Look What's New!
There is always something new for you at your Ramona Library!
Stop by on a regular basis to browse the collection.
Reading is a way for me to expand my mind, open my eyes, and fill up my heart.
- Oprah Winfrey
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
Stevie Bell solved the case of Truly Devious, and now she’s taking her detecting skills abroad when she becomes embroiled in a mystery from 1990s England. Another pulse-pounding and laugh-out-loud stand-alone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.
Senior year at Ellingham Academy for Stevie Bell isn’t going well. Her boyfriend, David, is studying in London. Her friends are obsessed with college applications. With the cold case of the century solved, Stevie is adrift. There is nothing to distract her from the questions pinging around her brain—questions about college, love, and life in general.
Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax.
The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.
Seven suspects. Two murders. One killer is still playing a deadly game. - Katherine Tegen Books
"The exploration of the importance of friendship adds emotional vulnerability to this book, which has a well-developed sense of place and features the series’ signature humor and layered mystery elements. Immersive and genre-savvy." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A scintillating mystery. Johnson delivers a meticulously crafted fair-play mystery that gratifies as a standalone while also forwarding the richly textured characters’ arcs, a treat for fans of the series. Distinctly written flashbacks to 1995 pepper the present-day narrative, creating resonance and investing readers in Stevie’s case. Stevie cues as white; the supporting cast is intersectionally diverse." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Now that we've read the fifth novel, we're tempted to buy the rest of the series. We had to admit it: we had not idea who the killer was until Stevie figured it out. The author gives us just enough information to draw conclusions and multiple plot twists take us for a spin. Even when we thought we know what to expect, we didn't." — The Honey Pop
Author Interview: https://www.teachingbooks.net/author_interview.cgi?id=54184
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
From the bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.
Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)
These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship? - Joy Revolution
“An effervescent, funny, tender, and joyous story.”—YAMILE SAIED MÉNDEZ, award-winning author of Furia and Twice a Quinceañera
“A razor-sharp, witty enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Readers will laugh out loud and swoon at the same time. Simply unputdownable.”—EMIKO JEAN, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
“Hibbert delivers yet another swoon-worthy romance filled with banter that made me grin like a fool from one page to the next. I dare you not to fall in love.”—JESSE Q. SUTANTO, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and Well, That Was Unexpected
Author’s personal website: https://taliahibbert.com/
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation's past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.
Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.
When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.
"A complex and fantastic introduction to an epic new world." —Kirkus Reviews
“A thrilling and wonderful first start into the many possibilities of the myths and legends of ancient China.”—Asia Pacific Arts
“An epic, masterfully rendered tale of reckoning and heritage that draws its readers into a world as rich as it is nuanced, and as intriguing as it is magical.” —Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Beasts of Prey
Personal website for author: https://ameliezhao.com/
For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome
An interracial friendship between two teenaged girls goes tragically wrong in this powerful historical novel set in the Jim Crow South.
For Lamb follows a family striving to better their lives in the late 1930s Jackson, Mississippi. Lamb’s mother is a hard-working, creative seamstress who cannot reveal she is a lesbian. Lamb’s brother has a brilliant mind and has even earned a college scholarship for a black college up north-- if only he could curb his impulsiveness and rebellious nature.
Lamb herself is a quiet and studious girl. She is also naive. As she tentatively accepts the friendly overtures of a white girl who loans her a book she loves, she sets a off a calamitous series of events that pulls in her mother, charming hustler uncle, estranged father, and brother, and ends in a lynching.
Told with nuance and subtlety, avoiding sensationalism and unnecessary brutality, this young adult novel from celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome pays homage to the female victims of white supremacy. - Holiday House
"Cline-Ransome depicts injustice and violence with a perfect balance of brutality and sensitivity. She particularly excels at portraying the nuances of relationships and character motivations, which are often at odds. . . . For Lamb is a heartbreaking novel that will leave readers with a visceral understanding of history."—BookPage, Starred Review
"In lyrical prose that displays adroit attention to historical detail, Cline-Ransome empathetically renders a perpetually optimistic protagonist whose hopeful outlook lends heartbreaking resonance to the narrative’s dark themes.)"—Publishers Weekly
"The voices of the characters complement each other, and the movement through narrators creates space for the readers to breathe so that the tension that fills the book from the very first page doesn’t completely overwhelm. An important and resolute depiction of the inhumanity of a still potent problem."—Kirkus Reviews
Guest Post by Lesa Cline-Ransome: https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2023/01/20/the-future-of-our-past-a-guest-post-by-lesa-cline-ransome/We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride.
Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.
They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.
The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years. - Feiwel & Friends
"This phenomenal novel-in-verse transports readers into an impassioned tale of heartache and hope that belongs on every bookshelf serving teens." ―School Library Journal, starred review
"Raw and poignant and promising hope, even when it seems there is no way out." ―Shelf Awareness, starred review
"The choice of verse to tell this absorbing story is a strong one; readers are drawn along by the intense and vivid imagery, and the depictions of clinical depression, guilt, and grief are visceral. McBride explores the impact of the intersection between Blackness and mental illness ... and the difficulties of two unusual young people finding refuge through friendship from the pressures the world exerts on them. Whimsy’s practice of Hoodoo and the empowerment she receives from the magic inside and around her help her contend with her depression and unravel her grief without negating a brutal, yet ultimately hopeful, reality. ..Important messages uniquely delivered." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Interview with author: https://www.teachingbooks.net/author_interview.cgi?id=55493
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
For fans of “Good Omens”—a queer immigrant fairytale about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure.
Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.
Along the way the angel and demon encounter humans in need of their help, including Rose Cohen, whose best friend (and the love of her life) has abandoned her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died mysteriously on his way to America. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they’ve left behind. Medical exams (and demons) at Ellis Island. Corrupt officials, cruel mob bosses, murderers, poverty. The streets are far from paved with gold. -Levine Querido
“Liars, lovers, grifters, a good angel and a wicked one—all held together with the bright red thread of unexpected romance, enduring friendship and America’s history. You don’t have to be Jewish to love Sacha Lamb—you only have to read.” —New York Times Bestseller, Amy Bloom
“Steeped in Ashkenazi lore, custom, and faith, this beautifully written story deftly tackles questions of identity, good and evil, obligation, and the many forms love can take. Queerness and gender fluidity thread through both the human and supernatural characters, clearly depicted without feeling anachronistic. Gorgeous, fascinating, and fun.” —Kirkus (starred)
“Richly imagined and plotted, this inspired book has the timeless feeling of Jewish folklore, which is further enhanced by the presence of two magical protagonists, and not one but two dybbuks! In the end, of course, it’s the author who has performed the mitzvah by giving their readers this terrific debut novel.” —Booklist (starred)
Interview with author Sacha Lamb: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/01/when-angels-left-old-country.htmlA Consuming Fire by Laura E. Weymouth
Uprooted meets The Grace Year in this dark young adult fantasy of love and vengeance following a girl who vows to kill a god after her sister is unjustly slain by his hand “that will appeal to readers of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black” (School Library Journal).
Weatherell girls aren’t supposed to die.
Once every eighteen years, the isolated forest village of Weatherell is asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva Astraea are raised with this destiny in mind, and when their time comes, spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left at home to pray for Ilva’s safe return. But Anya’s prayers are denied.
With her sister dead, Anya volunteers to make a journey of her own to visit the god of the mountain. But unlike her sister, sacrifice is the furthest thing from Anya’s mind. Anya has no intention of giving anything more to the god, or of letting any other girl do so ever again. Anya Astraea has not set out to placate a god. She’s set out to kill one. - Margaret E. McElderry Books
"A Consuming Fire is delicate and devastating, a heart-wrenching exploration of faith, mercy, and how worship can twist on axes of power." -- Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
"With exquisite prose and fiery characters, A Consuming Fire will fulfill readers in search of stories about sisterhood, courage, and love in all the forms it takes." -- Nafiza Azad, author of THE WILD ONES
"At its heart, A Consuming Fire is a story of resilience and courage. Weymouth’s spellbinding fantasy adventure celebrates the indomitable strength of the human spirit when up against the impossible." -- Sarah Raughley, author of The Bones of Ruin
Interview with Laura Weymouth: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/90909-q-a-with-laura-weymouth.htmlShe's Gone by David Owen Bell
When a girl disappears, who do you suspect?
When 17-year-old Hunter Gifford wakes in the hospital on the night of homecoming, he's shocked to learn he and his girlfriend, Chloe Summers, have been in a terrible car accident. Hunter has no memory of the crash, and his shock turns to horror when he is told Chloe's blood has been found in the car--but she has disappeared.
Back at school, his fellow students taunt him, and his former best friend starts making a true-crime documentary about the case--one that points the finger directly at Hunter. And just when things can't get any worse, Chloe's mother stands in front of the entire town at a candlelight vigil and accuses Hunter of murder.
Under mounting pressure from the police, Hunter takes matters into his own hands by questioning anyone who might know the truth and posting videos to prove his innocence. When Hunter learns he and Chloe were seen arguing loudly outside the dance, he faces a sickening possibility. Was he angry enough to kill the person he loved? - Sourcebooks Fire
"David Bell is a top-notch storyteller and Layover is his best book yet. I flew through this twisty, riveting psychological thriller at breakneck speed, hooked from the first page right up through the book's breathless conclusion."--Cristina Alger, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us
"With hints of Patricia Highsmith's THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, this is a riveting thriller." --Palm Beach Daily News
"Readers will find themselves thoroughly immersed in this riveting thriller...both compelling and surprising."--Booklist
Breathless: the scientific race to defeat a deadly virus by David Quammen
Breathless is a “gripping” (The Atlantic) but “clear-eyed analysis” (Time) of SARs-CoV-2 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe. He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a “forever virus,” destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly, in one variant form or another. As scientists labor to catch it, comprehend it, and control it, with their high-tech tools and methods, the virus finds ways of escape.
Based on interviews with nearly one hundred scientists, including leading virologists in China and around the world, Quammen explains that:
-Infectious disease experts saw this pandemic coming
-Some scientists, for more than two decades, warned that “the next big one” would be caused by a changeable new virus—very possibly a coronavirus—but such warnings were ignored for political or economic reasons
-The precise origins of this virus may not be known for years, but some clues are compelling, and some suppositions can be dismissed
-And much more
Written by “one of our finest explainers of the natural world for decades” (Chicago Tribune), This “compelling and terrifying” (The New York Times) account is an unparalleled look inside the frantic international race to understand and control SARS-CoV-2—and what it might mean for the next potential global health crisis. - Simon & Schuster
“Three years into the pandemic, Mr. Quammen, a prolific science journalist and author, uncovers all sorts of details about the efforts to investigate the spread of Covid and discern the features that made it so menacing. . . . An engagingly written chronicle of scientific inquiry.” -- Scott Gottlieb ― The Wall Street Journal
“Breathless presents the sweeping scientific story of the pandemic, connecting puzzle pieces that at the time had felt so out of place.” -- Erin Garcia de Jesús ― Science News
"A supernova among science journalists and lauded author of The Song of the Dodo and Spillover now tackles the most sprawling news story on the planet, the Covid-19 pandemic. . . . Quammen’s narrative finesse is peerless as he meticulously dissects the waves of mass infections, Wuhan to Alpha to Delta to Omicron." ― Oprahdaily.com