July New Books (Part 9)

Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash

Contemporary Fiction 

Alys, a Plaineville, Wisconsin, junior who dreams of studying violin at Julliard, must deal with the aftermath of a tragic high school shooting in which her older brother, Luke, was the shooter.

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Fantasy 

As the crown princess of Emerald, Dorthea lives a charmed life full of Hans Christian Louboutin glass slippers and Glenda Original ball gowns. But when she unknowingly wishes upon a cursed star, all hell breaks loose and the rules of fairy tale disappear--taking Dorthea's parents with them.

Sweet by Emmy Laybourne

Action/Adventure 

The luxurious celebrity cruise launching the trendy new diet sweetener Solu should be the vacation of a lifetime. But Laurel is starting to regret accepting her friend Viv's invitation. She's already completely embarrassed herself in front of celebrity host Tom Forelli--the hottest guy ever!--and she's too sick to even try the sweetener. And that's before Viv and all the other passengers start acting really strange. Tom knows that he should be grateful for this job and the chance to shed his former-child-star image. His publicists have even set up a 'romance' with a sexy reality star. But as things on the ship start to get wild, he finds himself drawn to a different girl. And when the hosting gig turns into an exposé on the shocking side effects of Solu, it's Laurel that he's determined to save. Emmy Laybourne, author of the Monument 14 trilogy, takes readers on a dream vacation in Sweet that goes first comically, then tragically, then horrifyingly, wrong!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross 

Historical Fiction 

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past? 

To Hold the Bridge by Garth Nix

Fantasy 

A collection of nineteen short stories, one set in the same world as Shade's Children, and another story set in the world of A Confusion of Princes.

July New Books (Part 6)

Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking

Paranormal 

Having failed in her mission to locate the missing Skojare Queen, and capture the ex-tracker Konstantin, tracker Bryn Aven returns to Doldastam to help prepare the kingdom for war against Viktor Dalig--but dark secrets lurk in the halls of the crystal palace, and uncovering them will threaten the half-Skojare tracker and change her life and the Kanin Kingdom forever.

The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak by Brian Katcher

Contemporary Fiction 

Ana is an honor student obsessed with being successful at everything academic, Clayton is her thirteen-year-old genius brother, the youngest student in their high school and Zak is a gamer who is forced to join the quiz team by his teacher--but when Clayton sneaks off to a science fiction convention in Seattle while they are all there for a quiz bowl tournament, Ana is forced to rely on the unreliable Zak to find him.

Ink and Ashes by Valynne Maetani
Mystery
When Japanese American Claire Takata finds out that her deceased father was once a member of the yakuza, a Japanese crime syndicate, danger enters her life that could end up killing someone.

Jaco the Galactic Patrolman by Akira Toriyama
Graphic Novel (Manga)
Akira Toriyama, manga legend and creator of Dragon Ball Z, is back with the quirky comedy Jaco the Galactic Patrolman! Retired scientist Omori lives alone on a deserted island while continuing his research into time-travel. His quiet life is interrupted when galactic patrolman Jaco crash-lands and decided to move in with him. Can Jaco get along with the old man long enough to save the earth from a dangerous threat? Includes a special bonus chapter introducing Dragon Ball Z hero Goku's parents!

Kiss of the Rose Princess vol 3 by Aya Shouoto
Graphic Novel (Manga)
Volumes 3 and 4 now available.  Volume 2 is backordered but should be here shortly.

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb
Contemporary Fiction
When she falls for a boy who moves to California without any warning, sixteen-year-old Eva and her best friend, Annie, set off on a road trip to the West Coast to see him again, confronting the complex truth about love along the way.

New Books for June...Finally! (Part 10)

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Contemporary Fiction 

Sydney's charismatic older brother, Peyton, has always been the center of attention in the family but when he is sent to jail, Sydney struggles to find her place at home and the world until she meets the Chathams, including gentle, protective Mac, who makes her feel seen for the first time.

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

Mystery 

Scarlett, a sixteen-year-old private detective in the fictional city of Las Almas, finds herself at the center of a mysterious case--involving ancient curses, priceless artifacts, and jinn--as she discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks.

A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

Historical Fiction 

England, 1814. After accidentally setting her father's stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House where she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads-or their hearts.

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Mystery 

Follows three young operatives of a Psychic Detection Agency as they battle an epidemic of ghosts in London.

Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

Paranormal 

Cam's adopted mother is a wicked witch who wants Cam to be just like her, even as Cam tries to stop her plans for ruling the world, including the latest, which involves summoning a demon that now possesses one of the boys at Cam's school.

April Books bring May...more books! (April new books part 9)

Waiting for Gonzo by Dave Cousins

Contemporary Fiction

Things could be going better for Oz. He's just moved miles from all his friends. A prank at his new school puts him in the crosshairs of "Psycho" Isobel Skinner, a bully who also happens to be his mum's new best friend. And he's driven off the only other kid who will have anything to do with him: a Tolkien-obsessed boy in desperate need of a decent playlist. With his life careening out of control, Oz sets about making things right. But when he stumbles on his sister's game-changing secret, Oz is left wondering if he can ever get his old life back . . . or if he's stuck forever in this craziness. 

Zom-B Family by Darren Shan

Science Fiction

Now a prisoner of the most heinous survivors of the human race, B finds herself at the mercy of her enemies and discovers the fate of her parents and friend Vinyl, calling into question how much she is willing to sacrifice in the name of justice.

New Books for February (part 5)

Contemporary Fiction

 Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else; an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they'd have a chance to remake their world. 

Action/Adventure 

Cassie Hobbes and the other members of the Naturals program of the FBI work to solve a string of serial murders carried out by a copycat killer.

Contemporary Fiction

Seventeen-year-old Kevin tries to reinvent himself when he runs away from home and the father he hates, but living with a mysterious uncle and befriending two homeless girls just adds more complications.

Historical Fiction

Inspired by a true story, this relates the tale of siblings Sosi, Shahen, and Mariam who survive the Armenian genocide of 1915 by escaping from Turkey alone over the mountains.

Nonfiction - Biography

When fifteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai spoke out against the Taliban's policy of forbidding education for girls, an attempt was made on her life. This is her story, which also includes information on other hardships faced by young women in Pakistan.

New Books for a New School Year - September books part 5

Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn

Jamie's mother was murdered when he was six, about seven years later his sister Cate was incarcerated for burning down a neighbor's barn, and now Jamie, fifteen, learns that Cate has been released and is coming back for him, blaming him for all the bad things that led to her arrest.

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

Given the chance, fifteen-year-old Peregrine "Perry" Eckert would dedicate every waking moment to Creatures & Caverns, an epic role-playing game rich with magical creatures, spell casting, and deadly weapons. The world of C&C is where he feels most comfortable in his own skin. But that isn't happening--not if his parents have anything to do with it. Concerned their son lacks social skills, they ship him off to summer camp to become a man. They want him to be outdoors playing with kids his own age and meeting girls--rather than indoors alone, with only his gaming alter ego for company. Perry knows he's in for the worst summer of his life. Everything changes, however, when Perry gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets Mortin Enaw, one of the creators of C&C, and other mythical creatures from the game, including the alluring Ada Ember, whom Perry finds more beautiful than any human girl he's ever met. Perry's new otherworldly friends need his help to save their princess and prevent mass violence. As they embark on their quest, Perry realizes that his nerdy childhood has uniquely prepared him to be a great warrior in this world, and maybe even a hero. But to save the princess, Perry will have to learn how to make real connections in the human world as well.

Brazen by Katherine Longshore

Mary Howard, always in the shadow of her powerful family, marries Henry VIII's illegitimate son, Fitz, but their carefree life unravels as Queen Anne Boleyn falls out of favor and they are implicated in horrible rumors.

Wonder Woman: Vol. 3 Iron by Brian Azzarello

Wonder Woman has finally discovered her heritage, as well as all the family that comes along with it. However, as she digs deeper into her familial tree, there's as many Gods that are willing to lend her a hand as there are those that would do her harm. WW continues on her search for her friend Zola's baby, not knowing who she can trust. So when she discovers New God Orion at her doorstep, is he here to help her - or destroy her?

Batman: Vol. 3 Death of the Family by Scott Snyder

After having his face sliced off one year ago, the Joker makes his horrifying return to Gotham City! But even for man who's committed a lifetime of murder, he's more dangerous than ever before. How can Batman protect his city and those he's closest to? It all leads back to Arkham Asylum...

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.

New Books for March ~ Part 3

The Last of Us: American Dreams by Neil Druckmann

19 years ago, a parasitic fungal outbreak killed the majority of the world's population.  In one of the few remaining quarantine zones, 13 year old Ellie begins her new life as a ward of a military boarding school, where a friendship with fellow student Riley leads to her first trip in the outside world.  Beyond the walls of the regimented civil order they know, Ellie and Riley are soon confronted with the violent ways of life of the insurgent group The Fireflies-and with the monstrous victims of the infection!

The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens by Brooke Hauser

Chronicles a year in the life of a diverse group of seniors, all recent immigrants for whom English is a second language, at the renowned International High School in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

 Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy

Danny Wright never thought he'd be the man to bring down the United States of America. In fact, he enlisted in the Idaho National Guard because he wanted to serve his country the way his father did. When the Guard is called up on the governor's orders to police a protest in Boise, it seems like a routine crowd-control mission ... but then Danny's gun misfires, spooking the other soldiers and the already fractious crowd, and by the time the smoke clears, twelve people are dead.

Avalon by Mindee Arnett

For fans of Josh Whedon's cult classic television show Firefly comes a fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi thriller from author Mindee Arnett, about a group of teenage mercenaries who stumble upon a conspiracy that threatens the entire galaxy. Jeth Seagrave and his crew have made their name stealing metatech: the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light. In a world where the agencies that patrol the outer edges of space are as corrupt as the crime bosses who control them, it's as much of a living as anyone can ask for. For years Jeth's managed to fly under the radar of the government that executed his parents for treason--but when he finds himself in possession of information that both government and the crime bosses are willing to kill for, he's going to find there's no escaping his past anymore. With pulse-pounding action, a captivating mystery, and even a bit of romance, Avalon is the perfect read for hard-core sci-fi fans and non-sci-fi fans alike.

Blythewood by Carol Goodman

Welcome to Blythewood. At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she's on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York's mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended; and was expelled from. Though she's afraid her high society classmates won't accept a factory girl in their midst, Ava is desperate to unravel her family's murky past, discover the identity of the father she's never known, and perhaps finally understand her mother's abrupt suicide. She's also on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious boy who rescued her from the fire. And she suspects the answers she seeks lie at Blythewood.  But nothing could have prepared her for the dark secret of what Blythewood is, and what its students are being trained to do.

New Books ~ June (Part 4)

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, & Larkin Reed

After her grandmother's death Sarah Parsons, nearly sixteen, delights in exploring her family's centuries-old Maryland estate with new friend Jackson, but soon she is having vivid visions of her ancestors, one of whom may be a threat to Sarah's autistic brother, Sam.

Devil's Pass by Sigmund Brouwer

Webb, a young street musician, faces grizzly bears and a madman on the Canol Trail when he tries to fulfill a request in his late grandfather's will.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

As Wild Chalklings threaten the American Isles and Rithmatists are humanity's only defense, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice.

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Fifteen-year-old Lucy discovers that she is a chantress who can perform magic by singing, and the only one who can save England from the control of the dangerous Lord Protector.

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Sixteen-year-old San Franciscan Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. Her chance at a career has passed, and she decides to help her ten-year-old piano prodigy brother, Gus, map out his own future, even as she explores why she enjoyed piano in the first place.

New Books: Oct. 2012 (Part 4)

The Diviners by Libba Bray

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Seventeen-year-old Evie O'Neill is thrilled when she is exiled from small-town Ohio to New York City in 1926, even when a rash of occult-based murders thrusts Evie and her uncle, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, into the thick of the investigation.

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson

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Tandy Angel is, along with her brothers, a suspect in their parents' murder but having grown up under Malcolm and Maud Angel's perfectionist demands, Tandy decides she must clear the family name no matter what.

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

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Hero. Foreigner. Queen. Elisa, at the age of seventeen, is all three. And all three draw enemies. Faced with assassins, court politics, and the threat of civil war, Elisa despairs of being the ruler her people need. Her only hope is the Godstone. She must master its power once and for all. She finds clues hidden in a long forgotten--and forbidden--scripture. Accompanied by a one-eyed warrior, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa takes a leap of faith and crosses an ocean in search of the ultimate source of the Godstone's power. 

 Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

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A mentally ill teenager who rides the "short bus" to school investigates the sudden disappearance of his best friend.

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

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A centuries-long war between daimons and witches sets the stage for three teens caught up in a deadly struggle for power and autonomy in the exotic and otherworldly Carnival of Souls, the mercantile center of the daimon dimension.

Your newest summer reads...July books! Part 3

My Beating Teenage Heart by C. K. Kelly Martin

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Two unexpected and heartbreaking deaths cause the lives of two very different teenagers to become intertwined as one struggles to deal with his grief and stay in this world, and the other finds herself inexplicably caught between this world and the next.

 Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

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When the owner of a candy shop molds magical treats that instill confidence, bravery, and passion, eighteen-year-old Gretchen's haunted childhood memories of her twin sister's abduction by a witch-like monster begin to fade until girls start vanishing at the annual chocolate festival.

 Friend Me: 600 Years of Social Networking in America by Francesca Davis DiPiazza

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A string of beads : uniting native nations -- The knitted city : puritan New England -- Coffee and conversation : a notion of freedom -- People skills : creating community in slavery -- A very social time : networking in a new nation -- Wired! : love, death, and the telegraph -- Small world : XX -- Hardwired : from earth to the stars -- Source notes -- Selected bibliography -- Further reading and website.

 Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by John Feinstein

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Two teenaged aspiring journalists who are dating solve a mystery at the 2012 Olympic Games, while one simultaneously competes for a gold medal in swimming.

Stunning by Sara Shepard

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Struggling to return to normalcy after surviving Alison's attempt to kill them, Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna endure a series of disasters before realizing that they are being stalked by a new "A" who knows all of their secrets.