Countdown: January 2014

With only a month left in 2013 I think there's plenty to do to keep most of us busy.  Not only are the holidays right around the corner, but the weather outside is making sure we're all staying on our toes...never knowing what kind of scene we'll wake up to on the other side of our windows.  Now if I could wake up to a scene like the picture to your left...I'd be more than OK with it.  Since we can't all walk outside and enjoy a view like this one, I do my best to find escape in the fabulous books we can all look forward to in the new year.  2014 is right around the corner, and there are already more new releases about to hit the shelves than I know what to do with.  My TBR list has no chance of getting smaller anytime soon, but I'll never complain about something like that.  Here are a few titles I'm looking forward to checking out in January.

 

Countdown Pick #1:  Afterparty by Anne Redisch Stampler (01/07/2014)

 

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.

 

The cover alone refused to let me leave this page without knowing more about this upcoming release.  Stampler's writing was fabulous with her debut and I'm anxious to see what she brings to the table for her readers next.  I mean look at that cover?!  I can only imagine what readers will find happening at this infamous afterparty.

 

Countdown Pick #2:  Evertrue (Everneath, #3) by Brodi Ashton (01/21/2014)

 

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

 

There are so many readers and fans out there chomping at the bit to see how Ashton will wrap things up for her stunning trilogy.  I'm not even quite sure as to what I'm hoping happens within these pages, I'm so torn, but I have no doubt that it will be a thrilling ride...one I can't wait to experience.

 

Countdown Pick #3:  Unhinged (Splintered, #2) by A.G. Howard (01/07/2014)

 

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

 

I was lucky enough to check out a sampler chapter for this sequel a few months ago and after just one chapter, I wanted more!  With her spin on a classic that I've always loved, I'm looking forward to seeing where Howard will take Alyssa on her journey and of course what else readers will get to enjoy once she fall through the rabbit hole yet again...we all know it's inevitable, right?

 

Countdown Pick #4:  Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (01/07/2014)

 

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

 

I realize this sounds very much like The Parent Trap and probably a ton of other movies and books we've all seen at one point or another, but I don't care to be honest.  I loved The Parent Trap, and this sounds like it could be both light and funny, while also heartfelt and moving, and I'm completely on board with those combinations.

 

Countdown Pick #5:  Vitro (Origin, #2) by Jessica Khoury (01/14/2014)

 

 On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings--the Vitros--have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.

Sophie Crue is determined to visit Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. She enlists hunky charter pilot Jim Julien to take her there. But once on the island, Sophie and Jim encounter more than they bargained for, including a charming, brilliant Vitro named Nicholas and an innocent, newly awoken one named Lux.

In a race for their lives, Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

I've had Khoury's series opener, Origin on my TBR list for longer than I care to admit, but now I feel like there's extra insentive for me to wipe it off the list.  This sequel coming out next month sounds even more exciting than her first did, but I'm not the type to go out of order, so I'll be circling back to the book that started it all and working my way up from there...anxious to see where this all goes.

In My Mailbox (71)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week? 

 

For Review:

Sound (Solid, #3) by Shelley Workinger (Thanks to Shelley)

Clio Kaid's had one crazy summer.

After learning she was one of a hundred teens who were genetically modified before birth, she and the others departed for "camp" at a classified military site.

Besides discovering her own special ability, uncovering a conspiracy, and capturing a killer, she's also forged new friendships, found love, and managed to lose them both.

With no answers and the end of summer closing in, Clio's terrified of going home more lost than when she arrived.

Will she finally find everything she's been looking for?

Find out in this exciting conclusion to the Solid trilogy.

Hallowed (Unearthly, #2) by Cynthia Hand 

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

"Everneath" is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Covers for 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind. So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

So out of all the beautiful cover work we've already seen this year, I found this list really hard to narrow down, and if I had my choice I wouldn't have to. But that would defeat the purpose of the meme and also bore everyone to tears I'm sure. So while I'm clearly not going to be able to include each and every cover I found to be breathtaking in 2012 so far, here are ten of my favorites...

Cover #1: Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton (1/24/12)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

How can you not love this cover? It drew me in right away and I was practically salivating to find out what this book was all about. The dress, the color, the mystery behind what this girl really looks like since her face is obscured from our view...love it all!

Cover #2: The Selection (The Selection, #1) by Kiera Cass (4/24/12)

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I'm not sure but I think the fact that I'm currently surrounded by friends who are getting married and tossing bridesmaids dresses at me from all directions has me drawn to these girly girl covers. This cover is perfection tied up in taffeta! Between the extravagant gown and the fun house/ballet series of mirrors behind these girls and I'm thinking this is a book I've got to get my hands on come April!

Cover #3: Spellcaster (Spellbound, #2) by Cara Lynn Shultz (3/27/12)

Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

I think I found this one to be a cross between Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and The Little Princess maybe? Sounds crazy, but it has this romantic and dangerous feel for me all at the same time. I wasn't familiar with the Spellbound series before I came across this cover, but once I saw the artwork, I had to check things out further. Now I've gone and added not one but two more books to my TBR list because I can't start a series anywhere but from the beginning.

Cover #4: Stolen Nights (Vampire Queen, #2) by Rebecca Maizel (6/21/12)

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human - and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss. With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead .

As always, I'm a big fan of paranormal titles and vampires dominate that genre for sure. Maizel's Vampire Queen series is a unique take on this popular area and her covers keep readers drooling. I've been waiting for this second installment for a while but when I got a look at the new cover I couldn't have been more excited!

Cover #5: Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols (7/10/12)

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly.

I think I like the wind action on this one. And how perfect when dealing with a book about pilots and a girl caught in between them, right? Echols has been a long time favorite of mine and her covers fit her writing perfectly. They're always beautiful but they also always have this soft and muted feel to them that matches her titles and the words that fall on the pages. Romantic, heartwrenching and exciting, that about sums Echols' writing and covers for me, which is why there was no contest...this cover was making my top ten for sure!

Cover #6: Once (Eve, #2) by Anna Carey (7/3/12)

Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?

Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.

Whoever designs Carey's covers for this series has a beautiful vision of where this series will take her readers. Eve is always looking forward and readers are left trying to interpret and predict where that could possibly lead. With such a wonderful start to a series, Carey needed a cover that captured that excitement with her series opener and I'd say her cover artist mastered yet another take for her second installment in the series.

Cover #7: Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg (4/1/12)

From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

I dont' know about you guys but I can't resist an opportunity to watch a show like Glee, or The Voice, where fantastic talents are showcased and enjoyed by millions! My sister recently moved to NYC and with each visit comes a trip to Broadway and I just devour every minute of it. Having no musical talent myself, I've always been awed by those individuals who can belt out an almost unattainable note or play a score as if they were born to do nothing else. So when I saw this cover work for Eulberg's new title I fell head over heels in love. It embodies all those feelings I experience when seeing a show or watching a performer and I can only imagine what Eulberg's story itself with have in store for her readers.

Cover #8: The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova (5/1/12)

When an unnatural riptide sweeps lifeguard Tristan Hart out to sea for three days and then dumps him back on the shore of Coney Island, it’s the start of the Sea Court claiming its own. Suddenly, Tristan’s girlfriend dramas and swimming championship seem like distant worries as he discovers the truth: he’s a Merman. Now Tristan must fight for his life, the lives of his friends, and his humanity (if he still wants it), while competing in a race for a throne as ancient as the gods.

Seductive, duplicitous, and with an agenda of their own, these are not the mermaids you know.

The title speaks for itself and yet the cover brings that point home I think. Cordova's future release has my excitement level ratched up way too high for my own good, but this cover really put me over the top. The colors, the trident, the whole shibang really...who wouldn't want to score their own copy and display this baby on their shelves after they've devoured it? I know I want to, and will be racing to get my hands on this as soon as it hits the shelves.

Cover #9: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson (10/9/12)

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly there’s a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

Yet another cover that drew me into and introduced me to what sounds like a great new read to add to my TBR list for 2012. I love the wilderness, outdoor channel type feel of this cover. And yet again we've got wind action in the picture, which I think stands to prove that I like the model cover shoot type effects when it comes to my favorite covers. What can I say? But it's also the fog element that's added an eerie feel to this title and along with the mysterious guy hanging out in the background...I'd say there's definitely some mystery and suspense to be expected with this future read.

Cover #10: Rivals (The Ivy, #3) by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur (3/6/12)

Decisions, decisions . . .

You’ve survived your first semester and captured the interest of not one but two of the hottest guys on campus.

Now who are you going to choose?

Callie Andrews returns for her second semester at Harvard determined to do better than the previous fall, where those Bs on her report card seemed pretty good compared to the state of her extracurriculars (F, as in if at first you don’t succeed, you should probably stop trying), friendships (C-minus, since she and former BFF Vanessa are still on thin ice), and love life (D, as in don’t even go there). But various campus rivalries soon threaten to thwart Callie’s resolve. Will Callie ever be a match for—

Grace Lee
the take-no-prisoners managing editor

Alessandra
the gorgeous transfer student

Clint
the guy who might just be too perfect

and Gregory
the guy who may never be perfect enough.

Callie will face some of the toughest choices imaginable: in friendships, in loyalties, and in love. The pressure to pick a side—and a suitor—has never been higher. But will she and her friends choose well?

It's my favorite cover yet for this awesome series. I'm sure it's the girly pink and purple colors that have me practically squealing on my end, but it's without a doubt gotten me super excited to dive right in. While I've been a fan of this series from the very beginning, there's always that risk that other books will come up and grab my attention or I could find myself simply falling behind in my reading...it happens right? Well all it takes is a cover like this to have me scrambling over everything in my way for the chance to crack this baby open and see what the author's have in store next for these great characters!

Countdown: New Author Edition

My TBR pile is always on the rise and I never seem to be able to catch up, but yet I can't help constantly adding new titles to my list. For now I'm trying to shift my order around and try out some authors I've never read before. I've heard of great authors from friends and fellow bloggers/readers that have enjoyed them before. Some are just books I found randomly by authors I either hadn't heard of before or hadn't had the chance to read before now.

So I'm determined to check them out and possibly add some new faves to my list, not to mention maybe add a series or two to start following. Here are a few titles I'm looking forward to checking out!

Countdown Pick #1: Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton (1/3/2011)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Can I just say....love triangle? Ashton's new trilogy seems to revolve around good vs. evil, doing what's right even if it's not easy, and painful goodbyes. Why I want to put myself through a story that looks to have the makings of a tear fest I'm not sure. But honestly it just sounds too good to pass up.

Countdown Pick #2: Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) by Tahereh Mafi (11/15/2011)

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

When I read this book's description I was curious. Dystopian novels are a new interest of mine, but it still has to have the right combination of elements for it to turn me into a fan. But if they're comparing it to The Hunger Games, and X-Men, I'm down to give it a chance. The main character, Juliette sounds like a heroine I could root for and the "evil" government-like agency in control definitely has the potential for me to despise. It all sounds like a series that could have me hooked for a while.

Countdown Pick #3: Hourglass (Hourglass, #1) by Myra McEntire
One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I haven't read a good mystery in a while and if you can throw in a little romance there's a good chance my interest will be piqued. With a main character who can see ghosts and a mysterious guy who believes in her abilities, McEntire sets an atmosphere for her novel that I find hard to resist. I'm not sure if mysteries will make a comeback and headline my bookshelf, but this one's got potential.

Countdown Pick #4: Lost Voices (Lost Voices, #1) by Sarah Porter

When fourteen-year-old Luce is assaulted on the cliffs near an Alaskan village, she expects to die when she tumbles into the icy water below. Instead, she transforms into a mermaid. Luce is thrilled with her new life—until she discovers the catch.

So glad I didn't know about this one before it came out because I think the wait and countdown may have been the death of me. Mermaids are one of the few paranormal creatures that I don't think have gotten shelf time. I love the idea of this spin, the way young girls are turned into mermaids, their dark side and desires, the whole deal.

Luce sounds like a promising lead and I'm anxious to see if she can hang onto her humanity, or if she'll fade into her new life and role and use her voice to draw in her prey. It's all very hair raising and gives me nothing but goose bumps, but hopefully I'll overcome the trepidation and pick this one up soon so I can find out for myself how things turn out for Luce and the rest of the mermaids.

Countdown Pick #5: Wildefire (Wildefire, #1) by Karsten Knight

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned.

Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

Gods and goddesses, a private school backdrop, and hot romances brewing, what is not to love? While I'm unfamiliar with Knight's work, if this turns out to be half as good as it sounds, I'm thinking that will change. Ashline has a lot of obstacles to overcome but it all sounds like the makings of a crazy ride. This one definitely got moved up on the TBR pile. And a series opener on top of that. I love to find new series that I can follow as a lot of my current series favorites are drawing to a close.

Countdown Pick #6: Epic Fail by Claire Lazebnik

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?


At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:


As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.


As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.


When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.


Most know that Jane Austen is my all time favorite author and Pride and Prejudice is beyond reproach in my book. None of that will be changing anytime soon. With that being said I know that some fans say leave well enough alone, but I'm just not one of them. Any spin off or retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I jump at the chance to read it. What better form of flattery to the late Ms. Austen and her devoted fans just get another taste of their beloved characters.

No it's not the original classic itself but a fun twist on the classic stories. Lazebnik's version of events sounds fun, racy, entertaining as all get out and one I can't imagine being anything but fabulous. A Hollywood version of Elizabeth and Darcy....yes please!