What to Read Fall 2012: Part 2

ALA ARCs are oh so much fun. Too bad I have to slow down my reading of them as I head back to school, but then again, I get to go back to teaching. Yay! So here's more of how I spent my summer:

Here's the scoop:

Reading over tacos at my favorite
 local taco stand.

1. Blessed by Tonya Hurley

""Agnes!' My mother wailed, clutching the pale arm of her only daughter. 'Is he really worth it? Worth this?'" Begins the chic new trilogy by the author of the Ghostgirl series (also former personal publicist to the George Michael, Prince, Morrissey, The Cure, and the Olson twins among others. Wow. BTW Her coolness level is definitely reflected in this book.) And from there, it's a fast-paced, edgy, and twisted dark adventure into the lives of three girls who are given matching bracelets by a mysterious hot guy while checked into a Catholic hospital. After that the girls are pulled deeper and deeper into the lore of ancient Catholic Saints, and into a modern world where they are the Saints. Really original idea. I loved the concept, and the thrill of the book, and recommend it for those who are comfortable in an edgy, dark YA world (I tend to be a bit of a wuss), enjoy exploring religion in a fresh way, and like a fast-paced adventure. Watch for it 9/25/12. Simon & Schuster.

2. Before You Go by James Prellier

Heading out on my sweet
beach cruiser to find a nice
spot to read.

"Jude squeezed his eyes shut, blinking away the sun's glare, and waited for the eight-fifteen-in-the-freaking-morning bus." Eight-fifteen as freaking early? I wish. Such a teenager. And he is. Jude is moody, complex, and has a right to be. He's been quietly dealing with the guilt of having been on duty when his little sis drowned years ago. Unfortunately, we know that she won't be his only tragedy. The book begins with a preface that alerts the readers that there will be another traumatic event at the end, and we spend the rest of the book building up to said tragedy. Throughout the work Jude becomes a richly complex character who falls in love with a complex real human girl, and makes good friends as he spends a summer working a crap job on the beach. But we all know something's coming, and it does. And it's sad. I recommend this one for anyone in the mood for rich complex characters facing problems for which they should be far too young. It's out now (Came out July).  Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan).

3. Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz 

At my desk 

"Colin clutched his precious, dog-eared Notebook to his chest." Is not the sort of first line I expected from the screenwriting duo behind X-Men: First Class and Thor!, and neither is this delightfully quirky mystery whose crime-solver has Aspergers and needs a collection of facial-expression notecards to tell him what people are feeling. I know that the autism narration thing has been done, and done well before (I absolutely love Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), but this one doesn't feel derivative. The characters are well-drawn as Colin navigates freshman year without the help of his aide, and ultimately sets out to solve the mystery of who brought a gun to school. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to re-experience high school from a naively logical perspective, loved Encyclopedia Brown, or just wants a sweet and engaging mystery. Look for it November 2012. Razorbill. (Penguin).

Happy Fall (into) Reading Everyone!!!