Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 70 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
Perfectly Good White Boy
Carrie Mesrobian
Synopsis: "You never know where we'll end up. There's so much possibility in life, you know?" Hallie said. Sean Norwhalt can read between the lines. He knows Hallie's just dumped him. He was a perfectly good summer boyfriend, but now she's off to college, and he's still got another year to go. Her pep talk about futures and "possibilities" isn't exactly comforting. Sean's pretty sure he's seen his future and its "possibilities," and they all look DISPOSABLE. Like the rental his family moved into when his dad left. Like all the unwanted filthy old clothes he stuffs into the rag baler at his thrift-store job. Like everything good he's ever known. The only hopeful possibilities in Sean's life are the Marine Corps, where no one expected he'd go, and Neecie Albertson, whom he never expected to care about. Carrie Mesrobian follows her critically acclaimed debut, Sex & Violence, with another powerful and wrenching portrait of a teenage boy on the precipice of the new American future.
Publication Date: 10/01/14
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Lies We Tell Ourselves
Robin Talley
Synopsis: In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever. 

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily. 

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "separate but equal." 

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another. 

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.
Publication Date: 09/30/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Winterspell
Claire Legrand
Synopsis: Darkly romantic and entirely enchanting, this reimagining of The Nutcracker from Claire Legrand brims with magic, love, and intrigue. New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer (Cinder) says “this is not your grandmother’s Nutcracker tale.”

After her mother is brutally murdered, seventeen-year-old Clara Stole is determined to find out what happened to her. Her father, a powerful man with little integrity, is a notorious New York City gang lord in the syndicate-turned-empire called Concordia. And he isn’t much help.

But there is something even darker than Concordia’s corruption brewing under the surface of the city, something full of vengeance and magic, like the stories Clara’s godfather used to tell her when she was a little girl. Then her father is abducted and her little sister’s life is threatened, and Clara accidentally frees Nicholas from a statue that has been his prison for years. Nicholas is the rightful prince of Cane, a wintry kingdom that exists beyond the city Clara has known her whole life.

When Nicholas and Clara journey together to Cane to retrieve her father, Clara encounters Anise, the queen of the faeries, who has ousted the royal family in favor of her own totalitarian, anti-human regime. Clara finds that this new world is not as foreign as she feared, but time is running out for her family, and there is only so much magic can do...
Publication Date: 09/30/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Break Out
Nina Croft
Synopsis: Break Out by Nina Croft
Dark Desires (book 1)
The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they've discovered the secret of immortality--Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they're called, rule the universe.
Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can't resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective's maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous-or so fun! The Dark Desires series: Book 1 Break OutBook 2 Deadly PursuitBook 3 Death DefyingBook 4 Temporal ShiftBook 5 Blood and Metal
Publication Date: 09/30/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Gentlemen Prefer Curves
Sugar Jamison
Synopsis:

SOMETIMES SIZE DOES MATTER
Belinda Gordon thought she had it all-a great job, wonderful friends, a home of her own. She's even come to love her voluptuous body. But she still can't shake the feeling that something is missing. And then Carter Lancaster, aka Her Biggest Mistake, shows up in town, as irresistible as ever, and shakes up her entire world.

WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
Carter never expected to find Belinda in town, looking as delicious as the day he married her five years ago-before she walked out on him after six weeks and a painful misunderstanding that included his baby daughter, Ruby. A quick divorce is the sensible option-but Carter can't let Belinda go now, not when he can see the family they could be. Love may be a curveball, but this time he's going to prove to Belinda that he can hit it out of the park... Gentlemen Prefer Curves is the third book in the Perfect Fit series

Praise for Sugar Jamison's Dangerous Curves Ahead
"Dangerous Curves Ahead is laugh out loud funny and super sexy, with unique characters you can't help but love!"-New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

Publication Date: 09/30/14
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
The Keepers
Anoosha Lalani
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Isra Kalb has grown up starving in the slums of Islamabad. But hunger is only the beginning. When her father is mysteriously murdered and madness corrupts her mother's mind, she's left alone to fend for herself and her sister. Homeless and destitute, the only thing she has to remember her loving family by is a commonplace necklace--an amulet barely worth keeping. Or so she thinks. Swept into a web of lies, deceit and turmoil, Isra struggles to find a place for herself and Zaffirah, wondering if the strange creatures and visions she's seeing are indications of the madness that took her mother. But when Snatchers capture Zaffirah, Isra learns her amulet isn't so useless after all. Transported to Zarcane--the beastly garden where Adam and Eve were born--Isra comes face to face with her destiny. She's a Keeper, charged with protecting the borders of Zarcane and keeping the demon hordes lurking in the shadows from taking realms that are not their own. And she's not the only one; there's a second Keeper, a boy whose identity hasn't been revealed. Now, in order to save her sister and fulfill her family's legacy as Keeper of the Amulet, she has to find the second Keeper and close the borders. Surrounded by betrayal, trapped between warring factions of angels, and desperate to save the only family she has left, Isra must decide: Who can she trust when nothing is what it seems?
Publication Date: 09/30/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Cameo
Tanille Edwards
Synopsis: New Pop R & B Song "Baby Comeback to Me" by Tanille free with purchase of Cameo. Download instructions are inside. Cameo by Tanille is your next sinful beach read. Be 17 again! This page turning who done it is packed with mystery, drama, and steam. Nia is a high school beauty who discovers she's being stalked by someone in a secret underground society. Everyone is suspect. The pressure is mounting and problems are stacking up. Who is behind all of this? Which one of her friends is connected with this secret society? And why?
Publication Date: 09/29/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Chick Lit
BUAN: The Perfect Mortals
Synopsis: During a ceasefire of a war that has taken more lives than could be considered just, there are shadows of betrayal and deceit lurking in the rays of the morning sun. Something is lingering on the horizon, and it's hell-bent on destruction, despair and death. Whatever it may be, it's driven the Goddess to some very desperate measures. Life for the Harmon siblings has been hard enough, but now they face responsibilities that they never asked for. They never asked for power. They never asked for a world of monsters. They never asked to come face-to-face with demons, the corrupted of their own people, or their own mortality. But that is just what they will have to do. They are the chosen heroes of Cornelia, the final hope for order and sanity, the last line of defence against the darkness. They are the Buan.
Publication Date: 09/28/14
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Lies in the Dust
Timothy Decker, Jakob Crane
Synopsis: This searing graphic novel goes inside the head of Ann Putnam, the only girl to apologize for sending 26 people to their death in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. In Salem’s dark days of 1692 and 1693, young girls pointed fingers and accused others of witchcraft, sentencing them to torture or even death. When the cloud lifted, and accusations were shown to be false, the girls faced little, if any, penalty. Were they sorry? No one knows. Only one girl, Ann Putnam, Jr., felt moved to show remorse publicly. Fourteen years after the trials, Ann wrote a letter of apology. This is her story.
Publication Date: 09/25/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rebels of the Kasbah
Joe O'Neill
Synopsis: Kidnapped on the streets of Tangier and sold into slavery, Tariq, Fez, and Aseem are fighting for their lives with the evil warlord, Caid Ali Tamzali, ruler of the Rif Mountains. Joined by British school girl Margaret Owen, also kidnapped and sold to the Caid to join his harem, the four must act quickly to escape before almost certain death—or worse. Although aided by a beautiful assassin and a small but clever band of resistance fighters, their lives depend on their own teamwork, inventiveness, and courage.

This fast-paced historical adventure, set in 1912, transports you from Tangier's corrupt slave markets to the wild frontier of the Moroccan desert, to the heart of ancient China, and the pirate-infested seas of the Mediterranean. The first book in the Red Hand Adventures series, Rebels of the Kasbah is an exhilarating tale of adventure, daring, danger and friendship.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Magic Tree House #3: Mummies in the Morning
Sal Murdocca, Mary Pope Osborne
Synopsis: Now in full-color throughout, this jacketed hardcover edition boasts new artwork, plus a letter from Mary Pope Osborne and new nonfiction information! Join Jack and Annie as they travel back to the time of ancient Egypt and have an adventure filled with magic, mystery, history, and fun facts.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Wheels of Change
Darlene Beck Jacobson
Synopsis: Racial intolerance, social change, and sweeping progress make 1908 Washington, D.C., a turbulent place to grow up in for 12-year-old Emily Soper. For Emily, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic, and she's more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer than trying to conform to the proper expectations of young ladies. When Papa’s livelihood is threatened by racist neighbors and horsepower of a different sort, Emily faces changes she'd never imagined. Finding courage and resolve she didn't know she had, Emily strives to save Papa’s business, even if it means going all the way to the White House.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Wheels of Change
Darlene Beck Jacobson
Synopsis: Racial intolerance, social change, and sweeping progress make 1908 Washington, D.C., a turbulent place to grow up in for 12-year-old Emily Soper. For Emily, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic, and she's more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer than trying to conform to the proper expectations of young ladies. When Papa’s livelihood is threatened by racist neighbors and horsepower of a different sort, Emily faces changes she'd never imagined. Finding courage and resolve she didn't know she had, Emily strives to save Papa’s business, even if it means going all the way to the White House.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind Environmental Headlines
Synopsis: Paul Fleischman offers teens an environmental wake-up call and a tool kit for decoding the barrage of conflicting information confronting them.

We're living in an Ah-Ha moment. Take 250 years of human ingenuity. Add abundant fossil fuels. The result: a population and lifestyle never before seen. The downsides weren't visible for centuries, but now they are. Suddenly everything needs rethinking – suburbs, cars, fast food, cheap prices. It's a changed world.

This book explains it. Not with isolated facts, but the principles driving attitudes and events, from vested interests to denial to big-country syndrome. Because money is as important as molecules in the environment, science is joined with politics, history, and psychology to provide the briefing needed to comprehend the 21st century.

Extensive back matter, including a glossary, bibliography, and index, as well as numerous references to websites, provides further resources.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Environment
The Contract
Paul Mantell, Derek Jeter
Synopsis: The debut book in the Jeter Publishing imprint, The Contract is a middle grade baseball novel inspired by the youth of legendary sports icon and role model Derek Jeter.

As a young boy, Derek Jeter dreams of being the shortstop for the New York Yankees. He even imagines himself in the World Series. So when Derek is chosen for the Little League Tigers, he hopes to play shortstop. But on the day of the assignments, Derek Starts at second base. Still, he tries his best while he wishes and dreams of that shortstop spot. And to help him stay focused on school, his parents make him a contract: keep up the grades or no baseball. Derek makes sure he always plays his best game—on and off the baseball field!

Derek Jeter has played Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees for twenty seasons and is a five-time World Series Champion. He is a true legend in professional sports and a role model for young people both on the field and through his Turn 2 Foundation.

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, The Contract is the first book in Derek Jeter’s middle grade baseball series, an important part of the Jeter Publishing program, which will encompass adult nonfiction titles, children’s picture books, middle grade fiction, Ready-to-Read children’s books, and children’s nonfiction. For more about Jeter Publishing visit JeterPublishing.com.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Sports
Lark Rising
Sandra Waugh
Synopsis: Full of romance and nature magic, this debut fantasy is perfect for fans of Shannon Hale, Juliet Marillier, and Kristin Cashore.
 
Lark has foreseen two things--she will fall for a young man with sage green eyes,and he will kill her.
 
Sixteen-year-old Lark Carew is happiest close to home, tending her garden and gathering herbs for medicines. But when her Sight warns her that monsters called Troths will soon invade her village, Lark is summoned on a journey to seek help from the legendary Riders of Tarnec. Little does she suspect that one of the Riders, Gharain, is the very man who has haunted her visions. Or that the people of Tarnec have called her there for another reason: Lark is the Guardian of Life, the first of four Guardians who must awaken their powers to recover four stolen amulets. Together, the amulets--Life, Death, Dark, and Light--keep the world in Balance. To take back the Life amulet, Lark will have to discover her true inner strength and give in to a love that she swears will be her downfall.
Publication Date: 09/23/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS