family — and would bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. About the Author Frank Herbert is the bestselling author of the Dune saga. He was born in Tacoma, Washington, and educated at the University of Washington, Seattle. He worked a wide variety of jobs—including TV cameraman, radio commentator, oyster diver, jungle survival instructor, lay analyst, creative writing teacher, reporter and editor of several West Coast newspapers—before becoming a full-time writer. In 1952, Herbert began publishing science fiction with “Looking for Something?” in Startling Stories. But his emergence as a writer of major stature did not occur until 1965, with the publication of Dune. Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune followed, completing the saga that the Chicago Tribune would call “one of the monuments of modern science fiction.” Herbert is also the author of some twenty other books, including The White Plague, The Dosadi Experiment, and Destination: Void. He died in 1986. Recommended Age: 14+ Our Scores: Your Scores: Tell us what you thought of Dune! Get the book on Amazon While you are there pick up Dracula for our October book! Looking for more books like Dune? Check out or other Shows: Shadow and Bone The Hobbit