Waiting On Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

Grave Mercy, by Robin LeFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release date: April 3, 2012

Publisher's description: 

Escaping from the brutality of an arranged marriage, seventeen-year-old Ismae finds sanctuary at the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. She will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death—yet in order to claim her new life, she must be willing to take the lives of others. But how can she deliver Death's vengeance against a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I really only need to know two things about this book: it has nuns as trained assassins for the god of death and is set in medieval France. Just... YES. Also, I have to admit, I'm kind of a sucker for that whole "I was sent to kill you, but I love you!" trope. As if that wasn't enough, everyone who's read an advance copy seems to rave about it! It sounds like it really stands out from the crowd.

And the sad thing is, I actually had the chance to read this book from NetGalley-- but the file wouldn't load on my iPhone, so I ended up having to let it expire unread. Then, months later, the publisher made it available on NetGalley again for a brief 48 hour period, but I missed it! I know, I know... play the world's tiniest violin for me, please.

It's okay, though-- I'll rally. The publishing date will be here before I know it, after all! I'm definitely ordering a copy for my library, and can't wait to get my hands on it.

Watch the book trailer and read an excerpt at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's official Grave Mercy site.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

The Fault in our Stars, by John Green
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release date: January 10, 2012

Well, OF COURSE I'm eagerly anticipating the new John Green novel! He's an amazing writer and an important voice in YA literature. I'm really into contemporary YA fiction right now- a little burned out on paranormal, I have to admit- so I'm compelled by this story of a girl who may be near the end of a long battle with terminal cancer.

I usually steer clear of "dying person" books because they can get maudlin and emotionally manipulative, but I know I can rely on John Green to stay out of Lurlene McDaniel territory. From The Fault in our Stars, I expect great dialogue, memorable characters, and a story that will make me laugh and cry.   

This book is such a big deal, there are NO ARCs. But my friend Beth over at A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust is giving away a SIGNED chapter sampler. How awesome is that?! 

I'm really looking forward to this book, both for myself and my library teens. I think we're all going to find it a really powerful read.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, Part 1, by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: January 25, 2012

According to Dark Horse:

This series of digests rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!

I reviewed the first Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel several months ago, a collection of "missing moments" from the original series. While that volume was quite enjoyable, this one is bound to be even more awesome, as it's the continuation of the original series. That's right kids: continuation. And it's apparently a link to the upcoming sequel series, Legend of Korra!

SO AWESOME.

And it's being written by Gene Luen Yang. Printz Award winning Gene Luen Yang! Author of American Born Chinese, the first graphic novel to win the Printz Award! Who was clearly a fan of Avatar even before he signed on to this project.

HOW EXCITED AM I?

PRETTY DARN EXCITED!

I've been a fan of Yang's work ever since I happened to pick up an ARC of Loyola Chin and the San Peligran Order at a California Library Association conference in 2005. And then he won the Printz for American Born Chinese, and I felt like, "Hey, I knew about that guy before he was cool!" He's enormously talented and seems like an all-around awesome person, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does with the Avatar universe.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick
Publisher: Scholastic
Release date: September 13, 2011

A new Brian Selznick book! I am absolutely HEAD OVER HEELS for Selznick's previous book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, one of the most awesome Caldecott medal winners ever. In addition to being a captivating story, it's ridiculously fun to recommend that book to a 9-year-old. Their eyes widen with doubt as they see the heft of the enormous 533-page tome, and then they breathe a sigh of relief when it's revealed that half the pages are pictures. Hee! If you haven't read Hugo Cabret, go read it.

Like, now. Right now.

I'm serious, what are you waiting for?

...

Okay, so, you've read it? Good. Now you know why I'm so excited for Wonderstruck. According to School Library Journal, it follows the same format as Hugo Cabret: a story told in both words and pictures. And I'm extra giddy about this one because it looks like Wonderstruck involves one of my favorite storytelling devices- where seemingly unrelated plots come together in a surprising way. Plus, 460 pages of Selznick's incredible art! I. CAN'T. WAIT.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

Between the Sea and Sky, by Jaclyn Dolamore
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release date: October 5, 2011

Bloomsbury's summary, via Goodreads:

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. Then Dosinia runs away to the mainland, and Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

Jaclyn Dolamore's debut novel, Magic Under Glass (Bloomsbury 2009), is an absolute gem with a charming, old-fashioned feel. It has a tightly woven plot, a determined heroine, excellent world-building, and something that always endears a book to me: decadent food descriptions. Pure loveliness!

So of course I'm very eager to read her next book. And bonus: this one has mermaids!

As stated in this blog post, Between the Sea and Sky takes place in the same world we saw in Magic Under Glass, so I'm excited to get to know that rich, detailed setting even better. I'm looking forward to another beautifully-crafted "but how will it WORK??" romance. And how can anyone resist a story the author envisioned as "Jane Austen meets Miyazaki?" Hee! Also, can I just say? Esmerine is the most perfect mermaid name EVER. So elegant and wonderfully mermaid-y. Esmerine! I love it. Cannot wait for this one.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, by Jeanne Birdsall
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: May 10, 2011

A new Penderwicks book! That I didn't know about? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I'm so excited about this!

I adore the Penderwicks series. They're just perfect for the reader who wistfully closes the last page of a much-beloved Elizabeth Enright and wonders why nobody writes books like that anymore. And yes, I am that reader! I grew up on a healthy diet of charming mid-century books where children, usually siblings, have wholesome adventures and get into scrapes- books that were already decades old when I was discovering them for the first time. That Jeanne Birdsall captures the feeling of those old books in her writing positively fills me with joyful nostalgia. New books that feel like old favorites! What could be better?

I liked the second Penderwicks book even more than the first, and can't wait to curl up with this third volume. According to the book's description on the author's website, the eldest Penderwick will head to the beach while the younger sisters summer at a cozy cottage in Maine. Sounds like the perfect warm weather read!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice this week:

City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release date: April 5, 2011

I know, everyone's waiting for this one, right? And with good reason! Cassandra Clare's writing is so much fun to read, with snappy dialogue, fast-paced action, and breathless romance. Something for every reader, really!

I loved The Mortal Instruments series, a contemporary urban fantasy originally conceived as a trilogy, so I'm excited to see Clare expand that world with three more books. Too, it sounds like certain characters from The Infernal Devices, the steampunk prequel series to The Mortal Instruments, will come into play in these next three books, which should be completely awesome. Sign me up!