"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, May 18, 2015

TTT: YA books that just might win an award this year

TOP TEN TUESDAY today is FREE CHOICE. 
My choice:

YA  books published in 2015 that, according to the reviews, just might be good enough to win an award at the end of the year. (I have not read all these books but I have read the reviews.)

cover_image
1. Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick---
Four interconnected stories that all have something to do with the spiral shape and the possibility of ghosts. Sedgwick is a multiple-award book author. Keep your eye on this one. (3 of 5 starred reviews.)

cover_image
2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nevin---
Two very damaged teenagers, Violet and Finch, find and help each other. An intense novel about pain, redemption, and healing. (6 out of 7 starred reviews.)

cover_image
3. Bone Gap by Laura Ruby---
"Bone Gap marks Laura Ruby as one of fiction's most original voices. She is capable of moving you to tears, terrifying you on deep and dreamlike levels, and making your heart shout with happiness. This book is magic realism at its most magical."—E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars (4 of 6 starred reviews)

18075234
4. Challenger Deep by Neil Shusterman----
About a teen with schizophrenia, with illustrations by Brendon Schusterman which add a meaningful dimension to the story. "Haunting, unforgettable, and life affirming all at once."---Booklist (5 of 6 starred reviews)

cover_image
5. Mosquitoland by David Arnold---
Another book about mental illness issues. "When she learns that her mother is sick in Ohio, Mim confronts her demons on a thousand-mile odyssey from Mississippi that redefines her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane"--from the publisher. (3 of 6 starred reviews)

cover_image
6. The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks----
This book won the Carnegie Medal in UK last year. Will it be a winner here in the US this year?  "People have simple needs. Food, water, light, space. Maybe a small measure of dignity. What happens when someone takes all that away? This pulse-pounding, award-winning novel explores what happens when your worst nightmare comes true.---from the publisher (3 of 4 starred reviews)

cover_image
7. Black Dove White Raven by Elizabeth Wein---
Historical fiction set in Ethiopia in the 1930s by a multiple-awarding winning author. (3 of 6 starred reviews)

cover_image
8. The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough----
Also set in the 1930s, this one in Seattle. "... the fully realized setting and characters make this more than just a modern fairy tale. It’s a poignant reminder of how far we've come since the 1930s in terms of race, class, and sexual orientation , and how far we still have to go."---The Horn Book Magazine  (3 of 5 starred reviews)

cover_image
9. X: a novel by Ilyasha Shabazz and Kekla Magoon----
From the Publisher: "Co-written by Malcolm X's daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world." (7 of 8 starred reviews.)

cover_image
10. The Tight Rope Walkers by David Almond---
A coming-of-age story set in England. "The novel is Shakespearean in its breadth, earthiness, and emotional pitch. A mysterious tramp who wanders in and out of the narrative -- unspeaking, benevolent, holy ..."---from the Horn Book Magazine  (6 out of 7 starred reviews.)

and the one I am reading right now....

18044277

11. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma---
"Suma excels in creating surreal, unsettling stories with vivid language, and this psychological thriller is no exception. Along the way, Suma also makes a powerful statement about the ease with which guilt can be assumed and innocence awarded, not only in the criminal-justice system but in our hearts—in the stories we tell ourselves. A fabulous, frightening read."---Booklist (5 of 6 starred reviews)

Review sources: School Library Journal; Booklist; Kirkus Reviews; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; New York Times; Voice of Youth Advocates; Publisher's Weekly; Horn Book Magazines; Publisher's Weekly Annex. Every book hasn't been reviewed by all the sources.





20 comments:

  1. I've been really looking forward to all of these - I've heard such great things about them! :)

    Check out my TTT.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I bought The Ghosts of Heaven recently and I didn't know that it had such rave reviews! Now I am even more excited to read it. I started The Walls Around Us but never got around to finishing it. It was good but I just put it down one day and never picked it up again. I should get back to it!

    Thanks for dropping by Bursting Books !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read The Ghosts of Heaven in one day. I've been thinking about it ever since. I just started The Walls Around Us today. So far I can't tell what is happening. But I have read another book by Suma and I am prepared for creepy.

      Delete
  3. These sound like some really intense, fascinating books. It's a shame more books like these don't get the publicity they deserve. I'm particularly interested in White Dove Black Raven, since Africa isn't such a common setting for books these days, either contemporary or historical.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am listening to the audiobook for Black Dove White Raven. I am fascinated by the Ethiopian history. I am learning alot.

      Delete
  4. Nice idea for a topic! I quite enjoyed Black Dove White Raven and All the Bright Places, though I couldn't get into Mosquitoland or Bone Gap. The Tight Rope Walkers and X sound intriguing. Will be interesting to see how many of these are award winners!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the audiobooks for Mosquitoland and Bone Gap. I hope they are good.

      Delete
  5. I read and reviewed Bone Gap very recently and LOVED it. It's one of those books that has a unique feel to it that makes it different from all other books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is what I've heard from one of my colleagues.

      Delete
  6. Some great choices! I absolutely adored 'The Game of Love & Death' and cannot recommend it enough. It was such a beautiful and gorgeously written book and I really hope it gets the recognition it deserves with awards this year!

    My TTT

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tightrope Walkers is waiting for me right now at the library! Can't wait to start it.

    Here's mine: Best Moving-and-Starting-Over Books!

    ReplyDelete
  8. There are so many on here that are on my TBR that I need to to get to. Great topic and picks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. All the Bright Places is definitely getting an award or two or three this year. Happy reading!

    https://ireadboooks.wordpress.com/2015/05/19/top-ten-classics-ive-yet-to-read/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Anne! I obviously need to get to the bookstore, because I haven't read any of these yet. Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hmm, I haven't read any of these yet, but I should check some of them out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read most of them either. Of the eleven on the list I've only completed two so far and I'm currently working on two others.

      Delete
  12. Great topic! I haven't read Sedgwick's newest book yet, but I plan on reading it ASAP as he is one of my favorite authors, I would love for his work to win more awards. I read Mosquitoland and wasn't that impressed, but a lot of these are on my TBR- Challenger Deep, The Game of Love and Death, and Black Dove, White Raven.
    Thanks for stopping by The Local Muse

    ReplyDelete
  13. So great to see Challenger Deep on this list-I haven't read it yet, but I'm really excited!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/19/top-ten-tuesdays-5/

    ReplyDelete

I look forward to your comments and interactions! Join in the conversation.