Countdown: February 2014 (2)

You can't get much more romantic as far as destination cities, than Paris, France. While I'm hopeful that I'll be able to find a few new reads that fall into the romance department during the "romantic" months, I'm not limiting myself to only those types of reads. There are so many new titles hitting the shelve this year that I know I'll never be able to keep up. But it never hurts to try, and these countdown posts keep my list fresh and helps me narrow down my choices when I'm on the hunt for what to read next. Are there any titles you are looking forward to come February? Do you tend to find yourself reading romances during February or do you go the opposite route? Here are a few coming out next month that I'm looking forward to adding to my bookshelf.

 

Countdown Pick #1:  Alienated (Alienated, #1) by Melissa Landers (02/04/2014)

 

Interplanetary relations have never been more exciting! The first in a funny, romantic YA sci-fi series.

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

 

I added this one to my list a while back, and taking another look at it now has me excited all over again to dig in.  I think this might be my first experience with a funny science fiction novel, but there sounds like there's going to be action and romance added into the mix as well.  Doesn't that sound like a great combination?

 

Countdown Pick #2:  Perfect Lies (Mind Games, #2) by Kiersten White (02/14/2014)

 

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

As a fan of White's Paranormalcy series, I can't help but hope for another winning series this time around.  I haven't had the chance to read the series opener, but with only another month to go before this sequel comes out, my plan is to wait for it's release and check them  both out at the same time so I can avoid having to wait even a second before diving into the next book.

 

Countdown Pick #3:  Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell (02/04/2014)

 

When Willa Dixon’s brother dies on the family lobster boat, her father forbids Willa from stepping foot on the deck again. With her family suffering, she’ll do anything to help out—even visiting the Grey Man.

Everyone in her small Maine town knows of this legendary spirit who haunts the lighthouse, controlling the fog and the fate of any vessel within his reach. But what Willa finds in the lighthouse isn’t a spirit at all, but a young man trapped inside until he collects one thousand souls.

Desperate to escape his cursed existence, Grey tries to seduce Willa to take his place. With her life on land in shambles, will she sacrifice herself?

Although it sounds a little more eerie than I would normally go for, it also has this sad and heavy quality to the synopsis that has me leaning towards wanting to check this one out to see how it all turns out.  Mitchell is one of those authors who can paint such a vivid picture with words that her readers end up feeling like they're right there alongside the characters themselves, and I'm curious to see if that will be a good thing or a bad thing this time around.

 

Countdown Pick #4:  Tremor (Pulse Trilogy, #2) by Patrick Carman (02/25/2014)

 

In the year 2051, some people have a second pulse…

Like all who have “the pulse,” Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore have telekinetic powers—they can move objects with their minds. But there are five “second pulses” in the world who have an even greater power: Almost nothing can harm them. They are virtually indestructible.

Both Faith and Dylan have the second pulse. But the other side has second pulses, too, and they’ve been training for a war that has been brewing their entire lives. As Dylan executes a plan to infiltrate enemy grounds, he’ll have to face his only weakness, and a family secret that will threaten his very existence.

Together, Faith and Dylan are the only hope this world has left, but they must go their separate ways in order to accomplish their plan. Will their love survive?

With richly developed characters and heart-pounding action scenes, the second book in Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy continues the electrifying dystopian story of love and revenge.

 

This is definitely a sequel that I've been waiting on for what feels like forever!  I loved Carman's series opener, Pulse, and I cannot wait to see what happens to these characters next.  The ending of the opener left me so anxious and excited that I honestly have no idea how Carman plans to take things from there, but I have no doubt that readers are in for one action packed journey.

 

Countdown Pick #5:  Fates (Fates, #1) by Lanie Bross (02/11/2014)

 

 The story of an Executor sent to earth to bring about human destinies, who finds herself unaccountably experiencing human emotions, leading to an epic romance set across multiple worlds.

Normally I wouldn't be able to gather up much excitement for a book that both doesn't have a cover image to check out, and from an other that I've never had any experience with before.  But all it took were these two short sentences in the synopsis and I was hooked.   Still not sure exactly why, but I'm not worried about it either.  Bross sounds like she's going to bring some new and exciting material to the YA world and I for one, am looking forward to seeing what she puts together.

Countdown: End of the Year

It's no surprise to you guys that I'm a huge fan of countdown posts and always have been.  I realized that I hadn't put one up in a while and I'm not sure how I let so much time pass me by but I plan to rectify that right now.  So lately I've been reading some great books, but I've got to tell you that not many of them can claim to have happy endings, and it's starting to wear on me to be quite honest.  Reading is where I let myself take a break from reality and all the stress that goes with everyday life in order to enjoy the fantastical and creative worlds that my favorite authors have created.  So while I'm counting down to some continuing installments in a few series that I've become a fan of, I'm also on the lookout for some reads that end with happily ever afters, a little bit of romance or at  the very least a glimmer or two of hope for some great characters.  Know of any that fit that bill?  If you do leave a comment or email me some suggestions so I can add them to my list and bump them up to the top so I get the chance to get started right away!

Countdown Pick #1:  Everbound (Everneath, #2) by Brodi Ashton (01/22/2013)

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

I'll admit that I was surprised that this sequel hadn't hit the bookshelves yet because I thought I was late to the series game.  I've had the series opener on my TBR list for quite some time and when I finally got the chance to check it out I was sure that I'd be able to go right on in and start the sequel.  I'm sure you can imagine how frustrated I was to find out that I'd have to wait a whole two months before I was able to see what would happen next for Nikki, Jack and Cole.  Thank goodness I don't have to wait that much longer.

Countdown Pick #2:  The Elite (The Selection, #2) by Kiera Cass (04/23/2013)

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

This was another series that I was late to pick up and was sure that the sequel would already be available for me to grab as soon as I'd turned the last page, and yet once again I was wrong and left disappointed at the discovery.  But while I'll have to wait until April with everyone else to see what's in store next for these great characters, I'm without a doubt looking forward to it.

Countdown Pick #3:  Mind Games (Mind Games, #1) by Kiersten White (02/19/2013)

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

I was a fan of her paranormal series, so I'm curious to see how this largely different genre will turn out.  But with White's writing style and quick paced plot I'm sure it'll be a page turner that I'll be reading late into the night.  Goodreads has a giveaway for this one going on right now if you're interested!

Countdown Pick #4:  Extracted (The Lost Imperials, #1) by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler Jolley (11/12/2013)

Welcome to the war.

The Tesla Institute is a premier academy that trains young time travelers called Rifters. Created by Nicola Tesla, the Institute seeks special individuals who can help preserve the time stream against those who try to alter it.

The Hollows is a rogue band of Rifters who tear through time with little care for the consequences. Armed with their own group of lost teens--their only desire to find Tesla and put an end to his corruption of the time stream.

Torn between them are Lex and Ember, two Rifters with no memories of their life before joining the time war.

When Lex’s girlfriend dies during a mission, the only way he can save her is to retrieve the Dox, a piece of tech which allows Rifters to re-enter their own timeline without collapsing the time stream. But the Dox is hidden deep within the Telsa Institute, which means Lex must go into the enemy camp. It’s there he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them both comes flooding back.

Now armed with the truth of who they are, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them both…again.

With next November being a long way off, I know that this will be a very long countdown, but after reading the premise behind this book I think it'll be worth the wait.  I'm anxious to see what develops out of this series and interested in checking out two new authors of course!

Countdown Pick #5:  Phoenix (Black City, #2) by Elizabeth Richards (06/14/2013)

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed.

The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

I'm trying very hard not to read the book's description because I've yet to read the first installment in this series, so I don't want to spoil the plot before I've even cracked open the first pages, right?  But I know that I've had this series on my radar and have been really looking forward to checking out it at the first chance I get so I'm sure that I'll feel the same enthusiasm over the sequel, or at least I hope so.