Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hallowed Cover Reveal

I loved UNEARTHLY when I read an egalley of it from NetGalley in November. I preordered it instantly and anxiously awaited it's release date in the beginning of January. Check out how much I loved it by reading my review here.

Cynthia Hand was able to reveal the cover for her second novel, and sequel to UNEARTHLY, on her blog recently. Unfortunately the cover had been leaked so it wasn't brand new to everyone, but it was to me! The title of the second novel in the Unearthly series is HALLOWED, and here is the awesome cover:


I love the blue, it's a really nice shade. And, like Cynthia commented on her blog, "it will be all silvery and shiny like the UNEARTHLY cover wass, so this image won't really do it justice." I really love the font that is used for the title. It's so swirly and curvy and pretty.

And, as I usually do, here is the cover for UNEARTHLY so you can compare:


I'll stick the synopsis here at the end so those who haven't read UNEARTHLY don't have to worry about reading spoilers.

**Warning, SPOILERS if you have not read UNEARTHLY yet!**

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: May 31, 2011
Genre: YA, mythology
Pages: 496
Source: From author for review
Series: Starcrossed Trilogy
1. Starcrossed
2. Dreamless (expected pub 2012)
3. Untitled (expected pub 2013)

Synopsis:
How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.


I’m a big fan of ancient Greek mythology. I’ve even taken a full year university course devoted entirely to ancient Greek and Roman mythology. It’s the type of stuff that’s right up my alley. So of course, a YA romance that incorporates mythology caught my eye. Especially because it’s the story of Helen of Troy, which is one of my favourite stories (I swear I’ll read the entire Iliad someday soon!). Add to that the fact that it is also a Romeo and Juliet type story and and I’m there.

I loved STARCROSSED so much. I loved that I was familiar with the mythology, but there was also a great twist on it. The characters in the novel are descendants of Greek Gods, but they are divided into four Houses. That’s where the R&J story line comes in, because The Furies (Greek deities of vengeance) send the demigods in a murderous fervour whenever members of separate Houses encounter one another. I’m sure you’re wondering “If Helen and Lucas are thrown into a murderous fervour whenever they’re near the other one, how there is romance at all?” but you have to read it to figure that one out.

I’ve always been a sucker for a good romance, and STARCROSSED is no exception. My Helen-and-Lucas song soon became “As Long As You’re There,” an original song from the TV show, Glee (Check it out on Youtube here). It speaks true to their relationship for me. They can’t keep away from each other, and when they are together they feel like it’s right. They’re drawn together, which is obvious from the constant hand-holding.

I really enjoyed Lucas’s family. They are a big group of siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, and uncles. Hector was definitely one of my favourites. He’s Lucas’s cousin and the tough guy out of them all, but you also get the idea that he’s a big softie on the inside. I love that. There are so many more characters in the story, and they all bring something different. It’s really a great cast of characters, and I felt something different for each one of them. I just love that I felt something about them. When I read something and feel nothing for any of the secondary characters, it makes me think that there wasn’t enough attention given to developing them and I think it’s important to make sure the reader feels something for them. Otherwise, it seems pointless to have them if they’re just part of the background. I hope that made sense.

Overall, I loved the way Josie took the familiar ancient mythology and the Shakespeare story that we know and love and twisted them together to make something entirely new and fully captivating. I can’t wait to see where she takes the story of Helen and Lucas in the rest of the trilogy. Dreamless comes out in 2012, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting it!

Thanks so much to Josie herself for sending me an ARC for review!

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Make sure to check back at the beginning of August: I'll be participating in the Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I Am A Read, Not A Writer, and you could win a copy of STARCROSSED or another fabulous YA novel!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (26)





"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
I first heard about it from PageTurnersBlog.




My Waiting on Wednesday this week:
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
Publication Date: July 12, 2011

Synopsis:
Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.


That cover is so awesome with the frosted lips! This sounds like a silly book about zombies and I think it would a fun, short (only 200 pages) read. I've never really read a zombie book before!



We also can't forget about Maggie Stiefvater's Forever that also comes out on July 12! See my WoW post here where I gush about how excited I am for that. You can also stop by here to watch the Forever trailer (made by Maggie herself) and preorder a copy from The Book Depository.



What upcoming releases are you waiting on this week?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (21)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away, so that you don't ruin the book for others)
Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR list is they like your teasers!

I haven't been able to read too much or post any teasers in a while, so I'm setting up posts in advance so I can give you teasers of what I'm reading. This week, I'm giving you a teaser from Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed! I'm not very far in, but it's really great writing so far! Here's my teaser:





Lucas was holding her by the wrists to keep her hands away from his neck, she realized. They were locked in a stalemate, and if she could get her fingers half an inch closer, she could reach his throat.





This is the first meeting between Lucas and Helen, the two main characters. I haven't learned yet where the hatred comes from or why Helen feels like she has to kill Lucas, but I'm excited to find out!

Feel free to share your teasers! I'd love to see what you're reading.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

In My Mailbox (21)




In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that gives bloggers a chance to share what books they've received in the last week. It's hosted by The Story Siren and you can find out more info about it here.



This week, I got the rest of my book club books, and a couple review books in ebook format from authors. I'm excited to read them all!

Bought
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak {Goodreads | Book Depository}
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver {Goodreads | Book Depository}
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Goodreads | Book Depository}

For Review
True Intentions by Lisa Kuehne {Goodreads}
Dragon's Pupils: The Sword Guest by Martin Chu Shui {Goodreads}
Winterborne by Augusta Blythe {Goodreads}
Thanks to the authors for the ebook review copies!

Luckily, I got my book club books before the Canada Post strike hit Ottawa. Unfortunately, all my other lovely books won't be able to reach me for a while! Here's hoping this strike doesn't last long so all of us Canadians don't need to wait too long for our books!

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Saturday, June 18, 2011

On My Wishlist (13)


On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where you list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

Since I missed doing my Waiting on Wednesday feature last week, what's On My Wishlist this week is the books I was going to feature in my WoW.

On My Wishlist this week:

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller
Publish Date: June 14, 2011

Synopsis:
Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Like the fingers on a hand--first headstrong Olga; then Tatiana, the tallest; Maria the most hopeful for a ring; and Anastasia, the smallest. These are the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, grand dutchesses living a life steeped in tradition and priviledge. They are each on the brink of starting their own lives, at the mercy of royal matchmakers. The summer of 1914 is that precious last wink of time when they can still be sisters together--sisters that link arms and laugh, sisters that share their dreams and worries, and flirt with the officers of their imperial yacht.
But in a gunshot the future changes for these sisters and for Russia.

As World War I ignites across Europe, political unrest sweeps Russia. First dissent, then disorder, mutiny, and revolution. For Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, the end of their girlhood together is colliding with the end of more than they ever imagined.

At the same time hopeful and hopeless, naive and wise, the voices of these sisters become a chorus singing the final song of Imperial Russia. Impeccably researched and utterly fascinating, this novel by acclaimed author Sarah Miller recounts the final days of Imperial Russia with lyricism, criticism and true compassion.

From Goodreads

I'm not usually a big fan of historical fiction, but I was when I was younger. One of my favourite books was My Anastasia by Sharon Stewart, which I read several times. I'd love to read a different story of the Romanovs!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Publish Date: June 14, 2011

Synopsis:
One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

From Goodreads

What I think sounds good about HOURGLASS is how the main character has these visions and is trying to cure them. Most stories where the character has visions, it's this secret burden they shoulder silently. Not only are these visions not secret, but the story seems to be centred around them and where they drive the characters. Also, it's by a Debut Author!

What's on your wishlist this week?

Monday, June 13, 2011

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Speak (imprint of Penguin)
Publish Date: January 1, 2009
Genre: YA, contemporary, paranormal
Pages: 259
Series: If I Stay
1. If I Stay
2. Where She Went (April 5, 2011)

*Read for book club.

Synopsis:
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.


I read this book last summer and gave it 1 out or 5 stars on Goodreads. I realize that this book got TONS of positive feedback and I feel kinda weird being one of the ones who wasn’t crazy about it. That’s never me. So this year, I read it for book club. I was thinking that maybe my feelings would change after rereading it. I suppose it did. I moved the rating up from 1 star (didn’t like it) to 2 (it was ok).

To be honest, I just didn’t think this book was anything special. The story itself was heartbreaking, yes, but other than that, it didn’t do anything for me. If you’ve read it, you’re probably thinking I’m crazy. The first time I read this book, I was so irritated reading to the end because I just wanted to finish it to know what Mia’s choice was. This time, I was able to pay more attention to the incorporation of music in the story, and Mia’s life overall.

I liked Teddy, Mia’s little brother, and Adam, her boyfriend. The parts of the story with Teddy made me feel emotional, whether it was Mia’s memory or her present. I also really loved Adam. His raw emotion in the story was impossible to miss or feel. Yes, Mia was in a difficult position, one I never in my entire life hope to be in, but something about Adam and his love for Mia just took hold of my heart. He is the one reason I want to read the sequel, Where She Went, because it’s told from Adam’s point of view, years after the accident. I won’t tell you more about it than that, for fear of spoilers.

The vast majority of people who read this book loved it rather than hated it. I guess for once, I’m in the minority.

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Sunday, June 12, 2011

In My Mailbox (20)




In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that gives bloggers a chance to share what books they've received in the last week. It's hosted by The Story Siren and you can find out more info about it here.



Since I did an IMM last week, my mailbox is small this week. But, let me tell you it is no less exciting. I had a bit of a happy freakout when I was in the store. See what I got:


Bought
Passion by Lauren Kate {Goodreads | Book Depository}

The Book Depository has it in stock already, and apparently it's a copy with a poster and "Fallen story" inside it. Might be worth it to buy from there?

Gah, I'm so excited to read this!! I'm super tempted to drop everything I'm reading right now and just READ IT. But, alas, there has to be some kind of method to my madness, and so I must wait for a little while longer. Still, though. EFF I'M SO EXCITED.

What did you get this week??

Friday, June 10, 2011

Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: March 24, 2009
Genre: YA, fantasy
Pages: 541
Series: The Mortal Instruments
1. City of Bones (review)
2. City of Ashes (review)
3. City of Glass
4. City of Fallen Angels (April 5, 2011)
5. City of Lost Souls (expected pub May 2012)
6. City of Heavenly Fire (expected pub Sept 2013)

***WARNING: Spoilers if you haven’t read Books 1 & 2 of The Mortal Instruments!***

Synopsis:
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.


I am fully confident in saying that City of Glass is my favourite book of The Mortal Instruments series, so far. I feel like that probably had to do with the fact that it was a new setting, and also that there were a few new characters, both good and bad. It was a big adventure for all the characters, lots of questions were answered, and it was all very emotional.

If you’ve read my reviews before, you know that I love to get emotionally invested in the characters. Technically, I’ve been emotionally invested since the first book, but that’s not the point. I felt like this book was a bigger emotional roller coaster than the last couple. Yes, in CoB Clary and Jace were all lovey dovey, then in CoA they were all “Oh em gee, you’re my sibling.” But in CoG, it wasn’t just Clary and Jace’s feelings. I can’t remember anyone else’s feelings from the other books (except some flirtiness around Isabelle/Simon, Maia/Simon, and Alec/Magnus). This third book really shows us more than the one relationship. It shows more of Alec and Magnus, of Isabelle, Luke, Simon, and more. I’ve never had a problem with book focusing on one relationship (most are this way), but I feel like after two books centred on the Clary/Jace relationship, it was refreshing and exciting to see more of the other characters.

I’m always amazed at how much Cassie Clare packs into one book. I guess that’s why they’re all around 500 pages. There’s just SO MUCH that happens! I don’t want to give spoilers, but I do want to say that you need to be prepared for lots of ups and downs, lots of questions answered, and a very good ending. I loved the ending.

Sorry this is such a weird review, but I don’t know how to put anything into words apparently! I finished the book a week ago, and haven’t figured out how to write the review yet, so this will have to do. All I have to say is if you’ve been putting off continuing this series, at least finish up this book. It is a great way to finish off the first half of the series.

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Wings of the Wicked Cover Reveal

I feel like the worst blogger ever. I apologize a million times to my awesome followers for the lack of posts. I'm trying really hard to find time for it between work and my summer courses, but it's being neglected. I'm such a failure *hangs head*.

To make up for this (slightly), I'm directing you all the the awesome contest Courtney Allison Moulton has going until tomorrow, to spread the word about her newly released cover for WINGS OF THE WICKED, the second book in her ANGELFIRE trilogy.

If you missed it, I LOVED ANGELFIRE. Like, so hard. Don't believe me? Check out my review here. I talk about Audis, Twitter, and one-liners. Trust me, you want to read it (and leave me a little note ;) ).

Now, onto the cover of WINGS OF THE WICKED:


I love it. It totally fits with the cover for ANGELFIRE:

I'm so excited for this to come out and see what other storylines Courtney has up her sleeve. The only downside is that we have to wait until the winter to get our hands on this book! At least that's one reason to look forward to the cold weather...

I mentioned a contest before! Hop on over to Courtney's blog and enter for a chance to win some awesome stuff, including a signed ARC of WINGS OF THE WICKED! And if you haven't read ANGELFIRE yet (WHY NOT??), head on over to The Book Depository, or your favourite bookstore and snatch up a copy!

To all my wonderful and amazing followers, I promise more reviews and other posts soon!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

In My Mailbox (19)




In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that gives bloggers a chance to share what books they've received in the last week. It's hosted by The Story Siren and you can find out more info about it here.



Mostly more review books that I'm super excited to read!

For Review
The Dream Crystal by Mark O'Bannon {Goodreads}
Thanks to the author for the ebook copy!
Wildefire by Karsten Knight {Goodreads}
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the egalley!
The Lost Crown {Goodreads}
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the egalley!
Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout {Goodreads}
Thanks to Spencer Hill Press for the egalley!

Borrowed
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare {Goodreads}
Thanks to my friend Jen for lending this to me!

If you follow me on Twitter, first you know that I've been neglecting it, and second, you know that I was super excited to get an egalley of Wildefire from GalleyGrab this week! I can't wait to read it! Same goes for Half-Blood. I can't wait to read how mind-blowingly awesome these books are gonna be. I also just finished City of Glass by Cassandra Clare recently, so my friend lent me City of Fallen Angels. I don't know if I'm going to read it any time soon, but I have it in case I want to!

I think I got some pretty great books this week!

What did you get in your mailbox??

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publish Date: March 23, 1993
Genre: YA, dystopian
Pages: 179
Series: (Companion Novels)
1. The Giver
2. Gathering Blue (October 1, 2000)
3. Messenger (April 26, 2004)
4. Untitled (expected pub 2012)

*Read for book club.

Synopsis:
Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

I love reading dystopian stories. Although they seem like paranormal stories in a sense, they also have this feeling of “My God, this could actually happen.” That’s how I felt reading The Giver. I was surprised with how monotone the Community was, and as I read along and found out the people chose this life, it felt real to me in a sense. If this life was a possibility, I wouldn’t be surprised that people would chose it: It’s a life with no hurt or pain, no anger or sadness, nor any negative feelings/emotions of any kind. The sacrifice is that people also feel no happiness, love, or any positive emotions. That was the choice. To live in Sameness.

Because this was a book club read, my head is chocked full of questions with half-answers, and debates about the book. We had a lot to talk about with this one. It’s hard to give any examples without giving spoilers, so I apologize that I can’t really explain. I will say that it is definitely a book that will get you thinking, if you allow yourself. If you really think about the world they live in, how they function on a day-to-day basis, and then how Jonas shown the “way things once had been” and has to take it all in stride, it will have you feeling some strong things.

As for the characters themselves, I thought that Jonas and the Giver were deep, thorough characters, while the rest were all the same. Considering the fact that the Community’s number one goal was Sameness, I have to say that the characters were written perfectly. Aside from the two main characters, there were maybe 1 or 2 other characters that I felt anything towards, and that was because of the way Jonas felt about them. Lois Lowry definitely did a good job writing her characters so that you felt what Jonas felt.

Whether you have to read this for school in Grade 7 or choose to read it years later, The Giver is a great dystopian that will open your eyes to the way things might be if we finally break and are too afraid to be different.

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Random Acts of Kindness - May Wrap-Up

Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.) is a feature created by Book Soulmates. Find out more information about it here. You can sign up each month with your wish list and participate by sending some RAK love, too!

Here's what I received for May RAK!

From Sierra
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White {Goodreads | Book Depository}
(ebook)

I sent two books back to Sierra, HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins, and THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa, both in ebook format as well. I didn't realize this last month, but it's super easy to send ebooks. All you have to do is attach them to the email you're sending. For me, it means I can still send some love without having to spend the money I'm supposed to be saving.

I'm going to switch gears here a bit.

I also got a whole slew of ebooks from someone else. They were all books on my wish list, and I really want to read them, but I made sure to delete them. Let me explain. I'm pretty sure the books that were sent to me were downloaded or pirated from the internet. Their formatting was messed up, the title and author were coming up as "Unknown" or random other names. Basically, I didn't trust that these books were BOUGHT, or even acquired through trustworthy means. I was thinking of keeping the books, but my morals and values won out, and I'm glad for that.

I don't want to point fingers at the person who sent the ebooks to me. The point here is that even though giving and accepting ebooks through email is pretty easy, BE AWARE of what you're accepting and giving. If you have any reason to suspect that the books are not from trustworthy sources, use your brain. Would you like it if you created something magnificent and wanted to share it with the world, only to find out that people have been stealing it from you? I'm betting that's how these authors feel and I don't think that's right.

Sorry to go all sombre and serious on you for my RAK post, but it needed to be said!

Did you participate in RAK for May? What did you get? If you didn't participate, make sure you check out BookSoulmates and share some love in June!

Waiting on Wednesday (25)





"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
I first heard about it from PageTurnersBlog.




There are two books I want to read that are coming out next week. Today they're featured on my Waiting on Wednesday for the week!

Possession by Elana Johnson
Publish Date: June 7, 2011

Synopsis:
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

From Goodreads

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Publish Date: June 7, 2011

Synopsis:
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

From Goodreads

Both of these books have awesome covers: The first has a butterfly in an ice cube and the second one has a see through girl and really interesting colours. I can't wait to see HEREAFTER in reality and see how those colours look. I'm super excited to read these stories and see if they really are as good as they sound!

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?