Countdown: 2012 Releases (8)

You guys know the drill by now...I'm always on the lookout for new finds and exciting new reads and below are just a few that I've come across lately. With how busy everyone gets if I don't write the titles down immediately I'll never be able to remember them later when I'm ready to download a new book to my kindle, or in the store wondering which shelf to look through first. So by posting these countdowns I give myself one more place to look when I need to be reminded of the titles I'm looking forward to.

And as always if you guys hear of any that you haven't seen me post let me know. Like I said, I only have so much time to search for future reads on my own, and to be honest, the majority of my favorite titles I owe to friends/bloggers/author recommendations. So leave a comment, shoot me an email, etc... if there are any books or authors you think I should have on my radar.

Countdown Pick #1: Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby (02/28/2012)

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Doesn't this one sound like a cute read to you guys? It's got the feel of a harmless and fast read. Every once in a while these are the perfect kind of books to pick up. Fun, not too serious, not too deep, but packed full of harmless fun ya know? So I've marked this one down because who doesn't need a read like this one on a rainy day when nothing is catching your eye? I'm guilty of reading the gossip magazines and watching the gossip shows at night and most especially enjoying the pictures that photographers manage to catch on camera of all my celebrity favorites. When I was in L.A. not too far back I took one of the bus tours and you always see the Paparazzi out and about waiting to do just that. It's fascinating and I'm sure annoying as all get out for the stars to have to deal with on a daily basis but I'm sure I'll find myself torn as to who I'm rooting for in this one. Zo Jo or Ned...how about you?

Countdown Pick #2: Darkness Eternal by Gena Showalter (04/01/2012)

Phoenix Germaine has been trying to earn back her mother's trust after going into rehab and kicking Onadyn -- the drug of choice for New Chicago teens. But when a party in the woods turns into an all-out battle with the most ferocious aliens Phoenix has never seen, she's brought home in what appears to be an Onadyn-induced state. Hello, reform school.

Except, what her mother doesn't know is that Phoenix has just been recruited to join the elite Alien Investigation and Removal agency, where she'll learn to fight dirty, track hard, and destroy the enemy. Her professional training will be rigorous and dangerous, and the fact that one of her instructors is Ryan Stone -- the drop-dead gorgeous, nineteen-year-old agent she met in the woods that night -- doesn't make things any easier. Especially when dating him is totally against the rules....

Yes! I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed her adult series, Lords of the Underworld and to have a chance to check out her young adult new release is very exciting! I can only imagine her YA work will be right up there on par with her adult series and if that's the case than I'm not going to be able to put this one down until I finish, cover to cover. So I'm probably going to start this one on a weekend so I can use every excuse in the book to not be disturbed so I can soak it all in. Phoenix's situation sounds crazy and Ryan Stone sounds sexy and the baddest type of bad boy there is. Yes please! So you guys know how excited I am now about this one and the only downside is that there's no indication that this will be turned into a series, bummer right? Maybe if we all do our part and scoop up this book as soon as it hits the shelves, she'll get the chance to turn it into one.

Countdown Pick #3: Seven Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker (04/26/2012)

When a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted.
Perhaps it's his Shakespearean witticisms that reel Blythe in despite her better judgment . . . or maybe she just craves the thrill of the game. But as the hunt progresses, their relationship heats up. Soon their madcap mischief spirals out of control. Blythe is faced with arrest and expulsion, among other catastrophes - until Luke shows her what the Scramble (and love) is really about.


Walker won me over big time with A Match Made In High School, so the second I saw this brightly colored cover, I had a feeling she was coming out with a new release. A Match had me laughing out loud without being able to stop, and I'm anxious to see if she can keep the comedy up this time around. Her stories are light reads and perfect when you've hit that reading slump and nothing sounds really great to you. So instead of taking a break from reading (that would be crazy!) pick up a Walker novel and see if she's able to help you bounce back. She hit my funny bone without a doubt and I'm hoping for a repeat performance.

Countdown Pick #4: New Girl by Paige Harbison (01/31/2012)

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl
I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy.
And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

Sounds pretty harsh to me, right? How is it that kids/teens can be so cruel? It's one thing when you're adult and you can almost rationalize certain people's behavior because of the stresses of life, love, etc...it doesn't make it right, but it certainly is more expected than when a younger person is downright cruel. So for new girl (and I'm just realizing they haven't even told us her real name) is seems like she's got a really rough road ahead of her at this new school of hers. I was very lucky growing up that my parents stopped the moving once I got into school so I never had to be the "new kid" at school, but I'm not sure I would have liked it very much, but I guess, who does really? Hopefully we'll learn the name of our main character and she if we'll find out what happened to Becca and what's in store of the rest of the students?

Countdown Pick #5: Transcendence by C.J. Omololu (06/05/2012)

Love isn’t the only emotion to survive death . . .

When a visit to the Tower of London triggers an overwhelmingly real vision of a beheading that occurred centuries before, Cole Ryan fears she is losing her mind. A mysterious boy, Griffon Hall, comes to her aid, but the intensity of their immediate connection seems to open the floodgate of memories even wider.

As their feelings grow, Griffon reveals their common bond as members of the Akhet—an elite group of people who can remember past lives and use their collected wisdom for the good of the world. But not all Akhet are altruistic, and a rogue is after Cole to avenge their shared past. Now in extreme danger, Cole must piece together clues from many lifetimes. What she finds could ruin her chance at a future with Griffon, but risking his love may be the only way to save them both.

Full of danger, romance, and intrigue, Transcendence breathes new life into a perpetually fascinating question: What would you do with another life to live?

I'll admit I have a small fascination regarding past lives. I think the idea is kind of romantic. Not in the sense that I only find myself intrigued if there is a romance going on between people who have experienced reincarnation but I think the whole thing is romantic in the sense that we can right the wrongs we've done in past lives, make better or different choices the second or third time around, and I love the idea that you would be able to meet new people and experience new places in a new life, but at the same time still remember your old friends and family and places of interest. So when I came across this future read I couldn't resist putting it on my wish list. Without too many details about Cole and Griffon I don't have much to go on but it sounds great so far.

ARC Tour & Review: A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.


There have not been many books that have made me laugh out loud, but this accomplished that on several different occasions.  Sure books have made me smile and even been funny, but not usually enough to have me embarrassing myself in public when I bust out laughing and no one knows why exactly.  Kristin Walker just knows how to write so that it hits your funny bone.

This is not a gushing romance novel.  I would equate it to having a chick flick's amount of wooing, and a realistic amount of idiotic mistakes being made by the characters themselves in the process of seeking said romance.  It was fabulous to read and highly entertaining to see how it unfolded.  It was good fun from start to finish and a super quick read at that.  I think it would be the perfect book for a rainy afternoon, I had it finished in one sitting without a problem.

The idea that a high school would make a marriage education class a graduation requirement for seniors was a little bit of a stretch in my opinion but I couldn't have cared less because it was just too much fun to watch them all squirm.  I know that's a terrible thing to say, but it's just fiction right?

Following along as Fiona gets paired with the popular jock Todd, her best friend Marcie is paired with the quiet loner Johnnie, and Todd's cheerleader girlfriend gets matched up with Fiona's crush Gabe, it was just pure comedy.  All mixed up but with no choice but to participate and slug it out, these seniors have their work cut out for them, not to mention their holding onto their sanity.  I loved it all and I'm positive so will any other reader and fan of YA literature.

I gave A Match Made In High School 4 shamrocks(without a doubt)!!!!

In My Mailbox (5)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board.

Every week we’ll post about what books we have received (whether they’re bought/borrowed, etc… you get the idea). This is generally done on Sunday, but I’m told that it’s really whatever day works for you; I’m going to be posting mine on Fridays because I tend to post less on the weekends. 

Everyone participating will try and visit other lists to comment and possibly pine for the new arrivals everyone’s talking about. I’ve learned that it’s a great idea to really try and stop by at least two or three lists because I’m constantly finding out about new books that I’ve later added to my TBR list.

So this week I was lucky enough to snag some of the books I've been dying to read and to cross some off my TBR list (which never really seems to get shorter, only longer)!

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (I posted my review yesterday...go check it out)

In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl 

Veronica Walsh is 15, fashion-minded, fat, and friendless. Her summer job in the Consignment Corner section (Employees Only!) of a vintage clothing store is a dream come true. There Veronica can spend her days separating the one-of-a-kind gem garments from the Dollar-a-Pound duds, without having to deal with people.

But when two outrageous yet charismatic salesgirls befriend her and urge her to spy on and follow the mysterious and awkward stock boy Veronica has nicknamed the Nail, Veronica’s summer takes a turn for the weird. Suddenly, what began as a prank turns into something else entirely. Which means Veronica may have to come out of hiding and follow something even riskier for the first time: her heart.

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe.

At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

I'm already half way through Vintage Veroncia and loving every minute of it, can't wait to get to the others, what did you guys get this week?  I'd love to hear from ya and hopefully find some new books that I need to add to my TBR list.

It's Friday and you know by now what that means....it's Book Blogger Hop time!  I can't tell you how many great blogs I've come across and started following thanks to Jennifer's weekly meme that gives everyone a chance to get their blog noticed...so head on over to Crazy-for-Books and let me know what you find.

On a last and final note before the weekend...I uploaded my pics from Maria V. Snyder's book signing that I went to last weekend and coulnd't resist sharing them with all of you.  Whatcha think?

The Borders in Lancaster was great and suprisingly my first experience in a Borders, there aren't any around me, I've always been strictly a Barnes & Nobles girl....anyhoo...

                                                    

My friend Lyric was sweet enough to make the drive to the signing with me, she's not a HUGE reader, but I think I may have swayed her a little....she wants to come with me to more signings in the future....YES!

                                                    

And of course.....me and Maria!  She was just so great, her table with all of her previous books, and of course her newest release Inside Out looked great and I wanted to buy them all, all over again!  LOL!  Thanks for letting me share my excitment with you guys....have a great weekend!

                                                          

Happy Reading!