Hey everyone! Today I had planned to write up a book review but instead, since it's the last day of May, I'd like to post up some upcoming wishlist releases for June and July! But don't worry, I won't forget about the review - this is just something to mix it up a bit! ;)
Sidenote: These are in no particular order! :)

Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knutsson
June 5th 2012

Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet—especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.

Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to Plague, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe—government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerilla warriors—and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader’s son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument…

The Glimpse by Claire Merle
June 7th 2012

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
July 3rd 2012

When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member.

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school...and be bound to Birch Grove forever?

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
July 3rd 2012

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

How good do all of these books sound? If I had to pick the one I'm most excited about, it'd have to be Dark Companion - doesn't it sound absolutely amazing, and that cover? Gorgeous! I also really like the sound of Tiger Lily because, well duh - PETER PAN! And The Glimpse and Shadows Cast by Stars (what a unique plot, don't you think?) are both dystopian so... as an avid dystopian lover it's no question that I need to read them!
Ooooooooooooh, I can't wait!! xD

Are any of you waiting on June/July releases? Which ones? Do you also like the look of these books?

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Blog Tour: Want by Stephanie Lawton Excerpt

Hey everyone! Today, I'm taking part in a blog tour for Want, an upper YA Southern Fiction and Romance novel. Following you will find the synopsis of this book, an excerpt and an author bio. Enjoy! :)

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her.

She can’t understand why he suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.

Excerpt:
If you want vampires and werewolves, faeries, fallen angels or zombies, you won’t find them here. I know a real-life monster. She drains the life out of me and tears at my flesh with words and fingernails that sink deeper than fangs ever could. I’m not her only victim, just her favorite.

Even the thick walls of our ancient house couldn’t absorb the crash of a delicate heirloom when she’d aim at Daddy’s head for his latest transgression. My six-year-old self used to peek around the corner and along the steps to where the monster did battle with Daddy. The night I saw her hit him was the night I knew it’d soon be my turn. I was right, and it’s gotten worse over the last eleven years, especially since my brother R.J. went off to college.

Tonight I’m studying for finals. Our air conditioner wheezes in the evening heat, and sweat drops stain my history book. There’s a knock on my bedroom door, but Daddy doesn’t wait for an answer before opening it. I’m glad he’s finally home from work, but it’s weird that he’s in my space with a constipated look.

“Juli, it’s Mr. Cline.” I stop breathing. “He’s in the hospital.”

I’m going to be sick. “And?”

“He had a stroke. Half his body’s paralyzed, but the doctors think it might only be temporary. Try not to get worked up.”

“Try not to get worked up. Right.” My piano mentor and stand-in grandpa might be a vegetable but I shouldn’t get worked up.

“He’s already asking for you. His sister said you should try to visit after school tomorrow.”

I swallow back tears and nod.

I think about Mr. Cline all through school next day. If I lose him, that’s one less person who knows the real me. If I lose him, my chances of getting into the music school I want melt like gum in the sun. I bolt for my car as soon as the last bell rings and drive like a maniac to get to the hospital before visiting hours end.

More About The Author:
After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.
A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.
On her thirtieth birthday, she mourned (okay bawled) the fact that in no way could she still be considered a “young adult,” so she rebelled by picking up Twilight and promptly fell in love with Young Adult literature.
She has a love/hate relationship with Mardi Gras –where does all that money come from?–and can sneeze 18 times in a row.

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Author: Aprilynne Pike
Edition: HarperCollins Paperback
Released: April 26th 2012
Notes: Wings #4
Pages: 363
Rating: See below review.

Laurel lived happily as an ordinary girl—until she discovered that she was a faerie. Since then her heart has been divided—Avalon or the human world? Safe reliable David or wild, charismatic Tamani? But now an enemy unlike any before, threatens Avalon and unless the faerie world can win out, there may be no choices left...

Laurel faces the fight of her life to save everything, and everyone, she loves.

When I was offered the chance to review this final installment in the Wing's series, I jumped at the chance. I have read and loved all of the three previous books and I'm glad to report back that Destined was no exception. This series definetly wound up with a bang!

Since this book is like the ultimate showdown (between who, I will not say because of spoilers) I was glad that it contained a whole lot of action. I sincerely thank you, Pike, for doing this. The action scenes were very easy to follow - unlike some where they go too fast or just don't make sense at all - and understand. You could pratically see Tamani with his spear!

Of course I continued to love all of the characters! Even the ultimate villian was so well-developed I couldn't help but enjoy the scenes she was in! My favourites did continue to be Tamani and Laurel but I did warm up to a whole load of other characters too! I've always loved Tamani's character ever since book one and this didn't change a bit in book four - he is still brave and loyal. Laurel has definetly developed since we first met her and, even though my favourite type of heroines are those that kick-ass, a very intelligent faerie is a very close second! ;)

The writing also continued to be brilliant! For some reason I absolutely love Pike's writing style. I can't even begin to explain why. I think it's because she has this way of pulling off subtle description that is very easy to understand but still has a rather beautiful quality to it.

I hope that we'll see more of this author's works again soon. If they're anything like Wings has been, I will definetly be first in line to buy! Now that this series is finished I am both satisfied with the ending and a little sad. I will no longer be going on adventures with Laurel and the rest of the crew... Anyway, it was definetly great fun while it lasted!


I would like to thank HarperCollins for providing me with a review copy of this book! :D

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

PS: Sorry about not posting a Showcase Sunday yesterday! I was super busy all day (soaking up the rare sunshine and all that, y'know)... ;D

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Author: Cassandra Clare
Edition: WalkerBooks Paperback
First Published: December 1st 2011
Notes: The Infernal Devices #2
Pages: 496
Rating: See below review.

Love and lies can corrupt even the purest heart...
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, while her desire for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will – the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? As their dangerous search for the truth leads the three friends into peril, Tessa's heart is increasingly torn, especially when one of their own betrays them...

Wow, oh wow, oh wow! This is shaping up to be one brilliant series! I absolutely adored Clockwork Prince - it had more insight into the characters, more sub-plots, more action and more of the love triangle which, for the most part, infuriated me! It was also quite sad to tell the truth. Overall, a perfect sequel to Clockwork Angel!

First off, the writing style. It was beautiful! The one thing I have to admit is that, at times, I could get a little confused. Whether is was due to some of the old fashioned language used, description of places or even parts of Tessa's dresses, hehe. I did still manage to get the just for the most part though, so it was nothing major. Another feature about this book worth noting is that it does include a lot of book qoutes and even some singing on Will's part. ;)

Which, inevitably leads me to Will. Oh, how I love him! He's probably my favourite character of all time! He's mysterious, secretive, brave, stubborn, sarcastic... and most definetly, swoon-worthy! I absolutely adore him! I cannot explain enough how great a character he is! Especially when you learn more about him and what he's been through... I'm definetly Team Will!

Tessa is definetly a great character as well. The only thing I wish she had more of was a kick-ass quality. But I suppose that isn't too much of a let-down since we've got Will! ;) I don't even want to get into Jem. If I do, I'll probably just start blabbering on about how he can never compare to Will, which I feel is slightly unfair since he is still a great character. Let's leave it at I feel Jem is a better friend to Tessa than a love interest (*ahem* Will *ahem*).

Obviously, I can't finish this review without mentioning the many twists and turns! I was actually on the edge of my seat at times! Oh, and what is up with that ending?! Ahhh, I need book three now! Do you hear me? NOW! If you haven't picked up this series yet, you are definetly missing out!

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

PS: For those of you that have read this book - Team Will or Team Jem?

Blog Tour: Thorn by Intisar Khanani Excerpt & Giveaway

Hey everyone! Today, Booktastic Reviews is taking part in a blog tour! Following is the synopsis of YA fantasy novel, Thorn, an excerpt and a giveaway, plus more about the author! Enjoy! :D

Princess Alyrra’s strength lies in silence. Scorned by her family, she avoids the court, spending her time with servants. When her marriage is unexpectedly arranged with the prince of a powerful neighboring kingdom, Alyrra feels trapped. As the court celebrates her match, dark rumors spread about the unexplained deaths of the women of her new family. Alyrra beginsher journey with mounting trepidation. Betrayed while traveling, she seizes an opportunity to start a life away from court.

Walking away from a prince whom she doesn’t know should have been easy. But from the moment she sets eyes on him, Alyrra realizes that her freedom could cost him his life. Without any magical defense of her own, she is plunged into a lethal game of sorcery and deceit. Now Alyrra must decide whom she can trust and what she’s willing to fight for—before her silence proves fatal.

Excerpt:
“Why has the king come to visit us, then?”
Daerilin tosses back the last of his wine and waves his goblet in the air. “To find a bride for his son, little princess. How would you like to marry the Menaiyan prince?”
My chest feels hollow. I force myself to breathe, to keep my expression still. From the corner of my eye, I can see the king’s long-fingered hand lifting his goblet. He speaks with my mother quietly; I can only just catch the faint lilt of his voice, the resonating strangeness of his accent.
“We are hardly a strong ally for them,” I whisper.
“Perhaps they’re just looking for a mouse to snap up,” Daerilin replies as the servant fills his goblet. “Their women do seem to die young. They wouldn’t want to upset their closer allies by accidentally killing off the bride.” Daerilin smirks. “I daresay no one would raise an outcry if something were to happen. To you.”

Giveaway: CLOSED
Now, on to the fun part! One lucky winner will receive a signed Thorn bookmark. Oh, and it's international! The giveaway will close on the 6th June 2012 (the winner picked using Random Number Generator) and all you have to do to enter is fill out this form! Good luck! :D

More About The Author:
Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and young daughter. Intisar writes grants and develops projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which is as close as she can get to saving the world. Her approach to writing fantasy reflects her lifelong passion for stories from different cultures. She is currently writing a trilogy set in the same world as Thorn. This is her first novel.

Showcase Sunday #2

Showcase Sunday is a meme hosted by Vicky over at Books, Biscuits & Tea where we showcase all of our recent book grabs.
I am SUPER, SUPER, SUPER excited about my book buys this week! >_<


Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Yay! I loved book one, Clockwork Angel (review here) and can not wait to get cracking on this book. Team Will! ;)

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
This dystopian sounds awesome. No more words needed. :)

172 Hours on The Moon by Johan Harstad
Ahh! You can't see me now but I'm pratically jumping up and down! This has been on my wishlist for a while now and it sounds absolutely amazing! It's another dystopian, woo! :)

That's all from me this week! Share your link below and I'll stop by as soon as I can! :D

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Author: Julie Kagawa
Edition: Mira Ink Paperback
Published: April 24th 2012
Series: Blood of Eden #1
Pages: 485
Rating: See below review.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

I really don't know how long I'd wanted to read a Julie Kagawa novel but now that I have, I've definitely got high expectations for all the rest! The Immortal Rules was great - a real stand out! Who would have thought of having a dystopian city controlled by vampires?!

I've not read many vampire books but I could still appreciate Kagawa's twist on them. If it had just been the usual type, I would have probably found it a little bit of a let down... but I'm glad to report that I really liked how she made them her own. Overall, I really liked the plot but even now, I'm not sure whether or not it was too much for the one book. The weird thing is, at the same time of finding it almost too much, it was quite a good set-up for a first book... I'm hoping that makes sense!

The characters, you ask? Well, let me give you a little heads-up. The main character, Allison Sekemoto, is one hell of a kick-ass heroine! I'm serious. She's one of the strongest characters you will ever meet! I couldn't help but admire her! Especially since we, as the readers, get to see the emotional battle between the monster inside and the part of her clinging to humanity. I'm still in awe of how Kagawa managed to produce such a great and well-developed character! Another character I really liked was Zeke. In some ways, he was almost the opposite of Allie, but at the same time you could still see similar traits. It was really refreshing having such a vast range of characters.

The ending is also worth a mention! Ohmygoodness, I need to know what happens now that... oooooops, almost slipped a spoiler there! Let's leave it at, I need book two as soon as humanly possible!

Overall, I really enjoyed The Immortal Rules with it's well developed characters, unusual plot and kick-butt heroine! The only thing I have that is close enough to criticism is the few storylines - I have mixed feelings but it doesn't really affect the rating too much. Anywho. I can't wait to read more from this great author - she has certainly given a good first impression!


Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo