The Ladybug's Top Reads of 2015

I read 37 books this year... although that includes a couple of novellas and short stories. That's not very many books, and I wish I could at least say that all of what I read was of high quality. Unfortunately, those 37 books were kind of a mixed bag. But I did read some highly enjoyable titles in 2015, and I'm still thinking about some of the more memorable stories, even now. So here are my top reads of the year; I'd recommend all of these books. (Click on the titles to read my reviews.)

10.

The Demon in the Wood

by Leigh Bardugo

3.38 ladybugs

This is the only one of the companion stories set in the world of the Grisha that I've read so far, and I did enjoy it. It added some more backstory for one of the characters, which was nice to see.

9.

Kindred

by Octavia E. Butler

Sunbolt

by Intisar Khanani

Under a Painted Sky

by Stacey Lee

3.5 ladybugs

At first glance, these books might look very different, but they all have a few things in common. Two take place in the past, and one takes place in a fantasy world that sort of resembles the past. All three feature strong female protagonists. And nobody could accuse these particular books of not being diverse!

8.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds

by Cat Winters

3.63 ladybugs

Historical fiction often seems to feature prominently on my lists of favourites, even though it's not a genre I consciously gravitate towards. This novel, set in 1918 during the Spanish flu pandemic, has a supernatural element that sets it a little bit apart.

7.

 A Handful of Stars

by Cynthia Lord

3.75 ladybugs

This middle grade novel about friendship and family is really sweet. It taught me things about settings and situations with which I'm not all that familiar. The characters are nicely developed, and the blueberry industry features prominently in the story. I've still got a hankering for blueberry enchiladas!

6.

 Cruel Beauty

by Rosamund Hodge

3.88 ladybugs

I'd seen a lot of hype for this book, so I was a little wary going into it; I don't always like books with a lot of hype (just call me a bookish black sheep). But, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. While it wasn't the best "Beauty and the Beast" retelling I've ever read, it was certainly unique. I really enjoyed the Greco-Roman influences throughout the story.

5.

The Wide-Awake Princess

by E. D. Baker

4 ladybugs

This is one of the cutest fairytale retellings I've read. While it is a middle grade title, I didn't find that that diminished my enjoyment of the story. The characters are great (especially the protagonist) and the way the author incorporated multiple fairytales into the plot was magical. This is just the first book in a series... and I hope I get a chance to read some of the sequels!

4.

Carrie

by Stephen King

Listen, Slowly

by Thanhha Lai

4.13 ladybugs

About the only thing these two books have in common is that they have coming-of-age elements. But one is gory horror while the other is a sweet, funny story about family. Still, I'd recommend both, as each book carries an important message.

3.

5 to 1

by Holly Bodger

Shadow and Bone

by Leigh Bardugo

Tuck Everlasting

by Natalie Babbitt

4.25 ladybugs

In third place, we have a dystopian novel written half in verse, a fantasy, and a historical fantasy. One was released this year, and one many years ago. Two books have beautiful writing. All three tell engaging stories.

2.

Beastkeeper

by Cat Hellisen

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

4.38 ladybugs

Interestingly, these books feature main characters of around the same age, as well as emotional family stories (though one is more heart-wrenching than the other).

1.

All Our Yesterdays

by Cristin Terrill

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

by Kate DiCamillo

Plain Kate

by Erin Bow

4.5 ladybugs

These books are my favourites of 2015. Time travel, typing squirrels, and enchanted talking cats. What's not to love? I hope that 2016 will bring some reads that I enjoy just as much as these wonderful books.

What are some of the best books you read in 2015?

2015 End of Year Book Survey

This survey was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner.  It looks like a good way to sum up a year of reading. (I did this last year, as well. It's a nice way to have a look back at the year from a bookish perspective.)

2015 Reading Stats

Number of books you read: 37

Number of re-reads: 0

Genre you read the most from: fantasy

Best In Books

1. Best book you read in 2015?  All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t?  The Here and Now by Ann Brashares. I hoped it would be as good as My Name Is Memory. Sadly, it wasn't.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2015?  I'll have to say Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I wasn't expecting it to be so gratuitously grisly. And after the way people raved about it, I thought the writing and plot would be tighter. There were so many plot holes!

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did) in 2015?  I don't really push people to read books... and I would have no idea if they'd actually read them or not!

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best sequel of 2015? Best series ender of 2015?  Best series I started: The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker.

Best sequel: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo.

Best series ender: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. (I wasn't all that enamoured with The Grisha series by the end of it... but those were the best sequels/series enders that I read this year.)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?  Erin Bow! I had Plain Kate in my TBR pile for years and finally read it this past August. Now I want more from this author!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?  I read my first Stephen King novel this year: Carrie. I have to say, I quite enjoyed it... even though I don't read a lot of horror.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?  I really enjoyed All Our Yesterdays and I had a hard time putting it down between reading sessions. Imagine my disappointment when I found out the planned sequel had been scrapped!

9. Book you read in 2015 that you are most likely to re-read next year?  I don't re-read.  And if I did, I'd be more likely to re-read something I read years ago. I'm thinking I might like to read Anne of Green Gables again. I haven't read that one since I was about eight years old!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?  Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai.  Honestly... this author gets the best covers for her books!

11. Most memorable character of 2015? Taggle from Plain Kate by Erin Bow. I don't generally like talking animals or cats. But Taggle the talking cat is one of my favourite characters of 2015! Go figure.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?  There were a few this year that had pretty writing. But I'm going to go with Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo, because I love it when books written for younger kids don't shy away from using advanced vocabulary.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2015?  Maybe Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan. It sure made me think. Mostly about how I'm glad that I wasn't born as a girl in India to poor parents who'd sell me off as a child bride so they could feed their worthier, penis-endowed children. (Can you tell this book made me a little angry?)

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?  Plain Kate by Erin Bow. It sat in my TBR pile for (literally) years before I picked it up and finally read it. And loved it.

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2015?  Finn, in an ill-fitting tux, is waiting for us outside the hotel. He performs an elaborate bow as we climb out of the car. "My Lord Shaw! And Lady Marina of the House of Snobs!"

He reaches for my hand and actually kisses it, and I snatch it back before anyone can see. Why does he always have to try to make me feel stupid?

"Did you bathe in that cologne?" I ask. The cloud around him is thick enough to choke a cat. "You know, there's this thing called soap--"

"It's Eau de Homme," he says, straightening his bow tie. "You know you can't resist it."

I gag. ~ from All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

16. Shortest & longest book you read in 2015?  Well, I did read a couple of novellas, and a couple of novels so short that I'm not sure if they're counted as novels or novellas. Where do I draw the line?

Shortest novel story: The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo.

Longest novel: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

17. Book that shocked you the most (because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)?  Enchanted by Alethea Kontis. I'm shocked that it was even published, it was that bad. If you want to see how to butcher a fairytale retelling, read this one.

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!)?  Em and Finn from All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?  Flora and Ulysses from Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo. Their relationship is just adorable.

20. Favorite book you read in 2015 from an author you’ve read previously?  Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai. I really enjoyed Inside Out & Back Again, and though this newer book isn't written in verse, it's just as engaging.

21. Best book you read in 2015 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure?  I had bad luck this year with recommended books. I didn't really enjoy the books that came highly recommended via peer pressure. Heck, I didn't even make it through Crown of Midnight...

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?  I liked all three boys from Stacey Lee's Under a Painted Sky: Cay, West, and Peety. They were all kind of great in their own way.

23. Best 2015 debut you read?  5 to 1 by Holly Bodger.

24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?  Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read?  Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo. It features a squirrel that can type. Enough said.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2015?  All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. That'll teach me to get attached to characters...

27. Hidden gem of the year?  Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.  Well, it was my hidden gem for the year, since it was just sitting there in my Kindle library, all unassuming and innocent. It's been around since 1979 (the book... not my copy), so I'm surprised I hadn't heard of it before I bought it; it's pretty enjoyable!

28. Book that crushed your soul?  Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I was so bored; I just wanted it to be over. Then I dropped it and it crushed my toe. (Just kidding. I read the e-book. But the thing is pretty thick and heavy-looking in physical format. Don't even get me started on the length of Winter...)

29. Most unique book you read in 2015?  Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo. The text was interspersed with comic-book panels. It was a pretty cute book.

30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?  Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. I couldn't read more than a few chapters. I'm tired of hearing about how great this series is, with its tired tropes and special little snowflake MC. Maybe one day I'll write a book about a world-famous singer who never even opens her mouth, followed up by a book about a swimmer who never gets wet, and then another about a baker who avoids all kitchens out of principle. They're bound to be super popular. (I mean, this series about an assassin who doesn't assassinate is one of the most popular at the moment. This "tell, don't show" thing must be catching on!)

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?  To be honest, I haven't really sought out a lot of new blogs this year. I have a hard enough time just keeping up with the ones I already follow!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?  I don't know. The snarky ones are always kind of fun. Take your pick!

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?  I didn't really have many of those this year.  That's something I hope to change in 2015 2016. (Yep... I just recycled my answer from last year. I guess I failed with that goal!)

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?  I always enjoy participating in Top Ten Tuesday.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?  Finally getting around to books like All Our Yesterdays and Plain Kate... and then really enjoying them.

7. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)?  I have no idea.  Blogger doesn't exactly make it easy to track these things.

8. Post you wished got a little more love?  I can't think of one post in particular.  I do wish my review posts got a little more attention, though.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?  BookBub. My Kindle app is getting clogged with freebies now.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?  Yes. My Goodreads Challenge had 25 books on it. I finished that easily. I also did the Fairytale Retelling Challenge and the TBR Pile Reading Challenge. I almost didn't get that last one done! (And I added more books to the TBR pile this year than I read from it. Darn.)

Looking Ahead

1. One book you didn’t get to in 2015 but will be your number one priority in 2016?  The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, but haven't gotten around to it. Most reviews I've seen have been pretty favourable, though, and that just makes me want to read it more!

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2016 (non-debut)?  The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare by M. G. Buehrlen. (This was actually my answer from last year. But the book isn't coming out now until 2016!)

3. 2016 debut you are most anticipating?  I don't really know. I haven't been keeping up with what's coming out.

4. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2016?  The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. But... um... I still need to read Blue Lily, Lily Blue.

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2016?  Read more books that look interesting to me... and not necessarily ones that are heavily hyped.

6. A 2016 release you’ve already read & recommend to everyone?  I haven't read any 2016 releases yet!

So that was my bookish year!

How was 2015 for you?

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015.  This list will be almost half of the books I've read so far this year!  Luckily, about half of them have been pretty good, so I won't feel like I'm unintentionally recommending stinkers by putting those books on this list.

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015:

Cruel Beauty
by Rosamund Hodge
rating: 3.88

This is one of three fairytale retellings that made my list, but the only young adult one (the other two were middle grade).  I loved the world that the author built; it was almost like alternate history, but with a lot of fantasy thrown in.

The Wide-Awake Princess
by E. D. Baker
rating: 4

Of the three fairytale retellings that made this list, this is the only one that wasn't strictly a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling... although it did incorporate that story, along with many others.  This is actually the first in a series of books about Annie, and now I kind of want to read the rest of them.

Listen, Slowly
by Thanhha Lai
rating: 4.13

I really enjoyed the author's other book, Inside Out & Back Again, which was written in verse.  I thought this one would be, too... but it was a regular prose novel, and I was a little disappointed when I first started reading it.  But then I got caught up in the story and really enjoyed it.  I haven't read any other books set in modern-day Vietnam (that I can recall), so this one provided a refreshing change of scenery.

Carrie
by Stephen King
rating: 4.13

I read my first Stephen King novel this year!  I went with this book mainly because it was short and not so intimidating.  But I actually really enjoyed it.  I'm not quite so afraid of trying some of his other books, now that I have an idea of the way he writes.

Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt
rating: 4.25

I hadn't read the book, nor had I seen the movie... even though the former has been out since before I was born, and the latter is already more than a decade old.  I can see why this one is a modern classic, though; it's a simple story, but it has unforgettable characters.  Fantasy combines with serious questions to make an intelligent and thought-provoking read.

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
rating: 4.25

This is my most recent read.  I didn't know much about it going into reading it, other than that it was a Russian-flavoured fantasy.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was fairly well written and had an engaging story... as well as some characters that are very intriguing.

5 to 1
by Holly Bodger
rating: 4.25

I like to read verse novels, but I haven't had a chance to do much of that sort of reading this year.  This book is not strictly a verse novel; it switches back and forth between free verse and prose.  I really enjoyed this dystopian look at an Indian city in the future, where there are so many boys that the girls have now become the precious commodity.

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
rating: 4.38

I had this book in my TBR pile for years... and I only just got around to sitting down and reading it (partly because I wanted to watch the movie, but only after I'd read the book).  It was different from anything I've read... but I can definitely see why it's so highly regarded.

Beastkeeper
by Cat Hellisen
rating: 4.38

This middle grade retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" puts an interesting twist on the story with a multi-generational curse.  Don't let the fact that the main character is young turn you off, though; it's an intelligent, well-written fantasy that will appeal to older readers as well.

All Our Yesterdays
by Cristin Terrill
rating: 4.5

What can I say about this bittersweet time-travel story?  It was one of the first books I read in 2015, and I'm still thinking about it.  I was quite disappointed when the author cancelled the sequel, but I guess I'd rather have no sequel than one that's a disappointment.  This book would be difficult to live up to!

What are the best books you've read so far this year?

The Ladybug Looks Back... March 2015

Looking back...

I realized that I neglected to do a recap post at the end of February!  That's too bad, because it was actually not a bad reading month for me.  I reviewed three books, and I really enjoyed two of them.

The best book I've read so far this year was All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, and I finished it in early February.  That was followed by Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard, a rather weak middle grade contemporary that didn't offer enough concrete answers.  I finished up February with Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen, which turned out to be an entertaining middle grade read that I could count toward the Fairytale Retelling Challenge.

In February, I also participated in Top Ten Tuesday twice.  The first topic was things I like or dislike when it comes to romance.  The second topic was my favourite heroines from historical fiction.

In March, I reviewed Unwind by Neal Shusterman.  I'd really been looking forward to that one, but it turned out to be a massive disappointment.  I'm not going to bother with the rest of the series.  Then I read Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, the second installment of The Lunar Chronicles.  I didn't like that one, either.

I also participated in Top Ten Tuesday a few times in March.  The first topic was my favourite books of the past three years.  Second was books for readers who like animals or pets.  Third was books from my childhood that I wouldn't mind reading again.  And, fourth, was books that I recently added to my TBR list.

Also, for something a little different, I did the Cake Book Tag, where I talked about my favourite book "ingredients".

Looking ahead...

At the moment, I'm reading two books, but they're so different that I'm not worried about getting the plots mixed up.  I'm working my way through Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai, a middle grade contemporary about a preteen from California who accompanies her grandmother to Vietnam for the summer.  I was expecting it to be a verse novel like the author's wonderful Inside Out & Back Again, but it's not.  That's okay, because it's quite good.  I'm also reading Stephen King's Carrie.  I saw the movie a couple of years ago (the original from the '70s) and I've wanted to try reading the book ever since.  I've never read a novel by Stephen King, and so many of his recent ones have scary page counts.  Carrie is nice and short, so I thought it would be a good one to start with in case I wasn't a fan of his writing.  But I'm liking the book so far.

I haven't yet decided what I'll read next.  I'll probably play it by ear, once I'm done with Listen, Slowly and Carrie.

How was your March?

Let me know in the comments.

The Ladybug Looks Back... January 2015

Looking back...

I will be the first to admit that this recap is a little bit pathetic.  January was a busy month for me, though not in a reading sense (unfortunately).  There was a long visit from a family member, as well as numerous appointments that took me away from home (and my books... that's the problem with reading most novels on your computer).  I even spent a couple of long stretches without accessing the Internet at all!  It's kind of cool to know that I can still do that, that I'm not so addicted that I can't unplug every now and then.  But, oh, it sure makes for a pile of crap to wade through in the e-mail inbox when you finally do come back!  Junk mail filters really don't do as good of a job as they should.

I only managed to finish and review one book this month, and that was Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.  I wasn't really thrilled with that one, though I've been told that the story picks up in subsequent books.  In that case, I may try Crown of Midnight at some point... though maybe not for a while.

Despite all the busyness of the past month, I did manage to participate in Top Ten Tuesday a couple of times.  The first topic was the Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015.  The second topic was a freebie, so I chose to list the Top Ten Books That Everybody Loved... Except Me.  As you can probably tell, I'm still annoyed with The Fault in Our Stars.

And, since it was the beginning of the year, I also signed up for the 2015 Reading Challenge on Goodreads.  This year, my goal is to read 25 novels.  I read a few more than that last year, so I think that number is probably manageable... well, as long as I don't have any other busy months like this past January!

Looking ahead...

I'm almost finished reading All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.  I was hoping to finish and review it in January, but that just wasn't in the cards.  So that review will be coming soon.

My next read is going to be Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard.  It's a NetGalley book, so I really want to get to it sooner rather than later.  I haven't read any middle grade novels in a while, so that'll be a nice change of pace.

And then I'm hoping to start Unwind by Neal Shusterman, because when I wrote about adding it to my TBR pile, so many people said how good it was.  I'm looking forward to reading that one.

How was your January?

Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015.  I haven't really been following which books are coming out when, and many of the books that are coming out this year that I really want to read are sequels.  But here are ten debut novels coming out this year that I'd like to get my hands on:

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Synopsis: In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.

Sudasa, though, doesn't want to be a wife, and Kiran, a boy forced to compete in the test to become her husband, has other plans as well. As the tests advance, Sudasa and Kiran thwart each other at every turn until they slowly realize that they just might want the same thing.

This beautiful, unique novel is told from alternating points of view-Sudasa's in verse and Kiran's in prose-allowing readers to experience both characters' pain and their brave struggle for hope.

Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

Synopsis: Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!

Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit.

To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny.

Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.

The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman

Synopsis: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets We Were Liars in this thought-provoking and brilliantly written debut that is part love story, part mystery, part high-stakes drama.

What would you pay to cure your heartbreak? Banish your sadness? Transform your looks? The right spell can fix anything…. When Ari's boyfriend Win dies, she gets a spell to erase all memory of him. But spells come at a cost, and this one sets off a chain of events that reveal the hidden—and sometimes dangerous—connections between Ari, her friends, and the boyfriend she can no longer remember.

Told from four different points of view, this original and affecting novel weaves past and present in a suspenseful narrative that unveils the truth behind a terrible tragedy.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Synopsis: Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

Elias is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

Synopsis: When seventeen-year-old Minnow stumbles out of the woods one winter morning, she is haunted and handless and covered in someone else’s blood. She has just escaped the strict religious commune run by a cruel man named the Prophet. In exchange for freedom, she leaves behind her family, her home, and Jude--an outsider boy who changed everything.

But the real world isn't the sanctuary Minnow imagined. Soon, she gets arrested and placed in juvenile detention. Now, Minnow is being questioned by an FBI psychiatrist about the night she escaped, the same night the Prophet was burned to death in his own home—a murder Minnow may be responsible for.

A modern retelling of the Grimm fairy tale, "The Handless Maiden," in which the Devil orders a girl's hands cut off, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is the story of a girl growing out of the wreckage of corrupted faith.

Scripted by Maya Rock

Synopsis: Reality TV has a dark future in this thought-provoking thriller.

To the people suffering on the war-torn mainland, Bliss Island seems like an idyllic place. And it is: except for the fact that the island is a set, and the islanders’ lives are a performance. They’re the stars of a hit TV show, Blissful Days—Characters are adored by mainland viewers, yet in constant danger of being cut if their ratings dip too low. And no one really knows what happens to cut Characters.

Nettie Starling knows she’s been given the chance of a lifetime when a producer offers suggestions to help her improve her mediocre ratings—especially when those suggestions involve making a move on the boy she’s been in love with for years. But she'll soon have to decide how far she's willing to go to keep the cameras fixed on her... especially when she learns what could happen to her if she doesn't.

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.

She’s the executioner.

As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.

However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Synopsis: A powerful story of friendship and sacrifice, for fans of Code Name Verity.

Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship.

Valiant by Sarah McGuire

Synopsis: A debut fairy tale retelling featuring a strong female character and a daring quest just right for fans of Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, and Gail Carson Levine.

Saville despises the bolts of velvet and silk that her father loves- he's always prized them more than he's ever loved her. Yet when he's struck ill, she'll do anything to survive, even donning boys' clothes and begging a commission to sew for the king.

Piecing together a fine coat is far simpler than unknotting court gossip about an army of giants led by a man who cannot be defeated. And they're marching toward Reggen to seize the throne. But Saville knows giants are just stories, and no man is immortal.

Then she meets them, two scouts as tall as trees. She tricks them into leaving, but tales of the daring tailor's triumph quickly spin into impossible feats of giant-slaying. And mere stories won't deter the Duke and his larger-than-life army.

Now only a courageous and clever tailor girl can see beyond the rumors to save the kingdom again.
Valiant richly reimagines "The Brave Little Tailor," transforming it into a story of understanding, identity, and fighting to protect those you love most.

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

Synopsis: Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.

They always say that high school is the best time of your life.

Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait.

Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.

What debut novels are you looking forward to in 2015?