Soren Bearskin has grown up in a United States colonized by the Vikings rather than the Puritans, a country where trolls hide in the mountains and Norse gods walk the land, where children learn how to sword-fight in school and every year the land is renewed by the god of light, Baldur, as he is resurrected from his winter death. Except this year, Baldur fails to appear. A search is begun, a boon is offered by Odin to whomever can return his missing sun, and Astrid Glyn, the daughter of the most famous seer in New Asgard, convinces Soren that it is their fate to find Baldur. 
The time is now, but the world is more than a little different. The United States were settled and established by Scandinavians who worshipped the Norse gods--who are very real and very active in the world. And so you get Tessa Gratton's new series, The United States of Asgard, and the first book, The Lost Sun.
In a world ruled by Barrons, magically gifted fighters, and their soulbound Healers, Kaya grew up in a small unskilled village. The daughter of two Barrons-in-hiding, as Barrons are not meant to marry each other, Kaya knows nothing of the hierarchy of Barrons and Healers that keep the countryside safe from Graplars (large dragonlike creatures) until one attacks at the village fair, killing her best friend. By killing the beast, her father draws attention to the family and Kaya is forced to attend Shadow Academy to become a healer.
As a librarian I try to be widely read, sampling a little from column A, a little from column B. But like many readers, I have a literary home, a place that I come back to when I need support, or rest, or inspiration. And that place has always been books about kick-ass girls. It started when I was about ten years old and discovered Alanna, Tamora Pierce's cross-dressing heroine. Alanna, the daughter of landed gentry, is relegated to learning sorcery after being told that girls cannot become knights.
Ismae is saved from a marriage to an abusive pig farmer by The Convent of Mortain, devoted to serving the god of Death and carrying out his wishes. She is taught how to kill with her hands, a variety of weapons, and most importantly, poisons. When her second assassination goes wrong and her true purpose is discovered, she is sent to court as the escort to Gavriel Duval, an aloof and distant Breton noble to protect Anne, Duchess of Brittany. Duval and Ismae form an uneasy alliance, neither trusting the other, in an attempt to discover those that plot against Anne and Brittany.
What is it about the tale of Snow White that keeps coming back? The story is hundreds of years old, but 2012 will bring two new (and drastically different) movie adaptations of the tale. In preparation, you might want to check out these novel adaptations of the story.
In a land where beauty and singing are valued above all else, Aza eventually comes to reconcile her unconventional appearance and her magical voice, and learns to accept herself for who she truly is.
Some authors are like home, you know that they are always going to be there for you. When you are sad, or happy, or nostalgic, you can always pick them up and enjoy them. I am pretty picky about what books get space on my bookshelves. To get on the shelf they have to meet one of two criteria: 1. I know I will reread them. 2. I want to be able to loan them out to friends. So you know if it is on my shelf, it has got to be good. I have a few authors who's entire compendium is on there, and I want to share them with you today.
Over the mountains from the land of Graceling is the Dells, an equally enchanting land. Fire's life has been very sheltered, and for good reason, she is a monster. With a wild beauty and hair the color of flame, her namesake, Fire has the unique ability to control the minds of humans and animals. But Fire guards her power, afraid to misuse it like her father, Castrel, the monster adviser to the previous King who used his powers to almost destroy the kingdom.
I have been watching quite a bit of anime lately to get ready for the anime festival coming up on November 7th (mark your calendars). There was one anime which I loved but just didn't seem to fit the festival, so you won't get to see it on the big screen but I would recommend checking it out from the library and watching it at home. Makoto is having a bad day. She woke up late, and just barely made it to school on time.
