Dear Martin by Nic Stone

This book has been getting a lot of buzz lately. It is the perfect companion read to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I knew the book was about social justice but I didn't know much else when I started reading. I finished the first half in 1 day. The book was quick and engaging. I highly recommend the book to any reluctant readers.

Amazon Summary
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi ( Book Club Book)

This is the IT book of the year. Everyone is talking about the book and everyone is LOVING this book. I was so excited to finally have a chance to read Children of Blood and Bone. I don't choose Fantasy that often so I was excited to enter into a new world.

Amazon Summary

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

"A phenomenon." ―Entertainment Weekly

“The epic I’ve been waiting for.” ―New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu

“You will be changed. You will be ready to rise up and reclaim your own magic!” ―New York Times-bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton

“The next big thing in literature and film.” ―Ebony

“One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of theyear.” ―Teen Vogue

This title has Common Core connections.

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin ( Abe Book) (Book Club Book)

This was on my to-read list for a while. I kept putting it off because I didn't like the cover. I know as a librarian it is horrible to judge a book by it's cover but in this case that is what I did. Book Club chose this book so now I had no choice but to read Wolf by Wolf.

I have to tell you, I LOVED it. I was so surprised but I could not put this book down!

Amazon Summary

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their combined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?

From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

I try really hard to read the book before I see the movie or show. When I read that Sharp Objects was going to be a show on HBO I knew I had to hurry up and read the book. I have read Gone Girl and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and really enjoyed both books. I was excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. Gillian Flynn is a master of mystery, darkness and twists.

Amazon Summary

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I saw the movie preview for this book and I was curious to learn more about the book. One of my co-workers read the book and said it was fast and fun and perfect for a long holiday weekend. The book did not disappoint. I still haven't seen the movie but I will as soon as it's on Netflix.

Amazon Summary

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor. 
 
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.

Turtles all the way down by John Green

I had been waiting to read the newest John Green for almost a year. I finally got around to reading it and I was not disappointed. A little mystery, a little romance and a sold foundation of friendship.

Amazon Summary
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
   
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 
 
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz

There were two covers for this book. I really enjoyed this book and I thought many young people today could relate to this book and the topic presented. Jasmine has always played by the rules. She  is a good daughter, friend and an incredible student. After she receives one of the most prestigious college scholarships  she finds her world turned upside down. Jasmine learns her family is undocumented and living in the U.S. illegally. All of her dreams have come crashing down.

Amazon Summary
She had her whole life planned.

She knew who she was and where she was going. 

Until the truth changed everything.

Jasmine de los Santos has always done what’s expected of her. She’s studied hard, made her Filipino immigrant parents proud and is ready to reap the rewards in the form of a full college scholarship to the school of her dreams.

And then everything shatters. Her parents are forced to reveal the truth: their visas expired years ago. Her entire family is illegal. That means no scholarships, maybe no college at all and the very real threat of deportation.

As she’s trying to make sense of this new reality, her world is turned upside down again by Royce Blakely. He’s funny, caring and spontaneous—basically everything she’s been looking for at the worst possible time—and now he’s something else she may lose. 

Jasmine will stop at nothing to protect her relationships, family and future, all while fighting the hard truths of being undocumented.

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow ( Abe Book)

I really enjoyed this book. It was dark and emotional but a powerful read. I was rooting for Charlie to succeed.

Amazon Summary
Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people do in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you. 
   Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge. 
  A deeply moving portrait of a girl in a world that owes her nothing, and has taken so much, and the journey she undergoes to put herself back together. Kathleen Glasgow's debut is heartbreakingly real and unflinchingly honest. It’s a story you won’t be able to look away from.