Books I'm Squeeing About in February

We're already one down, eleven to go, which is terrifying, but I'm choosing to focus on the exciting books coming out this month instead. And oh boy what an incredibly busy month it is for new releases.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
February 1st 2019
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Severin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Severin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Severin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much. Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

I adore Roshani's writing, and everything about this blurb has me excited. Historical, set in Paris, and with a thrilling cast of characters - I cannot wait to read this one.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
February 5th 2019

Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But when her first song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Bri finds herself at the centre of controversy and portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. And with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it – she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.

Latest novel from Angie Thomas. 'Nuff said really. Can't wait.

Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers
February 21st 2019

When Sybella accompanies the Duchess of Brittany to France, she expects trouble, but she isn’t expecting a deadly trap. Surrounded by enemies both known and unknown, Sybella searches for the undercover assassins from the convent of St. Mortain who were placed in the French court years ago.
Genevieve has been undercover for so many years, she no longer knows who she is or what she’s supposed to be fighting for. When she discovers a hidden prisoner who may be of importance, she takes matters into her own hands.
As these two worlds collide, the fate of the Duchess, Brittany, and everything Sybella and Genevieve have come to love hangs in the balance.

I'll admit, I didn't enjoy the final book in the His Fair Assassin series. But the previous books were brilliant enough that I'm still pretty excited for the latest offering in this universe.

Enchantée by Gita Trelease
February 21st 2019

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries – and magicians...When smallpox kills her parents, seventeen-year-old Camille is left to provide for her frail sister and her volatile brother. In desperation, she survives by using the petty magic she learnt from her mother. But when her brother disappears Camille decides to pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.Using dark magic Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine‘ and presents herself at the court of Versaille, where she soon finds herself swept up in a dizzying life of riches, finery and suitors. But Camille’s resentment of the rich is at odds with the allure of their glamour and excess, and she soon discovers that she’s not the only one leading a double life.

I have been so excited about this book for months and I cannot wait to read it. This month seems to be an excellent one for historical, magical books set in Paris. It's basically heaven.

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye
February 21st 2019

Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied around his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.
As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging in the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark.
So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group. Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.
Love, spies, and adventure abound as Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

I need to get on and read the Evelyn Skye books already sat on my bookshelves, because I have heard nothing but good things about them, and everything about them makes me super excited. Must make time soon!

It's Getting Scot In Here by Suzanne Enoch
February 26th 2019

HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER
London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody's fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal--and won't try to tame her wild heart...

IN THE HIGHLANDS
Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall's eldest brother just isn't interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER.
Instead it's Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won't make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn't like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out...

I mean, it's February so of course there was going to be a romance on here... Plus the titles for Suzanne's books are becoming increasingly ridiculous and brilliant, and nothing make me snigger more than an entertainingly silly romance novel title. Gimme.

A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
February 28th 2019

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker's brother calls in a favour. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly's house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancee - much to Stoker's chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly's wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband's mind. As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund…

It's always a good month when a new book from Deanna Raybourn is released. Sure I miss the Lady Julia Grey series, but I do adore some more time with Veronica, so rounding my month off with another instalment of her adventures sounds pretty darn perfect.

There you have the books that I can't wait to get my hands on this month - tell me some of yours!

Books I'm Squeeing About in February

I don't quite know how February crept up on me like that. I swear it was just Christmas and I blinked.
Luckily to help ease the stress and shock of hitting the second month of 2016 without even really realizing, there are a whole bunch of exciting books that are hitting our shelves this month that I cannot wait to get into.

4th - Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 
Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

The buzz surrounding this book has been incredible (congratulations publicists on a truly brilliant campaign and build up) and I cannot wait to get my hands on this one. It sounds brilliant, the early reviews confirm this, and it's been one I've been desperate to read ow for months.

9th - Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.
Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.
Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England? 
From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

I'm loving the sudden appearance of covers with boats in bottles on the front, pretty and eye catching. A Blackbeard retelling? Yes please, sign me up. The cover caught my eye, the title had me intrigued, but the blurb has truly sold me. Another one that I've been desperate to read for months now.

11th - Glass Sword by Victoria AveyardMare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 
The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.
Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 
But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 
Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

I'm going to be honest with you, the first book in this series really didn't do it for me. Yeah I enjoyed it, yeah I stormed through it in one sitting, but it didn't grab me. The ideas were great but it never felt like they were fully developed.
But it was enough to intrigue me and to make me want to find out what happens in the next book. Here's hoping book two enthralls me in a way that book one failed to do.

23rd - A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. SchwabFour months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.
In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

Confession time, I have yet to read the first book in this series... But I've heard such good things about it, I cannot wait to get stuck in. In a way I'm quite glad I've waited until now, because it means I can storm straight through both the first book and the second in one glorious reading binge...

25th - Night Study by Maria V. SnyderEver since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear. 
Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

Admittedly I wasn't as thrilled with 'Shadow Study' as I was with the original Study trilogy, but it was still wonderful to return to the world and characters I fell in love with and see what they were up to. 'Shadow Study' felt a little slow to get going, but with so much set up in that book I'm hoping that this one will really fly and I'll fall in love all over again.

There you have the five books that I cannot wait to get my hands on and start reading this month. Are there any here that you can't wait to pick up? Any new ones that have you intrigued? Or any that you think I've missed? Let me know in the comments below!

Books I'm Squeeing About in February

Happy (very belated) New Year Guys!

Due to personal circumstances out of my control I ended up taking an impromptu hiatus (as you could probably tell from the lack of updates.)
However now I am back! With a new year and lots of new books, so we'll be back to regular scheduling again.

In the mean time there is a truly massive pile of awesome books coming out this month which I cannot wait to get my hands on...

5th - Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners-and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's young ladies learn to finish . . . everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage - in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

There are some authors who I love so much I don't even look at the blurb or anything when I see they have a new book coming, I just pre-order it then and there because I know it's going to be awesome.

And Gail Carriger is one of those authors! This is the start of her new 'Finishing School' series and it's going to be awesome. That blurb! That title! That cover! Be still my heart!

5th - City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

The girl with no past, and no future, may be the only one who can save their lives. Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the remote estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Ever since Miriam first announced on twitter that her book was being published I have been desperate to get me hands on it. It just sounds so awesome and I am in awe, and this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Now I just have to make my patience last until I can read it!

7th - Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the Fifth were born to lead very different lives - her family are criminal masterminds, while he comes from an apparently perfect dynasty. But both families know how to stay under the radar while getting - or stealing - whatever they want.
When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion-dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she is tipped off about an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. Instead of being the heir, this time Hale might be the mark.
Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first she has to decide. Is she willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy?

I adore the Heist Society series, and so with this third book so tantalisingly in reach now I am going out of my mind to see where Hale and Kat end up next.

If you haven't discovered this series yet, start with the first book 'Heist Society' - they are a fantastically witty, fast paced and brilliantly written series.

12th -Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly - and she must be very careful who she trusts...

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school - the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances - she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead - and the burning forces about to be unleashed...

Oh this book is creepy! It's fantastic but there is this horrible sense of terror and dread that permeates the entire book and leaves you terrified!
It's got a fantastic premise, a beautiful cover and really good writing all in its favour, and a healthy dose of fear just to tip it into the truly brilliant.
Review to come soon.

28th - Darcy Burdock by Laura Dockrill
Ten-year-old Darcy Burdock is one of life's noticers. Curious, smart-as-a-whip, funny and fiercely loyal, she sees the extraordinary in the everyday and the wonder in the world around her.

In this first book, we are introduced to her family: Mum, who Darcy loves as much as her favourite fried egg and chips, Dad, who is kind and fair if a bit hopeless, and little siblings Hector and Poppy, who Darcy likes dressing up in ridiculous outfits and having dance-offs with, respectively. Plus there's her non-bleating pet lamb, Lamb-Beth and best friend, Will, to have adventures with.

Darcy learns that turning into an angrosaurus-rex and causing chaos just gets her in trouble, trying to run away from home with a reluctant lamb in tow leads to sore kneebows, it's best not to throw a massive strop just before your surprise birthday party, Hallowe'en is all about spider costumes and having a pumpkin with a wonky eye, and if she's ever in a situation at home or at school where she's not sure what to do, she should write a story around it and the truth will be illuminated by her imagination.

This book is a much lower age range than the ones usually reviewed on here, however it is too damn awesome to not be read.

Laura has created a fantastic heroine in Darcy - she's smart, sassy, incredibly funny and very believable. The book is absolutely brilliant (complete with illustrations!) and I cannot recommend it enough!

Review to come soon!

So those are my excitements for this month - it's stuffed full of awesome! But what books are you looking forward to most?

Books I'm Squeeing About in February

January has been an amazing month to start off the year, with some fabulous books kicking off my 2012 reading challenge. And I cannot tell you how excited I am about the books coming out this month. We've got new authors who are fast becoming firm favourites, old favourites with new books, and a few wild cards that look so awesome that I'm desperate to get my mitts on them.
So without further ado, here are my books I'm squeeing about in February!

2^nd - Daylight Saving by Ed Hogan

This is a brilliant thriller ghost story by a new name in teenage fiction. When Daniel Lever is dragged to Leisure World Holiday Complex for some "time away" with his depressed dad, his expectations are low. Daniel is overweight, he hates sport, and his father has brought along his beloved tomato plant. But soon Daniel spots a girl swimming in the fake lake. Lexi is elegant and smart, but very mysterious. Why are her bruises getting worse each time she and Daniel meet? And is her watch really ticking backwards? A dark figure stalks the pair, and as British summer time approaches, Daniel has to act quickly. Their souls depend on it.

This is Ed’s first young adult novel, and boy is it awesome. A fantastic thriller with plenty of humour, fabulous characters and relationships explored and a thrilling mystery to solve before they run out of time. It ticked all of my boxes and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Ed. To celebrate the release of ‘Daylight Saving’ there will be an interview with the man himself on here on the 2^nd.

You can read my spoiler free review here.

7^{th -} Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. 
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. 
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answer.

And here we have another example of why covers are fabulous and I am a terrible child for judging them. I saw the cover and decided this book was going to be awesome, and everything I’ve read about it since has further convinced me of this.

14^th – Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

I’ve been desperate for this book since late last year, and finally finally  it is almost here. A re-telling of Robin Hood but with Scarlet as a girl? It sounds epic. And the wonderful Angie over at Angieville had nothing but wonderful things to say about it, which was enough to get me to pre-order it then and there.

16^th – Wonder by R J Palacio

Wonder is the funny, sweet and incredibly moving story of Auggie Pullman. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, this shy, bright ten-year-old has been home-schooled by his parents for his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the stares and cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, Auggie is being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. The thing is, Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?
Through the voices of Auggie, his big sister Via, and his new friends Jack and Summer, Wonder follows Auggie's journey through his first year at Beecher Prep. Frank, powerful, warm and often heart-breaking, WONDER is a book you'll read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

I’ve just started reading this book and it is gorgeous. Heart breaking, utterly beautiful and ultimately uplifting, I have heard nothing but good things about this book and I cannot wait to finish it.

16^th – Fever by Lauren deStefano (UK release)
(US Release 21st February)

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. 
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

Last year Lauren’s debut novel ‘Wither’ hit the shelves, and it was an incredible first novel in a trilogy that looks set to be a truly incredible one. With the second book within touching distance I’m getting far too over excited to slip back into the Chemical Garden’s universe and find out what happens to Rhine next.

You can read my review of ‘Wither’ here.

28^th – Timeless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.
Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?

This is where my head practically explodes from excitement. Gail Carriger’s ‘Parasol Protectorate’ series has been one of my all-time favourites. A delicious steampunk romp with parasols, werewolves, vampires, hats and tea! A fantastic blend of wit, drama, and incredible characters I cannot tell you enough how awesome they are. And now the final book of the series ’Timeless’ is nearly in my hands, and I am going to probably cry and squee and giggle as I find out what will happen to our intrepid heroine and her wolfy husband.

You can read my review of ‘Heartless’ here.
You can read an interview with the fabulous Ms Carriger here.

Books I'm squeeing about in February

So January has been a dark month. Less of the snow, more of the rain. So I’ve spent most of it hiding under my duvet reading – a habit I fully intend to continue through into February. So what’s got me excited for the month ahead? On my list of 2011 books, most of them are coming out in the June/July time, but luckily there are some choosing to offer me some light relief ahead of schedule.

Delerium by Lauren Oliver
Released: 3^rd February 2011
Seriously the amount of love this book has gotten already is insane – there are good reviews left, right and centre and even a love letter over at The Crooked Shelf. http://tiny.cc/qu0re
And from the sneaky peak of the first few pages, the love looks like it’s well deserved. I cannot wait for this one to drop through my letterbox.

Go forth and pre-order! http://tiny.cc/sffva

The Queen’s Lady by Eve Edwards
Released: 3^rd February 2011
There is sometimes method in my madness when I buy books and leave them for a little while before reading them. This tends to only happen if it’s the first in a series, and I want to try and reduce the waiting gap between the first and the second. I recently read and reviewed The Other Countess, the first book in the series, and boy did I love it. http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-other-countess-by-eve-edwards.html
It was funny, moving, the characters were incredibly well written, lifelike and flawed, and the amount of research that most have gone into it quite literally blew my mind. And you know what the best part is? This second book is about my favourite character Lady Jane. I want her happy ending dammit!

Go forth and pre-order! http://tiny.cc/92gun

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Released: 22^nd February 2011
This is my whim book of the month. E.g. I wandered around Amazon getting side tracked by pretty covers and seeing what they recommended I read next based on books I loved. So I know very little about this book, other than the cover is intriguing and it’s about a dead person who’s not really dead, well she is but she’s trapped, but I don’t think she’s a ghost. I’m not sure. She could be. Anyway, I’m intrigued enough to want to find out. In case you haven’t been persuaded by my awesome selling tactic the full blurb can be found here – http://www.leahclifford.com/

And you can then go ahead and pre-order it here! http://tiny.cc/rmsre

So those are my three books for February – but don’t be fooled, I’m sure Amazon will find plenty else to tempt me with that I just haven’t spotted yet.

March is shaping up to be a pretty hot month as well. Entwined by Heather Dixon, The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell, Darkest mercy by Melissa Marr, and The Return: Midnight by L. J. Smith. I literally cannot contain my excitement. I may combust before we even get there.