A bunch of 1sts for the 1st, the begninning of some new YA series for 2015

Both in my home and in any library I have worked in, space and budgets are at a premium. So I am very thoughtful when it comes to starting new series or trilogies in my library. I look at things like author name recognition, diversity in genre types, and marketability when it comes to making new series selections. I’ve been working on putting together a list of new series openers to help guide me in my selection process. The first day of this new year seems like a good day to get this list together, although to be completely honest you’ll see that it is a work in process.

If you search Goodreads for New YA 2015, you will find a list of 715 books (approximately 65 of these titles indicate that they are book #1 in a new series or trilogy). This is, of course, by no means a complete list nor is it the best collection development tool. You can find another great list via Twitter from @SnugglinonSofa here. At this point one of my other favorite tools to use is Edelweiss, which allows you to create your own lists and download electronic advance reading copies to help guide you in your selection process. These are some of the places I have searched to help me compile this list.

I went through these various lists looking for any book I could find that looked like it began a new series or trilogy. There are a lot! I then went and tried to create some key words to help me make sure I balanced things out. For example, I don’t want every new series I start to be zombies (though I do love them) and leave myself without enough space or money for any new contemporary series (which is in high demand but still in short supply). This is where my process is incomplete; I didn’t get through my keyword index yet as you’ll see below.

You’ll also see a lot of familiar names like Rae Carson, Ally Carter, Victoria Schwab and Michael Grant. There’s a new series from the universe of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, which I know I’ll have to buy. This list is very heavy on the paranormal and fantasy end of the spectrum, though some new creatures are getting some love like the Jinn.

As I mentioned, this is by no means a complete or exhaustive list. So if you know of something that doesn’t appear on this list please feel free to add it in the comments. I would hate to miss something good!

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare – 5 years after the events of The Mortal Instruments

Red Queen (Red Queen 1) by Victoria Aveyard – Paranormal

Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo – Described as Ocean’s 11 meets Game of Thrones

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows – Fantasy

A Darker Shade of Magic (A Darker Shade of Magic #1) by Victoria Schwab – Fantasy, Magic, Parallel worlds

Passenger (Untitled series) by Alexandra Blacken – Time travel

All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter – Mystery, Politics

The Stars Never Rise (Untitled Series) by Rachel Vincent – Paranormal, Soul eating demons, “Church”

The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1) by Melissa Grey – Paranormal, Magic, Ancient races, Modern times

The Cage (The Cage #1) by Megan Shephard – Teens held captive in a human zoo, Compared to Maze Runner

Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles #1) by Amanda Hocking – Paranormal, Trolls

Illuminae (Illuminae #1) by Amie Kaufman – Science Fiction, Invasion, Megacorporations, Plague, Unconventional prose (emails, interviews, etc.)

Becoming Jinn (Becoming Jinn #1) by Lori Goldstein – Paranormal, Jinn

Vendetta (Vendetta #1) by Catherine Doyle – Love, Rivalry, Modern-day Chicago, Crime families

The Storyspinner (The Keeper Chronicles #1) by Becky Wallace – Fantasy, Magic, Throne politics

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine – Paranormal, Magic, Censorship

Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori, #1) by Heather Perry

Reawakened (Reawakened, #1) by Colleen Houk

Dream a Little Dream (Silver, #1) by Kirsten Gier

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn, #1) by Renee Ahdieh

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club (Lady Helen, #1) by Alison Goodman

Nobody’s Goddess (The Never Veil, #1) by Amy McNulty

Soldier Girl (Soldier Girl, #1) by Michael Grant

Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family, #1) by Tiffany Schmidt

Unspeakable (Freedom #1) by Michelle K. Pickett – Secrets, Guilt, Love

Court of Fives (Court of Fives, #1) by Kate Elliott

Seeker (Seeker, #1) by Arwyn Elise Dayton

A Book of Spirits and Thieves (Spirit and Thieves, #1) by Morgan Rhodes

Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief, #1) by Jennifer A. Neilsen

The Fire Sermon (The Fire Sermon, #1) by Francesca Haig

The Prey (The Hatchery, #1) by Tom Isbell

Kissing in America (Kissing in America, #1) by Margo Rabb

The Rules (Wolf Spring Chronicles, #1) by Nancy Holder

The Second Self (The Second Self, #1) by Claire Lovell

The Secret Fire (The Secret Fire, #1) by C. J. Daugherty

The Gift of Power (Exile #1) by Tamora Pierce

The Fixer (The Fixer, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1) by Kathleen Baldwin – Regency England

The Novice (Summoner, #1) by Taran Matharu

Flirty Dancing (The Ladybirds, #1) by Jenny McLachlan

Mindwalker (Mindwalker, #1) by A J Steiger

Guns and Dogs (American Legends, #1) by T. A. Under

The Notorious Pagan Jones (Pagan Jones, #1) by Nina Berry

Haunted (The Arnaud Legacy, #1) by Lynn Carthage

Madly (Potion, #1) by Amy Alward

Milayna (Milayna, #1) by Michelle K. Pickett

The Historian (The Historians #1) by Trisha Lee

Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Goldscryer Saga, #1) by Rae Carson

The Road to Hallelujah (The Road, #1) by Martina Reimer

Angel in Training (Louisiangel, #1) by C. L. Coffey

Teen Frankenstein (High School Horror Story, #1) by Chandler Baker

Skin of My Teeth, Vol. 1 (Skin of My Teeth, #1) by Judith Graves

The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty, #1) by Ken Lui

Tangled Webs (Tangled Webs, #1) by Lee Bross

Lois Lane: Fallout (Lois Lane, #1) by Gwenda Bond

Unavenged (Unavenged, #1) by Richard Denney

The Leveller (The Leveller, #1) by Julia Durango

Heat of the Moment (Moment of Truth, #1) by Lauren Barnholdt

Undertow (Untitled, #1) by Michael Buckley

Bluescreen (Mirador, #1) by Dan Wells

Filed under: new books