Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

If you enjoyed Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, then you may enjoy this book.  It feels related and a continuation of the story but it's not exactly been confirmed.  There is some passionate scenes.  Well written but maybe for a niche group of students.  Perfect for personal and mainstream libraries.  High School Librarian may want to read the book to before they put it on the shelf.  I liked it but I don't think I'll get it for my school library.

The Queen’s Thief: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Excellent story and series.  Very smart.  Think The False Prince series, meets Game of Thrones... PG version.

Perfect for any school library.  A must add.  Enjoy.

The Dark Is Rising: The Grey King By Susan Cooper

Merlin and legends of King Arthur, power and magic, light vs dark and modern life and raising sheep and sheep dogs blend together to have an adventure in the land of Wales.  Sprinkles of Welsh words to give this story some grounding makes this a magical read.  Enjoy.

The Queen’s Thief: The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

This series gets better as you read along.  Think Lord of the Rings meets Game of Thrones meets The False Prince.  An excellent read.  Fine for any library, high school, personal or public.  Enjoy.

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

I listened to the audio book of this version.  It's about philosophy, religion and forgiveness.  Steeped in Christian religion, it's the story of a man who looks for answers, for forgiveness and to forgive.  I think this book is terrific for any personal and public library.  It is a hard read when a parent loses a child by violence from a serial killer but there is an important message in this story and it would be up to you to read the book to find that message.  Enjoy.

The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie

I like this series.  One of these days I'll check out the YouTube show.  It's Scooby-doo meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Not to be taken seriously.  Just the right amount of drama.  Fine for any high school library.  Enjoy.

The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer

It's steampunk at it's finest.  It's a good start to an adventure.  I look forward to reading more of this series.  It's fine for any high school library.  The story is filled with romance, adventure and mystery.  It's a good read.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

I have this book in my high school library and I think I'll have to get the rest of the series.  What I like about Maureen Johnson is that she nails foreign places in her stories in the eyes of an American teen.  Oh wait, I also enjoy the fact that she can tell a story.  This one is a ghostly murder mystery and it works.  Enjoy.

Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund

It's a bit unrealistic and over the top,  but it's sweet.  It's works for the Christian Romance genre.  It's fine for Young Adult but I wouldn't buy for high school library.  It's perfect for personal and public libraries.

Falling Kingdoms Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes

The story continues and it's very exciting.  Lots of backstabbing and front stabbing as well.  It's a drama of politics and magic and the quest for power.  It's a good story.

Relic Master: The Margrave By Catherine Fisher

Catherine Fisher can tell a story.  It's a good series to read for those who like fantasy and twists and turns.  Fine for any school library as well as personal and public libraries.  It's a good read.  Enjoy.

A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery: Twisted Threads By Lea Wait

It's one of the murder mystery genre that has a become popular.  It's a good easy read.  It's wrapped around the world of needlecraft.  It's fine for personal and public libraries.  Enjoy.

Leave Me by Gayle Forman

This was a good read.  It's about being an adult and having family and figuring out life.  It's not really for high school libraries but it would be fine for high school teens to read.  It's a very good read with lots of layers.

Black by Ted Dekker

It's an intense read.  Perfect for personal, private and public libraries.  Not really mainstream high school library.  It's a good read.  Strange but good. It's an alternate reality type book.  Enjoy.

A Hereafter Novel: Elegy By Tara Hudson

The story is fine but it's gets unbelievable and over the top.  It's fine for high school library but the ending crashed and burned.

The Girl at Midnight: The Shadow Hour By Melissa Grey

Shadow Hunters meet Daughter of Smoke and Bone and you get this magical story set in contemporary times.  I would buy this for my high school library.  It's an intense and good read.  Enjoy.

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

It's a contemporary fantasy story that involves Atlantis.  It works and is fine for any high school library.

Hereafter: Arise by Tara Hudson

It's a ghost and person love story, it's a paranormal story and it's a story of loved ones in danger.

The story works except how do you make the ghost in new clothes vanish?  It's fine for high school libraries.

A Teardrop Story: Last Day of Love by Lauren Kate

This is the first book that I have read it this series.  It's a novella that provides a back story on Ander.  I look forward to reading book 1.  Enjoy.

A Manor House Mystery: Grace Interrupted By Julie Hyzy

If you enjoy light hearted murder mysteries, then this is a good series to include.  It's funny and a mystery and entertaining.  It's a good mystery.  Enjoy.

An Orphan Queen Novella: The Black Knife by Jodi Meadows

It's a good digital novella.  For just a short amount of pages, its packed with action and danger.  It's a good read.

Young Merlin Trilogy: Merlin By Jane Yolen

The story continues in another short story.  This gives Merlin a back story.  Enjoy.

Young Merlin Trilogy: Hobby by Jane Yolen

An abandoned child who lived ferrel in the woods and then finds a home and adopted by good people.
Now the story continues and the boy must move on and into the city he goes.  He meets dangerous people, from thieves and performers to dukes and soldiers.  It's a good read.  It's a short read.

An Orphan Queen Novella: The Glowing Knight by Jodi Meadows

This is a novella in digital format.  It's good vs. evil.  Our hero, isn't perfect, still learning the ropes.  It's a good novella and I'm looking forward to reading the series.  It's a good read.

The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle

It's the story of a boy navigating through life and figuring it out.  There is some romance scenes between Quinn and his love interest.  There is also the grief of the death of a sibling. The book is perfect for a personal library of public library.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Prejudices and grief are part of the story of the tragic loss of a young boy who is killed by a police officer.  Starr is the witness to the events.  Read her story as she fits in two worlds.  It's a good read.  It's a world of family love, violence, drugs and survival.

The Young Merlin series: Passager by Jane Yolen

It's a quick read about a ferrel child who ends up with the name Merlin.  It's a simple yet well crafted story that gives us a bit of the back story of Merlin.  It's a good read.

An Orphan Queen: The Burning Hand By Jodi Meadows

It's a short novella that gives backstory to the Orphan Queen series.  It's a fantasy novella.  Enjoy.

Lady Helen: The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

I did like this story.  Pure fantasy and entertaining.  Perfect for public and personal libraries.  Would I get for my high school library?  No.  I don't think it would appeal to a broad student population.  It's good but I think for a niche population. Think Jane Austin meets Scooby Do meets Superman.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Politics and scheming are big part of this story.  It's a fantasy that has lots of mean people.  It's fine for personal and public library.  I don't think I would buy this book for my high school library.  I don't think it will have a broad appeal to my students.

The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst

It's a fantasy story fine for personal libraries and public libraries.  There is violence in the story.  Lots of conniving and scheming.  It's a good fantasy.

Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonneblick

You should have any book written by Jordan Sonnenblick in your school library.  This is a good book about family life that changes after a young father has a stroke.  It resonates true to me, when I was in middle school, my father had a stroke.  Life changes.  This book is an inspiration.  It's a good read.

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Fine for any high school library.  It's how relationships change under the stage lights of performance.  Finding who you are and who your friends are.  It's a good read.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

It's historical fiction based on the ghettos of Warsaw during Nazi occupation.  It's a good book.  Fine for any school library.

Dorothy Must Die: The End Of Oz by Danielle Paige

It's the end of the series and you'll have to read the book to see how it all turns out.  It's not a sweet little story but politics and power plays.  Good for public libraries and personal libraries.

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

It's a snappy and fun mystery.  Think Scooby-Doo meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I have this book in my high school library and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.  It's a good and fun read. Enjoy.

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid

I liked this book:  there is humor, danger, and a bit of romance and a whole lot of crazy.  It's a good read.  Nemesis is an interesting character and S. J. Kincaid has created quite the gal and also quite the plot.  I think this book is perfect for public libraries and personal libraries.  It's fine for high school libraries for mature readers.

Ransom by Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan could tell a story.  I appreciate that she updated the story and add modern elements to the story such as cell phones.  I read this story because when I was a teen, in the 70's, a town a few hours away, Chowchilla, had a school bus of children and the driver kidnapped.  This book is fine for any high school library.  It's a good book.

True to Life Series from Hamilton High: Telling by Marilyn Reynolds

Marilyn Reynolds is one of the first people to write stories that relate to her own high school students.  The story should be in all high school libraries and this is fine for middle school also.  It's an important story for students who may be facing a troubles of being molested.

Marilyn Reynolds came and talked to my students this past month.  She knows how to talk to high school students.  I would recommend her to other classes/schools for an author visit.  Marilyn Reynold's Home Page

Outrun The Moon by Stacey Lee

I was not impressed with this book.  It's fine for any school library.  Here is what my concerns were, the plot and character was way over the top.  It was hard to believe.  It's historical fiction with great liberties.  I really wanted it to work but it was just hard to believe.

Septimus Heap: Physik By Angie Sage

I like this series.  It's Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings in a YA format.  It's a good read and fine for any high school and middle school library.  Enjoy.

Accidental Love by Gary Soto

Gary Soto writes about Fresno in a way teens can connect.  Bringing in Hispanic culture and teen life to make it relevant to real life.  It's a good read.

I Am Number Four: United As One By Pittacus Lore

The story is now coming to an end.  Lots of fighting.  It's a good saga and now it comes to an end.  Fine for any high school library.  Enjoy.

The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye by Jane Yolen

Looking for a book to say good bye to a family friend, here you go.  Done with great thought and love.  If you have a young child, this is the book to help.

Orphan Queen: The Hidden Prince By Jodi Meadows

I liked this book.  It's an intro novella.  Now I want to start reading the series.  It's an enjoyable adventure book setting the characters and tone for to start of the books.  Fine for any high school library.  Enjoy.

Kate Grable: Bad Yeti by Carrie Harris

This is a novella that is too funny.  I am looking forward to reading the two books in this series.  It's perfect for high school libraries because it's adventurous, humorous and cool.  Plus it's a very short story.  Enjoy.

Monster: The Get Over By Walter Dean Myers

I love Monster.  The story of a boy who dreams of creating movies and yet makes a bad choice and get's involved in a robbery goes bad.  He is now in jail on trial.

This book is a prequel to the book.  It's a very short book.  20 pages.  There's a lot of street talk.

Walter Dean Myers passed away but his writing lives.  He knew how to write.

The 100: Rebellion by Kass Morgan

Oh the story continues and now there is a crazy fanatic group with horrible customs that have captured various people to do bad things.  It's a suspenseful read.

The Dark Is Rising: GreenWitch by Susan Cooper

It's a good read.  Good for middle school and also upper elementary school.  It's a magical adventure.  Merlin is now Uncle Merry in a modern world.  The story works.  Enjoy.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I really liked this book.  It's set in Australia, about 8 hours away from Sydney.  Its' a great story and a big mystery follows Taylor.  She has limited memories of growing up.  Her mother is a drug addict.  There is a lot of personal pain from various characters.  Jonah, almost ended his own life, his father was physically abusive to his mother, brother and himself.  Jonah killed his father with a cricket bat to protect his family.  It's a good story.  Maybe too advanced for teens.  It's for someone who will commit to the story that is worth committing too.