And, sometimes it works out, judging books by their covers! This was a fantastic retelling of the Sleeping Beauty legend. The tale is just as wicked as the cover. The story is complete with a dystopic future plague-ridden society and a masterful heroine. There’s nothing too mind-bending or deep but if you like action-packed, dark-edged thrillers with roots in fairy tales and fantasy, grab this book!

If you like the pretty books – I’ve got a load of covers for you. Check out some of our great (and pretty!) reads:

Want to branch out a bit? Looking for something you haven’t read? Don’t shirk all the ugly books. I’m talking up a few of my favorite so you can waltz past that unfortunate cover and get to the good stuff.

And, remember, we’re always here at your friendly, neighborhood library if you want to come chat or get a book rec that fits you. Come visit us and happy reading!

Smart kids! Geology wizards! Lovers of comics! YOU MUST CHECK OUT THIS BOOK. The title pretty much says it all: this graphic novel is the uniquely illustrated miraculous journey through the center of the earth by the intrepid Leo Geo. And, while that in and of itself is rather fun, the artwork is so detailed and intricate that you could pour over the book for hours and still not see all there is to see.

Leo Geo, the explorer, goes through great peril for his most worthy cause: science! As he quests through the earth’s mantle and outer core, he fills you in on lots of amazing facts. (Did you know that the earth’s mantle can reach temperatures of 8000 degrees Fahrenheit? Or, that a Japanese Spider Crab has the greatest leg span of any critter on the surface of earth?)

As exciting as the science and learning are, Leo Geo’s quest takes him through Quadclops monsters and bizarre sub-surface dwellers too. For a rip-roaring good adventure story, magnificent artwork, and the amazing facts make sure to check out this comic today!

I suppose I should start this book review with an apology. I, personally, hate it when someone tells me I should read a second or third book in the series. The logical thing to do is say “I like the Hunger Games” and let the person you’re telling start the series and decided if they’d like to continue on. Saying “You have to read Catching Fire!!!” is just sort of mean.

So, I’m sorry that I’m recommending end-of-series books today…but, truly, they’re that good. If you haven’t had a chance to get Kristen Cashore’s Bitterblue or Holly Black’s Black Heart, you should probably remedy that soon!

Both these books are set in a fantastical reality but, aside from a rather magical otherness to the people, they’re entirely different books. So, I’ll start with Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue.

Bitterblue is the sequel to Graceling and companion novel of Fire. You’ll definitely want to have read both of these before reading this book as the characters and situations have had a lot of set up in the previous novels.

The world of Graceling is plagued by kings and queens whose power is absolute and absolutely abused. Enhanced people with ‘graces’ exist. Gracelings have superhuman abilities at the inhuman cost of being ‘owned’ by the King/Queen of the realm. And the main character of this third book? She’s Bitterblue, the queen of the realm of Monsea. Her father was the previous king – a hateful, vicious monarch that brought the country to the brink of ruin. Bitterblue is a very young queen struggling with her own identity, the demands of a kingdom, and the guilt about her father’s crimes.

The brilliance of this book is Bitterblue herself. She’s actually a rather ordinary eighteen year old dealing with extraordinary circumstances. As a result, it is easy to throw yourself into the story. It is easy to feel the ups and downs of Bitterblue’s life, her love, her misadventures and her struggle to overcome evil. The storytelling is remarkable and, at the end of it, you’ll wish that this book wasn’t the end of Cashore’s Graceling tales.

The Graceling tales are standard fantasy but if you’re a fan of gritty, urban fantasy – faeries and curses and magic in the modern world – and you haven’t heard of Holly Black, you’re missing out! Holly Black has a number of phenomenal series that are always fantastically dark and delicious. Her most recent series is the Curse Workers triology. Curse Workers is the story of Cassel Sharpe and the first book in the series is White Cat. Cassel is the youngest son in a family of curse workers – or people genetically able to work ‘magic’ with their hands. Such people often lead lives of crime. Cassel’s grandfather was a death worker, Cassel’s mother is in prison, his brothers are thugs…and Cassel has no special abilities and only dark, vague memories of murdering his best friend.

So, with a start like that, is it any wonder that I couldn’t wait to read the end of the trilogy? Black Heart came out in this April and the wait was well worth it! This book, like Cashore’s Bitterblue, won’t stand on its own. The world is so rich, the characters so complex, you’d best start at the very beginning.

So, yeah, I’m being mean. Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore and Black Heart by Holly Black are phenomenal series enders. If you’ve been reading along as these series have been published, wait no longer on finishing ‘em. If you’re just hearing about them for the first time…sorry…but you should really check ‘em out!

Kristen Cashore:                                                          Holly Black:

Graceling                                                                        White Cat

Fire                                                                                  Red Glove

Bitterblue                                                                        Black Heart 

Whether you love, love to hate, or just abhor vampire fiction, Team Human has a little something in it for you. (Unless you’re a vampire and can’t laugh, that is.)

High school senior Mel doesn’t know many things. She doesn’t know what happened to Anna’s family over the summer (something to do with her Dad and running off with a vampire). She doesn’t know what college to apply to next year or what she wants to be when she gets through school. She does know, however, that she wants nothing to do with vampires.

So, it sucks when Francis, a local vampire, enrolls at Craunston High. Especially when that vampire starts up a relationship with her best friend Cathy.

You won’t be able to put this book down! It is a madcap adventure/mystery full of laugh out loud moments and hilarious insights to being vampire, being human and, worst of all, being a teenager on the brink of adulthood.

This book, to say the least, will stay in your mind for a long time after reading it. When I first started reading this book, I was expecting something light, as I had seen the trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation. When I got the book, however, something different awaited me. I was instantly sucked into the world of Charlie, a freshman in high school, who never really fit into anybody’s clique. He was, as Patrick called him, a wallflower. He watched other social interactions, but never really participated in any of them. But hearing the story of Charlie’s transformation, (excluding the many bad parts of his first high school year, parts where he was depressed.) it was very… uplifting. I don’t know what it was about this book, but it was… great. However, this book IS in fact very dark, so that’s a warning to anyone who wants to read it. I think, though, that everyone should get the chance to read it, because it was a very haunting experience that I think I’ll remember a while, if not for the rest of my life.

Although the Ramayana has more text than standard comic book, the additional words are helpful to readers not familiar with the classical back story of the poem. If you don’t know who Sita, Rama, or Ravana are, don’t worry! There’s even a helpful visual guide at the front.

Of course, the bright palette of Moya Chitrakar’s vivid artwork certainly make this graphic novel one of the most colorful reads in the library. If you’re looking for a little classic history, a beautiful work of art or just a proper all out battle between gods and demons, then Sita’s Ramayana is just the thing for you.

Grab it in the Comix section in the Teen Zone today! Or put it on hold in the catalog.

For lovers of supernatural romance, this fast-paced, oft-times funny adventure is a must read. This is the first in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series so if you’re looking for a set of books to read this summer, start here! Check it out on the “Some Vampires Do More Than Sparkle” display in the Teen Zone today!

With the help of some unusual friends like a monk, a dictionary-mouse and a mysterious stranger, Yuriko has to solve a mystery to save her brother and, perhaps, the world.

Although not an easy read, this book is for all those younger siblings that know they truly are the heroes in their family! Yuriko’s adventure is definitely one that will please fantasy lovers and the young at heart and there is little not to love about this book’s colorful account of overcoming adversity. Although not an illustrated novel, for those who love Japanese animation, this book’s style is entirely in line with that sort of unique and elaborate world-building.

Check it out today!

This book has a mix of everything, if your looking for a book to read for the week I am sure your eyes will be stuck to the book until you finish. It’s that good!!

“Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?”

In the first book of Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassins trilogy, seventeen-year-old Ismae finds that she has a choice few girls in Brittany ever get when she escapes from a horrifying arranged marriage. Ismae finds sanctuary at the convent of St. Mortain—better known as the god of Death—and learns she has a talent for intrigue, murder and revenge.

To prove her worth to the sisters of St. Mortain, Ismae must do everything she’s told so she will be able to become a trained assassin and handmaiden to Death. Her apprenticeship takes her to the high court of Brittany where her loyalty to the Order of St. Mortain is sorely tested as her final target becomes the man she’s growing to love.

This tantalizing historical fantasy will keep you in suspense straight to the very last page! Grave Mercy will keep you waiting to hear more about the lovely assassins of St. Mortain. I, for one, am eager to move on to the second book Dark Triumph due out in Spring 2013.

If you want to learn more about the world of 15th century France that Grave Mercy is set in, check out Robin LaFevers’ beautiful blog.