New Books for June - Part 2

The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer

Mystery 

Growing up, Adrien and his sister Grace competed for everything. It wasn't easy being the adopted sibling, but Adrien tried to get along; Grace didn't. When their scientist parents died, they drifted apart. In their senior year, they are both back at the boarding school where their parents taught. Life gets more complicated when Adrien starts to suspect that Grace might be stealing their parents' research and claiming it as her own--or worse, that she was involved in their deaths. Adrien begins to wonder whether she's guilty and, if so, what he's going to do about it.

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne

Historical Fiction 

From the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas comes another extraordinary story of World War II and innocence in the face of evil. When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy Austrian household. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler. Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's wing and thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets, and betrayal from which he may never be able to escape.

Chew: Taster's Choice by John Layman

Graphic Novel 

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Fantasy 

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are the only enchanters in Russia, and when the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threaten to attack, the tsar wants a powerful enchanter by his side, and as an advisor for the prince, Pasha. He initiates the Crown's Game, a duel of magical skill, and the winner will become his Imperial Enchanter; the loser will die. For Vika and Nikolai, the game is a chance of a lifetime, but they come to realize that their growing regard for each other makes the game impossible to win. And as long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes increasingly clear to them that the Crown's Game is not one to lose.

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

Mystery 

When her father dies, Tessa is pulled back to the small Pennsylvania town where her life came apart when her father was sent to prison, her mother went to pieces, and her beloved older sister ran away, and where her testimony and that of her now-estranged friend Callie sent a serial killer to death row--a serial killer who may be getting a new trial as long buried secrets come to light.

New Books for June...Finally! (Part 2)

The Cage by Megan Sheperd

Science Fiction 

Cora wakes up in a cage on an alien planet where she meets the Kindred, her mysterious alien captors, and along with other teenager abductees must find a way to escape back to Earth.

 

Cameron and the Girls by Edward Averett

Contemporary Fiction 

Fourteen-year-old Cameron Galloway of Lexington, Washington, understands that he has schizophreniform disorder and needs to take pills to quiet the voices in his head. But he likes the voices, especially the gentle, encouraging voice of The Girl. Conflicted, he turns to his friend Nina Savage, who is clinically depressed and can relate to his horror of the numbing effects of medication. They make a pact to ditch the pills. At first they feel triumphant, but soon Cameron's untreated mind goes haywire--to disastrous effect. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sara J. Maas

Fantasy 

 Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from stories, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries. As her feelings toward him transform from hostility to a firey passion, the threats against the faerie lands grow. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose Tamlin forever.

 Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Fantasy 

Rachelle must protect the king's bastard son while searching for the weapons that will save her world from endless night.

 The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow

Paranormal 

While working as a production assistant on her aunt's television show about the paranormal, a seventeen-year-old girl discovers a psychic ability of her own, which may provide clues to her mother's death.

MAY I have some New Books please? (May new books part 9)

Thrift Shopping: Discovering Bargains and Hidden Treasures by Sandy Donovan

Nonfiction 

A guide to shopping for secondhand goods provides information and advice on searching for and evaluating items at thrift shops, flea markets, online sites, and similar sources; purchasing skills; remaking purchased items; and selling.

Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian

Action/Adventure 

When Jake Lukin, eighteen, reveals his psychic ability he is forced to become a government asset in order to keep his mother and sister safe, but Rachel, the girl he likes, tries to help him live his own life instead of tunneling through others.

Unbroken: An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand

Nonfiction 

On a May afternoon in 1943, an American military plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary sagas of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. As a boy, he had been a clever delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and stealing. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a supreme talent that carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when war came, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a sinking raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would respond to desperation with ingenuity, suffering with hope and humor, brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would hang on the fraying wire of his will.

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Historical Fiction 

In 1845, Sammy, a Chinese American girl, and Annamae, an African American slave girl, disguise themselves as boys and travel on the Oregon Trail to California from Missouri.

The Untold History of the United States: Volume 1 1898-1945 by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick

Nonfiction 

The Untold History of the United States by Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone and renowned historian Peter Kuznick, this first of four volumes presents young readers with a powerful and provocative look at the past century of American imperialism. This is not the kind of history taught in schools or normally presented on television or in popular movies. This riveting young readers' edition challenges prevailing orthodoxies to reveal the dark reality about the rise and fall of the American empire for curious, budding historians who are hungry for the truth. Based on the latest archival findings and recently declassified information, this four-volume series will come as a surprise to the vast majority of students and their teachers-and that's precisely why these books are such crucial counterpoints to today's history textbooks. Complete with photos, illustrations, and little-known documents, this first of four volumes covers crucial moments in American history from the late nineteenth century to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

It's Sarah Mlynowski's birthday!

I personally recommend Don't Even Think About It!

What happens when a group of Tribeca high school kids go in for flu shots . . . and end up being able to read each others' minds!

New Books ~ August 2014 ~ Part 10

The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams

Established in the year 2020, The Haven is home to teens who are classed as Terminals, whose education, food, rest, and behavior are strictly monitored to save them from Disease, but Shiloh and Gabriel remember a different kind of life, and are on the verge of rebellion.

Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike

Charlotte is a sixteen-year-old Oracle who is not supposed to interfere with her visions of the future, but when she foresees a classmate's murder, she realizes she must break the rules to stop the killer.

Legends, Icons, & Rebels: Music that Changed the World by Robbie Robertson & others

Exclusive insights from a celebrated musician and passionate industry insiders, two accompanying CDs of legendary tracks and beautiful packaging make for a book with broad appeal -- one that will captivate fans of Robbie Robertson and music lovers of all ages. Part memoir, part tribute, and all great storytelling ... Music industry veterans Robbie Robertson, Jim Guerinot, Jared Levine, and Sebastian Robertson invite young readers to share with them in celebrating twenty-seven musical legends. Short profiles chronicle personal stories and achievements of extraordinarily talented artists whose innovations changed the landscape of music for generations to come.

 A Bag of Marbles by Joseph Joffo

In 1941, ten-year-old Joseph Joffo and his older brother, Maurice, must hide their Jewish heritage and undertake a long and dangerous journey from Nazi-occupied Paris to reach their other brothers in the free zone.

Every Body's Talking: What We Say Without Words by Donna Jackson

Examines the complexities of body language, explaining what is conveyed by certain facial expressions, movements, and actions, and how body language can exhibit signs of deception.

Teen Book Club - June - Distant Waves

The Teen Book Club met last night to discuss...

In the early twentieth century, four sisters and their widowed mother, a famed spiritualist, travel from New York to London, and as the Titanic conveys them and their acquaintances, journalist W.T. Stead, scientist Nikola Tesla, and industrialist John Jacob Astor, home, Tesla's inventions will either doom or save them all.

Here are the discussion questions we used~




1. What did you think of the book? General thoughts?

2. Did you have a favorite character in the book? Least favorite? Favorite scene or part?

3. Why do you think Jane was chosen to be the narrator in the book? How would the book be different if it was Mimi, or the twins?

4. What kind of relationships did the sisters have with each other? Did their relationships change after the revelation about Mimi?

5. Do you believe in psychics and premonitions? Do you think the dead can be contacted?

6. Why did Mimi want to leave home? Why didn’t she want to tell Victor about her heritage?

7. What did you think of the writing style in the book?

8. Do you believe time travel is possible? What time/place in the past would you visit?

9. If you were casting the actors and actresses for the movie version of this book who would you cast for: Jane, Mimi, Emma & Amelie, Blythe, Thad, Tesla, Ninette, and anyone else you want to cast?

10. Ratings and final thoughts!


Melanie gave it a 7.5 out of 10 and said "It is an interesting plot line with a smooth blending of history with fiction and the characters are well developed."

Miss G gave it an 8 out of 10 and said "The Spiritualism and relationships between the sisters drew me in, and then I couldn't stop reading, I had to find out what would happen to them on the Titanic!" 

If you are interested in learning more about the Titanic:

· 910.9163 DAV – Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From by R. P. T. Davenport-Hines

· 910.916 WEL – Titanic: Legacy of the World’s Greatest Ocean Liner by Susan Wels

If you want more Titanic Fiction:

· YA ACT PAU – Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable, Undead by Chris Pauls - Imagine being trapped aboard the doomed Titanic on an icy Atlantic. . . with the walking dead.

· YA PAR GRA – Fateful by Claudia Gray - When seventeen-year-old Tess Davies, a ladies' maid, meets handsome Alec Marlow aboard the RMS Titanic, she quickly becomes entangled in the dark secrets of his past, but her growing love puts her in mortal peril even before fate steps in.

· YA HIS WOL – The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf - Recreates the 1912 sinking of the Titanic as observed by millionaire John Jacob Astor, a beautiful young Lebanese refugee finding first love, "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, Captain Smith, and others including the iceberg itself.

If you are interested in learning more about Nikola Tesla:

· 621.3 MY – My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla by Nikola Tesla


Our next book is Ashfall by Mike Mullin and we will meet on TUESDAY, July 29th at 6:00pm. We will skype live with the author! 

After the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister, trying to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.

New books to read during those April showers! (Part 5)

Paper Artist by Gail Green

Paper is not just for drawing! Budding artists use paper to create everything from lanterns to  picture frames. Simple, step by step instructions and big, full color photographs help readers maximize their potential.

Wonder Woman, vol 1: Blood by Brian Azzarello

When Wonder Woman learns the secret her mother Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, has kept regarding her father, her life shatters.

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world ... but that's not all he wants with her.

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

What happens when a group of Tribeca high school kids go in for flu shots . . . and end up being able to read each others' minds.

Find Me by Romily Bernard

When teen hacker and foster child Wick Tate finds a dead classmate's diary on her front step, with a note reading "Find me," she sets off on a perverse game of hide-and-seek to catch the killer.

New books to read during those April showers! (Part 4)

White Space by Ilsa J. Bick

A seventeen-year-old girl jumps between the lines of books and into the white space where realities are created and destroyed--but who may herself be nothing more than a character written into being from an alternative universe.

Always Emily by Michaela MacColl

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they're not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor's death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle— before someone else gets killed.

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Sisters Anie and Fia have had their abilites manipulated by the Keane Foundation for too long--and now they're ready to fight back against the twisted organization that has been using them as pawns.

The Finisher by David Baldacci

Vega Jane has never left the village of Wormwood. But this isn't unusual, nobody has ever left the village of Wormwood. At least not until Quentin Herms vanishes into the unknown. Vega knows Quentin didn't just leave, but that he was chased. And he's left behind a very dangerous trail of clues that only she can decode. The Quag is a dark forest filled with terrifying beasts and bloodthirsty Outliers. But just as deadly are the threats that exist within the walls of Wormwood. It is a place built on lies, where influential people are willing to kill to keep their secrets. Vega is determined to uncover the truth. But the closer she gets, the more she risks her life.

New books to spend the holidays with~ (Part 4)

Thin Space by Jody Casella

Consumed by guilt and secrets about his twin brother's death, Marsh Windsor is looking for a thin space--a place where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to cross over--in hopes of setting things right.

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children's League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children's League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America's children-and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts-has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future-and who now wouldn't recognize her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam-and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart-she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Fairy Tail vol. 7 by Hiro Mashima

Fairy Tail's rival guild, Phantom Lord, has taken the competition to dangerous levels by smashing the Fairy Tail building and nearly killing three wizards.  What is Fairy Tail's response?  A full-frontal assault on Phantom Lord!  But this clash is all part of the Phantom Lord's evil plot to capture a coveted prize.

Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The champion must not waver. The champion must not fear. The gate of darkness closes. Elisa is a fugitive. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves, and they await her at the gate of darkness. Her country is on the brink of civil war, with her own soldiers ordered to kill her on sight. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Lucero-Elisa née Riqueza de Vega, bearer of the Godstone, will lead her three loyal companions deep into the enemy's kingdom, a land of ice and snow and brutal magic, to rescue Hector and win back her throne. Her power grows with every step, and the shocking secrets she will uncover on this, her final journey, could change the course of history. But that is not all. She has a larger destiny. She must become the champion the world has been waiting for. Even of those who hate her most.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski's strong suit. All throughout her life, she's been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing. Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

 

In November I am Thankful for...New Books! (part 1)

A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury

As the partition of India nears in 1947 bringing violence even to Jalandhar, Tariq, a Muslim, finds himself caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet, a Sikh girl, and Margaret, a British girl whose affection for him might help with his dream of studying at Oxford.

Bzrk Reloaded by Michael Grant

The entire BZRK cell--including Noah and Sadie--has been left in pieces after the last round of battle with the Armstrong Twins, conjoined brother who plot to rob mankind of its free will. Vincents mind is shattered, and his memories hold dangerous secrets--secrets that Lear, BZRKs mysterious leader, will stop at nothing to protect. Meanwhile, Bug Man has taken control of the Presidents brain, but playing with sanity is a dangerous game. The consequences can spiral way out of control, and the Armstrong Twins are not people Bug Man can afford to disappoint. The nano is as terrifying, exhilarating, and unpredictable as ever. But the wall of secrets that surrounds it is cracking. What will it reveal? And once the dust has settled, who will be sane enough to find out? 

 Champion by Marie Lu

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic--and each other--and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities.

 The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Sixteen-year-old Isadora, the mortal daughter of Isis and Osiris, is sick of being in the middle of family drama so she jumps at the chance to leave Egypt and start a new life in San Diego with her brother.

 Dancer Daughter Traitor Spy by Elizabeth Kiem

After a harrowing defection to the United States in 1982, Russian teenager Marya and her father settle in Brooklyn, where Marya is drawn into a web of intrigue involving her gift of foresight, her mother's disappearance, and a boy she cannot bring herself to trust.

New Books for May (part 5)

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

When Violet, a high school senior, learns that an underground group has been carrying out murders on the order of their Charles Manson-like leader, she is pulled into a deadly hunt, where even her ability may not save her.

 The Believing Game by Eireann Corrigan

After Greer Cannon discovers that shoplifting can be a sport and sex can be a superpower, her parents pack her up and send her off to McCracken Hill-a cloistered academy for troubled teens. At McCracken, Greer chafes under the elaborate systems and self-help lingo of therapeutic education. Then Greer meets Addison Bradley. A handsome, charismatic local, Addison seems almost as devoted to Greer as he is to the 12 steps. When he introduces Greer to his mentor Joshua, she finds herself captivated by the older man's calm wisdom. Finally, Greer feels understood.

But Greer starts to question: Where has Joshua come from? What does he want in return for his guidance? The more she digs, the more his lies are exposed. When Joshua's influence over Addison edges them all closer to danger, Greer decides to confront them both. Suddenly, she finds herself on the outside of Joshua's circle. And swiftly, she discovers it's not safe there.

 Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader by Cassandra Clare

Shadowhunters and Downworlders, edited by Clare (who provides an introduction to the book and to each piece), is a collection of YA authors writing about the series and its world.
Authors Who Contributed:
Holly Black / Kendare Blake / Gwenda Bond / Sarah Rees Brennan / Rachel Caine / Sarah Cross / Kami Garcia / Michelle Hodkin / Kelly Link / Kate Milford / Diana Peterfreund / Sara Ryan / Scott Tracey / Robin Wasserman

In with books...check out like a lion! March New Books (Part 4)

Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus

In Nazi-occupied Norway, fourteen-year-old Espen joins the resistance movement, graduating from deliverer of illegal newspapers to courier and spy.

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Seventeen-year-old Fia and her sister, Annie, are trapped in a school that uses young female psychics and mind readers as tools for corporate espionage--and if Fia doesn't play by the rules of their deadly game, Annie will be killed.

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Rory, a girl in witness protection, thinks the serial killer she turned in has found her and is killing people around her. But as she investigates, she discovers a dark, disturbing truth about her new hometown.

 Beautiful Creatures: the Manga by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Manga version of the popular book.

The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel by Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel, Volume One begins Robert Jordan's epic fantasy tale by introducing Rand al'Thor and his friends Matrim and Perrin at the spring festival. Moiraine Damodred and Lan Mandragoran appear, and almost before Rand knows it, he and his friends are fleeing his home village with Moiraine, Lan, and Egwene al'Vere, the innkeeper's daughter, who wishes to become an Aes Sedai. 

Dead on Town Line by Leslie Connor

A teenage murder victim speaks from her afterlife.

Neferet's Curse by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

The White City, 1893: In turn-of-the-century Chicago, with the World's Fair bringing bustle and excitement to her home city, sixteen-year-old Emily Wheiler should be reveling in her youthful beauty and the excitement around her. But her whole life changed when her mother died, leaving her to be the Lady of Wheiler House. Her father, a powerful bank president, is at the center of an important social hub for the booming young city, and he needs Emily to do everything her mother would have - to be a good hostess and make sure the mansion runs smoothly. As Emily uneasily tries to replace her mother, she also longs for more... for love and a life of her own. When a handsome young man notices her at one of her father's parties, it seems that her hopes may finally be coming true. Until her father forbids her to see him - or any other man - and starts revealing a darkly violent side that even he can't understand. At last, afraid for her life and with nowhere to turn, Emily is Marked by a vampyre and brought to the Chicago House of Night, where she begins a magickal new life that should allow the wounds from her past to heal. But as she gains strength, and a powerful new name, she carries a dark need to wreak vengeance on the man she trusted most. From victim to High Priestess, beautiful young woman to powerful seductress, Neferet's journey begins in NEFERET'S CURSE.