Most Anticipated Releases of 2016!

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: Passenger #1

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Pages: 496

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.

Notes: After The Darkest Minds trilogy, I will pretty much buy anything that Alexandra Bracken writes.

Author: Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles (novella bind-up)

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Pages: 304

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

Notes: BUYING FOR THE EPILOGUE NOVELLA!

Author: V.E. Schwab

Series: A Darker Shade of Magic #2

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Pages: 512

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

Notes: A Darker Shade of Magic was one of my favorite reads of 2015; I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel!!

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Dark Artifices #1

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: March 8, 2016

Pages: 720

It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

Notes: Even though I have yet to read the final book in The Mortal Instruments series and absolutely nothing can compare to Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy, I will probably pick this book up at some point and am looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

Author: Danielle Paige

Series: Dorothy Must Die #3

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: March 15, 2016

Pages: 432

In this dark, action-packed third book in the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series, Amy Gumm—the new girl from Kansas—must do everything in her power to save Kansas, kill Dorothy, and make Oz a free land once more.

Amy Gumm’s mission to take down Dorothy Gale is not going according to plan. Dorothy has found a way to bridge the worlds of Oz and Kansas, and if the power-hungry dictator of Oz has her way, Kansas will be destroyed forever. Now, Amy has to team up with the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked to save her home, restore the balance between the magic and nonmagic worlds, maybe get the guy—and kill that not-so-sweet Kansas farm girl once and for all.

Notes: I had a lot of problems with the previous book but I do still really like this series and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series: Rebel Belle #3

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: April 5, 2016

Pages: 352

Just as Harper Price starts coming to terms with her role as David Stark's battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend—her world goes crazy all over again. 

Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenaged girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from.  Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town, which means her life is on the line yet again.

Now, it’s a desperate race for Harper to find and rescue David before she backslides from superhero to your garden-variety type-A belle.

Author: Rick Yancey

Series: The 5th Wave #3

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: May 24, 2016

Pages: 368

We’re here, then we’re gone, and that was true before they came. That’s always been true. The Others didn’t invent death; they just perfected it. Gave death a face to put back in our face, because they knew that was the only way to crush us. It won’t end on any continent or ocean, no mountain or plain, jungle or desert. It will end where it began, where it had been from the beginning, on the battlefield of the last beating human heart.

Master storyteller Rick Yancey invokes triumph, loss, and unrelenting action as the fate of the planet is decided in the conclusion to this epic series.

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Release Date: October 4, 2016

Pages: Unknown

Author: Marissa Meyer

Series: Unknown

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: November 18, 2016

Pages: 416

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Notes: Marissa Meyer and Alice in Wonderland? Uh, YES PLEASE!

. . . .

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

Top Ten Tuesday [December 8]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they update their blog with a list of ten things that have to do with a predetermined topic.



This week's topic is: Ten New-To-Me Authors in 2015.


1. Amie Kaufman (via These Broken Stars).

2. Morgan Matson (via Amy & Roger's Epic Detour) - Lately, YA contemporary seems to be the genre I reach for less and less, but I absolutely adored Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. Matson's writing is very unique!

3. Sarah J. Maas (via Throne of Glass).

4. Gillian Flynn (via Gone Girl) - I never would have picked Gone Girl up if it weren't for a school assignment and, BOY AM I GLAD I DID. Her writing is amazing and tense and I loved it.

5. Victoria Scott (via Fire & Flood).

6. Stacey Jay (via Of Beast and Beauty).

7. Kristen Simmons (via The Glass Arrow).

8. Cormac McCarthy (via The Road) - Again, I probably would not have picked The Road up if it weren't for my English class. While I definitely did not like it as much as Gone Girl, Cormac McCarthy's writing style is very different from anything I have ever read, and I am interested in looking into some of his other work.

Top Ten Tuesday [May 12]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they update their blog with a list of ten things that have to do with a predetermined topic.



This week's topic is: Top ten authors I want to meet.



1. J.K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.

2. Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series.

3. Victoria Schwab, author of The Archived, Vicious and A Darker Shade of Magic.

4. Cassandra Clare, author of The Infernal Devices trilogy and The Mortal Instruments series.

5. Michelle Hodkin, author of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer trilogy.

6. Beth Revis, author of the Across the Universe trilogy.

7. Marissa Meyer, author of The Lunar Chronicles.

8. Sarah J. Maas, author of the Throne of Glass series.

9. Alexandra Bracken, author of the Darkest Minds trilogy.

10. Tahereh Mafi, author of the Shatter Me trilogy.

And one more, just for fun (not because I had a hard time narrowing the list down, or anything):

11. Ransom Riggs, author of the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children trilogy.


Who are your favorite authors?

Top Ten Tuesday [July 29]

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they update their blog with a list of ten things that have to do with a predetermined topic.

This week's topic is...

From which author do you own the most books?

Bookish Q&A

One of these days I will post an actual review or something that has not been circulating the Blog-O-Sphere, and which you have not already read the answers to a million times before stumbling upon this post.

BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY.





(I have no idea who started this, please forgive me!)

Rules

1. Post these rules
2. Post a photo of your favorite book cover
3. Answer the questions below
4. Tag a few people to answer them too
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. Make sure you tell the person who tagged you that you’ve taken part!

1. Favorite book cover:

I'd say that it is currently a tie between these two;

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin and Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.

2. What are you reading right now?

The Ask and the Answer (The Knife of Never Letting Go #2) by Patrick Ness.

3. Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?

If I had to guess, I would say that I am most likely to pick up Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter (as it was just released) or Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block. I don't usually plan what I am going to read ahead of time; it all depends on the mood I am in.

4. What five books have you always wanted to read but haven't got round to?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

5. What magazines do you have in your bathroom/lounge right now?

Lounge? How fancy.

I share a bathroom with seven other people, so I am sure you can imagine how little room there is to store reading material. I do, however, have some BOP, Tiger Beat (I love my teen gossip) and a few issues of InStyle strewn about my room.

6. What's the worst book you've ever read?

I don't like this question. There are certainly plenty of books that I have read and not enjoyed (Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson), but that does not make them "bad," necessarily. Plenty of other people have enjoyed them, I'm sure, and just  because I am not one of them does not mean that I can classify them as the worst books I have ever read. So, unfortunately, I cannot answer this question.

7. What book seemed really popular but you didn't like it?

I picked up the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie because everyone on Youtube and Goodreads seemed to just adore those books. I, however, did not. At all.

Nope.

Nada.

Not one little bit.

They were beautifully written, sure, but I had an awful time connecting with the characters, understanding the story, and feeling... anything.

8. What's the one book you always recommend to just about anyone?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. Everything about this series is amazing.

9. What are your three is one of your favorite poems?

I do not really read much poetry (unless forced). I do remember liking The Bird by Victor Hugo, however.

10. Where do you usually get your books?

Alas, you can only get books via Walmart in my town. Such is life when you live somewhere so small. The majority of the time I opt to order my books from Amazon, as they are much cheaper and arrive on my doorstep relatively fast. And then there are instances where I somehow manage to talk my parents into driving 40 minutes to the nearest Barnes & Noble, but that does not happen very often.

11. When you were little, did you have any particular reading habits?

I used to love reading aloud, because I thought that it gave a book effect. I would find a quiet corner of our house, open whichever Harry Potter book I was in the middle of, and read until someone happened to overhear or I needed a glass of water.

12. What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was too good to put down?

I am an expert at finding good stopping points in a book so that I do not have to show up for work the next morning looking like a zombie and risk getting bludgeoned to death. There are exceptions to this, however, and I am pretty sure that the last book I stayed up all night to finish was either Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, or Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.

13. Have you ever "faked" reading a book?

I've pretended to have read a classic or two over the years, I'm sure, in an attempt to make myself seem smarter.

14. Have you ever bought a book just because you liked the cover?

The cover is usually what draws me to a book, whether it is sitting on a shelf or staring up at me off of a webpage, but I rarely buy a book on just that aspect alone. What a waste of money that would be! If I see a book I like, I will open up Goodreads and take a look at its summary, rating, and what people have been saying about it and then I will consider buying it.

15. What was your favorite book when you were a child?

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone.

16. What book changed your life?

The obvious answer to this question would be the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I can remember so vividly sitting at my desk in fourth grade while my teacher read to us from those books, and enjoying every second of it. I was always a reader, but Harry Potter was a turning point of sorts; in which I discovered how much I loved delving into fictional worlds and connecting with its characters. It also made me realize how much I enjoyed writing.

17. What is your favorite passage from a book?

Here are a few;

"What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?"
— An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

"What a treacherous thing it is, to believe that a person is more than a person."
— Paper Towns by John Green

"Knowing that something is wrong and doing it anyway happens very often in life, and I doubt I will ever know why."
— Who Could That be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

"Love changes what is probable and makes unlikely things possible."
 — Crossed by Ally Condie

"Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are."
— I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

"You like someone who can't like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot."
— Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

"Faith with proof is no faith at all."
— The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

18. Who are your top five six favorite authors?

J.K Rowling, Cassandra Clare, Rick Riordan, Michelle Hodkin, Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Roth.

19. What book has nobody heard about but should read?

I have yet to really hear anything about Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (a contemporary retelling of Pride & Prejudice), Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter or The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan.

20. What books are you an "evangelist" for?

Pretty much anything by Rick Riordan or John Green. Those two have yet to write something I have not enjoyed and I am always talking about them and trying to get people to read their work (though they are both pretty popular, so it isn't difficult).

21. What are your favorite books by a first-time author?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

22. What is your favorite classic book?

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by C.S. Lewis.

23. Five other noteable mentions?

Here, have some amazing series before you leave;

The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Anna Dressed in Blood duo by Kendare Blake
Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis
Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness