Paper Hearts by Ali Novak

"I'm sorry," he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. "It's just-I didn't want you to think of me any differently." 

Somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn't accept that he was the person looking down at me. 

"My real name is Alec."

Felicity has her entire future planned. Ever since her older sister ran away, she's had the full weight of her mother's expectations on her shoulders. So she works hard to get straight As and save for college. 

Except sometimes the best things in life are unplanned-like when Felicity meets a handsome, masked stranger while she is volunteering at a charity masquerade ball. She never thought he'd flirt with her. And she certainly never thought he'd turn out to be a member of the world-famous Heartbreakers band, Alec. 

Then Felicity uncovers a shocking family secret. Suddenly, she, Alec, and her two best friends are off on a road trip to find Felicity's missing sister. And she's about to discover that unexpected turns have a peculiar way of landing her right where she needs to be...

 Why you should read this book:

• This is the next book in the series The Heartbreak Chronicles.  I loved the first (The Heartbreakers) so much that I picked up this one immediatly.
• Romantic and fun!
• If you are a fan of boy-bands, this is your type of book.
• As you know, I am a sucker for books where a famous person/prince/billionaire falls for a normal person!
• Interested in what Book 3 will be like?  Check out the next book by Ali Novak on the story platform Wattpad: 
  https://www.wattpad.com

Coming Soon! Paper Hearts will arrive in our summer book order.

The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak

"When I met Oliver Perry, I had no clue he was the lead singer for The Heartbreakers. And he had no idea that I was the only girl in the world who hated his music."

Stella will do anything for her sick sister, Cara-even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD...for four hours. She's totally winning best birthday gift this year. At least she met a cute boy with soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes while getting her caffeine fix. Too bad she'll never see him again.

Except, Stella's life has suddenly turned into a cheesy love song. Because Starbucks Boy is Oliver Perry – lead singer for the Heartbreakers. And even after she calls his music crap, Oliver still gives Stella his phone number. And whispers quotes from her favorite Disney movie in her ear. OMG, what is her life?

But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver – dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band – when her sister could be dying of cancer?

Why you should read this book:

• Romantic and fun!
• If you are a fan of boy-bands, this is your type of book.
• A light read that also addresses deeper issues of family and self-discovery.
• I am a sucker for books where a famous person/prince/billionaire falls for a normal person.

Find The Heartbreakers in our OverDrive e-book library!

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
 
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

Why you should read this book:

• It's a modern-day Cinderella story, wicked stepmother and all.
• Embrace your inner geek.
• If you don't know what Cosplay is, Google it (I had too!)
• I am a sucker for books where a famous person/prince/billionaire falls for a normal person.

Find Geekerella in our library at: ROMANCE F POS

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

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

(Amazon.com)

A New York Times bestseller

A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping debut novel filled with romance, mystery, and adventure.

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything Lina knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

Why you should read this book:

• The characters go to an International School; you will make connections between this story and your international life.
• It has been on the YALSA Teen Top Ten List.
• Italy and Ice Cream....need I say more?
• I am a sucker for a good romance book and this is a good YA romance.

Find Love & Gelato in our library at: ROMANCE F WEL

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 

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being.

But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

Why you should read this book:

• The list Abby makes would be fun to try- what can you do to get "more depth" out of life?
• A love story about falling in love with your best friend- I love a good romance novel!
• Thinking about what makes good art.  Can you make good art without intense feelings?
• I have liked all the books I've read by Kasie West; our library has most of them.

Find Love, Life, and the List in our library at: ROMANCE F WES

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

When Dimple me Rishi by Sandy Menon

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Why you should read this book:

• Dimple is a strong female character with an even stronger personality.
• There are lots of parts in the story that made me laugh out loud.
• The two main characters make each other better people.
• It's a love story...I love a good romance!

Find When Dimple met Rishi in our library at: ROMANCE F MEN

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Image from: Amazon.com

Alex, Approximately is a modern teen take on the movie "You've Got Mail."  (If you haven't seen it, you should!) Every chapter starts with a quote from a classic movie, which is fun.
Bailey moves across the country to the same California town as her online crush and fellow movie buff, Alex.  In order to scope him out first, Bailey doesn't tell him she's moving to his town and proceeds to spend the summer searching for him using clues from his messages.
Then, Bailey meets irritating surfer-boy Porter at her summer job and slowly begins to fall for him.
Now she has to decide between Porter, who is hiding a secret of his own, and Alex.  But...things aren't always as they seem because Porter is Alex!  (This is not a spoiler because it says so on the book jacket!)
I finished this book in 2 days.  It's an easy, fun summer read.   Find it on my recommendation shelf or in the library at: ROMANCE F BEN

Every Day by David Levithan

Image from: Amazon.com

I recently finished Every Day by David Levithan.  This book hooked me from the start.  "A" is a mind (soul, maybe?) that changes bodies every day.  Each day is a new life that A can only stay in for the day.  One day A meets Rhiannon and wants to continue to see her.  From then on,  the life of whatever body A ends up in is disrupted by A trying to be with Rhiannon.  This story was intriguing and I look forward to reading Someday, which is expected to publish later this year.  Book 2, Another Day is written from the point of view of Rhiannon.  I will likely not read this one just yet because I'm more excited to see how the story continues rather than reading the same story from another perspective.

Find Every Day in our library at: ROMANCE F LEV

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

(Amazon.com)

I've been walking by Dumplin' on the library shelf for awhile wondering if I should read it.  Then, I pre-ordered the upcoming sequel, Puddin', and wondered some more.  Finally, someone returned it to me in the library and I took the book home with me.
I am glad I did!  This book made me laugh and it made me cry.  I stayed up extra-late just to finish it.

A teaser from the Amazon.com blurb:

"Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin...With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . .  until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.  Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant"

Find Dumplin' in our library at: REALISTIC F MUR

The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson

(Amazon.com)

I've always been a fan of gymnastics and ordered this book last year when it was reviewed in School Library Journal.  The Flip Side was written by  olympic gold-medalist, Shawn Johnson.

Gymnastics is a topic that's been in the news a lot lately so I picked it up off our Realistic Fiction shelf when I was looking for something new to read.  

I enjoyed the first half of the book, but ended up not finishing it; the book felt predictable and it made me lose interest.  So, I admit it....I just skipped to the last chapter to make sure it ended like I thought it would.

But, as we all know, just because it wasn't my favorite book doesn't mean it won't be yours!  Try this book out if you like professional sports, want a look "behind the scenes" of the gymnastics world and/or like a bit of romance in your books.

Find this book in our library at: REALISTIC F JOH

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

By Your Side by Kasie West

(Image from Amazon.com)

I'm a sucker for all Kasie West books.  We just received her new one, By Your Side, in the summer book order.  

When I took this book home to ready, I was at first a little bit unsure of the premise... I was thinking "Really?  Stuck in a library? Is this going to be really cheesy?" I had no need to worry, true to a Kasie West YA romance, it sucked me in and I finished it in two days.

Autumn and "bad-boy" Dax find themselves accidentally stuck in a library over a long weekend.  Will Autumn forget about her almost boyfriend Jeff and fall for Dax?  The setting of this book is not only the library.  Don't worry....they get out about halfway through the book and continue on with with the romance and angst!

Find By Your Side in our library at: ROMANCE F WES

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

The Selection by Kiera Cass

(Image from Amazon.com)

Over the summer, I read the first three books in The Selection series by Kiera Cass.

In this dystopian romance, thirty-five girls are chosen to enter The Selection for the opportunity to escape the caste system in what was formerly the United States. The girls live in a palace and compete in a reality show for the heart of Prince Maxon. 

America Singer did not want to be Selected because she's not interested in being a queen and it means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her.

And as the Amazon summary says so elequently: 

"Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."

If you liked The Hunger Games series, I think you'll like The Selection series.   Find the whole series in our library at: ROMANCE F CAS

There are five books in The Selection series.  I have only read the first three so far.  The last two in the series take place 20 years later.

"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

"Secrets of My Hollywood Life" by Jen Calonita

(Image from: Amazon.com)

Secrets of My Hollywood Life was my other spring break read about the lives of famous people.  This is a great middle grade read and the author gives away many "secrets" about famous people throughout the book.  Jen Calonita would know as she used to be the editor of Teen People and a journalist for many other entertainment magazines.

Secrets of My Hollywood Life is about the glamorous life of teen star Kaitlin Burke.  However, Kaitlin is exhausted and wants to see what it would be like to be normal.  So she devises a top secret plan to blend in, but will it ruin her career?  Find out in the first of six books in this series!

Find Secrets of My Hollywood Life in our library: 

REALISTIC F CAL