Waiting on Wednesday

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

Release date: 7 June 2012 (UK) 24th April 2012 (US)

Publisher: HarperCollins (UK) Balzer + Bray (US)

Goodreads description:

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life. 

But her reincarnation, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI-agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process. 

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming

Okay, so I know I don't do Waiting on Wednesday much but holy-frickin-god when I got the email about THIS one I just had to share it. Um, hello paranormal element, probable conspiracy theories and unlikely love interest, I'm Caitlin, let's go on a date. It comes out in JUNE in the UK, but April in the US (though I much prefer the UK cover) You can add it on  Goodreads here 

Waiting on Wednesday 12

This week I am waiting on:

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Expected publication date: 26th July 2011

Description from Goodreads:

Every flame begins with a spark. 

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm

My thoughts:

Private boarding school AND gods and goddesses in one book? Be still my beating heart. This sounds incredible. I'm loving all the mythology themed books coming out at the moment.

Also, you can now read this if you get the S&S galleygrab newsletter. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw it. Twitter went wilde (I know, terrible pun, I'm sorry.)

Leave me your links so I can see what you're waiting on!!

Waiting on Wednesday 11

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme showcasing the books we're all eagerly anticipating. My choice this week is:

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
To be published: 10th May 2011


Goodreads description:


Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon, the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.


My thoughts:


This is a re-publication, but I think the original books were only published in German. How frickin awesome does this sound though eh? Set in London too, which is always nice. Cannot wait for this book.


What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links for me!!

Waiting on Wednesday 10

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted over at Breaking the Spine and showcases the books we're all eagerly anticipating!

My pick this week is:

Die For Me by Amy Plum
To be published: 5th May UK/ 10th May US
Publisher: Little Brown UK (Atom)/ HarperTeen

Description from Goodreads:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

My thoughts:

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this, and let me tell you, it's FANTASTIC! One of the best books I've read this year and so fresh and original. The concept and characters are unique and the storyline is both complex and easy to grasp. This novel is pretty much perfect; and if you've not got in on your wishlist you're seriously missing out!!


For more detail you can read my review here

Or my interview with the author, Amy Plum here

I've got an interview today in Oxford which requires a lonngggg trip (I'm leaving at 9:20am and I will probably get home at 10:20pm!!) so I wont be able to visit as many of you as I'd like. This is a massive shame to me cause WoW is my fave meme. But I will try and catch up; so remember to leave your links!

If you're in the UK I've got some books I'd like to swap; check my post out here

Waiting on Wednesday 9

Waiting on wednesday is a weekly meme where we highlight books we're eagerly anticipating. This week I've chosen:

Dead Reckoning (Southern Vampire Mysteries book 11) by Charlaine Harris
Due to be published: 3rd May 2011
Publisher: Gollancz

Description from Goodreads:


With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board 


My thoughts:

If I'm honest; the last book was a bit of a let down. I feel like they're slowing down-and there's less of a mystery in them (which is one of the things I loved about them originally). But I've been reading this series for a long time; so I'm not about to give up on it! I think this book sounds a bit more exciting than the previous few; so I'm looking forward to it!


What are you all waiting for?


Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a copy of Born At Midnight by C.C Hunter! and be sure to check out my special guest post by Amanda Stevens celebrating the release of her novel The Restorer

Waiting on Wednesday VII

Reckoning (Strange Angels book 5) by Lili St. Crow
Publishing date: November 1 2011
Publisher: Razorbill

Description:

I didn't want to post a spoiler-ridden description incase you haven't read the earlier books; so here's a general one:

Dru Anderson is 16 years old; she has the touch which means she can tell when there's something evil lurking around whether it's nosferat, ghosts, or some kind of disgusting demon. Dru and her Dad tour the US hunting and killing such creatures and have done since the death of Dru's gran. They move to one small town on their never-ending quest in the first book; and then things go badly wrong...

My thoughts:
I can't believe this series has come to an end already!! I love it SO much. It's one of my favourites. If you haven't read it yet; you simply must. You wont be disappointed!!

Waiting on Wednesday VI

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine showcasing books we're all eagerly anticipating. My pick this week is:

Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Publishing Date: 23rd August
Publisher: Balzer + Bray


Description (from Goodreads)


Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, but the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. 

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king


My thoughts:


Firstly, how completely beautiful is that cover???? I'm not usually that bothered about covers, I enjoy pretty ones, but I wont pick a book (or reject one) solely on the basis of it's cover. Some of the best books I've read I've hated the covers for *cough*mortalinstrumentsseries*cough*. But this is just GORGEOUS.  I NEED IT IN MY LIIIIIIIIIFEEE


Secondly, the story sounds totally awesome. Kinda different and interesting. A bit like Constantine, but better. 


Thirdly, I recently won some Possess swag from Gretchen which I am SO excited to receive!! My first *ever* swag win!!


Gretchen's also giving away an ARC copy on the 23rd of each month!! I don't know why I'm telling you, cause the less of you enter, the better my chances of winning are :P But it's definitely worth checking out. Gretchen McNeil's blog can be found here

Waiting on Wednesday V

I've gotten really behind on my memes this week! (You can blame my essays) But I had to make time for Waiting on Wednesday, because that's how I find out about loads of cool books. As always, this is hosted by Jill over at breaking the spine

My pick this week is:

Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Publishing date: 17th May 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins


Description from Goodreads:


Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.” 

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk

My thoughts:

I love Melissa Marr's YA series, so I'm excited to see what her adult series will be like too. The concept of this book sounds really different aswell, and I'm hoping I'll enjoy it!

What's your WoW pick this week? make sure to post me your link so I can check it out!

And whilst you're at it, don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a copy of The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter!

Waiting on Wednesday IV

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted over at Breaking the Spine and showcases the books we're all eagerly anticipating.

This week I've chosen:

Wake unto me by Lisa Cach
To be published: 31st March 2011
Publisher: Speak

Description (from Goodreads)

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school. 

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School. 

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy


My thoughts:


I dunno what it is but there's something about supernatural schools that I find endlessly appealing. Maybe it's the Hogwarts effect? who knows. Eitherway, I know this book features that, plus the coolest names ever. Caitlyn-possibly the best name ever thought up? and Raphael, which I have always loved. Plus it's set in France, which is cool. This has been posted as many people's WoW in the past few weeks, which is how I heard about it, but let's be honest, it does sound epic. 

Waiting on Wednesday III

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine


My pick for this week is:

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments book 4) by Cassandra Clare 
Publication date: 5th April 2011




Description from Goodreads:
City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. 

“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”


My thoughts:


I came to this series fairly late, but I'm totally hooked on it. I love the world and the characters Cassie Clare has created and I cannot wait for this book to be released. I've pre-ordered my copy at Waterstones!

Waiting on Wednesday II

"Waiting On" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Defiance by Lili St Crow
UK release date: 31st March 2011
UK Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc
Buy: Amazon UK/Amazon USA


This is the 4th book in the Strange Angels series by Lili St. Crow. As it's a later book, I decided not to post a summary for it as it'd give mild spoilers for earlier books. So instead I'll post the description for the first book, Strange Angels.


Taken from Amazon UK:

Dru Anderson: Night Hunter. Knife Wielder. Heart Breaker. Dru can sense evil, which helps when she and her Dad are tracking down ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional reanimated corpse. It's a dangerous life, but it's the only one she knows. Then Dru's dad turns up dead and she suddenly finds herself in the middle of a deadly game where every move she makes could be her last. Dru is more special than she realizes - and whatever killed her dad could be coming for her next. Can Dru stay alive long enough to fall for one - or both - of the guys hungry for her affections? Find out in the heart-stopping first book in a thrilling series.

My thoughts:

I'm a massive fan of this series, the first three books were fantastic. Very action packed, but never too much that you felt overwhelmed. The protagonist, Dru, is perfectly written as are all the other characters. The idea behind it is a slight twist on many others like it in the same genre, and the plots constantly keep you guessing. There's never a dull moment with Dru. The other books in the series are: Strange Angels, Betrayals, and Jealousy. 

Have you read this series? If so, how do you feel about it? If you haven't, would you give it a go? Comment and let me know, and remember to post the links to your own Waiting on Wednesdays!

Waiting on Wednesday I

So I stalk a lot of book blogs, and this seems to be a popular feature on all, it's a post which shows a soon-to-be-released book the blogger cannot wait for- a meme hosted by http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/ So here's mine:

Details:
Darkest Mercy-Final book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr 

UK Release date: 3 March 2011
UK Publisher: Harper Collins Children's books










Description: (from Amazon UK)

The fifth and final breathtaking instalment in the darkly seductive and best-selling WICKED LOVELY series, about the collision of mortal and faery worlds…

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan left Huntsdale to wander aimlessly but after centuries of leading his court it was not long before the reality of being Summer King became too pressing. Violence seemed more inevitable by the day and the Summer Court was not yet strong enough to face conflict, so Keenan made a dangerous deal with the water fey. It is a desperate bargain he makes to strengthen his court against the coming war. Aislinn tends the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. She knows she must be a powerful queen to hold her court together, while Bananach becomes more and more dangerous, and she is losing faeries to her. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. Her court is still powerful, but she must remain focused on keeping them that way and not get distracted by Keenan when he shows up at her door again. The Dark Court is thrown into chaos when they are rocked by tragedy. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

They all know what Bananach seeks – the raven-faery is the embodiment of war and discord. She and her growing number of allies want mutiny and murder. Love, despair and betrayal ignite the Faeries Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win… and some will lose everything. The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr’s bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My thoughts:

I'm always torn about the last in series. On the one hand, you can't wait to see how the story ends, but on the other it's so sad that something you've followed and loved for x amount of years (almost 4 in terms of this series) has come to an end. Readers of the series will know that Radiant Shadows ended quite...catastrophically. It seems as though Melissa has killed off my absolute favourite character which I'm pretty gutted about. Still, I'm looking forward to reading this, because Melissa's books are always enjoyable, and action packed and her characters are enthralling.

You can buy copies of the first four wicked lovely series here:http://tinyurl.com/6aqvzer
or if you know me, feel free to ask to borrow mine!