Here's my suggested reading list for 2009. All of these books are currently available unless otherwise noted.
Realistic Fiction
The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro - A fast and funny romance about girls, sports, and the importance of learning how to kiss.
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams - A 13-year-old girl in a polygamist community is told that she has to marry her 60-year-old uncle in one month's time.
Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff [coming out September 2009] - A funny, easy read about an overweight boy who falls in love with a beautiful girl.
Gentlemen by Michael Northrop - A suspenseful story about what happens to a group of boys when one of them goes missing and their English teacher is acting suspicious.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman - An incredibly moving story about a critically injured girl reflecting back on her life while in a comatose state. Be forewarned, it's a real tearjerker.
Initiation by Susan Fine - Mauricio reflects back on his freshman year in an exclusive all-boys school, where he experienced male bonding as well as bullies, racists, cheaters, and drug users.
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr [coming out October 2009] - A story that combines an unusual mix of suspense and spirituality. A pastor's daughter used to feel close to God, but her mother's latest DUI and the kidnapping of a local girl are making her wonder if God really exists at all.
Fantasy / SF
Ash by Malinda Lo [coming out September 2009] - This imaginitive reinterpretation of Cinderella has a girl named Ash wondering if she will find true love with the prince, with a dangerous fairy who lives in the forest, or with the king's huntress.
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner - Years after the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lives in a world where trees try to kill people and butterflies can explode.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins [coming out September 2009] - The highly-anticipated sequel to last year's The Hunger Games, one of the most memorable post-apocalyptic survival stories in years.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - An intense fantasy/horror story about a small village surrounded by a forest filled with living dead people called the Unconsecrated.
Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard - A girl trips while trying on a new pair of Prada heels ... hits her head ... and wakes up in the year 1815!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance -- Now With Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith - 85% of the original text of Pride and Prejudice fused with "ultraviolent zombie mayhem." Yes, really! A New York Times bestseller.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater [coming out August 2009] - A highly-anticipated novel about a girl who becomes obsessed with a wolf with yellow eyes ... and then with a boy with yellow eyes ... a human/werewolf romance recommended for Twilight fans.
Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby - In this paranormal romance, Mia gets what she thinks is a love spell to use on her prom date, but she actually gets a spell that turns her entire class into zombies!
