My Favorite Things

October is my favorite month. The weather cools off, Starbucks returns the Pumpkin Spice Latte… Even the book world is obliging, because it seems October books are full of my favorite things.

Fairy Tale retellings:

I love Sarah Beth Durst’s Into the Wild, a sort of fractured fairy adventure about a real world girl with storybook origins. Her new book, Ice, also takes its inspiration from a fairy tale, though it’s not so much a retelling as a reimagining. Eighteen year old Cassie lives with her father in an Arctic research station (awesome!) and she’s very scientific and has no time for bedtime stories--even the one her grandmother used to tell her about the North Wind and the Polar Bear King. Until the Polar Bear King shows up, tells Cassie that her mother is still alive, and she can save her if she (Cassie) agrees to be his bride.

In the best fairy tale traditions, Cassie must leave behind everything she cherishes in order to discover the real meaning of love and loyalty. In a fun twist, she uses science and technology to her advantage. Also, there are trolls, and a giant talking polar bear.  Ice comes out on October 6^th.

Girls Dressed as Boys + Mechanized Armies + British Air Corp of Dirigibles = This Book Will Be Made Of Awesome:

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld has been getting an insane buzz on the internet, because Westerfeld’s books are golden and “steampunk” is supposedly the next hot thing in YA. (I don’t think it’s the next Vampire Romance, but you’ll definitely see more of it in the next year or more.)  Steampunk, for those who have never been to a sci-fi convention, is a variety of fantasy set in an era when steam power was predominant (usually the Victorian era) but elevated to a modern or futuristic level of technology. For instance, a steam driven, analog computer in 1890. Think if 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was written today or if Wild Wild West (with Will Smith) was actually good. That’s “steampunk.”

So, Leviathan takes place in an alternate World War I, where the war to end all wars is fought between the German “Clankers,” steam driven war machines, and the British specially evolved animals as their weapons. (The Leviathan is a whale airship, the dreadnaught of the British fleet.) The protagonist is the teenage son of Archduke Ferdinand, on the run with no country to call home, and a Scottish girl in the British Air Service, who’s secret puts her in constant danger. They meet up, and their adventure takes them around the world.

But in 80 Days? I don’t know. I just know I’ve already preordered this book, which comes out October 6^th.

Fallen Angels:

Book review pages are already brimming with comparisons between Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Twilight, which may not be fair to either of them. The premise of “ordinary girl is pulled into extraordinary world by love for dangerous, outsider boy” is anything but new, but it can always draw me in with a fresh twist.

In Hush, Hush, Nora Grey falls for ultimate bad boy, Patch. I mean, really ultimate: he’s a fallen angel.  Nora gets pulled into an ancient battle between good and evil, where following her heart could mean the difference between life and death. These are no fluffy-winged, rosy-cheeked cherubs. There’s some gritty stuff and lots of angst and burgeoning I-want-that-but-its-bad-for-me sensuality.

This book is going to be a hot ticket.  Lovers of the T-Saga will love Hush, Hush, or they will get sick of the T-Saga haters telling them this is a better book. I’m not saying it is, you can make up your own mind on October 13^th.

Alternate realities:

Sharon Shinn is an auto-buy for me, thanks to her grown up books, including the Archangel series. In this YA outing, Gateway, Chinese adoptee Daiyu is transported from our world to an alternate reality Saint Louis that resembles 19^th century China. She has the power to move between dimensions, and the task of bringing down the corrupt big bad.  I love Shinn’s writing, and her blend of well thought out science-fiction, broad-reaching themes, and gentle romance. It comes out October 15^th.

Anything caffeinated:

In The Espressologist by Kristina Springer, teenage barista Jane has a knack for profiling people (and then finding their perfect match) based on their favorite caffeinated beverage. Of course you know, Austen-esque romantic high jinx ensue, and I am all over that. “Sweet and frothy,” perfect for bundling up in a sweater with as the days turn colder at the end of the month. (October 27)

Ridiculous British Humor:

These aren’t for everyone, but if you like over the top humor and all things British, you need to check out Are These My Basoombas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison.  This is the 10^th (!!) book in the Georgia Nicholson series. These are kind of like if Bridget Jones Diary had been written by a 15 year old girl channeling Monty Python. What else can I say, except there is a Brit to Yank translation guide included.  “Basoombas” comes out on October 6^th, but you might want to start at the beginning with Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging.

Historical novels:

A Brief History of Montmaray by Australian author Michelle Cooper is set on an island kingdom in 1936. In her journal, Sophie chronicles daily life with her eccentric family, until two German soldiers come ashore, bringing the distant war to her home. The voice is charming, and reminds me of I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith. There’s adventure, intrigue and romance, and Cooper weaves in real people and events with mythology and a touch of the supernatural. Reviews are basically saying it’s the best part of Bronte and Austen except fast paced and “un-put-downable.”  I just call that “irresistible.” The US edition comes out October 13^th.

Rosemary Clement-Moore writes Young Adult books because she loves to read them. Visit her webpage or blog to find out more about her award winning Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series, and upcoming gothic romance, The Splendor Falls