Spring Time Read--Jeanne DuPrau trilogy

This series was recommended to me by my daughter (12) and is well worth taking the time to read. The setting is deep underground in the "City of Ember". The main characters, Lina and Doon have finished with their schooling at the age of 12 and are being randomly assigned their life jobs. Lina is a messenger who travels throughout the city and Doon is a Pipeworker, repairing the plumbing in the tunnels under the city. For the past 250 years there have been plenty of lightbulbs and food, but now more and more shelves are empty and the lights flicker and go out. The inhabitants of Ember become anxious, since they don't understand how electricity is generated. Their only light during the 12 hours of "day" comes from floodlights. What will happen if the lights never come back on? They have no portable light sources. Lina discovers a very old paper with "Instructions for Egress" With Doon's help in deciphering the instructions, they set out on their mission.

The second book in the series is entitled "The People of Sparks". Lina and Doon lead the 400 inhabitants of Ember up out of the earth. The Emberites meet the citizens of Sparks, one of the few towns on Earth that has survived The Disaster. The people of Sparks begin to feed and house the Emberites but resent the drain on their resources at a time when they have just begun to be able to feed themselves comfortably. Lina has seen the devastation left by the disaster. Mistrust and false accusations between both groups lead them to the verge of bloodshed. Doon and Lina make brave moves of reconciliation.

The third book in the series "Prophet of Yonwood" is actually a prequel, but I would leave it to the end of the series. It demonstrates how easily prophets can be misinterpreted.

Louise reviews new author: Joshua Ferris

Then We Came to the End (2007) is the debut novel by former ad-man Joshua Ferris. This is one seriously and insightfully funny book that hits home on so many fronts. Ferris not only knows everything about the lives and minds of the people who occupy the office spaces and cubicles of the Chicago ad agency which overlooks the 1990's Magnificent Mile - he knows everything about us as well. Ferris knows people and his wit is beyond razor sharp - he has mastered the genius of true comedic writing - comedy and pain go hand in hand. We laugh at Chris Yop who steals office furniture, Benny and his ability to turn any story into an epic saga of office lunacy, the creation of Cold Sore Guy and Tom Mota's email ramblings. What jabs at the heart is how quickly we can see our own shortcomings in the lives Ferris creates. The focus first shifts when lay-offs begin and the group must create an ad campaign (the only "work" they have) to make breast cancer patients laugh at their plight. Add to this the fact that the boss may or may not have the disease herself. Ferris has the collective fear down cold and in this case, you just can't wait until you do indeed come to the end to find out what becomes of this freakish and loveable cast of oddballs. An extremely worthwhile read!