A Few 'Off the Beaten Track" Titles to Start the New Year

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (2012)
Forget Ariel-make room for Syrenka, a ruthless and curious mermaid who wonders what it would be like to have a soul. When she meets Ezra, a young scientist, she decides to become human, but at a deadly price. Over a hundred years later, a teenager named Hester meets a mysterious stranger in a cave. She is drawn to him, but due to the early deaths of the women in her family, has vowed to never fall in love. Will she discover the reason why? Told in alternating narrative, Hester and Syrenka let this story unfold as Hester discovers the hidden secrets of her family history and her tragic link to Syrenka. Plot twists and a bittersweet ending make this a page-turning read.  ~ Reviewed by Mei-Ling

Basic: Surviving Boot Camp and Basic Training by Colonel Jack Jacobs (Ret.) and David Fisher (2012)
Col. Jack Jacobs (Ret.) describes in each chapter different aspects of basic training/boot camp in the military.  Through personal accounts of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, the reader learns how these various training stages affected the average recruit.  Some of the anecdotes are hilarious, although somewhat ribald; others are very serious with devastating conclusions.  Col. Jacobs reveals the personal growth and knowledge a recruit experiences with each level of training.  He states the philosophy and style of turning a raw recruit into a military professional.  This book is not ponderous, but very readable.  ~ Reviewed by Connie

Ideas That Changed the World by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (2003)
This book expounds upon the ideas that shaped the history of the world.   It illuminates history by examining it in a way that is different from the traditional approach most history books take.  Connections are drawn between similar ideas so that you can see how the same ideas have been adapted by different  eras.   Pertinent quotes from famous thinkers who have explored the same ideas are included.  In addition to the text, there are also many illustrations to help readers grasp the ideas more fully.  This book takes readers on a journey through history, which I really enjoyed.   ~ Reviewed by Jennifer