New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 4th Quarter 2019

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Well, adding school to my already hectic life has definitely been challenging.  I'm still trying to figure out how to balance work, homeschooling, college, housework, all the kid activities (bowling, archery, soccer, and gymnastics currently), family life, social life, and down time for things like reading.  Not gonna lie, it's been hard but there are always books to look forward to that I will some day find the time to read.

Starting this list off with what looks to be an amazing anthology of women writers spinning tales of witches and witchcraft, both the good and the evil with Hex Life.  It caught my attention since it has Kelley Armstrong and Rachel Caine whom I enjoy and of course, opens me up to several new writers as well.  Can't wait!

Release date - October 1

Next up is Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep, the 18th book in the Elemental Assassin series.  Gin is still trying to figure out what the heck is up with the Circle and dear old Uncle Mason but as she digs deeper, she will uncover secrets that may have been better left off buried.

Release date - October 8

October is just filled with fun stuff coming out as Kelley Armstrong releases Wolf's Bane which is the first of a YA duology featuring Kate and Logan Danvers.  The twins are now 16 and have been sent off to a supernatural teen leadership conference but of course, something is terribly amiss and the twins are going to get to the bottom of it.  I'm excited to return to this universe.

Release date - October 15

I'm so far behind on the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter but I'm still looking forward to Shattered Bonds because it lets me know that Jane is still going strong and waiting for me to find time to read her adventures.  The synposis doesn't look good with her going off to the mountains to grieve the loss of friends (please not Molly!) and sick from a disease brought about by her magic though.

Release date - October 29

And the month wraps up with the biggest present ever from Seanan McGuire with Laughter at the Academy.  A collection of tons of her short pieces from all different genres spanning more than a decade. I love her patreon stuff (even if some of it scares the crap out of me) and I'm super excited to read what she has put together.

Release date - October 31

This list ends with the release of Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer.  This book looks incredibly bizarre with a messianic fox, a huge fish, band of rebels, a homeless woman, and many more unlikely characters trying to save Earth but I'm very intrigued.

Release date - December 3

28:120 Strangers Among Us edited by Susan Forest & Lucas K. Law

Nineteen stories that explore mental illness in many different aspects, both in SciFi/Fantasy and things that you could see today.  I bought the series because it had a story by Kelley Armstrong and I had a different idea of what the stories would be about.  While the stories were not what I was expecting, I found the stories intriguing and extremely well done.  They depicted that even those will mental illness of all types are worthy of love and respect, some of them in the stories even got it and those were definitely my favorites.


Page count: 368p/5,174p ytd/279,649p lifetime

91:120 Becoming by Kelley Armstrong

A comic telling the story of Elena's transformation and her 'adjustment' to her new life from Jeremy.  As Ms. Armstrong stated, she has been beseached by fans for this story for a long time but felt that it was so dark that it couldn't be told until the comic idea came where it could be illustrated.  I agree, it was dark but it was good to see the pain that she went through on her way to becoming the character we meet in Bitten, to more fully understand were she came from.

Besides that story, there is also some history from the Pack in the back regarding the dissolution of taking mates and female werewolves.  Nice tidbit for long time fans.


Page count: 92p/24,147p ytd/273,297p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2016

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

So while the last couple of quarters were fairly light in the new releases department, I still haven't managed to get caught up and this quarter is chock-full of stuff that I want to read the second I have it in my hands.  Considering many come out on top of each other, I'm thinking that sleep is just overrated.


There are a lot more short stories starting to come out in many of my favorite series for ereaders which I think is wonderful.  It allows for more backstory, side stories, and general bits and pieces that don't fit well into the main books but are nice for long time readers of the series.  Unwanted by Jennifer Estep is one such side story which follows Finn after the events in Bitter Bite which have him feeling very much unwanted.

Release Date - July 18


Imprudence by Gail Carriger is the second book in the Custard Protocol series which follows Rue, the daughter of Alexis and Lord Maccon from the Parasol Protectorate series. I have not started this series yet since I'm so behind on things but I did just start the Finishing School series and will go into this one after so maybe I'll be ready to read it by the time it comes out.

Release Date - July 19


August is super filled with fabulous new releases and starts off with three right off the bat. Flight from Mayhem by Yasmine Galenorn is the second book in the Fly by Night series with Shimmer the blue dragon and Alex the vampire.  It is set in the world of her popular Otherworld series and this one sees Chase coming to the Fly by Night detectives to help solve the mystery of older fae being brutally murdered after having their bank accounts drained.

Release Date - August 2


We also get Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter is the start of a new series, Soulwood, which takes place in the Jane Yellowrock series but follows Nell after she is found by Jane who recommends her to PsyLED who sends Rick to talk to her.   Nell has been a pretty mysterious figure in the Yellowrock series and I'm really hoping we get to learn more about her and the relationships between her and all the team members.

Release Date - August 2


And the first release date ends with Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire which is a short story in the October Daye series but this time narrated by Quentin, her squire.  His parents have come to meet the new Queen of the Mists and take him home.  Unfortunately, he doesn't want to go and Toby doesn't want him to either.

Release Date- August 2


Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong comes out just a week later so no time to catch my breath.  Ricky is being fingered in a series of street children murders and now Olivia needs Gabriel's help to prove his innocence.  Doing this means that their futures are being even more intertwined but will it be in the relationship of their choosing or that of the forces trying to win a war that they are at the center of?

Release Date - August 9


Then we have the sequel to Court of Fives, Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliot coming out.  I read Court of Fives for book club and while it's YA I found myself very invested in the characters and can't wait to see how things progress.  Jessamy is doing well as a Challenger which is good since her winnings are what is supporting her mother and sisters while they are in hiding.  Unfortunately, an attack on her traveling party looks to be putting her more squarely in the war that Lord Karkillios is in and now running the Fives may no longer be enough.

Release Date - August 16


The month wraps up with Unraveled by Jennifer Estep.  In the aftermath of Biter Bite, Gin is trying hard to find out who is behind the mysterious Circle and how to disrupt that organization that tore apart Finn's mother and who was likely behind Mab's killing of Gin's family as well.  Unfortunately the trail has gone cold so when Finn finds out about an inheritance, they figure they might as well all get out of town for a vacation but trouble is never far behind Gin.

Release Date - August 30



September has fewer books coming out but they are all ones I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on. It starts with Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire.  Toby's diplomatic mission to the Court of Silences did not go nearly as planned however she did return with the cure for elfshot but also a whole lot of political headaches for everyone involved. Now there is a convocation of rulers hosted by her Queen of the Mists with the High Kind and Queen in attendance. Of course, nothing is ever simple in Toby's life so it's not long before a dead body hits the floor and Toby needs to find the killer to protect those she loves.

Release Date - September 6


I get a few weeks to catch up before the release of Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews.  Kate and Curran are finally planning the wedding but before they can say "I do", Roland has kidnapped Siamin and is draining him for his magic and the dire warnings are coming fast and furious from the witches.  I can't wait to see how Kate gets around all this because darn it, I want to see them get their HEA!

Release Date - September 20


Next up is Feedback by Mira Grant.  This is a parallel novel to Feed but we are following a different group of reporters trying to get their foot in the door.  Considering how much I love this universe, I'm really jazzed about this book and am just hoping that I can get behind these characters nearly as much as I ended up loving Shuan and Georgia.

Release Date - September 27


The quarter ends with Shadow Silence by Yasmine Galenorn, the sequel to Whisper Hollow.  Kellis's best Peggin has been cursed since escaping the watery embrace of the Lady of the Lake but curing her will reveal many secrets that certain people want to remain buried.

Release Date - September 27

77:120 Odin's Ravens by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

The second book in the Blackwell Pages trilogy.  Matt, Fen, and Laurie are headed to Hel to try and bring Baldwin back from the dead in an effort to avoid Ragnorok by changing the events leading up to it.  While they are successful in finding and bringing Baldwin back with them, Ragnorok is still coming.  Matt must find Thor's Hammer if any of them are going to have a chance of coming out of this alive and preventing the end of the world.  Unfortunately, Matt is still a teenager and a trusting one at that and in this installment he has to learn some very hard truths.

A good second installment which is a nice change from the several trilogies I've been reading lately where the second book has completely fallen flat.  This kept the pace going, some character growth was evident (sometimes sorely lacking in children's literature), with enough humor in place to keep it from being too scary.  My 14yr old has been loving the series and I'm pretty sure my 9yr old will as well once he tries them.


Page count: 342p/19,607p ytd/234,541p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2015

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Well, school is finally out so I'm working hard to get caught up on a bunch of my personal reading.  The fact that I didn't add a ton this last quarter is going to help but oh boy, that is so not the case with this next quarter.  Apparently everyone was aiming for summer releases this year...

Flight From Death by Yasmine Galenorn kicks off the big 3rd quarter.  This is the start of her new Fly by Night series featuring Shimmer, a blue dragon, and the detective agency she works for run by Alex Radcliffe, a vampire.  Set in the world of Ms. Galenorn's Otherworld series, we have already been introduced to the characters in the short novella, Flight From Hell with the help of the D'Artigo sisters. I love that world and am definitely interested in seeing it from a different perspective.

Release Date: July 7

The following week sees two new books by authors not usually on my list.  Armada by Ernest Cline is his second book but after his Ready, Player, One which was fabulous, I'm very interested to see if he can pull it off again.  Zack seems to be a typical, every day nerd (so my kinda person) and even though he knows that the stuff he reads about and watches on TV isn't real, a part of him can't help but wish it were.  And then one day, it is...

Release Date: July 14

And speaking of second books, Go Set a Watchmen by Harper Lee has been a long time coming.  A sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird but written before it, it will be interesting to see what her original take on her characters was before she was asked to change it around completely.

Release Date: July 14

To finish off July, there is Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep.  Gin took out Mab's daughter in the previous book and has now set herself up to take up the mantle of Head Crime Boss for the town.  Of course, this means that everyone will be gunning for her even more than ever but now she has to actually try and keep the bad guys in line with something more than her knives.

Release Date: July 28

August starts off big with a double header.  First up, Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn.  This is it, the end of the series and it looks like Kitty is going out with a bang.  With the information that Cormac was able to dig up in Low Midnight, Kitty and her friends are going to make their play but Dux Bellorum is already ahead of them and they are outgunned and outnumbered at every turn.  With all the friends Kitty has made over the years, can she bring them together to save the world?

Release Date: August 4

On the same day, Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews also comes out.  Kate and Curran are working to set up their lives away from The Pack now although they both know it will take time to completely separate themselves.  However, when one of Kate's friends from the Merc Guild goes missing, it turns out that the ancient enemy is rising.

Release Date: August 4


Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong is the only other book on my list coming out in August.  We left Olivia with her ex-fiance stalking her at the behest of her enemies, those who most likely framed her parents for murder and Olivia herself trapped in her own head in so many ways.  Now her visions are becoming more frequent and she must learn to interpret them and find a way to strike a balance in her mind.

Release Date: August 18


September starts off with another crazy double header.  A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire is the start of the story that everything up until now has been getting Toby ready for and that probably doesn't bode well for her.

Release Date: September 1

Kim Harrison also kicks off a new series with The Drafter.  I'm not 100% sold on this one yet but I'll definitely be doing some more research.  Details are still kind of spotty but I really enjoyed her other work so odds are good I'll give it a chance.  Minority Report meets Bourne Identity could be interesting...

Release Date: September 1

Next up is a new collection of short stories in Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong.  The collection is to include stories from the Otherworld, Cainsville, Darkest Powers, and Age of Legends series.  I'm very interested in reading the stuff from Otherworld and Cainsville and I figure it will give me a chance to see what the other two series are like since to date, the blurbs haven't gripped me enough to actually delve into them.

Release Date: September 8

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs is the third book the Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children series.  Unfortunately I'm a book behind so all I can tell from the synopsis I'm seeing is that there is danger everywhere for these children and their caregiver, Miss Peregrine.  Hoping I can get caught up before it comes out.

Release Date: September 22

And the final book for this quarter is Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima.  Elen was made outcast because of her powers and lack of ability to shift to a wolf.  Now her powers and her kind heart have caused her to save her friends and use the energy she gained from that to change Cormack from the man in a wolf's body he has always been into a full shapeshifter.  Now Cormack finds himself wanting more from Elen than just her friendship but wants to be able to present himself as a full-man rather than one who is still learning the basics like a baby.  Before he can do that however, Pendaran has kidnapped Elen to force her to use her magic to aid him and his cause.  

Release Date: September 29

So yeah, a LOT of new releases coming out in the next couple of months.  I'm thankful that in all but one case, they are either stand-alones, starting a new series, or I'm caught up in the series already.  Still, lots and lots of reading to be getting done and I still haven't even gotten caught up in Elfquest before events in the Final Quest so I can read those as they come out.  That is definitely something I need to find time to change this summer.

Happy Reading!

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 2nd Quarter 2015

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Well, I'm still behind in a lot of my reading.  School reading has been quite crazy plus, you know, life but things are finally nearing completion so I'm hoping to be able to deal with backlog of lots of stuff around the house including my reading.  Thankfully, it looks like another quiet quarter so maybe, just maybe I can get a handle on things.

Dark Heir by Faith Hunter sees Jane Yellowrock pitted against one of the biggest, baddest vampire witches around who has a personal motive to bring chaos and destruction to New Orleans.  When is she getting a raise if these are the types of things she is going to keep getting set against?  I'm currently a book behind in the series so I still don't know how she got out of the last mess but apparently she did.

Release date: April 7

The only other book coming out this quarter is the final book in the Blackwell Pages trilogy, Thor's Serpents by M.A. Marr and K.L. Armstrong.  This is one of the kids' books but I've been enjoying the series.  It's banking on the success of books like Percy Jackson with kids who are direct descendants of the Norse Gods and trying to save the world from Ragnarok.

Release date: May 19

And that's it for the quarter.  The next quarter isn't looking very heavy either but the last quarter is going to be nuts again. Maybe I can be caught up by then?

91:120 Visions by Kelley Armstrong

The 2nd book in the Cainsville series.  Olivia was hoping that now that there has been a break-through in her parents' case that they might get a bit of a lull in things but when Gabriel drops her off at her old house to pick up her stuff and her car, she gets her illusions shattered by the dead body left in her car wearing her clothes.  Now they have to figure out who the person in the car was, and when DNA comes back that it's not who it appears, the mysteries just keep deepening.  Olivia is becoming more and more aware that things are not quite what they appear in Cainsville but now the Omens have been coming stronger leading her places not quite of this world.  On top of that, the different sides are starting to make their presence known to her, demanding that she take a side and then all the answers will be there for her.  Olivia is not willing to make that decision yet since no side is willing to tell her anything until she agrees to more than she thinks wise but those that are trying to control her will stop at nothing including murder and manipulation of people in her life including her ex-fiance, James.

Sh*t just got real in this one and it's only the second book.  I could not put it down and now I'm chomping at the bit waiting for the next one which apparently doesn't come out for another year.  What the heck!??!  I want to know what the heck is going on NOW!!!!!

Page count: 448p/24,574p ytd/205,612p lifetime

87:120 Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Olivia Taylor-Jones thought the biggest obstacles in her life were her fiances future political aspirations. Sure she had been groomed her whole life with that as a possibility since her father owned an incredibly successful department store but in one night, her life is turned upside down when it is leaked that she is not the daughter of the Taylor-Jones but really Eden Larsen, the daughter of some of the most infamous serial killers who are currently sitting behind bars.  Now she has walked away from her previous life and is trying to figure out where she fits in now as she also gets sucked into investigating her birth-mother's story that they were framed.  Her search leads her to the town of Cainsville where strange things are afoot but what, she can't say.  She is realizing that she is becoming obsessed with omens and portents and more than that, they really seem to be foreshadowing events in her near future.  Now with the help of some new friends, she is starting to uncover the truth but down that path lies more secrets than she can imagine.

I loved Ms. Armstrong's Otherworld series but was hesitant to pick this up but my book dealer pushed it at me telling me how fabulous it was and how he thought I would enjoy it so I grabbed it and then decided with the second book having just come out to just go ahead and read it to see if I wanted the second one.  I was not disappointed and this book totally sucked me despite that it's much more of a mystery than I usually go in for.

Page count: 486p/22,898p ytd/203,936p lifetime

70:120 Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

The first book in the Blackwell Pages series.  Matthew Thorsen has grown up his entire life being the black sheep of his family even if they are all descended directly from Thor so it's a great surprise when he his chosen as the champion that will lead them into battle during Ragnarok.  He is both scared and thrilled until he overhears the conversation of the elders afterward and discovers they want him to fail in his mission.  Now he finds himself on the run with classmates and former enemies, Laurie and Fen, who are also descendants of Loki trying to follow the clues that the Norns have given him and find the other descendants of the gods who will be necessary in the upcoming battle.

I love Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series and Viking mythology so when I saw this in the bookstore, I had to grab it for my, then, 12 year old.  It's an entertaining take on the mythos that brings things into today's time and entertwines the mythology throughout while relating nicely to the middle-school group.  The second book is now in the house but I've been informed I'm not allowed to read it until my son does.  He's become a big fan.

Page count: 358p/17,364p ytd/198,402p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 2nd & 3rd Quarters 2014

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Yeah, this is kind of late for the second quarter so I figured I'd combo it with the 3rd and be early on that one.  2nd quarter is pretty slow in terms of the authors I put up on my calendar so it just sort of slipped my mind until now when I had a few minutes to sit down and update it so here goes:

With nothing on my book release calendar for April, May started off in a lovely way with Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire.  A new book that may be a standalone or may eventually be part of a series, we follow the tale of Rose, a 16-year-old girl killed in 1952 who has been searching for a way to be free of her haunting existence for 60 years.

Release Date: May 6

That it pairs up with Authority by Jeff Vandermeer makes for strange looks at the bookstore since honestly I'm not sure they could be that much different from each other.  Authority is the second in the Southern Reach trilogy and I'm hoping it answers at least some of the questions that Annihilation brought up because that was one incredibly freaky, disturbing, but amazing book but dang it, I want some answers!!!

Release Date: May 6

On a weird Wednesday release, my friend Amy Sprenger's new book came out.  Yes Mommy: The Mayhem and Madness of Not Saying No is her story of going an entire month without saying no to her three children (ages 7, 5, 3) and how everyone survived.

Release Date: May 7

Odin's Ravens is the second in a YA series by Armstrong and Marr.  I haven't read the first one yet but my third son completely loved it and bought this one with his own money so he could have it NOW!  I think that says something.  He is also insisting that I read both of them so that will be on my summer reading list but hey, any book where you combining Thor's hammer, modern day kids, and a whole lot of Valkyries to start the description sounds pretty awesome and with those authors I'm quite happy to accede to my kid's wishes.

Release Date:  May 13

Skin Game by Jim Butcher is one where I'm on the fence about it.  I mean, I know I'll buy it and read it but I still can't get over my disappointment that he brought Harry back completely from the dead.  I get that you can't have Dresden's Files without Harry Dresden but I get a little tired of books where they keep making the baddies bigger and bigger but you always know that the hero is going to win through some deus ex machina.  Butcher had the balls to kill off his main character and bring him back as a ghost for a whole book and Holy Cow that was BRILLIANT!!!  And then he ruined it all by bringing him back fully although in service to the Winter Fae Queen. There's only been one book since that happened so I'm reserving judgement on if this series has just become unreadable for me (as the Drizzt books did after Wulfgar was brought back) or if Mr. Butcher will find a way to keep my interest.

Release Date: May 27

June is quiet again but July opens HUGE with Night's End by Yasmine Galenorn which sees the end of the Indigo Court series.  Cicely and Rhiannon have been crowned and in charge but Myst is by no means willing to roll over and die.  She is gathering her power and her army and there will be more blood spilled before this war is over.

Release Date: July 1

And to pair up with that is How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland.  This series is just fun but it looks like sh*t's about to get real as it's zombie v. zombie when Saberton tries to take on the Zombie Maffia and Angel will end up in the middle, we can be sure.

Release Date: July 1

Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy will wrap up with the release of The Book of Life.  The last one was a little slow with a lot of time travel stuff going on but apparently this one is back in present day with a lot more action as Matthew and Diana have to find the missing pages of Ashmole 782 in order to protect not only the present but the future as well.

Release Date: July 15

Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep comes out just a week later so I've got something light to read mid-summer.  Gin is always a great character (if she could just stop with the constant repetitive monologueing) and I continue to enjoy the series.  I'm really hoping that things are going to go somewhere with Owen as well because I loved them together.  While the write-up for this one is all about some new drug coming into Ashland I'm also hoping that there is more development in the mysterious villain that has been being hinted at for several books now.

Release Date: July 22

July ends with as big a bang it started with Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews.  The first time in hardback for this series and it looks to be amazing!  Kate's relationship with Roland is out in the open and that battle seems to be coming down the pipes fast, probably not in this book but my guess would be sooner rather than later.

Release Date: July 29

August is another big month and kicks off with Revenant by Kat Richardson.  I admit that I'm a few books behind in this series so again, that is a project for this summer so I can be ready to read this when it comes out because it looks to be intense with secret cults and bone yards and ghost armies.

Release Date: August 5

Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells is the sequel to Dirty Magic which came out earlier this year and was just fantastic.  A gritty world where magic is all around but there is both legal and illegal magic and now with a rare Blue Moon about to occur, magic will be unpredictable and it's up to Kate and her team to help the local law enforcement keep things from exploding....literally.

Release Date: August 12

Robin Hobb has a new trilogy starting up with Fool's Assassin which means I need to step it up and finish reading the Fool's trilogy this summer (hmmmm...there are apparently several series that need my time, darn you Game of Thrones!) as it looks like this series will take place after that one (and I seriously hope has nothing to do with the Dragon series she just finished up or I'm SERIOUSLY behind).  I loved the Farseer trilogy and the first book in the Fool's trilogy as Ms. Hobb has such a rich world and the characters are wonderfully flawed and believable.

Release Date: August 12

Visions by Kelley Armstrong also comes out and is another one where I'm behind in the series but in my defense, I wasn't sure I was going to start this series before my Book Pusher/Dealer at the local bookstore said the first one was wonderful and I would like it.  I'm hoping to have the first one read before this one comes out to see if the series is one I'm going to like.  It looks interesting enough and I've loved her other works that I've read so here's hoping.

Release Date: August 19

September starts with three great new releases and I'm going to have a hard time to figure out which to read first.  My guess is it will be The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire as it's been almost a year since I last got a Toby fix and I'm jonesing.  Not much in the way of details has been hinted at about this one except that Toby is going to have to learn the truth of her own past and considering what has been hinted at about that, oh boy!

Release Date: September 2

Next I'll curl up with Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs.  I just got a Mercy and Adam fix so I can hold off briefly but this short story collection looks to be wonderful and I hope that we get to learn more about other characters as well...so long as I still get some Mercy and Adam (let's not get crazy and cut them out completely).

Release Date: September 2

Then I have to hope I can find the time for Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer as the Southern Reach trilogy is closed out.  Since I have just barely gotten the 2nd book in the trilogy and haven't had a chance to read it yet (darn end of school stuff getting in the way of my reading time!) I don't even know what to hope for with this one.  The Amazon write-up talks about a new expedition into Area X and the threat to the world being greater than they imagined so it sounds just dreamy.

Release Date: September 2

And as if those weren't enough, it's recently been revealed that the last of Kim Harrison's the Hollow's series will be coming out in September as well instead of torturing us all and making us wait until next year.  The Witch With No Name will finally see Rachel getting her happily ever after but we all know that it can't be simple with Rachel and really, what will that even end up meaning for her?  Settling down to play Suzie Homemaker doesn't seem quite her style.

Release Date: September 9

I get a few weeks off to try and catch-up with all those new releases before the release of Priestess Dreaming by Yasmine Galenorn comes out and I get my dose Camille and her sisters.  The war has been heating up big time and it looks like Aveal is sending Camille on a mission to wake up Merlin with Morgaine as a traveling companion.  Camille's not so sure if that is a good idea and I'm with her on that one since they have not exactly been buddies to this point.

Release Date: September 30

So you can easily see why the 2nd quarter round-up didn't happen since there were only a few books in May but good golly there is a lot of reading to be done in the 3rd quarter (and 4th too since I just looked at how that is shaping up) so I need to get cracking on catching up with some of these series in June when it's quiet and school is out if I'm to have any hope because I know me and I'll want to be reading every book on this list as soon as I get my hands on it!

104:65 Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong

The 12th book in the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong.  At the end of the last book, Savannah Levine had just come off of her first case by herself and thought to herself that she would give up all her powers if it would mean that a little girl's grandmother and entire world wouldn't go to jail.  Apparently something took her up on that because now Savannah, daughter of a powerful witch and sorcerer, can't even cast a light spell.  As someone used to using her magic for everything, suddenly being powerless is taking quite a bit of getting used to.
Unfortunately, no powers doesn't mean that there aren't several groups vying for her attention or at least her presence.  A war looks to be coming to the supernatural world and Savannah appears to have a big role to play, with or without her powers.

I liked this one but it's not my favorite of the series.  Savannah just doesn't grip me as much as a character and there is very little of any of the other characters as anything more than plot devices again.  With the lack of her powers and other supernaturals in the book and all her pining for Adam, it really felt more like a YA teen angst drama than a proper Otherworld book.  I know things are leading up to the grand finale of the series with the next book and that these final three are supposed to be all about Savannah but she just doesn't do it for me and I really hope that we see a bit more of the other characters in the last book.

Page count: 325p/19,617p ytd