YA Crossover Novel

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
By J.K. Rowling

Synopsis:
The Final Chapter in the Harry Potter series. Harry and the gang set out for the final battle with Voldemort, the ultimate evil. Epic battle scenes ensue as questions are answered in this wizard free-for-all.

What makes this a YA crossover:
- Contains many adult themes such as: death, coping with it, and good not being absolute
- While geared towards teens in a fantasy/adventure level, adults can connect with the characters on a deeper level and still enjoy the adventure
- With this book especially, the writing is on a level adults can enjoy
- Contains a bit of romance, something that tends to attract older readers
- Characters age throughout the series, therefore the themes get more and more mature with each book

Check out this site for a great list of read-a-likes: http://www.flls.org/youth/harryra.htm

Nonfiction Review

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity by Richard Rorty

Synopsis:
 A book on "postmodern" philosophy, Rorty offers insights into how we relate to others (whether or not we can, etc...) and what that means to us as humanity.

Who I would recommend this to:
- Anyone interested in postmodern philosophy would be interested in this book.  Rorty just recently died so he is very current when it comes to philosophy
- Hard to say, philosophy is such a limited genre, people don't really venture into philosophy (especially this far) without usually knowing what they are doing and really wanting to
- Might be better for someone doing a philosophy research project, or maybe even something psychological