New Finds (5)

Rather than a countdown post today I decided to go with another addition of new finds. There are always going to be fabulous books that are slated to come out in the future, but as I'm sure I'm not alone, readers are also always going to miss books as they come out because they're either too overloaded with other books on their TBR lists, or just overloaded with life in general.

So regardless of the reason, you're not alone and I'm going ot do my part to make sure these great reads aren't missed just because life keeps readers too busy to catch every detail. So whenever I come across titles that I've somehow missed the release date of, I make a note and get excited about them all over again. Sometimes it's even better than counting down to a title that will be released in the next year or so because when I get worked up over these titles I can go right to the store to pick up my own copy or download one to my kindle. No waiting or pining for the book to hit the shelves.

New Find #1: Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire, #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton (1/31/2012)

Life as the Preliateor is harder than Ellie ever imagined. Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven's warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And no that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell's strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She's been warned. Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian's new plan to destroy Ellie's soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian's schemes, the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything - including herself.

She'll be betrayed. Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Oh lord. I am not liking the sound of this synopsis. After the ending and cliffhanger that Moulton left her readers with in her series opener, Angelfire I was hoping that Ellie and Will would at least get a little reprieve in the beginning of book two. But to be honest, that sounds like there's no way that scenario is going to work out. Ellie's obstacles sound like they've doubled if not more, and with her and Will pining for each other and struggle to stay professional, I'm thinking she doesn't need any added stress....like say a possible apocalypse right? If this sequel caught your interest, don't forget to enter the Goodreads giveaway hosted by Harper Teen that ends February 7th.

New Find #2: The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LeZebnik (09/10/2008)

When Ava Nickerson was a child, her mother jokingly betrothed her to a friend's son, and the contract the parents made has stayed safely buried for years. Now that still-single Ava is closing in on thirty, no one even remembers she was once "engaged" to the Markowitz boy. But when their mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ava's prodigal little sister Lauren comes home to Los Angeles where she stumbles across the decades-old document.

Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava's constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she's in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister's childhood fiance. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to re-enter the Nickerson sisters' lives, and always-accountable Ava is forced to consider just how binding a contract really is...

While this might not be considered a young adult novel, I couldn't resist adding it to my new finds list. LaZebnik caught my attention and won my heart with her retelling of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Epic Fail, and ever since I've been anxious for her to release a new young adult novel. Since that hasn't happened yet, I thought I would check out her previous works and see what I'd find. Well, this one might be a little off the YA mark, but it sure sounds like a winner to me. So I've marked this one on my list and I plan on hitting the store with this title in mind as soon as possible.

New Find #3: The Shattering by Karen Healey (09/05/2011)

Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers. As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all spent New Year's Even in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most. As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?

After reading Healey's debut YA novel, Guardian of the Dead, I was looking forward to future works from her and somehow seems to miss this one when it came out a few months back. While this title doesn't seem to have much in common with her debut title, there's still that element of a mystery and the suspense that inevitably follows close behind. Healey managed to spin her folklore in a way no history teacher ever did for me in college, she had me excited, anxious to learn more, and crossing my fingers that I'd be able to solve the mystery before it was actually revealed to readers. So if her style stays on the same path, I'm thinking this mystery could be one I'd enjoy.

New Find #4: Supernaturally (Paranormalcy, #2) by Kiersten White (07/26/2011)

Evie finally has the normal life she's always longed for. But she's shocked to discover that being ordinary can be...kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she's given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie's faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there's a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

I really enjoyed all the fun adventures White had offered up in her first Paranormalcy series installment, and I've been looking forward to seeing what else this series has to offer. Once again I'm not sure who I missed out on this summer release date but either way I plan to make up for that by getting my hands on this sequel very quickly. Evie was a fun character to follow and all the different creatures and obstacles White threw her way made for an interesting and addicting read. Hopefully this installment turns out to be no different.

New Find #5: Dark Descendant (Nikki Glass, #1) by Jenna Black (04/26/2011)

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kinglsey, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she's an immortal huntress.

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can't die...

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki's manhunting skills are literally god-given. She's a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki's new "friends" include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she's a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal batter of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she'll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy...

Yet another author that I can't get enough of. Jenna Black made me a fan with her Faeriewalker series and I was very sad to see it end. Don't get me wrong, her series ending was fantastic but I just wasn't quite ready to say goodbye for good to all those characters she had created and I had come to love. But while I still miss that series, I'm shocked that I hadn't heard about this one until after it's release date. I'm very far behind on keeping track with some of my favorite authors, but now that I'm trying to correct my errors, I've marked this one down and definitely don't want to miss out. While her world of fae was wonderful, I'm sure her world containing Olympians and their descendants will be just as good, if not better.

Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

I love a good retelling! Jane Austen and her wonderful works have been near and dear to me since forever. But Pride and Prejudice has always held a special place in my heart. There is no part that I don't love. And I can prove it too. I chose to write my senior college thesis around Pride and Prejudice and if I could spend that much time analyzing, researching, and basically driving myself crazy over every small detail of the work and still come out on the other end with affection...well I think that proves my utter never ending devotion.

Some devoted fans of Austen think the original Pride and Prejudice is a classic and should be left alone, but personally I just like the chance to revisit with my favorite characters, no matter how they've been spun and tweaked. LaZebnik has produced the latest retelling in this adorable package. Say hello to Hollywood, celebrities, fame and fortune and our favorite characters intertwined into the mix.

It was fresh and fun to see "Darcy" a.k.a. Derek as the son of a power celebrity couple and "Elizabeth" a.k.a. Elise as the latest transfer student at the elite and ubber rich kid high school where he and his friends attend. Her family is still exhausting and Derek is of course the guy every girl would like to date. It's cute and funny and I couldn't put it down. This was my first experience with LaZebnik and now I'm adding her other titles to my TBR pile. If all her books are as fast paced and equally entertaining as Epic Fail, I'll be on cloud nine and a lifetime fan for sure.

I gave Epic Fail 4 shamrocks!!!!

Countdown: New Author Edition

My TBR pile is always on the rise and I never seem to be able to catch up, but yet I can't help constantly adding new titles to my list. For now I'm trying to shift my order around and try out some authors I've never read before. I've heard of great authors from friends and fellow bloggers/readers that have enjoyed them before. Some are just books I found randomly by authors I either hadn't heard of before or hadn't had the chance to read before now.

So I'm determined to check them out and possibly add some new faves to my list, not to mention maybe add a series or two to start following. Here are a few titles I'm looking forward to checking out!

Countdown Pick #1: Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton (1/3/2011)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Can I just say....love triangle? Ashton's new trilogy seems to revolve around good vs. evil, doing what's right even if it's not easy, and painful goodbyes. Why I want to put myself through a story that looks to have the makings of a tear fest I'm not sure. But honestly it just sounds too good to pass up.

Countdown Pick #2: Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) by Tahereh Mafi (11/15/2011)

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

When I read this book's description I was curious. Dystopian novels are a new interest of mine, but it still has to have the right combination of elements for it to turn me into a fan. But if they're comparing it to The Hunger Games, and X-Men, I'm down to give it a chance. The main character, Juliette sounds like a heroine I could root for and the "evil" government-like agency in control definitely has the potential for me to despise. It all sounds like a series that could have me hooked for a while.

Countdown Pick #3: Hourglass (Hourglass, #1) by Myra McEntire
One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I haven't read a good mystery in a while and if you can throw in a little romance there's a good chance my interest will be piqued. With a main character who can see ghosts and a mysterious guy who believes in her abilities, McEntire sets an atmosphere for her novel that I find hard to resist. I'm not sure if mysteries will make a comeback and headline my bookshelf, but this one's got potential.

Countdown Pick #4: Lost Voices (Lost Voices, #1) by Sarah Porter

When fourteen-year-old Luce is assaulted on the cliffs near an Alaskan village, she expects to die when she tumbles into the icy water below. Instead, she transforms into a mermaid. Luce is thrilled with her new life—until she discovers the catch.

So glad I didn't know about this one before it came out because I think the wait and countdown may have been the death of me. Mermaids are one of the few paranormal creatures that I don't think have gotten shelf time. I love the idea of this spin, the way young girls are turned into mermaids, their dark side and desires, the whole deal.

Luce sounds like a promising lead and I'm anxious to see if she can hang onto her humanity, or if she'll fade into her new life and role and use her voice to draw in her prey. It's all very hair raising and gives me nothing but goose bumps, but hopefully I'll overcome the trepidation and pick this one up soon so I can find out for myself how things turn out for Luce and the rest of the mermaids.

Countdown Pick #5: Wildefire (Wildefire, #1) by Karsten Knight

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned.

Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

Gods and goddesses, a private school backdrop, and hot romances brewing, what is not to love? While I'm unfamiliar with Knight's work, if this turns out to be half as good as it sounds, I'm thinking that will change. Ashline has a lot of obstacles to overcome but it all sounds like the makings of a crazy ride. This one definitely got moved up on the TBR pile. And a series opener on top of that. I love to find new series that I can follow as a lot of my current series favorites are drawing to a close.

Countdown Pick #6: Epic Fail by Claire Lazebnik

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?


At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:


As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.


As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.


When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.


Most know that Jane Austen is my all time favorite author and Pride and Prejudice is beyond reproach in my book. None of that will be changing anytime soon. With that being said I know that some fans say leave well enough alone, but I'm just not one of them. Any spin off or retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I jump at the chance to read it. What better form of flattery to the late Ms. Austen and her devoted fans just get another taste of their beloved characters.

No it's not the original classic itself but a fun twist on the classic stories. Lazebnik's version of events sounds fun, racy, entertaining as all get out and one I can't imagine being anything but fabulous. A Hollywood version of Elizabeth and Darcy....yes please!