Week #1: January 5 - 10
1. The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
Release Date: January 6
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 336
Why I Want to Read it: This book sounds unlike anything that I have ever read before. It sounds like intertwining stories that go through different decades and time periods, so that is an interesting concept. Along with that, I have heard wonderful things about Marcus Sedgwick and his books, so I really do want to give this a try. The cover definitely is pretty, too.
Synopsis:
A bold, genre-bending
epic that chronicles madness, obsession, and creation, from the
Paleolithic era through the Witch Hunts and into the space-bound future.
Four linked stories boldly chronicle madness, obsession, and creation through the ages. Beginning with the cave-drawings of a young girl on the brink of creating the earliest form of writing, Sedgwick traverses history, plunging into the seventeenth century witch hunts and a 1920s insane asylum where a mad poet's obsession with spirals seems to be about to unhinge the world of the doctor trying to save him. Sedgwick moves beyond the boundaries of historical fiction and into the future in the book's final section, set upon a spaceship voyaging to settle another world for the first time. Merging Sedgwick's gift for suspense with science- and historical-fiction, Ghosts of Heaven is a tale is worthy of intense obsession.
Four linked stories boldly chronicle madness, obsession, and creation through the ages. Beginning with the cave-drawings of a young girl on the brink of creating the earliest form of writing, Sedgwick traverses history, plunging into the seventeenth century witch hunts and a 1920s insane asylum where a mad poet's obsession with spirals seems to be about to unhinge the world of the doctor trying to save him. Sedgwick moves beyond the boundaries of historical fiction and into the future in the book's final section, set upon a spaceship voyaging to settle another world for the first time. Merging Sedgwick's gift for suspense with science- and historical-fiction, Ghosts of Heaven is a tale is worthy of intense obsession.
2. Frostfire by Amanda Hocking
Series: The Kanin Chronicles #1
Release Date: January 6
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 321
Why I Want to Read it: I have been hearing about this book for awhile, so it has been on my radar. I am always intrigued by strong female characters who want to prove themselves, and this story seems to be just that. It's a start to another series, and I love series, plus I heard wonderful things about Amanda Hocking's previous series. Also, again, the cover is really pretty.
Synopsis:
Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.
Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.
But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?
Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.
Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.
But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?
3. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Release Date: January 6
Publisher: Knopf
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 384
Why I Want to Read it: I have heard so much talk about this book, and apparently it is going to be amazing. It has been compared to The Fault in Our Stars, which made my top ten books in 2014. I just really like the premise, and it seems like the kind of story I would enjoy. I definitely love the line in the description that goes: "a beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die." That line is beautiful, and I already have this book on pre-order.
Synopsis:
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
4. There Will be Lies by Nick Lane
Release Date: January 6
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 464
Why I Want to Read it: I actually did not know anything about this book until yesterday as I was looking through the upcoming releases. I was initially struck by the bright cover, but then I was intrigued by the title as well. From the synopsis, it seems like it's going to be a bit of a thriller, and I really enjoyed the ones that I picked up last year. It may have been a bit of a whim, but this one does sound very intriguing, so I pre-ordered it as well.
Synopsis:
In four hours, Shelby Jane Cooper will be struck by a car.
Shortly after, she and her mother will leave the hospital and set out on a winding journey toward the Grand Canyon.
All Shelby knows is that they’re running from dangers only her mother understands. And the further they travel, the more Shelby questions everything about her past—and her current reality. Forced to take advantage of the kindness of unsuspecting travelers, Shelby grapples with what’s real, what isn’t, and who she can trust . . . if anybody.
In four hours, Shelby Jane Cooper will be struck by a car.
Shortly after, she and her mother will leave the hospital and set out on a winding journey toward the Grand Canyon.
All Shelby knows is that they’re running from dangers only her mother understands. And the further they travel, the more Shelby questions everything about her past—and her current reality. Forced to take advantage of the kindness of unsuspecting travelers, Shelby grapples with what’s real, what isn’t, and who she can trust . . . if anybody.
What releases are you excited about this week?
LOVE the covers for the first 3 books! The Ghosts of Heaven is so colorful and pretty :) I have All the Bright Places preordered so I'm excited to get it in the mail, I've heard such amazing things about it!
ReplyDeleteCovers are getting better and better lately, it seems! I really do think that colors are really pretty in The Ghosts of Heaven. They seem to go so well together, which is really nice. I have All the Bright Places preordered as well and I cannot wait for it to come!
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