Waiting on Wednesday (43): No Angel

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

I still haven't read Keeble's first book, Fang Girl, but everyone I know said it was utterly hilarious. The tagline on this one made me laugh, so bring it on!

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No Angel

Author: Helen Keeble
Expected Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen

Synopsis from Goodreads:
No description is currently available.

Here's what Helen Keeble had to say:

NO ANGEL isn’t a sequel to FANG GIRL, but it is a paranormal comedy in the same vein (pun intended, heh). I don’t have the back-cover copy or marketing blurb for it yet, but in the meantime I shall tantalise you all by saying that it does for angels what FANG GIRL does for vampires…

Waiting on Wednesday (42): Still Star-Crossed

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week I have a retelling for you guys. Now this could be awful, because I'm not a huge fan of Romeo and Juliet, but, by that same token, it's a lot easier to please me when authors screw around with something I don't love to an insane degree. I like that Taub's novel focuses on different characters, and that it won't have instalove. Apparently, there will be bickering, and I love that.

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Still Star-Crossed

Author: Melinda Taub
Expected Publication Date: July 9, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Romeo and Juliet are gone. Will love live on? Despite the glooming peace that's settled on Verona after the recent tragedy, Montagues and Capulets are brawling in the streets. Faced with more bloody battles, Prince Escalus concludes that the only way to truly marry the fortunes of these two families is to literally marry them together. Everyone is skeptical, but none more so than the pair selected, for the most eligible Montague bachelor is Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, still anguished by the loss of his companions, and the chosen Capulet maid is Juliet's older cousin Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved and whose refusal of Romeo's affection paved the way for bloodshed. Contrary to their late cousins, there's no love lost between Benvolio and Rosaline, yet they forge a bond to end the renewed feud not only to escape their forced betrothal, but to save their lives and the city of Verona itself.

Waiting on Wednesday (42): The Awakening

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

You guys! I really liked Tankborn and I'm so excited that book two has a cover now! And it's gorgeous!

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Awakening
Tankborn, Book 2

Author: Karen Sandler
Expected Publication Date: April 2013?
Publisher: Tu Books

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Once a Chadi sector GEN girl terrified of her first Assignment, Kayla is now a member of the Kinship, a secret organization of GENs, lowborns, and trueborns. Kayla travels on Kinship business, collecting information to further the cause of GEN freedom.

Despite Kayla’s relative freedom, she is still a slave to the trueborn ruling class. She rarely sees trueborn Devak, and any relationship between them is still strictly forbidden.

Kayla longs to be truly free, but other priorities have gotten in the way. A paradoxically deadly new virus has swept through GEN sectors—a disease only GENs catch. And GEN warrens and warehouses are being bombed, with only a scrawled clue: F.H.E. Freedom, Humanity, Equality.

With the virus and the bombings decimating the GEN community, freedom and love are put on the back burner as Kayla and her friends find a way to stop the killing . . . before it’s too late.

Waiting on Wednesday (42): Me Since You

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

I read my first Laura Wiess novel for book club this year, Ordinary Beauty, and I really liked it. I definitely need more of her books in my life, because they stomp on your heart in the way that I love from my contemporaries.

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Me Since You

Author: Laura Wiess
Expected Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: MTV Books

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Rowan is still reeling from her father’s suicide four months ago, after he failed to stop a man from leaping off an overpass to his death. The only witness is Eli, a teenaged boy wrapped deep in mourning for his own father, killed in action in Afghanistan. When Rowan and Eli meet, they recognize kindred spirits, and begin to navigate grief and its aftermath together.

Rowan can’t understand how her father could choose to leave her, and acts out, pushing away friends and taking risks with her safety. Rowan’s mother, wracked with her own guilt and sorrow over failing to save her husband, stops going to work and collects stray cats for comfort. Grief, fractured and unpredictable, rules their lives now. Rowan is lost—and sinking. But Eli represents a lifeline for Rowan, and as they struggle to make sense of what’s gone and what is left behind, they begin to fall in love. Me Since You is Laura Wiess at her finest—a beautiful, gripping and painfully honest examination of adolescence.

Waiting on Wednesday (41): Rogue

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Guys, if you haven't been reading Gina Damico's Croak series, then you need to get on that. Book three also happens to be coming out four days before my birthday. Woo!

Rogue
Croak, Book 3

Author: Gina Damico
Expected Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Graphia

Synopsis from Goodreads:
No synposis yet!

But I assume it will be both awesome and hilarious!

In the meantime, go check out Croak!

Waiting on Wednesday (40): The Fairest of Them All

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Well, hello, fairy tale retelling! Fancy meeting you here. Combining fairy tales together equals win in my mind, so I am all over this. The cover is so shiny, too! I've not read any of her previous books, but this seems like a great place to start.

The Fairest of Them All

Author: Carolyn Turgeon
Expected Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Touchstone

Synopsis from Goodreads:
What if Rapunzel was Snow White’s evil stepmother?

From the author of Godmother and Mermaid, The Fairest of Them All explores what happens when fairy tale heroines grow up and don’t live happily ever after.

Living in an enchanted forest, Rapunzel spends her days tending a mystical garden with her adoptive mother, Mathena. A witch, Mathena was banished from court because of her magic powers, though the women from the kingdom still seek her advice and herbal remedies. She waits, biding her time to exact revenge against those who betrayed her.

One day Rapunzel’s beautiful voice and long golden locks captivate a young prince hunting in the forest nearby. Overcome, he climbs her hair up to her chamber and they fall into each other’s arms. But their afternoon of passion is fleeting, and the prince must return to his kingdom, as he is betrothed to another.

Now king, he marries his intended to bring peace to his kingdom. They have a stunning daughter named Snow White. Yet the king is haunted by his memories of Rapunzel, and after the mysterious death of his wife, realizes he is free to marry the woman he never stopped longing for. In hopes of also replacing the mother of his beloved daughter, the king makes Rapunzel his queen.

But when Mathena’s wedding gift of an ancient mirror begins speaking to her, Rapunzel falls under its evil spell, and the king begins to realize that Rapunzel is not the beautiful, kind woman he dreamed of.

Waiting on Wednesday (39): Steelheart

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Why do I want to read Steelheart super badly?
1) Brandon Sanderson is a really nice guy, who loves librarians.
2) He writes hilarious books about evil librarians.
3) He also writes epic fasntasy novels that are awesome, if released WAY TOO FAR apart.
4) This book is dytopian.
See? I just need this. Right now.

Steelheart
Steelheart, Book 1

Author: Brandon Sanderson
Expected Publication Date: September 26, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Waiting on Wednesday (38): Racing Savannah

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

I may not have read the third book in the series, Things I Can't Forget yet, but I will very soon, and I plan to love it every bit as much as Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. Plus, I am extra excited because this installment is about HORSES. My inner child demands this book IMMEDIATELY. Secret: I used to want to be a jockey when I was a kid, though now I know it would be a horrible idea, not just because I've been too tall since fifth grade.

Racing Savannah
Hundred Oaks, Book 4

Author: Miranda Kenneally
Expected Publication Date: December 1, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Author of CATCHING JORDAN, Miranda Kenneally’s RACING SAVANNAH, about an underprivileged girl training to be a jockey while working in the barn at a high-stakes horse farm whose on-again, off-again relationship with the owner’s son has an upstairs/downstairs effect on race day, pitched as Downton Abbey in the South, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks Fire, in a good deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2013, by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency

Waiting on Wednesday (37): Black Helicopters

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

How creepy and unique does this sound off of the teeny tiny blurb currently available? Plus, I've heard good things about The Freak Observer.

Black Helicopters
Author: Blythe Woolston
Expected Publication Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Candlewick

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Author of Morris Award winner THE FREAK OBSERVER, Blythe Woolston's BLACK HELICOPTERS, about a girl raised to be a weapon who straps on a vest of explosives and sets out to kill and be killed until her plan goes wrong.

Waiting on Wednesday (36): Plague in the Mirror

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Alright, I fully admit that this book has a lot of ways it could go wrong, but I'm hoping it doesn't, because it sounds dark, creepy and sexy. I mean, "sensual power"? That doesn't tend to be a YA plot line and I am curious. Also, I love reading books set in Florence, because A Room with a View.

Plague in the Mirror

Author: Deborah Noyes
Expected Publication Date: July 9, 2013
Publisher: Candlewick

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In a sensual paranormal romance, a teen girl’s doppelgänger from 1348 Florence lures her into the past in hopes of exacting a deadly trade.

It was meant to be a diversion — a summer in Florence with her best friend, Liam, and his travel-writer mom, doing historical research between breaks for gelato. A chance to forget that back in Vermont, May’s parents, and all semblance of safety, were breaking up. But when May wakes one night sensing someone in her room, only to find her ghostly twin staring back at her, normalcy becomes a distant memory. And when later she follows the menacing Cristofana through a portale to fourteenth-century Florence, May never expects to find safety in the eyes of Marco, a soulful painter who awakens in her a burning desire and makes her feel truly seen. The wily Cristofana wants nothing less of May than to inhabit each other’s lives, but with the Black Death ravaging Old Florence, can May’s longing for Marco’s touch be anything but madness? Lush with atmosphere both passionate and eerie, this evocative tale follows a girl on the brink of womanhood as she dares to transcend the familiar — and discovers her sensual power.

Waiting on Wednesday (35): A Matter of Days

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This sounds like a post-apocalyptic, which basically means I am SO THERE. Also, only 288 pages, which can be rare in these survival type books. Sweetness. Needs a better cover though.

A Matter of Days

Author: Amber Kizer
Expected Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:
On Day 56 of the pandemic called BluStar, sixteen-year-old Nadia's mother dies, leaving her responsible for her younger brother Rabbit. They secretly received antivirus vaccines from their uncle, but most people weren't as lucky. Their deceased father taught them to adapt and survive whatever comes their way. That's their plan as they trek from Seattle to their grandfather's survivalist compound in West Virginia. Using practical survival techniques, they make their way through a world of death and destruction until they encounter an injured dog; Zack, a street kid from Los Angeles; and other survivors who are seldom what they seem. Illness, infections, fatigue, and meager supplies have become a way of life. Still, it will be worth it once they arrive at the designated place on the map they have memorized. But what if no one is there to meet them?

Waiting on Wednesday (34): Heart of Glass

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

While I wasn't wholly in love with Cross My Heart, I definitely enjoyed all of the drama and the Venetian setting. Plus, it was jam-packed historical drama, which I love. Even better, it was all set around a (fictional) secret society of ladies that were totally pulling the strings, which was so cool; women can be evil rulers too, I say! Anyway, the blurb is somewhat promising. The love interest from book one will apparently be implicated in a scandal, so there will hopefully not be cheesy romance. I hope this is the case!

Heart of Glass
Cross My Heart, Book 2

Author: Sasha Gould
Expected Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In a society of liars, who do you trust?

It is 1585 in Venice, and three months have passed since Laura della Scala solved her sister's murder after joining the Segreta, a powerful society of women who trade protection for secrets. Now Laura is engaged to her true love, Roberto, and she has never been happier. But the night Laura is sent on her first important mission for the Segreta, Roberto is found with the body of a dead woman in his room. Halim, an irresistibly handsome Turkish prince on a diplomatic visit to the city, identifies the woman as his sister and insists that Roberto be executed for her murder, or the Ottoman Empire will attack Venice. Laura is desperate to save both her city and her fiancé. But as the evidence against Roberto builds and Laura finds herself increasingly drawn to Halim, she begins to wonder whether everything Roberto told her was a lie. What Laura discovers is a conspiracy that involves nearly everyone she knows.

Waiting on Wednesday (33): Thorn Abbey

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Okay, so this book definitely sounds exactly the same as New Girl by Paige Harbison, but it can't be right? Basically, this is a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, which I really need to read before I read before I read another retelling of it. Anyway, retellings = automatic want. Plus, I liked New Girl a lot, so bring on another one! (Note: I'm really assuming this will be different. If it's exactly the same, I'm going to be ranty, but there's only one way to know.)

Thorn Abbey

Author: Nancy Ohlin
Expected Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Gone but not forgotten ...

Becca was the perfect girlfriend: smart, gorgeous, and loved by everyone at New England’s premier boarding school, Thorn Abbey.

But Becca’s dead. And her boyfriend, Max, can’t get over his loss.

Then Tess transfers to Thorn Abbey. She’s shy and insecure—everything that Becca wasn’t. And despite her roommate’s warnings, she falls for brooding Max.

Now Max finally has a reason to move on. Except, it won’t be easy. Becca may be gone, but she’s not quite ready to let him go….

Waiting on Wednesday (32): The Cats of Tanglewood Forest

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

A children's book! Not normally my thing really, but I loved the one Charles De Lint book I read, and I love cats, so...this should be awesome, right?

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest

Author: Charles De Lint
Illustrator: Charles Vess
Expected Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The magic is all around you, if only you open your eyes....

Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills--until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten. Now Lillian must set out on a perilous adventure that will lead her through untamed lands of fabled creatures--from Old Mother Possum to the fearsome Bear People--to find a way to make things right.

In this whimsical, original folktale written and illustrated throughout in vibrant full color by two celebrated masters of modern fantasy, a young girl's journey becomes an enchanting coming-of-age story about magic, friendship, and the courage to shape one's own destiny.

Waiting on Wednesday (31):

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

You know I love me some middle grade. I also love fairy tales. So this one was a no-brainer. Also, I've heard good things about Falkner's book Brainjack, so even better! This is already published abroad, but will soon be coming to our shores. Hurrah! Also, the heroine's name is Cecilia Undergarment. *snicker*

Northwood

Author: Brian Falkner
Expected Publication Date: January 3, 2013
Publisher: Walker Children's Paperbacks

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The dark forest of Northwood has never seen the likes of Cecilia Undergarment before …

Cecilia Undergarment likes a challenge. So when she discovers a sad and neglected dog, she is determined to rescue him. No matter what. But her daring dog rescue lands her in deep trouble. Trouble in the form of being lost in the dark forest of Northwood. A forest where ferocious black lions roam. A forest that hides a secret castle, an unlikely king and many a mystery. A forest where those who enter never return. But Cecilia is determined to find her way home. No matter what.

Waiting on Wednesday (30): The Trouble with Flirting

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Initially, I wasn't especially interested in this one, ngl. I mean, the cover isn't doing anything for me and it sounds super cutesy. However, then I read those magic words: "inspired by Mansfield Park." Okay, so I hate Mansfield Park, but I love Jane Austen and I want to read pretty much every retelling ever. The fact that I'm not in love with the source material could actually result in me liking this better. I just hope Franny has a backbone, unlike Fanny Price.

The Trouble with Flirting

Author: Claire LaZebnik
Expected Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher:HarperTeen

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In this fun romance inspired by Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Franny Pearson learns about the troubles that flirting can cause-and enjoys (almost) every second of it.

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield College Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the drama department's costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her longtime crush, Alex. If only he was as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady. When Harry, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks?

In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, Claire LaZebnik (author of Epic Fail, inspired by Pride and Prejudice) has cleverly reimagined the world of Mansfield Park, crafting a fun, engaging romance, filled with witty narration and fantastic banter. Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected, but fans of Susane Colasanti, Stephanie Perkins, and of course Jane Austen will agree that it makes for an irresistible read.

Waiting on Wednesday (29): The Milk of Birds

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This book will depress me no end, but I simply must read it. The cover is lovely and heartbreaking all at once. I think I'm going to start mentally preparing myself now and maybe I'll be able to handle this by April. Probably not, though, because I expect it to be that intense.

The Milk of Birds

Author: Sylvia Whitman
Expected Publication Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:
This timely, heartrending novel tells the moving story of a friendship between two girls: one an American teen, one a victim of the crisis in Darfur.

Know that there are many words behind the few on this paper…

Fifteen-year-old Nawra lives in Darfur, Sudan, in a camp for refugees displaced by the Janjaweed’s trail of murder and destruction. Nawra cannot read or write, but when a nonprofit organization called Save the Girls pairs her with an American donor, Nawra dictates her thank-you letters. Putting her experiences into words begins to free her from her devastating past—and to brighten the path to her future.

K. C. is an American teenager from Richmond, Virginia, who hates reading and writing—or anything that smacks of school. But as Nawra pours grief and joy into her letters, she inspires K. C. to see beyond her own struggles. And as K. C. opens her heart in her responses to Nawra, she becomes both a dedicated friend and a passionate activist for Darfur.

In this poetic tale of unlikely sisterhood, debut author Sylvia Whitman captures the friendship between two girls who teach each other compassion and share a remarkable bond that bridges two continents.

Waiting on Wednesday (28): Starstruck

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It has to be said: I loathe this cover. However, I still want to read it because OLD HOLLYWOOD. Hell to the yeah that sounds awesome. Obvi, this topic could be done well or it could be the Old Hollywood Gossip Girl, but I'm hoping for the former. *crosses fingers*

Starstruck

Author: Rachel Shukert
Expected Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:
A golden age of glam . . .

Every week they arrive in Los Angeles--beautiful and talented young hopefuls who dream of becoming stars. It's all Margaret Frobisher has ever wanted—and when she's discovered by a powerful agent, she can barely believe her luck. She's more than ready to escape her snobby private school and conservative Pasadena family for a chance to light up the silver screen.

The competition is fierce at Olympus Studios and Margaret—now Margo—is chasing her Hollywood dreams alongside girls like Gabby Preston, who at 16 is already a grizzled show-biz veteran caught between the studio and the ravenous ambition of her ruthless mother, and sultry Amanda Farraday, who seems to have it all--ambition, glamour . . . and dirty secrets. Missing from the pack is Diana Chesterfield, the beautiful actress who mysteriously disappeared, and there are whispers that Diana's boyfriend—Margo's new co-star—may have had something to do with it. Margo quickly learns that fame comes with a price, and that nothing is what it seems.

Set in Old Hollywood, Starstruck follows the lives of three teen girls as they live, love, and claw their way to the top in a world where being a star is all that matters.

Waiting on Wednesday (27): OCD, the Dude & Me

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

So I totally don't remember much of anything about The Big Lebowski. I watched it in college, but nothing really stuck with me. This book sounds fantastic, though, despite the lame cover. Bowling ball face? Really? Whatever. Frizzy hair, plus size, sarcastic heroine? I am all over that. Plus, she entertains herself by writing raunchy essays for class. That sounds hilarious.

OCD, the Dude & Me

Author: Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Expected Publication Date: March 21, 2013
Publisher: Dial

Synopsis from Goodreads:
With frizzy orange hair, a plus-sized body, sarcastic demeanor, and "unique learning profile," Danielle Levine doesn't fit in even at her alternative high school. While navigating her doomed social life, she writes scathing, self-aware, and sometimes downright raunchy essays for English class. As a result of her unfiltered writing style, she is forced to see the school psychologist and enroll in a "social skills" class. But when she meets Daniel, another social misfit who is obsessed with the cult classic film The Big Lebowski, Danielle's resolve to keep everyone at arm's length starts to crumble.

Waiting on Wednesday (26): Also Known As

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Oddly enough, I feel like I always preface my WoW picks by saying, "I have yet to read any books by this author but I've heard great things and been interested in all of their previous books." Well, yet again, this is true. I own a copy of Audrey, Wait!, but haven't gotten to it yet. This one sounds light and funny, and I'm entertained by the cover. Teenage spy? I'm so in. Please be like Veronica Mars, please be like Veronica Mars.

Also Known As

Author: Robin Benway
Expected Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Walker Childrens

Synopsis from Goodreads:
ALSO KNOWN AS is the story of Maggie, a gifted teenage safecracker, who works alongside her parents as a spy for the mysterious entity known as the Collective. When she's assigned to infiltrate a private Manhattan high school, she's forced to make friends, investigate the mysterious Jesse, and solve the case, all without blowing her cover.