Series

My first three #LoveOzYABloggers posts have already featured some books which are part of a series, but of course there are many more deserving of a mention! Here are some of my top picks for when one book is just not enough to cover all the action, and you're okay with wanting to stay up until 2am to find out if the good guys really win.

The Industry/The Estate by Rose Foster

Code-cracking, kidnapping, and secret organisations may not have been what Kirra Hayward expected to get involved in, and yet before she knows it she's been 'recruited' as part of 'The Industry'. This series is fast-paced and has such a cinematic quality to the writing - I could definitely see it been translated on screen!

Spark Series by Rachael Craw

I've always been a huge fan of Rachael Craw's Spark series, and with so much to love about it that can come as no surprise. Not only will you have ALL THE EMOTIONS about pretty much everything that happens, but you'll be reaching for the Stray as soon as you're finished the first one (until you reach Shield...where you won't want it to end!). I have no more words - just read it already.

Pandora Jones series by Barry Jonsberg

The words in the blurb 'Plague. Pandemic. Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.' provide quite an accurate idea of what goes on here, but I have to say these books really did surprise me in terms of the twists and the mystery surrounding 'The School' which Pandora wakes up in. It has the hallmarks of a dystopian series, but still manages to bring something new to the table - just for being so intriguing and keeping you guessing. 

#LoveOzYABloggers is hosted by #LoveOzYA, a community led organisation dedicated to promoting Australian young adult literature. Keep up to date with all new Aussie YA releases with their monthly newsletter, or find out what’s happening with News and Events, or submit your own!

Waiting on Wednesday: Unearthed

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where the participants tell their readers about an upcoming release they are waiting to read. This week I've picked Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race... 

Described as 'Lara Croft meets Indiana Jones - in space', I've definitely got my eyes on this one. Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have already proved with their previous words, especially the Starbound trilogy, that they can produce some brilliant storylines - I'm hoping this new venture will be just as good!

Releasing 1st December 2017 from Allen and Unwin

Waiting on Wednesday: Heather, The Totality

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where the participants tell their readers about an upcoming release they are waiting to read. This week I've picked Heather, The Totality by Matthew Weiner.

The explosive debut novel - about family, power and privilege - from the creator of the award-winning Mad Men.

The Breakstone family arrange themselves around their daughter Heather, and the world seems to follow: beautiful, compassionate, entrancing, she is the greatest blessing in their lives of Manhattan luxury. But as Heather grows - and her empathy sharpens to a point, and her radiance attracts more and more dark interest - their perfect existence starts to fracture.

Meanwhile a very different life, one raised in poverty and in violence, is beginning its own malign orbit around Heather.

Matthew Weiner - the creator of Mad Men - has crafted an extraordinary first novel of incredible pull and menace. Heather, The Totality demonstrates perfectly his forensic eye for the human qualities that hold modern society together, and pull it apart.

The blurb of this book had me from the words 'from the creator of Mad Men'. There's not too much information on the plot being given away just from the description, so I'm definitely intrigued - what is so special about Heather?

Releasing 1st November 2017 from Allen and Unwin

#LoveOzYABloggers - Sci-fi

Sci-fi

The YA sci-fi novels by Australian authors represent some of the best I've ever read. They present characters who are pushed to their very limits - at the end of the tether holding them to earth, as well as into the dark reaches of the universe beyond. 

Disruption Duology by Jessica Shirvington

In a future where technology has evolved to the point where big businesses drive how people live their lives, and 'M-Bands' are all the rage, Jessica Shirvington's high-octane duology doesn't miss a beat. Maggie the protagonist is the perfect combination of snarky and whip-smart, and her personal quest to find out what happened to her father and bring down the bad guys is full of edge-of-your-seat action. Read Disruption and as soon as you finish the last page you'll *need* to get right onto the next book Corruption - it's that good.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

ALL THE HYPE is probably one of the best ways to describe this book, and I'm sure it's going to feature on many lists for this week's prompt...but why shouldn't it? It is mind-blowingly amazing after all. Unconventional, heart-stopping and oh-so-addictive...if you haven't read this yet, finish reading this sentence and then get yourself a copy!

Genesis by Lara Morgan

There will always be a special place on my all-time favourites shelf for The Rosie Black Chronicles by Lara Morgan. The first book in the trilogy, Genesis, was published back in 2010, but even with all the shiny new releases in the genre since then ,it has stood the test of time as a memorable and truly gripping saga. From the very first page the thrill begins, and the momentum never wavers. 

#LoveOzYABloggers is hosted by #LoveOzYA, a community led organisation dedicated to promoting Australian young adult literature. Keep up to date with all new Aussie YA releases with their monthly newsletter, or find out what’s happening with News and Events, or submit your own!

Waiting on Wednesday: Genuine Fraud

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where the participants tell their readers about an upcoming release they are waiting to read. This week I've picked Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart. 

How far would you go to become someone else?

A masterful young adult thriller from the author of blockbuster bestseller We Were Liars.

 Imogen is an heiress, a runaway, and a cheat. Jule is a fighter, a chameleon, and a liar. Imogen is done pretending to be perfect, and Jule refuses to go back to the person she once was.

Somewhere between the mansions of Martha's Vineyard and the shores of Cabo San Lucas, their intense friendship takes a dark turn.

A masterful thriller from the author of the unforgettable We Were Liars.

Not going to lie - my hopes are high for this one. There have been some brilliant YA thrillers I've read (We Were Liars definitely being one of them), alongside others like Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. The blurb for this one doesn't give too much away, so I'm definitely curious to see just what trouble these characters get into...

Releasing 6th September 2017 from Allen and Unwin

Waiting on Wednesday: Freya

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where the participants tell their readers about an upcoming release they are waiting to read. This week I've picked Freya by Anthony Quinn. 

Freya Wyley meets Nancy Holdaway amid the wild celebrations of VE Day, the prelude to a devoted and competitive friendship…

Freya, ambitious and outspoken, pursues a career on Fleet Street while Nancy, less self-confident, struggles to get her first novel published.Both friends become entangled with Robert Cosway, a charismatic young man whose own ambition will have a momentous bearing on their lives.

Flitting from war-haunted Oxford to the bright new shallows of the 1960s, Freya plots the unpredictable course of a woman’s life and loves in extraordinary times.

Technically the hardcover of this book was released last year, but when I first heard about it from a customer at a bookstore just recently I thought that this new edition deserved a mention. Stories about friendships and writing are ones I'm immediately drawn to, and with the historical slant I can see this being something I'd really enjoy.

Releasing 14th August 2017 from Penguin

#LoveOzYABloggers - I'm not crying, *you're* crying

Feels

For this edition's prompt, I've chosen three books which may not be as well known, but deserve recognition for their emotional storylines and twists that do trigger those '#allthefeels' moments. From the repercussions of a tragedy on a whole community, to the sense of kinship and camaraderie in the depths of the Australian wilderness, and the glimmer of hope in a family crisis, these novels all left an impact on me in the years since I've read them.

The Accident by Kate Hendrick

Set in Sydney's north shore, in The Accident Kate Hendrick has written a nuanced portrayal of the aftermath of a fatal car crash on the lives of the teens involved. Following three teens whose lives already had their own hurdles before this shattering event, the story takes on more depth and meaning as you come to know the characters better with each chapter. As a debut, this was definitely impressive. It may have been four years since I read this, but I still remember the sense of realism it brought to these sorts of accidents which we hear about on the news every night, but may feel detached from otherwise.

Into that Forest by Louis Nowra

One of my favourite things about #LoveOzYA is that there are so many truly unique stories with premises that stand out from the crowd. Into that Forest may be slightly eerie and unnerving at times as it details the lives of two young girls stranded in the Tasmanian wilderness, but what really stood out was how Hannah and Rebecca survived. Interestingly the point of them being raised by Tasmanian tigers (before they became extinct) alludes to supposedly true events.

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher

Flyaway is beautifully written and lyrical, portraying the line between life and death with a sensitivity for the characters which touches your heart. Lucy Christopher's other novel Stolen is similarly emotional, though in this one there is a tenderness of a different kind which brought me to tears when I first read it. The bird imagery is appropriate without feeling cliche, and delivers on the type of read you expect something like this to be. 

#LoveOzYABloggers is hosted by #LoveOzYA, a community led organisation dedicated to promoting Australian young adult literature. Keep up to date with all new Aussie YA releases with their monthly newsletter, or find out what’s happening with News and Events, or submit your own!