Waiting on Wednesday (March 6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. 

 The 5th Wave

Rick Yancey

Series: The Fifth Wave, #1

Release Date: May 7th, 2013

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile 

Number of Pages: 480

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Why do I want to read this one? Um, let's see... 

• Its synopsis is badass.
• It has aliens.
• Apparently it has a huge and brilliant twist, and you know how I love my huge and brilliant twists.
• It has freaking aliens.
• Wendy gave it five stars.
• The amount of money that went into this book's marketing is insane, so it must be for something, right?
• FREAKING ALIENS.

I think the better question would be why wouldn't I want to read this?

Cover Reveal: Game. Set. Match.

Today I'm very excited to be revealing the gorgeous cover for Game. Set. Match. by the awesome Jennifer Iacopelli. Game. Set. Match. is a new adult novel about tennis, hot guys, and competition, so needless to say I'm pretty damn interested in reading it. And, I don't mean to brag, but... you know, I've kind of dabbled in tennis playing myself. I once hit myself in the forehead with my racquet. Anywhooo, below you will find some information about Game. Set. Match., as well as Jennifer's thoughts on her cover, and then of course you'll find the cover and a giveaway. 

Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Iacopelli

Release Date: May 1st, 2013

Nestled along the coastline of North Carolina, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the best elite tennis training facility in the world. Head Coach, Dominic Kingston has assembled some of the finest talent in the sport. From the game's biggest stars to athletes scraping and clawing to achieve their dreams, OBX is full of ego, drama and romance. Only the strong survive in this pressure cooker of competition, on and off the court.

Penny Harrison, the biggest rising star in tennis, is determined to win the French Open and beat her rival, the world’s number one player, Zina Lutrova. There’s just one problem, the only person who’s ever been able to shake her laser-like focus is her new training partner. Alex Russell, tennis’s resident bad boy, is at OBX recovering from a knee injury suffered after he crashed his motorcycle (with an Aussie supermodel on the back). He's hoping to regain his former place at the top of men’s tennis and Penny’s heart, while he’s at it.

Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. Her parents have seven Grand Slam championships between them and she’s desperate to live up to their legacy. Her best friend is Teddy Harrison, Penny’s twin brother, and that’s all they’ve ever been, friends. Then one stupid, alcohol-laced kiss makes everything super awkward just as she as she starts prepping for the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic.

The Classic is what draws Indiana Gaffney out of the hole she crawled into after her mom’s death. Even though she’s new to OBX, a win at the Classic is definitely possible. She has a big serve and killer forehand, but the rest of her game isn’t quite up to scratch and it doesn’t help that Jasmine Randazzo and her little minions are stuck-up bitches or that Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and oldest brother, is too hot for words, not to mention way too old for her.

Who will rise? Who will fall? 

Told from rotating points of view, GAME. SET. MATCH. is a 'new adult' novel about three girls with one goal: to be the best tennis player in the world.

And now... the cover for Game. Set. Match.! 

Today's Releases (March 5)

The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

 

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

The Prince by Kiera Cass

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

 

Bruised by Sarah Skilton

The Holders by Julianna Scott

Notes From A Coma by Mike McCormack

Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey

A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

A Touch Menacing by Leah Clifford

When We Wake by Karen Healey

Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven by Lauren Oliver

The Mapmaker's War by Ronlyn Domingue

Raven by Lauren Oliver

The Shape Stealer be Lee Carroll

O_O That's a lot of books. A lot of very good books, too! I went two weeks without buying one book, and it looks like that record will be broken today. I'll definitely be getting Let the Sky Fall today (it has freaking tornadoes), and also Spellcaster, because anything having to do with witches is something I desperately need, and I've been waiting to get my hands on that one for a while. Bruised has also gotten great reviews from friends of mine, so I'll keep an eye out on that, and I'll also probably be getting Requiem, even though I haven't read Pandemonium yet. (But I plan to! Soon.) And I've also read both The Murmurings and The Nightmare Affair, and I ended up liking both of them, so they're recommended from me--The Murmurings is recommended from me only because of the second half, and The Nightmare Affair is recommended from me because it's fun. I also plan on starting Unremembered very soon, even if I failed at reading my ARC on time. (In my defense, however, I got it a week ago.) Also (there are a lot of 'also's' in this post), I'm giving away a finished copy of The Mapmaker's War here, so enter that if you want! And that's all! Which books, if any, are you getting this week? Let me know in the comments!

Coming Attractions: Premeditated

Coming Attractions is inspired by The Perpetual Page Turner's Save The Date, both in concept and format. Coming Attractions showcases a book that is not released for a while that I've read, and gives you a sneak peek for what I thought about the book, since I can't post the review until closer to the release date.

Premeditated

Josin McQuein

Series: None

Release Date: October 8th, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 336

Rating: 4.5 stars

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

A few days ago I finished the absolutely fantastic Premeditated, but since it's released in October and I can't post my full review for a while, I figured I'd give you all a little sneak peek as to what I thought about it!

Showcase Sunday (30)

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten over the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review.

For Review:

  

 

Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Premeditated by Josin McQuein 

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Night School by C.J. Daugherty

Linked by Imogen Howson

From An Awesome Person: 

Rise by Anna Carey

Charm & Strange: Should be starting this very soon and I am so excited--it sounds amazing, has gotten rave reviews so far, and I haven't read a werewolf book in quite a while, so I can't wait to read this one. Thanks, St Martin's Press!

Premeditated: Okay, so I cracked and read this one much earlier than I should have (I started it the day I got it), but this was fantastic, you guys. Not as revenge-focused as the synopsis would lead you to think, but despite that, this was really just absolutely and utterly fantastic. I can't post my review for a while, but you can expect a little teaser review really soon. Thanks, Random House!

The Eye of Minds: I liked Dashner's The Kill Order, but it was lacking immensely in character development, so I'm looking forward to reading this one to see if the issues Dashner had with character development in The Kill Order are addressed in The Eye of Minds. Thanks, Random House!

Night School: Ah, I'm so excited to read this one! It's gotten amazing reviews from friends of mine who have read the UK version of this when it was released a year ago, and it sounds like such a fun and mysterious read. Thanks, HarperTeen! 

Linked: I don't know much about this one, but from what I do know, it involves spaceships and twins and mind reading or something, so obviously I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, Simon and Schuster!

Rise: EEEEEEEEE! I adore this trilogy quite a bit, and have been dying to get my hands on an ARC of the final installment ever since I finished Once, so thank you, Jenn @ The YA Sisterhood. Thank you so, so much!

Also, another week with no bought books. I am on a freaking roll! (Next week will not be a no-purchases week, because have you seen the releases this Tuesday?) 

What did you get this week? 

Leave a comment letting me know!

The Mapmaker's War Excerpt & Giveaway

Hi, everybody! Today I have an amazing excerpt and giveaway for you guys! The wonderful people at Atria Books were kind enough to offer a copy of The Mapmaker's War by Ronlyn Domingue for me to give away on the blog, along with an awesome excerpt to share with you guys. Below you will find some information about The Mapmaker's War, and after the jump you can read the excerpt and enter the giveaway. I hope you enjoy the excerpt, and good luck if you choose to enter the giveaway! 

The Mapmaker's War

Ronlyn Domingue

Series: None

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

Publisher: Atria Books

Number of Pages: 240

Purchase: Amazon

This will be the map of your heart, old woman. In an ancient time, in a faraway land, a young woman named Aoife is allowed a rare apprenticeship to become her kingdom’s mapmaker, tasked with charting the entire domain. Traveling beyond its borders, she finds a secretive people who live in peace, among great wealth. They claim to protect a mythic treasure, one connected to the creation of the world. When Aoife reports their existence to her kingdom, the community is targeted as a threat. Attempting to warn them of imminent danger, Aoife is exiled for treason and finds refuge among the very people who had been declared her enemy. With them, she begins a new life surrounded by kindness, equality, and cooperation. But within herself, Aoife has no peace. She cannot share the grief she feels for the home and children she left behind. She cannot bear the warrior scars of the man she comes to love. And when she gives birth to their gifted daughter, Aoife cannot avoid what the child forces her to confront about her past and its truth. On this most important of journeys, there is no map to guide her. In this tale—her autobiography— Aoife reveals her pain and joy, and ultimately her transformation. The Mapmaker’s War is a mesmerizing, utterly original adventure about love and loss and the redemptive power of the human spirit. Watch for its epic sequel, The Chronicle of Secret Riven, in 2014.

The Prophecy Book Blitz: Excerpt

Hey, everyone! Today on the blog I have an excerpt from Rachel Deagan's The Prophecy, along with a giveaway, to share with you, as part of Xpresso Blog Tours. The Prophecy sounds like a really interesting, and the excerpt I'll be sharing with you is definitely intriguing and left me wanting to know more. Enjoy!

The Prophecy

Rachel Deagan

Series: None

Release Date: February 8th, 2013

Publisher: Phantom Horse Publishing
Purchase: Amazon

Everything dropped away as I fell. Time had momentarily suspended, and the air around me hollered in my ears. In the distance I heard men yelling, and even the crack of a gunshot--at least it sounded like one--but that commotion was soon drowned out by the low hum of car engines and blasting horns. My senses caught up to me as I saw the pavement closing in.

I was going to die.

~The Prophecy

_____________________


“The cards tell me of the children of the stars.”

Jacey thinks her life is worthless, when she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital after a failed attempt to end her life; her wounds miraculously healed. Devin, who claims to kill on touch, is also there. When Michael arrives, bearing telekinetic powers, he insists the government, and an even darker, more powerful force, wants them dead.

In a desperate attempt to escape for their lives, the three teens find they must confront an even greater adversary, themselves - and with a prophecy forced upon them, they must find a way to accept their fate, or rebel together, as one.