Community Read: Magpie Hall
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This August, Christchurch City Libraries invites you to read, share and discuss Magpie Hall by Rachael King. Take a walk with us on the dark side, as we explore family secrets, taxidermy, Victorian tattooing, and Gothic novels. Unlimited copies of the Magpie Hall eBook will be available to borrow for the whole of August from our Wheelers eBook platform! Thanks Wheelers and publishers Penguin Random House.
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| Joyride by Anna BanksFiction. A chance meeting leads to unexpected consequences for two Florida teens in this moving, realistic story. While Carly is responsible and devoted to her family (especially her parents, who've been deported to Mexico), Arden is reckless and loves causing trouble for his overbearing, racist father (who happens to be the sheriff). After a dramatic encounter outside a convenience store, Carly reluctantly becomes Arden's pranking partner, and they strike up a fragile relationship - one that might be too fragile to withstand the harsh truth about Arden's dad's anti-immigrant activities. |
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| Emmy & Oliver by Robin BenwayBorn on the same day, best friends Emmy and Oliver were inseparable - until second grade, when Oliver was kidnapped by his father. Even after his disappearance, Oliver's influence shaped Emmy's life: her parents reacted by becoming anxious and overprotective. Now, ten years later, as high school senior Emmy sees freedom within her reach, Oliver suddenly returns home. Emmy & Oliver is a gripping look at reunited friends facing the emotional scars of the past and figuring out what they want from the future. |
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| The devil you know by Trish DollerCadie barely knows Matt and Noah, but when the cousins invite her along on their road trip, she jumps at the chance for a break from her stressful family life. At first, Cadie's passionate fling with sexy, troubled Noah distracts her from the red flags. But eventually, the hints of past violence pile up, and Cadie can't deny her suspicions that one of the guys is a killer - and that if she continues on their journey into the wild Florida Everglades, she might not make it out alive. Perfectly paced to build maximum terror, this steamy thriller delivers a "swift and satisfying" (School Library Journal) conclusion. |
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Of metal and wishes
by Sarah Fine
Assisting her father in a ramshackle medical clinic where they attend low-wage factory workers, 16-year-old Wen is shocked when a ghost grants a brutal wish, prompting Wen to appease the ghost and bond with the oppressed laborers. By the author of the Guards of the Shadowlands series.
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We are all made of molecules by Susin Nielsen-FernlundTrying to make the best of things when their parents move in together, a socially clueless genius and a less-than-bright but popular girl tackle a mean-spirited bully with their combination of hapless nerd power and malaprops.
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| Shadowshaper by Daniel José OlderWhen a local mural mysteriously begins to weep, Brooklyn teen Sierra Santiago is unsettled, but it's not until she's attacked by a walking corpse that she really gets scared - and curious. Though her abuelo Lázaro seems to have some answers, a stroke has left him unable to communicate anything except cryptic messages about "shadowshapers." Stalked by a merciless enemy, Sierra will have to uncover the truth - and tap into the spirit powers of her Caribbean ancestors - in order to protect everyone she loves. Filled with intriguing magic, authentic dialogue, and a realistically multi-ethnic cast of characters, Shadowshaper is a must-read for fantasy fans. |
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| More happy than not by Adam SilveraIf you could erase your worst memories, would you do it? In Aaron Soto's near-future Bronx neighborhood, the Leteo Institute offers to do precisely that in their "cutting-edge memory-relief" procedure. Though Aaron certainly has awful memories (such as his father's bloody suicide), he's also got the support of his family, friends, and girlfriend. But would that support disappear if they knew about his attraction to Thomas, a fellow fantasy geek from a neighbouring housing project? Would it be better to just forget that he might be gay? If you like wrestling with the complex issues surrounding identity, memory, and the cost of happiness, don't miss this gritty and provocative debut. |
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An ember in the ashes: a novel by Sabaa TahirGoing undercover as a slave in her brutal empire's military academy when her brother is arrested for treason, scholar Laia bonds with a talented but reluctant soldier who is being forced to participate in a ferocious contest to determine the next Martial emperor.
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Footer Davis probably is crazy
by Susan Vaught
Eleven-year-old Footer and her friends investigate when a nearby farm is burned, the farmer murdered, and his children disappear, but as they follow the clues, Footer starts having flashbacks and wonders if she is going crazy like her mother, who is back in a mental institution near their Mississippi home
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"I know I am but summer to your heart, and not the full four seasons of the year…" ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), American poet, Sonnet XXVII
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| One man guy by Michael BarakivaSummer school is a far cry from the tennis camp that 14-year-old Alek hoped to attend, but his straitlaced Armenian parents insist that he bring his grades up. As it turns out, though, summer school distracts Alek even further from studying, because it's there that he meets Ethan, an impossibly cool skater who shows Alek a world outside of his stifling New Jersey community... and wins his heart. If you like the funny, earnest tone and distinct cultural backdrop of this coming of age (and coming out) story, you might also enjoy Sara Farizan's Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel. |
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| Fifteenth summer by Michelle DaltonThis year's summer vacation is bittersweet for 15-year-old Chelsea and her family; it's their first visit to the cottage on Lake Michigan since Chelsea's grandmother died. Still grappling with her grief, Chelsea is surprised and elated by her quickly blossoming relationship with Josh, the cute guy who works at the local bookstore. Yet as their connection deepens into love, Chelsea can't help but wonder what will happen when the summer ends. This charming and sensitive romance is a sure bet for fans of Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen. |
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| What I thought was true by Huntley FitzpatrickAs far as Gwen Castle is concerned, Cassidy Summers is just one of many regrettable one-night stands. Since he's a wealthy mainlander and she's from a complicated, working-class island family, she never expects to spend time with him again. So when Cass turns up on the island with a summer job as a lawn boy, Gwen is annoyed. However, as she gets to know (maybe even love?) Cass, Gwen is forced to re-examine her assumptions, not only about Cass, but also about her family and herself. Want another sweet yet substantial tale of love across class boundaries? Pick up Kasie West's The Distance Between Us. |
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| Nantucket Blue by Leila HowlandSeventeen-year-old Cricket's sunny summer on Nantucket is not going as planned. Her invitation to stay with BFF Jules' family is withdrawn after the sudden death of Jules' mother, forcing Cricket to take a job as chambermaid at an inn. Cricket tries to support her friend, but the grieving Jules freezes her out, even as things start to heat up between Cricket and Zack, Jules' brother. If you like well-developed characters and sweet-but-not-cutesy love stories, don't miss this "lush and moving" (Publishers Weekly) debut and its sequel, Nantucket Red. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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