Waiting on Wednesday (55)

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin (August 2nd, 2012--Putnam)

Seventeen-year-old Jane McAllister, fleeing a troubled relationship with her alcoholic mom, spends a summer in the plains chasing — of all things — tornados. Somehow the chaos of tornados seems a lot more manageable than her very messy life back home. But, whether Jane returns home to a life of caring for her mother, or whether she strikes out in a different direction becomes the big question. And everyone — her brother, her best friend, and especially the handsome Max — has an opinion on what Jane should do.

But when her mother shows up in Tornado Alley drunk, insisting she come home, Jane fears she may have run out of options. The thought of a new life feels very far away, but not as far away as the last tornado Jane may ever chase, putting not only her life in danger, but the lives of the very people who may care about her most.

I've been following Lara since her debut book, Donut Days. I have her latest book The Implosion of Aggie Winchester in my TBR pile right now, but school is getting in my way.

Plus that cover is STUNNING. There's a freaking TORNADO IN A JAR!

WoW is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (54)

The Agency 3: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee (February 28, 2012--Candlewick)

Queen Victoria has a little problem: there’s a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Mary Quinn takes the simple case, going undercover as a domestic servant. But before long, a scandal threatens to tear apart the Royal Family.

One of the Prince of Wales’s irresponsible young friends is killed in disgraceful circumstances. Should the Queen hush things up or allow justice to take its course? Mary’s interest in this private matter soon becomes deeply personal: the killer, a drug-addicted Chinese sailor, shares a name with her long-lost father.

Meanwhile, James Easton’s engineering firm is repairing the sewers beneath Buckingham Palace. Trouble is, there’s a tunnel that’s not on the plans. Its purpose is unclear. But it seems to be very much in use.

These overlapping puzzles offer a perfect opportunity for Mary and James to work together again… if they can still trust one another. This is Mary’s most personal case yet and she has everything to lose.

Preorder on Amazon  /  Add to Goodreads

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Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter (March 20, 2010--Hyperion)

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole.  The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers.  Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind.   It’s a race against time.  The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

Preorder on Amazon  /  Add to Goodreads

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Both sequels to really amazing series!

Waiting on Wednesday (53)

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury (May 24 2011--Atheneum)

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.

Ah! THE COVER! I didn't realize that was a mummy before I read the synopsis, but it's a very strange synopsis. Curious?

Waiting on Wednesday (52)

Sirenz by Charlotte Bernardo and Natalie Zaman (June 8th 2011--Flux)

Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when they find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes—with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades—the god of the underworld—himself. To make them atone for what they’ve done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld any individual whose unholy contract is up.

But just because they have an otherworldly part-time job now doesn’t mean Meg and Shar can ignore life’s drudgeries (work) or pleasures (fashion!). Finding that delicate balance between their old and new responsibilities turns out to be harder than they expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there’s the matter of the fine print in their contracts . . .

Cute cover! Very interested by the book from the synopsis.

WoW is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (51)

Amplified by Tara Kelly (Oct 25 2011--Henry Holt)

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . .

I loved Kelly's debut book so I am definitely eager to read her next!

Waiting on Wednesday (50)

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (September 6th 2010--Houghton Mifflin)

They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love . . .

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (49)

Double whammy this week as both synopsis are tiny weeny!

Love, Love, Love; Language of Love by Deborah Reber (Simon Pulse--December 21st 2010)

"Sixteen-year-old Janna is used to being a plain Jane until her world is thrown upside down when a super cute boy mistakes her for a foreign exchange student! Putting on a fake accent, she dons her new persona to win his heart, but at what price?"

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Three Quarters Dead by Ricard Peck (Dial--November 28th 2010)

"Sophomore loner Kerry is overjoyed when three popular senior girls pick her to be in their clique until the seniors die in a car crash, return from the dead, and insist that Kerry help them exact revenge on a disloyal classmate."

I just want to thank Eleni (La Femme Reads) as I found the covers through her and of course Jill from Breaking the Spine for hosting this weekly meme!

Waiting on Wednesday (48)

Dark Touch: Shadows by Amy Meredith (April 1st 2010--Red Fox [UK release])

"Fifteen-year-old Eve Evergold is cute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is that someone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat. She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because although there's something very attractive about the dark side...dating a demon? Pure hell!"

It's so pretty! Pretty! And hellavu a lot of fun!

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (47)

Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani (September 1st 2010--Harper)

All I know is that it's the sequel to Viola in Reel Life, which I adored!

Waiting on Wednesday (46)

Inconvenient by Margie Gelbwasser (November 1st 2010--Flux)

"Alyssa Bondar’s world is falling apart. She has just entered her sophomore year at Glenfair High, the only place to hang out is behind the CVS, Keith her cross-country crush keeps sending her mixed signals, and her best friend Lana has started the school year with large breasts and a sexy attitude–-attracting the attention of the most popular kids in the school, a group Alyssa clearly doesn’t fit into.

Alyssa’s Jewish, like most of Glenfair, but since she’s also Russian, Alyssa feels even more separated from other teens. How many other Jewish families have a New Year’s tree with ornaments? On top of all this, Alyssa’s once stable home environment has become chaotic.

Alyssa is used to alcohol accompanying every meal and event in the Russian culture. But when Alyssa’s mother loses her job, the usual drink or two changes into a full-time happy hour. While Alyssa's father uses news reports of war unrest in the Middle East as his escape from reality, Alyssa is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered family alone. As her mother’s alcoholism gets worse, Alyssa must decide how much she can and should handle before she crumbles as well."

Waiting on Wednesday (45)

Forget You by Jennifer Echols (July 20th 2010--MTV)

"There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. With her life about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people—suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug."

Her other MTV novel, Going Too Far, left a huge impression on me!

Waiting on Wednesday (44)

Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder: no summary...sadly. 3rd in the series though. UK cover

Click BOOKS, then SPY GLASS for the summary.

Waiting on Wednesday (43)

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (September 14th 2010--Margaret K. McElderry)

"this teen anthology asks the question: which is better and badder, the zombie or the unicorn?"

Short summary, but that's all you really need to know about the book. I'm always torn between the two!

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (42)

My Soul to Reap by Courtney Allison Moulton (2011 (!!)--Katherine Tegan Books)

"When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers--monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell--she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between Seraphim and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of fighting the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her--an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting extracurriculars, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to destroy Ellie's soul forever, ending her rebirth cycle. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives--including truths that may be too frightening to remember."

When I first the summary I was pretty much excited with multiple exclamation points following that. But when I visited the author's website and saw the stunning background I was sold! Yue Wang, the artist who drew the [fan]art as shown to the left, did a magnificent job that only added to my excitement! The author also made a short book trailer for the book....

2011 cannot come fast enough! Sequels will also be coming out! And do check out the YA Rebels, a group of YA vloggers that the author of this book is part of.

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge (June 22nd 2010--Henry Holt)

"Sometime in the future, there is a place populated only by women. The woman have survived against all odds by working hard in their rough, agrarian life and by protecting their borders from the enemy—men who are mutants from the “Time Before,” before the wars and devastation resulting from a nuclear explosion.

Here in this place, a young woman, Keller, is being trained as a novice Tracker—elite members of this society who are expert horsewomen, marksmen, and protectors of the borders from invasion. Keller is obedient to the strict rules of this world, where friendship is forbidden and life amounts to endless work to survive. But Keller is also curious—she prefers to read the limited pages allowed from their meager library, and she finds herself chosen to be the apprentice to the most powerful leader of all, the Chair. But when Keller finds out her fellow novice, Laing, has made a startling discovery, everything in their world is turned upside down. Laing has found a partially buried home from the Time Before—a home where a teenage girl once lived and had stuffed animals, a computer, TV, clothes and make-up—all things foreign to Keller and Laing and the rest of this society. This discovery unleashes a string of events that rocks their world and causes Keller not only to question the ruling powers and the way of life they enforce, but changes Keller’s life forever.

Reminiscent of THE GIVER but with a feminist twist, NOMANSLAND is a powerful, shocking story that will challenge young readers’ perspectives and provoke much discussion over the timely and controversial issues presented through this highly dramatic and unforgettable story."

---Wow!

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan (May 18th 2010--Margaret K. McElderry) [Cover is UK paperback edition]

"Mae Crawford always thought she was in control. Now she's learned that her little brother Jamie is a magician and Nick, the boy she'd set her heart on, has an even darker secret. Mae's whole world has spun out of control, and it's only going to get worse.

When she realises that Jamie has been meeting secretly with the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, and that Gerald wants him to join the magicians, she's not sure how to stop Jamie doing just that. Calling in Nick and Alan as reinforcements only leads to a more desperate conflict because Gerald has a plan to bring Nick down - by using Alan to spring a deadly trap.

With those around her torn between divided loyalties and Mae herself torn between her feelings for two very different boys, she sees a chance to save them all - but it means approaching the mysterious and dangerous Goblin Market alone..."--stole this from Liyana who in turn stole it here.

HomgEek!Want!Now! *drowned in her own puddle of drool*

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey (June 22nd 2010--Walker)

"It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte - a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself - the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles - told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives - has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more."

I believe that is indeed the UK cover. I much prefer the US cover of Hearts at Stake than the UK version so hopefully the US cover of Blood Feud would be better as well. The Drake Chronicles is like that of an adult vampire series where the sequel features the next sibling of some sort. At any rate, I've read the prequel to this book and really liked it as a semi-light read during those stressful times. It is highly addictive. Be sure to check out my review of Hearts at Stake some time this week!

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Star Shack by Lila Castle (June 2010--Sourcebooks Fire)

Pete and Annabelle live for their summers together on Gingerbread Beach. They've always believed they were a perfect pair… until junior year, when Annabelle becomes obsessed with astrology. Now they can hardly stand each other. Pete thinks that Annabelle (a Leo) has become a total flake; Annabelle thinks Pete (a Scorpio) has become an uptight jerk.

When Annabelle dares Pete to open a summer business on the Boardwalk generating personalized horoscopes, their fast-paced, hilarious bickering soon rises to a fever pitch. The he-said/she-said advice of the Star Shack is wildly popular and seems able to fix any relationship problem… except their own.

But when one of Annabelle's star charts helps catch a thief, Pete might have to admit that the stars could really hold the key to the future…and to his own heart.

Interesting use of horoscopes...

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting On Wednesday (37)

Other by Karen Kincy (July 1st 2010--Flux)

"Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive."

(click on the photo for the FULL image in all it's amazing glory)

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer (May 1st 2010--Scholastic)

"Abby Goodwin is sure her sister Tabitha isn't a murderer. But her parents don't agree. Her friends don't agree. And the cops definitely don't agree. Tabitha is a drop-out, a stoner, a girl who's obsessed with her tutor, Clyde Andrews...until he ends up dead. Tabitha runs away, and leaves Abby following the trail of clues. Each piece of evidence points to Tabitha, but it also appears that Clyde had secrets of his own. And enemies. Like his brother, who Abby becomes involved with...until he falls under suspicion.

Is Abby getting closer to finding the true murderer? Or is someone leading her down a twisted false path?"

I read Schrefer's previous work The School for Dangerous Girls and liked it so I can't wait to read this one.

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!