Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Countdown: April 2013

The saying might be that April showers bring May flowers, but apparently it also brings a heck of a lot of good books.  You guys are very familiar with my love of countdowns here on the blog and there's no way that's going to change anytime soon, certainly not in 2013!  So now that the new year is here, my excitement level for 2013 new releases has gone through the roof.  I've got my January list, and I'm trying to stick to my plan.  I'll keep reading at lease one or two of the books that are already on my shelf that haven't been read yet before I purchase a new book.  So two older ones for everyone new one I buy is the way this game is played.  So far so good!  If you guys don't see a book you're looking forward to on one of my countdowns you know what to do...post a comment, send me an email, you name it, it works as long as you don't hold back and keep the great future releases a secret!  Let us know, I'm always on the lookout for a few more titles to add to my TBR list!

Countdown Pick #1:  Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland (04/02/2013)

The Goddess Test meets Dexter in an edgy, compelling debut about one teen’s quest for revenge… no matter how far it takes her.

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.


I hate that February is so far away, four months seems like a very long time, but I can't imagine if the release date was even further away because I'm already on the edge of my seat ready to crack this one open and see what Ireland is going to bring to the table.  Definitely a debut I'm looking forward to!

Countdown Pick #2:  Stung by Bethany Wiggins (04/02/2013)

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.


This is normally one those books that I would steer clear of strictly because it deals with some kind of bug or insect that bites.  Nope not usually the type of thing I want anything to do with, because I'm a HUGE wimp when it comes to anything that's creepy or crawly.  But I wanted to check out the book's description and despite the fact that people are being "stung" I can't seem to write this one off just yet.  I've got to check it out for myself and hopefully I won't regret it half way through or be plagued by insect related nightmares after I start reading.

Countdown Pick #3:  My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi (04/01/2013)

WHAT NOW?

Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it’s all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family? Now, every moment is a precious gift. She never thought being positive could be so negative. But now, everything’s different…because now she’s living with HIV.


I think we've all made choices and decisions where afterwards your stomach drops, your mind goes crazy and you have no idea why you did what you did, and what you'll have to do next.  I can't say that I've ever had to go through something like Lucy has to go through in this future release, but I'm already sympathizing with her situation and I'm eager to see how she handles her what life is throwing at her.  This one is sure to be an emotional ride.

Countdown Pick #4:  Breath (Riders of the Apocalypse, #4) by Jackie Morse Kessler (04/16/2013)

Contrary to popular belief, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse aren’t just harbingers of doom—they actually keep life in balance. But what happens when their leader and creator, Death, becomes suicidal?

Before the first living thing drew its first gasping breath, he was there. He has watched humanity for millennia. And he has finally decided that humanity is not worth the price he has paid time and again. When Death himself gives up on life, a teenager named Xander Atwood is the world’s only hope. But Xander bears a secret, one that may bring about the end of everything.

This heart-pounding final installment of the Riders of the Apocalypse series looks at the value of life, the strength of love, and how a small voice can change everything . . . forever.


This is a series that I unfortunately fell out of touch with and need to correct that error in judgement as soon as possible.  Kessler has a way of writing that really hits home and makes it nearly impossible for the reader not to become invested immediately upon reading the first page.  The first book in this series forced me to take breaks in between reading because I found myself very emotional and overwhelmed.  It's also a book that has stayed with me for a long time since.  I need to catch up on the other two installments before I check this one out, but I am both looking forward to reading and finishing the series and also sad to see that it's coming to and end.  Very bittersweet.

Countdown Pick #5:  If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin (04/01/2013)

If He Had Been With Me tells the romantic history of a teen girl and her childhood best friend leading up to his tragic car accident in which the passenger seat was occupied by another girl.

Sometimes I guess a lengthy description is not needed for a future release because here we have a one line teaser and it's already more than enough to have me wanting to read this future title with a passion. I hate that it already sounds as if there's no chance for a happy ending, but I can't resist the urge to know what happened exactly, and what this girl thinks could have been different or could have been prevented if she had been able to switch places with another girl at the time.  I'm looking forward to reading this one to find out.

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