Dash & Lily's book of dares, by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Christmastime in New York for two teens is livened up when Lily leaves a red notebook full of challenges on a shelf in her favorite bookstore and Dash (short for Dashiel) finds it and takes up the challenge. Both start to think a real life romance may be possible..........

This is good fun - I still like this pair of authors' other romance better tho. Nick and Nora's infinite playlist is worth reading and WAY better than the movie version!

Rot & ruin, by Jonathan Maberry

In a future post-zombie apocalypse United States, Ben Imura has lived his entire 15 years in the isolated community of Mountainside, where at 15 everyone must begin working or face their food ration cut in half. After losing half a dozen jobs, Benny reluctantly agrees to join the "family business" of his older 1/2 brother Tom who is a zombie killer. When the brothers venture out into the Rot & Ruin outside Mountainside, Benny discovers how wrong he has been about many things - from the "coolness" of more flamboyant bounty hunters to the inhuman nature of "zoms", and especially the real nature of the family business. Then Benny's potential girlfriend is kidnapped by Charlie Mathias - a cruel bounty hunter, and the Imura brothers have to work together to try and rescue her before it is too late.

There is lots of adventure, violence, and action balanced with thought provoking questions about bravery and honor and about survivors and victims. And who would have guessed that I would love a zombie book, anyway?

Wolves of Mercy Falls series

The 1st book of this trilogy is on this year's (2012) Abe list, and has been a favorite love story at CHS for a couple of years. Now the

whole trilogy is in print, and it was worth the wait. It's a solid story that keeps up the quality of the 1st book. The werewolves are very different from the Twilight variety, switching from human to wolf with no supernatural abilities. Sam and Grace's love story has the center stage as they struggle to stay together even as their wolf/human identities tear them apart. But new characters are introduced, and angry, disolute rock star/werewolf Cole is a great story line that starts in Linger and continues thru Forever.

Water for elephants, by Sara Gruen

This won an Alex Award in 2006 as a book written for adults with special appeal to teens. I don't know that there needs to be to much of a line drawn between teen and adult books - every reader on either side of that line just needs to find their own loved books.

This tale set aboard a depression era circus train has lots going for it. It is first of all a romance, but the circus is full of memorable characters, not the least of which are Rosie the elephant, Bobo the chimp, horses, big cats. As the circus vet, Jacob Jankowski knows and loves them all. His love for Marlena, the beautiful (and married) equestrian star sets them all - humans and animals alike - on a dangerous path.

Amy & Roger's epic detour, by Morgan Matson

This may be the best road trip story ever. Amy has been living alone in California since her Dad's death and her Mom's new job forced Mom to relocate to Connecticut a month before school was out for the summer. One of Mom's friends has a son, Roger, who has agreed to drive Amy to Connecticut, since Amy can't bear to drive since the car accident that took her father's life. Roger has his own motives for agreeing to the trip - like catching up with the girl who just dumped him without any explanation. So the two who barely know each other set out across country on an adventure that quickly hits detours as the planned cross-country itinerary gets tossed out the window and two good people start getting back on their feet with each other's help.

Summer romance, yes, but also friendship and healing, humor, and a good time.

I am number four, by Pittacus Lore

There were nine children sent to Earth to escape the destruction of their planet Lorien by the evil Mogadorians. Now the Mogadorians are hunting the nine to kill them all, and three are already dead. Number Four knows they are coming for him next. But at 15, Number Four is sick of moving constantly, changing schools, changing names, never making friends or having a girlfriend. So when he settles into Paradise, Ohio, taking the name of John Smith, he refuses to stay anonymous as he has always done before. He makes friends, falls in love, and when the Mogadorians come for him, he fights. This is good fun, and if it doesn't always make perfect sense, well, that's easy to forgive in the adventure of it all.

Black hole sun, by David MacInnis Gill

Durango is a 16-year-old mercenary on Mars, barely scraping by, when he is offered the job of protecting the treasure found by an an impoverished band of miners from a race of vicious cannibals. The action is fast and violent. Newly colonized Mars is inhospitable and lawless. And Durango is wonderful - tough as nails, as principled as King Arthur, a hero straight out of the Wild West keeping his small band alive by bravery and wits and an unbreakable code of honor.

"Have gun will travel reads the card of a man -- A knight without armor in a savage land -- His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind -- A soldier of fortune is the man called Paladin -- Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam? -- Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home." - Theme song from Have Gun, Will Travel (1950's TV Western) If they ever make a movie of Black Hole Sun, I want this as the theme song.

Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi

Set in a not too distant future where the depletion of fossil fuels and climate change have made the Gulf Coast an impoverished, storm wracked region. On the lawless beaches, dirt-poor workers struggle with cut-throat competition for the hellish jobs that mean survival. Here, teenage Nailer works as a light crew member, crawling the ductwork of old rusty oil tankers to salvage copper wire, aluminum staples, anything to make his quota and keep his job. His job is dangerous, but not as dangerous as the level 6 hurricanes which blow from the Gulf regularly nor his vicious father, who with rat-like cunning is willing to sacrifice anything to stay alive. Then one day a hurricane beaches a clipper ship and one occupant is still alive - a wealthy shipping family heiress. Nailer joins forces with her and together they struggle to stay alive long enough to return her to her people.

The story moves along quickly as Nailer and Nita move through an eire swamp of a submerged New Orleans and out onto the gulf waters where a new breed of clipper ship houses the international shipping magnates that are the new wealthy elite of this society.

This is fresh, fast-paced, and leaves the reader with something to think about concerning the choices being made today in regard to fossil fuels, allocation of resources, and distribution of wealth.

The Demon's lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan

Nick and Alan Ryves are brothers who have had to live on the run for almost as long as they can remember, since an attack by magicians on their family left their father dead and their mother driven mad. Now the magicians are hunting the brothers and their mother. When a girl and her brother show up at the Ryves home asking for help, the magicians are quickly on their trail, and the brothers are once again on the run, this time with the girl and her brother. Things go from bad to worse when Nick Ryves discovers that the girl's brother has been marked by demons, and suddenly Alan is marked as well. The only chance they have is for Nick to kill the magicians that they have run from for so long. Then Nick learns that his brother knows more than he is telling, and suddenly Nick knows nothing is as he thought it was, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Ender's game & Ender's shadow, by Orson Scott Card

I read Ender's shadow several years ago when it was on the Abe list, and enjoyed it a lot. It's taken a while, but I finally got back to the series, and this time read Ender's game, which is the 1st book in the series. These books essentially tell the same story from the perspectives of two different characters, and both are excellent.

Earth has been under alien attack for almost a hundred years, and the next attack is imminent. On earth, humans have genetically engineered children with military genius, and these children are sent to a space station battle school, where they are taught military strategy. Ender Wiggins is the world's best hope to survive, but he is young (six, at the story's opening) and has a lot to learn in a short time. His teachers manipulate behind the scenes, and the older students resent Ender's advancement as Ender struggles to survive the war games that take up most of the battle school curriculum.

Ender's shadow concerns Ender's right hand child commander, Bean.

These are science fiction at it's best - but don't take my word for it. They are on every core collection list I've ever seen and have won numerous awards for Science fiction. Great stuff!

Ingo, by Helen Dunmore

Ingo is a mysterious undersea world only found in old legends - until Sapphire and her brother Connor are called into that world from their ocean side home in Cornwall, England. But the mer folk that inhabit Ingo are not human, and their world is filled with danger for two human teens. Sapphire and Connor find themselves caught between two worlds in the opening book of this series.
The lure of the sea is as real as the tide, and the writing is hypnotic in this romantic adventure series.

City of bones, City of Ashes & City of glass, by Cassandra Clare

This is a trilogy that weaves a complicated fantasy. Clary has been raised in New York by her artist mother and her mother's circle of friends. But as she turns 16 she learns that all is not as it appears. An evening in a club with her friend Simon is the lifechanging moment when a whole new world opens up to Clary and she learns that she is a shadowhunter - a race gifted with the ability to see demons and trained to battle them. But Clary has no such training, and as events spiral out of control she needs to learn fast how to survive. Children of the moon (werewolves), of the night (vampires), of Lilith (witches), and of Faerie all have their roles and must unite with the help of angels to defeat the army of demons being raised by Clary's own father, Valentine. Loyalties are forged and tested, and always there is love. The love between Clary and shadowhunter Jace, love between Clary and her best friend Simon, whose life takes a tragic turn when he is bitten by a vampire. Love between Clary's mother and Lucian, an ex-shadowhunter now turned werewolf. A powerful story well told.

(See September blog of City of Bones)

Going bovine, by Libba Bray

This is a wild road trip - kicked off when teen slacker Cameron gets the bad news that he is going to die from Creutzfeldt-Jacob's (mad cow) disease. Every anti-hero needs a sidekick, and Cameron's sidekick is germ-phobic dwarf, Gonzo. And then there's punk angel (or maybe halucination) Dulcie - pink hair, torn black fishnets, and attitude to spare. The lines between reality and halucination are never clear, and in the end it doesn't really matter. Because Cameron really needs to LIVE before he dies, and live he does - reality be damned.

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

This is book 2 of the Hunger Games Trilogy, and it is just as good as the 1st book, Hunger Games. I hated the cliffhanger ending, only because it is going to be August 24th before book 3 is out, and I hate waiting so long to know how this is going to get wrapped up.

Hunger games, by Suzanne Collins

In an ultimate game of Survivor, 24 young people are chosen annually to compete in the Hunger Games. And the residents of Panem (formerly the U.S.) are forced to watch as their children are pitted against one another in a contest that ends with only one contestant still alive.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen watches in horror as her little sister's name is drawn to compete and steps in to take her place in the games. The other contestant from their district is Peeta, a boy she barely knows. Now Peeta is professing that he has loved her secretly since grade school, and Katniss doesn't know if he's being truthful or playing a clever game to win sympathy with the audience and survive the games. But joining forces with Peeta will give them an edge in the contest if Peeta is on the level. And as the games advance, Katniss needs all the advantage she can get to stay alive.

This is an original and well written suspense story. Readers are telling me that the sequel, Catching fire, is as good or better than this one. And the third book of the trilogy is due out next year. A great futuristic, dystopian vision of our country gone horribly wrong.

Outlaw : the legend of Robin Hood, by Tony Lee

This is the backstory of Robin Hood, beginning with his childhood when he meets a friend of his father who is a famous outlaw. When that friend is arrested, his father is helpless to save him, and in front of a horrified young Robin his father does the best he can do - shooting his friend to death and thereby saving him from torture and humiliation. The child witness to this drama, young Robin, vows to grow up a master with a bow and sword - to never be as helpless as his father. And so he does grow up, setting the stage for his future as the rebel leader of a band of outlaws who defy the false King John and live by their own law.

The graphic novel illustrations add an emotional depth to the telling of this legendary tale of integrity versus law. For a more in depth telling, take a look at the Raven King Trilogy by Stephen Lawhead - also new to CHS library this year.

Redwall, by Brian Jacques

This is the 1st book in a long series of fantasy/adventure books. The Guys Read website recommends this for high school level, and this book's checkout rate will help decide whether or not to get more of these. The rest of the series is available from the Jr. High library, so anyone who asks for sequels won't have long to wait.

Shift, by Jennifer Bradbury

This is part mystery, part road trip, and all about friendship, both the good parts and the not so good stuff. Chris and Win have been friends since the 3rd grade. The day after high school graduation they take off on a cross-country bike trip from their homes in West Virginia to the West coast. But Win has a private agenda that Chris is unaware of until the day in Montana that Chris gets a flat tire and Win doesn't stop riding. That is the last time Chris sees Win, who completely disappears. Back home, Chris starts college in the fall when an FBI agent shows up courtesy of Win's manipulative father. It becomes clear to Chris that no one is going to find Win unless Win wants to be found, and Chris is the only one who has any chance to find out what happened to his best friend. Bradbury clearly is a biker - no one could write so well about it unless they had put some road miles on a bike. The mystery at the center of the story is intriguing, and her insight into the relationship between friends rings true as well.

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

Katsa was born with eyes of two colors, which means that she has been "gifted" with a grace - an extreme skill, and must live in the palace and serve the king as he sees fit. At the beginning of the book Katsa is feared and despised - her skill is killing. The king uses her skill as a weapon to torture and execute his subjects and his enemies alike. Katsa is wild and willful and unhappy. When she meets Po - prince of a neighboring kingdom and another graceling, and her life is about to change. She begins to see that she can take charge of her own life, and soon she and Po set off on a mission full of political intrigue and personal danger.

This is fantasy that will keep the reader guessing what is coming next and is full of action and touched with romance. There will be sequels, and I hope they are as good as this 1st book promises.

Hood, by Stephen R. Lawhead

Stephen Lawhood has taken the Robin Hood legends and set them in medieval Wales, where Norman invaders are picking off tiny kingdoms one by one. Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne of Elfael, has gone into hiding after the ambush and massacre of his father, the king, along with most of the able-bodied men of the kingdom. Pursued and hunted, Bran makes his way deep into the ancient forest where he finds others who have also found safety there. And from hiding he finds ways to secretly help the people of his kingdom who are suffering under the heavy yoke of the Norman invaders. This is a fresh re-telling of the old legends, and a compelling adventure story too.