I am going to go out on a limb and predict that these three titles will be the big debuts of 2009:
Diana Peterfreund’s Rampant
Killer uni***ns and the tough gals what fight them. It’s funny and exciting and romantic and has amazing action scenes. What more do you need to know?Carrie Ryan’s Forest of Hands and Teeth
Zombie apocalypse, scary nuns, and a girl who’s never seen the ocean. You know you want this.Sarah Rees Brennan’s The Demon’s Lexicon
I have not yet read this one but Scott has and he keeps bugging me to read it. He loved it. I’m a huge fan of Sarah’s extremely witty and wonderful blog so I have high hopes.
They’ll all be out next (northern hemisphere) spring. I guarantee that you will love them.
What books are you all looking forward to next year?
I really liked Thalia Chaltas’ Because I Am Furniture. It’s a novel in verse, and an “issues” book, but it’s not transgressive for the sake of it, and much more positive, I think, than Ellen Hopkins (which isn’t to say I don’t like her, this is just pretty different).
Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein is also pretty awesome – it’s so campy and hysterical, like Clueless meets X-men. None of us at BP can talk about it without cracking up. Definitely looking forward to telling customers about it.
The last great book I read was Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell. I LOVED the characters, the beautiful Australian desert setting, what it had to say about faith – just awesome.
And of course I’m reading Rampant right now. Love it!
I thought Rampant wasn’t a debut?
Rampant is a debut YA. Diana’s previous novels were all published as adult.
I’m quite eager for Frank Portman’s Andromeda Klein. I’m sure there’s plenty else to look forward to, but I have no idea what’s on the docket.
I’m looking forward to Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn Chronicles: The Sending coming out next year.
Oh, lots and lots. I’m looking forward to Scott’s zeppelin book. There’s Kathleen Duey’s sequel for Skin Hunger. Frances Hardinge, whose books I love, has a third novel due soon, called Gullstruck Island. That should be wonderful. I can’t wait to see Jedediah Berry’s debut, or the new China Mieville novel, The City and the City. It should be a great year.
I’ve already read three of the books I’m looking forward to coming out next year: The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Ghost Huntress: the Awakening (by Marley Gibson) and your own Liar Book (at the risk of this sounding like mutual admiration society around here).
Also, The Queen of Song and Souls, by CL Wilson, the new Sherry Thomas historical set in Tibet (!!!), Two Years, No Rain, by Shawn Klomparens, (all three on the adult side)… and Leviathan. I’m dying to read Leviathan.
I make a not-so-graceful bow – specially since I have read Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and it is ridiculous levels of excellent.
I also thank Diana, since I had no idea Sherry Thomas’s next book was going to be set in Tibet! Now I am pining for it even more.
Another 2009 YA debuts I particularly love on: Saundra Mitchell’s Shadowed Summer. Things like Rampant, and the Liar book, and Leviathan – I actually have to wait til 2009 to read them, where is the justice in that? I am so glad 2009 is soon.
WONDROUS STRANGE, by Lesley Livingston. Well, okay, it’s next year here in Canada, but it’ll be out in late December for those lucky USians.
And I’ll second Kathleen Duey’s SACRED SCARS. I’m really looking forward to diving into that one. And then thinking about it for weeks afterwards.
Besides the books you mentioned, I’m really looking forward to Janni Lee Simner’s ‘Bones of Faerie,’ R.J. Anderson’s ‘Knife,’ and Allison Van Diepen’s ‘Raven.’
Maggie – Bones of Faerie is AMAZING. I cant believe I forgot to mention it myself. 😀
I second wanting Andromeda Klein, had no idea China Mieville had a new book but am now excited for it, and I need the next book in Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom series. Also the next Hunger Games book but I’m not sure when that’s due to come out. Also, does anyone know if Markus Zusak has any more books due to come out/is working on a new book? I love him. =]
Lesly Livingston and Lisa Mantchev. Both faery books, Wondrous Strange was already mentioned, Lisa’s book is called Eyes Like Stars. I’m really excited!
I’d have to second Fiona on two accounts… If the next book in the Hunger Games series were to come out in 2009, I’d be overjoyed. Also, anything Markus Zusak writes, I will read. I just finished “Getting the Girl” today, and much to my dismay, I cannot find “Fighting Ruben Wolfe” ANYWHERE! 🙁
I’m looking forward to Daniel Waters’s second book Kiss of Death in his Generation Undead zombie series. Being a girly-reader sometimes, I’m also looking forward to Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti’s new books as well.
However, none of these are “debut” novels… 🙂 I’m still trying to catch-up on this year’s “debut” YA novels!
I’m looking forward to Leviathan of course, but I also really can’t wait for Storm Glass and Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder, both of which come out in April 09.
The debut novels listed look interesting. I’ll keep a eye out for them.