August Book Club Post!

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu

Copyright: 2014

Call Number: YA Fiction LU

Adelina Amouteru has been treated poorly most of her life. After the plague left her deformed, her father abused her but worshiped her sister. Adelina escapes her hometown, but not before a terrible accident leaves her wanted for murder. She runs into The Young Elites, a group of plague survivors who also have inexplicable powers.

As Adelina discovers strength she didn't know she had, she finds herself intertwined in the complicated lives of the people around her. The other Young Elites have varied histories and powers. Adelina and other malfettos--children scarred by the plague--are treated as subhuman in the city. As if her life wasn't complicated enough already, Adelina is approached by the leader of The Dagger Society, a group of government soldiers dedicated to destroying all malfettos. What can he offer her if she betrays the Young Elites?

The characters are complex, the stakes high, and the missions dangerous. Adelina becomes the antihero you didn't know you needed. Fans of The Orphan Queen, A Game of Thrones, and Midnight Thief will love the world Lu creates. The next book in the series, The Rose Society, is due in October. A sneak peek is available from Penguin Teen. (They also made the amazing chart below.)

via Penguin Teen

The Young Elites is one of our 2015 Teens' Top Ten books. See a full list of books here.

Teens' Top Ten Books!!!

You guys may remember that we received some books last year to try out. We have more this year! There are seriously hardly any on the shelf, which means that you guys love them!

1. Check out these books.
2. Read/enjoy/love them.
3. When TTT voting comes around, vote for your favorites.

That's it!

Here are the books:

• Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
• As Leila struggles to come to terms with her new life, she grasps for the only thing she knows is real, the northern lights. On her cross-country trip to see them, she meets four people that not only change her, but change because of her. She helps them in ways they didn't know they needed, and they help her more than she realizes.
• Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Samantha's mind is a blank slate after she disappeared with her best frienemy, Cassie. However, when Cassie's dead body turns up, Samantha's memories are the only clue to what happened that night. Unfortunately, Sam not having any memories may be the only thing keeping her alive. 
• Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
• Kyra is a thief. A talented one at that. When the leader of the mysterious Assassin's Guild offers her a job, she isn't sure. Tristam of Brancel is a Palace knight. When his best friend is murdered by the Demon Riders, a clan of fierce warriors who ride on bloodthirsty wildcats, he vows to take them down. Each time, he is thwarted by a talented thief, one who can easily slip past the Palaces defenses. When they are thrown together on a raid, they realize that their best-if only chance at survival is to join together. Loyalties are tested and a surprising secret is learned about Kyra's past-one that threatens to reshape their lives. 
• Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake
• For the first time ever, Cassandra and Athena have a mutual goal: to kill the remaining gods and goddesses that have taken refuge on Mount Olympus. If they could just figure out how to work together, they might be able to accomplish it. 
• The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
• Magnus Bane, the mysterious High Warlock of New York, has been alive for a long time and has a mysterious past unknown to most of his companions. In this thrilling novel, secrets and stories are revealed, of lovers, of adventures, and of friendships. 
• The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer
• In a steampunk world, after the British Empire won the Revolutionary War, a young Patriot named Charlotte finds a boy in the woods, running from British war machines. When he claims he cannot remember anything, she and the other rebels with her decide to find his true origin by going to the heart of the Empire: New York.
• Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
• After the death of her older sister, Laurel tries to cope with her feelings of guilt and anger with what starts out as an English assignment: write a letter to a dead person. As Laurel adjusts to high school and makes new friends, she continues writing letters to her idols. They become more detailed and thoughtful as she tries to grieve over her sister and works up the courage to finally be able to talk about the secret of her death. 
• Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain
• Haden, the disgraced son of Ren Hades, King of the Underworld, has been chosen to go to the surface and bring back Daphne Vince, his boon. Daphne's alcoholic rock star father is giving her the chance she has dreamed of to further her music career, but in California, further away from home than she's ever been. Their fates are entwined, and they're about to meet for the first time. 
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
• Lara Jean has a teal hatbox under her bed filled with all her precious things, old feelings, and memories that should be buried forever. In that box, there are letters Lara has written to all the boys she has ever loved with no intention of ever sending them. One day, the hat box goes missing, marking the beginning of a series of confrontations she never thought she’d have to face. 
• Unhinged by A.G. Howard
• Finally back in the “real world” all Alyssa has left is to ignore her darker side and enjoy the normality of high school and her life with Jeb. But does Wonderland leave her alone? Can the Red Queen let Alyssa get away with what she has done? Everything would be easier if Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest.
• The Young Elites by Marie Lu
• Adelina Amounteru is a survivor of the plague, a Malfetto, a freak to the rest of society. The treatment of abuse over the years has caused a darkness to brew inside her. She believes there is hope for her yet as there is a group of other Malfettos, called the Young Elites. The Young Elites have not only survived the plague, but have developed unexplainable abilities. Is refuge with these people what Adelina always wanted, or are they just going to end up using her like everyone else?
• Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
• Celaena, the King’s Champion, has faced many challenges throughout her life, but none compare to what she must now face. As the King of Adarlan seeks to destroy all that she cares about, Celaena must learn to control her powers while deciding who should fight back: Celaena the assassin or Aelin the Fae princess. 
• Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
• Emily and Sloane are the bestest friends having an amazing summer, until one day Sloane disappears. Sloane leaves behind a to-do list of 13 tasks Emily would normally never try without Sloane by her side. With the help of Frank Porter, and a few other friends, will Emily finish the list?
• The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen
• War is on the horizon in Carthya, and Jaron needs to protect his country. However, the ruler of Avenia has also captured Jaron’s best friend and love, Imogen. Jaron needs to save both his friend and his country, but everything that possibly could go wrong, does go wrong. 
• My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
• As the perfect girl who had everything scheduled, always looked nice and studied hard, Jackie couldn't predict her parents’ accident. She also didn't see her future consisting of moving from New York to Colorado and living with twelve boys. How can she cope with her parents’ death, a dramatic change in lifestyle while still being the perfect girl she was? 
• The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
• As Lia tries to run from her bounty hunters, she begins uncovering one of her kingdoms deceptive secrets, hidden by the years passed. Meanwhile, she begins falling in love with two men who are not who they seem to be... 
• The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
• Kestrel is a noble of the vast empire Valoria. She only has two choices for her future: to become a military officer or get married. What she really wants is to be a musician. Her choice for her future becomes more complicated when she buys a slave named Arin who is in on a plot to free his people from enslavement. 
• Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
• Tella Holloway thought her life was bad. When she gets an invitation to save her brother Cody’s life, she learns what bad really is. Tella fights for not only Cody, but herself, her Pandora, and her growing love of a contender. It’s a fight for life, but will Tella die trying? 
• I Become Shadow by Joe Shine
• Ren Sharpe was abducted at fourteen, chosen by the mysterious F.A.T.E. Center to become a Shadow: an unstoppable guardian of a future leader/world changer. After four years of training, she is assigned to protect Gareth Young, one of these future beings, an easy assignment, until a team of trained and armed professionals attempt to abduct him in broad daylight. With nowhere else to turn, Ren breaks F.A.T.E. rules and tracks down the only person she can trust; a fellow Shadow named Junie Miller, and decides that her kidnappers may be able to see the future, but they are unprepared for the killing machines they've created.
• Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
• Grasshopper Jungle is a coming of age story revolving around three teenagers, told in layers, exploring the pitfalls and wisdom of history, complex issues of friendship and sexual confusion, and, of course, the story of how six-foot-tall man-eating praying mantises from Iowa, brought on the end of the world.
• The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
• Lucy and Owen get stuck in an elevator in a New York City blackout. When they finally get out of the elevator, they spend the night looking at the stars. Soon after the blackout, Lucy moves away to Scotland while Owen heads out west. With that night in-grained into their minds, they try to stay in touch with each other while trying to figure out what that night truly meant for both of them. 
• Boys Like You by Juliana Stone
• Monroe and Nathan are alike in so many ways. Their "one mistake" has hurt both of them and the ones they love. Can Monroe accept herself and help Nathan to do the same? 
• We Should Hang Out Sometimes by Josh Sundquist
• Josh is a boy who's good with math, but not with girls. He has the best pickup line- We should hang out sometime- but he never really gets a relationship out of it. Now, after many girlfriendless years, he tries to figure out why.
• Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
• As if being one of the first black students to attend Jefferson High School wasn't enough, Sarah Dunbar has to worry about keeping her secret. Linda Hairston, is the daughter of one of Davisburg's most vocal opponents to integration in schools. She too has a secret. When these two very different girls are forced to work together on a school project, both are forced to confront the harsh truths about race, power and love.

And here are some pictures of teens enjoying them:

Bonus Post: Teens' Top 10!!

Speaking of YALSA, they released the names of the 2014 Teens' Top Ten Books! Teens and YA-lovers all over the country vote on the top ten books of the year, and we finally have a list for the books we received from YALSA. Here they are:

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. Splintered by A. G. Howard
3. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
5. Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne
6. Earth Girl by Janet Edwards
7. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
8. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
9. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
10. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Here's the list with synopses. If they look interesting to you, check them out!

Did you vote for one that didn't end up on the Top 10 list? Comment with your favorites of the year!

Book Publishers + Social Media

I know a lot of you guys are on social media. (I mean, come on--who isn't?) Here's a tip--look for your favorite book publishers to follow! You get immediate, up-to-date news straight from the source. If you follow Harper Teen on Twitter, you can find out about contests, giveaways, and new book releases before anyone else. You can send asks to the Penguin Teen Tumblr to find out about the publishing business and what's next for your favorite author. And who doesn't want to see cool links on their feed from Random House Children's Facebook or Scholastic's Pinterest? It's great news about stuff you're interested in, coming directly to your fingertips, and you don't have to pay anything. Amazing, right?

You can also follow YALSA on social media. (YALSA stands for Young Adult Library Services Association. You may remember that we have some supercool books from them.) They are the people who organize the Teens' Top Ten voting and hold Teen Read Week & Teen Tech Week. They're on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Google+... you can pretty much virtually follow them however you want.(Check out their website for links.)

(While you're at it, follow us on social media, too! We're on Facebook and Twitter!)

And finally, we hope you're a little more generous with lit than this kid:

Best. Book. Review. Ever. pic.twitter.com/4OdVeFdIYV
— Aerogramme Writers (@A_WritersStudio) October 3, 2014

Literary Playlist: This Song Will Save Your Life

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales is one of the TTT books we received from YALSA. It's full of amazing music references. If you've read the book, are reading the book, are going to read the book, or just want to hear good music, listen to this playlist based on TSWSYL.

[NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]

TTT Voting - Starting August 15!

You guys are definitely enjoying the Teens' Top Ten nominee books we received from YALSA. We barely have any on the shelf at any given time! (To know if you have one of these books in particular, see if it has a blue sticker on the spine. It has been chosen.)

Here is the complete list of 25 nominees, including synopses and a cool intro video.

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Love In The Time Of Global Warming by Francesca Lia

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau - download it through Overdrive or OneClickDigital

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - download it through Overdrive

Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray - download it through Freading

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Monument 14: Sky On Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards - download it through Freading

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Winger by Andrew Smith

A Midsummer Night’s Scream by R.L. Stine

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke

In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - download it through OneClickDigital

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

If you see one you really want to read, put a hold on it! Check it out! Read it! Download it! Listen to it! Fall in love with it! Or maybe just have a crush on it. Then you can vote on your favorites when the Teens' Top Ten voting starts on August 15.

What better way to have your voice heard than vote for the Top Ten YA books? Oh right! Comment below with which of the 25 nominees are your faves, or which ones you think should have made the cut!

Amazing Books from YALSA

We got a grant from YALSA for the Top Ten Teen Book Nominees, and you guys love them. There are hardly any left on the shelf! Check out these pics of some teens enjoying them: