New Release Round-Up: October 22-28, 2012

Young Adult


Blind Spot
by Laura Ellen

Release date: October 23, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else."

Dark Star
by Bethany Frenette

Release date: October 23, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Suggested tags: young adult, urban fantasy



From Goodreads:

"Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it's hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she's lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human--something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn't fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers--livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person's memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers' next move. But Leon, her mother's bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won't let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything--and everyone--she loves." 

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


The Vengekeep Prophecies
by Brian Farrey

Release date: October 23, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarperCollins
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



From Goodreads:

"Enk vessara, enk talmin.

You can't convict what you can't confirm.

Jaxter Grimjinx is a born thief. At least, he's supposed to be. For generations, the Grimjinx clan has produced the swiftest, cleverest thieves in Vengekeep.

The problem is, Jaxter is clumsy. So clumsy that in his first solo heist, he sets the Castellan's house on fire and lands his family in the gaol. Even Jaxter's skill for breaking magical locks can't get them out of this bind.

Then a suspiciously convenient prophecy emerges naming the Grimjinx clan as the soon-to-be heroes of Vengekeep. It's good enough to get his family out of the gaol, but with a firestorm, a flood, and a host of skeletal beasts among the dangers listed in the prophecy, Jaxter is pretty sure a life in the gaol would be a better fate.

Now—like it or not—Jaxter Grimjinx will have to become the hero he was truly born to be."

Who Could That Be At This Hour?
by Lemony Snicket

Release date: October 23, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 261
Publisher: Little Brown
Suggested tags: middle grade, mystery



First in the All The Wrong Questions series. From Goodreads:

"In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn't be read. This is the first volume.

The first volume in the four-part autobiographical account of his childhood, called All the Wrong Questions, will be released on Oct. 23, 2012. This will be Snicket’s first new series since the wildly popular A Series of Unfortunate Events."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

Friday Finds #19

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading. Each Friday, you share the great books you heard about or discovered over the past week: "books you were told about, books you discovered while browsing blogs/bookstores online, or books that you actually purchased."




Banished
by Sophie Littlefield

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 293
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication date: October 12, 2010
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, urban fantasy



First in the Banished series. From Goodreads:

"There isn’t much worth living for in Gypsum, Missouri—or Trashtown, as the rich kids call the run-down neighborhood where sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell lives. Hailey figures she’ll never belong—not with the popular kids at school, not with the rejects, not even with her cruel, sickly grandmother, who deals drugs out of their basement. Hailey never knew her dead mother, and she has no idea who her father was, but at least she has her four-year-old foster brother, Chub. Once she turns eighteen, Hailey plans to take Chub far from Gypsum and start a new life where no one can find them.

But when a classmate is injured in gym class, Hailey discovers a gift for healing that she never knew she possessed—and that she cannot ignore. Not only can she heal, she can bring the dying back to life. Confused by her powers, Hailey searches for answers but finds only more questions, until a mysterious visitor shows up at Gram’s house, claiming to be Hailey’s aunt Prairie.

There are people who will stop at nothing to keep Hailey in Trashtown, living out a legacy of despair and suffering. But when Prairie saves both Hailey and Chub from armed attackers who invade Gram’s house in the middle of the night, Hailey must decide where to place her trust. Will Prairie’s past, and the long-buried secret that caused her to leave Gypsum years earlier, ruin them all? Because as Hailey will soon find out, their power to heal is just the beginning.

This gripping novel from thriller writer Sophie Littlefield blazes a trail from small-town Missouri to the big city as Hailey battles an evil greater than she ever imagined, while discovering strengths she never knew she had."

A Tale Dark and Grimm
by Adam Gidwitz

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 252
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication date: October 28, 2010
Suggested tags: middle grade, fairy tales, retellings



First in the A Tale Dark and Grimm series. From Goodreads:

"In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches. Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after."

Through Her Eyes
by Jennifer Archer

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: April 5, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, ghosts



From Goodreads:

"Every ghost has a story to tell.

The last place Tansy Piper wants to be is stuck in Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of small-town kids. But when her mother decides to move to the desolate West Texas town, Tansy has no choice but to go along. Once there, Tansy is immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old house, a place she soon learns has a disturbing history. But it's the strange artifacts she finds in the cellar—a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal—that have the most chilling impact on her.

Tansy soon finds that through the lens of her camera, she can become part of a surreal black-and-white world where her life is intertwined with that of mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the same house and died decades earlier. It seems their lives are linked by fate and the artifacts she found, but as Tansy begins spending more and more time in the past, her present world starts to fade away. Tansy must untangle herself from Henry's dangerous reality—before she loses touch with her own life forever."

Westminster Abby
by Micol Ostow

Available as: paperback
Pages: 192
Publisher: Speak
Publication date: May 5, 2005
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, travel



Part of the Students Across the Seven Seas series. From Goodreads:

Abby has always considered herself to be a little vanilla---sweet,plain, but not very exciting. So when she finds herself flying across the ocean to London, trying to forget her problems with her cheating ex-boyfriend and her overprotective parents, she figures her semester abroad is her chance to become one big hot fudge sundae. And she isn't disappointed. London boasts a plethora of funky pubs and shops, drivers on the wrong side of the street, French fries called chips, and a very charming Brit named Ian. As Abby moves closer to the vision of her wild child self, she realizes that sometimes leaving what you know best actually brings you closer to what you best know---yourself. This S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) novel is one of the first two in our new study abroad fiction series. Teen girls will latch onto these books as they're enmeshed in the lives of characters just like themselves, who are experiencing new cultures, new friendships, and new worlds through study abroad!"

Friday Freebies: May 18, 2012

Click on each title to go to the Amazon Kindle edition listing. Be sure to double-check the price before you download!



Eden
by Keary Taylor

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 422 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: unknown
Publication date: June 6, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, science fiction, dystopia



From Amazon:

"Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She’s seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn’t just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve’s reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won’t stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen."

The Emerald City
by J.A. Beard

Available as: Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 183 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: unknown
Publication date: February 5, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, urban fantasy, retellings



First in the Osland Trilogy. From Amazon:

"When her parents die, teenager Gail Dorjee retreats into an angry, sarcastic shell. She hopes it will ease her pain, but all it gets her is a one-way trip from Kansas to a Seattle boarding school, the elite Osland Academy.

As soon as she arrives, Gail clashes with Diana, the leader of the school's most powerful clique. The Winged make Gail's life hell until she find allies: her airhead roommate; a cowardly fellow victim of the Winged; and, bit by bit, Diana's boyfriend--the seemingly heartless Nick.

Gail soon has bigger problems than Diana. One of her teachers hates her. Glasses shatter and fountains erupt around her. She can't swear no matter how hard she tries. An unseen force is keeping her on campus. And worst of all, she uncovers a plot that will give one person a precious gift at the cost of thousands of lives. Now Gail and her friends must stop the plot--not just to save lives, but to win a brain, the nerve, a heart and a home in this modern urban fantasy take on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Frey
by Melissa Wright

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 247 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Lulu
Publication date: July 25, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy



First in The Frey Saga. From Amazon:

"Unaware she's been bound from using magic, Frey leads a small, miserable life in the village where she's sent after the death of her mother. But a tiny spark starts a fury of changes and she finds hersef running from everything she's ever known.

Hunted by council for practicing dark magic, she is certain she's been wrongfully accused. She flees, and is forced to rely on strangers for protection. But the farther she strays from home, the more her magic and forgotten memories return and she begins to suspect all is not as it seems."

Smart Mouth Waitress
by Dayla Moon

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 287 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: unknown
Publication date: April 24, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, contemporary, romance



Part of the Life in Saltwater City series. From Amazon:

"Perry makes a strong first impression, from her white-girl dreadlocks to her uncensored opinions.

When she combs out her dreads on a whim, she catches the eye of a cute guy who's a regular at The Whistle, the diner where she works as a waitress. He mistakes Perry for someone completely different: the girl of his dreams.

Perry tries to become that girl.

But it's so hard to be normal.

And eyebrow piercings are so cute.

With her mother down in LA recording her comeback album, Perry's in charge of the family household, and things are going to change. She starts with paint colors and moves on to doling out retributive punishments for her fifteen-year-old brother.

What Perry really wants, though, is her first boyfriend. She's eighteen, and it's about time!

Boyfriend candidates include: the cute but quiet restaurant regular, the all-too-willing coworker, or the outgoing artist who's eager to whip off his clothes and model. One of these guys loves Perry exactly how she is, but how can she tell which one?

For: YA for older teens to adults (some mature content)

Each Life in Saltwater City book is a stand-alone novel."

Friday Freebies: April 13, 2012

Click on each title to go to the Amazon Kindle edition listing. Be sure to double-check the price before you download!



Beautiful Demons
by Sarra Cannon

Available as: Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 136 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Dead River Books
Publication date: October 29, 2010
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, urban fantasy



First in the Peachville High Demons series. From Amazon:

"In Peachville, even the cheerleaders have a dark side...

Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home for Girls is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs.

But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret."

Bloody Little Secrets
by Karly Kirkpatrick

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 275 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: DarkSide Publishing
Publication date: April 28, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, vampires



From Amazon:

"Some secrets don't stay buried. Neither did Vicky.

17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life. If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her."

Rex Rising
by Chrystalla Thoma

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 227 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Chrystalla Thoma
Publication date: August 11, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, science fiction



First in the Elei's Chronicles series. From Amazon:

"In a world where parasites create new human races, Elei leads a peaceful life -- until a mysterious attack on his boss sends him fleeing with a bullet in his side. Pursued for a secret he does not possess and with the fleet at his heels, he has but one thought: to stay alive. His pursuers aren't inclined to sit down and talk, although that's not the end of Elei's troubles. The two powerful parasites inhabiting his body, at a balance until now, choose this moment to bring him down, leaving Elei with no choice but to trust in people he hardly knows. It won't be long before he realizes he must find out this deadly secret - a secret that might change the fate of his world and everything he has ever known - or die trying.

Warning: Some profanity and nudity. Older YA/adult public."

The Willows: Haven
by Hope Collier

Available as: paperback Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 284 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Soul Fire Press
Publication date: September 13, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mythology, romance



First in The Willows series. From Amazon:

"When tragedy strikes, seventeen year-old Ashton Blake sets out on a cross-country road trip, leaving the comforts of Malibu for the mountains of Kentucky. Along the way, she encounters Gabe Willoughby--the mysterious drifter with eyes like the sea and a knowing smile. Getting to know Gabe raises questions about her past. But no secret can be buried forever, and Ashton soon finds herself in a world where water is air and myth becomes reality.

Just as Ashton comes to accept her newfound heritage, she's summoned to fulfill a treaty laid down centuries before -- a treaty that will divide her love and test her loyalty. In the end, her future isn't her biggest concern, her humanity is. To run may mean war, but is she strong enough to stay?"

Friday Freebies: April 6, 2012

Click on each title to go to the Amazon Kindle edition listing. This week's freebie listing was made yesterday and scheduled to post today, because I won't be able to get to a computer today, so be sure to double-check the price before you download!



A Chance for Charity
by S.L. Baum

Available as: Kindle edition
Pages: 261
Publisher: unknown
Publication date: June 4, 2010
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, romance



First in The Immortal Ones series. From Amazon:

"If you live LONG enough... love (and danger) will find you.

A new family has just arrived in the isolated mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. Welcome the Johnstons - Jason (a doctor), Rachel (a designer), and their niece Emily (a current High School Senior).

Emily has lived the life of a quiet loner in the past, trying to go unnoticed. But with Telluride being such a small and welcoming town, she finds a group of friends at school almost immediately. When Emily meets Link (another new transplant in town) her world turns upside down. She doesn't understand why she feels a magnetic pull toward him, or why she unknowingly lets her guard down around him. Link is just as confused by his own need to be with her.

Emily knows she is playing with fire. She should be doing whatever she can to keep herself isolated, to keep Link from getting too close. Danger has a way of finding Emily's family - that is what keeps them on the move. They arrive in a new town every few years - it is safer that way.

Because... Emily isn't really Emily... her real name is Charity - and Charity has an even bigger secret. Charity and her family are not like other people, they have "skills" that mere mortals cannot begin to comprehend.

Before long, Charity is struggling with the reality that her two lives are coming closer to each other with each passing day. Soon Link will find himself wrapped in a supernatural world that he never knew existed - and discover that mortals are not the only beings that walk this earth."

Earth
by Shauna Granger

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 234 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Createspace
Publication date: May 1, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, urban fantasy



First in the Elemental series. From Amazon:

"Shayna and her two best friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers, they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town. Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but then the nightmares start.

Shayna suffers nightmares of being chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it’s only a ploy to draw her out; she can’t let someone die because of her."

Girls to the Rescue: Young Marian's Adventures in Sherwood Forest
by Stephen Mooser & Bruce Lanksy

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 144 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Meadowbrook
Publication date: November 29, 2011
Suggested tags: middle grade, adventure



From Amazon:

"The Sheriff of Nottingham learned the hard way: don't mess with Maid Marian! This Girls to the Rescue novel tells the exciting tale of thirteen-year-old Maid Marian and her first adventure with young Robin of Loxley (the future Robin Hood). The Sheriff of Nottingham has thrown Marian's father into the dungeon, and only Marian can save her father from the hangman's noose.

Marian proves herself the cleverest of heroes as she takes on a pack of hungry wolves, murderous thieves, and the Sheriff's loyal soldiers. She also solves a heart-wrenching mystery--the disappearance of her mother, missing for three years and presumed dead."

Night Marchers
by Rebecca Gober & Courtney Nuckels

Available as: Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 350 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Smashwords
Publication date: October 14, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal



From Amazon:

"NEVER, EVER lock eyes with a Night Marcher! Everyone in Hawaii has heard this warning, except for seventeen-year-old Emma Townsend that is. For most Hawaiians know that looking into the eyes of Night Marcher can strike a curse that will end in death or eternal servitude.

Even though her father, who is a paranormal investigator, solely raised Emma, she has little experience in the realm of the supernatural. When she is forced to move with her father to Hawaii, only months before her graduation, Emma finds that her world as she knows it, is shaken when she starts seeing the unexplainable: fire balls in the distance, beating drums in the middle of nowhere and strangers who vanish into thin air. Then one day when she has a run in with a procession of Night Marchers, ancient Hawaiian spirits wandering from their burial grounds to their locations of battles past, Emma has no choice but to believe that the unbelievable does exist.

Now Emma must go on the run with the help of a mysterious stranger, as they seek out how to free Emma from the curse of a Night Marcher, who will stop at nothing to get her soul."

Friday Freebies: March 23, 2012

From Fame to Shame
by Veronica Blade

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 175
Publisher: Crush Publishing Inc
Publication date: March 16, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, romance



From Amazon:

"When good-girl Maddie switches places with her famous bad-girl twin Jackie, she has some pretty high stilettos to fill.

Despite the danger of tabloid drama if their identity swap is discovered, Maddie has to save her sister's butt. When Jackie’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a rekindled spark for “Jackie,” his deep gray eyes and sweet kisses make Maddie's heart thumpety thump. But dating the guy who dumped her sister is a no-no. Too bad Dallas isn’t used to girls saying no. What will happen when he discovers Maddie’s deception?"

Insight
by Jamie Magee

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 316 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication date: July 20, 2010
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal



First in the Insight series. From Amazon:

"Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow Haywood is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a blissful, silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she is haunted by a painful nightmare shared with a different boy, who’s always hidden by the shadows.

In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were her own. This insight is exhausting and frustrating causing her to draw inward, only trusting her family and few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere. With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion she changed.
One August night a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with star, leaving her father no choice but to share a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow’s life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her.

In an attempt to lure her, the shadowed figure captures her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths, half truths, and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. With each step she takes Willow comes to realize that she has lived before, her path is one that she chose, and this trial is simply the beginning."

Smokeless Fire
by Samantha Young

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 227 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication date: October 20, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, urban fantasy



First in the Fire Spirits series. From Amazon:

"For the last two years Ari’s life has been anything but normal and on her 18th birthday, when her friends surprise her with a gimmick genie claiming to grant wishes, Ari discovers the truth. The tragic and strange occurrences surrounding her 16th birthday were not coincidental and her life is never going to be the same again.

Ari’s real parents are not normal. They are not loving. They are not human.

They are myth.

They are Smokeless Fire.

They are Jinn."

Spider Brains: A Love Story
by Susan Wingate

Available as: Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 143
Publisher: Roberts Press
Publication date: March 14, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, romance



From Amazon:

"After her father’s death last year and, now, in the throes of a gnarly teacher’s whim as she thinks ahead to college, a small black arachnid bites fifteen-year-old Susie Speider on the finger and sends her nights into fantastical dreams about taking revenge on a teacher–a one Ms. Morlson–who, ultimately, holds Susie’s college aspirations in the sweaty palm of her cold calloused hand. But, after Susie figures out the dreams are real, she ups the ante and visits the teacher regularly but… as the spider. And, oh, by the way! Who is that boy spider munching on flies, hiding over there in the corner?"