March is coming in like a lion but it is definitely not going out like a lamb. We have some fierce reads coming this month and I am uber pumped about it. Not only does Cassandra Clare give us a brand new Shadow Hunter series but a gal pal of some of the most “badass” women of YA writing are teaming up and releasing 15 stories that I’m sure are going to rock our world. Here’s what I have on my list this month . . .
I have failed you all. I can barely write this sentence but…I only read one book this whole month. WHAT? HOW? WHY? I don’t know. I just…don’t know. Things happen and I blame North Carolina. I’m halfway through about 4 books right now, so July is going to be one bookish month.
The book I did actually finish (and loved, BTW) was Ana of California. Which it happens to be release day for this wonderful read, so be sure to pick it up.
Moving on.
This month brings lots of summer book fun. We have big books, small books, we have new books, old books, we have sequels, we have picture books. So. many. books! So my top six favs for July? Well…
1. Go Set A Watchman (To Kill A Mockingbird #2) by Harper Lee
I wouldn’t be a very good blogger/bookstagrammer/reader/and overall person if I didn’t mention this right away. It’s totally not a YA, but it is HARPER LEE. (And it will probably most definitely be the biggest book of the year!)
Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014.
Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch—Scout—struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.
Exploring how the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, Go Set a Watchman casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee’s enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right
On Sale: July 14th
HarperCollins
Pre-order: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
I’m already embracing the feels as I read the synopsis. The preface reminds me a bit of Emma from Red Band Society–anyone else think this? Definitely adding this to my TBR pile this month…and buying a box (or two) of tissues to go with.
Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.
Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.
Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn’t plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.
In this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut, Meg Haston delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss, while posing the question: Why are some consumed by their illness while others embark on a path toward recovery?
On Sale: July 7th
HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
3. Ink and Bone (Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine
Okay, first things first–this book is about a LIBRARY. That information alone should be enough to make you want a first class ticket on the Ink and Bone train. (At least it did for me.) Plus, the cover is gorgeous. It’s like it is secretly calling out to me, begging me to open its precious pages.
In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…
Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.
When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…
On Sale: July 7th
NAL
Pre-order: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
4. Pretending to Be Erica by Michelle Painchaud
Does this book remind anyone else of Pawn by Aimee Carter? That was my first thought after reading the synopsis. However, Pretending to Be Erica sounds edgier and mysterious–less dystopian–which holds my interest.
Seventeen-year-old Violet’s entire life has revolved around one thing: becoming Erica Silverman, an heiress kidnapped at age five and never seen again. Violet’s father, the best con man in Las Vegas, has a plan, chilling in its very specific precision. Violet shares a blood type with Erica; soon, thanks to surgery and blackmail, she has the same face, body, and DNA. She knows every detail of the Silvermans’ lives, as well as the PTSD she will have to fake around them. And then, when the time is right, she “reappears”—Erica Silverman, brought home by some kind of miracle. But she is also Violet, and she has a job: Stay long enough to steal the Silverman Painting, an Old Master legendary in the Vegas crime world. Walking a razor’s edge, calculating every decision, not sure sometimes who she is or what she is doing it for, Violet is an unforgettable heroine, and Pretending to be Erica is a killer debut.
On Sale: July 21st
Viking Books for Young Readers
Pre-order: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
5. Model Misfit (Geek Girl #2) by Holly Smale
Yes, you lucky, lucky UK’ers, I know that this has been out for years. However, we USA’ers haven’t had the pleasure of walking into a bookshop and picking up this beauty. I’m so excited for this sequel and squeeling with delight that it has finally crossed the pond! If you haven’t check out my review of Geek Girl #1 here.
“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”
Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.
What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.
With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes.
Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.
Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?
On Sale: July 21st
HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon US | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
6. The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson
If you have yet to read The Kiss of Deception, now is the time. The sequel to this highly acclaimed novel is up for grabs this month and reviewers are raving.
Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia’s erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar’s interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there’s Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country… and her own destiny.
On Sale: July 7th
Henry Holt and Co.
Pre-order: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
Which ones will make it on your July TBR pile?
images via.
All opinions are my own and are not sponsored or affiliated with any company or organization.
Anyone else feel like March sort of just blew right by? I sure do, but I am happy to say that Spring is finally here! (Hooray!)
March was packed with really great happenings (some book related, some not) as well as some not so great moments (totally not book related). All this to say, it has been a really busy month and my reading has greatly suffered. I did manage to FINALLY finish The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon. It wasn’t entirely my cup of tea, but that hasn’t strayed me from looking forward to the third installment of The Bone Season. This month I also picked up Red Queen (so good-go read it now) and I just put down The Last Time We Say Goodbye (review to come).
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak with Laura Oliver, a Random House representative, at my local library. Not only did she tell me about all the upcoming RH releases for this spring, but she also gave me THREE ARCS. I don’t think I have ever been so excited. One book she got me stoked about is An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir which releases this month! (YAY!)
Speaking of…let’s talk about what other reads make their debut this month.
1. Kissing Ted Callahan (And Other Guys) by Amy Spalding
Releases April 7th by Poppy
via Goodreads
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of this book from Poppy and NetGalley. I absolutely loved Spalding’s portrayal of teenage life and her main character, Riley, is laugh-out-loud funny. You can read more of my thoughts on Kissing Ted Callahan here.
Sneak out. Make out. Rock out.
Riley and her best guy friend, Reid, have made a pact: they’ll help each other pursue their respective crushes, make something happen, and document the details in a shared notebook.
While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over a girl’s heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, the guy she’s been obsessed with forever. His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But between a chance meeting with a fellow musician in a record store and a brief tryst with a science-geek-turned-stud-not to mention Ted’s own tentative attentions-cute guys are suddenly popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! As their love lives go from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid’s pact may prove to be more than they bargained for.
Filled with cute dogs, cute boys, and a few awkward hookups, this hilarious tale from Amy Spalding chronicles the soaring highs and embarrassing lows of dating in high school.
2. Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Releases April 7th by Balzer + Bray
via Goodreads
This read caught my eye a few weeks ago with its interesting and semi-creepy cover. I have also seen it pictured multiple times with Oreos. I mean… you can’t pass up anything regarding Oreos!
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.
3. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Releases April 28th by Razorbill
via Goodreads
I foresee this being the biggest book this year. (I know that is quite the statement, but I have heard nothing but amazing things about this read.)
Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told. LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution. ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.
4. Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
Releases April 28th by HarperCollins
via Goodreads
Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars in this fantasy about a girl caught between two worlds…two races…and two destinies.
Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.
Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.
So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.
Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.
Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?
5. In A World Just Right by Jen Brooks
Releases April 28th by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers
via Goodreads
Imagination takes on new meaning for a uniquely talented teen in this debut novel that is a breathtaking blend of contemporary, fantasy, and romance. Sometimes Jonathan Aubrey wishes he could just disappear. And as luck—or fate—would have it, he can. Ever since coming out of a coma as a kid, he has been able to create alternate worlds. Worlds where he is a superhero, or a ladies’ man, or simply a better version of himself. That’s the world he’s been escaping to most since sophomore year, a world where he has everything he doesn’t have in real life: friends, a place of honor on the track team, passing grades, and most importantly, Kylie Simms as his girlfriend. But when Jonathan confuses his worlds senior year and tries to kiss the real Kylie Simms, everything unravels. The real Kylie actually notices Jonathan…and begins obsessing over him. The fantasy version of Kylie struggles to love Jonathan as she was created to do, and the consequences are disastrous. As his worlds collide, Jonathan must confront the truth of his power and figure out where he actually belongs—before he loses both Kylies forever.
6. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey
Releases April 28th by Delacorte Press
via Goodreads
For readers of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.
Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she’s ever known.
Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she’s fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it’s time to act.
Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it’s how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.
But some jobs aren’t as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.
What are you reading this month?
All opinions are my own and are not endorsed or affiliated with any company or organization.
Friends, spring is almost here! We are mere hours away from stepping out of this snowy/freezing February and I couldn’t be more excited and anxious to embrace all that March is about to offer.
Even with the negative degree temps, February did bring some pretty great stuff. Lots of snow, means lots of reading and tea time. (There is always a positive side!) I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a little Eleanor & Park and I absolutely thought it was adorable. It left me with all kinds of feels and made my heart happy. Young love, is there anything better? I also began The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon. I’ve noticed there has been a lot of book buzz about it recently, probably because the sequel, The Mime Order, (which I am currently reading) released late January. The series is great, however each book takes me FOREVER to read. (I’m not entirely sure why that is.) Have you read this series yet? What do you think?
Some other books I picked up were The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black and The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma. Speaking of The Walls Around Us…let’s talk about March’s new releases!
1. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Releases: March 3rd by Knopf
via Goodreads
The Romans have long since departed and Britain is steadily declining into ruin. But, at least, the wars that once ravaged the country have ceased. Axl and Beatrice, a couple of elderly Britons, decide that now is the time, finally, for them to set off across this troubled land of mist and rain to find the son they have not seen for years, the son they can scarcely remember. They know they will face many hazards—some strange and otherworldly—but they cannot foresee how their journey will reveal to them the dark and forgotten corners of their love for each other. Nor can they foresee that they will be joined on their journey by a Saxon warrior, his orphan charge, and a knight—each of them, like Axl and Beatrice, lost in some way to his own past, but drawn inexorably toward the comfort, and the burden, of the fullness of a life’s memories.
Sometimes savage, sometimes mysterious, always intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in a decade tells a luminous story about the act of forgetting and the power of memory, a resonant tale of love, vengeance, and war.
2. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
Releases: March 10th by HarperCollins
via Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.
Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara’s beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it’s too late.
In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.
5. Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
Releases: March 17th by Random House
via Goodreads
Hausfrau
haus·frau haus-frau n 1: Origin: German.
Housewife, homemaker. 2: A married woman. 3: A novel by jill alexander essbaum
Anna was a good wife, mostly.
Anna Benz, an American in her late thirties, lives with her Swiss husband, Bruno—a banker—and their three young children in a postcard-perfect suburb of Zürich. Though she leads a comfortable, well-appointed life, Anna is falling apart inside. Adrift and increasingly unable to connect with the emotionally unavailable Bruno or even with her own thoughts and feelings, Anna tries to rouse herself with new experiences: German language classes, Jungian analysis, and a series of sexual affairs she enters with an ease that surprises even her.
But Anna can’t easily extract herself from these affairs. When she wants to end them, she finds it’s difficult. Tensions escalate, and her lies start to spin out of control. Having crossed a moral threshold, Anna will discover where a woman goes when there is no going back.
Intimate, intense, and written with the precision of a Swiss Army knife, Jill Alexander Essbaum’s debut novel is an unforgettable story of marriage, fidelity, sex, morality, and most especially self. Navigating the lines between lust and love, guilt and shame, excuses and reasons, Anna Benz is an electrifying heroine whose passions and choices readers will debate with recognition and fury. Her story reveals, with honesty and great beauty, how we create ourselves and how we lose ourselves and the sometimes disastrous choices we make to find ourselves.
2. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
Releases: March 24th by Algonquin Young Readers
via Goodreads
I had the opportunity to get my hands on an advanced copy of this wonderful book. (Thank you NetGalley & Algonquin!) I’m not sure I can eloquently relay how great this book is, but I did try. You can read my review for this haunting read here.
“Ori’s dead because of what happened out behind the theater, in the tunnel made out of trees. She’s dead because she got sent to that place upstate, locked up with those monsters. And she got sent there because of me.”
The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices—one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries.
We hear Amber’s story and Violet’s, and through them Orianna’s, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture—which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.
Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and innocence, and what happens when one is mistaken for the other.
4. The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige Mckenzie
Releases: March 24th by Weinstein Books
via Goodreads
Based on the wildly popular YouTube channel, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl has been described as “ Gilmore Girls meets Paranormal Activity for the new media age.” YA fans new and old will learn the secrets behind Sunshine—the adorkable girl living in a haunted house—a story that is much bigger, and runs much deeper, than even the most devoted viewer can imagine…
6. We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
Releases: March 24th by Simon and Schuster
via Goodreads
Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.
They always say that high school is the best time of your life.
Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait.
Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.
All opinions are my own and are not endorsed or affiliated with any company or organization.
Hello my dear bibliophiles!
We are officially in the second month of 2015! How was your first? I hope it was full of adventures, new discoveries, and of course epic reads.
Well this past month, I finally knuckled down and read Michelle Hodkin’s Mara Dyer trilogy. I’m not sure what took me so long. It’s a phenomenally edgy and twisted series and I highly recommend it to any of you who like a lot of creepy mixed in with your teenage romance. (Twilighters, I’m talking to you!) I also picked up Paula Hawkin’s The Girl on the Train. Not to beat a dead horse, but another fantastic read. Also, another creepy read. (I guess I was in a thriller/psychological/suspense mood this month.) In short, it will definitely be one of the best books released this year.
Speaking of good books… let’s talk about a few who are making their debut this February!
1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
February 10th by Orion
Red Queen has been on my watch list for awhile and it hasn’t been hard to keep up to date. This book has been posted everywhere, which only heightens my anticipation for it’s release.
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?
2. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
February 10th by Harper Collins/Balzer + Bray
Hey all of you The Fault in Our Stars fans, a little bird whispered this one is a must read.
Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.
There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.
Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.
3. The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons
February 10th by Tor Teen
I haven’t seen this one floating around much, but the premise is so intriguing that I had to add it on to my list!
The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.
In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.
4. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
February 10th by Harper Teen
I know this one will most likely make me cry rivers, but usually those are the best kinds of stories. Plus, the cover is gorgeous!
There’s death all around us.
We just don’t pay attention.
Until we do.
The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn’t look at her like she might break down at any moment.
Now she’s just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that’s all she’ll ever be.
As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there’s a secret she hasn’t told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.
Lex’s brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn’t have to be real to keep you from moving on.
From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go.
5. A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
February 24th by Harper Teen
I am a sucker for anything fairy tale, so when I heard about this spin on Sleeping Beauty I was ecstatic. Who doesn’t like princes, sword fights, and damsels in distress?
Rhiannon Thomas’s dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining ofSleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.
One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.
Her family is long dead. Her “true love” is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.
As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.
Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.
6. No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss
February 24th by Greenwillow Books
I. Can’t. Wait. For. This. Not only is the cover compelling, but the synopsis grabbed my full attention. I have a feeling this is going to be one witty and gripping story.
Abigail’s parents have made mistake after mistake, and now they’ve lost everything. She’s left to decide: Does she still believe in them? Or is it time to believe in herself? Fans of Sara Zarr, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell will connect with this moving debut.
Abigail doesn’t know how her dad found Brother John. Maybe it was the billboards. Or the radio. What she does know is that he never should have made that first donation. Or the next, or the next. Her parents shouldn’t have sold their house. Or packed Abigail and her twin brother, Aaron, into their old van to drive across the country to San Francisco, to be there with Brother John for the “end of the world.” Because of course the end didn’t come. And now they’re living in their van. And Aaron’s disappearing to who-knows-where every night. Their family is falling apart. All Abigail wants is to hold them together, to get them back to the place where things were right. But maybe it’s too big a task for one teenage girl. Bryan Bliss’s thoughtful, literary debut novel is about losing everything—and about what you will do for the people you love.
What books are you looking forward to this February?!
Photos & synopses via Goodreads.
All opinions are my own and are not endorsed or affiliated with any company or organization.
The Book Trove 