A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

19 year old Feyre, the youngest of three daughters, keeps her sisters and father from starving to death by hunting in the nearby forest (that happens to border the lands of the Fae). When she kills a wolf who happens to have been one of the Fae she is brought back to their lands, where she is ordered to spend the rest of her life in order to fulfill a centuries old treaty. Her captor, Tamlin, and his emissary, Lucien, don't resemble the evil, bloodthirsty, Fae she's been raised to fear and despise. As Feyre tries to learn more about the world she has entered, and the terrible blight that has been brought upon their lands (and may be headed for the human territory) she finds herself caring more and more about Tamlin and what happens to his people. A Court of Thorns and Roses is an action filled take on Beauty and the Beast with a scrappy heroine who can't read, but has a love of art. A promising start to a new series by Sarah Maas.  

Other books you may enjoy:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Lisa

YA Series 2013

Here's a sneak peek of what's happening in some popular series next year!

Out in January:

Prodigy (Legend Trilogy #2) by Marie Lu
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request: June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she's haunted by the choice ahead.

Out in February:

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
Cinder is trying to break out of prison--if she succeeds, she'll become the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there that Scarlet never knew about the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must attempt to stay one step ahead of the Lunar Queen.

Sever (Chemical Garden Trilogy #3) by Lauren Destefano
With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn's worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine's memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine's side, even if Linden's feelings are still caught between them.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she is struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought.

Out in March: 

Requiem (Delirium Trilogy #3) by Lauren Oliver
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven--pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancee of the young mayor. Both girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices Trilogy #3) by Cassandra Clare
If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it? The clock is ticking and everyone must choose. Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the Infernal Devices Trilogy.



Sadly, the last novel in the Divergent Trilogy won't be released until September but Reached -- the final Matched novel -- is already out!

Kimberly

Chocolate

Our Summer Reading Club is almost over so now it's time for dessert! Here are some books about chocolate. :)

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Stunned by his mother's recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, Jerry Renault, a New England high school student, ponders the poster in his locker- Do I dare disturb the universe? Part of his universe is Archie Costello, leader of a secret school society-the Virgils-and master of intimidation. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the Virgils spearhead the annual fund-raising event-a chocolate sale. When Jerry refuses to be bullied into selling chocolates, he becomes a hero, but his defiance is a threat to Archie, the Virgils, and the school. In the inevitable showdown, Archie's skill at intimidation turns Jerry from hero to outcast to victim leaving him alone and terribly vulnerable.

Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne
Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn't entered her into the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. Celeste competes to please her mother but she makes plans to sabotage her chances of winning by losing weight. What Celeste never imagined was that the HuskyPeach challenge would help her gain a backbone and give her a chance to shine. A hilarious read.

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. Then Vivian falls in love with a human. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate?

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
When their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out as teens, they are invited to stay with Sophia Kelly at her sweet shop. Sophia creates magical treats that instill confidence, bravery, and passion and cause Gretchen's haunted childhood memories of her twin sister's abduction by a witch-like monster to fade. Life seems idyllic--until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel, and learns that girls have been vanishing at Sophia's annual chocolate festival, taken by the insatiable witch of Gretchen's nightmares.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Kimberly

Fairy Tale Romances

Looking for some fairy-tale romance this Valentine's Day? While you're waiting for your prince (or princess) to come, read some of these great fairy tale retellings!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future. The first book in the Lunar Chronicles offers a futuristic take on the Cinderella story.

Beastly by Alex Flinn
Beastly is a modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" told from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student. Kyle Kingsbury has enjoyed being the most popular guy at school with the meanest and most egotistical attitude; however, he is punished by a witch in his English class and turned into a beast. Kyle now must find his true love and make her accept him as he is in order to break the curse and return him to being the man he once was. Also read Cloaked by Flinn. Cloaked is a modern romantic adventure with elements of The Shoemaker and the Elves and The Frog Prince. 

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
A retelling of the French fairy tale set in pre-colonial India, Diribani meets a goddess at the village well and is granted a remarkable gift: flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks. It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when Tana encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward. Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani's newfound wealth brings her a prince--and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?

Ash by Malinda Lo
In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother in the wake of her father's death. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt. Kaisa reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
In this story loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging, disgusting bachelor her mother has chosen for her. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. Also by Dickerson: The Merchant's Daughter based on Beauty and the Beast.

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
The body of a young girl is discovered in a field of wheat. Her flesh mutilated by telltale claw marks. The Wolf has broken the peace. When Valerie learns that her sister has been killed by the legendary creature, she finds herself at the center of a dark mystery, one that has plagued her village for generations. It is revealed that the werewolf lives among them, and everyone in the village immediately becomes a suspect. Could her secret love Peter be behind the attacks on her town? Is it her betrothed, Henry? Or someone even closer to her? As the men in the village hunt for the beast, Valerie turns to her grandmother for help. She gives Valerie a handmade red riding cloak, and guides her through the web of lies and deception that has held her town together for so long. Will Valerie discover the werewolf's identity before the town is ripped apart?

Beauty by Robin McKinley
Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?" Also check out Spindle's End for McKinley's adaption of Sleeping Beauty.

Kimberly

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin

This is a must read!!!

                In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

                This is a wondrous novel with an epic journey and memorable characters in the tradition of The Wizard of Oz. From the beautiful design and the breathtaking full-color illustrations throughout, to the gentle humor and touching prose, this book is truly a gem.

MaryBeth