Staff pick-a-palooza.

Seems like all of us have been staff picking it up lately -- maybe it's the terrible weather encouraging us to read under a mountain of blankets, or maybe it's just the abundance of great new books! Here's a slew of staff picks of our newest titles.

Bookseller: Michelle
Title: North of Beautiful
Author: Justina Chen Headley
Genre: realistic fiction; for fans of Sarah Dessen
Suggested reading level: ages 14 and up
Synopsis: With a gorgeous body, perfect hair and stylish clothes, you almost wouldn’t notice Terra’s facial birthmark. But the mark and her father control her life until a cute goth boy, a trip to China, and an art show change her life. Brilliant prose, cartographic imagery & well-crafted characters set this novel apart.

Bookseller: Dave
Title: Woods Runner
Author: Gary Paulsen
Genre: Historical fiction
Suggested reading level: 10 and up
Synopsis: A backwoods/Revolutionary war adventure told with gritty detail and interspersed with real historical segments. It is a fascinating and vivid portrait of frontier life in the late 1700’s. A fun way to learn some history.

Bookseller: Katie
Title: Beautiful Creatures
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Genre: Southern gothic supernatural romance
Suggested reading level: ages 13 and up
Synopsis: Everything changes for Ethan when the strange girl he’s dreamed about enrolls in his high school. Together they brave small-town prejudice, Dark forces, over-protective magical guardians, and a Carrie-style prom to break the curse on Lena’s family. An up-all-night story of star-crossed first romance!

Bookseller: Natasha
Title: Nothing
Author: Janne Teller
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Suggested reading level: ages 12 and up
Synopsis: “A Lord of the Flies for the 21st century.” The novel explores the question “If there’s no meaning in the universe, what’s the point?” Upon this realization, 13 year old Pierre takes to living in a plum tree & practices doing nothing. His fellow classmates, unnerved by his newfound philosophy, try to get him out of the tree. The novel is at times creepy and always thought-provoking.

Bookseller: Michelle
Title: Incarceron
Author: Catherine Fisher
Genre: dystopian, steampunk; for fans of Hunger Games
Suggested reading level: ages 14 and up
Synopsis: In order to make the world “safe,” Incarceron, a vast thinking prison, was created to contain the criminal or mentally ill. Finn, an epileptic prisoner, finds a crystal key to communicate with a girl Outside – but can he escape before Incarceron thinks, and acts, for itself? This British import blends action, philosophy, and mystery.

Bookseller: Katie
Title: All Unquiet Things
Author: Anna Jarzab
Genre: mystery, drama
Suggested reading level: ages 15 and up
Synopsis: A year after Carly’s murder, her first love Neily and her cousin Audrey team up to exonerate Audrey’s dad and find the real killer. During their investigation they uncover unsettling truths about their community and Carly’s last months. Suspenseful and sad, this is a great novel for a stormy night.

It looks like March will be coming in like a lion, so cuddle up with one of these great reads and a cozy blanket to stay warm inside and out.