Reading YA with Amanda

It is a new year and there are some incredible new YA books for your reading pleasure. There is something new for everyone, every interest and every mood! Keep checking back here since there are more great books still to come.



Been waiting patiently for Cinder's story to continue in the Lunar Chronicles?

Scarlet: the Lunar Chronicles, part 2 by Marissa Meyer

Linh Cinder grew up a cyborg and a stepchild in New Beijing, not sure which one made her life worse. But after her stepmother donated her body to science, it is the doctor's discovery that she is the lost Lunar Princess Selene that puts her in the most danger of all. Being the missing niece of Queen Levana only puts her in more danger as the Queen continues her pursuit of domination of the Earthern Union. Now, in prison, can she escape and reconnect with Dr. Erland? A world away in France, Scarlet Benoit's grand-mere has been missing for two weeks and the police have given up looking for her. She meets a man named Wolf, who seems to know more then he says, but she can't ignore the attraction she feels. He agrees to take her to Paris, where her grand-mere is being held for a past she won't share. But it is not until she tries to escape that Cinder and Scarlet's worlds collide and they realize just how much is at stake. 

Meyer, Marissa. Scarlet: The Lunar Chronicles. New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-0-3126-4296-9. (hardback). Ages 12+.

Meyer, Marissa. Cinder: The Lunar Chronicles. New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0-3126-4189-4 . (hardback). Ages 12+.

 
Are you addicted to Downton Abbey?

Cinders and Sapphires: At Somerton, Book 1 by Leila Rasheed

It is 1910 and the Earl of Westlake and his daughters, Ladies Ada and Georgiana, have spent the past decade in India, where their father has been the lieutenant governor. Now, forced to return to their home, Somerton, in the wake of political scandal, the family has to adapt in more ways than one. The staff at Somerton are in a rush trying to ready the home for the Averleys'  arrival. Then news comes of a wedding and the Lord's new wife and her children. Rose is trying to quickly learn the ropes as the new ladies' maid, but refuses to accept the advice she has been given to take advantage of her situation. Lady Ada feels the weight of her family's troubles on her shoulders. How can she choose between her dreams and ambitions and her family?
Rasheed, Leila. Cinders and Sapphires: at Somerton, Book One. New York: Hyperion, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-1-4231-7117-1. (hardback) Ages 12+ 
In the mood for a murderously good laugh?

Who Done It? An Anthology conducted by Jon Scieszka (and YOU the reader)

A Serial Act of Criminal Literature to Benefit 826NYC

"You are invited to a gathering" reads the invitation sent by editor Herman G. Mildew to his clients. But Mr. Mildew is obsessed  not only with cheese and pickles, but also with being the most hated boss that ever existed. When we arrive at the party, Mr. Mildew is dead and every author and illustrator present is a suspect. Now they each have to convince us of their alibis, when every one of them had desire and motive. It is up to us to aid Jon Scieszka in his investigation. We must sort through the first person accounts of over 80 of the best names in YA and children's fiction. Each one has a story to tell and something to hide. One that may prove that, in the end, they all did it!

Scieszka, Jon (Ed). Who Done It? An Anthology. New York: SOHO Teen, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-1-6169-5152-8. (hardback) Ages 12+

Looking for the next Hunger Games?

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Children are mysteriously dying all around the United States. But those who live meet a fate much worse fate than death. Parents are afraid of their own children and turn them in to the government. Most are carted off to camps claiming to rehabilitate them, but others are forced to run on their own with no adult support. It was Ruby's tenth birthday when her parents sent her away, and for six years she lived in one of the camps not really knowing what she truly was. When the truth comes out and she is presented with the opportunity to run, she takes it. Something doesn't feel right and she escapes. Not trusting any adult, Ruby becomes the fourth member of a group of kids looking for a safe haven. Fighting for survival, they quickly learn that nothing is what it seems and the only ones they can trust are each other.

Bracken, Alexandra. The Darkest Minds. New York: Hyperion, 2012. ISBN 13: 978-1-4231-5737-3. (hardcover) Ages 12+