My Gift to You ~ New Books for December (part 5)

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

Science Fiction 

The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy together to become fighter pilots for the glorious Empire is nothing less than a dream come true for the both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule. Bitter and disillusioned, Thane joins the fledgling Rebellion--putting Ciena in an unbearable position to choose between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she's known since childhood. Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes find a way to be together, or will duty tear them--and the galaxy--apart?

The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong

Action/Adventure 

Riley Vasquez is haunted by the brutal murder of the couple she was babysitting for. Max Cross is suffering under the shadow of a life-altering diagnosis he doesn't dare reveal. The last thing either of them wants is to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp alongside five other teens with "issues". But that's exactly where they are when three masked men burst in to take the group hostage. The building has no windows. The exits are sealed shut. Their phones are gone. And their captors are on a killing spree. Riley and Max know that if they can't get out, they'll be next--but they're about to discover that even escape doesn't equal freedom.

Master Builder 3.0 Advanced: Minecraft Secrets by Triumph Books

Nonfiction 

Players who mastered the basics with Minecrafter and leveled up with Minecrafter 2.0 Advanced can now become experts with Minecrafter 3.0 Advanced. Readers can delve into the complex advanced-player worlds of Brewing, Enchanting, and Farming for items and experience and learn how to start making the Holy Grail of Minecraft creations: the megabuild, and make it look great by learning how to use visual boosters like skins, resource packs, and shaders. This book details the brand-new modes of play, such as the drama-filled Adventure maps that present a whole new set of challenges for advanced players to complete. As the game has evolved, so has the player-favorite Redstone system, and dozens if not hundreds of new mods, mini-games, servers, and builders have come into being. This gamer’s guidebook also contains the most up-to-date information on the latest updates, including some game-changing new features, helping you achieve expert Minecrafter status.

Storm of Lightning by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey book #5

Science Fiction 

Michael, Taylor, Ostin, and the rest of the Electroclan go on their most dangerous mission yet as the thrilling action continues in this electrifying fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling series!The resistance movement has been compromised. The Voice is in hiding. Their families are missing. Can the Electroclan pull together to defeat the Elgen once and for all?

Ms. Marvel: volume 4 Last Days by Willow Wilson

Graphic Novel (Comic) 

When the world is about to end, do you still keep fi ghting? From the moment, Kamala put on her costume, she's been challenged, but nothing has prepared her for this: the Last Days of the Marvel Universe. Fists up, let's do this, Jersey City. Plus a VERY special guest appearance fans have been clamoring for!

New Books for October ~ Part 4

The ultimate guide to understanding the universe.These days, it often seems like there's nothing we can count on. Mechanical engineer and proud science geek Christine McKinley has some good advice: Trust the laws of gravity, motion, energy, and entropy. In this funny, smart, and surprisingly practical book, McKinley offers a guided tour of the physical world, explaining everything from sound and light waves to momentum, buoyancy, magnetism, and relativity - and offers advice on how to use them in our everyday lives and more glamorous pursuits. Whether you're a secret agent trying to cover your tracks, a war correspondent ducking into a bomb shelter, or simply trying to execute the perfect stage dive, understanding physics can mean the difference between life and death (or at least looking kind of silly). Part science book, part memoir, and part extreme survival handbook, Physics for Rock Stars is the amazing science class you never had (or don't remember).

Michael and his friends must rescue a child prodigy as the thrilling action continues in this electrifying fourth installment of the #1 New York Times bestselling series! Michael, Taylor, Ostin and the rest of the Electroclan head to China in search of a girl who may have discovered why Michael and his friends became electric. Her name is Lin Julung, or Jade Dragon, and she's a child prodigy with an IQ higher than Einstein's- and Ostin's. But Hatch gets to her first, and the Elgen are holding her prisoner in their Taiwan Starxource plant. Now the Voice wants Michael and the Electroclan to go to Taiwan and free her before Hatch can realize his dreams of an army of electric children. The hunt for Jade Dragon is on, and it's a race against time!

Kara, a high school junior, is popular with a great group of friends, an amazing boyfriend, and expectations of being homecoming queen until she leaves a party angry, and wakes up in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the waist down. As she is forced to adjust to her new physical reality, she also learns that her friends are not who they seemed to be.

In 1905 czarist Russia, an impoverished country girl Elena and the aristocratic Ekatrina meet and set in motion an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and the witch Baba Yaga.

Waking up after a five-year absence with no memory of what happened, softball player Kyra Agnew is astonished to realize that she did not age while she was missing and teams up with her former boyfriend's now-teenaged younger brother to figure out what happened.

New books to spend the holidays with~ (Part 1)

Spiderman Big Time Ultimate Collection 

Peter Parker has finally hit the Big Time. He's a full-fledged Avenger, he just landed a high-paying science job, and he has an amazing new girlfriend. But big-time living means big-time pressure! When the Hobgoblin returns, Spidey will need a slick new edge to defeat him. And when the Scorpion targets J. Jonah Jameson and his loved ones, Spider-Man must grapple with matters of life and death in a moving and compelling tale. Then, Spidey is asked to join the FF, adding even more to his already overful plate. Peter has never been one to shirk his responsibility, but will all his new commitments prove too much to handle? Plus: a new and strangely familiar Venom makes his debut!

 Greek Mythology for Teens by Zach Hamby

"Greek Mythology for Teens" takes classical mythology to a new level by relating ancient stories to the culture, history, art, and literature of today. The book uses the innovative approach of reader's theater to teach mythology to teens, asking them to act out the stories and become engaged in a common learning experience. By looking at topics instrumental to both mythology and modern culture, teens are encouraged to question topics such as heroism, foolishness, love, and more. Each chapter builds on a particular theme found in the central myth and includes activities, discussion questions, and exercises that connect the myth to the modern world and everyday life. Visually appealing sidebars also give background on Greek and Roman mythology and culture. "Greek Mythology for Teens" takes the classic myths taught in school and turns them into an engaging, interesting, and modern way of looking at old material.

 Foul Trouble by John Feinstein

Terrell Jamerson is the #1 high school basketball player in the country. His team is poised to win State, top colleges are lining up to give him scholarships, and everyone says he could play in the NBA tomorrow. But it only takes one false step to lose everything. Danny Wilcox is Terrell's best friend and teammate, and a top prospect himself, but these days it seems like "everyone" wants to get close to Terrell: the sneaker guys, the money managers, the college boosters. They show up offering fast cars, hot girls, and cold, hard cash. They say they just want to help, but their kind of help could get Terrell disqualified. Danny and Terrell better keep their eyes on the ball if they hope to last the season. John Feinstein has been praised as "the best writer of sports books in America today" ("The Boston Globe"), and he proves it again in this fast-paced novel.

Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere by Richard Paul Evans

The hair-raising action continues for Michael Vey in this charged third installment of the #1 "New York Times "bestselling series. Michael, Taylor, Ostin and the rest of the Electroclan have destroyed the largest of the Elgen Starxource plants, but now they're on the run. The Elgen have teamed up with the Peruvian army to capture them, and only Michael remains free. With his friends due to stand trial for terrorism--a charge that may carry the death penalty--Michael will need all his wits and his abilities if he's to save them. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Dr. Hatch and his loyal Electric Children have seized control of the "E.S. Ampere"--the super yacht the Elgen use as their headquarters. With the seven ships of the Elgen fleet now under his control, Hatch heads back to Peru to gather his army and begin his quest for global domination. Michael must free his friends then find a way to stop Hatch, but Hatch knows Michael and the Electroclan are coming. And he's ready for them. Can the Electroclan win the battle of the "Ampere"? Or has Michael's luck finally run out? 

Invasion by Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers brilliantly renders the realities of World War II. Josiah Wedgewood and Marcus Perry are on their way to an uncertain future. Their whole lives are ahead of them, yet at the same time, death's whisper is everywhere. One white, one black, these young men have nothing in common and everything in common as they approach an experience that will change them forever. It's May 1944. World War II is ramping up, and so are these young recruits, ready and eager. In small towns and big cities all over the globe, people are filled with fear. When Josiah and Marcus come together in what will be the greatest test of their lives, they learn hard lessons about race, friendship, and what it really means to fight. Set on the front lines of the Normandy invasion, this novel, rendered with heart-in-the-throat precision, is a cinematic masterpiece. Here we see the bold terror of war, and also the nuanced havoc that affects a young person's psyche while living in a barrack, not knowing if today he will end up dead or alive.