Wildcard by Marie Lu

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems--and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

In this explosive sequel to the New York Times bestselling Warcross, Marie Lu delivers an addictive finale that will hold you captive till the very last page.

 Why you should read this book:

• I finished Wildcard in two days.  If you know me, you know I am a slow reader.  Two days means I was enthralled (and also on winter break!)
• The ending surprised me.
• If you haven't read Warcross (Book 1) yet, read that first!
• I never thought I'd enjoy a book about gaming.  This series proved me wrong.
• This series would make a great movie.  I hope they decide to make them into one, or two!

Coming soon in our winter book order!
Find Wildcard in our library at: SCI-FI F LU

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.

Why you should read this book:

• A magical, mysterious, fantasy with romance and adventure thrown in.
• Caraval is a best-seller and on a pick on the Teens Top Ten list this year.
• I stayed up late to finish this book.  It's one of my favorite new series of this year.
• It kept me guessing until the end.  And then...it still kept me guessing because it's a trilogy.  Book 2, Legendary, is on the way in our winter order and Book 3, Finale, comes out in May.

Find Caraval in our library at: FANTASY F GAR 

Warcross by Marie Lu

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

Why you should read this book:

• If you are a gamer, you will find this book very interesting.
• It's on the YALSA Teen Top Ten List for this year- teens voted for Warcross to be on this list.
• Even though it is Sci-Fi/Dystopian, it seems like it could be a realistic future as gaming and virtual reality evolve.
• Warcross is the first of a two book series.  I am looking forward to reading the next one, Wildcard.  I hope it ends how I want it to. (No spoilers please! 😀)
• For me (not being a gamer) it was a slow start, but Warcross really hooked me in after a few chapter. Stick with it and you'll love it.

Find Warcross in our library at: SCI-FI F LU

YALSA Teens' Top Ten List

Find the titles in our library!

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green                                    Call Number: REALISTIC F GRE
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus                                   Call Number: MYSTERY F MCM
Warcross by Marie Lu. G. P.                                                          Call Number: SCI-FI F GRE
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo                           ON ORDER
Caraval by Stephanie Garber                                                         Call Number: FANTASY F GAR
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds                                             Call Number: REALISTIC F REY
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez  Call Number: REALISTIC F SAN

Paper Hearts by Ali Novak                                                             ON ORDER
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor                                             Call Number: FANTASY F TAY
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen                                               Call Number: ROMANCE F DES

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

(Amazon.com)

OMG!  I never use that acronym, but that's how much I loved One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus.  I finished it in two days, staying up late and getting up early to see what happened next.  

Here's part of the blurb from Amazon.com: 

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. 

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. 

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. 

One reason I liked this book is that usually, I can guess the ending very soon after the book started.  I didn't guess this ending until over halfway through the book and even then, I wasn't entirely correct.  A great mystery told from four different viewpoints.  Who's lying?

Find One of Us Is Lying in the library at: MYSTERY F MCM

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Believe it or not, due to only being able to order once per yer, our library did not have Turtles All The Way Down yet.  So, I picked it up when I went back home because so many students are requesting it.  My sister-in-law, also a librarian, said it wasn't her favorite work of his so I didn't start it with high hopes.  BUT...this is now my favorite John Green book!  I finished it in a day.  Those of you who know me know that I am an extremely slow reader so the fact that it only took me a day to read is amazing.

I won't give too much away but this book is about love, friendship, mental illness and resilience.  There is a billionaire, good friends, and a bit of mystery.  The ending, though not what I expected/hoped, is typical John Green.

Find Turtles All The Way Down in our library at: REALISTIC F GRE

Or, put a hold on it...it's already checked out! 😁

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Image from: Amazon.com

The Heist Society series, which the first book is also titled, has been on my reading list since I read the Embassy Row trilogy also by Ally Carter.  I enjoyed the writing of that series and at the time, Embassy Row felt a bit like my expat life.

Heist Society, being about thieves, doesn't feel like my life (thank goodness!) but I still very much enjoyed the book.

Katerina has been a thief for a long as she can remember.  The book begins with the story of how she conned her way into a fancy private school in hopes of leaving the thieving life of her family behind.

But alas, that was not to be as her father is being accused of taking paintings from a dangerous mobster.  In order to save her father, she must assemble a team to find the paintings and steal them back from whoever stole them.

Part mystery and part crime with a little bit of a love interest thrown in, this was a fun read!

Find Heist Society in our library under the call number: MYSTERY F CAR

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

(Image from: Amazon.com)

Asking For It won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature and I'd been looking forward to reading it for awhile.

Emma is a beautiful eighteen year old in Ireland.  After a party, Emma's parents discover her on the steps of their house bleeding and disoriented.  Emma can't remember what happened the night before and then pictures of the evening start emerging on social media and a criminal investigation is launched.  This story digs into the effects of rape and public shaming.

Asking For It made me think about these issues from multiple viewpoints.  I found the main character in the story unlikeable, which made me question a lot of things that happened in the story.  It was an interesting read.

A word of warning for those considering reading Asking For It: this is a disturbing book with mature situations/subject matter.

Find Asking For It in our library at: REALISTIC F ONE

Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin

(Image from Amazon.com)

Halloween is coming so how about a creepy, but funny, sci-fi read?  Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin, was not a novel I thought I'd like at first, but I was surprised how engaging it was.  Even though the title sounds morbid, this book kept me laughing.  I'll definitely be reading the sequel, Denton Little's Still Not Dead

This summary is from Amazon because they say it so much better than I do:

Denton Little’s Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day on which they will die. For Denton, that’s in just two days—the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton’s long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters. . . . Suddenly Denton’s life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Find Denton Little's Death Date in our library at: SCI-FI F RUB 

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

(Image from Amazon.com)

This is my new favorite series!

Think a YA version of the Da Vinci Code...

I read all three books in the series this summer.  The third and final book was released in July and I went to Barnes and Nobel on release day and made them go find it in the back; it hadn't even been unpacked yet.  I have never done that before!

After years of moving from place to place with her mother Avery's remaining family has found her.  "It turns out her newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war." (Amazon.com). They are part of a worldwide secret society called the Circle, and believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy.


To unravel the mystery , Avery must follow a trail of clues around the world with two "keepers" who work for the Circle, Stellan and Jack. Can they keep the most powerful families in the world from starting World War 3?

Find all three books in the The Conspiracy of Us series in our library at: MYSTERY F HAL

Welcome back!

Welcome back to a new school year! 

What did you read this summer?  I read all three books in the The Conspiracy of Us trilogy by Maggie Hall and it is my new favorite!  More on this exciting trilogy soon... 

All three books are available in the library.  

Call Number: MYSTERY F HAL

Embassy Row Series by Ally Carter

(Image from: Amazon.com)

Image from: (Amazon.com)

Image from: (Amazon.com)

Embassy Row is Ally Carter's newest series.  I was drawn to the first book, All Fall Down, while living in Moscow.  Two embassy kids (one Russian, one American) in a fictional European town; the setting sounded a bit like the lives of our students, minus the murder mystery!

Grace lives with her Grandfather, a US Ambassador, on Embassy Row.  She is convinced her mother was murdered.  Her family is trying to convince her she's crazy.  Grace is convinced she will find her mother's killer and make him pay.

The first two books in this series follow Grace as she uncovers secret after secret.  The plot kept me guessing and is full of unexpected twists and turns. The third book?  I can't wait to read the conclusion to the Embassy Row series when it arrives to our library in August. This series will appeal to lovers of mystery and suspense with a little bit of glamour and social politics thrown into the mix.  Embassy Row makes for great summer reading!

Find the first two books, All Fall Down and See How They Run,  in our library: MYSTERY F CAR

Look for Book 3, Take the Key and Lock Her Up in August!

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

(Amazon.com)

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle has been on my "to read" list since I ordered it for the library I used to work at in Moscow.  But, I sort of forgot about it and happened to pass it while shelving the other day.  I was intrigued by the fact it was compared to We Were Liars, which I liked.

This mystery is set in Ireland and is about a family who experiences an accident season every October.  Each year, people get hurt, people die, and this accident season is predicted to be the worst yet by Cara's friend Bea.  So, why not throw an epic Halloween Party at a haunted house?  The book does a good job at blurring the line between fantasy and reality and exploring the secrets people keep.

The Accident Season was a good, slightly creepy, mystery.  In the end, I enjoyed this book, but I felt there were a few unanswered questions in the end.  There's more I still want to know (or didn't figure out) and as this not a series, I guess I will be left wondering.

See if you can figure out all the answers! 

Find The Accident Season in our library: MYSTERY FOW

"Airhead" Series by Meg Cabot

I just finished reading the last two books in the Airhead series by Meg Cabot.  (See my post about the first book, Airhead, here.)

                 (Image from: Amazon.com)                                     (Image from: Amazon.com)

I loved this series!  I thought is was a perfect mix of sci-fi, mystery and romance.  Being Nikki continues the series about what life is like for Em Watts now that her brain has been transplanted into the body of a supermodel.  The mystery of her operation gets even more mysterious when she finds out Nikki's mother is missing.  Runaway concludes the series....all the mysteries will be solved and you know how I love happily every after endings!

A highly recommended trilogy.  Find the first two books, Airhead and Being Nikki in our library.  Runaway, the third book, will be coming to our library soon. I purchased it for myself in eBook format because I couldn't wait to see how the series ended!

Call number:  ROMANCE F CAB

"Airhead" by Meg Cabot

(Image from: Amazon.com)

We just returned from April break and my reading list consisted of books about being famous.  I've had a few students ask for these types of books and I wanted to be able to recommend a few.  Plus, who doesn't like to read about the trials and fun of famous people?!

I picked up Airhead by Meg Cabot based on a Goodreads list for this topic and became hooked enough that I plan to read the next two in the series. Em Watts is your average tomboy.  One day, after a strange accident she ends up in the body of famous supermodel Nikki Howard.  How did this happen and what will Em do?  Can a former tomboy be a supermodel?  Read and find out!

Airhead is a bit sci-fi, a bit mystery and a bit romance.  It is classified under our romance fiction section, but I may move it once  I see how this series turns out because I think it appeals to a broader audience than just romance lovers!

Find Airhead in our library: ROMANCE F CAB