My selection for Waiting on Wednesday...

Book One

Boy! It's been forever since I did a Waiting on Wednesday post! Life's been incredibly busy these days, but I'd like to get back in the routine---somewhat! Jill at Breaking the Spine started this meme and I've missed it. For my return performance, I've selected the first book in a new series by Lauren DeStefano: Perfect Ruin, The Internment Chronicles.

I became a fan of DeStefano after reading Wither, The Chemical Garden trilogy. She has a lyrical, and lovely style of prose, plus her stories have an unusual and odd sensibility. The author even looks a bit mysterious and quirky in her photos; like there are a lot of strange stories floating in that head of hers. I for one, am curious to know what they are. This newest series sounds like it has that odd, creative vein running through it. Check out the description...

On the floating city of Internment, you can be anything you dream. Unless you approach the edge.
Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of Internment, the floating city in the clouds where she lives, can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. If she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in her best friend, Pen, and in Basil, the boy she's engaged to marry.
Then a , the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, he is the boy being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or whom she will lose.

Yup. Sounds sufficiently odd and strange to me! I'd love to score a copy from the publisher ( are you listening Simon and Schuster? Lol...) I like collecting this author's books as keepers. The covers of her novels are interesting too.

Perfect Ruin, The Internment Chronicles, releases October 1, 2013.

Toodles, ya'll!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Book Two

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a fun way to learn about new books coming out and what folks are looking forward to. This week I'm anxiously awaiting a sequel...Squeee!!!....It's Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor. Here's the description...

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

This doesn't tell us much, especially if you haven't read the first book, so let's look at the description of that...

Book One

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

 

Oooh...I see the new title is taken from the first book's description! I can't wait for the follow up! This story is creepy, beautiful, romantic, lyrical...need I go on? Lol...I gave the first one away to some friends as gifts and they loved it too. Has anyone else started this series?

 

Days of Blood and Starlight releases November 6, 2012 by Little, Brown and Company.

 

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Book One

Waiting on Wednesday is the great meme that gives you an opportunity to learn what new books are coming out and what folks are looking forward to. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This week, I've chosen The Diviners by Libba Bray. Check out the description...

It's 1920s New York City. It's flappers and Follies, jazz and gin. It's after the war but before the depression. And for certain group of bright young things it's the opportunity to party like never before. For Evie O'Neill, it's escape. She's never fit in in small town Ohio and when she causes yet another scandal, she's shipped off to stay with an uncle in the big city. But far from being exile, this is exactly what she's always wanted: the chance to show how thoroughly modern and incredibly daring she can be. But New York City isn't about just jazz babies and follies girls. It has a darker side. Young women are being murdered across the city. And these aren't crimes of passion. They're gruesome. They're planned. They bear a strange resemblance to an obscure group of tarot cards. And the New York City police can't solve them alone. Evie wasn't just escaping the stifling life of Ohio, she was running from the knowledge of what she could do. She has a secret. A mysterious power that could help catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first.


I've been looking forward to this book since I read about Bray getting the book deal a couple of years ago. If I remember correctly, she was paid about a million dollars for it. I want to see what kind of story generated this big pay day! I recall the write-up at the time saying there were serial killers and demons in the story. Bray's literary agent is her husband, Barry Goldblatt. Looks like his got his wife's best interest at heart...lol...


If I weren't familiar with the author or the story premise, I would not be drawn to this book if I had to go by this cover. I don't care for it at all. Maybe they'll change it by publication day. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but a great one certainly adds to the reading experience!


The Diviners is supposed to be released September 2012 by Little, Brown and Company.


Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: MAGISTERIUM by Jeff Hirsch

Waiting on Wednesday is the great meme started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a wonderful way to learn about new books coming out and what folks are looking forward to reading. This week I've chosen Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch. Honestly, I didn't have a clue about what this book was about from the title, but the cover totally drew me in. I interviewed Jeff on this blog last year and totally loved his debut novel, The Eleventh Plague. It's a great dystopian book that both boys and girls would enjoy. I was really looking forward to what he was going to write next and Magisterium is it! Check out the description...

On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.


Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea what might be on the other side. Glenn’s only friend, Kevin Kapoor, insists there’s monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn’t for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality. Ever since her mother abandoned them years earlier she and her scientist father have led nearly separate lives. He obsessively pursues “The Project,” a patched-together heap of technology whose importance only he seems to grasp, while Glenn dreams of the day she can escape.

But when her father’s work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that sends her and Kevin on the run—with only one place to go.

On the other side of the Rift, Glenn and Kevin find the Magisterium, a fundamentally different reality that’s both more wondrous and more terrifying than they could have imagined. They also find themselves in the middle a hundred-year-old conflict that will force Glenn to reassess everything she thinks she knows about the world, her family, and even herself.


I've got quite a wait. Magisterium releases October 1, 2012 by Scholastic.

Toodles!

Waiting on Wednesday: Infamous: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book Three

Waiting on Wednesday is the terrific meme started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a great way to learn about new books that are coming out.

I'm looking forward to reading Infamous, the third book in the Chronicles of Nick series. It's not just a trilogy. I think it has like ten books or something! I believe I read that on author's site. I've become kind of committed to following Nick's saga. Check out the description...

The world has fallen in love with Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters.
Now Nick's saga continues in the next eagerly anticipated volume...

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That's the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn't the average teenager. He's a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.

He's learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive and keep a girlfriend so dang hard? But that isn't the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.

And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known.

Or he'll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he'll lose everyone he cares about.

Even himself.

Enjoy the trailer...

You can read the first two chapters here.

I don't have long to wait. The book released yesterday, March 13, 2013.

Toodles!

 

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Partials by Dan Wells

Waiting on Wednesday is one of the best ways to learn about new books coming out. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This week, I'm going dystopian. There is something about the stark, crisp design of the cover image that draws me in. I'm looking forward to reading this story. Check out what it's about...

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials - engineered organic beings identical to humans - has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them - connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question - one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.
 

From what I understand, romance doesn't factor into this story in anything close to significant. I admit, I was kind of put off by this, 'cause I'm a total romance junkie, but I'm willing to stretch myself and try something different. The premise sounds really good and like I said, I love that cover. Anybody else going to take a chance on it? We won't have to wait long.

Partials releases February 28, 2012.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane.

Waiting on Wednesday is a great way to learn about new books coming out. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This week I'm looking forward to reading On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane. Check out what it's about...


The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over.
I would learn a lesson I wasn't prepared for.
And Death would be my willing teacher. 

Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother's life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death--by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky--she would never be normal again.

Now she's the target of Death's Ravens and an innocent boy's life is on the line. When Nate Holden--Abbey's secret crush--starts to climb Alaska's Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her.

Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

The cover of this book caught my attention right away. It has a stark, Gothic quality. "A boy made of clouds and sky"...I love the use of language...The tale has an odd, other worldly sensibility to it. At least I don't have to wait. It's out now!

On a Dark Wing released December 20, 2011 by Harlequin Teen.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Surrender by Lee Nichols

It's been a while since I participated in WoW. Life gets in the way...lol...But I'm back! At least this week...hee hee hee. Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. I've learned about so many books, this way. This week, I'm looking forward to finishing the last book of a series I've been reading. Surrender is the last book of a YA paranormal trilogy. Read the final description...

After a devastating battle at headquarters in New York, the ghostkeeping world is in shambles. When Emma and Bennett return home, they are determined to defeat the wraithmaster, Neos, forever. But it's not going to be easy. Bennett's parents kick him out when they realize he is still using drugs to enhance his powers. Emma is convinced her aunt has come back from the dead to warn her of a new threat. And worst of all, Neos is using wraiths to possess the students at Thatcher Academy. If the ghosts manage to take over the entire school, even Emma won't be strong enough to stop them. But if either she or Bennett sacrifice his or her powers, they might be able to save the ghostkeeping world once and for all-and break the "ghostkeepers lose their powers when they fall in love" curse. The question is: who will be the one to surrender all power?

Fast-paced and romantic, this conclusion to the Haunting Emma trilogy will thrill readers as it brings the ghostly mystery to a close.

The romantic element was weaker in the second book. If you visit here with any regularity, you know I am all about the romance. I'm hoping it comes back in a big way in this final book in the series. We'll see...

Anyone else reading this series?

Surrender: A Haunting Emma Novel releases December 6, 2011 by Bloomsbury.

Toodles!

Book One

Book Two

                                                                                                           

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani

Waiting on Wednesday is back! It's the weekly opportunity to learn about another new, pending book. It was started by the fabulous Jill over at Breaking the Spine. I seem to be on a trend. This week, I'm going contemporary YA and selecting another story with a biracial girl at the center of the story. Here's the description...

After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonia's mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions—questions Sonia doesn't always know how to answer—as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who aren't part of the "in" crowd.

At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, she's dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent—it's hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonia's father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are—and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.

This has a fresh perspective and I'm looking forward to learning how the protagonist tackles these issues. Anyone think they'll be joining me?

The Whole Story of Half a Girl releases January 10, 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Waiting on Wednesday is a great show of blogger community. The concept was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it's where we take the opportunity to talk about what books we're anticipating reading and looking forward to. This week, I'm back in the contemporary YA camp. Check out the description of If I Tell...

Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a one night stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

Well! This sounds complex. I love a story that has a menagerie of nooks and crannies filled with intrigue and complexity of emotions. Thank goodness I don't have to truly wait for it. It came out the first of this month. I love the cover. The color scheme, which happens to be aqua and green, is one of my favorites. The cover model is a good choice too. The girl actually looks biracial, though there's no absolutes in this area. I know some people that you would never know had parents of two different races. It's genetic Russian roulette! Lol....

If I Tell released October 1, 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire.

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Living Violet--The Cambion Chronicles by Jaime Reed.

Book One

Waiting on Wednesday is an awesome opportunity to learn about new books coming out and what folks are salivating to read. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. I've ping-ponged back in the paranormal camp this week. Check out Living Violet: the first book in the Cambion Chronicles series by Jaime Reed...


He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile. 

But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

The girl is biracial and we don't see much of that in YA. I remember when this author's agent announced her book deal. This is her debut novel and I love the premise of the story.  I'm looking forward to learning how she pulls it off. Anyone gonna join me for the ride?

Living Violet--The Cambion Chronicles releases December 27, 2011.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Waiting on Wednesday is the weekly post that let's everyone know what are the highly anticipated books. It was started by that brilliant girl, Jill over at Breaking the Spine. I'm letting go of the supernatural this week. I'm casting the paranormal aside and getting real--realistic. I'm going for contemporary YA! It's the latest book of one of my favorite real-life authors: Sara Zarr. Check out the blurb from How to Save a Life...

Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.
Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.

I met Sara at a writer's conference last year. She was the keynote speaker. She's a truly talented writer and so down to Earth. Love, love, love her stuff. If you haven't read her books, what in world are you waiting for?! Get to it...lol...!

How to Save a Life releases October 18, 2011.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: INSURGENT by Veronica Roth

Book Two

Book One

Waiting on Wednesday is the meme started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It lets everyone know what are the hotly anticipated books. This week I'm looking at the next book in a trilogy: Insurgent, the second book in the Divergent series. There's no blurb available yet, but according to the author, Insurgent will pick up where the first book leaves off. The factions that were not featured in Divergent will have a more prominent role. I guess that would be Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent) and Amity (the peaceful). Insurgent will also go into Tobias’ history more. Remember him--Beatrice's love interest, the boy who trained her? I tell you. It's a good thing they're not taking too long to publish the next book because I had to look at the first one to remember how it ended!  Roth said the second book is about consequences for the most part. The repercussions of what Tris did, and what Jeanine did at the end of the first book, in particular. Can you remember what Jeanine did? I can't!

We've got a bit of a wait. It doesn't release until the Spring, but I have a feeling that will be here before we know it. So, tell me. Who's in?!

INSURGENT releases May, 2012.


Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Waiting on Wednesday has come around again. It's a great way to learn about new books coming out and what folks are eagerly anticipating. It was started by the marvelous Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This week, I'm leaving the supernatural behind and going for a contemporary YA. It's called Bunheads. That's a heck of a name, isn't it?...lol...The publisher put me on to it and I'm intrigued by it. Check out the blurb...

On-stage beauty. Backstage drama.
As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.

But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life? 

The author danced with the New York City Ballet from 2000 until 2009. I did some ballet myself as a kid though nothing as professional as the New York City Ballet. My group did perform at Lincoln Center in New York as well as Carnegie Hall, though! Those are awesome memories.

I love the rather abstract design of the cover. It makes me think of some kind of esoteric garden of some sort or lillypads--cool. For years, I wore my hair like that. It drove my friends crazy. People would beg me to take it out so they could see how long my hair was. I always promised to do it, but never did. It's all about the mystery, ya know? Ha ha ha...So, what do you think?  Are there any bunheads in your future?

BUNHEADS releases October 10, 2011 by Poppy (Little, Brown)

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel

Waiting on Wednesday posts weekly and let's everyone know what are the hotly anticipated reads. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This week I'm interested in After Obsession. Let's see what's being said about it...

Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts, and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other for the first time, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel strongly that something, or someone, is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life - and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney, but everything around her...

Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love - and introducing an exciting new YA voice in Steven Wedel - this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.

I wonder if this is written in alternating point of view. Did Carrie Jones write the part of Aimee and debut author, Steven Wedel write the guy, Alan's part?

Hey, guys. Did you notice something in the description? Courtney has invited a demon into her life. Then it says they have to exorcise the ghost! Is a demon and a ghost one and the same? Are the two words synonyms for the same creature? Are you willing to accept this? Or not?! What do you think?

After Obsession releases September 13, 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Overbite by Meg Cabot

Book Two

This day came around so fast, I almost missed it again! Waiting on Wednesday is the great meme started by that clever girl, Jill over at Breaking the Spine. I even saw an author mention this meme in the monthly addition of The Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)! We're a part of something great, ya'll...lol...This week I'm going for a sequel. It's the second book in the Insatiable series by Meg Cabot. Insatiable was the first Cabot book I ever read and I thought it was a YA book, but it was an adult story. Loved it. Cabot poked fun at Twilight, the whole vampire trend, all while writing her own delicious story and putting her spin on the paranormal. She's not letting Meyers or any of the other new kids on the block get the better of her! She's determined to stay relevant and keep up! Let's see how the story continues...

Book One

Meena Harper has a special gift, but it's only now that anyone's ever appreciated it. The Palatine Guard - a powerful secret demon-hunting unit of the Vatican - has hired her to work at their new branch in Lower Manhattan. With Meena's ability to predict how everyone she meets will die, the Palatine finally has a chance against the undead.

Sure, her ex-boyfriend was Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula, the prince of darkness. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames. Now Meena's sworn off vampires for good . . . at least until she can prove her theory that just because they've lost their souls doesn't mean demons have lost the ability to love.

Meena knows convincing her co-workers - including her partner, Uber-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf - that vampires can be redeemed won't be easy . . . especially when a deadly new threat seems to be endangering not just lives of the Palatine, but Meena's friends and family as well.

But Meena isn't the Palatine's only hope. Father Henrique - aka Padre Caliente - New York City's youngest, most charming priest, has also been assigned to the case.
So why doesn't Meena - or Alaric - trust him?                                                             

As she begins unraveling the truth, Meena finds her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare . . . and temptations she never even imagined existed impossible to resist.
This time, Meena may finally have bitten off more than she can chew.

I'm a little late with this one as it came out last month, but I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into it. Has anyone else read it or the first book in the series?

Overbite released July 5, 2011 by William Murrow.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Book Two

Waiting on Wednesday has swung back around again. I'm glad because its my favorite meme, but I'm also sad because that means the Summer is disappearing...*sigh*...WoW as started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She must be somewhat of a genius to have created such an inspiring post. Thanks Jill! This week I've got a sequel in mind: A Million Suns by Beth Revis. It's the second book in the Across the Universe trilogy. Let's see how the story continues...

When Elder learns harrowing news about the space ship Godspeed, he and Amy must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. It all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Book One

If you haven't read the first book, please do. I implore you. It's an awesome read. I can't wait to see what going to happen to Amy and Elder next. I remember how the publisher gushed about this series when he spoke at a writers conference in January 2010. He wasn't exaggerating. It is that good. Who's going to go across the universe with me to read this? 


A Million Suns releases January 12, 2012 by Razorbill (Penguin)


Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Waiting on Wednesday is back and it snuck up on me so fast, I almost didn't post this! WoW is the meme that lets everyone know what we're looking forward to reading. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. For those of you who stopped by last Wednesday, you know how crazy I was to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Guess what? I discovered an ARC of the book in my mailbox yesterday! Yay! I couldn't believe it. Can't wait to sink my teeth into it. This week I'm going in another direction. I'm moving away from the scary into dystopian--again. We're seeing a lot of that, aren't we? Is it too much? Let's see what's the deal behind Shatter Me...

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 

This novel is getting a lot of buzz and I want to know what all the fuss is about. It has a beautiful cover, but my first thought is that it doesn't clue me in as to what the story is about. Based on the description, I wouldn't expect Juliette to wear something like this. It reminds me of a wedding dress. I still really like it though...lol...I want to know how it fits into the story...This could work based on the mystery factor. People may crack that spine for the very reason of trying to understand what the heck is going on with the girl in the pretty dress...

Shatter Me is being pitched as a cross between The Hunger Games and The X-Men. I'm having a hard time reconciling those two visuals, but that's probably just me. I'm really anxious to see if this novel will live up to the hype. Divergent certainly did and I thought that might be the real next Hunger Games. Can Shatter Me do the same? Let's read it and find out, shall we?

Shatter Me will be released by HarperCollins November 15, 2011

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Waiting on Wednesday is that yummy meme that gives us all a chance to learn what other bloggers are waiting for and anticipating in the literary realm. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine and I'm so glad she did! This week I'm going for something a little more along the lines of the creepy and horrific. Check this out...

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?



This novel is one of the "big" books being enthusiastically promoted by Little, Brown. I did a little research into the author's earlier books and they're all fantasy and have a rather evil, demonic undertone. Her sensibility is similar to my own, but I've tried to keep the horror aspects not as dark in my own story, but I've debated it. I really wonder what made the author focus on these factors. I know what inspired me.

I can't wait to read this book and I want to check out her earlier works as well. She received star reviews for her prior books and was a National Book finalist. Readers seem to have a uniformly great impression of her writing. I want to check it out for myself.

What say you, fellow book lover. Does her stuff sound too heavy for you, or can you handle it?

Daughter of  SMOKE & BONE by Laini Taylor will be released September 27, 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday is Fever by Lauren De Stefano



Book Two of the Chemical Garden Trilogy



Ahh...time for one of my favorite posts. Waiting on Wednedsay was started by the fabulous Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's an excellent way to learn about the new books that folks are excited about and looking forward to. This week, I've got my eyes set on Fever, the second book in the Chemical Gardens trilogy. If you haven't read Wither yet, you should check it out. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, the story somber, somewhat dark and thought-provoking. Let's see where Wither ends and Fever takes off...

From the moment of their escape, Rhine and Gabriel are constantly in danger. First, the police are after them for stealing their escape boat; then, they run straight into the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects and sells girls to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Rhine's father-in-law Vaughn seems able to find her wherever she goes.

                                                                                                                                                     

She manages to make the long journey home only to find it abandoned, her twin brother Rowan nowhere to be found. And when she discovers several of their treasured possessions are also gone, she realizes that he won't be back. Rhine's determination to find her brother remains steadfast, until she finds herself crippled by illness. . . and then, once again, at her father-in-law's mercy. Fearing for Gabriel's safety, she reluctantly leaves him behind and, unbelievably, returns to the one place she never wanted to see again.



Book One

The second book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy reveals a world outside the mansion as captivating and bleak as the one Rhine left behind--and sets the stage for an explosive conclusion.

What do you think of the cover? It seems to have provoked some strong feelings across the blogosphere. It's the same model. I am partial to the first one, Wither, but I do like the new one as well. Judging by the girl's rather wasted appearance, it looks like Rhine went through hell in this sequel...lol...I'm looking forward to finding out. What say you, fellow booklover?

Fever releases February 21, 2012 by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing

Toodles!