"Waiting On" Wednesday (#65) Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm picking:
Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu
Expected publication: May 12th 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books

From Goodreads: 
Montana and her sister, Arizona, are named after the mountainous states their mother left them for. But Montana is a New York City girl through and through, and as the city heats up, she’s stepping into the most intense summer of her life.

With Arizona wrapped up in her college world and their father distracted by yet another divorce, Montana’s been immersing herself in an intoxicating new friendship with a girl from her acting class. Karissa is bold, imperfectly beautiful, and unafraid of being vulnerable. She’s everything Montana would like to become. But the friendship with Karissa is driving a wedge between Montana and her sister, and the more of her own secrets Karissa reveals, the more Montana has to wonder if Karissa’s someone she can really trust.

In the midst of her uncertainty, Montana finds a heady distraction in Bernardo. He’s serious and spontaneous, and he looks at Montana in the way she wants to be seen. For the first time, Montana understands how you can become both lost and found in somebody else. But when that love becomes everything, where does it leave the rest of her imperfect life?

Why I'm Waiting:
I love a book that features some good family drama, and this one looks like it will be wonderful.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#64) Kissing Ted Callahan (And Other Guys) by Amy Spalding

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm picking:
Kissing Ted Callahan (And Other Guys) by Amy Spalding
Expected publication: April 14th 2015 by Poppy

From Goodreads: 
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist meets Easy A in this hilariously realistic story of sneaking out, making out, and playing in a band.

After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they'll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook.

While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone's heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she's been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.


Why I'm Waiting:
This looks like a fun, easy, adorable story.  My favorite kind. 

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#63) Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm picking:
Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
Expected publication: April 7th 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

From Goodreads: 
Love and sacrifice intertwine in this brilliant and provocative debut of rare beauty about a girl dealing with her mother’s schizophrenia and her own mental illness.

Fig’s world lies somewhere between reality and fantasy.

But as she watches Mama slowly come undone, it becomes hard to tell what is real and what is not, what is fun and what is frightening. To save Mama, Fig begins a fierce battle to bring her back. She knows that her daily sacrifices, like not touching metal one day or avoiding water the next, are the only way to cure Mama.

The problem is that in the process of a daily sacrifice, Fig begins to lose herself as well, increasingly isolating herself from her classmates and engaging in self-destructive behavior that only further sets her apart.

Spanning the course of Fig’s childhood from age six to nineteen, this deeply provocative novel is more than a portrait of a mother, a daughter, and the struggle that comes with all-consuming love. It is an acutely honest and often painful portrayal of life with mental illness and the lengths to which a young woman must go to handle the ordeals—real or imaginary—thrown her way.

Why I'm Waiting:
I look forward to debut books so much, and this one looks so good.  Heartbreaking, but so beautiful.

Top Ten Tuesday (#69) (10/14/14)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit (whether fictional or real)

One of the things that I love the most about books is how they take me to a new place, and they teach me something about a place that I have never been before.  On the flip side, sometimes a book will make me long to revisit a place I've been before, just to see it through the eyes of the characters.  Here are my favorites:

Paris

I've been to Paris, and I loved it.  This book is such a love letter to Paris, that I want to go back and see everything that I missed the first time.

The Hamptons

I've never been to the Hamptons, but man this series made me want to go immediately.

New York City

I've been to New York a bunch of times, too many to count at this point, however there is always something new to see. I don't think I've been back since I read this book, and every time I think of this story, it makes me want to get in my car and take a drive and explore the city a little more.

Amsterdam

This is another place I've been before, however I only spend one day there, and it wasn't even a full day. There is so much more to see that when I read this book, I just wanted to go back so I could finish exploring the city.

Australia

I want to go to Australia SO badly. Many of the books that I've read haven't glamorized Australia, they are contemporaries, so they are just slices of life, but still, every time I read a book set in Australia, I want to go even more.

Hogwarts

Being a muggle, I will never get to go to Hogwarts, but how cool is the Wizarding World.  I mean, besides he who must not be named, and all that ugly stuff.

All of Europe

I love Europe, I have had such amazing trips no matter which country/city I've been to. This whole series makes me wish I had the time and money to explore Europe even more. 

London

I absolutely adore London.  If I could figure out a way to live there, I would in a heartbeat.  It's EXPENSIVE though, so I can't imagine being able to afford it.  In the meantime, every time I read a story set in London, I have an absolute longing to go back.  

Italy

I keep a list of the 10 countries I want to visit.  It's my own bucket list of travel.  There are two separate places in Italy on my list.  Although I didn't love this book, it made me want to go to Italy all over again.

Greece

I realize this is a very Europe heavy list.  I always wanted to see Greece, and after reading this series, my longing increased a ton.  It sounds so amazing and beautiful. 

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#62) What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm picking:
What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott
Expected publication: March 31st 2015 by Point

From Goodreads: 
An unputdownable thriller with twists and turns the reader won't see coming, from YA talent Kieran Scott.

It's a beautiful, sunny day. Callie Velasquez holds hands with her boyfriend Jeremy as they follow Callie's new BFFs Penelope and Lissa up the trail. The four friends are embarking on a camping trip -- a trip that immediately goes awry. They lose their way on the trail, and encounter a charismatic stranger with questionable motives. And when Callie stumbles upon a dead body, it becomes clear that the danger that lies in the woods is deadlier than she could have ever imagined. Tensions mount and friendships are tested as these teenagers try to survive the most sinister of circumstances.


Why I'm Waiting:
I think I've read everything she's written, no matter what name she's using.  This is such a departure from her other books, I can't wait to see if it's just as good.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#61) I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm picking:
I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore
Expected publication: April 7th 2015 by Razorbill 

 

From Goodreads: 
She can be anyone you want her to be.
Vivian was raised with one purpose in life: to exact revenge on behalf of her mother. Manipulative and cruel, Mother has deprived Vivian not only of a childhood, but of an original identity. With an endless arsenal of enticing personalities at her disposal, Vivian is a veritable weapon of deception.

And she can destroy anyone.
When it’s time to strike, she enrolls in a boarding school on the English moors, where she will zero in on her target: sweet and innocent Ben, the son of the man who broke Mother’s heart twenty years ago.

Anyone…except for the woman who created her.
With every secret she uncovers, Vivian comes one step closer to learning who she really is. But the more she learns about herself, the more dangerous this cat and mouse game becomes. Because Mother will stop at nothing to make sure the truth dies with her.


Why I'm Waiting:
This premise really intrigues me.  I really hope it's as well done as it seems.