Waiting on Wednesday: Antigoddess

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  It features each bloger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Antigoddess by Kendare Blake. 

Summary:

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Why I Can't Wait: I adore Greek Mythology.  Percy Jackson and the Starcrossed series are some of my favorite books of all time.  I can not wait to get my hands on this book.  It sounds epic!!  Besides, this focuses on the goddesses.  How cool is that?

Expected Publication: September 10, 2013 by Tor Teen

What are you waiting for on this fabulous Wednesday?

Waiting On Wednesday: Just One Year

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  It features each bloger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Just One Year by Gayle Forman.  

Summary:  Can you fall in love in just one day? Can you become a new person? How about in just one year? In Just One Day and its companion novel Just One Year, sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey and easygoing actor Willem De Ruiter are about to find out against a guidebook-worthy array of foreign backdrops. Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) Just One Day and Just One Year show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself.

Why I Can't Wait:  Personally, I adored Just One Day.  I sat down and read it in one day because I just couldn't stop reading it.  The book really sucked me in, and I loved the settings that Ms. Forman took me through.  

Ok so my favorite part about this book?  It's going to be in Willem's POV.  I really want to know what was going on in his head after seeing how much Allyson suffered during that year.  Plus he travels so much that the settings have got to be equally as awesome!!  

Expected Release Date:  October 15, 2013 by Dutton Children's

What book are you waiting anxiously for?

Waiting On Wednesday: The Lucy Variations

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr.

Summary:  Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It's about finding joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

Why I Can't Wait: First off, it's been a few weeks since I have done a WoW pick.  I just wasn't feeling it.  But I am so excited about this book.  Music is such a huge part of my life.  I would have a hard time in those post-apolotiptyic worlds where there is no music.  Anyways, I digress.  I am really interested in seeing where this book goes.  It sounds like an amazing contemporary.  

What are you waiting anxiously for? 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike.

Summary:  Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto. 

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.

In all honesty, this sounds adorable.  ADORABLE.  And I love modern retellings on any day, so I have high hopes for this books.  The other reason why I want to read this is it sounds like my perfect mix of paranormal and contemporary.  I love that perfect blend!

What are you waiting for??

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu. 

Summary:  When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he's her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again.

But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can't stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a ton about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she's obsessed.

 Bea tells herself she's got it all under control, but this isn't a choice, it's a compulsion. The truth is, she's breaking down... and she might end up breaking her own heart.

I'm sorry, but the idea of this book just sounds awesome.  AWESOME!  It's like the perfect contemporary novel for me.  Nothing like the creepin' girl to make love make sense.  

Expected Publication:  July 23, 2013 by Simon Pulse

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers.

Summary:  Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

I love that this story takes place from Sybella's POV.  She was one of the most mysterious of the characters in Grave Mercy.  I loved the setting of the first book and the atmosphere it lent to the story.  I can not wait to get my hands on this one and see what happens next!

Expected Publication:  April 2 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children  

What are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Goddess by Josephine Angelini.  

Summary:  After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Dreamless left me seriously rattled.  Beyond rattled.  All I wanted was for a happy ending, but it seemed it wouldn't happen.  I have to read this one because this series is one of my absolute favorites.  The problem is if Helen and Lucas don't end up together, I am going to be one angry fan.  I know that's sad, but it's how I feel anyways.  

Expected Publication: May 28 by HarperTeen

What are you waiting for this fabulous Wednesday?

Also there are only a couple of days left for my Valentine's Giveaway *which is a pretty awesome one* so if you want to check that out go here.

  

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is The Elite by Kiera Cass. 

Summary: Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

The Selection was one of my all time favorite books of 2012.  It was incredible.  If you have not read it, you need to go here.  There are no words to express how anxiously I am awaiting this book.  When I hold it in my hands, it will be an incredible day.  I would probably kill for an ARC.  LOL.  That's not happening, but I have made my peace.  Anywho, let's just decide to admire the cover together though.  The covers for this series are fabulous.  

Is anyone else looking forward to this book?  And did you love The Selection as much as I did?   

Expected Publication:  April 23, 2013 by HarperTeen

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is How (Not) To Find a Boyfriend by Allyson Valentine. 

Summary:  Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town and steals Nora’s heart with his untra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead? 

Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and struggles to stay in control of her image.

In the end, the only thing that can save Nora is a chess tournament—that she has to compete in wearing her cheerleading uniform. Can she prove to everyone that she can be both a butterfly and a nerd?

Allyson Valentine has created a story so full of enamoring characters, pitch-perfect humor, and delightfully frustrating romance that it will leave you cheering.  Great for fans of Stephanie Perkins's< Anna and the French Kiss, Susanne Colosanti and Sarah Dessen.

There are some great authors mentioned in this summary.  Which leaves me feeling this nervous anticipation.  I will read the book.  I have to.  The summary sounds incredibly adorable and perfectly like the type of book I would drool over.  Nerds getting the super cute boy?  Yes please.  And I always have loved main boy crushes with the name Adam.  There is just something about that name...

Expected Publication:  June 13, 2013 by Philomel

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. 

Summary:  It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

I loved Between Shades of Gray.  LOVED IT!  Even though it was written for more middle grade, I thought it was one of the best books written for kids/teens about a true human atrocity.  And the summary for this book sounds even more interesting to me.  I know that her research process for her first book was INTENSE.  The way she so crazily depicted the world of her last book is such a real way has made sure that I read anything she writes.  I have sadly written a preview of my review, which is to come later in the week, for her first book. 

Anyways, books about New Orleans always draw me, Ruta Sepetys draws me, and the cover looks gorgeous.  I just know it will be historical fiction I will love!!   

Expected Publication:  February 12, 2013 by Philomel Books

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Requiem by Lauren Oliver.

Summary:  Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

 Any fan of Lauren Oliver knows that "why I can't wait" is a silly question.  And anyone who read Pandemonium knows why I am anxious and dying to get my hands on Requiem.  I'm about to reread the first two books just so I will be ready to experience the last book.  THE LAST BOOK!  I have been waiting over a year for this book so now that I have established silly question...

The thing I am most excited about is that this book is going to be from both Hana and Lena's perspective.  I loved Hana in Delirium and the novella.  I am really excited how that plays out in this new book.

Expected Publication:  March 5, 2013 by HarperTeen

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt.  

Summary:  When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). 

She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow. 

Why I Can't Wait:  Maybe I am just craving a really good contemporary novel.  It's possible, but either way this book has me on my toes in anticipation.  It just sounds like everything I need right now.  Vintage.  Good smelling boys.  And the cover is perfect for me.

Expected Publication:  March 26, 2013 by Bloomsbury

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.  It's been awhile since I've done one of these.  Really I have not been very faithful blog-wise lately but that is all due to May being finals, and adjusting to a new work schedule, and family drama.  It's getting better. Promise.  

Summary:  Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t…


For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Why I Can't Wait:  I love the idea for this book.  I can't decide if Eva is going to turn evil or something.  Not that I'm rooting for that or anything.  I'm just really interested in seeing where the book is taken.  As a lover of strange dystopian societies, this book is looking pretty promising.  When I first heard about this book, I was under the impression it was about twins.  After reading the summary, I am so much more intrigued about what is waiting for me in those pages.  I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for this book!

Expected Publication: September 18, 2012 by Harper  

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Why I Can't Wait:  If you have read Divergent, there is really no question there.  Veronica Roth did such an amazing job that she has won me over as a favorite author.  She almost reached Stephanie Perkins level for me.  I'm so ready to dive into the rebellion and seeing what is going to happen between Tris and Tobias.  The summary has me on my toes *with perhaps a little jumping* as I anticipate what may happen in the book.  I just can't wait to get my pre-ordered book.

Expected Publication: May 1, 2012 by HarperTeen   

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Summary:  The start of a brand-new young adult trilogy about three very different girls who overcome their differences and band together to seek revenge on those who have wronged them, uncovering a supernatural secret about what brought them together and why in the process.  Each book will roate back and forth between the perspectives of all three characters.  

Why I Can't Wait: I know that summary doesn't give you much.  The summary is enough to make me want to read it.  But if that summary was horrible, I would still read it.  Guess why?  I think the answer is pretty clear.  Jenny Han AND Siobhan Vivian are co-writing it.  Does anyone else realize how awesome that is?  I got to meet Siobhan at TBC, and she is amazing.  But enough about the incredible authors.  For me, the summary sounds like contemporary meets paranormal.  I'm so excited about such a combo.  And of course, the cover is beautiful.  I already love this book.

Expected Publication:  September 18, 2012 by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Defiance by C. J. Redwine. 

Summary:  Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret.  While the other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword.  When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan-the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her.  Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.  But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.     

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things.  Orphan.  Outcast.  Inventor.  As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden.  But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter.  Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared. 

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. 

Why I Can't Wait:  I'm having Hunger Games flashbacks.  I can't help it.  That "alikeness" is what peaks my interest, but I realize that no author deserves their work to be just compared to someone else's.  The world sounds much different than Panem, and I have high hopes that it will awe me in its own unique way.  The book sounds like it's going to be action-packed, full of suspense, and has a promise of some romance.  That in itself makes me await the day I'm holding the book in my hand.  

Expected Publication:  August 28, 2012 by Balzer + Bray

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein.  

Summary: Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she's somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association.  But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands-earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx-Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating "rehabilitation techniques" now filling up her summer.  Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing-like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new co-workers, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it's worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy.  Bring readers along on an often hilarious and heart-warming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.  

Why I Can't Wait:  As I was drifting through reviews on Goodreads, I started picking up on key words that I look for in contemporary novels.  Gritty.  Raw.  I love those words.  Ok other than the incredible reviews for the book, I think that the idea of a girl sitting in a jail cell in a prom dress is an awesome image.  I'm seeing it right now.  I can't wait to dig into this book, possibly be reminded of high school, and figure out just who this Amy is.  The cover is just so pretty too.  I can't help it.  I love covers.  I'm so excited about this debut from Lisa Burstein.  

Expected Publication: May 15, 2012 by Entangled Publishing