Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Incredible Book News: Paranormalcy!

I had to spread the exciting news on this one! If you haven't been to Kiersten White's blog today, you might not have heard:
It's been one heck of an exciting day for this debut author! Not only did the awesome Paranormalcy officially break out into the wild today (if you missed my gushy review of this one, you can find it HERE) BUT Kiersten announced earlier today that the film option rights have sold!! How exciting is that?? While this doesn't guarantee that we'll see Evie and Tasey and Lent up on the big screen, it certainly brings us all one step closer to that amazing possiblity!!

So, a BIG HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY and GIGANTIC CONGRATS to Kiersten and Paranormalcy!! YAY!!

Review: Its A Book!

It's A Book by Lane Smith

publisher: Macmillan

release date: August 3rd, 2010

harcover, 32 pages, full color illustrations

intended audience: All ages! (I would say about 7 and up. )

source: sent from publisher for review

Description from Goodreads:
Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, IT’S A BOOK is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age. This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.

Review: Now, I don't usually review children's picture books here at Stories & Sweeties, but when Macmillan emailed me for this one, I just couldn't resist. I've never read anything by the ever-so-witty Lane Smith, but I can promise you, I'll be seeking his work out from now on! Since receiving it, I've showed to every person who I've come across (well, except my own 5 year old! Reason to follow...) and every single person has had a good laugh at the end. It's such a great humorous piece for this day and age, when I often hear people wondering about the future of books with all the e-readers and i-pads surfacing in the hands of well, ...everyone! I have to admit, that even I want one, but I have NO intention, absolutely none, of giving up my printed books. I love the feel, I love the smell (well, except for some library books, of course..yick), I love the sound the pages make when you flip through them, and I love all the pretty covers. This book says it all for us die-hard book lovers.

Poor Gorilla is just trying to read his book in peace. Tech-savvy donkey comes along with his laptop and a barrage of curious questions about what a book can do...can you tweet, text, and blog with it. The illustration are absolutely adorable. My favorite part is when donkey asks where the mouse is (meaning a computer mouse) and a little mouse pops out from under Gorilla's hat. And of course, the ending. Ah, the awesome last line. The most hilarious part of the book, and the reason this book is probably best reserved for kids and adults a little order than my little guy. I'll have to wait to read this one to him until I'm absolutely sure he's old enough to understands that he can't repeat the last line to, say, his friends at school or his kindergarten teacher!! I can just picture it now:
Unsuspecting kindergarten teacher: "Hey, Dex, what have you got there?"
My clever son, Dex, who repeats everything at the most inopportune times: "It's a book, jackass. "

All in all, a brilliant book! Definitely one to share!

WEBSITES:

http://www.lanesmithbooks.com

http://us.macmillan.com/itsabook

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Win the Portal Chronicles from Sparkling Reviews!

Mary over at Sparkling Reviews is having a cool giveaway for The Portal Chronicles by Imogen Rose. She does such a fantastic job at promoting indie authors---she seems to find all those little gems that simply don't get as much publicity as the Mockingjays and Clockwork Angels of the book world! :) The Portal Chronicles sounds like a really interesting series so I'll definitely be entering!

Go HERE to enter to win!

Win signed copies of Portal, Equilibrium and some really cool swag!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

In My Mailbox {31}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

Got some pretty cool stuff this week! I was pretty excited! :) Here we go...
For Review:
Radiance by Alyson Noel
It's a Book by Lane Smith
(I know it looks like a children's book, but it's got some surprises!)
Jane by April Lindler
Plain Kate by Erin Bow

(Many thanks to Macmillan, Little Brown and Co, and Mary of Sparkling Reviews!)

Purchased:
It was another fantastic trip to the used book store! Found great stuff!!

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
Had to try more by this author because I loved Distant Waves.

Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata
Four sisters fighting to stay together, this sounds so good.

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

I wanna be your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
Who can resist a title like this, really??

Seer of Shadows by Avi
Another that caught me with a cool cover, the girl looks so eerie. Plus its about ghost showing up on photography in the 1800s. Cool!

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire
Rogue Tooth Fairy and written by the creator of Wicked?? I'm sold.

The Dream Makers Magic by Sharon Shinn

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
This is the only one shown not purchased from the used book store :) I've been excited to get my hands on this one--bought it at Barnes.

Library Checkouts:
Loving Will Shakespeare by Carolyn Meyer
I can only imagine how romantic a YA book about being in love with the teenage William Shakespeare would be!! :)

The Thirteenth Princess by Diana Zahler
A retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princess where a secret 13th sister has to rescue her cursed sisters!

Ok, show me what you got!! (because my wish list needs to get longer, huh?) :D

Friday, August 27, 2010

Book Blogger Hop and Friday Follow TIme!!

Its times again for the Blogger Hop and Follow Friday! It's been awhile since I've done this, so I'm glad to finally find time to join in and make some new blog friends!! Seems like more and more fun blogs pop up everyday and this is the perfect way to find them all!
Click the images to go to the hosting sites for more details:



Each host has started asking a weekly question for us to answer so here goes!!

From the Blogger Hop:
Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?
Yes, I do! I give cupcake ratings!! :) I use a rating system because it's an easy way to gauge how I felt about a book as a whole (each rating is explained in my left sidebar!).

From Friday Follow:
What is the first book that you remember reading?
Wow, that's a tough one. I know I read a lot when I was little, but the first book that I remember was Lois Duncan's The Gift of Magic. I need to go back and read it again! I guess my reading tastes haven't changed much over the years!! Still LOVE the paranormal stuff!

Enjoy the hop, everyone, and WELCOME to all of you who stop by to say hello!! :)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Review: The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

publisher: Putnam Juvenile

release date: July 8, 2009

hardcover, 336 pages

intended audience: Young adult

rating:


description from goodreads:
Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library— a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White’s stepmother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime—or captured by the thief.

Polly Shulman has created a contemporary fantasy with a fascinating setting and premise, starring an ordinary girl whose after-school job is far from ordinary— and leads to a world of excitement, romance and magical intrigue.

Review: Just the cover is enough to pull in a die-hard lover of all things fantasy, and the title's implication of a story steeped in Brothers Grimm fairy tale magic was enough to have me waiting in line to snatch this one up on it's release day. Strangely enough, Barnes has this one hidden in the childrens section of their store (even though it says right on their site that it is YA) so I had to do a little searching and asking. Now that I've read it, I have to say they have it misshelved! This is definitely YA---alittle lighter than most of what's out there these days, but still definitely YA. For one thing, the main characters were all high school age, and there was some definite PG-rated kissing!

Ok, now onto the actual review. :) This book was enchanting. For those of us who know and love either some or all of the Grimm Fairy Tales, this book read like an old familiar friend. It completely stirs the imagination. The setup was alittle slow, it took about fifty pages in to really get the fun part of the story going as the protagonist, Elizabeth, aquires the job at the repository and learns the ropes. The fun starts when she starts learning about the Grimm collection---real magical items from all the classic fairy tales! Who hasn't daydreamed about what they would do with a flying carpet, winged shoes, or a table that sets itself with plates of delicious food?? Then the adventure really takes off when items and repository employees start disappearing. Elizabeth and her friends can't decide who to trust (including each other!) so they take it in their own hands to solve the mystery! It's definitely a fun ride, everything is very visual and I can see this making an incredible movie someday. *crosses fingers!*

Elizabeth is a great character, she is smart and kind and considerate of others which in the end serves her well! I would have liked to know a little more about her background, because her life beyond school and this new job is just barely presented. I really liked how each character seemed to have a good side and a bad side---it really kept you guessing who the culprits were!

All in all, a great read! Light and adventurous, and very magical!

Added note on the cover : What is that glorious material they are now using on some bookcovers these days? The Grimm Legacy's cover was made of that same buttery soft material as those lovely Fallen (Lauren Kate) covers. I just want to run my hands over them all day, like velvet! I believe A Blue So Dark had it, too. Gimme more! I love it!

Trailer:


Visit Polly Shulman's site HERE.

Order The Grimm Legacy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Saturday, August 21, 2010

In My Mailbox {30}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

Ok, just two this week and that's a good thing because my tbr pile is roaring! I didn't buy anything and didn't check anything new out at the library. Yay me..*pats self on head*. (ok, ok, so I did pre-order some stuff but we won't count that)
The two that I did get are pretty amazing, though---so excited to read both of these!!

For Review:
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Around the World Tours)
SOOO looking forward to this--- I loved Hush, Hush and can't wait to read more

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin (LibraryThing Early Reviewers)
Excited about this one, too. When I first heard about this was, it was just a pretty cover but when I heard that fairies were involved, I knew it had to have it!! Was overjoyed to hear I was getting it from LibraryThing!

That's what I got..how about you?

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Review: Matched

Matched by Ally Condie

publisher: Dutton Juvenile

release date: November 30th, 2010

hardcover, 384 pages

intended audience: Young adult

source: Book It Forward ARC Tours

rating:


description from goodreads:
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.


Review: This was a fascinating idea. Fascinating, thought-provoking...and terrifying all at once. The dystopian society that Ally Condie has imagined here is amazing, she fleshed out every detail. The voice is which its told conveys an eerie robotic feeling of people who are living under the complete control of this Society that is out for perfection at all cost. They all seem to be brainwashed into thinking that all this has been done for their greater good and fully accept that the Officials decide what they eat, what they read and watch, what they listen to, even the fact that they are all killed off at the age of 80 to prevent anyone from deteriorating and suffering from old age. Everything from the past had been destroyed (poems, works of art, movies, artifacts) except for those few things that Officials deemed acceptable. They have basically been stripped of all forms of self-expression, including writing. Everyone is constantly watched for compliance, even in their sleep. They live in fear of being caught doing something wrong---they may as well be robots run by remote control. Like I said, terrifying to imagine.

The love story is absorbing. The protagonist, Cassia gets matched with her best friend, Xander, and they are both happy and excited. They are given a microcard with all the other person's information on it and she looks at it (mostly for fun, since she's already known Xander her whole life) and another boy's face that they both know appears on the screen for a second. At first she feels relieved when she's is assured by an official that it was just a mistake, but then her curiosity get the best of her and she pursues her interest in Ky. Through him, she learns that there is more to the society that meets the eye and she begins to question whether the way things are run are really for the greater good. You wonder, as does Cassia, about whether her interest in Ky would even exist if his face hadn't been planted in her mind by the "mistake" on the microcard. I did feel a little sorry for Xander, who is so good to Cassia and loved her so much, only to be basically ignored once her fascination with Ky begins.

There were a few slow moments in this story. Honestly, I can't give you examples because I don't remember them! I just recall thinking to myself as I was reading that this part or that was dragging a bit. Understandable, considering the amount of background and groundwork that has to be laid in a story like this to make the society wholly believable. I did like the use of poetry and the fact the an "outlawed" poem (namely, Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle) is used to inspire Cassia's curiosity and temptation to question the Society. Also, there are still things that are yet to be explained---I would have liked to hear in a little more detail about the Outlands and the war going on there, but I am sure the second book is going flesh that out a little more. But as a whole, this book is definitely worth a read and gets you thinking.

Visit Ally Condie's website HERE.

Pre-order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday : Entwined

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.


Entwined
by Heather Dixon

release date: March 29th, 2011 by Greenwillow Books (Harper Collins)

description: Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

My thoughts: Okay, I am the first to admit, that even though the story sounds intriguing and magical, and I don't intent to skip anything that claims to "thrill fans of Robin McKinley"---the number one reason I am in love with this book is that gorgeous cover! I mean, really...can I please have that castle and that dress? Pretty please?? And I can only hope that those swirly vines are going to be embossed and shimmery so that I want to run my hands over it a hundred times a day. :) Furthermore, this is a 2011 debut, so it will be at the top of my Debut Authors Challenge list next year!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Review: Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

publisher: HarperTeen

release date: August 31, 2010

hardcover, 352 pages

intended audience: Young adult

source: received from publisher for honest review

rating:


description from goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal. Normal is so overrated.

Review: And its official. With this review, I very happily join the ranks of readers who are in love with this book. Let the gushing begin.

Page one,...no, actually it was sentence one: I laughed out loud. Upon getting to page two, I'd giggled at least two more times. Page three and I was completely addicted.

The main character of this book is what really makes it. Evie has a great voice. She is witty and funny, brave and sassy (I hate that word, but seriously, that is the best way to describe this girl!), and throughout the story she is very believable as a real teenager. Despite the fact that she has this incredibly adventurous and abnormal life working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she still yearns to be a normal teenager, to experience high school and have a school locker of her very own. It's an interesting departure from the norm to be introduced to a character who starts out fully confident and sure of the world around her and her place in it, and in the progression of the story, see that confidence disintegrate as her eyes are opened and she begins to question what she's always known as truth.

This was a wild paranormal ride from beginning to end with a little who-done-it mystery thrown in for good measure. You spend a good part of the book wondering who is good and who is just plain evil, how the plot will twist next and what will Evie be wearing when it does! :) Mischievous fairies everywhere, creepy vampires, werewolves, hags, and mermaids,...they are all part of this amazing tale. And did I mention the romance?? Perfect. The character of Lend is wonderfully complex---he is a complete mystery and we get to know him as Evie does, slowly as little bits of information are revealed about what he's really doing at the IPCA. Their relationship grows slowly with a little more trust given every day of her secret visits to him. This is exactly how I like my romance stories to unfold.

In the end, even though it was a satisfying ending, I turned the last page and let out a disappointed "Awww!" because there was no more to read! I didn't want this story to end, and I can only hope its not going to be another whole year before the next one comes out! I don't think I could bear it!

Visit Kiersten White's site here.

Preorder Paranormalcy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book depository

Trailer:


Saturday, August 14, 2010

In My Mailbox {29}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

Here's what I got!
For Review:
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Was SO excited to see this one in my mailbox. This has been one of my most anticipated books of this year. I'm almost done actually and from about page 2, I've had a girl-crush on Evie. :)
Thank you, HarperTeen!

The Flash of a Firefly by Amber Riley
The author contacted me to review this one, and after reading the first chapter on her blog, I can't wait to get to the rest of it! Thank you, Amber!

Trade:
Pegasus by Robin McKinley
*Swoon*Another of my most anticipated books for this year!! I cannot wait to crack this one open! Thank you, thank you, Mary, for the fabulous trade!!

Won:
Bright Young Things (7 chapter sneak peek) by Anna Godbersen
I was lucky enough to win this one on a twitter contest held by the publisher. This will be my first by this author (I never did get to read Luxe when I checked it out from the library!) and I'm excited---I love the 20's era! Thanks again, HarperCollins!

Library:
Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton
This one is not a YA book, but I saw this series reviewed on Juju's site, and she spoke so highly of it, I couldn't resist! Magical spells, mystical creatures and ...knitting?? Oh, yeah. I'm in.

The Presence by Eve Bunting
I saw this one in the publishers catalog and was intrigued---but then I discovered that its actually a rerelease, and the original was sitting right on my library bookshelf! I love a good ghost story!

That's all for me! Show me what you got! :)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday : Where I Belong

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Where I Belong
by Gwendolyn Heasley

release date: February 1st, 2011 by HarperTeen

description from goodreads:
Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the glamorous life she’s supposed to be living. But as she grudgingly adjusts—making new friends and finding romance along the way—this city girl begins to realize that life without credit cards and shopping sprees may not be as bad as it seems....

In this sparkling debut that flawlessly balances romance and humor, readers will grow to love sharp and sassy Corrinne as she goes on her totally reluctant but completely irresistible journey of self-discovery.

My thoughts: Okay, so admittedly, this storyline sounds familiar (anyone ever watch a show a few years back called Darcy's Wild Life? hehe, used to watch it with my daughter.) Still and all, the old "fish out of water" is a tale that I tend to fall for the charm of every time. More than anything, what draws me to this one is that fantastic cover! The beautiful country setting, the intimate way they are leaning in close like she is about to whisper in his ear, the sweet yellow dress and heels. I love it all!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Review: Low Red Moon

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

release date: Sept 14, 2010

hardcover, 256 pages

intended audience:Young Adult

source: Around the World Tours

rating:


description from goodreads:
Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.

It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...

But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?

Review: This one was just okay for me. Not awful, not great. The storyline was interesting enough that there was never any question that I would make it to the end. I definitely wanted to find out what really happened that night...who killed Avery's parents? Why did she wake up near their bodies with no memory of how they ended up dead? Why does a blood-red streak keep showing up in her hair (that part really kind of creeped me out)?

For one reason or another, nothing that I could really pinpoint, I had a hard time connecting with the character of Avery. I also didn't really understand why she was suddenly so in love with Ben. I am all for a good "love at first sight", but that should follow with some grounds for why a relationship might work beyond that first look. I felt like this was really rushed with no explanation---she sees him, he has silver eyes, suddenly they are completely in love and will risk anything for each other.

There were some interesting twists and it did get a bit thrilling in the end as everything was explained and wrapped up. All in all, it was an interesting plot, but a little thin on the "meat of the story".

Monday, August 9, 2010

Review: Halo

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

publisher: Feiwel & Friends

release date: August 31, 2010

hardcover, 496 pages


intended audience: Young adult


source: ARC received from publisher


rating:


Description from Goodreads:
Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

Review: Like most who are eagerly awaiting this one, I was in love at first sight with this gorgeous ethereal cover the second I saw it months and months ago! Absolutely perfect. Even more so that is perfectly depicts the charming and romantic story that it hides in its pages! This story was just the sweetest thing. While its talked up to be a story about angels on a mission against evil, the bulk of the story here is about a young angel named Bethany discovering what is means to be human and discovering love for the very first time. And of course, the fact that the love is forbidden just adds to the intrigue and romance! I've heard some say that Bethany's character is written younger than her supposed age (seventeen), but in my opinion, she just acted how someone, anyone of any age really, might act if they are completely innocent of the daily ins and outs of being a teenager. It was very cleverly written to make her situation relateable, even as an angel---things like trying to get dressed out for PE in a locker room full of girls without everyone noticing your flaws (or in Bethany's case, her lack of belly button!).

One thing that stood out about this book among all the other angel books that are popping up in the YA market is the fact that the religious aspect is prominent in the story. The three sibling angels are here on a mission to take back places that have shown to be vulnerable to dark influences and to spread goodwill and give people faith and hope. There is a message there, but not enough that I think it would be off-putting to those of other faiths. It was fascinating to read one author's imaginings of how the life of an angel might be, the structure of Heaven and the rules by which it might run.

I'm assuming that the story will get darker as the trilogy continues. There was a small taste of the fight that will most likely be ahead toward the end of this one, but like I said, this book was mostly about Bethany exploring a human life, and it stayed fairly light and charming and somewhat steadily paced. It was fascinating and I loved it, and I'm definitely excited to see how this one will unfold!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

In My Mailbox {28}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

Got some fun stuff this week, but kept it light on the library check-outs and purchases so I can hopefully catch up a bit on my TBR pile in the next few weeks! Here's what I got:
Matched by Ally Condie (Book It Forward Tours)
Just finished this! It was pretty amazing...review soon!
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Read fantastic reviews of this book for the past few weeks, so I thought I'd grab it and see what a all the buzz was about!
Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
Out of the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
This sounded like a fun series. Rapuzel's daughter goes into the land of the fairy tales called The Wild to rescue her mother. Couldn't resist. :)

Oh, and I saved the best for last! I received an awesome signed copy of Fallen on audiobook, from the fabulous Miss Lauren Kate herself! She wrote me a little note with it and told me something very interesting: she used to live in my town and actually wrote Fallen here!! What a small world! Especially so because I live in such a small out-of-way town!!
Thanks, Lauren!!

Hope everyone had a great book week!! :)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday: Green-Eyed Edition

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

A few weeks ago we had the Red-head addition, this week it's the green-eyes :) Green eyes seem to be fairly common in the paranormal set...Lena from Beautiful Darkness, Kelley from Wondrous Strange, and the creepy little sister from Bad Girls Don't Die whose eyes turned from blue to green when she was possessed...just to name a few! Here are few Green-Eye covers that I'm looking forward to!! :)

The Thirteenth Chime
by Emma Michaels

release date: August 13th, 2010 by Bokheim Publishing
(that's next week! yay!!)

description from goodreads:
No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies.

My thoughts: The cover of this book is awesome, I love the clock face inside the shocked-looking eye. It sounds like a creepy, unusual premise and its also penned by a fellow book blogger! Congrats to Emma! Nice touch having the book release on Friday the Thirteenth, too! :)



Through Her Eyes
by Jennifer Archer

release date: April 1st, 2011 by HarperTeen

description from HarperCollins Catalog:
The last thing Tansy wants to do is move with her family to middle-of-nowhere Texas. But once there, she is immediately drawn into her new home’s disturbing history. Through the lens of her camera, Tansy enters a surreal black-and-white time and finds her life linked to mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the very same house and died as a teenager decades earlier. But the more time she spends in the past, the more her present world starts to fade away, and Tansy must untangle herself from Henry’s dangerous reality before her own life disappears completely.
A supernatural tale of ghosts, love, and destiny—perfect for fans of novels with an unearthly twist, such as Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall and Lisa McMann's Wake—Jennifer Archer has crafted a dark and romantic ghost story that will haunt teen readers long after the last page has been turned.

My thoughts: I love a good ghost story...it's one of my favorite paranormal subjects to read. This one sounds really eerie and romantic. It sounds amazing!