Top Ten Tuesday (30): Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012

(In no particular order)

1. Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Dragons have been decidedly absent in YA literature (or at least in the books I've read), so I'm really looking forward to this great new release. 

2. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
This is sure to be an interesting take on the Underworld, so I'm excited about it's release this month (and even more excited about the book tour in February!)

3. Fated by Alyson Noel
This one sounds so fascinating and spooky. 

4. A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang

I was thrilled with Abby Sinclair's introduction in A Brush of Darkness, and I'm definitely looking forward to continuing her story in the second book.

5. Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
Once again I'm subbing the Italian version that I find ever so lovely.  This one is coming out so late, but I'm still so thrilled about it's release!

6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

I've heard such great things about this one, I just can't wait to read it.  And just look at the beautiful cover!

7. Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Although I haven't read Trial by Fire yet, I just know it's going to be a great read and therefore this one shall be great as well. 

8. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

The main character sounds like such a strong female lead, so it's any wonder I'm looking forward to this book's release.

9. Underworld by Meg Cabot
Abandon was a great introduction, and I'm sure there will be more answers to questions left unanswered at the end in the next title. 

10. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

It is the year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, so it won't surprise me if we see even more dragon-featured books.  This cover is just so mysterious and mystical, containing an awesome story.

Top Ten Tuesday (29): Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new  Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on our own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

(In no particular order)

1. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

An exciting story featuring a strong, female lead and werewolves. (Review)

2. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

A perfect story to pair hot cocoa and holiday cookies with alongside a blanket. (Review)

3. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Just. Plain. Awesome. Story. That happens to involve Irish horses. (Review)

4. The Princess's Dragon by Susan Trombley

One amazing dragon story after having not read one in so very very long. (Review)

5. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

Learn the real story behind high school competitions (in choir). (Review)

6. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

A too funny, too thrilling story not to read and enjoy. (Review)

7. A Bride's Story Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori

Family dynamics within a tribe after a rather unique arranged marriage. (Review)

8. Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carries Jones

Powerful stories from some amazing and strong people. (Review)

9. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Time travel + romance + ghosts = Phenomenal paranormal read! (Review)

10. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

A great cavalcade of characters gathered at a summer camp for paranormals. (Review)

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Sapphire Blue

By Kerstin Gier

Publish Date June 5th, 2012 by Henry Holt and Co.

From Goodreads~

Gwen's life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she's been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean. At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he's very warm indeed; the next he's freezing cold. Gwen's not sure what's going on there, but she's pretty much destined to find out. 

Holy schnikies, this is one trilogy that I probably should have waited until after all three books were released before I started reading them. I was thrilled with Ruby Red (see my review), and I was hoping Sapphire Blue would be released earlier in the year. It's already released over in Europe, thus my using the Italian, German, and Norwegian covers rather than the US cover (which still isn't up yet). There were so many questions left unanswered within the first book, I just can't wait to find out which will be answered in Sapphire Blue! Here's hoping the time will zip on by!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? ^_^

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Blogger

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, a state that you don't have to worry about being deprived of more books as long as you're near a library.  This week's Top Ten is:

Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Blogger

(In No Particular Order)

1. Abandon by Meg Cabot - Definitely have Karen over at Books Beside My Bed to thank for this recommendation.  And it's my first book by Meg Cabot, too!

2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier - Although I can't remember which blog it was that I first saw this one on, I have to thank so many other bloggers for making my inner Pandora curious.

3. Flawless by Lara Chapman - It was on an IMM at YA Litwit that first introduced me to this novel, and I'm so glad of it especially since the author's from my state. :)

4. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter - I can't remember where I first saw this title, so I'll thank all the bloggers out there that have read and enjoyed this title from another Texan author. 

5. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - So many bloggers were going on about this one, and I think Karen nudged me into reading it mostly because of Evie's sense of humor. 

6. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer - Definitely credit this to Number One Novels, and I'm happy about reading it.  I should really loan it to my best friend from high school. 

7. Intertwined by Gena Showalter - This one was already on my radar simply because I adore Gena Showalter, but having read several great reviews helped push me into buying and reading it. 

8. Dust City by Robert Paul Weston - Actually, I found out about this one at Borders, and I just loved the cover.  I had to share it with some of my werewolf-loving bloggers, and the review at Lupines and Lunatics spurred me into reading it.

9. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - As before, I always credit this one to Karen shoving it in my hands and saying "Read it."  And I never get tired of telling that story because I wound up reading it in one night. 

10. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - Another title that I saw circling the blogsophere, and I'll be posting my review sometime this week. 

Review: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Title:  Ruby Red

Author:  Kerstin Gier

Genre:  Young Adult

Pages: 324

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., LLC

Summary:  Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended--and rather eccentric--family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors' peculiar history, she's had a relatively normal life so far.  The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries," and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesley, watching movies and talking about boys. It comes as an unwelcome surprise then when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past. She's totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any century....

The Dish:  Time-travel seems to be gaining some serious momentum in the paranormal YA genre.  And why shouldn't it?  It's a thrilling theory to be sent back through the years to possibly some of the most exciting (if not dangerous) of time periods.  Not to mention keeping with the authenticity of the period with proper and beautiful attire.

I really enjoyed how large a part Gwyneth's family played within the overall scheme of the story.  So many books have the parents either not present or just playing as little a role as possible, having more cameo roles.  This is Gwyneth's story, but it's nice that her family members are more than just mentioned in the novel.  Granted, there are her family members that I don't really care for, but I'm hoping there will be further explanations in the next book, or if not, that these family members will fade into the background even more.

Gideon is something else, and despite his arrogance and know-it-all personality, I like him.  There's a bit of an adventurer in him, and I can't wait to see where that will take both him and Gwyneth in Sapphire Blue when it comes out next year.

There are so many mysteries involved in the story with the biggest one being what will happen with the closing of the Circle of Twelve?  And what is Lucy and Paul's part to play in in preventing this from happening?  There's so much to learn within the next two books, and I'm definitely hooked.  The release date for Sapphire Blue cannot get here sooner.

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where bloggers post about all the books they have received whether in the mail, if we purchased it, or checked out from our local library.  ^_^ Once again, I'm so behind and this week's IMM includes books over the past several weeks.  Just call me the book squirrel. 


From Barnes & Noble:

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Strip Mauled edited by Esther Friesner (I so blame a fellow blogger for this, lol)

From Barnes & Noble Marketplace: 

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

From Half-Price Books:

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

(Funny thing about this trilogy is that I bought this one without realizing it was the third book, thus I had to search for the first two books.  Luckily Barnes & Noble Marketplace had both available. ^_^)

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Journeys to the Heartland: The Wolves of Time #1 by William Horwood

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

That's all for my mailbox!  What did you get this past week? ^_^

Special Side Dish: Don't forget to check out my Giveaway ending July 31st!