Midnight Bloom Reads

March Release Picks

8:00 AM

March is another great month for YA novels that I'm so excited to read!

Here are this month's releases that I'm most looking forward to checking out! Once again, I've matched my Chapters/Indigo list. I've gone back to my usual top ten book selections! If you'd like to know what other novels will be releasing this month, you can find more on my Upcoming Releases page as usual.

March 1

Above by Leah Bobet ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo *Canadian Release Date*

Perception (Clarity #2) by Kim Harrington ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

March 6

Balthazar: An Evernight Novel by Claudia Gray ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Embrace (Violet Eden Chapters #1) by Jessica Shirvington ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1) by Aimee Agresti ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

March 13

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Starters (Starters #1) by Lissa Price ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

March 20

A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

*****

What books are YOU most looking forward to reading in March? What books did I miss that you can't wait to read?

Rachel Vincent

Waiting on Wednesday (86) - Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

8:00 AM

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Release Date: June 26, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Summary (from Goodreads):

** If you haven't read IF I DIE yet, it contains spoilers! **

I died on a Thursday—killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul.

The good news? He didn’t get it.

The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school…

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent “recovering,” she’s back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won’t keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn’t just gambling with her own life….

Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series is among my absolute favourite paranormal books to read! I've read all the books countless times, and any time I'm re-reading one of the books, I always find myself making my way through the entire series all over again. There's a steady progression to these novels that continuously builds up the action and raises the stakes, while also allowing for the characters to grow.

I absolutely cannot wait to read Before I Wake! It may be the sixth novel in the series, but I'm so glad there's still one more to go afterwards because there's no way I can let go of these characters just yet. If I Die was simply pure perfection... but I have high hopes Rachel Vincent will once again amaze me!

Team Tod for the win! ^_^

5 Stars

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

8:00 AM

Title: Hallowed (Unearthly #2)
Author: Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 17, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 416
Source: Bought

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn’t prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

My Thoughts:
When it comes to angel books, I'm always more on the nervous side to read them because it's too often that they've left me disappointed in some way. But last year, when I first read Unearthly, my hope was once again restored in the genre and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. And oh my! Cynthia Hand's Hallowed was most certainly well worth the wait!

Hallowed was everything and more I had hoped it would be! The aspects that frustrated me in the first book disappeared in this one, and I was so happy to learn more answers to the questions raised surrounding the angel mythology Cynthia Hand has created and the part Clara has to play in fulfilling her purpose. And after the surprising revelation at the end of Unearthly concerning Christian, I loved seeing him take on a greater role in this novel and seeing how Clara's previous actions the day of the fire had altered their futures. He's more than just a boy in Clara's visions who she thought she had to protect before.

I felt rather sympathetic towards Tucker this time around. He's still the incredibly sweet boy that we all grew fond of in Unearthly, but there are things about Clara's angel heritage which he'll just never be able to understand or relate with that Christian can on the other hand. But once again, I must give full credit to Cynthia Hand for not over-playing the love triangle between Clara, Tucker and Christian. Clara might have chosen Tucker by the time Unearthly finished, but that never stopped Christian from being a supportive friend. He knows not to over-step his boundaries when it wouldn't be right. And Clara had so much more on her shoulders than just boy problems, so I'm glad she had her priorities straight when she had difficult decisions to make.

I absolutely loved Cynthia Hand's Hallowed! As Clara continues to discover what destiny has in store for her, she faces emotional moments which will tear at your heart. It's not very often that I find paranormal novels as beautifully written as both Unearthly and Hallowed, but Cynthia Hand makes it all look so easy. I cannot wait to see how the trilogy will end!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox (59)

2:04 PM

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share any new books or goodies we bought, received, borrowed, etc. during the week.

This week, I got...

Received for Review:

ARC of Balthazar (An Evernight Novel) by Claudia Gray
Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
Darkest Light (Half World #2) by Hiromi Goto
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Half World (Half World #1) by Hiromi Goto
Starters (Starters #1) by Lissa Price
The Traitor in the Tunnel (The Agency #3) by Y.S. Lee
You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik

Thanks so much to HarperCollins Canada, RazOrbill / Penguin Canada, and Random House Canada for sending these novels for review!

Won:

ARC of Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer

I was so surprised to see that I had won a copy of Bloodrose thanks to Penguin Canada's new RazOrbill Community they recently launched last month!

Bought:

Darkness Becomes Her (Gods & Monsters #1) by Kelly Keaton
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

I was happy to buy Pandemonium a few days early on Friday! I'm very excited to read it and see what has happened since that awful cliffhanger ending in Delirium. The early reviews for the book have been raving about it!

And isn't the cover of Nina LaCour's Hold Still so pretty? I began reading it as soon as I bought it and couldn't put it down, finishing the book with tears in my eyes. It was so beautifully written. I still have to read LaCour's latest book The Disenchantments!

What about YOU? Any new reads/finds this week?

And as always... Happy Reading!

Leigh Bardugo

Spotted! Cover of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

8:00 AM

The cover for Leigh Bardugo's debut novel Shadow and Bone, the first novel in the Grisha Trilogy, was officially revealed over at The Story Siren today where you'll also be able to read a quick Q&A with the author as well!

Release Date: June 5, 2012

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Add to Goodreads

Summary (from Raincoast):

Alina Starkov doesn't expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, all she's ever been able to rely on is her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they've been sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. She is torn from everything she knows and whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes that she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the Sun Summoner. Only her power can destroy the Fold.

Overwhelmed by luxury, envied as the Darkling's favorite, Alina struggles to keep her wits about her without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her mastery of her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha—and the secrets of her heart.

Aren't you completely in love with this cover? I know I sure am! They've done an absolutely wonderful job designing this book cover... and it should have a wide appeal for both girls and guys to want to pick up a copy when it's released. Every day, I've been getting more and more excited to read Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone and I just can't wait to see if this fantasy novel (with Russian influence!) will meet the high expectations I've set for it.

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March Release Picks

Waiting on Wednesday (86) - Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

In My Mailbox (59)

Spotted! Cover of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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