Aprilynne Pike - Illusions cover revealed

Aprilynne Pike's third book in the Wings series, 'Illusions' will be published by HarperTeen on May 8th 2011.  I absolutely adored the first two and I cannot wait for this one!  The cover has just been revealed and it's amazingly gorgeous. 

If you haven't read this series yet and you're a fan of faeries and all things magical then you should definitely check them out.  There's more news and a synopsis on Aprilynne's website: http://www.aprilynnepike.com/Illusions/

Only another 178 days to go!!

On My Wishlist #2

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. Each week I'm going to choose 3 of the books on my wishlist that I am dying to get my hands on but haven't bought yet.  These will be a mixture of released, unreleased, old and new.

My 3 picks for this week are:

Awakened (House of Night #8) by P.C and Kristin Cast

At the start of Awakened, the pulse-pounding eighth installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey has returned, mostly whole, from the Otherworld to her rightful place as High Priestess at the House of Night. Her friends are just glad to have her back, but after losing her human consort, Heath, will Zoey - or her relationship with her super-hot Warrior, Stark - ever be the same? Stevie Rae is drawn even closer to Rephaim, the Raven Mocker with whom she shares a mysterious and powerful Imprint, but he is a dangerous secret that isolates her from her school, her red fledglings, and even her best friends. When the dark threat of Neferet - who is coming closer and closer to achieving her twisted goal of immortality - and Kalona returns, what will it take to keep the House of Night from being lost forever, and what will one desperate girl do to keep her heart from being irreparably broken?

I'm still catching up with the House of Night series but that doesn't stop me from wanting this book desperately!  It's published by ATOM on January 4th 2011.

Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?

I've just read 'The Liberation of Alice Love' by Abby McDonald which I loved and now I want to check out some of her YA books.  I'm loving the title of this and the synopsis sounds great too.  It's published by Candlewick Press and out now.

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.

In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.

I really like books which have headstrong heroines and this sounds exactly like my sort of story.  I also enjoy trying new authors as I haven't read anything by Barbara Quick before.  It's published by HarperTeen and out now.

Review: The Other Countess - Eve Edwards

Goodreads synopsis:
It's 1582 and eighteen-year-old Will Lacey's family is in trouble. After years of wasteful spending, his late father has run Lacey Hall to near ruin. Tasked with marrying his family back into fortune, the new Earl of Dorset is all set for a season at court to woo not just the Queen but potential brides with his jousting skills. But when Ellie – a strong-willed girl with nothing to her name but a worthless Spanish title – catches Will's eye, he faces a bigger battle than he could ever have anticipated.

Review:
I'm a bit of a history buff so one of the genres I love reading is historical fiction.  I like being able to forget my surroundings and be transported back in time to a different era.  One of the things I loved about 'The Other Countess' was the rich descriptions and historical detail that Eve Edwards has skillfully intertwined around the story.  The setting is 1578 and we're treated to appearances by notable historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth, Walter Ralegh and Robert Cecil.  A great deal of time has obviously been spent on researching the tudor period which really shows in the detail and accuracy.  The whole period is evoked in the language, story and characters and I was absorbed completely.

Along with the real life figures are fictional creations, William Lacey Earl of Dorset and Lady Eleanor Rodriguez of San Jaime, known as Ellie.  The scenes between these two characters are what really made the book for me, particularly the way their relationship evolves in the latter-half.  I love all the sweet endearments he has for her - darling and love, and the way he's often there to give her support when she needs it the most.  I adored them!!  Some of the moments they shared made my heart start to pound!!

Although the story started off a little bit slowly, it soon picked up the pace and from then on I was utterly engrossed.  If you love historical fiction with a big dollop of romance then this is the book for you.

Eve Edwards next book, 'The Queen's Lady' is out in Spring 2011 and focuses on the Lacey Brothers.  Here's a peak at the lovely cover:

Book Blogger Hop and Follow My Book Blog Friday (5 - 8 November)

This week I am taking part in Friday's Book Blogger Hop, which is hosted by 
Crazy for Books

And I'm also joining in Follow My Book Blog Friday, which is hosted by Parajunkee's View

If you've just stumbled upon me via one of these, then welcome to my blog. I hope you find something that interests you!  The Hop and Follow Friday are great opportunities to visit lots of new blogs and meet like-minded book lovers from around the world.  I love taking part :)

I'm going to go and explore some of the other links over the weekend.  If you'd like to join in the fun too, then head on over to these sites, read the rules, post your own link and away you go :)

The question this week for the book hop is:-

 

"What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?"

 

It's disappointing to lose followers but I always feel that everyone is entitled to follow whichever blogs they choose and maybe mine just isn't their cup of tea!  I don't think I've ever stopped following a blog but if there was one that hadn't been updated in months then I might remove it from my list. 

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly awaited upcoming releases.  Head on over there to take part or to check out all the other fabulous books that people are looking forward to reading! 

The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous, plus the story itself sounds awesome!  I've read some early reviews from people lucky enough to get their hands on an ARC and I have to say that my anticipation for this one is now even greater.

 

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting 
Published March 15th 2011
HarperCollins

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

When Violet Ambrose's morbid ability to sense the echoes of those who've been murdered leads her to the body of a young boy, she draws the attention of the FBI. She is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that will endanger more than just her secret...but her relationship and possibly her life as well.

(A Body Finder Novel #2)

Review: A Kiss in Time - Alex Flinn

Goodreads synopsis:
Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.
I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .
I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.
I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.
I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.
Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!
Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!

I'm posting both book covers because they're just so different.  The hardcover one is on the right and the paperback one on the left.  Which do you prefer?  I think I like the harcover because it's so much prettier and appealing. 

Review:

'A Kiss in Time' is a modern, original-take on the classic fairytale of Sleeping Beauty.  I love books like this and the way that they weave something entirely new from a traditional story which is etched in so many peoples' minds.  Alex Flinn's interpretation of the tale brings it up-to-date in such a clever and inventive way.  I wish I'd thought of it!  The book starts off three hundred years ago, where Princess Talia is preparing for her sixteenth birthday, whilst continually being watched to ensure that she doesn't go anywhere near anything resembling a spindle.  When the inevtiable happens and she falls into a deep sleep, the story skips forward to the present day, where instead of a handsome prince, she's awoken with a kiss by hot guy Jack. 

I really enjoyed the way in which the narrative alternated each chapter between Talia and Jack, so we got their own perspectives and views on the events that were happening.  Talia has to learn to cope in modern day America (which is hilarious!), while Jack unexpectedly finds himself with a princess in tow.  Although Talia starts off a little bit unlikeable (she's a spoilt princess after all), I found myself rooting for her in the end.  It's a testament to Alex Flinn that I never knew how the story was going to end.  After all, in 'Sleeping Beauty', the tale ends with a kiss but here it's only just beginning. 

This was a sweet, funny book that I loved reading.  I can't wait to get stuck into 'Cloaked' and 'Beastly' next.  Flinn seems to have the perfect formula for the fairytale genre with a 21st century spin.