Assorted New Stuff

An interesting assortment of new YA books just hit the shelves. Basically, there's something for everybody, so enjoy!

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein combines sports with a mystery. Two teenage sportswriters win all-access passes to the NCAA Final Four as prizes in a writing contest. But when they overhear a coach pressuring a player to throw a key game have just had the scoop of a lifetime fall into their laps, or are their lives are now in danger?

Midsummer Meltdown is the latest in Cathy Hopkins' Truth or Dare series. In this one, Lia's family is planning the party of the decade to celebrate her mom's fortieth birthday. However, events don't go exactly as planned, and the final surprising guest list puts Lia in an awkward position when an old flame turns up and makes a play for her.

For fans of Isabelle Allende's Alexander Cold series, the wait for the final installment is over. In Forest of the Pygmies, Alexander and his crusty, adventurer grandmother travel to Africa on an elephant-led safari, and end up in the middle of the corrupt world of poaching and slavery.

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart can best be summed up by it's subtitle - 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs, and Me, Ruby Oliver.

And last but not least, fantasy fans might enjoy Wand in the Word. It's a collection of interviews with 13 of today's most popular fantasy writers including Garth Nix, Terry Pratchett, and Philip Pullman.

The Guardians of Time Trilogy Now Complete

Good news for fans of Marianne Curley's The Guardians of Time trilogy (and judging by the circulation statistics on The Named and The Dark there are a number of you out there) - the final installment, The Key, is now in. In The Key, the Lathenia and the Order of Chaos are getting ready for their final campaign against the Earth, and the Named must find a key hidden in Atlantis in order to stop them.

Beach Books in October?

Ok, there are 2 different ways to look at the timing of the latest arrivals on YA shelf. If you're a surly cynic, you'll say that they're a couple of months too late. If you're an optimist, you'll say that they're the perfect antidote to the sudden drop in temperature we're experiencing here in south-central Pennsylvania. However you choose to look at it, we now have the first installments of the Summer Boys series by Hailey Abbott, Summer Boys and Next Summer. The cover photos pretty much say it all - sun, sand, surf, and good-looking guys. Sounds like a great way to escape the chilly weather for a few hours. If you're a stickler for reading series books in order, Summer Boys is first.

Newest Artemis Fowl Now In

Great news for fans of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series! The latest, The Lost Colony just came in. Here's the scoop on this one:

Ten thousand years ago, humans and fairies fought a great battle for the magical island of Ireland. When it became clear to the fairy families that they could never win, they decided to move their civilization underground and keep themselves hidden from the humans. All the fairy families agreed on this, except the eighth family, the demons. The tainted time spell that has kept the demons at bay for so long is deteriorating, and demons are being flung back to earth. Only Artemis Fowl is smart enough to predict their return--or so he thinks. But there is another mysterious party who has managed to solve when the demons will appear. Can he and Captain Holly Short save the day before it's too late?

New Melody Carlson Books Now In

We just got 2 more of Melody Carlson's books. Details below.

Bad Connection: The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor Book 1
Kayla Henderson is missing, and everyone, including Samantha McGregor, assumes she ran away--but then Samantha has a vision. If Kayla really is in danger, then time is running out.

Bright Purple: Color Me Confused
Addresses the sensitive issue of homosexuality as Carlson delicately tells a story of both grace and truth that's sure to spark important discussions. When Ramona discovers that her best friend since grade school is a lesbian, she struggles to decide how to respond, knowing that some people in her community and her church have trouble discussing homosexuality civilly.