Angieville

I went back and forth on this a bit, because Mr. Marion's kind of outrageous meltdown re: YA lit left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. But you know what? I really liked this book. And I am totally going to see the movie. What do you think? Zombies, anyone?

I know this is an almost unpardonably early review. But honestly, I waited on it as long as I possibly could before the effort of holding it in caused me some sort of bodily harm. I've been anxiously looking forward to For Darkness Shows the Stars  for going on two years now, and the day an ARC showed up on my doorstep was just a very good day indeed . When a book you've been dying to read finally falls into your lap, do you ever just hold onto it and savor the possibilities? I do. I did with this one for a little while. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I just tear into it immediately. But sometimes I don't. Because sometimes dreaming about it while you're actually holding it in your hands is special, too. So I savored and I dreamt and I started reading and . . . I was gone. My first reaction to finishing it was a sense of complete satisfaction mingled with sadness that it was over. My second was thinking that I cannot wait to see  For Darkness Shows the Stars  work ...

The good news is these are all due out in the spring. So, not really that far away at all. The bad news is one of them is only coming out in Australia. When, oh when, will the American publishers tune in to the awesome that is Kirsty Eagar ? I refer you to my review of Raw Blue . All three look interesting to me, and I'll be searching them out come springtime for sure. Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar After falling hard and fast for  Raw Blue , I am quivering with anticipation over this upcoming release. As with its predecessor, this one looks like it involves surfing and a girl finding solace in the sea. Unlike its predecessor, it also has Gothic mystery elements. Uh-huh. Where do I sign? Due out (in Australia) April 26th. The Selection by Kiera Cass Another pretty dress, I know. Apparently I am still prey to the allure of the ruffles and the endless reflections. Ah, well. You can only grow up so fast. This is a dystopian. And though it does sound a bit like Princess Academy...

It's covertastic around these parts lately! This time in a very good way. Here you have the absolutely gorgeous cover for Diana Peterfreund 's upcoming novel For Darkness Shows the Stars . My excitement for this post-apocalyptic retelling of Persuasion (yes, you have my permission to swoon from the sheer awesome) has been building for some time now, and I am thrilled to finally see the actual cover. I love it. Love the sweep of the dress, the stars, the font, her hair. Love it all. Your thoughts? For Darkness Shows the Stars   is due out June 12th.

I finished Warm Bodies about a week or so ago and it's been shuffling, zombie like, around my head ever since. As is probably evident, I've not read very many zombie novels. No special prejudice against them. I just haven't run across many that called out to me. This one did. It started with the cover. This may very well be my favorite new cover of the year. I simply love everything about it. I actually think it represents the novel decidedly well, which is so often a rare occurrence. I love the figure's stance. I love the blood twisting out behind him like a demented superhero cape. And I love the sweep and the scope of it. This is my first foray into Isaac Marion 's work and I find myself suitably impressed. It came with a slew of blurbs from authors in high places, but I accepted a review pitch based on a simple gut feeling that herein might be something different. That and the fact that The Guardian called it a "slacker-zombie novel with a heart." Ju...