Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Release Date:
July 31th, 2012

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

"An edgy romance that pulls you in and never lets go. I was hooked!"-Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author of the Intertwined series

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Small Damages by Beth Kephart

Release Date:
July 19th, 2012

It’s senior year, and while Kenzie should be looking forward to prom and starting college in the fall, she is mourning the loss of her father. She finds solace in the one person she trusts, her boyfriend, and she soon finds herself pregnant. Kenzie’s boyfriend and mother do not understand her determination to keep the baby. She is sent to southern Spain for the summer, where she will live out her pregnancy as a cook’s assistant on a bull ranch, and her baby will be adopted by a Spanish couple.

Alone and resentful in a foreign country, Kenzie is at first sullen and difficult. She begins to open her eyes and her heart to the beauty that is all around her and inside of her.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

Release Date:
July 17th, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Release Date:
June 26th, 2012

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

I've always been a fan of Jodi Picoult's other books. I've only read a few but they have a deep spot in my heart and they always make me cry. Jodi Picoult is famously known for her book, My Sister's Keeper. This book seems different from her other works and I'm looking forward to reading it!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Release Date:
June 5th, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Never Enough by Denise Jaden

Release Date:
July 10th, 2012

From the author of Losing Faith, a novel about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family.

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special…even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt

Release Date:
July 10th, 2012

In this humorous love story from the author of Two-Way Street, an unlikely romance is the best sort of surprise—but the wrong secret can ruin everything. Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to get back on track at Concordia High.

Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count. Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a change.

When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about anyone before...But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it all: the truth.

Is it me or are there many springing novels by Lauren Barnholdt? Not that I'm complaining because I absolutely love her books. I was a big fan of Two-Way Street (my old-school review can be found here) and I loved her writing style. In this one, it had me from "humorous love story" -- who doesn't love one? I have got to get a hold of Lauren's other books!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

Release Date:
August 28th, 2012

A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

Hmm, mysterious. The description makes me so very curious. So it seems that these characters are in very complicated relationships! All it does is make for a one good novel, which I am quite excited for! 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Glimpse by Claire Merle

Release Date:
June 7th, 2012

Once you've seen into the future, can you change your destiny?

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.

Phew, dystopian is so hot these days! I can never get enough of it. This one has a really cute yet dark cover. I like the whole thorns + love thing, which fits in with the description. And the description is quite intriguing! It may make one heck of a novel....so we'll see about that when it comes out. Shouldn't take too long -- it's only June, right? (Oh the waiting!)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Rebel Heart by Moira Young
Book 2 of Dust Lands

Release Date:
October 30th, 2012

Spoiler alert if you haven't read Book 1!
The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued.
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together.
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well.
But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba.
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands.
Then a messenger shows up.
With news of Jack.

Now it's been wayyyy tooo long since my last WoW but I just really HAD to post this! I recently finished reading Moira Young's first book in the series - Blood Red Road. And oh my shnitzel how I fell in love with the book. Mind you, I still have to review the book but basically my thoughts about it are: adventurous, suspenseful, and there was never a dull moment. This series reminds me of Maria Snyder's Poison Study series...which is one of my ultimate favourite book series. So this is really saying something! I immediately went to look up the next book that's coming out (and cried when I realized it's being released in OCTOBER - oh the pain that comes with waiting!).

So to talk about this book...The cover is hot. Is it Jack? Lugh? Someone else, perhaps? All I know is that it's hot. And I've no idea what's in the background. At first it looked like a ship and then it looked like a sword/stick, and now I really don't know. Still, have I mentioned the cover looks hot? Also, the description makes me want to scream. Gahh, the wait is killing me!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Release Date:
January 10th, 2012

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs...for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

It's the ultimate book to be waiting for these days, I know, seeing how it is going to be released in 6 days. How exciting! As one of the many huge fans of John Green's work, I know this one will be quite a memorable, in-depth novel. The subjects of sickness, health, life, and death are usually hard to tackle. But cheers to John Green! To those of you who have already read this, I stare at you with green eyes. Totally envious here! 

Waiting on Wednesday (89)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Release Date:
January 19th, 2012

A dark and provocative novel from the author of The Secret Year.

Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again.

Jennifer R. Hubbard has created a riveting story about a difficult but important subject.

Waiting on Wednesday (88)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Release Date:
May 18th, 2012

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.

This time it's the author of one of my favourite summer novels evvverr Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. 2012 can't come sooner enough!

Waiting on Wednesday (87)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Release Date:
February 16th, 2012

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev’s band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she’s abandoning their plans—and Colby—to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie-Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what’s next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Author of Hold Still! Ahhh, so excited! I love the cover and the summary and basically everything about all of this! :D

Waiting on Wednesday (86)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Next Door Boys
by Jolene B. Perry

Release Date:
October 8th, 2011

With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, the ever-expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her--not to mention the physical frustrations and spiritual dilemmas Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but comfortable places.

Waiting on Wednesday (85)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Without Tess
by Marcella Pixley

Release Date:
October 11th, 2011

Tess and Lizzie are sisters, sisters as close as can be, who share a secret world filled with selkies, flying horses, and a girl who can transform into a wolf in the middle of the night. But when Lizzie is ready to grow up, Tess clings to their fantasies. As Tess sinks deeper and deeper into her delusions, she decides that she can’t live in the real world any longer and leaves Lizzie and her family forever. Now, years later, Lizzie is in high school and struggling to understand what happened to her sister. With the help of a school psychologist and Tess’s battered journal, Lizzie searches for a way to finally let Tess go.

Waiting on Wednesday (84)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

How to Save a Life
by Sara Zarr

Release Date:
October 18th, 2011

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about what it means to be a family and the many roads we can take to become one.

Waiting on Wednesday (83)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Stay With Me
by Paul Griffin

Release Date:
September 8th, 2011

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit.

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

Waiting on Wednesday (82)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare
by Melissa Jensen

Release Date:
February 16th, 2012

Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss in this charming
romantic comedy.

Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that’s just fine by her. She’s got her friends— the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She’s got her art— and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it’s hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they’re dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?

Gosh, anything that mentions Anna and the French Kiss I will gladly read! Plus, this one sounds so cute and I absolutely looooooove romantic comedies. What more could I want?!

Waiting on Wednesday (81)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Gone, Gone, Gone
by Hannah Moskowitz

Release Date:
April 17th, 2012

It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge, trying to make sense of the random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.

Craig's crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he'll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.

Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable, and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.

“Written with depth and heart and a quirky sweetness that I just adore. These are characters I will never forget. Fans of Will Grayson, Will Grayson will love this book.” –Amy Reed, author of Beautiful and Clean