June 2012 New Reads

Hey everyone, here are some of the YA books and debuts set for June 2012.  This isn't a complete list, just some of the ones I'm interested in.  I hope this list will help feed your readers!

June 5

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  Yes this is a cancer book, but it looks like a really interesting take on how siblings are affected when one of them has cancer.  I hope it will make me feel all the things.

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Why I'm Excited:  I haven't read any of Kody's books, but every premise sounds fan-freaking-tastic, and A Midsummer's Nightmare is no exception.  It sounds a bit like a teen dramady and I'm excited to see how the main character grows over the course of the book.

Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs
#2 in the Tempest series

Why I'm Excited:  First off, this cover is beautiful!  This series sounds really cool, and while I don't have much experience with mermaid books, I think the Tempest series would be a great place to start.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
#1 in the Grisha trilogy
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  Shadow and Bone may be one of the most hyped debuts of 2012.  I've only heard rave reviews (hell, even Veronica Roth recommended it).  I know this is one of the June books I'll be picking up for sure.

Arise by Tara Hudson
#2 in the Hereafter series

Why I'm Excited:  COVER.  Plus I really like the premise for this paranormal romance, and even though Hereafter has a mixed bag I'm still very curious to see what I'll think about this series.

Surrender by Elana Johnson
#2 in the Possession series

Why I'm Excited:  Hummm, this series seems dubious to me.  I'm a little worried this series is a love triangle set in a weak dystopian setting, but it also seems interesting. 






June 7

The Glimpse by Claire Merle
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  This sounds like a crazy dystopian!  I really hope it focuses on the world building which has so much potential.  I love the idea of segregating a society based on potential for mental illness, but at the same time it does worry me that there won't be much science in this science fiction.  We'll have to wait and see!





June 12

Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt
#1 in The Lost Souls series
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  This sounds a little bit like what would happen in Children of Men if that girl didn't have a baby.  I am worried this will be another case of romance trying to be science fiction, but yet again I hold out hope there will be some science in my science fiction.

Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson

Why I'm Excited:  I love Italy.  I've been there twice and I know I will be going back as soon as I possibly can.  I love the culture and the history and the amazing landscapes.  This sounds like an adorable summer romance book, and I can't wait to read it.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Why I'm Excited:  You guys, this cover.  Look at it.  It is stunning.  The concept sounds great too.  A re-imagining of Jane Austen's Persuasion set in a crazy science fiction future world?  YES PLEASE.

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
#1 in the Lies Beneath series
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  I really like this cover, even if it is a bit misleading (the main character is actually a boy).  This story sounds awesome though because they are BAD mermaids, and I like a little murder with my mythical creatures sometimes.

Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  Ah, a drama filled road trip.  This sounds like a really cute concept, and I hope it will be as fluffy fun as I think it will be.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
#2 in the Bloodlines series

Why I'm Excited:  I effing LOVE the Vampire Academy series, so a spin off with some of my favorite secondary characters?  YES PLEASE.

Timepiece by Myra McEntire
#2 in the Hourglass series

Why I'm Excited:  I've heard mixed reviews about Hourglass, but this series sounds crazy.  The concept is pretty wild, so I'm interested to see how it will play out.






June 14

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  This sounds like a cute summer romance.  I'm hoping for lots of steamy make out scenes in this one!







June 19

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  I havn't read too many war books, but Something Like Normal looks like an excellent take on a young soldier trying to come back into normal life.

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Why I'm Excited:  I haven't read any of Courtney Summers's books, but I really appreciate how she is stepping away from her usual genre of contemporary to try her hand at a zombie novel!  I've also read many reviews about how fantastic this zombie novel is, so of course I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on it.






June 21

Stolen Night by Rebecca Maizel
#2 in the Vampire Queen series

Why I'm Excited:  This series sounds like a pretty cool paranormal romance and I really like the synopsis of the second book.  I also really like this cover, it's very pretty.






June 26

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
#1 in the American Fairy Trilogy
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  This sounds like an interesting take on the fae.  Usually we see fairies in lush forest settings, so the dust bowl setting is very interesting.  Plus that face on the cover is freaky!

Before I wake by Rachel Vincent
#6 in the Soul Screamers series

Why I'm Excited:  This series has some rabid fans, and I want to get in on it.  There are soon to be six books and I have yet to read the first one.  I will soon.

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: Days of Blood and Starlight

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!

You guys may remember that I LOVED Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone and I still stand by my stance that it's the best paranormal romance I've read.  And I've been anxiously awaiting the second book, Days of Blood and Starlight.

I really like these covers together, but Days of Blood and Starlight is leaps and bounds better.  I love the color, I love how you can see her eyes more, and I love how it still matches Daughter of Smoke and Bone in title font and overall color scheme.  I'm so extremely excited for this book, can it please be November already?

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Published March 1, 2012 by Harry N. Abrams
5/5 stars

Goodreads Review
Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

Review:  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is Fantastic (yes with a capital F)! It's so hilarious I was literally loling through the entire book. It's kind of like if John Green was a sarcastic a-hole (and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible). Most of the time I find rambling tangents kind of annoying, but I loved the humor, even though sometimes it got to a place that made me more than a little shocked.  Kind of like this.

No seriously.  I was mostly cracking up, but every now and then I'd be like "Oh dear God!"....but mostly laughing hysterically.  A word of warning, the humor is a major part of the book, and it is NOT kid friendly, so if crude humor and swear words aren't your style, approach with caution.

One of my favorite aspects of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the stylistic choices.  The story is told in a variety of ways including bullet point lists and screenplay style, which makes it so much fun to read.  I also just really enjoyed the writing style.  Greg is very self deprecating and there are a ton of silly interjections that just made me laugh out loud.   

However, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl isn't all dirty jokes (I promise).  I think there's a pretty deep message too, maybe not a happy one, but a message all the same.  It talks about how not everyone is a fighter, and not everyone has profound moments when faced with death.  Sometimes people just die, and even though you may know that person, it doesn't mean your life will be all that changed.  There's a lot of pressure on people to feel SO SORRY that someone is dying, that everyone has to drop everything because they know someone who is sick, even if that emotion is fake and forced.  And a lot of times people care more about the guilt they feel about not caring then they do about the actual dying person.  We make a person's death about us, and we'll do things we think they'll want (such as make a movie commemorating their life) without really considering who the dying person actually is and what they would want.  This message isn't hopeful or heartwarming, but it's way more honest than a lot of other illness and death books out there.

So basically, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl will appeal to a select audience.  If you're looking for a sentimental coming of age story where the MC learns a profound lesson through the death of a manic pixie dream girl, move along, this is NOT your book.  However, if you're looking for a realistic view of how effed up death can make you and how it's not something that can be tied up in a neat little package of revelations and self discovery told in hundreds of pages of laugh out loud ridiculousness, then run (not walk) and get Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Off the Shelf #3

  Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.

So this week I deviated a bit from the plan.  I read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and HOLY CRAP that book is hilarious!  It may be just the funniest book I've ever read.  I realized that I needed to read this book because I'm really running out of May quickly and I want to get up to letter D in the A-Z challenge (not sure that's going to happen). 

I'm currently working on The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa and I think it's fantastic so far, especially the world building.

Books I Purchased

I got some books on my kindle for a really low price (yay!)

On my kindle I got Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik, which sounds like a really cute  contemporary take on Pride and Prejudice, and Witch Song by Amber Argyle, which I mostly got because of the really pretty cover.

To Read This Week

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

 

I AM going to read this book this week!  In addition to The Immortal Rules, this is one I really want to finish.

Here's Hoping

Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson 

 Pure by Julianna Baggott

Flirting in Italian is a cute contemporary that comes out in June.  I got it for review from netgalley and I'm super excited to read it because I LOVE Italy!  Pure by Julianna Baggott is my next book in the A-Z challenge, and I'm really worried I'm not going to make it to D by the end of May, but I'm going to try!

So what's on your TBR for the week?

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: Fathomless

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!

Well, a cover reveal and a re-design actually.  I want to talk about Jackson Pearce's fairytale re-tellings.  The first two books are Sisters Red and Sweetly (which cover little red riding hood and Hansel and Gretel, respectively).  Their covers are magic.

Look at these covers.  LOOK AT THEM.  They are so fantastic, it's hard for me to put into words.  They're like no covers I had ever seen before, and I knew I had to read them (I have read Sisters Red, but I haven't written the review yet (how can that be!?)).  So I was anxiously awaiting the cover for the third book, Fathomless (a re-telling of the little mermaid!).  To say I was eager is a bit of an understatement.

And then it came.  Re-designed.

To say my heart broke is not too far off.  There's nothing wrong with the new covers, (there isn't an image for Sisters Red yet) but they are no where near as unique or engaging as the originals.  I was so looking forward to a beautiful mermaid cover, and these left me completely underwhelmed.

So what do you think?  Do you like the new covers better, or are you as sad as I am about the re-design?  Post in the comments below!

Purity by Jackson Pearce

Published April 24, 2012 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

Review:  I read Sisters Red, Jackson's first book, last year and was underwhelmed.  It was hard to say exactly why, but I just didn't connect to the story like I wanted.  But Purity is a very different story from Sisters Red, and I think Jackson Pearce should write more contemporary stories, her voice translates excellently.  Purity is a fantastic story about love, faith, and freedom, plus I'm a sucker for father daughter stories :)

Purity handles the topics of death, sexuality, and religion with a gentle grace. Shelby, the main character, is an interesting heroine.  Her motivations are difficult to understand in the beginning, but as you listen to her rationalize her decisions and we being to learn more about her relationship with her mother you start to understand why she does what she does.  I liked the growth the character displayed and the questions that she raised.  I think it's very important for people to question the religion you're raised in and to make sure that you follow what you truly believe, not just what you are taught. 

The best part of Purity is the development of Shelby's relationship with her father.  I think her dad was my favorite character, and there were some adorable and terribly awkward interactions that made him completely endearing.  His attempts at a sex talk and doling out punishments were particularly hilarious. 

Purity packs a lot into just over 200 pages.  There are a lot of questions raised that I think every person should think about in their own life.  It's a lighter book with a lot of humor, but with some important messages as well. 

Off the Shelf #2

  Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.

This week was a really good week.  I finished Insurgent and Purity (woo hoo!).  I didn't really start any of my wish list books, but I'm very proud to have finished the 2 I really wanted.

Books I Received or Purchased

 

In addition to a bunch of religion/spirituality books I purchased a copy of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez.  I've only heard amazing things about A Monster Calls and I'm totally drawn to the artwork on the cover and in the books, so of course I had to get it.  I've got a morbid curiosity about The Pregnancy Project.  I've heard mixed reviews, so we'll see.

Hoping to Read This Week

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

 This is a book I received for review and it came out last week, so I have to finish it!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

It just sounds so cool!  It's really long though, so I'm not sure I'll be able to finish it this week...

Here's Hoping

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

 

This is the first book in my author A-Z challenge, so I'm hoping to start that because I'm quickly running out of May.

So those are my reading plans for the week, what's on your TBR?