New Books for the New Year - January 2016 New Books part 8

Red Girl, Blue Boy by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Contemporary Fiction 

As Katie's father and Drew's mother vie for the Presidency, the sixteen-year-olds start--and end--a romance, but the press finds out, both candidates' poll numbers rise, and the two are asked to flaunt their former relationship.

Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart by Jonathan Maberry

Graphic Novel 

Four friends travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains, one step ahead of the zombie hordes and a long way from their destination.

Sasquatch by Andrea Schicke Hirsch

Mystery 

Following his parents' ugly divorce, Jake Oliver chooses to move with his father to a remote corner of Connecticut. It is bad enough that their new home turns out to be a fenced-in dump in the middle of nowhere, but it seems that the previous owner, his dad's late Uncle Horace, had been the local crackpot ridiculed by the community for his belief that a Bigfoot roamed the vast woodland preserve that lay beyond the property. Not everything about Jake's new life is bad, though. His job at the local market is okay, and it doesn't hurt that his coworker is pretty Nell Davis. But when odd things start to happen, like weird calls in the dead of night, stones thrown by an unseen assailant, and lingering foul odors wafting on the breeze, Jake starts to believe that maybe old Horace wasn't so crazy after all. With Nell's help, Jake is determined to make a name for himself by proving to the world that the mythical Sasquatch is alive and well and living in the woods just on the other side of that fence.

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Fantasy 

On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom.

The Smart Girl's Guide to Privacy: Practical Tips for Staying Safe Online by Violet Blue

Nonfiction

Everybody's talking about online privacy, personal security and cybersecurity -- and for good reason: we have less privacy than ever before. Social media, online dating, photo sharing, mobile everything… It can make your life a dream -- or a nightmare. The Smart Girl’s Guide to Privacy is the only guide focused on privacy for women. This book helps you hack your way through the jungle of privacy chaos and fight back against sleazy marketers, unethical megacorporations, scammers, stalkers, hacked apps, and thieves. 

New books for October ~ Part 8

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

Fantasy 

Teenager Viv, who is constantly escaping her "Snow White" fairy-tale curse, meets the prince who is supposed to save her, but can not fall out of love with the young man destined to kill her.

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

Fantasy 

When a talented mechanic in 1818 Geneva brings his brother back from the dead using clockwork parts, the citizens of Geneva think they may have inspired the recently published novel Frankenstein.

Ultimate Spy by H. Keith Melton

Nonfiction 

The insider's guide to the secret world of espionage in a revised, expanded edition. From the Civil War to the present day, learn about famous spies throughout history, how they were recruited, and what really happened in some of their most daring missions in history. With more than 600 full-color photographs and illustrations, detailed accounts of formerly secret operations, descriptions of spy equipment and techniques used to gather information, The Ultimate Spy is the insider's guide to the secret world of espionage.

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Historical Fiction 

When her father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers--and justice.

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Paranormal 

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature. Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home--until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

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 3)

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Fantasy 

When a scheming lord tears Jess's family apart, she must rely on her unlikely friendship with Kal, a high-ranking Patron boy, and her skill at Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory, to protect her Commoner mother and mixed-race sisters and save her father's reputation.

Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking

Paranormal 

Cast out by her kingdom and far from home, she's the Kanin people's only hope. Bryn Aven-unjustly charged with murder and treason-is on the run. The one person who can help is her greatest enemy, the gorgeous and enigmatic Konstantin Black. Konstantin is her only ally against those who have taken over her kingdom and threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But can she trust him? As Bryn fights to clear her name, the Kanin rulers' darkest secrets are coming to light... and now the entire troll world is on the brink of war. Will it tear Bryn from Ridley Dresden, the only guy she's ever loved? And can she join forces with Finn Holms and the Trylle kingdom? Nothing is as it seems, but one thing is certain: an epic battle is underway-and when it's complete, nothing will ever be the same.

Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne

Fantasy 

As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to theDemon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly? Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Paranormal 

Sixteen-year-old Cordelia and her family move into the house they just inherited in Pennsylvania, a former insane asylum the locals call Hysteria Hall--unfortunately the house does not want defiant girls like Delia, so it kills her, and as she wanders the house, meeting the other ghosts and learning the dark secrets of the Hall, she realizes that she has to find a way to save her sister, parents, and perhaps herself.

Dead Upon a Time by Elizabeth Paulson

Fantasy 

A sinister kidnapper is on the loose in Kate Hood's world, and when her grandmother disappears from her cottage in the woods, leaving behind tapestries showing the torments being inflicted on the victims, Kate knows she will have to find the witch responsible on her own--that is until the King's daughter is also kidnapped.

July New Books (Part 10)

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

Action/Adventure 

The lives of four high school seniors intersect weeks before a meteor is set to pass through Earth's orbit, with a 66.6% chance of striking and destroying all life on the planet.

Wonder Woman vol 5: Flesh by Brian Azzarello

Graphic Novel 

Wonder Woman's life is changed forever when she is called on to take the place of War on Olympus! An epic new era of WONDER WOMAN begins here, as Diana must decide if the path set out for her is one she wants to take.  But there's no time for Wonder Woman to fully comprehend the fallout as her family gathers to prepare for an assault on Olympus!

The last time the First Born came for Olympus, it took the death of the God of War to stop him. With Wonder Woman as the new God of War and the First Born more determined than ever to claim his birthright, things are about to get violent indeed!

Words Wound: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral by Justin Patchin and Sameer Hinduja

Nonfiction 

Two expert researchers on bullying prevention speak directly to teens about how they can end cyberbullying. It provides them with numerous peer anecdotes and strategies they can use to help create kinder schools and communities.

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Fantasy 

In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan but discovers not all is as it seems within the palace.

The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

Contemporary Fiction 

After her mother dies, sixteen-year-old Kate Quinn meets the father she did not know she had, joins his presidential campaign, falls for a rebellious boy, and when what she truly believes flies in the face of the campaign's talking points, Kate must decide what is best.

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.

New Books for June...Finally! (Part 8)

The Notorious Pagan Jones by Nina Berry

Historical Fiction 

Pagan Jones went from America's sweetheart to fallen angel in one fateful night in 1960: the night a car accident killed her whole family. Pagan was behind the wheel and driving drunk. Nine months later, she's stuck in the Lighthouse Reformatory for Wayward Girls and tortured by her guilt--not to mention the sadistic Miss Edwards, who takes special delight in humiliating the once-great Pagan Jones. But all of that is about to change. Pagan's old agent shows up with a mysterious studio executive, Devin Black, and an offer. Pagan will be released from juvenile detention if she accepts a juicy role in a comedy directed by award-winning director Bennie Wexler. The shoot starts in West Berlin in just three days. If Pagan's going to do it, she has to decide fast--and she has to agree to a court-appointed 'guardian,' the handsome yet infuriating Devin, who's too young, too smooth and too sophisticated to be some studio flack. The offer's too good to be true, Berlin's in turmoil and Devin Black knows way too much about her--there's definitely something fishy going on. But if anyone can take on a divided city, a scheming guardian and the criticism of a world that once adored her, it's the notorious Pagan Jones. What could go wrong?

The Novice by Taran Matharu 

Fantasy 

When Fletcher, a blacksmith's apprentice, learns he can summon demons, he travels with his demon to an academy for adepts where he is to train as a Battlemage in the Empire's war against the orcs, but he discovers that all is not as it seems.

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Contemporary Fiction 

When a reluctant visit turns into an extended summer vacation among relatives Emily never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Paranormal 

When Delilah is united with Oliver, a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairytale, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, and all must be resolved for the two to live happily ever after.

The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg

Contemporary Fiction 

Seventeen-year-old Carson Speier is bored of Billings, Montana, and resentful that he has to help his mother take care of his father, a dying alcoholic whom he has not seen in fourteen years--but then he meets Aisha, a beautiful African American girl who has run away from her own difficult family, and together they embark on a journey of discovery that may help them both come to terms with their lives.

New Books for June...Finally! (Part 4)

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Contemporary Fiction 

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable ... convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. Will Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship?

Forever: Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Action/Adventure 

Maximum Ride and her broken flock roam a postapocalyptic world, searching for answers to what happened.

Furious Jones and the Assassin's Secret by Tim Kehoe

Action/Adventure 

Upon witnessing his famous spy-novelist father's murder just seven months after his mother's death, twelve-year-old Furious, now an orphan, seeks clues in his father's latest novel to stop the murderer before he or she strikes again.

The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman

Paranormal 

After the brutal murder of her cousin, everything changes for sixteen-year-old Rowan, who must not only seek the evil forces responsible before they destroy her family and village, but also set aside her studies when she becomes betrothed to her best friend, Tom.

The Good Girls by Sara Shepard

Mystery 

When a rich bully and someone else dies, Mackenzie, Ava, Caitlin, Julie, and Parker wonder if they're being framed. Or are they about to become the killer's next targets?

Happy birthday to me! ~ New Books for March (part 2)

Cool Nail Art: 30 Step-by-Step Designs to Rock Your Fingers and Toes by Hannah Lee

Nonfiction

Hannah Lee, creator of the YouTube Channel Hannah Rox Nails, shares more than thirty new nail designs in 'Cool Nail Art'. With tips on how to prep your manicure, clear step-by-step instructions and easy-to-use tools, you can create fabulous nail art designs in your own home.

Cooking Comically: Recipes So Easy You'll Actually Make Them by Tyler Capps

Cooking should be as much fun as reading a comic book. Recipes should be cheap and easy. And the food has to taste good. That’s where Cooking Comically comes in. Tyler Capps, the creator of recipes like 2 a.m. Chili that took the Internet by storm, offers up simple, tasty meals in a unique illustrated style that will engage all your senses. These dishes are as scrumptious to eat as they are easy to make. 

Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Paranormal

In order to protect Jack from two of the most horrific Arcana, The Lovers, and the vast army they command, Evie leaves the comfort offered by Death and joins her allies in a frozen and perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland, but for her battle plan to succeed, she must persuade Death and Jack to work together.

Dearest by Alethea Kontis

Fantasy

When Friday Woodcutter, a kind and loving seamstress, stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers in her sister Sunday's palace, she takes one look at Tristan and knows he's her future. But the brothers are cursed to be swans by day. Can Friday's unique magic somehow break the spell?

The Driving Book: Everything New Drivers Need to Know But Don't Know to Ask by Karen Gravelle

Nonfiction

Even after taking Driver's Ed and passing that dreaded road test, there are so many things new drivers need to learn about the practical aspects of driving that will only come from experience. Handing over the keys is a traumatic rite of passage for parents, and they will sleep better knowing that The Driving Book is in their teens' glove compartments. Covering virtually every scenario a new driver may face, from changing a tire to negotiating privileges with parents to handling a car in bad weather, Karen Gravelle helps teen drivers navigate through tricky new territory—on the road and at home.

This reissue features updated information for today's tech-savvy teen drivers.

My gift to you...New Books for December! (part 1)

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson

A collection of eleven short stories, previously published online, that illuminate the life of the enigmatic, flashy, and flamboyant High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane, a character in The Mortal Instruments series.

 Batman vols 4 & 5 by Scott Snyder

Before the Batcave and Robin, The Joker and the Batmobile, there was ZERO YEAR. The Riddler has plunged Gotham City into darkness. How will a young Dark Knight bring his beloved hometown from the brink of chaos and madness and back into the light?

Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson

Empower yourself in today's highly connected, socially conscious world as you learn how to wield your passions, digital tools, and the principles of social entrepreneurship to affect real change in your schools, communities, and beyond. At age eleven, Jessica Markowitz learned that girls in Rwanda are often not allowed to attend school, and Richards Rwanda took shape. During his sophomore year of high school, Zach Steinfeld put his love of baking to good use and started the Baking for Breast Cancer Club. Do you wish you could make a difference in your community or even the world? Are you one of the millions of high school teens with a service-learning requirement? Either way, Be a Changemaker will empower you with the confidence and knowledge you need to affect real change. 

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann

What starts as a common fairy tale trope—Prince Hector and Princess Aurora are having tea the day after a ball—quickly turns dark and disturbing. The prince is charming but self-absorbed, and the princess is somewhat flighty and unprepared, when the ceiling appears to fall in, and they find themselves in a dark forest filled with other refugees, all Borrowers-small. While Aurora and her friend Plim adapt to their surroundings, taking charge and feeding the others they have found, Hector is only concerned with staring into space. None of the characters notice the dead body that they are playing on and living around (a human-sized girl, also named Aurora), and do not question where the items they are using are from (quite possibly the corpse's purse). The forest's animals do not speak, distancing this from other fairy tales.

Blood of My Blood by Barry Lyga

Jazz Dent, who has been shot and left to die in New York City, his girlfriend, Connie, who is in the clutches of Jazz's serial killer father, Billy, and his best friend, Howie, who is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home in tiny Lobo's Nod, must all rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy.