There have been so many great new releases this year, and I have yet to purchase a lot of them. I really, REALLY love hardback books, but they are always so expensive that I just can't justify spending at least $17.99 on EACH of them. I tend to wait until they release in paperback since they are then about half the price. However, I am making my first trip to Books A Million today, and look forward to possibly picking up some of these books. Christmas is also coming up, which could result in quite a few new books. Still, I thought that I would start sharing the 2014 releases that I would still LOVE to purchase. It will be in several different parts because there are still so many. Enjoy!
January Releases:
Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler
Emma is tired of being
good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is
the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out
loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened
to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring
and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything
Emma is not.
And it may be more than Emma can handle.
Because
as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her
own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan,
the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out
of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and
boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous
Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable
confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...
Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
Meet Sloane Emily
Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C.,
who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a
comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the
mass of misery that is her life.
Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a
spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team
for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now,
when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her
life will be over.
When the two Sloanes meet by chance in
Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks
she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no
scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to
Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey
hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very
good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover
that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than
being yourself.
Defy by Sara B. Larson
Alexa Hollen is a
fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's
army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a
spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks
into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually
unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and
friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous
wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer
Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she
realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous
secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds
herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady
Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian.
With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to
save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard
When high school senior
Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he
threatens his girlfriend, Emily Beam, and then takes his own life. Soon
after, angry and guilt-ridden Emily is sent to boarding school in
Amherst, Massachusetts, where two quirky fellow students and the spirit
of Emily Dickinson offer helping hands. But it is up to Emily Beam to
heal her own damaged self, to find the good behind the bad, hope inside
the despair, and springtime under the snow.
No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale
Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 689
688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one
ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth
Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a
cornfield.
Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at
looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend,
Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and
Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order
to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But
in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could
be the killer.
A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909,
where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means
everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and
mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who
wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
After
Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her
French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to
marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has
other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal
College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her
growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be
the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high
society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just
how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?
February Releases:
The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman
Death hasn't visited
Rowan Rose since it took her mother when Rowan was only a little girl.
But that changes one bleak morning, when five horses and their riders
thunder into her village and through the forest, disappearing into the
hills. Days later, the riders' bodies are found, and though no one can
say for certain what happened in their final hours, their remains prove
that whatever it was must have been brutal.
Rowan's village was
once a tranquil place, but now things have changed. Something has
followed the path those riders made and has come down from the hills,
through the forest, and into the village. Beast or man, it has brought
death to Rowan's door once again. Only this time, its appetite is insatiable.
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
Alexi Littrell hasn't
told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and
embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back
of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.
When
Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with
the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid,"
who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support,
Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her
find the courage to finally face the truth.
The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe
For sixteen years, Daisy
has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger
brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes
her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending
her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious,
and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She
quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy
Dave.
But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be:
Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the
bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her
brother? How can she know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor
Zoe and her best
friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which
included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave
face and be positive for her friend.
Even when she isn't sure what to say.
Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.
The
one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will
beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has
to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.
March Releases:
Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger
Vane Weston is haunted.
By the searing pull of his bond to Audra. By the lies he’s told to
cover for her disappearance. By the treacherous winds that slip into his
mind, trying to trap him in his worst nightmares. And as his enemies
grow stronger, Vane doesn’t know how much longer he can last on his own.
But
Audra’s still running. From her past. From the Gales. Even from Vane,
who she doesn’t believe she deserves. And the farther she flees, the
more danger she finds. She possesses the secret power her enemy craves,
and protecting it might be more than she can handle—especially when she
discovers Raiden’s newest weapon.
With the Gale Force weakened by
recent attacks, and the power of four collapsing, Vane and Audra are
forced to make a choice: keep trusting the failing winds, or turn to the
people who’ve betrayed them before. But even if they survive the storms
sent to destroy them, will they have anything left to hold on to?
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
When sixteen-year-old
Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the
time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting
wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she
knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket
list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and
getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something
unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are
settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the
consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true
feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people
around her—and to the one person who matters most?
Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
We weren't always like
this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until
our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects.
Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get
telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was
thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that
Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on
Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.
Since
we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class
brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they
dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our
breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will
thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same. So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.
Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn
Before, Brynn had a
group of best friends, a loving boyfriend, a growing talent for pottery.
She had a life. And after…she had none.
When Brynn lost the
boyfriend who never loved her, the friends who feel she betrayed their
trust, and the new life just beginning to grow inside her, she believes
her future is as empty as her body. But then Christian, the boy next
door, starts coming around. Playing his guitar and pushing her to create
art once more. She meets some new friends at the local community
center, plus even gets her dad to look her in the eye again…sort of.
But can Brynn open up her heart to truly find her life’s own beauty, when living for the after means letting go of the before?
#16ThingsIThoughtWereTrue by Janet Gurtler
Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue
When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her
mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out
on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...
Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue
Now
that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real
Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He
even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?
5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue
With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the
wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for
anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake
girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer
started will become the people she can't imagine living without.
Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
Zephyr Mourning has
never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV
than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at
wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal
human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her
sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself
from the same fate.
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse
than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a
surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like
Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is
prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the
half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that. But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?
Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington
When Liv Bloom lands an
art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster
system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and
rituals, but she couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, she has
her own studio, her own supply of paints. Everything she could want.
Then
she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one
person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at
Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get
involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do
is enjoy the ride.
But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after
arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that
she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many
lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s
campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To
Malcolm.
Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the
terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight
alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
For Cleo Berry, the
people dying of the Spanish Influenza in cities like New York and
Philadelphia may as well be in another country--that's how far away they
feel from the safety of Portland, Oregon. And then cases start being
reported in the Pacific Northwest. Schools, churches, and theaters shut
down. The entire city is thrust into survival mode--and into a panic.
Headstrong and foolish, seventeen-year-old Cleo is determined to ride
out the pandemic in the comfort of her own home, rather than in her
quarantined boarding school dorms. But when the Red Cross pleads for
volunteers, she can't ignore the call. As Cleo struggles to navigate the
world around her, she is surprised by how much she finds herself caring
about near-strangers. Strangers like Edmund, a handsome medical student
and war vet. Strangers who could be gone tomorrow. And as the bodies
begin to pile up, Cleo can't help but wonder: when will her own luck run
out?
Riveting and well-researched, A Death-Struck Year is based
on the real-life pandemic considered the most devastating in recorded
world history. Readers will be captured by the suspenseful storytelling
and the lingering questions of: what would I do for a neighbor? At what
risk to myself?
An afterword explains the Spanish flu phenomenon,
placing it within the historical context of the early 20th century.
Source notes are extensive and interesting.
These are all of the releases from January through March that I am really hoping to purchase in the near future. Keep an eye out for parts 2, 3, and 4 of this post! :] Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them?
