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 (110)

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:

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (Thanks to Lauren)

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.

Guardians: The Girl (The Guardian Series, #1) by Lola StVil

After his death, Marcus found the love of his life...

Unfortunately it's not his sexy, telekinetic angel girlfriend --- it's Emmy Baxter... a human.

Between torture, demon attacks, and midterms, Marcus and Emily must fight their feelings for a devastating prophecy has predicted:

"Should Angel and Human unite, humanity will perish."









Insight (Insight, #1) by Jamie Magee

Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow had time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, found her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. In the end, Willow discovers that at the moment of our birth we are all given a divine gift.







Stained (Stained, #1) by Ella James

After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia’s home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie - Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.












A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends, #1) by Jayde Scott

In a world of love bonds, rituals, dark magic, ancient enemies and immortals, nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

Seventeen-year-old Amber enters the paranormal world by chance when her brother, Dallas, sets her up with a summer job in Scotland. Dallas has spied something in the woods he thinks could make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But instead of finding riches, Amber unknowingly enters a paranormal race—and promptly wins the first prize—a prize for which many would kill. Soon, she discovers her new boss, Aidan, didn’t employ her for her astounding housekeeping skills and he isn't who he claims to be either.

As the dark forces slowly conspire against Amber, her naivety and love for Aidan catapults her into a calamitous series of otherworldly events. With every immortal creature hunting for her, whom can she trust with her life?

Countdown: 2012 Releases (19)

Can you guys believe it's June already? I can't! So our guests have started to arrive and will continue to do so for B's bridal shower and already it's been a lot of fun. I haven't managed to squeeze in any reading time since yesterday and I'm thinking that won't change until everyone leaves and heads back home on Sunday evening. I'm hoping I'll be able to put off cleaning and unwind a little on my own after everyone is gone, and what better way to do that than with a great book right? Have you guys gotten any farther on making lists of your own that includes the books you're counting down for? If you've got any titles you're excited about and haven't seen them on one of my lists, please share and keep me updated so I don't miss out! In the meantime wish me luck that everything goes smoothly this weekend, and most of all that B really enjoys herself at her shower, the girls' night out and of course the slumber party! I really just hope it lives up to everything she was hoping it would be...that's the goal!

Countdown Pick #1: Burning Blue by Paul Griffin (10/25/2012)

When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that—he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in—and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.

Talk about a horrible mystery to try to solve, right? Not only will I have trouble putting myself in this girl's shoes when this horrible incident takes place, but I can already feel myself stressing out over finding out what really happened and who would do something as terrible as what the author has described? I've never heard of a book similar to this one, which is one of the main reasons I think I've found myself so interested in it. But I'll admit that I'm slightly nervous to dive into a book like this one. It doesn't sound like it could have a happy ending no matter if the culprit is caught and the mystery is solved. The girl in question is still left with having to deal with this act of violence.

Countdown Pick #2: Lindsey Lost by Suzanne Phillips (09/2012)

Even though Micah's one of the stars of a local sports team, he knows that his older sister Lindsey is the real deal ‐‐ a runner so good she has a chance of making it to the Olympics. The two of them urge each other on, and are each other's best support. Then the unthinkable happens: Lindsey is murdered, and Micah is found with her body. But Micah can't remember what happened, no matter what their parents tell him, no matter what the police say. He cannot remember what happened. Did he witness his sister's murder ‐‐ or commit it? Can he uncover the truth before his life is sentenced to end, too?

I swear I'm going to start looking harder at the future releases for 2012 and hopefully I can sort through them to find at least a few that aren't so morbid or scary, because I feel like the ones I've included in the last couple of countdowns have all been pretty serious in nature, don't you agree? While this one might not be an upbeat romance or anything, the plot does intrigue me. How terrible to lose a sister, and one you're so close to, but on top of that to not know what happened, and to possibly have been linked to the cause possibly? I can't even begin to imagine!

Countdown Pick #3: Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara (11/13/2012)

About a high-school senior, who, in the aftermath of a car accident that kills her boyfriend and throws her carefully planned future into complete upheaval, retreats to the deep woods of Maine to live with the artist father she barely knows and meets a boy who threatens to pull her from her safe, hard-won exile.

Yet another deep and very serious plot, but also one that I couldn't turn away from. Again with these serious circumstances that seem to happen and throw our main characters completely off the path that they had laid out in front of them, and leaving them at turning points from which huge decisions are made and paid for. Not knowing what I would do in this character's shoes, I'm looking forward to finding out how it all works out for her and what her situation will turn into. What about this mysterious boy that she meets? Definitely curious to say the least!

Countdown Pick #4: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill (11/13/2012)

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Finally a future release with what sounds like the potential for a *gasp* happy ending...dare I say that out loud? I'm afraid I'll jinx myself, but this one sounds just totally cute and a perfect fun and fast read don't you think? I love the idea of a scavenger hunt theme here while our main character tries to find out who her secret admirer is and I love the idea of a bad boy pushing her to expand her horizons on the rule breaking front. Lots and lots of fun predicted with this one.

Countdown Pick #5: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (09/04/2012)

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

I'm hooked already! No fishing pun intended. I've always been a fan of mermaids and they've been coming out of the woodwork in 2012 and I couldn't be happier. While some of course are better than others, the mystery and romance that surround this description and title sound like they might be the key elements that put this future release over the top within the category and genre, don't you think?