Countdown: February 2013

February is a short month but it seems to be packed with great new titles that will hit the shelves in that small amount of time. A few series sequels and a bunch of new titles and authors to check out and I'm excited for each one of them. For some reason outside of Valentine's Day there usually isn't much else going on with everyone in February. It's always a great time to unwind and decompress as much as possible after the holidays, and also a perfect time to get cozy at home with a few of the great books that I've gotten from friends and family.

So I'm hoping that the tradition stands this year and come February the countdown will have been worth it and I'll be able to squeeze as many books as possible into that month and to pump out as many reviews for the blog as possible. So here are just a few of the titles that come out in February that I'm looking forward to diving into.

Countdown Pick #1: Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2) by Tahereh Mafi (02/05/2013)

tick, tick, tick, tick, tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Oh no! Please don't tell me that this second installment is going to be chalk full of heartache and turmoil....I don't know if I can take it! I really enjoyed the series opener Mafi created and have been super anxious to see what is in store for Juliette and Adam this time around. I really felt for them in the series opener and can only hope that Warner gets what he deserves and stays far away from Juliette. I'm thinking I won't get my wish but a girl can hope right? Either way it's sure to be a great series continuation.

Countdown Pick #2: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster (02/05/2013)

The girl with no past, and no future, may be the only one who can save their lives.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

So many questions and no answers until February! I love a strong female lead that has to climb her way to the top. I always have so much respect for the characters by the end of reads that you wish these characters were anything but fictional. And with a touch of romance thrown in, in the form of a "handsome young courier" who is totally off limits and you've got yourself a fan already. Why the other orphaned girls are started to die and how Nisha is going to solve these crimes is beyond me, but I'm eager to see what unfolds.

Countdown Pick #3: Pantomime by Laura Lam (02/05/2013)

R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass – remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone – are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

Don't ask me what is going on with this future release because I can't even begin to guess. But despite all that aren't you intrigued? I know I am. I'm a huge fan of the idea of the circus. Not where the animals are concerned but Cirque du Soliel has no bigger fan than this girl. So hearing about aerialists had me sold without any other details. I'm not sure what other mysteries will be unfolding within these pages but I'm thinking it's going to be quite the adventurous read.

Countdown Pick #4: The Ruining by Anna Collomore (02/07/2013)

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.

Anyone else freaked out after reading this book's description? While I might be scared of what this read will do to my anxiety level, at the same time I can't help but be morbidly curious to see what this book is all about. Hopefully there's enough good romance and first love excitement throughout to make up for the most likely scary parts where the aforementioned manipulation and insanity comes into play. I'll probably lose sleep over this one but I'm hoping in the long run it's worth it, but only time will tell. Now I just want to see what the cover art will look like. As soon as I find a picture I'll be sure to update the post and make sure you guys aren't missing out.

Countdown Pick #5: Override (Glitch, #2) by Heather Anastasiu (02/19/2013)

Zoe is free. She has escaped the enslavement of the Community, disconnected from the hardware that had controlled her every thought and emotion, and evaded capture by the Chancellor intent on killing her. She is finally free, but she is far from safe.

Zoe and Adrien hide themselves from detection at the Foundation, an academy that trains teen glitchers to fight in the Resistance movement. Together, Zoe and her new team of superhuman fighters must risk their lives to rescue other glitchers and humans from the Chancellor's control. Challenges abound at every turn, and Adrien, who has become silent, distant, and tormented by his visions of the future, only adds to the growing certainty of defeat. But worst of all, as Zoe's team fights against impossible odds, distrust and betrayal leads to the terrible discovery that their greatest threat could already be lurking behind the safe walls of the Foundation.

Full of high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Heather Anastasiu's Override is an exciting continuation of this popular young adult trilogy.

There are always book blurbs out there that claim amazing and surprising twists and turns that will come out of left field and readers will never see coming. Sometimes it turns out to be the case, but often times it's just wishful thinking and turns out to be more of a disappointment than anything else. Where Anastasiu's writing is concerned...there is no need to worry or doubt, she's the real deal! When I first read Glitch I couldn't believe how much was packed into one series opener. It was like with every turn of the page a new shocking reveal was laid out and just when I thought I would have gotten a handle of what was going on and was starting to think I could predict what would happen next I'd be completely blind sided. Anastasiu is one of those writers that will always throw me for a loop and no matter how hard I try I'll never be able to hope to get a step ahead of her writing.