The Everafter by Amy Huntley

The next book on my voyage to read all the Morris Award nominees was The Everafter by Amy Huntley.

"I'm dead.
Not my-parents-told-me-to-be-home-by-twelve-and-it's-two-o'clock-now dead. Just dead. Literally."

Maddy Stanton has died and is now in the Everafter. She discovers that objects she lost during her life now enable her to relive those memories. With a lost bracelet she remembers the day she fell out of a tree, a set of car keys takes her back to her first kiss with her boyfriend Gabe, and with a lost flower she returns to her sister's wedding. Yet the one thing Maddy can't remember is how she died. And the one thing she can't seem to find is Gabe.

A thought-provoking story about a girl struggling to reconcile her life with what happens after you die.

Ash by Malinda Lo

Book two of the Morris Award Nominees is Ash by Malinda Lo. A Cinderella retelling with a few twists.

Ash has grown up listening to fairy tales and living in a world where fairies seem just beyond the woods. So when she meets Sidhean, a fairy, she longs to be with him instead of living her life as a servant to her stepmother. But when Ash develops a friendship with Kaisa, the King's huntress, her longing for Sidhean begins to wane. Until Ash must decide what she wants more, a life with Sidhean among the fairies or with Kaisa in the real world.

Ash is a beautiful, magical love story told with understated yet lyrical language. I truly did not want Ash's story to end and am happy to hear that Malinda Lo is currently working on a new book about the first huntress of Ash's world.

Milwaukee County Teen Book Award

The first annual Milwaukee County Teen Book Award nominees have been announced! From the hundreds of books published for teens between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009, the MCTBA has chosen 15 nominees.

And the best part? You get to help choose the winner! Vote for your favorites and have a say in this year's winner. You can vote at the Shorewood Public Library, online, or snail mail. Ballots may be picked up at the library or printed from the MCTBA website.

Let me know what you think about the nominees!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The first book on my list from the Morris Award nominees was Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Ethan Wate has lived his entire life in Gatlin, North Carolina, a tiny town where nothing ever happens. That is until the day Lena Duchannes starts school. Lena is beautiful and mysterious and the girl of Ethan's dreams. Literally, he's been having terrifying dreams for months all starring Lena. The more Ethan and Lena explore their connection the more questions are raised about who or what Lena is and how an old family curse may be keeping them apart.

Beautiful Creatures absolutely oozes atmosphere, has wonderful characters, and tells a suspenseful story of cursed love. There is definite potential for a sequel and I've heard it's already been optioned for a movie.

Debut Author Award

The shortlist for the Morris Award, given for best debut YA author, has been announced. Here are the five amazing nominees:


Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
The Everafter by Amy Huntley
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Ash by Malinda Lo
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

Reviews for each of these will be coming soon!

More Books to Movies

There are lots of new movies coming out in the next few months based on great books...

December
The Lovely Bones
Sherlock Holmes

February
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

March
Alice in Wonderland
How to Train Your Dragon

April
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

June
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

While you wait, check out Blindside, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, or Me & Orson Welles in theaters now.