No More Waiting on Wednesday Posts or We're Cooking Something Up!

Yep, you heard it guys, no more "Waiting on Wednesday" posts. This is not a bad thing though, because I'm cooking up something even better! Join me June 3rd for an new kind of "wishing" post and some other really neat updates.....

Till then, wish big and happy reading!

Wishing on Wednesday (12)

Wishing on Wednesdays" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

BLT features this muse weekly and to make it somewhat unique, I try to find books that haven't already been featured on other book blogs. Till next week, wish big and happy reading!

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton 

Will be released June 11th.

Jimmy lives in Rowlesburg, West Virginia, during the 1940s. He does all the things boys do in the small mountain town: plays a mean game of football, pulls the unforgettable Halloween prank with his friends in “the Platoon,” and promises to head off into the woods on the first day of hunting season— no matter what. He also knows his father belongs to a secret society, and is determined to uncover the mysteries behind it! But it is a midnight encounter with a train that shows Jimmy the man his father really is.

Newcomer Fran Cannon Slayton’s powerful first novel captures the serendipity of boyhood by shining a spotlight on the peak adventures of Jimmy’s life. But at its heart, this is a story about a boy and his father in a time when trains reigned supreme.

I think it's really great that there is more historical fiction (and fiction period) for kids and teens nowdays. The only down-point is that they put most of it in the "Juvenile" section, so don't be afraid to go take a peek in there. (Just because it says "9-12" doesn't necessarily mean it's for kids.)

I like books that take place in the deep south because there always lots of mystery and people that are up to no good. Hope it comes to my library soon.....

Wishing on Wednesday (11)

"Wishing on Wednesdays" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

BLT features this muse weekly and to make it somewhat unique, I try to find books that haven't already been featured on other book blogs. Till next week, wish big and happy reading!

Gosh, another week gone by and-naughty me- I haven't finished that Amazon order yet. I guess you guys might have to wait a bit longer to see my most wished for 2009 releases. Sigh. But I have been busy suggesting recently released books to my library. In fact the library called me (aren't I special?) to let me know that TWO of those suggested books are ready for me to pick up! :) Want to know what they are? Stay tuned for my "In My Mailbox" post on Sunday.

Now about  why I'm wishing for the following books: I haven't read Oh, My Gods by Tera Lynn Childs yet, but I couldn't help featuring the sequel. There's something about colorful or clean book covers that make be excited about reading what's on the inside. The second book I heard about a few months ago. I'm a such sucker for Regency Era stuff.

Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs will be released June 11th.

To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada 

heels. But trying them on, she trips…conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!

There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily’s family, Callie warms to them—particularly to Emily’s cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.

But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex’s heart, before her time in the past is up?

More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.

Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbord will be released June 11th.

Wishing on Wednesday (10)

"Wishing on Wednesdays" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

BLT features this muse weekly and to make it somewhat unique, I try to find books that haven't already been featured on other book blogs. Till next week, wish big and happy reading!

It’s tough enough defining your identity—imagine if your father was a rock legend.

Blanche Kelly's dad is a famous indie rock icon, but not many people at the private school she attends on scholarship know this. Her father left when she was in the first grade, and she can’t quite forgive her mom for not understanding that an artist like her dad needs the time and space to connect to his muse.

When Blanche creates an all-girl rock band, their sound captures a wide audience and the band is invited to compete at the Coachella Music Festival. Blanche feels this could be the perfect time for a reunion with her father. Won’t he be proud to hear her band? Won’t he be happy to get to know his only daughter?

Author Barbara Hall sensitively explores the expectations between parents and teens, as well as the value of learning about your past to make your own future. 

Hey guys! I'm back! Did ja miss me? Anyways here's a quick update: I will be posting a review of Ann Rinaldi's latest book, My Vicksberg on Thursday (review will be written by Margaret May, our "guest" reviewer) and my review of Cathy's Book AND Cathy's Key will be posted on Saturday. Now back to the book:

Why do I want to read this? Besides sounding very similar to I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephenie Kuehnert( which I'm desperately trying to get my hands on), I am just crazy about the cover art. Isn't it gorgeous? This, guys, is one of the reasons I want to be a graphic designer. 

Tempo Change by Barbara Hall will be released on June 9th!

Wishing on Wednesday (9)

"Wishing on Wednesdays" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

BLT features this muse weekly and to make it somewhat unique, I try to find books that haven't already been featured on other book blogs. Till next week, wish big and happy reading!

A Retelling of Anastasia 

Nadya is a mischievous kitchen girl in a Russian tavern. Having nearly drowned in the Iset River during the turmoil of the Revolution, she has no memory of her past and longs for the life she cannot remember.Then two young men arrive at the tavern and announce that Nadya's long-lost grandmother has sent them to find her. Yearning for family and friendship, she agrees to accompany them to Paris for the joyful reunion. Nadya eagerly embarks on her journey, never dreaming it will be one of laughter, love -- and betrayal. 

I've always loved books about Anastasia so I'm excited about reading this book!

The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn will be released June 1st.

Set on a path of humiliation and despair, thirteen-year-old Desiderata is forced to march alongside her family on the long and treacherous road to the court of their conqueror, King Charlemagne (Karolus). The headstrong young duchess has become a pawn in the political intrigues of her time. In this period piece set in eighth-century France, Desiderata lives a life of duality, of nobility and peasantry, unwillingly betrothed to Young Pepin, the despised son and heir to the throne of Karolus, while falling in love with his older brother. Readers will identify with her young adult exploration of fate, control, and free will. Her father, Odillon, said that Karolus had left them no choice, but Desiderata disagreed. For her, fighting was a choice, even when victory was not.

Not many books about the 8th century. I've been waiting for this for awhile.

Desiderate by Judy Ferro will be released June 1st.

Wishing on Wednesday (8)

"Wishing on Wednesdays" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

BLT features this muse weekly and to make it somewhat unique, I try to find books that haven't already been featured on other book blogs. Till next week, wish big and happy reading!

 

Kyla is exactly the kind of girl Alex could never talk to in real life. She’s a gorgeous, outspoken L.A. girl who parties to forget about her absent father and depressed mother. He’s a shy ballet dancer from outside San Francisco who’s never been kissed. Luckily, when these sixteen-year-olds meet for the first time it’s not in real life—it’s in a chat room, where they can share their feelings of isolation and frustration away from the conformity-obsessed high school scene. Alex and Kyla quickly forge a friendship that’s far from virtual— maybe they’re even falling in love. But what happens when the soul mate you’ve never met moves from online to in person?

Why I Want to Read It

First of all I don't really agree with the meeting online stuff, but the story sounds kinda cute. My main point why I want to read this book is because I was a dancer too. :)

Are U 4 Real by Sara Kadefors will be released May 14th.

Emma Healy has never fit in with the rest of her family. She's grown used to being the only ordinary one among her rather extraordinary parents and siblings. But when she finds a birth certificate for a twin brother she never knew she had, along with a death certificate dated just two days later, she feels like a part of her has been justified in never feeling quite whole. Suddenly it seems important to visit his grave, to set off in search of her missing half. When her next-door neighbor Peter Finnegan -- who has a quiet affinity for maps and a desperate wish to escape their small town -- ends up coming along for the ride, Emma thinks they can't possibly have anything in common. But as they head from upstate New York toward North Carolina, driving a beat-up and technically stolen car and picking up a stray dog along the way, they find themselves learning more and more about each other. Neither is exactly sure what they're looking for, but with each passing mile, each new day of this journey, they seem to be getting much closer to finding it. 

Why I Want to Read It

Road trip! Sounds neat and a "cleaner" so to speak than the book Wherever Nina Lies, a novel similar to You Are Here.

You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith will be released May 19th.

Wishing on Wednesday (6)

A Kiss in Time by Alex Finn

Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .

I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.

I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.

I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.

Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!

Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!

Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?

Will be released April 28th.

Wishing on Wednesday (5)

The Battle for Duncragglin by Andrew Vaderwal 

Set in the time of William Wallace, this is historical fiction at its bloody best!
One of history’s most turbulent times comes to vivid life in this thrilling new novel. Twelve-year-old Alex has been raised by his uncle since his parents disappeared on a trip to Scotland many years ago. He’s resigned to spending the summer in Scotland with yet another relative and finds himself on a farm near the ruined remnants of an ancient castle that is rumored to be haunted. Could it have a connection to his parents’ disappearance?

With three newfound friends, Alex sets out to discover the secret of a sealed cave along the rugged coast that borders the farm. The secret is far more powerful than anything they could have imagined, and they are catapulted to the very brink of a hellish past — the bloody late 13th century when the great Scottish rebel, William Wallace, was fighting a guerilla-style military campaign. 

Full of high drama as well as humor, bloodshed, and great tenderness, this fine novel marks the arrival of a major voice in historical fiction. 

Time warp! Whoowhoo! If it wasn't the story itself that caught my eye, it was definitely the cover. I mean sneakers and an old castle?-I just can't pass this one up. Hey, maybe this book will be like Timeline, but for YA!

Random thought here: Anyone seen Timeline or read the book? (I've seen the movie)

To be released April 14, 2009.

A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell

Cora Bradley dreams of escape. Ever since her reckless older brother, Nate, died in a car crash, Cora has felt suffocated by her small town and high school. She seeks solace in drawing beautiful maps, envisioning herself in exotic locales. When Cora begins to fall for Damian, the handsome, brooding boy who was in the car with Nate the night he died, she uncovers her brother's secret artistic life and realizes she had more in common with him than she ever imagined. With stunning lyricism, Sandell weaves a tale of one girl's journey through the redemptive powers of art, friendship, and love.

They say no land remains to be discovered, no continent is left unexplored. But the whole world is out there, waiting, just waiting for me. I want to do things-I want to walk the rain-soaked streets of London, and drink mint tea in Casablanca. I want to wander the wastelands of the Gobi desert and see a yak. I think my life's ambition is to see a yak. I want to bargain for trinkets in an Arab market in some distant, dusty land. There's so much. But, most of all, I want to do things that will mean something.

Ever since I read Song of the Sparrow last year, I've been wondering if Sandell would ever write another YA novel. Welp, the wondering has ceased and I am impatiently awaiting the release....... which is still several weeks away. :(

This book sounds just as poetic as Song of the Sparrow-I love the way she writes. 

Which upcoming YA novel are you just dying to read?

To be released April 15, 2009.

Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt

Remy Walker has it all: he found the love of his life at home in crumbling little Dwyer, West Virginia, deep in his beloved Appalachian Mountains where his family settled more than one hundred and sixty years ago. But at seventeen, you’re not supposed to already be where you want to be, right? You’ve got a whole world to make your way through, and you start by leaving your dead-end town. Like his girlfriend, Lisa. Lisa’s going away to college. If Remy goes with her, it would be the start of everything they ever dreamed of. So when a fascinating young artist from out of state shows Remy his home through new eyes, why is he suddenly questioning his future?

The author vividly depicts a rich and beautiful place in this powerful novel about a young man who, over the course of a summer, learns how much he has to give up for a girl, and how much he needs to give up for a mountain.

After I watched a documentary on 20/20 about the kids and teens of the Appellation Mts., I was very shocked. Picture this: drugs, extreme poverty like in Africa, and illiterateness. Um, is this America we're talking about right?

 I thought to myself, "I hope somebody writes a book about this to let other teens now about what's going on up there." Then ZAP, here it is. Of course this setting is not going to be all sunshine and roses, but I'm anxious to see how Wyatt's (a debut author) portrays the teens of  The Appellations-I just hope she writes about what really goes on up there.

To be released April 27, 2009

Jack Tumor by Anthony McGowan 

Hector is being hectored by an unlikely bully: a talking brain tumor. And it’s not just a talking brain tumor. It’s a know-it-all, pain-in-the-arse, jibber-jabbering brain tumor that names itself Jack, and insists on coaching Hector through life even as it’s threatening to take his life away. It’s a pretty good coach, actually. With Jack in control of Hector’s speech and brain chemicals, Hector suddenly finds himself with a cool haircut, a new fashion sense, and tactics for snogging previously unattainable hottie Uma Upshaw. But when Jack begins to force increasingly questionable decisions and behavior, Hector has to find a way to turn the tables – before it’s too late for both of them.

A talking tumor? Hmm, this is new.

To be released April 27, 2009.

"Waiting on Wednesday" is the creation of Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Wishing on Wednesday (4)

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Tabitha and her four best friends all wear Purity Rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made as tweens. Now the girls are fifteen, and their rings have come to symbolize not only their purity, but also the friendships and identities they've built based on their shared faith. Simmering tensions rise to the surface and the group is split apart when one of Tab's friends admits that she and her long-term boyfriend have broken the pledge. In the midst of the confrontations, betrayals, confessions, and revenge that follow, each girl is forced to reexamine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure. 

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I'm going to be blunt with this one. I can seriously say I have waited awhile for a book like this to come out. I just hope girls will read it. Pure will be released April 7th. Can't wait!

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti 

Maybe it was wrong, or maybe impossible, but I wanted the truth to be one thing. One solid thing.Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. She tries to be an optimist -- after all, she's the dependable one, the girl who never makes foolish choices. But when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, Quinn starts to think maybe there really are no good men. It doesn't help that she's gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her formerly absent father. He's a little bit of a lot of things: charming, selfish, eccentric, lazy...but he's her dad, and Quinn's just happy to have him around again. Until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts. Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the half sister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth.

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I've never read a Caletti book. For some reason I haven't really been drawn to any of her novels except this one. This book seemed a bit different and just sounded more interesting. Maybe I will try some of her other novels if this one is good. 

The Secret Life of Prince Charming will be released April 7th. 

You?

Wishing on Wednesday (3)

Double Eagle by Sneed B. Collard III:

The year is 1862. The Skink, a Confederate ship, is attacked by Union forces and sinks off the Alabama coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the ship was rumored to be carrying newly minted gold coins, no trace of the wreck and not even a single piece of Confederate gold is ever found.Fast forward to 1973. Mike is prepared for another routine summer in Pensacola with his marine biologist father. But plans suddenly change and Mike finds himself on Shipwreck Island near the site where the Skink went down and right in the middle of a century-old mystery!Mike and his new friend Kyle are intrigued by a salvage ship anchored just offshore. Some say it was brought in by fortune hunters searching for the long-lost Confederate ship and its treasure. But when the boys scale a fence at the fort on the island and explore a section closed off to the public, they realize that the fortune hunters may be looking in the wrong place. There in the sand-covered floor of an abandoned chamber they spot something shiny: an old double eagle gold coin. Mike and Kyle agree to keep their discovery a secret and start their own investigation into the shipwreck and the missing gold. 

 Lets see: treasure hunt+lost gold+Civil War secrets=I can't wait to read this book! I love movies about treasure hunts (Nation Treasure, Sahara ) but I haven't found very many YA books with treasure hunts as the setting. With Double Eagle coming out, my searched has ended. Although (I think) you can already buy this book on Amazon, it's not available in bookstores until April 1st, 2009.

Anyone else out there waiting for a specific kind of book?

"Wishing on Wednesdays" was inspired by "Waiting on Wednesdays" by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Wishing on Wednesday (2)

He passed a note across the counter.THIS IS A BANK ROBBERY. YOU WON''T GET HURT IF YOU DO AS YOU''RE TOLD. I knew what the note said because I had written it.

Nell has been in foster homes all her life-most of them have been horrible. She finally gets moved to a home she likes, and the ministry threatens to close it down unless an expensive renovation is made to the house. Nell and the two boys in the home, Billy and Tom, decide to raise the funds themselves. How do kids get large amounts of money quickly? By robbing banks, of course. Their first few heists are successful, but when they almost get caught on their sixth robbery, the friends start to fight about whether they should continue. The bank jobs that were meant to keep their family together just might tear it apart.

James Heneghan is the best-selling author of dozens of books for kids and young adults, including Safe House and Waiting for Sarah.

Norma Charles has written many books for kids including The Accomplice, winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children''s Literature Prize.

Norma and James both live in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bank Job was inspired by a newspaper account of three teens who robbed seven banks in Vancouver.

Will be released April 1st, 2009

A book about teens robbing banks!-this is a new idea. We know the real kids from Canada could pull it off, but can the authors? Can't wait to find out.

"Wishing on Wendesdays" in the creation of B.L.T. If you would like to use this idea on your blog, please contact me for permission. Thanks.

Wishing on Wednesday (1)

In the 1700s, women’s responsibilities were primarily child rearing and household duties. But Deborah Sampson wanted more from life. She wanted to read, to travel—and to fight for her country’s independence. When the colonies went to war with the British in 1775, Deborah was intent on being part of the action. Seeing no other option, she disguised herself in a man’s uniform and served in the Continental army for more than a year, her identity hidden from her fellow soldiers.

I can't wait for the release of this book. The idea of reading the story of a secret woman soldier is exciting for me-plus, takes place during one of my favorite eras: The Revolutionary War.

Soldier's Secret: The Story of Deborah Sampson by Shelia Solomon Klass will be released March 31, 2009