Ones to Watch: January 2011

At the beginning of each month, I like to point out upcoming titles that seem worthy of being read. Granted, this is just my opinion on books that I personally want to read. This month is chock-full of new releases. It's like the industry is making up for a lackluster December by slamming us with books in November and January. Where will I find all the time to read everything? I've been dying for some of these books, too!

DISCLAIMER: I'm all over the place when it comes to genre, so there will most likely be books that don't appeal to you. There might also be something you're looking forward to not on the list. We're sure to have some titles in common, though! (There's also a good chance I won't get to every book I want to read, so if doesn't show up as a review here, it doesn't mean I didn't care for it! Plus, there are some books that I may want to look at due to a summary or cover image but may decide not to read because it's not *my* personal type of book, and that's okay, too. Still pointing them out early!)

S P O T L I G H T O N : W A R P E D B Y M A U R I S S A G U I B O R D



It was hard to choose just ONE book to spotlight this month. There are so many that I'm dying to read...and some Dystopian novels, no less! I chose Warped because it sounds so different from everything else I've been reading lately. For one thing, there are UNICORNS. It's about a girl who finds an old tapestry and time travels, where she uncovers dangerous secrets and falls for a man whose fate rests with hers. It sounds intriguing. Plus, I can't wait to see that cover up close!









o n e s t o w a t c h ( J a n . 2 0 1 1 )


J a n . 1 - 6 :
(because titles are scattered throughout the week for some reason)





*The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher: This book has already arrived at my local B&N. The cover is gorgeous up close. The water looks like the cover model's eyelash. This is one of my most-anticipated books of the month because it's a new entry in the Dystopian genre. Justin Cronin, who received critical acclaim with his 2010 novel, The Passage, has a blurb on the front comparing the novel to The Hunger Games. That right there will help sell the book. The synopsis for The Water Wars is reminiscent of a musical I love, Urinetown. Both stories deal with a Dystopian world where water is scarce. I almost put a spotlight on this book. I really want to read it!






*Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell: Another Dystopian, this one featuring the raven trickster god (The title brings memories of Tamora Pierce's Trickster books to mind). It seems humans and their waste are destroying the planet, which can only be restored to health if they stop interfering. The raven deity teams up with a teenage girl to try to make amends.









*The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card: It's Orson Scott Card. 'Nuff said. According to the publisher's note in my ARC, Card has been working on this one for 33 years, which means it will be awesome and well-developed (or so I hope). It's a fantasy novel with Norse mythology, which makes it an instant MUST in my book.










*Over the Moon by Jake van Leer, Jodi Picoult , Ellen Wilber: Jodi Picoult helped with this one. Need I say more? Actually, this is an experimental new direction for her because to the best of my knowledge, this is the book of a musical. I'd love to see the show if a production is mounted; it sounds cute! It's a mash-up of fairytales and Shakespeare. What more could you want? The cover reminds me of a poster for the musical Crazy for You, but in a way, that makes it seem more "classic" than so much of what's currently playing.







*Left Neglected by Lisa Genova: Realistic fiction at its finest. Genova focuses on one of the modern day problems in our society: People who talk/text on the phone while driving. In an instant, a woman is involved in a traumatic accident that renders the left side of her world obsolete. The novel deals with her and her family's ability to recoup and bounce back.










*XVI by Julia Karr: Another book that lost the fight for the Spotlight crown AND another new Dystopian by a debut author. On their 16th birthday (Get it? XVI?), girls receive a special tattoo. These tattoos let men know they are "ready" for sex...even if they're truly not. This book sounds like it will be dark, gritty, and brutal...but I can't wait to read it!









J a n . 1 1 :




*Across the Universe by Beth Revis: I already got to read an ARC of this debut novel and can't wait to tell you all about it. Sometimes I have trouble wrapping my brain around sci-fi novels, but this one kept me intrigued until the very last page. In short, people from Earth are frozen and sent to a planet similar to ours that's 300 years away. A teenage girl winds up waking up from her frozen sleep 50 years before the ship is due to land on the new planet and finds herself involved in a murder mystery. She works with a teenage boy destined to be the next ship leader in order to figure out who is pulling the plug before it's too late. One of the coolest things about this book is going to be its jacket; it turns completely inside out and becomes a completely different cover!






*Warped by Maurissa Guibord: Featured above!













J a n 2 5 :




*The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal: Yay, a new fairytale to whet my appetite! This one is about a girl who grew up believing she was a princess only to discover she was a stand-in to keep the real princess safe. Forced out on her own, she realizes there's a dangerous form of magic resting within her veins, one that could change everything. Talk about turning a cliché on its head! Definitely not your traditional fairytale. *salivates*









*Subject Seven by James A. Moore: This novel reminds me a bit of James Patterson's Maximum Ride series because they both deal with a genetically altered human being designed to be a weapon. Moore's debut follows a teenage boy who escapes from the lab in order to locate others like himself so that they can band together and take down their creators.









*The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern: A teenager finds a diary written in her own hand that reveals the future and must unravel the mystery behind its existence before dangerous secrets are unleashed.












Man, what a busy month!! I'm still reading books from November. How will I handle the latest onslaught? The publishing industry REALLY wants my money...

So, which books are you looking forward to this month, Bookworms? Any of the above? Something I totally missed? I'm glad last month's book drought is over, aren't you?

Comments

  1. SO excited for XVI and Water Wars! I hadn't heard of The False Princess, but it looks great! Kind of reminds me of The Goose Girl, but reversed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marissa, I was thinking it reminded ME of Goose Girl in reverse but didn't write that at the time! It's scary how alike we can think...

    And I knew you would love the Dystopians. I'm about to sign up for a Dystopian 2011 challenge and wait until you see how many books are coming out this year. I already have 17 titles in my Word document!

    ReplyDelete

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