Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Genre: YA Utopian

Publication date: January 31, 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Helloooooo! Let's start out with the beautiful cover. It's so gorgeous! That alone would convince me to pick up this book. And the uniqueness of the premise. I don't know. I constantly stock Jodi Meadows blog. She has a great sense of humor and I have no doubt that transferred into her book. I'm just so excited!

So what are you waiting on!?

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme from The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Sequels I'm Dying To Read

(Even though some of these books are actually the fourth or fifth in a series.)

• The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead. Has anyone noticed that I have a slight obsession with Richelle Mead? No? I do. For good reason, too. Anyways...The Golden Lily is the sequel to Bloodlines. *Swoons! If you haven't read Bloodlines, then I have no idea what you are waiting for! And if you have....THAT ENDING! I shall say no more so that I do not spoil it for my dear readers, but how could you NOT want to read the sequel after that?
• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. Need I even say more? Cassandra Clare is a literary genius. MY OPINION, PEOPLE. Don't hate! I love her and her work. A lot of people are wary of The Infernal Devices books, but I swear to you that if you like The Mortal Instruments, Will and Tessa and Jem will not disappoint!
• Insurgent by Veronica Roth. One word, four letters: Four. Nom nom nom. He is yummy, and reason enough to crave Insurgent. But, if he isn't convincing enough...HAVE YOU FUGGIN READ DIVERGENT?
• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. I know I'm a little late to hop on this bandwagon, but better late than never, right?
• The Calling by Kelley Armstrong. I love Kelley's young adult work! I've yet to pick up one of her adult series, but I will do that. She always has fun narrators and unique plots.
• Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This series is so beautiful and original. I love it!
• Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick. Patch! Ahhh! I can't help but go a little fan girl when I think of him. And with the ending from Crescendo, I am desperate for more!
• Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton. I feel like this series is off to a great start. I'm excited to learn more about the characters, delve deeper into the forbidden romance, and see more of Ellie's past!
• Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins. For reasons, I'd advise you go find my review for Demonglass.
• City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. MORE CASSIE! I swear, one of my goals in life is to meet her and get a book signed by her. Jace Jace Jace. Holy Hell Balls, I need more Jace!

There are so many more I want to read, these were just the first ones I could think of! They are in no particular order, by the way. So, what sequels are you just DYING to read?

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (REVIEW)

Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1) by Kiersten White

Genre: YA paranormal -- Publisher: HarperTeen -- Publication Date: August 31, 2010 -- Source: Library

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal. (Goodreads.com)

I'll be honest here when I say I'm not sure why everyone made such a ginormicus deal about this book. I liked it. A lot. It was a quick and cute read that kept me smiling, but I wouldn't put it on the top of the Best Books Ever chart. But that's just my opinion. And since this blog is all about honesty I will begrudgingly admit that my opinion does not dictate the world.

Anyways, as I mentioned before, this book is a light and fun read. Evie has a humorous voice that will definitely keep readers interested. However, I didn't feel entirely connected to her. She spends a lot of time talking about ow she wants to be a normal girl, and how she's alone, and blah blah blah, and I felt surprisingly unsympathetic. That actually quite rare for me. I don't feel like she grew much as a character either. She's a little whiny, pretty darn superficial, and not the most intelligent. But, hey, that didn't mean I didn't enjoy her.

The plot wasn't exactly riveting or thought provoking, but it was still good. Because, really, who doesn't enjoy a good dose of psycho faeries and girls that are on internal fire. I just sort of feel like the idea that someone is going around and murdering paranormal creatures is a tad...over done. But then again, there aren't a lot of plots that AREN'T over done.

At first, I was a little hesitant on the idea of Lend. Being made of water and whatnot. The jacket said shapeshifter, and I hadn't expected it to be a boy that could turn into anybody he wanted. As the book progresses, though, he really grew on me. He's smart and funny, and let's face it, who wouldn't want a boyfrand that can take on any appearance he wants? Completely unique and unexpected.

Reth. How do I even begin to explain him? He's something of an enigma, but not the appealing kind. He's sort of psychotic and obsessive. But he's an extraordinary character. He's creepy and tender and just awesome! I like how conniving he is. I think that's an especially essential feature when dealing with faeries. Conniving and cunning and smooth with his words. And always popping up at the worst times. As a romantic option for Evie, I was definitely not rooting for him, but I still love him.

There's a huge diversity of creatures, and a lot of them don't fall into stereotype columns which is always good. The way that they are all described is smooth and natural. Just like the writing. Despite my claims of feeling disconnected and Evie experiencing a lack of growth, Miss White still knows how to creatively thread words together and create a fun and refreshing world. I feel like she captured the mind of a teenage girl pretty darn fine. I like that she's not super tough and rough and afraid of vulnerability, but she's also not a little weakling afraid of making decisions and figuring things out.

The pacing was pretty balanced and good. There wasn't excessive violence or romance. It all just flowed. In the beginning I thought some of the sentence structuring was slightly awkward, but after about a chapter you adjust and get into it.

The ending was a little...odd. And sort of expected. But believe me when I say it could have been, like, 8589565674 times worse. I won't give spoilers, though.

If you're not into a cute little fluffy read, I wouldn't advise this book. But if you are and you like something creative that will help your mind escape for a little while, this book is perfect. And the ending left me with enough questions (and hunger for Lend and psychotic faeries) to convince me to immediately pick up the next installment, Supernaturally.

• PSYCHOTIC FAERIES. I don't think I'll ever ever ever get over it. I like my faeries nice and creepy. Well, not so nice...There was a Top Ten Tuesday one time that asked what trends we would like to see more of, an I put down creepy faeries. OB-freaking-SESSED!
• Unique species. Sick of silly vampire and werewolf love interests? Angels, too? Have no fear, Lend the weird water boy is here! And mermaids. And trolls and hags. SOUNDS LIKE A PARTY!
• IPCA. It stands for International Paranormal Containment Agency, but that is sort of a mouthful. In my mind I call it ipcuh. :D I like the idea of a secret agency dedicated to containing paranormals.
• Evie's fascination with lockers. It just gives the book a cute little addition. Because let's all be hones here, lockers suck. Especially bottom lockers. (Please excuse my bitterness. This year I received a bottom locker and therefore refuse to use it.)

If you liked...

The Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

then you'll LOVE Paranormalcy.

Red Glove by Holly Black (REVIEW)

Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)  by Holly Black

Genre: YA urban fantasy -- Publication date: April 5, 2011 -- Source: Library

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose. (Goodreads.com)

*BEWARE: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS A LOT OF SPOILERS FROM THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES, WHITE CAT.

If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be delectable. Red Glove was dark, mysterious, heart-breaking, and I could not get enough of it.

The plot, of course, kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire novel. Like the first book in the series, you never know what's truth and what's con. We don't know Lila's real feelings, we don't know the extent to what Cassel did when Barron erased his memory. We don't know how much Barron really remembered about the Zacharov scheme. We don't know how many people actually know that Cassel is a transformation worker.

But we find out. Boy, do we find out.

As per usual, Holly Black's writing sucked me in and never let go. I'll tell ya, that woman has a magical way with words. She created a dark and gloomy mood and I felt so connected to Cassel, I almost felt like a guy. Okay, not really, but I was really connected with him. I've never felt so sympathetic for a murderer. I just wanted to give him a ginormicus hug, poor thing. His brothers lied to him and betrayed him and as much as he didn't want to be like them, he could feel that he wasn't so different after all. He had so much depth and definitely carried an emotional punch.

All of the characters, though, were truly fantastic. Lila, Sam (one of my favorites!), Daneca, even his mother. Especially his mother.

Miss Black built a mysterious fantasy that'll have you shaking right along with the characters. The world is crafted beautifully and expertly and the complicated romance will tear you in two.

The Curse Workers is a delicious series that I would definitely advise you to read!

• The world. The world is complex, filled with lies and scams, filled with abused and dangerous magic, and filled with people that will take your breath away. I especially love how all of the real people know about the magic and how there are movements to put a stop to it.
• The magic. Most of it is used in horrible ways. Most of it is horrible. I love the blowbacks and limitations, I love it all. If we lived in a world where this stuff existed, I would be terrified.
• The mystery. I'm usually not a huge fan of mystery novels, but I love this one! Because the possibilities are endless. Right when you're sure who the murderer is, you're blown back and everything gets twisted and suddenly you're not so sure anymore.

If you liked...

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Then you'll LOVE Red Glove!

Giveaway of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Hello all! About a week or two ago I picked up a copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, and I was so excited that I grabbed a copy of Vampire Academy as well...even though I already own it!

So, now one lucky person will have the oppurtunity to win a brand new, never been read, copy of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

For anybody new to this blog, I have an OBSESSION with the Vampire Academy series. It is my favorite series of all time, and if you haven't read it, I seriously advise it!

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Win one paperback copy of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

 -This is only available to people in the US, sorry :/

-Must follow this blog.

-Must be at least 13 years old to enter.

-Contest ends 9/23/11

Extra entries:

+1 for following me on twitter @BookBreather Reviews

+2 for tweeting about the giveaway

+4 for blogging about the giveaway

To enter, complete this FORM

Trailer Time!

For those of you who didn't read my last post, I have declared the book Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff as my choice for the Book of the Month.

I present you with the trailer:

Doesn't it look awesomely epic!?

BOOK OF THE MONTH!

I also selected the book The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton as my Cover of the Month.

COVER OF THE MONTH!

Enjoy :)

BOM.COM

BOM.COM is not a website. Well, actually, it might be. I don't know. You can check if you want, but that's not what it is over here at BookBreather.

BOM.COM is a new feature on the blog that means Book of the Month . Cover of the Month. Basically, I pick two books that are coming out this month. One for which I am looking the most forward to, and the other one is a book that I think has the prettiest cover!

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff.

Publication date: September 6, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

People are saying that this book is a cross between The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

That sold it right there. I mean, I looooove those two series.

But if that's not a good reason, I mean read the summary. It just sounds so awesome! I really hope I get to read it.

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Publication date: September 27, 2011

Genre: YA supernatural

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Would you just look at that? Just look at it. The first time I saw that cover I was just like, "That is beautiful." It looks so magical and fantastical. I could stare at it all day! I love the focus on her hand and the ring and all the swirlies and pretty colors. Plus, I'm obsessed with fonts and the font that the title is written in is absolutely gorgeous.

What do you think of my choices? Do you agree? Disagree? I want to know! Which September books would you choose?