Waiting on Wednesday (25)

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


This week's WoW is . . .  

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken


When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I love, love, love the sound of this.

The sense of danger and adventure is so tangible in the synopsis alone.  It sounds like a fast-paced, romantic, wild ride of a story, and I am always up for that.  To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even heard of this until BEA; then everyone kept saying how awfully excited they were for this, how desperate they were to get their hands on a copy, and I thought, Well, perhaps I should check this thing out. Y'know. Perhaps. 

And when I did, it took about .2 seconds for me to decide I needed this to be mine.  

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

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


This week's WoW is . . .  

The Diviners by Libba Bray


Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Libba Bray and the Roaring Twenties.

That's all you had to tell me.

Waiting on Wednesday (23)

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


This week's WoW is . . .  

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook


Two teenagers who, in search of a better life, run away to Vegas, but realize they can't run fast enough when they end up wanted by the police, out of money, and out of options, pitched as a YA Bonnie and Clyde.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

YA Bonnie and Clyde, guys.

YA Bonnie and Clyde. 

That, combined with the hysterical cover remakes and heartfelt reviews by fellow YA Highway-ers, convinced me that this book needs to be mine.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

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


This week's WoW is . . .  

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd


London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true. 

Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes, this has a love triangle.

Yes, I'm not too fond of those.

But this sounds so eerie and beautiful and ridiculously unique that I'm willing to bet I will still adore it, and I would totally sell an arm to get my hands on an ARC.  

The (Is)Land of Palm Trees and Sunscreen

Hello, everyone!  So, yesterday I returned from an eight-day-long trip to Hawaii.  It was really fantastic and really exhausting and I really, really wish I hadn't had to return to the Land of Deciduous Trees and Cows, but such is the way of things.

Here is a (sort-of) summary of my trip, complete with photographs.

I saw some beautiful beaches.

One of the only black sand beaches in the world!

I snorkeled.

Sea turtle!

I saw some dolphins pass a few feet from me.

This one actually turned to smile at me, but sadly, I was not able to capture that. 

I hiked in the rain forest.

Shira and I had dramatic beach photoshoots, one at 2 in the morning, one at a more decent hour.  But no pics of The Sister, because she is shy (ha).

I saw The Black Pearl.

I went to the aquarium.

UNICORN FISH!

I went ziplining.

I saw so much beautiful scenery I feared my head might explode.

And finally, things not captured by camera: I a) swam with sharks, but could not take pictures because I was too busy clinging to cage bars for dear life, and b) got a really spectacular sunburn on my ass.




That's about it!  I can't properly summarize my trip, and those pictures can't properly express the ridiculous beauty that is Hawaii, but this is as close as I can get.  And now, after an eight-day trip and fourteen-hour flight . . . I get to leave for a month-long writing camp!




P.S. Apologies for the formatting issues.  Blogger is being rather stubborn.