Monday, September 30, 2013

New Fiction


An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships. –Summary.

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFeavers
His Fair Assassin; Book Two
“Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, Sybella, the convent realizes, is one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?” – Inside jacket.

Fauna by Alissa York
“The wide ravine that bisects the city is home to countless species of urban wildlife, including human waifs and strays. When Edal Jones can't cope with the casual cruelty she encounters in her job as a federal wildlife officer, she finds herself drawn to a beacon of solace nestled in the valley under the unlikely banner of an auto-wrecker's yard. Guy Howell, the handsome proprietor, offers sanctuary to animals and people alike: a half-starved hawk and a brood of orphaned raccoon kits, a young soldier whose spirit failed him during his first tour of duty, a teenage runaway and her massive black dog. Guy is well versed in the delicate workings of damaged beings, and he might just stand a chance at mending Edal's heart. But before love can bloom, the little community must come to terms with a different breed of lost soul - a young man whose brutal backwoods childhood is catching up with him, causing him to persecute the creatures that call the valley home." –Publisher.

Mystic by Alyson Noel
Soul Seekers; Book Three
"Since coming to Enchantment, New Mexico everything in Daire Santos life has changed. And not all for the better. While she's come to accept and embrace her new powers as a Soul Seeker, Daire struggles with the responsibility she holds navigating between the worlds of the living and the dead." –Publisher.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
MaddAddam; Book One
“Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plaque, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, snowman embarks on a journey – with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake – through the lush wilderness that was once recently as great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride.” –Back cover.

The Year of The Flood by Margaret Atwood
MaddAddam; Book Two
“In a world driven by shadowy, corrupt corporations and the uncontrolled development of new, gene-spliced life forms, a man-made pandemic occurs, obliterating human life. Two people find they have unexpectedly survived: Ren, a young dancer locked inside the high-end ex club Scales and Tails, and Toby, solitary and determined, who has barricaded herself inside a luxurious spa, watching and waiting. The women have to decide on their next move – they can’t stay hidden forever. But is anyone else out there?” –Back cover.

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
“Months after the Waterless Flood pandemic has wiped out most of humanity, Toby and Ren have rescued their friend Amanda from the vicious Painballers. They regroup at the MaddAddamite cob house, newly fortified against man and giant Pigoon alike. Accompanying them are the Crakers, the gentle, quasi-human species engineered by the brilliant but deceased Crake. Their reluctant prophet, Jimmy-the-Snowman is recovering from a debilitating fever, so it's left to Toby to preach the Craker theology, with Crake as Creator. She must also deal with cultural misunderstandings, sexual mishaps, terrible coffee, and her jealousy over her lover, Zeb.” –Inside jacket.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
"Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was before – before his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with new girl Cassidy Thorpe." –Back cover.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Blood of Eden; Book Two
"She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever—and possibly end human and vampire existence.” –Inside jacket.

The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore
Lorien Legacies; Book Four
After facing off with the Mogadorian ruler and almost being annihilated at the end of The Rise of Nine, the Garde now realize that they are drastically unprepared and hopelessly outgunned. They must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team, or they won’t stand a chance. The battle may have been lost, but the war for Earth’s survival is far from over. –Summary.

The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
The Orenda opens with the kidnapping of Snow Falls, a spirited Iroquois girl with a special gift. Her captor, Bird, is an elder and one of the Huron Nation's great warriors and statesmen. Although it’s been years since the murder of his family members, they’re never far from his mind. In Snow Falls, Bird recognizes the ghost of his lost daughter; he sees that the girl possesses powerful magic, something useful to him and his people on the troubled road ahead. The Huron Nation has battled the Iroquois for as long as Bird can remember, but both tribes now face a new, more dangerous peril from afar.” –Inside jacket.

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
"Sutter Keely. He's the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually. Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever." –Publisher.