Lucky Few
By: Kathryn Ormsbee
Stevie Hart is homeschooled, but don’t hold that against her. Sure, she and her best (okay, only) friend, Sanger, will never be prom queens, but that’s just because the Central Austin Homeschool Cooperative doesn’t believe in proms. Or dancing. Still, Stevie and Sanger know how to create their own brand of fun. Enter Max Garza, the new boy next door. After a near-fatal accident, Max is determined to defy mortality with a checklist: “23 Ways to Fake My Death Without Dying.” Dead set on carrying out fabricated demises ranging from impalement to spontaneous combustion, Max charms Stevie and Sanger into helping him with this two-month macabre mission. But as Stevie finds herself falling for Max, it becomes increasingly difficult to draw a line between his make-believe deaths and her real life (From goodreads.com)
I’m reaaaaaalllly particular about my quirky and I often find that there can be delightfully quirky, contrived quirky, and just plain annoying quirky. In this instance, delightfully quirky won out. The characters in this book are fantastic and while it may seem a bit morbid for a book to be so immersed in death, this one’s approach is actually fascinating without ever feeling maudlin or trite. In addition to this, the friendship between Stevie and Sanger is extraordinary. It is one of love and loyalty and trust and respect and, ultimately, that is what really puts the book over the edge of awesome. Definitely a worthwhile read, one that I think many teens will find not only compulsively readable but introspective, interesting, and, of course, quirky.
By: Kathryn Ormsbee
Stevie Hart is homeschooled, but don’t hold that against her. Sure, she and her best (okay, only) friend, Sanger, will never be prom queens, but that’s just because the Central Austin Homeschool Cooperative doesn’t believe in proms. Or dancing. Still, Stevie and Sanger know how to create their own brand of fun. Enter Max Garza, the new boy next door. After a near-fatal accident, Max is determined to defy mortality with a checklist: “23 Ways to Fake My Death Without Dying.” Dead set on carrying out fabricated demises ranging from impalement to spontaneous combustion, Max charms Stevie and Sanger into helping him with this two-month macabre mission. But as Stevie finds herself falling for Max, it becomes increasingly difficult to draw a line between his make-believe deaths and her real life (From goodreads.com)
I’m reaaaaaalllly particular about my quirky and I often find that there can be delightfully quirky, contrived quirky, and just plain annoying quirky. In this instance, delightfully quirky won out. The characters in this book are fantastic and while it may seem a bit morbid for a book to be so immersed in death, this one’s approach is actually fascinating without ever feeling maudlin or trite. In addition to this, the friendship between Stevie and Sanger is extraordinary. It is one of love and loyalty and trust and respect and, ultimately, that is what really puts the book over the edge of awesome. Definitely a worthwhile read, one that I think many teens will find not only compulsively readable but introspective, interesting, and, of course, quirky.
The Carnival at Bray
By: Jessie Ann Foley
It's 1993, and Generation X pulses to the beat of Kurt Cobain and the grunge movement. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Lynch is uprooted from big-city Chicago to a windswept town on the Irish Sea. Surviving on care packages of Spin magazine and Twizzlers from her rocker uncle Kevin, she wonders if she'll ever find her place in this new world. When first love and sudden death simultaneously strike, a naive but determined Maggie embarks on a forbidden pilgrimage that will take her to a seedy part of Dublin and on to a life- altering night in Rome to fulfill a dying wish. Through it all, Maggie discovers an untapped inner strength to do the most difficult but rewarding thing of all, live (From goodreads.com)
If you’re looking to invoke 1990’s Ireland, look no farther! The Carnival at Bray is not only an extraordinary story of loss, first love, and music but it brings to life Irish culture and transports readers straight to the Irish seaside. Both atmospheric and heartbreaking this is the best of the best!
By: Jessie Ann Foley
It's 1993, and Generation X pulses to the beat of Kurt Cobain and the grunge movement. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Lynch is uprooted from big-city Chicago to a windswept town on the Irish Sea. Surviving on care packages of Spin magazine and Twizzlers from her rocker uncle Kevin, she wonders if she'll ever find her place in this new world. When first love and sudden death simultaneously strike, a naive but determined Maggie embarks on a forbidden pilgrimage that will take her to a seedy part of Dublin and on to a life- altering night in Rome to fulfill a dying wish. Through it all, Maggie discovers an untapped inner strength to do the most difficult but rewarding thing of all, live (From goodreads.com)
If you’re looking to invoke 1990’s Ireland, look no farther! The Carnival at Bray is not only an extraordinary story of loss, first love, and music but it brings to life Irish culture and transports readers straight to the Irish seaside. Both atmospheric and heartbreaking this is the best of the best!
Lucky in Love
By: Kasie West
Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --
She wins!
In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?
Technically this book doesn’t come out until July of this year . . . . but any book by Kasie West is sure to be a winner! So make sure to mark your calendars and add this one to your TBR lists!
By: Kasie West
Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --
She wins!
In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?
Technically this book doesn’t come out until July of this year . . . . but any book by Kasie West is sure to be a winner! So make sure to mark your calendars and add this one to your TBR lists!
The Call
By: Peadar O'Guilin
Imagine a world where you might disappear any minute, only to find yourself alone in a grey sickly land, with more horrors in it than you would ever wish to know about. And then you hear a horn and you know that whoever lives in this hell has got your scent and the hunt has already begun.
Could you survive the Call?
Are you looking for something absolutely and utterly horrifying? Well then O’Guilin’s The Call will definitely keep you up at night! Based on the Sidhe of Irish Folklore, this dark and chilling tale not only creates a mood that feels sinister but is also genuinely terrifying. Aside from the horror, what makes this book special is the fact that provides readers not just with a compelling story but a history lesson as well. O’Guilin does an excellent job of weaving the Sidhe’s history and the basis of the folklore into the narrative creating a reading experience you won’t soon forget!
By: Peadar O'Guilin
Imagine a world where you might disappear any minute, only to find yourself alone in a grey sickly land, with more horrors in it than you would ever wish to know about. And then you hear a horn and you know that whoever lives in this hell has got your scent and the hunt has already begun.
Could you survive the Call?
Are you looking for something absolutely and utterly horrifying? Well then O’Guilin’s The Call will definitely keep you up at night! Based on the Sidhe of Irish Folklore, this dark and chilling tale not only creates a mood that feels sinister but is also genuinely terrifying. Aside from the horror, what makes this book special is the fact that provides readers not just with a compelling story but a history lesson as well. O’Guilin does an excellent job of weaving the Sidhe’s history and the basis of the folklore into the narrative creating a reading experience you won’t soon forget!
Lucky Strikes
By: Louis Bayard
Set in Depression-era Virginia, this is the story of orphaned Amelia and her struggle to keep her siblings together.
With her mama recently dead and her pa sight unseen since birth, fourteen-year-old Amelia is suddenly in charge of her younger brother and sister, and of the family gas station. Harley Blevins, local king and emperor of Standard Oil, is in hot pursuit to clinch his fuel monopoly. To keep him at bay and her family out of foster care, Melia must come up with a father, and fast. And so when a hobo rolls out of a passing truck, Melia grabs opportunity by its beard. Can she hold off the hounds till she comes of age? (From goodreads.com)
History buffs will definitely appreciate the historical tie-in and those just looking for an absolutely wonderful story, filled with southern drawls, family dynamics, and love in all shapes and sizes will keep turning those pages until the very end.
By: Louis Bayard
Set in Depression-era Virginia, this is the story of orphaned Amelia and her struggle to keep her siblings together.
With her mama recently dead and her pa sight unseen since birth, fourteen-year-old Amelia is suddenly in charge of her younger brother and sister, and of the family gas station. Harley Blevins, local king and emperor of Standard Oil, is in hot pursuit to clinch his fuel monopoly. To keep him at bay and her family out of foster care, Melia must come up with a father, and fast. And so when a hobo rolls out of a passing truck, Melia grabs opportunity by its beard. Can she hold off the hounds till she comes of age? (From goodreads.com)
History buffs will definitely appreciate the historical tie-in and those just looking for an absolutely wonderful story, filled with southern drawls, family dynamics, and love in all shapes and sizes will keep turning those pages until the very end.
Make sure to check out these Graphic Novel & Non-Fiction titles too!
Lucky Penny
By: Ananth Hirsh & Yuko Ota YA GRAPHIC NOVEL |
Celtic Myth & Legend: An A to Z People and Places
By: Mike Kennedy-Dixon YA NON-FICTION [YA 398.208 DIXON] |
Brian Froud's
Faeries' Tales By: Brian Froud YA NON-FICTION [YA 741.64 FROUD] |
Celtic Mythology
By: Catherine Bernard YA NON-FICTION [YA 398.2 BERNARD] |
Make sure to check out these lucky reading lists!