In My Mailbox (136)

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:

 

Eyes of the Woods by Eden Fierce

 

Eris Helgren knew her life was about to end. A daughter of the Priory--a generations-old family who protected their territories from nightwalkers--Eris was strong and independent. But on her birthday, her father would announce her betrothal. A year later, she would be forced to marry.

What Eris didn’t know was that the very beings she hunted were watching her, and that being tamed wasn’t what would kill her after all.

In a land where the woods were forbidden and the laws meant life, Eris will have to make a decision that could bring peace between enemies, or war among friends.

 

Toxic Heart (Mystic City, #2) by Theo Lawrence

 

A city in flames. A trust betrayed. A perfect love destroyed.

Has Aria lost Hunter, her one true love?

Ever since rebellion broke out in Mystic City, pitting the ruling elite against the magic-wielding mystics, Aria has barely seen her boyfriend. Not surprising, since Hunter is the leader of the mystic uprising, and he'll do whatever it takes to win freedom for his people—even if that means using Aria.

But Aria is no one's pawn. She believes she can bring the two warring sides together, save the city, and win back the Hunter she fell in love with.

Before she can play peacemaker, though, Aria will need to find the missing heart of a dead mystic. The heart gives untold powers to whoever possesses it, but finding it means seeking out a fierce enemy whose deepest desire is for Aria to be gone—forever.

Countdown: April 2014 (4)

With Spring being right around the corner, we're so close to being able to say goodbye to this cold weather and hello to fresh blooms, and sunny skies, right? At least that's what I keep telling myself, knowing full well, that we're likely to see more rain than sun next month, but I'm trying to stay optimistic. And with all these amazing new releases that will hit the shelves next month, it's getting easier each and every time I add one to my countdown list. Are there any titles that you're extra excited about? Here are a few of the ones I'm looking forward to in April.

Countdown Pick #1:  Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda (04/01/2014)

 

There is a pecking order to every family. Seventeen-year old Clare is the overprotected baby; Peter is the typical, rebellious middle child; and Luke is the-can't-do wrong favorite. To their mother, they are a normal, happy family. And then there are the roles we give ourselves. Clare: the ambitious striver; Peter: the angry ticking time bomb; and Luke: a drug addicted, convicted felon who has been in and out of jail for as long as Clare can remember. To Clare, they are a family on the verge of disaster. Clare has long refused to believe her brother is truly bad...he dotes her, doesn't he? But as Clare starts piecing together the truth about her brother's stints in jail, it starts changing the way she thinks about him. It has also changes the way the community views the family. The only thing it hasn't changed is the way their mother feels about Luke. Each time she welcomes him home with open arms and brushes off his crimes as "wrong place and wrong time," Clare can feel a little piece of her happy home life being taken away. And when her mother does the unthinkable--takes Clare's hard-earned college savings to post bail for Luke's latest transgression--Clare has to decide if sticking up for herself and her future means selfishly turning her back on family...or if it's the only way to keep herself from drowning along with them.

Debut novelist Anna Shinoda's raw, gritty, powerful novel cuts right to the bone and brings to life the skeletons the lurk in the closet.

 

Make sure to add this to your list if you haven't already for the 2014 Debut Author Challenge.  I think this one sounds like it has the potential to make all her readers reflect on their own families and their own lives.

 

Countdown Pick #2:  Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley (04/08/2014)

 

Ask Aria Morse anything, and she must answer with the truth. Yet she rarely understands the cryptic words she‘s compelled to utter. Blessed—or cursed—with the power of an Oracle who cannot decipher her own predictions, she does her best to avoid anyone and everyone.

But Aria can no longer hide when Jade, one of the few girls at school who ever showed her any kindness, disappears. Any time Aria overhears a question about Jade, she inadvertently reveals something new, a clue or hint as to why Jade vanished. But like stray pieces from different puzzles, her words never present a clear picture.

Then there’s Alex, damaged and dangerous, but the first person other than Jade to stand up for her. And Will, who offers a bond that seems impossible for a girl who’s always been alone. Both were involved with Jade. Aria may be the only one who can find out what happened, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she becomes a target. Not everyone wants the truth to come out.

 

I didn't even have to finish the first paragraph to know this was a book that I'd be adding to my countdown list immediately!  It's so intriguing and mysterious, and I'm already feeling like I'm on the edge of my seat.  I can't wait to pick this one up next month!

 

Countdown Pick #3:  The Nethergrim (The Nethergrim Trilogy, #1) by Matthew Jobin (04/08/2014)

 

The Next Great Fantasy Epic is here! For fans of Ranger's Apprentice and the Chronicles of Narnia.

Everyone in Moorvale believes the legend: The brave knight Tristan and the famed wizard Vithric, in an epic battle decades ago, had defeated the evil Nethergrim and his minions. To this day, songs are sung and festivals held in the heroes' honor. Yet now something dark has crept over the village. First animals disappear, their only remains a pile of bones licked clean. Then something worse: children disappear. The whispers begin quietly yet soon turn into a shout: The Nethergrim has returned!

Edmund’s brother is one of the missing, and Edmund knows he must do something to save his life. But what? Though a student of magic, he struggles to cast even the simplest spell. Still, he and his friends swallow their fear and set out to battle an ancient evil whose powers none of them can imagine. They will need to come together--and work apart--in ways that will test every ounce of resolve.

In a story reminiscent of the Ranger’s Apprentice epic and the Chronicles of Narnia, Matthew Jobin weaves reality, magic, and adventure into the next great fantasy phenomenon.

 

I think it's a pretty bold statement to compare any new release to the likes of the Chronicles of Narnia, but no one would be happier than me to see a new series come out that can hold a candle to such an amazing classic!

 

Countdown Pick #4:  Rebel Belle (Untitled, #1) by Rachel Hawkins (04/08/2014)

 

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Rachel Hawkins hasn't let me down yet, and from the sounds of it, this book will not be any different.  I can't wait to see how she'll weave cotillions and daggers together!

 

Countdown Pick #5:  Toxic Heart (Mystic City, #2) by Theo Lawrence (04/08/2014)

 

A city in flames. A trust betrayed. A perfect love destroyed.

Has Aria lost Hunter, her one true love?

Ever since rebellion broke out in Mystic City, pitting the ruling elite against the magic-wielding mystics, Aria has barely seen her boyfriend. Not surprising, since Hunter is the leader of the mystic uprising, and he'll do whatever it takes to win freedom for his people—even if that means using Aria.

But Aria is no one's pawn. She believes she can bring the two warring sides together, save the city, and win back the Hunter she fell in love with.

Before she can play peacemaker, though, Aria will need to find the missing heart of a dead mystic. The heart gives untold powers to whoever possesses it, but finding it means seeking out a fierce enemy whose deepest desire is for Aria to be gone—forever.

 

It's finally here!  Well almost, but what's another week or so right?  I feel like I've been waiting on this sequel forever, but after enjoying the series opener so much, I'm sure it'll have been worth the wait.

Countdown: 2012 Releases (16)

While I've been doing a pretty great job keeping up with my reading (if I do say so myself) while balancing all the craziness that is going on around me, there is never a shortage of books, it seems, that I'm looking forward to hitting the shelves. So I've got quite a few countdown posts in the works for this week and maybe even next week, because there just doesn't seem to be an end in sight for all the great titles that have still yet to be released this year. I can only imagine what 2013 will turn out to be like.

I've got a whole bunch of series' that I've fallen in love with and I'm aching to see how the authors will continue their adventures in future installments. Lots will hopefully be coming out next year, but for now, the new releases schedule for the rest of this year are more than enough than I can handle right now. I try to fly through a few books a week on my downtime, and I am a fast reader, but even I'm having a hard time. How does everyone do it? This is why I know my TBR list will forever continue to grow and never shrink!

Countdown Pick #1: Whispers At Moonrise (Shadow Falls, #4) by C.C. Hunter (10/02/2012)

A breathtaking new installment of the bestselling Shadow Falls series for young adults by rising star C. C. Hunter!

At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her new found powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?

You guys know how big of a fan I am of this series. I've devoured each and every installment and I'm always left wishing the next installment was available to continue on in Hunter's journey. But sadly I am left waiting with the other readers for the next release date that always seems so far away. But that's also how you can separate a good book from a great book. If you're always shouting more, more...than you've found yourself a great book, and you need to spread the word. This series had me hooked from the start, and I'm going to be crossing my fingers that I get to check this one out sooner rather than later...hopefully I can hold out for it's release date!

Countdown Pick #2: Tilt by Ellen Hopkins (09/11/2012)

TILT is the story of three teens inter-related through their parents' family relationships and friendships. As their parents pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the kids' worlds tilt, through love--good and bad:

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year, and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer, and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister's impending death. Can he accept Alex's love, knowing his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Talk about having issues to resolve and obstacles to overcome, right? Hopkins seems to be stepping out of her normal genre and bringing readers what sounds like a very realistic taken on three teens' lives and what all they must face on a day to day basis. While it doesn't sound like a book that will be fun and easy to fly through, it sounds like it has the makings of a page turner, and one that could make everyone stop and think and maybe reevaluate what's truly important in our lives.

Countdown Pick #3: Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (10/23/2012)

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

The end is finally here. I wasn't sure how many installment the authors had planned for this series, but now I've got my answer. With this final installment, readers are sure to be put through their paces. These authors never cease to amaze me with how quickly they can get me involved in their writing and how I'm always left on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next, haven't these characters been through enough? I guess this time around, the authors will be wrapping things up and hopefully Lena and Ethan will get themselves the happy ending they deserve...but if they do I'm sure the authors will have definitely made them work for it.

Countdown Pick #4: Mystic City (Mystic City, #1) by Theo Lawrence (10/09/2012)

For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided. A political rebellion ignited. A love that was meant to last forever.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

With a description like that I knew I didn't stand a chance! I of course am a huge fan of The Hunger Games and Matched series....who isn't? So if this book and series turn out to be even half as good as the two it's being compared to, than I think it sounds like we've got ourselves a winner, don't you think? I'm loving how this one sounds like there will be a fantastic mix of action and suspense, love and romance, and mystery and intrigue. I'm always up for a challenge, and the idea of our main character struggling to figure out what happened to her memories and to get them back, not to mention all that is going on around her? Sign me up for sure! Can't wait until it's release date!

Countdown Pick #5: Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (10/30/2012)

Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives…

When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed… and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

Did you guys ever read The Five People You Meet In Heaven? I did and while it was a tough read to get through (not very upbeat obviously) it's always stayed with me in a lot of ways. This book's description sounds very close to them central focus in that book as well. I always find it interesting when people give their versions of what they think will happen when we pass on, and while I'm not saying that this is what Sabatini's take on that is, she's putting a unique spin on the ways things might go. So the idea that this character must go through these trials and tribulations in order to find her peace is something I'm very much looking forward to checking out for myself.