Angieville

It doesn't happen very often in life, that utterly unexpected sequel that drops in your lap years after the original book came out. Most of the time, you discover series you love and blow through them at lightning speed and then are left to pick up the shattered pieces of yourself when the whole glorious thing is over. Or you stumble across gold with the very first book and are forced to not-so-patiently wait one year (or more) for each new installment. But occasionally an author hits you with one out of left field. I first read and adored A Certain Slant of Light not too long after it was published in 2006. It felt like a perfectly contained standalone novel to me at the time. And it still is. If you only read that one, you will be left content. But there are a couple of . . . I hesitate to call them side characters . . . that you certainly would not object to spending more time with, if you know what I mean (series addicts: I know you know what I mean .) So when I discovered ...

So never mind that these three pretties aren't due out until next spring . Let's focus on how awesome they are likely to be and how ecstatic I was to run across their covers. I trust all three of these authors (two of them new-to-me discoveries this year) to come through with beautiful writing and a sophisticated tale. One is a direct sequel, one a companion novel, and one a standalone. All three bode well for 2013. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers This is the second in the His Fair Assassin  trilogy and sequel to the most excellent Grave Mercy . Though I'm not quite as enamored of this cover as I was with the first one, I am no less excited for Sybella's story. And I love the tagline, "Vengeance is divine." You spend most of the first book wondering what in the world is going on with this girl, so it's going to be just very good to find out! Due out April 2nd Under the Light by Laura Whitcomb At last! A cover! My heart can only stand so much hap...

Retro Friday   is a weekly meme hosted here at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! I include roundups from participating bloggers in my post every week. Wow. It's been way too long since our last Retro Friday review! Things just kept popping up on Fridays, but now we are back to regularly scheduled programming. And the book I've chosen for you today is an absolute keeper, but one that I rarely see featured for review for some reason. It hasn't been out that long really, but it's one I feel deserves more attention. I found it back in January of 2006 while browsing the Staff Picks shelf at my local bookstore. I'm always intrigued by the staff picks at bookstores and libraries. I love seeing what other bibliophiles pick when asked to recommend one title per month or so for the mas...

...Sigh.

Best reads of the past month: A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Counselor by Charlaine Harris Princess Academy by Shannon Hale