Month: April 2017

Romance, YA Fiction

Snowbirds by Crissa-Jean Chapelle

The Bookish Librarian

snowbirdsGrades 9-12

Every year, Alice goes to visit her best friend Lucy in Florida, and travels along with a throng of other Amish people to spend the winter in the south. This year is different, however, because Alice is in the middle of her Rumspringa, which is a period in every Amish young person’s life when they experience forbidden temptations and decide whether or not they will continue to adopt the Amish lifestyle. Lucy is part of a different sect, and struggles to keep up with Alice as she bounces around from party to party, living it up. Then one day, Alice vanishes, and Lucy blames herself for not keeping a closer watch on her friend instead of making out with the adorable Faron, who was shunned by his family and community. Will Lucy be able to find Alice before it’s too late?

Romance, YA Fiction

Even If the Sky Falls by Mia Garcia

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

sky falls

Julie’s life is a mess, so she heads to New Orleans with her youth group to rebuild houses and get her mind off of everything. The trip seems like more trouble than it’s worth, though, because she can’t escape her overbearing team leader and project participants. She decides to ditch it all, and heads to Mardi Gras, where she meets a cute guy named Miles. Together they explore New Orleans, and her life is looking better than ever. Suddenly a hurricane takes an unexpected turn for the worse, and Julie is once again facing turmoil. Will things ever change?

YA Fiction

Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

autofocus

Maude’s senior project for her photography class is to do a portfolio that shows the meaning of family. This is a tough assignment for her, because her birth mother died when she was born. In order to find out the truth about her, Maude makes the trip to visit her best friend Treena, who dorms at college in Tallahassee, the same town that Maude’s mother once lived. However, Treena is busy with school, boys and her social life, and can’t find time to help her friend. Then she meets, Bennett, a cute boy who lives in Treena’s dorm, who agrees to help her in her search. She’s excited but nervous to find out what her mother’s past holds.

Adult Fiction, Tear Jerkers

The Secret Language of Sisters by Luanne Rice

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

secret language of sisters

Roo’s life is changed forever when she responds to a text while driving. She is in a bad car accident and ends up paralyzed in the hospital. To her family, she seems like she’s in a coma, but she has locked-in syndrome, which means that she can see, hear, and understand everything around her, but no one knows it. Roo’s sister Tilly is the one who sent that fateful text, and she now must deal with the guilt and consequences of her actions.

Romance, YA Fiction

In Case You Missed It by Sarah Darer Littman

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

in case you missed it

Seventeen-year-old Sammy Wallach plans to sneak to the city to see her favorite band in concert. She has been practicing for this since forever, and has everything under control. That is until the bank her father works for is hacked and everything is stolen from their family’s private cloud. Sammy’s entire digital life is out in the open! All the sensitive things she wrote about her friends get leaked, and now they’re out to get her. Plus, all the lies she told in order to sneak out to the concert get uncovered too. Will life ever be the same?

LGBTQ+, Romance, Series, YA Fiction

Honestly Ben by Bill Koningsberg

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

honestly ben

This is the long awaited sequel to Openly Straight! The book continues the story in Ben’s point of view, and he’s doing great. He is getting stellar grades in school, is the newly-elected captain of the baseball team, and he’s recently won a giant college scholarship. He tries to keep things the way they are, but he’s distracted by Hannah, a pretty girl he has a crush on, the pressure of schoolwork, and his mother, who seems to be unhappy a lot lately. Can Ben keep the momentum up or will it all come crashing down?

Adult Fiction, ARC Reviews

Sunbaked by Junie Coffey

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

sunbaked

Nina Spark has just moved to Pineapple Cay, and things are going really well for her as she settles into her cottage on the beach. However, Barry Bassett, a local man, has his eye on her cottage and plans to tear it down so he can put up condos. Then Barry’s wife Tiffany goes missing, and Nina is the prime suspect. Nina has to figure out who is really behind the disappearance of Tiffany Bassett before she ultimately takes the blame!

Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.

ARC Reviews, Series, YA Fiction

Justice Delayed by Marti Green

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

justice delayed

This book is the fifth in the Innocent Prisoners Project series. Sixteen-year-old Kelly Braden is babysitting for her younger cousin Lisa when she gets abducted and killed. The suspect? An intellectually challenged man named Jack Osgood, who is ultimately convicted and sent to jail. Two years later, Jack Osgood is on death row and facing execution very soon. Defense Attorney Dani Trumball isn’t too sure that Osgood is actually guilty, and is terrified that an innocent man will die for someone else’s crime. Will she find out the truth before it’s too late?

Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.

ARC Reviews, YA Fiction

Dead to Me by Cristy Watson

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

dead to me

Logan has been full of resentment toward his uncle ever since he found out that he was involved in the killing of his own brother, Logan’s dad. He disowns his uncle and becomes very reckless, feeling that this is the only way to feel anything. Logan and his friends break into a house that they think is abandoned, but what they find there gets them in trouble with the law. Will Logan be able to turn his life around?

Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.

ARC Reviews, Romance, YA Fiction

Let’s Try This Again by Jordyn Woodke

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9-12

lets try this again

Josie’s ex-boyfriend Isaac is suddenly back in the picture, and she’s not sure if she should make the move to the West Coast like she planned. However, she bites the bullet and moves to California, where she meets Carter, a heartthrob who used to be in a boy band. Josie becomes Carter’s assistant as he starts to re-launch his career, and her life starts to fall into place. Josie fears that she will cross the line with Carter, since he is her boss and she has a huge crush on him. She is faced with choosing between two boys: Carter and Isaac, and she’s not sure she can make the decision. Read Let’s Try This Again to find out!

Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.