Since my library is in China, we only do one huge Follett order each school year. And it is a joyous day when that order arrives after months of anticipation! Bring on the new book smell and ink-high!
So we just got the annual book order last week. Those gorgeous white and purple boxes brought us over 1500 new books for our two libraries. Yes! Unfortunately, there are many books that have released since I sent the order in January. Not to worry though--my school also allows me to buy books when I return to the USA to visit, so I get to go on a book shopping spree when I visit Texas in July.
I am really excited about this week's new YA and MG releases--there are just so many good ones! Many of these will be in my "extra baggage" when I return to Suzhou in August.
All of these come out Tuesday, May 3:
  | Whisper to Me (Nick Lake) Written as a explanation letter from Cassie to the boy whose heart she broke. Cassie explains why she pushed him away, why her father got so angry, and what she saw the night her life changed forever. Mental illness, serial killers, and first love. |
  | Ask Me How I Got Here (Christine Hepperman) This one appears on my recent "There Goes My Life: Teen Pregnancy" booklist. Addie is a normal teenager who loves cross country running and her boyfriend. When she finds out she is pregnant, she decides to have an abortion. But moving past the abortion isn't at all easy. |
  | The Way Back To You (Michelle Andreani) Andreani looks like a promising debut author. This is a contemporary story in the spirit of Kirby's In Honor. Claudia, a.k.a., Cloudy, is devastated since the death of her best friend, Ashlyn. When she discovers three of Ashlyn's organs have been donated, Cloudy convinces Ashlyn's boyfriend Kyle to travel with her to find the recipients in the hopes of soothing their grief. |
  | Totally Awkward Love Story (Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison) I think this is my favorite front cover so far this year! Originally titled Lobsters, this was previously released in the UK in 2014 and is only now being released in the USA. Contemporary romance. |
  | A Court of Mist and Fury (Sarah J. Maas) We only just got the first book in this series in this week's book order, but judging by the enormous popularity of Maas'Throne of Glass series, this one is sure to be a hit. Think "Beauty and the Beast" meets faerie lore. |
  | The Girl I Used to Be (April Henry) April Henry books are infinitely popular with my Year7 and Year8 girls (6th and 7th grades), and I am sure this one will be just as popular. Olivia tries to unravel the mystery of who killed her parents fourteen years ago. |
  | The Crown (Kiera Cass) If I got a chocolate chip cookie for every girl who asked me when our library would get The Crown, I would weigh at least 487 pounds right now. This fifth book in The Selection series is set 20 years after the events in The One. It features America and Maxon's daughter, Princess Eadlyn, who is about to host her own Selection. |
  | Invision (Sherrilyn Kenyon) I can't believe this series now has SEVEN books! The Chronicles of Nick series is about to get a huge boost in circulation due to a Zombie Apocalypse overtaking our school in the last three weeks of this school year. You read that correctly--it is a project-based learning experiment we are doing in a few weeks. Interestingly, all seven books in this series boast solid 4+ star ratings on Goodreads. According to Goodreads, there will ultimately be 14 books in the series. |
  | Love & Gelato (Jenna Evans Welch) This one sounds a bit like Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Lina's mother's last dying wish is for Lina to get to know her own absent father. Lina reluctantly travels to visit her father in Tuscany, where she finds her mother's old journal and goes on a European road trip. Early reviews are quite positive for this title. |
  | Ruined (Amy Tintera) Ruined is the first in a dystopia/fantasy series of the same title. Seeking revenge and her kidnapped sister Olivia, Em travels to an enemy kingdom and infiltrates the royal family by pretending to be Prince Casimir's betrothed. This is another title with positive early reviews, and it definitely sounds like something I would enjoy! |
  | The Unexpected Everything (Morgan Matson) I love Morgan Matson! Her characters are real, with raw emotions and un-put-down-able plots. This one features Andie, the daughter of a congressman embroiled in a political scandal. Enter lots of dogs and a cute nerd-boy named Clark. |