Cambridge High School Library 2024

By: Mary Taranta Location: FIC TAR Genre: Fantasy/ Romance Series: Shimmer and Burn #1 “ With every high comes the inevitable, unavoidable low. Pain layered upon pain; there's no escaping the broken heart inside me .” To save her sister’s life, Faris must smuggle magic into a plague-ridden neighboring kingdom in this exciting and dangerous start to a brand-new fantasy duology. Faris grew up fighting to survive in the slums of Brindaigel while caring for her sister, Cadence. But when Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and is sold into slavery, Faris reluctantly agrees to a lucrative scheme to buy her back, inadvertently binding herself to the power-hungry Princess Bryn, who wants to steal her father’s throne. Now Faris must smuggle stolen magic into neighboring Avinea to incite its prince to alliance—magic that addicts in the war-torn country can sense in her blood and can steal with a touch. She and Bryn turn to a handsome traveling magician, North, who offer...

BY: Anthony Ryan Location: FIC RYA Genre: Fantasy, steampunk, sci fi!!!! Series:  The Draconis Memoria #1 STEAMPUNK EPIC FANTASY Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from the veins of captive or hunted Reds, Green, Blues and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that give fearsome powers to the rare men and women who have the ability harness them—known as the blood-blessed. But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighboring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate's last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it. Claydon Torcreek is a petty thief and an unregistered blood-blessed, who finds himself pressed into service by the protectorate and sent to wild, uncharted territories in search of a creature he be...

By: Anne Youngson Location: FIC YOU Genre: Romance Fiction “Our letters have meant so much to us because we have both arrived at the same point in our lives. More behind us than ahead of us.”  -Anne Youngson  Please be aware I am writing to you to make sense of myself ... A deep and luminous novel of self-discovery and second chances - a heartbreaking celebration of love, life and the surprises it throws at us When the curator of a Danish museum responds to a query about ancient exhibits, he doesn’t expect a reply. When Tina Hopgood first wrote it, nor did she … Professor Anders Larsen, an urbane man of facts, has lost his wife, along with his hopes and dreams for the future. He does not know that a query from a Mrs Tina Hopgood about a world-famous antiquity in his museum is about to alter the course of his life. Oceans apart, an unexpected correspondence flourishes as they discover shared passions: for history and nature; for useless objects left behind by loved one...

By: Mark Lawrence Location: FIC LAW Genre: Fantasy Series: Book of Ancestor #1  'Really excellent, gritty fantasy - I'm trying to avoid comparison with GAME OF THRONES, but I'm afraid it's right there. But funnier. Very funny indeed' YA and Carnegie-shortlisted author ANTHONY MCGOWAN I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin. At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse. Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isol...

By: Mackenzi Lee Location: FIC LEE Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBT “Sweet, smart, and powerful, Gentleman’s Guide tackles timely topics that will resonate profoundly with readers--all wrapped up in a truly epic road trip. Prepare to laugh, gasp, swoon, and cheer.” - Claire Legrand,  A hilarious and swashbuckling teen historical fiction novel, named one of summer's 20 must-read books by  Entertainment Weekly ! A  New York Times  bestseller!  A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age . Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nu...

"iBy: Mary Kowal Location: FIC KOW Genre: SciFi -Alternative History Series: Lady Astronaut #1 4.34 on Goodreads with 1700 ratings- that should tell you how good this book is "Ill go out on a limb here and be mightily surprised if this novel doesn't get nommed for Hugo out of this year's candidates. It has all the right qualities, from good writing, exciting story, delicious premise, and timely application of hot topics and social issues." Goodreads Review A meteor decimates the U.S. government and paves the way for a climate cataclysm that will eventually render the earth inhospitable to humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated timeline in the earth’s efforts to colonize space, as well as an unprecedented opportunity for a much larger share of humanity to take part. One of these new entrants in the space race is Elma York, whose experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’...

By: E.K.Johnston Location: FIC JOH Genre: Historical Fiction and Sci Fi!  Thats  a weird mix!!! Set in a near-future world where the British Empire never fell and the United States never rose, That Inevitable Victorian Thing is a surprising, delightful, and thought-provoking novel of love, duty, and the forces that change the world. Victoria-Margaret is the crown princess of the empire, a direct descendent of Victoria I, the queen who changed the course of history two centuries earlier. The imperial practice of genetic curation (think arranged marriage via online dating) will soon guide Margaret into a politically advantageous marriage like her own mother before her, but before she does her duty, she'll have one summer incognito in a far corner of empire. In Canada, she meets Helena Marcus, daughter of one of the empire's greatest placement geneticists, and August O'Brien, the son and heir apparent to a powerful shipping firm currently besieged by American pirates. I...

By: 7 authors of amazingness Location : FIC BAR Genre: Contemporary youth ficti on Sara Barnard Holly Bourne Tanya Byrne Non Pratt Melinda Salisbury Lisa Williamson Eleanor Wood If I got stuck in a lift with a bunch of other people, I would want to select them very carefully. These guys had no choice.. When they got in the lift that morning, they were strangers. Sasha, who is at the UK’s biggest TV centre desperately trying to deliver a parcel; Hugo, who knows he’s by far the richest – and best-looking – guy in the lift; Velvet, who regrets wearing the world’s least comfortable shoes to work experience; Dawson, who isn’t the good-looking teen star he was and desperate not to be recognized; Kaitlyn, who’s slowly losing her sight but won’t admit it, and Joe, who shouldn’t be there at all, but who wants to be there the most. And one more person, who will bring them together again on the same day every year . . . "What I loved about this book was the diversit...

By: S.K.Ali Location: FIC ALI Genre: Young Adult, Cultural "Ali brings to life a nuanced intersection of culture, identity, and independence as Janna endures the typicalities of high school and the particularities of her evolving home life alongside the insidious impingement of rape culture. Readers will cheer Janna’s eventual empowerment." Horn Book Fifteen-year-old Janna Yusuf, a Flannery O'Connor-obsessed book nerd and the daughter of the only divorced mother at their mosque, tries to make sense of the events that follow when her best friend's cousin--a holy star in the Muslim community--attempts to assault her at the end of sophomore year. There are three kinds of people in my world: 1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose. 2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. Like me—the way I don’t fit into Dad’s brand-n...

By: Giovanna and Tom Fletcher Location: FIC FLE Genre: Dystopia/ SCI FI "Eve of Man  sounded amazing and I knew I would love it... and I wasn't wrong. It was everything I could have wanted and more. I loved it.   Eve of Man  is utterly brilliant and a must-read for everyone. I highly recommend that you read this stunning novel. " Goodreads review EVE OF MAN is the first in an explosive new trilogy by bestselling authors Giovanna & Tom Fletcher AGAINST ALL ODDS, SHE SURVIVED. THE FIRST GIRL BORN IN FIFTY YEARS. THEY CALLED HER EVE . . . All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past. But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate. Until she meets Bram. Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom. But how do you choose between love and the future of the human r...

By: Jenn Bennett Location: FIC BEN Genre: Romance “Don't be cautious. Be careful,' she reminds me. Cautious people are afraid of the unknown and avoid it. Careful people plan so that they're more confident when they face the unknown.” Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best-friends-turned-worst-enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day version of the Montagues and Capulets. But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together. Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to try to make their way to safety. But as the two travel deeper into the rugged Californian countryside, secrets and hidden feelings surface. Soon it's not simply a matter of enduring each other’s company, but taming their growing feelings for each other “It's years in the making, and it's messy and convoluted, some of it even tragic. But I wouldn...

BY: Sarah J. Mass Location: FIC MAA Genre: Fantasy- Superheroes “Cat-woman was a good way to describe her. The ears on the dark helmet, the oversized lenses, the claws that she’d just retracted after that spectacular jump… Even her steps toward him oozed feline grace.” The highly anticipated coming-of-age story of kick-ass super hero: CATWOMAN by international bestselling author Sarah J. Maas When the Bat's away, the Cat will play. It's time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . . Two years after escaping Gotham City's slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking. Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Qui...

BY: Eileen Merriman Location: FIC Mer Genre: Young Adult- Sickness, Love Kiwi version of  Fault In Our Stars Shortlisted for the 2018 NZ Children's Book Awards A love story peppered with sadness and featuring two heroes who will break your heart and then mend it again. Alex meets Jamie at the same time as finding out that her leukaemia has returned. She discovers that he is bipolar, but he is also irresistible. It complicates things. Alex and Jamie sweep readers up and carry them with them in this story of love, struggle, courage and hope. "Alex is 17, her leukemia has returned, and she is falling in love with Jamie Orange. Set in Christchurch, this young adult novel of first love will move even the most stone-hearted reader to tears. Such good writing and authentic characters make this a stand out book for fans of The Fault in Our Stars and Jenny Downham's Before I Die. Highly recommended, just make sure you have the tissues handy!" Carole "...

By: Kasie West Location: FIC WES Genre: Romance "Cuteness" " I  can't stop smiling"   " This book is an excellent read" "... the perfect read for the summer"   Goodreads reviewers “You need to empty your mind, and relax each other muscle group until you feel like you are going to melt into the floor. Then you just let it all go. All the expectations, all the unneeded worry, all the things other people want for you but you don't want for yourself.” With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love Maddie's not impulsive. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment -- She wins! In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun . . . until ...

By: Stephanie Oakes Location: FIC OAK Genre: Historical Fiction- Mystery "If you think the cover is stunning, what until you read the book! Part contemporary, part historical (1980s Berlin), part mystery, part coming-of-age...it's hard to categorize this story, but the parts all weave into an utterly compelling read. I'm a huge fan of everything A.S. King writes as well as Markus Zusak's I am the Messenger, and would place The Arsonist on a par with those books." Goodreads review At turns heart-racing, hilarious, and heartbreaking,  The Arsonist is an intricate tapestry--of love, loss, and the mysterious connections between us all Code Name Verity  meets  I Am the Messenger  in this riveting YA novel from Morris Award finalist Stephanie Oakes, in which three points of view are woven together in a story that's part Cold War mystery, part contemporary coming-of-age, and completely unputdownable. Molly Mavity is not a normal teenage girl. For one thin...

By: Martin Stewart Location: FIC STE Genre:  Horror, Fantasy It’s dark, it’s edgy, there’s horror and humour. Basically it has everything. -Kirsty Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley: five friends thrown together one hot, sultry summer. When they discover an ancient stone box hidden in the forest, they decide to each make a sacrifice: something special to them, committed to the box for ever. And they make a pact: they will never return to the box at night; they'll never visit it alone; and they'll never take back their offerings. Four years later, the gang have drifted apart. Then a series of strange and terrifying events take place, and Sep and his friends understand that one of them has broken the pact. As their sacrifices haunt them with increased violence and hunger, they realise that they are not the first children to have found the box in their town's history. And ultimately, the box may want the greatest sacrifice of all: one of them "The Sacrifice Box h...

By: Jonah Lisa Dyer and Stephen Dyer Location:  FIC DYE Genre: Young Adult- Romance Film rights optioned by Warner Brothers! "A fun, modern take on  Pride and Prejudice ."--Jojo Moyes, bestselling author of  Me Before You  Megan McKnight is a soccer star with Olympic dreams, a history major, an expert at the three Rs of Texas (readin', ridin', and ropin'), and she's not a girly girl. So when her Southern belle mother secretly enters her as a debutante for the year's deb season in their hometown of Dallas, she's furious--and has no idea what she's in for. Megan's attitude gets her on probation with the mother hen of the debs, and she has only a month to prove she can ballroom dance, display impeccable manners, and curtsey like a proper Texas lady or she'll get the boot and disgrace her family. The perk of being a debutante, of course, is going to parties, and it's at one of these lavish affairs where Megan gets swept off her f...

By: Barry Gornell Location: FIC GOR Genre: Youth Thriller What the critics are saying about THE WRONG CHILD: 'A thought-provoking read' - THE SUN 'Genuinely gripping' - THE HERALD 'A study of guilt and grief' - DAILY MAIL 'Brilliant, but dark as hell' - METRO 'Astonishing' - PSYCHOLOGIES 'So visceral it seeps into your pores' - DAILY RECORD A tragedy in a small town. Everyone is affected. Most people believe one child is to blame for what happened.  But could one little boy really be responsible? And what lengths will his parents go to protect him?  a fantastic read. loved the story I was engrossed from start to finish- Goodreads review Twenty-two of the 23 children in a rural village die in a disaster. By chance, the 'wrong' child, Dog Evans, lives. Crippled with survivor's guilt, his parents abandon Evans to a feral life at the margins. He is shunned by those left behind, for whom his presence is a daily insult, a r...

By: Mitali Perkins Location: FIC PER Genre: India, Tigers and  the environment Sunday was really wet and my brain did not want to read a big heavy book, so I snuggled down with my blanket, a nice cup of tea, lit a candle and read this book. I have been to India on multiple occasions and I love a good yarn from that country that is a cacophony. I have spent time in schools there and I can just hear the story unfold. I have seen kids swim in streams, the joy, the laughter, the diving, on those hot monsoon days. But I never have seen a tiger- for that I am thankful! This book is a book to address manipulation, it is a book to tell the story of the environment, it is a story that counters the folly of corruption, it is a story of bravery and integrity, it is a story about the power of education, and its centrefold- it a cute, cuddly escapee- a baby tiger. If I had a 8-14 year old in my world- I would be reading this to them aloud! Then we would chat about it and the power of ...

By: James A. McLaughlin Location: FIC MCL Genre:Thriller, Crime “ Bearskin  is visceral, raw, and compelling—filled with sights, smells, and sounds truly observed.  It’s a powerful debut and an absolute showcase of exceptional prose.  There are very few first novels when I feel compelled to circle brilliant passages, but James McLaughlin’s writing had me doing just that.” —C.J. Box, #1 NYT bestselling author of  The Disappeared Rice Moore is just beginning to think his troubles are behind him. He’s found a job protecting a remote forest preserve in Virginian Appalachia where his main responsibilities include tracking wildlife and refurbishing cabins. It’s hard work, and totally solitary—perfect to hide away from the Mexican drug cartels he betrayed back in Arizona. But when Rice finds the carcass of a bear killed on the grounds, the quiet solitude he’s so desperately sought is suddenly at risk. More bears are killed on the preserve and Rice’s obsessio...