Looking Toward Fall:

Sometimes, as librarians, we get books before they get published. These are called Advance Reading Copies or ARCs. Publishers give them to us for several reasons ranging from the fact that libraries buy lots of books to the fact that we love to give good books to readers. Readers, meaning YOU. Every time I read a book I think about who I would give this book to; who would like it. And I've been reading A LOT of good books lately. Here are a few to look forward to this fall:

HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

"Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place. " *

IMPOSSIBLE by Nancy Werlin

"Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents beside her. And she has Zach, whose strength amazes her more each day. Do they have enough love and resolve to overcome an age-old evil?"

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

"Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. "

PAPER TOWNS by John Green

"When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q."

HERO-TYPE by Barry Lyga
"Everyone is treating Kevin as a hero. He was in the right place and the right time and he saved a girl from being murdered. Only Kevin knows though, why he was able to save her. Things get even more complicated when Kevin is seen removing two patriotic "Support the Troops" ribbons from his car bumper. Now the town that lauded him as a hero turns on him, calling him unpatriotic. Kevin, who hadn't thought much about it up to then, becomes politically engaged, suddenly questioning what exactly supporting the troops or even saying the pledge of allegiance every day means. "

Always remember that if you hear of a book that you want to read, ASK FOR IT - either by walking up to your friendly neighborhood librarian (like me) or on this convenient online form. We'll probably buy it for the library. Save your cash for something else, like ice cream. Ice cream is good, and you can't get it for free at the library.

--Jackie

*Quotes are all taken from the Product Description at Amazon, except IMPOSSIBLE, which was taken from the author's site, because I was too lazy to write them myself.