Wow. I went on vacation and forgot to schedule posts for the week I was out of town. So, sorry for the dearth of posts and my Twitter silence. I am back, and should get some reviews up here soon.
That said, here are some of the books I am excited about reading this month:
Grimspace and Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre (Sirantha Jax #1 and #2)
By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…
As
the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through
grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a
highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating
crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard
for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.
Now
imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the
verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering
her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue
fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a
new breed of jumper.
Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…
I've already read and really enjoyed the first book. I can't wait til I can dive into the next book - more March! More Dina!
The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (thanks to TLC Book Tours!)
A romantic and suspenseful tale about two women whose destiny is bound across the years
On
the eve of World War II, the last surviving specimen of a camellia
plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English
country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an
international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and
acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love
and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.
More
than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence
at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s
shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia
orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts
ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very
much alive, will Addison share her fate?
I own another Jio, but have yet to read it. However, her books come highly recommended so I jumped on the chance to join this tour.
Astor Place Vintage by Stephenie Lehmann (thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Tours!)
When a vintage clothing store owner in New
York City discovers a journal from 1907, she finds her destiny at stake
as the past and present collide. The past has a seductive allure to
Amanda Rosenbloom, especially when it comes to vintage clothing. She’s
devoted to running her shop, Astor Place Vintage, but with Manhattan’s
rising rents and a troubled economy, it’s tough to keep the business
alive. Meanwhile, she can’t bring herself to end an affair with a man
who really should be history. When Amanda finds a journal sewn into a
fur muff she’s recently acquired for the shop, she’s happy to escape
into the world of Olive Westcott, a young lady who lived in New York
City one hundred years ago.
As Amanda becomes immersed in the
journal, she learns the future appeals to Olive. Olive looks forward to a
time when repressive Victorian ideas have been replaced by more modern
ways of thinking. But the financial panic of 1907 thrusts her from a
stable, comfortable life into an uncertain and insecure existence. She’s
resourceful and soon finds employment, but as she’s drawn into the
social circle of shopgirls living on the edge of poverty, Olive is
tempted to take risks that could bring her to ruin. Reading Olive’s
woes, Amanda discovers a secret that could save her future and keep her
from dwelling in the past.
It’s Olive, however, who ends up helping Amanda, through revelations
that come in the final entries of the journal. As the lives of these
two women merge, Amanda is inspired to stop living in the past and take
control of her future.
I hadn't heard much about this one, but then the ads on Goodreads started up. Usually they annoy me, but this books seemed interesting and I am interested to see what happens!
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
The girl who wouldn’t die. Hunting a killer who shouldn’t exist.
Chicago
1931. Violent drifter Harper Curtis stumbles upon a house that hides a
secret as shocking as his own twisted nature: it opens onto other times.
Harper uses it to stalk his ‘shining girls’ across decades – and cut the fire out of them.
He’s the perfect killer. Unstoppable. Untraceable. Until one of his victims survives and turns the hunt around.
Chicago, 1992. Kirby Mazrachi’s determination to find the man who tried to kill her has taken over her life.
The
cops no longer return her calls. Her mother copes by writing morbid
children’s books. Her only ally is Dan, the burnt-out ex-homicide
reporter who covered her case.
As Kirby closes in on her would-be
killer, what she finds is ... impossible. Murders scattered across the
decades along with evidence that makes no sense. Meanwhile, Harper is
closing in on her, too.
All I needed to see/hear was "time-traveling serial killer" and I was sold.
Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier (Shadowfell #2)
Neryn has finally found
the rebel group at Shadowfell, and now her task is to seek out the
elusive Guardians, vital to her training as a Caller. These four
powerful beings have been increasingly at odds with human kind, and
Neryn must prove her worth to them. She desperately needs their help to
use her gift without compromising herself or the cause of overthrowing
the evil King Keldec.
Neryn must journey with the tough and
steadfast Tali, who looks on Neryn's love for the double agent Flint as a
needless vulnerability. And perhaps it is. What Flint learns from the
king will change the battlefield entirely — but in whose favor, no one
knows.
Shadowfell was my introduction to Marillier's fantasy, and I loved it. I was beyond excited to get an ARC of its sequel.
Outcast by Adrienne Kress
After six years of
“angels” coming out of the sky and taking people from her town,
16-year-old Riley Carver has just about had it living with the constant
fear. When one decides to terrorize her in her own backyard, it’s the
final straw. She takes her mother’s shotgun and shoots the thing. So
it’s dead. Or … not? In place of the creature she shot, is a guy. A
really hot guy. A really hot alive and breathing guy. Oh, and he’s
totally naked.
Not sure what to do, she drags his unconscious
body to the tool shed and ties him up. After all, he’s an angel and they
have tricks. When he regains consciousness she’s all set to interrogate
him about why the angels come to her town, and how to get back her best
friend (and almost boyfriend) Chris, who was taken the year before. But
it turns out the naked guy in her shed is just as confused about
everything as she is.
He thinks it’s 1956.
Set in the
deep south, OUTCAST is a story of love, trust, and coming of age. It’s
also a story about the supernatural, a girl with a strange sense of
humor who’s got wicked aim, a greaser from the 50’s, and an army of
misfits coming together for one purpose: To kick some serious angel ass.
How awesome is that cover? And that synopsis? The reviews have been good, so I ran to request this as soon as I saw it on NG. Let's hope it lives up to expectations! The author's steampunk YA - The Friday Society - was a somewhat superficial but still fun and entertaining read.
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?
In
Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated
suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader
who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her
parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the
9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now
seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:
Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.
Like
Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of
humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the
unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's
underground fortress--the Silo.
Lyla loves her family and
friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice.
And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound
than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of
days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let
everyone know where she stands.
This sounds.. intense, to say the very least.
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings
The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An
asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time;
catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the
question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark
backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love,
friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.
Alexandra Coutts's TUMBLE & FALL is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.
This reminds me a little of The Age of Miracles, but that blurb made me need to read this ASAP.
Parasite by Mira Grant (Parasitology #1)
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.
We
owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered
tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When
implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune
system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the
scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a
SymboGen tapeworm living within them.
But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives... and will do anything to get them.
This sounds creepy as fuck. I've had an up and down relationship with Grant's novels, but this sounds like the perfect blend of science fiction and horror.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #2)
An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.
After
a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old
assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new
royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret
she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.
Keeping up the
deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her
in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could
jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more
dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to
destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a
choice.
Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?
I readily admit that I was... less than impressed with Throne of Glass, but damnit if I am not excited for Crown of Midnight. Plus: more Chaol! That cover promises a strong, deadly assassin and Maas better deliver this time.
