New Books for June - Part 1

Hi all, I know this post is a little late, but the new books have been on the shelf!  I just hadn't gotten around to posting about them yet.  Enjoy!

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gaviel Savit

Historical Fiction 

When her university professor father is sent by the Gestapo to a concentration camp, seven-year-old Anna travels the Polish countryside with the mysterious Swallow Man during World War II.

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

Mystery 

Oscar Dunleavy, a teenager who used to make incredible apple tarts, has gone missing and everyone thinks he is dead, but Oscar's best friend Meg and his little brother Stevie, form a band as they try to figure out what happened to him.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Contemporary Fiction 

David Piper, always an outsider, forms an unlikely friendship with Leo Denton who, from the first day at his new school wants only to be invisible, but when David's deepest secret gets out, that he wants to be a girl, things get very messy for both of them.

Assassination Classroom vol 9 by Yusei Matsui

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

Nagisa risks life and limb in an attempt to take down the mastermind behind a biological attack. After the dust settles, Koro Sensei tries to ignite some summer romances between the students of 3-E. Their teacher Irina Jelavitch, at least, has her sights on someone…and everyone happily conspires to bring them together! Back at school, one of the 3-E students defects from the ranks for all the wrong reasons. How will they bring him back before he inflicts irrevocable damage on them all…?

Attack on Titan vol 11 by Hajime Isayama

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

Thanks to Eren's timely arrival, the 104th has managed to turn the tide at Wall Rose. But this momentary victory forces two more traitors into a corner – and the identity of the Titans who have been destroying the walls is revealed! What can Eren do against the two most dangerous monsters humanity has ever faced? And who else might be an enemy in disguise?

Biggie by Derek Sullivan

Contemporary Fiction 

Henry "Biggie" Abbott has hidden behind his weight for years, and although he is the son and stepson of two of Finch, Minnesota's most famous athletes, he prefers academic success until the girl of his dreams suggests he join the baseball team, and, with his stepbrother's help, he discovers he is a great pitcher.

Here Come the New Books for May 2016! (part 1)

Attack on Titan vol 10 by Hajime Isayawa

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

With no combat gear and Wall Rose breached, the 104th scrambles to evacuate the village in the Titan's path.  On their way to the safety of Wall Sheena, they decide to spend the night in Utgard Castle.  But their sanctuary becomes a slaughterhouse when they discover that, for some reason, these Titans attack at night!

Bluescreen by Dan Wells

Science Fiction 

Los Angeles in 2050 is a city of open doors, as long as you have the right connections. That connection is a djinni--a smart device implanted right in a person's head. In a world where virtually everyone is online twenty-four hours a day, this connection is like oxygen--and a world like that presents plenty of opportunities for someone who knows how to manipulate it. Marisa Carneseca is one of those people. She might spend her days in Mirador, but she lives on the net--going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it's Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen--a virtual drug that plugs right into a person's djinni and delivers a massive, nonchemical, completely safe high. But in this city, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected.

Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina

Historical Fiction 

Nora Lopez is seventeen during the summer of 1977, when New York is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam. Meg Media transports us to a time when tempers and temperatures ran high to share the story of a young woman who discovers that the greatest dangers are often closer than we like to admit.

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

Science Fiction 

David prepares for a confrontation against the High Epic to help his friend, Prof, achieve redemption and embrace his destiny.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy 

The stunning sequel to Sarah J. Maas' New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses . Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

The Crown by Kiera Cass

Science Fiction 

Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series has captured the hearts of readers from its very first page. Now the end of the journey is here. Prepare to be swept off your feet by The Crown--the eagerly awaited, wonderfully romantic fifth and final book in the Selection series. In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn didn't think she would find a real partner among the Selection's thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you...and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult--and more important--than she ever expected.

New Books for the Best Month ~ March 2016 (part 1)

Are You Still There by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Mystery 

When a bomb is found in her school, AP student and perfect daughter Gabi is invited to work on the crisis hotline, a position that draws her into a suspenseful game of cat and mouse with the bomber.

Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Fantasy 

Seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana, a trained assassin, falls in love with Val Da Via, a boy from a rival clan, until tragedy intervenes and sets her on a course of revenge against the Da Vias family.

Attack on Titan vol 9 by Hajime Isayama

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

Eren is still resting from his brutal fight with the female Titan, when word reaches the interior that the impossible has happened: Wall Rose itself has been breached, and Titans are pouring through the gap! The emergency casts new urgency over Armin and Hange's questions about how the walls were built, and what humanity can do to restore them...

Burn by Walter Jury and Sarah Fine

Action/Adventure

At the cliffhanger ending of Scan , Tate loses the very thing he was fighting to protect, what his father had called the key to human survival. Tate doesn't have much time to worry about it because he needs to get away, to ensure he and Christina are safe. His father left him one last thing that can do just that--a safe house, which turns out to be a clue to what's really threatening the planet. As Tate follows the clues his father left behind, he starts to uncover the truth, realizing he's up against an enemy he's only beginning to understand. 

Day 21 by Kass Morgan

Science Fiction 

It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries...or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, the hundred struggle to survive the only way they can--together, as secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested.

The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

Historical Fiction 

After leaving 1919 Ireland to find his father in America, Shanley Keagan, caught in a robbery mixup, is sent to Alcatraz and, while working in the greenhouse, is moved by the plight of Sadie, the abused daughter of a guard, who longs to find a way to escape.

Curl Up With One of February's New Books (part 1)

1 Year, 100 Pounds: My Journey to a Better, Happier Life by Whitney Holcombe

Nonfiction 

At age 14, Whitney Holcombe bravely stepped onto her bathroom scale, coming face to face with a hard fact: She weighed 230 pounds. That number controlled every aspect of her life until one day she chose to take charge and go from being the fat girl to a healthy, confident young woman who's dedicated to helping others make positive life choices. Part cheerleader, part drill sergeant, Whitney challenges and helps transform teens battling obesity and embarrassment, to become self-assured, healthy young adults. With 1 Year, 100 pounds, Whitney not only shares her incredible story in inspiring and intimate detail, but she outlines the practical tips, exercises, and habits you need to truly change yourself. No expensive gym memberships, trainers, surgeries, or crash diets are required Simply follow Whitney's incredible guide and take the first steps to learning how to love your body and yourself.

250 Hours by Colleen Nelson

Contemporary Fiction 

Jess is an angry loner trying to escape a troubled past, Sara Jean is a dutiful granddaughter trying to escape a strait-jacketed future. They come together over a 250-hour community service sentence to clean out a garage full of secrets that has implications for them both.

All the Major Constellations by Pratima Cranse

Contemporary Fiction 

Andrew is leaving high school behind and looking ahead to a fresh start at college and distance from his not-so-secret infatuation: Laura Lettel. But when a terrible accident leaves him without the companionship of his two best friends, Andrew is cast adrift and alone--until Laura unexpectedly offers him comfort, friendship, and the support of a youth group of true believers, fundamentalist Christians with problems and secrets of their own. Andrew is curiously drawn to their consuming beliefs, but why? Is it only to get closer to Laura? And is Laura genuinely interested in Andrew, or is she just trying to convert him?

Assassination Classroom vol 7 by Yusei Matsui

Graphic Novel (Manga) 

The 3-E students hope to kill on their final exams to win not only respect but a special reward.  Over summer break, Nagisa, Sugino and Maehara play amateur entomologist with ... a girl?  After rigorous training with the greatest assassin of all, the class launches their best assassination plan yet!  Now who will save our would-be assassins from a mysterious biological weapon?!

Attack on Titan vol 8 by Hajime Isayama

Graphic Novel (manga) 

Blood on his hands!

The expedition outside the wall was Eren’s chance to prove himself. But it failed, and the female Titan is free once more!

With his squad dead, Eren faces a royal summons. Will Mikasa and Armin have to betray their king to save their friend? And can they discover the female Titan’s identity before she kills again?

The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden & The Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller

Nonfiction 

With murder, court battles, and sensational newspaper headlines, the story of Lizzie Borden is compulsively readable and perfect for the Common Core. Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. In a compelling, linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie's arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a gripping portrait of a woman and a town emerges. With inserts featuring period photos and newspaper clippings--and, yes, images from the murder scene--readers will devour this nonfiction book that reads like fiction. "Sure to be a hit with true crime fans everywhere."

New Books for the New Year - January 2016 New Books part 2

Calvin by Martine Leavitt

Contemporary Fiction 

Born on the day the last Calvin and Hobbes comic strip was published, seventeen-year-old Calvin, a schizophrenic, sees and has conversations with the tiger, Hobbes, and believes that if he can persuade the strip's creator, Bill Watterson, to do one more strip, he will make Calvin well.

The August 5 by Jenna Helland

Fantasy 

Tommy Shore, one of the twin sons of the chief administrator of Seahaven, learns to his dismay that the government has been keeping secrets, and when he joins up with some rebels at the Seminary, he must go against everything his father stands for.

Attack on Titan vol 7 by Hajime Isayama

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

The Survey Corps sets a cunning trap to capture the mysterious Abnormal Titan that broke through their ranks. As Armin tries to determine the grotesque creature’s identity and purpose, scouts report Titans closing in on all sides! But they don’t seem to be after the humans – instead they’re targeting the Titan!

Assassination Classroom vol 6 by Yusei Matsui

Manga (Japanese Graphic Novel) 

The 3-E students discover that Koro Sensei's greatest weakness might be a common substance. Will they be able to use it to assassinate him while he helps Meg, formerly of the varsity swim team, with her greatest weakness? The next assassination attempt, implemented by Terasaka, is more elaborate but endangers his fellow students. Can he save them without saving his target? Then, the top class at school, including Principal Asano's son, conspires to prevent 3-E from ever rising closer to the top!

The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings

Science Fiction 

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is the dark and compelling sequel to the bestselling The Murder Complex, which Booklist praised as "carefully crafted ... chilling" and Justine magazine called "a must for fans of action-packed dystopians like The Hunger Games and Divergent."With short, fast-paced, alternating point-of-view chapters, The Death Code starts several weeks after The Murder Complex ends. Zephyr keeps the secret about Meadow close that if she dies, The Murder Complex will be destroyed, too. Meadow, desperate to find her brother, father, and little sister, is determined to fight fearlessly to the end, even if it means sacrificing herself and her friends, new and old. The Death Code introduces a memorable cast of secondary characters and delivers a vivid and scary thrill ride read.

My Gift to You ~ New Books for December (part 1)

Attack on Titan vol 6 by Hajime Isayama

Graphic Novel (Manga) 

On the way to Eren’s home, deep in Titan territory, the Survey Corps ranks are broken by a charge led by a female Titan! But this Abnormal is different – she kills not to eat but to protect herself, and she seems to be looking for someone. Armin comes to a shocking conclusion: She’s a human in a Titan’s body, just like Eren!

Batman: Endgame vol 7 by Scott Snyder

Graphic Novel (Comic) 

The Joker is back in these stories from BATMAN #35-40! For years, The Joker has regarded Batman with a sick, twisted love. But now, the Clown Prince of Crime is done playing. He’s going to kill Batman. And he’s going to do it using those whom Batman loves the most: the Justice League. The Joker returns to Gotham City with a deadlier agenda than ever before, using every tool at his disposal to finally kill the Dark Knight. That includes turning Batman’s allies against him in the bloodiest brawl that he’s ever had to survive.

The Big Book of Building: Everything Minecraft: Imagine it...Create it...Build it by Triumph Books

Nonfiction 

Brought to you by the authors and editors that created the Minecrafter and Minecrafter 2.0 Advanced guide books, The Big Book of Building features more of everything—more mods, more mining, more mobs, and more Minecraft! Up to date for the 2014 holiday season, The Big Book of Building is packed with the most recent training, tools, and techniques to help readers get more out of their favorite sandbox game. 2014 was a pivotal year for Minecraft, and this book captures all the latest and greatest things that have happened to one of the most brilliant and immersive games in video game history. From a brief overview of the game to advanced farming, mining, and building techniques, this guide touches on everything Minecraft enthusiasts could ever ask for. 

Minecraft Blockopedia 

Nonfiction 

Minecraft Blockopedia is your indispensable guide to the very stuff of Minecraft: the blocks!

Minecraft can be an overwhelming place in which to first set foot, but with this book you’ll always know what’s around you, in the air, under your feet, and at your virtual fingertips. Every single block is featured with its location, function, and behaviour. Blockopedia is grouped into helpful sections by type of block: naturally generated, ores and minerals, plants, and liquids and gases. In addition to their properties, you’ll get all the stats on blast resistance, transparency, light emittance, and block drops. You’ll also discover the secrets of each block and informative facts about how they behave. Basic blocks such as dirt, grass, and cobblestone are found in abundance in the Overworld. But for the rarer variety, such as the Monster Spawner, it will mean a trip into the Nether dimension.  

Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian

Contemporary Fiction 

Senior Will Caynes must face unsettling feelings for his best friend Angus after they share a drunken kiss, while also embarking on his first real relationship with sophomore Brandy--all as the burden of home-life troubles weigh heavily.

The Distance From Me to You by Marina Gessner

Contemporary Fiction 

McKenna and her best friend planned for over a year to defer their freshman year of college to hike the Appalachian Trail all the way from Maine to Georgia, so when her friend backs out McKenna embarks alone on a physical and emotional journey that will change her life forever.

New books for October ~ Part 1

13 Days of Midnight by Leo Hunt

Paranormal 

When his estranged father dies, sixteen-year-old Luke inherits eight spirits who want revenge for their enslavement, and with Halloween fast approaching, he has only thirteen days to give them their eternal rest or he may join their ghostly ranks.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely

Contemporary Fiction 

A bag of chips. That's all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad's pleadings that he's stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad's resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad's every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement? But there were witnesses: Quinn Collins-a varsity basketball player and Rashad's classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan-and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team-half of whom are Rashad's best friends-start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before. 

Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius

Contemporary Fiction 

On a rigid path, set by his family, to become valedictorian, attend Harvard Law School, have a stunning political career like his father's, and date the right girl, Henry Tudor feels trapped until he meets the wild, brash Anne Boleyn, and they embark on a dangerous romance.

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Fantasy
After Pin and Shoe escape from servitude in the Godmother's fortress, they learn that she has taken control of Story, which can warp the world around it, forcing people into its shape, and they decide to try to break out and create their own destinies in this tale that features many familiar characters.

 

Attack on Titan vols 4 & 5 by Hajime Isayama

Manga (Japanese graphic novel) 

Volume 4 back cover: The Survey Corps develops a risky gambit-have Eren in Titan form attempt to repair Wall Rose, reclaiming human territory from the monsters for the first time in a century.  But Titan-Eren's self control is far from perfect, and when he goes on a rampage, not even Armin can stop him!  With the survival of humanity on his massive shoulders, will Eren be able to return to hist senses, or will he lose himself forever?

New School Year, New Books! September New Books (part 1)

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Paranormal 

Every October Cara and her family become mysteriously and dangerously accident-prone, but this year, the year Cara, her ex-stepbrother, and her best friend are 17, is when Cara will begin to unravel the accident season's dark origins.

After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga

Science Fiction 

Set in a future world of environmental collapse and mass poverty, where a mysterious boy named Rose discovers he possesses inhuman powers that can irrevocably change the lives of everyone on the planet.  

Another Day by David Levithan

Paranormal 

Rhiannon is disappointed that her neglectful boyfriend Justin doesn't remember the one perfect day they shared, until a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person... wasn't Justin at all.

 

Assassination Classroom vols 4&5 by Yusei Matsui

Graphic Novel (manga) 

Ever caught yourself screaming, "I could just kill that teacher"? What would it take to justify such antisocial behavior and weeks of detention? Especially if he's the best teacher you've ever had? Giving you an "F" on a quiz? Mispronouncing your name during roll call...again? How about blowing up the moon and threatening to do the same to Mother Earth—unless you take him out first?! Plus a reward of a cool 100 million from the Ministry of Defense! Okay, now that you're committed... How are you going to pull this off? What does your pathetic class of misfits have in their arsenal to combat Teach's alien technology, bizarre powers and...tentacles?!

 

Attack on Titan vols 1, 2, & 3 by Hajime Isayama

Graphic Novel (manga) 

For the past century, what's left of mankind has hidden in a giant, three-walled city, trapped in fear of the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans.  Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming humankind, but the sudden appearance of an enormous Titan is about to change everything...