Countdown: April 2013 (2)

The saying might be that April showers bring May flowers, but apparently it also brings a heck of a lot of good books.  You guys are very familiar with my love of countdowns here on the blog and there's no way that's going to change anytime soon, certainly not in 2013!  So now that the new year is here, my excitement level for 2013 new releases has gone through the roof.  I've got my January list, and I'm trying to stick to my plan.  I'll keep reading at lease one or two of the books that are already on my shelf that haven't been read yet before I purchase a new book.  So two older ones for everyone new one I buy is the way this game is played.  So far so good!  If you guys don't see a book you're looking forward to on one of my countdowns you know what to do...post a comment, send me an email, you name it, it works as long as you don't hold back and keep the great future releases a secret!  Let us know, I'm always on the lookout for a few more titles to add to my TBR list!

Countdown Pick #1:  Beautiful Decay by Sylvia Lewis (04/02/2013)

Ellie Miller has always needed her space. Literally. With a touch that rots whatever she encounters, Ellie must keep people at a distance for their own good. Not that her classmates are itching to be best friends with the "freak" of the high school.

So when newcomer Nate MacPherson makes it his mission to get close to her, Ellie has her suspicions. But when he identifies her as a viviomancer who can work the forces of life and reveals himself to be a necromancer who can manipulate death, Ellie finds herself trusting Nate and the romance that is blossoming between them. Unfortunately for the two, family secrets can kill, and they will need more than their abilities to keep a zombie mom and a conglomerate of evil-doing supernaturals under control.

After spending her life pushing everyone away, Ellie's realization of the full extent of her power and willingness to let people get close to her may be the only way to save the ones she loves.

I'm digging the sound of this one.  Different from a lot of the same old same old, and with a romance added into the combination of everything going on, this one sailed to the top of my countdowns in April without a problem.

Countdown Pick #2:  Nameless (Tales of Beauty and Madness, #1) by Lili St. Crow (04/04/2013)

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow thrilled legions of fans with her dark paranormal series Strange Angels. Now she has crafted an evocative update of Snow White, set in a vividly imagined world and populated by unforgettable new characters.

I just got myself an advanced copy of this one in the mail and while I might not be counting down to when I can read it (since I'll be starting a.s.a.p.) I'm still including it in my countdown because I'm anxious for it to hit the shelves.  If it's as good as it sounds than I think I'll be making my way to the stores to get myself a finished copy.

Countdown Pick #3:  This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (04/02/2013)

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. 

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? 

Ooh I like the sound of this one.  I have to admit that while I'm sure a lot of the celebrities out there are just regular people like you and me who just happen to have jobs that put them in the spotlight and make them out to be this different version of normal or falling into a different status due to their careers, I can't help but feed into that in my own way.  I read the gossip magazines and watch the interviews that participate in on TV, and when I happen to come across one in places like L.A. or NYC I can't help but drop my jaw and bug out my eyes.  So the idea of a character playing this sort of role trying to date someone "normal" sounds like an interesting plot and one that could be highly entertaining.

Countdown Pick #4:  The Rules (Project Paper Dolls, #1) by Stacey Kade (04/23/2013)

1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

Oh please let this be one of those stories where the characters get a case of the "I know I shouldn't, but I can't help my feelings" type of deal!  I'm all about a little unrequited love and hopefully I'll get my wish.  If it turns into a story where the main character draws the attention of a "bad guy" then I'll be sorely disappointed that there won't be any romantic attachments but I'm sure it'll prove to be a tense and anxiety ridden ride.

Countdown Pick #5:  Spellbinding by Maya Gold (04/01/2013)

There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spell book somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her new found power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

Oh lord!  Will these fictional characters never learn!  Love potions are bad...duh!  Oh well, Abby might not know what she's getting herself into, but I can't deny that it'll probably be super entertaining watching this girlfriend who thinks bullying is the way to go...that I'm looking forward to.  How this mystery guy Rem fits into things we'll just have to wait and find out come April.