Angieville

What a beautiful cover. I remember when I first saw it my initial thought was,  Oh, please don't let it suck . I know that sounds harsh, but sometimes a cover just calls out to you and you know when you finally hold a physical copy of the book itself you'll just want to stroke it and love it and tell it it's found its home on your shelves. Unfortunately, the innards (as my boy is fond of saying) don't always match the outtards. And then I am forced to cry. Because . . . so pretty. So when a review copy of Stacey Jay 's Juliet Immortal came my way, I held my breath. Just a bit. Okay, maybe for the first five pages or so. Thankfully, that's all it took. Because this innovative retelling (of sorts) of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has teeth. And they sank into me with delicious ferocity. This was my first foray with Stacey Jay , though I know she has a handful of books already out. After this encounter, I look forward to checking out her other work. Juliet...

I'm quite excited for these three, you guys. They hail from two favorite authors of mine and one newcomer. They each look rather dark in their own way and just like excellent ways to start off next year's reading. The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn Ever since I heard the fabulous Sharon Shinn was working on an urban fantasy, I've been walking around with a tingle of anticipation running down my spine. Then I ran across the cover the other day and that tingle got upgraded to a full-fledged shiver. Love the girl's pose on the log, love the creepy wolf who seems to be channeling Gmork--the werewolf from The Neverending Story . Given how I love her take on angels, I can hardly wait to read her take on werewolves. Due out April 3rd. Cinder by Marissa Meyer The first in the Lunar Chronicles, this futuristic debut novel is also the first in a quartet. Don't you love quartets? They put me in mind of the Alanna books and, therefore, all good things. On top of t...

I've had A Lily Among Thorns on my list ever since I read Rose Lerner's debut novel-- In for A Penny -- more than a year ago. In fact, I actually reread it a couple of weeks ago to see if the character and writing were as lovely as I remembered. They were and it was. So I practically bounced in my seat when I saw the tweet pop up stating that A Lily Among Thorns was available on NetGalley . Click, click, click. And I sat down with it that night. Personally, I think this cover is nowhere near as nice as the cover of In for a Penny , which I thought both represented the tone of that novel as well as the "lighter" romance found within. These two look nothing like how I picture Serena and Solomon, particularly as he seems about to eat her nose and, honestly, Solomon would never do that. And even if he did give it a go, Serena would most certainly never let him get that close. Ah, the woes of cover art. On to the tale! Serena Ravenshaw and Solomon Hathaway have A Hist...

Calling all Julie James fans! Calling all Jennifer Crusie fans! Have I got a book for you. Of course, most of you have probably heard of Kristan Higgins before and are, in fact, already aware of the delectable treat that is her books. But just in case you haven't, I'm here to clue you in. I first discovered her as part of Sarah Rees Brennan 's summer reading recommendations and (because I trust her so) I just went ahead and picked up a copy of All I Ever Wanted along with The DUFF . I am so very glad I did. Because this was the perfect book to read on the heels of The DUFF . And I'll admit I've gone on a bit of a Kristan Higgins binge after finishing it. And I don't regret a moment of it. What a wonderful find! And such an eminently recommendable one at that. I seriously feel I could hand this one to anyone. It makes me a bit giddy--the possibilities of passing this one on. It really does. Callie (short for Calliope--ha!) Grey's life is reaching crit...

How much do I love this new trade paperback reissue of Bet Me ?  So. Very. Much.

Retro Friday   is a weekly meme hosted here at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! I include roundups from participating bloggers in my weekly post. It's been around five years since I first ran across Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman . And, honestly, when I think about it, I'm fairly certain I got this recommendation from Stephenie Meyer's website way back in the day. I believe she had it on her list of recommended reads and I picked it up based on that and the fact that it had a Jane Austen angle. It seems like there are so many of those these days, but at the time I hadn't read many. I'm very glad I did pick it up, as this is a perfectly delightful, perfectly quick read that entertains and leaves a grin on your face. I still don't see it around very much, but I'm ha...

The DUFF was one of the buzzingest books around when I was at BEA last year. I sat and listened to Kody Keplinger on a panel of YA authors and was impressed, yet somehow I didn't manage to pick up a copy while I was there. I kicked myself at first and then sort of forgot about it, subconsciously relegating the book to the realms of every other contemporary YA I may never get around to reading. Add that to the fact that the cover wasn't doing much for me and that was that. Until a couple of weeks ago when Janice reviewed Keplinger's upcoming second novel Shut Out , and I thought--wait, didn't Janice say The DUFF was one of her very favorite reads from last year? She did! So what am I waiting for then? And off to my local Borders I went, quickly before it closes its doors for good. *sob* And boy am I glad I did. Because this one was worth the wait and is going on the best of list for sure, you guys. Bianca Piper is stuck again. Disinclined to shake her groove thin...