Waiting on Wednesday (on Thursday*): Wither

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly feature started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's where we can gossip about yet-to-be-released books that we're looking forward to.

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

That cover is so striking and so enticing, I just want to stare at it for hours.This book sounds so incredibly amazing. It has been receiving 5 star reviews all around the book blogging world and I can't wait to read it.

Wither releases on March 22, 2011.

*I wasn't able to get to a computer yesterday. Sorry for the delay.

Waiting on Wednesday: Tera Lynn Childs

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly feature started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's where we can gossip about yet-to-be-released books that we're looking forward to.

New series, in which triplet descendants of Medusa learn they are destined to guard the door between the world of monsters and the world of men – pitched as a mythological Charmed.

Even though this synopsis is vague and reveals almost nothing about Sweet Venom in particular, I am salivating over the prospect of reading this book. Tera Lynn Childs is one of my favorite authors, with her fresh storylines and her witty dialogue, and I can't wait to read this novel.

Sweet Venom releases on October 4, 2011.

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams?

Fins Are Forever is the second in Tera Lynn Childs' mermaid series and it sounds fantastic! The first book, Forgive My Fins, was an enormously entertaining read and anything else about Lily and Quinn was bound to get my attention. If you're a fan of contemporary fantasy, pick up this series!

Fins Are Forever releases on July 1, 2011.

P.S. Aren't those covers enchanting?

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly feature started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's where we can gossip about yet-to-be-released books that we're looking forward to.

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they'd rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.
Cara's parents' unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body - no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run - on the field and off - Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he'll be living a life his ancestors would never understand.
Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?
A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.

I am a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins. I have devoured every single one of her books, usually in only one sitting. Impulse was one of my favorites and I cannot wait for Perfect to be released. It sounds wonderful and Ellen's writing is brilliant. Dark and edgy, but still very realistic. And isn't that cover gorgeous? I definitely recommend adding Perfect to your reading list.

Perfect releases on September 13, 2011.

DARKNESS BECOMES HER by Kelly Keaton

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.
Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.


Oh. My. Gosh! I was so completely wowed by Darkness Becomes Her. The concept is so completely original and unexpected, the novel is part Gothic romance, part dystopian, part fantasy, part paranormal, and part contemporary as well. Only twenty pages in and I was hooked. Staying up late and skipping homework were part of my routine as I poured through this book.
     Ari is such a cool, complicated character. She tries to be tough, and can certainly kick some major ass, but she's soft and as susceptible to good looks as any of us girls are. She has her weaknesses, but that just makes her that much more relatable.
     The paranormal aspects of this novel are completely different from anything I've ever read before. There are vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and cross-breeds all mixed up into one story in the most fascinating way possible. Twists and turns and unexpected plot changes were running rampant through Darkness Becomes Her. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I reached the last page; not to mention the fact that my jaw was hanging open. I did some digging and it turns out this is a series (called Gods & Monsters) and the next book is coming out next year. Thank God! I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel and I hope you'll give Darkness Becomes Her a try once it releases into stores next month. Any devoted fan of fantasy, paranormal, or romance is bound to love this book. Give it a go!

5/5 stars



Darkness Becomes Her releases on February 22, 2011.

**ARC received from publisher Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

My Apologies

Sorry about the lapse in posts this January, I've been swamped with homework (Go High School!) and I haven't been near a computer much in the last month. I've still been reading crazily so there's lots of reviews soon to come. Stay tuned!

THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell

It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

Wow. I really enjoyed Saundra Mitchell's Shadowed Summer but The Vespertine exceeded all of my expectations. It's been a while since I've read a historical novel--I've been a bit overwhelmed by paranormals--but I am so glad I picked this one up. I honestly felt like I was in 1889 with Amelia and the rest of the cast of characters. There was a perfect mix of historical and paranormal, and oh, the twists! There are so many, I can't even describe how often I was holding my breath. The romance and chemistry meters are high--Amelia and Nathaniel literally cannot stay away from each other. Amelia's gift of seeing the future at sunset is unique and hides quite a few surprises. Though it appears like a light read, The Vespertine is actually quite dark at certain points. Amelia and her best friend and cousin, Zora, are quite naive at the beginning of the novel, but they quickly realize that life is not simply about finding a husband and settling down. They both have to face some serious issues. I don't think I've given much away with this review and that's how it should be. If you decide to read The Vespertine be prepared for some heart-stopping moments. I loved it! I CANNOT wait to find out what happens next in the second novel of the series, The Springsweet, though I have absolutely no idea when it releases. Sometime in 2012, perhaps? Hopefully sooner. And isn't that cover gorgeous?

5/5 stars

The Vespertine releases on March 7, 2011.
** ARC received from publisher at the request of the author.

VICTORY DANCE!!!

I got my first ARC EVER in the mail today! There are absolutely no words to express how excited I am! I realize I have zero followers and my stats aren't all that great, but I got an ARC! That must mean something, right? I'd like to give a shout out to Saundra Mitchell and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing: Thank you for the copy of THE VESPERTINE! So, now that I'm done gushing, I'm going to go read my book now. :)

Isn't that cover absolutely gorgeous?



Waiting on Wednesday: Slice of Cherry

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly feature started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's where we can gossip about yet-to-be-released books that we're looking forward to.



Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.
It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities….

I absolutely loved Dia Reeve's Bleeding Violet and it sounds as if Slice of Cherry is set in the same world. Though quite odd and a little disturbing, I definitely recommend Bleeding Violet if you like books that are a little different. I can't wait to read this one!

MATCHED by Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
 
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

SPOILER ALERT!!!
Ally Condie has created an incredible world, far into the future, both alike and different from our own. The Officials control everything: what people eat, who you marry, how many children you have and when you can have them. It seems as if this future world is a perfect place for all, but quickly reveals its flaws as you dig deeper.
Though advertised as a romance, this book has so much more in store. Cassia is fighting for control of her life against the Officials, her Match, even her family. She has always accepted her world and what it is but now she finds herself crossing the line here and there, just to see what the reaction would be.
The romance between Cassia and Ky is very sweet and very realistic. The author takes the time to show why they are falling in love with each other, but that  brings the speed of the plot down quite a bit. If you're impatient to see a conclusion, you will be disappointed, but I recommend hanging in there to see what happens. This is a trilogy, so there is more to come (thank God!), but the ending of Matched is definitely unfulfilling. No conclusion, no sense of closure, though perhaps that's what the author intended.

I definitely recommend giving this book a try, but it is not for those who are looking for a quick read. In ways it's similar to Sarah Dessen's novels, character-wise, but Matched creates a world of its own.

4 stars

2011 Debut Author Challenge

My first year doing the Challenge and I'm so excited! I participated informally last year (16 books!) but now it's all official and everything....The object of the challenge is to read at least 12 YA novels by debut authors during the course of 2011. If you're interested in participating, sign up here. Though the challenge is to read 12 books I no doubt will read a few more. Here is my list so far:

January
1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
2. Entangled by Cat Clarke
3. Timeless by Alexandra Monir
4. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
5. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
February
6. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
7. Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
8. So Shelly by Ty Roth
9. Rival by Sarah Bennett Wealer
10. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
11. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
12. Haven by Kristi Cook
13. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
March
14. Clarity by Kim Harrington
15. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
16. Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
17. Wither by Lauren DeStefona
18. Entwined by Heather Dixon
19. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
20. Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
April
21. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
22. Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese
May
23. Die For Me by Amy Plum
24. Mercy by Rebecca Lim
25. Hourglass by Myra  McEntire
26. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
June
27. Hereafter by Tara Hudson
28. Possession by Elana Johnson
July
29. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
30. Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray
31. Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
32. Bad Taste In Boys by Carrie Harris
33. By Midnight by Mia James
34. Wildefire by Karsten Knight
August
35. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
September
36. Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Okay, so a LOT more than 12 books. Triple that. I know I'm going to change this list like crazy--add this, take away that--so bear with me. I'm really looking forward to all the new books next year will bring; they all sound, and look, SO GOOD!!! I'm a book-aholic and I'm not afraid to admit it :)