Waiting on Wednesday (23)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. The purpose of the event is to spotlight the upcoming releases that readers are most looking forward to.

This week, I've chosen...

Crossed by Ally Condie

Add it: Goodreads

Publisher: Dutton

Release Date: November 1, 2011

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

If you were here back in... June? May?, I LOVE YOU you might remember I posted a very positive review of Matched. The writing was beautiful, the story was engrossing, and I sort of liked that Ky boy.

If you haven't read Matched yet, I really recommend it!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

(Goodreads profile)

Source: Won
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 487

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

For such a thick book, Starcrossed certainly didn't take long for me to read! The mythology was entrancing and I loved the romance, characters and danger of it all.

The Scions, the family history, the nightmares that Helen has basically every night... all of it captivated me entirely and really was one of my favourite parts of the novel. Angelini stays true to the mythology for the most part but also puts her own spin on it, which gave it a nice edge.

When Helen and the Delos family (Lucas in particular) first met, I thought the book might throw off sparks or something - talk about unexpected! All of the interactions between these characters took me by surprise in the beginning and then after the shock had worn off, I grew very comfortable with it. The Delos family has that warm family bond and Helen makes a great addition to the picture.

Personally, I thought the book had an excellent balance between light and dark moments. There is romance, but there is danger. Just when things start to settle down, the characters are yanked into a more serious situation. The fight scenes were fantastic (strategic and physical!) and I hope that we see a lot more of that in the future books.

A magificent debut novel!

Cover Comments: It it so SHINY. I can literally just sit there tilting it at different angles to see the rainbows it throws off. I am utterly fascinated by this cover.

4.5/5

Cover Reveal: Touch

I'm so excited to be part of the cover reveal for the upcoming novel TOUCH by Jus Accardo. The novel sounds pretty intense and I think the cover really matches that.

Touch will be released November 1, 2011 from Entangled Publishing.

Also, here is the official summary:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Doesn't that sound good?! What are your thoughts on the cover?

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren which gives bloggers a chance to share the books, swag, etc. that they've received each week.

***

 

This is kind of lopsided, huh? Sorry about that.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (Won from Kaye at Paper Reader who is all sorts of lovely): I've been looking forward to this one for a while so I was SO excited when I won a copy.

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (Review from Thomas Allen & Sons): Like I've said probably 50 times by now, I love Greek mythology. This one sounds like a pretty insane twist!

Forgotten by Cat Patrick (Won from Emilie at A Beautiful Madness): This is part one of a two-book prize pack I won from Emilie (the other is a pre-order for December). I've been dying to read this book for so long but kept putting it off because I really prefer the Australian cover (yeah, yeah). Actually though, this looks so much better in person! The front cover is still nothing fabulous for me but the spine, back and cover flaps? So, so pretty.

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm (Review from Thomas Allen & Sons): This book looks adorable! It won't be out until May 2012, but I'm still really excited to start it.

Remembrance by Michelle Madow (Review from author): I am a big Taylor Swift fan and after I heard this was inspired by the Love Story video... had to read it! Big thanks to Michelle for sending this my way :)

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis (Yet another review book from Thomas Allen & Sons): Ghosts and relationships and death lalala I want to read this so badly.

***

Okay, so that's it. I have to go do homework now before I fail out of school. Bye!

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
(Goodreads profile)

Source: NetGalley
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 320

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

A Beautiful Dark is the dazzling start to a new series from debut author Jocelyn Davies.

The main character, Skye, is easily relatable. She studies hard so that she can get into a good college and skis after school to feel that rush of cold air and the exhilaration that follows. She also actually has real friends that she hangs out with - Dan and Cassie were great characters and you could see the easy comfort the three of them had together.

Cue Asher and Devin, and suddenly Skye's normal life has been flipped upside down (and then rattled around a bit for good measure). These two "cousins" were polar opposites and I was as torn between them as Skye for a good portion of the book!

The first half of the novel eases you into Skye's world before things really start to heat up. I must say, my favourite part of the novel was the mythology behind it all and I'm so curious to see how that will affect everything in the future. There is definitely an awesome foundation that's been set and I imagine that the sequels will be even more exciting!

Fair warning though: the ending of this novel kills. It is like the definition of cliffhanger. Honestly, the only thought that was running through my head when I completed the book was, "that's just a really mean joke, right"? Followed by, "wow, I really liked that" of course!

Cover Comments: This cover is so beautiful. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is I love about it... maybe a combination of elements? I do have to say that I LOVE the different fonts they chose for the cover and author name. Harper, you sure do have some pretty packaging.

4/5

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. The purpose of the event is to spotlight the upcoming releases that readers are most looking forward to.

This week, I've chosen...

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Add it: Goodreads
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: October 4, 2011
 
In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a quest:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Who are the other four mentioned in the prophecy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea...

You guys, I am SO excited for this one. I love Rick Riordan and his fun, crafty novels. The Lost Hero was awesome and I'm sure this one can only be more awesome because HELLO, Percy is back.

Which book(s) are you desperate to get your hands on today?

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
(Goodreads profile)

Source: S&S Galley Grab
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 320

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

As soon as I read this summary (actually, as soon as I saw the cover) I knew I had to try the book out. Just the basic concept of the story - typically evil vamp gets stabbed in the heart with a unicorn horn and starts to grow a conscience - sounds fun, original and witty. Drink, Slay, Love is exactly that.

One of my favourite parts of the story was the main character, Pearl. In the beginning, her behaviour is completely what I would expect of a vampire. She's confident to the point of arrogance, hostile, looks down on humans and adds a healthy dose of sarcasm to everything that comes out of her mouth. Her thoughts are hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times. With the stellar additions of Evan and Bethany, who are definitely not dark and cynical, Sarah created a cast of characters that constantly kept me entertained.

I was curious to see whether or not the transition from evil vamp to slightly-less-evil vamp would be pulled off smoothly enough to be realistic (er, as realistic as possible anyways). Happy to say it was! Pearl is completely unused to surprises of the nature she gets in the book, and I could see her struggle to maintain her composure at times. There is real character development at work as Pearl evolves into a totally new brand of vampire.

I have to admit that I was incredibly wary of Pearl going to high school. I knew it was coming from the summary, but it still took me by surprise in the actual book. My fears of the high school experience turning the story were completely unwarranted because Pearl is as fantastic as usual. Pulling the humans closer, scaring them away, rinse and repeat... I loved watching Pearl test the waters and navigate her way through the school. With the constant threat of what will happen if she lets her Family down at the back of Pearl's mind, there is carefully built-up tension every step of the way.

I think I've found my new favourite vampire novel!

5/5

Cover Comments: Love it! It's fun and quirky. How perfect is a blood-red bottle filled with blood for a vampire novel?