New Books for the Best Month ~ March 2016 (part 8)

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Contemporary Fiction 

A gender-fluid teenager who struggles with identity creates a blog on the topic that goes viral, and faces ridicule at the hands of fellow students.

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Mystery

On his own Thomas Bellweather hasn't been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad's cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect. Not that there's any evidence. But before Thomas got to Frederick there had only been one other murder in twenty years. The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her friend was the other murder vic. And she'd like a couple answers....Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden. The more they dig, the more it seems the only way they'll hear the real story is from the source--the killer. Not the kind of future plan a college recruiter likes to hear. But then, the better it works, the less likely either of them is going to have a future. . .

Titans by Victoria Scott

Action/Adventure 

Seventeen-year-old Astrid Sullivan belongs to a family of compulsive gamblers, and now that her father has been laid off from his job in Detroit and lost all their money betting on the Titans, which are half-horse, half car, and race around impossible tracks, her family is falling apart--but when Astrid's new friends give her the chance to participate in this year's Titan races, she thinks she sees a way to win some money and keep her family together.

Traffick by Ellen Hopkins

Contemporary Fiction 

In her bestselling novel, Tricks , Ellen Hopkins introduced us to five memorable characters tackling these enormous questions: Eden, the preacher's daughter who turns tricks in Vegas and is helped into a child prostitution rescue; Seth, the gay farm boy disowned by his father who finds himself without money or resources other than his own body; Whitney, the privileged kid coaxed into the life by a pimp and whose dreams are ruined in a heroin haze; Ginger, who runs away from home with her girlfriend and is arrested for soliciting an undercover cop; and Cody, whose gambling habit forces him into the life, but who is shot and left for dead. And now, in Traffick , these five are faced with the toughest question of all: Is there a way out? How these five teenagers face the aftermath of their decisions and experiences is the soul of this story that exposes the dark, ferocious underbelly of the child trafficking trade. Heartwrenching and hopeful, Traffick takes us on five separate but intertwined journeys through the painful challenges of recovery, rehabilitation, and renewal to forgiveness and love. All the way home.

New Books ~ August 2014 ~ Part 3

The Moe Manifesto: An Insider's Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime, and Gaming by Patrick Galbraith

MOE is a huge cultural phenomenon and one of the driving forces behind the enormous success of Japanese anime and manga-not just in Japan now, but throughout the world. In Japan, avid fans of manga comics, anime films and videogames use the term MOE to refer to the strong sense of emotional attachment they feel for their favorite characters. These fans have a powerful desire to protect and nurture the young, beautiful and innocent characters they adore-like Sagisawa Moe in Dinosaur Planet and Tomoe Hotaru in Sailor Moon . They create their own websites, characters, stories, discussion groups, toys and games based around the original manga and anime roles. Author Patrick Galbraith is the world's acknowledged expert on MOE and a journalist based in Tokyo. For this book, he interviewed twenty important figures in the world of Japanese manga and anime to gain their insights on the MOE phenomenon.

Undecided: Navigating Life and Learning After High School by Genevieve Morgan

Deciding what to do after high school is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. This book will help you come to grips with this often-overwhelming time of transition. It begins by helping students think seriously about who they are and what they want and then moves on to dissect the various options that are available after high school, such as enrolling in a training program, attending a community college, taking a gap year, enlisting in the military, or pursuing a traditional four-year degree, and more. It also takes an in-depth look at what you can expect to earn, the kind of lifestyle you may lead, and the possible pitfalls of all of these scenarios. Full of checklists, anecdotes, brainstorming activities, and journal exercises.

Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura (books 1 and 2)

As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery-- the land Leif called Vinland

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Tella's brother Cody is sick and getting worse, so when she finds instructions on how to become a contender in the dangerous Brimstone Bleed race where she can win a cure for him, she jumps at the chance--but there is no guarantee that she will win, or even survive.

Heads Up Psychology by Marcus Weeks

An introduction to psychology surveys the ideas of over sixty famous psychologists, discussing topics ranging from psychoanalysis and intelligence to groundbreaking experiments and mental disorders.