A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Want something to look forward to? Try reading the first two books in this trilogy and then just wait with baited breath until December when the third one will come out! Libba Bray's books are set in England and are about Gemma Doyle, an English girl raised in India who has discovered an ancient group of women called The Order who possess magical powers that come from a magical place called The Realms. In book one, Gemma discovers who she really is (a member of The Order) after the murder of her mother. This in addition to being sent away to a finishing school and having a hot Indian boy chasing her makes for some wild times. Add in a beautiful friend named Pippa, a loyal friend named Ann, and a strong willed and beautiful friend named Felicity and you have drama, drama, drama! Not to mention the fact that the girls can actually bring magic back from the realms to wreck havoc on Spence, their stuffy boarding school! I've read one and two and I can't wait to see what happens in three. Romance, rich historical detail, and the trials of corsets abound in these action packed historical fantasies. Till next time! -Suzanne

Away Laughing on a Fast Camel by Louise Rennison

Note: You must read this post with a British Accent.
Hello girls! Are you ready for some mad marvy fun? Read the Georgia Nicolson books and immerse yourself in some brilliant literature all about the situations that Geogia Nicolson gets herself into while attending her girls' school and prowling for gorgy blokes over in England-land. Learn what Boy Entrancers are and how to use them, learn how to build a shrine to a lost lurve and learn how to make any idiot boy want to spend some major snoggilicious time with you. As an added plus, these books are written as a tell-all diary! So curl up with a spot of tea and let Georgia take you away to the land of tea, scones, and full frontal snogging! - Till next time! Suzanne

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

I don't know how many of you are on board about "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" books. It took me a very long time to read these books but now that I have I'm SO EXCITED about book four coming out! These books are about a group of four girlfriends who are all very different. Lena is an artist who is introspective, Greek, and very beautiful. Tibby is into making films, is kind of opinionated, and was an only child for years until her parents decided to have two more children when she was already a teenager! Carmen is a shopoholic, likes to write, is Puerto Rican, and has to deal with four parents on a regular basis. And Bridget, who is generally known as being "hot" is a soccer fiend whose mother died right before the very first book. They are such good books! Girls who like girly (but good girly books) will love these books! This is one of those series of books that might appeal to both the Inspirational Readers as well as Gossip Girl fans!!! Till next time! - Suzanne

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Have you ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have? Your brother's girlfriend? Your best friend's significant other? Someone older? Younger? More popular? Someone's who's a vegetarian, while you are a meat and potatos kind of person? Meet Bella, who is irrevocably in love with Edward...a vampire. Not only are they quite literally two different species, but Edward likes drinking human blood...he doesn't do it much anymore, but still! What's a girl to do? You can't help who you love, right? You can't help how you feel, right? And how do you tell a vampire that you're in love with them? What do you do when they push you away to further hide the secrets of their race? What do you do when your love for the unallowable pushes you too far and puts you and the people you love in danger? What will Bella do? Will she keep secrets? Will she hurt the people she loves? Will she sacrifice her self, her life, and the very essence of what makes her human? The final question remains: What would you do for love? Would you lose it all for the rewards of love alone? What does Bella do?

Find out in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. -Till next time! Suzanne

Books like Cut by Patricia McCormick - A List

We had a book discussion the other day on Cut by Patricia McCormick. This book is about Callie and how she has to go to a hospital to get treated for cutting, which is a form of self-injury used as a coping mechanism by about 1% of the population. Self-injury is often misunderstood by people who think that the cutter does it to get attention. Actually, cutting is a sickness a lot like anorexia or bulimia. It is usually tied to deeper issues. We had a great discussion on the book. Here are some other books with similar themes you might enjoy if you liked Cut and are interested in reading something else:

OTHER BOOKS THAT DEAL WITH SELF-INJURY (cutting):
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Crosses (coming soon to the YA department)by Shelley Stoehr

OTHER BOOKS THAT DEAL WITH SELECTIVE MUTISM (not speaking):
The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konsgsburg
Blood Secret by Kathryn Lasky
I Can’t Tell You by Hillary Frank
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

OTHER BOOKS THAT DEAL WITH STAYING IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL:
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Oh, ladies. We all go through times in our lives when we DO NOT want to look in a mirror. We have Fat Days. We have Fat Pants. And the funny thing is, it doesn't matter if we are Super Models or just your average Joe, or in this case, Josephine. EVERY WOMAN I KNOW HAS SELF ESTEEM ISSUES AT LEAST ONCE IN A WHILE! But this book is about so much more than that. Virginia lives in NYC, in a Penthouse and her parents and both her siblings are highly successful (so if you like the Gossip Girl books, you might like this one too!). But, because her best friend moved away for a year, Virginia feels lonely, fat, and ugly. You may just cry for her when she overhears the skinny "Bri-Girls" talking about her in the bathroom. She also makes out occasionally with a guy named Froggy. And there's more. Oh, so much more. This is a FABULOUS BOOK. Try it! -Till next time! Suzanne

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Pattyn feels like the only things she does right are changing diapers and burping babies. Pattyn is named after the WWII General Patton. Her father wanted a son so badly that he named each of his six daughters after male generals. This book, written in verse, tells the story of Pattyn and her struggle growing up in a dysfunctional, abusive, religious home. Her mother is beaten. Her father is an alcoholic and she herself has no real friends. After getting caught in a compromising situation, shall we say, with a boy (!!!) she is shipped off to her Aunt J's house in Arizona where she experiences real freedom for the first time. However, the rosy glow of first love is shattered when her father decides to drag her back home. What will Pattyn do when her life is destroyed? What would you do in her shoes? By the author of Crank, Burned will be available for you to check out soon! Let me know if you want to place a hold on it! -Till next time! Suzanne

Gossip Girl Series by Cecily von Ziegesar

Want a little guilty pleasure in your reading life? Look no further. The girls in the Gossip Girl series have it all! Money to burn, hot boyfriends, and time on their hands. Read them for a little spark in your life! Better yet, listen to the CD's...Christina Ricci reads them! Till next time! -Suzanne