Countdown: April 2013 (3)

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:  White Lines by Jennifer Banash (04/04/2013)

A gritty, atmospheric coming of age tale set in 1980s New York City.

Seventeen-year-old Cat is living every teenager’s dream: she has her own apartment on the Lower East Side and at night she’s club kid royalty, guarding the velvet rope at some of the hottest clubs in the city. The night with its crazy, frenetic, high-inducing energy—the pulsing beat of the music, the radiant, joyful people and those seductive white lines that can ease all pain—is when Cat truly lives. But her daytime, when real life occurs, is more nightmare than dream. Having spent years suffering her mother’s emotional and physical abuse, and abandoned by her father, Cat is terrified and alone—unable to connect to anyone or anything. But when someone comes along who makes her want to truly live, she’ll need to summon the courage to confront her demons and take control of a life already spinning dangerously out of control. 

Both poignant and raw, White Lines is a gripping tale and the reader won’t want to look away.

I was hooked based on this book's description alone.  The cover art is nice but the detail and wording in this teaser was enough to have me really curious and eager to see what would become of the main character, not to mention what type of journey she'd be going on to get there.

Countdown Pick #2:  The Loop by Shandy Lawson (04/30/2013)

Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal days—both the best and worst of their lives—they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man destined to kill them.

As time circles back on itself, events become more deeply ingrained, more inescapable for the two kids trapped inside the loop. The closer they come to breaking out, the tighter fate’s clutches seem to grip them. They devise a desperate plan to break free and survive the days ahead, but what if Ben and Maggie’s only shot at not dying is surviving apart?

While I was lucky enough to read this title already, I decided to add it to my countdown because I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks of this read.  I'll be posting my review closer to its release date, and I've got to say, this read and author took me by surprise.

Countdown Pick #3:  Furious by Jill Wolfson (04/16/2013)

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

I'm just not sure how I feel about this cover?  The books description had me adding the title to my countdown and TBR list without hesitation, but the cover throws me off.  Can't quite put my finger on the why, but I'll get over it if the book turns out to be as great as it sounds.  I love a good spin on Greek and Roman mythology and this read sounds like it could fit that bill.  What do you guys think of this cover art?

Countdown Pick #4:  The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams (04/09/2013)

For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories. 

But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?

After reading Williams' Glimpse I've been waiting to check out another one of her works, but I knew it would have to be the right one.  For whatever reason, this one won out and I'm really looking forward to seeing if it can live up to her previous writing.  I love the dystopian feel this one has to it and combine that with Williams' writing style and pace and I'm ready to dig in.

Countdown Pick #5:  Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce (04/30/2013)

Megan Bright and Jackson Dawes are two teenagers who first meet each other on the hospital ward where they are both being treated for cancer. Megan is scared and worried about her illness, but Jackson seems to be an old hand, having been on the ward for ages. And everybody loves Jackson! He is a whirlwind of life and energy, warmth and sparkle. Megan will need to borrow some of Jackson's extraordinary optimism to face her and Jackson's future. A moving story of first love and a remarkably powerful debut novel.

Oh please don't let this one end badly!  I can already predict that these are two characters that will be pulling at my heartstrings with no trouble at all and I don't want to think of them getting anything but a happy ending when all is said and done.  I'm crossing my fingers and adding this title to my TBR as well as to my list of debuts to read for the 2013 challenge!