Tag Archives: Afterworlds

29th September 2015 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Kelley Armstrong
The Unquiet Past
Orca Book Publishers (US & CA: 29th September 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Tess has always been tormented by waking visions that make her question her sanity. When the orphanage she lives in burns down, she decides to face her fears and find out once and for all what is wrong with her. She believes the truth must lie with her parents, and so, armed with only an address and phone number, Tess travels to a crumbling mansion in rural Quebec, where she discovers evidence of mistreatment of mental patients. She also makes an unlikely ally and gradually unearths her family’s sad history – and finally accepts the truth about her paranormal powers.

Christina Farley
Brazen (Gilded, Book 3)
Amazon Skyscape (US: 29th September 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Jae Hwa Lee spent her sixteenth year in Seoul, trying to destroy the evil immortals who had been torturing her family for centuries. The last thing she expected was to be forced to become their assassin. Trapped in the darkest part of the Spirit World as a servant to the Korean god Kud, fighting to keep her humanity, and unable to contact her loved ones, Jae Hwa is slowly losing hope. Kud, god of darkness, will do anything to keep her as a pawn in his quest for power over all of Korea, her entire family thinks she’s dead, and Jae’s true love, Marc, believes she is lost to him forever. When Kud sends Jae to find and steal the powerful Black Turtle orb, Jae sees an opportunity to break free and defeat Kud once and for all…but first she needs to regain Marc’s trust and work with him to vanquish the darkness that threatens to overwhelm Korea. There’s much to lose as Jae struggles to save the land she’s come to call home.

Rhiannon Held
Wolfsbane (Silver, Book 4)
Rhiannon Held (US: 29th September 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)

When an envoy arrives from the secretive Russian werewolf pack, Roanoke alphas Silver and Andrew Dare are instantly suspicious. Tatiana claims she has been sent to locate an heirloom, lost by immigrants centuries ago, but she and the alphas both suspect that Russia fears the strength of the newly-united, continent-spanning Roanoke pack. What Tatiana doesn’t realize is that her pack is willing to sacrifice even their own trained spy for their goals. The drugged wine they’ve given her is too strong, and instead of rendering Silver and Andrew biddable, it nearly kills her and traps the alphas in dreams that could destroy them. The alphas must fight to wake and Tatiana must fight to help them – because with the furious Roanoke pack howling for her blood, her life could depend on it.

Rachel Vincent
Menagerie (Menagerie, Book 1)
Harlequin MIRA (US: 29th September 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous travelling carnival, Metzger’s Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she’s forced to “perform” in town after town. But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other “attractions” – mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies – are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she’ll discover strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Scott Westerfeld
Afterworlds
Simon & Schuster Pulse (US & CA: 29th September 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Darcy Patel has put college on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. With a contract in hand, she arrives in New York City with no apartment, no friends, and all the wrong clothes. But lucky for Darcy, she’s taken under the wings of other seasoned and fledgling writers who help her navigate the city and the world of writing and publishing. Over the course of a year, Darcy finishes her book, faces critique, and falls in love. Woven into Darcy’s personal story is her novel, Afterworlds, a suspenseful thriller about a teen who slips into the “Afterworld” to survive a terrorist attack. The Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead, and where many unsolved – and terrifying – stories need to be reconciled. Like Darcy, Lizzie too falls in love…until a new threat resurfaces, and her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she cares about most.

September 2015 Releases

Done with August 2015 Releases? Here are September 2015 Releases. For future releases, check Reading Wishlist. NOTE: If viewing this on a feed-reader, the formatting may be screwy, so probably best to read at my WordPress.

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Now Available for US Pre-Order

Cassie Alexander: The HATED: 1st February 2015: Buy (US)
Kelley Armstrong: THE MASKED TRUTH: 13th October 2015: Buy (US)
Holly Black: BLACK HEART (mass market paperback): 24th November 2015: Buy (US)
Melinda Braun: STRANDED: 25th August 2015: Buy (US)
Jessica Brody, Marissa Meyer, Caragh M. O’Brien, et al: FIERCE READS: KISSES AND CURSES: 19th May 2015: Buy (US)
Viola Carr: TENFOLD MORE WICKED: 27th October 2015: Buy (US)
Cassandra Rose Clarke: OUR LADY OF THE ICE: 27th October 2015: Buy (US)
Debra Driza: REDEMPTION: 27th October 2015: Buy (US)
Becca Fitzpatrick: untitled novel: 10th November 2015: Buy (US)
Mira Grant: SYMBIONT (paperback): 13th October 2015: Buy (US)
Claudia Gray: TEN THOUSAND SKIES ABOVE YOU: 3rd November 2015: Buy (US)
R. C. Lewis: SPINNING STARLIGHT: 6th October 2015: Buy (US)
Marie Lu: PRODIGY: COLLECTOR’S EDITION: 6th February 2015: Buy (US)
Richelle Mead: THE RUBY CIRCLE (paperback): 13th October 2015: Buy (US)
Richelle Mead: SOUNDLESS: 17th November 2015: Buy (US)
Scott Westerfeld: AFTERWORLDS (paperback): 29th September 2015: Buy (US)

6 New Covers (Carleson, Clarke, Gray, McGinnis, Sun, Westerfeld)

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23rd September 2014 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Christina Farley
Silvern (Gilded, Book 2)
Amazon (US: 23rd September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Jae Hwa Lee is ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Until the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. She escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it. But Kud is a stronger and more devious god than Jae ever imagined. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

Kristen Lippert-Martin
Tabula Rasa
Random House Egmont (US & CA: 23rd September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Sarah starts a crazy battle for her life within the walls of her hospital-turned-prison when a procedure to eliminate her memory goes awry and she starts to remember snatches of her past. Was she an urban terrorist or vigilante? Has the procedure been her salvation or her destruction? The answers lie trapped within her mind. To access them, she’ll need the help of the teen computer hacker who’s trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, and a pill that’s blocked by an army of mercenary soldiers poised to eliminate her for good. If only she knew why…

Mindy McGinnis
In a Handful of Dust (Not a Drop to Drink, Book 2)
HarperCollins Katherine Tegen (US & CA: 23rd September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already – a house, a man, children, and a water source – and anything more than life by the pond is beyond reach. When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumours of desalinisation plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

Scott Westerfeld
Afterworlds
Simon & Schuster (US & CA: 23rd September 2014)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Darcy has secured a publishing deal for her three paranormal books. Now she must find the wherewithall to write the second one whilst she has a reprieve from going to college, thanks to her savvy sister. She has enough funds for 3 years in NY…if she eats only noodles every day. In the story Darcy has written, the character Lizzie survives a traumatic shooting event only to discover that she has become a phsychopomp; a spirit guide to the dead. But she’s not dead…or is she? With one foot in each world, Lizzie’s challenges are somewhat unique. Then there’s her hot spirit guide…and all those ghosts that keep appearing…and the “living” friend she usually tells everything to…

September 2014 Releases

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

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#PTALive Melbourne: Monday 14th April 2014: Possible Rant Ahead

Unpopular Opinion Time! But first, the positive:

-Location: cinema at Melbourne Central
-Set-up: section for book purchasing
-Ordered agenda: slides to keep the presentation on topic and track
-Presenter: Ms. Felicity is old-hand at this, with plenty of experience presenting, and loads of enthusiasm
-Preview of PTA TV: interview with Richelle Mead, who has an announcement coming in a month or so
-Publication schedule: the most informed and varied part of evening
-Shout-out to the Australian YA Bloggers Goodreads Group

I have no doubt that most of the crowd had no quibbles at all, so I’m in the minority here. And I do understand that you can’t please everyone, so you may as well cater to the majority.

“The show everyone’s talking about”, “unmissable”, “[insert over-the-top superlative here]” – I have “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) at the best times, but not in these circumstances. The more that people seem to like something, the more I’m inclined to NOT like it. It’s not deliberate; just that our interests are different, and attempts at conversion are useless. I don’t think less of people because they like something I don’t, as long as they respect my views, too. Agree to disagree, and all that.

(Image from Family Guy Wikia.)

But the more something is shoved down my throat, the more likely I am to resist, and to vomit…as opposed to accepting, and learning to love the tentacle. (That’s a Futurama reference, though that doesn’t seem to be part of Penguin Teen Australia’s fandoms.)

I am not a fan of John Green, Hank Green, Nerdfighters, DFTBA, et al. The reasons are numerous and varied, but I figure we’re all stubborn people, and no one is going to change their mind because of something someone else says – so I won’t try to convert you, as long as you don’t try to convert me.

I understand that film adaptations bring more readers to books, and are great introductions for people who aren’t already familiar with the age group, genre, etc. That’s fine. But #PTALive is full of BOOK PEOPLE. Considering the film adaptation is of a book first published in…2012 maybe, by now people have decided whether they’re interested in the story or not. And when we’ve decided we’re not, but the book, the author, and the community are brought up regularly and consistently…it’s really farking annoying. And the constant pushing of it did not change my mind. Instead, I found myself disliking the product more and more.

(Image from Quick Meme.)

I was seething, people. Not aloud. But my eyes rolled, my jaw hardened, and my handwriting turned to all caps with exclamation marks. (Yes, I took notes throughout the event on my Post-It notes. No, I don’t have a smart-phone or tablet; I am poor.) At the end, we were dismissed, so off I went, then we were called back. I returned. Apparently, some guys did a good deed earlier, which is great. But then “Nerdfighters” were mentioned, and I stalked out. Fed up. Completely over it. Had I paid anything more than train fare and meal money, I would’ve been absolutely outraged, possibly demanding my money back because I was so dissatisfied. But it was a free event, so I can’t – and won’t demand – compensation for having to suppress my anger and frustration.

It could’ve been worse.

I like Richelle Mead, and am interested in all her series. I like Vampire Academy, though I’ve only read the first two books. But I’m old-fashioned: only interested in BOOKS – NOT their adaptations, NOT their book trailers. And not “ships”, either – I like world-building, and plotting, but I’m completely over reading about romance and love interests. OVER IT. And there was a lot of freaking talk about “Sydrian”, and the book trailers – because one of the actors was in attendance, and had a short interview. I wasn’t interested, but my affection for the books made this much more tolerable than…well, see my earlier gripe.

There was a little attention given to other books: Top 5, favourites, other publisher’s books, stuff the staff wants to read, and the wonderful publication schedule. If only the rest of the evening had been less fangirly, and more informational and varied as that schedule, I would’ve been quiet content. Unfortunately, there was no mention of Jessica Spotswood’s Sisters’ Fate, which is due out on 14th August in the US and UK…

The event could’ve capitalised on the large audience (350 people, reportedly) to give more attention to the lesser-known books and authors, but for the most part the well-known and popular books hogged the limelight. Though I was on the fence about Scott Westerfeld’s Afterworlds before, I definitely want to read it now.

The publication schedule came with a problem, though: Pittacus Lore. If you haven’t heard of James Frey and the way he treats his “writer sweatshop”, or his upcoming new series that sounds like a total rip-off of… well, the information is online.

And I disagree with the statement that Katie McGarry’s books are New Adult. To me, New Adult is about university-aged characters, whereas McGarry’s are in high school, so they’re more Young Adult.

Giveaways and goodie bags included a Vampire Academy film poster, Sally Green’s Half Bad, and Maya van Wagenen’s Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek, but I declined all these. (No point in accepting things I won’t use.)

P.S. These links are relevant if you’re interested in understanding why I don’t like certain things:

http://bibliodaze.com/2014/04/say-no-to-james-frey-why-im-boycotting-full-fathom-five/
http://bibliodaze.com/2014/03/green-tinted-glasses-filtering-ya-through-a-narrow-lens/
http://bibliodaze.com/2014/02/john-green-privilege/
http://carriemesrobian.com/2014/03/this-is-very-upsetting/
http://www.thebooklantern.co.uk/2013/10/how-do-you-read-book-any-way-you-want-to.html
http://www.thebooklantern.co.uk/2012/09/the-green-brothers-and-white-boy.html
http://www.thebooklantern.co.uk/2012/09/the-green-brothers-and-white-boy_5.html
http://www.thebooklantern.co.uk/2012/07/minority-warriors.html