The Man Booker Prize aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The winner will be announced on October 15.
Tanen, Sloane. Appetite for Detention. 2008. YA TAN
Teen chicks Edgar, Marissa, Joey, Helen, and Andrew head off to face another year of high school dramas and dilemmas. You’re going to bust a gut laughing with this one.
Ribar, Lindsay. The Art of Wishing. 2013. YA RIB
When eighteen-year-old Margo learns she lost the lead in her high school musical (Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd) to a SOPHOMORE because of a modern-day genie, she is beyond pissed. Fun fact: Miss Kate is friends with Lindsay, and remembers when this book was tentatively titled “The Fourth Wish.”
Averett, Edward. Cameron and the Girls. 2013. YA AVE
A boy suffering from schizophreniform disorder falls into a love triangle with a girl in his junior high class – and a girl in his head. Touching.
Miller, Ashley Edward and Zack Stentz. Colin Fischer. 2012. YA MIL
SOLVING CRIME. ONE FACIAL EXPRESSION AT A TIME.
Colin Fischer cannot stand to be touched. He dislikes the color blue. He needs index cards to recognize facial expressions.
But when a gun is found in the school cafeteria, interrupting a female classmate’s birthday celebration, Colin is the only one for the investigation. It’s up to him to prove that Wayne Connelly, the school bully and Colin’s frequent tormentor, didn’t bring the gun to school. After all, Wayne didn’t have frosting on his hands, and there was white chocolate frosting found on the grip of the smoking gun…
Fisher, Catherine. Darkwater. 2012, 2000. YA FIS
Sixteen-year-old Sarah sells her soul to reclaim her family’s estate and is given one hundred years to atone for their sins, but as the bargain nears its end, modern-day Tom, yearning to attend the private school that Darkwater Hall has become, gets caught up in the bargain. Cue the scary music.
Telgemeier, Raina. Drama. 2012. YA GRAPHIC TEL
Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of “Moon Over Mississippi,” as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going. If you loved Smile, you’re going to love this!
Rowell, Rainbow. Eleanor & Park. 2013. YA ROW
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Carriger, Gail. Etiquette & Espionage: Finishing School, Book the First. 2013. YA CAR
In an alternate England of 1851, spirited fourteen-year-old Sophronia is enrolled in a finishing school where, she is surprised to learn, lessons include not only the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also diversion, deceit, and espionage. If you love delightfully quirky reads, Carriger will be your new favorite author.
Caine, Rachel. Glass Houses. 2009. EBOOK and eAUDIO
In Morganville, Texas, a town where evil terrorizes the streets under the cover of darkness, Claire Danvers, who has had enough of her sadistic dorm situation, moves off campus and discovers that the town is run by vampires. Deliciously scary, and the first in a series.
Miller, Kirsten. How to lead a life of crime. 2013. YA MIL
A teenaged pickpocket is recruited for Mandel Academy, a school for criminals where only one student survives each semester. Makes your high school seem tame, right?
Sun, Amanda. Ink. 2013. YA SUN
Moving to Japan in the aftermath of a family tragedy, Katie struggles to adjust to an unfamiliar culture and develops feelings for the school’s kendo team star Tomohiro while observing how strange things happen with pens, ink and drawings whenever she is near to him.
MacLean, Jill. Nix Minus One. 2013. YA MAC
More skilled at woodworking than communicating, Nix Humboldt seeks the words to deal with high school expectations, his extroverted sister, and his neighbor’s neglected dog.
Shen, Prudence. Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong. 2013. YA GRAPHIC SHE
The unlikely friendship between basketball team captain Charlie and robotics club president Nate is seriously challenged when Nate declares war on the cheerleaders over funding that will either pay for new uniforms or a robotics competition.
Vaughn, Lauren Roedy. OCD, the Dude, and Me. 2013. YA VAU
Danielle Levin stands out even at her alternative high school – in appearance and attitude – but when her scathing and sometimes raunchy English essays land her in a social skills class, she meets Daniel, another social misfit who may break her resolve to keep everyone at arm’s length.
Konigsberg, Bill. Openly Straight. 2013. YA KON
Tired as being known as “the gay kid,” Rafe Goldberg decides to assume a new persona when he comes east and enters an elite Massachusetts prep school – but trying to deny his identity has both complications and unexpected consequences.
Ostow, Micol. Popular Vote. 2008. YA OST
In an election year, sixteen-year-old Erin Bright sets aside her supporting role as daughter of the mayor and girlfriend of the student body president to stand up for what she believes in and protect an historic park from being replaced by a gas station.
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. 2012. YA STI
Developing her mother’s clairvoyant powers for seeing visions of people who are about to die, Blue is drawn into the life of rich private school boy, Gansey, who has involved three of his classmates in a quest that Blue believes will end with her involvement in Gansey’s death. First in a serious.
Volponi, Paul. Rikers High. 2010. YA VOL
Arrested on a minor offense, a New York City teenager attends high school in the jail facility on Rikers Island, as he waits for his case to go to court.
Hawkins, Rachel. School Spirits. 2013. YA HAW
Fifteen-year-old Izzy, who comes from a long line of monster hunters, investigates a series of hauntings at her new high school.
Korman, Gordon. Schooled. 2007. YA KOR
Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dying and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.
Rutkoski, Marie. The Shadow Society. 2012. YA RUT
Sixteen-year-old Darcy Jones knows little about her past except that she was abandoned outside a Chicago firehouse at age five, but when the mysterious Conn arrives at her high school she begins to discover things about her past that she is not sure she likes. A quick and fast read.
Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob. 2002. YA KOR
Seventeen-year-old Vince’s life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of the FBI agent assigned to shadow his dad. You’ll be dying of laughter.
Barnes, John. Tales of the Madman Underground: (an historical romance 1973). 2009. YA BAR
Forced to be a member of a group that must attend therapy during school hours, Karl is determined to make his senior year his best and so decides to act “normal” in order to break free from the routine, but between his many jobs and his crazy life at home, Karl begins to think that he may never be able to grasp the concept – let alone be it.
Estep, Jennifer. Touch of Frost: a Mythos Academy novel. 2011. YA EST
Some weird things – worse than the usual weirdness – have been going on at Mythos Academy, a school of myths and magic. After mean girl Jasmine Ashton is murdered in the Library of Antiquities, Gwen Frost is determined to figure out what’s going on, especially since she was the one the killer wanted.
Laban, Elizabeth. The Tragedy Paper. 2013. YA LAB
While preparing for the most dreaded assignment at the prestigious Irving School, the Tragedy Paper, Duncan gets wrapped up in the tragic tale of Tim Macbeth, a former student who had a clandestine relationship with the wrong girl, and his own ill-fated romance with Daisy.
Wells, Robison. Variant. 2011. YA WEL
After years in foster homes, seventeen-year-old Benson Fisher applies to New Mexico’s Maxfield Academy in hopes of securing a brighter future, but instead he finds that the school is a prison and no one is what he or she seems.
McMann, Lisa. Wake. 2009, c2008. YA MCM
Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people’s dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow student that she discovers her true power. First in a series.
PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize: To an author whose debut work — a first novel or collection of short stories published in 2012 — represents distinguished literary achievement and suggests great promise. Winner:A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava
PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction: To an author of a distinguished book of general nonfiction possessing notable literary merit and critical perspective and illuminating important contemporary issues which has been published in the United States during 2011 or 2012. Winner:Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo (downloadable audiobook, eBook)
PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay: For a book of essays published in 2012 that exemplifies the dignity and esteem that the essay form imparts to literature. Winner:What Light Can Do by Robert Hass
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award: For a book of literary nonfiction on the subject of the physical or biological sciences published in 2012. Winner:Subliminal by Leonard Mlodinow
PEN Open Book Award: For an exceptional book-length work of literature by an author of color published in 2012. Winners:Gun Dealers’ Daughter by Gina Apostol & The Grey Album by Kevin Young
PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing: To honor a nonfiction book on the subject of sports published in 2012. Winner:Over Time by Frank Deford
PEN Translation Prize: For a book-length translation of prose into English published in 2012. Winner:The Island of Second Sight by Albert Vigoleis Thelen, translated from the German by Donald O. White
The Man Booker Prize aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The books longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize are:
The Man Booker Prize aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The books longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize are:
So here’s the thing: we have compiled a massive list of books for teens entering grades 7-12 in September. These books are awesome, vetted by our staff as being terrific, and here’s the sneaky thing – they relate to the Common Core Curriculum. From now until August the Teen Services pages will be updated with themed book-lists.
So, if you’re hankering for non-fiction, graphic novels, outer space, or even weird science, visit the Teen page often this summer!
Experience the Jazz Age with novels and nonfiction exploring the Roaring Twenties and the tragic lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Experience the Jazz Age with novels and nonfiction exploring the Roaring Twenties and the tragic lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
FICTION
Beautiful Fools: The Last Affair of Zelda & Scott Fitzgerald by R. Clifton Spargo
In 1939 Scott is living in Hollywood, a virulent alcoholic and deeply in debt. He arranges a trip to Cuba in an attempt to save his fractured marriage to Zelda. But even in paradise, Scott and Zelda cannot escape the dangerous intensity of their relationship.
Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck
Fighting to forge an identity independent of her famous husband as she teeters on the brink of madness, Zelda Fitzgerald is committed to a psychiatric hospital in 1932. She finds a sympathetic friend in nurse Anne Howard, who is held captive by her own tragic past.
Gatsby’s Girl by Caroline Preston
Based on the life of Genevra King, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first love and muse, from their first meeting, through their intense epistolary romance, to her marriage to a dashing young aviator, as she reflects on what her life would have been if she had chosen the writer instead.
The Gin Lovers by Jamie Brenner
Living with her controlling husband in 1920s New York, socialite Charlotte Delacorte’s life changes when her sister-in-law Mae takes up residence with the couple and introduces Charlotte to the flapper revolution.
The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
A typist for the NYC Police Department in 1923, prim, old-fashioned Rose Baker becomes obsessed with a glamorous newcomer and her world of bobbed hair, smoking, and speakeasies.
A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion by Ron Hansen
A tale based on a true story from 1920s Manhattan follows the affair between voluptuous Ruth Snyder and undergarment salesman Judd Gray, whose plot to kill Ruth’s husband triggers an explosive police investigation.
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
A tale inspired by the marriage of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald follows their union in defiance of her father’s opposition and her scandalous transformation into a Jazz Age celebrity in the literary party scenes of New York, Paris, and the French Riviera.
NONFICTION
Bobbed Hair & Bathtub Gin: Writers Running Wild in the Twenties by Marion Meade (CD book)
A portrait of four extraordinary writers–Dorothy Parker, Zelda Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edna Ferber–whose loves, lives, and literary endeavors embodied the spirit of the 1920s.
F. Scott Fitzgerald by Ruth Prigozy
Scott Fitzgerald’s life reads like one of his own stories: a young man of great promise marries into wealth, but beneath the golden surface lie alcoholism, debt, insecurity, and in Fitzgerald’s particular case, the mental instability of his beautiful, unconventional wife, Zelda.
Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom: Zelda & Scott Fitzgerald: A Marriage by Kendall Taylor
A new perspective into the tumultuous marriage of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald details their complex relationship, which eventually resulted in his becoming an incurable alcoholic and her descent into madness.
Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise by Sally Cline
A portrait of the Jazz Age artist and wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald traces their dysfunctional marriage, Zelda’s work as a painter and dancer, and her struggle to define herself despite the glamorous flapper identity placed upon her by her husband.
The American Library Association (ALA) has selected six books as finalists for the 2013 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, awarded for the previous year’s best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers and published in the U.S. The 2013 finalists are:
Canada by Richard Ford (CD book, eBook, MP3 CD)
After his parents are arrested and imprisoned for robbing a bank, 15-year-old Dell Parsons is taken in by Arthur Remlinger who, unbeknownst to Dell, is hiding a dark and violent nature that interferes with Dell’s quest to find grace and peace on the prairie of Saskatchewan.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich (CD book, eBook, large print book)
When his mother, a tribal enrollment specialist living on a reservation in North Dakota, slips into an abyss of depression after being brutally attacked, fourteen-year-old Joe Coutz sets out with his three friends to find the person that destroyed his family.
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz (CD book)
Presents a collection of stories that explores the heartbreak and radiance of love as it is shaped by passion, betrayal, and the echoes of intimacy.
NONFICTION
The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death by Jill Lepore
A history of American ideas about life and death includes coverage of topics ranging from the 17th-century Englishman who investigated a belief about life starting with eggs and the heated debates over Darwin’s evolutionary findings to the role of the Space Age in changing views on planetary life to the 1970s trends in cryogenics.
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen
Examines the emergence and causes of new diseases all over the world, describing a process called “spillover” where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction is annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English. The titles on the longlist for the 2013 prize, which will be awarded on June 5, are:
The Women’s Prize for Fiction is annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English. The titles on the longlist for the 2013 prize, which will be awarded on June 5, are:
Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe has died at the age of 82. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, has sold more than 12 million copies since its publication in 1958. In 2007, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement.
Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe has died at the age of 82. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, has sold more than 12 million copies since its publication in 1958. In 2007, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement.
