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 June...Finally! (Part 13)

Undertow by Michael Buckley

Science Fiction 

A sixteen-year-old girl is caught in an epic clash of civilizations when a society of undersea warriors marches out of the ocean into modern-day Coney Island.

Urban Outlaws by Peter Jay Black

Action/Adventure 

Deep beneath the city live five extraordinary kids: world-famous hacker Jack, gadget geek Charlie, free runner Slink, communications chief Obi, and decoy expert Wren. Orphans bonded over their shared sense of justice, the kids have formed the Urban Outlaws, a group dedicated to outsmarting criminals and handing out their stolen money through Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.s). But the kids find themselves in serious trouble when they're caught in an epic battle to control Proteus, a genius super-computer. Proteus can crack any code in the world-and steal top-secret documents in nanoseconds. It's down to the Urban Outlaws to use their guile, guts, and skill to destroy the computer, avert world domination . . . and stay alive.

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

Paranormal 

Orianna and Violet are ballet dancers and best friends, but when the ballerinas who have been harassing Violet are murdered, Orianna is accused of the crime and sent to a juvenile detention center where she meets Amber and they experience supernatural events linking the girls together.

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Weird Inventions: Strange Gadgets You Can't Live WIthout by the Bathroom Readers Institute

Nonfiction 

From the nation's top collector of curious and interesting information comes a book of strange gadgets you never knew existed. The writers behind 'Uncle John's Bathroom Reader' present this totally true treasury of amazing gizmos - devilish devices you never knew existed, created by people who thought the world absolutely needed what they had to offer and sell. nbsp; Read all about:nbsp;* The onesie that turns your crawling baby into a mop * The fart-stifling blanket * The square watermelon * The video game you control with your mind * The weight loss device that sucks food out of your stomach nbsp;

What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott

Action/Adventure 

A hiking trip in the woods in upstate New York is out of the comfort zone for sixteen-year-old city girl Callie Velasquez, but she wants to bond with her new friends Lissa and Penelope, not to mention her new boyfriend, Jeremy--however, nothing could have prepared her for the true human darkness that waits for her in the wood. 

YOLO Juliet by William  Shakespeare and Brett Wright

Contemporary Fiction 

Two families at war. A boy and a girl in love. A secret marriage gone oh-so-wrong. What if those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had smartphones? The classic Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, checking in at certain locations, and updating their relationship statuses.

July's New Books are (finally) Here! (part 2)

Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery by Abby Sher

Somaly Mam was born in the forests of Cambodia in the early 1970s and sold into sexual slavery by her “grandfather” before she was even twelve years old.

Maria Suarez came to America from Mexico when she was fifteen with her family. She went on a job interview to be a maid. When she got inside, her “interviewer” locked the door and told her he owned her body from that moment on.

Minh Dang was born in San Jose, California. Her house was always neat and there were bright rose bushes in her front yard. Nobody knew that behind closed doors her parents were raping and abusing her from the time she was three years old. Soon they started selling her body to neighbors as well.

These three women could easily have been voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories. Instead, they not only fought their way out of sexual slavery, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.

No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits by Jordan Romero

The story of Jordan Romero, who at the age of 13 became the youngest person ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. At age 15, he reached the summits of the world's 7 highest mountains.

Dancing Through It: My Journey in the Ballet by Jenifer Ringer

Jenifer Ringer, as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, knows what it''s really like to make it to the top in the rarefied world of classical ballet. In her charming and honest memoir, Ringer goes behind the scenes at one of the most renowned ballet companies in the world and shares the story of her own journey from student to star, a path that included losing her job during her struggle with an eating disorder and handling a media storm after her weight was commented on by a New York Times critic. Witty, insightful, and modest, Ringer is the perfect guide to the world behind the curtain.

September 17 by Amanda West Lewis

Presents a fictionalized account of the sinking of the City of Benares, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat during World War II as it secretly transported ninety British children to Canada.

The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson

Seventeen-year-old Violet Dancey is spending the Civil War with a new stepmother and stepsister and her young cousin when she comes upon a wounded Yankee soldier, Thomas, who is being kept alive by mysterious voodoo practitioners.