Saturday, March 31, 2012

Fresh Batch (April 1st – 7th)

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Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Black Heart

Holly Black
Series: Curse Workers, #3
Release date: April 3rd, 2012
by Margaret K. McElderry

Goodreads / Purchase 

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

The Curse Workers series:

Black Heart book trailer:

Holly’s Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh). She is also the co-editor of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with Justine Larbalestier), and Welcome to Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner). Her most recent works are The Poison Eaters and Other Stories, a collection of short fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Glove, and the forthcoming Black Heart). She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.


 Other releases this week (click on cover for Goodreads):
*In no particular order*  *Purchase links are for Book Depository*

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

Purchase

All of her life, Dancia Lewis has wanted to use her powers for good. And now that she’s learned the truth about Delcroix Academy—and herself—she may just get the chance. But being part of Delcroix’s top secret Program isn’t anything like Dancia expected.
Purchase 

After countless moons of treachery, Tigerstar’s Dark Forest apprentices are ready to lay siege upon the warrior Clans. As the Clan cats seek out their allies and enemies, Jayfeather, Lionblaze & Dovewing search desperately for the fourth cat who is prophesied to lead the Clans to victory – and who may be their only hope for survival.

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He’s days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone’s obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect–everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.

Purchase

In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must die.

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.
But he’s also the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could–from the criminal’s point of view.

Purchase

Nineteen-year-old Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of nice-girl-next-door Jane Roberts on the hot reality show L.A. Candy. Now Madison’s ready for her turn in the spotlight and she’ll stop at nothing to get it.

Purchase 



Corine Solomon can touch any object and learn its history. But right now, she’s trying to rebuild her pawnshop and her life despite her being marked as a witch. When demons from her past kidnap her best friend, Corine puts everything on hold to save her…

Puchase

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince.

Hayley Matthews is determined to be the best cheerleader she can. She works hard and pushes herself 110% all the time. Then Hayley finds a lump on her leg. The diagnosis is cancer. The prognosis is unclear. She could lose her leg. Or maybe her life.

Purchase

Despite the hunger, despite the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new existence they’ve built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she’s really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males.

In this contemporary love story, a teenage boy named Karl enlists a famous writer to help him impress his girlfriend, Fiorella. She has asked him to write her a letter in which he reveals his true self. But Karl isn’t convinced he’s good enough with words, so he tracks down Fiorella’s favorite author and begs him to take up the task.

Amy has enough to deal with for one lifetime. A superstitious Chinese mother. A best friend whose mood changes as dramatically as her hair colour. A reputation for being strange. The last thing she needs is to be haunted by someone only she can see.

Purchase

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies–lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon… and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn’t blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude… or killing her.

Matthew has always lived in Safe, a community hidden far beneath the pipes and tunnels of the city Above. The residents fled to Safe years before to escape the Whitecoats and their cruel experiments, and now Matthew is responsible for both the keeping of Safe’s stories and for Ariel—a golden-haired shapeshifter, and the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.

Purchase

Jane’s world has changed now that Luca, love of her live, inhabits it, and she’s happier than she ever thought she could be. But how can a werewolf survive in the real world?

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business.

Purchase

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny.

For fifteen years Maria Devane has been desperately, passionately in love with Dante Romano. But despite loving him with all of her heart and soul, Maria knows that Dante can never give all of himself back-at least not all the time.Every month, Dante shifts shape, becoming a wild animal.

Purchase

Great release week! 
What’s been your most anticipated?
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Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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19 Responses to “Fresh Batch (April 1st – 7th)”

  1. Amy

    I’m reading Grave Mercy right now, and I love it already. Pure was fantastic! I have Black Heart pre-ordered!! SO Excited for it!! So many other great sounding books.

  2. Maji Bookshelf

    ooh some great books here! The List! Immortal City, Take a Bow, lauren conrad’s book, and I’ve never heard of preloved, will add it to my TBR! 😀

    – juhina

  3. Mimi Valentine

    Hehe, Giselle, have I ever told you how much I LOVE your Fresh Batch posts? My wallet really doesn’t, but I’ve never listened to it much anyways so it’s all okay! 😉 I’m so excited to finally get my hands on Black Heart, and I’m buying my own gorgeous finished copy of Take a Bow because I adored that book so much! (If I could marry a book, I would marry that one!! <3)

    Thanks for sharing all of these, Giselle! I just wanted to wish you an amazing weekend! 🙂 <3

  4. the Vintage Bookworm

    Whoa, so many great sounding books releasing this week! I’m super excited for Black Heart! I can’t wait for my pre-ordered copy to come! My husband even likes the series and he can’t wait for it.

    I miss the old covers! The new ones are pretty, but I like the old ones better. Especially for Black Heart. =(

  5. Vegan YA Nerds

    I love that you included Preloved, it is such a great book, my review went up on Friday. I hope it becomes avail. in the USA!

    And I love the covers for Holy Black’s series and I want to read I Hunt Killers too!

  6. Lexie

    I REALLY NEED TO READ THE CURSE WORKERS SERIES. O_O Seriously, people are absolutely in love with those books, and the new covers are fantastic. I NEED THESE IN MY LIFE.

    Also: I Hunt Killers! Preloved! Above! Fear! Take a Bow! *-* And it’s strange, but Grave Mercy was already in the stores over a week ago when I went. o_o I guess my B&N just got it in early?

  7. Celine

    LOVE THE FRESH BATCH POST, Giselle! Really helps me to see which books I should be on the look out for when going to bookstore!

    Absolutely can’t wait to get the books above! Particularly interested in Grave Mercy, Take a Bow, Preloved (Aussie YA!) and The List! I also want to read Dark Heart Surrender because I’ve read the first 2 books and actually enjoyed it!

    Have a wonderful day, Giselle! ♥

  8. Books And Beyond

    I am very interested in The List we had something similar in my middle school, they called it a Burn Book or Slam Book. It was so hateful and mean.
    I am glad they are focusing on bullying and helping kids. Back when I was in school it was a “kids will be kids” attitude.
    Grave Mercy, Above, Devils Punch interest me too.

  9. Novels On The Run

    I have Holly Black series books 1 and 2 , but not yet read them…must do!!

    I love Aboves cover and it intrigues me with the wings.

    I think my most anticipated is The Girl In The Clockwork Collar.

    MIchelle