Dec 5, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday {9}: Annabel; The Darkest Minds

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where bloggers post about much-awaited releases!
 
Title: Annabel (Delirium #0.5)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: December 26th 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery—a ghost in Lena's past. Until now. 
Discover her secrets in Lauren Oliver's brilliant original digital story set in the world of New York Times bestsellers Delirium and Pandemonium. 
Lena Halloway's mother, Annabel, supposedly committed suicide when Lena was only six years old. That's the lie that Lena grew up believing, but the truth is very different. As a rebellious teenager, Annabel ran away from home and straight into the man she knew she was destined to marry. The world was different then—the regulations not as stringent, the cure only a decade old. Fast forward to the present, and Annabel is consigned to a dirty prison cell, where she nurtures her hope of escape and scratches one word over and over into the walls: Love. 
But Annabel, like Lena, is a fighter. Through chapters that alternate between her past and present, Annabel reveals the story behind her failed cures, her marriage, the births of her children, her imprisonment, and, ultimately, her daring escape.
I was shocked when I learned about this point-five. I mean, it's about Lena's mother who got her brain cracked open without anesthetics! And I guess it'll be similar to Pandemonium, with the alternating then's and now's. I would've been happier if this was about Alex, though. Anyway, last night, Lauren said the three Delirium novellas (the third being about Raven! I love her) will be released all together in print! I'm glad because purchasing ebooks is a hassle for me - an impossibility, actually, since I don't have the means to pay online yet. I need to figure that out soon.

Title: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Release Date: December 18th 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp". She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.  
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.  
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like herEast River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. 
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.
Eep, a book guy named Liam, finally! Haha, I just love that name, sorry. Anyway, so I guess this is another dystopian X-Men book but I don't care; I love those! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you should read Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi).

What books are you waiting for? Leave a link to your WoW post below and I'll be sure to drop by :D
(photos and summaries from Goodreads.com) 

Dec 4, 2012

Cover Reveal: Desolate City - Racquel Jones

Title: Desolate City (Albertos Series #1)
Author: Racquel Jones
Expected release date: January 10th 2013
Cover Designer: Silviya Yordanova
After being invited to a party, Seiren never dreamed of being haunted by the Haydens--supernatural beings--of her city. She was suppose to forget about how they watched her every move days before. She was suppose to forget how everything went downhill after meeting a certain white eyed Hayden. But that would be too simple...
Ereshkigal, a group of powerful beings that all Haydens resent, have their sights on Seiren and Haydens from every corner of Black Phoenix will do everything in their power to stop them.
With the help of the gun-toting agent Luann and Hayden guardian Julius, Seiren must figure out her place in all of this and why she is literally running for her life.
About the author:
Racquel Jones has been a Michigander for 22 years now. She has a love for all things fantasy, art and the history behind it and comic book heroes. Since she was able to talk, she told stories to her friends rather it be fan fiction or her own original ideas. Right now, she is looking to one day expand her horizons into writing for comics and owning a branch of unique cafes/bookstores. 

Book Review: Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Title: Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes
Authors:
 Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leah Cypess, Sayantani DasGupta, Shannon Delany with Max Scialdone, Leigh Fallon, Angie Frazier, Jessie Harrell, Nancy Holder, Heidi R. Kling, Suzanne Lazear, Karen Mahoney, Lisa Mantchev, Georgia McBride, Gretchen McNeil, C. Lee McKenzie, Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg, K.M. Walton, Suzanne Young, Michelle Zink
Release Date: October 16th 2012
Publisher: Month9Books
Pages: 340 (paperback)
Source: NetGalley
In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead, to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall.
Two and Twenty Dark Tales is probably the best title ever because it tells exactly what the book is. And although I didn't grow up to Mother Goose rhymes - except for Jack and Jill because, seriously, what kid hasn't even heard of it? - I really enjoyed this dark take on them. But before I get to specifics, let me tell you my three favorites from these twenty-two tales of awesome: 

Blue - Sayantani DasGupta
Lyrical and hauntingly beautiful but frustratingly short, this one is about a girl who inks stories into people's skin (or at least that's what I understood she was). She, and everyone else like her, aren't invisible to humans, but they are supposed to be, that's why they come to them only while they are sleeping. Most of the other reviews I've read listed this as one of their least favorites, but I really loved it.

One for Sorrow - Karen Mahoney
This one made me gasp twice or thrice. The romance may seem a little insta-love-ish but it's a short story so that was fine for me - more than fine, actually, because in just a few pages, the author already made me root for the couple. Talk about skill.

And perhaps my most favorite: The Wish - Suzanne Young
While reading, I often write down notes or phrases to include in my reviews, and here's what I wrote for this one: "Grabbed my heart and shattered it against a wall". Yep.

But as with all things, short stories could disappoint. Some of the ones in this collection dived into the action too early, ending up being confusing, which was such a shame because even those were so creative and imaginative and new. Anyway, I really savored the well-done ones; some of which - including my favorites I listed above, of course - were so good, I couldn't help but wish they'd be turned to full-length books.

Which brings me to the main downfall (not really) of this anthology: it's an anthology. I should've known I'd be left hungry for more, but I have no regrets, and if I'd read this back when I was more of a scaredy cat than I am now, I might've slept between my parents for weeks. 

Also, I added this title to my "buy and read again" shelf on Goodreads because a few stories (an extended version of C. Lee McKenzie's Sea of Dew and Nancy Holder's The Lion and The Unicorn: Part the Second, if anything else) can only be found in the finished copy.

MY FAVORITE PART was Michelle Zink's A Ribbon of Blue (not a fave of mine, yes, but still!), which was as close to a happy tale as this book would allow. 

RATING:
(photo and summary from Goodreads.com)

Dec 3, 2012

Cover Reveal: Deeper We Fall - Chelsea M. Cameron

Title: Deeper We Fall
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Expected release date: January 12th 2013
Cover Designer: Okay Creations
Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to try and forget the night that ripped her life apart. 
Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again. 
Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face. 
Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. 
The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. She must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.
About the author:
Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Hover - Melissa West

Title: Hover (The Taking #2)
Author: Melissa West
Release Date: August 6th, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pre-order from:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | The Book Depository

Such a pretty cover! I like it even better than Gravity's. And I'm assuming that's the Ancients' planet? August 6, please come faster! Speaking of which, an exclusive excerpt and the official blurb will be out some time near the release date. You know I'm excited.

About the author:
Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange. 
  

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