Countdown: May 2013 (4)

So for me and most others, May marks the beginning of Summer, Memorial Day weekend has always been a favorite of mine.  Friends and I have always headed down to the beach and spent the weekend basking in the sun (hopefully), enjoying the beach and getting excited that Summer is here and it means the end of cold weather, the start of vacations for most, and a lot of other good things.  Last year it marked the beginning of wedding season for my friends and me as a member of their wedding parties.  While that was a lot of fun it was also complete craziness and didn't leave a lot of time for reading and checking out new books to review.  This year I'm hoping and crossing my fingers that I'll get a real vacation in and a whole lot of quality time with my books and hopefully a lot of these future new releases scheduled to hit the shelves!

Countdown Pick #1:  The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy (05/14/2013)

If there is one thing that seventeen-year-old Rain knows and knows well, it is survival. Caring for her little brother, Walker, who is "Touched," and losing the rest of her family to the same disease, Rain has long had to fend for herself on the bleak, dangerous streets of Earth City. When she looks to the stars, Rain sees escape and the only possible cure for Walker. And when a darkly handsome and mysterious captain named Johnny offers her passage to the Edge, Rain immediately boards his spaceship. Her only price: her "willingness."

The Void cloaks many secrets, and Rain quickly discovers that Johnny's ship serves as host for an underground slave trade for the Touched . . . and a prostitution ring for Johnny's girls. With hair as red as the bracelet that indicates her status on the ship, the feeling of being a marked target is not helpful in Rain's quest to escape. Even worse, Rain is unsure if she will be able to pay the costs of love, family, hope, and self-preservation.

With intergalactic twists and turns, Cori M. McCarthy's debut space thriller exists in an orbit of its own.

Yikes!  This debut sounds like an emotional roller coaster ride to be sure.  I'm curious where McCarthy will take on us the debut train but I'm just as anxious to see where Rain will have to go and how she'll be able to save her brother.  At least I hope she can.

Countdown Pick #2:  Purgatory Reign by L.M. Preston (05/18/2013)

Peter Saint’s life stinks. But things are about to get much worst. First, his parents are murdered in front of him. Then another victim dies in his arms. Visions plague Peter with warnings that something wants him for a sinister cause. It desires the one thing that Peter refuses to give—his blood. Peter carries within him the one gift or curse that could unlock a secret to destroy the human race. On the run with Angel, a scruffy kid, Peter starts to unravel the mystery. It’s the one treasure the heavens sought to hide from the world. Unfortunately, when Peter finds the answer that he hopes will save the girl he loves, he opens the door to a great evil that happens to be salivating to meet him.

I'm already cheering for this character and rooting for him to outsmart the evil he's up against.  He's fighting to save the girl he loves you guys!  How is it possible to resist a story like this.  I'm curious to see what kind of evil Peter is really up against and what type of world Preston has created for her readers.

Countdown Pick #3:  The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher (05/07/2013)

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

Well I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone out there that high school can be a very unforgiving and hard place to be.  While I think this read will be interesting I'm also not kidding myself into thinking it will be a fun ride.  But despite the heavy central topic, I'm curious to see how realistic the book feels and how it all turns out for Angie.

Countdown Pick #4:  The Originals by Cat Patrick (05/07/2013)

A riveting new story from Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created. 

Oh please tell May is right around the corner because I'm not sure I'll be able to make it until then to read this book.  Author Jay Asher gave Patrick's previous works glowing praise and anyone who impresses him (I'm a major fan!) has got my vote.  With all that being said, this book's description speaks for itself...I can't wait to get my hands on my own copy of this baby!

Countdown Pick #5:  Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin (05/07/2013)

Nothing is as it seems in this darkly romantic tale of infatuation and possession, inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Becca was the perfect girlfriend: smart, gorgeous, and loved by everyone at New England’s premier boarding school, Thorn Abbey. But Becca’s dead. And her boyfriend, Max, can’t get over his loss.

Then Tess transfers to Thorn Abbey. She’s shy, insecure, and ordinary—everything that Becca wasn’t. And despite her roommate’s warnings, she falls for brooding Max.

Now Max finally has a reason to move on. Except it won’t be easy. Because Becca may be gone, but she’s not quite ready to let him go…

So Ohlin's got not one but now two novels coming out this year that sound fantastic!  I can't wait to check this one out for myself.  Everyone loves a book set amidst a boarding school, and with that backdrop usually comes a mystery of some kind.  While I'm not sure what kind of hold Becca has on Max, it sounds like the makings of an interesting and scary one at that.  I'm ashamed to admit I've never read the original Rebecca, but I might have to rectify that mistake before diving into this one as preparation.

Countdown: 2012 Releases (11)

Can you guys believe that there's only a few more days until The Hunger Games comes out in theaters? Are you guys excited? Nervous? Anxious? I'm all of the above and just crossing my fingers desperately that the movie turns out to be all that I hoped it would. At the very least I'm hoping they don't completely disregard the book and all the Collins' greatness. I know the movies are never as good as the books, I mean how can they be between the authors' incredible writing and our own imaginations creating pictures and images that go along with the words, but a girl can still hope.

I have been checking out the sites on the Internet, reading all the entertainment magazines and early reviews and it's only increased my anxiety level over the whole thing. Luckily with me moving last weekend and finishing that process up this weekend has kept me busy, but not nearly enough to distract me from keeping the countdown in the back of my mind the entire time. How are you guys keeping yourselves busy? Does everyone have their movie tickets already? For me, these countdowns have been a nice way to pass the time and check out other things to look forward to beyond this weekend.

Countdown Pick #1: This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers (06/19/2012)

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

So like I said I'm trying to branch out a little bit more in 2012 with the types of books I'm reading. I'm still going to read all my favorite genres and authors, etc...but I want to make sure I throw in some other books that fall outside of my normal, every day go to types so I can see what else is out there for me. Zombies have NEVER been my cup of tea, but this one didn't seem like the others I've come across in the past. While they're still at large and the reason for the end of the world, it sounds to me like it's what is going on in this high school hideout that will be the central focus and not necessarily what is banging down their doors. Make sure to stop by Goodreads and enter yourself in their giveaway for a chance to win your own copy.

Countdown Pick #2: Defiance (Defiance, #1) by C.J. Redwine (08/28/2012)

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Yes! There are some books that I get excited about on a normal level, and then there are others that I create a craziness in me that I can't contain. This sounds like one of those very books. There's nothing about this book that doesn't sound exciting. We've got good vs. evil in the case of the servants vs. the man in control. We've got romance and forbidden or unrequited love as it would have it, and we've got adventure galore. I'm going to be anxiously awaiting this release for sure and the fact that it's the first installment in a series is icing on the cake. More books to come, and hopefully I'll be just as excited for those release dates as well. It's look likely. Check out the Goodreads giveaway to possibly win yourself a copy.

Countdown Pick #3: What's Left of Me (Hybrid, #1) by Kat Zhang (09/18/2012)

NEVER LET ME GO meets HIS DARK MATERIALS in a beautiful, haunting YA debut, the first book in The Hybrid Trilogy.

Eva and Addie live in a world where everyone is born with two souls, but where only the dominant one is allowed to survive childhood. Fifteen years old, and closer even than twins, the girls are keeping Eva, the ‘second soul’, a secret. They know that it’s forbidden to be hybrid, but how could they ever be apart?

When a dramatic event reveals what really happens to hybrids if they are discovered, Eva and Addie face a dangerous fight for survival, neither wanting to be the one left behind…

This one definitely gets the award for most unique so far for the countdown today. Dual souls that share one body, and that's not allowed? I drive myself crazy sometimes because when I hear about a book like this, I catch myself trying to figure out what will happen and how things came to be the way they are in a book that hasn't even hit the shelves yet. Why I think I'll be able to solve mysteries and figure out clues before I've even gotten the chance to get myself a copy is beyond me, but here I am again. Doing the exact same thing. I wonder....

Countdown Pick #4: Revived by Cat Patrick (05/08/2012)

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this one the first time I came across it and decided to hold off on adding it to my list originally. But now I've seen and heard about this one several times since then and the idea behind the novel has grown on me. So I've added it to my list and the more I think about it, the more curious and excited I'm getting over the whole idea. I can't really imagine knowing full well that no matter what happened, I'd be able to be brought back to life as if nothing took place. What kind of darker conspiracy is at work here I'm not sure, but I've got plenty of time to think on it before the book comes out this summer.

Countdown Pick # 5: Silver by Talia Vance (09/08/2012)

Beauty is pointless when no one's looking.

Brianna Paxton has been invisible to guys since the eighth grade. She’s pretty enough, it’s just that no one bothers to look. There’s almost nothing that can’t be explained with science, and Brianna has a theory: she’s missing the pheromone that attracts people to one another. Brianna’s theory is shot to hell in one frozen, silver moment, when time stops and Blake Williams not only sees her, he recognizes something inside her that she’s been hiding from even herself.

Before Brianna fully understands who and what she is, she accidentally binds her soul to Blake. Forced to find a way to reconcile forbidden love and her bloody heritage, Brianna discovers that there's nothing pointless about her, and Blake may be in the most danger of all.

I'm already on Brianna's side, aren't you? I think it's plain to see that she's been given a bad break as far as being practically invisible to anyone else and now she's thinking its so bad that it could be genetics...ouch. So I'm not sure how crazy this tale will get with her being able to bind souls together and their being a "heritage" that she's worried about, but I'm sure excited to find out.