Waiting On Wednesday (4)

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
Goodreads | Amazon

The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own

Shadow of the Night by Deborah Harkness
Goodreads | Amazon

Shortly after Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont timewalk to London, 1590, they discover that the past may not provide a safe haven after all. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy Matthew Roydon, the vampire falls back in step with a group of radicals known as the School of Night who share dangerous ideas about God, science, and man. Many of his friends are unruly daemonsn - the creative minds of the age who walk the fine line between genius and madness - including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Matthew, himself, is expected to continue to spy for Queen Elizabeth, which puts him in close contact with London's cutthroat underworld. 
Together, Matthew and Diana scour the bookstalls and alchemical laboratories of London where they follow the elusive trail of Ashmole 782 - and search for the witch who will teach Diana to control her powers.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

This week I'm including two books I've been dying to get my hands on since I started the first books in their series. I'm sure there are many others waiting for their release as desperately as I am!

Perception
Kim Harrington

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you? 
Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past. 
Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her. 
But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back? 
One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Fever 
Lauren DeStefano

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.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

I've been keeping an eye on (FB stalking) Juliet Marillier, and am getting all excited about her two releases this year. Mostly, I'm excited for her new young adult/adult crossover, but her next Sevenwaters instalment should be out in November. I look forward to next Christmas just because of the books I want it to bring.

Shadowfell 
Juliet Marillier
September 11, 2012

 Until recent times, a wary tolerance has existed between the human residents of Alban and the uncanny Good Folk. Then Keldec ascends the throne, and the kingdom becomes a place of fear where magic is shunned, neighbour turns on neighbour and no secret is safe. When fifteen-year-old Nevyn suffers an unthinkable betrayal of trust, she finds herself all alone in a world turned hostile. The secret she guards so closely could be her doom. It could also be the key to Alban's future. 
Shadowfell is a story of tyranny and rebellion; of magic and of human courage

Cover art has not yet been released. I'll be posting it when it has been put up.

Thief of Shadows
Elizabeth Hoyt
July 1, 2012

A masked man... Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles—protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide. 
A dangerous woman... Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society— flirtation, double entendres, and scandalous liaisons—Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar—and his lips so tempting. 
A passion neither could deny... During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed...But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything—the Home, Isabel...and his life.

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
Publish date: March 6th

 Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit. As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?  Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie MontPublish date: March 27th 

Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre… 

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own…

Moving into 2012

I succeeded in reading 200 books this year; in fact, I'm close to 250 with a few days to go. Unfortunately, due to responsibilities at home, at uni and at work I didn't manage to review even a quarter of them. I think I gave up around the 50ish mark. In fact, I haven't published much since March.
Pathetic, I know. I'm definitely going to keep the blog going next year. It has been a real asset and helped me get a 6 month internship with a Melbourne based Women's magazine. So, in order to keep my writing skills up to date, I will be creating a review schedule. My NYE resolution will not be to read a certain number of books (and kill it) but to post regularly and with more variety. 2012 will start on a Sunday and so will my posting schedule. 
Sunday: Weekly ReviewMonday: In My MailboxTuesday: Top Ten TuesdayWednesday: Waiting on WednesdayThursday: RestFriday: From Page to ScreenSaturday: Rest
I'll hopefully be posting some early reviews of ARC's and participating in blog tours, but I need to work on my blog first. It will be undergoing some renovations in the next few weeks as I get my brother to do some design work.
Something else I'll be introducing will be monthly genres. Each month will have a theme and the reviews will reflect that theme. I might post a few extra reviews, but it means I won't be as overloaded trying to catch up. I only have four reviews to stick to a month. Here's the monthly schedule:
This year Raiding Bookshelves will have a new format. At least four reviews a month, published every sunday. Each month will have it's own genre.I will also be publishing extra reviews on soon to be released ARCS.
January - Debut AuthorsFebruary - Romance and Bodice RippersMarch - Dystopian April - Young Adult and General FictionMay - FantasyJune - Jane Austen and RegencyJuly - AdventureAugust - Action and ThrillerSeptember - Science FictionOctober - Non-fiction and biographicalNovember - Fables, fairy tales and mytholoyDecember - Picture books and Children's literature
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and enjoy your New Years Eve.