2018 is going to be an excellent year for fiction. We are quite sure of this! Here’s a selection of some new titles we’ve ordered recently, after a bit of a summer break.

Gunslinger Girl, Lyndsay Ely. We quite like this. “Seventeen-year-old Serendipity ‘Pity’ Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She’s been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great…” (library supplier). In the future America’s west has reverted to its 19th century self, and Pity is described as a cross between Katniss Everdeen and Annie Oakley, so fierce, then.

Purple Hearts, Michael Grant. The final book in the Front Line series. “Courage, sacrifice, and fear have lead Rio, Frangie, and Rainy through front-line battles in North Africa and Sicily, and their missions are not over. These soldiers and thousands of Allies must fight their deadliest battle yet – for their country and their lives – as they descend into the freezing water and onto the treacherous sands of Omaha Beach. It is June 6, 1944. D-Day has arrived…” (library supplier).

The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton. This book has had rave star reviews, and we’re looking forward to it in early-ish February. In Orleans, Belles are revered, able to transform ordinary people into vibrant, beautiful beings. Camellia Beauregard is a Belle with aspirations of being the most talented in the land. She is sent to live in the royal palace to give the princess the Belle treatment, but it soon becomes clear that the princess needs help that would stretch Camellia’s use of her powers beyond mere beautifying into dangerous territory that could alter her world forever.

Thunderhead, Neal Shusterman. The sequel to Scythe. “Rowan [pursues] a vigilante life a year after going off the grid, while Citra, as Scythe Anastasia, openly challenges the ideals of the ‘new order’ in ways that cause her life to be threatened” (library supplier). This is on its way as I type!

September is looking like a really great month for reading! We found some interesting titles in the Epic Reads 18 Most Anticipated YA Books list. Here’s a few, with summaries provided by our lovely book suppliers:

Girls Made of Snow and Glass, Melissa Bashardoust. This is described as “Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber” (a short story by acclaimed and slightly-grim author Angela Carter) which is to say it is a nice kind of mash-up retelling of Snow White. “At sixteen, Mina’s mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone – has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother. Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all…” (supplier database). We like this.

An Enchantment of Ravens, Margaret Rogerson. This looks like the author had a lot of fun playing around with the world of faerie. “Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron – Rook, the autumn prince – she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life. Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love – and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel” (supplier database).

There’s Someone Inside Your House, Stephanie Perkins. “It’s been almost a year since Makani Young came to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska, and she’s still adjusting to her new life. And still haunted by her past in Hawaii. Then, one by one, the students of her small town high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, Makani will be forced to confront her own dark secrets.” (supplier database). Anyone love a good horror?

One Dark Throne, Kendare Blake. The sequel to Three Dark Crowns. “With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before – ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent” (supplier database).

Also keep an eye out for Tower of Dawn, the next Throne of Glass novel by Sarah J. Maas, and Warcross by Marie Lu.

We’ve just ordered a bunch of really interesting stuff, including some suspense-filled sci fi action: the end of a popular series, an uncomfortable plot for environmentalists, and a new take on the familiar alone-on-a-spaceship idea. They look interesting!

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, Lauren James. Expected in September. “Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away? Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J. Their only communication is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love. But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean? Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone…” (our library supplier).

Nexus, Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti. Expected in November 2017. This is the conclusion to the Zeroes trilogy. “After defeating Swarm in a breath-taking stand-off, Nate has been arrested for his murder. In prison and isolated, he can’t use his powers of influence at all. Flicker, Chizara, Kelsie and Ethan are on the run and in hiding from the FBI who believe the Cambria Five are domestic terrorists. And Agent Phan and the FBI have a secret weapon up their sleeve – a teenager with a superpower that the Zeroes haven’t encountered yet. Meanwhile, Sonia Sonic and her growing band of weird-hunters are tracking inexplicable events across the country – and their investigations lead them to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where the celebrating crowds promise enormous power to anyone who can channel it. Time is running out for the Zeroes, but they must learn to trust each other again and combine their powers for good – to avert the looming disaster.” (goodreads.com).

Unearthed, Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Expected in January 2018. “When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying’s advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered. For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study… as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don’t loot everything first. Mia and Jules’ different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance…” (goodreads.com).

But wait…

Monster, Michael Grant. Expected Octoberish. Interesting times for fans of the Gone series. This one is set four years after the meteor hit Perdido Beach. “Now the dome is gone and meteors are hitting earth with an even deadlier virus. Humans will mutate into monsters and the whole world will be exposed. As some teens begin to morph into heroes, they will find that others have become dangerously out of control… and that the world is on the brink of a monstrous battle between good and evil” (again, thank you to our suppliers for the info). Grim (but we expect nothing less)!

Mirror, Mirror, Cara Delevingne. Expected October. Segueing from John Green’s upcoming novel to this, via the movie Paper Towns, Cara Delevingne has written a book! What’s it about? According to our supplier, “Sixteen-year-old friends Red, Leo, Naima and Rose are like anyone their age: figuring out who they are and trying to navigate school and relationships. Life isn’t perfect, but they’re excited about what the future holds. That is until Naima dies in tragic circumstances, leaving behind only one word. ‘Sorry’. What awful truth was she hiding?”. !. (Cover coming some time soon.)

We’ve been waiting a loooooong time for John Green’s next novel, but that wait will soon be over! We’ve also ordered some other cool stuff recently, which we will get to shortly.

Turtles All the Way Down, John Green. Expected October 2017. It has been so long since The Fault in our Stars, and we’re really looking forward to this. “Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred thousand dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts” (library vendor’s website).

This has been so sneakily launched that most people haven’t noticed, and the book cover hasn’t been revealed yet. So, in place of a cover we give you a picture of a turtle (well, a terrapin). Why turtles all the way down?

Some extra, new, copies of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas arrived today, which got us wondering how long to wait until the next one? (Answer: four-ish months only.) Which then got us thinking about what other interesting stuff might be arriving soon-ish. Here’s a selection!

Tower of Dawn, book 6 in the Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas (September). The next smash hit in the smash hit series; September isn’t so far away. This book features Chaol and, not wanting to spoiler things too much, a journey to Antica…

All the Crooked Saints, Maggie Stiefvater (October). We’re curious about this one, being Maggie fans here at WCL. This new book from the author of the Raven cycle and the Wolves of Mercy Falls series promises “Saints, miracles, family, romance, death, redemption” (library supplier). Which is everything really, and quite mysterious.

Convergence, Marita Smith. The first book in a new series by a debut author who is also a gourmet mushroom grower! We like it already. Robyn Greene is a scientist working on a gene that will help humans communicate with animals. When she discovers a genetic mutation that gets a mysterious organisation, the MRI, interested, she must track down the humans with this gene before MRI does…

Thick as Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner, companion novel in the Queen’s Thief series. Megan Whalen Turner takes AGES to write her novels, so this one has been a long time coming and we’re suitably excited. This story follows Kamet, former slave of Nahuseresh, the evil Mede, and an Attolian soldier. The blurb is not telling us which Attolian soldier, but is suggesting we already know them…

Two books from familiar, best-selling authors, and one debut novelist!

Release, Patrick Ness (May). Patrick Ness! Yess! From the author of the Chaos Walking trilogy and The Rest of Us Just Live Here. “Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume’s Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It’s a big day. Things go wrong. It’s intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches… Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It’s a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won’t come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.” (goodreads.com).

Missing, Kelley Armstrong. Kelley Armstrong is super popular so we’re always happy to see she’s publishing something new. This one’s a mystery/thriller and it looks good! “The only thing Winter Crane likes about Reeve’s End is that soon she’ll leave it. Like her best friend did. Like her sister did. Like most of the teens born in town have done. There’s nothing for them there but abandoned mines and empty futures. They’re better off taking a chance elsewhere. The only thing Winter will miss is the woods. Her only refuge. At least it was. Until the day she found Lennon left for dead, bleeding in a tree. But now Lennon is gone too. And he has Winter questioning what she once thought was true. What if nobody left at all? What if they’re all missing?” (goodreads.com).

The Beast is an Animal, Peternelle van Arsdale. A debut stand-alone novel. “Alys was seven when the soul eaters came to her village. These soul eaters, twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly morphed into something not quite human, devour human souls. Alys, and all the other children, were spared—and they were sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think it is. And neither is Alys. Inside, Alys feels connected to the soul eaters, and maybe even to the Beast itself. As she grows from a child to a teenager, she longs for the freedom of the forest. And she has a gift she can tell no one, for fear they will call her a witch. When disaster strikes, Alys finds herself on a journey to heal herself and her world. A journey that will take her through the darkest parts of the forest, where danger threatens her from the outside – and from within her own heart and soul.” (goodreads.com).

Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials series (Northern Lights is the first), is publishing a new book featuring Lyra. We are excited about this!

The Book of Dust will be published later on this year. Suspensefully, the only things we really know about it is that it is the first in a trilogy and is set before Northern Lights. Which would make Lyra a baby? Intrigue.

2017 is going to be a good year in reading, we are sure! We’ve been ordering an interesting mix of fiction, from slightly spooky and sci-fi-ish, through excellent-looking realistic stories to magical re-tellings.

Agent of Chaos, Kami Garcia and Devil’s Advocate, Jonathan Maberry. Book one and two in the new X-Files Origins series, for fans of the X-Files TV show. How did Mulder make his way to becoming the most famous (fictional… together with Scully of course) FBI agent? What was Scully like when she was a teenager? (Awesome of course). Can these books capture the essence of such an amazing show? We shall see!

History Is All You Left Me, Adam Silvera. “When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course. To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart” (goodreads.com).

Hunted, Meagan Spooner. The first in a new series/trilogy by the co-author of These Broken Stars, this is a re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast story that merges with the Russian fairy tale Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf. When her father disappears, Yeva, known as Beauty, must hunt the mysterious Beast her father has been tracking for years, following him to a mysterious, magical valley inhabited by strange creatures.

We’ve been a bit quiet in the ordering new fiction department recently. Until this week! Here are some titles to look forward to this summer.

Freeks, Amanda Hocking. “Welcome to Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sideshow, where necromancy, magical visions, and pyrokinesis are more than just part of the act…” (goodreads.com). If you like slightly spooky magicky tales with circus-style themes (like The Night Circus maybe?) this might be for you. This is the story of Mara, a sideshow worker who thinks she has no special talents, who must help solve the alarming mystery of a seemingly supernatural presence who is murdering and disappearing people in the town of Caudry Louisiana.

A Shadow Bright and Burning, Jessica Cluess. “Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty’s sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she’s the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city – and the one she loves?” (goodreads.com)

Stranger than Fanfiction, Chris Colfer. The new novel by Glee star Chris Colfer, due out March next year. “Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime–but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he’s been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.” (goodreads.com)

We’ve taken a sneak peak at 2017, and here’s what we’ve ordered so far:

Carve the Mark, Veronica Roth (January). This is the first book in a new sci-fi/fantasy series by the author of Divergent. “On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?” (goodreads.com) In May Veronica Roth released a “first look” ebook of the first chapter; you can also read an extract here.

King’s Cage, Victoria Aveyard (February). The third book in the extremely popular Red Queen series. “Mare is forced to play a psychological cat-and-mouse game with an old and deadly enemy, where the stakes are not only the future of the Red Rebellion but the sanctity of her own mind.” (goodreads.com)

Caraval, Stephanie Garber (January/February). This is an interesting-looking debut novel that people are saying is a bit like the child of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, or perhaps Pirates of the Caribbean. All good things! Caraval is a legendary annual spectacular show where the audience gets to participate. After Scarlet’s father arranges a marriage for her, her hopes of seeing/participating in Caraval seem dashed, until her sister Tella organises to sneak her away. “Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game…” (goodreads.com)

We’ve been on another small spending spree, with some good results!

The Sun is Also a Star, Nicola Yoon (November). This is the new book by the author of Everything, Everything, one of the most popular books of last year. “Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story. Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us. The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?” (goodreads.com)

What Light, Jay Asher (October). We’ve been waiting a long time for this book from the author of Th1rteen R3asons Why. Hopefully this one will require fewer hankies. “Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon – it’s a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb’s past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.” (goodreads.com)

Enter Title Here, Rahul Kanakia. Reshma has done everything she can at high school to make sure she can get into Stanford University, her dream college. But so have hundreds of other over-achievers, so Reshma must find the thing that separates her from the pack. “What’s a habitual over-achiever to do? Land herself a literary agent, of course. Which is exactly what Reshma does after agent Linda Montrose spots an article she wrote for Huffington Post. Linda wants to represent Reshma, and, with her new agent’s help scoring a book deal, Reshma knows she’ll finally have the key to Stanford. But she’s convinced no one would want to read a novel about a study machine like her. To make herself a more relatable protagonist, she must start doing all the regular American girl stuff she normally ignores. For starters, she has to make a friend, then get a boyfriend. And she’s already planned the perfect ending: after struggling for three hundred pages with her own perfectionism, Reshma will learn that meaningful relationships can be more important than success—a character arc librarians and critics alike will enjoy. Of course, even with a mastermind like Reshma in charge, things can’t always go as planned. And when the valedictorian spot begins to slip from her grasp, she’ll have to decide just how far she’ll go for that satisfying ending. (Note: It’s pretty far.).” (goodreads.com)

Stealing Snow, Danielle Paige (October). Danielle Paige, who wrote the very cool Dorothy Must Die series, has fixed her steely gaze on Snow (White).  Snow is trapped inside the Whittaker Institute, a high-security mental hospital (not a chocolate factory, as I first thought). With the help of an orderly she escapes, to return to her home of Algid, where Snow gradually figures out the truth behind why she was in Whittaker, and how much danger she is in.

Replica, Lauren Oliver (October). “Gemma has been in and out of hospitals since she was born. ‘A sickly child’, her lonely life to date has revolved around her home, school and one best friend, Alice. But when she discovers her father’s connection to the top secret Haven research facility, currently hitting the headlines and under siege by religious fanatics, Gemma decides to leave the sanctuary she’s always known to find the institute and determine what is going on there and why her father’s name seems inextricably linked to it. Amidst the frenzy outside the institute’s walls, Lyra – or number 24 as she is known as at Haven – and a fellow experimental subject known only as 72, manage to escape. Encountering a world they never knew existed outside the walls of their secluded upbringing , they meet Gemma and, as they try to understand Haven’s purpose together, they uncover some earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls forever…” (goodreads.com)

Gone Wild, Robert Muchamore (October). The third book in the Rock Wars series, from the author of CHERUB. Jay, Summer and Dylan have made it through the Boot Camp stage of the Rock Wars reality TV show, and now face the Battle Zone. But! They also have their own issues to battle, and Dylan is investigating corruption that might be going on behind the scenes of the popular TV show. Things could get interesting.

Diary of a Haunting, M. Verano. Love the cover! A creepy horror! Paige moves into an impressively awful house in Idaho with her mother and brother. Horrible things happened there in the past, and horrible things are happening now. “Found in the aftermath, Diary of a Haunting collects the journal entries, letters, and photographs Paige left behind” (goodreads.com). Spooky.

Because in three weeks or so people will be watching too much sport we thought we’d highlight some sport-themed fiction we’ve ordered very recently. They’re all about sports and girls, which we say great! to.

The Season, Jonah Lisa Dyer. Megan McKnight is extremely capable. She can do 60 box jumps (without stopping) and bench press 150 pounds (is 68kg), so she’s a Crossfit dream. Also, she’s a soccer (football) star. Then her mother enters her in the Dallas debutante season. We see where this is going! Can Megan mix it with the other debs? A retelling of Pride and Prejudice, they tell us. I am imagining Lizzie Bennet doing box jumps (she’d do more than Mr Darcy). Also, we are also reminded of Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock; D.J. is similarly sporty and goes up against social norms when she plays football (American football).

On the Road to Find Out, Rachel Toor. After finding out she has not been accepted to Yale, Alice, a perfectionist, goes on her first run ever. It’s not perfect, but she sees running as a way of getting herself out of the rut of complaining about her life to her best friend and her rat, Walter. (Walter? Why not, I suppose.) “What she doesn’t know is that by taking those first steps out the door, she is setting off down a road filled with new challenges – including vicious side stitches, chafing in unmentionable places, and race-paced first love – and strengthening herself to endure when the going suddenly gets tougher than she ever imagined” (goodreads.com). Yes, go running, it’s great!

Tumbling, Caela Carter. Gymnastics, this time. And a cool cover! The story of five promising gymnasts at the U.S. Olympic trials. “By the end of the two days of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, some of these girls will be stars. Some will be going home with nothing. And all will have their lives changed forever” (goodreads.com).