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Books for Now & Later

Even though school is back in full-swing, I'm still doing as much reading as I can, so let me update you with a few books that might interest you.

First up is Epic Fail, by Claire LaZebnik.  This is a stand-alone novel about Elise Benton, who has recently moved with her family to LA when her mom took the job as principal of fancy Coral Tree Prep School.  When Elise's older sister Juliana starts dating Chase, Elise gets thrown together with the school's elusive heart-throb, Derek, who happens to be Chase's best friend and the son of ultra-famous movie stars.  Unfortunately for them, they don't always get along, especially when Elise befriends Derek's enemy, Webster Grant.  Constantly pulled back and forth between liking and hating Derek, Elise isn't really sure what to think.  But when forces work against Juliana and Chase, Elise and Derek join together to try to help them...and that may just be the nudge they need to find a relationship for themselves.  This was a really light read - often funny and pretty entertaining.  If you're looking for a fun romance, you'd probably like Epic Fail.  I checked this out through MCPL's Overdrive, and you can find it on their shelves, as well. 

Next up, is book number 2 in Bree Despain's Into the Dark trilogy, The Eternity Key.  Book number one, The Shadow Prince, introduced us to Haden, son of the king of the Underworld, and Daphne, a girl whom Haden was supposed to bring back to the Underworld.  Without giving too much away for those who have not yet read the first book, Haden's and Daphne's story continues as they fight against the powers that want to keep them apart, and against those that want to bring war to the Underworld.  This series is based on Greek mythology and is full of action, adventure, and some romance too.  I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy, which should be out sometime next summer.  You can find both The Shadow Prince and The Eternity Key on the shelves at MCPL.

Next up is a book that I read thanks to NetGalley.  The Secret Fire, by C.J. Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld is due to be released on September 3rd.  In this story, we meet Sasha Winters, a French teenager who can't die until his 18th birthday.  Until that time, he can throw himself off buildings, be stabbed, shot, or whatever...and he'll recover and live.  But...his time is growing short, because his 18th birthday is only a few weeks away.  We also meet Taylor Montclair, a normal English girl whose path crosses with Sasha's when one of her teacher's asks her to tutor him in English online.  Sasha and Taylor soon discover that they have connections that go beyond tutoring - Taylor may be the key to saving his life.  If you like action and adventure, you'll like The Secret Fire, but I'll warn you, you'll be left hanging at the end of this first book, because it's the first in a series. 

I was also able to read The One Thing, by Marci Lyn Curtis, thanks to NetGalley.  This stand-alone book is due to release on September 8th.  Maggie Sanders has been blind for the last six months, and she doesn't want anybody's pity.  In fact, she goes to outrageous lengths to prove that she's okay, which lands her in hot water...and causes her to have a probation officer.  While visiting her probation officer, Maggie meets Ben, a 10-year old boy with a big personality - and she can see him.  Hoping this means her sight is going to return, she befriends Ben and hopes for the best.  Ben's older brother, Mason, lead singer of Maggie's favorite new band, suspects that she can see and that she's just using Ben to get to him.  This book is at turns, both hilarious and heartbreaking.  I absolutely loved it.  Look for it after September 8th!

Finally, let me tell you about Edgewater, by Courtney Sheinmel.  This is another title I read courtesy of NetGalley and will be released on September 8th, as well.  In Edgewater, we meet Lorrie Hollander, whose family was once rich, but as things stand, are now most definitely not.  After Lorrie's mother ran off 12 years ago, leaving Lorrie and her sister in their aunt's care, their lives and their home, called Edgewater, are literally falling to ruin.  When Lorrie befriends a famous Senator's son, Charlie, who is living in a neighboring home for the summer, it's all she can do to keep of the pretense that everything is okay in her life.  What Lorrie doesn't know is that there are deep and dark secrets between her family and Charlie's...and as all secrets do, they eventually come to light.  This is a dark and emotional mystery that will keep you guessing.  Keep an eye out for this one after September 8th.

More Summer Reads

Our summer break is quickly approaching its end, but I've been reading like crazy trying to get in as many titles as I can before heading back to school next week.  Let me tell you about a few that might interest you.  

First up is a book called, The Demon King, by Cinda Williams Chima.  This book was actually published several years ago and was recommended to me by Goodreads...one of the many reasons I love that website.  All I can say is thank goodness it was published several years ago, because it is a 4-book series and I quickly devoured the first 3 and can't wait for the 4th one to be available (I'm next in line, so I hope whoever has it checked out hurries up!)  This series is JUST. SO. GOOD.  A thousand years ago a queen married a wizard who broke apart and nearly destroyed the world...he was known as the demon king because of his destruction.  Now, a thousand years later the kingdom of Fellsmarch is still ruled by the line of Hanalea, the queen who defeated her husband, the demon king.  There is conflict between the wizards and the clans who live in the mountains, who control the magic allowed to the wizards.  Han Alister is a former streetlord from the city known as "Cuffs" because of the strange silver cuffs he's worn for as long as he can remember.  He's left the street life and been somewhat adopted into one of the mountain clans, and he's just trying to get by.  When he and his friend Fire Dancer encounter 3 wizards where they don't belong, they confront them and take the amulet of one of the young wizards...and amulet that little known to Han has a dark and dangerous legacy.  Raisa ana'Marianna is the princess-heir...next in line to the throne of Fellsmarch.  Her future is in danger, but she doesn't know it yet.  Han's and Raisa's paths will cross in this first book...only barely, but enough to keep you reading through the series. This story has action, mystery, suspense, magic, and just a little romance.  I couldn't put it down.  You can find copies at MCPL & through Overdrive.  If you can wait until school starts, our CMS media center has all 4 books in the series available and ready to be checked out!

Another adventure series you might be interested in is Brandon Sanderson's Reckoners series.  The first book is called Steelheart, and we meet David, a normal boy growing up in the (literally) dark world of Newcago (New-Chicago) where 10 years ago a burst of power called Calamity turned regular people into what are now known as Epics.  Epics developed super-powers, but unfortunately none of them seem to be using those powers for good.  They've toppled the government and are now in control.  Steelheart controls Newcago & he's unbeatable, but David has seen him bleed...when Steelheart killed his father 8 years ago.  David knows that Steelheart must have a weakness that caused him to bleed and he is determined to discover that weakness and take Steelheart down.  David manages to join a resistance group called the Reckoners...and now he has to convince them to go along with his plan to go after Steelheart.  This book is full of action and suspense.  You can find copies at MCPL and through overdrive.  Book 2 (Firefight) is available, but book 3 won't be out until early next year.

If you're more interested in historical fiction, you might like The Lions of Little Rock, by Kristin Levine.  Marlee is a twelve year old girl in 1958 Little Rock.  Marlee is a good student and very smart, but she struggles to talk and communicate with others.  She finds she never really knows what to say, so she usually just says nothing.  But as she starts 7th grade, there is a new girl, Liz, who seems to bring out the best in Marlee and helps her learn to start saying what she thinks.  But one day Liz doesn't show up and people start to say that Liz is not what she said she was - she's black and she was trying to "pass" as white, and that just wasn't acceptable in that time and place.  Marlee has to figure out how to maintain the new confidence she gained through her friendship with Liz...and how to speak out for what really matters.  This was an excellent book about friendship, and I felt like I learned a lot about the school integration conflict that was taking place in Little Rock at this time.  I highly recommend this one.  You can find copies at MCPL and through Overdrive.  This one is also available in our CMS Media Center.

If you're more in the market for a romance, you might like How to Say I Love You Out Loud, by Karole Cozzo.  Jordyn moved to Valley Forge High School just before her sophomore year and met Alex through her summer job.  They've been best friends ever since, but when Jordyn starts her junior year and finds out Alex has a girlfriend, she realizes that even though she doesn't want to be more than friends, she's jealous.  Jordyn holds herself back from all her friends, because she doesn't want them to know about her brother, Phillip, who is highly autistic.  When Phillip's special school closes and he has to attend her high school, Jordyn is terrified of anyone finding out that he is her brother.  Over the course of time, things start to fall apart for Jordyn...and not because people are judging her because of her brother, but because of her dishonesty about what her life is really like.  This is a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming story of self-discovery and learning that real friends aren't going to judge you by your family or any others.  I was lucky enough to get to read an advanced copy of this story thanks to NetGalley.  You can find a copy of this book when it becomes available next Tuesday, August 4th!

Finally, let me tell you about The Last of the Firedrakes, by Farah Oomerbhoy. This is the first book in a new series.  I was able to read an advanced copy thanks to NetGalley, but if you're interested, keep an eye out - it will be available on August 15th!  This story is very much a fairy-tale-like story about a girl name Aurora.  Aurora was orphaned as a baby and adopted by loving parents, who were unfortunately killed in an accident and taken in by and aunt and uncle who really don't seem to like her.  She's dreaming of the day that she can get away from them and be on her own when she's kidnapped into a magical kingdom and is going to be taken before the evil queen of the kingdom of Avalonia.  When Aurora is rescued by a dashing outlaw known as the Black Wolf, who figures out why she's been kidnapped and takes her to her powerful uncle.  It turns out Aurora is the long-lost, thought-dead daughter of the rightful King and Queen of Avalonia, who were killed by the current queen.  Aurora has magical powers of her own that she had no idea about...now she has to learn to use them and set out to take back the throne that should rightly belong to her.  If you like fairy tale adventure type stories, you will probably enjoy The Last of the Firedrakes.

That's it for now.  I'll keep reading in the days I have left and update again if I have a chance before I return to school next week.

Six New Titles

I've been reading as much as I can, so let me share a few new titles with you that you might want to check out.

First up is Rebel Mechanics, by Shanna Swendson.  This book was just published this past week, but I was able to read an advanced copy thanks to NetGalley.  MCPL doesn't have it yet, but they have other books by this author, so keep your eye out for it.  This story is an alternate history that has a steampunk setting in the 1800's.  Rebel Mechanics looks at what might have happened if the U.S. had never won it's independence from Great Britain because they kept us under their thumb with magic.  Powerful magisters have been in control in the colonies, but the colonists are still working toward gaining their independence.  Verity Newton knows nothing of this, and is just starting out as a young governess in the home of a New York magister.  She is recruited to spy on the magisters by a rebel group who is working to gain independence.  But...this rebel group may be more than it seems, and Verity is faced with some tough choices.  Plus, she's keeping a secret of her own that she can't let anyone find out about.  If you're looking for a story that has a historical feel, but is full of adventure, you'll like this one!

Nothing Left to Burn, by Patty Blount is set to release on August 8th, and I was able to read an advance copy thanks again to Net Galley.  If you like more of a contemporary story, you might keep your eye out for this title when it releases in a few weeks.  The story alternates between the points of view of two characters.  Reece has something to prove to his firefighter dad after the death of his brother a year ago.  Reece's father blames him for what happened to his brother and nothing Reece does has ever lived up to his father's expectations.  Amanda has been a foster kid most of her life and has finally found some stability in her current home and has found a place where she belongs in the local junior firefighter cadet program.  When Reece joins the cadets to try to prove his worth to his father, Amanda unwillingly takes him under her wing.  She begins to see that there is more to Reece than what she originally thought and a real friendship starts to develop.  In addition to all this, a string of arsons have been committed in their town and the cadets really want to help figure out who is behind these fires.  There's a lot going on in this story, so if you like a read that is emotional, but also has an element of mystery, you'll like Nothing Left to Burn.

If you are more interested in a dystopian fantasy, let me tell you about Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard.  This is the first book in a new series and it was hard to put down!  Our main character is Mare Barrow, a 17-year old girl who is a Red in a world ruled by Silvers, who all have magical powers which allow them to oppress the Reds.  Most Reds are barely getting by and unless they've been apprenticed to learn a trade,  at the age of 18 are sent off to fight in a war that has been raging for 100 years.  Mare is about to turn 18 when she somehow is given a job at the Silver palace to work as a servant for the king.  An accident reveals that Mare has a magical ability of her own even though she is not a Silver.  The King and Queen decide to disguise her as the long-lost daughter of a long-dead silver family and engage her to be married to their younger son, Maven.  Though they form a strong friendship, Mare can't help but keep thinking about the older son, Cal.  But her true loyalties lie with her people, so she works to get involved with an underground rebel group to try to defeat the Silvers.  There is lots of action, some romance, and some pretty harsh betrayals in this story.  I am already really looking forward to the next book in this series!  I checked out a digital copy through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can find it on their shelves, as well.

Whistling Past the Graveyard, by Susan Crandall is actually an adult fiction novel, but the narrator is a 9-year old girl named Starla Claudelle who is growing up in Mississippi, and it reminds me a lot of a book that we'll read in class this year (To Kill a Mockingbird), so I had to recommend this one in case you want to make a comparison yourself later on.  Starla was born to teen parents and when we meet her in 1963, she's been living with her grandmother, whom she calls Mamie.  Mamie is really, really hard on Starla, because she doesn't want her to turn out like her "trashy" mother, who is living in Nashville trying to make it as a singer.  When Starla gets in big trouble yet again, she decides to run away to Nashville to live with her mother.  As she's heading out of town, a black woman named Eula stops and offers Starla a ride.  Eula isn't alone, though.  She has a white baby boy in the truck with her and takes Starla home with her.  When disaster strikes, Eula and Starla and the baby head toward Nashville and Starla gets a real look at how unfairly people of color are treated at this time in the South.  There are a lot of ups and downs and you'll feel a range of emotions as you read this story.  Starla's narration is fantastic...I loved the way she told her story.  I checked out a digital copy of this story from MCPL and they also have it on their shelves.

If you're looking for something humorous to read, look no further than The Swap, by Megan Shull.  My husband thought I was crazy while I was reading this one, because I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud multiple times.  This story is a fun twist on the Freaky Friday story (if you haven't seen this movie, check it out too).  We have two narrators - Ellie, a new 7th grader, and Jack, an 8th grader.  Ellie is struggling big-time.  Her former best friend has become the ultimate Mean Girl and has set her sites on Ellie as her main target.  Ellie's self-esteem is in the dumps and she has no idea how she's going to survive 7th grade.  Jack, on the other hand, is super-confident, super-popular, knows exactly what he wants and how he's going to get it.  However, his dad is super-strict and when Jack gets in a fight at school, he's dreading having to face his dad.  When both Ellie and Jack end up in the nurse's office wishing they could be someone else, the new nurse casts a little spell while they're sleeping and when they wake up, Ellie is now in Jack's body & he is in hers.  From this point, hilarity ensues, as they try to figure out how to be a person they really don't even know.  But both have a lot to gain from this experience.  This book is so funny, but it has some great heartwarming moments.  My one issue with the book is that I think that the author goes a little (a lot) overboard with teen slang - or how she assumes teens speak.  I don't know - I thought it was a little much, but it was still an awesome story.  I again checked out a digital copy through MCPL, but you can find hard copies on their shelves, as well.

Finally, if you just want a romantic fairy tale of a story, check out Off the Page, by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer.  Some of you may have read Between the Lines about Delilah and Oliver, who once again take center stage in Off the Page.  This book continues their story and adds in Edgar's narration.  You don't actually have to read Between the Lines  to read this book, because they're more companion books than a series, but I think Off the Page will make more sense if you've read the other book.  I don't want to give too much away if you haven't read the first book, but this is a great fairy tale love story.  I checked out a digital copy from MCPL, but I hear the hard copy has full-color illustrations that I couldn't get on my original Kindle (my illustrations were just gray).

There you have it.  I'll keep updating you on new books as I read them, but believe it or not, I've been spending some time working on planning for the upcoming school year...it's coming sooner than later!  If you're doing some good summer reading, shoot me an e-mail and tell me about it.  If you're not, you can shoot me an e-mail and tell me what you have been doing.  I'm looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks!

Who wants to do some summer reading?

So...we've been out of school for a month today and I've been reading like crazy, but clearly have not been telling you about what I've been reading.  Sorry about that!  So far I've read 28 books this summer!  My goal is to read 65 before I go back to school in August.  I think I'm well on my way.  My other reading goal was to read some "classics" that I've never read.  I started with Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen.  It was good, but I've got to tell you, I had to think really hard as I read that one - reading and interpreting English as it was spoken in the 1800's when the book was written required a lot of focus, so it took me longer to read it than I expected.  I really wasn't sure I liked it at first, but once I got used to the "fancy" language, I really liked it.  It was actually fairly sarcastic and funny.  I'm planning to finish up The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger tonight.  It is not quite what I expected, but it's pretty funny too.  The narrator, Holden Caulfield, definitely doesn't hold back about saying what he thinks.  I hope to read a few other classics before summer's end, as well.  But for now...let me fill you in on a few titles I've read that you might like.

I'll start with 2 different books by the same author.  The first is called Boy21, by Matthew Quick.  Boy21 is told to us by Finley, a boy who's life revolves around basketball.  He's about to start his senior year in high school when his coach asks him for a favor.  A good friend of his coach was murdered, along with the friend's wife, but their son has moved to the area with his grandparents and is going to go to Finley's school.  Finley's coach wants him to befriend the son, Russ, and help him to adjust to the new school.  The only problem is that since his parents' murder, Russ is calling himself Boy21 and says that is from outer space and he's waiting for his parents to come back from outer space to get him.  This story is incredibly quirky and funny, but also moving and emotional, like most of Matthew Quick's stories.  I checked this book out through MCPL's Overdrive, but they also have copies on their shelves if you're interested.

Another Matthew Quick book that I love is Sorta Like a Rock Star.  I read this book 3 years ago, but I loved it so much, I insisted that this be one of the audiobooks my husband and I listened to on our road trip to Phoenix a couple weeks ago.  My husband ( who is not really a reader, but does enjoy a good story) loved this book too.  Sorta Like a Rock Star is about Amber Appleton, a young girl who is living on the school bus her mother drives with her mother.  Her life is far from easy or perfect, but Amber considers herself the princess of hope - she always sees the glass as half full.  Until...tragedy strikes Amber's life and she doesn't think she can find any hope left in the world.  Can she find her way back to her hopeful state of mind?  You'll have to read the book to find out!  This book can also be checked out through MCPL's overdrive or off their shelves.

If you're looking more for a fantasy/dystopian type book, then you might like An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir.  This story is told from 2 different perspectives - Elias, who has been raised to be a soldier from the age of 6 and Laia, a girl who was poor and free, but became a slave to try to help her people.  Elias is a Martial.  His people rule his society.  He's been training as a solder at Black Cliff since he was a child and is planning to run away as soon as he graduates until unforeseen circumstances keep him from doing so.  Laia's brother is arrested and her grandparents are murdered, but she escapes.  She'll do anything to help her brother, including joining the resistance movement and becoming a slave at Black Cliff.  When Laia's and Elias' paths cross sparks fly & adventure ensues.  If you want a book with lots of action and suspense, you'll like this one.  I also checked this one out through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can find it on their shelves, as well.

I finally got around to reading The Heir, by Kiera Cass.  If you thought The Selection series was over with The One like I did, you were wrong.  The Heir jumps about 30-ish years into the future where we meet Eadlyn, Maxon & America's oldest daughter, who is first in line for the throne of Ilea.  Even though things have been better in Ilea since Maxon became king, there has lately been some unrest and dissatisfaction, so to fix that, King Maxon and Queen America decide that Eadlyn needs to have a selection of her own to distract the country from its troubles.  Eadlyn, however, is not really too excited about the prospect of a selection and is determined that she's going to make her suitors squirm.  She definitely does just that...and more.  There will be at least one more book in this series to continue Eadlyn's story and her selection.  I'm interested to see how it turns out.  Again - this book is available through MCPL's Overdrive & on their shelves.  I don't have any doubts that it will eventually find it's way to our Congress Media Center's shelves this fall as well!

Since I'm on a girly-book roll, let me tell you about Kasie West's newest book, The Fill-in Boyfriend.  Swoon...I love Kasie West.  Gia's boyfriend Bradley dumps her on the way into her prom.  None of her friends had ever met Bradley, who is in college, and one friend (or not-so-much-friend) in particular has been dropping hints that she doesn't believe he's even real.  Gia has no idea what she's going to do when she spots a boy just sitting in a car reading a book.  She decides that she has nothing to lose and asks him if he'll pretend to be Bradley for the evening.  This boy decided to go along with her and really impresses her friends as Bradley.  He impresses Gia too...she really wishes she knew his real name and how to get back in touch with him.  When circumstances lead to her returning the favor for him, Gia starts to really fall for fake Bradley (whose name shall remain secret until you read the book yourself).  This was a fun, feel-good read.  I loved it.  I checked it out from MCPL, but it's now also available on Overdrive.

Finally, I'll leave you with another fun book called Geek Girl, by Holly Smale. Harriet Manners, our main character, knows many things.  One thing she knows is that she is a geek.  She can't help it, it is just who she is.  When her best friend asks her to go to a fashion show, Harriet doesn't want to go, but does anyway.  Once there, she realizes that her friend is hoping to get discovered as a model...but much to Harriet's surprise, SHE is the one who is discovered and a secret modeling career is launched.  If you like a book with a funny main character who experiences lots of misadventure, you'll probably like Geek Girl.  You can get this book through MCPL's Overdrive or find it on their shelves.

That's it for now.  I will do my best to update a little more often than I have been doing.  I hope you're all having a fabulous summer!

Start that Summer Reading List!

Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means, right?  More time to read!  I know I'm not the only one excited about that, right?  If you're already looking for titles to read, let me recommend a few books I've read recently.

I'll start with a book called 5 to 1,  by Holly Bodger.  I got to read this book thanks to NetGalley.  It's publishing date is actually tomorrow, 5/12.  This was a really fascinating read that turns the idea of gender inequality on its ear.  The setting of the story is India in the year 2054.  Because of laws prohibiting families from having more than one child...and many families wanting only boy children, the ratio of boys to girls is now 5 to 1.  Girls became a valuable commodity and were being sold to the highest bidder.  But a group of women rebelled and formed the country of Koyanagar, closed the gates to all outsiders, and now men must compete in tests to in order to win a wife.  Any boy can compete, but those not chosen are sent to guard the wall that surrounds their country - most likely to their death.  This story is told from two points of view - Sudasa, a young girl who must choose her husband through the tests even though she doesn't want to, and Kiran - a boy competing in the tests who doesn't want to win, and has plans of his own.  This was an incredibly fascinating story.  If you want to read something thought-provoking, you should try 5 to 1.  MCPL has this on order, so you can put it on hold if you're interested!

If you're more up for a story loosely based on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone (God of the Underworld lures girl to Underworld, she ends up having to live six months of every year there), you might like the story, Everneath, by Brodi Ashton.  Six months ago Nikki Beckett vanished...she'd been lured to the "Everneath" by Cole, and Everliving who promised her an end to the pain of living after her mother's death.  When Nikki returns to her old life and has only 6 months to live it before she's pulled back into the Everneath for eternity, she only wants to make things right with her family and her old boyfriend, Jack.  Cole wants her to return to the Everneath with him and to use her to help take over the throne, but Nikki doesn't know what she wants, other than finding a way to stay in the real world and never have to go to the Everneath again.  This is the first in a series...if you like it, you'll find a novella, Neverfall, and two more novels, Everbound and Evertrue.  All 3 novels are available at MCPL.  You can find the first 2 books and the novella on MCPL's Overdrive, as well.

If you like stories that involve lots of action and espionage, you might like Julie Kagawa's Talon series.  In book 1, Talon, you meet Ember Hill, someone who appears to be a normal teenage girl, but who is actually...a dragon.   At one point, dragons were nearly extinct after being hunted by the lethal Order of Saint George - soldiers who swore to kill all dragons.  They've been hiding and biding their time, forming an organization called Talon, and their goal is to take over the world.  Ember is a member of Talon.  She's been trained to fit in with human society and she and her twin brother Dante get one last summer to train in a beach town in California before they accept their roles as agents of Talon.  Ember just wants to relax and get to enjoy what a normal human life might be like.  Garrett Sebastian is a soldier of St. George.  He and his partner have been sent to the small California town where Ember and her brother are staying in order to find hidden dragon agents - in other words - Ember and Dante.  But when Ember and Garret meet, they become friends and maybe even something more...until they discover the truth about one another.  If you like Talon, you'll be itching to read the 2nd book in the series, Rogue, which just came out on April 28th.  I got to read my copy of Rogue from NetGalley, but you can find both books at MCPL.  Talon is also available through MCPL's Overdrive.

Another book I've read recently is The Winner's Crime (Winner's Curse #2), by Marie Rutkoski.  This story continues Kestrel and Arin's story as they try to find a way to save their countries.  You can read more about book one here.  I don't want to give too much away, but at the end of the first book, Kestrel does something bit in order to save Arin...and in this book she has to learn to live with that choice...or does she?  This series is so beautifully written, but it's definitely full of drama.  If you haven't read the first book, add both it and this 2nd novel to your list of to-reads!  You can find both books at MCPL.  You can find book 2 through MCPL's Overdrive, as well.

Skandal, by Lindsay Smith is another book 2 I've read recently - it's the follow up to Sekret, which you can read about here.   Again, I don't want to give too much away, but Yulia is now in the U.S. working for the CIA trying to find a way to save her mother.  Figuring out a new culture is only the beginning of Yulia's problems as she works to try to bring down the man who has caused all her family's troubles.  You can find both books at MCPL and Skandal is available through MCPL's overdrive.

My final recommendation is for a series I've just finished.  The 3rd and final book is Lion Heart, by A.C. Gaughen, which concludes her Scarlet series (you can read more about book 1 here).  I got to read Lion Heart early, thanks to NetGalley - it will be published next week on May 19th if you're interested.  This third and final book finds Scarlet imprisoned by Prince John, unsure if she will ever find a way back to Robin Hood.  Once again, I'm not going to give anything away, but this was an awesome conclusion to a really great series.  I absolutely loved this twist on the Robin Hood story and am sad that it has come to an end!  You can find both the first 2 books at MCPL and through their Overdrive system.  Book 3 is on order, so you can go ahead & put it on hold if you're interested!  

Finally - who's up for a challenge?  Some of you have said you'd like to challenge to read more than me over the summer.  If you want to challenge me, you can find the access to the link on my Reading page on the team website (scroll down below current class info).  There is also a link to the form where I'll ask you to log your books as you read them.  And if that's not enough, there is also a link for those interested in joining me in reading some classics this summer.  My goal is to read several "classics" that I've never read before, so I hope some of you will join me in that!  

New & Upcoming Titles

I am eagerly waiting for tomorrow when I get to share with you about the book choices you'll have for our final book club of the year.  I always love to see which books everyone wants to read.  I really hope that you'll get your first choice!  I have several other titles to recommend to you today, though, that are purely for fun.

First up, is The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander.  If the cover gives you a clue, this story has everything to do with basketball.  Told from the point of view of Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell, this story captured my attention from the first page.  Josh tells his story in prose...sometimes it rhymes, sometimes it just flows, but we learn about his struggles as a 12-year old prodigy basketball player when things at home don't go the way he wants them to.  His twin brother, Jordan, is growing up and away from him.  His father is denial of aging and the health problems he might be facing.  His mom is the school principal, which just makes everything harder.  If you want a quick-moving story that will pull on your emotions, you'll love The Crossover.  I read my copy through MCPL's Overdrive, but you can also find it on their shelves.  Our Congress library also has a copy.  It might be a good one to pick up before MAP testing in a couple weeks!

If you like fairy tale retellings, you might like the book I just finished earlier today - Neverland, by Shari Arnold.  I have a feeling that this is going to be a book that I'm thinking about for days to come...I loved it that much.  In this story, we meet Livy, who is still trying to deal with the death of her 6-year old sister, Jenna, who had leukemia.  Livy deals with missing Jenna by volunteering at the children's hospital where Jenna had been a patient, reading the sick kids stories every day.  It's there that she meets a mysterious boy named Meyer, who tries to help Livy move beyond her fear and sadness by having adventures.  If you haven't guessed from the title, this is a retelling of Peter Pan, and I don't really want to say much else about it, because I don't want to give all the good stuff away.  I got to read an advanced reader copy thanks to NetGalley, but the good news for you is that this title was just published on April 7th, The bad news is that I don't see it at MCPL, but I'm going to recommend to Mrs. Gehrt that she purchase this title, so hopefully, we can find it in our Congress library really soon!

If you're feeling more like historical fiction, you might enjoy Under a Painted Sky, by Stacey Lee.  This is another story that I absolutely loved about Samantha, a young Chinese girl living in none other than St. Joe, Missouri around the year 1850.  Her father owns a general store and Sammy helps out at the store and gives violin lessons to children around town.  When her father's general store burns to the ground, along with him in it, Sammy is at a loss for what to do.  Her landlord seems like he's going to help her out, but when his sinister plans for her are revealed and he attacks her, she hits him over the head with a scrub brush, and he falls, hitting his head, and dies.  Now, what is a helpless young Chinese girl who has just killed someone to do in a situation like this?  With the help of a young slave girl, Annamae, she takes off on the run out onto the frontier, heading west to California.  Sammy and Annamae disguise themselves as boys, "Sam" & "Andy" and join with a group of young cowboys heading in the same direction.  Can the two outrun the law and manage to find their way to California?  You'll have to read Under a Painted Sky  to find out.  You can find this title at MCPL.

Now, let me tell you about some titles that aren't released yet, but that I was able to preview thanks to NetGalley.  

First up is Fury, by Steven James.  This is the 2nd book in James' Blur Trilogy.  If you don't remember my recommendation of Blur (book #1), you can check it out here.  Fury continues Daniel's story.  It's been a few months since he's experienced his last blur, and Daniel has been seeing a therapist, but decides he's not willing to take his medication.  Not sure whether or not he's really going crazy, or if the blurs are beginning again, Daniel is drawn into two different mysteries - one involving wolves that are being murdered in the area, and another involving the death of another young girl that ties directly into his own history.  Can Daniel use his blurs to solve another mystery, or will his blurs get the best of him?  You'll have to read Fury to find out!  This title will be released on April 28th.  I don't see it on MCPL's site yet, but they do have Blur, so I'm confident they'll be picking Fury up as well.

Another title that is being released on April 28th is The Girl at Midnight, by Melissa Grey.  This is the first book in a new series by Grey, and it is full of magic and adventure.  Echo was an orphan, living in the New York Public Library when she is taken in by the Avicen, an ancient group of magical bird-like people who live underneath New York City.  Echo becomes a thief, who is able to get things for the Avicen.  When she is asked to find the firebird, which will supposedly bring about peace between the Avicen and their enemies, the Drakharin people.  When Echo's best friend is captured by the Drakharin, Echo knows she has to try to save her, but in doing so has to form a dangerous partnership with the Drakharin prince.  Can Echo find the firebird and save the Avicen who saved her?  You'll have to pick up The Girl at Midnight and find out!  MCPL has copies of this title on order, so you can go ahead and put it on hold if you're interested.

Finally, I'll end with Saint Anything, by Sarah Dessen.  I have long been a fan of Ms. Dessen and her books, and Saint Anything did not disappoint.  Sydney feels like she is constantly walking on eggshells in her life.  She lives in the shadow of her older brother, Peyton, who's string of bad choices has recently led to a drunk driving conviction and a jail sentence.  Sydney wants to be the opposite of her brother, and to help out with her family's recent financial struggles, she leaves her private school for the local public school.  As she starts at her new school, Sydney meets the Chatham family and soon has a new best friend and a boy she can't help but be interested in.  But, will Sydney's parents trust her enough to let her make her own choices, and will Sydney choose to step out of her brother's shadow and be her own person?
For a book that is all about friendship, family, and a little romance thrown in, you won't be disappointed by Saint Anything.  This book is being released on May 5th, and I'm sure you'll be able to find a copy of it at MCPL after it's release.  I wouldn't be surprised to find it on our Congress shelves when we return to school in next fall, as well!

Those are all the recommendations I have for now.  It's not too early to start making your list for summer reading...hopefully one or more of these might find their way onto your list!