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"It seems so unfair, how hard life is, just getting through every day. Every sixteen hours the living have to close our eyes, all night long, just so we can recover."
~ from Nina de Gramont's Meet Me at the River
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Naturals by Jennifer BarnesThriller. Cassie's unusual ability to get inside other people's heads has always made her feel like an outsider. So when the FBI invites her to join a secret team of "Naturals" -- teens whose special talents are ideal for criminal profiling -- Cassie can't resist…especially not after the Naturals investigate a series of murders with some terrifyingly familiar details. With a creepy mystery and a touch of romance, this gruesome crime thriller is a "stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book" (Publishers Weekly) that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next volume in the series. In the meantime, check out the more supernatural (but equally bloody) Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson. |
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| Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail CarrigerHistorical Fantasy. The students at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy are preparing for lives as society ladies, to be sure -- but they're also training to be spies, and Sophronia Temminnick is at the top of her class. It's a good thing, too, because after a school trip to London lands her in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy, Sophronia needs all of her new skills to uncover the truth. Like a Victorian-era version of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, this follow-up to Etiquette & Espionage offers plenty of lighthearted humor and fast-paced spy drama, as well as a captivating blend of steampunk and the paranormal. |
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| Meet Me at the River by Nina de GramontFiction. Can true love last beyond the grave? Even after his death, Tressa can't stop thinking about her beloved boyfriend Luke. She blames herself for the accident that killed him, and her family's judgment (they disapproved because Luke was her stepbrother) only makes matters worse. But at night, in secret, Luke's ghost comes to visit Tressa. Though their connection is fragile, she's determined to hold on, even if it means destroying her own life. Atmospheric and deeply emotional (Kirkus Reviews says you shouldn't read it if you're "shy about public sobbing"), Meet Me at the River is a haunting tale of love and grief. |
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| Loud Awake and Lost by Adele GriffinMystery. After a near-fatal car crash, 17-year-old Ember returns home from the hospital, but she's not the same. Though her body has healed, she can't remember the accident or the six weeks that came before it. As the jagged pieces of her memory slowly start to resurface, Ember follows a hunch to a dance club where she meets Kai, a strangely alluring artist who might be able to help her put the pieces together. The pace in this angsty psychological mystery accelerates steadily as Ember remembers more and more, building to a stunning conclusion that mystery fans won't want to miss. |
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| The Living by Matt De La PeñaThriller. With a cushy job on a cruise ship, Shy Espinoza's summer is looking good. Not only is he spending time with his beautiful crush, Carmen, he's also earning money to help his nephew get treatment for Romero Disease, the pandemic that's raging through California. But then a devastating tsunami smashes the ship, and Shy's everyday concerns are replaced by the fierce desire to survive. Authentic characters anchor the breathtaking action in this provocative and utterly gripping thriller, the 1st in a planned two-book series. For another gritty, post-apocalyptic read, try The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. |
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Kick off 2014 with one (or all!) of these awesome books about a single, life-changing year.
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| The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci; illustrated by Nate PowellFiction. Alternating between comics format and prose, The Year of the Beasts weaves "an innovative, moody story about jealousy and grief" (Publishers Weekly). Fifteen-year-old Tessa is hurt and infuriated when her younger sister, Lulu, begins dating the guy Tessa has a crush on, fanning the smoldering coals of the sisters' rivalry. Tense prose chapters relay the sisters' story, while dramatic graphic novel sections tell the parallel tale of a tortured girl with snakes for hair; the way the two parts come together to shed light on the whole is both tragic and fascinating. And if you're looking for another intense graphic novel hybrid, check out Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi. |
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| The Year of the Bomb by Ronald KiddHistorical Fiction. Paul and his best friends Arnie, Oz, and Crank are obsessed with horror movies. So when a film crew arrives in their small town to start shooting something called Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the guys are thrilled to get a peek behind the scenes. On set, they meet an FBI agent in search of Communist spies, and soon Paul and his buddies are deep inside the investigation -- maybe too deep. Set in 1955 during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, this intriguing adventure realistically captures the paranoia and tension of the era. |
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| My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park by Steve KlugerFiction. Best friends and high-school juniors T.C., Augie, and Alejandra all have the same English assignment: an essay titled "My Most Excellent Year." Each of them chooses to write about ninth grade, when -- among other monumental happenings -- Alejandra moved to Brookline, Massachusetts (where T.C. and Augie grew up practically like brothers), T.C. fell in love, and musical-theatre-obsessed Augie finally realized that he's gay. This quirky, emotional, and often quite funny novel -- written in the form of instant messages, emails, diary entries, letters, and more -- is "pure fun" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan SonnenblickFiction. Just before his first year of high school, Pete's dream of a baseball career is demolished after an injury damages his pitching arm. Pete feels lost without baseball, but having learned some basic camera skills from his grandfather (a professional photographer), he finds some comfort in a photography class -- and in a relationship with smart, spirited classmate Angelika. At home, though, it's getting harder to ignore the fact that Grampa's memory isn't what it used to be. If you like this funny yet bittersweet story of a sidelined athlete looking for a new direction, you might also enjoy The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider. |
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| Light Years by Tammar SteinFiction. In the present, Maya Laor is a first-year astronomy student at the University of Virginia, doing her best to maintain her distance from the people around her. In the recent past that occupies her thoughts (to which readers are privy), Maya is back home in Israel during the days leading up to the suicide bombing in which her boyfriend was killed...while waiting to meet Maya, who was late. This story paints a vivid picture of Israel, as well as of the contrast between two cultures, the ache and terror of guilt and loss, and the healing power of love. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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