The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

 The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin-336 pages

Dr. Ben Payne and Ashley Knox take a small charter flight to beat a winter storm. However, the plane crashes and the pilot dies. Ben and Ashley must survive harsh conditions and bad injuries for weeks in uninhabitable mountains. It's not something I typically read, but it was pretty good.

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough-320 pages

I thoroughly enjoyed reading McCullough's account of Orville and Wilbur Wright (and their immediate family, especially their father and sister). McCullough chronicles their lives leading up to the invention of the airplane, but focuses mainly on the brothers' invention of the airplane and escapades in flight. McCullough's writing flows well and is very readable, which is why it is so interesting and enjoyable. I knew that the Wright Brothers were the first to invent and fly an "airplane," but I learned so much more about them while reading this book. I wanted to read this book for three reasons (mainly). The first is that it is written by David McCullough who is a much acclaimed historian and author. The second is that I wanted to learn more about the Wright Brothers and their escapades in flight (which as I said, I did). The final reason is that I share the same birthday with both Orville and Katharine Wright (though I only knew about Orville before reading this book). I find it interesting, amusing that Wilbur really liked France and felt a kinship to/with the French, but did not like Rome at all. I would really like to visit Italy. In conclusion, I am glad to have read this book and have a better understanding of flight and the Wright Brothers.

Wright Brothers

Wright Brothers by David McCullough

320 Pages 

They were ordinary men with an extraordinary drive and self-taught patience. Wilber & Orville Wright was ridiculed for attempting flight. However, this did not deter the brothers from pouring the profit of their modest bicycle shop into their experiments on flight.  A few of their peers could see beyond the science of the day and actually sought to assist the brothers financially. However, the brothers would have nothing of it. They were their own men.

This book gives the complete story of the Wright Brothers from their early childhood until their deaths. It speaks of Kitty Hawk; the Wright brothers successful trips to France; and Orville near death crash, which killed his passenger.  It is an excellent read.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Falling in Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - 236 pages

Hadley has just missed her flight to London for her father's second wedding by only four minutes.  Luckily she manages to get a seat on the next flight which will get her to London with just a couple of hours to spare.  Also, luckily, this causes her to meet Oliver, a British teen on his way back to London.
I picked up this book as it is being promoted in the bookstores and Target as one of the new books for teens to read.  It definitely is one I will recommend to teens.  I truly enjoyed the book.  It was a realistic (for teen books) love story that included family relationships and a little mystery as to the different characters.