Guest Post: Reading Recommendations by Carissa from Preternatural Primer

Today, I have Carissa From Preternatural Primer Guest Posting! Thank you so much!





If you're an avid reader like me, you probably spend a fair amount of time skulking around the net, looking for your next literary fix. Maybe you have a new found love of reading, or maybe you were crazy enough to join one of those reading bucket list challenges running rampant all over the blogosphere (me)---and you need serious help filling those requirements. Or maybe, you just got a brand spanking new E-Reader for Christmas (also me), and with thousands of titles available at the mere push of a button, you're feeling just a tad bit overwhelmed. Worry not, fair reader, I've already done the research, and I'm here to fill your head with enough reading recommendations to start the new year with zeal (and finish a challenge or two). Since our kind hostess, Brandi, is an avid YA reader, please keep in mind that all titles on this list are in keeping with that. For easier reading, I've gone a step further and broken each entry down into categories based on the more popular "types" of books being published today. This list is by no means representative of the plethora of genres and sub-genres out there (thank god, or we'd be here all night). So, without any further ado...

What's your Fiction Fancy?

Romantic Reveler? A good romance always appeals to the sentimentalist in all of us. Die hard Sarah Dessen (The Truth About Forever) fans should keep their eyes peeled for the upcoming YA novel, Between Here and Forever from author Elizabeth 

Scott.

 Between Here and Forever tells the story of Abby, a young woman doomed (at least she thinks so) to forever live in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Tess. When Tess is critically injured in an accident and ends up in a coma, Abby quickly formulates a plan to revive her sister. With the help of Eli, a handsome young man who seems to be harboring a few secrets of his own, Abby is about to find out that things aren't always what they seem, and that sometimes life can surprise you...

Feeling amorous? Between Here and Forever will be released on May 24, 2011. 

While you wait, be sure to check out Elizabeth Scott's other great novels on her website. 

Angel Addict?

Can't get enough of books like Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick? If the heavenly host is what appeals the most, then keep your eyes open for Angelfire, the debut novel from Courtney Allison Moulton.

Poor Ellie has been suffering from horrific nightmares that just seem too vivid not to be real. When an enigmatic young man named Will enters her life, and tells her that she's the reincarnation of an ancient warrior destined to fight a group of fearsome creatures called reapers, Ellie suddenly finds herself stuck in the middle of an age-old war between the archangels and the fallen...

Sound divine?

  

Angelfire hits the shelves on February 15, 2011.

In the meantime, check out Courtney Allison Moulton's website, here .

Demon Devotee?

If you're a fan of books like the Demon's Lexicon by Sara Rees Brennan, then look out for The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver on February 1, 2011.

It's the year 2018, and the earth isn't exactly the land of milk and honey anymore. Economic decline has turned the place into a bit of a dump, and to make matters worse, Lucifer has released a flood of demons upon the earth who are hell bent on turning it into their own little playground. Lucky for us, the Demon Trapper's Guild is out there, doing their part to keep humanity safe. All Riley Blackthorne has ever wanted to do is become a professional Trapper like her father. But when he's suddenly killed, and Lucifer's minions start gunning for her, it looks like she might not survive long enough to become a Master Trapper...

   

Can't wait for February?

Check out Retro Demonology, (for the Kindle and Nook) a bonus short story that also contains the first two chapters of The Demon Trapper's Daughter.

You can also visit the Demon Trappers website, here. Mad for Mysteries?

A little curiosity never hurts, does it? If secrets are your style, and you can't get enough of authors like Sara Shepard (The Lying Game) or Laurie Faria Stolarz (The Touch Series) then be sure to check out the new novel from New York Times Bestselling author, Lisa McMann: Cryer's Cross. Here's a tantalizing teaser from the author's website:

"The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain. When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions..."

  Intrigued? 

Cryer's Cross hits book stores on February 8, 2011.  Wild about Witches?

If you're fond of the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, (Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness)  keep a weather eye out for White Cat, the first book in the Curse Workers Series from New York Times Bestselling author, Holly Black.

Cassel Sharpe comes from an infamous clan of Curse Workers, and everyone in his family has magical talent---except for him. Which totally sucks, but at least he's able to pass as normal at his new school, Wallingford Prep. Everything's going great until Cassel starts having disturbing dreams about the best friend he killed years ago...

Charmed?

White Cat is available now. Book Two, Red Glove, hits the shelves on April 5, 2011.

Learn more about the Curse Workers here. Vehement for Vampires? Now that Vampire Academy is over, are you looking for another series you can sink your teeth into? Maybe the New York Times Bestselling Thirst Series by Christopher Pike will tide you over. Here's a quick peek  at Thirst Vol. 1, from the publishers:

"Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive..." Volumes One and Two of Thirst were originally published back in the nineties as The Last Vampire Series. A fan favorite, The Last Vampire was finally re-released in 2009 (as Thirst) to a new audience. Now, nearly 15 years after her first appearance, Christopher Pike has finally brought Sita back in an all new adventure in Thirst Vol. 3: The Eternal Dawn---available now! Thirst Vol. 4 will be released this Summer. Delirious for Dystopia?

If novels like The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and The Maze Runner (James Dashner)  left you with a new found interest in extraordinary protags struggling for survival in a society that's gone terribly wrong, then watch out for Divergent by Veronica Roth. Roth's debut novel has been described by the publishers as "The Hunger Games meets The Matrix" .

Here's a peek from Amazon:

"In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself..."

Divergent will be available on May 3, 2011.

Browse Veronica Roth's website here. Faerie Fanatic?

Are eldritch creatures what fascinates you? For fans of books like The Replacement (Brenna Yovanoff), or the Iron Fey Series, (Julia Kagawa) be sure to look out for The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney.

Nearly killed in the same Fey attack that killed her father, Donna Underwood's injuries could only be healed by Alchemy. As a result, her hands and arms are littered with Iron Tattoos. Labeled as a freak by all who know her except her best friend Navin, Donna is content to stay out of the spotlight. But when Navin is kidnapped by a nasty group of wood elves, she finds herself thrust into the middle of a war between the Alchemists and the Fey... The Iron Witch hits book stores on January 25, 2011. Visit Karen Mahoney's website here. Lycanthrope Lover? Admirers of books like Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater) and Blood and Chocolate (Annette Curtis Klause) should check out the New York Times Bestseller, Nightshade by Andrea Kremer.

 Nightshade tells the story of Calla Tor, a werewolf, destined to become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian Wolves. Calla's fate has never been a problem until she saves the life of a human boy, causing her to violate the laws her people live by. This one act throw's Calla's entire world into upheavel, and she must decide if one human boy is worth losing everything...

Read Shadow Days, the prequel to Nightshade, for free here.

Grab your copy of Nightshade now, and look for the sequel, Wolfsbane, coming in July 2011.

Hot for History? Do authors like Libba Bray ( A Great and Terrible Beauty) and Anna Godbersen (The Luxe Series) dominate your book shelf? If you have a penchant for the past, and prefer your fiction with a historical flare, then watch out for Timeless, the debut novel from Alexandra Monir. Here's the short-and-sweet from the Monir's website:

"When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance..."

Feeling swept away? Timeless will be released on Jan 11, 2011. And just a fun little FYI: Alexandra Monir has also composed two songs as a companion to the book. Both songs will be released as a digital downloads the same day as Timeless. Zealous for Zombies? If books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Carrie Ryan) didn't quite quell your hunger for human flesh, then perhaps the perhaps, The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell will be more satisfying. Here's a quick peek from Barnes and Noble:

"Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free..."

Hungry for more?

Visit the author's website here. Fervent For Fantasy?

If books like Paranormalcy (Kiersten White) or The Mortal Instruments Series (Cassandra Clare) are what flips your switch, then wait till you meet Billi SanGreal of Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda.

The Templar Knights sure aren't what they used to be. As the daughter of their leader, Billi SanGreal knows this better than anyone. She's spent all her life training as a soldier for the order instead of being able to enjoy the life of a normal 15 year old girl. Having to constantly fight Ghuls, Werewolves, and Fallen Angels on the streets of London isn't exactly the stuff of dreams, but things start looking up after Billi meets a mysterious young man named Michael who connects with her in a way she never thought possible. When her old friend Kay returns to the order, looking a lot better than when he left, things start to get a little... complicated. Billi's love life quickly becomes the least of her worries when an ancient enemy of the order suddenly returns to wreak havoc on the city...

Devil's Kiss is in stores now. Book Two, Dark Goddess is slated for release on January 25, 2011. See the author talk about Billi's adventures here. Hooked on Horror? If spine tingling chillers like Michael Grant's Gone Series are what keeps you up at night, then prepare yourself for The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. Winner of the 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, The Monstrumologist tells the story of young orphan Will Henry, who finds himself in an apprenticeship to a doctor with a very...unique specialty.

From goodreads.com:

 "In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet..."

Ready to begin your instruction?

The Monstrumologist, and it's sequel, Curse of the Wendigo, are available now. To learn more, visit Rick Yancey's website here.

I hope that everyone has found a little something-something to satisfy their fiction predilections today (and hopefully, win a challenge or two). A big thanks to Brandi, for hosting me, and to everyone out there for reading!

In honor of my very first guest post here on the lovely Brandi's blog, I have decided to throw my very first GIVEAWAY! I will be giving away THREE of the books featured on this list. Which ones can you win? Visit me here, to find out.

Carissa is the creative mastermind that writes for Preternatural Primer, a book review blog that specializes in all things paranormal. To make sure you never miss a post, subscribe here or here.