New Release Round-Up: April 30-May 6, 2012

Young Adult


Insurgent
by Veronica Roth

Release date: May 1, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 525
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, dystopia



Second in the Divergent series. From Goodreads:

"One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so."

The Vicious Deep
by Zoraida Córdova

Release date: May 1, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mermaids



First in The Vicious Deep series. From Goodreads:

"For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back."

Wentworth Hall
by Abby Grahame

Release date: May 1, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 276
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, romance



From Goodreads:

"The prettiest people often have the ugliest secrets...

Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.

It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been… even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.

Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one… the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.

When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Partners in Crime
by Kim Harrington

Release date: May 1, 2012
Available as: paperback
Pages: 192
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Suggested tags: middle grade, mystery



First in the Sleuth or Dare series. From Goodreads:

"Whodunit?

When best friends Darcy and Norah have to create a fake business for a school assignment, they come up with a great idea: a detective agency! Darcy loves mysteries, and Norah likes helping people, so it's a perfect fit.

But then their pretend agency gets a real case. Someone is missing, and it's up to Darcy and Norah to take on the search. Unfortunately, there's someone else out there who doesn't want the two detectives stirring up any trouble. . . .

With the help of hidden clues, spy gadgets, and trusted friends, can Darcy and Norah crack the case in time?"

Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath
by Helene Boudreau

Release date: May 1, 2012
Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 240
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Suggested tags: middle grade, paranormal, mermaids



Second in the Real Mermaids series. From Goodreads:

"Jade begins her summer confused. Yes, there's that whole "will this be a leg-day or a tail-day" kind of confusion, but Jade's got even bigger problems: It's been three weeks since Mom returned to the ocean with no news of her whereabouts. Plus, it's been twenty-one days since Jade first kissed her mer-boy Luke and now-nothing. Will Mom find the enchanted tidal pool that will allow her to become human? And why is Luke acting so weird?"

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

In My Mailbox #7

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren as a way to highlight the books you receive every week (or so). A full explanation and rules can be found here.




From Goodreads First Reads:


Tiger Lily
by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: July 3, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy, retellings



A retelling of Peter Pan, focusing on Tiger Lily? Oh my goodness. SWOON.

From Goodreads:

"Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart."

From the bookstore:

Cleopatra's Daughter
by Michelle Moran

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 448
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Publication date: July 13, 2010
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, Egypt



Not sure if this is YA or Adult historical fiction, but it is indeed historical fiction, in Egypt, around the time of Cleopatra, so either way I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it.

From Goodreads:

"The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts."

Moloka'i
by Alan Brennert

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: October 4, 2004
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, 19th century



Also not sure if this is actually YA or Adult, but it's been on my to-read list for a long time, and I got it on sale. :D

From Goodreads:

"This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end---but instead she discovers it is only just beginning."

From the library:

Entwined
by Heather Dixon

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 480
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication date: March 29, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, fairy tales, retellings



A retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses that I got on CD for my commute to work. So far, I'm torn - great writing, weak plot.

From Goodreads:

"Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it’s taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation. Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late."

YA Historical Fiction Discoveries

If I ever got offered the chance to go back in time, I would take it in a heartbeat. I love the past. So it's no surprise that I also love YA Historical Fiction! I especially love reading anything about the 1700s through the early 1900s, but I've collected some books at the top of my to-read list from all across history to share with you. Hope you enjoy! :)