Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Look What the Book Fairy Left Me (5)

The Book Fairy and Santa conspired this year to bring me some good books. Unfortunately, Santa did not make me the book shelves that I wanted for above the closets in my bedroom. I've run out of floor space. Now I'm going up for storage! :) Of course, my husband/aka Santa, is thrilled by this idea.
I got a pretty good haul this Christmas! I seriously need two of me just to read all the books in my TBR pile. But I am not complaining...



Deadly Little Lies (A Touch Novel) by Laurie Faria Stolarz
this is the sequel to Deadly Little Secret, which is in my TBR pile.
Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred?
Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her.
But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who-before it's too late.

Shadowland by Alyson Noel
This is the third in the Immortals series. I enjoyed the first two, so I am excited to see how this new book unfolds. From the book description, it appears there are going to be some twists. I'm a little bummed only because some of what I've read from the book description is a little similar to the book I am writing. But that's ok...hasn't stopped me yet!
Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world’s darkest enemies—so they could be together forever. But just when their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen…one that could destroy everything. Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into the Shadowland. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source…a surfer named Jude.
Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She’s always believed Damen to be her soulmate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them, Ever’s connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before…

Fallen by Lauren Kate
I absolutely love the cover of this one! Ever since I saw it, I've wanted it. Hope the inside holds up to the outside.
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
I grew up in SC (although, I believe the town in this book is fictional), so I'm intrigued to read a fantasy in that setting.
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.


Books I bought with Santa money!
First Test by Tamora Pierce


I've heard such great things about her as a writer and I am always interested in reading about strong female characters, so I am hopeful that this is a good book. The problem I have discovered, which probably isnt really much of a problem at all, is that this book is set in the world of Tortall and apparently there is another series of books Ms. Pierce has written set in this world with some of the same characters. Of course, the other series precedes this one, so I am torn on whether or not I should try to pick up that other series first. It isn't necessary, according to the book jacket, but it would be nice to be familiar with some of the characters that are mentioned in this newer series.
Ten years after the proclamation that girls are eligible for a page's training at the court of King Jonathan of Tortall, 10-year-old Keladry applies and is accepted, but on probation, a condition never forced on male applicants. Resolutely accepting the challenge, the hostility of the royal training master, and harassment by fellow pages, Kel makes her way through this difficult year. Trained from early childhood by stoic Yamani warriors, she is capable of hiding her feelings, fearless in a fight, and willing to work hard to develop the necessary physical capacity. Her sympathy and support for the underdog and her sense of chivalry earn her the admiration of a group of fellow pages. She also befriends the sparrows that live outside her window and wins over a difficult horse. Kel performs well in her first real battle and is grudgingly allowed to stay for another year of training. The medieval/magical world of Tortall has been the setting for eight of the author's titles; in First Test, the first of a new series, this fantasy world is clear and well developed, allowing the book to stand on its own. Characters who may be familiar to readers of the previous titles are reintroduced successfully or remain on the sidelines. The scrappy Kel is an appealing and believable girl whose struggles to integrate a formerly all-male world are both familiar and freshly told.

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers series) by Rachel Vincent


The sequel to My Soul to Take, the third book is due out any day now...
I have these in my TBR pile. So many books, not enough time!
The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls for a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld — a consequence they can’t possibly understand. Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk....

Darklight by Lesley Livingston


sequel to Wondorous Strange, both of which are in my TBR pile...are you seeing a recurring theme here? :)
Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom...or part them forever.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain


Bree's debut novel. I came across this one purely by accident. I can't wait to read it.
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.
The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.
The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

And there you have it! A very long list. Can't wait to dig in!
Did you get anything good for Christmas?

*book descriptions were taken from amazon.com and goodreads.com

2 comments:

  1. Wow, those all sound and look awesome!!! What are you doing to me? I'm going to have to add these to my list too. Only now, I want several of them NOW! :) First, you got Beautiful Creatures like you wanted, yeay! It's sounds really good. I want it now too. Next, Deadly Little Lies looks like it will break my heart with the love triangle so I of course want that one (ha!), which means I need the first one. Hmm, that's three books. Then, The Dark Devine, well all I can say after reading that description is that I have to have it. So, that's at least four more books to my list. And, once I read the others in the series I'm sure I'll want Shadowland too. So much to read. I better make friends with the library pretty soon, I need more bookshelves too!!! I hope santa decides to help you out in the new year with those shelves. :) What an awesome week you had. Great books. Enjoy your reads and can't wait to hear about them!

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  2. As a member of BAA I heartily apologize for causing you this internal turmoil.
    Ahahahaha!
    I am so excited to read some of these. I think once I finish Rampant (which is up and down for me, so I am still not sure how I like it), I will read the sequel to Need by Carrie Jones called Captivate. I loved the first one and can't wait for this next one. Once I finish that I am on to Beautiful Creatures, I do believe. Don't quote me, but this is the plan for now. :)
    Enjoy your xmas books!!

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