Jan 1 2014

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Coming Soon: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin’s Blade

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass Novellas

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: March 13, 2014

The Overview: Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin’s Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn’s orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

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hosted by Breaking the Spine

Having just finished Maas’ first novel Throne of Glass, I am incredibly eager to get my hands on this compilation of short stories. The events covered in this novella offer a ton of rich history behind Calaena – history that I felt almost cheated out of in the first book. I am therefore really excited to fill in the gaps and to better understand where this girl comes from. These novellas already exist as e-books, but I think I’m going to hold out for this compilation release before I read them – I liked the story enough to want to own a copy for my shelves.

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 27 2013

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Stacking the Shelves – Decembers Edition!

Stacking the shelves

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

As some of you may know, I am undertaking a read 4, buy 1 challenge as of the beginning of December and I am pleased to announce that I have stuck to that goal. Although I kind of cheated this month. You see, I don’t count gifts as part of my challenge purchases so all of the Barnes & Noble gift cards my family got me this year are responsible for the latest additions to my collection:

Hardcopies (Adult):

A couple of these came from scouring local used bookstores, and my prized find was a hardcover edition of The Beholder’s Eye by Julie E. Czerneda – one of my all-time favorite novels and one that I’ve been actively searching for online. I couldn’t believe my luck!

Hardcopies (Young Adult):

This is where most of my gift cards went – as you can see I had a lot of fun spending them! Although, because I have the most awesome best friend ever, the copy of The Fiery Heart was actually a Christmas present from her. Not only did she give me the book I was most looking forward to buying, but got it signed and personalized for me by Richelle Mead! Best. Friend. EVER!

E-books:

Alas, none.

ARCs:

: After the End by Amy Plum

: Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull (March 11, 2014)

: March 4, 2014

Thank you Edelweiss!!

It looks like I have a ton of great reading ahead of me! What books stacked your shelves this month?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 17 2013

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Coming Soon: The Widow’s House by Daniel Abraham

Title: The Widow’s House

Author: by Daniel Abraham

Series: The Dagger and the Coin #4

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: August 5, 2014

The Overview: Lord Regent Geder Palliako’s war has led his nation and the priests of the spider goddess to victory after victory. No power has withstood him, except for the heart of the one woman he desires. As the violence builds and the cracks in his rule begin to show, he will risk everything to gain her love or else her destruction. Clara Kalliam, the loyal traitor, is torn between the woman she once was and the woman she has become. With her sons on all sides of the conflict, her house cannot stand, but there is a power in choosing when and how to fall. And in Porte Oliva, banker Cithrin bel Sarcour and Captain Marcus Wester learn the terrible truth that links this war to the fall of the dragons millennia before, and that to save the world, Cithrin must conquer it.

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Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I am a huge, huge fan of this author! I consider his Long Price Quartet to be one of the best new generation fantasies on the market and was also blown away by his science fiction Leviathan Wakes (cowritten under the name James S. A. Corey). The Dagger and the Coin series is the last unexplored territory and I admit I’ve been kind of saving them for a rainy day – I just know they’re going to be amazing! Any of you out there who love authors like Goodkind, Hobb, and Feist, make room on your shelves for Daniel Abraham – he’s a keeper!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 10 2013

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Coming Soon: Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull

Title: Sky Raiders

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Five Kingdoms #1

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: March 11, 2013

The Overview: Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level. After Cole sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath the haunted house, he dives in after them and ends up in The Outskirts.

The Outskirts are made up of five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Its an in-between place. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from our world, or from other worlds. And once you come to the Outskirts, its very hard to leave. With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, its up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends, set things right in the Outskirts, and hopefully find his way back home before his existence is forgotten.

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Hosted by Breaking the Spine

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you are probably sick of hearing how much I love Brandon Mull (my favorite kids author since J.K. Rowling). His books never fail to make me feel like a kid again and are written on a level that even adults can appreciate. Sky Raiders is the first book in his latest series, and I remember reading that he thinks it’s the best book he’s written yet – so of course I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 4 2013

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Out This Month – Noteworthy Releases December 2013!

A dance of mirrors

One of my favorite things about working in the shipping department of a large bookstore was opening up boxes of new releases – it felt like Christmas all year round! So now that the holidays are actually upon us, here’s a look at some new and upcoming releases for the month:

December 3, 2013

December 17, 2013

December 3, 2013

December 10, 2013

December 3, 2013

December 24, 2013

I wish I could say I was excited to read any of these novels… The trouble is, I’m not caught up enough in the series to enjoy any of these this month but I will say the Gini Koch books always catch my attention.

What releases are you excited for?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 3 2013

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Coming Soon: Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey

Title: Cibola Burn

Author: James S.A. Corey

Series: Leviathan Wakes #4

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: June 17, 2014

The Overview: The gates have opened the way to thousands of habitable planets, and the land rush has begun. Settlers stream out from humanity’s home planets in a vast, poorly controlled flood, landing on a new world. Among them, the Rocinante, haunted by the vast, posthuman network of the protomolecule as they investigate what destroyed the great intergalactic society that built the gates and the protomolecule. But Holden and his crew must also contend with the growing tensions between the settlers and the company which owns the official claim to the planet. Both sides will stop at nothing to defend what’s theirs, but soon a terrible disease strikes and only Holden – with help from the ghostly Detective Miller – can find the cure.

cibola burn

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I included this title in yesterday’s TTT because Leviathan Wakes is still one of the best books I’ve read this year. So, even though I haven’t yet read the second or third in this series, I know by the time Cibola Burn is released I’ll be eager to get my hands on it. Daniel Abraham, one of the writers of this series has quickly become one of my favorite authors. His Long Price Quartet books blew me away, and I will definitely pick up anything he decides to write in the future. Incidentally, I read both the Leviathan and the Long Price books digitally, but loved them both enough to immediately go out and by the hardcopies for my collection. If you like fantasy or space opera science fiction and haven’t read these yet, you are sorely missing out!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes