I'm REALLY sorry this is a week late, everyone! Last week was so, so crazy. I worked some weird shift hours, which didn't allow for a lot of free time. Heck, I don't think I even really wrote anything! Plus, I had to go into Philly one night and into NYC yesterday, so I traveled a lot... Sorry! *apologizes* And some of these books are already out, geez...
Anyway!
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. Some of my highly-anticipated books are FINALLY coming out. I wound up spotlighting two books again this month because I just couldn't choose one!
I use these markers:
[AF]: (Adult fiction) if it's something you'd find on the main bookfloor [YA]: (Young Adults) if it's something for teens or middle-grade.
Click on each book title to be taken to a full summary courtesy of Goodreads.
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 : A B A N D O N b y M E G C A B O T
Um, it's Meg Cabot. Confession? I sort of have a girl crush on her. Then again, who doesn't? The woman writes magic. I heart her so much. Even if you haven't read Cabot in the past or didn't care for b/c she's not your personal cup of tea (is that even possible?), there's a chance you still might like Abandon. Why? One word: MYTHOLOGY. Yes, the Queen of Chick Lit is coming out with a young adult trilogy based around the story of Persephone (one of my all-time favorite mythological tales). I've been dying for this book and already have it on pre-order. That's how much I want to read this: All the Cabot books I own are in paperback. I have a touch of OCD and like my titles to match, but for this book, I'm breaking that rule. See what this woman does to me...!!
S P O T L I G H T O N : E O N A b y A L I S O N G O O D M A N
I *loved* Eon. The fantasy, the adventure, the Asian lore woven through its pages! The novel was stunning and at its conclusion, I need to know more. Finally, FINALLY, the sequel is here! Look at that cover--it's STUNNING. I have serious cover love here. Yesterday, I went into NYC for the day and found an early copy at The Strand for half-price. I couldn't resist buying it. Like what I mentioned above with Meg Cabot, I don't like mixing paperbacks and hardbacks. I own Eon in paperback. I think I annoyed my friend yesterday b/c I kept going back and forth about whether or not to buy the sequel in tradecloth then and there, or just wait a couple weeks to borrow it and read. But what if it comes out in paperback and the cover isn't so pretty? Plus, I like the paperback cover better than the hardback for the original novel, so I don't want to upgrade that... So again, I have mixed books on my shelf. But for Eona? Totally sure it will be worth it!
o n e s t o w a t c h ( A p r i l 2 0 1 1 )
A p r i l 5 :
(With a couple of titles before/after due to soft release dates)
...and I forgot these the first time around, or else they'd be in the right ABC order above. Oops!
*Friendship Bread by Darien Gee [AF]: This sounds like a warm, heart-warming novel. It's about the way bread brings together a community of people and the way everyone comes together after a tragedy.
*Huntress by Malinda Lo
[YA]: A new high fantasy for teens, yay! Huntress is a sort of prequel to Ash, a groundbreaking alternative take on the beloved Cinderella tale. This novel takes place in a world where nature has gone topsy-turvy. Everything is in a state of decay, and new animals are cropping up--and they're not always nice. Two girls will embark on a journey to change things through this lush, Chinese-oriented novel.
*Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
[YA]: More Dystopian fiction, yay! I can't get enough of this stuff... This one takes place in a world where a little pill can make you forget anything, and about what happens to Nora, the girl who chooses not to forget... *shivers*
*Plague by Michael Grant
[YA]: Fourth in the Dystopian Gone series! Each book is deadlier than the last, and with a title like Plague, I'm sure this will be the grimmest one yet. For those new to Gone, it's about a world where everyone over the age of fifteen suddenly disappears in the blink of an eye. All of the kids are left behind, but they 'poof' out of the world upon their 15th birthday. I read the first three last year, but never reviewed them b/c they were older titles and Gone was coming out in the not-so-distant future. Can't wait to share this one with you, though!
*Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
[YA]: I read this one already and will be participating in a blog tour later this month. Yay, it will be my first one! :) Rage is a sequel to Hunger (which I reviewed last year) and is the second in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse quartet. It follows a girl destined to become War, a girl who has become a cutter because she always feels dead inside... I'm flirting with the idea of posting the review this week or waiting until closer to the tour stop. I'll have a lot going on that week and don't know if you guys will get annoyed with two reviews in one day...
*Red Glove by Holly Black
[YA]: Hopefully I'll get a review out to you this week! I should have done so this past week, but again, no free time... This is a sequel to White Cat, which takes place in a world where Curse Workers rule supreme. It's gritty and real; I love the way Black brings her world to life. This book has so much mystery and intrigue; definitely a worthy sequel!
*39 Clues: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson [YA]: This starts off as a series prequel that explains more of the shocking revelations from Book 10, then slowly moves to present day and sets the path for the next arc of the series. Each author writes one of the four novel parts/sections. Originally, 39 Clues was supposed to be a ten-book series; I was shocked to read book ten and see that it was to continue! I got lucky and saw this sitting on a shelf right at the library entrance the other day. Mine, mine, mine!
*The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy edited by Leah Wilson [YA]: Essays by various authors revolving around various aspects and themes from the bestselling The Hunger Games trilogy. I love analyzing things in-depth like this and hope someone shares my viewpoint on Mockingjay and explains why it's AWESOME to all the haters out there! ^.~
A p r i l 1 2 :
*After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn [AF...but Vaughn also writes YA]: Our MC is the daughter of two superheroes, but has no powers of her own. Yet she is her city's only hope in bringing down a dastardly super-villain. I'm seriously so enamored with the premise of all of Vaughn's novels. How have I never read her before now? I bought Steel when it came out last month and have since purchased bargain versions of Voices of Dragons and Discord's Apple from Amazon. I picked this book up yesterday at The Strand for half-price. I was so excited to see it there already! ...But then sad later that day when I found it at Book-Off for $5. Then again, I paid $12.50+tax, which is still a good deal!
*Enclave by Ann Aguirre [YA]: Aguire's debut novel for teens, but not her first published title. Plus, it's Dystopian! Yay! It was originally titled Razorland, which is now what the series is called instead. Plus, the cover is totally different now. I'm sort of enamored with the first one. I've seen the new one in person and it doesn't really jump out at you. Plus, there's blood on the new one...and is that creepy hand missing part of its finger? I'm sort of squeamish. *hides*
A p r i l 1 9 :
Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
[YA]: SEQUEL TO EON!! That is all. Featured above!
*Ranger’s Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
[YA]: Okay, confession time: I'm really behind on this series. I've read, um...*coughs* two now? Over a year ago? It's not that I don't like the series, because I really do! I own all six of the paperbacks (why are they taking SO long to come out this way? We're up to ten now, people! Where are 7+?) I just have to go back and re-read the first two to remember the world where I left off...and I don't have time to re-read atm. But this title...The Emperor of Nihon-Ja? Nihon is Japan...Hmmm!! Will there be an Asian setting this time around?
A p r i l 2 6 :
*Abandon by Meg Cabot [YA]: YAY, new Meg Cabot! YAY, mythology! Dying for this one. Featured above!
*Bumped by Megan McCafferty [YA]: The author of the bestselling Jessica Darling series tries her hand at YA fiction for the first time...and it's DYSTOPIAN! *in awe* I can't wait to delve into McCafferty's writing once more. This one is about twins living in a world where everyone over the age of eighteen has suddenly become infertile. Adults pay a premium to get teens to have babies early and the twins are on opposite sides regarding whether this method is right or wrong... I've had this ARC through netGalley awhile now and haven't had time to read it. It makes me so upset!! *dying for it*
Carmen by Walter Dean Myers [YA]: A best-selling teen author with a new offering, this one centered around the famous tragic opera Carmen. How cool is that?
*Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels [YA]: This one has a touch of my favorite novel, My Sister's Keeper, where one boy is brought into our world so that his stem cells could be harvested to save his dying brother, much as Anna was brought into the world in MSK in order to save Kate. But that's where the similarities end. One of the brothers is accused of murder, which leaves the younger of the two questioning his very existence. If he was brought into the world to save his brother and his brother did something so horrible, does this make him a monster, too? This is a novel that sounds deep and psychological. I love titles that make me think!
*The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter [YA]: Another mythological romance for teens. I'm so excited! I've had an ARC of this courtesy of Goodreads for awhile, but like with Bumped, haven't had time to do anything other than start it! It's about a girl who moves back to her mother's hometown because her mom is sick and dying. She meets a guy who claims that he's Hades. She thinks he's full of it, but soon changes her mind after seeing him bring someone back to life. If he's for real, he can bring her mother back to life, but then she'll have to marry him, which would make her a goddess... Sounds AWESOME!
*The Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain [AF]: A new book by Diane Chamberlain! If you haven't read her before, what are you waiting for? She's been hailed as "the Southern Jodi Picoult." Her newest novel is about a midwife who commits suicide and leaves behind a letter, one with a dark confession that will change the lives of not just the people who find it, but someone they've never even met...
P a p e r b a c k s :
Hopefully, you'll check these out now that they're available at a more affordable price. Great stuff!
*Mistwood by Leah Cypress [YA]: I just went to find my review from when I read this last year, but it looks like I never reviewed it. How is that even possible? *hides* Mistwood was a great high fantasy novel and I'm highly anticipating its companion, Nightspell, which comes out May 31st. If you like authors such as Tamora Pierce or Kristin Cashore, you'll love Cypress, too. It's about a girl who is The Shifter, an immortal creature, and the prince who finds her in the forest and brings her to the palace for protection, despite the fact that she's a threat to him.
Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones [YA]: I didn't get a chance to read this one in hardcover, so I'm looking forward to reading it in paperback. I think it will be hard to read, though, since DWJ passed away so recently. This one is about a man who inherits a magical house after his grandfather passes away and must come to terms with the place, especially after an orphan boy shows up on his doorstep and danger begins lurking at his door...
So, which books are you looking forward to this month, Bookworms? Any of the above? Something I totally missed? Do you see how April both comes in with an onslaught, then slams us again with titles the last week, but sags in the middle? Crazy! I won't get to read most of these (or my backlist) until May b/c of something special coming up...!
Anyway!
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. Some of my highly-anticipated books are FINALLY coming out. I wound up spotlighting two books again this month because I just couldn't choose one!
I use these markers:
[AF]: (Adult fiction) if it's something you'd find on the main bookfloor [YA]: (Young Adults) if it's something for teens or middle-grade.
Click on each book title to be taken to a full summary courtesy of Goodreads.
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!)
Um, it's Meg Cabot. Confession? I sort of have a girl crush on her. Then again, who doesn't? The woman writes magic. I heart her so much. Even if you haven't read Cabot in the past or didn't care for b/c she's not your personal cup of tea (is that even possible?), there's a chance you still might like Abandon. Why? One word: MYTHOLOGY. Yes, the Queen of Chick Lit is coming out with a young adult trilogy based around the story of Persephone (one of my all-time favorite mythological tales). I've been dying for this book and already have it on pre-order. That's how much I want to read this: All the Cabot books I own are in paperback. I have a touch of OCD and like my titles to match, but for this book, I'm breaking that rule. See what this woman does to me...!!
I *loved* Eon. The fantasy, the adventure, the Asian lore woven through its pages! The novel was stunning and at its conclusion, I need to know more. Finally, FINALLY, the sequel is here! Look at that cover--it's STUNNING. I have serious cover love here. Yesterday, I went into NYC for the day and found an early copy at The Strand for half-price. I couldn't resist buying it. Like what I mentioned above with Meg Cabot, I don't like mixing paperbacks and hardbacks. I own Eon in paperback. I think I annoyed my friend yesterday b/c I kept going back and forth about whether or not to buy the sequel in tradecloth then and there, or just wait a couple weeks to borrow it and read. But what if it comes out in paperback and the cover isn't so pretty? Plus, I like the paperback cover better than the hardback for the original novel, so I don't want to upgrade that... So again, I have mixed books on my shelf. But for Eona? Totally sure it will be worth it!
A p r i l 5 :
(With a couple of titles before/after due to soft release dates)
...and I forgot these the first time around, or else they'd be in the right ABC order above. Oops!
*Friendship Bread by Darien Gee [AF]: This sounds like a warm, heart-warming novel. It's about the way bread brings together a community of people and the way everyone comes together after a tragedy.
*Huntress by Malinda Lo
[YA]: A new high fantasy for teens, yay! Huntress is a sort of prequel to Ash, a groundbreaking alternative take on the beloved Cinderella tale. This novel takes place in a world where nature has gone topsy-turvy. Everything is in a state of decay, and new animals are cropping up--and they're not always nice. Two girls will embark on a journey to change things through this lush, Chinese-oriented novel.
*Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
[YA]: More Dystopian fiction, yay! I can't get enough of this stuff... This one takes place in a world where a little pill can make you forget anything, and about what happens to Nora, the girl who chooses not to forget... *shivers*
*Plague by Michael Grant
[YA]: Fourth in the Dystopian Gone series! Each book is deadlier than the last, and with a title like Plague, I'm sure this will be the grimmest one yet. For those new to Gone, it's about a world where everyone over the age of fifteen suddenly disappears in the blink of an eye. All of the kids are left behind, but they 'poof' out of the world upon their 15th birthday. I read the first three last year, but never reviewed them b/c they were older titles and Gone was coming out in the not-so-distant future. Can't wait to share this one with you, though!
*Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
[YA]: I read this one already and will be participating in a blog tour later this month. Yay, it will be my first one! :) Rage is a sequel to Hunger (which I reviewed last year) and is the second in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse quartet. It follows a girl destined to become War, a girl who has become a cutter because she always feels dead inside... I'm flirting with the idea of posting the review this week or waiting until closer to the tour stop. I'll have a lot going on that week and don't know if you guys will get annoyed with two reviews in one day...
*Red Glove by Holly Black
[YA]: Hopefully I'll get a review out to you this week! I should have done so this past week, but again, no free time... This is a sequel to White Cat, which takes place in a world where Curse Workers rule supreme. It's gritty and real; I love the way Black brings her world to life. This book has so much mystery and intrigue; definitely a worthy sequel!
*39 Clues: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson [YA]: This starts off as a series prequel that explains more of the shocking revelations from Book 10, then slowly moves to present day and sets the path for the next arc of the series. Each author writes one of the four novel parts/sections. Originally, 39 Clues was supposed to be a ten-book series; I was shocked to read book ten and see that it was to continue! I got lucky and saw this sitting on a shelf right at the library entrance the other day. Mine, mine, mine!
*The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy edited by Leah Wilson [YA]: Essays by various authors revolving around various aspects and themes from the bestselling The Hunger Games trilogy. I love analyzing things in-depth like this and hope someone shares my viewpoint on Mockingjay and explains why it's AWESOME to all the haters out there! ^.~
*After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn [AF...but Vaughn also writes YA]: Our MC is the daughter of two superheroes, but has no powers of her own. Yet she is her city's only hope in bringing down a dastardly super-villain. I'm seriously so enamored with the premise of all of Vaughn's novels. How have I never read her before now? I bought Steel when it came out last month and have since purchased bargain versions of Voices of Dragons and Discord's Apple from Amazon. I picked this book up yesterday at The Strand for half-price. I was so excited to see it there already! ...But then sad later that day when I found it at Book-Off for $5. Then again, I paid $12.50+tax, which is still a good deal!
*Enclave by Ann Aguirre [YA]: Aguire's debut novel for teens, but not her first published title. Plus, it's Dystopian! Yay! It was originally titled Razorland, which is now what the series is called instead. Plus, the cover is totally different now. I'm sort of enamored with the first one. I've seen the new one in person and it doesn't really jump out at you. Plus, there's blood on the new one...and is that creepy hand missing part of its finger? I'm sort of squeamish. *hides*
Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
[YA]: SEQUEL TO EON!! That is all. Featured above!
*Ranger’s Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
[YA]: Okay, confession time: I'm really behind on this series. I've read, um...*coughs* two now? Over a year ago? It's not that I don't like the series, because I really do! I own all six of the paperbacks (why are they taking SO long to come out this way? We're up to ten now, people! Where are 7+?) I just have to go back and re-read the first two to remember the world where I left off...and I don't have time to re-read atm. But this title...The Emperor of Nihon-Ja? Nihon is Japan...Hmmm!! Will there be an Asian setting this time around?
*Abandon by Meg Cabot [YA]: YAY, new Meg Cabot! YAY, mythology! Dying for this one. Featured above!
*Bumped by Megan McCafferty [YA]: The author of the bestselling Jessica Darling series tries her hand at YA fiction for the first time...and it's DYSTOPIAN! *in awe* I can't wait to delve into McCafferty's writing once more. This one is about twins living in a world where everyone over the age of eighteen has suddenly become infertile. Adults pay a premium to get teens to have babies early and the twins are on opposite sides regarding whether this method is right or wrong... I've had this ARC through netGalley awhile now and haven't had time to read it. It makes me so upset!! *dying for it*
Carmen by Walter Dean Myers [YA]: A best-selling teen author with a new offering, this one centered around the famous tragic opera Carmen. How cool is that?
*Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels [YA]: This one has a touch of my favorite novel, My Sister's Keeper, where one boy is brought into our world so that his stem cells could be harvested to save his dying brother, much as Anna was brought into the world in MSK in order to save Kate. But that's where the similarities end. One of the brothers is accused of murder, which leaves the younger of the two questioning his very existence. If he was brought into the world to save his brother and his brother did something so horrible, does this make him a monster, too? This is a novel that sounds deep and psychological. I love titles that make me think!
*The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter [YA]: Another mythological romance for teens. I'm so excited! I've had an ARC of this courtesy of Goodreads for awhile, but like with Bumped, haven't had time to do anything other than start it! It's about a girl who moves back to her mother's hometown because her mom is sick and dying. She meets a guy who claims that he's Hades. She thinks he's full of it, but soon changes her mind after seeing him bring someone back to life. If he's for real, he can bring her mother back to life, but then she'll have to marry him, which would make her a goddess... Sounds AWESOME!
*The Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain [AF]: A new book by Diane Chamberlain! If you haven't read her before, what are you waiting for? She's been hailed as "the Southern Jodi Picoult." Her newest novel is about a midwife who commits suicide and leaves behind a letter, one with a dark confession that will change the lives of not just the people who find it, but someone they've never even met...
Hopefully, you'll check these out now that they're available at a more affordable price. Great stuff!
*Mistwood by Leah Cypress [YA]: I just went to find my review from when I read this last year, but it looks like I never reviewed it. How is that even possible? *hides* Mistwood was a great high fantasy novel and I'm highly anticipating its companion, Nightspell, which comes out May 31st. If you like authors such as Tamora Pierce or Kristin Cashore, you'll love Cypress, too. It's about a girl who is The Shifter, an immortal creature, and the prince who finds her in the forest and brings her to the palace for protection, despite the fact that she's a threat to him.
Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones [YA]: I didn't get a chance to read this one in hardcover, so I'm looking forward to reading it in paperback. I think it will be hard to read, though, since DWJ passed away so recently. This one is about a man who inherits a magical house after his grandfather passes away and must come to terms with the place, especially after an orphan boy shows up on his doorstep and danger begins lurking at his door...
So, which books are you looking forward to this month, Bookworms? Any of the above? Something I totally missed? Do you see how April both comes in with an onslaught, then slams us again with titles the last week, but sags in the middle? Crazy! I won't get to read most of these (or my backlist) until May b/c of something special coming up...!
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