Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

If you have not read Rick Riordan's series Percy Jackson and the Olympians or his follow up series Heroes of Olympus...I really must insist that you do!  While the adventures in the Percy Jackson series focus on the Greek gods and myths, the follow up series Heroes of Olympus adds in the Roman gods.  Mark of Athena is the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series.  In this novel, the Greek demigods work along side the Roman demigods on a quest.  These books are always exciting with lots of action.  I love the Greek myths and I have equally enjoyed getting to know the Roman counterparts to the Greek gods and that set of stories.

Every Day by David Levithan

This novel takes teen romance problems to a new level.  In this story "A" lives life in a new body every day.  "A" has made peace with the fact that every day is a new life that has to be figured out.  "A" sets up some rules to live by to manage this, but then "A" meets Rhiannon and falls in love.  As "A" travels from life to life, body to body the want to meet with Rhiannon is always there. Can they make it work?  Is it fair to the bodies that "A" inhabits if they try? Is it fair to Rhiannon?  A great story about what makes you...you.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors.  She wrote Shiver, Linger and Forever, the werewolf series as well as The Scorpio Races.  This book has A LOT crammed into it:

1. a search for a mystical king

2. unknown father figures

3. ley lines

4. psychics

5. ghosts

6. domestic violence

                                7. families not getting along

                                8. mysterious deaths AND much more!  

I thought this was a "stand alone" book and would have a nice tidy ending like The Scorpio Races, but I was wrong.  This looks like it is going to be a series, so I was disappointed at the ending because I have so many more questions!!  Can't wait to get the next one.  

Department 19 by Will Hill

I like vampires, I like action, I like the stories of Frankenstein and Dracula.  This book had all those elements.  This is a story of a secret government department that is charged with fighting vampires.  The story is told through a 3rd person narrator that tells us what is happening in present day as well as flashbacks that fill in the back story.  Some of the back story interrupted the action of present day, but helped clarify things.  This book has LOTS of gore and blood so be prepared.  Killing vampires is a messy business, so if gore and flying body parts in not your thing this is not the book for you.  There is a 2nd book in this series that I have just purchased for the library that should be here before the end of the year.

Small Persons with Wings (they hate to be called fairies) by Ellen Booraem

A delightful read.  I remember when my son Sam was little and had an imaginary friend named Oslo.  That is what everyone thinks Mellie is talking about when she tells people that she has a "small person with wings" name Fidius.  Fidius is angry that Mellie tells people about him and leaves.  After this, Mellie throws herself into science and logic and has nothing to do with anything dealing with creativity or imagination.  After a family move, Mellie discovers that small persons with wings DO exist and they need help guarding an magic heirloom.  A great book if you like a light dose of fantasy.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk

Interesting little mystery.  Will Halpin has always gone to a school for kids who are deaf.  He is an expert at reading lips and wants to try going to the public high school.  On a school trip the star quarterback is murdered and Will teams up with the one kid even less popular than himself to solve the crime.

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

The narrator of this story cracks me up.  He/She continues to make random funny remarks throughout the story.  What a story it is!  This is the story of Hansel and Gretel, but it doesn't end when they escape from the witch as in the original story.  It follows their horrific adventure through 8 other scary fairy tales until they finally return home ALMOST in one piece!!  Their is now a companion book that has been published that I am ordering for the library.