What's Hot? Books.

Unknown 6/03/2012 6 Comments Edit

Showcase Sunday #1.

Having received an overwhelming amount of books for review over the past couple of weeks, I decided to start hosting 'Showcase Sunday', so that I can show everyone what my upcoming book reviews will be.

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea. Its aim is to showcase your newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. If you'd like to join, click here.

So, thank God for half term, because I've got a heck of a lot of reading to be getting on with! I've also got lots of film reviews lined up, but I've been busy with exams so please be patient with me! :)

1. Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva

Goodreads Summary: Deep under Arctic waters lies an ice kingdom carved into a glacier. Those who dwell within it possess magnificent biological secrets. Due to the dangers of impending war, the Princess of Adlivun is forced to flee her undersea utopia and regroup with her sisters in Alaska.

Captain Trevain Murphy is a successful king crab fisherman who has spent his life building his empire above the sea, and knows nothing of the empire beneath it. When he meets a mysterious dancer whose father has recently died, he extends kindness towards her, unaware of her unique genetics and royal lineage.

Trevain's attraction to the enigmatic Aazuria Vellamo will involve him in dangerous designs that will forever change his life, and his perspective on himself and his world. He embarks on perilous journeys in which he will need to release all of his insecurities and inhibitions in order to survive.

2. Fathoms of Forgiveness by Nadia Scrieva

Goodreads summary: There is no divorce in the undersea kingdom of Adlivun. Marriage is a bond that lasts until death—even if death comes in several centuries, and in that time your spouse happens to become your sworn enemy. This is the conflict that General Visola Ramaris faces when she learns that the mighty Vachlan is behind the attacks on her kingdom. She has sworn to protect Adlivun with her life, but long ago, she also swore to love and honor her husband... Visola must choose whether she will destroy Vachlan once and for all, or attempt the hardest thing conceivable: communication. After two hundred years of desertion, she has no faith in their feeble bond and knows she can never forgive him. When he threatens the person dearest to her, she must take action. Confronting Vachlan on enemy territory would be nothing short of suicide. She knows that if she falls into his custody, the deranged man would relish breaking her down and making her lose her own sanity. Princess Aazuria forbids Visola from taking matters into her own hands. She will do anything it takes to protect her friend from the man who wants to crush her. Alas, Visola is a crazy, uncontrollable warrior woman with the blood of Vikings in her veins. Why would she ever consider doing the safe and predictable thing?

3. The Super Spud Trilogy by Michael Diack

Goodreads summary: Genetic engineering has accomplished many things, one of which has been to create the Super Spud! The humble potato elevated to new heights, creating the most flavoursome crisps ever known to humankind! But that's not all - A magical transformation occurs to all Super Spud crisps not eaten before their use-by date. They take on a life of their own. And so long as they remain undetected by humans, they enjoy life in their own Super Spud cities, take part in major Super Spud sporting events and even start the odd Super Spud war or two. Join Colin, Cougar, Hannibal Vector, Generals Rock, Jock and Strap and all the others in their rollicking adventures. You'll never look at a packet of crisps in the same way again! Fun, quirky and totally original.

4. Cadaver de Bailarina y otros poemas by Rosalina Gonzalez

Goodreads Summary: Una bailarina que regresa de la muerte para completar la puesta en escena. Noctámbulos de siglos de edad que meditan sobre su oficio, la sangre. Espíritus orientales que cuentan sus andanzas desde el cuerpo de sus víctimas y conversaciones con muertos más o menos famosos.

Cadáver de bailarina y otros poemas reflexiona sobre los diversos fenómenos que rodean la muerte, sobre sentimientos oscuros y sobre emociones contenidas desde la perspectiva de los seres que los protagonizan.

Una colección de poemas de improbables experiencias post-mortem, ideales para leer antes de ir a la cama (o a la tumba).

5. Never Too Late To Be Great by Tom Butler-Bowdon

Blurb: Never Too Late To Be Great is about the power of thinking long. Drawing on wide research into 'lead time' and the 'ten year rule', personal development authority Tom Butler-Bowdon shows that, contrary to popular belief, people, companies, products and ideas invaraibly need time to realise their potential. And how, when we give ourselves slightly longer timeframes, anything is possible.

At the age you are now, many famous and remarkable people were only just getting into their stride. Given longer lifespans, it is likely that you have more time than you think to achieve your goals. This book will show you why, in all probability, your best is yet to come.

6. The First To Say No by Charles C. Anderson

Goodreads Summary: The female doctors in the Parkview Hospital emergency department decide that they will no longer allow gang members who assault healthcare workers in their community to escape justice. The neighborhood of Parkview is being terrorized by the Plagues, a gang of violent criminals and drug dealers, and the local police department is taking pay-offs to ignore their activity. After one of the ED doctors, Elita Romanov, is kidnapped and raped, she and her best friend, Dr. Kate Taylor, resolve to take definitive action against the Plagues, whatever the consequences. They systematically recruit co-wokers, friends and family members who are willing to break the law in order to restore the rule of law in Parkview. THE FIRST TO SAY NO is Kate's journey to achieve peace with her past and to eliminate those who threaten her future and the future of her neighborhood. Set in contemporary America, this novel illustrates many of the failings of today's healthcare system as Kate and Elita's startling solution unfolds in Parkview.

7. Against All Odds by Aliaa El Nashar

Goodreads summary: The Story revolves around:

-A boy called Damien who seems to have it all. He's rich, good-looking and athletic. He's also arrogant, obnoxious and a major player. Damien is one of 5 children who seem to not get along, until one day Damien meets Alexis and his life is turned inside out.

-A girl called Alexis who has trust issues due to her parents. Her best friends mean the world to her, and she refuses to date anyone that doesn't fit completely in her 'Perfect Guy' list.

They're thrown together a lot and start to face inner demons they've hidden away for so long.

8. Gone at Zero Hundred 00.00 by C.R. Hiatt

Goodreads summary: Sydney Marie McSwain - a tomboy who yearned for a father.

Cody Beck - a wannabe filmmaker, wisenheimer and flirt.

Jaden White - the star who led the high school hockey team to two championships, and was now on the A-list for NHL scouts.

Sydney Marie McSwain loves her mom, Anna - a private investigator in the coastal city where they live - but they had a major issue between them. Anna refused to give Sydney the identity of her father. On the day of her high school graduation, they were battling it out, once again. An hour later, Sydney, Cody and Jaden were at the local café, and watched as Anna was gunned down.

9. Waterspell by Deborah J Lightfoot

Goodreads Summary: Drawn into the schemes of an angry wizard, Carin glimpses the place she once called home. It lies upon a shore that seems unreachable. To learn where she belongs and how to get there, the teenage traveler must decipher the words of an alien book, follow the clues in a bewitched poem, conjure a dragon from a pool of magic -- and tread carefully around a seductive but volatile, emotionally scarred sorcerer who can't seem to decide whether to love her or kill her.

Book 1 of a series. The story continues in WATERSPELL Book 2: The Wysard and Book 3: The Wisewoman .

"Not a word wasted or out of place. Strong, compelling, intriguing, taut." --SouthWest Writers, Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel

10. The Queen and the Courtesan by Freda Lightfoot

Goodreads: Henriette d'Entragues isn't satisfied with simply being the mistress of Henry IV of France; she wants a crown, too. Despite his promises to marry her, the King is obliged by political necessity to ally himself with a rich Italian princess. But Henriette isn't one for giving up easily.

11. Halo of the Damned by Dina Rae

Goodreads Summary: A chain of advertising agencies, a new breed of humans, and a fallen angel to worship…

"Andel Talistokov is known for his slick advertising agencies across the globe. He is a fallen angel that uses advertising as a weapon for Satan's work. His growing power emboldens him to break several of Hell’s Commandments. Furious with his arrogance, Satan commands him to return to Hell after finding his own replacement.
Yezidism, an ancient angel worshiping religion, quietly expands throughout the West. Armaros appears as a guest of honor during their ceremonies. He mates with young women to produce nephilim, a mixed race of humans and angels. They are alone and unprepared for their supernatural power.
Joanna Easterhouse, a recovering drug addict, steps out of prison shortly after her mother's fatal accident. She and her sister, Kim, unravel their mother's secretive past. Intrigued, they learn their bloodline is part of a celestial legacy.
Both worlds collide.
Halo of the Damned is a horrifying tale that weaves research together with suspenseful twists and turns."

So as you can see I've got a lot to be getting on with! Some of these were sent by publishers, some by authors, and some are from book tours that I'm participating in. Has anyone read any of the above? If so, leave a comment telling me what you thought! :)