My Top 5 2017 Young Adult Book Releases I’m Waiting For

February 22, 2017 byjehunter2 Comments

There are a lot of series out there, especially in the young adult reading world. I’ve started reading a lot of series in the past couple years, a lot of which aren’t even finished being written yet (or maybe they are, and the publishers just haven’t released them yet!). Hurry up, publishers! Below is a list of the top 5 Young Adult Fantasy books I’m waiting for this year. Only one of these isn’t part of a series I’ve already begun reading, but is instead a new series by an author that I love.

1.The Savage Dawn (The Girl At Midnight #3), Melissa Grey, July 11th, 2017

I’ve loves this series since I first read The Girl at Midnight. Melissa Grey’s lively characters really bring this world alive for me. Especially Jasper, lovely funny Jasper. I also love the world building and the unique mythology in this trilogy. The Savage Dawn in the last book of the series. So if you’re the kind of person who likes to read a series all in one go, you’ll be able to do that come July 2017.

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2. Throne of Glass 5.1 Chaol Novel, Sarah J. Maas, September 5th, 2017

If you’re a Throne of Glass fan, then you’ve probably already heard that book #6 has been bumped to a 2018 release date because Sarah J. Mass instead wrote a 100K novel regarding Chaol’s exploits, currently titled Throne of Glass 5.1. I’m acutally pretty pumped for this because Chaol is one of my favorite characters and he wasn’t in book 5 at all. Where did Chaol go? What is happening to Chaol? Maas has advised fans to read The Assasin’s Blade before TOG 5.1 is released, which I’m currently doing. I think I know how the novellas are going to fit into the Chaol novel. It’s going to be a good one!

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3. Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands #2), Alwyn Hamilton, March 7th, 2017

I loved Rebel of the Sands when I read it in 2017. I loved the world and the characters and the mythical beasts. I can’t wait to discover what happens next in Alwyn Hamilton’s world, and it looks like I’ll be able to do this right away with the March 7th release date.

4.Strange the Dreamer, (Strange the Dreamer #1) Laini Taylor, March 28th, 2017

I still haven’t completed Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (I’m almost done audiobook #2), and I have to say, I love these audiobooks! Daughter of Smoke and Bone actually won Best Fantasy Audiobook in 2011, which does not surprise me. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series is one of those that are classified as Young Adult, but I think that’s pretty iffy. Barely any of the characters are teens (I think most of them are like, 50-200 years old, and there is enough gore and violence to make me cringe). Anyway, Laini Taylor is such a great writer that I’m sure Strange the Dreamer will be just as fantastic as Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Also, a bonus fact, this book is scheduled to be released on my birthday! I think I might pick this one up in hardcover. Happy Birthday to me!

Waiting for those birthday cupcakes…and Strange the Dreamer!

5. The Ship Beyond Time (The Girl From Everywhere #2), Heidi Heilig, February 28th, 2017

This entry is a bit different, as I haven’t even finished reading The Girl From Everywhere. You see, what happened is that I borrowed the book from my e-library and began reading it, but got really busy, and my loan expired before I got all that far into the book. This happens with a lot of books that I borrow to try. Most of the time I forget about those books, and never borrow them again. But I keep thinking about The Girl From Everywhere, and I keep wanting to know what happens. i need to know how this time traveling ship and these maps work. I need to know what happens to these characters! So I’ve waitlisted myself for this book again, and this time I’ll finish it. The sequel is out next week, so maybe I’ll even be able to read them back to back.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

JEH

book review · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

What I’m Reading: Girl In Pieces by Kathleen

February 21, 2017February 21, 2017 byjehunterLeave a comment

YA Book Review: Girl In Piece by Kathleen Glasgow

For the past week I’ve been consuming Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow. As you can see from the picture below, I’ve had this book on my Kobo since the fall, and finally had the pleasure of reading it. When I began, I felt the heavy, serious weight of this book and its subject matter. It was, at times, especially in the beginning, incredibly depressing. But I don’t mind reading depressing books every so often. I might have inherited that from my mother, who reads depressing books all the time. I like to bug her about this, since most of the time I like uplifting and escapist books (hence my other recent read, Moonlight Over Paris).

I loved the character of Charlie, I loved the setting in Tuscon, because it felt fresh and different and sunny. Also, I’ve been to Tuscon, so to met it was familiar. The pacing was excellent. There were plenty of short little scenes, connected one to the other. There were no chapters, just these small breaks that kept me reading and reading and reading. I actually finished reading this book in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep, and then I couldn’t put it down. It was a nice contrast to the other books I’ve read this year. And a good break from all my fantasy reading. Obviously I like a variety, and this piece of realistic YA fiction was a great piece of life.

There were a few characters that did seem to just disappear though, who I thought should have made a few more appearances. But maybe they didn’t because this book was already pretty long (especially since it was realistic fiction and not epic fantasy, lol). There was a fairly large cast of characters, but I never felt overwhelmed. The true charm in this book were those relationships between the characters, who were fluid and true. So, if you like fluid and true books that are slightly depressing and have faint themes about life, then pick up this books. It’s good.

4/5 Stars

JEH

Covers · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

The Next Big Project

February 11, 2017February 10, 2017 byjehunterLeave a comment

Finally! Today is the day that I’ve remembered I have a next big project announcement for you. I’m not going to reveal the title yet, that will come later. But I do have a very bad sketch of my concept cover art that I’ve sent to my fabulous cover artist. This is a book I wrote years ago, and that has been sitting for a very long time. But I love it, it’s a great story, and I feel like I’m a much stronger writer now, which means that by rewriting, I can make this a much stronger book.

This was NaNoWriMo project in 2010 or something like that, so it’s been needing some love for a while. It’s a Young Adult Science Fiction Romance type story, and I do hope you all love it. I’m aiming to release it sometime in April or May. I’ll firm up the date as it approaches. For now, here’s a tiny glimpse of what it’s about.

JEH

Blogging · Writing Goals · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

365K in a Year Update #17

February 10, 2017February 10, 2017 byjehunterLeave a comment

Okay, I’m hoping I’m right about the number, but in the long run, I’m thinking that the update # doesn’t matter.

This is the first week that I’m really struggling with my word count. I’m about 2,500 words behind my goal at this point. I should be almost at 160,000 words, but I’m not. I feel kind of down about this but I’m trying to be understanding at the same time. Day to day life has been very stressful as of late. In between taking care of people I love, my day job, and trying to find a few moments here and there to relax and do stress relieving things and get some sleep, I’ve been trying to squeeze in some writing. Obviously I’m not squeezing enough. Now I’m dreading the attempt to catch up and maybe even get a little bit ahead again. It’s important to me that I accomplish this goal, because there are so many stories that I want to tell. I have a ton of books planned and it feels heavy when I’m stuck carrying all these stories around. It’s the best feeling to get them out.

Yesterday, I read Sarah J. Mass’s newsletter, in which she discusses wring a 105,000K book in 5DAYS! I cannot begin to express how jealous I am. I wish I had the time to cloister myself away and get some stuff done. Lately, I’ve barely been feeling like I have five minutes, and even when I actually do, I’ve been mentally drained. The good news is that I have been getting SOME writing done. And also, I’m taking a mini-vacay this weekend: I’m going ice fishing! Maybe this will be just what I need to rejuvenate my writing mojo. I’m also finding that rewriting is easier than drafting at the moment, which is good news for my next project! Big announcement on that one tomorrow.

Other good news this week was that I went to my favorite local book store yesterday, and I saw this:

There was an entire end-shelf display dedicated to my books! I was so incredibly happy. This really makes me feel like the Black Depths series was a success. I can’t wait to launch my next big project.

What have you been up to?

JEH

book review · I love books · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

What I’m Reading: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

February 6, 2017February 6, 2017 byjehunter1 Comment

I loved this book! An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir brought back all the good feelings I got reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Not that this was like the Hunger Games… I mean, it was a dystopian world, but a fantasy one, and there were some elements of death match style competition, but mostly it was a very unique story.

The tale is told from two alternating perspectives, Laia and Elias. They worked so well with each other and each voice was independent and unique, so i never forgot who was narrating that part of the story. The fantasy elements had their own uniqueness to them too, though they did not play that big of a role in the first book of this series. I have a feeling these elements will play a bigger part in book two. In fact, that was almost one of my pet peeves about this book: that the fantasy elements were almost forgotten about and then dropped in there here and there. There wasn’t much consistency with that. But I still loved it. I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of the Hunger Games, The Throne of Glass Series, or Rebel in the Sands. I can’t wait to read the next one.

5/5 Stars.

JEH

book review · I love books · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

What I’m Reading: As I Darken by Kiersten White

January 20, 2017January 20, 2017 byjehunterLeave a comment

One of the books I fininshed reading while on vacation was As I Darken by Kiersten White. This is an ‘alternate’ history, taking place during the time of the Ottoman Empire and Mehmed the II. The ‘alternate’ comes from the fact that White has made Vlad the Impaler a girl. This bring such an interesting dynamic to this story. The whole book was well written, rich with detail and character and raw emotion.

There are really three main characters in this book, Lada, her brother Raul, and Mehmed. Lada is just what I love in a heroine, she is fierce, fiery, and needs no one (or likes to think she does). It makes me wonder what other histories would sound like if famous males were females. It’s an interesting concept to say the least. I’ve never read any of White’s other books, but I’ve heard from other people that they are great reads as well. As I Darken has definitely encouraged me to seek out more of White’s work.

5/5 Stars.

JEH

I love books · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

J. E. Hunter’s Ten Favorite Reads of 2016

January 3, 2017January 2, 2017 byjehunterLeave a comment

*I was actually going to post this last week and forgot. Oops

It’s the end of year, which means it times to spend a bit of time contemplating what I’ve spent the past year doing. I wrote a lot, read a lot, worked hard, and traveled a bit. The post is going to focus on the reading. My Goodreads goal was to read 40 books, which I met just this week. I read an assortment of YA, Fiction, Non-Fiction. All kinds of things really. I’ve reviewed the list, and here are my top ten favorites, from most loved to least (Though I did love everything on this list).

Queen of the Tearling
The Name of the Wind
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
The Shadow Hour
The Selection
Rebel of the Sands
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass Series, really, since I read the majority in 2016)
As I Darken
The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Hexed by Michelle Kays

I feel like I’m quite behind in my reading, since half of the books on my list weren’t published in 2016. A lot of the books I did read were from series, as I seem to like reading these only once their completed. I know I’m not the only person who hates waiting for sequels, but this list makes it pretty clear that I prefer to read the whole thing in one go if at all possible. Unfortunately, this makes it a bit rough for new releases. I also hate having to buy hardcovers. I don’t mind ebooks, but I prefer paperbacks, which means I have to wait even longer to find the books I want. Why is the entire publishing industry working against me??? Good thing I can still use my e-library.

I’m setting my reading goal for 2016 at 60 books, slightly less than the number of unread books currently lying around my bedroom. Here’s a glimpse at my overflowing bookshelf:

I’m sure some new releases will jump the cue as well. What were your favorite reads in 2016? What are you looking forward to in 2017?

JEH

book review · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

What I’m Reading: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

December 15, 2016 byjehunterLeave a comment

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton a Young Adult Book Review

I found this book browsing around my e-library. It sounded different than a lot of Young Adult fantasy I’d recently picked up so I put it on my wait list, and I loved it. Rebel of the Sands is a fantasy/western Arabian Nights full of Sultans and Djinnis and kick-a** heroines. There were so many unique aspects in this book that I’m not going to get into them all (plus, I wouldn’t want to ruin the story for you).

What I enjoyed most about Hamilton’s book is how complete the world felt, from where the story begins in Dustwalk to where it ends (not going to say). And the ending itself. This is the kind of book that keeps a lot of secrets, but reveals them in a well timed manner that makes complete sense and is so fitting for the book. I wasn’t sure if this book was going to be a series, however, so I looked it up, and apparently a second book will be released in 2017. I get the feeling that Rebel was written with the intention that it could be left a standalone book, but it is so delicious that I’m glad it’s not. Though I have to say, I’m not a fan of the cover art for the sequel which can be preview on Goodreads if you’re interested.

If you’re a fan of Aladdin or Sinbad or just want something mystical but a bit different, pick up Rebel of the Sands, you won’t regret it.

5/5 Stars.

JEH

Young Adult · Young Adult Books

What I’m Reading: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016 byjehunterLeave a comment

Young Adult Book Review of The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead.

The Glittering Court (associate link) wasn’t completely what I expected. It follows Lady Elizabeth, a rather rich and spoiled young woman who doesn’t want to marry the one man who can save her family, instead, she runs off to join The Glittering Court, in the hopes of finding another suitor. This book was half romance, and half alternate reality or half western, I couldn’t quite decide. The land of Osfrid is loosely based on colonial Europe, and the land of Denham is loosely based on colonial America. I got into this book around the time it turned into a western, but I’m still not sure it works.

The writing was fairly fluid and moderately paced, but there was a lot of inner dialogue that could have been shortened up. Sometimes I wonder if publishing houses make authors add paragraphs just to make a book thick and heavy. I would have been happy with a shorter book that got to the point more quickly. I didn’t like this book half as much as I like Mead’s Vampire Academy series, but it was still a decent read. You might enjoy this book if you really liked The Selection, though I believe Cass’s series is much stronger as the romance is much more addicting and compelling and I preferred the dystopian setting over the western one. But hey, maybe Westerns are your thing.

As for reading the rest of the series, I don’t think I will continue since the next book sounds like it will be a parallel storyline which will feel like a rehash of at least the first half of The Glittering Court. The Midnight Jewel is slated to be released in April 2017.

3/5 Stars

JEH

I love books · Young Adult · Young Adult Books

No Time to Read?

December 2, 2016 byjehunterLeave a comment

I have been too busy lately. I haven’t finished the book I began last week and I still have 9 books to go on my GoodReads goal. With only four weeks left to read them. This is leaving me wondering how I’m going to fit it all in. I have a bunch of half-read books, which I’m hoping means I’ll be able to wrap up all nine this month. Between that and some shorter selections and a major cutback on television, I just might be able to do it. Meanwhile, I went browsing at a rather large bookstore when i was out of town, and found all these delicious displays. This will have to be my motivation for finishing up the books already waiting on my shelves! Which books look good to you?

And just as good as books: the mug display 🙂

Happy Reading!

JEH