Waiting on Wednesday (66)

For those who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers showcase books they are particularly looking for to. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be doing this a little differently. Like I did last year, each week I will be talking about books that are coming out early next year from different publishers. Up this week are January 2013 releases coming from Simon & Schuster.

Crash by Lisa McMann
January 8, 2013

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family about their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It's not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can't handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode…and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere--on billboards, television screens, windows--and she's the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it's someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act--and act fast--to keep her vision from becoming reality.

I read a book by Lisa McMann for the first time this year and it definitely made me want to read more. And then I read the summary for Crash and I just knew this was a book I need to get my hands on. It sounds so intriguing and I can't wait to be able to dive into it come January.

Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick

January 8, 2013

In the tradition of 13 Reasons Why, a suspenseful and heart-wrenching novel from the author of Nothing Like You and Her and Me and You.

Two years ago, Adrienne's best friend walked out of her life. One week ago, she left Adrienne a desperate, muffled voicemail. Adrienne never called back.

Now Dakota is missing. She left behind a string of broken hearts, a flurry of rumors, and a suicide note.

Adrienne can't stop obsessing over what might have happened if she'd answered Dakota's call. And she's increasingly convinced that Dakota must still be alive.

Maybe finding and saving Dakota is the only way Adrienne can save herself.

Or maybe it's too late for them both.

If you've been following this blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I am a major sucker for any story that involves mystery. So when I discovered Then You Were Gone I was hooked from just reading the synopsis. Now I'm just hoping that the story lives up to my expectations of it.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
January 15, 2013

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia War has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she's lost--family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved. 

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian--a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life--comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it's not just her own redemption at stake…but the salvation of all mankind.

I've been lucky enough to already read an ARC of Level 2 and it definitely left me intrigued. I feel like this is one of those books that could definitely benefit from a re-read as there are some things that are still unclear in my mind. So come January, hopefully I'll have some time to take another shot at this one.


So those are the January 2013 titles I'm looking forward to from Simon & Schuster. Once again, let me just say that my wallet will be suffering come the new year. But I can't help being excited about all these upcoming titles. So many books, so little time, right?

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners (The Diviners #1)

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Source: From Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened…

Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray opens a brand-new historical series with The Diviners, where the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties hides a mystical horror creeping across the country.

I remember being really excited about Libba Bray's The Diviners when I first heard about it. And then I kept on seeing glowing reviews of the book, which only made me want to read it that much more. So I was beyond excited when my own gorgeous finished copy of The Diviners showed up on my doorstep, though I was slightly thrown aback by the size of the book. But that didn't deter me and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book as I was reading it. 

Despite having been ousted of Ohio by her parents, Evie O'Neil is thrilled to now be living in Manhattan. Even if it's with her uncle Will, curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult. For Evie, Manhattan means speakeasies, flappers and glamour all around. But everything may not be quite as glamorous as Evie hoped it would be. With a serial killer roaming around town, committing ritual killings. The only people who seem to be able to solve the mystery are Evie, her uncle Will and Jericho, her uncle's student and assistant. Among all the ritz and glamour of New York City, Evie must race against the clock to stop a killer before he unleashes hell on earth.

While I have absolutely nothing against long or big books, I was slightly thrown by the sheer size of Libba Bray's The Diviners. I was honestly wondering how I would be able to get through the book while also focusing on school and work. But it didn't prove to be that difficult once I really got into the story. With her writing, Libba Bray really transported me back to New York City and the 1920s. With her every word, I was able to picture this past Manhattan and the world that Evie was living in. And let me say that at times, that world and that writing gave me some serious chills, especially when I was reading alone at night. It was not exactly conducive to peaceful dreams. The story itself was engrossing. While it did take a little while for me to get into it, which could be accounted for by the fact I was only able to read sporadically, once the story won me over I was not longer able to put the book down. 

Miss Evie O'Neil was quite the character. From the start, she intrigued me. I was never quite sure what to make of her. At times she seemed like just your typical young women living life to the fullest in the roaring 20s. But then there were those moments where she took me by surprise, all of a sudden she would become this completely different Evie who took the time to think and didn't only think of herself. All that to say that Evie is the type of character who you really have to get to know before you make up your mind about her. For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting to become attached to so many characters in this book. All of them each had their quirks and eccentricities that made them unique and, in my opinion, that much more likeable. I just never quite knew what to expect from any of them.

Overall, The Diviners by Libba Bray was a fantastic read, one that brought images of a long gone Manhattan to mine and one that will give you chills for any one of a myriad of reasons. My one recommendation: if you're alone at night, you may want to have multiple lights on when reading certain parts of the book.

For more information on the book, be sure to check out the HBG website.

Stacking the Shelves (18)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews. It's a weekly post where book bloggers showcase the book they received throughout the week.

So far I am kind of failing at only buying the books on the list I made, though I am still not buying too many so I guess things could be worse. This week I got some books for review, borrowed some from fellow bloggers and bought some at a signing I went to. So without further ado, here's what I got this week.

Review:

- The Lies that Bind by Lisa & Laura Roecker - I really loved The Liar Society when I read it last year so I am looking forward to being able to read the second one. If I'm not mistaken, I will also be a part of the blog tour for this one next month, so be on the lookout for that!

- (You) Set Me On Fire by Mariko Tamaki - I had received an ARC of this book over the summer and have reviewed it already, but at any rate I am happy to have a finished copy to add to my shelves.

- Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - I still have to read Beautiful Chaos but I am still very excited to now have a gorgeous finished copy of Beautiful Redemption. You can bet that as soon as a I have enough time on my hands, I will be reading this one.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Penguin Canada & HBG Canada for sending me these books for review.

Borrowed:

- Crewel by Gennifer Albin - This book has been on my radar for quite some time so I was happy when the wonderful Kathy from A Glass of Wine offered to lend me her copy of the book.

Won (at signing):

- All Good Children by Catherine Austen - I'll be honest and say I hadn't heard of this book or of Catherine Austen until the signing I went to this week. But I won a copy of the book and I have to say that the summary has be intrigued.

Purchased:

- Night Runner & End of Days by Max Turner - Again, I hadn't really heard about these books or Max Turner until I went to the signing, but the books sound interesting and it was really great hearing him talk about his books and his writing process.

- Dreamless by Josephine Angelini - I received an ARC of this book earlier this year which I read, reviewed and loved. But I didn't have a gorgeous finished copy to put on my shelf next to Starcrossed, so I couldn't resist picking it up at the bookstore.

That's it for me this week! There won't be a Stacking the Shelves post next week as I will be in Toronto for the Second Annual Ontario Blog Squad Blogger Meet Up. I'm really excited to meet all the bloggers I've only talked to online and of course to the roadtrip with the other Ottawa bloggers.

Waiting On Wednesday (65)

For those who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers showcase books they are particularly looking for to. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be doing this a little differently. Like I did last year, each week I will be talking about books that are coming out early next year from different publishers. Up this week are January 2013 releases coming for Penguin/RazOrbill Canada.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
January 8, 2013

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay.

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there's an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem's story--Just One Year--is coming soon!

Do I even have to explain why I am beyond excited to read Just One Day by Gayle Forman? This story just sounds like something that will completely suck me in and I know from reading Gayle Forman's other books that my heart will inevitably be breaking while reading this book. But it's not like that's going to stop me from reading Just One Day.

Rise by Andrea Cremer

January 8, 2013

The sequel to Rift and the prequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Nightshade.

Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy. When their mission is exposed, the couple face relentless pursuit by the supernatural horrors that act on the commends of Eira's ally: the mysterious Bosque Mar. A shocking revelation forces Ember out of hiding, sending her back into the heart of dark magic at Tearmunn keep, where she must convince her old friend Alistair of her love or face dire consequences. Ember's deception offers the only chance for the resistance to succeed, but what she discovers in the shadows beneath the keep will shatter her world and bring about the Witches's War.

Richly sensual and full of magic, action and danger, Andrea Cremer's fifth book set in the Nightshade world is an edge-of-your-seat page turner.

I still have to read the first Nightshade prequel, Rift, but that is not stopping me from being excited about the release of the sequel. Rift is on my to-read pile for the Christmas holidays, that way I will be ready for Rise when it comes out in January. And I just know this book will look pretty on shelf what with the shimmery cover and everything.

The Gypsy King by Maureen Fergus

January 2013 (RazOrbill Canada)

A runaway slave with a shadowy past, sixteen-year-old Persephone has spent four long years toiling beneath the leering gaze of her despised owner and dreaming of a life where she is free to shape her own destiny. Then, one night, a chance encounter with a handsome chicken thief named Azriel changes her life.

Sold to him for a small bag of gold coins, Persephone soon discovers what she already suspected: namely, that Azriel is not what he seems. And when she realizes that he believes Persephone has a special destiny--she is determined to escape him and his impossibly broad shoulders.

But things are no longer as simple as they one were.

Torn between her longing for freedom and her undeniable feelings for the handsome thief with the fast hands and the slow smile, Persephone faces the hardest choice she will ever have to make.

And no one--least of all her--could have imagined the shocking truth her decisions will reveal.

It wasn't until I went through RazOrbill Canada's Winter 2013 catalogue that I discovered Maureen Fergus' The Gypsy King. But then I read the summary for the book and it sounded like something I would definitely be interested in reading. I'll just have to wait for January to see what this one is all about. 

So these are the Penguin/RazOrbill Canada January 2013 titles I'm looking forward to. Just from preparing all these posts I know that my wallet will be in pain come the new year, but that doesn't stop from being excited about all of these titles. Once again, January 2013 can't come soon enough!

Cover Reveal: Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Today, I am incredibly lucky to be taking part in the cover reveal for Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, so without further ado, here it is.

Life for Megan Rosenberg just got a lot more complicated.

While she evoked the air element, and her feelings for Adam intensified, a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal has been spun around her. With the Order tightening its hold, and the reinstatement of the Mark Knights, Megan has more questions than answers as the Marked Ones grow in strength.

New people around suspicion, the DeRises start behaving strangely, and Megan begins to unravel a destiny shrouded in mystery. It's a destiny the Order has struggled to hide, and a destiny someone from the past…far in the past, has already laid claim to.

Alliances will be made, and friends will be lost, as the Order's dark secrets are revealed by the very thing they sought to destroy. 

Isn't this cover absolutely gorgeous, personally I think so, but here's what author Leigh Fallon had to say about it.

I know, there's no mistaking it. This is definitely a Carrier Series cover, but that was the intention. After the amazing reception to the cover of Carrier of the Mark, HarperCollins wanted Shadow's cover to be instantly recognizable. And it is, but the new darker color palette reflects the darker tone that this installment brings, and the pink and purple really make it pop. I love it and think HarperCollins have done another amazing job. I hope you like it too.

To make things even better, Leigh Fallon is running a giveaway to celebrate the reveal of the Shadow of the Mark cover. To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Leigh Fallon

I started out life in South Africa. A year later my parents moved home to Dublin, Ireland. When I was older and realized my parents had moved me from exotic Durban, to sedate Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, I was really ticked off.

Giving up lions for sheep, I grew up in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains where I went to a convent school and had to contend with uniforms, gabardines, and nuns. When not dodging the beady glare of the Sisters of Mercy, I was devouring every book I could get my hands on.

I traveled all over Europe while working in banking and treasury, but I gave up my calculator in favor of a keyboard and haven't stopped writing since. My first book, Carrier of the Mark, was published by HarperTeen in 2011.

Our home is in Cork in the south of Ireland, but we're currently on loan to Massachusetts in the US where I continue to write books about magic, ghosts, and romance, with a bit of Irish flavor.

Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon will be published July 9, 2013 and you can already pre-order the book on Amazon.

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Spark (Elemental #2)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control. And something he can't.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it.

And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can't let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that's right at his heels. But there are some risks he can't help taking.

So for those who missed it, I absolutely loved Storm by Brigid Kemmerer, and it was no different with Spark. Once I started reading, I wasn't able to stop and I found myself falling for another one of the Merrick brothers.

With his element being fire, Gabriel has always had more problems with control than his brothers. And he likes playing with fire, but that may prove to be his downfall. Someone has been setting fires all over town, and because of his past, everyone is blaming Gabriel for what's happening. But for once, he's not the one doing it, even though no one believes him. The only person who seems to be seeing Gabriel for who he is, isn't who Gabriel expected. Layne seems to know more than she's letting on. And surprisingly for everyone, most of all himself, Gabriel will do anything to protect Layne.

Unlike with Storm, I was totally prepared for Spark. I knew what to expect. But even then, I was taken aback by everything that went down in Spark. Much like with Brigid Kemmerer's first book, it didn't take long, just a few pages, for me to get wrapped up in the story. Though the plethora of hot boys may have had something to do with that. But beyond the boys, I love the concept of Elementals. There just aren't that many stories about elemental control in YA, and this one definitely hits the mark. Brigid Kemmerer really wrote an incredible story so far, and I love all the different layers there are to it. This is a story that I have grown to love and I can't wait to see where Brigid Kemmerer takes it next.

So once again, holy hot boys! While reading, there were definitely moments where I once again found myself wishing that the Merrick brothers were real people. This time I loved getting to know Gabriel and it didn't take long for me to realize there was a lot more to him than I originally thought. I was also happy to be able to see more of Michael, because there just seems to be so much to him. And Layne was so much more than I first thought she was going to be. But I think she was the perfect to balance out Gabriel. As far as the characters are concerned, I just wish I could have seen more of Chris and Becca because I kinda missed them.

Spark was an absolutely fantastic follow-up to Brigid Kemmerer's debut, Storm. After this second installment, the Elemental series has reached the top of my list of series to watch out fore. And I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about the third book, Spirit.

Waiting on Wednesday (64)

For those who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers showcase books they are particularly looking for to. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be doing this a little differently. Like I did last year, each week I will be talking about books that are coming out early next year from different publishers. Up first are January 2013 releases coming for HarperCollins.

Boundless by Cynthia Hand
January 22, 2013

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to there, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life. 

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her…even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she's headed back to California--and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he's not the only one…With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won't come without sacrifices and betrayal. 

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

Though I haven't read the second book, Hallowed, I am still really excited about the conclusion to this trilogy. When I read the first book, Unearthly, I completely fell in love with the story and the characters so I can't wait to finally get back in that world. You can be sure that I will be reading the second book before Boundless comes out so that I can be ready for it.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

January 29, 2013

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.

It wasn't until I started going through all the publishers' catalogues that I discovered The Madman's Daughter and from then on I couldn't get the summary out of my mind. The story sounds really intriguing and like it has a lot of potential so I'm really looking forward to reading Megan Shepherd's debut.

Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton
January 29, 2013

Your strength in heart and hand will fall…

Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.

The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.

As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world's darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.

Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

Again, I have yet to read the second book in this series, Wings of the Wicked, but I am still looking forward to reading the conclusion to the trilogy. Like with the Unearthly trilogy, I kinda fell in love with this story when I read the first book, Angelfire, so I can't wait to get back into it. 

So these are the January 2013 HarperCollins titles I'm looking forward to. If you hadn't already guessed it, January really can't come soon enough. Be sure to keep checking back each week to see what books I'm waiting on from other publishers.

Winter White by Jen Calonita

Title: Winter White (Belles #2)

Author: Jen Calonita

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe are still reeling from the revelation that they share more than just the roof over their heads. The media has pounced on their story and the girls are caught up in a flurry of talk-show appearances and newspaper interviews. They've put on a happy public face, but someone is leaking their true feelings to the press, and while it seems like the world is watching their every move, at least they have each other.

But with cotillion right around the corner, Izzie and Mira have barely had time to process their newfound sisterhood. Mira has dreamed of making her debut in a gorgeous white gown forever--now, if only she could find an escort. Izzie, meanwhile, is still struggling to find her place in Emerald Cove and it's seeming ever more impossible with EC mean-girls, young and old, doing their best to keep her down. As cotillion preparations heat up, though, there are dance steps to learn, manners to perfect…and secret initiations to complete? As if sophomore year wasn't hard enough!

It's time for the gowns to go on and the gloves to come off.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK!***

When I read Jen Calonita's Belles earlier this year it took me by surprise and I loved it, so I was really looking forward to reading the sequel, Winter White. Just like with the first book, I was sucked right in to the story and I loved every page of it.

Izzie and Mira are still adjusting to the fact that they are actually sisters and not distant cousins like they thought. But surprisingly, amidst all the chaos in their lives, they discover that if nothing else, they can count on each other. But things become more complicated with cotillion right around the corner. Mira couldn't be more excited, but Izzie isn't so sure she's cut out for cotillion. Add to that the stress of potential boyfriends and their family's dirty laundry being aired out int eh media and it would be enough for anyone to go crazy over. But once again, there might be more going on than either Mira or Izzie can imagine.

I don't know what it was about the story in Jen Calonita's Winter White, but it just completely sucked me in. But based on what happened when I first read Belles, I kinda knew this was going to happen, so I made sure I had plenty of time on my hands before picking up Winter White. The great thing about the story in these books it that while reading, the story feels light and fun, But then when you look a little deeper, you realize there's a lot more going on in the story. But even with that deeper side, it doesn't feel like that story weighs you down at all. And once again, the ending left me with lots of questions that just need to be answered, though many of the ones from the previous book were answered. So you can bet that I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in this awesome contemporary series.

I loved getting to know Izzie and Mira better in this second book. For whatever reason, I feel like I can relate more to Izzie than to Mira though it probably has to do with interests more than anything. But Mira did surprise me this time around. She definitely did some growing, and I absolutely loved seeing her come into her own and realize that she was so much more than she had previously given herself credit for. And with Izzie, I really enjoyed seeing her make the Emerald Cover world her own, not by assimilating, but by bringing her own background and ideas to the table and not being afraid to stand up for what she believes in. As for the other characters, Brayden kind of exasperated me at times but I was happy to see him step up. Similarly I loved that Hayden wasn't afraid to tell his sisters off when he didn't agree with what they were doing. They are definitely great at balancing out the two girls.

Winter White was exactly what I hoped it would be. All the questions I had after having read the first book were answered, though that ending definitely left me with some more questions. April can't come soon enough so I can read the third book, The Grass Is Always Greener.

For more information on the book, be sure to check out the HBG website. 

Stacking the Shelves (17)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews. It's a weekly post where book bloggers showcase the books they received throughout the week.

This week was pretty busy for my mailbox. I got some pretty awesome books for review, and I bought a few even though they weren't on my "allowed to buy" list. But I just couldn't resist them. And I was lucky enough to borrow an awesome book from a fellow blogger. So all in all, it was a pretty good week for books.  Now if I only had time to read them all that would be great, but school has been absolutely crazy lately. So without further ado, here's what I got this week.

Review:

- The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle - While this one hasn't been on radar, I've been hearing plenty of really good things about it lately. So now that I have a copy of my own, I'm looking forward to reading it.

- Scorch by Gina Damico - I got the first book in this series for review earlier this year, and unfortunately still haven't had the time to read it. I guess now I have to reason to put it off since I now also have the sequel.

- The Suburban Strange by Nathan Kotecki - I haven't heard about this one all that much, but it definitely sounds interesting. Hopefully I will have the chance to read it in the near future.

- Ask the Passengers by A.S. King - While I haven't read anything by A.S. King, I have heard nothing but good things about her books. This one sounds really interesting and I can't wait to read it.

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Sons and HBG Canada for sending these books to me.

Borrowed: 

- The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I am so unbelievably excited about this book, though I'm not entirely sure when I will have the time to read it. But at any rate, huge thank you to Kathy from A Glass of Wine (via Meaghan from Feeling a Little Bookish) for lending me this one.

Purchased:

- The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa - So even though I still have to read The Iron Knight, I just couldn't resist picking this one up when I saw it out early at the bookstore. And now I am just dying to read it. Now if only I had time to read it.

- The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa - Since I was picking up The Lost Prince, I just couldn't resist picking up this one as well since I haven't read any of the Iron Fey novellas.

- This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel - So the author was actually in Ottawa today and I was planning to go to the signing until I drowned under piles of homework. But I have seen nothing but rave reviews of this book so I'm glad to have a copy even if I missed the author.

So that's it for me this week. As usual leave me a comment letting me know what you got so when I take a break from school work I can come check out what books you got this week!

Deity Trailer & Apollyon Cover Reveal

Today I am incredibly lucky to be taking part in a double reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series. Before I going on, let me just say that I absolutely adore this series and I couldn't be more excited to be part of this today. So keep reading to get a look at the trailer for Deity, the third book in the series coming out next month, as well as your first look at the gorgeous cover for Apollyon, the fourth book in the series coming out April 2013.

Deity (The third book in the Covenant Series)
Available in both print and digital version on Nov. 6, 2012
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Official Deity Book Trailer 

Did you read an ARC of Deity and been dying to get your hands on Elixir, the novella told in Aiden’s POV and picks up right after the end of Deity? Well, you don’t have to wait any longer. The free novella is available now. DO NOT read Elixir if you have not read Deity. It will spoil Deity for you and not to mention, you will have no idea what is going on.

Elixir will be available in print. Kindle, and Nook formats on November 27, 2012.

Click HERE to read Elixir.

And we’re super excited to share the cover for the 4^th book in the Covenant Series, Apollyon, which is due out April 2013.

The Author:

Check out Jennifer L. Armentrout on the following sites:

Facebook

Twitter
Official Website