The Host by Meyer, Stephenie Earth's population is slowly being taken over by an alien species who implant themselves in host bodies to stop humanity from destroying itself. One of them finds herself in the body of a rebellious young woman named Melanie, who is determined to reunite with her young brother and her boyfriend at all costs. This multifaceted story that keeps you turning pages until the exciting conclusion.--Holly Frakes, Schuler Books &Music, Inc. (Lansing, MI)

The Titan's Curse by Riordan, Rick When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped.And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

The Girl with No Shadow by Harris, Joanne Be careful what you wish for . . . Hailed as an "irresistible confection" ("Entertainment Weekly"), "as sweet, rich and utterly satisfying as a fine truffle" ("Wall Street Journal"), and "an amazement of riches" ("New York Times"), "Chocolat" won the hearts of readers and critics everywhere. At last, Joanne Harris returns with "The Girl with No Shadow," an exquisite treat that continues the story that began in her international bestseller. Since she was a little girl, the wind has dictated every move Vianne Rocher has made, buffeting her from place to place, from the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes to the crowded streets of Paris. Cloaked in a new identity, that of widow Yanne Charbonneau, she opens a chocolaterie on a small Montmartre street, determined to still the wind at last and keep her daughters, Anouk and the baby, Rosette, safe. Her new home above the chocolate shop offers calm and quiet: no red sachets hang by the door; no sparks of magic fill the air; no Indian skirts with bells hang in her closet. Conformity brings with it anonymity--and peace. There is even Thierry, the stolid businessman who wants to take care of Yanne and the children. On the cusp of adolescence, an increasingly rebellious and restless Anouk does not understand. But soon the weathervane turns . . . and into their lives blows the charming and enigmatic Zozie de l'Alba. And everything begins to change. Zozie offers the brightness Yanne's life needs. Anouk, too, is dazzled by this vivacious woman with the lollipop-red shoes who seems to understand her better than anyone--especially her mother. Yet this friendship is not what it seems. Ruthless, devious, and seductive, Zoziehas plans that will shake their world to pieces. And with everything she loves at stake, Yanne must face a difficult choice: Run, as she has done so many times before, or stand and confront this most dangerous enemy. . . .