Waiting on Wednesday | Sorcerer to the Crown

Jun 3

Waiting on Wednesday

Sorcerer to the Crown: Sorcerer Royal #1 • Zen Cho

Book cover Sorcerer to the Crown Zen Cho

In this sparkling debut, magic and mayhem clash with the British elite…
The Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, one of the most respected organizations throughout all of England, has long been tasked with maintaining magic within His Majesty’s lands. But lately, the once proper institute has fallen into disgrace, naming an altogether unsuitable gentleman—a freed slave who doesn’t even have a familiar—as their Sorcerer Royal, and allowing England’s once profuse stores of magic to slowly bleed dry. At least they haven’t stooped so low as to allow women to practice what is obviously a man’s profession…

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers and eminently proficient magician, ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up. But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large…

Soooo, exsqueeze me? I love the sound of SORCERER TO THE CROWN. It’s got historical fiction elements, fantasy elements, fairy elements, and a dragon on the cover. (Not sure how that last fits, but DRAGON, so I’ll go with it.)

I always love reading books about worlds on the verge of collapse. Something’s gone wrong, and no one understands how or why. I like the mystery of it, the slowly unraveling suspense. Zen Cho’s debut has so many things that I love to read about. The only thing that is less than awesome? I have to keep waiting until September to read it.

SORCERER TO THE CROWN comes out on September 1, 2015 from Ace Books

Sorcerer to the Crown Zen Cho

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Waiting on Wednesday | The Wolf Wilder | Katherine Rundell

May 20

Waiting on Wednesday

The Wolf Wilder • Katherine Rundell

Book cover The Wolf Wilder Katherine Rundell

A girl and the wolves who love her embark on a rescue mission through Russian wilderness in this lyrical tale from the author of the acclaimed Rooftoppers and Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms.

Feo’s life is extraordinary. Her mother trains domesticated wolves to be able to fend for themselves in the snowy wilderness of Russia, and Feo is following in her footsteps to become a wolf wilder. She loves taking care of the wolves, especially the three who stay at the house because they refuse to leave Feo, even though they’ve already been wilded. But not everyone is enamored with the wolves, or with the fact that Feo and her mother are turning them wild. And when her mother is taken captive, Feo must travel through the cold, harsh woods to save her—and learn from her wolves how to survive.

From the author of Rooftoppers, which Booklist called “a glorious adventure,” and Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, which VOYA called “a treasure of a book,” comes an enchanting novel about love and resilience.

So guys. All the things about this book. Russian wilderness. Wolves. Woods. A girl with wolves as pets. I can’t lie, I’m a little nervous about the possibility of crying while reading THE WOLF WILDER. What if one of Feo’s pet wolves dies? Or what is she has to shoo him away like Arya did with Nymeria? WAAHHHH! But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m definitely going to read this book. I don’t know how I couldn’t. The bond that Feo seems to have and nurture with her wolves is, like, giving me chest pains from how touching it sounds. CANNOT WAIT.

THE WOLF WILDER comes out on August 25, 2015 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

The Wolf Wilder Katherine Rundell

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Waiting on Wednesday | These Shallow Graves | Jennifer Donnelly

May 13

Waiting on Wednesday

These Shallow Graves • Jennifer Donnelly

Book cover These Shallow Graves Jennifer Donnelly

Set in gilded age New York, These Shallow Graves follows the story of Josephine Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep.

WORD. So, I’ve read two books of Jennifer Donnelly’s: one was amazing (REVOLUTION) and one was not so much (DEEP BLUE). I’ve had A NORTHERN LIGHT on my TBR for eons. Basically what I’m saying is, even with that blip (for me) with the mermaids, I’m still incredibly excited about Jennifer’s books, especially the ones that are more historical fiction. That seems to be her strong suit, and so HELLO, THESE SHALLOW GRAVES.

First of all, love the time period. Second of all, love the mysterious past factor. Third of all, love the cover. The secrets and the the fact that Jo seems to get at least mildly acquainted with the morgue really intrigue me. I CANNOT WAIT for THESE SHALLOW GRAVES.

THESE SHALLOW GRAVES comes out October 27, 2015 from Random House Children’s 

These Shallow Graves Jennifer Donnelly

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Waiting on Wednesday | Come Back To Me | Mila Gray

May 6

Waiting on Wednesday

Come Back To Me • Mila Gray

Book cover Come Back To Me Mila Gray

In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend’s sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he’s home on leave.

When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa’s heart breaks; someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend?

Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley’s sister, Jessa: the one girl he can’t have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn’t strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship.But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa’s finally found the man of her dreams and Kit’s finally discovered there’s someone he’d sacrifice everything for. When it’s time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what. But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can’t help but feel that Kit has broken his promise.

Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who’s coming home to her?

I always, ALWAYS will want to read books that feature anything military, you guys. ANYTHING ANYTIME. So seeing that COME BACK TO ME is about a Marine who comes home on leave and gets the FEELINGS for his best friend’s sister immediately puts this book on my radar. But yo: This twist? The “which Marine is dead?” thing? That’s probably going to be a heartbreaker. I’M IN.

Also, I love this cover. I love the smooch and the hand on her neck and all the things.

COME BACK TO ME comes out December 8, 2015 from Simon Pulse

Come Back To Me Mila Gray

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Waiting on Wednesday | The Boy Most Likely To | Huntley Fitzpatrick

Apr 22

Waiting on Wednesday

The Boy Most Likely To • Huntley Fitzpatrick

Book cover The Boy Most Likely To Huntley Fitzpatrick

A surprising, utterly romantic companion to My Life Next Door—great for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To find the liquor cabinet blindfolded, need a liver transplant, and drive his car into a house

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To . . . well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this novel is for readers of The Spectacular Now, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and Paper Towns.

I CAN’T EVEN with how excited I am to read THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO. Huntley Fitzpatrick gets the contemporary thing RIGHT, guys. I’m excited to reread the book where we first met Tim, MY LIFE NEXT DOOR, before diving headfirst into his story. I remember loving him even though he was always a little troubled. ESPECIALLY because he was a little troubled. Also because I think he’s a ginger and we all know how much I love those.

Huntley Fitzpatrick is quickly becoming one of my favorite, go-to summer romance authors, guys. I’m really looking forward to this one.

THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO comes out on August 18, 2015 from Dial

The Boy Most Likely To Huntley Fitzpatrick

 

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Waiting on Wednesday | Hunter | Mercedes Lackey

Apr 8

Waiting on Wednesday

Hunter • Mercedes Lackey

Book cover Hunter Mercedes Lackey

 

Centuries ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were slashed open allowing hideous fantastical monsters to wreak havoc; destroying entire cities in their wake. Now, people must live in enclosed communities, behind walls that keep them safe from the evil creatures constantly trying to break in. Only the corps of teen Hunters with lightning reflexes and magical abilities can protect the populace from the daily attacks.

Joyeaux Charmand is a mountain girl from a close knit village who comes to the big city to join the Hunters. Joy thinks she is only there to perform her civic duty and protect the capitol Cits, or civilians, but as cameras follow her every move, she soon learns that the more successful she is in her hunts, the more famous she becomes.

With millions of fans watching her on reality TV, Joy begins to realize that Apex is not all it seems. She is forced to question everything she grew up believing about the legendary Hunters and the very world she lives in. Soon she finds that her fame may be part of a deep conspiracy that threatens to upend the protective structure built to keep dark magic out. The monsters are getting in and it is up to Joy to find out why.

So, as a lover of fantasy, Mercedes Lackey is one of the more egregious holes in my reading. Alas. ALAS. This bums me out so much. HOWEVER, now that I know all about HUNTER, I’m stoked to get started on her catalog. The reality TV angle in this one sounds interesting, and it’s not usually something that I enjoy reading about since I don’t really like reality TV. I’m more than willing to look past it, though, because of the “fantastical creatures” that are sneaking their way into this world, mysteriously. Also, conspiracies? Another check. Love reading about those. It sounds a little like a dystopian fantasy! WUTTTT! I’m really excited for HUNTER.

HUNTER comes out on September 1, 2015 from Disney-Hyperion

Hunter Mercedes Lackey

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Waiting on Wednesday | The Thorn of Emberlain | Scott Lynch

Mar 25

Waiting on Wednesday

The Thorn of Emberlain: Gentleman Bastards #4 • Scott Lynch

 

Book cover The Thorn of Emberlain Scott Lynch

A kingdom torn by civil war.

A breakaway republic, outnumbered on all fronts.

Two thieves caught between avarice and admiration.

Things change forever.

Yup. That’s it. That’s all we get. (For now.) BUT THE COVER. Guys. I die. I still haven’t read book three in this amazing series (starting it very soon, though), but I think it goes without saying that I will always need to know what’s up with Locke Lamora and his bff, Jean Tannen. These two and their crass, clever banter and their unshakeable loyalty make me frenzied with fangirlishness.

If any of you are fans of A Song of Ice and Fire and are looking for something to read in the long, LOOONG wait for WINDS OF WINTER, you’d be doing yourself a huge favor by starting this series. It’s hilarious and complex and the world-building is stellar, and you can’t get any better than Locke and Jean, especially in terms of bromances.

THE THORN OF EMBERLAIN comes out in July 2015 (hopefully) from Del Rey

The Thorn of Emberlain Scott Lynch

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Waiting on Wednesday | The Next Together | Lauren James

Mar 18

Waiting on Wednesday

 The Next Together: The Next Together #1 • Lauren James

Book Cover The Next Together Lauren James

How many times can you lose the person you love?

A powerful and epic debut novel for teenagers about reincarnation and the timelessness of first love from a talented young writer.

Teenagers Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again. Each time their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated.

But why do they keep coming back? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace?
Maybe the next together will be different…

In 1745, during the siege of Carlisle, in 1854 on the way to the Crimea, in 2019 and 2039 as first scientists and then students uncovering and rediscovering a dangerous plot, and in multiple timescales between, they are thrown together, with no memory of having met one another before, only an irresistible instinct that they must be with one another against all odds – even while the epic events unfolding all around seem sure to tear them apart.

AHHH, ok. *Calms self* Guys, THE NEXT TOGETHER just sounds so fun and emotional. Like, I feel like I’m going to read it and cry. “Tragically separated” sounds so devastating, but I’m completely intrigued. I’m loving the historical fiction vibe, the contemporary romance vibe, and the dystopian conspiracy vibe. It sounds like time travel slash reincarnation, and that’s no small thing to attempt, but I’m curious enough to be UTTERLY STOKED.

Also, it’s impossible for me to NOT dig this cover. It’s got TEXTURE! Like I wish that each column was three-dimensional and I could open them like flaps. I’ll probably be ordering this one from overseas.

THE NEXT TOGETHER comes out on September 3, 2015 from Walker UK

The Next Together Lauren James

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Waiting on Wednesday | A Madness So Discreet | Mindy McGinnis

Mar 4

Waiting on Wednesday

A Madness So Discreet • Mindy McGinnis

Book cover A Madness So Discreet Mindy McGinnis

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

Guys, I just can’t with A MADNESS SO DISCREET. I’ve never read anything by Mindy McGinnis (I KNOW), but I’m psyched for this one to be my first. Also, LOL PSYCHED. Unintentional, guys. But seriously, a historical fiction book about the origins of criminal psychology sounds absolutely FASCINATING. Plus the young women being stalked and, I’m assuming, killed makes things sound dangerous and urgent. LOVE THAT. Also, who else is all, “Oooooh, a DOCTOR??” Just me?

Last thing: WTF IS THAT HAND ON THE COVER GRABBING HER FOOT. OMG.

A MADNESS SO DISCREET comes out October 6, 2015 from Katherine Tegen Books

A Madness So Discreet Mindy McGinnis

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Waiting on Wednesday | Court of Fives | Kate Elliott

Feb 11

Waiting on Wednesday

Court of Fives: Court of Fives #1 • Kate Elliott

Book Cover Court of Fives Kate Elliott

In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test Kal’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

So I’ve never read any books by Kate Elliott. I feel like this is very wrong of me. But I’m really looking forward to dipping my toe into her catalog with her debut YA, COURT OF FIVES. It sounds kind of like a Roman gladitor-ish thing, with racial overtones and schemes and CLANS. CLANS! I’m really ready for this book NOW.

COURT OF FIVES comes out August 18, 2015 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Court of Fives Kate Elliott

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