teaser tuesday (35)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | | 27 comments
It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page. Post two (or more) sentences from that page, along with the title and author. Don’t give anything vital away!


“Saaski was kneeling at the pond’s edge, leaning over the water like a winged thing just alighted, long fingers braced on the grassy rim, hair like a strange cloud floating about her head. She had never looked less human, despite her apron and dress. Now, said a voice suddenly in Old Bess’s mind, I could do it now and it would be all over.”


-p. 43 of Eloise McGraw’s The Moorchild

lex trent versus the gods

Monday, April 26, 2010 | | 5 comments

One thing I’ve developed over the past couple of years is a healthy appreciation for the absurd. I liken it to making daily decisions to laugh rather than cry at the crazy things that can make life seem unfair and random. Shall I get upset? Or should I just chuckle wryly and tell myself that ‘this too shall pass?’ So I decide to laugh, enjoy the ridiculous, and to try and take every situation as it comes.


But honestly? Sometimes things do hurt, sometimes I do cry, and sometimes I need a nudge (or a huge push) to figure out what could be funny when it all seems to be going wrong. That’s where I bring in what I call ‘absurd humor fiction.’ Not very scientific-sounding, but it does the trick. What does it mean? There are books out there full of prose so ridiculous, so outlandish, so fantastic, that they make my reality fade a bit into the background. And when I’ve had my fill and enjoyed my escape, going back to that tough situation isn’t so hard any more.


I’ve needed that absurdity in my life at various times, and many authors capture the tone and nonsense of it very well. Some of my favorites are: Neil Gaiman (Good Omens is a perfect example – it’s so very blasphemous and ridiculous and…silly! It does the body good), Douglas Adams (of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Patricia C. Wrede (in her Dealing with Dragons series), Diana Wynne Jones (in everything she writes) and most recently Alex Bell’s Lex Trent Versus the Gods.


Law student Lex Trent's world is inhabited by fearsome magicians, ageing crones and a menagerie of Gods and Goddesses. And while Lex is seemingly dedicated to his legal studies he's always enjoyed a challenge – which is why he leads a double life as the notorious cat burglar 'The Shadowman.’ He has been (luckily) evading capture for years.

But Lex's luck is about to run out because the Goddess of Fortune has selected him to be her player in the highly dangerous Games. Losing is not an option for Lex (particularly as it so often involves dying), but can he really win each of the perilous rounds? Given that the reward for doing so is money, fame and glory – all things that Lex is quite keen on – he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure he does…and he’s got a lot of experience in cheating.


Lex Trent is a CHARACTER. He doesn’t have any morals to speak of, and he’s devious, funny, clever and conniving. In short, not very lovable, but eminently entertaining. Put him in the midst of a world that doesn’t make (traditional) sense, and you’ve got the recipe for some very interesting fiction. This book was absolutely genius in parts. And it also lagged in parts. But I'd say the good outweighed the rest at least two-to-one.


The parts that were genius were several: the original characterization of Lex, for example. His undiluted thirst for adventure above all else. His resourcefulness, his ability to ‘pull all the facts together and come up with a brilliant solution.’ Another plus: the world-building. The space ladders! I could picture them in my mind. And all of the other zany bits that combined to make this tale silly, unbelievable fun.


I did have a couple of points I was not satisfied on (sad face). I wanted even more ruthlessness in Lex. As the story went on he was unfolded and unpacked a bit – his background explained, his past experiences added to make him more human. I didn’t want that. I wanted him to remain almost sociopathic in his selfishness and adventurousness. Does that make sense? I wanted him to be consistently bizarre.


And despite the marvelous set-up of the world Lex inhabits, I would ask for more showing, and more description by way of conversation. Less telling or narration, as it were. But these are pretty inconsequential things, and could be classified as wants rather than needs. Overall, the story was vastly entertaining, Lex Trent was an anti-hero extraordinaire, and I hope for further stories of his adventures and shenanigans in the future.


I’d recommend this book to those with an appreciation for adventure, absurd humor, fantastic fiction, fictional thievery, and grand con games on a worldwide scale. It’s marvelous fun! If you'd like, check out The Book Smugglers' take on Lex Trent, and also a review at Bart's Bookshelf (from whom I won my copy in a contest!).

killer unicorns on the weekend (and a giveaway)

Last week I had a rough time at work, but the weekend rocked. You want to know why? KILLER UNICORNS. Yep, I said it. If you are paying very close attention (scarily close attention, really…which…I’m not gonna lie, might be creepy) you might remember that I was reading Diana Peterfreund’s Rampant back in October. I didn’t write a review at the time, even though I finished the book.



Since then I’ve been following Ms. Peterfreund on Twitter, and I have to say, the lady is HI-larious. When I found out that she’d be on ‘Topics in Young Adult Fiction’ panel at the Annapolis Book Festival last Saturday, it felt like fate. Or…a half-mad imagining. So that’s where I was on Saturday around midday. I even have a kind of blurry photo to prove it. Diana has a WAY clearer one on her blog.


Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . .
Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

Added to the awesomeness of a book on KILLER UNICORNS (I like it better spelled in all caps like that. Don’t ask me why), in September a short story anthology called Zombies vs. Unicorns comes out. I don’t think I need to explain how happy that makes me. But just in case, check out this t-shirt I bought recently.

To celebrate the KILLER UNICORNS, I’m giving away two signed copies of Rampant. The lovely author was also so kind as to give me several of bookmarks, so I’ll be handing out five of those too.

-----

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post telling me whether you’re with the KILLER UNICORNS or with the zombies.

Please include your email address or another method of contact. Giveaway is open internationally. Comments will close on May 7 at 11:59pm EST, and I will notify the randomly selected winners via email.

Good luck!



And…just because…the culprit behind the fuzzy photo (well, and me with a chocolate peanut butter ice cream cone). Did I mention that Annapolis was fun? Because it was. *grin*

waiting on wednesday (2)

I’m participating today (for only the second time ever) in "Waiting On" Wednesday. It is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and this meme spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

My reading list is leaning strongly towards fairy-tale and fantasy fiction these days, and so it’s no surprise that one of my most anticipated reads is The Princess and the Snowbird by Mette Ivie Harrison. The book will be released on May 4, 2010 by HarperTeen. So I don’t have long to wait…hooray!

She is the headstrong daughter of the hound and the bear, heir to all her royal parents' magic and able to transform at will into any animal she wishes.

He is an outcast, a boy without magic, determined to make his way in the forest beholden to no one.

Though Liva and Jens are as different as night and day, from the time their paths first cross they are irresistibly drawn to one another. Each wrestles with demons: Liva with the responsibility that comes with the vast magic she's inherited, Jens with the haunting memories he's left behind. Separately, they keep a lookout for each other and for the immense snowbird whose appearances signify a dark event on the horizon.

When a terrible threat surfaces, Liva and Jens set out in an attempt to protect all they hold dear. Much is at stake—for while their failure could spell an end to all magic, their success could bring them together at last.

in which the author makes excuses

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | | 14 comments
I seem to be perennially late here at the blog (at least regarding awarding prizes). This time I have a good reason though, I swear. I’m going (well, 90% sure I’m going) to AUSTRIA next week! For work purposes. And I get to live in a castle while I’m there.

This one, in fact. I think it’ll be good. Like, FAIRY TALE, anyone? But yeah, work has been crazy and I’ve been at the office for some pretty long hours in anticipation of the trip. That is not a complaint. It is simply an EXCUSE. A good one. Don’t give me that look!

So without further meanderings or rabbit trailing, I’d like to announce that…

jennem of Jennifer

and Rabid Fox of Wag The Fox...

...have each won $30 to Amazon or The Book Depository! Join me in congratulating them! This also marks the ‘official’ end of my blog anniversary contest. Everyone wrote really great answers on what I should blog about, and many entrants made me laugh. It was a very joyous thing. And now I will never run out of ideas! Look out for another contest soon, and thank you all!

once upon a time (times two)

Sunday, April 11, 2010 | | 3 comments
Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the Once Upon a Time Challenge, which is described as "an opportunity to band together as a community to celebrate story, in this case the kind that fits roughly under one’s own personal definition of four categories: fantasy, folklore, fairy tale and mythology."

The fourth annual Once Upon a Time Challenge officially began on Sunday, March 21st and ends June 20th, which dovetails nicely with the Once Upon a Time 2010 Reading Challenge I’ve already joined. I’ll certainly get my fairy tale quota filled.

I am joining Quest the First, which is an opportunity to read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time IV criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or the five books might be a combination from the four genres.

If you are interested in joining, head over to Stainless Steel Droppings and check out the gorgeous art, great giveaways and other lovely content.

fuel for the fire

Saturday, April 10, 2010 | | 8 comments

I confess: when there’s a book coming out by an author I really admire, I shun reviews like nobody’s business. I can’t stand the idea of having the book spoiled by a stray sentence or two in someone’s well-meaning review or synopsis. Let’s just lay it out there: I get paranoid. It doesn’t matter whether it’s supposed to be an opus or a flop. I just…freeze. And if by weird or arcane circumstance I don’t read this much-anticipated book till months and months after the release date? Well then…I go into turtle mode. Tuck my head in my shell and don’t look at anything that could be remotely close to text referring to the book.


Such was the case with Fire by Kristen Cashore. I loved Graceling, Cashore’s previous (debut) novel. I read it in a night and then urgently called my brother the next day and told him he HAD to read it. Joey, bless his heart, went by the bookstore on the way home from school, and then HE spent all night reading it. He loved it (if you couldn’t tell), and passed it to my sister. Who then bought a copy for her 9th grade classroom. Sometimes? The book love spreads like, well, FIRE. ha. ha.


So Fire, the second novel in this fantasy universe, already had a lot going for it. And then I won an autographed copy! Gorgeous! But. There is always a ‘but.’ It came out in October 2009. 2009 was my transition year. I quit grad school (I was going for a Ph.D. in history), I moved across the country (back home), I got a part-time job translating and interpreting in two languages, and then I eventually moved back across the country to a new home and another new job (I’m settling in Washington, DC for a while, I think. Mostly because I just hate packing THAT much).


I don’t know if you can tell from the last paragraph, but the last half of the year was pretty tumultuous. I think it’s a miracle I kept on blogging, honestly. And I wasn’t reading all of these wonderful books I was getting in the mail. Fire stayed on the shelf until this last weekend – Easter weekend. And then I decided I NEEDED to read it (plus, I had the time!).


She is the last of her kind...

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.


The set-up is a time of unrest, an unusual girl, and her complex relationship to her land and the people around her. But this story is more than that. Fire’s world is intense with pain, vivid with color, alive with love and stained with lunacy. It’s fantastical, yes. But you see the extremes of moral debauchery carried to their logical ends, and then someone has to fix that world, or let it go to complete wrack and ruin. It’s not pretty, but it is sort of beautiful.


As for the reading experience, I was sucked in. The story enveloped me, and I cried real tears along with the characters. I think Cashore created something really wonderful, and really worthy with Fire. I’d recommend it to anyone.


With that said, I also have to mention the one thing that’s returned to my mind over and over with this story (and Graceling too, for that matter). It’s Cashore’s handling of reproductive health. I understand that fantasy worlds can be whatever the author wants them to be. And I think Fire and Graceling definitely will start discussions on this topic, because Cashore injects non-traditional (some would say feminist) sensibility into the story. I think it’s just an incredibly *touchy* subject for a lot of people, and I found it very interesting that Cashore made it a central issue for some of her characters. She’s braver than I. But I also mention this topic because it was the one thing that pulled me out of the fantasy. I got to this part and put a book I was devouring right back down. I almost felt…disappointed.


Now – you can take that however you will. It’s not a judgment. I didn’t lose my will to finish the book. It just brought me out of the story and made me think for a bit. If you’ve read Fire, did you notice that part? Was it a big deal for you? What are your thoughts?


I loved Fire. I adored the action, the romance, the intrigue, the mystery, the sense of impending doom…it was all wonderful. I’d recommend this book for anyone from high school age on up – it’s a fantastic story, told in a really beautiful and authentic way, and I think it qualifies as serious, well-written literature on top of being entertaining. Read it!

on naming things (but especially book characters)

Don’t let the title of this post fool you. I am not writing a book. I sort of was for about half of National Novel Writing Month, but no more. This post is about names and likeability and originality. What that means in real world terms is that’s they’re actually just my random thoughts, but I want to let them out into the world, to see if any of you think the same things (sometimes).


I have an uncommon-ish sort of name: Cecelia. It doesn’t show up much in art or literature. Fanny Burney, a contemporary of Jane Austen, wrote a novel called Cecilia, which I own but have never read. Forgive me – it’s 1,200+ pages of romance, counter-romance and mystery. I tried that with Anna Karenina and failed miserably. But there’s also a Simon & Garfunkel song called Cecilia, and I’d estimate that half of the people I meet for the first time spontaneously serenade me with it – regardless of the strength or quality of their singing voices.


And on top of that, my sister is called Virginia, or Ginny for short. Very slightly more common than Cecelia, but still an old-fashioned name, and rare in literature. It’s really no surprise then that when we find a novel, not to mention a GOOD novel, with one of our names in it, that we get a little excited. I can think of three shining examples of this (though I’m sure there are more and I’m just forgetting them).


The first is Kristen D. Randle’s The Only Alien on the Planet. The main character is Virginia, but she goes by Ginny, just as my sister does. I simply loved that book, and would have done so regardless of what the character’s name was. But since her name was Ginny, I could read it, discover its merit, and then pass it on to my sister, all the while knowing that she wouldn’t be able to resist a good book AND a character with her name (this was at a point where she refused to read anything I’d read).


And the second case is Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword. The main character’s name in this novel is Harry – which is my dad’s name – and she’s a bit of a tomboy. But the book starts slowly, and I may have never gotten into the intense and adventurous bit if I hadn’t been caught by the mention of a ship called the Cecilia in the first couple pages. It’s the little things that keep you reading sometimes, and I’m very glad that I did read that book – it’s become a comfortable standard and McKinley one of my favorite authors of all time.


And the third example – another book that I haven’t read but have always meant to (as it was co-written by two seriously talented/favorite authors) is Sorcery and Cecelia, by Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede. I’ve always wanted to cross-examine these authors, and ask how they came up with Cecelia – I mean, the name with my less-common spelling and everything! And also why I was unlucky enough at age 9 to have my mother find that book in my library stack and disapprove of it on sight. May have had something to do with ‘Sorcery’ in the title…but still. No excuse for why I haven’t read it since!


So – I have a few questions. Have you ever seen your name in a book? Did it make an impression? Were you more willing to like the book? If you haven’t found your name in a book yet, which genre will it most likely be found in?


Tell me your name and character stories!

teaser tuesday (34)

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | | 24 comments
It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page. Post two (or more) sentences from that page, along with the title and author. Don’t give anything vital away!

“‘I can’t believe you tried this on your own,’ he said. ‘Why?’

Hysterical laughter welled up in me and turned on an instant to tears. I could not answer.”

-p. 202 of Juliet Marillier’s Heart’s Blood

archive

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | | 0 comments
Alphabetical list (by title) of book reviews:

A

Above by Leah Bobet
Above the Dreamless Dead edited by Chris Duffy
Above World by Jenn Reese
Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti
Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage, The by Chris Kurtz
Almost a Full Moon by Hawksley Workman, illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip
Alte Zachen / Old Things by Ziggy Hanaor, illustrated by Benjamin Phillips
Am I Yours? by Alex Latimer
Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman
Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley
Author vs. Illustrator by Donald Lemke, illustrated by Bob Lentz

B

Baker and the Bard, The by Fern Haught
Bards of Bone Plain, The by Patricia McKillip
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen
Beastly Bride, The by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (eds.)
Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
Bell at Sealey Head, The by Patricia McKillip
Big Box, Little Box by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Edward Underwood
Big Mooncake for Little Star, A by Grace Lin
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Black Dog by Rachel Neumeier
Black Dog by Levi Pinfold
Black God's Drums, The by P. Djèlí Clark
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl
Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis
Bloom by Kevin Panetta, illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau
Bo the Brave by Bethan Woollvin
Bookie & Cookie by Blanca Gómez
Box Office Poison by Phillipa Bornikova
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Brides of Rollrock Island, The by Margo Lanagan 
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Brilliant by Roddy Doyle
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Southern Revival, The by Alexe van Beuren and Dixie Grimes

C

Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange
Capture the Flag by Kate Messner
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Castle Behind Thorns, The by Merrie Haskell
Cats of Tanglewood Forest, The by Charles de Lint, illustrated by Charles Vess
Catwad: It's Me. by Jim Benton
Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, The by Claire Legrand
Cece Loves Science by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Cenzontle by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
Chalice by Robin McKinley
Changeling by Delia Sherman
Check, Please!: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine, Hank Jones, and Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou
Chimes, The by Anna Smaill
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral
Christmas Eve Tree, The by Delia Huddy, illustrated by Emily Sutton
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love by Chris Roberson, Shawn McManus and Chrissie Zullo
City on the Other Side, The by Mairghread Scott, illustrated by Robin Robinson
City Under the City by Dan Yaccarino
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Cold Magic by Kate Elliott
Color of Earth, The by Kim Dong Hwa
Confusion of Princes, A by Garth Nix
Cookiesaurus Rex by Amy Fellner Dominy and Nate Evans, illustrated by A.G. Ford
Corsets & Clockwork by Trisha Telep (editor)
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Creature Department, The by Robert Paul Weston
Croak by Gina Damico
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Crumbs by Danie Sterling
Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom by Gigi D.G.

D

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Edgar Parin D'Aulaire and Ingri D'Aulaire
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
Darcy and Anne by Judith Brocklehurst
Dark Lord of Derkholm, The by Diana Wynne Jones
Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan
Darkest Part of the Forest, The by Holly Black
Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
Day You Begin, The by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López
Deadly Education, A by Naomi Novik
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Dear Sister by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Joe Bluhm
Death & Sparkles by Rob Justus
Death Sworn by Leah Cypess
Decked with Holly by Marni Bates
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern
Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales 
Dune by Frank Herbert

E

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones
Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones
Enchantment of Ravens, An by Margaret Rogerson
Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge
Etiqutte & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

F

Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha and Craig Hamilton
Fairest: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham, Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning, Matthew Sturges and Shawn McManus
Fangsgiving by Ethan Long
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, The by William Joyce
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
Field Guide, The (The Spiderwick Chronicles) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Fifth Wave, The by Rick Yancey
Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall
Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
First Snow, The by Marie Štumpfová and Radek Malý, illustrated by Marie Štumpfová
Flash of Color and Light, A: A Biography of Dale Chihuly by Sharon Mentyka, illustrated by Shelley Couvillion
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Frankie and the Creepy Cute Critters by Caitlin Rose Boyle 
Full Moon by Camilla Pintonato

G

Galahad Legacy, The by Dom Testa
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Geography of Bliss, The by Eric Weiner
Gift from Abuela, A by Cecilia Ruiz
Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge
Gingerbread for Liberty!: How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
Girl in the Clockwork Collar, The by Kady Cross
Girl of the Limberlost, A by Gene Stratton Porter 
Good Girls Don't Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner, Kara Coyle, and Keith Olwell, illustrated by Michaela Dawn and Mary Sanchez
Good Morning, Neighbor by Davide Cali, illustrated by Maria Dek
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Green by Jay Lake
Greyhound of a Girl, A by Roddy Doyle
Groundhug Day by Anna Marie Pace, illustrated by Christopher Denise

H

Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster
Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
Here and Now, The by Ann Brashares
Himawari House by Harmony Becker
Hobbit, The by J.R.R. Tolkien
Home Baked by Yvette van Boven, photography by Oof Verschuren
Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America by Joan Wehlen Morrison, edited by Susan Signe Morrison
H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination by Christopher Myers
House in the Cerulean Sea, The by TJ Klune
House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
House of the Four Winds, The by Mercedes Lakcey and James Mallory
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
How to Steal A Car by Pete Hautman
How to Trick the Tooth Fairy by Erin Danielle Russell, illustrated by Jennifer Hansen Rolli
Humming Room, The by Ellen Potter

I

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei
Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman
Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano
Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Inheritance of Ashes, An by Leah Bobet
Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Instructions by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess
Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Iron Duke, The by Meljean Brook
Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
Iron Wyrm Affair, The by Lilith Saintcrow
Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie

J

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin
Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn

K

Kahlo's Koalas by Grace Helmer
Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
Kid Table, The by Andrea Seigel
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

L

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
Language of Spells, The by Garret Weyr, illustrated by Katie Harnett
Larklight by Philip Reeve
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
Legacies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi, translated by Kids Can Press staff
Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff
Look, It's Raining by Mathieu Pierloot, illustrated by Maria Dek
Lost Sun, The by Tessa Gratton
Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

M

Madness of Angels, A by Kate Griffin
Magic Fish, The by Trung Le Nguyen
Magic for Marigold by L. M. Montgomery
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Manu by Kelly Fernández
Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen
Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau 
Marvellous Light, A by Freya Marske
Matter of Magic, A by Patricia C. Wrede
Merlin Conspiracy, The by Diana Wynne Jones
Midnight Queen, The by Sylvia Izzo Hunter
Mina by Matthew Forsythe
Mirrorscape by Mike Wilks
Mister Monday by Garth Nix
Model Bakery Cookbook, The by Karen Mitchell, Sarah Mitchell Hansen and Rick Rodgers, photographs by Frankie Frankeny
Monster Calls, A by Patrick Ness
Moorchild, The by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
Moth Keeper, The by K. O'Neill
My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee
My Bed is an Air Balloon by Julia Copus, illustrated by Alison Jay
My Island by Stéphanie Demasse-Pottier, illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh

N

Name of the Star, The by Maureen Johnson
Nameless by Lili St. Crow
Nasla's Dream by Cécile Roumiguière, illustrated by Simone Rea 
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
Night Box, The by Louise Greig, illustrated by Ashling Lindsay
Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Notes from the Blender by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

O

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday
Once and Future King, The by T.H. White
Once Upon a Snowstorm by Richard Johnson
One White Crane by Vickie Lee, illustrated by Joey Chou
Only Alien on the Planet, The by Kristen D. Randle
Only Milo by Barry Smith
Only the Trees Know by Jane Whittingham, illustrated by Cinyee Chiu
Our Dining Table by Mita Ori
Outcast by Adrienne Kress
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

P

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Pegasus by Robin McKinley
Peter and Max by Bill Willingham
Pills and Starships by Lydia Millet
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Prayer for the Crown-Shy, A by Becky Chambers
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen
Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The by Muriel Spark
Prince and the Dressmaker, The by Jen Wang
Princess and the Warrior, The by Duncan Tonatiuh
Princess Hyacinth by Florence Parry Heide and Lane Smith
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
Psalm for the Wild-Built, A by Becky Chambers

Q

Queen's Hat, The by Steve Antony
Quiet Crocodile Goes to the Beach, The by Natacha Andriamirado, illustrated by Delphine Renon

R

Real Boy, The by Anne Ursu
Red Glove by Holly Black
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
Rithmatist, The by Brandon Sanderson
Riveted by Meljean Brook
Rose by Holly Webb
Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

S

Sabriel by Garth Nix
Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples
Saturday by Oge Mora
Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes
Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter by Marcus Sedgwick, illustrated by Thomas Taylor
Scary School by Derek the Ghost
Scorpio Races, The by Maggie Stiefvater
Sea Change by S.M. Wheeler
Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Serpent's Shadow, The by Mercedes Lackey
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
Shadow Magic by Patricia C. Wrede
Shadow Society, The by Marie Rutkoski
Shadows by Robin McKinley
Shape of Desire, The by Sharon Shinn
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn, illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag
Shifting Earth by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Flavia Biondi and Fabiana Mascolo
Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott
Sidekicked by John David Anderson
Silence by Michelle Sagara
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Silvered, The by Tanya Huff
Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Sleeping Beauty, The by Mercedes Lackey
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Slip by Marika McCoola, illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
Snow Lion, The by Jim Helmore, illustrated by Richard Jones
Snow White by Matt Phelan
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Alex Puvilland, colors by Hilary Sycamore
Spindlers, The by Lauren Oliver
Spinning by Tillie Walden
Sprite and the Gardener, The by Rii Abrego and Joe Whitt
Star Scouts by Mike Lawrence
Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape
Stir It Up! by Ramin Ganeshram
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
Study in Charlotte, A by Brittany Cavallaro
Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
Sunhead by Alex Assan
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Supernatural Noir by Ellen Datlow (editor)
Survival Kit, The by Donna Freitas
Sweetest Dark, The by Shana Abé

T

Talli: Daughter of the Moon by Sourya, translated by François Vigneault
Tangle of Knots, A by Lisa Graff
Tea Dragon Society, The by K. O'Neill
Templeton Twins Have an Idea, The by Ellis Weiner and Jeremy Holmes
Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds
Thank You Book, The by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Things That I Love About Trees, The by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Charlotte Voake
Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic, The by Emily Croy Barker
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
Tidesong by Wendy Xu
Tiger Days by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Anna Hurley
Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci
Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
Troll's-Eye View by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (eds.)
True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, The by Kathi Appelt
Truth About Twinkie Pie, The by Kat Yeh
Turtle in Paradise: The Graphic Novel by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau, colored by Lark Pien
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

U

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron by Jonathan Strahan (editor)
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Undertaking of Lily Chen, The by Danica Novgorodoff
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor

V

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
Virals by Kathy Reichs

W

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall, illustrated by Hugo Martínez
War of the Flowers, The by Tad Williams
Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
Waves by Ingrid Chabbert, illustrated by Carole Maurel
Way We Fall, The by Megan Crewe
We're Off to the Forest by Katarína Macurová, translated by Andrew Oakland
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
What Is Love? by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Carson Ellis
What We Don't Talk About by Charlot Kristensen
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim
Wild Hunt, The by Emma Seckel
Wildefire by Karsten Knight
Winner's Curse, The by Marie Rutkoski
Winterling by Sarah Prineas
Witch King by Martha Wells
Witches of Eileanan, The by Kate Forsyth
Witchlanders by Lena Coakley
Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky
Wolf Suit, The by Sid Sharp
Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories, The edited by Kel McDonald, Kate Ashwin, & Alina Pete
Wondrous Wonders, The by Camille Jourdy
Written in Red by Anne Bishop

X
 
XOXO by Axie Oh

Y

York: The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby
Your Alien by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Goro Fujita

Z

Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (eds.)
Z: Zombie Stories by J.M. Lassen (editor)
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