Books I'm Excited to Read

First off, I have to say how sad I am to hear that JD Salinger died. If you are a regular reader of YAedge, you probably remember the post I talked about my love for Catcher in the Rye. Catcher isn't his only book, but is not his only amazing book. One of my other favorites of all time is Salinger's Franny and Zooey. I believe Salinger was one of the last great classic literary writers. It was easy to forget that Salinger was still around, due to his disappearance from the world, as he stayed out of view from the world the last several years of his life. If you haven't read either of the above books, or any of Salinger's work, I suggest you do so.

Now, I thought I would talk about the books I can't wait to read that are on my TBR list or coming out soon.

New releases:

Heist Society by Ally Carter-
(From BN.com) Since she can remember, Katarina's relatives have been grooming her for the family business--thieving. But when Kat tries to go straight and leave the Life for a normal life, she's promptly kicked out of her new school for stealing the headmaster's car and mounting it on the school fountain. Although she could have done it without breaking a sweat, ironically, this time, she's innocent.

In fact she was framed--by another highly-skilled thief. Her friend and brother-in-trade Hale, with his mischievous smile and limitless bank account, has appeared out of nowhere to bring her back to the Life, back to the family Kat tried so hard to escape. Hale has a good reason: A powerful mobster has just been robbed of his priceless art collection and he wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have cracked this vault, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he IS the list.
Now, caught between Interpol and a far more deadly predator, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat, a consummate thief in her own right, the solution is simple: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and maybe just enough misguided pride to pull off the biggest heist in history - or at least in her family's (very crooked) history.


I have been so excited about this book. I'm a huge fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl's series and have a feeling this book will bring my love of her books to new heights. Her stories are fun, easy reads that makes me want to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and my cat, Roxy. I will be running out to the store February 9th for this one for sure!


Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson-
(From BN.com) Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-agent, entered Scarlett Martin's life, nothing has been the same.

She's still in charge of the Empire Suite in her family's hotel, but she's now also Mrs. Amberson's assistant, running around town for her star client, Chelsea - a Broadway star Scarlett's age with a knack for making her feel insignificant.

Scarlett's also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, her lab partner who is being just a little TOO nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart.

In the midst of all this, her parents drop a bombshell that threatens to change her New York life forever...

Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite teen authors of all time. I've read all of her books and long for more. This is the sequel to 2008's Suite Scarlett, so be sure to pick that one up first if you haven't read it. Each of the family member's have their quirks in this story, but you hope and wish to be one of them. Their life isn't all glamor, owning and living in an old hotel in New York that has seen it's better days, but it has a feel of old New York to me. I hope Scarlett Fever lives up to Suite Scarlett but I have no doubt that it will.

TBR list:

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan-
(From BN.com) Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him.

When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue).

In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

To be honest, I didn't know about Flash Burnout until people started talking about it on Twitter. Since then, I have only heard amazing things, including starred reviews and I believe at least one award. This book sounds like it's right up my alley and I can't wait to dive right in.


Beautiful by Amy Reed-
(From BN.com) When Cassie moves from the tiny town where she has always lived to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. This is Cassie's chance to stop being invisible and become the kind of girl who's worth noticing.

Stepping into her new identity turns out to be easier than Cassie could have ever imagined...one moment, one choice, will change everything.

Cassie's new existence both thrills and terrifies her. Swept into a world of illicit parties and social landmines, she sheds her virginity, embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, and floats through it all, knowing that she is now called beautiful. She ignores the dangers of her fast-paced life?but she can't sidestep the secrets and the cruelty.

Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral tinged with violence and abuse, and no one—not even the one person she thought she could trust—can help her now.

As you all know, I love edgy contemporary teen fiction so I have very high hopes for Beautiful. I've heard great things about and debut author Amy Reed is nice enough to join YAedge for an interview that I will be on the site in the coming weeks. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of Beautiful!

Candor by Pam Bachorz-
(From BN.com) In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town's founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause. But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar' s built a business sabotaging his father's scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they're turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks? Then he meets Nia, the girl he can't stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

This is another book that was under my radar until recently. Now I can't wait to read Candor by another debut author, Pam Bachorz. It makes me think of a teen version of Stepford Wives with a flair. It is getting amazing reviews, so I can't wait to pick it up!

The Ultimate YA Book

This weekend I went into Barnes and Noble and purchased a few books. How is that different from any other weekend you ask? I do frequent bookstores almost every chance I get, but this time I purchased one of the best, most moving books I’ve read in a long time. Before I tell you what book I’m writing about, let me tell you a little about it.

The main character resonates with me, as it will with anyone who is…well, alive. A lonely teen, he just wants someone to talk to. A friend to listen, to tell him things are going to be okay during a hard time in his life; a place to go where he can feel safe. Instead, he has run-ins with three women at a bar, his brother’s ex-girlfriend, a group of nuns, and a prostitute. The list could go on from there, but I think you’ve got the idea. He squashes his sorrows with alcohol, cigarettes and his security blanket, a hat.

Still don’t know what book I’m talking about? I’m sure most people read the book in high school…The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

I decided to buy The Catcher in the Rye because I hadn’t read it in a good 12-15 years (I can’t remember exactly what grade I was assigned to read it). I remember liking it, which was so rare for me to like an assigned book in school. I would buy the Cliff Notes (not recommended, trust me) and go home to read a book I wanted to read, not one someone told me to read. Stupid, I know. I missed reading a lot of the great classics, but for some reason, I picked up J.D. Salinger’s book and couldn’t put it down.

Reading it again, now at 29 years old, I was amazed at how close this book mirrors young adult books today. The main character, Holden Caulfield has the same problems that teens have in today’s YA section in bookstores. He’s been kicked out his boarding school due to poor grades (or not doing his work), he drinks (despite being underage), smokes like a chimney, thinks about sex (even going as far as hiring a prostitute despite being a virgin), deals with death and mourning, religion, suicide and uses bad language throughout the book. Keep in mind, this book was first published in 1951 (58 years ago for the math challenged), but still sells roughly 250,000 copies a year. This book transcends time like no other classic that could be considered young adult.

I don’t want to give too much away. I want every single one of you, if you’re a teen or a teen author/writer, to please read this book. Even if you’ve read it, and it’s been awhile, pick it up again. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me!