Anxiously Awaiting (and a Cover Craving)...The Heir by Kiera Cass!

The Heir
by Kiera Cass
The Selection, book four

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought. (Description from EW announcement article)

I am SO EXCITED that Kiera Cass and her publisher decided to turn The Selection trilogy into a longer series. The Heir will also be followed by a fifth book, which I assume will also feature Princess Eadlyn, but there's no real information about it out yet.  For now, I'm just stoked to read the start of her story...May cannot come fast enough! 

ANd...don't you just love the covers for this series? I am a total sucker for a gorgeous gown on the front cover and I love the way they use the mirrored reflections... 

Anxiously Awaiting... The Vanishing Throne!

So, not too long ago I posted my slightly gushy Gold Star review of Elizabeth May's The Falconer. Well, today Elizabeth posted the title and cover (UK) of the sequel THE VANISHING THRONE.

I am BEYOND excited for this one... I'm just sad we still have to wait so long for it!!

The Vanishing Throne 
by Elizabeth May
The Falconer, book two

Publication date: Sept 17, 2015 

My name is Lady Aileana Kameron.

First the fae murdered my mother. Then they destroyed my world.

Now I’m fighting for more than revenge.

Aileana took a stand against the Wild Hunt, and she lost everything: her home, her family and her friends. Held captive by her enemy, and tormenting herself over her failure, escape seems like only the faintest possibility. But when she gets her chance, she seizes it . . . to rejoin a world devastated by war.

The future is bleak. Hunted by the fae, running for her life, Aileana has only a few options left. Trying to become part of a society scarred by – and hiding from – the Wild Hunt; trusting that a fragile alliance with the fae will save her; or walking the most dangerous path at all: coming in to her own powers as the last of the Falconers . . . (Description from Elizabeth May's website)

What's On My Hold List?

Picture from YaBookNerd's blog,
because, though, I started this meme
she created a much cuter pic for it!

Welcome to the August 2014 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.

These are the books I'm waiting for right now:

Gates of Thread and Stone 
by Lori M. Lee

Starglass
by Phoebe North

Top Secret Twenty-One
by Janet Evanovich

Trial By Fire
by Josephine Angelini

You can click on each title to go to their Goodreads page for a description...

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??

Anxiously Awaiting...This Shattered World!

This Shattered World 
by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Starbound, book two

Publication date: December 23, 2014

Description:

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war. (from goodreads.com)

I loved book one, These Broken Stars, giving it a gold star review on the blog! The writing was beautiful and deep, the characters were great, and I loved the science fiction storyline. I cannot wait to read the sequel.  

Fog of Forgetting Metria Necklace GIVEAWAY!

Hello All!

I'm very excited to feature G. A. Morgan's The Fog of Forgetting on the blog today! This is a great looking middle grade fantasy adventure that I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing for you all in a few weeks.

The Fog of Forgetting 
by G. A. Morgan

Publication date: July 17, 2014

In The Fog of Forgetting, the beginning of a new adventure-fantasy trilogy, five children wash up on the shores of an foreign land, unwitting agents of destiny in a realm struggling to withstand a force that could change their world -- and ours -- forever.

Sneaking out for a quick boat ride on a summer day, five children find themselves engulfed in a curtain of dense, powerful fog that transports them from the rocky Maine coast to the mysterious island of Ayda. Rescued by Seaborne, a machete-toting wayfarer of few words, the children suddenly find themselves at the center of a centuries-old battle between Dankar, the ruler of Exor, and three siblings that rule the other realms of Ayda. At stake are the four stones of power and the elusive Fifth Stone that binds them all.

When 9-year-old Frankie is kidnapped by Dankar, her older sister Evelyn and the three Thompson brothers must learn to harness the powers of the daylights, ancient forces of earth, fire, water, and air, to navigate their way through the realms of Ayda, rescue her, and find a way home. (Description from Goodreads.com)

Doesn't it sound great?  I haven't read a full-on high fantasy for this age group in a while, so I'm really looking forward to it.  Today, though, I 'm even more excited to be able to host a giveaway for you!  To celebrate the book's release this week, the author and publisher very graciously offered to let me give one of you a beautiful necklace that goes with the story in The Fog of Forgetting.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is the stone of healing and memory in the book.  I love its crystal; it feels ethereal to me.  A very cool necklace. Good luck! 

Fragile Destiny

Fragile Destiny
by Suzanne Lazear
The Aether Chronicles, book three

Publication date: August 8, 2014 

Noli and her true love V fear the worst if the Staff of Eris—a potent Otherworld relic—falls into the wrong hands. Broken into pieces and hidden in the mortal realm long ago, the staff bestows vast powers on whoever possesses it. Ciarán, the dark king, is trying to rebuild the staff, intending to use it to install a new queen.

In a desperate effort to keep the Otherworld from falling into darkness, Noli and V plot the daring theft of a jewel Ciarán needs to complete the staff. But Ciarán is not so easily defeated. Through his devious machinations, he has set a plan in motion for a final showdown that will decide who rules the Otherworld once and for all. (Description from Goodreads.com)

I used this description of the book from Goodreads, but honestly, I don't think it really captures the heart of the book that well.  Though it is true that there is a quest to keep the pieces of the Staff of Eris out of the wrong hands, this book is more about Noli regaining her own identity and finding her place in the Mortal and Otherworlds. 

Let me say, without getting TOO spoilery, that when Noli does find her place,...it's a doozy.  I was not expecting that, but I think that she's a strong character who acclimated well once the initial shock wore off. I loved seeing her take charge of her own life once again and return to the character that I'd loved so much in Innocent Darkness. One character I did not love in this book, though, was V. Readers will find out there's a reason why he becomes an obnoxious prig in this book, but ugh... I kind of wanted to hit him a few times. 

The only other thing I really want to say, without revealing too much, is that there MUST be a book after this! Too much is foreshadowed but not truly explored.   True we get Noli to a point where I can imagine how her story continues, but I  DESPERATELY want to read it...and more about Jeff and Vix...and Elise and her new best friend... and how Tiana might get her comeuppance in the end... there's SO much more that could be explored! 

Full disclosure: eARC received through Netgalley

Blog Tour - Lost in Starlight

Today, I'm happy to be part of Sherry Soule's blog tour for the first book in her new Starlight Saga, LOST IN STARLIGHT. I did the cover reveal for the book back on June 11th and I'm happy to report that the book lived up to it's very pretty cover!

Lost in Starlight 

by Sherry Soule

Starlight Saga, book one 

Publication Date: June 26, 2014

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life....

Now, you all know me. I have always been an avid science fiction and fantasy reader.  That's why I'm so happy to report that this book is EXACTLY the type of book that I love to take to the beach for a summer read.  Fun, fast paced, and full of romance, drama, and yes...hot boy aliens.  This book has all the elements that make me want to sit down and read it all in one giant guilty pleasure sitting. 

First off, Sloane is the perfect heroine for a girl like me.  I'm not gonna lie, I love to eat.  I also love girls who can tell it like it is and give off some of that Joss Whedon-esque Buffy like sarcasm.  Sloane is a realistic, gutsy girl who happens to be a little (well, maybe a lotta) curvy and whips around those sarcastic quips like nobody's business.  I was behind her from page one.  As her life got more crazy, I just grew to like her more and more.  

...and Hayden.  *sigh* perfect beach-read hottie...

I will definitely be reading book two in the Starlight Saga and I hope that if you, like me, can't get enough fun scifi/fantasy in your life, you'll check this one out for a quick, fun read this summer. 

For more info on LOST IN STARLIGHT and Sherry Soule, you can check out these places:

Amazon 

Sherry's Blog 

Sherry's Twitter

Full disclosure: eARC received from Author for blog tour

Cover Reveal: Lost in Starlight

Today bestselling author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! She will be publishing a brand new Upper YA / Sci-Fi romance series: the “Starlight Saga” with scorching-hot character chemistry, exciting suspense, and epic romance.

To help promote the first book in this interstellar love story, “LOST IN STARLIGHT,” Sherry is doing this fun guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers.

LOST IN STARLIGHT comes out on June 26^th 2014!  

VOLUME ONE: Starlight Saga

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life....

Read the first five chapters for free on wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/story/14214838-lost-in-starlight-syfy-romance

Places you can find Sherry Soule:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

Twitter @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/SherrySoule

Please add LOST IN STARLIGHT to your TBR on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707942-lost-to-starlight

The awesome book cover was designed by the talented, Kristen Thompson-Oh of KCT Designs at www.kctdesigns.com

MY BEA 2014 Experience!

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend Book Expo America in New York City for my sixth year in a row.  It is an amazing experience for any book nerd.  Truly!  This year, my friend Kim and I booked a fancy schmancy hotel room at the Kitano New York so we got into the city on Thursday night and were able to sleep in (well for an extra hour and a half, at least) and go straight to the Javits via taxi.

...well after some shocked exploration of our hotel bathroom's bidet, that is... I'd never actually seen one in real life and found it quite...terrifying intimidating. I finally gave in and tried it on our second night in the room...and I'm still not sold on the idea.

MOVING ON, LOL.

This year, I FINALLY got to go to BEA for more than one day.  It was phenomenal because it relieved some of the frantic pressure of trying to fit everything (ALL the books, ALL the authors) into one day.   It was, however, also terrifyingly packed on Saturday because of BookCon.  Don't believe me?  Check out these crowds! We actually left early on Saturday because we just couldn't take it any more.  I'm so glad it was day two so I felt like I'd already done and seen enough that I COULD leave early...

So, what did we do and see during those two days?

Well... I met, I mingled, I schmoozed, and I schlepped.  I came out with 53 books, 1 audio book, 3 chapter samplers, 7 tote bags and various swag.  I got my photo taken in the most awesome "Photo Booth" at the Open Road Media booth... because I absolutely believe that BOOKWORMS RULE!! I met some amazing authors, including Scott Westerfeld, Julie Kagawa, Jackie Morse Kessler, Kiera Cass, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, A.G. Howard, S.S. Taylor, and Elizabeth Kelly Gillihan.  I got a little crazy in the crowds, but I survived to tell the tale!

All in all, it was AMAZING and exhausting, as it is every year and I may or may not have been both manic and half-asleep on the train rides both there and back...

So...that's the quickie version of my experience this year.  I'm planning to start reviewing the picture books that I received this year tomorrow...and I hope to progress to the longer YA and adult books within the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for some reviews of great upcoming books!!

And, just because I want to share some of the other photos I took at BEA...here you go!

Meeting A.G.Howard, author of Splintered!

Meeting Jackie Morse Kessler, another favorite author!

Meeting Kiera Cass, author of The Selection!

Meeting authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke with their upcoming debut, Your Perfect Life. 

Meeting S.S. Taylor and Katherine Roy, the author and illustrator of the fabulous
middlegrade steampunk "Expeditioners" series!

As I said, I'll be posting reviews and recaps of the books that I got in the next few weeks, so keep checking back!  

Cover Reveal: How to Date Dead Guys!

So, BEA was this weekend and I plan to start reviewing my BEA treasures later this week... but TODAY, I am excited to be part of the cover reveal for Ann Noser's How to Date Dead Guys! 

Here's the basics:
HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS
Publication date: July 15th, 2014

Book Description:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.

ANNNNNDDDD....Drumroll please... 

Here's the cover! 

So, what do you all think?  I haven't read the book, yet, so I don't know that it perfectly matches the story, but from the description I think it's a great cover.  Check back here in late July for a guest post from the author as part of the book's blog tour! 

For more information on Ann Noser:

Social Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

My Top 5 (All Right, Really it's Six...) Books to Hunt Down at BEA 2014

So....at BEA there are a TON of books every year.  It can be amazing and totally overwhelming.  For the last two years, I finally figured out the system that works the best for me in wading through the sheer number of books readily available... I make a list of books I'm dying to pick up and then I color code that to narrow it down even further to five or maybe ten books MAX that I will desperately hunt for while in the Javitz.  The rest I leave pretty much to chance.

So what are this year's top choices, you ask?

Martyr by A.R. Kahler

 I LOVED A.R. Kahler's Immortal Circus series, so I'm dying to read this new one. 

Talon by Julie Kagawa

 I love Julie Kagawa's writing and storylines, so I'm anxious to see how she tackles dragons! 

The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale

The Ever After High series is TOO cute and come on, Shannon Hale! Love her books.  

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly 

I love Donnelly's other books and I cannot wait to see her tackle a fantasy... I hadn't thought this one was going to be at BEA, but I think it just might be!!  

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton's Lair by S.S. Taylor

I LOVED the first book in this steampunk middle grade adventure series. I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw the sequel coming out! 

...AND of course, I've read this one already, but if I could get a signed, finished copy??? *swoon*

The One by Kiera Cass

What's On My Hold List?

Picture from YaBookNerd's blog,
because, though, I started this meme
she created a much cuter pic for it!

Welcome to the April 2014 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.

These are the books I'm waiting for right now:

Dorothy Must Die
by Danielle Paige 

The Inventor's Secret
by Andrea Cremer

Meridian 
by Josin L. McQuein
Arclight, book two 

The Princess in the Opal Mask
by Jenny Lundquist

Rebel Belle 
by Rachel Hawkins

Ruin and Rising
by Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha, book three

You can click on each title to go to their Goodreads page for a description...

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??

What's On My Hold List?

Picture from YaBookNerd's blog,
because, though, I started this meme
she created a much cuter pic for it!

Welcome to the March 2014 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.

I cannot believe how long it feels like it's been since I shared my hold list with you all! So, here you go... 

These are the books I'm waiting for right now:

The Prince and the Guard
by Kiera Cass
The Selection Stories

Rebel Spring 
by Morgan Rhodes
Falling Kingdoms, book two 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin

Wild Things 
by Chloe Neill
Chicagoland Vampires, book nine

The Winner's Curse
by Marie Rutkowski
The Winner's Trilogy, book one

You can click on each title to go to their Goodreads page for a description...

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??

Anxiously Awaiting... Winterspell

Winterspell 
by Claire Legrand

Publication date: Sept. 30, 2014 

Description:
The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly nothuman. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

Oooh! This one sounds dark and delicious.  I can't wait.  

Check out more info here. 

What's On My Hold List?

Picture from YaBookNerd's blog,
because, though, I started this meme
she created a much cuter pic for it!

Welcome to the January 2014 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.

So, here's what I'm waiting for right now:

Frozen 
by Melissa De La Cruz
and Michael Johnston
Heart of Dread, book one

The Offering 
by Kimberly Derting
The Pledge, book three

P.K. Pinkerton and the Petrified Man
by Caroline Lawrence
Western Mysteries, book two

Roomies
by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Unleashing Mr. Darcy
by Teri Wilson

You can click on each title to go to their Amazon page for a description...

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??