The Librarian Writer

It's that time of the year again! Voting has opened up for Teens' Top Ten nominees! Get the vote out to teens! Voting will close at the end of Teen Read Week, which is October 24th, so there's still time to catch up on the titles you haven't read yet. Teens can vote here . This year's nominees are: Alsaid, Adi. Let’s Get Lost. Harlequin Teen. Armentrout, Jennifer L. Don’t Look Back. Disney Hyperion. Blackburne, Livia. Midnight Thief. Disney Hyperion. Blake, Kendare. Mortal Gods. Tor Teen. Clare, Cassandra. The Bane Chronicles. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry. Cremer, Andrea. The Inventor’s Secret. Penguin Group/Philomel. Dellaira, Ava.  Love Letters to the Dead. Macmillan/Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books. Despain, Bree. Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince. Egmont. Han, Jenny. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Simon & Schuster. Howard, A.G. Unhinged. Abrams/Amulet Books. Lu, Marie. The Young Elites. Penguin/G.P. Putnam's Sons. Ma...

Now I'm not talking about abandoning a book that you're writing. There's a time for that, sometimes, and that's for another post. I'm talking about when to abandon a book that you're reading. When you're in school, you're required to read books that you wouldn't normally choose on your own. And that's what school is for. To challenge you, to get you to think critically about things you wouldn't normally think about. Even after college, I felt that if I started reading a book, I was making a commitment to finish it. No matter how boring, awful, or predictable it was. I sloughed through some real stinkers, just because I felt it was my obligation as a reader to finish it. And maybe, I had some small hope that it would get better. But you know what? Life is too short for bad books. That's not to say that sometimes you don't take a chance on a complex book. But when you're reading for pleasure, you should be reading thing...

Title: Panic Author: Lauren Oliver Publisher: HaperCollins Publication Date: March 4, 2014 ISBN-13: 978-0062014559 416 pp. ARC provided by publisher Panic by Lauren Oliver is a YA contemporary about a group of teens in a high-stakes game of dares. They live in a crappy town and the money that seniors are forced to pony up throughout the school year goes to the winner of Panic. Because, apparently, in this town, no one is smart enough or athletic enough to get a scholarship. Or, you know, a part-time job. I know that sounds harsh, but if you're willing to buy into the premise, Panic is a fast read. It's told from the POV of Heather, a girl who's trying to protect her sister from their druggie mom, and Dodge, a guy who's out for revenge. There are secrets among the players, most of them obvious. But there is also action, as the players have to go through contests that test their fearlessness. These are probably the best parts of the book, as I caught ...

Title: Before My Eyes Author: Caroline Bock Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Publication Date: February 11, 2014 ISBN-13: 978-1250045584 304 pp. ARC provided by publisher Caroline Bock has written a compelling YA contemporary that hits a lot of hot button issues -- gun violence, pill popping, mental illness -- as well as personal issues -- loneliness, loss, identity -- in a way that brings its well-rounded characters together in a believable climax. She does this by alternating chapters between the three main characters: Claire, an aspiring poet who must take on more family responsibilities after her mom has a stroke; Max, a state senator's son who's forced to play a role he never asked for; Barkley, a loner who believes the voice in his head that tells him he needs to buy a gun if he wants to make the world a better place. The chapters alternate the POV's, but they also countdown over a Labor Day weekend to the moment Barkley fires that gun. During t...

Title: The Boys in the Boat Author: Daniel James Brown Publisher: Viking Publication Date: June 4, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0670025817 416 pp. Reading copy via local library If you're looking for a historical nonfiction title that will appeal to teens as well as adults, then The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown is the one. Don't let the subtitle, "Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" fool you too much. The Olympics is the climax, but certainly not the whole book. The heart and soul of the book is the story of Joe Rantz, a mechanic's son who was abandoned by his family during The Great Depression. Joe is forced to survive in the rough-and-tumble backwoods of the Pacific Northwest, finally finding his way to the University of Washington. He tries out for crew only because it'll help him get a job on campus. But rowing ends up being so much more for him, and for the other boys in the boat. The book has ple...

Title: The Lost Planet Author: Rachel Searles Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Publication Date: January 28, 2014 ISBN- 13: 978-1250038791 384 pp. ARC provided by publisher The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles is a rollicking sci-fi adventure for middle grade readers. A boy wakes up with a blaster wound to the back of his head and no memory except the phrase, "Guide the star." He's told that his name is Chase and he's on the planet Trucon. Chase begins a search for who he is and what "Guide the star" means. Helping him are an orphan named Parker and his caretaker, Mina, who have secrets of their own. The action is virtually non-stop as the trio make their way across space, making friends and enemies along the way as an interstellar war looms. The stakes are high and the pacing keeps the reader turner pages. However, there is a lack of character development, especially in Chase. A lack of memory also makes him without much of personality. ...

Title: Pretty Deadly Volume 1 Author: Kelly Sue DeConnick Illustrated by: Emma Rios Publisher: Image Comics Publication Date: May 13, 2014 ISBN-13: 978-1607069621 120 pp. ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley Pretty Deadly Volume 1 collects the first five issues of the Pretty Deadly comic, which is an Eisner Award nominee. Kudos to Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios for creating such a complex series with intriguing, badass female characters. The framing device is a butterfly telling a story to a skeleton bunny (and we see the bunny getting killed very graphically) about a little girl named Sissy, who has two different colored eyes and wears a vulture costume. She and her guardian, a man named Fox, are being hunted by Death's handmaiden, Alice. So they end up joining forces with Death's daughter, Ginny, to try to conquer Death himself. To be honest, I found the beginning very confusing. But the mythology of this world is slowly teased out throughout the ...

Title: Save the Enemy Author: Arin Greenwood Publisher: Soho Teen Publication Date: November 12, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-1616952594 288 pp. ARC provided by publisher I think the marketing department got this one wrong. If you look at the cover, you'd think it's an intense thriller. But, really, it's a comedy. Zoey Trask is a senior at a private school in Washington, D.C., but she's the New Girl, and she's also the Tragedy Girl, since her mom was recently murdered during a mugging. She has a younger brother who's a somewhat high-functioning autistic and a kooky libertarian dad. She's crushing on cute boy Pete and wondering if she'll get into Berkeley when her dad is kidnapped. The kidnappers are demanding the J-File, although Zoey has no idea what that is. Except her brother has been getting messages in his dreams from their dead mother that help might explain what and where the J-File is. That synopsis sounds like a thriller, right? But Zoey...

Title: Rag & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales Edited by: Melissa Marr & Tim Pratt Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: October 22, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316212946 368 pp. ARC provided by publisher This anthology of science fiction and fantasy tales is edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt. They challenged 10 other authors to create a short story based upon a classic story that influenced them. These authors included Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Carrie Ryan, and Rick Yancey. As with any anthology, there are some hits and some misses. Neil Gaiman's fairy tale mash-up of Sleeping Beauty, "The Sleeper and the Spindle," and Melissa Marr's selkie interpretation of Kate Chopin's The Awakening , "Awakened," are among my favorites. I thought that these stories honored the originals while giving them completely original twists. But you don't have to be familiar with the classic story to appreciate the in...

Title: Jessica Darling's It List Author: Megan McCafferty Publisher: Poppy Publication Date: September 3, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316244992 240 pp. ARC provided by publisher I haven't read the original Jessica Darling books, but this first in a prequel series is a sure-fire hit for tween girls. Jessica Darling is about to start junior high when her older sister gives her list of things to do to be popular. Jessica wasn't worried about starting junior high until she reads the list because she has no idea how she's going to manage do any of it. Further complicating matters is that Jessica's best friend has turned pretty over the summer and doesn't know it yet. But Jessica knows that is about to change and change everything about their friendship. Jessica is tries her best to fit in, but often finds herself in the absolutely wrong place at the wrong time. Eventually she finds out that fitting in may not be as important and finding out who you rea...

Title: The Infinite Moment of Us Author: Lauren Myracle Publisher: Harry N. Abrams Publication Date: August 27, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-1419707933 336 pp. ARC provided by publisher Confession time here. This is the first Lauren Myracle book I've read. I know her books have been banned a gazillion times, and more power to her for not being afraid to write about things she knows will offend some readers in order to reach those readers who connect to the material. The Infinite Moment of Us is a romance about a Wren, a sheltered good girl, and Charlie, a foster kid who had a rough start in life. The book starts with them just before high school graduation. They run in different crowds, but they have secret crushes on each other. An accident gets them together and they have a blissful summer romance. But once fall comes, Wren will be off to Guatemala for a gap year and Charlie will be going to college. This is the biggest conflict in the book, and the ending was no surpri...

Celebrate Teen Literature was on Thursday, and YALSA announced this year's nominees for Teens' Top Ten. This is a teen choice list, selected by participating teen book groups throughout the country, and their top 25 titles are this year's nominees. Starting in August, any teen can vote online for their favorite nominee and the final Top Ten will be announced during Teen Read Week in October. I promote Teens' Top Ten nominees as much as I can in the library because I know these are books that teens already love. I already had most of the nominees on the shelves and only had to order a few to round out the list. But what I found interesting is that the few I hadn't ordered had mixed or even bad reviews from the publications I use most to select books - Kirkus , Publishers Weekly , School Library Journal , and VOYA . The main complaint with the reviewers was that they couldn't connect with the main character, and therefore, couldn't connect to the sto...

Title: Reality Boy Author: A.S. King Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: October 22, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316222709 368 pp. ARC provided by publisher I've worked in "reality" television, so I know there's a lot of manipulation in creating what the audience sees. Sometimes it happens during production by influencing what participants are doing or saying. Sometimes in happens in post-production by changing context during editing. It's usually done to build a narrative arc, to streamline the messiness of real life into a half-hour or hour format. But at least on the shows I worked on, it was never done maliciously. Reality Boy , however, imagines a show that does. Gerald was on a Supernanny -like show when he was five years old and became known as The Crapper because he defecated all over the house, including the dining room table. Millions of television viewers think he's the problem child. What the camera doesn...

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown Author: Holly Black Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: September 3, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316213103 432 pp. ARC provided by publisher Tana wakes one morning to find that while she was passed out in the bathtub, everyone else at the party has died. Horribly. Well, not everyone has died. There's her ex-boyfriend, Aidan, tied to a bed. And a cute boy she doesn't recognize is chained up. She decides to rescue them even though Aidan is clearly infected and the cute boy is clearly insane. She decides to rescue them because it gives her something to do instead of going insane herself. Because there's a pile of corpses who used to be her friends in the next room. Because there's a terror of vampires waiting for the sun to go down in the next room. There's only one place Tana and the boys can go. That's Coldtown, a barricaded city where vampires, the infected, and the desperate go. Tan...

Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Author: Matthew Quick Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: August 13, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316221337 288 pp. ARC provided by publisher Matthew Quick has had a lot of heat since the film adaptation of Silver Linings Playbooks came out, and I was as eager as anyone to read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock . It's Leonard Peacock's eighteenth birthday and he plans to go to school and kill his former best friend and then commit suicide. As the day progresses, we learn why Leonard has decided this is the best way to escape the loneliness and hopelessness of his shitty life. His self-absorbed Mom doesn't even remember it's his birthday, so he knows he's not going to get any presents, but he gives presents to four people he thinks of as friends, although he doesn't really have any friends. These four people react to Leonard's gifts in different ways, including anger and suspicion. But one ...

Title: Bubble World Author: Carol Snow Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. Publication Date: July 30, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0805095715 352 pp. ARC provided by publisher You may be bundled up the layers as you sit by the fireside and sip on hot cocoa, but if you want to escape to somewhere sunny, Bubble World by Carol Snow is a perfect beach read. Escape is a key word here, as Bubble World isn't an actual place, but a virtual world where Freesia lives as she goes to parties and shops with her best friend. Except that Freesia doesn't realize that Bubble World is a virtual world. Not at first, anyway. As the Bubble World is burst, Freesia is brought back to a reality that is considerably less "de-vicious" that the one she left. (Warning: A lot of Bubble World slang is introduced in the opening chapters. I thought it helped with the world-building, but your mileage may vary.) Bubble World is a funny book with big ideas about identity, how we perceive ourselv...

Title: Dare You To Author: Katie McGarry Publisher: Harlequin Teen Publication Date: May 28, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0373210633 480 pp. ARC provided by publisher Dare You To by Katie McGarry is the second of her contemporary romance trilogy following a group of friends. I haven't read Pushing the Limits , which has gotten a lot of positive reviews and was a Teens' Top Ten for 2013. While the two stories are linked by crossover characters, you don't need to read one to enjoy the other. And I did thoroughly enjoy Dare You To . It's the kind of swoony romance that keeps itself grounded in reality. In Beth's case, her reality is a gritty, bleak one, with a mom who's a barfly and probably worse, but Beth doesn't let herself think about. She's just trying to get through the day, making sure the bills are paid and her mother eats. Then she meets Ryan at a late night taco joint. Ryan seems to fit the total jock stereotype, good-looking, full of h...

Title: The Originals Author: Cat Patrick Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: May 7, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316219433 304 pp. ARC provided by publisher The Originals by Cat Patrick has a great premise. Three sisters, Lizzie, Ella, and Betsy, live one life, each girl taking a different time of day. Because Lizzie, Ella, and Betsy aren't really sisters. They are clones. Their "mother" worked at a lab where they covertly cloned the three girls for a rich couple whose baby, The Original, died. Except the couple just wanted one baby and demanded the other two be destroyed. So the girls' "mother" took them and went into hiding. The three girls lived as triplets for awhile, but the doctor in charge of the lab was arrested and the government is on the lookout for girl triplets. So a scheme was concocted where Lizzie takes the morning shift, Ella takes the afternoon, and Betsy takes the night. All three of them live as ...

Title: When We Wake Author: Karen Healey Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: March 5, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0316200769 304 pp. ARC provided by publisher I believe that good sci-fi should be a reflection of modern society taken to an extreme. And I think Karen Healey does this with When We Wake . Tegan Oglietti is a sixteen-year-old in near future Australia. She loves music, especially the Beatles, and she believes in stuff. She believes in God, she believes in service to country (her dead father was in the military), she believes in family, and she believes that people can make a difference. She's just fallen in love for the first time and she's happy and hopeful for the future. And then she's shot by a sniper at a rally. It was an accident, really. The bullet was meant for the Prime Minister. But now Tegan is dead. Well, kind of dead. Tegan, who had donated her body to science, is put into a cyrogenic state. And then, one d...

Title: Winger Author: Andrew Smith Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Publication Date: May 14, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-1442444928 448 pp. ARC provided by publisher This book should come with a disclaimer. Something like WARNING: May cause spontaneous laughter. May also cause uncontrollable weeping. Winger by Andrew Smith starts off as a boarding school romp about a 14-year-old genius who plays rugby and dreams about dating his best friend, Annie, who seems out of his league because she's two years older. Ryan Dean (that's his first name) narrates the story of his junior year at a fancypants private school in the Pacific Northwest. His rugby nickname is Winger and though he call himself a skinny-ass bitch, he never backs down from a fight. He is hilarious in his accounts of life at school and they're often punctuated by the comics he draws. What could have been a delightfully fun story about Ryan Dean and his pursuit of Annie and surviv...