I have to admit – it’s somewhat of a dream come to true to have access to ALL sorts of books this year… and 4 separate collections mind you! My husband and kids might not feel the same way, they’ve wondered where I’ve disappeared to these past few months.

Before you leave on Summer break… consider some of these titles. I guarantee you’ll love them — feel free to escape (the family) under a nice umbrella by the shore somewhere!

All The Light You Cannot See: This one I read a year go … winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. It is painfully BEAUTIFUL! A mix of love of Science and love of History and love of … well love. I had to start with this one. Available at: Ayala, Chino, and Chino Hills Libraries.

  Book Talk with Author  click video link.

The Night Circus: This one I just recently finished and it quickly became one of my favorites. A student recommended it to me and I love her for it. Its MAGICAL, truly. This author made me see magic as energy and power… so cool. It’s a competition of talents and illusions, so good.

From Amazon: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

  Author Interview / NPR audio  click on link.

The Young Elites and The Rose Society: This next series “The Young Elites”, I thought was very interesting. I loved the “Legend” series by Marie Lu, young hearts fighting against an unjust government. Because I loved that series, I gave her second one a try… and I must say – it was interesting. I would love to discuss this one with anybody who reads its. I thought the focus here was – also…young hearts fighting against unjust system, but I thought it had an internal reflective component to it. I think it asks the reader to consider the villain in us. Is there a villain character in everyone? The series is not over yet – I hope the author doesn’t disappoint. Young Elites is available at: Ayala, Chino, Chino Hills, and Don Lugo Libraries (PS: The Legend series can also be found at Ayala, Chino, Chino Hills, and Don Lugo).

From Amazon: Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

  Short video chat with Author – a glimpse of her thoughts about the main character. Click on the link.

Me Before You: I also just finished reading this one – I tried avoiding it because I initially thought it was a tragic love story. Its more than that, I’m glad I picked it up. It was thought-provoking and very sweet. It’s out on theaters now, I actually just watched it too – the book is always better, but the movie wasn’t bad. I recommend it. Available at Ayala and Chino Hills Libraries.

From Amazon: They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

 I picked the movie trailer for this one.  Click on the link.

Eleanor & Park: This one has also been out for a while, but I just couldn’t leave this one out – if you haven’t read it and you work with young people … YOU MUST READ IT. “Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.”-John Green, The New York Times Book Review. Available at Ayala, Chino High, Chino Hills, and Don Lugo Libraries.

From Amazon: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love-and just how hard it pulled you under.

  Book Trailer  click on link.

I could probably go on an on… but there are many textbooks to collect!!!

Here is my WHAT I’M READING NOW list and WHAT I’ll READ this summer

From Amazon: If you love Eleanor and Park, Hazel and Augustus, and Mia and Adam, you’ll love the story of Maddy, a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly, the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. This innovative and heartfelt debut novel unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more. Available at Don Lugo Library.

From Amazon: Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy’s pregnancy, Sebastian’s coming out, the cute boys, her father’s meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity. Available at Chino Hills and Don Lugo Libraries.

From Amazon: In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939: In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France … but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. Available at Chino Hills Library.

I’m sure I’ll find a few more… I’ll report back in the Fall.

If you are interested in more…here is YALSA’s 2016 Selected Lists for Best Fiction for Young Adults.

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/2016%20BFYA.pdf

Happy Readings!!!