Most-anticipated Young Adult novels of 2010

These are just some of the most-anticipated Young Adult novels of 2010. Photo credits: see note.

Young Adult literature rose to new heights in 2009, with titles in the genre topping all sorts of best-seller lists. That trend is likely to continue in 2010, with a long list of new Young Adult books set for release - and many of the most hotly-anticipated titles are additions to current hit series.

Here's a look at some of the most-anticipated Young Adult books of 2010:

January 8th -- Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Oregon author Lisa Schroeder kicks of 2010 with her third Young Adult novel, Chasing Brooklyn. It follows a young woman after the death of her boyfriend and the death of her best friend just a year later. As Brooklyn struggles to come to terms with her losses, she soon finds she's being haunted ... but not by the person she expected. And her dead boyfriend's brother? He's being haunted, too.

February 2nd -- Sweet Little Lies (L.A. Candy) by Lauren Conrad

MTV's reality TV star-turned author Lauren Conrad returns with the sequel to her debut novel L.A. Candy, with the release of Sweet Little Lies.Though Conrad insists the series is not a thinly veiled autobiography, it does follow a 19-year-old girl who moves to L.A. and becomes the star of a reality TV show.

February 9th -- Gone by Lisa McMann

The third book in Lisa McMann's Wake series continues the saga of 17-year-old Janie, who constantly finds herself being sucked into other people's dreams. Sounds like a real nightmare.

March - The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

This debut novel from Northwest author Kimberly Derting follows 16-year-old Violet, a teen girl with the uncanny ability to find dead bodies -- usually murder victims. Though she's always hated her "gift," she comes to realize she may be the only person to stop a serial killer stalking young girls in her town.

March 9th - Hourglass (Evernight #3) by Claudia Gray

It's no secret that with the success of The Twilight Saga, vampire stories are all the rage (there are quite a few on this list) - and so are supernatural romances. Claudia Gray's Evernight series provides a new twist on the genre. Fans are eagerly looking forward to Hourglass, the third book in the series about a vampire girl, learning the ropes of vampire life at a school designed to keep her kind up-to-date with the ways of the changing modern world. Of course, falling in love with a vampire hunter doesn't help.

March 15th - Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel) by James Patterson

Fang is the latest installment in James Patterson's immensely popular Maximum Ride series about a group of teens with wings. The series follows Maximum Ride and her fellow winged cohorts, after they escape from the lab which created them (98% human, 2% bird -- hence the wings).

March 16th - The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls by L.J. Smith

L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries series was first released in the early 1990s, but was re-released in new packaging following the success of Twilight. Since then, the series has been turned into a successful TV series on the CW Network, and Smith returned to the series to write new adventures for the characters. Shadow Souls picks up where the previous book left off.

April 27th - Burned (A House of Night Novel) by P.C. & Kristin Cast

The House of Night books by mother-daughter duo P.C. and Kristin Cast has also enjoyed a boost thanks to the popularity of Young Adult vampire stories. The House of Night books are huge, and the latest addition to the series will likely rise quickly to the tops of most best-seller lists.

May 1st -- Runaway (Airhead) by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is queen amongst teen readers (and some adults, too). She's got numerous books and series for Young Adults (and grown-ups) under her belt, including the Princess Diaries and the Avalon High series. Runaway is the latest addition to her Airhead series, about a girl whose brain is stuck inside the body of a supermodel (at the behest of her employer).

May 4th -- Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine Signet

The Morganville Vampire series already had its own following, which has only grown with the meteoric rise of teen vampire stories.The 8th book in Rachel Caine Signet's series, Kiss of Death, will likely fly off store shelves quickly. The series follows teen math whiz Claire, as she finds herself studying in a town controlled by vampires.

May 25th - Early to Death, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison follows-up her hit Once Dead, Twice Shy with the May release of Early to Death, Early to Rise. The books follow Madison Avery, who is caught between life and death when she's killed by a Reaper on her prom night. 

June 1st - Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

In an original twist on the supernatural romance, Daniel Waters offers up beautiful teenage zombies. Yes, zombies. His Generation Dead series also provides an interesting look at social prejudices. The dynamic of his books are refreshing - not only do they offer up an unusual romance (between a teenage girl, and a teenage zombie boy), they also push readers to question their views on societal norms.

June 29th - Keys to the Repository (Blue Bloods) by Melissa de la Cruz

Yes, more vampires. Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series continues with Keys to the Repository, a companion book to her best-selling series about vampires masquerading amongst Manhattan's upper crust society. Keys to the Repository includes new short stories featuring characters from the Blue Bloods series, plus a lexicon, of sorts, to the entire Blue Bloods world.

July 6th - Strange Fate (Night World) by L.J. Smith

L.J. Smith's Night World series concludes with Strange Fate. The series, being published with new covers after their original release in the mid- to late-90s chronicles the fated romances between humans and members of the so-called Night World - vampires, shapeshifters, witches, etc.

July 20th - Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

The success of Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver last year had readers everywhere saying, "Move over vampires, here come werewolves!" The haunting tale of romance between mostly-human Grace, and Sam - the boy who turns into a wolf when the weather turns cold - captivated Young Adult readers. Since then, fansites such as TheCrookedShelf.com have sprung up online and fans are now eagerly counting down the days to the release of the sequel, Linger.

August 24th - Hunger Games #3 (Untitled) by Suzanne Collins

The as-yet-untitled final installment in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy while conclude the story of a world where children are chosen to face off in a fight-to-the-death in a futuristic world. This series has held spots on best-seller lists since the first book's debut in 2008.

August 31st - The Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

When the third book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series was released last Spring, fans thought that was it … until Clare announced plans for a fourth book in the series, and a trilogy of prequels, called The Infernal Devices. The first of those prequels, The Clockwork Angel hits store shelves at the end of August. The series features a group of fallen angels who protect the Earth from demons, while attempting to coexist with vampires, werewolves and fairies.

October - Behemoth (Leviathan #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld continues his new trilogy this fall with Behemoth, the follow-up to last year's Leviathan -- a sci-fi story that puts a Steampunk twist on World War II. 

Fall - Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

After the success of Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush last year, supernatural romances between humans and fallen angels are being called one of the next big things in Young Adult literature. Patch as the fallen angel is the ultimate bad boy gone good, and his romance with the human Nora captivated readers. Their saga continues with Crescendo, due out sometime this Fall.

December - Beautiful Creatures #2 (Untitled) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The release of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl in late 2009 swept readers and best-seller lists quickly. Narrator Ethan is a refreshing voice in Young Adult literature, and his narrative is so believable as that of a teen boy, it's hard to remember the book was written by two women. Beautiful Creatures chronicles the blossoming romance between Ethan and new-girl Lena, who comes from a long line of Casters - witches, essentially. But Ethan and Lena face a slough of troubles - both from their disapproving neighbors in the small Georgia town where they live, and from supernatural foes intent on claiming Lena for less-than-pure intentions. Garcia and Stohl are planning five books, in all, in the series. Book two is set for release in December.

You can find an extensive list of upcoming Young Adult releases on YAlit.com, a wonderful website run by two librarians, who track new and upcoming YA books.

You can also browse these and other new and upcoming Young Adult titles in the teen section of Powell's Books in Portland, and online at Powells.com.

For the latest news on Young Adult books, plus resources for teens, parents & teachers, visit Novel Novice.

(Photo credits: The Body Finder credit HarperCollins, Linger credit Scholastic, Hush Hush credit Simon & Schuster, Hunger Games #3 credit Scholastic, The Vampire Diaries credit HarperTeen, Beautiful Creatures credit Little Brown)