PUT THESE ON YOUR TBR LIST FOR FALL 2014

First, some YA books by well loved authors . . .

The Infinite Sea

by Rick Yancey  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Sequel to The 5th Wave--a series that will appeal to a wide audience--not just fans of dystopian like Hunger Games. Think of handing this to readers who love scifi (aliens!) apocalypse fiction, and some romance readers. Although lets be clear, The Infinite Sea is not full of romance--there's lots of action, twists & turns, and lots of what I love in YA--dire dilemmas the characters have to face that force them to ask the tough questions. Not a disappointing sequel at all.

The Young Elites
by Marie Lu  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
From author Marie Lu of the Legend trilogy-- some survivors of a blood fever have talents that make them more then normal, which in turn makes them powerful enemies that have dark secrets of their own. Expect nothing less than great world building and characters from this author & new series!

Atlantia
by Ally Condie  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Betrayal by a twin sister, treachery surrounding her mother's death, and making a plan to cross the divide between land and Atlantia, the sea, where the main character Rio lives. Matched triliogy fans will be excited for Ally Condie's next book, and in skimming the reviews, reaction seems mostly positive and excited for this standalone book.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue
by Maggie Stiefvater  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
I feel like I have to be rather vague in order to not give away spoilers . . . we'll just say that the story of the search continues--only there are more things to search for now, including Blue's missing mother. More Gansey & Blue moments, great character development, poetic writing, and the fascinating myth that this is all based on brings you closer to the moment of truth & death that was predicted in the first book.

Illusions of Fate
by Kiersten White | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Another standalone from a best selling author. The marketing blurb "Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare" seems like a tall order to fill, but reviews have been positive! After leaving her home, main character Jessamin feel like an outcast until Finn. He introduces her into circles of nobility--and all that comes with it, which means she must rely on her own strength to navigate the secrets, the power, and the danger.

The Contract
by Derek Jeter | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
I love that Derek Jeter--the New York Yankee with five World Series appearances, thirteen All-Star nominations, membership in the 3,000 hit club, the legend-- now has his own publishing imprint. This is the debut book and first in a middle grade series based on Jeter's childhood. Hard work and goals are running themes throughout. I love this niche of sports and based-on-a-true-story fiction that this book fills! Jeter's nonfiction title was also a best-seller.

A taste of nonfiction . . .

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
by Randall Munroe | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
The subtitle gives you a good idea of what this is about. Former NASA, currently running the website xkcd.com, Randall Munroe takes on questions about pools & thunderstorms, Star Trek, energy producing capabilities of people exercising, and much more. I can think of such a diverse audience that would love this book! I'm excited to recommend it to people.

Some majorly anticipated fiction by big name writers . . .

Lila
by Marilynne Robinson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
So if you haven't read Marilynne Robinson's Gilead (won her a Pulitzer) or Home (Orange Prize & National Book Award Finalist, you probably should. If you have, and you found out that she wrote another book set in the same town and revisiting old characters, your heart is probably beating really fast.

The Bone Clocks
by David Mitchell | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Hearing that David Mitchell also wrote another book might cause some of your hearts to beat a little fast. Shifting between different points of view, several characters receive an in depth study through a smaller portion of their life story. Each of the characters in some way ties back to Holly Sykes, who throughout her life has been involved--willingly or not--with supernatural happenings and in a few dangerous circles.

And something to think about . . .

The Learning Habit: A Groundbreaking Approach to Homework and Parenting that Helps Our Children Succeed in School and Life
by Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman, Rebecca Jackson, & Robert Pressman
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
This book talks about the most essential learning habits in the face of the Common Core State Standards, large amounts of standardized testing, screen time, and more.

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REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (PLUS A QUICK NOTE FOR RELUCTANT READERS)

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I read this because it's a hit with a lot of my older middle school & high school students, and hey! It's a movie! and I can see why a lot of them like it. There's a sense of the anxiety and rebelliousness against the lack of control you have over your life, which some people could relate to. There's also the "electrifying" feeling of first love, despite the outcast or popular nature of the girl or boy involved. The mysteriousness and secretive nature of one of those persons involved in the relationship. The annoying presence of irresponsible and obtuse adults. Sound a little familiar? These ever-present elements of paranormal YA are very much present in this book, but maybe that's why so many other readers like it.


There was plenty about the "Caster" (witch, essentially) aspect that felt original, and the setting in the South gave it a mysterious and slightly old-timey Gothic feel. However, the rest of the South-ness about it was so narrow minded and cliche, I could barely stand it. And Ethan sounded like a girl. This would have been so much better told from 3rd person perspective.

So I'm not a fan. But if you're into this genre, you might also like Hush Hush, Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls series), Evermore, Fallen, . . . And here's a quick, IMPORTANT note on these: even though they're not my personal preferred reading, I really enjoy the fact that they have enough appeal to some reluctant readers to get them into reading. Sure, they're not reading highest quality stuff, but getting into these books, and their innumerable sequels, actually is a fabulous gateway into other (perhaps better) books. So while I might not rank them very high, they do have an important place on the shelf, particularly for reluctant readers.

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The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mara wasn't the all-too-common lame girl character.  Of course this new romance with Noah is way to obsessive, but what can you do? She does have other talents and things going on in her life. She also had a family life. I really liked that part of it--her relationships and interactions with her family were central to the book and she really loved her family. Yes, she has issues, but without the support of her family she would be much worse off. I loved that the family was depicted that way.

I would have liked this book a lot less had the writing not been so good. Really engaging, and descriptions of character's feelings were well done. And one final side note: the whole Spanish teacher character was lame and so laughably unrealistic that it bothered me. Also note that there is quite a bit of sexual innuendo and swearing and such; content not appropriate for all readers.


View all my reviews

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