Blog Tour - A Vampire is Coming to Dinner

I apologize for missing my original post date last week, but I was sick and just didn't get anything blog related done.  This week is much better, and I appreciate Trish and TLC Book Tours for allowing me to reschedule this review.  Here is one for Halloween that is sure to please even the little ones!

Title:  A Vampire is Coming to Dinner!

Author:  Pamela Jane

Illustrator:  Pedro Rodriguez

Review Copy Provided by:  Price Stern Sloan

About the Book:  Read along as the narrator of this story comes up with some very practical rules for dealing with a vampire. But rules are meant to be broken, aren’t they? From feeding the vampire garlic to filling the house with mirrors, the narrator is doing just that! With ten full-page gatefolds and a pop at the end of the book, kids will love seeing which rules are being followed and which aren’t!

My Review:  This is just the cutest book!  Why am I saying that about a Halloween book that is about vampires?  Well, because it's for children, even young ones, and they won't be scared by it.

This book is filled with the 10 rules for what to do when you have a vampire over for dinner.  Who does that?  Well, children with imaginations, that's who!  The illustrator makes this book come to life with fun pictures that go along with each rule.  Every page is a different rule and folds out to reveal what to do and not to do.  At the end, children will be surprised with a "pop-up."  Children and adults love pop-ups in books and I'm glad to see one used in this one.

Right now is the perfect time to share this book with the young children in your life.  Happy Halloween and have fun learning about what to do and not to do when a vampire comes to dinner!

If you'd like to read some other reviews, here are the previous stops on the tour:

Monday, October 4th: Jenn’s Bookshelves
Tuesday, October 5th: Write for a Reader
Wednesday, October 6th: Savvy Verse & Wit
Thursday, October 7th: There’s a Book
Monday, October 11th: The Book Faery Reviews

"Waiting on Wednesday" - Freefall

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
 

Freefall
By Mindi Scott
Publication Date:  October 5th 2010 by Simon Pulse  


How do you come back from the point of no return?

Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend Isaac alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time where Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn’t wake up.

Convinced that his own actions led to his friend’s death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely.

Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth will soon realize he isn’t the only one who needs saving . . .

First of all, I love the simplicity of the cover, yet it says so much!  Also, we are starting to see more and more YA with male protagonists.  I like that!  For so long, it's been about the girls, but boys have real issues that need to be broached in stories as well.  Can't wait for this one!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - The Replacement

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
 

The Replacement

By Brenna Yovanoff
Publication Date:  September 21st 2010 by Razorbill

Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

Totally grabbed by the cover and then intriguied more by the summary.  This just sounds creepy!

Review - Infinite Days

Title:  Infinite Days
Author:  Rebecca Maizel
Review Copy Provided by:  St. Martin's Griffin


About the Book:  "Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."

Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.
I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode.
But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.
I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me... 

My Review:  When I finished this book, I tweeted something like this; "Just finished Infinite Days.  All I can say is WOW!!"   And now, a week later, as I write this review, I am still in awe and wish the 2nd book were coming out next month.  But, it's not.  This book releases then, and, if you're a fan of books about vampires, then rush out and get it; you won't regret it!

There are not many debut books that grab me and won't let me go, but this was one of them!  I picked it up on the afternoon of one day, and finished it the afternoon of the next.  As soon as I did, I handed it to my favorite teenage reader and said, "I just finished this...you have to read it."  So, she started it that night. 

Rebecca Maizel does such a great job with this one!  What author has taken a new spin on vampires lately?  Make the vampire human?  That's one we've never heard of, but she does it so wonderfully because I was intrigued by the idea the minute I started reading. 

Lenah has the chance that vampires don't usually get, being human again, and she falls in love with it.  Not only does she fall in love with being human, she falls in love which is something she thought she'd never do.  My favorite part of Lenah being human is her pure innocence about everything.   She'd never known what things felt like, tasted like, didn't know about 21st century things like Lacrosse, but it didn't take her long to learn.  It is so refreshing to read her naivety and innocence about every little thing.  It adds humor to the story.

Everyone thinks there's something different about her, Lenah, the new girl on campus, but she just wants to fit in.  She's befriended and is soon learning about her new world, finding love, and "feeling" a kiss for the first time.  That is until the bad news...the coven will hunt for their queen.  Will Lenah be able to save all that she has come to know and love, or will she lose it all again?

Ms. Maizel has crafted a dark, romantic story that will stay with you long after you close the cover and put the book down.  It's unlike any other vampire story you've read in this genre!  I fell in love with Lenah, was sad, but applauded Rhode, felt indifference towards Vicken, and was scared for Justin.  Very touching, very emotional, very good!!!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Matched

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Matched

By Ally Condie
Publication Date:  November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile  


In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

I can't imagine a world where I'd have no voice, no say so in what happened in my life.  This sounds like an interesting read!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Beautiful Darkness

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Beautiful Darkness
By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Publication Date: October 12th 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.
 
I read, fell in love with, raved about and reviewed the first book in this series, Beautiful Creatures.  It engulfed me into it's small town and I didn't want it to end.  I'm so glad that the next book is coming out, even if I have to wait until October. :(

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Clockwork Angel

I haven't done a "Waiting On" post in a while, but I felt it was time I joined back in.  In fact, I haven't done much blogging lately, but school is almost out, so things are looking up!  I miss my blogging buddies terribly and admire all of you that keep blogging everyday.  If you're a reader of my blog, thank you for coming back and sticking with me.  I appreciate each and every one of you!!

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Clockwork Angel
By Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: August 31st 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I have heard alot about this one around the blogosphere and really want to read it!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Whisper

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


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Whisper
by: Phoebe Kitanidis
Publication Date: April 27th 2010 by Balzer + Bray

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…


Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.
 
How intriguing does that sound?  And the fact that it comes out in less than 2 weeks is even better!  I've always thought that the ability to hear others' thoughts could be a blessing and a curse.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Guardian of the Gate

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Guardian of the Gate
by: Michelle Zink
Publication Date: August 1st 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.

Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.

 

I have been anxiously awaiting this one since I finished Prophecy of the Sisters, the first book in this series.  Michelle's writing is amazing and the story of these two sisters sucks you in and leaves you longing for more.  I can't wait to see what unfolds for them in Guardian.

Review: Horrid Henry's Joke Book

Title:  Horrid Henry's Joke Book

Author:  Francesca Simon

Review Copy Provided by:  Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

About the Book:  Warning: Too rude for parents and for slimy toad little brothers!
These are Horrid Henry's very own jokes: the jokes that grossed out Mom and Dad... that made Aunt Ruby run home... that sent Miss Battle-Axe screaming from class. Be horrid! Read Henry's jokes. Then tell them to the world!

My Review:  I've never been a huge fan of joke books, but I love Horrid Henry, so I had to review this one.  Children on the other hand, love joke books.  My 3rd graders would check them out and laugh out loud as they read them.  They shared them with me and even though I found them corny, it was funny to see the kick they got out of telling them.

This will be one of those books that is continuously asked for in a school library.  Horrid Henry is very popular, so kids will definitely want to read his jokes.  There are "why did the chicken cross the road" jokes, knock-knock jokes, and some questionable jokes as well.  Henry even shares some of his friends as well as his brother's jokes, even though he really doesn't want to.

I really enjoyed this little joke book.  With just 88 pages, it is packed full of funny!  The illustrations and Henry's commentary add so much to the jokes.  Ms. Simon has a winner on her hands with this one!  Kids are going to love it!  It was just released on April 1st, so get one for the joke loving child in your life.

"Waiting on Wednesday" - The Tension of Opposites

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Tension of Opposites
by:  Kristina McBride
Publication Date:  May 25th 2010 by EgmontUSA 

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.


This one just sounds interesting to me!  I enjoy mysteries and I love to see it in a YA novel.  High school is hard enough for teenagers, then couple it with the loss of your best friend and it's that much more difficult.  I am anxious for May to see how this one turns out.

"Waiting on Wednesday" - Inconvenient

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


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Inconvenient
by Margie Gelbwasser
Publication Date: November 2010 by Flux

Alyssa Bondar’s world is falling apart. She has just entered her sophomore year at Glenfair High, the only place to hang out is behind the CVS, Keith her cross-country crush keeps sending her mixed signals, and her best friend Lana has started the school year with large breasts and a sexy attitude–-attracting the attention of the most popular kids in the school, a group Alyssa clearly doesn’t fit into.

Alyssa’s Jewish, like most of Glenfair, but since she’s also Russian, Alyssa feels even more separated from other teens. How many other Jewish families have a New Year’s tree with ornaments? On top of all this, Alyssa’s once stable home environment has become chaotic.

Alyssa is used to alcohol accompanying every meal and event in the Russian culture. But when Alyssa’s mother loses her job, the usual drink or two changes into a full-time happy hour. While Alyssa's father uses news reports of war unrest in the Middle East as his escape from reality, Alyssa is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered family alone. As her mother’s alcoholism gets worse, Alyssa must decide how much she can and should handle before she crumbles as well.

I met Margie in a Tenners (2010 authors) chat one night and we became friends.  I am so excited to see her book with cover art, finally!  She and I have been trying to work together to get the word out about her book.  It's hard to WoW a book w/out cover art, so now I can!  Margie's book, Inconvenient, doesn't fit your typical YA mold.  The main character is Jewish, which a lot of books won't deal with. Yes, it's set in a high school, like many YA books, but I think Margie will put a different spin on it, that readers will like.  November is a while to wait, but I'm sure this one will be worth it!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Guardian of the Dead

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


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Guardian of the Dead
by Karen Healey
Publication Date: April 1st 2010 by Little Brown and Company

In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.


At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

I have been seeing this title pop up around the blogosphere and the hype alone has me wanting to read it.  Plus, it's published by Little Brown, which I haven't read a book by them I didn't like, so I'm anxious to get my hands on this one!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Perchance to Dream

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


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Perchance to Dream
by Lisa Mantchev
Publication Date: May 25th 2010 by Feiwel & Friends

The stuff that dreams are made on.


Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won’t want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.

What can I say?  No, it's not a debut book, like I usually post for WoW, but I couldn't resist.  I love Lisa and fell in love with Bertie in Act One: Eyes Like Stars.  I have been waiting on this one and was ecstatic when an ARC was delivered a couple of weeks ago.  It is calling to me, and this weekend, I will pick it up and get lost in the theatre and Bertie's world once again.  If this act is anything like the first one, it will deserve a "bravo; encore!"

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Shade

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


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Shade
by Jeri Smith-Ready
Publication Date: May 4th 2010 by Simon Pulse

When her boyfriend dies a most untimely death, Aura--who can see ghosts--is forced to reconsider her relationship with the living and dead in SHADE.

Not much of a description, but enough to have me intriguied...what about you?  Even the cover is mysterious with the darkness and just a hint of red.  I like how the title, is like a shadow on the cover.  It kind of gives the illusion of being in the shade, almost hidden from view, like the ghosts that Aura can see, but others can't.  I'm a sucker for ghost stories, so this one is right up my alley.  I'm very eager to see what happens with Aura.  She is names appropriately, don't you think?!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Plain Kate

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


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Plain Kate
by Erin Bow
Publication Date: September 2010 by Arthur Levine

In a market town by a looping river there lived an orphan girl called Plain Kate …


 
Kate’s is a colorful world of brokenhearted magicians, wandering gypsy clans, carved charms and stolen shadows. It’s a dark world of ghosts, fog and questions. It’s a dangerous world of witch burnings, persecution and plague. Her story is a coming-of-age story, a story about family and belonging, trust and betrayal, bravery and sacrifice, death and what lies beyond. Also, there’s a talking cat in it.

You know I'm a sucker for purple covers, so this one immediately caught my eye.  Plain Kate sounds like a good read, from the synopsis.  Books with magic are very popular right now, and I'm a huge fan of the Salem witch trials, so the world of witch burnings, persecution and plague is right up my alley.

What book are you waiting to read today?

"Waiting On" Wednesday - The Sky is Everywhere

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Sky is Everywhere
by Jandy Nelson
Publication Date: March 9th 2010 by Dial

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

Wow!  I feel like I lived part of this story.  It really hits close to home.  When I was in high school, I was in the band, and during my Senior year, my boyfriend was killed.  Talk about grief!  I don't know how I got through it except for having my friends around me.  I am anxious to get my hands on this one and see what unfolds with these characters.

"Waiting on Wednesday" - Everlasting

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Everlasting
by Angie Frazier
Publication Date: June 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press


Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.

If you are a follower of this blog, you know how I'm drawn to covers.  Well, this one, in my opinion, is beautiful!  I love the colors that were chosen.  Very simple, yet it catches the eye.  Then, I read the synopsis.  Not much YA that I've read is set in the past, especially the 1800s.  Not that this is historical fiction, which I love because I'm a big history fan, but the fact that it is set in the past has me highly anticipating this one!  To top it off, there are secrets, magic and romance.  What more could a girl want?

"Waiting On" Wednesday - The Beautiful Between

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


The Beautiful Between
By Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publication Date: May 11th 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

If high school were a fairy-tale kingdom, Connelly Sternin would be Rapunzel, locked not in a tower by a wicked witch but in a high-rise apartment building by the SATs and college applications—and by the secrets she keeps. Connelly's few friends think that her parents are divorced—but they're not. Connelly's father died when she was two, and she doesn't know how.

If Connelly is the Rapunzel of her school, Jeremy Cole is the crown prince, son of a great and rich New York City family. So when he sits down next to her at lunch one day, Connelly couldn't be more surprised. But Jeremy has a tragic secret of his own, and Connelly is the only one he can turn to for help. Together they form a council of two, helping each other with their homework and sharing secrets. As the pair's friendship grows, Connelly learns that it's the truth, not the secrets, that one must guard and protect. And that between friends, the truth, however harsh, is also beautiful.






I like a good story, and this sounds like a good story.  What I mean is, that there are no vampires, verewolves, etc. in this one.  It's just the story of 2 characters who become friends, share secrets, and learn the truth.  I also like the fact that the cover is black and white...not usually done.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Chasing Brooklyn

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Chasing Brooklyn
By Lisa Schroeder
Publication Date: January 5th 2010 by Simon and Schuster  
 

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there, waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca chasing her through her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

I seem to be in a ghostly mood.  This sounds like another good read, filled with ghosts and haunting!