Interesting New Releases: Week of January 30, 2012

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.




Defending Jacob by William Landay

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Lenobia's Vow by P.C. Cast

A great journey…

A new love….

A dark secret revealed.

Evreux, France, 1788: Before she is Zoey’s favorite professor and the House of Night’s powerful horse mistress… Lenobia is just a normal 16-year-old girl – with enough problems to last a lifetime. As the illegitimate daughter of a powerful baron, she has never quite belonged, and instead has to watch her spoiled half-sister, Cecile, get anything she wants. As if that’s not enough, her remarkable beauty draws unwanted attention wherever she goes. For once, she would like to just fit in.

But when fate intervenes, Lenobia suddenly finds herself surrounded by other girls, on a ship bound for New Orleans, where they will be married off to the city’s richest Frenchmen. And they’re not alone…. An evil bishop who is skilled in Dark magic makes the same journey. His appetite for lovely young women makes him dangerous – most of all to Lenobia, who caught his eye back in France. So she remains hidden, making secret visits to the ship’s stables, where a handsome young man and his beautiful Percheron horses soon capture her attention.

Will they make it to land before the bishop discovers her true identity and a powerful evil breaks loose? And will Lenobia follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? Find out more about one of your favorite professors in the next heart-thumping House of Night Novella.

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she’s drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the parthuman, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hellbent on murder when the devil’s son just won’t give up?

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

From the Publisher: 

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Thoughts:

The idea for this novel is pure genius. Cinder is a unique adaptation of the classic Cinderella story in which the main character is a cyborg. You may be thinking this is something like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, where the story is the same with just a few things changed. I assure you it is not. While some of the key components to the Cinderella canon are present, the story is far from an exact telling.

There is, as you might imagine, a pretty heavy science fiction theme throughout the book. The world is very different from our own. The large territory of New Bejing is the setting for this first book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Science has improved, giving the world hover cars and fantastic body implants. However, a horrific disease wreaks havoc with earth's population. It makes the world more believable having problems that have not been solved.

Cinder is a very likable main character. She is smart and daring. Her love for he sister endears her to the reader. But her insecurity and self deprecating outlook give her that illusion of reality that truly strong characters must possess.

Like most young adult fiction today, the cover for the book is wonderful. It caught my eye as soon as I saw it and had me wondering what the book was about. It seems the old saying about not judging a book by its cover just does not apply with this genre. The covers of the books I have read over the past two years are getting more and more eye-catching.

This book will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Marissa Meyer successfully mixes the young adult, science fiction, dystopia and mystery genres into a fast paced novel you will find quite hard to put down.

The Author:

Marissa Meyer was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, home of Almond Roca and Stadium High School, which was made famous when Heath Ledger danced down the stadium steps in 10 Things I Hate About You. Marissa didn’t actually go to Stadium High School, but she did attend Pacific Lutheran University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. She still lives in Tacoma, now with her husband.Cinder is her YA debut.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this novel from the publisher. 

Interesting New Releases: Week of Januray 9, 2012

Gideon's Corpse by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

A top nuclear scientist goes mad and takes an innocent family hostage at gunpoint, killing one and causing a massive standoff.

A plume of radiation above New York City leads to a warehouse where, it seems, a powerful nuclear bomb was assembled just hours before.

Sifting through the evidence, authorities determine that the unthinkable is about to happen: in ten days, a major American city will be vaporized by a terrorist attack.

Ten days. And Gideon Crew, tracking the mysterious terrorist cell from the suburbs of New York to the mountains of New Mexico, learns the end may be something worse--far worse--than mere Armageddon.

The Secret Crown by Chris Kuzneski

From the mountains of Bavaria to the secret tunnels under King Ludwig II's castles, no one is safe when they search for the Secret Crown.

Hidden among the crates in a recently discovered World War II bunker are documents stamped with an elaborate black swan, the insignia of the murdered King Ludwig II. According to legend, Ludwig stockpiled a massive treasure in the years before his death, a cache of gold and jewels that would finance the construction of the largest castle of all time. But in the years since his death, no one has found any evidence that Ludwig had hidden anything. Until now.

Jonathon Payne and David Jones are pulled into the mystery by a colleague of theirs, a former supply sergeant in the U.S. military who asks them to investigate. They agree to help and quickly find themselves in a life-or-death struggle to uncover the truth about Ludwig's murder and his mythical treasure.

The Jaguar by T. Jefferson Parker

Erin McKenna, a beautiful songwriter married to a crooked Los Angeles County sheriff 's deputy, is kidnapped by Benjamin Armenta, the ruthless leader of the powerful Gulf Cartel. But his demands turn out to be as unusual as the crumbling castle in which Erin is kept. She is ordered to compose a unique narcocoriddo, a modern-day folk ballad of the kind that have recorded the exploits of the drug dealers, gunrunners, and outlaws who have highlighted Mexican history for generations. Under threat of death, Armenta orders Erin to tell his life story-in music-and write "the greatest narcocorrido of all time." Allowed to wander the dark hallways of the castle retreat with only a guitar and a mysterious old priest to keep her company, Erin must produce the most beautiful song that these men have ever heard.

As the mesmerizing music and lyrics of Erin's song cascade from the jungle hideout, they serve as a siren song to the two men who love Erin: her outlaw husband, Bradley Smith, and the lawman Charlie Hood- two men who together have the power to rescue her. Here, amid the ancient beauty and haunted landscape of the Yucatecan lowlands, the long-simmering rivalry between these men will be brought closer to its explosive finale.

T. Jefferson Parker, who is widely hailed as his generation's most accomplished and talented crime novelist, delivers a crime thriller that dramatically redefines the landscape of the cartel wars as an epic clash of good and evil.

Darth Plagueis by James Luceno

Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires. Losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. And when the time is right, he destroys his Master—but vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power . . . over life and death.

Darth Sidious: Plagueis’s chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith, while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.

Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination—and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

From the Publisher:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

My Thoughts:

Everneath is author Brodi Ashton's debut novel. As such, I had no expectations when I started reading. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The story is loosely based on tales from Greek mythology. A girl is tricked into spending time in the Everneath, only to be given a brief period to set things right before having to return and spend eternity below.

At first, you might think this is the second novel in a series. The story starts with Nikki already in the Everneath. But this is the author's first novel. You get the back story spread throughout. I was a little concerned for a bit that all the flashbacks would hinder the flow of the novel, but it actually fits together quite nicely.

What would a young adult novel be without a little romance? Certainly not this story. Nikki and Jack have that deep, connected romance. Cole wants Nikki to be his queen, while Julianna, Nikki's best friend, has her eye on Jack. Only one word comes to mind, angst.

This was a good book and I recommend it to lovers of Dark Fantasy and Young Adult novels. One last tidbit. I love that the rock band is named The Dead Elvises. Awesome!

The Author:

Brodi Ashton received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. Brodi has an active following on her blog, which can be found at www.brodiashton.blogspot.com. She lives in Utah with her family. Everneath is her debut novel.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: January 24, 2012

Disclaimer:

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review.

My Year in Reading

Now that 2011 is behind us, it is time to take a look back at my year in books. I set my reading goal once again at 100 books. Unfortunately, I fell a little short again. I completed 78 books in 2011. That is down slightly over 2010 where I read 84.

Here are my top 12 favorite reads and top 5 un-favorite reads. (How's that for PC?)

Favorite Reads

1. Iron House by John Hart
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
3. Betrayed by P.C. Cast
4. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
5. Deadline by Mira Grant
6. Last Breath by Rachel Caine
7. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
8. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
9. Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
10. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
11. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
12. Sanctus by Simon Toyne


Un-Favorite Reads

1. The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon
2. Carte Blanche by Jeffrey Deaver
3. Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn
4. The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
5. Harbor by John Lindqvist

Now, onto another year of great reading...

Happy New Year!!!!

New Releases: Week of December 12, 2011

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:


Locked On by Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy's All-Star lineup is back. Jack Ryan, his son, Jack Jr., John Clark Ding Chavez and the rest of the Campus team are facing their greatest challenge ever.

Jack Ryan, Sr. has made a momentous choice. He's running for President of the United States again and thus giving up a peaceful retirement to help his country in its darkest hour. But he doesn't anticipate the treachery of his opponent, who uses trumped up charges to attack one of Ryan's closest comrades, John Clark.

Now, Clark is in a race against time and must travel the world, staying one step ahead of his adversaries, including a shadowy organization tasked to bring him in, all while trying to find who is behind this.

Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., Ding Chavez, Dominick Caruso and other members of the Campus-the top secret off-the-books intelligence agency founded by Jack Ryan during his first term in the White House-deal with a question of their own: Why is a Pakistani military officer meeting with Dagestani terrorists? The answer will ultimately lead to a desperate struggle, with nothing short of the fate of the world at stake.

The Drop by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch has been given three years before he must retire from the LAPD, and he wants cases more fiercely than ever. In one morning, he gets two.

DNA from a 1989 rape and murder matches a 29-year-old convicted rapist. Was he an eight-year-old killer or has something gone terribly wrong in the new Regional Crime Lab? The latter possibility could compromise all of the lab's DNA cases currently in court.

Then Bosch and his partner are called to a death scene fraught with internal politics. Councilman Irvin Irving's son jumped or was pushed from a window at the Chateau Marmont. Irving, Bosch's longtime nemesis, has demanded that Harry handle the investigation.

Relentlessly pursuing both cases, Bosch makes two chilling discoveries: a killer operating unknown in the city for as many as three decades, and a political conspiracy that goes back into the dark history of the police department.