Teens

Are you ready for the highly anticipated second—and final—book in the immersive fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore that began with A Song of Wraiths and Ruin?  Of course you are!

A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Rosanne A. Brown (11/02/21)
Karina lost everything after a violent coup left her without her kingdom or her throne. Now the most wanted person in Sonande, her only hope of reclaiming what is rightfully hers lies in a divine power hidden in the long-lost city of her ancestors.

Meanwhile, the resurrection of Karina’s sister has spiraled the world into chaos, with disaster after disaster threatening the hard-won peace Malik has found as Farid’s apprentice. When they discover that Karina herself is the key to restoring balance, Malik must use his magic to lure her back to their side. But how do you regain the trust of someone you once tried to kill?

Marissa Meyer, the author of Heartless, reimagines Rumpelstiltskin in this haunting fairytale retelling.

Gilded (11/02/21)
Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn’t meant to be part of the bargain.

I’m not naturally drawn to scary books.  In fact, they usually send me running in the opposite direction, screaming my fool head off.  But I always try to read a few new horror titles each year.  And I’ve bravely put together this list of even more horrific reads . . . for you.  You’re welcome.  You can find them all at Hoover Public Library.

Hoover Public Library’s week of Halloween fun is almost here!  Make sure you drop by at least once October 25-31, 2021!  Here’s a breakdown of the monstrous fun you’ll find:

ALL WEEK
Our Monster Mash Hopscotch let’s you jump, hop, and skip your way to the library in a spooky take on a classic activity.
Pick up your Monster Fun-tivities Pack in the Children’s Department.  Each bag is filled with crafts and other Halloween fun.
Walk through our Halloween Maze and see what spooky things lurk in the nonfiction stacks.
Pick up a clue sheet and see what marvelous monster-ness you can find in our Monster Mash Scavenger Hunt.
Take a pic with a Halloween character or two in our Photo-Ops.  #hplkidshalloween2021

We’re halfway through National Pizza Month!  How much pizza have you eaten so far in celebration?  I haven’t eaten NEARLY enough.  I also haven’t had my fill of pizza books yet.  How about you?  Here are some of the latest slices of pizza literature available at Hoover Public Library.

Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic! by Stephen Shaskan (08/10/21)
When you love comics like Pizza and Taco do, the next step after reading them is to collaborate on one!! But what happens when they run up against "artistic differences?" Who gets to have the bigger muscles and the more rad superpowers? Can these two strong-willed foodstuffs compromise and make a comic that is more awesome than the sum of its parts?

In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Now, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (10/12/21)

Two of our favorite authors have new books out this week.  One is from the author of The Light in Hidden Places (A Reese's YA Book Club Pick), and the other is from the award-winning author of Little & Lion.

Bluebird by Sharon Cameron (10/05/21)
In 1946, Eva leaves behind the rubble of Berlin for the streets of New York City, stepping from the fiery aftermath of one war into another, far colder one, where power is more important than principles, and lies are more plentiful than the truth.  Eva holds the key to a deadly secret: Project Bluebird -- a horrific experiment of the concentration camps, capable of tipping the balance of world power.  Both the Americans and the Soviets want Bluebird, and it is something that neither should ever be allowed to possess.

Duologies are becoming a thing, and it's a publishing trend I like.  Too often series go on and on and on and on . . . especially if they are an epic sci-fi/fantasy-type-thing.  How refreshing to wrap everything up in a perfect pair!  Marie Lu is concluding her Skyhunter duet with this week's new release.

Steelstriker (09/28/21)
As a Striker, Talin was taught loyalty is life.  Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, to the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and most of all, to Mara, which was once the last nation free from Karensa Federation's tyranny.  But Mara has fallen.  And its destruction has unleashed Talin's worst nightmare.  With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland.  She has no choice but to become the Federation's most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter.

Banned Books Week is coming!  Celebrate your freedom to read September 26-October 2, 2021.  And don't forget that it isn't just about YOUR freedom.  We all have the right to read what we want.  As this year's theme reminds us -- Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.  One of the best ways to honor BBW is to read a title from the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2020 list.  You could also read a book from the Top Ten lists of previous years.  All of them are available from Hoover Public Library and other Jefferson County libraries.