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New hardbacks:

Avenger (Halflings Novel, A), by Heather Burch

Black Helicopters, by Blythe Woolston

Dear Life, You Suck, by Scott Blagden

Going Vintage, by Lindsey Leavitt

If You Find Me, by Emily Murdoch

Impostor, by Jill Hathaway

Period 8, by Chris Crutcher

Shadow on the Sun, by David Macinnis Gill

Wasteland (Wasteland - Trilogy), by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina

You Know What You Have To Do, by Bonnie Shimko

New paperbacks (that I've read):

A Touch of Scarlet, by Eve Marie Mont:

Emma's narration never really gels into a consistent, believable voice. She ranges from snarky-casual to super-duper stiff and formal (with the occasional infodump), and there's a lot of telling rather than showing, especially when it comes to the interactions and relationships between the characters. Michelle's storyline (along with the student protest and the alternaprom and the end of Dr. Overbrook's arc) never completely integrates with the rest of the story, and so it feels at best, like it should have gotten its own book, and at worst, extraneous. (And, in terms of plotting, very afterschool-specially.)

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden), by Julie Kagawa:

Like so many Mysterious Vampire Heroes before him, [Kanin} is cold and aloof, but betrays his carefully hidden feelings through regular Eyebrow Quirks and Faint Smiles. He’s fond of long-winded exposition, tortured by a guilty past, doomed to forever obsess about righting the wrongs he’s done, says things like “My road must always be traveled alone,” and probably wears a lot of black silk shirts.

Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin:

While the atmosphere really is wonderfully done—Araby's narration fittingly shares that muffled, deadened quality—and I very much appreciated Griffin's writing, I can't say that Masque of the Red Death was an entirely enjoyable read. (Which isn't necessarily a necessity in a book, of course. But, you know. It's a factor in recommending it to other people.)

The Selection, by Kiera Cass:

America is infinitely slappable, as are BOTH love interests. (Duh. OF COURSE Maxon falls for her, so there's a love triangle!) The characters act more in keeping with what is convenient for the storyline—for instance, when America tries to warn Maxon about the super-duper bitchitude of one of the other contestants, he pulls the I'M ROYALTY AND YOU'RE NOT, THEREFORE YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT routine, even though up until then, he'd sought out her opinion about stuff like that—than with their own personalities, and most of America's major decisions seem to be based more on who she's angry with at the time than in any sort of logic.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know I’ve spent the morning searching for and posting new POC releases. I didn’t find many for May.

I did find a few to add for April and they’re posted on the Pinterest board for April. I probably post new titles to Pinterest before I do anywhere else, it’s just easier! When I post there, I quickly tweet or post my finds to FB.

I’ve continue posting new POC books to Pinterest since last year and there is one for May. And, there is always my annual list of books as well.  I’ll catch up the April titles on my annual list later; I have a graduation party at the Islamic Center to attend this afternoon!

1. P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams Garcia; Amistad, 21 May
2. How I became a ghost by Tim Tingle; Road Runner Press; 28 May
3. Get over it by Nikki Carter; Dafina Press; 28 May
4. Death, Dickinson and the Demented life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres-Sanchez; Running Press Kids; 28 May

New hardbacks:

OCD, The Dude, and Me, by Lauren Roedy Vaughn:

I LOVED THAT THERE ISN'T A ROMANCE. There is a new friendship—and maybe possibly the possibility of a romance (with a different character), or at least the possibility of someone crushing on Danielle—but not a romance. Romantic lurrrve is not portrayed here as curing grief, or loneliness, or being misunderstood, or anything else.

17 & Gone, by Nova Ren Suma:

Suma didn’t win me over in her first few chapters—at first, descriptions like “her long hair woven with brambles, with sticks and leaves and other indecipherable things gummed up and glimmering through the glass” felt more self-consciously literary than lush, lyrical and poetic—but then, either she found her groove or I found my way into her rhythm. Regardless, something clicked, and suddenly everything about the book worked for me: character, voice, storyline and, yes, prose.

The Art of Wishing, by Lindsay Ribar

The Gate Thief (Mither Mages), by Orson Scott Card

Fox Forever: The Jenna Fox Chronicles, by Mary E. Pearson

Everafter (Kissed By An Angel), by Elizabeth Chandler

The Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices), by Cassandra Clare

Tiger: A Dark Eyes Novel, by William Richter

Maybe I Will, by Laurie Gray

The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore, by Kate Maddison

Pretty Girl-13, by Liz Coley 

New paperbacks (that I've read):

The Queen of Kentucky, by Alecia Whitaker:

Ricki Jo, herself, is a likable, believable heroine who reads the Bible (almost) every night, but who makes mistakes and sees the sexiness in Song of Songs. When she makes mistakes, they're almost always especially cringeworthy because she knows that what she's doing is wrong, and so at times, it's a painful, painful read. In a good way.

I’m getting behind! My pile of BFYA books is growing! Still, it’s a pleasure to look at that pile because they all stand a chance of being a really good read. The books in that pile have been nominated by BFYA committee members or by the general public as titles that should be on the annual list. The titles nominated are announced each month and the committee members get busy locating copies of the books so that they can be read before each of the ALA conventions.

What don’t I like about the process? The very few titles by authors of color – or featuring characters of color – that we receive. The number is even smaller than the number of the books that are published.

What do I like? I like broadening my reading selections. I avoid monsters, paranormals, werewolves… at all costs, but I cannot avoid them this year! I don’t like reading about murder as entertainment and hate to see that trickle into YA but, I’m reading these books and developing new perspectives. Closing one’s self off from situations isn’t a way to grow.

I also like being able to help get teens reading with the books. I’m getting LOTS of them and am looking for good ways to get them where they’re needed. Please email me if you have suggestions. I’ve been thinking about shipping them down to Henryville, getting them to some of the high schools around here or even taking them to ALA to give them to high schools there. One thing I’ve learned is that schools in small communities are quite conservative, so not all will appreciate some of these books.

I put off posting the new  April releases, thinking I might still find a few more titles and maybe I still will. Looking for new books is really getting interesting. I usually go to Amazon to look and every month, struggle with search terms to find new books that have been released by authors of color for teens. I had seen Walter Dean Myer’s latest book, but in searching for it using his name, the title did not come up for me. I had to use the title of the book to find it. I’ve had this happen with other authors as well. Have you?

Last month, I found the following after posting March releases.

Fat Angie e.E. Charlton-Trujillo; Candlewick, March: Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of “crazy mad cow!”) away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids — she’s back at high school just trying to make it through each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn’t exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn’t always match what’s inside. With an offbeat sensibility, mean girls to rival a horror classic, and characters both outrageous and touching, this darkly comic anti-romantic romance will appeal to anyone who likes entertaining and meaningful fiction.

Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle; Harcourt, March: “I find it so easy to forget / that I’m just a girl who is expected / to live / without thoughts.” Opposing slavery in Cuba in the nineteenth century was dangerous. The most daring abolitionists were poets who veiled their work in metaphor. Of these, the boldest was Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, nicknamed Tula. In passionate, accessible verses of her own, Engle evokes the voice of this book-loving feminist and abolitionist who bravely resisted an arranged marriage at the age of fourteen, and was ultimately courageous enough to fight against injustice. Historical notes, excerpts, and source notes round out this exceptional tribute.

April Releases

1. Darius and Twig by Walter Dean Myer; Harper 23 Apr

Darius and Twig are an unlikely pair: Darius is a writer whose only escape is his alter ego, a peregrine falcon named Fury, and Twig is a middle-distance runner striving for athletic success. But they are drawn together in the struggle to overcome the obstacles that Harlem life throws at them.

The two friends must face down bullies, an abusive uncle, and the idea that they’ll be stuck in the same place forever in this touching and raw new teen novel from Walter Dean Myers, award-winning author of Monster, Kick, We Are America, Bad Boy, and many other celebrated literary works for children and teens.

1. The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa Harlequin; 30 Apr

click this link to watch the trailer

1. The witches of Ruidoso by John Sandoval; Arte Publica April

Young Elijah was sitting on the porch of the Ruidoso Store when fourteen-year-old Beth Delilah and her father climbed down from the stage coach. Blond with lovely pale skin, big blue eyes and “dressed from boot to bonnet in black” in mourning for her mother, she was the prettiest, most exotic thing he had ever seen. And when she bent over to pick up a horned toad, which she then held right up to her face in complete fascination, Elijah learned that it’s possible to feel jealous of an amphibian.
In the last years of the nineteenth century, in the western territory that would become New Mexico, the two young people become constant companions. They roam the ancient country of mysterious terrain, where the mountain looms and reminds them of their insignificance, and observe the eccentric characters in the village: Mr. Blackwater, known as “No Leg Dancer” by the Apaches because of the leg he lost in the War Between the States and his penchant for blowing reveille on his bugle each morning; their friend, Two Feather, the Mescalero Apache boy who takes Beth Delilah to meet his wise old grandfather who sees mysterious things; and Senora Roja, who everyone believes is a bruja, or witch, and who they know to be vile and evil.
Elijah has horrible nightmares involving Senora Roja, death and torture. And when the witch enslaves a girl named Rosa, the pair must try to rescue her from her grim fate. Together, Elijah and Beth Delilah come of age in a land of mountains and ravens, where good and evil vie for the souls of white men and Indians alike.

All book descriptions were shamelessly lifted from Amazon who probably would appreciate your consideration when purchasing your books. I do not work for Amazon. I don’t always shop at Amazon!

Oh, look, I'm already behind. HOW SURPRISING.

New hardbacks:

The Ruining, by Anna Collomore:

Until today, the movies Shutter and House of the Devil were the only others that had reached the I’m-so-scared-I-might-actually-throw-up heights of Session 9, but now, Anna Collomore’s The Ruining has become the first book to enter those most hallowed ranks.

Hysteria, by Megan Miranda

The Twelve-Fingered Boy, by John Hornor Jacobs

Unbroken: A Ruined Novel, by Paula Morris

Unravel Me (Shatter Me), by Tahereh Mafi

The Whole Stupid Way We Are, by N. Griffin

The Kiss (Witch & Wizard), by James Patterson and Jill Dembowski

The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, by Shannon Hitchcock

City of a Thousand Dolls, by Miriam Forster

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School), by Gail Carriger

Homeland, by Cory Doctorow

The Lying Game #5: Cross My Heart, Hope to Die, by Sara Shepard

Me & My Invisible Guy, by Sarah Jeffrey

Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick

Perfect Scoundrels, by Ally Carter

Pieces, by Chris Lynch

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles), by Marissa Meyer

Who Done It?, edited by Jon Scieszka

New paperbacks (that I've written about and/or read):

Pantomime, by Laura Lam:

Micah's narrative voice is super—a little bit overly fond of the word 'exotic', maybe—honest, sensitive, insightful, brave, observant, and curious. Much of this story is about control and identity and acceptance—about the desire to make one's own choices, about the search to discover who (and even what) you are, about finding people who don't want to squash you into a box, people who love you as you are—and all of those threads are likely to resonate strongly with the YA audience.

Beneath a Meth Moon, by Jacqueline Woodson: I never wrote about this one, but if you're familiar with Jacqueline Woodson's writing, you'll know what to expect: it's spare, careful, lyrical. And, you know, it's about meth. WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE MOST DEPRESSING THING EVER.

New hardbacks:

Hattie Ever After, by Kirby Larson:

If my squeefest about the existence of a Hattie-sequel is anything to judge by, I'm sure that any fan of the original will already be planning on reading Hattie Ever After. I'm also sure that any fan of the original will be plenty pleased with it: Hattie, after all, is an infinitely likable narrator, trustworthy, warm, generous, and kind. (But NEVER INSIPID.) I especially love her lack of entitlement or pretension: she's always willing to learn, and always willing to start at the absolute bottom. And there are some lovely bits about storytelling and the writing process that will be hugely inspiring to aspiring writers, regardless of age.

Out of The Easy, by Ruta Sepetys  

Who Done It?, by Jon Scieszka

Sever (Chemical Garden), by Lauren DeStefano

Revel, by Maurissa Guibord

Rapunzel Untangled, by Cindy C. Bennett

The Indigo Spell: A Bloodlines Novel, by Richelle Mead

An Infidel in Paradise, by S.J. Laidlaw

The Lives We Lost, by Megan Crewe

Maggot Moon, by Sally Gardner and Julian Crouch

The Mirrored Shard: The Iron Codex Book Three, by Caitlin Kittredge

Mistle Child (Undertaken Trilogy), by Ari Berk

Notes from Ghost Town, by Kate Ellison

Out of Nowhere, by Maria Padian

Pivot Point, by Kasie West

One Crow Alone, by S D Crockett

Arcadia Burns, by Kai Meyer

Breaking Point, by Kristen Simmons

Dance of Shadows, by Yelena Black

Feral Nights, by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Fractured Soul, by Rachel McClellan

The Gathering Dark, by Christine Johnson

New paperbacks (that I've read):

The Shattering, by Karen Healey:

I realized what the Secret of Summerton’s Success was on page 62—an annual death and inexplicable prosperity in a town with a perfectly static population can really only add up to one thing—but that early realization wasn’t a problem. Rather, it upped the tension because I was aware of how much more danger Our Intrepid Sleuths were in well before they were, and provided a lot of “Nooooo! Don’t go in there!” moments.

Diabolical, by Cynthia Leitich Smith:

Fun stuff, as always. If you like the rest of the series, Diabolical shouldn't disappoint. The strongest aspect, as in previous installments, is in the worldbuilding. That isn't to say that any of the other aspects are weak—the characters are likable and believable, the dialogue rings true, the different voices are all distinct, and the action is fabulously entertaining—but it's the worldbuilding that really shines.

In March 2011 I found 16 MG & YA releases, in 2012 I found 4 and this year, 6. Nonetheless, this looks like a pretty impressive list of books! All are very establish authors.

(clicking the image will take you to a description of the book.)

The Keysha Diaries, Volume One: Keysha’s Drama\If I Were Your Boyfriend (Kimani Tru) (9780373091249): Earl Sewell: Books

Flowers in the Sky by Lyn Joseph

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Panic by Sharon Draper

Hollywood High: Get Ready for War by NiNi Simone and Amir Abrams

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

New hardbacks:

The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, by Karen Finneyfrock:

Celia is smart, creative, curious, sensitive, loves reading, and loves words, but she doesn't talk like someone reading a Diablo Cody script. When she mouths off to one of the jerks at school, she keeps it simple ("You're stupid and mean, and you suck at basketball"; "Keep marching, hate parade"), and in so doing, the moment isn't about the words she chooses, but about the fact that she chooses to to speak up. When she speaks up in defense of others, it comes off as realistic and as real-world possible, rather than as something you'd see in a movie: and that makes it all the more inspiring.

How to Lead a Life of Crime, by Kirsten Miller

Crash and Burn, by Michael Hassan

Fuse (The Pure Trilogy), by Julianna Baggott

Mind Games, by Kiersten White

Neferet's Curse: A House of Night Novella, by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Shards and Ashes, by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, Veronica Roth and Kami Garcia

Under Shifting Glass, by Nicky Singer

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Devilish, by Maureen Johnson (new cover art!):

The characters are well-rounded and likeable, the plot twists are twisty and there's genuine suspense. There was a sense of closure at the end and the book works well on its own, but there's plenty of room for more. I'd definitely read a sequel.

New hardbacks:

Also Known As (AKA), by Robin Benway:

It’s smart, laugh-out-loud funny, hugely entertaining, it passes the Bechdel Test, and I can’t wait to see what Maggie & Co. get up to next. Highly recommended to fans of Ally Carter.

Dualed, by Elsie Chapman:

A walled city with limited resources needs to populate itself with strong soldiers. Okay... so the Powers That Be decide to use said limited resources on genetic engineering to create said strong soldiers...and then kill half of them? Why not just, I dunno, train them? Or create half as many, and train THEM to be BETTER soldiers? Speaking from an entirely pragmatic place—questions of morality aside—raising clones in order to make them fight to the death just seems like A HUGE WASTE.

The Madness Underneath: Book 2 (The Shades of London), by Maureen Johnson:

More than anything else—which is saying quite a lot, given that I love the setting and the premise and the characters and the smoochies and the laugh-out-loud bits and the mystery elements and on and and on—I enjoy Rory's voice. She's an American, but she sounds like an American who's been living in England for a while. Not like Madonna (contrived, pretentious, SO ANNOYING), and not like that Anglophile friend of yours from college who came back from a year abroad slinging 'oi's around willy-nilly (I am convinced that everyone has a friend who did that), but like someone who has picked up some of the rhythm of British English purely by being around it 24/7.

Me, Him, Them, and It, by Caela Carter

The Murder Notebooks: Killing Rachel, by Anne Cassidy

Pulse, by Patrick Carman

What We Become, by Jesse Karp

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

Fragments (Partials), by Dan Wells

The Ivy: Scandal, by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Gil Marsh, by A.C.E. Bauer:

I was really hoping to enjoy this one, and I'm still not sure if my lack of enjoyment is on me, or on the book. Actually, I think it's more on me. Meaning that I feel that the book is very much what the author was shooting for, just not a great fit for me. While I did like the details about the cultural differences between the US and the French-speaking parts of Canada, and I enjoyed the post-Enko sections in which Gil interacts with other people—especially the Adèle arc—Gil, himself, left me cold.

Looking for a new book? Visit our new Coming Attractions page, a growing list of books written by GalleyCat readers.

We’ve sorted the list alphabetically, but you can search for your favorite genre inside the growing collection. Click here if you want to download a copy of the spreadsheet (CSV file) and sort the information yourself. We will update this spreadsheet frequently and highlight some of the books in our weekly Coming Attractions post.

Click here to submit your book to our permanent database of new books. Please fill in all the blanks and keep your descriptions brief. Authors, publicists, editors, and readers can all make use of this new section, but use the author’s name in the blanks. As always, you can also post literary events on our Facebook wall. (Image via Flickr user IaasB)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

New hardbacks:

When Love Comes to Town, by Tom Lennon:

In a way, When Love Comes to Town is a classic issue novel: Neil's coming out experience is front-and-center. The book chronicles his entry into the gay community within the larger Dublin community, his first relationship, his battle with depression, his slow build towards making some sort of peace between his love for his family and his need to be himself, and ultimately, his journey towards self-acceptance. Although it certainly ticks every imaginable box on the Coming Out In The Early '90s checklist, its strong character development and its emotional honesty—seriously heart-breaking painful honesty—keep it from feeling like an afterschool special or a capital-I Issue novel.

Being Henry David, by Cal Armistead:

To a degree, Being Henry David is one of those frustrating stories in which the protagonist could save himself pages and pages of torment and confusion if he’d just, you know, ask someone for help. But Armistead makes Hank’s reasons for avoiding the authorities emotionally believable and logically plausible, so it’s not really an issue. It is, as evidenced by my one-sitting read, an extremely compelling book, and the Thoreau quotes are woven in quite nicely: I can easily imagine this book inspiring younger readers to go and look him up.

The Look, by Sophia Bennett

Infatuate: A Gilded Wings Novel, Book Two, by Aimee Agresti

Legacy of the Clockwork Key (Secret Order), by Kristin Bailey

Let the Sky Fall, by Shannon Messenger

The Murmurings, by Carly Anne West

The Nightmare Affair, by Mindee Arnett

Permanent Record, by Leslie Stella

Requiem (Delirium), by Lauren Oliver

Rats Saw God, by Rob Thomas (CLEARLY, IT'S TIME FOR A RE-READ)

Bruised, by Sarah Skilton

Earth Girl, by Janet Edwards

Emblaze (Embrace), by Jessica Shirvington

Flowers in the Sky, by Lynn Joseph

Crap Kingdom, by DC Pierson

Orleans, by Sherri L. Smith

Spellcaster, by Claudia Gray

A Touch Menacing, by Leah Clifford

Unremembered, by Jessica Brody

When We Wake, by Karen Healey

When We Wuz Famous, by Greg Takoudes

Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality, by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Summer Prince, by Alaya Dawn Johnson

New paperbacks (that I've read):

There Is No Dog, by Meg Rosoff:

It wasn't just the tone that reminded me of Douglas Adams. It was the warmth—it was how Meg Rosoff was able to poke fun at (and sometimes skewer) humankind (and our mythology), while also conveying a sense of never-ending affection, wonder, and empathy. There's a sense of hope, too, but it's a realist's sort of hope—one that takes the past into account—so while there are brief, perfect moments of beauty, everything is tempered with a cheerful sort of pessimism.

The Springsweet, by Saundra Mitchell:

While I went into this book expecting to enjoy it, I didn’t expect to be swept completely off my feet by the romance. But unexpected romance is all the more satisfying, isn’t it? There are three guys in the picture: a fiddling frontiersman, a dapper dude from Baltimore and Zora’s dead lost love. From the moment Emerson Birch (the frontiersman) appears, Mr. Fancypants never stood a chance—in my eyes, or in Zora’s. It was refreshing to read a romance in which there were multiple parties involved, but that wasn’t a love triangle. 

The Night She Disappeared, by April Henry:

The Night She Disappeared is a straightforward—yet still tense—thriller. From chapter to chapter, the perspective shifts between the four main characters—Kayla and Drew, Gabie and John Robertson—as well as some of the minor ones, like the boys who stumbled on the crime scene and one of the divers who searches the Willamette River. The voices and perspectives are all distinctly different, and the short chapters—none more than three or four pages long—are interspersed with transcripts of 911 calls and police interviews, evidence slips, search warrants, and other documents related to the case.

Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin, Book I (His Fair Assassin Trilogy), by Robin LaFevers:

It’s a must-read if: You are a Buffy fan. Especially if you have a soft spot for the episodes in which Our Buff has to fight her way to the prom (or Homecoming) while wearing her pretty, pretty dress. Ismae wears pretty, pretty dresses all day, every day, and she has more weapons hidden on her person—often including, yes, a crossbow, and even poisoned pearls in her hairnet!—than you’d think would be strictly necessary on a battlefield, let alone at a royal court.

New hardbacks:

Starstruck, by Rachel Shukert:

It's a vision of Old Hollywood that both creates and dispels fantasy: it's got the glamour and the clothes and the glitter, but it also shows the ugliness behind the magic. And there's a whole lot of ugliness. Loads of TWISTS and TURNS, and there are clearly some BIG THINGS TO COME in future installments...

Escape Theory, by Margaux Froley:

Whenever the analytical part of my brain complained, the rest of me shushed it: because Escape Theory is entirely entertaining. Sure, Devon won’t be competing in the Detection Olympics any time soon, but the mystery is still engrossing, and even better, the emotional core of the book—her new friendships, but especially her relationship with Hutch—is ultimately quite affecting.

Scowler, by Daniel Kraus:

Scowler deals in true suspense and psychological horror—Kraus never resorts to the cheesy jump scare—and the constant unease and shifting alliances reminded me of the carjacking episode of Six Feet Under and parts of Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. If you're more inclined to be convinced by the name-dropping of a modern classic, it also made me think of In Cold Blood. 

Fat Angie, by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Heart of Glass, by Sasha Gould

MILA 2.0, by Debra Driza

Panic, by Sharon M. Draper

Poison, by Bridget Zinn

Promises to Keep, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Strands of Bronze and Gold, by Jane Nickerson

Surfacing, by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Trinkets, by Kirsten Smith

Through Dead Eyes, by Chris Priestley

The Secret Circle: The Temptation, by L. J. Smith

Deep Betrayal, by Anne Greenwood Brown

New paperbacks (that I've read):

A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay:

A Monster Calls isn't a fable that features Everyman Characters To Make A Point: It's a story about people. Conor isn't just a stand-in for any random person experiencing heartbreak. He's a real, three-dimensional boy, with a real, three-dimensional life. His grandmother is a real person, as is his mother and his mostly-absent father and the people at school and everyone else in the book.

Cross My Heart, by Sasha Gould:

Judging by the description alone, Cross My Heart has loads of potential—setting, time period, mystery, murders, class and gender issues, secret freaking societies—but ultimately, unfortunately, it reads like...eh. It’s got a plotline standard to any number of movies you’ve seen and forgotten—girl attempts to solve her sister’s murder, gets involved with a shady secret society, falls in love with someone unsuitable—and neither the characterization nor the narration is a particular stand out.

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator, by Josh Berk:

I’ve been looking forward to Josh Berk’s Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator for months. Not because I’m dying to read it. I already have. It’s because I’ve been dying for everyone else to read it. I read an advanced copy of it last October while my car was getting worked on, and I laughed so much and so hard that the receptionist gave me The Eye.

Seriously, is this it??? I have searched all my resources and have found all of three! 3! middle grade and YA books written by authors of color that are being publisned this month. I have no pride in this matter; I want to be proven wrong!! PLEASE!! Add names of other books that I’ve missed in the comments section.
Otherwise, we may need to have a conversation. This time last year, there were 149 books written by authors of color.
Please note that I do not include self published or Kindle published books.

November releases on Pinterest

2012 Releases, including November

Fading Amber: The cambion chronicles #3 by Jaime Reed; K’Teen Dafina 26 December

This is the only book by an MG or POC author of color I could find for December. Please, mentions others in the comment section.

In all of 2011, I located 108 books by authors of color while in 2011 there were 150.

Will she make it to the end of the year by, um, the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine. While I realize it's somewhat ridiculous that I persist in trying to compile these lists, I shall persevere, because I find the posts HUGELY helpful. So, please bear with me.

New hardbacks:

Camp, by Elaine Wolf

The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary, Queen of Scots (Young Royals), by Carolyn Meyer

Blood Moon (Drake Chronicles), by Alyxandra Harvey

Burn Mark, by Laura Powell

Just Flirt, by Laura Bowers

The Legacy of Tril: Soulbound, by Heather Brewer

Something Like Normal, by Trish Doller

Violins of Autumn, by Amy McAuley

Will she make it to the end of the year by, um, the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine. While I realize it's somewhat ridiculous that I persist in trying to compile these lists, I shall persevere, because I find the posts HUGELY helpful. So, please bear with me.

New hardbacks:

Dust Girl: The American Fairy Trilogy Book 1, by Sarah Zettel:

It’s a great read, full stop. It’s not ultra deep by any means, but it’s thrilling, thoughtful, imaginative and fun. The basic premise is a familiar one—girl discovers that she’s half-fairy and also the main player in a major prophecy—but it still feels fresh. A good part of that is due to Callie’s engaging, honest voice. She also uses enough idiom and slang to create a ’30s flavor, but never so much that she feels over-the-top or forced.*

False Covenant (A Widdershins Adventure), by Ari Marmell

A Midsummer Tights Dream (Misadventures of Tallulah Casey), by Louise Rennison

One Moment, by Kristina McBride

Secret Letters, by Leah Scheier

Smart Girls Get What They Want, by Sarah Strohmeyer

A Want So Wicked, by Suzanne Young

Between the Lines, by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Blackwatch (The Secrets of Wintercraft), by Jenna Burtenshaw

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Withering Tights (Misadventures of Tallulah Casey), by Louise Rennison:

But, I'm sure that all anyone really wants to know is how it measures up to the Georgia Nicholson books. Well, even though Tallulah is less of a caricature than Georgia, Georgia still has my heart. But Withering Tights was still wicked fun and it made me laugh out loud and there's no way that I won't read the sequel whenever it appears.

Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma:

Co-worker: What’s your book about?

Me: Um. Among other things, consensual incest. 

At this point, all other conversation died out and everyone turned to stare at me.

Co-worker: Don’t you just read books for teenagers?

Me: Mostly. And it’s a YA book, yeah.

Co-worker: Cousins?

Me: Siblings.

And then I panicked and gave the whole room finger-guns.

Will she make it to the end of the year by, um, the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine. While I realize it's somewhat ridiculous that I persist in trying to compile these lists, I shall persevere, because I find the posts HUGELY helpful. So, please bear with me.

New hardbacks:

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone, by Kat Rosenfield:

The specialness isn’t just in Rosenfield’s description, turns of phrase or how she captures the slow, heavy feel of summer. It’s about how she makes every single action, interaction, sometimes even the briefest of moments...feel like a turning point. There’s a constant sense of dread, inevitability and change

Dark Companion, by Marta Acosta

Once: An Eve Novel, by Anna Carey

Team Human, by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

Tiger Lily, by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Waking Storms (The Lost Voices Trilogy), by Sarah Porter

The White Glove War (The Magnolia League), by Katie Crouch and Grady Hendrix

Choke, by Diana Lopez

52 Reasons to Hate My Father, by Jessica Brody

For What It's Worth, by Janet Tashjian

The Girl Is Trouble, by Kathryn Miller Haines

Just for Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life, by Tara Altebrando

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Haunting Violet, by Alyxandra Harvey:

There are usually only a few probable suspects in this genre, and it’s pretty easy to identify the villain early on. Not so in Haunting Violet: At one point or another, EVERYONE’S A SUSPECT. The only person I was immediately able to dismiss was the one that Violet suspected! Right up to the very end, I wasn’t sure whodunit. Which, of course, always makes me deliriously happy.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake:

Are you a fan of Buffy and Supernatural? Lucky you! I’ve found your next read: Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood.

Seriously, guys: DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK.

I’ve been working on my list of January 2013 releases by authors of color. Last year, I was able to list 17 January releases and this year I’ve found 8. I’m going to continue to do some searching and publish my list tomorrow. Please!! Feel free to mention MG and YA titles of which you’re aware. You can find my list beginning to for on the bottom of this page. 

As I’ve been gathering titles, I ran across a publishing company with which I haven’t been familiar: Tiny Satchel Press. What a wonderful find! Tiny Satchel was found by columnist, award winning journalist, cancer survivor and community leader Victoria Brownworth. In an interview with Lambda Iiterary, she gave the following insights into Tiny Satchell Press.

___________________________________

Let’s talk about the new imprint. What was the inspiration behind Tiny Satchel?

I’d been acquiring and editing young adult books for five or six years for a mainstream publisher. I was enjoying doing it, but I kept being aware that some books I pitched would get the “we don’t think there’s a readership or audience for that.” And consistently it seemed to me to be books with characters of color or queer. It started to irk me. My own fiction always has a political undercurrent I just don’t think anyone can be too young to have a range of characters with whom to identify. I wanted more range. So I wanted to provide books that I would want to read if I were nine or 12 or 15.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from young readers and parents is that there are few middle-grade books coming out with LGBT themes, why do you think that is?

Fear and money. Publishing is unbelievably expensive. Printing is expensive. Marketing is expensive. Writers and editors have to make a living. The tried-and-true is easy.

___________________________________

HOORAY for Tiny Satchel!

In January, they’ll be releasing Bereft by Craig Laurance Gidney.

Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles) by Ellen Oh; Harper Teen 2 January

Rafael Fannen is a 13-year old boy who has won a minority scholarship to Our Lady of the Woods, an all male Catholic college preparatory school. He lives with his mother who is chronically ill with an undiagnosed illness and also suffers from mental illness, which no one will discuss. Winning the scholarship quickly turns into a nightmare, as Rafe has to deal with the racism of his fellow students and his teachers. Rafe has an ally in Tomas, another scholarship winner from his neighborhood, and they bond against the racism and classism of their fellow students. But that connection is soon sundered.

In addition to the culture shock, Rafe also has to deal with his burgeoning sexuality. Rafe is caught staring at Toby, an attractive and charismatic classmate, in the shower, Toby begins a relentless campaign of bullying against Rafe, including violent encounters. When someone tags the school campus with graffiti, Toby makes sure Rafe becomes the chief suspect. It becomes so bad that even Tomas distances himself from Rafe. The only person who seems sympathetic to him is the chaplain, Vicar Angus Connell. But it soon becomes apparent that the Vicar has designs on Rafe.  Amazon
Sweet 16 to life: A Langdon Prep Novel by Kimberly Reid;  KTeen 26 January

Thanks to skills learned from her undercover-cop mom, Chanti Evans has saved lives and exposed lies at her exclusive private school. But taking down Langdon Prepsters is one thing. Does she have what it takes to go up against hardcore criminals?

After a semester with Langdon’s most rich and snobby, Chanti knows all too well that trust is tough to find and keep. So when her old hood friend, MJ, turns to her for help, Chanti is determined to protect her from vengeful gang member Lux. But that means mending fences with her irresistible ex-boyfriend, Marco, and enlisting his very reluctant assistance. And when Lux suddenly vanishes, Chanti and MJ become prime suspects. Now to clear their names, she must uncover secrets that will strike much too close to home, putting her place at Langdon–and her future–on the line. . . Amazon  KIRKUS REVIEW
Return to me by Justina Chen; Little, Brown 15 Jan

Nothing is going as planned for Rebecca Muir. She’s weeks away from starting college–at a school chosen specifically to put a few thousand miles of freedom between Reb and her parents. But her dad’s last-minute job opportunity has her entire family moving all those miles with her! And then there’s the matter of her unexpected, amazing boyfriend, Jackson, who is staying behind on the exact opposite coast.

The prey by Andrew Fukuda; St. Martin Press 29 January

With death only a heartbeat away, Gene and the remaining humans must find a way to survive long enough to escape the hungry predators chasing them through the night.  But they’re not the only things following Gene.  He’s haunted by Ashley June who he left behind, and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side.

Their escape takes them to a refuge of humans living high in the mountains.  Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe, but not everything here is as it seems.  And before long, Gene must ask himself if the new world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind.  As their enemies close in on them and push Gene and Sissy closer, one thing becomes painfully clear: all they have is each other…if they can stay alive.

Chilling, inventive, and electrifying, The Prey is the second book in Andrew Fukuda’s The Hunt series. Amazon KIRKUS REVIEW
Prodigy: A legend novel by Marie Lu; Putnam Juvenile 29 January

“Prodigy” by Marie Lu is the long-awaited sequel to Legend, the must-read dystopian thriller novel. Perfect for all YA fans of “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth. A brilliant re-imagining of “Les Miserables”, the series is set to be a global film sensation as CBS films have acquired rights to the trilogy. The “Twilight Saga” producers, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, will produce. Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic’s most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots – a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games? Amazon  KIRKUS REVIEW

New hardbacks:

The Tragedy Paper, by Elizabeth LaBan:  

As you'd expect in a book that features characters not only studying, but living and breathing tragedy, a lot of famous works—mostly Shakespeare, but others, too—are name-dropped, there are loads of literary terms listed and considered and discussed, and the secondary characters and relationships actually take a backseat to all of that. So, in that way—and despite how it held me utterly enthralled from start to finish—the book feels more like a literary exercise than a story unto itself. But, considering the framing, that feel may well have been just as carefully deliberate as the word choice.

Just One Day, by Gayle Forman:

I loved this book. Much of it is painful—first love, first heartbreak, the slow death rattle of a best-friendship, the high expectations of an overly-involved parent, the difficulty of opening up to people, being lost literally and metaphorically and emotionally—but it's painful in a comforting way. Even at Allyson's lowest moments, I never doubted that she'd not only come through it all, but that she'd come through it all far stronger than before. And she did.

What We Saw At Night, by Jacquelyn Mitchard

The Lacey Chronicles #3: The Rogue's Princess, by Eve Edwards

Paper Valentine, by Brenna Yovanoff

Revolution 19, by Gregg Rosenblum

Rise: A Nightshade Novel, by Andrea Cremer

Shadowlands (Shadowlands), by Kate Brian

Anatomy of a Single Girl, by Daria Snadowsky

Blood Prophecy: A Drake Chronicles novel, by Alyxandra Harvey

Crash (Visions), by Lisa McMann

Delusion, by Laura L. Sullivan

Doomed, by Tracy Deebs

Janie Face to Face (Janie Johnson), by Caroline B. Cooney

The Cadet of Tildor, by Alex Lidell

Then You Were Gone, by Lauren Strasnick

Through the Ever Night, by Veronica Rossi

Timekeeper, by Alexandra Monir

The Wrap-Up List, by Steven Arntson

New paperbacks (that I've written about and/or read):

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, by Kirsten Miller:

It doesn't take long for Ananka to team up with Kiki Strike and her band of delinquent Girl Scouts: Oona, the forger and lock-picker; DeeDee, the chemistry/explosives expert; Luz, the attitudinal electronics queen; and Betty, the team's mistress of disguise. (Are you thinking of Uma Thurman's monologue about "Fox Force Five" in Pulp Fiction?  Because that's what I thought of -- except of course, these girls are twelve.  Which just makes them that much cooler.)

Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb, by Kirsten Miller:

Remember how I said that this book could counteract books like The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls?  Here's (one of the many ways) how:  Most of the chapters end with a How To section.  And I'm not talking "How to Make Daisychains" or "How to Choose The Sexiest Thong for your New Lowriders".  I'm talking practical, girl detective tips like: "How to Detect the Presence of an Intruder".  I'm talking "What To Do If Your Secret is Revealed".  I'm talking "How To Know if Your House is Haunted", "How to Summon a Poltergeist" and "How to Crash a Party".

The Lacey Chronicles #2: The Queen's Lady, by Eve Edwards: While there was much to enjoy in this one—there's way more humor than the cover art suggests, and the period details are well-chosen and interesting—the focus is more on James' struggles with his memories of war than on his romance with Jane, so it doesn't reach the same swoontastic heights The Other Countess. It should also be noted that Sir Walter Raleigh's scenes continue to be awesome, and he proved himself to be slightly less of a d-bag than he appeared to be in the first book. SLIGHTLY.

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan, by Seth Rudetsky:

Despite Justin's voice—and he really did make me laugh quite a few times—I found him a difficult character to like. Part of that was certainly due to his desperation to be popular, as there were moments when he took Trying Too Hard—which is never an attractive quality, though it's certainly not an uncommon one—to an excruciatingly new level. He was so self-absorbed that he treated people poorly, and despite his brains and his wit, I never felt like I connected with him.

The Death Cure (Maze Runner Series #3), by James Dashner: Apparently, I never wrote about this one... which speaks to how 'meh' I found the conclusion of this trilogy. (And believe me, I know that there are zillions of young readers who would disagree, so what do I know, right?)

The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel, by Richelle Mead:

Despite the plot holes and the issues with unbelievable characterization (Sydney's convenient on-again/off-again social skills and/or deductive reasoning), I continue to find this series completely enjoyable. While Sydney's cluelessness about Adrian's Feelings for her (not to mention SPOILER BUT IT'S OBVIOUS her cluelessness about her own Lack of Feelings for Brayden END SPOILER) does get a tad grating, it's also nice to see a paranormal heroine who isn't constantly having the Which Dude Is The Dude For Her internal debate.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles), by Marissa Meyer:

While it's pretty clear where the story's going from the beginning—for one, everyone knows how Cinderella goes, and for two, if there's a Moon princess who supposedly died in a fire but no body was ever found and the main character is a girl with a mysterious past and who clearly suffered some hideous unknown accident resulting in her body being one-third machine, WELL HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO GO?—I didn't find that the obviousness of the plotting even remotely detracted from the entertainment value. In fact, that actually made it sort of more fun.

Dragonswood, by Janet Lee Carey:

I loved the first half of this book. The descriptions of daily life in Tess' village, the whole witch-hunting sequence (thumbscrews = *shudder*), the complicated relationship between Tess, Poppy, and Meg (who are forced to run with Tess after she gives up their names under torture), the escaping, the traveling, the escaping again. It was all very exciting, and felt like the best sort of historical fiction/fantasy.

Love? Maybe., by Heather Hepler:

For a Book about Lurrrve, I never felt any real heart. It ticks all of the boxes—including a romance for Mom—but never does more than that. In other words, there was no swooning. To some degree, of course, that makes sense, given Piper's mindframe and disposition. But, no matter fair-minded I attempt to be, it comes down to this: a romance without any swooning is not a particularly enjoyable romance.

Now that I've noticed Jacquelyn Mitchard's contributions to the YA market, SHE'S EVERYWHERE I LOOK!

New hardbacks:

Vortex: A Tempest Novel (Tempest Trilogy), by Julie Cross

Shades of Earth: An Across the Universe Novel, by Beth Revis

Return to Me, by Justina Chen

Level 2 (Memory Chronicles), by Lenore Appelhans

Gates of Paradise (A Blue Bloods Novel), by Melissa de la Cruz

Exposure (Twisted Lit), by Kim Askew, Amy Helmes and Jacquelyn Mitchard

The Namesake, by Steven Parlato and Jacquelyn Mitchard

Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel, by Melissa de la Cruz, Robert Venditti and Alina Urusov

New paperbacks (that I've written about):

Rock On: A story of guitars, gigs, girls, and a brother (not necessarily in that order), by Denise Vega:

It would be easy to simply peg Rock On as an easy, breezy read about music and first love. But, like Jacyln Moriarty's books, Vega's collage-style novel—Ori's narration regularly pauses for screenshots from the band's website; transcripts of email, IM, and text conversations; flashbacks and other things—is a quick, entertaining read that features three-dimensional characters in occasionally hilariously-over-the-top (yet still believable) situations who deal realistically with complicated emotions. 

New hardbacks:

Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton), by Leila Rasheed:

If, like me, you like The Luxe in all of its Bathtub Book Glory—the bitchiness and the period clothing, the page-turning plot twists, the secrets and lies and romantic entanglements—then Cinders and Sapphires will totally be up your alley.

Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers, by Kirsten Miller:

So, I went in with high hopes—which is sometimes a dangerous proposition—but I'm happy to report that Kirsten Miller has done it again: like its predecessors, The Darkness Dwellers is chock-full of excitement, mystery, secrets, disguises, stock market shenanigans, and smartypants humor. There are punches thrown and tires slashed; code-breaking and chemistry and cool tidbits of lesser-known history.

The Madman's Daughter, by Megan Shepherd

The Archived, by Victoria Schwab

Asunder (Incarnate), by Jodi Meadows

The Prey (Hunt), by Andrew Fukuda

Prodigy: A Legend Novel, by Marie Lu

Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire), by Courtney Allison Moulton

What the Spell (Life's a Witch), by Brittany Geragotelis

Slated, by Teri Terry

Black Ice (Sherlock Holmes: the Legend Begins), by Andrew Lane

Boundless (Unearthly), by Cynthia Hand

Everbound: An Everneath Novel, by Brodi Ashton

The Last Apprentice: Slither (Book 11), by Joseph Delaney

Nobody, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Ravage: A Deviants Novel, by Jeff Sampson

New paperbacks (that I've written about):

Fracture, by Megan Miranda:

It's got some genuinely creepy moments, and rather than Bella's Edward Cullen Hurts Me Because He Loves Me routine, Delaney's reasons for not cutting Troy loose early on are easy (or, they were for me) to identify with: she's trying to understand this power she suddenly has, and what she's supposed to do with it. Well, that and the blackmail thing, but that comes later.

Try Not to Breathe, by Jennifer R. Hubbard:

And, as you may have guessed from the cover art, there's a romance. But it isn't a story in which the Romance Heals All Ills, or even a story about a romance that's necessarily going to Work Out. Rather than a simple romance—and there are some serious moments of steam—it's a story about two people connecting, and about how important, at that specific time, that connection is to both of them.

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mademoiselle Odile (Shadow Sisters), by James Reese:

The story has a lot going for it. It stars a capable girl who's got a few big secrets and a couple of potential love interests. It features cool science (or is it magic?) and a rarely-covered historical event. In addition to the attractiveness of the premise, much of this book is technically well done: it's clear that the author did quite a lot of research, and the historical details are both interesting and integrated well into the narrative.

Sketches filling up the wall: