Below are the YA books coming out this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

These are books for the week of February 14th-February 20th that I have pre-ordered.

***

Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer releases in the U.S. today, February 14, 2012, in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to order online in both formats at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins, the print edition is 464 pages.

Arcadia Awakens is the first book in a planned trilogy by author Kai Meyer. Arcadia Burns and Arcadia Falls, the second and third books in the series, will be released in 2013 and 2014.

***

I first heard of Arcadia Awakens when I was offered the ARC in a trade. The cover looked absolutely amazing so I agreed without even having read the description. But when I learned that it was releasing before I could hope to read it, I decided to pre-order it so I could read it when I had a bit more time.

The world sounds dark, dangerous and incredibly mysterious. And Alessandro Carnevare is definitely someone I can’t wait to meet if the Goodreads description is even close to being accurate when it describes him as someone with “handsome looks and savage grace.”

The Sicilian setting, enemy families, “bloodlust” and “dangerous beasts” make this book sound totally intriguing. And the description definitely has me curious as to what decision Rosa will make… stay or run.

Arcadia Awakens sounds very different from any of the books I’ve read as of late. So, when I get my Kindle pre-order, I may just have to take a peek at this story immediately.

Bewitching by Alex Flinn releases in the U.S. today, February 14, 2012, in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to order online in both formats at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 352 pages.

Bewitching is the first book in the Kendra Chronicles by author Alex Flinn.

***

I’ve only read a couple of Alex Flinn’s novels, one of which was Beastly. They’re a lot of fun and they’re totally sweet and enchanting. And in Beastly I had a chance to meet Kendra, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Bewitching, which is her story.

I’ve had Bewitching pre-ordered for a while, ever since I passed along my ARC, but I’m so glad that I’ll be able to own a finished copy with the pretty cover. I really can’t wait to read this modified Cinderella fairytale from Kendra’s perspective. Which should be totally entertaining if Kendra is anything like the Kendra I met in Beastly.

From the description it sounds like Kendra had quite a few interesting experiences – the plague and the Titanic to name just two – and I hope over the course of the chronicles to hear just a bit more about them. Especially those where her bewitching spells weren’t quite so successful.

While I can’t dive into this book on release date, I’m hoping to do so in the very, very near future.

And for those who want to take a peek right now, check out this excerpt from the author’s website. Just CLICK HERE.

The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge will be released in the U.S. today, February 14, 2012, in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to order online in all formats at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, the print edition is 432 pages.

The Nightmare Garden is the sequel to The Iron Thorn. The third book in the Iron Codex series, as yet untitled, will be released in 2013.

***

I heard about The Iron Thorn last year when it was coming up for release. The cover was all sorts of awesome and creepy and I just had to pre-order it. But I remember there were a ton of new releases out, so I didn’t get to add it to the pile then… or still. But that’s not stopping me from buying this sequel. Everyone I know who has read this series says it’s amazing.

And even though I accidentally spoiled book one by reading the Goodreads description for The Nightmare Garden, it is still my most anticipated read for the week. So much so that I spotlighted it for my Book Watch post last month.

I really can’t wait to meet Aofie and discover the world she lives in. And I am super excited to see for myself just how much it changed because of the events that took place in The Iron Thorn. Having read the description, this sequel sounds like it might be even more epic than the first book in the series, in a completely different way. And I must find out for myself some time next month.

For a peek at The Nightmare Garden, head over to Scribd for an excerpt. Just CLICK HERE.

***

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Pub. Date: February 14, 2012

Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

***

{Note: All covers link to the books on Goodreads}

***

Wow, what a really slow release week. I only had three pre-orders this week. Three. Last week it was four. That’s two slow weeks in a row. I seriously feel like I must be missing tons of releases that just didn’t end up on my pre-orders for one reason or another.

Maybe it’s the holiday in the U.S.!? I suppose it could be that Valentine’s Days is not for book lovers…but that doesn’t sound right at all! Who needs flowers and chocolates when you can have books? No, that doesn’t sound right either. Let me rephrase. What goes better with flowers and chocolates than books? Yeah, that’s it!

Anyway…. Of the three books releasing this week that I have ordered, I have only heard the chatter about one. And that’s Caitlin Kittredge’s series which I hope to be able to start reading really soon, even though I completely spoiled book one when I read the Goodreads description for The Nightmare Garden last month.

And while last week I was happy for a slow release week, having two in a row is a little bit scary. I really hope to see a lot more books in my list of pre-orders next week.

***

As always, I would love to hear what you’re hoping to add to your collection this week!

And if you have any great suggestions of “must read” books to buy that are releasing this week, please let me know!

The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge will be released in the U.S. on February 14, 2012 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats.

It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, the print edition is 432 pages.

***

There are a few books I’ve actually been keeping my eye on that are releasing the week of February 14th, but none more than The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge. I had been desperate to get my hands on the first book in the series last year. So much so, that I tried to bid on a signed copy in an auction, but sadly lost.

And while I still haven’t managed to squeeze in a read of The Iron Thorn, it is one of the books I plan on reading in February so that I can immediately follow it up with The Nightmare Garden. I have this second book in the series on pre-order for my Kindle and I can’t wait until it downloads.

The Iron Codex books sound dark, eerie, dangerous and chilling. And the fact that the author called the world Lovecraft is so super cool. I just know that every time I read it, it will evoke the man and his bizarre works.

Both covers have a dark and definitely creepy feel, especially the cover for The Iron Thorn, which makes me want to discover the characters and the world the author has created even more.

And from having read both the descriptions for books one and two – which I don’t actually recommend if you haven’t read book one – it seems that this story will definitely take a shocking turn at the end of the first book, creating numerous possibilities for what’s up next for Aoife in The Nightmare Garden. It also makes me wonder what kind of shocking ending to this book the author has created.

I am incredibly eager to start reading The Iron Thorn now, so that I can be ready for book two’s release. And having read the spoiler-y description for that book, I’m now extra curious as to just how Aoife plans on reversing the damage she’s caused by what she did in the first book.

The Nightmare Garden sounds like it will be a very different book from The Iron Thorn, but no less exciting, which is why I just had to spotlight it. And I can’t wait to find out for myself just how amazing it will be.

***

Another awesome book releasing on February 14, 2012 is Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer.

***

Places to Stalk:

**** GOODREADS DESCRIPTION IS SERIOUSLY SPOILER-Y FOR BOOK ONE****

Below are the YA books coming out this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

February continues to be a fantastic month for new releases. Here are the books for the week of February 21st that I have ordered or am purchasing on release date.

A few of these books were either part of my Book Watch spotlights or I’ve already reviewed, but the finished copies are on my pre-order list so they make the list. Yes, I buy all final copies of books unless I absolutely do not care for them.

So, you may have seen these before on the site, but they’re releasing on Tuesday and if you haven’t already ordered, you still have time!

A Touch Mortal is Leah Clifford’s debut novel. It will be released in the U.S. on February 22, 2011 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for pre-order in both formats.

Published by Greenwillow Books, the hardcover is 432 pages.

A Touch Mortal is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com. It is one of the original twelve books I chose for the 2011 DAC.

I think I’ve entered every possible contest on the Web to try and get this book early. Obviously I have been looking forward to reading this book for awhile. I’ve said it over and over that I love the cover, the premise – really everything that it seems to be offering.

I can’t wait to start reading this book. Eternal struggles, heaven and hell, betrayals. It just sounds so very, very good. I can’t say that I hope it lives up to the hype, as I haven’t paid much attention to what’s being said on the blogs as I’ve created too much of my own hype for this book to overshadow what others might have said.

If you want to read the Goodreads description or watch a video of the author reading from the book, check out my Book Watch post here.

Darkest Mercy is the final book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. It will be released in the U.S. on February 22, 2011 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble in both formats.

Published by HarperTeen, the hardcover is 336 pages.

I can’t imagine that anyone who is a fan of the series hasn’t already pre-ordered this book or doesn’t already plan on heading to their local bookstore to buy this. But as it is one of the books releasing this week that I am purchasing I have to list it here.

From what I’ve heard it is the perfect end to the series so I can’t wait to read it. After reading the first book in the series I never thought I’d enjoy other books written from a different character’s point of view, but I have. I’ve gotten to love Irial and Niall and all the other Courts just as much as Aislinn and Seth and the Summer Court.

I am sad that this series will be ending, but I have no doubt that author Melissa Marr will come up with something amazing.

If you would like to read the Amazon description check out my Book Watch post here.

Book trailer for Darkest Mercy:

Darkness Becomes Her is the debut novel for author Kelly Keaton. It will also be released in the U.S. on February 22, 2011 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is available online for pre-order in both formats from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Darkness Becomes Her is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com.

I hadn’t initially chosen this book for one my 2011 DAC picks, but I would have read this book regardless. I had it on pre-order for quite awhile as it fits the genre of books I love.

Paranormal meets Greek Mythology in this super-exciting book. And because of this unique combination it is very memorable. This will definitely be a re-read for me before the second book comes out although this isn’t a book that will easily be forgotten.

I was fortunate to receive an eGalley of this book and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to skim through the final version on Tuesday as there are a few things I want to see if they altered from the ARC.

If you’d like to read the Goodreads description and/or my review, scroll down to Sunday’s post or click here.

Haven is Kristi Cook’s debut novel. It is another book releasing on February 22, 2011 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is available online for pre-order in both formats from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Published by Simon Pulse, the print edition is 416 pages.

Haven is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com. It is also one of my original 12 DAC picks.

I received and eGalley for this book and at the time this post was written I am currently reading it. There has been quite a lot of hype about this book (although I have avoided reading any reviews for fear of spoilers) and so far it does not disappoint.

I have this on my pre-order list and have had it on there forever because it sounded so cool. Psychic visions, premonitions, an intriguing boy and a school for the psychically gifted equals a whole lot of awesome. Check out Goodreads for the full description.

I’m really excited for author Kristi Cook and her book’s release as she is super-friendly and is very accessible to fans on Twitter.

The Iron Thorn is author Caitlin Kittredge’s debut novel. It is the first book in the Iron Codex series and will be released on February 22, 2011 in the U.S. in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available online for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble in all formats.

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, the hardcover is 512 pages.

The Iron Thorn is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com.

This was not one of my original DAC picks, but I noticed this book on Amazon as a recommended read. I checked out the Goodreads description and it intrigued me. Books where a character is trying to escape their fate always interest me, and when that fate is insanity I definitely want to see if the character is successful.

The cover did not draw me to this book – I’ve only seen the cover image online and it is a bit dark and creepy (which may be its intent) – but two other items did. One was the fact that there were quite a few books with the title “Iron” being released in January/February 2011 so I thought I’d check this one out too, not knowing that it was a DAC book.

The other was that the city is named Lovecraft which makes me think the author is either a fan or very aware of H.P. Lovecraft’s work. It will be interesting to see how much of Lovecraft’s ideas and influences, if any, are included in this book.

***

I never intentionally exclude a book from this list. These are just the books that I’ve purchased that are releasing this week. If you know of any books that I’ve missed that are “must reads” please feel free to comment.