Virtual Vandals, subtitled Net Force Explorers, is the story of a group of teens and young adults with incredible technological prowess. Gifted hackers and programmers, the kids find themselves caught up in a web of intrigue well outside their sphere of expertise. They so far outstrip their teachers and parents that they must cope with the sudden challenges and dangers of their discovery entirely on their own, relying on their skills and on each other to succeed.
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vahn and America in Vietnam is a book by Neil Sheehan, a reporter and friend of Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann, who criticized the United States' strategies in the Vietnam war. Vann criticized the U.S. military commanders, their support of a corrupt Saigon regime, and their ineffective attempts to defeat their enemies. After being transfered back to America after confrontations with the command, Vann returned to Vietnam and compromised with the military, failing to secure victory.
Giovanni's Room is the story of an American newlywed, David, and his tumultuous affair with a Parisian bartender named Giovanni while alone on holiday in Paris. The novel is one of the earliest instances of a sympathetic portrayal of homosexual characters in Western literature. David wrestles with his sexual identity and with his marriage, which eventually crumbles. Giovanni himself commits a murder of passion and is executed, shattering David completely.
Ivanhoe, which takes place in the twelfth-century, is a historical novel that follows the story of protagonist Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon of British descent, who has been disinherited by his father for supporting the Norman King Richard, of French descent. Though the novel does explore important themes like the conflict between heroic ideals and modern society, Ivanhoe is primarily an adventure story, as readers follow the main character through jousts, tournaments, and saving damsels in distress.