The book of Dust: volume one, Philip Pullman

Malcolm Polstead is the kind of boy who notices everything but is not much noticed himself. And so perhaps it was inevitable that he would become a spy…Malcolm’s parents run an inn called the Trout, on the banks of the river Thames, and all of Oxford passes through its doors. Malcolm and his daemon, Asta, routinely overhear news and gossip, and the occasional scandal, but during a winter of unceasing rain, Malcolm catches wind of something new: intrigue. He finds a secret message inquiring about a dangerous substance called Dust–and the spy it was intended for finds him . When she asks Malcolm to keep his eyes open, he sees suspicious characters everywhere: the explorer Lord Asriel, clearly on the run; enforcement agents from the Magisterium; a gyptian named Coram with warnings just for Malcolm; and a beautiful woman with an evil monkey for a daemon. All are asking about the same thing: a girl–just a baby–named Lyra. Lyra is the kind of person who draws people in like magnets. And Malcolm will brave any danger, and make shocking sacrifices, to bring her safely through the storm. (Publisher summary)

First lines: Three miles up the river Thames from the center of Oxford, some distance from where the great colleges of Jordan, Gabriel, Balliol, and town dozen others contended for mastery in the boat races, out where the city was only a collection of towers and spires in the distance over the misty levels of Port Meadow, there stood the Priory of Godstow, where the gentle nuns went about their holy business; and on the opposite bank from the priory there was an inn called The Trout.

Coming up for air, Miranda Kenneally

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat. All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships–she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team, and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic tryout, so Maggie feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool. No one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to sacrifice in the water to win at love? (Publisher summary)

First lines: When I’m not in the pool, I’m counting the minutes until I can dive back in, so most of the time my bushy, light-brown hair is wet and reeks of chlorine. This is the story of my life. But Fridays nights are different because my friends and I have a tradition. We always meet for dinner at Jiffy Burger to talk about our lives. (okay, mostly our love lives).

The captive twin, R.J. Francis

While everyone else prepares for war, Elaina is on a divine mission to restore peace. She grew up believing she was an orphan, but Elaina now knows who and what she is, and she’s learning how to use her new powers over nature, life, and death to achieve her goals.

Heavy snow is falling in Arra, and its army and royal court are hiding in caves from the Destaurian invaders. Elaina, her mentor Alessa, and Queen Alethea have journeyed northward to secure allies for a counterstrike. Meanwhile, Elaina’s love Prince Jaimin learns how to inspire his people, and Jaimin’s best friend and advisor Nastasha struggles with her feelings for him.

Even if the counterstrike succeeds, peace is not assured. Ultimately, Elaina must travel far into a hostile land to find and heal the enemy king. And she will need the help of a family she never knew she had. (Publisher summary)

First lines: Dearest Jaimin,
We’ve just sailed past a rock that Alessa says marks the border. They’ve let us come up on deck to watch the moon rise, but we’re to scramble below at the slightest hint of trouble. It’s a clear night here. All the mist is back towards Arra.

The last namsara, Kristen Ciccarelli

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness — and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer. These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari — a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl. Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend — a slave boy from her betrothed’s household –Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her. (Publisher summary)

First lines: Asha lured the dragon with a story.
It was an ancient story, older than the mountains at her back, and Asha had to dredge it up from where it lay deep and dormant inside her.
She hated to do it. Telling such stories was forbidden, dangerous, even deadly.

Fortissima, Sara Kingsley

In Raven Araroa’s kingdom, firstborn royal daughters are destined to rule, the woman kings of Nadir. A thousand years before she was born, a malevolent regime decreed there would be no more woman kings, by ordering firstborn daughters to immediately be put to death. But the last daughter born to rule is still alive. (Publisher summary)

First lines: When I hear the song of the redbird outside my window I’m not going to make it. Or maybe I can. If I hurry. I jump out of bed and swing out my window, legs first. I’ve got to move fast if I’m going to beat Tui to the other wise of the tree village.

Satellite, Nick Lake

Leo has lived his entire life on Moon 2. Born on the space station along with a set of twins, he is anxious to finally visit Earth so he can meet his beloved grandfather in person and see the ranch where Grandpa lives. Leo is a bit of a space prodigy-his mom is a renowned astronaut and scientist, and Grandpa was among the elite crew that last visited the Moon. Leo, excited to bond with his mother, is disappointed with her calculated and distant professionalism. When Leo finally makes it to the ranch, Grandpa is everything the teen had hoped. Leo has a new dog waiting for him and his grandfather is eager for him to learn ranching skills. Meanwhile, the protagonist is frustrated that he can’t contact the twins and then finds a flyer indicating that outsiders are willing to help “space boy.” Leo isn’t sure what help he might need, but after an accident, the doctor notices his bone density is surprisingly low. When Grandpa discharges him from the hospital prematurely, the boy wonders what is really going on, and hints of conspiracy start to unfold. (Publisher summary)

First lines: the sun is rising for 14th time today, firing the Saharan landmass like a match flame in the darkness. i am sitting in the cupola, watching the earth spin below me, desert rolling past the window of the Moon 2 space station, dunes like waves, sunlight flooding westward.