This fun twist on a romantic comedy is worth the read. College-bound Wren Wheeler has had a pretty miserable vacation to London, mostly because everything didn’t go according to plan, AND she had a falling out with her best friend. But when a fake kiss with the British heir to the throne and a chaotic chase keep her from making her flight home to Chicago, Wren’s world comes crashing down–with an impending comet.
Category: 5.0-5.9
Scorpio Races
This is a story about a race, a romance, and a resilient girl, but it is so much more. Never has magical realism felt so authentic. Get ready for the ride of your life on horses that are truly fierce and sometimes frightening.
My Lady Jane
Whether you love paranormal or historical fiction, this book will be your jam. It is absolutely mad, but it is also one of my most favorite things I’ve read in a while. I happen to love (be obsessed with) Tudor England, and Lady Jane Gray in particular, so this book was a treat.
Tiny Pretty Things
This series interested me because I’m a former competitive figure skater who has a deep knowledge of the fierce atmosphere created by females vying for the top position–a world where you must be both strong and beautiful (and encouraged to take measures to “look” a certain way).
Restart
What happens when a school bully gets a second chance? When Chase Ambrose falls off a roof and gets amnesia, he’ll have to start over. But will he be able to come to terms with the type of person he was before his accident? Will his new friends in the video club ever really accept him?
Brave Like That
I first heard chatter about this MG novel on Twitter, and the comments from the readers were so positive and forceful (YOU MUST READ THIS) that I decided, okay. This is such a great story on so many levels. First of all, I think most children face a moment when they want to tell their parents, “This isn’t me.”
Admission: A Novel
This novel, which was inspired by the college admission scandal that put two famous actresses in jail (not for long, but they did serve time), really captures so much beyond the intrigue of that scandal. Life’s not fair, and the college admissions process is not a perfect one.
Six of Crows
Kaz and his crew (including the brave Inej and charming Jesper) offer some of the most entertaining segments in the Shadow & Bone series, and Six of Crows, although it takes a moment to wade into it, delivers this fascinating trio (and then some) right to its pages. It’s a little grittier than Shadow, but this unpredictable cast will keep you reading for sure.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
This story takes place in New England, just a few years before the Salem witch trials in 1692. Katherine, better known as Kit, must leave Barbados to live with her relatives, residents of a Puritan town. Kit’s ways are not well-received by the Puritans, and this causes some trouble for her.
Shadow and Bone
When I selected Shadow and Bone from my Netflix menu, I had no idea I was stepping into the Grishverse. Little did I know that the intriguing show is based on a young adult trilogy that takes the reader deep into the heart of a complex and totally captivating world of magic.
Talon
Talon offered me everything I was seeking in a good dragon-inspired YA novel. Thrilling action, well-designed intrigue, and star-crossed romance kept this plot humming. The main characters, who tell the story in alternating first-person voices, were tough and vulnerable all at once, and I think that takes great skill to write well.
The Cousins
McManus does a fine job here, giving us insight into each character and winning us over so we feel like part of the team. As the past and the present collide, this book will keep you guessing about the final outcome–will the cousins restore the relationship with their grandmother and gain back the family inheritance?
Kid List 