New Year...New Books to Recommend!

Happy New Year!  It's hard to believe that another year has gone by, but I always like to look back and reflect on what I've read in the past year.  In 2016, I read 222 books!  Here's a quick look at my stats (my husband was totally making fun of me yesterday as I studied my stats...he just doesn't understand!):

Now, let me take a little time to recommend a few of the books that I've read over the past couple of months since I last posted.

First up, Bounce, by Megan Shull.  I recommended Shull's The Swap about a year & half ago...you can read about that title here.  In Bounce, we meet Frannie, who would like nothing more than to trade in her family for a better model.  Her older brother ignores her, her older sister treats her like dirt, and her parents seem to wish she didn't exist.  When her parents drop the news that they're going away for Christmas, and leaving the kids home to fend for themselves, Frannie is devastated.  When her older brother & sister decide a party is in order, Frannie barricades herself in her room wishing she was anywhere but there.  And when she wakes up...she's not there, she's someone else entirely and it's Christmas day again, and again, and again...she lives multiple different lives and starts to wonder if she'll ever actually see home again.  You can find Bounce at MCPL or on MCPL's Overdrive.

I recently recommended Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, & Winter) and her newest stand alone title, Heartless, did not disappoint.  Heartless is Meyer's prequel to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and is about Catherine, who is eventually destined to become the hated Queen of Hearts.  She wasn't always hated, though.  She was a favorite of the King of Hearts, but more than anything, she wanted to be a baker and bake the most delightful treats in Hearts.  In trying to avoid a proposal from the King of Hearts, Catherine meets the newest member of the King's court, Jest.  The two fall in love, despite knowing that it is likely impossible that they'll ever be able to be together.  Meanwhile, a mysterious creature is terrorizing hearts, and Catherine and Jest become embroiled in the mystery.  This story was whimsical (as Wonderland should be), funny, romantic, and heartbreaking all rolled into one.  You can find this book on MCPL's shelves and on Overdrive.  I would expect to see this one show up on our CMS Media Center's shelves one day soon, as well!

A book I'd been meaning to read for quite some time that I finally got around to is Laurie Halse Anderson's Chains, which is the first book in her Seeds of America trilogy.  In Chains, we meet Isabel, a 13-year old girl who was born a slave, and who is living during the American Revolution.  Though she and her sister Ruth were promised their freedom upon the death of their current owner, they are not given their promised freedom and are sold to a cruel couple who don't care about Isabel or Ruth and are against the revolution and on the side of the British.  When Isabel meets Curzon, who works with the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners and use what she knows to win her freedom.  This story is Isabel's courageous fight to earn her place in the world.  You can find copies at MCPL, on Overdrive, on our CMS Media Center Shelves, and on my classroom bookshelf if you're interested in reading this riveting historical fiction tale.

If you enjoy poetry that tells a story, I recommend Jacqueline Woodson's beautiful story of her childhood, Brown Girl Dreaming.  Woodson tells about growing up in both the north and the south during the 60's and early 70's and what shaped her into becoming a writer.  Her experiences as a young black girl who spent time growing up in two very different worlds shaped her and gave her a perspective that she wouldn't have had if she had just grown up in only one place. Because she tells her story in verse, it is a very quick read, but her story will stick with you long after you read it.  You can find this book at MCPL, on Overdrive, and on our CMS Media Center Shelves.

If you're more into an action-adventure story, I recommend Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf series.  I recently read the 2nd and final book Blood for Blood.  You can read about Wolf by Wolf here.  Blood for Blood continues this alternate history story where Hitler and Germany triumphed in World War II. Yael continues her quest to bring freedom and end tyranny in Germany.  There is a lot of action and suspense to be found in this series.  You can find copies at MCPL and on Overdrive.

Another book I really liked that I read recently was The Boy in the Black Suit, by Jason Reynolds.  In this story, we meet Matt, whose mother recently passed away after a too quick battle with breast cancer.  As Matt begins his senior year in high school, he feels lost and unsure of who he is anymore.  His father has turned to alcohol and Matt just wants to move on with his life.  When Matt is offered a job at the local funeral home by his neighbor and family friend, he takes it, because it pays better than working at the local fast-food place.  He starts wearing his black suit everywhere he goes and tries to figure out why it is comforting for him to attend other people's funerals.  When he meets Lovey, a young lady who has been through even more than him, but has found a way to move forward, he starts to believe there just might be hope for his future again.  You can find this book at MCPL or on Overdrive.

Finally, one last series I have to recommend to you is Jen Calonita's Secrets of My Hollywood Life series.  I actually read the first 2 books 3 years ago, but recently revisited my enjoyment of the series by reading the 3rd & 4th books (there are a total of 6).  In the first book, we meet Kaitlin Burke, 16 year old star of the long-running TV series Family Affairs.  Though she enjoys some aspects of her fame, she gets tired of not getting to live a normal life.  That's when she and her best friend Liz decide to concoct a plan - disguise herself as a regular girl and attend a regular high school. This series is funny and a lot of fun.  I highly encourage it if you want to do some light reading that is just entertaining.  You can find copies at MCPL and on Overdrive.


That's it for now.  I hope you can find something to read that will get your new year started in an awesome way!