These are this week’s new books. Some are long-awaited! Some aren’t, but may be very good. I remember when Twilight and The Book Thief came out – they sat on the shelves for ages before they became super-popular. You just never know, do you.

I Will Always Love You : A Gossip Girl Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar (387 pages) – Here it is; the latest Gossip Girl book. What happens? I think they’re at college, which is what the Americans call university, and this book follows the original gang when they’re home for the winter break.

First lines: ‘“You awake, Scout?” Blair Waldorf awoke from a nap to the sight of her boyfriend, Pete Carlson, gazing down at here.‘

As You Wish, by Jackson Pearce (298 pages) – Viola’s boyfriend broke up with her, sadly. But! She accidently summons a genie, named Jinn, with whom she begins to fall in love. So to keep him around she delays her third wish.

First line: ‘All I’ve learned in today’s Shakespeare class is: Sometimes you have to fall in love with the wrong person just so you can find the right person.‘

Alex Rider : Crocodile Tears, by Anthony Rider (388 pages) – HERE IT IS! The seventh Alex Rider book. It’s in great demand so won’t be on the shelf for aaaages. Alex Rider is a teen who moonlights as a secret agent for the British government. He’s not too fond of the situation but I bet he secretly loves the gadgets.

First line: ‘Ravi Chandra was going to be a rich man.‘

Vacations from Hell, by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Mlynowski (280 pages) – This is a collection of short stories about vacations from hell. They are ghost stories! Just in time for the Xmas holidays.

Tempted : A House of Night Novel, by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (319 pages) – The blurb for this is difficult to summarise! So here is the catalogue description. ‘Zoey Redbird, High Priestess-in-training, finds herself juggling three guys–one of which is so into protecting her that he can sense her emotions. Meanwhile the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and only Zoey has the power to stop the evil immortal Kalona who is behind it. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul?‘ WILL SHE?

First line: ‘The night sky over Tulsa was alight with a magical crescent moon.‘

Don’t Judge a Girl by her Cover, by Ally Carter (263 pages) – This is the third Gallagher Girls book. The Gallgher Academy for Exceptional Young Women trains girls into spies. One of them – Morgan – must help her pal-with-a-stalker, Macey, whose father has been nominated for the US presidency.

First lines: ‘“We’re moving.” The man beside me spoke into the microphone in his sleeve, and I knew the words weren’t for me.‘

Invisible I : The Amanda Project – Book 1 , by Melissa Kantor (292 pages) – Another difficult book to easily summarise, but luckily there is an interactive website!  It sells itself, really.

First line: ‘Why is it that when you don’t want to think about something, you can’t stop thinking about it?‘

Fortune’s Folly, by Deva Fagan (260 pages) – Fortuna tells fakes fortunes so that she and her father can eat. But when she tells Prince Leonato his fortune, she must make sure it’s fulfilled or her father gets it. There’s a magic sword, a wicked witch, and a golden shoe. Oh and she falls in love with the prince! I hope it ends happily.

First line: ‘Life would have been much easier if I believed in fairy tales.‘

Sacred Scars : A Resurrection of Magic – Book 2, by Kathleen Duey (554 pages) – From the catalogue again (it’s difficult to summarise 554 pages): ‘In alternate chapters, Sadima works to free captive boys forced to copy documents in the caverns of Limòri, and Hahp makes a pact with the remaining students of a wizards’ academy in hopes that all will survive their training, as both learn valuable lessons about loyalty.‘

First line: ‘Sadima sat cross-legged on the cold stone, just outside the cage.‘

Betrayals : A Strange Angels Novel, by Lili St. Crow (296 pages) – Werewolves (in this they’re called ‘wulfen’, singular ‘werwulf’), vampires (or ‘djamphirs’) and orphans (also called … oh wait)  – this has it all. ‘Suspenseful and action-packed.’

First line: ‘Windshield wipers struggled back and forth, clumped with snow.‘

Blood Promise : A Vampire Academy Novel, by Richelle Mead (503 pages) – This is book four in the series. Rose has to kill her one true love, Dimitri, who has turned bad. Awkward! Probably for the best though.

First line: ‘Once when I was in ninth grade, I had to write a paper on a poem.‘

In brief:

Breathing Underwater, by Julia Green (201 pages)
Rosie and Skate, by Beth Ann Bauman (217 pages)
Taylor Lautner : Me & You, by Josie Rusher (60 pages)