Book Releases: May 22-31

THE SWIFT BOYS & ME

by Kody Keplinger
Published May 27, 2014 by Scholastic
YA - Hardcover, 272p.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nola Sutton has been best friends and neighbors with the Swift boys for practically her whole life. There’s the youngest, Kevin, who never stops talking; the oldest, Brian, who’s always kind and calm; and then there’s Canaan, the ringleader and Nola’s best-best friend. Nola can’t imagine her life without the Swift boys — they’ll always be like this, always be friends.

But then everything changes overnight.

When the Swifts’ daddy leaves without even saying good-bye, it completely destroys the boys, and all Nola can do is watch. Kevin stops talking and Brian is never around. Even Canaan is drifting away from Nola — hanging out with the neighborhood bullies instead of her.

Nola just wants things to go back to the way they were — the way they’ve always been. She tries to pull the boys back to her, only the harder she pulls, the further away they seem. But it’s not just the Swifts whose family is changing, so is Nola’s, and she needs her best friends now more than ever. Can Nola and the Swift boys survive this summer with their friendships intact, or has everything fallen apart for good?

Nola’s struggle to save her friends, her unwavering hope, and her belief in the power of friendship make Kody Keplinger’s middle-grade debut a poignant story of loss and redemption.

PLAYED

by Liz Fichera
Published May 27, 2014 by Harlequin Teen
YA - Paperback, 352p.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me.

She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

BEFORE WE KISS

(Fool's Gold #14)
by Susan Mallery
Published May 27, 2014 by Harlequin
YA - Paperback, 368p.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge has notoriously bad luck with women—from cheaters to fame chasers. Still, the gorgeous brunette at the bar in Fool's Gold looks harmless—until she takes him home and he discovers a room devoted to securing a man, for life.

Dellina Hopkins never guessed that storing gowns from a friend's bridal boutique would chase away her first and only fling. After her parents died, she skipped her "wild youth" to raise her sisters. She doesn't want forever from Sam, but one night—all night—would've been nice.

His clean getaway gets messy when his firm hires Dellina to plan an event. As long hours lead to late nights, the two succumb to temptation again. Has Sam's luck finally changed? Or this time, will Dellina be the one to run?

Book Releases: May 15-21

EVERYTHING LEADS TO YOU
by Nina LaCour
Published May 14, 2014 by Dutton Juvenile
YA Contemporary - Hardcover, 320p.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world. Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance. Goodreads | Amazon

BIGGEST FLIRTS by Jennifer Echols -- Tia avoids a relationship with Will, so he starts dating someone else. When they're voted Biggest Flirts for yearbook, their chemistry is obvious... so should Tia change her mind? Goodreads | Amazon

THE ART OF LAINEY by Paula Stokes -- Lainey gets dumped & uses methods from The Art of War to try to get her boyfriend back. Goodreads | Amazon

NOW & FOREVER by Susane Colasanti -- What happens when your boyfriend becomes a huge rockstar and you find yourself swept up chasing his dreams? Goodreads | Amazon

Rebel Release Day!

Last year, I told you about how I loved Amy Tintera's REBOOT, and today book two, REBEL, is out! (If you still need to read REBOOT, it's $2 for Kindle at the time of this post going up.)

I can't wait to start reading! It's book 2 of 2, so this is the end and there won't be a cliffhanger!

However! One thing that's so hard about books in a series releasing so far apart is that it can be hard to remember EVERY LITTLE DETAIL from the previous book (and I can't re-read them all!), but Amy Tintera has saved the day! She posted a recap of book 1 to help you jump right into REBEL. (How nice!) You can read it here. (But don't look if you haven't read the book! A recap won't do it justice!)

So, now that I'm all caught up and have my copy of REBEL, please excuse me...
Haha!

Book Releases: May 8-14

Releases for May 1-7 are here. May 8-14 are listed below.

THE SECRETS OF LILY GRAVES

by Sarah Strohmeyer
Published May 13, 2014 by Balzer + Bray
YA - Paperback, 304p.

With the intrigue of Pretty Little Liars and plenty of romance, bestselling author Sarah Strohmeyer weaves a story of secrets and lies—set in a funeral parlor.

Growing up in a house of female morticians, Lily Graves knows all about buried secrets. She knows that perfect senior-class president Erin Donohue isn’t what she seems. She knows why Erin’s ex-boyfriend, hot football player Matt Houser, broke up with her. And she also knows that, even though she says she and Matt are just friends, there is something brewing between them—something Erin definitely did not like.

But secrets, even ones that are long buried, have a way of returning to haunt their keeper.

So when Erin is found dead the day after attacking Lily in a jealous rage, Lily's and Matt’s safe little lives, and the lives of everyone in their town of Potsdam, begin to unravel. And their relationship—which grew from innocent after-school tutoring sessions to late-night clandestine rendezvous—makes them both suspects.

As her world crumbles around her, Lily must figure out the difference between truth and deception, genuine love and a web of lies. And she must do it quickly, before the killer claims another victim. Goodreads | Amazon

  

FREE TO FALL by Lauren Miller -- In the future, an app exists that makes all of your decisions for you and guarantees happiness. What happens when Rory feels like something's wrong and meets a boy who doesn't use the app? Goodreads | Amazon

SECOND STAR by Alyssa B. Sheinmel -- A contemporary Peter Pan retelling with a touch of magic. Hmm.  Goodreads | Amazon

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart -- I buy every book by E. Lockhart without question. I've seen this book described as "atmospheric"... Throw in the setting (a private island!) and a bunch of liars, and I'm super intrigued.  Goodreads | Amazon

REBEL (REBOOT #2) by Amy Tintera -- I loved Reboot (see!) and this book wraps up the story. (Yep, it's NOT a trilogy!) It's sci-fi, and different from anything else I've read. Reboots are teens who have died and come back to life... how many minutes they were dead determines some things about them. I'm being vague because you should just read it. Goodreads | Amazon

FINALLY, FOREVER (FIRST COMES LOVE #3) by Katie Kacvinsky -- College basketball player... so it's New Adult! The author says it can be read as part of the series or on its own. I've seen lots of people mention loving the couple from the books, so will have to see why. Goodreads | Amazon

ALL LINED UP (RUSK UNIVERSITY #1) by Cora Carmack -- Texas football and Friday Night Lights? I'll give it a try! Goodreads | Amazon

Book Releases: May 1-7

Have you done any book shopping lately? Here are a few that came out during the first week of May. (Tip: One of these is on sale right now & is included in the last #bookdeals post.)

ROYALLY LOST

by Angie Stanton

Published May 5, 2014 by Atria Books

YA Contemporary - Paperback, 336p.

Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?  Goodreads | Amazon

  

WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN by Kristin Rae (Bloomsbury, May 6) -- Summer in Italy! Gelato! Cute boys!  Goodreads | Amazon

THE CHAPEL WARS by Lindsey Leavitt (Bloomsbury, May 6) -- Teen girl inherits a wedding chapel in Las Vegas?! Goodreads | Amazon

TORN AWAY by Jennifer Brown (Little Brown Books, May 6) -- A girl suffers a loss during a tornado that rips apart her town. Goodreads | Amazon

Book Releases: April 1-7

This post covers releases for April 1-7, but actually they all come out tomorrow on the 1st!

LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD
by Ava Dellaira

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path. (I've heard so many great things about this book & can't wait to read it!) Goodreads | Amazon

  

DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Paige -- Magic! Humor! Gore! Dorothy returned to Oz, seized power, and became an a-hole. Amy is recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked (who are possibly not the bad guys) and sent in to fight. (Oooooh. Haven't read anything like this before!) Goodreads | Amazon

SEKRET by Lindsay Smith -- Yulia is a psychic spy forced to work for Russia’s KGB to undermine the U.S. space program. (OMG! I love spies!) Goodreads | Amazon

THIS SIDE OF SALVATION by Jeri Smith-Ready -- David's brother dies and he's angry. His parents become super religious and obsessed with the Rush (think: rapture) and start cutting ties with the world. He's on the fence though, and stuck between two worlds: the one his parents inhabit and the one where he's a teen boy with a best friend, a favorite sport, and a crush. (Not sure where the religious bit of this will go, which is an iffy topic for my liking, but I'm interested enough to give it a go.) Goodreads | Amazon

THE LAST FOREVER
by Deb Caletti

Endings and beginnings sit so close to each other that it’s sometimes impossible to tell which is which. Nothing lasts forever, and no one gets that more than Tessa. After her mother died, it’s all she can do to keep her friends, her boyfriend, her happiness from slipping away. And then there’s her dad. He’s stuck in his own daze, and it’s so hard to feel like a family when their house no longer seems like a home. Her father’s solution? An impromptu road trip that lands them in a small coastal town at Tessa’s grandmother’s. Despite all the warmth and beauty there, Tessa can’t help but feel even more lost. Enter Henry Lark. He understands the relationships that matter. And more importantly, he understands her. A secret stands between them, but Tessa’s willing to do anything to bring them together—because Henry may just be her one chance at forever. (I'm always up for a YA contemporary set on in a coastal town.) Goodreads | Amazon

Are any of these on your insta-buy list? Or some others I missed? There are so many fantastic books coming out, it's hard to keep up! (What a problem.)

Book Releases: March 16-31

I posted March 1-15 releases earlier this week right here, and now here's 15-31, as promised.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY

by Julie Murphy

Published by HarperCollins / Balzer + Bray

Published on on March 18, 2014

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you? 

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Goodreads | Amazon

  

COME HOME TO ME by Brenda Novak 

TAKEN WITH YOU by Shannon Stacey

MAYBE SOMEDAY by Colleen Hoover

   

THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO by Gae Polisner

VERONICA MARS: THE THOUSAND-DOLLAR TAN LINE by R. Thomas & J. Graham

WICKED LITTLE SECRETS (PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL #2) by J.S. Cooper

Happy clicking!

Book Releases: March 1-15

There are so many books coming out this month that this post only covers the 1st through the 15th... so these are all available to purchase right this very second!

OUT OF THE EASY
by Ruta Sepetys
Paperback published by Speak on March 4

A brothel in 1950s New Orleans? Now there's a YA story I've never read before! I saw Ruta Sepetys at a book even a while back, talking about her previous book, Between Shades of Gray, and her dedication to research and telling an authentic story, plus knack for picking topics I know little about, sold me on reading all of her books from then until forever.

Goodreads | Amazon

  

16 THINGS I THOUGHT WERE TRUE by Janet Gurtler (Sourcebooks Fire, March 4)

PANIC by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins, March 4)

ASK AGAIN LATER by Liz Czukas (HarperTeen, March 11)

 

Some Jens got together & released these three New Adult novellas for $3 each.

BEFORE YOU by Jenna Bennett

BETWEEN US by Jen McLaughlin

BEYOND ME by Jennifer Probst

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT
by Sarah Mlynowski
Published by Delacorte Press on March 11

This one's from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) and Gimme a Call, so I'm instantly interested. Plus, it's flu shots = hearing thoughts, which is just plain fun!

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same. So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

Goodreads | Amazon

  

JUST TO BE WITH YOU (The Sullivans #12) by Bella Andre (March 5)

BLACK BOX by Cassia Leo (March 10)

LIV, FOREVER by Amy Talkington (Soho Teen, March 11)

Try not to spend all of your money on books (ah, my eternal struggle!)... March 16-31 releases are coming later this week.

It's Requiem Release Day!

OHMYGOOOOOOD! It's Requiem release day!

I read Raven (Delirium #2.5) right when I woke up and I'm about 40% into Requiem now. I basically look like this:

I have to stop now to study for a big midterm tomorrow, and AHHH! I DON'T WANT TO! Lauren Oliver crafts beautiful sentences, and Lena's in The Wilds, and Hana's engaged, and little Grace makes me want to cry, and WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH JULIAN AND ALEX?!

It's REACHED release day!

REACHED is out today! I've been waiting & waiting & waiting to finish the trilogy, and am so excited to see what happens! If you haven't read the first two, it's the perfect time now... you won't have the painful wait!

Find Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie on:

Goodreads, IndieBound, The Book Depository, B&N, Amazon

PS: MEANT TO BE is out today too! Click here for my review where I tell you how awesome it is. And here is the spot you can enter to win a copy (until 9pm CST Wednesday).

November 2012 YA Releases

Here's a quick list of a few books you should look out for this month.

6th

The Lies That Bind is the follow-up to The Liar Society. (My review is here.) I'll be happy to finally get some answers that were left lingering last time!

Goodreads
IndieBound
Book Depository
Amazon
B&N

Remember Perry & Gobi from Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick? (I've included it on a list of books I'd love to have made into movies & Gobi is on my Kick-Ass Heroines list!) This is their next book: Perry's Killer Playlist.

Goodreads
IndieBound
Book Depository
Amazon
B&N

13th

Meant to Be is Lauren Morrill's first book. I'm re-reading it now to prepare my review and a giveaway by release day, so watch here or @StoryboundGirl for updates. It's great contemporary YA!

Goodreads
IndieBound
Book Depository
Amazon
B&N

Reached is the final book in the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie. I have been D-Y-I-N-G to read this book for months. I can't wait to start the moment it arrives on release day!

Goodreads
IndieBound
Book Depository
Amazon
B&N

Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris is the follow-up to Bad Taste in Boys. First there were zombies, now something with claws?!

Goodreads
IndieBound
Book Depository
Amazon
B&N

27th

The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by Anna Godbersen -- If you're looking for some historical fiction, try the Bright Young Things series, which starts in 1929 and is full of glamour and intrigue.

Goodreads
IndieBound
Book Depository
Amazon
B&N

What November release are you most looking forward to reading?