Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Tag
New Books Highlight: Continuing Series
For whatever reason, it seems like a lot of new books in series have come out this spring. With summer just around the corner (okay, so the weather doesn’t really reflect that…but it is almost June!), and school winding up to wind down (exams! final projects! yikes!) treat yourself to a simple and satisfying series conclusion or continuance and be taken away to another world. Here are three new ones I am super excited about:
Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
This is the riveting final book in the Lumatere Chronicles (Finnikin of the Rock, Froi of the Exiles) series begun three years ago. Froi and his companions must trek through Charyn to save his love Quintana and raise an army to defend her unborn heir. Meanwhile we learn more about Lumatere as the story alternates between Froi’s journey and events in Lumatere. The amazing fantasy world that Marchetta has built does not disappoint in this final installment – our questions are answered, our love for characters (even unlovable Quintana) deepens, and we all want to go back to the beginning of the trilogy to relive the magic.
Sneak Peek! (from the Prologue) “There’s a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road. And I travel for days on the back of a cart with the lice and the filth and the swill of the swine.” (Text copyright © 2012 by Melina Marchetta)
Aptly named, this is the final book in the otherwordly Hush, Hush saga (Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence). War between the Nephilim and the fallen angels is on the horizon. Complications arise when Nora, now the leader of the Nephilim, is expected to lead her clan in the war against her boyfriend Patch’s people. Full of secrets, lies, surprises, and, of course, love.
Sneak Peek! “Scott didn’t believe in ghosts. Dead men stayed in the grave. But the tunnels crisscrossing under Delphic Amusement Park, echoing with rustling, whispered sounds, made him rethink.” (Text copyright 2012 © by Rebecca Fitzpatrick)
This is the sequel to Cold Kiss. Wren Darby is exploring her supernatural abilities, still getting used to what it means to have the kind of power she feels cursed with. Although he also has power, boyfriend Gabriel does not like what Wren can do, which causes her to seek understanding through the dangerous company of Bay and Fiona. As they draw Wren deep into something she may not be ready for – and as she deals with her younger sister’s burgeoning abilities – she faces the realization that she is not defined by her magic.
Sneak Peek! “I’m flying, soaring, swooping, dizzy with power and the sharp bite of the December air on my cheeks. The world is wide-open sky, cloudless and clear, and I can go anywhere.” (Text copyright © 2012 by Amy Garvey)
New Books Highlight: Books You’ll Like if…
This week I want to show you three brand new books that share some traits with books you may have already read. We all know how it feels to hunt for a book that is kinda like the last great book you read. Sometimes it is hard to pin down exactly what you liked about that last book, but sometimes you know just what you’re looking for. Here are three you might like if…
If you like the pace and subjects of books by Ellen Hopkins like Identical and Tilt, or you liked the style and setting of Looking for Alaska by John Green you should try…
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley (A Keaton School Novel)
Devon has never really fit in at her prestigious California boarding school. Because she plans to study psychology at an even more prestigious college -Stanford University – she decides to use her lack of social life and her misfit status to her advantage by becoming a peer counselor. It seems fairly straightforward until the stunning suicide of a classmate, Jason Hutchins aka Hutch, rocks the school. Devon is called upon to hear her peers’ struggle with accepting the death, all the while struggling herself to understand how and why it happened. To make things trickier for Devon, she might have loved Hutch. And she might know more about his death than what the school wants students to know.
Sneak Peek! “Devon’s eye caught the harsh glare of the setting sun. She blinked and looked down, realizing she was rubbing her right palm where Hutch had kissed her before.” (Text copyright © 2013 by Margaux Froley)
If you like books by Meg Cabot and Lisi Harrison you should try…
Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg
Lexi is popular, has lots of great friends and a nice family…oh, except for their obsession with her younger sister’s beauty pageants, as though beauty was all that mattered. Lexi has always been the girl with a “great personality,” but what does that even mean? One day she decides she’s sick of being ignored by the guys she likes, by her family, by everyone. She wrangles her confidence – luckily it’s abundant -to step up and take the world on with her great personality, letting her inner beauty outshine everyone around her.
Sneak Peek! “Applying butt glue to my sister’s backside is, without question, not the first way I’d choose to spend a weekend.” (Text copyright © 2013 by Elizabeth Eulberg)
If you liked The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty, the quirky fantasy of books like A Wrinkle in Time and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente you should try…
A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty (The Colors of Madeleine Book One)
Madeleine Tully lives in rainy Cambridge, England, with her kooky mother. Meanwhile in the Kingdom of Cello – which may or may not be Fairyland – Elliot is desperately searching for his father who went missing a year ago on the same night his uncle was found dead. Things are amiss in Cello, it seems, where Dangerous Colors are raining destruction. When Elliot and Madeleine both discover a gap between their parallel worlds they begin to communicate and events in their lives begin to intertwine.
Sneak Peek! ” Madeleine Tully turned fourteen yesterday, but today she did not turn anything. Oh, wait. She turned a page.” (Text copyright © 2013 by Jaclyn Moriarty)
New Books Highlight: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
After looking at three dystopian books last week – that genre that seems to be taking over the world – let’s look at three brand new books in other genres.
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
With its creepy title, this book sounds like a horror story. It’s really a little fantasy, a little paranormal, a little mythology, a little dystopia, and, yes, a little horror. There’s not just one story here, but there is one story. It’s made up of seven different vignettes – seven interwoven tales set on the same creepy Scandinavian island called Blessed. There are funny things afoot on Blessed, and it appears there have been since the beginning of time. Each piece of the puzzle takes place in a different era, starting in 2073, going back through the 10th century, and ending in time unknown. Fantasy, mythology, and paranormal fiction lovers should pick this up.
Sneak Peek! “The sun does no go down. This is the first thing that Eric Seven notices about Blessed Island. There will be many other strange things that he will notice, before the forgetting takes hold of him, but that will come later.” (Text copyright © 2013 Marcus Sedgwick)
Rory Miller’s life changes forever when she is nearly the victim of a serial killer. She escapes, but she knows who he is and what he almost did to her. She and her family enter Witness Protection, which means starting over in a new place, with a brand new life. Until one of Rory’s new friends goes missing. Has the killer she ran from found her? As teens continue to go missing in Rory’s new home of Juniper Landing, other seem unconcerned, but Rory is determined to track down the truth. If you like a little mystery with your stories, and a little supernatural with your mysteries, check this one out.
Sneak Peek! “His hands felt like ice. He rubbed them together, the dry scratching an even tempo in the otherwise quiet woods.” (Text copyright © 2012 by Alloy Entertainment and Kieran Viola)
Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed
And now for some romance! This is positively Downton Abbey from the perspective of two teens, one a rich young woman, and the other, her ladies’ maid. Lady Ada Averley has just returned from India to her family home at Somerton. A new ladies’ maid is found for her, Rose Cliffe, who is the same age as Ada. The two become close, despite their very different upbringings. Ada finds herself inexplicably involved in a less-than-expected romance with Ravi, an intelligent young Indian man in England to attend Oxford. Forbidden romance, upstairs-downstairs relationships a la Downton, and riveting writing make this a keeper.
Sneak Peek! (from the Prologue) ” Lady Ada Averley leaned on the rail of the steamboat Moldavia, feeling the hum of the ship’s huge engines through the steel, a rhythmic shudder like a giant’s breathing. The black sea glittered with the reflection of the stars above her, and the wind tugged at her had and loosened the dark curls that framed her pale face.” (Text copyright © 2013 by Disney Publishing Worldwide)
MCTBA 2013 nominees announced!
The list of 15 nominees for the 2013 Milwaukee County Teen Book Award is here! Nominees include some books that have been popular here in Shorewood, such as The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Be sure to vote for your favorite before March 1, 2013. Remember, you don’t have to read all of them to be able to vote. If you read one and you liked it, why not make it your choice for the award!
Alex is hiking in the woods when an electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. Alex must survive in this new world, learning who can be trusted and who is no longer human. For all of you post-apocalyptic fans!
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer, Hazel has always known her fate. But when she meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group, Hazel struggles to change her outlook on life and love. This is a laugh-out-loud funny read, true to John Green’s style, yet also a deeply sad book.
In a tale full of dragons and royal scandal, Seraphina is a strong willed young lady who uses her musical talents as a distraction for her own dark secret. Sure to become a new fantasy favorite!
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The day that Rory Deveaux arrives in London is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city. Rory is the only one who saw the prime suspect – and now Rory has become his next target. This play on the Jack the Ripper story is as thrilling as it is magical.
Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl
17-year-old Althea must marry well in order to support her family and maintain their ancient castle. When the perfect bachelor arrives in her tiny town she thinks they may finally be saved, except that his annoying business partner keeps getting in the way!
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Tired of his parents’ fighting and being bullied at school, Lucky Linderman begins dreaming of being with his grandfather, who went missing during the Vietnam War, but a summer in Arizona with his aunt and uncle and their beautiful neighbor, Ginny, help him find a new perspective.
In the 15th-century kingdom of Brittany, Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts – and a violent destiny.
Day is the most wanted criminal in the Republic. June is its most valuable asset. When Day is accused of killing June’s brother, she will stop at nothing to hunt him down – but what if everything she thought she knew was a lie? Bonus: the sequel, Prodigy, is coming soon!
Finley’s life is basketball, so when he’s asked to befriend a nationally ranked player at the same position, he’s unsure of what to do. Events from both boys past start to surface and shape their uncertain futures.
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick
Peter’s life as a baseball star is over, and now he needs to find something else to do. Of course, he can’t tell his best friend he’ll never play again, just like he can’t tell his parents about his grandfather’s forgetfulness.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
EPIC ALERT! Puck Connolly is the first girl to ever attempt the race. Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. But can they control the deadly water horses long enough to survive? Check out Stiefvater’s other 2012 release, The Raven Boys: Book 1.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou was raised by monsters. Her life as an art student in Prague is constantly disrupted by horned chimaera Brimstone’s mysterious errands to foreign cities. But when black handprints appear burnt into Brimstone’s doorways, coinciding with mysterious sightings of fiery angels, Karou is about to lose everything – and gain a whole new world. The sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight, is now out!
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
A wireless operator during WWII, Verity is a spy and master of deception – and a Nazi prisoner. In exchange for Allied wireless codes, she is allowed to live one day for each new piece of the truth. But as Verity’s story, and the story of her friendship with pilot Maddie, is slowly revealed, the truth is not always what it seems.
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
In and out of hospitals for a life-threatening illness, sixteen-year-old Cam spends the summer with her family in Promise, Maine where her mother hopes the town’s mystical healing qualities will save her.
How to Save a Life by Sarah Zarr
Jill’s mother is adopting a child from a pregnant teen after the death of her father. Mandy is 19 and running away from the life she knows to give her unborn child a better life than she had. Both girls will need to face their pasts to find the family they need now.
New Books Highlight: Short Reads
How many of you are insanely busy right now? *Surveys sea of hands indicating everyone*
Let this week’s new books highlight show you some reads you can pick up, put down, come back to later, or just finish in one quick sitting. Short stories and short books are as refreshing as newly fallen snow…
The Magician’s Apprentice by Kate Banks
This short read clocks in at just over 200 pages. Along with being a quick read, it is lyrical, poetic, and philosophical. 16-year-old Baz’s life changes when his cruel former master trades him to the mysterious Tadis, who turns out to be a magician. Tadis’s craft and wisdom show Baz the way through his geographical and emotional journey.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cronn-Mills
Gabe is Elizabeth, and Elizabeth is Gabe. And Gabe hosts a radio show on his local community radio station, called Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, that pulls him into a spotlight he might not be ready for. This is an incredibly unique book featuring a transsexual protagonist trying to make his way in a world that doesn’t totally understand his choice to be a him.
Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti
This is a brand new short story collection featuring tales from many of your favorite authors like Paolo Bacigalupi, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Malinda Lo. The stories are all “speculative fiction,” that large genre that encompasses dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. Each story features a diverse perspective: that of the author, most of whom have very diverse backgrounds from multiple cultures, and that of the protagonist or culture they write about.
TAB Book Review: Clockwork Angel
Have you read the Mortal Instruments series? Then you should definitely read Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare! It is a fantasy book that is the first in a trilogy of prologues to Cassandra Clare’s bestselling Mortal Instruments series. It takes place in 1878 London, and follows the main character, Tessa Gray, through her adventures with the Shadowhunters (people who hunt demons) of the London Institute.
When Tessa receives a steamer ticket from New York to London from her older brother, she doesn’t expect to find out that her brother has been kidnapped by two Sorceresses called the Dark Sisters, who will kill him if she doesn’t do exactly what they tell her. Neither does she expect to uncover an incredible, yet frightening, talent, or meet the mysterious Will Herondale, who has hidden his past even from his best friend.
Clockwork Angel is an exciting mix of magic, mystery, action, suspense, and romance. It is a must-read even for those who have not read the Mortal Instruments. Enjoy!
-Reviewed by TAB member Annalise L.
What I’m Reading Now
What I’m reading now are several books all at once, that you will love. The problem is, not all of these books are located in the Teen section here at Shorewood Library, so you might not find them if I don’t tell you about them. So I will!
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (Children’s fiction) and the sequel which just came out, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
This is Valente’s first book for children and it shows because this book is most definitely suitable for a much wider audience than just the under-12 set. The Girl series (as I will call it because those are some long titles), follows September, a wild-haired girl from middle-of-nowhere Nebraska whose dad is off fighting in what I think is supposed to be World War II, and whose mom works at an airplane-building factory. September is consequently often alone and often wishes she could be whisked off to Fairyland. And one day, she is. What she finds there, though, is a Fairyland where no one is allowed to fly or drink cocoa or do anything silly or fun or fairy-like. September makes a few friends and uses her marvelous courage to release Fairyland from its all-powerful Marquess and restore it to its former glory. She thinks. In the sequel, September returns to Fairyland and all is not quite as she thought it might be. Her own shadow is now perpetrating awful acts of magic-stealing in Fairyland-Below and September must once again right the wrongs. Valente’s writing is completely magical and every character is one you wish you had known sooner and hope to know for the rest of your life.
Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (Adult fiction)
Being inspired by Valente’s Fairyland tales, I decided to check out her most recent offering for adults. This is another one, though, that teens should flock to. It’s a weird re-imagining of a character from Russian folklore, Koschei the Deathless, who comes out of myth and messes things up in modern-day Russia. It’s a magical take on actual history, which certainly makes the history of Russia – as exciting as it has been in real life, with those Czars and revolutions and spies and such – really thrilling to read about. In this book, Valente uses largely the same writing style and language as in the Girl series, but the subject matter makes it more appropriate for teens and adults.
If you’re looking for some really great fiction and you’re a fan of magic and fantasy, books like Alice in Wonderland, Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom series, and re-imagined fairy tales, these books are for you!
Everlasting by Angie Frazier
Get ready for an exciting ride that will take you from 1855 San Francisco to Australia in search of one girl’s missing mother and a treasure that has the power to return someone from the dead.
Camille has sailed with her father her entire life, but this will be their last trip together, as Camille is betrothed. But when Camille learns a devastating secret about her father and mother and a lost treasure, she sets out in Australia to find answers. Joining her is not her betrothed but the crush she’s had for years, Oscar.
Everlasting is full of adventure, excitement, and romance!
Exciting Reads
Here are four great new books that offer lots of excitement and range from fantasy, to sci-fi, to realistic fiction.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Nailer lives in poverty in a world of scavengers where old oil tankers are stripped for parts to be recycled. When he discovers a beautiful, modern boat crashed on the beach he has to decide whether to scavenge it for a chance at a better life or save the girl trapped in the ship who may have him killed or could be an even bigger “lucky strike.”
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
When Elizabeth gets an after school job at a library, she has no idea what she’s getting in to. Not just any library, the New York Circulating Material Repository has a magical collection of objects from fairy tales. And when those magic mirrors and glass slippers start to disappear Elizabeth gets pulled into a mystery to find the thief.
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Rosie and Scarlett March protect the world from Fenris, werewolves who lure girls to their deaths. It all started when their grandmother was killed and Scarlett saved Rosie’s life. Now the two put on their red cloaks and hunt these killer werewolves. But Rosie isn’t sure this is the life she wants and when Silas, a friend and hunting partner, returns to town Rosie begins to wonder about a life away from werewolf hunting.
For the Win by Cory Doctorow
In the world of online gaming there are high stakes to win. For Mala, in India, it’s a way to get her family out of poverty. For Leonard, in California, it’s a way to connect with friends around the world. And for Matthew, in China, it’s a way to make money playing the games that he loves. When these three find their lives intersecting in various ways with other big gamers, they have to decide which side they’re on. Are they with the players or do they side with the big corporations who own the games?
Upcoming Books!
July
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Dark Flame by Alyson Noel
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love by Maggie Steifvater, Rachel Vincent, Carrie Ryan and many more
Daniel X: Demons and Druids by James Patterson and Adam Sadler
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
August
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The Th
in Executioner by Darren Shan
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway
Hothouse by Chris Lynch
September
Torment by Lauren Kate (sequel to Fallen)
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
Payback Time by Carl Deuker
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Beaut
iful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (sequel to Beautiful Creatures)
Grace by Elizabeth Scott
The Dark Deeps by Arthur Slade
Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer
The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser
October
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
StarCro
s
sed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods series)
The Mermaid’s Mirror by L.K. Madigan
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (sequel to Leviathan)
Ranger’s Apprentice: Halt’s Peril by John Flanagan
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
