"Waiting On" Wednesday (11)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm excited about:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Publishing date: September 29th, 2011

Goodreads

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

The story sounds very cute, and while this alone would usually not be enough to appeal to me, it is by Stephanie Perkins, author extraordinaire of Anna and the French Kiss. And, oh, look at that! It's a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss!

Eve by Anna Carey

Publishing date: October 4th, 2011

Goodreads

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Another dystopian sci-fi novel? Really, Lamia?
Well, yes, really. I just can't resist.

What are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (10)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm excited about:

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan
Publishing date: September 13th, 2011
Goodreads

In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . . messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he's been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And as crazy as it sounds, Evan's starting to believe it's Ariel that's behind all of this, punishing him. But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify, and the more he starts to unravel himself. Creatively told with black-and-white photos interspersed between the text so the reader can see the photos that are so unnerving to Evan, Every You, Every Me is a one-of-a-kind departure from a one-of-a-kind author.

Um, this is the new David Levithan. THIS IS THE NEW DAVID LEVITHAN. Do I need more justification?

What are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (9)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm excited about:

Legacy by Cayla Kluver
Publishing date: June 21st, 2011
Goodreads

The first boy disappeared on the day of his birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon of the nighttime sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, on the same night the Kingdom of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.
Across the land of Hytanica, under the shadow of the crimson moon, infant boys continued to vanish. Not until the blood had faded from the sky did the disappearances stop and the bodies of the murdered infants were found outside the gates of the city, a final word from the greatest enemy Hytanica had ever known. For the next sixteen years, peace reigned, but one mystery remained unsolved. The Cokyrians had abducted forty-nine newborns, but returned only forty-eight bodies.

Now, as seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytanica is besieged from all sides by suitors vying for the Throne, a teenage Cokyrian boy, Narian, is encountered within the walls of her Kingdom, a boy who will show Alera a world where women serve a purpose and not just a husband. As Narian helps Alera find her voice, she struggles against an arranged marriage that will shatter the life she has scarcely begun to live. And when Narian's shocking past is uncovered, and war with Cokyri looms once more, he must fight to defy a fate ordained at his birth.

The blurb sounds really intriguing. I just hope Narian's "shocking" past isn't what I think it is, because if I know the twist before even opening the book... That would be some kind of record for me.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Publishing date: September 20th, 2011
Goodreads

When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

What are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (7)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm excited about:

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Publishing date: September 27th, 2011
Goodreads

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Whevener I see "shy" in a guy's description, I start day-dreaming. I mean, it's such a pretty word. Shy. Say it with me. "He's shy". "Shy". <3 <3 <3
What? Why are you looking at me like that?

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Publishing date: October 4th, 2011
Goodreads

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Yet another mythology book. I'm really excited about it (duh, Greek myths), but so far, all the books centered around Greek mythology that have come out this year have disappointed me. I hope this one lives up to my expectations.

What are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (6)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm excited about:

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
Publishing date: June 28th, 2011
Goodreads

Sometimes there's no turning back.

Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last.

I love the last sentence of the summary. It makes me want to read the book RIGHT NOW, even though it's told in verse (which is a testament to how amazing it sounds, because I don't usually read verse novels.) The author said that she was inspired to write this novel after listening to a Pink song. I'm really, really curious about that.

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
Publishing date: July 21st, 2011
Goodreads

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she’s ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

This books sounds very nice if you ignore the last sentence. I'm very intrigued by the siren concept because I've never read a book about them before (although I have several on my to-read list... I need to get on that). Can't wait for it to be in my hands!

What are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (5)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Illuminated by Erica Orloff
Publishing date: December 8th, 2011
Goodreads

Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story—and hers—takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary—and that of Heloise and Abelard’s ancient romance—their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can’t last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?

I know the last line is cliché, yet I can't help myself. Plus, the cover is gorgeous. How can I not read a book with a cover like that?

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Publishing date: July 12th, 2011
Goodreads

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...

This looks like a book that could surprise me. I love character-driven books and I've read a lot of good things about this. July is only 3 months away!

What are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (4)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Publishing date: September 27th, 2011
Goodreads

Mara Dyer doesn't believe life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

I love memory loss stories. They're always emotional and powerful, and I'm very excited about the potential supernatural twist on this one. 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Publishing date: August 30th, 2011
Goodreads

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story. . .

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

I've never read a ghost story, and this seems like a really good way to start. Intriguing, mysterious, with the promise of its own mythology? Yes, please. Also, there's a spirit-sniffing cat. How awesome is that?

What books are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: September Edition

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle
Publishing date: September 6th 2011
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all, there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways. 

I love the premise. It seems like a very intense and heart-wrenching read, and I can't wait to see what the author does with the Laurel/David relationship. 

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Publishing date: September 5th 2011
Goodreads

A contemporary reimagining of the Greek play, "Lysistrata," in which high school senior Lissa decides it's time to end her school's ridiculous sports rivalry once and for all by starting a hook-up strike.

While the plot seems a bit childish, it's a Kody Keplinger book. Therefore, I want it in my hands, now. Also, there's the word "Greek" in it so of course I'm drooling over it like an overeager puppy, even though it has little to do with actual Greek mythology. I'm shaking my head at m

What books are you excited for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Must-have-now Edition

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm talking about these books you just can't wait to have in your hand right now right now right now. You know, the ones you stare at on your not-yet-released Goodreads shelf or drool over on Amazon. The ones you daydream about because the plot just sounds SO interesting.

Now, there are a lot of these for me, so I'm stopping at three, or we'd be here all day.

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Publishing date: June 31st, 2011
Goodreads

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger. 


There have been others before who’ve felt the Need, but they’re gone—erased from the memories of everyone whose lives they had touched. It's as though they never existed. This is the fate that awaits Charlotte. But the last thing Charlotte wants to do is disappear, to be Forgotten. She wants to stay with her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend’s arms forever. She wishes she could just ignore the Need, but she can’t. And as everyone important in her life begins to slowly forget her, she has to decide if she’ll fight the Need in order to remain herself—no matter how dark the consequences.

Okay, the title of the book is cliché. And the plot isn't the most originally crafted thing I've seen, but angel books are still a new thing for me and this one sounds amazing. I love that the summary is about her life in general, not some contrived "I can't be with him what am I going to do?" romance (not that I don't love those too, but it's a nice change). Also, can I just say I'm really excited about the fact that she already knew her boyfriend? Plus, it's a stand-alone, which is a selling point for me because I love knowing the end of a story without having to wait for a year.
I just can't wait for this. Giveittome. Iwantit. Aaaaah.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Publishing date: May 3rd, 2011
Goodreads

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This sounds very Hunger Games-y and I hope it will be just as captivating. I'm usually ridiculously excited about any dystopian novel I can get my grabby little hands on, but this one sounds particularly good. Again: I can't wait.

Hourglass by Mira McEntire
Publishing date: May 24th, 2011
Goodreads

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

This is a 2011 debut, and I love debuts. It sounds mysterious and intriguing, and I can't wait to see how the author mixes romance, paranormal and mystery.

What books are making you drool right now?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: April Edition

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


I've already talked about exciting March releases here, so now I'm doing April. 
And April is going to be good.

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare
Publishing date: April 5, 2011
Goodreads

I am so, so, so excited for this I don't even know what to say. I LOVED the first three books and I love that CC managed to make me care about secondary characters almost as much as the main ones.

Here are some teasers available on Cassandra Clare's website: clic

Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
Publishing date: April 19, 2011
Goodreads

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss? 

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

I've heard a lot about this one, and the summary sounds so, so exciting. I can nearly taste the atmosphere of the book just by reading the last sentence of the summary (which I keep reading, over and over again), so this looks like very promising read.

Abandon by Meg Cabot
Publishing date: April 26, 2011
Goodreads

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

This is based on the myth of Persephone, and just because of that, I'm sitting here, bouncing in my chair just thinking about it. Okay, not really, but I'm really excited (I use that word a lot). The plot sounds fascinating and I can't wait to see the author's take on Hades and Persephone's relationship. I just want the three books (I assume this will end up being a trilogy) out, in my hands in front of me right now.

What about you? What are you excited (there's that word again!) about?

On my wish list...

There as so many exciting books being released in the next few months that I honestly don't know which way to turn. Here's an excerpt from the list of many, many books I regularly drool over.

The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter
Publishing date: April 19, 2011
Goodreads

Okay, I should probably preface this by saying I'm a huge greek mythology geek. I love everything about it and am fascinated by anything even remotely related to it. God, you should see me at an ancient Greece exhibit. I'm like a kid in a candy store. And let me tell you, I am not an art person (sadly). I do love candy, though. Anyway. I've seen mixed reviews about this, some enjoyed it, some disliked it, and I have to say I cannot wait to get my hands on it so I can form my opinion. I'm so, so, so excited about this book. The cover is a bit cheesy, but I don't care! Greek stuff! Happy Lamia!!! ... Yeah. I'll stop now.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Publishing date: March 22, 2011
Goodreads

I love dystopian novels as a rule, and I couldn't be more excited about this. I've heard people RAVING about it and I'm very interested in the dynamics between the characters. The concept of sister wives seems... Interesting to explore. And the plot appeals to my biology nerd, for some reason. Plus, the cover is gorgeous. Yes, that's a criteria. Ijustcanthelpmyself.

Entwined by Heather Dixon
Publishing date: March 29, 2011
Goodreads

There's just one bit of the summary that I keep reading over and over again:

"But there is a cost.
 The Keeper likes to keep things."

Hmph. I just want to have this book in front of me right this moment. I can't wait to see the author's take on The Twelves Dancing Princesses, and I'm very intrigued by this Keeper character. I love reading debut novels so I have very high hopes for this one.   :)

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Publishing date: May 23, 2011

Goodreads

Another dystopian novel. The premise is pretty exciting, even if it's not the most original thing, especially considering the publishing trend right now. But I love reading about a future where our perception of emotions has been altered, so this book is right up my alley. Justin seems to be a pretty interesting character, and I'm looking forward to reading about Maggie's slow awakening. I just hope it won't follow the same pattern than other similar stories, with the first being half very slow and everything happening very quickly in the last third the book.

What's on your wish list?