The Carrie Diaries

by Candace Bushnell

Meet Carrie Bradshaw before "Sex and The City." A senior in high school, Carrie is surrounded by friends, boys, and all the changes that come along with trying to figure out 'what to do with the rest of your life?' As she struggles to discover her own sense of style, she fights to break free of her small conservative town and make it big in "The City" as a famous writer. But with deliriously cute bad-boys and back-stabbing friends standing in her way, Carrie will have to discover what it means to be a true independent woman.

--Hollie Hawkins, Faculty

Blood: The Last Vampire

by Mamoru Oshii

In this manga-style novel, set in the days right before the start of the Vietnam War, Saya is a girl with a mysterious past who is sent to deal with mysterious attacks that keep occurring on an American Army base. A fierce and beautiful warrior, she do what she can to save the humans she has been sent to protect. But will her skills and cunning be enough to defeat a chillingly dead enemy? The first book in a highly successful series of novels in Japan, Blood: The Last Vampire is a fast-paced thriller full of action and chilling surprises.

--Philip S., Student

Love Hina vol. 1

by Ken Akamatsu

Keitrao Urashima is a second year Ronin (a student who has failed his college entrance exams), who has been kicked out of the house by his parents. With nowhere else to turn, he agrees to become the landlord of his grandma's inn "Hinata Lodge" while she takes a vacation. Little does he know the lodge is actually an all-girls dorm. Most guys would kill for this job, but if he's not careful, this job will kill him.

--Philip, S., Student

Mister Monday (Keys to the Kingdom, book 1)

by Garth Nix

Seven keys. Seven Days. A mysterious Will. And one boy. Arthur Penhaligon is about to embark on a fantastical adventure of magic and mystery. Strange things begin to happen after Arthur recovers from an asthma attack on the first day of school. He wakes up to find a mysterious key in his hand. Suddenly a weird new house appears in his neighborhood that no one else seems to be able to see. Upon entering the house, Arthur gets lost in a world of magical creatures and must find his way out before the terrible Mister Monday can steal the key away from Arthur. In this first of a seven-books series, Nix's imagination once again takes readers on a journey of excitement and suspense.

-- Tyberius, E., Student

Prom Dates from Hell (Maggie Quinn: Girl vs Evil, Book 1)

by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Maggie Quinn is in her final days as a senior in high school. That means prom is just around the corner, but unusual events occurring all around school keep Maggie busy searching for clues and answers. That seems to leave little time for finding a prom dress. Soon she is uncovering evidence that this year's prom will be nothing short of hell on Earth if she can't stop a group of demons who threaten to crash the scene and ruin the night.

--Philip S., Student

Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan

by Aimee Major-Steinberger

Join Aimee as she recounts her travels and adventures through Japan in this manga-style journal. Always standing out as a 6-foot tall American woman, she visits famous locations and cities with an otaku attitude (love of the Japanese culture). She and her two traveling companions have many adventures and mishaps along the way as they navigate the language barrier to visit restaurants, stores, musicals, and even hot springs. The artwork and humor shown throughout the book is sure to entice any Japanese-culture loving reader!

-- Philip S., Student

John Dies @ the End

by David Wong

Buddies John and David are recent college dropouts who come in contact with an illicit concoction called Soy Sauce that offers a gateway to previously unseen dimensions populated by alien creatures who are trying to gain access to the human dimension. Soon the guys are battling shadow men and wig monsters while struggling to keep friends and family from being sucked into an identity-erasing wormhole. Like Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure crossed with Shaun of the Dead, this is a loopy buddy-movie of a book with deadpan humor and great turns of phrase. The plot may leave some readers dazed and confused, but it is sure to make you laugh along the way!

-- Heather, K., Student

The Summoning

by Kelley Armstrong

Adventure, deception, mystery, and dead people. Chloe, 15, can see dead people, but before she understands what is going on, she has a major breakdown and is diagnosed with schizophrenia. She is sent to live in a group home where the other patients are more than what they seem. Together with these new friends, she discovers that people may not always be what they seem, and the world is full of unexpected things. This book was awesome because it keeps you guessing the whole way through. Make sure to check out the next two books in the same series!

-- Kat B., Student

Juice

by Eric Waters

Moose has been made captain of his high school football team. When the old football coach retires, the new coach in town brings in a lot of money and promises of a fantastical winning season. During practice, the strength training coach starts giving the players protein shakes. A little too late Moose discovers that the drinks contain steroids. Now he has to make the biggest choice of his life. The author does a good job of keeping the story interesting and realistically describing the drastic way steroids effect the football players lives.

-- Matthew M., Student

Kicked Out

by Beth Goobie

This story is about a family that has two teens dealing with a tragedy. The son, Darren, has been in a horrible accident and is severely physically disabled. Darren's sister, Dime, is a typical bad girl. Chasing any guy with a leather jacket and motorcycle, she is struggling to deal with her brother's accident. Told from the perspective of Dime, the author does a good job of writing from a teen's perspective and the story has lots of action.

-- Maria N., Student

Tell

by Norah McClintock

This book tells the story of David and his step-dad Phil. Phil has been murdered, and the police arrive at the Benson house to share the news and investigate the death. David's mom, Mrs. Benson, sobs while David is questioned by the police. He soon becomes the main suspect. As he thinks back to his life with his step-father, David begins to have some realizations about who the man really was and uncover some secrets about their family. This book is full of mystery and very suspenseful. If you like thrillers, then this is the book for you.

-- Syndi, B., Student

Exposure

by Patricia Murdoch

Exposure is a book that deals with the relationship between two girls. Dana and Julie don't get a long. Dana constantly picks on Julie with threats and physical attacks like stabbing Julie in the back with a pencil. When Julie's brother comes home with a camera full of incriminating pictures of Dana, Julie sees how she can get her revenge. But revenge might not be as sweet as Julie hoped.

-- Katie, H., Student

Beastly

by Alex Flinn

A modern twist on the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale. Kyle seems to have everything: good looks, money, charm, and popularity. Unfortunately he is also majorly self-centered and narcissistic. As a cruel joke, he invites an unpopular girl to the prom and plans to humiliate her in front of the whole school. What he doesn't expect is that she is really a powerful witch. As payback for his cruel ways, she curses him by stealing his gorgeous looks and turning him into a hideous beast. Kyle's only hope of reversing the curse is to find true love and be kissed. But who could ever love a beast? Soon to be a movie, this book is a thrilling update to the classic story.

-- Hollie Hawkins, Faculty

Tears of a Tiger

by Sharon M. Draper

Four high school basketball players win a basketball game and go driving around to celebrate. They all drink some beer, and Andy, the car's driver, ends up swerving into a wall. The car catches on fire, and Andy's best friend dies while the other three basketball stars survive. The surviving three go on with their lives trying to deal with tremendous guilt. Andy, however, has a hard time dealing and seeks help through counseling. Although he tries to convince everyone he's doing better, his girlfriend knows the truth - Andy is on the brink of falling apart in a major way.

-- Jamila, R., Student

Lament

by Maggie Stiefvater

What's a girl to do when her best friend is in love with her and she doesn't feel the same way about him? How about complicating the issue with a new guy who she does have feelings for, and who is some sort of killer faerie! Come join Dee and James and Luke (and the "Fair Folk") for a vividly-described story filled with music and mystery.

-- Kristin McKeown, Faculty

Fallen

by Lauren Kate

When her boyfriend dies in a mysterious fire, high school senior Luce is sent away to a reform school for troubled teens. Her new school is dark and decrepit, with mysterious students who seem even more troubled than herself. But the students at Sword & Cross are much more than they appear, especially Daniel Grigori who is intent on ignoring Luce. She wants to understand the uncontrollable desire and familiarity she feels towards him. He, meanwhile tries to keep Luce at a distance, telling her that discovering the truth of their attraction would kill her as it has many times before. Star-crossed soul mates who for centuries find one another only to lose one another over and over again, their love is the key to a battle between good and evil, love and hate, and ultimately angels and demons. This supernaturally dark romance is sure to leave readers begging for a sequel.

-- Hollie Hawkins, Faculty

Spy Goddess: To Hawaii, with Love

by Michael Spradlin

Fifteen-year-old Rachel returns in this sequel as Spy Goddess for another fast-paced face-off against evil. As a reincarnated Goddess of Light, she must reach an ancient artifact before villain Simon Blankenship snaps it up and releases Mithras, the Goddess of the Underworld. Set in Hawaii and filled with fast paced action, this is a great book for anyone who enjoys spy fiction or action-adventure stories.

-- Philip S., Student

Liar

by Justine Larbalestier

Micah is a bi-racial 17 year old attending a progressive private high school in New York City. She is a bit of an outsider in her senior class and is known as a habitual liar. When her oh-so-secret boyfriend Zach mysteriously dies, she becomes one of the main suspects. Narrating her own story, Micah slowly begins to reveal truths about herself, her family, and the true relationship with Zach. Readers will be tempted to fly through this novel, though the wise will be wary of Micah's tale and read carefully for subtle slip-ups and foreshadowing. The chilling story that she spins will have readers’ hearts racing as in three sections she goes from "Telling the Truth," to "Telling the True Truth," to "Telling the Actual Real Truth," uncovering previous lies and revealing bizarre occurrences in the process. Nothing is as it seems.

-- Hollie Hawkins, Faculty

Meridian: Flying Solo

by Barbara Kesel (Author), Steve McNiven & Joshua Middleton (Illustrators)

This graphic novel tells the story of Sephie, the only daughter of the Minister of Meridian. When her loving father dies she inherits a sigil imbued with the power to create, and soon finds herself in a battle for power against her wicked Uncle Ilahn. Kidnapped to the world of Calador, Sephie’s journey home to Meridian puts her in the path of many people good and bad that help her grow up and counter Ilahn’s plans to take over her world.

-- Philip, S., Student

The Help

by Kathryn Stockett

This historical fiction novel focuses on the fascinating and complex relationships between vastly different members of a southern community in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college, and to the dislike of her mother, without a ring on her finger. Anxious to become a writer, she begins collecting stories from the black women on whom the country club set relies and mistrusts. Enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, perhaps the most outspoken maid in town, Skeeter delves deeper into the racial divides that palpitate throughout the community. With point of views and characterizations from each set of society, this book communicates with truth and honesty the highly charged atmosphere and feelings prominent in the pre-civil rights movement of the late '60's.

-- Martha Riley, Faculty

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.' So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. For more than 50 years England has been overrun by zombies, prompting families like the Bennets to send their daughters away to China for training in the art of deadly combat. Between scenes of zombie killings, Austen's plot can still be found along with all of its love and intrigue but now with more action! Added to the familiar plot turns that bring Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy together is the fact that both are highly skilled killers, gleefully slaying zombies on the way to their happy ending. This is an exciting update to the classic love story that is sure to bring the reader laughs, dry heaving, and tears of joy!

-- Hollie Hawkins, Faculty

Cairo: A Graphic Novel

by G. Willow Wilson

With beautiful drawings and details that bring the story to life, this graphic novel set in modern day Cairo, Egypt but with a fantastical-magical twist. Bringing together a host of interesting and diverse characters, the plot thickens as they navigate the city's streets and spiritual underworld to find a stolen hookah with a smooth talking genie inside. Sought by a wrathful gangster-magician, the hookah (and genie) become the catalyst for describing the true troubles, fates, and adventures that are found every day in Cairo.

--Chris, G., Student

Evernight

by Claudia Gray

Sixteen year-old Bianca has just been transferred to begin attending a new elite boarding school where her parents will now be professors. Feeling like an outsider, she meets rebel hottie Lucas Ross. As their relationship heats up, they try to uncover the truth behind the school's rich, beautiful, and gifted student body and faculty. What they don't know is that they both hold a dark personal secret that could threaten to rip apart their world forever. The intense and suspenseful ending will leave readers dying for the sequel! Filled with action, romance, and mystery, this book is sure to be a favorite of Twilight, Blue Bloods, and Vampire Academy fans.

-- Leah, S., Student

Open

by Andre Agassi

A real page turner! Open is the autobiography of tennis great Andre Agassi. In it, he reveals the ups and downs in both his professional and personal life. With open candor, humor, and humility, Agassi describes in detail the struggles of being a young super-star facing drug addiction, unhealthy relationships, depression, and a devastating loosing streak. But through perseverance, hard work, and the love of his family, coach, and wife he makes a triumphant return to the top. At once both funny and sad, this book is proof that Andre Agassi has had one of the most interesting lives and careers in sports history.

--Jason Gould, Faculty

The Recipe Club

by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel

The Recipe Club is about two women who write letters to each other from childhood to adulthood. In each letter they include a recipe, therefore calling themselves "The Recipe Club!" The book is a story of friendship and families and explores the love, drama, secrets, and lies that go along with those complex relationships. You will enjoy seeing how the two womens' lives develop, reading about their different personalities, and discovering where their paths take them in life. Included is an index of all the book's recipes which are surprisingly fun and delicious to make! A very easy read that would make an excellent selection for any book club.

-- Shari Weisz, Faculty