Out This Week (Sept 20 - Oct 6)

There are way too many exiciting books coming out this week. These are the ones I've chosen, but be sure to look around for the other titles...

•  10.02.12 Kiss and Make Up by Katie D. Anderson
• 10.02.12 Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant

•  10.02.12 Poison Princess (Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole
• 10.02.12 Ironskin by Tina Connolly

•  10.02.12 Breathe by Sarah Crossan
• 10.01.12 Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler

•  10.01.12 Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch
• 10.02.12 The Suburban Strange by Nathan Kotecki

• 10.02.12 Promised (Birthmarked Trilogy #3) by Caragh O'Brien
• 10.02.12 Feedback (sequel to Variant) by Robison Wells

Waiting on Wednesday (123)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Here is what I'm waiting on this week...

Reached
by Ally Condie
To be released: November 13, 2012

Summary from Barnes and Noble: 

"Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without."

I loved Matched and Crossed left me wanting more... so I cannot wait to get my hands on this one. I HAVE to find out what happens. I can only imagine the drama that awaits. 

What are you waiting on?

Out This Week (Sept 23-29)

Several books coming out this week that I have been waiting for. Take a look...

• 9.25.12 Shadows (Ashes Trilogy #2) by Isla J. Bick
• 9.25.12 Scorch by Gina Damico

•  9.25.12 Covet (Clann #2) by Melissa Darnell
• 9.25.12 A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark novel) by Jocelyn Davies

•  9.25.12 Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel
• 9.25.12 How to Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups (How to Rock #2) by Meg Haston

•   9.25.12 The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
• 9.24.12 Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

• 9.25.12 Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
• 9.25.12 The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

Waiting on Wednesday (122)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Here is what I'm waiting on this week...

Black City 
by Elizabeth Richards
To be released: November 13, 2012

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
"A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths."

This book sounds like it is totally up my alley. Little Romeo and Juliet? A lot adventure and lurve... sounds awesome, doesn't it? AND the cover is really cool! 

What are you waiting on this week?

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Title: Burn for Burn 
Author: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
ISBN: 9781442440753
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Released: September 18, 2012
Series: Burn for Burn trilogy
Page #: 356
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary:

"Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.

KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.

LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.

MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.

None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

With an unlikely alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together."

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First Lines: (from the ARC, subject to change)

"The morning has painted everything white. It's exactly like one of my rabbit-hole dreams, where I get trapped, suspended in a cloud, and I can't seem to wake myself up. 

Then the foghorn blares, the mist breaks into lace, and I see Jar Island, spread out along the horizon just like in one of Aunt Bette's paintings."

Page 1

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Review:

If you are in need of a high-drama teen girl story, this book is definitely for you. Revenge, boys, friendship, and much more. 

Three girls are looking to take revenge on the people who have done them wrong. Unfortunately, the ones who have done them wrong are in power at their school. But once they secretly team up, nothing can stop them. Except when they see all the havoc they are causing. 

I'm just going to say that I wasn't expecting this book to leave me on a cliffhanger. I mean, you don't even get the conclusion to the second and third acts of revenge! Alas, the first one was almost good enough to keep me happy. I just was hoping for more... I'll definitely pick up the next book when it comes out.

So, the setting for this book is kind of unique - Jar Island. It's a place you can only reach by boat. There's one high school and plenty of drama. But it seems like an interesting place because it is totally a tourist town, Everyone knows everyone else... they all grew up together. Which isn't always a good thing. 

The three girls in this story - Kat, Lillia and Mary come from vastly different worlds. Their lives barely overlap. But when they each find themselves at the end of their ropes, they turn to each other. More because of convenience. Soon they learn they can trust each other and help one another. Even if there might be critical consequences. 

High drama, for sure. They're all going after a popular person. Two football players and the head cheerleader. Friends. Enemies. Frenemies. Family. Relationships. This book has it all. High school drama at its best. You learn to love each of these girls in their own right. And I think that many teen readers will see themselves in the characters of this book. 

I've loved Siobhan Vivan's books in the past, and this one is no exception. But I haven't picked up any of Jenny Han's. I'm pretty sure I have to now. They came up with a great book and I think many will enjoy it. I am waiting on pins and needles for the next one! Hopefully sooner rather than later. If you're a drama lover, this book is perfect for you.

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Other Blog Reviews:

Candace's Book Blog

Bewitched Bookworms

Diary of a Bookworm

Maji Bookshelf

YA Librarian Tales

Emily's Crammed Bookshelf

Katie's Book Blog

Annette's Book Spot

The Book Belles

Out This Week (Sept 16-22)

This is an exiting week of book releases! These look like some amazing titles... woo hoo!! Take a look:

•  9.18.12 Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• 9.18.12 The Diviners by Libba Bray

•  9.18.12 The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
• 9.18.12 Glass Heart by Amy Garvey

•  9.18.12 Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian 
• 9.18.12 Safekeeping by Karen Hesse

•  9.18.12 Adaptation by Malinda Lo
• 9.18.12 The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

• 9.18.12 Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2) by Gabrielle Zevin
• 9.18.12 What's Left of Me (Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang

Pale by Chris Wooding

Title: Pale
Author: Chris Wooding
ISBN: 9781781120910
Publisher: Stoke Books
Released: September 28, 2012
Series: N/A
Page #: 67
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary:
"The Lazurus Serum can bring you back from the dead - but when you come back you've changed. You're a pale, an outcast. It's the last thing Jed wants, but an accident changes everything and Jed's forced to discover the true cost of living forever."
__________________________________________
First Lines:

"We got the Pale on his way to school.
'Where do you think you're going?' asked Kyle. The way he said it, it wasn't a question. It was a threat." 
Page 1
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Review:

This is a very short book, so the review will be as well.  I'm always on the lookout for great hi-lo books for students. I know they go over like gangbusters for many kids, so I'm excited to find a new one. Especially when this one is in a different sort of genre than most of them are.

Jed lives in a time when death isn't necessarily the end of life. There is a serum that can keep people alive - but it changes the pigment in their skin. And the world looks at you like an outcast. He never wants that to happen to him or his friends.

I have been a fan of just about everything Chris Wooding has written. This short story is no exception. I think it's really well done and fully thought out within a few pages. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so rich, quite frankly. It's nice to see a hi-lo sci-fi/fantasy story. Especially because it covers some issues about differences in people and how people treat each other.

If you know readers who need those short stories, then I definitely recommend this one. It's a good one and it has plenty of possibility for discussion. So I think this one will go over well.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Libby Blog Review
My Chaotic Ramblings
Respiring Thoughts
Insomnia of Books
Itching for Books
We Throw Rocks at Cars
Reading Lark

Waiting on Wednesday (121)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Here is what I'm waiting on this week...

Beta

by Rachel Cohn

To be released: October 16, 2012

Summary from Barnes and Noble:

"Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.

Elysia’s purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island’s workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.

At first, Elysia’s life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne’s human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island’s flawless exterior, there is an under­current of discontent among Demesne’s worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations cloud­ing Elysia’s mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn’t the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi­ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she’s always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive."

It's a long summary, but doesn't it sound wonderful?! I could use an amazing science fiction book right about now. And yes... this one is on NetGalley, too. :)

What are you waiting on this week?

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

ISBN: 9780375870415

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Released: September 11, 2012

Series: The Lynburn Legacy #1

Page #: 384

Source: ebook from NetGalley

Summary:

"Kami Glass is in love with someone she's never met—a boy she's talked to in her head since she was born. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she has learned ways to turn that to her advantage. Her life seems to be in order, until disturbing events begin to occur.

There has been screaming in the woods and the manor overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. . . . The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. Now Kami can see that the town she has known and loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets—and a murderer. The key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy she thought was imaginary is real, and definitely and deliciously dangerous."

________________________________________________
First Lines: (quote from ARC - subject to change)

"Every town in England has a story. One day I am going to find out Sorry-in-the-Vale's.
The closest this reporter has come to getting our town's scoop is when I asked Mr. Roger Stern (age seventy-six but young at heart) to tell me a secret about our town."
Page 3
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Review:

This is my first Sarah Rees Brennan book, and I can promise you that it won't be my last. Especially since this is going to be a series - I'm all in.

Kami has a voice in her head. But she didn't expect him to be a real person. When he moves to town, all sorts of crazy things start happening - and not just because he was her invisibile friend. His family is the ruling dynasty in their town. No one crosses them, no one speaks ill of them, no one befriends them. But Kami wants to find out why - her journalism instincts tell her there is more to the story. And she's right.

I wasn't expecting this book to be as witty and funny as it was. Our heroine, Kami, is a smart and sassy reporter who will stop at nothing to get her scoop. Sounds a little like Nancy Drew, huh? She's also got a connection with a boy that she wasn't entirely expecting. You would think that hearing each others thoughts and feelings would bring you closer... not push each other away. But she juggles this and her new friends and her newspaper and her crazy family and some insane happenings around town. Can I just mention how funny her parents are? They probably made this book for me.

I loved that the big mystery in this book was magic-based. But it wasn't hokey like some things are with the whole magic thing. This is dark, scary magic. Magic that can encase you in stone without the person moving. I thought the way all of that was handled was adequately spooky and well done.

Let me just talk about the boys for a moment. Yes, of course, there is a love triangle. With complications (aren't they all complicated?). They're cousins... who have lived in America. I understand that the author is from the UK, but there were a few times where the American boys used entirely British terms. I guess it could be because they were raised by British parents... but it was a little out of character. Other times, they pointed out the fact that it was different (See: Elevator/Lift). So that seemed a little inconsistant, but it may have only bothered me a little.

Because I am reviewing the advanced version, I am sure this has been fixed... but it threw off my reading quite a bit. There was a huge need for more page breaks. You would switch character point of views without even knowing you were doing so. Several times I had to go back and figure out where things changed. But I know this has probably been fixed for the final version, so you guys are not even going to notice :).

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I think anyone who loves magical mysteries will totally get into this book. I know lots of people have found it through NetGalley already, but lucky for you this book was released today. I highly suggest you give it a try. Now I'm highly anticipating the next book (thanks for the cliffhanger, Brennan).
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Other Blog Reviews:

The Book Smugglers
Bird Brain(ed) Book Blog
Refracted Light Reviews
Realm of Fiction
Painting With Words
Emily's Reading Room
Miss Remmers' Reviews
Book Bite Reviews
.Xpresso Reads
Chachic's Book Nook

Out This Week (Sept 9-15)

 Take a look at some of the great books coming out this week. I'm so excited!

•  9.11.12 Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery
• 9.11.12 Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

•  9.11.12 Tap Out by Eric Devine
• 9.11.12 Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

•  9.11.12 Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan
• 9.11.12 The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

• 9.11.12 Flesh and Bone (Rot and Ruin #3) by Jonathan Maberry
• 9.13.12 Nerve by Jeanne Ryan