Looking for a new book to curl up with while you escape the holiday rush? Here
are a few suggestions, if you manage to grab a few minutes in the rush.
Rosebush, by Michele Jaffe. (7 December, from Razorbill) I adore Jaffe’s YA
comedic mystery Bad Kitty. I laughed until I couldn’t breathe. Then I passed it
to my bff Candace Havens and nearly killed HER with the not breathing. Rosebush
may dial down the high jinx a little bit but keeps the fun and likable
characters, adding suspense and emotional stakes into the mix.
Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend, Jane finds herself in the
hospital, trying to piece together what happened to leave her lying near-dead
in a rosebush after a hit and run. Everyone thinks it was an accident, but Jane
isn’t sure. As she begins to piece together her memories, she also starts to
remember things from further back, like the night her best friend Bonnie died.
Is someone trying to kill her to keep the past forgotten?
One of Jaffe’s largest strengths is that she nails the teen voice, not in
slang, but in balancing levity, emotions, and authentic relationships in a way
that rings very true and never tries to hard to be “teen.” If you love Meg
Cabot, you will probably really enjoy Jaffe’s YA books, I highly recommend this
or Jaffe’s other books.
Falling in Love with English Boys, by Melissa Jensen. (23
December, from Speak) This is a new author to me (This is her first YA novel),
and this book caught my eye by the title aloneSixteen year old Catherine Vernon
is stuck in London while her mother does some kind of research, and to stave
off boredom, she stars reading the 1815 diary of a girl her age, also named
Katherine. Then she meets the uber-hot descendant of the past Katherine and…
Well, I think the title may be a clue what happens next.
I love books where the present is tied to the past, which is the emphasis here,
comparing the lives of the two C/Katherines in their respective eras, their
social activities, their parallel family lives and romances. I would have
guessed that the author would list London and Jane Austen as her favorite
things. Mine, too!
Tempestuous, by Lesley Livingston (21 December, from HarperTeen). This is
actually the third and final book in Livingston’s trilogy that ties together
the fae, Shakespeare, romance and intrigue. All in modern day New York City.
The story arc starts in Wondrous Strange, continues in Darklight, and concludes
here, so unlike ongoing series, you need to pick up from the beginning.
Fortunately, the series isn’t 20 books long. It’s an entertaining and well-
crafted trilogy full of battles and angsty romance and magic. Lots of magic.
(Not to mention beautiful covers.)
The Shakespearean theater connection gives this a bit of a twist from the
standard “supernatural angsty love story,” as does the underground New York
Setting. Maybe it’s because I love the theater, Shakespeare, and fairies, but I
found the first book charming and look forward to completing the series, now
that they’re all out.
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