My Favorite Books
read in 2018
Sue Heraper
Teacher Librarian
Newbury Park High School
Realistic Fiction
Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
As Moss starts his junior year, metal detectors and random locker searches arrive at West Oakland High. Both new policies cause immediate issues for innocent students. Moss's group of friends is affected and they begin organizing. Tragedy strikes during a planned school walk out, and Moss must stand up and fight for what is right. This is an excellent social justice-theme contemporary realistic fiction debut.
Also recommended:
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi
After their home in Syria is bombed, Tareq, his father, and his younger sister seek refuge. This is an inspiring story of resilience in the face of darkness, and of one boy's courage in desperate circumstances.
Coming of Age
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
12-year-old Loo has moved to a New England fishing village where her father, Hawley, has found work. Hawley tries to leave behind the criminal life he led before Loo was born, and she tries to cope with the loss of her mother. There is action and suspense, but the core of the story is the character development and exploration of relationships.
Also recommended:
My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd
Thirteen-year-old Venus Black, a straitlaced, straight-A student, is arrested for committing a shocking crime. When she is released from a juvenile detention center five years later, she assumes a new identity and pledges to find her mentally disabled younger brother who was kidnapped while she was gone. This is a gripping debut about family, forgiveness, and moving on.
Romance
Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry
This is the seventh book by Katie McGarry that I have read, and I think it is the best so far. Scarlett has a father who is physically abusive to her mother, and a secret romance with Jesse, a forbidden boy. Told in alternating voices, I was equally caught up in the struggles and transformations of Scarlett and Jesse. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, the book is compulsively readable.
Also recommended:
Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen
Dr. Isla Cooper must travel to Port Lucy in Jamaica to locate the witch that placed a spell on her--one that puts her into a death-like sleep every night--before the spell becomes permanent. This is a witty romance set against an exciting steampunk backdrop, with the sweet appeal of a Victorian romance and the adventure of a light fantasy.
Thriller
I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall
Jess hadn't seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade. But after a car crash killed her mother and left her injured, she was forced to move to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess was beginning to get to know him, a secret from his past arrived, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded. This is a heart-pounding story of survival and revenge in the unforgiving wilderness, a gripping page-turner with a strong female heroine.
Also recommended:
Gale Force by Owen Laukkanen
After witnessing her father's death in a maritime accident and becoming the captain of a salvage boat, McKenna and her crew take a job helping a freighter only to discover that it contains cargo that is being targeted by enemies. This compulsively readable thriller is filled with bravery, betrayal, and sudden twists.
Historical Fiction
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Set in 1970's Alaska, this sweeping tale follows a girl coping with the dangers of domestic violence. The Allbright family consists of damaged Vietnam vet Ernt, his devoted wife, Cora, and their 13-year-old daughter, Leni, the novel’s protagonist. Hannah vividly evokes the natural beauty and danger of Alaska and paints a compelling portrait of a family in crisis and a community on the brink of change.
Also recommended:
Eternal Life by Dara Horn Ever since she made a spiritual bargain to spare her first son in Roman-occupied Jerusalem, Rachel cannot die, and she's been through dozens of marriages and hundreds of children since then. Rachel craves a release from the suffering she has endured—and watched her children endure—through two millennia of Jewish history. Rich in historical detail, humor, and passion.
Alternate History
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania--derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever. In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. This absorbing page-turner works as a an action story starring a strong, capable heroine as well as of work of suspenseful and gory zombie fiction.
Also recommended:
Bright Ruin by Vic James
(Dark Gifts #3)
In the thrilling conclusion to the dystopian trilogy that began with Gilded Cage and Tarnished City, the people of Britain rise up against their magically gifted masters. Fast-paced, entertaining, and a satisfying end to an epic story with dramatic class division based on a family's magic.
Fantasy
Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the epic high-fantasy Strange the Dreamer. It has marvelous world-building, suspenseful plotting, complex characterization, and finely crafted prose.
Also recommended:
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
This series opener is based on Japanese legends and mythology. It is an action-packed adventure with realistic characters within believable worlds, engaging action scenes and a cliffhanger ending.
Dystopian
Year One by Nora Roberts This series opener is an apocalyptic story with magical touches. It has an intriguing premise and scary-cool world building. The survivors of a mysterious plague are faced with a new world in which both dark and light magic are rising. It has a cast of engaging characters and a plot that focuses on the importance of family, friends, hope, and humanity, Also recommended: Pacifica by Kristen Simmons After surviving overcrowding, disease, and unemployment, five hundred lottery winners are promised a new start on Pacifica, but Marin Carey, pirate royalty, knows no island paradise exists. It is a breathtaking story full of high-seas adventure, power struggles, romance, and betrayal.
Audiobooks
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, read by Bahni Turpin
A routine traffic stop turns tragic for two African American teens, leaving one dead and the other irrevocably changed by the shooting and its aftermath of legal battles, survivor’s guilt, and race riots. Bahni Turpin's memorable performance as narrator Starr, as well as her portrayals of the various supporting characters, is rich, sensitive and complex.
Also recommended:
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, read by Bahni Turpin
Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut. Bahni Turpin excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.