Spring Book Fever

It's hard to believe that our spring break is nearly over, and I don't know about you, but I've been spending lots of my time reading!  I've got lots of titles to tell you about today!

Let's start with a new book by John Boyne, who is the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which I know many of you really like.  In his newest work, The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, we meet Pierrot, the son of a French woman who married a German man after World War I.  Pierrot's father, who fought in the war, never recovered and became an abusive alcoholic, who eventually is killed in an accident.  His mother develops tuberculosis and dies, as well, and after a year at an orphanage, Pierrot's long-lost sister Beatrix, finds him and brings him to Austria to live with her where she is the housekeeper for Germany's leader, Hitler, at his house that is high in the Austrian Alps.  Hitler becomes a father-figure for Pierrot as he grows up at the house on the top of the mountain, but when Hitler is gone and the war is over, can Pierrot face the horrors that the German people brought onto so many others in the world?  This was a fascinating look at what it might have been like to grow up under the beliefs of a dictator.  You can find this book at MCPL or on MCPL's Overdrive.

If you're more into reading something really fantastical that has something of an Alice in Wonderland meets with a Hunger Games type of feeling, you might like Caraval, by Stephanie Garber.  In this story (the first in a series), we meet Scarlett and her sister Tella, who live on an island with their cold and abusive father.  For years, Scarlett has been writing to the elusive Legend, host of the yearly Caraval, an event like no other.  To Scarlett's surprise, this year she receives an invitation to attend Caraval, a game where there can only be one winner, and this year's winner will receive a wish as their prize.  A sailor friend of Tella's, Julian, promises to get Scarlett and Tella to Caraval, but when Scarlett arrives with Julian, Tella has disappeared.  Tella has been taken by Legend, and the person who manages to find her before Legend kills her will be the winner.  Scarlett is desperate and will do anything to save her sister from this dark game that threatens both of their lives.  This story is full of magic and unexpected twists and turns.  You never really know who Scarlett should trust - or even if she should trust herself.  If you're looking for something fun and mysterious with a little romance, you might like Caraval.  You can find this title at MCPL or on MCPL's Overdrive.

If you read Counting by 7's  as your book club choice, or maybe you just wanted to read it, but didn't get the chance, you might like the author's (Holly Goldberg Sloan) newest book, Short.  Here we meet Julia, who has always been extremely short for her age, but doesn't want to be defined by how tall she is.  Over the summer, Julia's mom makes Julia and her brother try out for the local college's production of The Wizard of Oz.  When Julia and her brother get cast as munchkins in the play, Julia thinks that nothing could be worse.  However, as she starts rehearsals and meets the interesting and quirky people who are part of the production, Julia starts to discover things about herself that she never realized.  This was a fun and funny story about growing up and learning about who you are as you start to really pay attention to the world around you.  You can find this title at MCPL or through MCPL's Overdrive.

I just finished reading The Possibility of Now, by Kim Culbertson, a realistic fiction story about Mara, an overachiever who recently had a major meltdown at school that was video-taped and posted on YouTube.  When the video gets over 600,000 views, Mara feels like there is no way that she can face going back to school and asks her mom if she can live with her father, who has pretty much been out of the picture for her whole life.  When her mother and father agree to a short stay, Mara heads to Tahoe during the heart of ski season and decides that she is going to start learning to live in the now, and makes lists to help her do so, but in checking things off her "Now" lists, is she really learning to live in the now?  In the slower pace of life, Mara starts to learn who she really is and what her real priorities are in life.  When her time is up with her father, will she want to return to her former life?  You can find this title at MCPL and on MCPL's Overdrive.

Another great realistic fiction book I read recently is called Love and First Sight, by Josh Sundquist.  In this story, Will, who has been blind all his life, decides that he wants to get out in the world and experience it the way a person with sight would.  He's always gone to a school for the blind and visually impaired, but wants to attend a "normal" school and prove that he can be as successful there as he has been at his school for the blind.  When Will starts at the school, he gets pushed toward the uber-shy Cecily by his new group of friends.  Will starts to develop a friendship with Cecily, which turns to more than friendship, and when Will gets the opportunity to have a surgery that will give him sight, he is thrilled, despite the obstacles that he will face.  When he finally gains his sight, he discovers something about Cecily that no one, including Cecily, ever thought to share with him.  This story really looks at how we define beauty in our society and how we can judge people based on their outward appearance.  Will's narration in this story is super funny, but sweet and heartwarming, as well.  I really enjoyed this one! You can find this book at MCPL and on MCPL's Overdrive.

Another great romance I was able to read was At First Blush, by Beth Ellyn Summer.  I was able to read an Advanced Reader's copy of this book thanks to NetGalley.  If you're a fan of Kasie West (PS I Like You, The Fill-in Boyfriend), then you'll love this new book about Lacey Robbins, who has built up a huge following with her YouTube channel "laceyblushes" where she films makeup tutorials and fashion tips. She feels like she's just got her big break when she earns an internship with On Trend magazine the summer before her senior year in high school. She's going to promote the magazine's next cover star and hopefully get sponsored by an awesome makeup company, grow her channel, and maybe be picked up by a company that launches YouTube careers. Everything seems to be going right until the cover star turns out to be Tyler Lance, a once-member of a famous boy band who is now on his own and has garnered some not-so-great publicity in the year since he's left his band. Now, he's getting ready to launch a solo career and wants to clean up his image with On Trend magazines help. Lacey isn't thrilled with Tyler at first, but as she gets to know him, she starts to see that all the headlines about him didn't really tell the whole story, and the two fall into serious like with one another. Lacey is also discovering that her internship is not going the way she thought it would, and what used to bring her joy, now only seems to bring her stress. Lacey and Tyler both have a lot of growing up to do as they not only get to know one another, but themselves, as well. This was such a fun read.  This book isn't out there yet, but will be published on April 4th.  Be sure to look for it!

If you're looking for a less light and more emotional romance, you might like Brigid Kemmerer's newest book, Letters to the Lost.  The story alternates between Juliet's and Declan's perspectives.  Both have experienced huge losses in their lives.  Juliet deals with the death of her mother by writing her mother letters and leaving them at her grave.  When Declan, who is doing community service at the cemetery finds one of her letters and writes back, at first Juliet is furious that someone has dared to read something so private, so she writes back an angry response.  Eventually the two develop a friendship through their letters and eventual emails with one another that helps them both cope with the losses that they've experienced.  They know each other better than anyone else, yet they don't know one another's actual identities...the question is, do they want to?  This is definitely not a light-hearted story, but it is deeply emotional and touching as Juliet and Declan work through their grief.  This is another book that I was provided an advanced copy through NetGalley.  Look for it after it publishes on April 4th.

These are some great books for you to check out if you're looking for some new reading material. There's nothing better than getting comfy with a good book on these beautiful spring days!  Happy reading!