Keely Parrack: EMBRACE by Jessica Shirvington was an ARC I snatched up, a debut YA fantasy-romance that's out in March. What do you do when you find out the boy you've long fantasized about is actually part angel - even worse, you are too, and now you have to fight together against the forces of darkness, and you must never, ever fall for each other? This was a fast-paced, fun read -- gore, romance, and angels!
THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE - what can I say - would you believe background character research? My main character is not a zombie, but she's fascinated by them!
Ellen Oh: I recently reread Jenn Reese's ABOVE WORLD (ARC) which I adored. Amazing mix of mythology and science fiction that blew me away. And I'm getting ready to read INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows, UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi (these 2 I've been dying to read ever since I read about their book deals in Publishers Marketplace), THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (ok I read the first chapter which really pulled me in - and that's why I bought the book), and GRAVE MERCY (ARC) by Robin LaFevers (oh yes, you all are soooooo jealous, I know!).
William Alexander: I'm rereading the STEAMPUNK! anthology, edited by Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, because I'm using it as the textbook for one of my classes this semester. The stories are delicious. They play gleefully with steampunkish stuff without fretting about what the word means--or might exclude.
Pippa Bayliss: Recently I've read MASTIFF, by Tamora Pierce, which is the third in a series I love for its MC, Beka Cooper, and its incredible world building. OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt was great. It's one of the best examples of a character keeping me hooked and engaged through every page. AL CAPONE SHINES MY SHOES by Gennifer Choldenko is another character-engaging story that I loved. At the moment, I'm in the middle of GOLIATH by Scott Westerfeld, his third in his Leviathan series, and I'm eager to see how it ends.
Cinda Chima: I have recently finished FURY OF THE PHOENIX, by Inkie Cindy Pon (I know, I know, everybody else has already read it!) and it was creative, fast-paced, totally immersive. I also read HUNTRESS by Inkie Malinda Lo (can you tell I've had a whole shelf of to-read books?) and loved that, too--romantic, action-filled, with two strong heroines. I read an ARC of SHADOW AND BONE, by Leigh Bardugo, which comes out in June. I loved it!! Such a deliciously sexy adversary.
Amy Butler Greenfield: VIII, by H. M. Castor, a gripping YA historical novel with fantastical elements, a challenging narrator, and seductive details of time and place. At the heart of the book is the question: How did the gifted, merry Prince Henry turn into the vicious killer Henry VIII? I ate this one up in one big gulp.
Kate Coombs: THE FALSE PRINCE is on my want list, of course, but I just finished reading COLD CEREAL by Adam Rex, and I'm finally reading his earlier book, THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY. Both are nutty in an exhilarating way, and Rex throws in some great metaphors. So far, I like SMEKDAY better than the new book. I also read Diana Wynne Jones' last book this morning. EARWIG AND THE WITCH is quite short and written for about third grade, but it's very funny. It's the kind of book where there's an extra layer of humor for adults.
Ellen Booraem: I'm reading THE NIGHT CIRCUS, Erin Morgenstern's debut novel, a fantasy for adults that so far seems like it could work for YA readers, too. I'm loving it. It reminds me of JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL, except the two senior magicians are scarier, chillier dudes and there are (thank heaven) no footnotes. Not sure there are faeries, at least not so far. Before this, I read the latest Montreal-based murder mystery by Louise Penny--my first by her, and now I'm planning to gobble up them all even though this one has spoilers for previous books. Really, really fun.
Grace Lin: I wanted to give a shout-out to the most recent book I've read which was THE BONESHAKER by Inkie Kate Milford! It was fabulous--creepy, believable and lots of fun. I'm actually not a gadget or steam-punk type of reader, but this book had me fascinated, regardless.
Leah Cypress: I'm reading UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi, which so far is a great read. I've been enjoying a lot of dystopias lately, but this is the first one that made me feel like I want to write my own dystopian novel. In non-fiction, I'm reading SECOND SIGHT by Cheryl Klein, a collection of short essays about writing and publishing - it's interesting and enlightening.
Anne Nesbet: I just finished Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, which I kept eyeing for ages and finally grabbed from the shelf, and I did enjoy it. Romeo and Juliet with wings on! I also just read an early copy of Gina Damico's wonderfully funny CROAK, which is not about frogs, but about a rebellious teen sent to work for her Uncle Mort, whose profession is . . . well . . . let's just say there are scythes involved. Third of all, I just read with great pleasure A. J. Hartley's DARWEN ARKWRIGHT AND THE PEREGRINE PACT, which stars a British kid stranded in Atlanta, where things quickly get fantastically out of hand.
Laura McCaffrey: I'm reading Franny Billingsley's CHIME. Her poetic language astonishes me, as does the story's creepy sense of mystery. It provides a vivid picture of a wholly unique world. Billingsley has this incredible ability to depict tough characters who also are so clearly vulnerable.
Lena Goldfinch: I just finished THE GATHERING STORM, by Robin Bridges. I heard about this book when a writer friend, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, posted the cover on Facebook. The cover is so gorgeous I had to click on the link to read more about it. This is book one in a historical young adult paranormal romance series, which I think fantasy readers would enjoy too. The heroine is a conflicted necromancer pitted against vampires and witches, all in a unique and richly drawn historical setting (Czarist Russia). I'll be picking up the next title in this series!
PJ Hoover: I'm currently reading and loving STARTERS by Lissa Prince and listening on audio to THE NAME OF THE WIND (The King Killer Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Ruthfuss. STARTERS has a great concept and a voice that really keeps me turning the pages and was totally one of the hottest ARCs to get at ALA midwinter. And THE NAME OF THE WIND is a rich adult (as opposed to YA) fantasy. I'm letting myself take my time and really sink into the world, which is something that adult fantasy with its longer word count allows for nicely.
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