March Madness Book Wants!

March is looking like a great month for book buying to me! Finally a book that I have been wanting to read since September 2014 is coming out and all these other amazing books are going to be in my hands… one day. Like usual, these are not in any sort of order.

Lady Midnight by: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Expected Release: March 8, 2016

Pages: 720 (Hardcover)

Synopsis: The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel. It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it? Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

Why: I have been waiting for this book since I finished City of Heavenly Fire. In the back of the book, they included a preview of Lady Midnight. I already knew I would have to get my hands on it, it was just a matter of when. If I believe correctly, the book was supposed to come out in fall of 2015 but something happened and they had to wait on it. Now, with watching the TV Show and reading all the books over, I want this so bad. I have actually read the first chapter of the book already because I bought a second copy of City of Bones, don’t judge me, and they had the first chapter in there. Already, from chapter, I know it is going to be good. I am kind of interested to see how many pages the other two books in the series will have because this one has about the same number of pages of City of Heavenly Fire.

About the Author: Judith Rumelt, better known by her pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. Clare was born Judith Rumelt, to American parents, in Tehran, Iran. Her parents are Elizabeth and Richard Rumelt, who are a business school professor and author, respectively. Her maternal grandfather was film producer Max Rosenberg. Clare is Jewish, and has described her family as “not religious”.

The Water Thief by: Jane Kindred

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Expected Release: March 15, 2016

Pages: 374 (ebook)

Synopsis: Framed for his twin sister’s murder, Sebastian Swift has been kept drugged in a mental institution since age thirteen, aware of only one horrible fact—every night in his dreams, he drowns. After a freak storm frees him, Sebastian learns the truth. His guardian, Emrys, has been siphoning off his inherited magical power over the waters of Cantre’r Gwaelod—one gruesome vial at a time. And the man’s bastard son, Macsen, has been raised in his place. Determined to find his twin’s killer, Sebastian assumes her identity. Macsen Finch isn’t about to give up his guise as the young earl—and not just because of the fortune. His cousin’s return from the dead threatens Macsen’s own efforts to undermine his father’s evil plan. Yet he can’t deny his inexplicable attraction to the imposter. Acting on their mutual desire puts them both at the mercy of a madman’s wrath. To stop Emrys from stealing his power, Sebastian will have to learn how to use it—and whom he can trust.

Why: I really don’t know what drew me into this book. I was looking at some of the books that come out in March and this one caught my eye. I haven’t seen the cover before, or recognized the author so I clicked on it. I was reading the synopsis and it sounded really good and something I would read. Something about the way that the character was sent away to a mental hospital and keeps having these dreams of drowning that leads to learning the truth sounds extremely exciting and thrilling to me. I am really looking forward to this one, even if it has a 2.43 on Goodreads.

About the Author: Jane Kindred is the author of epic fantasy series The House of Arkhangel’sk, Demons of Elysium, and Looking Glass Gods. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.

The Way I Used To Be by: Amber Smith

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Expected Release: March 22, 2016

Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

Synopsis: In the tradition of Speak, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault. Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes. What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be. Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.

Why: I was drawn into the cover. This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. The grey and the sunflower, or what ever type of flower it is, it’s gorgeous. When I read what it was about, I would have never of guessed it was about rape. I absolutely loved the book Speak when I had to read it last year. It was one of those books where it made me think about how the world is and thankful for how I live my life right now. The first time I read the synopsis, I actually started to tear up because of how beautiful it sounds and looks written and how the story is. Following a girl who has to live life after being raped by a friend of her brothers sounds like such a powerful story that should be told, even if it is realistic fiction and not a biography or autobiography. And also, I love the fact that she lives in North Carolina.

About the Author: Amber Smith grew up in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her two dogs. After graduating from art school with a BFA in painting, she earned her MA in art history. When she’s not writing, she is working as a curator and art consultant. She has also written on the topics of art history and modern and contemporary art. The Way I Used to Be is her first novel.

The Keeper of the Mist by: Rachel Neumeier

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books

Release Date: March 8, 2016

Pages: 400 (Hardcover)

Synopsis: A lush new fantasy about finding the will to lead against all odds, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone. Keri has been struggling to run her family bakery since her mother passed away.  Now the father she barely knew—the Lord of Nimmira—has died, and ancient magic has decreed that she will take his place as the new Lady. The position has never been so dangerous: the mists that hide Nimmira from its vicious, land-hungry neighbors have failed, and Keri’s people are visible to strangers for the first time since the mists were put in place generations ago. At the same time, three half-brothers will their own eyes on the crown make life within the House just as dangerous as the world outside. But Keri has three people to guide her: her mysterious Timekeeper, clever Bookkeeper, and steadfast Doorkeeper. Together they must find a way to repair the boundary before her neighbors realize just how vulnerable Nimmira is. With a spunky main character, lyrical storytelling, and hidden romance, The Keeper of the Mist is an engrossing story that is full of adventure.

Why: Like The Way I Used To Be I picked this book because of the cover. The cover, with all the colors on it was what stood out to me. When I saw all these colors, something really drew me to it and said, “This is an Ann book.” Fantasy is one of those genres which I sometimes want a good book to read but most time I don’t read. With the facts of the involvement of magic in the book, and finding out her true self makes it seem so much better. I know one thing for sure when I read it: I will be having to either a) Learn how to pronounce some of these names like Nimmira or b) Come up with a substitute word for it.

About the Author: Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead. She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.

Boys Don’t Knit (In Public) by: T.S. Easton

Publisher: Square Fish

Expected Release: March 22, 2016

Pages: 272 (Paperback)

Synopsis: After an incident regarding a crossing guard and a bottle of Martini & Rossi (and his friends), 17-year-old worrier Ben Fletcher must develop his sense of social alignment, take up a hobby, and do some community service to avoid any further probation. He takes a knitting class (it was that or his father’s mechanic class) with the impression that it’s taught by the hot teacher all the boys like. Turns out, it’s not. Perfect. Regardless, he sticks with it and comes to discover he’s a natural knitter, maybe even great. It also helps ease his anxiety and worrying. The only challenge now is to keep it hidden from his friends, his crush, and his soccer-obsessed father. What a tangled web Ben has weaved . . . or knitted.

Why: I found the title of the book hilarious, which is what brought me into this book. The cover fits this book so well, and most of these kind of books, I find them amazing and I love them. I have never heard of the author so I am so excited to see what his writing is like. Based off of the synopsis, it sounds like he is finding himself but he is scared of the truth. I could really go for a book like this right now because their endings are always amazing and they are such an easy read.

About the Author: I am an experienced author of fiction for all ages and have had more than thirty books published. I have written under a number of different pseudonyms in a variety of genres. Subjects include vampires, pirates, pandemics and teenage agony aunts (not all in the same book). I live in Surrey with my wife, three children and two cats. In my spare time I work as a Production Manager for a UK publisher. My latest book is An English Boy in New York, the sequel to Boys Don’t Knit, published by Hot Key Books.

What books are you looking forward to reading this month? What book releases are looking forward to this month? Let me know what they are in the comments!

Let the ‘MARCHING’ books continue marching,

❤ Ann

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