Below are the YA books releasing this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

These are books for the week of June 11th-June 17th that I have pre-ordered.

ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by Kate Karyus Quinn will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 432 pages.

I am so excited for the release of ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE on Tuesday. I’ve had it pre-ordered ever since I stumbled upon it a few months ago and I cannot believe that release day is finally almost here.

I did get an eARC for review but was having a bit of an issue with the formatting, so I decided to wait to finish it when my Kindle edition downloads. But it hasn’t been easy… the wait has been killer.

This book is so completely different from any of those I’ve read in recent years. The author’s voice and the way the story presents itself is quite unique. And the story is most definitely “haunting,” as the description so aptly calls it.

While I haven’t yet finished reading it, I have read enough to know that this is my kind of book. And I cannot wait to see how it all ends next week, just as soon as Novella Reading Week ends.

DANCE OF THE RED DEATH by Bethany Griffin will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Greenwillow Books, the print edition is 336 pages.

DANCE OF THE RED DEATH is the second and final full-length book in author Bethany Griffin’s Masque of the Red Death series.

I cannot wait for both my eBook to download and my print copy, with its beautiful deckle edge, to arrive on Tuesday. DANCE OF THE RED DEATH was an amazing follow-up to the first book in the series. And as sad as I am that the series has ended, I am so unbelievably stoked to have had the chance to read it early.

As it was my Book Watch pick a few weeks ago, and I plan on posting my review on Tuesday, I won’t go rambling on and on about this sequel. I’m also just a little bit afraid that I might reveal too much, like why certain events broke my heart, why I was fascinated with what happened at the party, why I couldn’t decide between Will and Elliott.

I probably should stop now…. Though I just have to add that things are even more dire in DANCE OF THE RED DEATH, things do get resolved by the story’s end, and there are things in this book that made me cheer, things that made me tear up and many, many things that made me so very, very nervous.

While I won’t be re-reading it this week, I will be reading the novella, GLITTER & DOOM, and I hope to be able to read both books in this series again this summer.

RUSH by Eve Silver will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and in hardcover and eBook formats at BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, the print edition is 368 pages.

RUSH is the first book in author Eve Silver’s The Game series. The second book in the series, PUSH, is slated for release in 2014 and the third book in the series, CRASH, will be releasing in 2015.

I hadn’t heard much about RUSH until I saw the cover pop up all across the blogosphere a few months ago. The cover was awesome and the title grabbed me so I decided to pre-order it for my Kindle without having actually read the description.

And if I had realized I had an early copy thanks to Jaime of Two Chicks on Books, I would have checked it out a bit more before its release. But as release day is just about here, I’m a little too late to do that.

But now that I have taken a peek at the description, I’m totally intrigued. Is it a game? Is it reality? And just what is the “deadly turn” the description mentions? I want to know.

While I can’t check it out this week, I think I’m going to have to add it to the pile in the next few weeks, because it sounds just a bit different than the books I normally read.

SPIES AND PREJUDICE by Talia Vance will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by EgmontUSA, the print edition is 304 pages.

I love author Talia Vance’s writing. And I’m totally stoked to be able to add SPIES AND PREJUDICE to my collection this week. While I’m not exactly an Austen fan, I do think the framework of her story is interesting and I love the idea that this story gives that one a nod.

Even if I hadn’t read a book by the author before, I would have pre-ordered this book for my Kindle based on the first line in the description – “Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.” Because it tells me two things about the book – one that Fields is going to be a character I like and, two, she is going to fall for the enemy.

But the rest of the description also makes me excited to read this book. It sounds like a lot of fun with a bit of a mystery and two characters I can’t wait to meet. And I cannot wait to get this on my reading pile. Which I definitely plan to do after the challenge.

THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO by A.R. Kahler will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in Kindle serial book format only. A paperback edition will be released in August.

Published by 47North, it is currently available to pre-order online at AMAZON.

THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO is the second book in author A.R. Kahler’s The Immortal Circus series.

I am so in love with this series and I’m so glad that it was brought to my attention this past winter. I loved reading the first book in the series in serial format and I’m totally thrilled to be able to add THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO to my collection this week. Well… episode one, that is.

Though I actually got the chance to read this just a bit early. And so I got to experience this second book in its entirety, in one sitting, instead of in serial format. Which makes me happy and sad. Happy because I don’t have to wait between reads. But sad because I know exactly where each episode ends and begins and just how deliciously torturous it would have been to experience as a serial.

Even though I have read ACT TWO already, I think I am going to re-read each Episode as they release, to experience it that way again. While it won’t be quite as torturous, I think I still will be anxiously awaiting the next episode’s release. And given all the stuff that happens in the Cirque des Immortels and all that is revealed about Vivienne, I just know it will be every bit as exciting a read as it was the first time.

BORN OF ILLUSION by Teri Brown will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Balzer + Bray, the print edition is 384 pages.

BORN OF ILLUSION is the first book in author Teri Brown’s series of the same name. The second book in the series, BORN OF DECEPTION, is expected in 2014.

I am devastated that I didn’t get the chance to finish reading BORN OF ILLUSION before its release. I’d received an early copy from Jaime of Two Chicks on Books and read about one-fourth before I was forced to set it aside to read the books I needed to read for review.

But I have had it pre-ordered for my Kindle and I cannot wait until it downloads so I can read the finished version. And I think I’m going to end up purchasing the print edition which has a deckle edge, because the cover is gorgeous. I’m just waiting to see if it has a matte or glossy finish first.

I love the time period the story is set in – the 1920s. I love that it’s set in New York and involves illusionists and real magic. And I cannot wait to continue this story and find out just what happens with Anna Van Housen and whether she is related to the “greatest magician of all.”

If I can get it on the pile again before the end of the month I will be a very happy girl.

A MATTER OF DAYS by Amber Kizer will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2013 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Delacorte Press, the print edition is 288 pages.

When I saw that author Amber Kizer had a new book releasing last month I instantly added it to my pre-orders. I hadn’t heard of A MATTER OF DAYS until I was searching for June releases for my Book Watch post last month.

I immediately added it to buy, but didn’t actually read the description until I was creating this post. But now that I have, I think it sounds totally cool – the world sounds wonderfully dark and the journey sounds like it will be fraught with danger.

Traveling across the country in the hope of finding a survivalist compound through a world that has been decimated by the BluStar pandemic sounds like it will be incredibly exciting. And with no promise that this destination will even exist makes it sound that much more of a nerve-wracking adventure.

I can’t wait to find out what happens to Nadia, Rabbit and the rest of the kids on this journey and whether their trip was in vain. And I hope to do so early next month during the holiday.

LINKED (Linked #1) by Imogen Howson

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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BURNING by Elana K. Arnold

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Press

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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THE GIRL WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE by April Henry

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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INFAMOUS (Fame Game #3) by Lauren Conrad

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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MORTAL FIRE  by Elizabeth Knox

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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THE SECRET INGREDIENT by Stewart Lewis

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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BOY NOBODY (Boy Nobody #1) by Allen Zadoff

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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PLAGUE IN THE MIRROR by Deborah Noyes

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Candlewick

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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BELLE EPOQUE by Elizabeth Ross

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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GHOST TIME by Courtney Eldridge

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Skyscape

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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CHARM & STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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FAR FAR AWAY by Tom McNeal

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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MY CHEMICAL MOUNTAIN by Corina Vacco

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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THE SIREN’S SECRET (The Shapeshifter’s Secret #2) by Heather Ostler

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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DEVIANT by Helen FitzGerald

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Soho Teen

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

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Reprint edition

THE SACRIFICE (The Enemy #4) by Charlie Higson

Pub. Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

Once again this week there are a ton of new books releasing. While I only have seven books pre-ordered, there are a few of the books of note that I’m definitely interested in taking a longer look at, including LINKED and BURNING. But for now I’m going to stick with pre-ordering just the seven.

Fortunately not all seven are being added to the pile – I did finish two of them – though both read books are ones I plan on re-reading….

But hopefully I’ll get a chance to read a few more of the new additions to my collection before the month is out – ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE, SPIES AND PREJUDICE, BORN OF ILLUSION – and the remainder I’ll get to finish next month. But, I suppose, that shall remain to be determined.

Anyway…

As this is such a long post, with all the new releases this week, I’ll stop rambling and just say that I hope you have some amazing new books getting added to your collection this week. And if I missed something in my searches, please let me know! As I never, ever, want to miss an awesome title that should be in my permanent collection.

As always, happy book acquiring and happy reading!

As always, I would love to hear what you’re hoping to add to your collection this week!

And if you have any great suggestions of “must read” books to buy that are releasing this week, please let me know!

Below are the (mostly) YA books releasing this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

These are books for the week of June 24th-June 30th that I have pre-ordered.

THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE by Leslie Connor will be released in the U.S. on June 24, 2014 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, the print edition is 368 pages.

I can’t wait for THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE to download to my Kindle on Monday Midnight. It looks like the perfect summer read – both romantic and heartbreaking. And as I’m hooked on contemporary stories at the moment, its release couldn’t have come at a better time.

I’m curious about what tragedy strikes Bettina and why it means she’ll have to tell her family the truth about her Cowboy. I’m curious about why Brady changes when school starts back up. And I’m curious about who Bettina chooses to be with and what happens if she chooses the boy her family won’t approve of.

I was drawn to this story because of its cover, but even more so the title. So I can’t wait to find out what things Bettina will have to kiss goodbye. Hopefully I’ll be able to sneak this one onto the pile this week. If not, I’ll definitely be reading it over the long Fourth of July weekend.

Description…

Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when basketball star Brady Cullen asks her out, and she just about faints when her strict father actually approves of him.

But when school starts up again, Brady changes. What happened to the sweet boy she fell in love with? Then she meets a smoldering guy in his twenties, and this “cowboy” is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina.

Bettina knows that breaking up with Brady would mean giving up her freedom—and that it would be inappropriate for anything to happen between her and Cowboy. Still, she can’t help that she longs for the scent of his auto shop whenever she’s anywhere else.

When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life.

Leslie Connor has written a lyrical, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about family, romance, and the immense power of love.

THE STEPSISTER’S TALE by Tracy Barrett will be released in the U.S. on June 24, 2014 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and in hardcover and eBook formats at BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin Teen, the print edition is 272 pages.

I got the chance to read THE STEPSISTER’S TALE a little bit early and I loved it. So I can’t wait for the finished copy to download to my Kindle this week. It was such a wonderful reimagining of the classic fairytale and I absolutely adored Jane Montjoy.

As I have read it and plan to post a review on Tuesday I won’t ramble on about it here except to say that it was a quick read at under 300 pages, I loved that the story was seen through the eldest stepsister’s eyes and that it posited that not everything from the original tale was as it seemed.

While I won’t be reading it when it lands on my Kindle this week, I plan to read it again in the future. So I just had to buy a copy for my collection.

Description…

What really happened after the clock struck midnight?

Jane Montjoy is tired of being a lady. She’s tired of pretending to live up to the standards of her mother’s noble family-especially now that the family’s wealth is gone and their stately mansion has fallen to ruin. It’s hard enough that she must tend to the animals and find a way to feed her mother and her little sister each day. Jane’s burden only gets worse after her mother returns from a trip to town with a new stepfather and stepsister in tow. Despite the family’s struggle to prepare for the long winter ahead, Jane’s stepfather remains determined to give his beautiful but spoiled child her every desire.

When her stepfather suddenly dies, leaving nothing but debts and a bereaved daughter behind, it seems to Jane that her family is destined for eternal unhappiness. But a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate…

From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in Tracy Barrett’s stunning retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.

IN THE END by Demitria Lunetta will be released in the U.S. on June 24, 2014 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 448 pages.

IN THE END is the second, and final, book in Author Demitria Lunetta’s In the After series.

I am super excited that IN THE END releases this week and that it will be added to my collection on Tuesday. While I haven’t yet read the first book in the series, I definitely plan on reading it and this sequel back to back in the next couple of weeks.

I am not going to read the description for this book, as I still haven’t met Amy and Baby. I haven’t gotten to know just how vicious “Them” are. And I haven’t visited New Hope.

But I just know I’m going to love this series the description for the first book calls “thrilling” and “unforgettable” with “horrifying twists of fate.” I have a feeling I won’t be able to put it down.

Description…

The thrilling conclusion to In the After, the survival story of Amy and Baby, set in a near future where Earth has been overrun by vicious, predatory creatures.

It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope, and she’s been surviving on her own, like she did in the After. Until one day, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Amy had hoped she would never hear: Dr. Reynolds has Baby.

Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy must make her way to Fort Black, a prison-turned-survivor-colony, where she will need to find Ken, Kay’s brother. He alone holds the key to Baby’s survival.

One small slip-up on this quest could spark a downward spiral that would not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the very survival of the people in the After.

Other Books of Note

DROWNED (Drowned #1) by Nichola Reilly

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

AWKWARDLY EVER AFTER (Smith High #4) by Marni Bates

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: K-Teen

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

It’s prom season at Smith High School and love is in the air. . .for some people.

Melanie Morris knows she shouldn’t keep flirting with her best friend’s brother, Dylan Wellesley, even though the last thing she feels is “sisterly” around the cute soon-to-be freshman. But attending prom with somebody else might mean losing him for good. . .

Isobel Peters accepts the fact that she’s a huge geek, but she never expected renowned player, Spencer King, would want to get his hands on. . .her reputation. What begins as a bargain could turn into something real–or a Notable disaster!

Corey O’Neal is dating the boy of his dreams, rockstar Timothy Goff. But it isn’t easy to trade in anonymity for instant celebrity status, especially now that swarms of protesters want them both banned from prom. Dating Prince Charming in real life is a whole lot harder than it sounds in fairytales.

Happily ever after? Try awkwardly ever after!

DEFECTOR (Variants #2) by Susanne Winnacker

Pub. Date: June 26, 2014

Publisher: Razorbill

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

Tessa has finally made peace with her life as a Variant. She and long-time love Alec are officially a couple, and for the first time, she has everything she wants.

But the air is tense at FEA headquarters. An agent has disappeared, and rogue variant organization Abel’s Army is likely the culprit.

When Tessa is summoned for her second mission, she is unexpectedly launched into a massive conspiracy. Her best friend Holly is kidnapped and Tessa knows it was meant to be her. But who is after her? And more importantly, why?

When the FEA’s efforts to rescue Holly don’t yield any results, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to save her friend and uncover the mystery behind Abel’s Army, Tessa launches her own investigation—but nothing could prepare her for what she finds. Everyone in her life is harboring secrets: Alec, her estranged mother, even the father she never knew.

The truth will take her out on the road and out of her comfort zone, with danger lurking everywhere. Summoning all of her courage and strength, Tessa must decide who can be trusted and what is worth fighting for—even if it means going against the life she thought she wanted. Her final decision will leave readers breathless.

LICENSE TO SPILL (Pretenders #2) by Lisi Harrison

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Poppy

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

Three girls, two guys, five secret journals.

The five most popular students at Noble High have secrets to hide; secrets they wrote down in their journals. Now one of their own exposes the private entries…

When our parents were growing up they were encouraged to make mistakes. That’s how they learned. But us? Our mistakes go viral. There is no delete button on the Internet. What kind of future do we have if we can’t escape our embarrassing pasts? I must come off as quite the hypocrite; complaining about our overexposed lives in a book of secret journals I have leaked. But these pages hold proof of how this pressure affects the “best” of us… so until the heat’s turned down, keep reading.

COMPLICIT by Stephanie Kuehn

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

Two years ago, sixteen-year-old Jamie Henry breathed a sigh of relief when a judge sentenced his older sister to juvenile detention for burning down their neighbor’s fancy horse barn. The whole town did. Because Crazy Cate Henry used to be a nice girl. Until she did a lot of bad things. Like drinking. And stealing. And lying. Like playing weird mind games in the woods with other children. Like making sure she always got her way. Or else.

But today Cate got out. And now she’s coming back for Jamie.

Because more than anything, Cate Henry needs her little brother to know the truth about their past. A truth she’s kept hidden for years. A truth she’s not supposed to tell.

Trust nothing and no one as you race toward the explosive conclusion of this gripping psychological thriller from the William C. Morris Award-winning author of Charm & Strange.

SUMMONED (Redemption’s Heir #1) by Anne M. Pillsworth

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Tor Teen

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

When the Elder Gods extend an invitation, be wary of the strings attached

While browsing in a rare book store in Arkham, Sean finds an occult book with an ad seeking an apprentice sorcerer, from a newspaper dated March 21, 1895. Even more intriguing, the ad specifically requests applicants reply by email.

Sean’s always been interested in magic, particularly the Lovecraftian dark mythology. Against his best friend Edna’s (“call-me-Eddy-or-else”) advice, he decides to answer the ad, figuring it’s a clever hoax, but hoping that it won’t be. The advertiser, Reverend Redemption Orne, claims to be a master of the occult born more than 300 years ago. To prove his legitimacy, Orne gives Sean instructions to summon a harmless but useful familiar—but Sean’s ceremony takes a dark turn, and he instead accidentally beckons a bloodthirsty servant to the Cthulhu Mythos god Nyarlathotep. The ritual is preemptively broken, and now Sean must find and bind the servitor, before it grows too strong to contain. But strange things are already happening in the town of Arkham….

FOLLOWERS by Anna Davies

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Point

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

To tweet or not to tweet . . . what a deadly question.

When Briana loses out on a starring role in the school’s production of Hamlet, she reluctantly agrees to be the drama department’s “social media director” and starts tweeting half-hearted updates. She barely has any followers, so when someone hacks her twitter account, Briana can’t muster the energy to stop it. After all, tweets like “Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark . . . and a body’s rotting in the theater” are obviously a joke.

But then a body IS discovered in the theater: Briana’s rival. Suddenly, what seemed like a prank turns deadly serious. To everyone’s horror, the grisly tweets continue . . . and the body count starts to rise.

There’s no other explanation; someone is live-tweeting murders on campus.

With the school in chaos and the police unable to find the culprit, it’s up to Briana to unmask the psycho-tweeter before the carnage reaches Shakespearian proportions . . . or she becomes the next victim.

THE HANGMAN’S REVOLUTION (W.A.R.P. #2) by Eoin Colfer

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

Young FBI agent Chevie Savano arrives back in modern-day London after a time-trip to the Victorian age, to find the present very different from the one she left. Europe is being run by a Facsist movement known as the Boxites, who control their territory through intimidation and terror.

Chevie’s memories come back to her in fragments, and just as she is learning about the WARP program from Professor Charles Smart, inventor of the time machine, he is killed by secret service police. Now they are after Chevie, too, but she escapes–into the past. She finds Riley, who is being pursued by futuristic soldiers, and saves him.

Working together again, it is up to Chevie and Riley to find the enigmatic Colonel Clayton Box, who is intent on escalating his power, and stop him before he can launch missiles at the capitals of Europe.

DEADWOOD by Kell Andrews

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

There’s something evil in Deadwood Park.

Martin Cruz hates his rotten new town. Then he gets a message from a tree telling him it’s cursed — and so is he. It’s not just any tree. It’s the Spirit Tree, the ancient beech the high school football team carves to commemorate the home opener. And every year they lose.

But the curse is no game, and it gets worse. Businesses fail. Trees topple like dominos. Sinkholes open up in the streets, swallowing cars and buildings. Even people begin to fade, drained of life.

Martin teams up with know-it-all soccer star Hannah Vaughan. Together they must heal the tree, or be stuck in Deadwood Park at the mercy of the psycho who cursed it.

TWISTED by Jo Gibson

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: K-Teen

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

My Bloody Valentine

It’s Valentine’s Day, and everyone at Hamilton High is excited about the big dance. Six girls are competing to be Queen of Hearts. Unfortunately, someone is taking aim at the contestants–and it’s not Cupid. Unless Cupid is a deranged killer with a sharp knife and a deadly message. Be mine. . .or else.

The Séance

There’s nothing like a killer party on Halloween–especially when it’s in a secluded lodge in the woods. But when Jennifer Larkin’s friends insist on holding a seance–in spite of the warnings of a local psychic–it’s anything but a game. For the spirits are vengeful. The partiers are prisoners. And no one gets out of here alive. . .

Slay Bells

The new Crossroads Mall is the place to shop this Christmas. So when a snowstorm traps Diana Connelly and her friends inside, they don’t even mind staying the night. Until the accidents start to happen. And Diana’s friends begin to die. One by one. Naughty or nice. ‘Tis the season. . .to be murdered.

BEHIND THE SCENES by Dahlia Adler

Pub. Date: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Find it: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Description:

High school senior Ally Duncan’s best friend may be the Vanessa Park – star of TV’s hottest new teen drama – but Ally’s not interested in following in her BFF’s Hollywood footsteps. In fact, the only thing Ally’s ever really wanted is to go to Columbia and study abroad in Paris. But when her father’s mounting medical bills threaten to stop her dream in its tracks, Ally nabs a position as Van’s on-set assistant to get the cash she needs.

Spending the extra time with Van turns out to be fun, and getting to know her sexy co-star Liam is an added bonus. But when the actors’ publicist arranges for Van and Liam to “date” for the tabloids just after he and Ally share their first kiss, Ally will have to decide exactly what role she’s capable of playing in their world of make believe. If she can’t play by Hollywood’s rules, she may lose her best friend, her dream future, and her first shot at love.

Other Releases

Previously published books now available in eBook format…

GONE by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson (first published in 2007)

DUMB LOVE by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson (first published in 2005)

HOLDUP by Terri Fields (first published in 2009)

THE GUARDIAN by Joyce Sweeney (first published in 2009)

HEADLOCK by Joyce Sweeney (first published in 2006)

HEAD CASE by Sarah Aronson (first published in 2007)

CAPTIVES by Tom Pow (first published in 2006)

WHAT ERIKA WANTS by Bruce Clements (first published in 2005)

HOW YA LIKE ME NOW by Brendan Halpin (first published in 2007)

COSMOS COYOTE AND WILLIAM THE NICE by Jim Heynen (first published in 2000)

SPACER AND RAT by Margaret Bechard (first published in 2005)

THE SPY WHO TOTALLY HAD A CRUSH ON ME (Spy Goddess #3) by Michael P. Spradlin (first published in 2011)

Thankfully it’s another quiet week for releases this week as my book budget is just a little bit tight this month due to some IRL expenses. But, I will be adding DEFECTOR to my collection as I loved the first book in that series, IMPOSTOR. So although I only have three books pre-ordered, I will be adding four books to the collection this week.

And as I have so many books already in my collection that I’m dying to catch up on, it’s nice to have a quieter week every now and then.

Of course it’s entirely possible that I missed a bunch of releases in this post. So I’ll have to wait and see what actually downloads this week. But hopefully not too many more books.

Anyway… I will definitely be reading THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE and IN THE END in the next few weeks and I will be reading DEFECTOR really soon, too. So even though it was a quiet week, there are some awesome-sounding books to dive into and I can’t wait.

As it’s such a gorgeous day out today, I’m going to try and find somewhere I can relax and read in the sun… once I finish a couple of posts I need to finish for the blog. And if it’s as amazing a day where you are, I hope you’re out doing something fun or relaxing with a fantastic book.

But whether the weather is perfect or it isn’t, I hope that your day is an awesome one and that one of the books releasing this week is a title you’ve been waiting for and that you’ll be adding to your collection this week.

As always, I would love to hear what you’re hoping to add to your collection this week!

And if you have any great suggestions of “must read” books to buy that are releasing this week, please let me know!

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Title: DELICATE MONSTERS
Author: Stephanie Kuehn
Release date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 240
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Description…

When nearly killing a classmate gets seventeen-year-old Sadie Su kicked out of her third boarding school in four years, she returns to her family’s California vineyard estate. Here, she’s meant to stay out of trouble. Here, she’s meant to do a lot of things. But it’s hard. She’s bored. And when Sadie’s bored, the only thing she likes is trouble.

Emerson Tate’s a poor boy living in a rich town, with his widowed mother and strange, haunted little brother. All he wants his senior year is to play basketball and make something happen with the girl of his dreams. That’s why Emerson’s not happy Sadie’s back. An old childhood friend, she knows his worst secrets. The things he longs to forget. The things she won’t ever let him.

Haunted is a good word for fifteen-year-old Miles Tate. Miles can see the future, after all. And he knows his vision of tragic violence at his school will come true, because his visions always do. That’s what he tells the new girl in town. The one who listens to him. The one who recognizes the darkness in his past.

But can Miles stop the violence? Or has the future already been written? Maybe tragedy is his destiny. Maybe it’s all of theirs.

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NOTE: This review is based on a finished copy of the book received from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts about the book.

The Review

DELICATE MONSTERS is disturbing, haunting and sad. The writing is both beautiful and gritty. Its characters are apathetic, despicable, cruel, sympathetic. The ending is disconcerting and unsettling and will leave readers speculating as to all three of the characters’ futures.

Sadie Su, Emerson Tate and Miles Tate aren’t likable, easy to connect with or easy to understand. And they’re not meant to be. Their motives, personalities, decisions aren’t those that are relatable. Their behaviors are atypical, harsh, extreme, troubling, upsetting. And the reasons for their actions aren’t readily attributable or justifiable.

This is not a story that will leave readers with the warm and fuzzies. There is no love story. There is no promise of a happily ever after. There is no guarantee of redemption for the characters.

This is a story that is aptly titled. These characters are monsters with pretty faces. They are amoral. They have no empathy. Their pasts, their presents, their actions are dark, sinister, perturbing. Readers are made to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. They aren’t shielded from the story’s harsh realities.

Author Stephanie Kuehn does an incredible job of bringing her characters and story to life in the most startling and unpredictable of ways. She takes three very different approaches to how she introduces her characters, how she reveals their pasts, who they were, who they are, what they’ve done and what they plan to do. And she ensures that each one of them is more than a little bit frightening, a tiny bit sympathetic, some level of awful, and yet disturbingly appealing.

DELICATE MONSTERS is not a quick and easy read. While not a long story, it packs a punch or three. It makes an impact. It is chilling. It is shocking. It’s darkly alluring. It’s a story that won’t easily be forgotten, even if, in the dead of night, you might hope to.

The Rating

About the Author

Stephanie Kuehn holds degrees in linguistics and sport psychology, and is currently working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology. Her debut young adult novel, CHARM & STRANGE, was the winner of the 2014 William C. Morris Award, and her second novel for teens, COMPLICIT, was named to YALSA’s 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Stephanie was also awarded the 2015 PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship for her forthcoming novel, THE PRAGMATIST, and her most recent book, DELICATE MONSTERS, has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Stephanie lives in Northern California with her husband, their three children, and a joyful abundance of pets.

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