Waiting on Wednesday: Beastkeeper

So in my renewed determination to keep up with my blogging, I am back today with a Waiting on Wednesday post.  Yay!

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She’s grown up lonely and longing for magic. She doesn’t know that it’s magic her parents are running from.

When Sarah's mother walks out on their family, all the strange old magic they have tried to hide from comes rising into their mundane world. Her father begins to change into something wild and beastly, but before his transformation is complete, he takes Sarah to her grandparents—people she has never met, didn’t even know were still alive.

Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family bloodlines, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast...unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever."

So unless you couldn't tell from the description, I'm pretty sure this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  And you know I love fairy tale retellings.  But I like the way this one has scrambled it around a bit with the girl turning into the beast.  Sounds like it will be good.  :)

You don't have to wait too long to read Beastkeeper, since it will be released on February 3, 2015.

Currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com in Hardcover and Kindle
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Waiting on Wednesday: Oh Yeah, Audrey!

This week's pick is something a little bit different for me, but for some reason I find it very intriguing:

Oh Yeah, Audrey! by Tucker Shaw

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "It’s 5:00 a.m. on Fifth Avenue, and 16-year-old Gemma Beasley is standing in front of Tiffany and Co. wearing the perfect black dress with her coffee in hand—just like Holly Golightly. As the cofounder of a successful Tumblr blog—Oh Yeah Audrey!—devoted to all things Audrey Hepburn, Gemma has traveled to New York in order to meet up with her fellow bloggers for the first time. She has meticulously planned out a 24-hour adventure in homage to Breakfast at Tiffany’s; however, her plans are derailed when a glamorous boy sweeps in and offers her the New York experience she’s always dreamed of. Gemma soon learns who her true friends are and that, sometimes, no matter where you go, you just end up finding yourself. 

Filled with hip and sparkling prose, Oh Yeah, Audrey! is as much a story of friendship as it is a love letter to New York, Audrey Hepburn, and the character she made famous: Holly Golightly."

I'll admit it, I've never actually seen Breakfast at Tiffany's, although I've wanted to for a long time.  Hmmm, maybe it's time to get around to doing that finally.  But I love the idea of this book, and it looks like a cute and fun read.  Straight up romance YA usually isn't my thing at all, but for some reason I am drawn to this one.

Oh Yeah, Audrey! will be released on October 14, 2014.

Currently available at Amazon.com in Hardcover 
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Waiting on Wednesday: Sisters

Now that I'm trying to get back into the game, I think it's time for a Waiting on Wendesday post.  So today's pick is another one that's not so much "waiting" since the book was released yesterday.  But since I don't have it in my hands yet, I'm still excited about it...

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "The companion to Raina Telgemeier's #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir, SMILE. 

Raina can't wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, something doesn't seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all. 

Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado."

I had the great pleasure in reading the companion to this book, Smile, in 2010 when it was nominated for the Cybils awards.  It was one of the group's favorites, so it isn't a surprise that it made it to the finalist stage.  So seriously, if you haven't read Smile yet, you need to.  (And also Drama, which was done by the same author, but is unrelated to both Smile and Sisters).

So one of the best things about Smile is that it isn't fiction, but rather based on the author's memoirs which just goes to prove that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.  And it's one of the things I loved so much about that book.  This book sounds like more of the same, so I'm super excited to read it.

Sisters was released yesterday on August 26, 2014.

Available at Amazon.com in Paperback or Kindle 
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Waiting on Wednesday: Ever After High

Today's pick requires a bit of a different introduction...

Has anyone heard of Monster High?  It's a book by Lisi Harrison.  I picked it up a couple years ago because Lisi was the author of one of my guilty pleasure series at that time, The Clique.  It's about a high school where many of the students are actually the sons/daughters of famous movie monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, etc.) trying to fit in a normal high school.

Well, as it turns out, Monster High is actually a line of fashion dolls from Mattel.  I found that out the hard way when Googling pictures of the cover.  And I don't know which came first, the dolls or the book (or maybe the were released pretty close to each other).  But it turns out MonsterHigh.com has all sorts of stuff that's worlds beyond the book I first read. 

So why do I bring it up?  Well, Little, Brown Book and Mattel have teamed up again.  This time, it's called Ever After High.

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

 About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both."

So why this pick, when I am obviously so not the target audience for this series?  Two words: Shannon Hale.  I don't think Little, Brown could have picked a better author to bring this new series to life.  And I am so, so excited.  

It's kind of an odd twist really.  Monster High started out as a series of Young Adult books, but after about 4 or so, switched to more of the middle grade audience.  I'm sure it's because it more closely matched the demographic of the site.  For me, I discovered the site after I had read 2 of the books.  I enjoyed the storyline on the website much more.  The YA books just felt like they tried to be so full of teenage DRAMA!!!! and they just tried a bit too hard.  The website is totally cool with the idea that this is a world populated with monsters, while the books tried to squeeze them into everyday life.  I just don't think the message meshed as well.  

Anyway, this series is starting out fulling in the MG category.  Which is fine by me, because as I said before if it's Shannon Hale I will read it, no matter what age group it's meant for.  And as fun as the idea of sons/daughters of  monsters is, the idea of fairy tale offspring is much more appealing to my romantic nature.  :)  I've poked around a bit at EverAfterHigh.com already, where they already have some videos introducing the characters and such up.  Looks like it will be a great fun/fluffy series to try.  Really, it's very squarely in the "tween" category, but who says you're too old to satisfy your inner child on occasion?

 Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends will be released on October 8th, 2013.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Hero

Okay, for today's pick we're dragging up the fairy tale them.  I know, I know, AGAIN.  But this one looks like something different.  So trust me on this one.

Hero by Alethea Kontis

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance."

Hero is the second book in the Woodcutter Sisters series.  The first one, Enchanted, came out in May of last year.  It was about the sister named Sunday and was sort of a retelling of The Frog Prince.  I guess it did well enough that Harcourt decided to purchase 2 companion novels, this one and the next one which is tentatively titled Beloved and due out next year.  According to the author's website, ideally it would be a 7 book series, one book for each sister, so if you read this (or the first one) and like it, make sure you buy everyone a copy so she can keep writing with them.  

I don't see any specific fairy tales on this one based on just the description, but supposedly like the first it'll have kind of a mish mash of them.  But I like that it's own book too.  Kind of like the Dealing With Dragons books by Patricia C. Wrede (still one of my all-time favorite series).  

That being said, I have to say it (again).  I don't like the cover.  Apparently it went through a LOT of revisions (I've been poking around the author's blog a bit).  In fact, the other cover I see most of is this one on the right, which is pretty much the same cover only with a turquoise-y dress instead of the gray.  Which, I guess I can see why they turned to a gray dress, since Saturday is apparently kind of a tomboy.  But both just kind of look weirdly photoshopped to me, but the color of the blue/green dress is better in my opinion.  Makes me wonder what the color of the actual dress was.  The other thing I don't like is her hands.  I think she's wearing gloves, but do you think they look weird?  Hmmm...

Hero will be released on October 1st, just under a week away!




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Waiting on Wednesday: Battle Magic

Today's post is another edition from a long-time favorite author.  I'm excited for this one!

Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Tamora Pierce returns to the magical world of Winding Circle.

On their way to the first Circle temple in Gyongxi, mages Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy pay a visit to the emperor's summer palace. Although treated like royalty when they first arrive, the mages soon discover that the emperor plans to invade Gyongxi, posing a fatal threat to the home temple of the Living Circle religion. Accompanied by one of the emperor's prize captives, the three mages rush to Gyongxi to warn its citizens of the impending attack. With the imperials hot on their trail, Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy must quickly help the country prepare for battle. But even with the help of new allies, will their combined forces be enough to fight the imperial army and win the war?" 

In case you're wondering, Gyongxi is pronounced "Gee-yong-she".  And I only know that because it's been mentioned in a few of the other books, and I've listened to the audio recordings of those books.  Which were narrated by the author.  So she knows what she's talking about.  :)

I love Tamora Pierce.  She's been one of my favorite authors forever.  Her book Wild Magic is the first "grown up" book I can remember picking out and buying myself from the bookstore. And by grown up book, I really mean, the first book I bought that wasn't a Baby Sitters Club book (I loved those in 4th and 5th grade).   From there I've read pretty much every book she's written, and many of them are among my favorites.

This book is another offering in the Circle Reforged series, set in Pierce's so called "Circle Universe" (which mostly means it doesn't take place in her other world, Tortall).  If you aren't familiar with her books I'll give you a quick rundown.  This is actually the 3rd series set with these characters.  The first four books, the Circle of Magic books, are about Briar and his three foster sisters when they are young and first coming into their magic.  The second series, the Circle Opens quartet, is about how each of the main four characters go off with their mentors out into the world and the individual adventures/experiences they have out there, which includes getting a new student to teach for each of them.

Then there's the Circle Reforged.  Which is a little odd.  It's about the four main characters getting back together, although there's a side story in there too. The first one, The Will Of The Empress, is about the main characters.  Then there's Melting Stones, which is actually about Evvy and Rosethorn only.  It happens either after or concurrently to The Will of the Empress (still a little fuzzy on that chronology).  And now, here's the third book, Battle Magic, which must take place before either of the other two books, because their experiences are referenced in both of the Circle Reforged books mentioned above.  

Whew!  So I guess that's a long way of saying I've been waiting for this book for a long time.  Based on the references in the other books, this one might turn out to be a little bloody.  War is never fun and games, and Street Magic (the Briar book in the Circle Opens quartet) tended towards the violent as well.  Must be a guy thing. Hmmmm.... But despite that, I've been dying to know exactly what happened, rather than the bits and pieces we've been given in the previous two books.  

If you're new to the series, and you want to pick it up, here's a word of caution.  Although usually Tamora Pierce's books can stand on their own, you'll enjoy them more if you have the background.  For this one, you'll really need to read all the books in the Circle of Magic series (Sandry's Book, Tris's Book, Daja's Book, Briar's Book) to get a background and feel for these characters.  From the Circle Opens series, you'll probably only need to read Street Magic, which is where Briar meets Evvy.  And I imagine you don't need to read either of the other Circle Reforged books, since chronologically this one takes place first. 

 So, I really didn't mean for this post to be this long.  You see how I gush when I talk about this author.  :) 

Battle Magic will be released on September 24, 2013.


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Waiting on Wednesday: United We Spy

Today's pick is the conclusion to one of my favorite series: The Gallagher Girls.  WARNING: If you haven't read the previous books, this description may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series.

United We Spy by Ally Carter

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever."  

Love, love, love Ally Carter and pretty much everything she does.  I am a little sad to see the end of these books though, I've enjoyed it so much.  But if you haven't already, you should really pick up this series.  Also, I highly recommend Heist Society and it's sequels as well.  Instead of spies, those books are about thieves, and they also have lots of adventure and spy-ish sneaking around.  

Anyway, I'm kind of lucky in that I haven't gotten my hands on Book 5 yet (Out of Sight, Out of Time) because apparently it has a huge cliffhanger ending.  Which sounds worse than the what-I-thought-was-a-cliffhanger endings of Book 3 and Book 4.  Anyway, it works out well for me, since soon I will be able to pick up Books 5 and 6 right after each other.  

On a side note, if you have read Ally's books and enjoy them, and you happen to have a Kindle, or access to a Kindle app for PC/Android/iPhone/iPad, you should really check out Double Crossed.  It's a novella that combines characters from the Gallagher Girl books and the Heist Society books.  As far as I can tell it takes place between Uncommon Criminals and Perfect Scoundrels on the thieves side and between Out of Sight, Out of Time and this book on the Gallagher Girls side.  And the best part?  It's free to download!  That's right, it's a bonus story that won't cost you anything.  Unlike some publishers (*cough* Harper Collins *cough*) who offer bonus short stories/novellas at a nominal fee.  I've already downloaded my copy, but I'm waiting until I read GG#5 before I dive into it. 

 Anyway, United We Spy will be released just around the corner, on September 17th.  

Available at Amazon.com in Hardcover or Kindle
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And don't forget...
Double Crossed is available for free download on Kindle

Waiting on Wednesday: Rose

So this is another recent release WoW post.  But there is some future pubs coming up, I promise!  This was actually published in 2009 in the UK (according to Goodreads) but this is the first time it's come to American shores.

Rose (Rose #1) by Holly Webb

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "Rose isn't like the other orphans at St Bridget's Home for Abandoned Girls. Instead of dreaming of getting adopted by loving, wealthy parents, Rose wants to get a job and be independent. She doesn't need anyone but herself. She finds her escape working as a maid for Mr. Fountain, an alchemist. Unable to ignore the magic that flows throughout the grand residence, Rose realizes that just maybe; she might have a little bit of magic in her too. This new series featuring magicians, witches, talking cats, mist-monsters, and friendships will have young readers in a trance!"

Not much detail from that description, but I'm very intrigued anyway.  You know I'm a sucker for anything vaguely Victorian themed, so this one is right up my alley.  Since it has magic and stuff too.  It's also the first of a series, which will be good news if this turns out to be as good as it looks.  So go buy a copy so it does well and we get the rest of the books here in the US too!

And since I can never resist talking about covers, what do you think of it?  I think it's a little weird.  I love the house in the background, but Rose looks a little strange to me for some reason.  Love the cat on the fence though.  So cute and fluffy!  On the other hand, I don't think the UK cover is all that great either (pictured here on left).  I like pink, but this is a little overkill, don't you think?  I like the title treatement a little better though.  More Victorian-ish looking, although the US title treatment is not bad.  And again, she looks weird in the UK cover (eyes are too big or too far apart or something).  But I suppose not every book can have the perfect cover.  I really need to work on not judging a book by it's cover, which worked in this case because I added it to my Goodreads "want to read" shelf before the cover was posted.  

Rose (Rose #1) was published yesterday, September 3rd.  

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Waiting on Wednesday: Sleeping Beauty's Daughters

Today's Waiting on Wednesday pick is another that you actually don't have to wait long for.  It was actually published yesterday.  But this is one I have been waiting for awhile, since I absolutely love this author.

Sleeping Beauty's Daughters by Diane Zahler

About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "The classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is transformed into a dazzling new story of two sisters fighting a powerful curse by Diane Zahler, the acclaimed author of The Thirteenth Princess. Briskly paced and full of lush descriptions, readers who enjoy the work of Shannon Hale and Gail Carson Levine will be swept away by this spellbinding novel.

The daughters of Sleeping Beauty, Princesses Aurora and Luna, have grown up in a cliff-top palace by the sea, where they are carefully protected by their parents. No one visits, the girls cannot stray beyond the castle walls, and all sharp objects are forbidden here.

But accidents will happen—particularly when an old curse still has power. Soon, in spite of all precautions, Aurora is struggling not to slip into an enchanted sleep.

Frantic, the princesses accept the help of a young fisherman named Symon and embark on a daring ocean voyage to find their aunt—a fairy who may be able to break the spell. From fearsome beasts to raging storms, many dangers befall them, yet they must not give up . . . for if Aurora sleeps, she will not wake for one hundred years. "

So what can I say about this one?  You know me, I absolutely love fairy tale retellings.  Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorites, and although it has been retold many times, I don't think I've ever read one that had this spin to it.  And I really enjoy Zahler's books.  She always manages to put a unique spin on things.  They do tend more towards the middle grade age level, and they can be on the shorter side, but I love them anyway. 

Oh, and isn't the cover gorgeous?  I love the artist that does these covers.  If you haven't already, you should check them all out: The Thirteenth Princess, A True Princess, Princess of the Wild Swans.

Sleeping Beauty's Daughters was released yesterday, August 27th.

Available at Amazon.com in Hardcover or Kindle
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Waiting on Wednesday: Love Disguised

Today's Waiting on Wednesday pick again brings us back to Shakespeare.  But this time it pulls towards that historical fiction side I love, rather than a retelling of one of his plays:

Love Disguised by Lisa Klein

About the Book: "Will Shakespeare is about to meet the girl who will change his life forever. After a mixed-up courtship with the Hathaway sisters ends badly, Will jumps at the chance to go to London, where he can pursue his dream of becoming an actor. There, Will meets the unusually tall (and strong) Meg who has earned the nickname "Long Meg" for her height. She's also fleeing her own past as an orphan turned thief. Disguised as "Mack," Meg was once a member of a band of boy thieves who betrayed her. When Will is robbed by those same villains, Meg disguises herself as "Mack" again--telling Will that Mack is her twin brother--in order to help Will recover his money. As Mack, she finds true friendship with Will. But is there more? And who is Meg really fooling with her disguise?

What ensues is a tale involving love triangles, mistaken identities, and the pursuit of hapless villains, as Shakespeare becomes a key player in a lively drama that could have sprung from his own pen."

Hmmm... sounds kind of like a YA version of Shakespeare in Love?  I have to say, I love Lisa Klein's books.  Now, Klein has already proved she can do a good job with Shakespeare, with her books Ophelia and Lady Macbeth's Daughter.  But she also does a good job with actual historical events like in Two Girls of Gettysburg, and Cate of the Lost Colony.  So perhaps this 5th book, which seems to combine both elements, will be a hit out of the park? 

This also reminds me a bit of Carolyn Meyer's Loving Will Shakespeare, and Carolyn Meyer is probably my other favorite YA historical author. 

Now, about that cover... what do you think?  I'm not a fan.  It's certainly eye catching, but the mismatched random body parts in the diamonds seem weird to me.  Good thing I head about this one before the cover was released, since I'm totally a "judge a book by it's cover" girl. 

Love Disguised will be available in the US at the end of the month, on July 30th.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Still Star-Crossed

This week's Waiting on Wednesday post ventures once again into the realm of retellings/sequels, but this time instead of fairy tales, we're doing Shakespeare.

Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub

About the Book: "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."

So, I'm kind of an oddball in that I actually do enjoy some of Shakespeare's plays a lot.  However, Romeo and Juliet was never one of my favorites.  I like happy endings, not tradegy.  But for some reason, I seem to love retellings of Romeo and Juliet, so this one is right up my alley.  

By the way, if anyone wants to see a hilarous animated move retelling of Romeo and Juliet with an actual happy ending, I highly recommend Disney's Gnomeo & Juliet.  This movie had me and my brother rolling.  

Getting back to the book, I have another book on my shelf that's written from Romeo's point of view called Romeo's Ex.  I haven't read it yet (towering To Be Read pile and all that) but perhaps this is the time to pull it down and jump into it.  I have a feeling these two books will either compliment each other nicely, or totally clash.  

Still Star-Crossed will be available in the US starting July 9th, 2013, just a few days away.
  
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Waiting on Wednesday: Spies and Prejudice

For this week, I'm taking you into the world of contemporary YA.  I know, shock and gasp!  And yes, this one has already been published as well.  It actually came out June 11, the same day as last week's posting.  But I think you'll agree that this one looks interesting.

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

About the Book:  Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

There's just something about a good spy book.  Or a good spy movie.  Don't know what it is, but they rock (if done right).  And add in a little Jane Austen?  I'm hooked.

By the way, if you like spy books and you haven't tried Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series yet, where have you been?  You really, really need to try them.  They're very good.  Seriously.  I recommend them highly.  A high school for proper spy ladies?  I know it sounds weird but just trust me on this one.  That is, if you haven't tried them yet.  :)


Currently available for purchase from Amazon.com in  Hardcover  or  Kindle
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Waiting on Wednesday: Born Of Illusion

Okay, so I'm doing really bad again.  Today's WOW pick is another book that was actually recently released.  So this isn't a pre-release waiting post per say.  But since I don't have my hands on this yet, I think I'm definitely still waiting to read it.  This week I'm breaking away from the fairy tale theme (and trust me, I could have featured another fairy tale book this week.  There are TONS about there I'm waiting to read).  So let's try a little bit of historical fiction this week, shall we?

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

About the Book: Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

In case you didn't catch the reference, that "greatest magician of all" refers to Harry Houdini.  Yeah.  Why don't we have more YA about Harry Houdini anyway?  The guy was awesome...

Apparently this is the first in a series, but I'm not sure they're all about the same characters?  Maybe they're just connected by this mysterious society.  All I know is there isn't much info about the second one yet beyond that it deals with Rasputin.  Interesting.  I'll have to keep my eye out for that one.

And what do you think of the cover.  Hmmm.  Something so unique and intriguing and yet slightly disturbing.  I think it might be the color of her eyes.


Currently available for purchase from Amazon.com in  Hardcover  or  Kindle
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Waiting on Wednesday: The School for Good and Evil

So this is going up kind of late in the day, but better late than never, right?  Today we have the return of Waiting on Wednesday!

Today's post is a little different, because this book has actually already been released.  It was released on May 14th (according to Goodreads).  But since it's still a recent release, and I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, we'll count it for today's entry.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani and Iacopo Bruno

About the Book: “The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.  

So, what do you think?  You know me, I love fairy tale books, and this one sounds like an interesting angle.  Apparently it's the first in a series, so we'll see where it goes from there.  


Available for purchase from Amazon:  Hardcover  or  Kindle
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Check availability on Paperbackswap.com

Waiting on Wedneday 3.9.11

I know this is going up a little late for Wednesday, so to make up for it, it's a WoW double feature!

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer (Twisted Tales) by Maureen McGowan

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!"

and

Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!"

You know me, always up for some fairy tale books. I like the combinations of these two: part fairy tale, part paranormal, and part choose your own adventure story. I'm really interested to see how that turns out.

I've actually been waiting on these two for about a year now. I think it was sometime around March/April last year that I first found out about them, and they were originally scheduled for publication in October of 2010. So I was a little disappointed when I found out the had been pushed back to this year. But now they're almost here!

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer (Twisted Tales) and Cinderella: Ninja Warrior will be released on April 1st, but you can currently pre-order them from Amazon.com:

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.23.10

Phew! This has been a super busy week with four major events happening in the last 5 days. And I'm also busy with the Birthday Bookmark Swap. Hopefully I'll get time to blog about everything that's happened a little later, but for now I wanted to pop in with a quick WoW post.

Dark Mirror by M. J. Putney

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.

When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth."

I'm up for pretty much any YA book with a regency-type setting. Add in a bit of magic, and this book sounds like a lot of fun. I'm really intrigued by the cover too. I want to know what's up with the girl in the mirror!

Dark Mirrorwill be released in a few days, on March 1st. You can preorder it now though through Amazon.com or other bookstores:

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.16.11

Today's feature is another book that's being released soon, although I only recently found out about it a little while ago.

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales by Tamora Pierce

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy."

Not much of a description, but I pretty much love all of Tamora Pierce's work. And of everything she's done, I like the books set in Tortall the best. So I'm really, really excited about this one. The fact that some of the stories have been published before doesn't bother me either. I'm pretty sure I've only read one Tortall short story before, in Bruce Coville's anthology Half-Human. I'm really kind of "eh" about the cover, but it's a Tortall book, so I don't care. :)

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales will be released on February 22nd (almost here!) and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.9.11

Yeah, so I'm cutting the deadline a little close for today's post. BUT, it is still Wednesday so it counts. Today's pick is a little different, in that today I'm featuring a book written for adults:

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.

Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her
friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom."

I read one of Michelle Moran's other books, Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel, last fall and loved it. And I seem to be on a French Revolution kick lately with my reading (I blame The Scarlet Pimpernel CD I've been listening to), so the combination of time period and author make this one I'm really excited for.

Luckily, I won't have to wait long, since Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution is being released on February 15th. And in the meantime it is of course available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.2.11

I've been a bad blogger lately. Every time I promise to come back to blogging something else comes up. Remember last year when my cat had a near death experience? Well, the same problem is back again almost a year later and this time it looks like he might not pull through. It's still a little early to tell, but let's just say I've been a little distracted lately.

Still today's post is to prove to myself that I haven't gone completely AWOL and I am capable of blogging at least a little bit.

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked."

So that doesn't give much of a plot summary, although it intrigues me. So I went and found another summary on Paperbackswap.com:

"Johnny works after school in a shoe repair shop in a swanky hotel in Miami. He loves shoes and is talented; he even aspires to be the next Manolo Blahnik. But the real reason that he is working so hard is because his dad left when he was a baby and he needs to help his mom pay the bills. At least he has his friend, Meg, who works at the hotel coffee shop, to keep him co... more »mpany.

When beautiful Princess Victoriana comes to stay at the hotel, Johnny is thrilled when Victoriana invites him to her suite. There she tells him that her brother has been turned into a frog, and that she needs his help finding him in the Florida Keys. Johnny thinks she is crazy and does not believe her, until she gives him a magical cloak that immediately transports him to another location. Armed with the cloak and a magical earpiece that can help him talk to other transformed humans Johnny sets out to save the Prince."

Much better! You know me and fairy tales. It looks like unlike Flinn's two previous books (Beastly and A Kiss in Time) this one is a mashup of multiple fairy tales. But I love how she brings fairy tales to the modern world, so I'm excited about this one.

And the cover? Well, it's okay. I was hoping for something really pretty like the hardcover edition of A Kiss In Time. But I guess the publisher is going back to the red/black/white flower scheme for these books, since the paperback version of a A Kiss in Time doesn't feature that beautiful green dress, but rather a red flower on a white background.

Sigh. Oh well.

Cloaked will be released soon (Febuary 8th!) but is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com:

Waiting On Wednesday: 1.26.11

Well, I can break out of a book slump long enough to do a WoW post. :)

Waterfall: A Novel (River of Time Series)by Lisa T. Bergren

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.
Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…
and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?"

I have a thing for time travel, so I was instantly intrigued by this one. The cover is interesting, but I saw the book for the second book (out in July) and it is really, really pretty. Is it bad I might read this only so I can read the second book? Hehe.

Waterfall: A Novel (River of Time Series)will be officially released on February 1st, but according to Amazon.com you can order it from them right now: