Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 71 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
The Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity
Patricia Bray, Joshua Palmatier
Synopsis: What if the fae were still here, living among us? Perhaps living in secret, doing their best to pass for human? Or perhaps their existence is acknowledged, but they're still struggling to fit in. How have they survived? Are they outcasts clinging to the edges of society, or do their powers ensure success in the mortal realm? Here are fourteen fabulous tales—ranging from humor to dark fantasy—that explore how the creatures of fae are fitting into the modern world.

From a mortal who offers to do internet marketing for Oberon...to a woman bent on reclaiming her baby from the Queen of the fae...to a dryad grove menaced by urban expansion...to a Selkie in need of a new home and career...these are original looks at how the world of the imagination can survive and perhaps even thrive in the everyday mortal lands.
Publication Date: 03/06/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Betrayer
C. J. Cherryh
Synopsis:

The twelfth novel in Cherryh’s Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences…

In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida. But now he is trapped inside Najida—which has been surrounded by enemies—with Ilisidi, the powerful grandmother of his ally, Tabini-aiji, atevi leader of the Western Association. But Ilisidi, the wily and dangerous aiji-dowager, is not inclined to be passive, and in a brazen maneuver sends Bren into enemy territory, to the palace of Machigi, the leader of the rebels.

Bren's mission is to negotiate with Machigi—a young atevi lord who has never actually seen a human—and somehow persuade him to cease his hostile actions against the West. Bren knows that the autocratic Machigi rules a fractious clan, and that his hospitality is not guaranteed. Bren's genius for negotiation enable him to make a daring trade offer to Machigi—one that seems to interest the young warlord. But Machigi is suspicious of Ilisidi's motives, and, to Bren's utter shock, evokes an ancient law that jeopardizes Bren's life. Can Bren stay alive and not alienate Ilisidi or Tabini, while also representing the interests of their enemy?

The long-running Foreigner series can also be enjoyed by more casual genre readers in sub-trilogy installments. Betrayer is the 12th Foreigner novel, and the 3rd book in the fourth subtrilogy.

Publication Date: 03/06/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Intruder
C. J. Cherryh
Synopsis:

In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida. But now he is trapped inside Najida—which has been surrounded by enemies—with the powerful grandmother of his ally, Tabiniaiji, atevi leader of the Western Association. Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, is not inclined to be passive and sends Bren into enemy territory, to the palace of the leader of the rebels.

Bren's mission is to negotiate with Machigi—a young atevi lord who has never actually seen a human—and somehow persuade him to cease his hostile actions against the west. Is Bren a shrewd enough negotiator to stay alive, and not alienate Ilisidi or Tabini, while also representing the interests of their enemy?

Publication Date: 03/06/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
So Much Pretty
Cara Hoffman
Synopsis: “So Much Pretty is a fearless first novel,” announced The New York Times Book Review, “for all the passion in this intense narrative, Hoffman writes with a restraint that makes poetry of pain.”

Set in a rural community steeped in silence and denial, So Much Pretty explores all parents’ greatest fear, that their child will be hurt. But it also examines a second, equally troubling question: What if my child hurts someone else? The disappearance and murder of nineteen-year-old Wendy White is detailed through the eyes of journalist Stacy Flynn and a host of other richly drawn characters, each with their own secrets and convictions. After Wendy’s body is found, Flynn’s intense crusade to expose a killer draws the attention of a precocious local girl, Alice Piper, whose story intertwines with Wendy’s in a spellbinding and unexpected climax.
Publication Date: 03/06/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Discount  Armageddon
Seanan McGuire
Synopsis: First book in New York Times-bestselling Seanan McGuire's witty urban fantasy InCryptid series about a family of cryptozoologists who act as a buffer between humans and the magical creatures living in secret around us.

"The only thing more fun than an October Daye book is an InCryptid book." —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Sookie Stackhouse series

Cryptid, noun: Any creature whose existence has not yet been proven by science. See also "Monster."

Crytozoologist, noun: Any person who thinks hunting for cryptids is a good idea. See also "idiot."

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night...

The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity—and humanity from them.

Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right?

It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed.

To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city...
Publication Date: 03/06/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Undermountain
Eric Kent Edstrom
Synopsis: Bigfoot is not the missing link... 

It's an alien. 

It's inhabited Earth for thousands of years. Watching. Waiting. Guiding. 

But when 16 year old Danny and his friends encounter one of these legendary creatures, he uncovers a secret the Bigfoot race has sought to hide. 

A war brews on Earth. Between two alien races. One dedicated to peace. The other to conquest. 

What stands between our world and total annihilation is this band of troubled teens. 

And all they have is their smarts, their courage, and their loyalty to one another. 

Author Eric Kent Edstrom will take you on a whirlwind, page-turning adventure in this YA science fiction epic. From high tech subterranean cities, to encyclopedic brain implants, to magic-like powers over emotions. 

The Bigfoot Galaxy series is your next binge! 

Buy your copy today!
Publication Date: 03/05/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Forever Hunger
David M. Salkin
Synopsis: When NYPD Sergeant Roy Ruiz began working the serial killings with Detective Tim Rosetto, they had no way of knowing the killer whom they were hunting had been dead for over two hundred years. The grisly crime scenes leave plenty of forensic evidence, but unfortunately, none of it makes any sense—unless you can open your mind to some very strange possibilities. FBI Special Agent Doug Patmore, whose special unit works with Missing Persons, Unsolved Violent Crimes, Homicide, and Sexual Assaults has been hunting this killer for years. Together with Roy and Tim, they begin their mind bending investigation that will lead them to Adam Priest—a man that’s been killing and eating women since 1806. Adam was a lowly Prussian soldier when he was attacked in the woods after the battle of Jena, and the attack changed him forever. It killed the man and created a monster with a hunger for blood that was insatiable. For two hundred years, Adam fed without remorse—until he met Sara. Now, with an emotion almost human tugging at his dead heart, he must decide what to do about Sara as the police get closer with each feeding.
Publication Date: 03/02/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Keeping Secrets Book2 (Sadie's Montana)
Synopsis: There's horse trouble in Montana again in this second installment in Amish author, Linda Byler's, series, "Sadie's Montana." Someone is shooting horses and Sadie is determined to find out who it is. That is until she begins to suspect that Mark, her boyfriend, may be involved. Will Sadie discover the truth? Will it be too hard to bear?

There's horse trouble in Montana again. Only this time, horses aren't being stolen, they're being shot. Snipers are driving a blue pickup and shooting selectively. No hard-working ranch horse or Amish horse and buggy is safe. Still, Sadie rides, despite daily warnings from Dorothy down in the kitchen of Aspen East Ranch. But Sadie's getting used to ignoring Dorothy's advice. Sadie's heart is set on Mark even though Dorothy tells her to steer clear after he ditches her in the middle of their first date.

Then Daniel appears—a visitor from Lancaster County. With cornflower-blue eyes and a strong, square jaw, he is everything that Mark is not. He's funny, well-mannered, and completely dedicated to his family. Mark, on the other hand, finds it hard to tell Sadie the secrets of his past. He tells her pieces of the shadowy story, then won't speak to her for weeks. Sadie's troubles continue at home when she discovers that her youngest sister, Anna, is struggling with bulimia. As Sadie's world spins out of control, her palomino, Paris, remains her sole confidant. But does Sadie put Paris in danger every time they go riding? Or, together, can they discover who these mysterious snipers are? Will Mark help her? Or is he one of the horse-hunters? Why, Sadie wonders desperately, are there so many secrets? Will the truth surface, or is it too hard to bear?

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Publication Date: 03/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Forced Out
Gene Fehler
Synopsis: Zack Waddell's baseball IQ makes him one of the Roadrunners' most important players. When a new kid, Dustin, immediately takes their catcher's spot, Zack is puzzled. Dustin doesn't have the skills to be a starter. So Zack offers to help him with his swing in Dustin's swanky personal batting cages.

Zack accidentally overhears a conversation and figures out why Dustin is starting--and why the team is suddenly able to afford an expensive trip to a New York tournament. Will Zack's baseball instincts transfer off the field? Will the Roadrunners be able to stay focused when their team chemistry faces its greatest challenge yet?
Publication Date: 03/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Out of Control
Rick Jasper
Synopsis: Carlos 'Trip' Costas is a fiery shortstop with many talents and passions. His father is Julio Costas--yes, the Julio Costas, the famous singer. Unfortunately, Julio is also famous for being loud, controlling, and sometimes violent with Trip. He dreams of seeing his son play in the majors, but that's not what Trip wants.

When Trip decides to take a break from baseball to focus on his own music, his father loses his temper. He threatens to stop donating money to the team. Will the Roadrunners survive losing their biggest financial backer and their star shortstop? Will Trip have the courage to follow his dreams, and not his father's?
Publication Date: 03/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Unafraid: An Archangel Academy Novel
Synopsis: The boarding school known as Archangel Academy possesses a legacy of secrets known only to a privileged few. For in this peaceful, charming part of England lives a population of vampires at war with one another--and Michael Howard is caught in the middle of it all. . .

When Michael left his small Nebraska hometown to enroll at Archangel Academy, he couldn't have imagined how much the experience would change him. Once mortal, Michael is now a vampire with a destiny that was foretold long ago, and a group of friends with their own mysterious abilities.

But there are enemies too, some of them hiding in plain sight. Being strong enough to defend himself isn't enough. Michael must find a way to protect his entire race of vampires. Dark forces within the school will drive everyone to take sides in the escalating violence. And for all his new powers, Michael will discover that love, jealousy, and vengeance have a danger all their own. . .
Publication Date: 03/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Be Little
Chris Karim
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Mark Heffler out-skates, out-rides, and outwits the bullies who pick on him because of his small size. But when Mark and his family move to Tennessee, one hateful boy peppers Mark with verbal and physical abuse beyond anything Mark has experienced. Does Mark have what it takes to stand up to Calvin? To be a hero?
Publication Date: 02/28/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Bad Boy
Dream Jordan
Synopsis:

Dream Jordan is back with a follow-up to the acclaimed Hot Girl

Kate is devastated to find herself back in a group home after a peaceful year of living with her loving foster parents, Lynn and Ted. The fantasy life of having the perfect family has come to an abrupt end and Kate's reeling from having to return to the place she's fought so hard to avoid. Sad and lonely, Kate soon falls prey to the dangerous affections of Percy, a good looking but shady young man. He treats her well at first, manipulating her already broken heart, and soon a cycle of controlling and abusive behavior begins. Now Kate finds herself trapped and unable to be the strong, independent girl she's tried her whole life to be. But this Brooklyn-born girl is never one to let a bad situation keep her down for too long. Told in Kate's sassy, witty voice, Bad Boy is all about staying strong and remaining true to yourself even when it seems like the whole world is out to get you.

Publication Date: 02/28/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Gil Marsh
A.C.E. Bauer
Synopsis: Good looking, athletic, and smart, Gill Marsh is the most popular kid at Uruk High School, even though he is only a junior. When Enko, a new kid from Montreal, shows up, Gil is wary. Yet Enko is easy going and matches Gil's athletic prowess without being a threat. Soon, the two become inseparable friends, practicing, studying, and double-dating.

Then suddenly, to everyone's shock, Enko succombs to an aggressive cancer.

When Enko's parents take his body and return to Canada, Gil is unable to even say good bye. He is inconsolable. Determined to find Enko's grave, Gil sneaks away and heads north.

Closely based on the ancient story of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian King from 3000 BC, A. C. E. Bauer has carefully woven the classic elements of myth to follow Gil's quest and explore the grief and growth of a young man.
Publication Date: 02/28/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Hush
Eishes Chayil
Synopsis:

Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules of life are determined by an ancient script written thousands of years before-and abuse has never been a part of it. But when thirteenyear- old Gittel learns of the abuse her best friend has suffered at the hands of her own family member, the adults in her community try to convince Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe.




A nuanced exploration of a complex world, one of both humor and depth, understanding and horror, this story illuminates the conflict between yesterday's traditions and today's reality

Publication Date: 02/28/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Wild
Greg Ruth, Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden
Synopsis:

The world knows Jack London as a writer who lived his own real-life adventures. But there are some parts of his life that have remained hidden for many years, things even he couldn’t set down in writing. Terrifying, mysterious, bizarre, and magical—these are the Secret Journeys of Jack London.

Jack, age seventeen, journeys far into the Yukon Territory in search of gold and adventure. But what he finds in the wild reaches of the north freezes his blood: kidnapping and slavery, the murderous nature of desperate men, and, amidst it all, supernatural beasts of the wilderness that prey on the weakness in men’s hearts. Jack’s survival will depend on his ability to quell the demons within himself as much as those without.

Publication Date: 02/28/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS