New Crayons is a meme hosted by Color Online in which participating bloggers share what new books they got for the week whether by buying them, going to the library, trading or as gifts.
Except for one, these books all have one feature in common that makes me happy. Guess what it is.
I've been thinking lately about what I want to write about on this blog. I've got plenty of books to review and I am slowly (but surely) finding the motivation to resume reviewing. I am open to suggestions; is there anything people would like to see me discuss? Or answer any questions? I have a few ideas but I am open to any others. For now I know that I want to write the following sometime soon (as in before I go to college):
-resume my monthly literacy non-profit spotlight
-Write a follow-up Jane Austen post (and respond to all the comments)
-Read/review books about one country for one week in which there is a humanitarian crisis occurring (a la my Haiti week)
-Publish my before-college bucket list
-write a 2012 MG releases about kids of color post (a la my 2012 YA releases about teenagers of color)
For those who are curious about my colleges so far I was accepted into Tulane University, University of Rochester, Loyola University Chicago, Fordham University and Northeastern University. If you have any thoughts on any of those colleges, feel free to share them since I have an idea of where I want to go but I'm not 100% sure yet. And I hear back from a few others in late March.
Now for my New Crayons (most of the books arrived weeks ago)
Ship of Souls by Zetta ElliottRelease Date: Feb 28
When 11-year-old Dmitri (D) loses his mother to breast cancer, he finds himself taken in by an elderly white woman, Mrs. Martin. D loves to watch birds and, while in the park, is amazed to find an injured bird that can talk. He takes it home and soon learns there are malevolent forces inhabiting the region beneath Prospect Park and they are hunting for the bird; Nuru is a life force that has been kept hostage by the earthbound spirits who are ghosts of soldiers that died in the Revolutionary War. Nuru's mission is to guide the ship that will carry the souls of the dead back to her realm. D has been chosen as Nuru's host, and must carry the bird from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan where the dead await deliverance.
-Thank you so much Zetta and congratulations on the Booklist starred review! Zetta Elliott is one of my favorite authors after reading her debut, A Wish After Midnight so I'm impatiently waiting for school to settle down so I can devour this book.
Cat Girl's Day Off by Kimberly PauleyRelease Date: April 1
Natalie Ng’s little sister is a super-genius with a chameleon-like ability to disappear. Her older sister has three Class A Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her mom has laser vision and has one of the highest IQs ever. Her dad’s Talent is so complex even the Bureau of Extra-Sensory Regulation and Management (BERM) hardly knows what to classify him as. And Nat? She can talk to cats. The whole talking-to-cats thing is something she tries very hard to hide, except with her best friends Oscar (a celebrity-addicted gossip hound) and Melly (a wannabe actress). When Oscar shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on…and it’s not funny. (okay, yeah, a frou-frou blogger being taken down by a really angry cat named Tiddlywinks, who also happens to be dyed pink? Pretty hilarious.) Nat and her friends are catapulted right into the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets. Can she keep her reputation intact? Can she keep Oscar and Melly focused long enough to save the day? And, most importantly, can she keep from embarrassing herself in front of Ian? Find out what happens when the kitty litter hits the fan.
-The words "Ferris Bueller's Chicago" made me fall in love with this book's summary, can't wait!
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees BrennanRelease Date: July 3
When a vampire shows up at Mel's high school, it's up to Mel to keep her best friend from falling in love with him. Add a mysterious disappearance, a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and poignant.
-Both authors are hilarious and great writers, what more could a reader want?
Into the Wise Dark by Neesha MemingerRelease Date: March
Pammi has a Secret--she is an Able. At night, she travels through time to an ancient city called Zanum. She's been visiting Zanum since she was seven and she's kept it a secret from everyone--including her own mother. Especially her mother. Everything's been fine...until now.On the night of an important Zanum ceremony, Pammi follows her gut instinct and defies an elder's orders, inadvertently leading evil directly to the door of the city she loves. Now the evil that plans to wipe out the city is coming after her. Can she save herself, and Zanum, before it's too late? Or will she seal the doom of all Ables and witness the annihilation of everyone she loves?
-I love all the cool links related to the book the author features on her website, I'm a sucker for research and historical tidbits. Again Neesha Meminger is one of my favorite authors so I'm dying of anticipation :D
What books did you get this week? Share the titles. Have you read any of the books I got? What posts would you like to see me write?
Wuhu Amazon tells me my copy of Ship of Souls is finally, um, shipping! Excited :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting accepted so many places as well. College acceptances sound really hard over there.