How can I describe this series? Slightly twisted… alright, very twisted. In a school run by the grim reaper kids are trained to collect the souls of evil-doers by fighting with special weapons that 'eat souls'. The strange twist is that these deadly weapons are actually characters in their own right and can transform into people at will. You with me? The pairs get sent off on missions to stop the bad of the bad. Soul Eater is definitely for mature teens with all the demented action you might expect of a horror/combat series run wild. But, for those looking for something with as much attitude as action, soul eater is a series that's hard to ignore. Check out the anime or the manga.

Looking for some classics that are relatively short and aren't, well, boring. Most of these are around 200 pages or less and packed with adventure, humor, and drama. Check them out:

The glass menagerie by Tennessee Williams; introduction by Robert Bray

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson; supplementary material written by Anna Maria Hong; series edited by Cynthia Brantley Johnson

The importance of being Earnest: a trivial comedy for serious people by Oscar Wilde; edited by Samuel Lyndon Gladden

Older teen boys looking for historical fiction with a bit of action might want to check out the Jack Absolute series. Jack is the self centered sort who may secretly read Shakespeare but ultimately spends most of his time drinking, gambling, and/or wenching. Enlisted by the British Army to work as a spy during the American Revolution — yet sympathetic to the patriot cause — Jack spends most of his time just looking out for himself. This is a straight up adventure story that reads like an 18th century version of James Bond, complete with a bevy of dangerous women and ridiculous chase scenes. Over the top? Certainly. But, never, never boring.

Want a little romance with your crime sleuthing? Here's a list of books, both modern and historical:

Bad kitty by Michele Jaffe

A spy in the house by Y.S. Lee

Rose cottage by Mary Stewart

Heist society by Ally Carter

Like books like the princess diaries? Looking for a good, wholesome, light romance for the summer? Try these:

Amy & Roger's epic detour by Morgan Matson

The summer I turned pretty by Jenny Han

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you by Ally Carter

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

Three short stories about three magical, mostly disastrous kisses, Lips Touch Three Times oozes the kind of creative, madcap energy that reminds me of authors like Neil Gaiman or Charles De Lint. Deliciously wicked and inventive, from one-eyed fae who hunt by the smell of hair to demons that move their shadows. This has everything that a fairy tale / fantasy fan could want.

Join us Thursday, July 1st, 1:00-3:00PM for backyard games! We'll have badminton, bocce ball, croquet, lawn bowling, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, hula hoops, and a bunch more. Plus, we are looking for people's favorite childhood games... Simon Says, Freeze Tag, Ghost in the Graveyard? Kick the Can, Octopus, What time is it Mr. Fox? Do you have a favorite that no one else knows about? Well, come let us know and we may play it at this all ages event!

[Photo by Rachel Monroe on flickr]