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.
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!
No comments:
Post a Comment