I haven’t taken a pic of this board since I put it up, but will try to get one later this month. Because you cannot see the image of the board, I will tell you that all covers have the person with his/her back towards the camera–get it? Welcome *Back.* Yeah, Samma thought it was a dumb idea too, but she had a surprisingly easy time finding cover art–mostly with female leads–sorry guys:)
A Great and Terrible Beauty – Libba Bray
Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother’s death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls’ academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed until she blackmails herself into a treacherous clique. Gemma’s visions continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control.
Nobody’s Princess – Esther M. Friesner
She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed “son of Zeus” Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – E.L. Konigsburg
Suburban Claudia Kincaid doesn’t want to just run away, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bringing along her little brother Jamie, who has the cash to help out, the siblings find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it? Claudia is determined to find out. Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.
The Great Hunt – Wendy Higgins
Inspired by the Grimm Tale “The Singing Bone”. When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, a desperate challenge is issued: kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage. Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger…until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.
The Forbidden Orchid – Sharon Biggs Waller
Elodie Buchanan is the “responsible older one” of ten sisters living in a small English market town in 1861. The girls barely know their father, a plant hunter usually off adventuring through China. But, when he reneges on his contract to collect an extremely rare and valuable orchid, Elodie can’t stand by and see her family destroyed. She persuades her father to return to China once more to try to hunt down the flower—only this time, despite everything she knows about her place in society, she goes with him. If she can find the orchid, how can she ever go back to being the demure, responsible Elodie that everybody has come to expect?
Highly Illogical Behavior – John Corey Whaley
Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn’t left the house in three years, which is fine by him.
Enter Lisa.
Determined to “fix” Sol while on her way to entering the 2nd Best Psychology program in the country, Lisa steps into his world, along with her charming boyfriend, Clark, and soon the three form an unexpected bond. But, as Lisa learns more about Sol and he and Clark grow closer and closer, the walls they’ve built around themselves start to collapse and their friendships threaten to do the same.
Wanderlost – Jen Malone
After her sister lands in trouble and she’s talked into taking over her summer job as European Tour Guide to senior citizens, Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels. Add in an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.
The Inquisition – Taran Matharu
Picking up a year after where The Novice ended, Fletcher and Ignatius have been locked away in Pelt’s dungeons, but now they must face a trial at the hands of the Inquisition, a powerful institution controlled by those who would delight in Fletcher’s downfall. Haunted by the past and shocking revelations about Fletcher’s origins, he has little time to dwell; the graduating students of Vocans are to be sent deep into the orc jungles to complete a dangerous mission for the king and his council. If they fail, the orcish armies will rise to power beyond anything the Empire has ever seen. With loyal friends Othello and Sylva by his side, Fletcher must battle his way to the heart of Orcdom and save Hominum from destruction…or die trying
Black River Falls – Jeff Hirsch
Cardinal Cassidy, 17, has escaped the virus that tore through the town of Black River, but not its devastating impact on his home and family. Everyone’s memories are gone, and the city is still in quarantine after six months. He chooses to remain in relative hiding, living in a mountain camp with the town’s former bully—now his best friend. Together, they look after a group of orphaned kids and do their best to move on from the virus’s effects. But then an enigmatic young woman appears, a private corporation takes control of Black River, and the safe, closed-off world Cardinal has created begins to crumble.
The Rains – Gregg Hurwitz (Out: October 18th, 2016)
In one terrifying night, the peaceful community of Creek’s Cause turns into a war zone. No one under the age of eighteen is safe. Chance Rain and his older brother, Patrick, have already fended off multiple attacks from infected adults by the time they arrive at the school where other young survivors are hiding. Most of the kids they know have been dragged away by once-trusted adults who are now ferocious, inhuman beings. The parasite that transformed them takes hold after people turn eighteen–and Patrick’s birthday is only a few days away. Determined to save Patrick’s life and the lives of the remaining kids, the brothers become humanity’s only hope for salvation.
The Fixer – Jennifer Lynn Barnes
At 16, Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather’s ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a “fixer” for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems. But when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess’s classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.
Galgorithm – Aaron Karo
After the girl of his dreams breaks his heart, Shane devises a mysterious formula called the Galgorithm and establishes himself as the resident dating guru at Kingsview High School. But his attempts to master the art of romance go outrageously awry.
Eleanor & Park – Rainbow Rowell
Each have their own set of problems. Eleanor comes from a broken home (in more ways than one), wears weird clothes, has big red hair, and is overweight. Park is half-Korean and would rather read comics than figure out complex math or step foot on a football field. Thrown together by fate and set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave (and desperate) enough to try.
Hattie Big Sky – Kirby Larson
After inheriting her uncle’s homesteading claim in Montana 16 year-old orphan Hattie Brooks travels from Iowa in 1917 to make a home for herself and encounters some unexpected problems related to the war being fought in Europe.
Little Fish – Ramsey Beyer
Told through real-life journals, collages, lists, and drawings, this coming-of-age story illustrates the transformation of an 18-year-old girl from a small-town teenager into an independent city-dwelling college student. Written in an autobiographical style with beautiful artwork, Little Fish shows the challenges of being a young person facing the world on her own for the very first time and the unease—as well as excitement—that comes along with that challenge.
Sean Griswold’s Head – Lindsey Leavitt
According to her guidance counselor, Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on to help her deal with her father’s diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. It’s supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold’s head. They’ve been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it’s an alphabetical order thing), but she’s never really known him. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking–er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He’s cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.