Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton
Jurassic Park is a science fiction novel about what happens when science achieves great things and goes too far. It’s about a billionaire’s attempt to create a theme park on an island inhabited by genetically recreated dinosaurs using DNA found in mosquitos. Scientists are called to the park as consultants after a series of mistakes endanger funding for the park. When something goes wrong, the dinosaurs escape, and the people on the island must fight for their lives. Jurassic Park is an edge-of-your-seat read that inspired the movie franchise of the same name.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Billy is happy he can save up enough money to buy two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann. With his grandfather’s guidance, Billy teaches his dogs to hunt. Both dogs are very loyal to Billy and each other. Soon Billy and his hounds become the best hunting team in the Ozarks. Tragedy soon awaits the friends, and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair. It’s an exciting tale of friendship, adventure, and love that readers will keep close to their hearts.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
This novel begins with Alice drowsily lying by a riverbank where she sees a white rabbit and follows him down a rabbit home and into a great adventure. From the curious little girl named Alice to the cast of eccentric characters the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, and the Mad Hatter, there is so much to love about this delightful novel. It is a perfectly whimsical take on the trials and tribulations of growing up through the eyes of a child.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie’s most thrilling mystery novels. In the middle of the night, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is full for the time of the year, but it has one less passenger by the morning. In the middle of nowhere and trapped with a killer in among them, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer in a train amongst passengers that create more questions than answers. This locked door mystery is a whodunit of the finest caliber, and its conclusion leaves you shocked. Murder on the Orient Express is a favorite of Helen Lee Schifter for its perfect plotting and twists.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises is the first and arguably one of the best of Hemingway’s novels. It follows American and British expatriates as they travel from Paris to Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls. The characters and events in a Sun Also Rises are based on Hemingway’s adventures in Paris and Pamplona. The richness of the details makes you want to hop on a flight to France or Spain tomorrow.