In My Mailbox (65)

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:

Never Seen (Shadows, #1) by Matthew Leeth (Thanks to Matthew)

YA supernatural thriller.

How far would you go... to save the ones you love?

Kelly knows something is wrong in her house, is it a haunting? Her mother knows more than she's telling her. Jason is acting weirder than ever. Kelly investigates, she thinks it's ghosts. Or is it something much worse? They are after her family. They want them all dead. Why? What will Kelly have to do to save her family?

Prophecy's Child (Ovialell) by Tish Thawer (Thanks to Amber Leaf Publishing)

The end of a race...
The beginning of history...
The birth of a warrior.

Rezmona, the demon Queen of Abrinthill, has spent her life maintaining the breeding program in order to secure a future for her race. But now she faces something she's never encountered before. 

Kylie, a prisoner who's been gathered for the breeding program, is different than any other before her. Not only is she able to withstand the damaging preparations all prisoners must endure...she's actually able to fight back. The demons quickly learn she's not only a threat to the breeding program, but to their very lives as well.

Kylie is the Prophecy's Child.

Countdown: Winter Wishlist (1)

Now that I've gotten myself back on track regarding the blog, I can't seem to stop myself from searching high and low for more titles that will be releasing in the future.  Let's face it...this is a regular obsession of mine that I don't think will ever go away.  So now that I've marked my calendar for all the fall titles that I've come across that I've wanted to add to my TBR list I went searching for any books that would hit the stores' shelves in the month of December.  It's always a good idea for me to create a Winter Wishlist for my friends and family so that when the holidays come around and anyone may need some ideas or inspiration in the gift department they're all set.  It also helps me out when it comes to my friends and family.  I of course like to get people gifts that I know they will love, and while I might try to keep that person's wish lists in the back of my mind, I usually like to throw a book in as a gift as well.  It never hurts to help someone increase their library and with so many wonderful titles to choose from, no one can possibly hope to get all of them on their shelves on their own right?  So I've found some great titles that I'll be counting down towards to make sure are added to my lists for myself and for possible gifts I'll be giving out!

Countdown Pick #1:  The Farm by Emily McKay (12/04/2012)

Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

I'm not sure how I feel about ticks being the big bad in this one.  Bugs creep me out in general and I get itchy just thinking about them, but I'm going to try to power through so that I can give this one a shot.  I'm also curious to see how McKay transitions from a romance novelist to YA literature, and a title that doesn't scream romance, right?

Countdown Pick #2:  Never Seen (Shadows, #1) by Matthew Leeth (12/01/2012)

YA supernatural thriller.

How far would you go... to save the ones you love?

Kelly knows something is wrong in her house, is it a haunting? Her mother knows more than she's telling her. Jason is acting weirder than ever. Kelly investigates, she thinks it's ghosts. Or is it something much worse? They are after her family. They want them all dead. Why? What will Kelly have to do to save her family?

We've got a goodreads giveaway for this title!  Head on over here and enter for your chance to win one of two copies up for grabs.  I'm always a little hesitant to read thrillers or anything with an overload of suspense because it's terrible for my sanity.  I end up either freaking myself out, or my anxiety level goes through the roof and I refuse to sleep or eat, etc...in the hopes that I can finish the book and end the torture of not know what's going to happen next. So once again I'm going to try to psych myself up for this one and hope for the best!

Countdown Pick #3:  The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress (12/06/2012)

An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns--and the heroines who use them all

Set in Edwardian London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder--and the crimes they believe may be connected to it--without calling too much attention to themselves.

Told with Adrienne Kress's sharp wit and a great deal of irreverence, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike--well, relatively ladylike--heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

As much fun as this title sounds, I've got to say the author's blog sold me even further.  I highly recommend checking out her blog post here where she talks about how this book came to be.  It's always interesting (in my opinion) where the authors get their ideas, and how they managed to get their books on the shelves.

Countdown Pick #4:  All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen (12/11/2012)

What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

I'm so excited to see where this one goes!  I love a good mystery, especially when there's a possibly romance to go along with it, don't you?  I've never read anything by Madsen, so I'm anxious to see what kind of writing style she has, and what her characters will be like.  It's always fun to check out new authors and see what you think, hopefully this will be one that I add to my favorites and look out for in the future.

Countdown Pick #5:  Soul Awakened (Reincarnation, #1) by J.D. Stroube (12/12/2012)

Imagine being born at the first breath of mankind. What would it be like to live as a witch among men? Would life be less cherished if you were destined to become an old soul; one who must succumb to death only to be reborn repeatedly?

Faye is a mortal with an immortal soul. She is destined to die at the hands of another immortal during the peak of her life, only to be reborn again. In each life she has a new name, face, and destiny. However, her soul remains constant.

She has no memories of her past lives, but that is about to change...

After a horrifying accident, she loses everything dear to her, moves halfway across the world, and begins having visions of a man with no face; a man who kills her, over and over again. Each life is ended before it truly begins.

Memories of her past lives have been unlocked and along with them, she discovers an affinity for magic. Can she master her abilities quick enough to face her demon head on? Will the memories of her past lives reveal weapons to change her fate? Will she be aware of her faceless death, when he comes for her? Or could her executioner be closer than she thought?

And rounding out this first Winter Wishlist countdown we've got a first installment in a series that I think has amazing potential.  I'm always curious to read titles having to do with reincarnation.  I'm not really a true believer but it doesn't make it any less entertaining or interesting to me.  I'm curious to see how Stroube's characters will take shape and what kind of action readers can look forward to with this title.  Like I said, it's got all the elements and makings of a great series' opener, don't you think?

Countdown: Missed Titles (5)

While trying to get back into the swing of things on the blog after my crazy, wedding filled Summer, I of course decided to bring back the countdowns.  They're some of my favorites posts to prepare and doing the research on them is always exciting because I seem to always end up pleasantly surprised by how many titles out there that I end up wanting to read in the worst possible way.

So while I've got a huge list already compiled of all the great titles coming out in 2013, I wanted to come back and start first by featuring some reads that I somehow missed in the past year or two.  I'm always both upset and excited to find titles that somehow went under my radar.  Upset because I already feel like I'm behind, and have possibly missed out on great reading experiences, but also excited to finally come across them so that I'll have the chance to make up for lost time and dive right into these intriguing reads.  So here's the start to the missing titles countdown.  Since these have been on the shelves for a while now, if you see any that you've read or heard anything about, let me know and give me your opinion....should I rush them to the top of my TBR pile, or possibly hold off???


Countdown Pick #1:  Shadows (Lux, #0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Different is the word that comes to mind with this title.  I've always been a paranormal fan, but I'll admit that readers run into the same types of characters throughout the genre on repeat, and while I'm always impressed by how authors seem to be able to create new spins on old tales, it's still nice to change things up every once in a while.  A story surrounding aliens would be just that for me.  A change of pace, a new spin, which ever way you put it I'm looking forward to checking this series out to see if change turns out to be a very good thing.

Countdown Pick #2:  The Dig (Zoe and Zeus Trilogy, #1) by Audrey Hart

Zoe Calder has always been an outsider. Stashed away in boarding schools since her parents died, Zoe buries herself in the study of ancient worlds. Her greatest thrill is spending her summers with her archaeologist aunt and uncle on digs around the world. And one day, while investigating a newly unearthed temple in Crete, Zoe discovers a luminous artifact that transports her to ancient Greece.

As Zoe quickly learns, the Olympian Gods are real, living people—humans with mysterious powers… Powers that Zoe quickly realizes she has come to possess, as well. However, when the people of ancient Greece mistake Zoe for an Olympian, the Gods must restore the balance of the ancient world… No matter what.

Zoe is forced to play a confusing and dangerous game as Hera rallies the gods against her—all except for Zeus, the beautiful, winged young god who risks everything to save her.

Out of time and out of her element, teenager Zoe Calder finds herself in ancient Greece, battling against the power of the Olympians and the vengeance of a scorned goddess—all for the strange and mysterious boy she has come to love.

A little spin on Greek and Roman mythology anyone?  I've always been a fan of Greek and Roman mythology, and just like I enjoy retellings of my favorite classic titles, new twists on mythology falls into the same category for me.  I'm curious to see Zeus as the good guy in this one.  Most stories paint him and Hera both as the (not necessarily evil) not so nice guy.  Throw a little of romance into this mix and you can sign me up for sure.

Countdown Pick #3:  Dragonfly by Julia Golding

Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal. And he's not too pleased, either. She is used to a life of discipline, ritual, and splendor. He is used to hunting and carousing. They hate each other on sight. But both of their countries are under threat from a fearsome warlord, and the only chance of peace is to form an alliance. 

When Tashi and Ram are kidnapped, they fear there's no escape--from their kidnappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure--including a circus strongman, a daring rebel leader, a sinister master of spies, and the best female fighter they have ever seen--help them or betray them to the enemy?

Yes!  This kind of storyline reminds of something Maria V. Snyder would put out there and with her being one of my favorite authors, that's a huge compliment.  I can't wait to see what this author can bring to the table.

Countdown Pick #4:  Red by Kait Nolan

Every fairy tale has a dark side... 

Elodie Rose has a secret. Any day, she’ll become a wolf and succumb to the violence that’s cursed her family for centuries. For seventeen years she’s hidden who and what she is. But now someone knows the truth and is determined to exterminate her family line. Living on borrowed time in the midst of this dangerous game of hide and seek, the last thing Elodie needs to do is fall in love. But Sawyer is determined to protect her, and the brooding, angry boy is more than what he seems. Can they outsmart a madman? And if they survive, will they find a way to beat the curse for good?

So with the talk of fairy tales and the images on this cover I'm going to make the jump to think that maybe this is a new twist on Little Red Riding Hood, but since when does Red turn into a wolf?  I'm anxious to see how Nolan has this all panning out.  As this title was her YA debut I'm always curious to see how authors make the transition from one audience to another.

Countdown Pick #5:  Meant To Be (The Saving Angels, #1) by Tiffany King

Krista Miller feels like she has lived her entire life in a glass box with her every emotion on display. She can’t help feeling like a defect as her sensitivities have made her socially inept and without any real friends; the one exception being the boy that visits her each night in her dreams. 

Krista’s emotions are put to the test when a move to California triggers a devastating change to her fantasy world. The nightly comfort that the boy provides has now become a recurring nightmare as he is taken from her by an unseen force.

Struggling to appear normal, Krista enrolls in a new school and finds it to be nothing like she thought. Her new life is sent spiraling out of control from a strange connection with a boy, Mark, who claims to know all her secrets. 

As Krista begins to explore the emotions that Mark evokes in her, secrets about their mysterious past and their predestined purpose threatens to separate them just when they have found each other.

After getting excited based on only the book's description, I went in search of other readers' reviews where this title was concerned.  It seems to be a general consensus that this book is one everyone should read.  It's said to be imaginative, creative, a wild ride and one that many readers finished in one day after not being able to put it down.  How can you resist adding a title to your TBR after hearing such wonderful praise like that right?  I can't so I've added it to my list and am looking forward to seeing if the writing lives up to the praise.