"The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

    When billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies, he leaves his entire fortune to a random girl, Avery Kylie Grambs, a broke highschooler. The only catch is Avery must live in the Hawthorne House for a year, along with Tobias’s relatives. As Avery learns more about Tobias’s past through his family, especially his alluring grandsons, the inheritance begins to feel less like a privilege and more like a game, and a dangerous one. 

    Target Audience: For anyone who is up for an intriguing mystery, a love triangle and everlasting puzzles and clues. 

   I’d definitely recommend this book because it is very captivating and keeps you hooked. This book would be ideal for grades 7-12 but any teens interested in mystery and romance would love it. If you enjoy riddles and anagrams, mysterious boys and twists and turns around every page, this novel is for you. 

“Keeper of the Lost Cities” by Shannon Messenger 

    Sophie Foster is anything but ordinary. As a twelve year old girl taking classes amongst seniors, everyone knows she is a bizarre child-prodigy, but what they don’t know is that she has an “impossible” ability: the ability to read minds. When she meets a boy just like her, she is introduced to a world with creatures and concepts she could only dream of, and hardships that force her to discover who she is and what her past truly means. 

    Target Audience: For lovers of Harry Potter who want to be whisked away into a world of fantasy, drama, and amazing characters like trouble-maker Keefe Sencen and Iggy: a tiny ball of fur with wings. 

    I’d absolutely recommend this book because it has intriguing drama and relatable characters, and it paints a mesmerizing picture of a magical world you will want to visit by the time you're done reading. I recommend this series to grades four to eight who will root for Sophie and her friends as they deal with normal teenage struggles along with bringing peace to their unraveling world.  

"Night" by Elie Wiesel 

"Night" is a memoir where Wiesel, the author, recounts the experiences he went through during the Holocaust as a Jewish teenager. Wiesel describes his harrowing journey through several concentration camps, witnessing the horrors committed by the Nazis and struggling with his faith and humanity.

Target Audience: I wholeheartedly recommend this book if you're interested in history, memoirs, and stories of resilience and survival. This book also offers a thought-provoking and emotionally impactful narrative so if you enjoy emotional stories you may find "Night" to be a powerful read.

Recommendation: I do recommend this book because it serves as a reminder of the importance of remembering and learning from the past to prevent such atrocities from happening again in the future.

"On How Much of These Hills is Gold" by C Pam Zhang

On How Much of These Hills is Gold, written by C. Pam Zhang, two Chinese immigrants’ children, Lucy and Sam, wander the American West with their father’s body in search of acceptance and belonging, a place to call home, and to reveal their hidden American history. While the two children meander through the California hills, they also meander through their memories and emotions about their parents, each other and their history. 

Target Audience: How Much of These Hills Is Gold is probably something you will like reading if you like to read literary fiction, historical fiction, and stories about immigrants.

Recommendation: How Much of These Hills is Gold is a very moving story and I loved how this book had several prompts worth analyzing such as the importance of storytelling and the multifaceted depiction of family. I would suggest this book because it offers a unique perspective on the American West and explores universal themes that resonate with readers, making it a thought-provoking and engaging read that is worth sharing with others.

Carlsbad City Library Study Rooms 

Gowland Meeting Room 

*Please note, the Gowland Meeting Room requires a special reservation and a fee may be required. More details can be found here. 

"Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" written by Naoko Takeuchi

In "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'', Usagi Tsukino, a regular girl, learns she is actually a powerful hero called Sailor Moon, sent to defend the planet. Together with the other Sailor Guardians, she fights evil powers in search of the famous Silver Crystal.

The target audience usually consists of teenagers, but a lot of older audiences are drawn to it because of the nostalgia and many of them grew up with Sailor Moon. Teens who enjoy action, magic, and a hint of romance will really enjoy this manga. It has a ton of heart, unique characters, and amazing rivalries. Furthermore, the artwork is very gorgeous!

I would totally recommend this to you if you enjoy manga with strong female characters who defeat villain's and save the day from danger! Also, this is an excellent place to start if you're new to manga! 

"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley 

Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" is like entering a completely different world, one you wouldn't want to live in forever. The story takes place in a futuristic civilization where appearances deceive, underneath, there is chaos everywhere.

In this book, individuals are created in laboratories and assigned to various groups according to their skills and IQ. They've been socialized to accept their social roles without questioning them. In addition, they are all dependent on the drug soma to keep them cheerful and in line.

Bernard Marx, the protagonist of this story, begins to doubt the entire system and feels as though he doesn't belong. When he meets Lenina, who is fine with everything as it is, their perspectives on the world change.

The target audience is primarily adults or people in their late teens. Regardless, teens who enjoy futuristic novels and are looking for something interesting should read this book. It explores complex issues of independence, individualism, and the harm of compliance with standards, rules, or laws placed on individuals. Please note that this is not a light read. It's sure to cause you to wonder about many things.

I would definitely suggest this book. "Brave New World" is a book that's well worth reading if you enjoy stories that make you think long after you've finished reading. Just be ready for a very interesting and amazing reading experience!

"The Lord of the Flies" by Willian Golding

The story is about a group of boys who end up stranded on a deserted tropical island and their attempts to govern themselves. 

The target audience for this novel isn’t for anyone specifically. However I believe Golding meant to call out a certain demographic to challenge traditional ideals and consensus about human nature and English imperialism. 

I would recommend this book to a peer because it's a great book but also because there are many opportunities to have relevant discourse with other readers about the book's themes and how they connect with modern society.

"1984" by George Orwell

1984 is a dystopian novel by George Orwell depicting a totalitarian regime run by the Party and the omnipresent Big Brother. The story follows the protagonist Winston Smith as he lives in and eventually rebels against the oppressive regime. The book explores themes of unchecked governance and uniformity. 

The target audience of 1984 is anybody. However, I believe the message is most valuable in the hands of students who have more time, resources, and leverage to bring about change. 

I recommend this book for students as the story and setting parallel many concepts taught in highschool and mastered in college. It’s a great dystopian science fiction novel with an interesting plot charged with criticisms of modern society and its trajectory.

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Genre: Classic, Romance

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is a classic novel following Elizabeth Bennet and her family during the Regency. In a society where the only way to keep your own family’s fortune is to have a son, the Bennet's have five daughters. The novel begins when Bingley, a “young man of large fortune” buys a house in their neighborhood. Through the cheerful and effervescent Bingley, they come to know his sisters, as well as a Mr. Darcy, who the community quickly dismisses as unkind and standoffish.
Because of when the novel was written, the language is slightly different-- interesting and very satisfying to figure out! You may also encounter words or phrases that aren’t used today. I would recommend this book to other teens and young adults because of its highly entertaining nature, as Lizzy is witty and takes a lighthearted approach to the world she lives in. If you are interested in slow burn romance, this book will definitely hold your attention!

"Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief" by Maurice Leblanc 
Genre: Mystery

“Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief” is the first in a series of books by this author. Originally written in French, this book follows the exploits of the burglar and master of disguise, Arsene Lupin. Leblanc shows the story through different characters, such as Detective Ganimard, Lupin’s nemesis and even “Herlock Sholmes,” constantly maintaining an air of mystery. Lupin's lighthearted humor and effortless smarts make him a highly likable character.
I would definitely recommend this book to other teens! Even if you aren’t very interested in mysteries, the way Lupin behaves will keep you engaged– he gets the entire nation of France on his side, and he’ll get you on his side too!

"Fouth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Fiction   

“The Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros is a new adult fantasy novel, which follows Violet Sorrengail. Short, skinny and frail, Violet is everything a dragon rider is not. However when her mother, leader of the military and a prodigious dragon rider, commands her attendance to Bagsaith War College, Violet finds herself grappling with moral dilemmas, enemies at every corner and a conspiracy to destroy everything she’s ever known. Yarros expertly sets a dangerous and competitive world. Yarros’ intricate storytelling weaves together suspense, emotion and complexity, bringing forth an exciting story.  I would recommend this for teens and young adults who enjoy the fantasy genre. 

"Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean 
Audience: For Teens
Genre: Fiction 

"The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin 
Genre: Fiction

"The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin starts when Sam Westing dies and gathers 16 possible heirs in Sunset Towers. Organized into pairs, the first one to solve the puzzle gets his expansive fortune. While the pairs look for clues, there may be a murderer on the loose. This book has readers trying to solve the mystery along with the characters. The truly ambiguous nature of the puzzle leads everyone to think that the murderer is Crow, a cleaning lady who is deeply religious, but surprisingly it's not. It turns out that Sam Westing faked his death and has been watching all along. He has been playing the role of many others along the way. He finally dies at the end of the book, while talking with Turtle, twenty years after the game is over. The mystery writing is amazing and shows how paranoid and quick to accuse many become when they think someone is a murderer.

"The Plague" by Ellen Raskin 
Genre: Fiction 

The book "The Plague" by Albert Camus is about the Algerian city Oran, and how the city's residents and government react to the bubonic plague. It starts off by telling us the setting, and introduces us to Dr. Bernard Rieux. After doing surgery, he discovers dying rats, a sign of the bubonic plague, yet one that he does not recognize. These rats do eventually become noticed by the general populace however, and throws the city into a panic. Throwing the city into quarantine, everything is sealed off, and nothing is allowed in or out of the gates. During the quarantine we see how many characters choose to react to the plague. Some consider this an allegory of the defense of France during WWII, a bleak reminder of the futility of human actions and the inevitable suffering of all, but a certain second meaning can be drawn from the book. The way people act in the face of the absurd, or the plague, is irrational, “crazy” or insane. Humans are all unique and how they deal with crises will always be different. This book does an amazing job at fleshing out characters, and making us understand the rationale behind their actions, even if objectively we know it's wrong. Everyone has their own point of view, and this book is amazing specifically because of its ability to make you understand where the characters are coming from.

"Into the Wild" by Erin Hunter
Genre: Fiction

"Into the Wild" by Erin Hunter is an amazing start to an amazing series. The warrior cats series is a long running series, full of twists and turns but starts off so simple with the first book. This book is about a kitten named Rusty wandering into the gardens by his house and being drawn into a much larger world than his own. The forest holds ancient cat clans, and stumbles across a patrol of Thunderclan. The clan adopts him, and the adventure starts, sparking over 40 books in the series and countless spinoffs. This book started a series that is loved by children and adults alike.

"The Fire Within" by Chris D'Lacey 
Genre: Fiction

"The Fire Within" by Chris D’Lacey is a beautiful start to an amazing series. "The Last Dragon Chronicles" is an amazing series, full of twists and turns. When college student David Rain boards a room at the Pennykettle house, the last thing he expects is to step into a magical world of dragons and wonder. However, that's exactly what happened. He does not know it at first, but the clay dragons that Elizabeth and her daughter make are real, and connected thousands of years back to the first dragon. In the first book, David is a normal college student oblivious to his surroundings, but in the other six books of the series, something magical unfolds. This book is amazing in how it attaches you to the characters and gives them life, like you’re sitting there in the living room drinking tea with them.

Library Service Reviews: Honor paperback system 

The honor system for some books is a really great addition to the library. When I arrived at the library ten minutes before closing I didn’t expect to be able to check out a book. Because of the honor system on some paperback books though, I was able to check out "The Plague" by Albert Camus. Without the honor system, I would not have been able to check out such an amazing novel. I really think that it's a beneficial service, and helps people read without having to check books out. It also saves time, you can just leave and come back when you're done. I believe that there are many different books that benefit from this service, especially some longer ones that may take longer to read.

1. Teens in grades seven to 12 can earn four (4) service hours by writing two reviews (with a length of six to eight sentences) regarding any program, service or item at the Carlsbad City Library.
2. Within the email, the teen must state if the they are comfortable with sharing their review on the Teen website or in the Carlsbad City Library eNewsletter. The teen must include their name, the name of their school and their grade so the Teen Services staff can fill out the appropriate service hour form.
3. Teen must indicate how they would like their name displayed (school names or other identifying information will not be displayed). Recommendations would be either “Joe, grade 12” or “J. Smith, grade 12”. 
4. Teens can participate up to five times per school year  
5. Teens can email their reviews to  libraryteens@carlsbadca.gov or email if they need ideas on what to review.   
6. Within the review, it is recommended teens include the include the following information:  
   • The title of the item, program or service
   • The author of the item, program or service (if applicable) 
   • A short summary of the item, program or service 
   • The target audience/demographic for the item or service  
   • If the writer would recommend the item, program or service to another teen  
   • If the review focuses on a program and/or event, please be sure to include the date of the event and which location the event took place.