January 2013 New Reads

For the new year I've decided to do my New Reads posts a little differently.  Instead of listing the covers for every single book coming out (that can get pretty long and very image heavy!) I'm going to write about my top 5 most anticipated releases and then list any other notable releases below.  Let me know if you like the new format!

January 1

Splintered by A.G. Howard
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  I am a really big Alice in Wonderland fan, and Splintered sounds like a fantastic and dark interpretation of my well loved story.  I'm very excited to see where this novel goes!

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Why I'm Excited:  Teeth has gotten rave reviews from people who were lucky enough to snag ARCs and Hannah's writing in general is praised as hard hitting and extremely emotional.  Plus tormented gay mermaid.  I'm intrigued!













January 8

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

#1 in the Shadowlands series

Why I'm Excited:  A girl in witness protection because of a serial killer on the loose?  Count me in!














January 15

Return to Me by Justina Chen Headley

Why I'm Excited:  A college book!  HOLLA!  We do not see enough books about kids in college, so I'm pumped!















January 29

Nobody but Us by Kristin Halbrook

DAC

Why I'm Excited:  I love the idea of a modern day Bonnie and Clyde.  I'm really interested to see what happens in this book, I expect it to be emotional and maybe a little heartbreaking.













Other Notable Releases

January 1 - Altered by Jennifer Rush
                  The Essence by Kimberly Derting

January 2 - Catherine by April Linder

January 8 - Timkeeper by Alexandra Monir
                   Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
                   Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
                   Rise by Andrea Creamer

January 15 - Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
                    Vortex by Julie Cross
                    Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
                    Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

January 22 - Everbound by Brodi Ashton

January 29 - The Prey by Andrew Fukuda
                     Asunder by Jodi Meadows
                     Prodigy by Marie Lu

The Top Books I Read in 2012

2012 is officially over!  I am very excited for 2013, I have a lot of plans and changes for my blog and especially my youtube channel.  Before I dive into my new years blog-olutions let's take a look back and discuss my top reads for 2012.  This is a kind of sorta Top Ten Tuesday but a couple weeks late.

8.  The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth - I think The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a very important addition to the YA LGBT literature.  This book is beautifully written, touching, and most importantly a balanced story that doesn't vilify any one character but gives them all honest and well rounded perspectives.

7.  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews -  I have two different cancer books on my list this year and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is definitely the more irreverent of the two.  It's crass and rude for sure, but there's also a really interesting message that had me pondering illness, death, and society's perception and expectations surrounding disease. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl may not be a comfortable read, but it is an honest one (brutally so).

6.  Velveteen by Daniel Marks - I absolutely LOVE Velveteen Monroe.  She's a great character that has a lot of depth.  I really want to read more of her story and see her growth.  Velveteen sets up a really interesting and unique world and I really want to read more of this story.

5.  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa - This book is just cool.  I love the dystopian world and these vampires are legit.  I really enjoyed the mythology and world building.  This is like Daybreakers meets The Book of Eli, which in my opinion is a pretty awesome combination.

4.  Graceling by Kristen Cashore - Graceling is one of the best YA high fantasies I have ever read.  This is a great introduction to high fantasy for younger readers and I also really appreciated the sex positive message.  We need more of this is YA (and literature in general).

3.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Are you really surprised to see this on here?  Really?  The Fault in Our Stars is John Green's best book to date and is well deserving of all of the success and praise (not to mention being on the New York Times best seller's list since release and being named Time magazine's #1 best book of 2012).  This book is beautiful and will definitely be re-read in 2013.

2.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer - Cinder is a brilliant re-telling of a very well known story.  Marissa Meyer manages to make of the the most popular fairy tales of all time fresh and new and surprising, which is no easy feat.  The second book in the series, Scarlet, comes out in February so I hope to re-read this in January!

1.  Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor - Oh my goodness you guys, this book is amazing.  The Daugher of Smoke and Bone series is quickly becoming one of the best series I have ever read.  Laini Taylor kicks it wayyy up a notch and WOW.  Days of Blood and Starlight just punched me right in the stomach with all of the feels.  It is amazing and I am a sucky person for not reviewing it yet (it's coming I promise!).

So that's it!  Those are the very best books I read in 2012.  What is on your list?

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (100th Review, HOLLA!)

#1 in the Maze Runner series
Published October 2009 by Delacorte BFYR
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Review:  I was really excited to read the maze runner after having met James Dashner at a book signing for his newest series, The Infinity Ring.  He had such enthusiasm for writing for kids and encouraging them to read that I wanted to read all of his books right now!  However, I was really disappointed with a lot of what happened in The Maze Runner.  (sad panda!)

The one thing that got really old with The Maze Runner was the withholding of information from Thomas just because "you don't need to know that right now greenie".  UGH WHATEVER!  I hate books that try and create tension by purposefully keeping the main character in the dark.  It's one thing if the character has amnesia, that I don't mind, but it's when they ask a specific question and are told "you don't need to know that" or "I'll tell you later".  No. NO!  TELL ME NOW! 

This is especially true in a dystopian type setting.  Like ok, if it's a contemporary and the reason you don't want to tell the main character something is because you have too many feels and you're just not ready yet or whatever ok.  I get that.  BUT in a dystopian kind of setting information is how you survive!  Why would you with not tell someone some vital information for no reason other than you think it doesn't matter or they don't need to know?  That's crazy talk!  And yet this went on for pages and pages during The Maze Runner.

However, a pretty interesting story did develop.  While I wasn't a huge fan of the majority of The Maze Runner I like where it's going.  I was really drawn into the story in the last 25% of the book, so that's where the 3 stars came from.  So while the second book, The Scorch Trials, isn't very high on my TBR pile, it's in there.  I'm not giving up yet!

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat. Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story. I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!

This week I wanted to talk about a 2013 debut.  The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher is set to come out in May and I think the cover portrays the story perfectly.

The S-Word is about a girl named Lizzie who is bullied to suicide after getting caught in bed with her BFF Angie's boyfriend.  However the bullying doesn't stop with her death and Angie goes on a mission to find out who is behind it and to come to terms with her own influence on Lizzie's death.

I really like this cover.  I love how those terrible words like suicide, slut, and skank look like they are literally carved into the cover.  It a clear and evocative cover that completely draws me in.

What do you think?  Would you read this based on the cover alone?  Let me know in the comments below!

December 2012 New Reads

Hi everyone, here are the December new releases (all 2 of them, oh boy!).  This isn't a complete list, just some of the ones I'm interested in. I hope this list will help feed your readers!

December 6


The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress


Why I'm Excited:  This sounds like a super fun steampunk plus I have an ARC!  Look out for a give away soon!








December 18

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
#3 in the Lux series

Why I'm Excited:  This series has so much hype, I just have to read it!  I own the first book, Obsidian, and I really want to get into it soon.

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

#1 in the White Trash Zombies series
Published July 5, 2011 by DAW books
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Review:  I found out about My Life as a White Trash Zombie from Felicia Day's Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.  This was my first read for the club and I have to say that while I don't think it was a vaginal fantasy MLasWTZ was a thoroughly enjoyable read. 

The zombies in MLasWTZ aren't standard zombies in that they retain their humanity as long as they consume brains on a regular basis, as opposed to the usual mindless re-animated corpse.  In this way Angel is more like a vampire, especially like the vampires in the Daybreakers movie (with Ethan Hawke and Sam Neil, am I the only person who's seen this movie?).  As long as she has brains she can pass off as human.  This didn't bother me at all but some people were squicked out by the eating brains and the idea of undead sexy times (even though physical romance is very light), so be warned if you're squeamish.

I have to say that my most favorite part of MLasWTZ was Angel and her inner monologue, which is hilarious and sarcastic and awesome.  She also goes through so much transformation, both physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Angel starts off as an unambitious pill head with a dead beat boyfriend and an abusive father.  Throughout the book though she really comes into her own.  She starts to care about her situation and she realizes that she is not only capable of more, she is worthy.  The Vaginal Fantasy Book Club usually reads romance novels, but as one commenter so aptly put it, this is a story about Angel finding love for herself. 

Ultimately I don't think that Angel is white trash.  I think that just because you're living in poverty or have an addiction problem doesn't automatically make you white trash.  I think that white trash is a state of complacency, a willingness to stay in your current situation and not work to try and change it. 

Overall I really loved My Life as a White Trash Zombie.  It was quirky mystery and a great introduction to The Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.  I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series and to reading more VFBC selections.

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: A Darkness Strange and Lovely

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat. Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story. I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!
I just realized I didn't write any other posts since my last Friday Face Off, so sorry about that!  My keyboard is still  broken and typing with the onscreen keyboard is super annoying.  I'm getting a new one this weekend hopefully so I'll be back to reviewing soon, promise :).

This week I want to talk about A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard, #2 in the Something Strange and Deadly series set to release July 23, 2013 from HarperTeen.

 

I think these covers are so pretty!  The best part of these covers is the background.  I almost want to take the girl off the cover just so I can see what all is going on behind them.  I don't think these really portray the historical element of the novels (they're set in 1876, can you tell?) but they definitely convey the paranormal aspect very well. 

 

What do you guys think?  Post in the comments!