Feed by M.T. Anderson

This brilliantly satirical book is set in the future where marketing and computers have taken over everything, including the human mind. People have a system called “the feed” implanted into their brains. It allows people to instant message, upload videos, and shop all in their mind. Unfortunately, it also has many consequences. The teenagers are becoming less intelligent as there is no need for school since everyone can just “google” it. It's becoming difficult for people to talk to one another because of the constant batter of ads in their mind. The book, while funny at times, is an eye-opening and frightening revelation of a future that doesn't seem that far away.

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Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

In this fascinating cultural studies book, Eric Schlosser takes an in depth look at what really goes on behind the counter at fast food restaurants. With startling figures and statistics, he paints a very vivid picture of what's happening with the fast food industry. The book starts by recounting the horrors of the meatpacking industry, pointing out the fact that there very well could be feces in the burgers you get from McDonalds and bones in the chicken nuggets from Burger King. He goes on to discuss the way the marketing works in fast food and why people find it so irresistible. Although extremely disturbing, the book is an excellent read and is written very well. I'm positive that after you've read it, you'll think twice before buying a number three value meal from Wendy's.

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Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Journalist and cultural critic, Barbara Ehrenrich, after studying the middle and lower classes for much of her life decided to write a book on the daily economic struggles of a lower class woman. In the book, she drops everything and with only her car and $10 sets off for Florida. There, Ehrenrich details her experience as a waitress and attempting to come up with the $600 rent while only making $7 dollars an hour. Barbara continues to write her book as she travels across the country. Whether Ehrenrich works at a Wal-mart as a clerk; cleaning hotel rooms in Maine or assisting in a nursing home in Wyoming, her paycheck always seems too low. Her tales of struggling to pay the rent, buy food and purchase gas for her car to drive to work at 3am fill page after page. Yet, the most surprising thing that Barbara discovers is that there are millions of people who are doing the same thing as she is or struggling even more. Her dry wit and “won’t take no for an answer” attitude makes the book a good read. However, the idea behind it, that there are millions of people in America struggling to make ends meet, is the reason why it needs to be read.

Manhunt by James L. Swanson

Although I rarely pick up a non-fiction history book, "Manhunt" was recommended to me by quite a few people. It tells the story off the twelve-day chase for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. The book follows Booth on his journey as he evades capture by hiding in the woods with friends, secretly staying with family members, and finally being caught in an old barn on a stranger's property. It's a fast-paced, extremely well-written book that reads like fiction. Swanson does an excellent job of holding your interest throughout the book, making it enjoyable for everyone from the average reader to the avid history buff.

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The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Although I was doubtful I would like this book, as John Connolly usually writes murder mysteries, it turned out to be an unexpected favorite of mine. The book tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, David, who happens upon an alternate world when the books in his room begin to “speak” to him. The world he finds consists of the fairy tales children tend to enjoy, but with a notable exception: these stories have a startlingly gruesome twist. What really happened to Little Red Riding Hood? Is the wolf in the "Three Little Pigs" actually evil, or just misunderstood? Despite some horrific elements, the book is never truly frightening and is an excellent light read.