"Waiting On" Wednesday - Moonglass

"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:


Moonglass

By Jessi Kirby
Publication Date:  May 3rd 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

from Goodreads:

From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead.

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

I actually have an ARC of this one that I'm just dying to get to!  It seems like a great summer read and I am getting summer ready! 

"Waiting On" Wednesday - I'll Be There

"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:

I'll Be There

By Holly Goldberg Sloan
Publication Date:  May 3rd 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Raised by an unstable father who keeps the family constantly on the move, Sam Border hasn't been in a classroom since the second grade. He's always been the rock for his younger brother Riddle, who stopped speaking long ago and instead makes sense of the world through his strange and intricate drawings. It's said that the two boys speak with one voice--and that voice is Sam's. 

Then, Sam meets Emily Bell, and everything changes. The two share an immediate and intense attraction, and soon Sam and Riddle find themselves welcomed into the Bell's home. Faced with normalcy for the first time, they know it's too good to last.

Told from multiple perspectives, Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel offers readers fresh voices and a gripping story, with vivid glimpses into the lives of many unique characters. Beautifully written and emotionally profound, I'll Be There is a story about connections both big and small, and deftly explores the many ways that our lives are woven together.

I'm very intrigued by this one because it deals with a child who has not been in school, forced to take care of his younger brother.  The fact that the younger one doesn't talk and the older one still knows how to communicate with him fascinates me.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Starcrossed

"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:

Starcrossed

By Josephine Angelini
Publication Date: May 31st 2011 by HarperTeen

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Sounds so good!!!

In Anticipation of Holly Black's Red Glove

Last week I received a package from Simon & Schuster that included a paperback copy of Holly Black's White Cat and an ARC of her newest title in the Curse Worker's Series, Red Glove.  I read White Cat as an ARC last year and fell in love with Holly's writing, characters, and this series.  If you've read White Cat, then you know Lila Zacharov.  In anticipation of the release of Red Glove, on April 5th, Holly Black has written a story from Lila's point of view.  The story is told in vignettes that can be read in any order.  Are you ready for this?  There are 13 vignettes!  You are invited to read them by clicking on the link for Lila Zacharov in 13 pieces.  This is brilliant!  It's a short story generator that mixes and matches the vignettes in a randomly generated order.  The story may never be the same as there are over 6 million variations possible.

I hope that you will visit the site to read the story from Lila's point of view.  If you haven't already gotten hooked on the Curse Worker's Series, there's still time for you to read White Cat before the April release of Red Glove.  What are you waiting for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday - The End of the Line

"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 End of the Line

By Angela Cerrito

Publication:  April 14th 2011 by Holiday House 

from Goodreads 
Gripping and suspenseful, this powerful, no-holds-barred novel by an exciting new talent goes deep inside a young boy's mind. Thirteen-year-old Robbie is locked in a room with nothing but a desk, a chair, a piece of paper, and a pencil. He's starving, but all they'll give him is water. He is sure he's in a nuthouse or a prison. Actually, he's at Great Oaks School, aka the End of the Line. Kept in solitary confinement, Robbie must earn points for food, a bed, even bathroom privileges. He must learn to listen carefully, to follow the rules, and to accept and admit the truth: he is a murderer. Robbie's first-person account of his struggles at the school—at times horrifying, at times hilarious—alternates with flashbacks to the events that led to his incarceration. Ultimately he must confront the question: which is worse—that he wanted to kill his friend Ryan or that he killed him by accident?

Just the cover had me, but the synopsis hooked me!  The cover is different than anything I've seen in YA in a while, and the story, well I have one word for you, WOW!  I'd love to read this one before April, but I guess I'll have to wait; it's not that long, right?  I'm glad to see more male main characters in YA.  There haven't been many lately, but I'm starting to see more and more and I'm glad.  Yes, I can connect with female leads since I'm a female, but it's great to read stories from the male POV as well.  Looking forward to this one!!

So Silver Bright Cover Reveal

So, on Tuesday I revealed a fragment of Lisa Mantchev's new book, So Silver Bright, which is the third and final installment of the Theatre Illuminata trilogy, that began with Eyes Like Stars.  Well, all week, many blogs have been revealing other fragments of the cover.  All of which, when put together, make up the fabulous cover of So Silver Bright.  Here you go...

Isn't it fabulous?  I just love it!  Lisa's covers have yet to disappoint me...they are awesome!!  Remember, if you have yet to read this trilogy and want to start, I have one signed copy of Eyes Like Stars to give away.  All you have to do is fill out this form by midnight tonight and you will be entered.  US/Canada only please.  The publisher will be mailing the book to one lucky winner chosen by random.org

So Silver Bright will be released in September by Feiwel and Friends.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Through Her Eyes

"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:

Through Her Eyes

By Jennifer Archer

Publication: April 5th 2011 by HarperTeen

Sixteen-year-old Tansy Piper moves with her grandfather and her mother, a horror writer, to the setting of her mother's next book--a secluded house outside of a tiny, desolate West Texas town. Lonely and upset over the move, Tansy escapes into her photography and the dark, seductive poems she finds hidden in the cellar, both of which lure her into the mind and world of a mysterious, troubled young man who died sixty years earlier.

"Tiny, desolate West Texas town..." was the first thing that drew me to this book.  Being from Texas, I love to read books with a Texas setting, but even more so because it is set in a small town.  I have always felt like I was born in the wrong place.  I'm more of a small town girl than a city girl.  The whole thing sounds a little creepy to me and that's intriguing!

Sweet Venom Cover Reveal

This is the week for awesome cover reveals and I am so happy to be able to share 2 of them with you!  Today's cover is the October release, Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs.

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in a world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

So, what do you think?  Pretty awesome, huh?  I can hardly wait!!  You can learn more about Sweet Venom at Tera's website.  Check out the character collages of the 3 main characters, Grace, Gretchen and Greer over at Books, Boys, Buzz.  Be sure to "like" Sweet Venom on Facebook.

Cover Fragment: So Silver Bright

If you've followed me long enough, you will know that I'm a HUGE fan of Lisa Mantchev and have been since she debuted with Eyes Like Stars.  Well, here we are 2 novels later and Lisa is about to release the final chapter in Bertie's story, So Silver Bright.

Last week Lisa posted on her blog looking for bloggers that would help her reveal the cover for So Silver Bright.  I am so honored to have been chosen, along with some other awesome bloggers, to share fragments of the cover with you all week and then reveal the full cover on Friday.  So, without further adieu, here is a little piece of the cover.

Bertie thinks her quest is almost done. With the help of Ariel and the rest of her friends, she has managed to find her father and rescue the kidnapped pirate, Nate, from Sedna the sea goddess. Now all she has to do is reunite her father, The Scrimshander, with her mother, Ophelia, and she will finally have a true family of her own.  However, things are never easy for Beatrice Shakespeare Smith. Her father has vanished, Sedna is out for revenge, her own actions have trapped the Theatre Illuminata, the only home she’s ever known, into a strange kind of limbo, and the stress of her in-between state is tearing apart the fragile threads of her mother’s sanity. Bertie’s best hope for salvaging the situation may lie in the summons by Her Gracious Majesty, Queen of the Distant Castle and hope of winning the magical boon given to the most pleasing performance. Bertie is caught between her growing responsibilities to home and family and the dream of flying free, just as her heart is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate. With so many forces pulling on her, how will Bertie be able to choose which wish to make come true?

It's just full of "awesomesauce!"  Remember, this is only a fragment of the cover...wait until Friday to see it all revealed.  You will love it, I'm sure.  The covers for Lisa's books have gotten more beautiful with each one and this one did not disappoint me.

If you haven't read the beginning of the story, Eyes Like Stars, you can enter for a chance to win a copy by filling out this form.  One lucky reader will receive a copy from Feiwel and Friends.  Comments won't count for entries; you must fill out the form. Enter until Friday, 2/18, at midnight.  There are chances for extra entries, but really all you have to do is leave your name and contact information.

You can see the other "pieces of the puzzle" by visiting the other blogs:

Monday 2/14 Fragment One

http://www.princessbookie.com/

http://www.pageturnersblog.com/

http://laurasreviewbookshelf.blogspot.com/

http://www.fantasticbookreview.com/

http://onthenightstand.net/

Tuesday 2/15 Fragment 2

http://bibliophiles-journal.blogspot.com/

http://abookwormshaven.com/

http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/

thecozyreader.com

http://writeforareader.blogspot.com

Wednesday 2/16 Fragment 3

http://www.storiesandsweeties.com/

http://thekams.wordpress.com/

http://www.superreadergirl.com/

Karissabooks.blogspot.com

http://mypileofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://vampsweresandcassay.blogspot.com/

Thursday 2/17 Fragment 4

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

www.yabliss.com

http://foreveryoungadult.blogspot.com/

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Entwined

"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:

Entwined
By Heather Dixon
Publication: March 29th 2011 by Greenwillow Books

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

So, when I read this synopsis it immediately reminded me of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which I read as a child.  I was fascinated by the "other world" that was beyond the wardrobe.  I am anxious to see what kind of "world" the Keeper lives in!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Possum Summer

"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:

Possum Summer
By Jen K Blom
Publication:  March 11th 2011 by Holiday House
 
from Goodreads:  Eleven-year-old P (short for Princess, a name she loathes) longs for a pet, but her father insists that all animals on their Oklahoma farm must earn their keep. While he's away on combat duty in Iraq, P tries to turn his cattle dog into her pet and rescues an orphaned opossum that she names Ike. She hand-feeds him, smuggles him into school, and soon he is following her everywhere.

P knows she can't keep him forever. Can she teach Ike to survive in the wild before her father gets home and if she does, can she bear to let him go? 

How could I not read this one?  I mean, really!  I'm from the south and in the south we have possums...not sure I'd have one for a pet, but to each his own, or in this case her own.  I like that it's set in present day too, with a father serving in Iraq.  There are many little girls out there that could relate to this.  I'm a sucker for animal stories, like those written by Bill Wallace. (I used to read them aloud and suggest them to my students when we went to the library.)  When I saw what Mr. Wallace had to say about this one, I knew I should read it.  "A heartwarming, vibrant story. It's a book that middle graders will want to read." --Bill Wallace, author of A Dog Called Kitty  If he likes it, I'm sure I will too.

"Waiting on" Wednesday - So Shelly

"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:

So Shelly
By Ty Roth

Publication:  February 8th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

 

from Goodreads - 

Until now, high school junior, John Keats, has only tiptoed near the edges of the vortex that is schoolmate and literary prodigy, Gordon Byron. That is, until their mutual friend, Shelly, drowns in a sailing accident.

After stealing Shelly's ashes from her wake at Trinity Catholic High School, the boys set a course for the small Lake Erie island where Shelly's body had washed ashore and to where she wished to be returned. It would be one last "so Shelly" romantic quest. At least that's what they think. As they navigate around the obstacles and resist temptations during their odyssey, Keats and Gordon glue together the shattered pieces of Shelly's and their own pasts while attempting to make sense of her tragic and premature end.

Why wouldn't I want to read a book that has my name in the title?  I mean, who wouldn't?  But, aside from that, it sounds very interesting and the cover is so great! 

"Waiting on Wednesday" - Haven

"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:

Haven
By Kristi Cook

Publication:  February 22nd 2011 by Simon Pulse

From Goodreads.com - 

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first.

I've always been a fan of books, tv shows, movies, etc. about people with powers.  Which is why I love Ghost Whisperer, Charmed, and many others.  This book sounds like it's goes right along with those.  I'm anxious to see how this one turns out.

The "Launch" of the Good Ship Godspeed!

Today is the BIG day...ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is released today!!

Thanks to Jeremy from Novel Thoughts for creating the header for us to use today.  I hope you are excited...lots of the blogosphere is!  Beth Revis, the author, has this to say...

About the book, from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
 
Buy it at Powells
Buy it at Amazon

You can find Across the Universe on Facebook or at the website.

Check out Penguin Teen online at their website, Twitter, and Facebook.

Beth Rivas can be found at her website, blog, and on Twitter.

Want to be enticed some more?  From 11:11 AM Eastern to 11:11 PM Eastern on 01-11-11, that's today ONLY, io9 is posting a 111 page excerpt.  Be sure to check it out!

I'll leave you with the ATU trailer for your viewing pleasure!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Where I Belong

"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:


Where I Belong

By Gwendolyn Heasley

Publication: February 1st 2011 by HarperTeen 

From Goodreads:

Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the glamorous life she’s supposed to be living. But as she grudgingly adjusts—making new friends and finding romance along the way—this city girl begins to realize that life without credit cards and shopping sprees may not be as bad as it seems.... 

How could I not read a book set in Texas, my home state?