New Books for the New Year - January 2016 New Books part 4

Gateway to Fourline by Pam Brondos

Fantasy 

Strapped for cash, college student Natalie Barns agrees to take a job at a costume shop. Sure, Estos—her classmate who works in the shop—is a little odd, but Nat needs the money for her tuition.

Then she stumbles through the mysterious door behind the shop—and her entire universe transforms.

Discovering there’s far more to Estos than she ever imagined, Nat gets swept up in an adventure to save his homeland, an incredible world filled with decaying magic, deadly creatures, and a noble resistance of exiled warriors battling dark forces. As she struggles with her role in an epic conflict and wrestles with her growing affection for a young rebel, Soris, Nat quickly learns that nothing may go as planned…and her biggest challenge may be surviving long enough to make it home.

The Game of Lives by James Dashner

Science Fiction 

The VirtNet has become a world of deadly consequences, and Kaine grows stronger by the day. If Kaine succeeds, it will mean worldwide cyber domination. And it looks like Michael and his friends are the only ones who can put the monster back in the box--if Michael can figure out who his friends really are.

Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

Science Fiction 

After being imprisoned for a crime she has yet to commit, Callie, with the help of her childhood crush Logan, escapes in hopes of running from the government and her future.

Harley Quinn vol 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab by Amanda Conner

Graphic Novel 

Harley was certain she could have it all: She could be the world's best landlord, protect Coney Island from the scum of the Earth, woo Mason Macabre, work her day job as a psychiatrist, volunteer at the puppy shelter...but that's a whole lot of spinning plates, and eventually they're bound to start breaking! What happens when a psychopath cracks up? Is it possible for Harley to go even more insane?! Collects HARLEY QUINN #14-15, HARLEY QUINN ANNUAL #1, HARLEY QUINN VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL #1, and HARLEY QUINN HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1

The Edge of Forever by Melissa Hurst

Action/Adventure 

In 2146, seventeen-year-old Bridger, one of a small group of people born with the ability to travel to the past, investigates why his by-the-book father traveled to 2013 to break the most important rule of time travel--to prevent someone's murder.

New books for October ~ Part 6

Manga for the Beginner: Kawaii: How to Draw the Supercute Characters of Japanese Comics by Christopher Hart

Nonfiction 

Explains the tools and techniques for drawing endearing Kawaii-style characters and includes coverage of anthros, monsters, Goths, and the subgenre moe ladies.

Not After Everything by Michelle Levy

Contemporary Fiction 

After his mom kills herself, Tyler shuts out the world--until falling in love with Jordyn helps him find his way toward a hopeful future.

The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan by Patrick Galbraith

Nonfiction 

Otaku: Nerd; geek or fanboy. Originates from a polite second-person pronoun meaning "your home" in Japanese. Since the 1980s it's been used to refer to people who are really into Japanese pop-culture, such as anime, manga, and videogames. A whole generation, previously marginalized with labels such as geek and nerd, are now calling themselves otaku with pride. The Otaku Encyclopedia offers fascinating insight into the subculture of Cool Japan. With over 600 entries, including common expressions, people, places, and moments of otaku history, this is the essential A to Z of facts every Japanese pop-culture fan needs to know. Author Patrick W. Galbraith has spent several years researching deep into the otaku heartland and his intimate knowledge of the subject gives the reader an insider's guide to words such as moe, doujinshi, cosplay and maid cafes. In-depth interviews with such key players as Takashi Murakami, otaku expert Okada Toshio, and J-pop idol Shoko Nakagawa are interspersed with the entries, offering an even more penetrating look into the often misunderstood world of otaku. Dozens of lively, colorful images--from portraits of the interview subjects to manga illustrations, film stills and photos of places mentioned in the text--pop up throughout the book, making The Otaku Encyclopedia as entertaining to read as it is informative.

The Rise of Aurora West by Paul Pope

Graphic Novel 

The extraordinary world introduced in Paul Pope's Battling Boy is rife with monsters and short on heroes... but in this action-driven extension of the Battling Boy universe, we see it through a new pair of eyes: Aurora West, daughter of Arcopolis's last great hero, Haggard West. A prequel to Battling Boy , The Rise of Aurora West follows the young hero as she seeks to uncover the mystery of her mother's death, and to find her place in a world overrun with supernatural monsters and all-too-human corruption. 

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Science Fiction 

The teenage princess of a future-world Canadian superpower, where royal children are held hostage to keep their countries from waging war, falls in love with an American prince who rebels against the brutal rules governing their existences.

July New Books (Part 7)

Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Contemporary Fiction 

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he'll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe's greatest unanswered questions. He's that smart. But Charlie's future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl's neck. The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she's counting on the present. She's not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop--until she learns he's a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy. By the time he learns she's ill--and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte's illness--Charlotte' gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he's always relied on or the girl he's falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Contemporary Fiction 

Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.

The Messengers by Edward Hogan

Paranormal

Fifteen-year-old Frances is sent to her aunt's house for the summer to escape difficulties at home. Soon she meets Peter, a man unlike anyone she has ever known. Peter is a messenger--but his messages never bring good news. Peter believes that Frances is a messenger, too. In a compelling page-turner as complex as it is chilling, the author of Daylight Saving poses the provocative question: If you could change the future, where would you start?

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

Contemporary Fiction 

Shortly after her boyfriend, Peter, is deployed to Afghanistan, high school senior Michelle dies in a car crash and when her bereft twin, Kelsey, connects with Peter she is unable to tell him the truth as, through their separate woes, they support each other and begin to fall in love.

Mindwalker by A. J. Steiger

Science Fiction 

At seventeen, Lain Fisher has already aced the Institute's elite training program for Mindwalkers, therapists who use a direct neural link to erase a patient's traumatic memories. A prodigy and the daughter of a renowned scientist-whose unexplained death left her alone in the world-Lain is driven by the need to save others.

When Steven, a troubled classmate, asks her to wipe a horrific childhood experience from his mind, Lain's superiors warn her to stay away. Steven's scars are too deep, they say; the risk too great. Yet the more time Lain spends with him, the more she begins to question everything about her society. As she defies the warnings and explores Steven's memories, it becomes clear that he's connected to something much bigger…something the Institute doesn't want the world to discover.

Lain never expected to be a rule breaker. She certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a boy she's been forbidden to help. But then, she never expected to stumble into a conspiracy that could ignite a revolution.

Modern Art Adventures: 36 Creative, Hands-On Projects Inspired by Artists from Monet to Banksy by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw

Nonficiton 

Introduces the major movements of modern art and provides representative examples from individual artists, with thirty-six art projects that can be done in imitation of each style.

Thanks for the New Books! ~ November New Books Part 4

Firebug by Lish McBride

Ava, a contracted hit man who can start fires with her mind, hits the road with her friends, desperately trying to escape the Coterie, a magical mafia, while keeping the murder to a minimum after she is asked to kill a family friend by Venus, who killed Ava's mother.

Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

A collection of four pre-Divergent stories plus three additional scenes from Divergent, all told from Tobias's point of view, that follow Tobias's transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless, his Dauntless initiation, the first clues that a foul plan is brewing in the leadership of two factions, and the weeks after he meets Tris Prior.

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

Sixteen-year-old Jules Maroni's dream is to follow in her father's footsteps as a high-wire walker. When her family is offered a prestigious role in the new Cirque American, it seems that Jules and the Amazing Maronis will finally get the spotlight they deserve. But the presence of the Flying Garcias may derail her plans. For decades, the two rival families have avoided each other as sworn enemies. Jules ignores the drama and focuses on the wire, skyrocketing to fame as the girl in a red tutu who dances across the wire at death-defying heights. But when she discovers a peacock feather--an infamous object of bad luck--planted on her costume, Jules nearly loses her footing. She has no choice but to seek help from the unlikeliest of people: Remy Garcia, son of the Garcia clan matriarch and the best trapeze artist in the Cirque. As more mysterious talismans believed to possess unlucky magic appear, Jules and Remy unite to find the culprit. And if they don't figure out what's going on soon, Jules may be the first Maroni to do the unthinkable: fall.

Girls Vs. Guys: Surprising Differences Between the Sexes by Michael Rosen

Do mosquitoes bite guys more than girls? Which sex is better at diapering babies, remembering birthdays, or hammering nails? Explore the ways that environment, experience, neurology, physiology, and genetics shape gender behavior--in expected and unexpected ways.

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A. S. King

Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.

New Books ~ August 2014 ~ Part 9

Beyond  Texting: The Fine Art of Face-to-Face Communication for Teenagers by Debra Fine

Describes how to develop the ability to have in-person conversations, offering practical advice on balancing real-world and online relationships and gaining confidence to speak up in personal, educational, and professional atmospheres.

Pivot Point by Kasie West

A girl with the power to search alternate futures lives out six weeks of two different lives in alternating chapters. Both futures hold the potential for love and loss, and ultimately she is forced to choose which fate she is willing to live through.

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions as his trail leads straight to the one place they must protect at any cost -- the last vampire-free zone on Earth.

Caged Warrior by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

McCutcheon Daniels' life is full of bone-cracking violence. As a star fighter in the gritty underground Mixed Martial Arts circuit in the poorest section of Detroit, McCutcheon fights under the tutelage of his volatile and violent father, not so much for himself but to survive as protector of his beloved five-year old sister, Gemma. We get to know McCutcheon as he battles opponents who are literally trying to kill him. Mr. Freedman, his science teacher, spots his intellectual potential, befriends him, and encourages him to enter the lottery for a scholarship to an elite charter school so he can obtain a first-class education. 

Seven Billion and Counting: The Crisis in Global Population Growth by Michael Andregg

October 31, 2011, marked an uneasy milestone for Planet Earth. On this day, the global population surpassed seven billion. What does that mean for a world that, until the nineteenth century, was home to less than one billion people? Experts say it means the planet is in trouble. Some wonder if Earth will even be able to sustain human life at its current rate of growth.  Will there be enough food for everyone? Will conflicts over land increase? How will the environment be affected? Can humanity survive the predicted disasters?