Waiting On Wednesday: Sixteen, or What Happened to April?

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

Title: Stunning (Pretty Little Liars #11)
Author: Sara Shepard
Publication Date: 5 June 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Full of darker secrets, juicier scandals, and deadlier plot twists, the latest arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling series continues to deliver fast-paced, tension-ridden drama. 

After Alison DiLaurentis tried to kill them, Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna tried to get their lives back on track. But these girls just can’t stay out of trouble. First there was their disastrous trip to Jamaica, and their summer breaks were no less eventful. Now a new A is stalking them, taunting them with the very secrets these pretty little liars have been trying to forget. But this A doesn’t just want to blackmail the girls—this A is out for blood.

Oh come on. It's Pretty Little Liars. If there's anything certain in this universe, it's that I will read and simultaneously worship and loathe anything in this series.

But more importantly (or not, if you don't care...):

Oh HI THERE! You may not have noticed, but I disappeared for most of April. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was all of April. The posts that went up were scheduled long, long ago. This blog has been running itself for the entire month, and now I'm starting to wonder how it has been an entire month since I set foot...or something...here.

Mostly I've been sick. The kind of sick that makes you want to throw something at any sort of light source in the room, if only you had the strength. That meant my computer and I spent a much-less-than-usual-but-still-probably-too-much amount of time together. And those book things, with the tiny words on all the pages? Those weren't really my friends either. I tried to read, and I tried to blog, all from my deathbed (that's a bit dramatic, but haven't we all been a little dramatic lately?), but ultimately the illness of doom won out, and I spent most of the month just laying there.*

Then I finally started to feel better, hopped on Twitter for the first time in weeks (thanks GetGlue, for keeping my account up to date with all those sticker updates), and I find that someone has let the drama llama loose. I don't really feel like commenting on all of that, but it honestly made me wonder if I even wanted to come back to this blog after all. I mean, I work with unruly children and their even-more-poorly-behaving parents every day. I deal with enough crazy in real life. I don't want to come home at the end of the day, wanting to just relax and check out the latest in books, and be met with MORE AND EVEN CRAZIER CRAZY!! I mean, come on people. Seriously? What Kristi did was wrong and she...kind of-ish...apologized. If you want to continue to support her, do that. If you don't, then don't. For those of us not directly involved, it shouldn't really be much more complicated than that, but it was made to be SO MUCH THE CRAZY by SO MANY PEOPLE that I couldn't fathom what attracted me to this community in the first place...

And then I thought about it and read some less dramatic people's posts on the issue. And I had this epiphany. Oh, that's right, books!. Books are why I started this blog. And books are why I am going to continue to blog. If my lack of support for the drama llama monster bothers you, you don't have to visit. Trust me, I'll consider it a favor.

...although I do apologize for hijacking my own WOW post and being ever-so-slightly dramatic.

*I did get out of bed one day to go to the YA or Bust! tour and see the likes of Stephanie Perkins and Gayle Forman. I pretty much ruined the whole event by coughing and sniffling through it, and I apologize if you were there and really wished I would just leave already and stop spreading my germs, but OMGHFSkJEH!!! I met Stephanie Perkins and she is so so so so fantastical!

Waiting On Wednesday: Fifteen

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

Title: The Lost Code (The Atlanteans #1)
Author: Kevin Emerson
Publication Date: 22 May 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.

The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.

No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.

Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.

I haven't read many books with male protagonists in recent memory, except for Anna Dressed in Blood, which I didn't even finish (which wasn't even the male protagonist's fault).  So I think it will a good way to branch out from my normal reads.  Also, I've always felt a special kinship with the ozone layer since I was born the same year that the GIANT HOLE was discovered (or at least the year they announced that a GIANT HOLE was discovered).  I seriously doubt the ozone has a whole lot to do with the actual storyline of this book, but hey, they brought it up, not me.

Waiting On Wednesday: Fourteen

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

Title: Jersey Angel
Author: Beth Ann Bauman
Publication Date: 8 May 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

It's the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She's not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn't sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn't start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn't want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn't want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself  spending more time with Inggy's boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.

I am well aware that the advance reviews for this book are AWFUL.  Nobody likes it.  I think that's maybe why I want to read it so much - to see if I agree or disagree with the horrible things people are saying about it.  It's kind of an odd way of deciding to read a book, but whatever works, right?

Waiting On Wednesday: Thirteen

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

Title: Second Chance Summer
Author: Morgan Matson
Publication Date: 8 May 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Taylor’s family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then they get news that changes everything: Her father has pancreatic cancer, and it’s stage four – meaning that there is basically nothing to be done. Her parents decide that the family will spend his last months together at their old summerhouse in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is suddenly around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they’ve ever been before. But all of them very aware that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love.

If you've read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, you pretty much know how full of awesome Morgan Matson is.  If you've read my review of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, you pretty much know how even more awesome she is than you originally thought, because despite loathing one of the main characters, I still loved the book.  So to sum things up, Morgan Matson is awesomely awesome, and I bet you this book will be too.

Waiting On Wednesday: Twelve

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

Title: The Princesses of Iowa
Author: M. Molly Backes
Publication Date: 8 May 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

What does it mean to do wrong, when no one punishes you? A smart and unflinching look at friendship, the nature of entitlement, and growing up in the heartland.

Paige Sheridan has the perfect life. She's pretty, rich, and popular, and her spot on the homecoming court is practically guaranteed. But when a night of partying ends in an it-could-have-been-so-much worse crash, everything changes. Her best friends start ignoring her, her boyfriend grows cold and distant, and her once-adoring younger sister now views her with contempt. The only bright spot is her creative writing class, led by a charismatic new teacher who encourages students to be true to themselves. But who is Paige, if not the homecoming princess everyone expects her to be? In this arresting and witty debut, a girl who was once high-school royalty must face a truth that money and status can't fix, and choose between living the privileged life of a princess, or owning up to her mistakes and giving up everything she once held dear.

I feel like drunk driving and car crashes are this spring and summer's vampires/angels/whatever-last-year's-trend-was.  Am I the only one?  Regardless, I'm very excited to read this one.  I tend to love contemporary books that take place in settings completely different from where I live - the third most densely populated metropolitan area in California.  I've built up a pretty great and unfounded-in-real-life love of the South this way, and am excited to expand my adoration to the corn fields of the heartland.  Plus, it's always nice to see the pretty, rich, popular girl learn some life lessons.

Waiting On Wednesday: Eleven

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

Title: Masque of the Red Death
Author: Bethany Griffin
Publication Date: 24 April 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Ruins! Plague! Decimation! NIGHT CLUB! Really, do I need to say more?

Waiting On Wednesday: Ten

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

Title: Purity
Author: Jackson Pearce
Publication Date: 24 April 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

I love this cover so much I want to like, design my whole house around it.  And the book sounds good too, yeah?

Waiting On Wednesday: Nine

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

Title: Chosen Ones (The Lost Souls #1)
Author: Tiffany Truit
Publication Date: 10 April 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

I love me some dystopian society, especially when there's some massive, humanity-ending problem that's overcome the human genome.  Chosen Ones sounds like a mix between Children of Men (which I've admittedly never actually seen but sounds really good) and Battlestar Galactica (which I have seen and is really good) and um, awesome, with some star-crossed lovers and more awesome thrown in just for good measure.

waiting on wednesday: eight

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

Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Publication Date: 24 April 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

It's March, people.  March!  That means it's time for me to start featuring upcoming April releases in my Waiting on Wednesday posts.  And I could feature The Selection every single week this month.  Seriously, that's how excited I am for it.  I don't watch The Bachelor, which a lot of people are bringing up when they talk about this book, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't watch it if it featured pretty dresses like the one on this cover.  And a prince, instead of...those dudes.  Honestly, I can't tell you where this massive amount of enthusiasm is coming from, but if I only read one book in April, this will be it.

waiting on wednesday: seven

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

Title: Life Is But a Dream
Author: Brian James
Release Date: 27 March 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced that it's the world that's crazy, not them. But when Alex starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself.

I love books about dystopian societies, and the paranormal, and cute contemporary romances.  But every once in a while, it's good to read something a little more deep, a little more haunting, a little closer to home.  I'm familiar with mental illness, having lived through one, but schizophrenia is something that is still terrifying and incomprehensible to me, and reading about it from a fictional perspective makes it much easier to wrap my head around.  I Never Promised You A Rose Garden is another novel about a teen suffering from schizophrenia.  Although published in the 1960's, the setting and mind frame of the main character resonate no less than something more current would.  If this kind of story interests you, I highly recommend it.

waiting on wednesday: six

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

Title: Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1)
Author: Aimee Agresti
Release Date: 6 March 2012
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

 There are three sets of words in the second paragraph of the above description that have me eager to read this book:

1. mysterious book
2. secret passageways
3. evil agenda

Yes, please.

waiting on wednesday: five

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

Title: Twisted (Pretty Little Liars #9)
Author: Sara Shepard
Release Date: 5 July 2011
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually.

Okay, here's the thing about the Pretty Little Liars series.  I hate it.  It's awful and horribly written and has absolutely no merit whatsoever.  That said, OMG I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK!  For me, these books are like watching a car crash: you don't really want to see it, but it has numbed your mind to the point that you can't look away.  That's just what reading these books is like!  My intelligence rapidly diminishes as a result of their pure horrendousness, but I just CAN'T STOP READING!  I can't wait to find out what these girls have gotten themselves into now.

waiting on wednesday: four

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

Title: Dead Rules
Author: Randy Russell
Release Date: 21 June 2011
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Sometimes falling in love means you have to kill somebody.

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were destined to be together forever. Of that, Jana was sure.

But Jana just died—in a bowling accident. And now she’s trapped in Dead School. Jana is certain that it won’t be long before Michael kills himself in order to spend eternity with her—but the days are passing and Michael is, inexplicably, still alive. So Jana decides to take matters into her own hands. And nothing—not even Dead School bad boy Mars Dreamcote’s enticingly warm touch or the devastating secret he holds about her death—will stop her from making her dreams come true.

Romeo and Juliet meets Heathers in this hilariously macabre take on paranormal romance, packed with heart-stopping suspense and sizzling star-crossed love.

First of all, I'm not a fan of this book's cover.  It looks like someone asked a goth kid to make a cover for the next installment of Pretty Little Liars.  Which, if I'm not mistaken, this book has nothing to do with.  But there are three things that intrigue me about Dead Rules:

1. How does one die in a bowling accident?
2. What does one learn about in Dead School?  Biology?  Art?  Death in Literature?
3. Will the ghost (zombie?) of Jana be able to convince Michael to kill himself?  Or has he already moved on to some blonde bimbo named Amanda or Ashley or something of that nature?

To satisfy my curiosities, I will read this book.  I'm honestly not sure if I'll like it, but I'll read it anyway.  Because really, what part of bowling is so dangerous it results in death?

waiting on wednesday: three

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

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Release Date: 7 June 2011
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Seriously?  It's like Ghost Hunters and Psychic Kids and Wales and an awesome cover all rolled into a book with a kickass name.  What's not to want?

waiting on wednesday: two

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

Title: Epic Fail
Author: Claire LaZebnik
Release Date: 2 August 2011
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

• As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

• As the daughter of the new principal, new-girl-on-campus Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long. Fans of Susane Colasanti (When It Happens), Polly Shulman (Enthusiasm), and, of course, Jane Austen will love finding out if Elise’s love life will be an epic win or an epic fail. 

I'll admit that after I read the summary I thought what on earth does this have to do with Jane Austen?  I guess I can see maybe, sort of, kind of the similarity to Pride and Prejudice, but I'm not sure it's substantial enough that it deserves the comparison.  I'll just have to wait until I can read it (and finish P&P) to see.

What really got me excited about this book was the cover.  And then the title.  And then the setting.  I don't know why I like books about private school so much.  I went to private school.  It was nothing like half the books I read that feature it.  Then again, maybe that's why I like them so much.

waiting on wednesday: one

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It's all about lusting over books that have yet to be released.  Something I do.  Often.  So it was hard to choose just one book to post about.  Actually, that's a lie.  Sarah Dessen wins.  Always.

Title: What Happened to Goodbye
Author: Sarah Dessen
Release Date: 10 May 2011
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends—in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?

Sarah Dessen kills me.  In the best possible way.  She puts out a novel and I run to buy it and gush over how perfectly spectacular it makes me feel inside.  I'm anxious to read this one, especially, because the idea of moving around constantly and never putting down roots is a familiar one for me.  I'd love to re-live my high school days vicariously through Mclean, but hopefully (let's be honest, it's Sarah Dessen - definitely) with a happier ending.