Saturday, March 10, 2012

Fresh Batch (March 11th – 17th)

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

Flavour of the week:

Wanderlove

Kristen Hubbard
Release date: March 13th, 2012
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Goodreads / Purchase 

It all begins with a stupid question:
Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria’s a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan’s a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they’ve got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can’t run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kristen’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

A travel writer and young adult author, Kirsten Hubbard has hiked ancient ruins in Cambodia, dived with wild dolphins in Belize (one totally looked her in the eye), slept in a Slovenian jail cell, and navigated the Wyoming badlands (without a compass) in search of transcendent backdrops for her novels. She lives in San Diego, California.

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

High school sophomore Willa and her artist mother move to Arizona where Willa starts attending an elite prep school after her mother finally sells some paintings, and Willa attempts to even things out by stealing from the rich students and giving to the poor ones.

Purchase

Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she’s finally found him. Ethan-divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia-is a devoted father and even better husband. But in Emily’s eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her father’s love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down.

The story arc of Stefan’s Diaries continues in this sixth installment.

Purchase

A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years.

When Sergeant Hallie Michaels comes back to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days’ compassionate leave, her sister Dell’s ghost is waiting at the airport to greet her.

Purchase

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

When blood is shed and life is lost the reality of Ari’s position as both hunter and prey finally sets in. It seems her father will stop at nothing to force her will to his own and distracted by Charlie’s latest mistake and her seemingly misguided attraction to Jai, Ari never thought to fear anyone else but the Jinn King.

Funny, free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated, ambitious Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clair’s housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls who know nothing of class differences and scholarships could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.

There exists a secret society where one’s ability to travel through time is “gifted” to members only by blood. Those who try to enter the society quickly come to realize that time is a force not to be reckoned with.

An elusive stalker is targeting Marlowe kids – and something unearthly has gotten into its wealthiest student – as the Another series builds up to a fiendish finale.

In the isolated Cape Cod village of Prospect, the Gilly sisters are as different as can be. Jo, a fierce and quiet loner, is devoted to the mysteries of her family’s salt farm, while Claire is popular, pretty, and yearns to flee the salt at any cost. But the Gilly land hides a dark legacy that proves impossible to escape.

Purchase

 

Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl’s protective powers began.

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night.

Clarity Miller always thought of her life as semi-normal. She had friends that would do anything for her, a boyfriend that was madly in love with her, and a roof over her head that she shared with her aunt. Everything seemed to be falling into place. That is, until the day she met Sam.

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.

Purchase

When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura’s father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice’s fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo.

In the not-too-distant future, huge tornadoes and monster storms are a part of everyday life. Sent to spend the summer in the heart of storm country with her father in the special StormSafe community his company has developed, Jaden Meggs is excited to reconnect with her dad after he spent years researching storm technology in Russia.

Purchase

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library Lacey hopes that her mother’s ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control…

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery.

Purchase

 

With the help of charming and devious Damon, Elena rescued her vampire love, Stefan, from the depths of the Dark Dimension. But neither brother returned unscathed.

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan–an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole.

Purchase
 

A brilliant follow-up to Groff’s bestselling debut novel, The Monsters of Templeton, Arcadia is the romantic, lush, haunting story of the American Dream and of a gifted young man born into an idealistic community.

After escaping the horrors of the Dark Dimension, Elena can′t wait to attend Dalcrest College, the beautiful ivy-covered campus where her parents met. Life with Stefan is better than ever, and even Damon seems genuinely changed and is getting along with everyone. But moving away from Fell′s Church doesn′t mean she and her friends are free from danger.

Ember is the story of Max Valentine, a teenager with secret abilities and many inner demons. His life revolves around music and his love for it. When his father dies he seeks answers with his last living relative, his fathers brother Frank. Frank lives on the island of Maui and eagerly takes Max in as his own. Max soon learns that healing his past will be more difficult than he could have ever believed.

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At 15, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets. Now the 16-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she’s just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is.

Purchase

Jesse cuts her own hair with a Swiss Army knife. She wears big green fisherman’s boots. She’s the founding (and only) member of NOLAW, the National Organization to Liberate All Weirdos. Emily wears sweaters with faux pearl buttons. She’s vice president of the student council. She has a boyfriend.

Leap Books has summoned some big names in fiction to help put together 13 ghostly stories to support a good cause. Spirited drops this October, with all proceeds to be donated to 826 National. 826 offers free after-school tutoring, workshops, and in-school programs because they believe that “strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.”

What’s catching your eye this week?
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Giselle

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.

Latest posts by Giselle (see all)

29 Responses to “Fresh Batch (March 11th – 17th)”

  10. Kristan

    Woa, lots of great books out this week! I’m probably most excited for Dark Eyes. And the cover for Spirited is gorgeous! I’m a sucker for pretty dresses.

    Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves

  12. Sam

    Spell Bound! I really loved that book and can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of it! There are so many other books from that list I can’t wait to read, especially that April Henry book. It sounds amazing! 🙂

  13. Maji Bookshelf

    WOW WOW, first couple of books didn’t interest me but as i kept on going down my eyes kept on getting wider and wider!! YEAY i totally forgot out of sight, out of time is coming out this week!! *FINALLY* and the difference between you and me sounds CUTE! Also i heard you talk about Dark Eyes so I want to check that one out! miles from ordinary sounds really good! and wow 3 Vampire diaries releases? are they new books or just a new cover?

    – juhina

  14. Amy

    There’s a lot of great books coming out. I am really looking forward to Wanderlove, I have heard it’s amazing. Dark Eyes sounds really good too. I loved Starters!

  15. Rebecca (Kindle Fever)

    I’m reading Pretty Crooked right now and am really enjoying it so far. It definitely feels like a nice and quick read! I’m super curious about so many, but especially Starters, The Night She Disappeared, Miles From Ordinary and Dark Eyes! They all sound SUPER good! Another awesome week coming up. 😉

  17. Jackie's Little World

    Spell Bound is coming out???! Ahhh, yayzers! Ok, I know what I’m buying this week! I was so skeptical of that series to begin with, but I ended up loving it.

    Also looking forward to Wanderlove, Starters and The Gilly Salt Sisters 🙂 Love the cover of Scorched Skies 🙂 but it looks like one of a series, so I’ll have to look that one up! Thanks for the post!

  18. Elodie

    I’m definitely ordering a copy of Starters today because everytime I see the cover or the blurb somewhere I’m dying to read it … There are a lot of pretty fantastic books coming out .. AWESOME !!

  19. Heather

    So many outstanding looking books! Wow, I love the covers for Ember, Spirited, Scorched Skies, Starters, and Wanderlove! My mind is reeling with all these great books to choose from!

  20. Jacquelynne

    BAH! So many delicious books coming out this week 😀 WHOOT for pay day, haha! Im excited about The Gilly Salt Sisters, and Another Jekyll, Another Hyde, Infamous and the Book of Lost Fragrances 😀 Thanks for another delicious fresh batch! lol.

  21. ❤ Vivian

    Whew! What a tempting and sweet batch! I really liked your review for Starters, and was wanting to check it out sometime. I’m actually being drawn to “The Night She Disappeared”. It feels like so long ago since the last good mystery! Spirited sounds great too!

    Vivian @ Vivaciously, Vivian

  25. Lexie

    WANDERLOVE! 😀 So so so excited for that one. It looks fantastic, and everyone’s been raving about it. MUST BUY.

    Also, Starters! And Dark Eyes! And The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind! And much, much more awesomeness! I honestly cannot think of a single week where there aren’t a billion and one awesome books being released. If I actually had, y’know, some money, I would go and buy every last one.

  26. Kelly

    Definitely excited for The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind and Starters!! There are a lot of good books coming out this week!

  27. margie c {the bumble girl}

    I wasn’t planning on buying anything for the rest of the month, but this list is killing me! I really want to get Pretty Crooked! Wanderlove and a few others sound so good too, who can resist?!
    Thanks for the list!