Nif's Recent Reads

I read really fast, so I thought it would be fun to keep a log of the books I read each week.

NIF’S RECENT READS

Young Adult

Getting It by Alex Sanchez, published by Simon and Schuster, $16.95 hardcover

Carlos is 15 and has never had a girlfriend or a hookup or anything. When he notices that Sal, who is gay, is comfortable talking with girls, he decides to ask Sal for some “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” type help. Sal agrees, but only if Carlos will help him start a gay-straight alliance at their school.

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I just discovered Adrian Fogelin, who writes moving, humorous stories about interracial friendship and young teens learning to be true to themselves. I read these two and am eager to read more.

Crossing Jordan, by Adrian Fogelin, published by Peachtree Press, $6.95 paperback
Cass’s dad builds a fence when he finds out that the new neighbors are black. But Cass and Jemmie both love to run, and they forge a friendship stronger than their parents’ disapproval.

The Big Nothing, by Adrian Fogelin, published by Peachtree Press, $6.95 paperback
Justin’s dad left home, his mom is depressed, and his brother is about to be shipped to Iraq. Learning to play the piano brings much needed solace, but also awakens a crush on a girl more popular than him.

Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett, published by Avon Tempest, $16.99 hardcover

I may have mentioned that I intend to read everything Terry Pratchett writes. This third book about Tiffany Aching is pure fun. If you’ve read Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith is a must-read. If you haven’t read any of them, what are you waiting for?

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At WisCon this year I was pleased to meet Scott Westerfield and his wife Justine Larbalestier. Both are writing fresh, exciting young adult SF&F from down under, and I was really excited to see these sequels come out.

Specials by Scott Westerfield, published by Simon Pulse, $15.95 hardcover

This is the conclusion of the trilogy that started with Uglies and Pretties. In Tally’s world, everyone gets cosmetic surgery when they turn 16…whether they want it or not. Tally and her friends are now Special, their rebellious natures subverted to make them part of the controlling elite of their society.

Magic Lessons by Justine Larbalestier, published by Razorbill, $16.99 hardcover

Only a few short weeks ago, fifteen-year-old Reason thought that magic didn’t exist. Now she knows that has to use magic, or else she’ll go crazy, but if she uses too much magic, she will die. Family and friends with similar powers are faced with the same hard choices. Reason is caught between two powerful grandparents with suspicious motives, pulled between Sydney and New York, and chased by a mysterious figure with magical powers unlike that of anyone else she knows. Who will help her? Who can she trust? The second book of the trilogy that began with Magic or Madness.

More to come...