Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Texas Library Association: here's your booklist!




SITL April 2013 booklist
www.Sexinthelibrary.blogspot.com
love us in person, like us on Facebook!

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.
$18.99 Trade pb. 978-0-316-01368-0.
What’s worse than being a reservation Indian? Junior is a weird-looking dork Indian with a huge head, gigantic feet, crazy eyes, a stutter, and a lisp.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-374-37152-4.
The summer before high school, Melinda went a party, drank more than she should, and agreed to go “out back” with a handsome senior boy…who raped her.  When she called 9-11, Melinda couldn’t talk.  Cops busted the party, and now everybody is mad at Melinda.

Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why.
$10.99 pb 978-1-59514-188-0.
When Clay Jensen receives a shoebox in the mail filled with cassette tapes, he doesn't know what to think. He finds a tape player (who has a tape player anymore?) and starts to listen. The voice he hears on the tape is Hannah Baker . . . who killed herself.

Beam, Cris.  I am J.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-316-05361-7.
J’s parents think he's a lesbian, his best friend Melissa thinks he's a girl, and his girlfriend Blue is pretty sure he's gay.

Bigelow, Lisa Jenn.  Starting From Here.
$16.99  978-0-761-46233-0
You wouldn’t want Colby’s life.  Her Mom died of cancer.  Her truck driver dad is gone most of the time.  And her girlfriend just dumped her…for a guy.

Blume, Judy. Forever.
$18.99 Trade pb. 978-0-689-84973-2.
Catherine and Michael are sure that their love will last forever.

Borris, Albert. Crash into Me.
$9.99 pb. 978-1-4169-9827-3.
Four teens meet through an online suicide blog and decide to embark on a Celebrity Suicide Road Trip from New York to Death Valley…and culminate with a suicide pact.

Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens.
$9.99 pb. 978-0-439-89597-2.A planeload of teen beauty pageant contestants crash-lands on a (supposedly) deserted island. Will they turn all Lord of the Flies? Will the Sparkle Ponies prevail?

Brown, Anne. Lies Beneath.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-385-74201-6.
“I hadn’t killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that.”  Best first line ever!

Burgess, Melvin. Doing It.
$8.99 pb. 978-0-8050-7565-6.
Dino, Ben, and Jonathon are obsessed with sex. Read the first pages aloud to a group (if you dare.)
Calame, Don. Swim the Fly.
$7.99 pb. 978-0-7636-4157-3.
The goal for the summer is to see a real, live girl naked.

Cashore, Kristin. Graceling. (series)
$9.99 pb. 978-0-547-25830-0.
Some people in Katsa’s world are “graced” with special talents. Katsa’s talent seems to be…killing.

Cline, Ernest. Ready Player One.
$24.00 Trade pb.  978-0-307-88743-6.
Play a video game, win a billion bucks. Who’s with me?

 Cohn, Rachel, and David Levithan. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
$16.95 Trade pb. 978-0-375-83531-5.
Slide into a chair next to an unsuspecting kid, and ask her to do you a favor: Pretend to be some stranger’s girlfriend for the next five minutes.

Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. (series)
$10.99 pb. 978-0-439-02352-8.
When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen's younger sister is chosen, Katniss doesn't hesitate: she volunteer's to take Prim's place in the annual Hunger Games.

Condie, Ally. Matched. (series)
$17.99 Trade pb.  99 978-0-525-42364-5.
The Society that controls every decision of each citizen is completely benevolent. Yeah. Right. 

Crawford, Brent. Carter’s Unfocused One-Track Mind. (series)
$16.99. 978-1-4231-4445-8.
Will Carter, now a sophomore, is buffing out through football, thinking about a theater school in New York City, and still hoping for sex with Abby.

Cross, Shauna. Derby Girl. (former title: Whip It)
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-8050-8023-0.
Unhappy Bliss doesn't live with hip parents in a socially-savvy city on the coast. Instead, she lives in a backwater Texas town where the music is "all country, all the time" and top social honors are reserved for beauty queens with gigantic hair. Then Bliss discovers roller derby.

Crutcher, Chris, Deadline.
$8.99 pb. 978-0-06-085091-3.
Ben Wolf is eighteen years old . . . and he’s dying.

Danforth, Emily M. The Mis-Education of Cameron Post.
$17.99. 978-0-06-202056-7.
Cameron kisses her best friend. Later that day, her parents die in a car crash. It’s a problem.

Dessen, Sarah. Along for the Ride.
$19.99 Trade pb. 978-0-670-01194-0.
Auden thinks her life is perfectly normal. Nobody else seems to agree.

Doctorow, Cory. For the Win.
$17.99 Trade pb.  978-0-7653-2216-6.
All over the world, kids play video games . . . for money. Sounds like a great job? Well, it isn’t.
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. 
$17.95 Trade pb. 978-0-7653-1985-2.
Techno-phile Marcus is in the wrong place at the wrong time when the San Francisco Bay Bridge is bombed by terrorists. Now, Homeland Security wants to talk to him. 

Downham, Jenny, Before I Die.
$20.95 Trade pb. 978-0-606-10646-7.
Tessa has been through treatment, remission, recurrence, and more treatments. The docs say they can’t help her anymore. Grabbing a Sharpie marker, Tessa scrawls her bucket list on the wall beside her bed.

Downing, Jennifer. You Against Me.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-385-75160-5.
Is it still rape if you said you wanted to have sex, then drank too much and decided at the last minute you didn’t want sex?

Efaw, Amy. After.  
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-670-01183-4.
Devon is at home pretending to be sick when her mother arrives from work. Then the policeman who is going door-to-door looking for clues about a baby in the dumpster notices the blood on Devon.

Fitzpatrick, Huntley. My Life Next Door.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-80373699-3.
Can two very different families really get along? Would you be able to keep a separate life, secret from your family?

Going, K.L. King of the Screwups.
$17. Trade pb. 978-0-15-206258-3.
Liam takes after his supermodel mom: he is athletic, good-looking, and has inherited her eye for fashion. According to his dad, Liam is a continual disappointment, a slacker, a screw-up.

Higgins, Wendy. Sweet Evil.  (series)
$8.99 pb. 978-0-06-208561-0.
How well do you know early biblical creatures? Sure, you know angels and archangels, and the story of the Satan downfall, but do you know nephilim?

Hopkins, Ellen. Identical.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-1-4169-5005-9.
With her mother away, Kaeleigh becomes the object of her father's sexual attention. Raeanne begins abusing drugs and alcohol, and laments that her father doesn't love her because she gets none of his attention.

Howe, James. Totally Joe.
$5.99 pb. 978-0-689-83958-0.
Joe’s English teacher has assigned the class to write an "alphabiography": an alphabetical review of their lives. Joe's alphabet begins with his best friend Addie, who knew him when they both liked to play with Barbie dolls. His story continues on towards Colin, the boy he has had a crush on since fifth grade, and finally ends with Zachary, the new boy in school.

Koertge, Ron. Stoner and Spaz.
$6.99 pb. 978-0-7636-5757-4.
People usually ignore Ben completely, or treat him like a Brave Boy Overcoming Handicap. But Colleen bosses him around, steals his candy, and makes fun of his disability . . . and he loves her. 
SEQUEL: Now Playing Stoner & Spaz II


Kontis, Alethea.  Enchanted.
$16.99  978-0-547-64570-4
Sunday Woodcutter is the seventh daughter of a seventh son--destined for magic.  Sunday's magical talent manifests itself in her story writing: the tales she writes tend to come true, sometimes with unfortunate consequences.

Larbalestier, Justine. Liar.
$9.99 pb. 978-1-59990-519-8.
Micah begins by telling us that she is a liar, has always been, but is not lying now.  Do you believe her?

Lanagan, Margo.  The Brides of Rollrock Island.
$17.99  978-0-375-56919-8
Misskaella Prout is ugly and outcast, unloved by her family, mocked by the women and rejected by the men, until she creates a deep and horrible revenge.

Levithan, David and John Green. Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
$10.99 pb. 978-0-14-241847-5.
Two very different boys named Will Grayson ultimately answer the questions “What is a friend?” and “What is love?”  Grab the audio version and play an excerpt of Tiny singing!

Lockhart, E. Fly on the Wall.
$18.95 Trade pb. 978-1-4178-1260-8.
Sixteen-year-old comic book artist Gretchen Yee is kidding (in a desperate kind of way) when she makes a very unusual wish: to be a fly on the wall in the boys' locker room just so she could figure out what boys are all about! And then, her wish is granted.

Lowry, Lois.  Son
$17.99  978-0-547-88720-3
In this final volume of the acclaimed series that began with The Giver, Claire is designated as a "Vessel" (birthmother) and expected to produce three "Products" (offspring) before being given a new job. 

Luper, Eric. Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-06-182753-2.
Seth doesn’t understand love, relationships, or anything else. Except golf.

McCafferty, Megan. Bumped. (series)
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-06-196274-5.
In this up-tempo dystopian novel, teen pregnancies are not only normal, they are vital. 

McCormick, Patricia. Sold.
 $17.99. 978-1-4395-8386-9.
Lakshmi is thirteen years old when her stepfather sells her to an "auntie" travelling to the big city. The auntie has promised that the girl will go to work as a maid in the city. However, the fictional Lakshmi--and up to 12,000 real Nepali girls each year--is sold into a life of sexual slavery in an Indian brothel.

Mackall, Dandi Daley. Crazy in Love.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-525-47780-8.
Mary Jane hears two very distinct voices in her head giving contrary advice: Plain Jane, who wants her to be the “good girl” and M.J., the sexy alternative.

Madigan, L.K. Flash Burnout
$16. Trade pb. 978-0-547-19489-9.
Blake likes to take gritty, realistic photos. Unfortunately, his best subject so far is Marissa’s homeless, addicted mom.
Marsden, John. Tomorrow When the War Began. (series)
$8.99 pb. 978-0-439-82910-6.
They could run away. They could surrender. They choose to fight back.

McBride, Lish.  Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.(series)
$16.99  978-0-705-09098-3
College dropout Sam feels lost in a dead-end burger-flipping job until a seriously creepy dude takes a seriously unhealthy interest in Sam.  This book could be horrifying; instead, it’s hilarious.

McGarry, Katie. Pushing the Limits.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-373-21049-7.
Both Echo and Noah want to be “normal.” Defining it is a problem.

Meyer, L.A.  Bloody Jack. (series)
$8.99 pb. 978-015-2050856
(Slash the book through the air like a sword) Swashbuckling adventures, knife fights, cannons, pirates, hidden identity, and first love. What more could you want?

Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. (series)
$10.99 pb. 978-0-316-03838-6.
Twilight and its sequels need no hook; teens either love or hate it--but including it in a booktalk will ensure that teens will speak up with their opinions! 

Nelson, Jandy. Sky is Everywhere.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-8037-3495-1.
You know those books where the older perfect sister dies suddenly and then you learn that she wasn’t that perfect after all? This isn’t that.

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-7636-5559-4.
Conor is surprised by the monster at his window, because it's not the nightmare he has been expecting.

Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-06-172680-4.
Samantha has always been part of the popular crowd. Her perfect life stops when Sam is killed in a car accident. However, the next morning, she wakes to the prior day, and begins a cycle of reliving it over and over.

Pearce, Jackson. Purity.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-316-18246-1.
Just before Shelby's mom died, she made Shelby promise three things: to listen to her father. To love as much as possible. And to live without restraint. How important are promises, really?

Plum, Amy. Until I Die.
$17.69 Trade pb. 978-0-06-200404-8.
If you love someone, would you die for them? If it is your job to save people but not the person you love, could you still die for them?

Reed, M.K. and Hill, Jonathan. Americus. (graphic novel).
 $18.99 Trade pb. 978-1-59643-768-5.
Eighth graders Neil and Daniel would rather read books in their favorite fantasy series The Chronicles of Apathea Ravenchilde than pay attention to their gossipy classmates or the adults in their small town of Americus. However, Daniel's mom is convinced that Apathea is the work of the devil.

Roth, Virginia. Divergent. (series)
16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-06-202402-2.
Ten initiates will survive; the rest will be left Factionless and homeless . . . or dead.

Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-1-4169-6059-1.
How would you react if a man in a uniform told you to follow him? You were loitering, after all. Your group moved on. What if you were ten years old?

Selzer, Adam. How to Get Suspended and Influence People.
$4.79 pb. 978-0440421603.
Leon thinks sex education class is boring. He’s got a plan to fix that.

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. (series)
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-1-4169-1204-0.
What if your parents could decide that you were just not what they wanted? In this story, pre-birth abortion is illegal but getting rid of teenagers isn’t. 

Sloan, Brian, Tale of Two Summers.
$15.95 Trade pb. 978-0-689-87439-0.
Hal is gay and bored in small town Wheaton, Maryland. Chuck is straight; excited about drama summer camp. Both are looking for a summer romance, and (they hope) sex.

Smith, Cynthia. Tantalize.  (series)
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-7636-2791-1.
At age seventeen, Quincy is the driving force behind opening a new restaurant with a unique image: Sanguini's, the first restaurant in Austin with a vampire theme…and then the chef is murdered.

Steifvater, Maggie.  Raven Boys (series)
$18.99  978-0-545-42492-9
Blue can’t find hidden things using Tarot cards or see the future in a bowl of cran-grape juice.  Blue amplifies psychic energy…and when she meets up with a group of boys seeking the body of a centuries-old Welsh king, the quest becomes more intense. And mysterious. And dangerous.

Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. (series)
$9.99 pb. 978-0-545-12326-6.
Seventeen-year-old Grace has been fascinated with wolves ever since she was attacked as a child and then rescued by a single wolf. Eighteen-year-old Sam has been fascinated by Grace since the day of her attack--the day that he, in the form of a wolf, rescued her.

Taylor, Laine. Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  (series)
$18.99 Trade pb. 978-0-316-13402-6.
“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.”

Taylor, Lanie. Lips Touch Three Times.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-545-05585-7.
This book is part wordless graphic novel, making it perfect for “show and tell.” Be sure to use the hardcover, the illustrations are much more dramatic.

Telgemeier, Raina.  Drama  (graphic novel)
$10.99 978-0-545-32699-5
Middle-school student Callie loves everything theatric.  She loves the lights, she loves the music, she loves the audience, she loves the costumes, and she loves her friends in the drama club. 
Tracey, Scott. Witch Eyes. (series)
$10.99 pb. 978-0-7387-2595-6.
This is a Romeo and Juliet story with a huge twist.

Trumble, J.H., Don’t Let Me Go.
$15. Trade pb. 978-0-7582-6927-0.
Last year, Nate and Adam came “out.” Last year Nate had Adam by his side. Now, entering his senior year, he is not sure if he has the courage to be without Adam.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Confessions of a Serial Kisser.
$9.99 pb. 978-0-375-84249-8.
Evangeline wants one fabulous, passionate kiss.

Vaughn, Carrie. After the Golden Age.
$24.99 trade pb. 978-0-7653-2555-6.
Wouldn’t it be great to have superheroes for parents? Wouldn’t it suck if your parents were superheroes, and you don’t have any super powers at all?

Vaught, Susan R. Big Fat Manifesto.
$8.99 pb. 978-1-59990-362-0.
Jamie isn’t plus-sized, or large, or overweight, or obese. She’s fat.

Warman, Jessica. Between.
$17.99 Trade pb. 978-0-06-147996-0.
When pretty, popular, wealthy Elizabeth Valchar wakes up on the morning of her eighteenth birthday, she's dead.

Westerfeld, Scott. Peeps.
$8.99 pb. 978-1-59514-083-8.
When Cal arrived in New York City to attend college, he promptly went out to lose his virginity. Unfortunately in the process, Cal also picked up an unusual STD: a parasite that causes all the symptoms (and strengths) of vampirism.

Wittlinger, Ellen, Parrotfish.
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-1-4169-1622-2.
 At the beginning of her junior year, Angela changes her name to Grady. In fact, he has decided that he is a boy, although he was born a girl.

Zevin, Gabrielle. All These Things I’ve Done. (series)
$16.99 Trade pb. 978-0-374-30210-8.
In 2083, chocolate is a prohibited substance, and Anya Balanchine’s family is modern mafia, importing chocolate and other banned luxuries to New York.

Zevin, Gabrielle. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac.
$17. Trade pb. 978-0-374-34946-2.
Naomi loses a coin toss and is obligated to run back to put away the yearbook camera. On her way, she slips, falls, and bangs her head--and wakes up with no memory whatsoever of the last four years.



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

How To Lead a Life of Crime


How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

"It's like Hogwarts for hustlers," says main character Flick, a pickpocket and runaway recruited as a student to the Mandel Academy. 

At Mandel, students are taught to seize power, money and political control, especially using illegal tactics.  The school offers coursework in human traficking, drug manufacture and sales, exploitation of natural resources, and an intense study of addictions and how to capitalize upon them.  Students are usually orphans and others who will not be missed in the outside world, which is convenient for school administrators when dealing with "drop-outs" who might rat them out to authorities.

 Flick still has a mysteriously alluring girlfriend on the outside...until the day that Joi shows up as a newly-recruited Mandel student.  Suddenly, Flick's success strategy changes: he's determined to rescue Joi at any cost. 

The problem:  Joi doesn't want to cooperate with Flick's plan.  She has a plan of her own.

If you've ever had trouble distinguishing between unpredictable psychopaths and unpredictable sociopaths, this book will cure that.  It's got action, adventure, hand-to-hand violence, industrial sabotage, sexual scheming, computer hacking, and all the other stuff you'd hope to find in a great book of betrayal and suspense.  For some reason, the publisher has chosen to present "f-bombs" written as "f---" but other cuss words aren't blanked out.  This isn't deadly, but it is distracting within the narrative.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.