Top Ten of 2013: best book covers

Welcome back to another post for the Top Ten of 2013 event!

Today is about the best covers of books released in 2013!


Again, this was really hard, though not as hard as I had feared. There are quite a few beautiful covers I haven't included though, partly because I think they'll be getting enough exposure elsewhere and partly because I've already featured many of those books (and their covers) elsewhere.
I have read most of the following ones, though not all of them. There is no particular hierarchy to the covers. 

 

The Beautiful and the Cursed, by Page Morgan

Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

Splintered, by A.G. Howard

Paper Valentine, by Brenna Yovanoff

Ashes and Ice, by Rochelle Maya Callen

Winter Queen, by Amber Argyle

Delia's Shadow, by Jaime Lee Moyer

Ink, by Amanda Sun

MILA 2.0, by Debra Driza

Sins & Needles, by Karina Halle

Honarable mentions:

Phoenix, by Elizabeth Richards

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Genevieve Tucholke

Pivot Point, by Kasie West

Chantress, by Amy Butler Greenfield

What do you think of my pics? Are there any glaring absences? And what book covers of 2013 do you find most beautiful?

Top Ten Tuesday: new-to-me authors read in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic that the participants come up with a top ten list for.

This week is about new-to-us authors read in 2013 that we really grew to love

Many of those had books out before this year, but I just didn't get to them or was to stupid to see just how amazing they were.



Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement / The Space Between
Definitely one of my favorite 'discoveries' of the year! The Replacement really tore me apart. I ached inside while I read this book, and yet I'm desperate for a re-read! Brenna's writing is simply breathtaking and her stories have a new, eerie feel to them. I didn't like The Space Between quite as much as The Replacement, but I'm still determined to read everything she writes.

Michelle Hodkin - The Mara Dyer series
Seriously, how did the cover/description for this ever put me off?! Was I mad? Mara wonders about that question too. She's such an unusual girl protagonist for YA! And then there's Noah. And the agonizing wait for book 3. Sigh. I read book 1 in a day. One year of waiting for one day of reading... the balance is a little insane :P

Kimberly Derting - The Pledge
One of my favorite dystopians. Also, I read it at exactly the right time - I was writing a paper on queenship and how queens exercised their power. The world building was amazing - can't wait for The Essence to come out in paperback next month!

A.G. Howard - Splintered
Wonderland, insanity, art, Morpheus, weird scariness and beautiful writing... what's not to like? I was looking forward to this one so much, and it didn't disappoint!

Brent Weeks - The Night Angel Trilogy
I totally re-discovered my love of epic fantasy this year, and this series... holy hell! It's over 1500 pages and I read it in a WEEK (pun not intended). The savagery, the reluctant heroism, the magic, the vastness and complexity of the world and the characters... just wow. I'm really sad it's over though. I hope Weeks writes another series set in the same world.

Veronica Roth - The Divergent trilogy
I know, another one I'm late to the party for. But Divergent electrified me. It made me feel so incredibly alive, as if I was right there alongside Tris! I know many liked Insurgent and Allegiant less, but I thought they were logical consequences of what happened before, and I have major respect for Veronica Roth ending the series as she did.

Tahereh Mafi - Shatter Me
Everyone said this was great, but for some reason I never believed them. I kind of lumped this one in the 'nope' pile together with Mara Dyer. And again I was WRONG. This book is so fantastic! The writing, the imagery and tropes felt new. Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with a simile that hasn't been used a thousand times over?! I've got book 2 on my kindle and I'll probably read book 3 just after it comes out. So glad I won't have to wait forever to read the next one!

Lauren DeStefano - Wither
Again, I was blown away by the writing most of everything. The world building was great too, but it was the writing that really kept me hooked. Sadly, I thought Fever dragged too much, but I still plan to read Sever and see it all through to the end.

Karen Marie Moning - The Fever series
Another series I just breezed through. It took me a book or two to take to Mac as a heroine, but damn does she undergo some development! And then there's Barrons. For book after book, I kept wondering - just what the hell is he?!

Katja Millay - The Sea of Tranquility
I thought I should at least include one non-fantasy/paranormal/dystopian author, and Katja Millay made me cry like a baby. This book straddles the border between YA and NA but it's one of the most real (and thus painful) contemporaries I've read. Utterly absorbing.


Do we have any books in common on this list? What did you think of them? Want to berate me for waiting so long to read them? :P And what awesome new authors did you discover?

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 releases I'm dying to read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic that the participants come up with a top ten list for.

This week is about which of next year's releases we're most excited about


Aaah, I love this topic! :D I always marvel at how many great books are coming out. Here's the ten that look best to me, though there are many more I could have included.
I hope the slideshow works, if you're reading this as an email you might want to open it on the actual blog.





Unhinged (Splintered #2), by A.G. Howard
I loved Splintered so much and really hoped there'd be a sequel! I need more Morpheus and I felt that Alyssa had unfinished business.

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3), by Michelle Hodkin
It was supposed to be published this October but got pushed back to June 2014. I. Need. It. Now!!! Seriously I just want to see Mara kick ass and, well, get her retribution. Because does she ever deserve it.

Fiendish, by Brenna Yovanoff
I really like that Brenna Yovanoff writes standalones! It's a nice change from the usual YA, which seems to be all series. I love the look of this one. Creepy houses and girls... yes please!

Oblivion (Nevermore #3), by Kelly Creagh
I've seen three versions of this cover so far and I'm not happy with the coloring of any of them quite yet. No matter what though, the content will be fantastic and is very likely to rip my poor heart to pieces.

Talon, by Julie Kagawa
New series! With dragons! And an order tasked with finding and destroying them. Can't wait for it to get a cover and a more precise description.

Throne of Glass #3, by Sarah J. Maas
Again, no cover, no title. But I need this sequel!! The end of book 2 suddenly made the world of this series so much bigger, I can't wait to see where it all goes from here.

Between the Spark and the Burn (Between #2), by April Genevieve Tucholke
I'm not quite happy with the font here. I think they should have stuck with the one from the first book. Bug again, as long as I get more of that lovely prose, I'm not about to get all huffy ;)

The Winner's Curse, by Marie Rutkoski
I really enjoyed Rutkoski's The Shadow Society and I love the concept of this one! I also remember reading a very early review and it was extremely positive, so my hopes are high.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3), by Laini Taylor
Duh. Who doesn't want to know how this all pans out?!

The Lovely and the Lost (The Dispossessed #2), by Page Morgan
The description is very vague as of now but I love the Gargoyle lore and glimpses of further world building, and I'm very curious to see where this  series is going.

Runners-up: Cruel Beauty (by Rosamund Hodge, I have an ARC), Tell the Wind and Fire (by Sarah Rees Brennan, apparently a modern retelling of A Tale of Two Cities), Strange and Ever After (Susan Dennard).


Okay, that's it! Do we have any picks in common? I'm very curious to see what people came up with and add some more to my TBR of upcoming books :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Unhinged, by A.G. Howard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine to spotlight upcoming book releases that we're excited about.


This week's pick:

Release date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages

Goodreads description:
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

I really really cannot wait for this one!!! Ever since finishing Splintered, I somehow had the impression that there was  unfinished business in the story. I liked the ending, but I felt there was too much potential left over... so I kept my eyes open. And BAM then there was the announcement, and later this cover!!! o.O Gorgeous. It comes really close to how I imagined Morpheus! I admit I'm still kind of rooting for him and Alyssa ;)
What do you think of my pick? Are you as impatient as I am? And what did you choose this week?

Teaser Tuesday: Splintered, by A.G. Howard

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


After doing quite a few Top Ten Tuesdays, I've decided to mix things up a little and tease you guys again ;) I've just finished Splintered by A.G. Howard and it was amazing! One of my most anticipated releases of the year, and a great way to start reading them :) Since I haven't decided on my next read yet, I'll pick this book to tease you with...

Please meet Jeb:
" 'You know, you really should go to prom. Show up just like this and knock everyone on their asses. I guarantee you'll still have your dignity.' He studies my face with an expression I've only seen when he paints. Intense. Absorbed. As if he's considering the painting from every angle. Me from every angle. He's so close, I smell the raspberry on his hot breath. His gaze shifts to the dimple in my chin and my cheeks flame." - Paperback, page 27

And here's a snippet about Morpheus:
"Morpheus is not his true name. He is glory and deprecation - sunlight and shadows - the scuttle of scorpion and the melody of a nightingale. The breath of the sea and the cannonade of a storm. Can you relay birdsong, or the sound of wind, or the scurry of a creature across the sand? For the proper names of netherlings are made up of the life forces defining them. Can you speak these things with your tongue?" - Paperback, page 288


About the book:
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.


What do you guys think of my teasers? Do they make you want to read the book? And what did you pick to tease the rest of us with this week?

Stacking the Shelves: the Finally! Edition

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to show off all the pretty book goodies we got over the past week. You can include print as well as ebooks, gifted, won, borrowed, bought, whatever...


For review from NetGalley:

Dare you To, by Katie McGarry

I've been excited about this ever since I read the excerpt at the back of my Pushing the Limits ARC! So happy I got approved ^^


Won:

Frost Fire, by Olivia Rivers
My Favorite Mistake, by Chelsea M. Cameron

Thanks to Anatea @ Anatea's Bookshelf and Brenda @ Crazy Four Books!


Books I'd ordered that FINALLY  arrived:

Falling To Ash, by Karen Mahoney
Splintered, by A.G. Howard
The Replacement, by Brenna Yovanoff

I've already read & loved Falling To Ash and just got started on Splintered. I've wanted that book for sooo long, and then it took an eternity to ship. But I finally have it :D I'm also excited about The Replacement. It was on sale on TBD for only a little over 3 euros, so I couldn't resist. It's my first Brenna Yovanoff book. The photo doesn't really do the beauty of all the covers justice by the way, and I'm sorry the pretty face of the guy on The Replacement got eclipsed by my flash...


Free or cheap kindle books:



MILA 2.0 Origins: The Fire, by Debra Driza
The Devil's Metal, by Karina Halle
All Over You, by Emily Snow
Wander Dust, by Michelle Warren

I breezed through All Over You, the prequel novella for Devoured, in a single setting. The other ones were freebies or books I read reviews for and then bought on a whim. I'm particularly curious about The Devil's Metal, a story about a rock band and some paranormal stuff happening and a music journalist - all of that in the 1970s!


I have too many books >.< I am putting myself on another ban. I have still books I've already ordered that are still to arrive, and lately I've been buying way too many ebooks. Hard as it is: no more books for now!!!
What do you think of my haul? And what did you get this week? Also, I have 2 international giveaways going on at the moment, click the banners in my left sidebar to enter :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated 2013 Releases

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, they post a new topic that the participants make a top ten list for.

Posting this somewhat belatedly... I have a lot of real life things going on that are very sad and rob me of a lot of my energy. Sorry if I'm not as active as usual.


This week's topic: Top Ten most anticipated books of 2013


No particular order

Have some cover-pretty!

1. Phoenix, by Elizabeth Richards
   I just finished Black City last Friday and I'm in love with the world and characters Elizabeth Richards created! I need to know how Ash and Natalie's story continues!
2. With All My Soul, by Rachel Vincent
   Over the course of this year I have completely and irrevocably fallen in love with the Soul Screamer series. I'm so invested in these characters it's not even funny. I just need to know who makes it and what happens and how everything is resolved, even though sometimes I'll be doing the reader equivalent of watching a movie through my fingers as I cover my eyes because I can't quite bear to look but can't look away.
3. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black
   I recently re-read the short story of the same name, published in a short story collection called The Poison Eaters. A really unique take on vampires, can't wait for the full-fledged novel!
4. Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin
   I want to go back to the world of this story, no matter how much hurt and heartbreak I might be in for.
5. The Indigo Spell, by Richelle Mead
   I seem to list a lot of series-finals in this post... oh well. I just need more Sidney & Adrian.
6. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Genevieve Tucholke
   I've never read anything by her but the book just sounds amazing!
7. Sweet Peril, by Wendy Higgins
    I've been pining for this since the moment I finished Sweet Evil.
8. Splintered, by A.G. Howard
   I love Alice in Wonderland retellings and many bloggers I trust have given it amazing reviews, so I'm super curious about it! From the description it sounds awesome.
9. There's not been a title announcement yet, but I really want the sequel to Melissa Marr's Carnival of Souls! Not sure it'll come out 2013 'already' though...
10. Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare
    I love The Infernal Devices, probably more so than The Mortal Instruments. I just want to know what happened already, and how the two series relate! I just hope the best for Will.

Much has been left out of this list. I'm also pining for Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly, Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan, the last Nevermore installment by Kelly Creagh, a new Urban Magic book by Kate Griffin. As well as lots of others I've marked as to read that aren't out yet. But I think my top ten does cover the most important ones... probably. ^^'

What's on your top ten? Are some of my books on your list as well?

Waiting on Wednesday: Splintered, by A.G. Howard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme by Breaking The Spine to showcase books we are eagerly anticipating.

My selection this week is:

Splintered, by A.G. Howard

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.


 Doesn't it sound awesome? Click the cover to add it on Goodreads. I've read a very short excerpt that was printed on the back of a bookmark I won in a swag giveaway and that was enough to make me crave the whole book! I'm a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and this sounds intriguing. I'm curious how the story is linked to Carroll's Alice and how Morpheus fits into it all.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?