Countdown: 2012 Releases (17)

Have you guys started making your lists of new releases scheduled for 2013? I know I have a few in the back of my mind that I know are scheduled to come out next year, but for right now I've got my hands full to bursting with all these titles that are still scheduled to come out in the coming months. Every time I think it's not possible for my TBR list to get any bigger I see a few more new releases that I can't resist adding.

It's terrible because I make myself all anxious and worried that I'll never be able to get to all of these great titles and that I'll be missing out on fantastic reads and new authors that would certainly become favorites. But then I try and remind myself that everyone must go through this kind of anxiety because it's simply not possible to read fast enough to enable yourself to stay caught up on every single title you're hoping to read. It's not going to happen, but I can try my hardest to read as fast as possible while still managing to enjoy the reads, and hopefully I'll get through enough of these titles that I won't feel too far behind. Enough about my neurotic thoughts, let's get to the countdown, shall we?

Countdown Pick #1: The Raft by S.A. Bodeen (08/21/2012)

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

Oh my gosh! How is it possible that just this small description has my stomach plummeting to my feet and my anxiety ratcheted up to the highest possible level? It's crazy and should be a clear warning that this book will be too intense for me to handle, but no. I, of course won't listen to reason and have decided that I MUST read this title when it's released. I don't want to wait a second longer to see what happens...I'm just hoping that the sharks mentioned don't play a huge part in the whole thing, because that is a HUGE fear of mine and one that I don't need to hear about in live and living color.

Countdown Pick #2: The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George (09/04/2012)

The first young adult book by a #1 New York Times bestselling author

Whidbey Island may be only a ferry ride from Seattle, but it's a world apart. When Becca King arrives there, she doesn't suspect the island will become her home for the next four years. Put at risk by her ability to hear "whispers"--the thoughts of others--Becca is on the run from her stepfather, whose criminal activities she has discovered. Stranded and alone, Becca is soon befriended by Derric, a Ugandon orphan adopted by a local family; Seth, a kindhearted musician and high school dropout; Debbie, a recovering alcoholic who takes her in; and Diana, with whom Becca shares a mysterious psychic connection.

This compelling coming-of-age story, the first of an ongoing sequence of books set on Whidbey Island, has elements of mystery, the paranormal, and romance. Elizabeth George, bestselling author of the Inspector Lynley crime novels, brings her elegant style, intricate plotting, incisive characterization, and top-notch storytelling to her first book for teens.

How could I resist a series opener right? While I haven't heard how many installments are planned for this new YA series, it sounds like it'll be a good series to get started on early. I love the talk of romance with some paranormal elements thrown in for good measure, don't you? With talk of being on the run and mysteries surrounding our main character at every turn, this title looks like it's got the potential to be a nail biter for sure, and one that will keep me up at night because I just won't be able to put it down. I'll let you know if my predictions turn out to be fact.

Countdown Pick #3: Middle Ground (Awaken, #2) by Katie Kacvinsky (11/20/2012)

In the sequel to Awaken, seventeen-year-old Maddie is in LA, is trying to stay out of trouble. But she can't quell the fire that rages within her against the digital life, and one night, a seemingly small act of rebellion lands Maddie in the place she fears the most: a detention center. Here, under the guise of rehabilitation, patients are reprogramed to accept the digital life. When Maddie discovers what goes on here, her fight shifts. She's no longer just fighting against the digital life. She's fighting for her mind, her soul, and her life. Once again, Katie Kacvinsky paints a disturbing picture of what the future holds if we're not careful.

So I have the first installment in this series and I haven't had a chance to crack it open yet. But since this sequel does not hit the shelves until November of this year I still have time to make that happen. And if I manage to finish the first book sometime soon, I'll be able to jump right into this sequel and pick up where the first left on and continue on in the adventure that Kacvinsky has painted for her readers. Have you guys checked out this series yet? What did you think? The descriptions for both the first and now this second installment sound fantastic, and just like the kind of suspense and action packed titles that I could really enjoy.

Countdown Pick #4: Blood Fever (The Watchers, #3) by Veronica Wolff (08/07/2012)

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME—EVEN IF HOME IS WHERE THE DEAD LIVE...

It’s the start of the fall semester, and a new crop of Acari and Trainees have descended on the Isle of Night. Watcher training has intensified, and Drew has a new roommate named Mei-Ling. But Mei-Ling harbors a dangerous secret that drove the vampires to abduct her against her will. Drew knows she shouldn’t get involved, but she can’t seem to leave her roommate to fend for herself.

Luckily, Drew has other things on her mind—like vampire Carden. A blood bond to a brawny, eighteenth-century Scottish bad boy tends to preoccupy a girl. And though she’s still figuring out what this bond means, one thing has become clear: She craves him in a major way.

But then bodies start turning up on the island. All the evidence points to the existence of a rogue vampire, and the sinister vampire Alcántara is gunning for Carden, even though Drew has proof that Carden had nothing to do with the murders. Now she has to find the true killer—without endangering Carden, Mei-Ling, or herself…

Huge, huge, huge fan of this series! I have been biting my nails for this title to finally be released and at the end of the Summer it looks like I'm finally going to get my wish. I was able to get an advanced copy of the second installment in this series, and while that was awesome, it meant that my wait for this third series installment was that much longer. So now, after trying to be as patient as possible, the release date is almost here!!! So excited to see what's in store next for Drew and the rest of the island.

Countdown Pick #5: The Syndicate by Shelena Shorts (07/09/2012)

For centuries, the Petrescu family has been protecting society from a danger that moves among the population undetected. Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate an eighteen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.

The Syndicate has never targeted a female before, yet somehow this one has ended up on more than one hit list. Vasi would like to find out why, but there may not be time.

Now, he'll have to decide whether or not to keep her alive even if it means going against his own family.

The action, mystery, and conspiracy in The Syndicate will take readers on an immersing journey in which decisions are not only life changing, but irreversible.

As a big fan of Shelena Shorts and her Pace series, I was very excited to hear about this new adventure she'll be putting her readers through. How exciting and intense does this sound? I'm personally looking forward to seeing if Shorts will instill her magic touch into yet another book, much like she did with her Pace series, and what fun can be had along the way. This title sounds to me like there will be lines drawn and crossed, decisions set up and made, and a lot of chaos going on in between...the perfect equation for an exciting new release if you ask me.