Category Archives: Alaya Dawn Johnson

Now Available for US Pre-Order

Long time, no blog! I’ve been active daily on Twitter, though, as well as regularly posting on Facebook and Goodreads. I did have a backlog of covers to post, but I ended up deleting them, because I just could not summon up the energy to blog.

However, here I am with a backlog of pre-orders – 20 of them. They’ll have cover art when you visit the links, so consider that to make up for what I’ve lacked. Also, my Reading Wishlist will have a complete list of releases (past, present, and future) that I hope to read at some stage.

Tara Altebrando: TAKE ME WITH YOU: 23rd June 2020: Buy (US)
V. C. Andrews: OUT OF THE ATTIC: 4th February 2020: Buy (US)
Kelley Armstrong: WOLF’S BANE: 15th October 2019: Buy (US)
Keri Arthur: WICKED WINGS: 8th October 2019: Buy (US)
Chris Beckett: BENEATH THE WORLD, A SEA (paperback): 1st April 2020: Buy (US)
Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell: Sky Without Stars (paperback): 24th March 2020: Buy (US)
Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell: Between Burning Worlds: 24th March 2020: Buy (US)
Suzanne Collins: untitled Panem novel: 19th May 2020: Buy (US)
Christina Dalcher: MASTER CLASS: 21st April 2020: Buy (US)
Claudia Gray: DEFY THE FATES (paperback): 3rd March 2020: Buy (US)
S. F. Henson: DEVILS WITHIN (paperback): 4th February 2020: Buy (US)
Alaya Dawn Johnson: COUNT THE SAINTS: 26th May 2020: Buy (US)
Laura Lam: GOLDILOCKS: 30 April 2020: Buy (US)
Mindy McGinnis, Demitria Lunetta, Kate Karyus Quinn (eds.): Betty Bites Back: 16th September 2019: Buy (US)
Kate McLaughlin: WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE: 23rd June 2020: Buy (US)
Tiffany Reisz: WINTER TALES: 19th November 2019: Buy (US)
Veronica Roth: ARK: 17th September 2019: Buy (US)
Veronica Roth: CHOSEN ONES: 6th April 2020: Buy (US)
Paul Tremblay: THE LAST CONVERSATION: 17th September 2019: Buy (US)
Andy Weir: RANDOMIZE: 17th September 2019: Buy (US)

[REVIEW] Love Is the Drug – Alaya Dawn Johnson

[NOTE: I originally posted this review on Speculative Chic]

Alaya Dawn Johnson
Love Is the Drug
Scholastic Arthur A. Levine (US & CA: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US Kindle Edition) Buy (US Hardcover) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Emily Bird is a scholarship student in a prestigious DC school, but her future is uncertain when she awakes in the hospital unable to remember why she’s there. But there’s more trouble to come: a deadly virus is spreading, putting the school in lockdown, and a Homeland Security agent is far too close for comfort. Bird’s only solace is the school’s conspiracy theorist and resident drug-dealer as they investigate what’s happening around them. But there are those who’d rather Bird NOT remember what she knows…

Love Is the Drug is like Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Fixer meets Malinda Lo’s Adaptation. I so hope Alaya Dawn Johnson writes more young adult novels, because this one and The Summer Prince are great reads. I particularly like her use of settings, which are thoroughly explored.

[REVIEW] The Summer Prince – Alaya Dawn Johnson

Alaya Dawn Johnson
The Summer Prince
Scholastic Arthur A. Levine (US: 29th July 2014)
Buy (US Kindle Edition) Buy (US Hardcover) Buy (US Paperback) Buy (UK Hardcover) Buy (UK Paperback) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide Hardcover) Buy (Worldwide Paperback)

[NOTE: I first published this at Speculative Chic.]

June lives in futuristic Brazil, where she creates amazing art – including installing lights under her skin. But her best work is a secret project she’s collaborating on with Enki. They’ve known from the start that their time together is fleeting, so their deadline is tight. Like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is scheduled to be sacrificed.

The vivid lights and imagery should inspire some awesome fan-art by readers. Art, life, death, and the future combine in this memorable setting, as their society grapples with deciding how far they should take technology…and how much they should pare it back.

30th September 2014 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

S. A. Bodeen
The Fallout (Compound, Book 2)
Macmillan Square Fish (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Eli and his family lived in an underground shelter they called the Compound for six years. They thought they were the only survivors of a nuclear attack, but when Eli learned that it was all a twisted experiment orchestrated by his tech-visionary father, he broke the family out. His father died trying to keep them imprisoned. Now, the family must readjust to life in the real world. Their ordeal has made them so famous, they must stay in hiding – everyone from fatalists preparing for doomsday to the tabloid media wants a piece of them. Even worse, their father’s former adviser continues to control the company Eli and his twin brother are the heirs of. As Eli tries to determine who the family can trust, he learns the nightmare of the Compound – and his father’s experiment – might not be over.

Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Book 1)
Scholastic (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Deluxe foil edition. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire (Hunger Games, Book 2)
Scholastic (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Deluxe foil edition. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumours of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Book 3)
Scholastic (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Deluxe foil edition or movie tie-in edition. Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived. But her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding… The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay – no matter what the personal cost.

Sean Cummings
The North
Bloor Street Books (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)

Sixteen-year-old David Simmons is on a mission to save his eight-year-old sister. In a smouldering world infested with walking cadavers, the survivors of Simmons infantry reserve unit are going hatches down in a pair of armoured personnel carriers and everyone knows that it’s only a matter of time until their fuel runs dry. There’s a weak short wave radio signal from a place called Sanctuary Base and it’s supposed to be zombie-free. But there’s more than a thousand miles to cover, a biting, unforgiving cold, armed survivalists, legions of the living dead and someone called SUNRAY. They’re outgunned, outnumbered and out of time.

Alaya Dawn Johnson
Love is the Drug
Scholastic Arthur A. Levine (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Emily Bird was raised not to ask questions. She has perfect hair, the perfect boyfriend, and a perfect Ivy-League future. But a chance meeting with Roosevelt David, a homeland security agent, at a party for Washington DC’s elite leads to Bird waking up in a hospital, days later, with no memory of the end of the night. Meanwhile, the world has fallen apart: A deadly flu virus is sweeping the nation, forcing quarantines, curfews, even martial law. And Roosevelt is certain that Bird knows something. Something about the virus – something about her parents’ top secret scientific work – something she shouldn’t know. The only one Bird can trust is Coffee, a quiet, outsider genius who deals drugs to their classmates and is a firm believer in conspiracy theories. And he believes in Bird. But as Bird and Coffee dig deeper into what really happened that night, Bird finds that she might know more than she remembers. And what she knows could unleash the biggest government scandal in US history.

Dawn Metcalf
Invisible (Twixt, Book 2)
Harlequin Teen (US: 30th September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Joy Malone wants it all – power, freedom and the boyfriend who loves her. Yet when an unstoppable assassin is hired to kill her, Joy learns that being the girl with the Sight comes with a price that might be too high to pay. Love will be tested, lives will be threatened, and everyone Joy knows and cares about will be affected by her decision to stand by Ink or to leave the Twixt forever. Her choice is balanced on a scalpel’s edge and the consequences will be more life-altering than anyone can guess.

September 2014 Releases

Done with August 2014 Releases? Here are September 2014 Releases. For future releases, check Reading Wishlist.

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29th July 2014 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Bailey Cunningham
Path of Smoke (Parallel Parks, Book 2)
Penguin Ace (US & CA: 29th July 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

In Wascana Park, they’re ordinary university students. But after midnight, when the park transforms into the magical kingdom of Anfractus, they become warriors, bards, and archers in a real-life role-playing game… The company of heroes has thwarted the plan of the power-hungry basilissa to conquer Anfractus, but not without a cost. Andrew’s character, Roldan, died, leaving him cut off from the mystical realm without any memory of its existence. If the others reveal the park’s magical nature to Andrew, his banishment will become permanent. So they must hide their nighttime adventures – and hope that his memory returns. Pursued by the basilissa’s forces, the rest of the group keeps a low profile in Anfractus until they uncover an unholy alliance between their enemy and the silenoi, satyrlike creatures who hunt humans – an alliance that threatens to cross the barrier into the real world. And while his friends struggle to prevent an invasion in both worlds, Andrew receives a visitor determined to restore his memory of Anfractus by leading him down a very dark path…

Kim Harrison
The Undead Pool (Hollows, Book 12)
HarperCollins Voyager (US & CA: 29th July 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan has managed to save the demonic ever-after from shrinking, but at a high cost. Now, strange magic is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong, and the truce between the Inderlander and human races is shattering. Rachel must stop this dark necromancy before an all-out supernatural war breaks out. Rachel knows of only one weapon to ensure the peace: ancient elven wild magic, which carries its own perils. And no one knows better than Rachel that no good deed goes unpunished…

Alaya Dawn Johnson
The Summer Prince
Scholastic Arthur A. Levine (US: 29th July 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

The lush city of Palmares TrĆŖs shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of its heat, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold, new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than dark chocolate eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist. Together, June and Enki will create art that Palmares TrĆŖs will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Richelle Mead
The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, Book 4)
Penguin (US & CA: 29th July 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives. Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And she made a decision that shocked even her… But the struggle isn’t over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there’s still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure – and re-education – looms larger than ever.

Richelle Mead
Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, Book 5)
Penguin (US, UK, CA & AU: 29th July 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives. Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists. Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him… Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour where all bets are off.

July 2014 Releases

DISCLAIMER: I’ve noted US, UK, Canadian, and Australian information where possible. Wrong dates? Wrong titles? Wrong covers? Provide me with the correct material, and I’ll amend this post.

Done with June 2014 Releases? Here are July 2014 Releases. For future releases, check Reading Wishlist.

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10 New Covers (Andrews, Angelini, Arthur, Black, Johnson, Meade, Morgan, O’Kane, Rush, Tintera)

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Now Available for US Pre-Order

Kelley Armstrong: OTHERWORLD NIGHTS: 28th October 2014: Buy (US)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes: THE NATURALS (paperback): 7th October 2014: Buy (US)
Steve Bein: YEAR OF THE DEMON (paperback): 2nd September 2014: Buy (US)
Steve Bein: DISCIPLE OF THE WIND: 2nd December 2014: Buy (US)
Andrea Cremer: SNAKEROOT (paperback): 4th November 2014: Buy (US)
Alaya Dawn Johnson: LOVE IS THE DRUG: 30th September 2014: Buy (US)
Marie Lu: THE YOUNG ELITES: 7th October 2014: Buy (US)
Carrie Mesrobian: PERFECTLY GOOD WHITE BOY: 1st October 2014: Buy (US)
Devon Monk: HOUSE IMMORTAL: 2nd September 2014: Buy (US)
Elizabeth Norris: UNBREAKABLE (paperback): 11th November 2014: Buy (US)
Cherie Priest: MAPLECROFT: 2nd September 2014: Buy (US)

Now Available for US Pre-Order

Laura Bickle: THE OUTSIDE (paperback): 9th September 2014: Buy (US)
Steven Brust & Skyler White: THE INCREMENTALISTS (paperback): 26th August 2014: Buy (US)
Amy Rose Capetta: UNMADE (Kindle Edition): 13th January 2015: Buy (US)
Carolyn Crane: OFF THE EDGE: Buy (US)
Alaya Dawn Johnson: THE SUMMER PRINCE (paperback): 29th July 2014: Buy (US)
Darynda Jones: SEVENTH GRAVE AND NO BODY: 21st October 2014: Buy (US)
J. Kenner: TAME ME (paperback): 11th March 2014: Buy (US)
Kristen Lippert-Martin: TABULA RASA: 23rd September 2014: Buy (US)
Mindy McGinnis: IN A HANDFUL OF DUST: 23rd September 2014: Buy (US)
Susan Beth Pfeffer: THE SHADE OF THE MOON (paperback): 16th September 2014: Buy (US)
Maggie Stiefvater: THE DREAM THIEVES (paperback): 29th July 2014: Buy (US)