August 30th Releases

There are too many releases today to list them all in the blog title. Here they all are:

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Cassandra Clare is an amazing author of the Mortal Instruments Series and Clockwork Angel, the first book in the Infernal Devices Series. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) by Jana Oliver

Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…
Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.
But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

I enjoyed the uniqueness of The Demon Trapper's Daughter and I can't wait to see what action and romance Jana Oliver has included in its sequel!

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....
It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...
Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.
On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.
In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

This has to be on my Top 10 most anticipated for 2011 Releases. It sounds like one of those freaky fairytales that'll keep you up at night, and scare you into being good. I can't wait to read it!

The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.
Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.
Everyone except Jenna Fox.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was an incredible, deep read that revealed an entirely new world. Jenna is one of my favorite MC's and I'm excited to see Mary's other characters come to life in this book.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths
Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret--behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.
In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.
But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

I haven't read anything by Lisa McMann but I've heard that her Wake Trilogy was amazing and I'm excited to read her books.

Twisted (Intertwined #3) by Gena Showalter

His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.
Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.
Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?

Intertwined was a very romantic and unique novel, I've yet to read the sequel Unraveled, but definitely consider reading these books.  

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Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found on the Internet.

Author News: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

John Green, the bestselling author of Paper Towns (read my review here), Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (along with David Levithan) has a new novel coming out in January 2012 called The Fault in Our Stars.

Now, there's no definete cover for The Fault in Our Stars, so I can't show it to you. But I can give you this: http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/ It is a handy dandy link to John Green's website, taking you conviniently to a post about The Fault in Our Stars.

Now, I've only ever read Paper Towns by John Green, but I'm looking forward to reading his other books. He's an amazing author, whose writing goes to the heart of things and looks deeper than just the outside. So, I highly suggest you read his novels, and quick, because January's coming fast and that means so is The Fault in Our Stars.

Release: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Hee hee. Um, this book actually came out on the 23rd, but my life has been pretty hectic lately and I forgot to post this.

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

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I Am Number Four was amazing, and since then I've been waiting for The Power of Six. I highly recommend reading these novels. Action packed, original, and with a perfect cast of characters, The Lorien Legacies are winners!

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Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found on the World Wide Web.

for those of you who don't know who he is:

this is the Doctor. You should really watch his show

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 343
Synopsis:

When you’re on a road trip, life is all about the detours….

Amy Curry is having a terrible year. Her mother has decided to move across the country and need Amy to get their car from California to Connecticut. There’s just one small problem: Since her dad died this past spring, Amy hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger, the nineteen-year-old son of an old family friend, who turns out to be unexpectedly cute…and dealing with some baggage of his own.

Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father’s death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most—and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.

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I loved this book. Despite the obvious romance (so amazing, by the way) this book is about Amy getting past her father's death and taking the blame of it off of herself. It's also about her forgiving her family for all leaving when she needed them most. She also helps Roger with his terrible break-up with his ex-girlfriend.

Amy's grief was very well written. From the beginning to the end, Morgan takes slow steps when she writes Amy's recovery. Getting over the death of a loved one is slow and Morgan makes sure that it seems that way in the book. Amy doesn't fully get over her father's death until very nearly the last page of the novel.

Since Roger wasn't the main character, I didn't feel as connected to him as I felt with Amy. His feelings were more in reserve since I couldn't hear his thoughts about Amy, the road trip, and finally meeting up with his ex. But you can tell that he cares about Amy, because whenever she talks about her dad or gets into a situation that she distinctly remembers her father in, Roger always jumps to her rescue.

Overall, I love the road trip theme of this novel. It was such a great idea! Where else do you get closer to people than in a car, traveling across the country? Amy and Roger's characters were excellent, and their stops from California to Connecticut build up to Amy and Roger's eventual romance and recovery. Each character is important and none are wasted. I can't wait to see if Morgan writes another novel!

The Cover: I love the road winding behind Amy and Roger. The script is also awesome!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Genre: science fiction, fantasy
Series and Book #: unknown*
Pages: 352
Synopsis:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very peculiar photographs.

 

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

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Alright, I admit it: I was afraid of this book before I got it. At first, I was like, Oh, this sounds cool. When I was at the book store, I picked it up, flipped through it, and chickened out. But then I saw a post on Beth Revis's blog that featured Miss Peregrine's, and I bought it immediately. Such a freakish, exciting, mysterious book! The vintage photography really made the book seem all the more real as well.

Jacob was a character that was sarcastic, but he had a great love for his grandpa. Even though he'd long since knew his grandpa's tales were false (or so he thought) he loved his grandfather even though his parents thought he'd slipped away mentally. When his grandfather dies, Jacob feels as if he didn't know his grandfather as well as he thought. He goes off to a small island in search of the orphanage. I thought Ransom took awhile getting to the point when Jacob finally decided to go to the island, and to find Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Ransom built this excellent world around the peculiars. From Miss Peregrine herself, to all the children and their abilities, including Jacob's, each peculiarity is unique and their lifestyles are equally different from our world. I found myself intrigued by the tiny details that Ransom added to make everything realistic.

Overall, so glad I had the guts to get this book. I wouldn't recommend reading it at night, though. As much as it is interesting, I did have difficulty getting the photos and the pictures of the monsters out of my head. It wasn't like a complete horror novel but it definitely had the scary factor. Ransom has made a winner, and I hope there's a sequel. I felt that the book left a door open for another novel.

The Cover: Effective. Very effective. The cover caught my attention before I even heard about it!

Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins

WARNING! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ HEX HALL, I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ THIS POST. THERE ARE SPOILERS!

Genre: paranormal, mystery
Series and Book #: Hex Hall #2
Pages: 359
Synopsis:

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shapeshifters, and faeries). But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of the only two in the world--the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good--or kill her.

But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They're demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Archer to do it. But it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

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An excellent sequel to Hex Hall! Sophie's back, and so are all the disasters that follow her. Starting with the demon kids that are living with her and Jenna, along with discovering who she's betrothed to, and an appearance of Archer! So much happens in only the first couple of chapters, which is something I've loved about these books. Rachel keeps the action coming.

Sophie's decision to go through the Removal was a wonderful ending to Hex Hall. But it was a bit rash in my decision, and I thought it was perfect to have her spend the summer with her father to learn more about being a demon. And her dad? Awesome! The usual characters were back--Jenna, the vampire, Archer, and Mrs. Casnoff, the headmistress of Hex Hall. But we are also shown Cal, the groundskeeper at Hex, more. He's also pretty cool.

Overall, one of the smartest, action-packed, best paranormal books I've ever read. Rachel has this way of making things not too obvious, so I didn't know who the culprit is before Sophie. She's also excellent at building romantic tension! Ugh, I couldn't decide which of the two boys--Cal or Archer--Sophie should choose! They were both too amazing. I'm anxiously awaiting Spell Bound, coming out in May of 2012.

The Cover: Jaw-dropping and dead-on accurate. The London back round, then the fiery reflection of Sophie. Awwwweeeesommmee!!!

Daily Dose (30)

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found on the Internet....

Hey everyone! I'm back! I had such a great time, and I read so many great books! I have so much to blog about!

A Note from your Blogger

Hi everyone! First off, sorry for the lack of posting this past week. I've been busy with other things and haven't have time to read much. And you're all probably going to be mad at me when I tell you this: I'm going on vacation this week, and I won't be blogging. Sorry! But I'll have plenty to talk about when I get back, plus there might be a contest coming, so be prepared for that!

Have a great summer everyone! Keep on reading!

Releases: Blood Ties by Mari Mancusi, The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab, and Between by Jessica Warman

Officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. When darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny must make a choice: stay true to her love, or defy him in a desperate attempt to save Jayden's soul.
Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up for a showdown with a splinter group of Slayer Inc. It's Vampires vs. Slayers in a showdown that could cost Sunny not only her heart...but also her life.

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect-or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.

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Blood Ties is a novel in a continuing series that I have not read called the Blood Coven Series. I've had friends who have read the books and they say it is hilarious and that I should really read it. Which I really should.

The Near Witch is totally on my MRL (located in the tab bar underneath the cat) and it sounds insanely suspenseful and scary. I can not wait to read it!

Between sounds really interesting, with the mystery and the thumping noise, but the last couple of sentences proclaiming it to be full of "heartbreaking character study", "touching romance", and "ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go" sounds completely like stories I've read before.

What do you think?

In My Mailbox (6): July

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where we share what books we've bought, received, or borrowed over the last week or, in my case, month. I don't get enough books over the week to cover a weekly IMM but I always do one every month. Here's June's! (Some of these books I've already read, so if you click on the links they should bring you to the review)

Bought:

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales (A Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classic)

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

Library Finds:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

Waiting for You by Suzanne Colasanti

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June by Robin Benway

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

How I Found the Perfect Dress by Maryrose Wood