By: Kennedy, Cate
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
WHEN SHE WOKE
By: Jordan, Hillary
A young woman's life goes from heavenly to
hellish is this dystopian vision of The Scarlet Letter from Jordan, who won the
2006 Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction for Mudbound, a searing
portrait of racism. Jordan now proposes a further, more insidious form of
discrimination. She imagines a society in which convicted criminals are
chromed-their entire bodies dyed to a bright color-and sent into the world to
face a sentence of public hatred and abuse. The victim in this story is Hannah
Payne, an obedient daughter of a morally righteous family who senses a spark of
sexual attraction with Rev. Aidan Dale, pastor of a powerful megachurch.
Quickly, Hannah's life takes a turn toward abortion, conviction, incarceration,
chroming, and government-sanctioned torture. Summoning up a newfound inner
strength, Hannah goes on the run and follows an Underground Railroad-like path,
where she learns to live by her wits and to trust no one. VERDICT Jordan offers
no middle ground: she insists that readers question their own assumptions
regarding freedom, religion, and risk. Christian fundamentalists may shun this
novel, but book clubs will devour it, and savvy educators will pair it with
Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. TitlePeek
By: Jordan, Hillary
THE VOW: THE TRUE EVENTS THAT INSPIRED THE MOVIE
By: Carpenter, Kim
Life as Kim and Krickitt Carpenter knew it was shattered beyond recognition
on November 24, 1993. Two months after their marriage, a devastating car wreck
left Krickitt with a massive head injury and in a coma for weeks. When she
finally awoke, she had no idea who Kim was. With no recollection of their
relationship and while Krickitt experienced personality changes common to those
who suffer head injuries, Kim realized the woman he had married essentially died
in the accident. And yet, against all odds, but through the common faith in
Christ that sustained them, Kim and Krickitt fell in love all over again. Even
though Kim stood by Krickitt through the darkest times a husband can ever
imagine, he insists, "I'm no hero. I made a vow." Now available in trade paper
with a new chapter and photo insert, The Vow is the true story that inspired the
major motion picture of the same name starring Rachel McAdams (The Notebook),
Channing Tatum (Dear John), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), and Academy Award winner
Jessica Lange. TitlePeek
THEY POURED FIRE ON US FROM THE SKY: THE TRUE STORY OF...
By: Deng, Benson
Benjamin, Alepho, and Benson were raised among
the Dinka tribe of Sudan. Their world was an insulated, close-knit community of
grass-roofed cottages, cattle herders, and tribal councils. The lions and
pythons that prowled beyond the village fences were the greatest threat they
knew. All that changed the night the government-armed Murahiliin began attacking
their villages. Amid the chaos, screams, conflagration, and gunfire,
five-year-old Benson and seven-year-old Benjamin fled into the dark night. Two
years later, Alepho, age seven, was forced to do the same. Across the Southern
Sudan, over the next five years, thousands of other boys did likewise, joining
this stream of child refugees that became known as the Lost Boys. Their journey
would take them over one thousand miles across a war-ravaged country, through
landmine-sown paths, crocodile-infested waters, and grotesque extremes of
hunger, thirst, and disease. The refugee camps they eventually filtered through
offered little respite from the brutality they were fleeing. In They Poured Fire
on Us From the Sky , Alepho, Benson, and Benjamin, by turn, recount their
experiences along this unthinkable journey. They vividly recall the family,
friends, and tribal world they left far behind them and their desperate efforts
to keep track of one another. This is a captivating memoir of Sudan and a
powerful portrait of war as seen through the eyes of children. And it is, in the
end, an inspiring and unforgettable tribute to the tenacity of even the youngest
human spirits. TitlePeek
By: Deng, Benson
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
By: Hurston, Zora Neale
One of the most important works of twentieth-century American literature, Zora Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God , is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose. A true literary wonder, Hurston's masterwork remains as relevant and affecting today as when it was first published -- perhaps the most widely read and highly regarded novel in the entire canon of African American literature.TitlePeek
By: Hurston, Zora Neale
One of the most important works of twentieth-century American literature, Zora Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God , is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose. A true literary wonder, Hurston's masterwork remains as relevant and affecting today as when it was first published -- perhaps the most widely read and highly regarded novel in the entire canon of African American literature.TitlePeek
THE LOST HERO
By: Riordan, Rick
Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong. Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on? Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god. Rick Riordan, the best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, pumps up the action and suspense in The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Fans of demi-gods, prophesies, and quests will be left breathless--and panting for Book Two. TitlePeek
By: Riordan, Rick
Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong. Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on? Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god. Rick Riordan, the best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, pumps up the action and suspense in The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Fans of demi-gods, prophesies, and quests will be left breathless--and panting for Book Two. TitlePeek
THE LEGENDS OF HIP HOP
By: Bua, Justin
Sweeping in its scope, The Legends of Hip Hop is an intimate look at the visionaries, the movers and the shakers, and the pioneers who have helped shape the world of hip hop. Groundbreaking artist Justin Bua profiles and paints fifty key figures, including everyone from Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash to President Obama and Jay-Z, providing a portrait of each legend in a style reminiscent of the great masters. The artwork is accompanied by an engaging autobiographical narrative that contextualizes the impact each icon has had on Bua's personal life and on the hip-hop culture at large. With a foreword by Chuck D, this landmark volume is more than a celebration of hip hop; it is the definitive word on the subject as told by Bua, one of hip hop's leading artists and a legend in his own right. TitlePeek
By: Bua, Justin
Sweeping in its scope, The Legends of Hip Hop is an intimate look at the visionaries, the movers and the shakers, and the pioneers who have helped shape the world of hip hop. Groundbreaking artist Justin Bua profiles and paints fifty key figures, including everyone from Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash to President Obama and Jay-Z, providing a portrait of each legend in a style reminiscent of the great masters. The artwork is accompanied by an engaging autobiographical narrative that contextualizes the impact each icon has had on Bua's personal life and on the hip-hop culture at large. With a foreword by Chuck D, this landmark volume is more than a celebration of hip hop; it is the definitive word on the subject as told by Bua, one of hip hop's leading artists and a legend in his own right. TitlePeek
IBOY
By: Brooks, Kevin
What can he do with his new powers -- and what are they doing to him? Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they're having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: To avenge Lucy, the girl he loves, will he hunt down the vicious gangsters who hurt her? Will he take the law into his own electric hands and exterminate them from the South London housing projects where, by fear and violence, they rule? Not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions. A WiFi, WTF thriller by YA master Kevin Brooks. TitlePeek
By: Brooks, Kevin
What can he do with his new powers -- and what are they doing to him? Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they're having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: To avenge Lucy, the girl he loves, will he hunt down the vicious gangsters who hurt her? Will he take the law into his own electric hands and exterminate them from the South London housing projects where, by fear and violence, they rule? Not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions. A WiFi, WTF thriller by YA master Kevin Brooks. TitlePeek
HOSTAGE: A YEAR AT GUNPOINT WITH SOMALI GANGSTERS
By: Chandler, Paul
The dramatic account of a British couple's kidnap by Somali pirates and their subsequent spell in captivity is revealed for the first time. On October 23, 2009, British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped from their sailing boat off the archipelago of the Seychelles. Naval forces and search rescue centres did not swing into full action until the story broke on October 27 when Somalis informed the media that the couple were in their hands. The yacht, S/Y Lynn Rival , was found the next day by naval forces, abandoned off the Central Somali Coast. After the attack, Paul and Rachel were taken first onto a previously hijacked merchant ship, the MV Kota Wajar , and then onto land near Ceel Huur, north of Harardheere on the coast of Somalia. The couple were released, over a year later, on November 14, 2010, after a reported $800,000 ransom was paid. In this remarkable book, Paul and Rachel Chandler exclusively recount their ordeal, revealing the entire breathtaking, inspiring and poignant story behind the dramatic headlines. At the heart of their survival was their unshakable belief in each other and their determination to survive against all the odds, making Hostage an unlikely love story, in which death, at times, seemed preferable to being separated. TitlePeek
By: Chandler, Paul
The dramatic account of a British couple's kidnap by Somali pirates and their subsequent spell in captivity is revealed for the first time. On October 23, 2009, British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped from their sailing boat off the archipelago of the Seychelles. Naval forces and search rescue centres did not swing into full action until the story broke on October 27 when Somalis informed the media that the couple were in their hands. The yacht, S/Y Lynn Rival , was found the next day by naval forces, abandoned off the Central Somali Coast. After the attack, Paul and Rachel were taken first onto a previously hijacked merchant ship, the MV Kota Wajar , and then onto land near Ceel Huur, north of Harardheere on the coast of Somalia. The couple were released, over a year later, on November 14, 2010, after a reported $800,000 ransom was paid. In this remarkable book, Paul and Rachel Chandler exclusively recount their ordeal, revealing the entire breathtaking, inspiring and poignant story behind the dramatic headlines. At the heart of their survival was their unshakable belief in each other and their determination to survive against all the odds, making Hostage an unlikely love story, in which death, at times, seemed preferable to being separated. TitlePeek
THE GLASS CASTLE: A MEMOIR
By: Walls, Jeannette
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever. Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town--and the family--Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home. What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor. TitlePeek
By: Walls, Jeannette
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever. Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town--and the family--Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home. What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor. TitlePeek
FLYAWAY
By: Christopher, Lucy
If they saved the swan together, could she then save her friend? In a heartbeat, in a wingbeat, it happens. Isla's father falls. They're racing across the fields, following the swans flying in to winter at the lake like they do every year, when something goes wrong. And before she can even catch her breath, they're in the back of an ambulance, she's holding his hand. At the hospital, upset and scared, Isla meets Harry. Unlike the boys at school, he doesn't laugh when she tells him about her love of birds. He listens. But what is he doing there? As Isla struggles with her father's frailty and the new feelings she has for Harry, she's determined to help the only way she knows how. Outside the hospital windows, Isla watches a lone whooper swan struggling to fly. If only she could save the lost bird, would that somehow heal her dad, and cure Harry, and make everything good again? By the author of the Printz Honor Book STOLEN, an uplifting story about "the thing with feathers" - hope. TitlePeek
By: Christopher, Lucy
If they saved the swan together, could she then save her friend? In a heartbeat, in a wingbeat, it happens. Isla's father falls. They're racing across the fields, following the swans flying in to winter at the lake like they do every year, when something goes wrong. And before she can even catch her breath, they're in the back of an ambulance, she's holding his hand. At the hospital, upset and scared, Isla meets Harry. Unlike the boys at school, he doesn't laugh when she tells him about her love of birds. He listens. But what is he doing there? As Isla struggles with her father's frailty and the new feelings she has for Harry, she's determined to help the only way she knows how. Outside the hospital windows, Isla watches a lone whooper swan struggling to fly. If only she could save the lost bird, would that somehow heal her dad, and cure Harry, and make everything good again? By the author of the Printz Honor Book STOLEN, an uplifting story about "the thing with feathers" - hope. TitlePeek
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE
By: Taylor, Laini
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there
by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and
dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the
tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a
brutal otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that
may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she
speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually
grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts
her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted
Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result
is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots
drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth
about herself? TitlePeek
By: Taylor, Laini
DARK INSIDE
By: Roberts, Jeyn
Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the
Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it's our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities
are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has
been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies. Mason's
mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her
hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he
knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks
the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but
she's about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor
of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the
run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael
witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of
the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.
Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four
teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging
on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the
heart of darkness - but also a journey to find each other and a place of
safety. TitlePeek
CHOKER
By: Woods, Elizabeth Emm
What are best friends for? Murder, maybe. Zoe and Cara were as close as friends could be--until Zoe moved away in fourth grade. Miserable without Zoe, Cara grew into an unhappy sixteen-year-old, tormented by the popular girls and nursing a hopeless crush. Then one day Cara returns home from a miserable day at school to find Zoe sitting on her bed. Shocked and delighted, Cara agrees to hide Zoe from troubles at home and the two resume their friendship as though no time has passed. Zoe even helps Cara get up the courage to stand up for herself and talk to her crush. But when one of the popular girls winds up dead, Cara begins to suspect that Zoe is responsible, and her questions only feed Zoe's anger. As Cara searches for answers, she is forced to confront a deadly truth….TitlePeek
By: Woods, Elizabeth Emm
What are best friends for? Murder, maybe. Zoe and Cara were as close as friends could be--until Zoe moved away in fourth grade. Miserable without Zoe, Cara grew into an unhappy sixteen-year-old, tormented by the popular girls and nursing a hopeless crush. Then one day Cara returns home from a miserable day at school to find Zoe sitting on her bed. Shocked and delighted, Cara agrees to hide Zoe from troubles at home and the two resume their friendship as though no time has passed. Zoe even helps Cara get up the courage to stand up for herself and talk to her crush. But when one of the popular girls winds up dead, Cara begins to suspect that Zoe is responsible, and her questions only feed Zoe's anger. As Cara searches for answers, she is forced to confront a deadly truth….TitlePeek
BEAUTY QUEENS
By: Bray, Libba
From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island. Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count. TitlePeek
By: Bray, Libba
From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island. Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count. TitlePeek
ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD
By: Blake, Kendare
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead - keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life. Anna Dressed in Blood is a 2011 Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year title. One of NPR's Top 5 Young Adult Novels of 2011. TitlePeek
By: Blake, Kendare
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead - keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life. Anna Dressed in Blood is a 2011 Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year title. One of NPR's Top 5 Young Adult Novels of 2011. TitlePeek
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