On the Lookout

Been book browsing today, seeing what new releases might take up residence on my shelf this year, and it looks like I'm going to need to add a wing to my house.

The amount of series, trilogies, sagas, etc... is overwhelming. And of course when you buy the first, you have to buy the rest, so one story can take up half the shelf. It's truly a predicament, given the fact that most of the books on my TBR list are, nine out of ten, part of a series. It gets exhausting, sometimes, keeping up with all the sequels...

*sigh*

The first-world problems of a bibliophile.

But I digress... sorta...

The whole point of this post was to mention one book that caught my eye in particular, a book I'll be on the lookout for, ticking off the days on my calendar... It's a standalone, which I've been tending to lean towards in my book buying habits lately...

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac - as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly's wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark, from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman. 

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. 

His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

That synopsis leaves a lot to the imagination, seriously amping up the mystery behind that beautiful cover. Plus, Neil Gaiman is famed for his fantastical mind, and I can't wait to see what he's come up with this time.

The Ocean at the end of the Lane is set to be released on June 18th, and for you lucky ducks who live near one of his stops, Gaiman is going on tour with this book this summer. (Check out the schedule here.) 

As for me who lives in rural Maine, most authors I follow tend to steer clear. At least I'll always have Stephen King as my neighbor. (Be jealous.)

Happy Reading Everyone :)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we spotlight upcoming new releases that are making us overly anxious to get our bibliophilic little hands on.

This week's anticipation:

Sookie Stackhouse has one last adventure in store.

Life has taken her from a waitress in Merlotte’s Bar, Bon Temps, to part owner; from social outcast to the heart of her community; from a vampire’s girlfriend to the wife of one of the most powerful vampires in the state. She has survived earthquakes, revolutions and attempts on her life. Sookie has endured betrayal, heartbreak and grief . . . and she has emerged a little stronger, and little wiser, every time.

But with life comes new trials . . .

The question is, in the end: who will love, who will live, and who will be dead ever after?

Sookie finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene
when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have
Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut.
He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence.
And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.
Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for
the crime.
But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating
the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a
convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what
passes for love is never enough...

Release Date: May 7th

The last Sookie Stackhouse novel.. She's had a long run, and most would say she's outlived her story, but as an avid fan, I'm a little sad to see her reach her end. It will be a bittersweet day when I turn that last page.... *sigh*

Pre-Order!!!

What are you waiting for?

Happy Reading Everyone :)

Spotlight: Icons by Margaret Stohl

 Everybody who involves themselves in the book world knows of  Margaret Stohl. If you haven't, then you've certainly heard of Beautiful  Creatures, a story written with Kami Garcia. It just made an appearance  in the film world so, even if you haven't read the book, you've probably  seen news of the movie.

I fell in love with The Caster Chronicles. Ethan and Lena's story is dark, southern gothic, and it's gorgeously written.

So I was pretty excited to discover that Margaret Stohl will be coming out with a "solo" novel, Icons. I'm uber curious to see what she brings to the table by herself. I'm going to try not to compare her work to the books she wrote with Kami Garcia; I'm just intrigued to discover how the writing style and method of story telling changes without the other half of the dynamic duo.

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

Icons sounds incredible, doesn't it? Very dystopian and one of my favorite focuses: the strength and value of human emotions. Can't wait to get my hands on Margaret Stohl's new novel! It won't be released until May 7th, but you can preorder this little beauty any time you want. 

Happy Reading Everyone :)