Printz winner!

The Printz winner (aka best book for teens) was announced a couple weeks ago.

The winner was... (drumroll please)... Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick!

The honour books (or runner-ups) were:

• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susan Cokal
• Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Julian Crouch
• Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

If you haven't, check out these phenomenal books! 

William C. Morris Awards Finalists + debut authors

YALSA (the american library folks) just posted the finalists for their debut (first) novelist award, the William C. Morris Awards. A bit embarrassed that I have not read any of them! Looks like I have some reading to do! Some of these sound really good. Click the covers to place holds and learn more.

Speaking of debut authors, I recently read a phenomenal debut called Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider that will probably make its way onto my Top Ten of 2013 list, so I'd recommend that one if you're looking to try a new author. It's still in the catalogue as the original title (which I love), but it's the same book.

Nebula Awards

The Nebula Awards are awarded to science-fiction and fantasy titles. This years nominees look fantastic!

School Library Journal, which reviews books, had these great things to say about the nominees (click any link to go to the catalogue and place one on hold):

Akata Witch (Viking) by Nnedi Okora. "This is a consistently surprising, inventive read that will appeal to more thoughtful, patient fantasy readers because it relies less on action and more on exploring the characters' gradual mastery of their talents." 

Chime (Dial) by Franny Billingsley. "The magnificently dark romantic setting and lovely, lyrical language and imagery enhance a novel that is both lushly sensual and shivery." 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Little, Brown) by Laini Taylor. "The suspense builds inexorably, and the philosophical as well as physical battles will hold action-oriented readers." 

Everybody Sees the Ants (Little, Brown) by A. S. King. "A haunting but at times funny tale about what it means to want to take one's life, but rising above it so that living becomes the better option." 

The Boy at the End of the World (Bloomsbury) by Greg van Eekhout. "With strong themes of courage and self-reliance, this challenging and thought-provoking adventure is a fine choice for science-fiction collections." 

The Freedom Maze (Big Mouth House) by Delia Sherman. "Sherman's antebellum story exposes a wide sweep through a narrow aperture, where the arbitrary nature of race and ownership, kindred and love, are illuminated in the harsh seeking glare of an adolescent's coming of age." 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Greenwillow) by Rae Carson. "This fast-moving and exciting novel is rife with political conspiracies and machinations." 

Ultraviolet (Carolrhoda) by R. J. Anderson. "...much more than a harrowing adolescent-in-pysch-hospital 'problem book' than one might expect."

What were your favourite science fiction and fantasy books of the year?