Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Liar's Moon (Thief Errant Book 2)
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
November 2011
Arthur A. Levine Books

As a pickpocket, Digger isn't surprised when she finally lands in jail.  But she doesn't expect to be thrown in a cell with Lord Durrel Decath - or to hear he'll soon be executed for killing his wife.

Elizabeth C. Bunce picks up right where she left off in StarCrossed, book one in this series about a young thief named Digger.  The war between the magic users and those who fear magic's influence is in full swing.  Rather than run around on the battlefield, however, Digger chooses to go home and quietly help those in need within the city's walls.  But she soon finds herself hurled into the middle of a mystery which she secretly hopes will never be solved as she discovers that this time, the truth won't set them free.  A few things you should know about this book:

• You really should re-read book one before starting book two.  I have a fantastic memory for plots and characters and was completely lost for a large portion of this book.  There is a brief lexicon in the back that goes through some of the vocabulary, place names, and main characters, but if it's been more than a year, read book one again!
• Despite being a fantasy, this book reads much more like a mystery.  Going beyond the intrigue and conspiratorial whisperings of book one, this one truly is a "whodunit."  
• She messed up the love interest!!!  I'm just going to throw this out there, but things were set up very nicely in book one for a certain princely someone to take center stage as Mr. Right . . . pout, pout, whine . . . ah well.  There's always time for Bunce to kill the current love interest off in the next book.

Thief Errant Series
StarCrossed
Liar's Moon
Book Three To Be Announced

Enclave by Ann Aguirre ★

Enclave (Book 1)
by Ann Aguirre
April 2011
Feiwel and Friends

In Deuce's world, an enclave deep underground, people earn their right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years.

Finally!  A post apocalyptic, dystopian young adult book crawling with zombies that I could get into!  You wouldn't think that with all my options this would be difficult, but fact of the matter is, it's hard to make a book about rotting flesh appealing.  Granted, no one is trying to kiss said zombies, which always helps.  "Erm . . . here.  Your lips kinda sorta just fell off."  Ooh la la.

In the distant future, the sewers of New York City have become a haven for people trying to escape from the war and plague that has overrun the "topside."  Small separate cities and societies called Enclaves have sprung up underground with the sole purpose of simply surviving.  It's difficult to live, however, with the threat of Freaks (zombies!) and the lack of food and other resources.  As a fifteen-year-old who was born and raised in one of these Enclaves, Deuce is now eligible to take on her role as a Huntress for the clan.  Paired with Fade, a strange boy who claims he once lived topside, her perspective on the life she's lived under the Enclave's rule is challenged and ultimately overthrown when she is banished to a life above ground.  Filled with vivid imagery, strange new creatures, and refreshing characters, Enclave is the zombie book you don't want to miss!

Books in the Series
Enclave
Outpost (TBR Fall 2012)

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Queen of the Dead (Ghost and the Goth Book 2)
by Stacey Kade
June 2011
Disney Hyperion

Okay, I admit it.  I'm not perfect, no matter what you've heard.  First off, I'm dead.  Second, I got sent back from the Great Beyond.  I mean, seriously, who is running things up there?

Alona Dare, homecoming queen and cheerleader extraordinaire is back in book two of the Ghost and the Goth series.  Alona continues to be Will Killian's (local ghost talker and super hot goth boy) spirit guide and assistant as he helps ghosts with unfinished business.  Things get a little Harry Potter, however, when an unheard of paranormal society with wands that evaporate ghosts start recruiting Will.  Are ghosts just "echoes" with no personality that are meant to be disposed of?  Or are spirits here on earth to get help and perhaps even help in return?  These are the questions that both Will and Alona struggle with in this fantastic sequel to the first book.

Ghost and the Goth Novels
The Ghost and the Goth
Queen of the Dead
Body and Soul (TBR May 2012)