Massive Cover Roundup!

Normally, I try to feature new cover releases that I really like within their own posts, but because there have been so many in the last week (and I've been on a hiatus), I decided to do a great big roundup of books that I am looking forward to.

So, without further ado, I bring you this weeks Waiting on Wednesday, a.k.a. That Time a bunch of HarperCollins 2013 Releases caused me to drool all over my laptop screen....

Boundless by Brodi Ashton

Release Date: January 22, 2013
Publisher: Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins
Find it on Goodreads!

Two months ago, the Tunnels of the underworld came for Nikki Beckett. That night, Nikki's boyfriend, Jack, made the ultimate sacrifice. All Nikki wants is to save Jack before it's too late. All Cole wants is to find his queen - and he thinks Nikki is the one. Both determined, both desperate, Nikki and Cole form a tense alliance, leading them on a dangerous journey to The Heart of The Everneath.

Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: January 22, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it on Goodreads!

No summary released yet!

Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Find it on Goodreads!

No summary released yet!

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it on Goodreads!

No summary released yet!

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Find it on Goodreads!

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

Taken by Erin Bowman

Release Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it on Goodreads!

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Taken by Kasie West

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it on Goodreads!

Reminiscent of the movie Sliding Doors, Pivot Point is about a girl who has the power to Search alternate futures. When faced with a life changing decision, she lives out six weeks of two different lives (in alternating chapters), both holding the potential for love and loss, and must ultimately choose which path she is willing to live through.

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Find it on Goodreads!

16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is Arkwell.

And then it comes true.

Now the Dusty has to follow the clues--both within Eli’s dreams and out of them--to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

If You Find Me Emily Murdoch

Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Find it on Goodreads!

A broken-down camper at the Obed Scenic and Wild River National Park - dubbed the Hundred Acre Wood - is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey has ever known.

Sure, coping with a bipolar mother on meth is no picnic, but beneath the sun-dazzled canopies of Hickory and Walnut, Carey's violin transports her from their bare-bones existence in the same way her little sister, Jenessa, finds comfort in her stash of second-hand Pooh books.

Life is dependable that way, until Mama goes into town for supplies and vanishes off the face of Tennessee, sending social services in her wake with a one-way ticket back to their father - a stranger in an even stranger world.

~*~ A portion of the proceeds will benefit Taylor Hendrix's Christmas Project. Sixteen-year-old Taylor, battling osteosarcoma, gathers gifts in backpacks to brighten the spirits of cancer teens in hospital during the Christmas holidays.

Who says books (and amazing teens!) can't change the world? ~*~

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperTeen
Find it on Goodreads!

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.

Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

The Casual Vacancy by J.k> Rowling

Release Date: September 27, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Find it on Goodreads!

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?

A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J. K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.

Any favorites? I am partial Everbound and Boundless, personally. I would pull a serious Smeagol to get my hands on those. MIIIINNNEEE.

Cover Reveal: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

You guys, THIS is why people shouldn't have jobs. Especially new jobs that require 50-60 hours a week and make it really hard to sneak on Twitter and Blogger during the day. Because if you suddenly find yourself strapped with a very demanding (albeit fun) job, you might miss a massively awesome cover reveal and be behind the times and feel very, very sad.

Stop pointing those accusing stares at me! I would never try to sneak on social media sites during work, or go into a slightly catatonic fit when I realized I missed the release of the Sever cover. Noooooooo.

(SSSSHHHHHHHHHH, don't tell!)

I will never love a cover the way I loved Wither. However, I do still think that Lizzie Bromley is a genius of a designer, and I did feel like Fever's cover captured the feeling of the book. Therefore, I am intrigued by the vaguely Stepford-wivish quality to this one! WHATEVER DOES IT MEAN?

Listen, all I'm saying is the end of Fever may have actually caused me to have an aneurysm. I don't think a book has ever--EVER I tell you!--caused me to walk away still feeling that emotionally frustrated (in both good and bad ways). I got weeks of good workouts after I finished it because I would have imaginary conversations between Linden and Rhine in my head and these confrontations would be FUELED WITH SUCH PASSION that I would pull a Forrest Gump and not even notice when 5 miles had passed.

Summary: Sever come to meeeeeeeeeee. (Accio Sever!)

Also, Go Team Linden.

Cover Reveal: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Paperback Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Find it on Goodreads!

Kelsey upon first seeing this cover: Wooooahhhhh.

And minutes later, once the awe wore off enough for language to return: Goregous! I love the dual imagery here of the snow and the pink. I wonder if everything on this cover is as thematically significant as it was with the Shatter Me cover. And if it is, what does the ice mean for our Juliette?

I have no idea Unravel Me has in store for us, so I am waiting with bated breath for the release of the publisher's summary. The only clue we have to go on now is this:

They want to find me. I will find them first.

Yikes!

*EDIT* We have a cover copy!!

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Waiting on Wednesday: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Release Date: January 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

Check it out on Goodreads!

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms . . . is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope. . . .

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

I would say my reaction to this book is 3 parts "OMG YAYYY" and 1 part trepidation, because doesn't that cover copy make it sound UNCANNILY like Kristin Cashore's Graceling? (Seven Kingdoms, a girl with strange eyes, female warrior, outcast, protecting the heir to the throne?)

However, seeing as authors never get to write their own summaries, it feels unfair to make any hard and fast judgements. Probably the publisher is trying to draw those parallels to help sales and the books are more diverse than they seem. Besdies, Graceling or no Graceling, this sounds like an AWESOME way to start of your 2013 (or finish your 2012 if you're lucky enough to get an ARC!)

PERSONAL EDIT: So I'm writing this post, and I'm struck by this really weird sense of deja vu as I look at the cover, and VOILA, it hits me! For my senior thesis in high school I wrote a novella (which is a whole other long story), but my mom being the sweetie and artist that she is, quickly whipped up this picture so my thesis would look more legit than the other kids (and it totally did. She rocks. You should have seen the Renaissance costume she made me in 6th grade; another girl was so jealous she cried.)

I digress. That is SUCH A WEIRD COINCIDENCE, right?! To be honest, I have absolutely no recollection of what my story was about--and Ellen Oh's is undoubtedly way better--but between the colors/cover/title there is a lot of overlap. Maybe I can pretend to be her inspiration and get some royalties (totally kidding!)

But all that aside, I think the most important question Prophecy leaves us with is this... Yellow Eyes: Hot or Not?

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBRs

Happy Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and created by The Perpetual Page Turner!) Welcome to this week's topic: Top Ten Books You'd Recommend As Good Beach Reads.

Released this Summer
1. Endlessly by Kiersten White I'm obsessed with Evie. I get super excited slash scared slash worried slash thirsty when I think about finishing this series.
2. Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols Have I rambled on enough about this one yet? No? Well I CANNOT WAIT. Jennifer Echols = the top of my author crush list.
3. The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Francis Long I love this title because it also applies to the book itself, which is super beautiful. Though I hope it's only treacherous in all the right ways, if you know what i mean....
4. Timepiece by Myra McEntire I'm going to need to reread Hourglass before I plunge in, but I definitely remember LOVING the Southern feel, the family aspect, and the Hottie McTottie boys. Anyone read this yet?
5. The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt This may be a little TMI, but the blurb sounds kind of like a summary of my high school life. And her name is Kelsey, so I'm super worried/excited that this is my secret biography. (No joke)



Left on my List of Ten
1. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore I'm saving this one until I can dedicate a full day to it. I don't want anyone interrupting me in the middle, lest they *accidentally* lose a limb from my wrath.
2. Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire Yikes. I sooo need to get on this....
3. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini I'm really excited for this one, but the problem is I consumed Dreamless via audio. The second book is only out for reading, and I'm super reluctant to switch medias.
4. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken Via a recommendation from the lovely Natalie at Mindful Musings. I promise I'm going to get to it soon so we can discuss!!
5. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Larter I like her writing style, but I wanted way more romance from Heist Society. However, I hear the swoon factor is up in this one!

Happy Reading all!

My Misadventures as a Book Battle Judge, Part 1

Happy Sunday, all! Things have been a little slower on the blog in the last couple of days, and I'm here to tell you why. In addition to the more-than-slightly blissed out reading experience I was having with Richelle Mead's The Golden Lily (and the subsequent depression when I finished it), I've been cramming in as many books as I can for a book battle I'm judging.

Which book battle, you ask? The 2012 YA Book Blogger's Battle, and this year's theme is Fairy Tales Retold! Right now we're in Round 1, which means there are 71 nominated titles. I have to read as many as I can before the end of the month then pick my top ten.

Simple, right? Yes and No. Ahhhbviously I love to read, so I'm all about this challenge. The only problem is I am a ridiculously slow reader. Don't believe me? I took this reading speed test recently, and was not surprised to learn that my reading speed is only slightly faster than the average 8th grader.

Yeah...

So, I'm going to be super busy getting in as many of these as I can! I'm at 8 and aiming for 20. I won't tell you my favorites until the end, but I'll let you know about my progress and maybe post a couple of reviews.

Wish me luck! And it you want to get involved, check out our lovely host, Alyssa at The Shady Glade to see the ways that you can do that.

The Nominated Books Finished ones are crossed out....
(Oh, and if you've read any of these and liked them, let me know so I can check them out!)

A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Avalon High by Meg Cabot
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Between Two Ends by David Ward
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer
Cloaked by Alex Flinn
Damosel by Stephanie Spinner
Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Destined by Jessie Harrell
Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough
East by Edith Pattou
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Golden by Cameron Dokey
Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl
Half Upon a Time by James Riley
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
Inside the Walls of Troy by Clemence McLaren
Into the Woods by Lyn Gardner
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski
Nobody's Princess by Esther Frisner
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Bahija Lovejoy and Barbara Cohen
Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
Shifting by Bethany Wiggins
Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer by Maureen McGowan
Snow by Tracy Lynn
Snow in Summer: Fairest of Them All by Jane Yolen
Starcrossed by Jospehine Angelini
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn
The Poison Apples by Lily Archer
The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman
The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott
The Third Eye by Mahtab Narsimhan
The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Thornspell by Helen Lowe
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguié
Waking Rose by Regina Doman
Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey
Wildefire by Karsten Knight
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Bloodlines #3 Title Reveal!!

Hi all! I literally finished The Golden Lily about 10 minutes ago and went online to discover thaaaattt....

the name of Bloodines #3 has been released!

And it is......















Drumroll please......

The Indigo Spell

Which is to be released February 12, 2013! Highlight to read The Golden Lily spoiler, but does anyone else think that the title might have something do with a one Marcus Flute? And the mysterious indigo tattoo on his face? Bueller? Bueller?

Oh my Moroi, I can't wait!!!!

And now if you'll excuse me, I need to return to the gelatinous blubbery mess that the end of The Golden Lily just turned me into. No one please talk to me for at least a week as I'm going to spend that time doing some well deserved brooding.

Ta ta!

*EDIT* When posting this yesterday, I missed a crucial piece of information... The first paragraph of The Indigo Spell was also released!! So here it is:

This wasn’t the first time I’d been pulled out of bed for a crucial mission. It was, however, the first time I’d been subjected to such a personal line of questioning.

“Are you a virgin?”

Richelle Mead, you are such a tease!