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

These are books for the week of May 28st-June 3rd that I have pre-ordered.

OF TRITON by Anna Banks will be released in the U.S. on May 28, 2013 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Feiwel & Friends, the print edition is 256 pages.

OF TRITON is the second full-length book in author Anna Banks’ Of Poseidon series. The third book in the series, OF NEPTUNE, is slated for release in 2014.

I’m super excited for the release of Anna Banks’ OF TRITON this week. While I haven’t yet read the first book in the series, OF POSEIDON, I will definitely be reading both books this June because I love being able to read books in a series back-to-back.

I pre-ordered OF TRITON just as soon as it was available for the Kindle and actually had traded for an early copy in the hope that I could read it before it released, but wasn’t able to. But there’s no way I will miss the chance to read both books and the prequel novella next month.

Because I want to meet Galen and Emma and can’t wait to discover this story and series told from both characters’ perspectives. At least I think this sequel also has dual POVs….

I did end up accidentally taking a peek at the description for OF TRITON while creating this post and couldn’t help but read it all. So now I’m more excited than ever to learn about Emma’s mother and see what happens when the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton turn against each other.

If I get caught up with this week’s reads, I can (hopefully) get this series on the pile next week. My fingers are crossed. Tightly.

GODDESS by Josephine Angelini will be released in the U.S. on May 28, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 432 pages.

GODDESS is the third and final book in author Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed trilogy.

I’m both so happy and so so sad that GODDESS is releasing this week. I love this series and I’m devastated that it comes to an end in this book. I have the eBook pre-ordered but plan to buy the print copy as I have both previous books in the series in print. The first one is even signed.

I did read GODDESS just a little bit early and it was amazing, so it won’t be added to my TBR pile even though it is being added to my collection. Though I think the entire series needs a re-read so it will likely end up on the TBRR pile in the next few weeks.

But I have to own this final book because it is one of those books – and series – that I love, love, love. And it’s one I definitely will re-read again and again.

As I already talked about GODDESS in my Book Watch post and my review will go up on Monday or Tuesday, I won’t ramble on much more here. But yes the mythology had me riveted. Yes there is a resolution to the love triangle. Yes this story felt very epic. And yes I wish there were more stories in the series even though things did wrap themselves up… somewhat….

There is this tiny opening that I’m hoping means there will be more stories in this world. Which would be awesome. Even if the MCs aren’t Helen and Lucas and Orion. But I’ll say no more about that.

The one thing I will say is that reading GODDESS has made me desperately want to re-read STARCROSSED. So, hopefully, I’ll get the chance in a couple of week and can follow it up with re-reads of DREAMLESS and GODDESS, too.

THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH by Kady Cross will be released in the U.S. on May 28, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin TEEN, the print edition is 384 pages.

THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH is the third full-length book in author Kady Cross’ Steampunk Chronicles. There is no information yet available about the fourth book in the series.

I am so happy that THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH is not the final book in this series. I didn’t think it was until very recently, but then I read something on Goodreads which said it was. So I read the entire book – yes, I got an early eARC from NetGalley – thinking it was “the end.” Then was totally confused when I got to the end and everything was still so up in the air.

I thought maybe the series was canceled unexpectedly. That is not the case. At least I don’t think so, as Goodreads now says there are five books planned in the series. Which makes me even more thrilled that THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH is releasing this week and my finished eBook will be downloading to my Kindle on Monday Midnight.

Because this installment in the series was absolutely adorable. I loved the current adventure. I loved that there was more Emily and Sam in this one.

The start of this book just pulled me right in and I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Even though I thought it was a series-ending book at the time.

And I am so glad there will be more, as I want more Jack Dandy. I want more Finley. And as I’m still wary about the new character, I am anxious to see what happens there.

As I’ve already read this third book in the series, it won’t be going on my TBR pile and I won’t ramble on any more. Especially since I will be posting my review in the next couple of days. A review in which I seem to ramble on endlessly.

But I am super stoked that THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH is releasing this week and that I’ll be able to add a finished copy of this book to my Kindle this week.

DARE YOU TO by Katie McGarry will be released in the U.S. on May 28, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin TEEN, the print edition is 480 pages.

DARE YOU TO is the second full-length book in author Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits series. The third book, CRASH INTO YOU, is slated for release on November 26, 2013.

I can’t believe release day is just about here for DARE YOU TO by Katie McGarry. I will be reading it on Monday and will hopefully be done around the time the finished eBook downloads to my Kindle.

I’ve heard that both books in this series are amazing and am just about ready to start reading PUSHING THE LIMITS, so I should be able to agree or disagree with that statement in a few hours. But I am just as excited to read this second book in the series about Ryan and Beth as I am to read that first book.

I love contemporary stories that are about real-to-life issues and ones that put the characters in difficult situations. So I’m curious to see how the author approaches each book and how she resolves things for her characters.

And DARE YOU TO sounds like an opposites attract story, which I love, so I am stoked that I won’t have to wait until Monday Midnight to start reading it.

WILD AWAKE by Hilary T. Smith

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

FAERIE AFTER (Bones of Faerie #3) by Janni Lee Simner

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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IMPOSTOR (Variants #1) by Susanne Winnacker

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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REBEL SPIRITS by Lois Ruby

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Point

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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SKY ON FIRE (Monument 14 #2) by Emmy Laybourne

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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SPIRIT (Elemental #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: K-Teen

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

I’m guessing it was a bit quieter of a week for releases due to the holiday in the U.S. Which is kind of nice as the next two weeks have quite a few books I’m looking forward to adding to my collection.

I’m even more thrilled that of the four books I’ve pre-ordered three of them are ones I’ve read – or will have read – by the time of their release. And as I definitely plan on reading OF POSEIDON and OF TRITON in the next couple of weeks, technically none of my pre-orders will be TBR books.

However… I am going to be buying SKY ON FIRE. I own the first book in the series and always planned on pre-ordering this second book. And I would have clicked to pre-order it for my Kindle while creating this post, but it seems there’s something hinky with my account. So it will have to wait until I have time to deal with it on Tuesday.

And I think there’s another book in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES series – The Salvation: Unseen – releasing this week, published by 47North (Amazon). On Goodreads it only shows a UK version so I’m not sure about its connection with the other books in the series penned by different authors. As I haven’t really been following this series since all those TV tie-in books were released, I’m a tad clueless.

Anyway….

Hopefully some of the books releasing this week are ones you are looking forward to adding to your collection. Hopefully a few of them are ones you’ve already had the chance to read. And if there are any books I should have on my radar that I don’t, I’d love to hear about them!

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!

I don’t think I could be any more excited than I am right now because I get to share Lucas Delos’ interview with Author Josephine Angelini for the GODDESS Blog Tour. And, as you might imagine, it is awesome.

Lucas is not afraid to ask the good questions. Those questions that every reader wants to know. Questions about happy endings, love triangles, fight scenes, kissing scenes. And, of course, my favorite – whether the author really does enjoy torturing her characters.

I don’t think I could be that brave an interviewer.

The Starcrossed Trilogy is one of my favorite YA series. I made an immediate connection to the story and to Helen and Lucas. I remember being so blown away by the scene in STARCROSSED where both characters fall from the sky and are broken and tangled up in one another. And I remember turning to the last page and then immediately going back to the first for a re-read.

It wasn’t my only re-read.

I love the mythology in this series and I adore its characters. Some more than others. Yes, I have been and always will be Team Lucas. But I’m also Team Helen.  Even though…. Must. Not. Reveal. Series. Spoilers.

And I love the author’s writing. Which makes me so incredibly sad that this series had to end after just the three books. Though, thanks to this tour, I found out about STARCROSSED CITY, a short story posted on the author’s website. Which means I don’t have to say goodbye quite yet. And with the author’s response to Lucas’ final interview question, it makes me wonder.

So….

I am just so unbelievably thrilled to be a part of this tour and to have Lucas Delos on the blog to share his interview with Josie. Which I opted to post immediately below.

But if you’d like to know more about GODDESS, about Josephine Angelini and about the other books in this gorgeous series, their details and places to find them online follow the interview.

There are also two awesome giveaways on the tour. So be sure to check out those details too.

Now, though, without any further ado, let me turn my blog over to Lucas.

The Interview

Lucas Delos Interviews Author Josephine Angelini

LUCAS: Hi Josie.

JOSIE: What up, dawg?

LUCAS: Same old. So I guess we’ll get right to it…do you enjoy torturing your characters?

JOSIE: Every single one of them. Look, if you’re going to go Greek, you might as well get ready for some pretty horrific stuff. At least I didn’t kill all of you at the end, like I should have if I was going to make this really Greek. I just killed some of you.

LUCAS: You couldn’t have given Helen and me a perfectly happy ending? You had to complicate it?

JOSIE: I did give you a happy ending—just not a perfect one. Perfect is boring. And untrustworthy. I don’t trust perfect.

LUCAS: Okay, I can live with that. So, about not trusting perfect…where’d the fascination with Helen of Troy come from? She was the perfect beauty…

JOSIE: Yeah. And look at all the trouble it caused. It wasn’t really Helen of Troy I was interested in, not as she was written. I was interested in finding a way to make her, and Paris, sympathetic. I saw it as a huge challenge, considering they are two of the most hated characters in history. I wanted to write about their love story in a way that modern readers could relate to, and maybe understand.

LUCAS: Why the love triangle?

JOSIE: (laughs) I thought that might bother you. Actually, love triangles bother a lot of people. What I wanted to do with Orion (apart from the fact that I needed him to bring all the Houses together for plot reasons) was to offer up a few things that really bother me about love-triangles, and maybe try to work against the grain on them.

LUCAS: The things that bother you?

JOSIE: Yeah. One of the things that I don’t like in some love-triangles is that the spare guy—the one who everyone knows the girl isn’t going to choose—is never the one to say, “If you can’t make up your mind, then you’re not enough for me, Fancy Face.” Usually, the odd man out is some great guy who’d wait until the end of time or whatever. Heck no. I wanted Orion to recognize his own worth and demand better.

LUCAS: He is a good guy. Not my favorite guy right now, but whatever. Why are you so interested in my kind, anyway? Instead of Scions, why not write about normal people living in a normal town?

JOSIE: Snore. (laughs) Okay, I should be more diplomatic. I have nothing against straight stories, they just don’t speak to me the way fantasy and science fiction do. It’s probably because I read too much Shakespeare in my formative years.

LUCAS: Shakespeare?

JOSIE: Sure. Try to find a play he wrote that doesn’t have a ghost, a sorcerer, three witches, or a fairy in it. You’re down to Henry IV and V, and I didn’t read those when I was a kid. Most classical works have gods and monsters in them, and even when they don’t, they are about kings and queens, larger-than-life people, who changed the world. I think fantasy and science fiction keep the classical tradition alive.

LUCAS: What’s with all the fight scenes? I’m still a little beat up from it.

JOSIE: Sorry ‘bout that. I love to write action. It’s the kissing scenes I have a problem with.

LUCAS: Don’t get me wrong. I like a nice brawl, but I could have used a few more kissing scenes.

JOSIE: But what if I wrote them about Helen and Orion?

LUCAS: Scratch that. I think you wrote plenty of kissing scenes.

JOSIE: Smart lad. Anything else?

LUCAS: Last question. I would like to know, and my family would like to know, if you’re done harassing us?

JOSIE: Possibly. I plead the fifth.

LUCAS: (grinning) You really suck.

JOSIE: (grinning back) I really do.

About the Book

GODDESS releases May 28, 2013 from HarperTeen

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

About the Author

Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. A real-live farmer’s daughter, Josie graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Other Books in the Series

About STARCROSSED

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

About DREAMLESS

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out–a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

 About STARCROSSED CITY

A spin-off from Josephine Angelini’s irresistible Starcrossed series. Mysterious demi-goddess Daphne meets the totally hot Ajax for the first time in sultry NYC. This is where it all begins.

GOODREADS | JOSEPHINE ANGELINI’S WEBSITE

The Giveaways

There are a couple amazing giveaways on this tour. One that I really, really, really want to enter myself….

Enter in the Rafflecopter below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tour

Be sure to check out all the stops on the tour to learn more about GODDESS, Author Josephine Angelini and some things about her amazing Starcrossed Trilogy that you just might not know.

Week One

May 20th – The Starry-Eyed Revue
May 21st – Fiktshun
May 22nd – The Irish Banana
May 23rd – YA Bibliophile
May 24th – Supernatural Snark

Week Two

May 27th – Birth of a New Witch
May 28th – Refracted Light Reviews
May 29th – Tales of a Ravenous Reader
May 30th – Hobbitsies
May 31st – Reading Teen

Week Three

June 3rd – Parajunkee
June 4th – Buried in Books
June 5th – Candace’s Book Blog
June 6th – Alison Can Read
June 7th – Book Twirps

To learn more about the tour, visit the GODDESS Blog Tour page on Kismet Book Touring’s website, HERE.

GODDESS by Josephine Angelini will be released in the U.S. on May 28, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 432 pages.

GODDESS is the third and final book in author Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed Trilogy.

It was not easy choosing a book to watch for the week of May 28th as there are a few books releasing that week that I’m anxiously desperately awaiting. But as I’ve loved Josephine Angelini’s series longer than any of the others, I just had to choose GODDESS as the book to spotlight this week.

I am so very excited to read this next book in the series. I loved both STARCROSSED and DREAMLESS and cannot wait to see how this series ends. I’ve been trying – and failing – to get this book onto my reading pile for the past few weeks. But I think because it is a series-ending book I may not be trying as hard as I could.

Because as much as I want to know what happens with Helen, want to know whether she chooses Lucas or Orion and want to know who wins the war, I don’t want to see this series end. I’m not ready. And I cannot imagine, even with over four hundred pages, that this series can be wrapped up in just this one book.

I love the way the author introduced the mythology in the first book in the series. I love the new landscape she created in the sequel. And I’m ever so curious as to just what picture she’s painted in this final installment.

The back cover copy mentions a tyrant, a lover and a war. Which makes this book sound so unbelievably epic. And with passages that start off like this one – “I can’t think of anyone in the world who deserves to be loved–loved more–more than you,” Helen said, her voice breaking… – I am even more excited to see how this beautiful, tragic and amazing love story ends.

Yes, I think this series is awesome. Yes, I love how angsty and suspenseful each of these stories are. And, yes, you better believe I love the star-crossed love story. So, as much as I think there are a few books releasing the week of May 28th that deserve the spotlight, there is no doubt in my mind that, for me, GODDESS is the book to watch this week.

Places to Watch

The author on TWITTER

The author on FACEBOOK

The author’s WEBSITE

The author’s BLOG

The author on GOODREADS

About the Book

Goodreads description:

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Other Amazing Books to Watch

Here are a few of the other awesome books releasing the week of May 28th:

THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH (The Steampunk Chronicles #3) by Kady Cross

OF TRITON (Of Poseidon #2) by Anna Banks

DARE YOU TO (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

SKY ON FIRE (Monument 14 #2) by Emmy Laybourne

FAERIE AFTER (Bones of Faerie #3) by Janni Lee Simner

WILD AWAKE by Hilary T. Smith

SPIRIT (Elemental #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

REBEL SPIRITS by Lois Ruby

IMPOSTOR (Variants #1) by Susanne Winnacker

It was another slow week at the mailbox, but I did receive one book on Friday that I’m so excited… and more than a little bit anxious… to read.

[Credit for mailbox sharing goes to The Story Siren]

Thanks to the AMAZING team at Epic Reads, I received a copy of RISE by Anna Carey for review for their The End is Here event going on through April 14th. While I do have the eBook already – because this is a series that I definitely want to have in my collection forever – I think that in print these books are absolutely gorgeous.

As I knew I was going to be receiving the print edition, I decided to wait to read RISE until said copy was in hand, so I am a bit behind on last week’s pile. Which is why I’ve opted to only add one new read. And so…

Here are the books I have in my reading pile this week.
(April 7, 2013 – April 13, 2013)

I’m only adding one book to the pile this week, and that is GODDESS by Josephine Angelini. I know I have a few review books on the pile, but I’ve held out as long as I possibly can before diving into this final book in the series.

I had the chance to read DREAMLESS early and so the wait has been totally torturous. Especially since I had a copy of GODDESS for months now, just begging to be read. And while I am still having such a tough time saying goodbye to many of my favorite series, I am more than excited to find out how this series will wrap up.

Especially since I can’t imagine how all those loose ends could possibly get tied up in just this one book.

But I did read the description, and it sounds like this final book is going to be epic. I can’t wait to see whether Helen will be able to avoid a war with the gods and manage to save Lucas. I am curious to find out who this “diabolical Tyrant” is.

And I am really, really hopeful that when it comes to the love triangle, Helen chooses who I want her to chose.

The description calls GODDESS “compelling” and I, for one, am most definitely compelled to read it.

Wishful Thinking Reads:

I want to read THE END GAMES by T. Michael Martin. I received a surprise copy of it when I got a book for a tour, and I’ve wanted to pick it up ever since. The book sounds dark and all sorts of awesome and I’m in such a mood for that type of read right now.

But as it isn’t releasing until next month, and I need to read a few of my should have read already books, I am keeping this one just a wish for now… maybe.

Those Left Behind:

I am reading UNBREAKABLE - finally – though I am a little bit behind in that I didn’t finish it quite yet. And since I decided to wait for the print edition of RISE to arrive, I haven’t read that book either. But I will be reading it just as soon as I finish UNBREAKABLE.

I had planned on getting caught up on reviews this past week, since I was taking some time off work. But I spent most of my time enjoying the BBTC panels and the rest of the time catching up on TV shows. Yeah… clearly plans and me aren’t the best of friends.

I’d also planned on getting ahead on my reading and posting, but that didn’t happen either as I still had to finish those coding fixes which took a lot longer than expected.

But I did write my review for DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD and my review for EVE. I guess that’s something… though now I have to write my review for ONCE along with those other reviews I’m behind on. Anyway…

After having a bit of a break from reading, I’m excited to meet new stories and characters, so hopefully I’ll get a few books devoured this week on top of the ones I have at the top of my pile.

NetGalley Pile Adds & Finds:

I only took a brief look around NetGalley, but I almost jumped for joy when I saw GOLD by Talia Vance there. GOLD is AMAZING! And I might just have to request it, even though I did beta read it last year. But enough time has passed and I really want to see how the review galley compares….

I do have some time to decide, however, as it isn’t slated to release until September. So for now I’m just going to wait and see. But it is linked below for those who just can’t wait to find out what happened after SILVER.

Aside from GOLD, I did discover a few other books to check out…

GOLD (A Bandia Novel #2) by Talia Vance (Flux Books, Sep 8, 2013)

TEMPEST REVEALED by Tracey Deebs (Bloomsbury USA Childrens Books, Jun 4, 2013)

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU & ME by Amanda Grace (Flux Books, Sep 8, 2013)

ICONS by Margaret Stohl (HarperCollinsUK, May 9, 2013) **UK Reviewers ONLY**

SPIRIT (The Elemental Series) by Brigid Kemmerer (Kensington Books, May 28, 2013)

FIRECRACKER by David Iserson (Penguin Young Readers Group, May 16, 2013)

I am super curious about THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU & ME. I love ill-fated love stories and there’s just something so heartbreaking-sounding about the description. As it is a contemporary novel releasing this year, and I am taking part in the challenge, I may just have to request it. Though even if I don’t, I will be adding it to my pre-orders once it is available to pre-order in electronic format.

While it wasn’t the greatest week for reading and reviewing I had such an amazing time participating in Parajunkee and The Bookish Brunette’s BBTC this past week. I got to meet a few new bloggers I know I never would have met, and take part in some lively discussions, so it was totally worth it.

I’ve been feeling so out of touch with the community since everything went down this past January, but joining in the conversation has reminded me just how awesome this community can be.

Anyway…

I’d hoped to post this early this morning, but due to some issues with my internet connectivity, that just didn’t happen. So I am going to stop rambling and wrap this up so I can start reading before I have to head out for the day.

But, as always, I hope that you have some exciting books to read this week. And I hope you received some books you’ve been just dying for. And if you do decide to pick up a book or two this week, I hope the books are everything you expected them to be… and more.

Happy reading!

***

Do you create a reading pile?
If so, what’s in your pile this week?

Today is the LAST day of Top 10 of 2012.

A week of Looking Back…

…and Looking Forward.

I am so excited to be able to co-host this event again this year with Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic and Jaime from Two Chicks on Books. I am even more stoked that Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads has joined us as a co-host this year.

In case you hadn’t heard of our week-long event, it runs for five days, ending today, where we have been sharing some of our FAVORITE lists and inviting YOU to share yours in the Linky list each day.

Throughout the week, each of the hosts has offered up some bookish items for giveaway that you can enter, so be sure to check out all of our stops this week. Of course, if you’re just as curious as I am, you’ll want to check out as many of the top ten lists being shared this week as possible.

And if you haven’t yet signed up, that’s OK, there’s still time, though not much…. Just check out THIS POST for all the details.

Even if just want to join in for just today that’s okay. We’d love to check out your post.

The topic for today is…

Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2013

The only requirement seems to be that the book releases in 2013. So of course that means I’m going to cheat, just a little. Because I can’t possibly list only ten books releasing in 2013 I’m dying for. Though I will make them exclusively YA books I just can’t wait for.

So….

There will be TWO lists of top ten books I’m looking forward to. Those that are books in a series whose sequels I’m dying for and new books I can’t wait to read. But that second list will be making its appearance on The Annex or else this post would be WAY too long.

And sadly they won’t include any of the seven books listed below, as I’ve already read them and either reviewed or rated them and just didn’t think it would be fair to list them….

Top Ten Books in a Series I’m Dying to Continue Reading in 2013

1.

WITH ALL MY SOUL (Soul Screamers #7) by Rachel Vincent

Why Top Ten? Tod Hudson… Well, yes, him. But also because this series is one of my all-time favorites. The author is a brilliant writer. The characters are near – and oh so dear – to my heart. The ride has been one heck of a roller coaster. Who knew banshees could be this kind of awesome?

Sadly this series is coming to its heartbreaking end. Okay, so maybe the book won’t be heartbreaking – though I think it will be – but my heart will be broken that it’s ending. And that after getting to know Kaylee, Tod, Nash, Sabine and Emma as well as I have, having no more books to look forward to will be devastating.

So, yes, there was no question WITH ALL MY SOUL would top my list of books I’m just dying to read this year. I just hope I’ll be ready to say goodbye on release date.

2.

PHANTOM EYES (Witch Eyes #3) by Scott Tracey

Why Top Ten? Because that ending in DEMON EYES was devastating. Because the story is amazing and intense. Because the characters are ones whose safety I fear for constantly. Because the writing has moments of beauty, humor, snark and tension.

Yet another series I’ve fallen in love with is coming to an end in 2013. I wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of having to say goodbye to this series if I didn’t get the chance to read the first book in the author’s new series – MOONSET. If there wasn’t the promise of more of that, I’m not entirely sure how I’d cope.

Because saying goodbye to Braden, Drew, Trey and Jade is something I’m not fully prepared for. Three books is way too short a series and I’m ever hopeful for a prequel story in this world. Whether that be one about Jason and Catherine or one all about Drew and Jade.

3.

ENDLESS KNIGHT (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole

Why Top Ten? That ending. It killed me. I am obsessed with finding out just what happens next. I’m also super curious to know more about the Arcana. Especially Death. As I may have mentioned yesterday, I’m intrigued by Death.

As there is not even the littlest of hints about what is in store for the characters in this upcoming book on Goodreads, I’m even more desperate for answers, a tiny clue… anything.

But even if my curiosity wasn’t quite as piqued as it is, this book would still make my top ten because the world is amazing, chilling, horrifying. The characters are ones I could read about forever. The chemistry between them is electrifying. And the possibilities seem endless.

4.

A TOUCH MENACING  (A Touch Trilogy #3) by Leah Clifford

Why Top Ten? Because I’ve never been more scared to read a series-ending book than I am with A TOUCH MENACING. Because it is one of the darkest series in YA I’ve ever read. Because it’s so unique and evil and brilliant.

I’m terrified of seeing just how this series ends. I’m not at all looking forward to… okay maybe I am, just a little, morbid curiosity and all… finding out just how cruel the author has been to her characters. She pulls no punches. Ever.

And I have this feeling… a bad, bad feeling… that I’m going to be shocked, heartbroken, devastated when I reach that last page. Which is why I’m so glad that there weren’t any ARCs made available in 2012.

Because I think this book is one I’m going to have to fight to start reading and when I do, I’m sure I’ll be reading it with squinted eyes or through the spaces between my fingers like I do with anything that has the potential to scare me. I’m sure it will be scary good… but it will be knife-through-the-heart terrifying too.

5.

AFTERGLOW (Wildefire #3) by Karsten Knight

Why Top Ten? Because this series is epic. Because the heroine is seriously, seriously fierce. Because the mythology is diverse and interesting. Because the story is action-packed, heartbreaking, and packs one heck of a punch. Because the writing is simply gorgeous.

I can’t imagine that this series will be able to come to a close in this third book. This story just holds so much possibility. There are so many gods and goddesses who have interesting backgrounds I’d love to know more about.

And Ashline Wilde’s “predicament” doesn’t seem even close to being resolved.

Of course I’m confident the author will be able to wrap things up in this third book. I just don’t want that to happen. I most definitely want more.

6.

SWEET PERIL (The Sweet Trilogy #2) by Wendy Higgins

Why Top Ten? Kaidan Rowe. That is all.

Okay, well I wasn’t being entirely honest. There is more to this book than Kaidan Rowe. There’s the fact that this world is so incredibly dark. The bad boy is incredibly bad – he is the son of the Duke of Lust after all. Oops… I somehow brought that back around to Kai again.

The writing is so incredibly good. The characters are interesting. The plot is immensely entertaining. And I’m just dying to know what’s next. Especially as I read the description….

Which leaves me with questions, questions and more questions. Release date is just too far away.

7.

DANCE OF THE RED DEATH (Masque of the Red Death #2) by Bethany Griffin

Why Top Ten? The writing is gorgeous and haunting and flows beautifully. The world is utterly intriguing and horrifying. It pays homage to Poe’s stories. It’s dark, disturbing and tension-filled.

I am so looking forward to continuing this story. I’m actually rather desperate since I took a peek at the description and read these two sentences:

“Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust.”

Yeah. That makes me really worried about just what happened with the two boys I thought she could trust. Even though there already was that one incident….

If only April would get here quicker….

8.

BOUNDLESS (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

Why Top Ten? This series is gorgeous. It’s made me cry so very many tears over the heartbreaking moments. It left me almost equally torn between the two boys in Clara’s life. The writing is simply beautiful. Did I mention how often it made me cry?

I don’t want this series to end, even if this final book is as “riveting” as the description promises. I want it to go on for at least another two books… or more.

Although I’m not ready to face “The End” or witness the final battle, I am looking forward to this next installment. I just wish it wasn’t the final one.

The description talks of “sacrifices” and “betrayal” but gives no answers as to who will make the sacrifice, who is being sacrificed, who gets betrayed or who does the betraying. All I know is that I’m very, very nervous about just how the author will have her characters say their goodbyes.

Yet even with all of that I cannot wait until BOUNDLESS releases and I can discover those answers for myself.

9.

GODDESS (Starcrossed #3) by Josephine Angelini

Why Top Ten? Because I read DREAMLESS way too early and the wait has been torturous. Because I am desperately anxious for just what will become of the star-crossed lovers – Helen and Lucas. Because after that last epic journey that kept Helen and Lucas apart, I’m even more nervous for their future.

I fell madly in love with STARCROSSED. I loved the crazy and intense connection that Helen and Lucas made. I loved how they had to fight their urge to destroy one another. I loved how the author resolved that situation…. Nope, sorry, no spoilers here.

In DREAMLESS I ached for the situation that Helen was being put through. I was terrified about this new connection she was making. I was intrigued by the mythology that was explored. And when I reached the end I nearly screamed because I wanted more, more, more.

Well, it’s almost 2013. The wait is just about over. Of course the fact that this is yet another series-ending book has me totally devastated. But the description promises there will be “no question unanswered.” Yet at the same time it says no heart will be “untouched.” Oh no!

So… of course this book made my top ten list. I only wish there was another one to make the list in 2014.

10.

UNBREAKABLE (Unraveling #2) by Elizabeth Norris

Why Top Ten? Because UNRAVELING was such an amazing surprise. Because that book tugged on every heartstring. Because that ending left me desperate for the sequel. And because I read the description for UNBREAKABLE and oh my gosh….

I have absolutely no right to be tormented about the wait for UNBREAKABLE. Because I joined this party late – I only read UNRAVELING this fall. But  I feel tormented. I am tormented.

That description definitely did its job. It’s left me at the edge of my seat wanting to know just what happens next. It leaves me with so many questions. It makes me want answers NOW. And it makes me so very nervous about a certain character I didn’t ever want to be nervous about.

As this sequel also has its own sort of countdown clock, I just know it will be every bit the nail-biter that UNRAVELING was. Which makes me more than look forward to its release. Words like desperate, maybe a little despondent, slightly inconsolable, and perhaps a touch wretched come to mind.

So that’s my top ten… well, one of them anyway. As mentioned above, I couldn’t possibly list just ten books releasing in 2013 I’m looking forward to. So these are just those books in a series I’m looking forward to continuing in 2013.

My top ten picks for new books in a series, standalones, debuts or other books that will be a “first” for me, can be found on THE ANNEX.

Last year I went a little crazy with my Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2012 list. I’m thinking the numerous honorable mentions are what prompted the suggestion this year that we don’t go overboard. Yes I did a top ten “best of” list and then did a list of the “rest of” the books I was dying to read.

So this year I’m keeping the honorable mentions to just five books I have on my radar. Of course I did create that other list on The Annex… but still, that totals a mere twenty-five books. A much more reasonable number than the 100+ I had on last year’s list.

SCARLET (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

UNTITLED (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

DARK TRIUMPH (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

THE LOST SUN (The United States of Asgard #1) by Tessa Gratton

***

It’s still not too late to sign up for the event, even though it ends today. Whether you want to go back and post your Top Ten Lists for any of the missing posts or you just want to start today… you can!

For those of you who are participating, I can’t wait to check out your Top Ten posts – and most especially today’s post as I just know there are a ton of books coming out in 2013 that I haven’t heard of yet. Just leave your link in the Linky List below so everyone can take a peek.

And don’t forget to check out today’s giveaway on…

PLEASE NOTE: This is the SAME Linky List that is on each of the co-hosts blogs, so please just enter your links once!