Looking Ahead...

What would the new year be without a desire to desperately look ahead in the world of books? I mean, who am I kidding? I start looking forward to the next year's titles in August. Here are some of my most anticipated reads of 2013!

Series books:

- UnSouled by Neal Shusterman: I can't wait to see how he ties all the threads together and what scary and important topics are tackled here. (Expected publication October 15, 2013)

- Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan: I want more Kami. And more Lynburn boys. (Expected publication August 29, 2013)

- Game by Barry Lyga: what happened to Jasper Dent's mother? Who is watching him? (Expected publication April 23, 2013)

- Untitled (Raven Cycle, book 2) by Maggie Stiefvater: this has already proven to be one hell of a ride. Where will it go next? (Expected publication September 2013)

- Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo: more of the Darkling, more of the Grisha, more of the magic - excited! (Expected publication June 4, 2013)

- Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan: what will happen with Waverly, Kieran, and Seth? What is the fate of their ships? I'm excited for the conclusion of this sci-fi trilogy. (Expected publication June 4, 2013)

- Of Witches and Wind by Shelby Bach: while it wasn't my favorite book of the year, Of Giants and Ice was an enjoyable fairy tale book. I look forward to the sequel. (Expected publication July 2013)

- The House of Hades by Rick Riordan: I'm not sure I enjoyed The Mark of Athena as much as I wanted to, but I'm still dying to know how the prophecy will play out. Also, Hades is in the title - I expect dark things. (Expected publication October 2013)

- Prodigy by Marie Lu: how will Day and June's relationship develop? What other secrets and lies will they uncover? (Expected publication January 29, 2013)

- Fragments by Dan Wells: I thought Kira was a fantastic heroine and Partials an excellent start to a new science fiction series. I'm definitely wanting to know what will happen next. (Expected publication February 23, 2013)

- Untitled (Lorien Legacies, book 4) by Pittacus Lore: YOU GUYS. I thought there were only supposed to be three books! Curse you! Now I must wait to discover how the battle between the Loric and Setrakus Ra plays out. (Expected publication August 2013)

Standalones / New series:

- Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli: a new Spinelli! Need I say more? (Expected publication January 8, 2013)

- Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool: I really enjoyed Moon Over Manifest and this sounds like another fascinating historical tale. I'm excited to see how Vanderpool has developed. (Expected publication January 8, 2013)

- Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger: I haven't yet read the Parasol Protectorate series (I KNOW) but I'm still interested in seeing how Carriger does with YA. (Expected publication February 2013)

- The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen: I am woefully behind on my Sarah Dessen reading. Here's hoping I get a chance to catch up in 2013! (Expected publication June 4, 2013)

- Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr: I love mythology and I love Norse mythology in particular, so I'm really excited for this new middle-grade series from Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr (who appear to be pulling J.K. Rowling's with their names for this book). (Expected publication May 7, 2013)

- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: I know - it's not tween or YA. BUT IT'S NEIL GAIMAN YOU GUYS. This book sounds like it's maybe going to mess with my head. YES PLEASE. (Expected publication June 18, 2013)

- Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan: Levithan is pretty much an auto-read for me (though Every Day is taunting me from the bookshelves, calling READ ME NOW) and this new one sounds like it could be great. I don't understand how Levithan does it all guys. Be honest: does he have a time-turner???? (Expected publication May 7, 2013)

- The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett: The main character of this book IS A NIGHTMARE. I hope this is as awesome as it sounds. (Expected publication March 5, 2013)

- Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: I was completely blown away by Between Shades of Gray and, though this sounds quite different, I have faith that this new novel from Sepetys will be just as wonderfully written. (Expected publication February 13, 2013)

- Better Nate than Ever by Tim Federle: the cover of this book makes me hope it will be like My Most Excellent Year. Please do not tease me cover - please contain a book that lives up to you. (Expected publication February 5, 2013)

All right, this is getting long. I'm sure I've missed something (do you know how many awesome-sounding tween and teen books are coming out every day??). I can't wait to see what will surprise me this year.

2013 is going to be a busy year for me, so be forewarned. Postings may be slightly less frequent, but I will try to stick with Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Also, Picture Book Saturday may be sporadic as I'm no longer holding storytimes and may not see as many picture books as I did this year. And, I have accepted an appointment on the Fabulous Films for Young Adults Committee. This should not effect the content of my blog (as I don't currently review films) but it may impact the frequency of my blogging as I learn to juggle the committee work with my full-time job, personal time, and blogging responsibilities. So, it will be a busy year, but I'm sure I will fill it with books as best I can!