Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2023) Featured Review of In the Serpent’s Wake by Rachel Hartman 

In the Serpent’s Wake by Rachel Hartman

Narrated by Katharine Lee McEwan

Listening Library

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

ISBN: 9781524779603

In this sequel to Tess of the Road, Tess Dombegh has traded travel on the road for adventure on the southern seas. After the death of the great World Serpent Anathuthia, Tess hears rumors of another great serpent living in the far south and soon finds herself convincing the leader of an expedition, Countess Margarethe, that she should come along. Tess’s best friend, the quigutl Pathka, has been acting very strangely since Anathuthia’s death. Can Tess help find and protect the serpent before a separate, dragon-led team of explorers can find and kill it? Will finding the serpent somehow help Pathka? When she discovers that her long lost Will is alive and on the very same ship, Tess is soon neck-deep in personal and political turmoil. This follow up is filled with action, adventure and emotional reckoning. 

Continue reading Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2023) Featured Review of In the Serpent’s Wake by Rachel Hartman 

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2023) Featured Review of Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Narrated by Mhairi Morrison and Tim Campbell
Macmillan Young Listeners
Release date: January 18, 2022
ISBN: 9781250840578

The year is 1817 and Hazel Sinnett wants nothing more than to be a surgeon. Unfortunately for her, she is of noble birth. As far as society is concerned, her life’s purpose is to obtain a good marriage. But she is determined to prove her worth as a physician. When she meets Jack, a boy who makes money by digging up bodies for doctors to study, she enlists him to help her find corpses she can dissect to aid in her learning. Soon, they find themselves enmeshed in secrets and fear as rumors of magical cures, poor people being stolen off the streets, and a plague racing through the city threaten them both.

This audiobook captures the sense of the gothic, and the narrators are properly atmospheric adding to the spooky nature of the book. Readers will be left yearning for more, and a sense that answers are lurking just out of sight. Perfect for readers who are craving a steampunk-esque book with a little bit of a Frankenstein edge. Similar to Gail Carriger’s Etiquette and Espionage, and The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White.

–Katie Patterson and Josie Snow

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination. 

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2021) Nominees Round Up, July 1 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Amazing Audiobooks nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Chain of Gold cover art

Chain of Gold (The Last Hours Book 1) by Cassandra Clare; narrated by Finty Williams
Simon & Schuster Audio
Release date: 03-03-20
ISBN: 978-1442386402
Cordelia Carstairs wants to be a hero.  Recently relocated to London, Cordelia, although born an angel blessed demon-killing Shadowhunter, is expected to marry to save the family’s good name. Set in the early 20th century, she is expected to follow the gender norms of the time.  However, a new kind of demon has arrived in the city, and Cordelia and her childhood friends (one of whom she is secretly in love with) must band together to save the city in spite of the adult Shadowhunter’s complacency born of several years of demon-free living.

Continue reading Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2021) Nominees Round Up, July 1 Edition

#BFYA2019 Nominees Round Up, December 7 Edition

Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Flatiron Books
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1250126429

In a very harsh world, Amani likes to dream and write poetry. She is happy with her family and has just come of age in her culture. But one terrifying night, her life changes forever when the brutal Vathek Empire takes her away from everything she’s ever known to become a body double for the universally loathed and despised princess. Despite being determined to resist the lures of her new life and the charm of the princess’s fiancé, Amani soon finds herself swept up into a world of danger, intrigue, and unexpected love.

Continue reading #BFYA2019 Nominees Round Up, December 7 Edition

What Would Mary Shelley Read?

On January 1, 1818, the first edition of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was published anonymously in London. The author, Mary Shelley, was only 20 years old. It wasn’t until the publication of the second edition, in 1823, that Shelley was given credit for her book. This year we are seeing a surge in books commemorating the 200th anniversary of the book’s publication.

Mary Shelley was a woman ahead of her time. I think  she would enjoy reading these books by female authors.

Continue reading What Would Mary Shelley Read?

What Would They Read?: Jane from Blindspot

Have you had a chance to take our readers’ survey? We’d love your feedback! 

She wakes up inside a duffle bag in the middle of Times Square. Her body is covered in tattoos and she doesn’t remember who she is or how she got there, but she has amazing fighting skills that hint at special forces training. This is Jane Doe from the television show Blindspot. Jane is spending all of her free time trying to remember her past, but if she wanted a book break, this is what I’d recommend to her.blindspot

thenaturalsThe Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Cassie is recruited by the FBI to work in a special group of teens with exceptional abilities. The recruits will have to work together to survive and catch the killer before they are killed.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry. The girl wakes up in a cabin to hear her captors discussing her execution. She doesn’t know who she is, why she’s there, or how to escape, but she knows that if she wants to live, she must get out now.

Mind Games by Kiersten White. Fia has perfect intuition. She always, always knows how to react. Fia is going to need to use all of her powers to rescue her sister, Annie, who is being held captive so that Fia will do her captors’ bidding. Annie is blind, but has visions of the future. Can Fia manage to overcome her captors and rescue her sister?

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston. Meg has a new name, a new look, and a new address. Her family is in witness protection, and she’s tired of constantly hiding and running. She can’t figure out why they are in hiding and she doesn’t want to follow the rules she’s been given. Meg will need to use all of her ingenuity to ensure her survival – and that of her family as well.

killer of enemiesKiller of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac (2014 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers). Lozen is a monster hunter, and the privileged Ones she serves keep her family hostage to guarantee Lozen’s compliance. But as Lozen’s power grows, she wonders if she is fated for something more. Does she have the courage and cunning to rescue her family?

Enclave by Ann Aguirre. Deuce has lived her whole live underground battling the freaks, but when she is exiled from her people, she must rely on Fade and his memories of the topside world.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (2014 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers). Cia is thrilled to be chosen for the elite testing program, where applicants compete for slots in the university program. However, her father warns her that all is not as it seems. Will Cia be able to keep her wits (and her memories) and use them to survive the rigorous test?

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. Em is trapped in prison. She finds a list, written in her own handwriting, hidden inside the drain in the middle of the room. She doesn’t remember writing this list, but she knows that it is up to her to escape and stop horrible things from happening.

i am the weaponI Am the Weapon by Allan Zadoff (2014 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers). The boy was taken from his family and trained as an assassin. Now he goes from mission to mission, always the new kid in school and in the neighborhood, until his mission is complete and he disappears to a new town to start over again. What would happen, though, if the Boy wanted out of this program?

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey. Cassie is certain she’s being followed, but she has to locate and rescue her brother before the final alien invasion occurs. The first four waves wiped out most of the planet and Cassie is determined to reunite with her brother before it is too late.

 

— Jenni Frencham, currently reading Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert Continue reading What Would They Read?: Jane from Blindspot

Genre Guide: Paranormal Romances for Teens

Source

Definition

Paranormal Romance is a sub-genre of Romance. For a novel to be a Paranormal Romance, a simple thing must occur: love must begin between a human and a supernatural being (whether wholly supernatural or partially, just as long as there are supernatural elements present). However, this can be a broad interpretation. Usually, the protagonist (often the human) in these novels is put in some kind of danger, where they come to realize they can overcome this danger either on their own or with the help of the supernatural love interest.

Authors to Know

Characteristics
Main characters include both humans and supernatural beings. The supernatural being can be wholly supernatural or partly, and include but are not limited by the following “types”: vampire, werewolf, fairy, magician, mermaid, zombie, psychic, ghost, demon hunter, demon, angel, shapeshifter, dragon, and gods or goddesses.  Additionally, the human in Paranormal Romances can have a touch of the paranormal as well.  An example is the teen psychic that can see the ghost. Quite often, when it comes to paranormal romances written for teens, a love triangle is involved.  There could be more than one human, or more than one supernatural being in the triangle. Continue reading Genre Guide: Paranormal Romances for Teens

Jukebooks: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

My True Love

Some of your favorite authors in the young adult literature world have put their own spin on the holiday season in a brand-new collection of holiday-themed short stories. For this incredible collection, we have a full playlist.

To get the connections, you’ll have to read the stories!

 

 

1. “Midnights” by Rainbow Rowell
A Thousand Years by Kristina Perry

 

2. “The Lady and the Fox” by Kelly Link
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me by The Smiths

 

3. “Angels in the Snow” by Matt de la Pena
Yo Amo La Navidad by Tercer Cielo

 

4. “Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me” by Jenny Han
Last Christmas by Wham

 

5. “It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown” by Stephanie Perkins
O, Christmas Tree by Winter Solstice

 

6. “Your Temporary Santa” by David Levithan
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Glee Cast

 

7. “Krampuslauf” by Holly Black
Auld Lang Syne  by Rod Stewart

 

8. “What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?” by Gayle Foreman
You Can’t Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones

 

9. “Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus” by Myra McEntire
Away in a Manger by Brad Paisley

 

10. “Welcome to Christmas, CA” by Kiersten White
Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney

 

11. “Star of Bethlehem” by Ally Carter
O Holy Night by Jackie Evancho

 

12. “The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer” by Laini Taylor
Beautiful Dreamer by Roy Orbison