Countdown: January 2013 (5)

January is one of my very months out of the year.  It always feels like a fresh start.  The crazy holiday season has drawn to a close, it's possible (depending on where you live) that the weather is still holding steady and not causing too many problems for those of us a with a commute to work, and there's just something about curling up with a good book during this month that makes me very happy.  I've usually got a few titles to choose from during this month due to my wonderful friends and family gifting me with something they know I love and hold dear to my heart.  The hardest part is usually deciding what to read first and how to stop myself from trying to read them all at once!  So with all these great titles coming out in this January I think us readers will have our work cut out for us.  How we'll find the time to get through all of these amazing titles is beyond me, but I'm certainly going to do my best!

Countdown Pick #1:  What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard (01/08/2013)

Like the yearning, doomed young clones in Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, three teenagers with XP (a life-threatening allergy to sunlight) are a species unto themselves. As seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Allie Kim, they roam the silent streets, looking for adventure, while others sleep. When Allie's best friend introduces the trio to Parkour, the stunt-sport of running and climbing off forest cliffs and tall buildings (risky in daylight and potentially deadly by darkness), they feel truly alive, equal to the "daytimers."
 
On a random summer night, while scaling a building like any other, the three happen to peer into an empty apartment and glimpse an older man with what looks like a dead girl. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues that escalates through the underground world of hospital confinement, off-the-grid sports, and forbidden love. Allie, who can never see the light of day, discovers she's the lone key to stopping a human monster.

So I'm confused and yet still intrigued with this one.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm lacking the knowledge on Never Let Me Go, or what but I'm not quite sure if I'm supposed to be familiar with this type of character or if it's OK that I'm new to this whole thing, but I still for some reason want to check this book out.  I usually find myself going into mysteries with a slight hesitation because once I get into them I don't like to pause for even a second because I have to know the answers, and as soon as humanly possible.  So this one sounds like it'll fit the bill perfectly...I guess I'll just have to clear my schedule when I set out to read it.

Countdown Pick #2:  Cinders and Sapphires (At Somerton, #1) by Leila Rasheed (01/22/2013)

One house, two worlds...

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton.

I love these kinds of stories.  The girls at two very different ends of the spectrum is always so compelling.  And hearing the different voices from the different types of characters is always the makings of an excellent narration.  I'm looking forward to hearing all about the romance, the tragedy, the secrets, all of it!

Countdown Pick #3:  Boundless (Unearthly, #3) by Cynthia Hand (01/22/2013)

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

I know I've talked about this series before but I can't say it enough, how much I've found myself enjoying these installments and Hand's writing.  Her characters are compelling and her writing and pace keep my flying through the pages and wanting to hurry up to the end to see what fate lies in wait for all the characters I've come to love so much.  So while these final installments are always a bit bittersweet, I'll take it because I'm just on the edge of my seat wanting to know how it will all turn out for Clara and her fellow cast of characters.

Countdown Pick #4:  Shades of Earth (Across the Universe, #3) by Beth Revis (01/15/2013)

The final book in the  New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Galactica and Prometheus!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

It's a series that I've unfortunately fallen behind on.  I really enjoyed the series opener, and for some reason wasn't able to squeeze in reading the second installment, but that will have to change.  With this trilogy coming to an end with this final installment, I'm going to do my best to read the sequel either before or very shortly after this one is scheduled to hit the shelves so that I can go from one right to the other.  Once again I always hate to see a series come to a close, but this one sounds like the makings of one heck of an ending, right?

Countdown Pick #5:  The Essence (The Pledge, #2) by Kimberly Derting (01/01/2013)


“Danger, dread, mystery, and romance” (Booklist) continue in the second book of The Pledge trilogy, as Charlie’s reign is under siege from the most unusual of enemies.

At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within. 

Here is an example of a series installment that sways to me one side or the other.  For whatever reason, this series has flown under my radar, but when I came across this second installment I seem to have found the right incentive to go back and check out the series from the beginning so that I'll be able to fully enjoy this sequel the way it was meant to be read.  Has anyone read the series opener?  Good reviews, bad reviews?  Let me know.

Countdown: Romance Anyone?

It's no secret here on the blog that I'm a sucker for all things romantic. It probably started from the moment I was born and I'm hoping to never grow out of it. Whether it's a sweet Disney movie where the prince and princess defeat the odds and all evil beings trying to keep them apart, just so they can be together in the end, or something more realistic. I love it all. So when I get wind of titles that are soon to hit the shelves and there's even a hint of a romance within those pages, you better believe that there's a very good chance I'll be adding that book to my TBR list.

Recently I found some great new reads that are coming out in the near future and they've got romance written all over them. Some are sounding slightly more subtle than others, but I'm already over the moon excited to check each and every one of them out. Chivalry, manners, courting a lady, cherishing one another and never wanting to be apart from your soul mate, all of these traits and elements are very much alive and well within the pages of books. Though the majority might be on the fiction shelves, I like my little trips and breaks from reality while I take some time to immerse myself in these titles all the same.

Countdown Pick #1: Illuminated by Erica Orloff (12/8/2011)

An epic romance full of mysteries that transcend time—fans of Romeo and Juliet and The Time Traveler’s Wife will rejoice!

Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story—and hers—takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary—and that of Heloise and Abelard’s ancient romance—their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can’t last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?

An epic romance is the description that stood out the most for me. There was no way this title wasn't going to make my TBR list, not a chance. It does worry me that it's being compared to Romeo and Juliet and The Time Traveler's Wife, because readers all know that nothing ended well for those characters. But I'm going to cross my fingers that comparisons only refer to the unstoppable force and love that brought the characters together.

Countdown Pick #2: Fateful by Claudia Gray (9/13/2011)

In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Featuring the opulent backdrop of the Titanic, Fateful’s publication is poised to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the ship’s doomed maiden voyage. It is sure to be a hit among Titanic buffs and fans of paranormal romance alike.

A romance on the Titanic is a story we're all familiar with, but I'm thinking with Gray throwing in a werewolf twist that it'll be hard for readers not to be a little curious at the very least. I know I am. And since I love a good romance as well as any kind of paranormal element thrown in and is going to be a title I have to check out. I'm just going to hope that Tess and Alec have luck on their sides, because if you're on the Titanic, you're going to need it and then some.

Countdown Pick #3: A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2) by Beth Revis (1/10/2012)
Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

While Revis' characters aren't your typical lovey dovey duo, love is definitely in the air. But there was so much working against them in the first installment that I can only imagine this second book will be no different. But who doesn't root for the couple that's either torn apart or are constantly trying to stay together, right? I'll always be that kind of cheerleader for Elder and Amy. Let's see what obstacles are put in front of them next.

Countdown Pick #4: Wherever You Go by Heather Davis (11/14/2011)

Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend?

As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?

Told from the perspectives of Holly, Jason, and Rob,Wherever You Gois is a poignant story about making peace with the past, opening your heart to love, and finding the courage to move forward into the light.

This one may require tissues to be on hand throughout reading. It's bad enough to imagine two people in love being separated by death, but the fact that the deceased loved one has to watch everyone move on with their lives...cruel. I was getting sad just reading the synopsis. Davis will hopefully be able to deliver some hope and optimism in this story of love and hardship. Otherwise, I won't make it to the final pages. Cross your fingers with me for a somewhat happy ending.


Countdown Pick #5: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (5/8/2012)

Taylor's family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then Taylor's dad gets devastating news that changes everything. Her parents decide that the family will spend the summer together at their old vacation home in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they’ve ever been before. But all of them are very aware that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love.

While this one might not be your typical romance, I do see hints at summer love and teenage crushes. It obviously revolves around a family that has grown apart and are trying to fix and change their current situations. Either way, love seems to be the key element in this story and hopefully these characters find a way to get to know the real people in their lives and find a way to be a part of those people's lives before it's too late.

Countdown: Fantasy Edition

The genre of fantasy has always been one of my favorites. Whether we're talking fairies, or fairy tales, I love it all. While paranormal fiction is it's own genre now, I still lump the vampires, werewolves, etc... into fantasy, at least where my tastes are concerned. So with there being so many amazing fantasy titles coming out in the near future, I thought I would share a few that I'm anxiously counting down until their release dates!

Countdown #1: Warped by Maurissa Guibord (1/11/2011)

Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

Stories of unicorns are few and far between. While I'm not completely positive they're features in the upcoming release, I'm hoping and thinking there's a good chance. It sounds to me like Tessa is going to have her work cut out for her with magic tapestries coming to life, the fates intervening and handsome nobleman crossing her path in this tale. I'm crossing my fingers that Guibord produces a book that will give me a really good fantasy genre fix and maybe a possible series in the making?

Countdown #2: Across the Universe by Beth Revis (1/11/2011)

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming. 

While this book doesn't feature fantastical/mythical creatures, it features futuristic space age (think Star Trek) scenarios, which in my mind fits the fantasy mold. Characters are cryogenically frozen, control is in a dictator/big brother sort and conspiracies run amok. There is a possible romance in the background, but I don't think it's going to be the focus of Revis' work. Time is an issue and when you're dealing with future situations and worlds, anything is possible. I'm curious to see how far Revis will push the envelope? At the risk of sounding like an idiot...to infinity and beyond!

Countdown #3: Nightspell (Mistwood, #2) by Leah Cypess (5/31/2011)

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri’s sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister... if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

Who didn't love Mistwood? While this is a part of the Mistwood series, it is a stand alone companion novel. I found Mistwood to be very unique and can only hope Cypess infuses this companion with her style and flare. The idea and sound of ghostland is both intriguing and scary. I'm worried our main character will be forced to sacrifice too much for the sake of her family. I am also holding out hope for another dash of romance much like the series opener. While it didn't consume the first book, it was a nice addition and helped me form an attachment to the characters. I'll guess I'll just have to wait and see what Cypess churns out this time.

Countdown #4: Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely, #5) by Melissa Marr (2/22/2011)

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose "everything."

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's "New York Times" bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

I'm honestly not sure I'll survive this one. The description ends with, "Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery courts, and in the final conflict, some will win... and some will lose everything." As much as I adore all the characters in this amazing series that Marr has created, I'm mainly concerned with Aislinn and Seth. I don't want them to be torn apart or to have to lose each other again. Haven't they been through enough? Marr spins such an amazing web of intrigue, romance and suspense that I'm sure I'll be amazed all over again, but I'm scared she'll go too far and crush the ideal world as well. Hopefully she can give them a happily-ever after in this final installment in the Wicked Lovely series.

In My Mailbox (33)

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

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

For Review:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone--one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship--tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3) by Julie Kagawa

My name is Meaghan Chase.

I thought it was over.That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?