Young Adult Audio Books to Share

Do you want to keep up with that your teens are reading but feel like you spend all your time in the car, or find that your teen says that they have no time to read? Well, thankfully there have been some fantastic teen reads made into audio books with wonderful narrators. With audiobooks, the narrator is just as important as the story itself, and the voice telling you the story can make or break any book. Here are some young adult books turned audio book that I would recommend for teens and adults alike. Perhaps all the car rides to sports practices, work, and school can be made better with the sharing of a great book. Maybe sharing a book can spark some discussion and bring everyone a little closer.

The Diviners by Libba Bray, read by January LaVoy
Seventeen-year-old Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries her uncle will discover her dark secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble. But when police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

Curveball: the Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick, read by Luke Daniels
After an injury ends former-star pitcher Peter Friedman’s athletic dreams, he concentrates on photography, which leads photographer, and a deeper relationship with the beloved grandfather who, when he realizes he is becoming senile, gives Pete all of his professional camera gear.

The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf, read by Michael Page, Phil Gigante, Christopher Lane, Laurel Merlington, and Angela Dawe
Recreates the 1912 sinking of the Titanic as observed by millionaire John Jacob Astor, a beautiful young Lebanese refugee finding first love, “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, Captain Smith, and others including the iceberg itself.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, read by Ben MacLaine, Hamish R. Johnson, and Chelsea Bruland
Told in alternating voices, an all-night adventure featuring Lucy, who is determined to find an elusive graffiti artist named Shadow, and Ed, the last person Lucy wants to spend time with, except for the fact that he may know how to find Shadow.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, read by Jason Isaacs
Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill–an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Looking for even more great listening? Well then,  check out some more young adult books that have been recorded for your listening pleasure: Son by Lois Lowry and read by Bernadette Dunne; Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Patillo Beals and read by Lisa Renee Pitts; The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens and read by Jim Dale; Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz and read by Lin-Manuel Miranda;  Scarlet by Marissa Meyer and read by Rebecca Soler;  Kings of Colorado by David E. Hilton and read by Phil Gigante; Wonder by R.J. Palacio and read by Diana Steele, Nick Podehl, and Kate Rudd; The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and read by Kate Rudd ; or Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and read by Rebecca Lowman and Maxwell Caulfield.

On Our Shelves: New Romance

heartHere are a few hot new romances to warm up those cold nights!

Welcome Back to Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand – Grace Mulcahy thought she’d finally gotten Apple Grove, Ohio, out of her system. Then she’s lured back for a family barbecue and spies a broad-shouldered hottie hanging out at the grill. He somehow seems utterly at ease, whether flipping burgers or horsing around with her hellion nephews. Why didn’t her brother-in-law tell her he had such gorgeous friends? Suddenly her mouth is watering for more than her best friend’s famous pie.

When firefighter Pat Garahan sees Grace, it’s like a five-alarm bell goes off and he’s the one ablaze. She says she wants to leave Apple Grove, but he will do whatever it takes to keep her around. The life of a firefighter isn’t an easy one though, and he’ll have to prove their immediate spark can have a lasting chance at love..

Take Over at Midnight by M.L. Buchman – Nothing sticks to “Crazy” Tim Maloney, until he falls hard for a tall Creole beauty with a haunted past and a penchant for reckless flying. Lola LaRue never thought she’d be susceptible to a man’s desire, but even with Tim igniting her deepest passions, it may be too late now…With the nation under an imminent threat of biological warfare, Tim and Lola are the only ones who can stop the madness–and to do that, they’re going to have to trust each other way beyond their limits…

Hot Pursuit by Jo Davis – Taylor is a laid-back, smart-aleck kind of lawman. He’s also a man’s man, as well as every woman’s private fantasy. But years ago, he was part of a botched hostage situation that ended with him being hailed as a tough-as-nails hero—even though the pain, fear, and shame from that terrible day still haunt his every moment.

Cara Evans couldn’t care less about Taylor’s pain. In the moment he became a so-called hero, she lost someone she dearly loved. Yet neither of them is prepared for the instant, undeniable attraction that flares between them—or the danger that’s soon hot on their heels.

Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye – Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey’s tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome–pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He’s left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander’s daughter. Loyalty won’t let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn’t expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…

10 Books We’re Looking Forward to in December

Every month, librarians from around the country pick the top ten new books they’d most like to share with readers. The results are published on LibraryReads.org. One of the goals of LibraryReads is to highlight the important role public libraries play in building buzz for new books and new authors. Click through to read more about what new and upcoming books librarians consider buzzworthy this month. The top ten titles are:

  1. No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
  2. The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles by Katherine Pancol
  3. Vatican Waltz by Roland Merullo
  4. How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
  5. The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
  6. The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, & a Family Secret by Catherine Bailey
  7. Dangerous Women edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
  8. My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind by Scott Stossel
  9. The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking by Olivia Laing
  10. Innocence by Dean Koontz

On Our Shelves: New Cozy Mysteries

mysteryThe latest installments of your favorite cozy mystery series have arrived!

If Hooks Could Kill (A Crochet Mystery) by Betty Hechtman

Read It and Weep (A Library Lover’s Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay

Words With Fiends (A Blackcat Bookshop Mystery) by Ali Brandon

The Quotient of Murder (Professor Sophie Knowles Mysteries) by Ada Madison

Charms and Chocolate Chips (A Magical Bakery Mystery) by Bailey Cates

The Clue Is In The Pudding (A Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery) by Kate Kingsbury

Freezer I’ll Shoot (A Vintage Kitchen Mystery) by Victoria Hamilton

A Potion To Die For (Magic Potion Mysteries) by Heather Blake

All Fudged Up (A Candy Coated Mystery) by Nancy Coco

Fixing To Die (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper) by Elaine Viets

The Big Chihuahua (Barking Detective Mysteries) by Waverly Curtis

Not Just for Teens: Young Adult Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are not just about super heroes, nor are they just for kids. The market and format has grown and evolved quite a bit in the last ten years, gaining a main stream legitimacy that it has often been denied in the past. These days graphic novels are created for everyone from toddlers to grandpas, but the teen and market in particular seems to have grown in wonderful ways. The current collection in our young adult department is growing steadily, and offers a wide range of stories of interest to adult and young adult readers. Check out these titles aimed at teens but full of the humor, complexity, and characters that reel in adults as well. Do not be afraid to explore the great titles that you might otherwise never see!

Kin, The Good Neighbors Book 1 by Holly Black & Ted Naifeh
Sixteen-year-old Rue Silver, whose mother disappeared weeks ago, believes she is going crazy until she learns that the strange things she has been seeing are real, and that she is one of the faerie creatures, or Good Neighbors, that mortals cannot see.

Amulet Book 1, The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi.
After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals. Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

Bone Vol. 1, Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith with color by Steve Hamaker.
Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone are run out of their home, Boneville, and become separated in the wilds, but better fortune begins when the three cousins reunite at a farmstead in a deep forested valley, where Fone meets a young girl named Thorn. In Out From Boneville, volume 1 of this 9-book epic, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone, are separated and lost in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures. Eventually, the cousins are reunited at a farmstead run by tough Gran’ma Ben and her spirited granddaughter Thorn. But little do the Bones know, there are dark forces conspiring against them, and their adventures are only just beginning!

One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry.
Buddhism teaches that each person must overcome 100 demons in a lifetime. In this collection of 20 comic strips, Lynda Barry wrestles with some of hers in her signature quirky, irrepressible voice. Color illustrations throughout.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan.
In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.

Mu shi shi Volume 1 by Yuki Urushibara, translated and adapted by William Flanagan.
Mushi have been around since shortly after life came out of the primordial ooze. They’re everywhere; some live behind your eyelids, some eat silence, some kill, and some drive men mad. Ginko is a mushishi, or mushi master, and has the ability to help those who are plagued by mushi.

Still want more? Well, while I fully encourage just walking into the young adult section and browsing, here are some more titles that are particularly interesting for teen and adult readers; Laika written by Nick Abadzis with color by Hilary Sycamore,  Epileptic 1 by David B. Translated from the French by Kim Thompson, Death Note. Vol. 1, Boredom story by Tsugumi Ohba with art by Takeshi Obata and translation and adaptation by Pookie Rolf, Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, and Tales of the Slayers, story by Joss Whedon.