Waiting On Wednesday: Still Waters

This week's WoW book is Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne! It will be released on December 20, 2011.

SUMMARY: Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget. But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

This one sounds and looks SO good! PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 20, 2011.

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

Title: OyMG
Author: Amy Fellner Dominy
Published: May 2011 by Walker & Company

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Tags: YA | Romance | Religion | Realistic
Includes: Sensuality

First Lines: I love to argue. I'll argue about anything - school uniforms, raising the driving age, or ear hair. I can be for something or against it - doesn't matter. That's why my speech coach says I'm such a natural.

The summer before ninth grade starts, Ellie wants more than anything to go to the private and exclusive Benedict's high school. But because her family doesn't have the money to pay for tuition, she must rely on winning a scholarship from the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp. The only problem? Ellie is Jewish, and the sponsor of the private scholarship is Christian, with negative feelings towards Jews. Ellie decides to hide her Jewish identity and try to blend in with the other Christians at camp in order to win the money for her dream school.

This was a really fun, quick read with an interesting story line. Ellie was a likable character who loved to talk and share her opinion about things. I had never read a book dealing with debates/Speech tournaments so it was interesting learning more about it and seeing how the students prepared for their oratories. I also really enjoyed the mix of Jewish and Christian beliefs and practices. I grew more familiar with the Jewish religion, thanks to Ellie's crazy grandpa Zeydeh. His character was so humorous and I could imagine him perfectly throughout the story. In fact, the character development for all of the characters was spot on and I grew to know them all well.

From page 175
"It's a miracle is what it is. My heart is singing, Ellie. Even my liver is doing a dance." Then he pulled out of my grasp and started stepping side to side, in a Jewish dance step. I glanced at Devon, but he stood there, watching and grinning. Encouraged, Zeydeh snapped his fingers, lifted his elbows like two chicken wings, and sang nonsense words in his off-key voice.

Another leading role in the book was Devon, Ellie's love interest, who also happens to be the grandson of Mrs. Yeats, the lady in charge of the private scholarship to Benedict's. Even though Devon seemed arrogant and always won the debates, he was a softy and I liked him. His and Ellie's relationship flowed naturally and was very appropriate for their age. I'm so used to reading mature YA books with some steamy romance scenes, so this was a nice, innocent change since the two kids are only about to enter high school. I got some good laughs and kicks out of this book, and the author did a wonderful job incorporating religion and debating in the story. It's not a book that I'll remember for a long time or will leave a big impression on me, but it was definitely cute and enjoyable.

Cover Thoughts: Err.. I think it makes the book look way more juvenile than it really is.

If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Title: If I Tell
Author: Janet Gurtler
Published: October 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire

My Rating: 4.5 stars
Tags: YA | Romance | Realistic | Girls
Includes: Sexuality, Brief Profanity, Drinking

First Lines: My heart raced as I stumbled down the steps. I needed to make sure I wasn't having a horrible hallucination, but I really wished that someone had spiked my soda and that drugs were distorting my reality.

Jasmine, or "Jaz" for short, grew up living with her grandmother, since her own mother didn't want to take care of her. Jaz's white mother became pregnant as a teen after sleeping with a black guy. The result? A bi-racial child that can't seem to fit in in a black and white town. Jaz's biological father, the Sperminator, fled as soon as he heard he was going to be a dad, and Jaz's messed up mother couldn't handle the burden of a baby. Which led to why Jaz grew up with her grandmother and grandfather. Now, at age seventeen, Jaz is trying to accept her race and figure out where she belongs. Life is finally starting to feel okay until it happens: Jaz witnesses her mother's boyfriend making out with her best friend at a party. Faced with a choice, Jaz must decide whether to tell her mom what she saw or keep it a secret from her.

From page 25
I imagined myself standing up and pointing an accusing finger at Simon. Not cool at all, you two-timing freak. How far did you go after I saw you making out with Lacey? Did you get her pregnant too? I pictured Grandma smashing her good china on Simon's head. I swallowed the permanent wedge in my throat and added an image of my mom collapsing on the floor in a ladylike faint to my fantasy.

Right away, I didn't like Jaz. And even as the chapters progressed, she irritated me more and more. I almost stopped reading the book because her selfishness just made me mad, but I decided to stick through it because I was dying to know how the story would end. I made the right choice and I'm so glad I kept reading. Jaz was, like I said, selfish. She only thought of herself, was extremely stubborn, and seemed to love to find ways to argue with people. It ticked me off how she would repeatedly complain about not having any friends, when really it was her problem that was so. She didn't trust people or let them in, always distancing herself from people. Most of the big problems in this book were the result of Jaz's fault, and I kept wanting to scream at her, "You are your own problem, and your own solution, too!" Now you may be wondering, if you hated Jaz so much, why give this book 4 and a half stars?!

Lately, some of the realistic YA books I've read have been kind of a let down. But this one was different. It was one of those novels that while reading it, it doesn't seem that great. But as soon as I finished reading the last page, I just sat there and thought, "Wow, that was an awesome story." Sure, it had its moments where it dragged, and the main character wasn't my favorite cup of tea, but the actual story and writing itself were fantastic. I adored the romance in this book - it felt so real and flowed nicely. Jackson, Jaz's love interest, was a phenomenal fictional guy that I absolutely loved reading about. He was secretive, charming, cute, and funny. How he fell for Jaz and her serious personality, I'll have no idea, but I'm glad he did. By the end of the novel, my emotions were all over the place and that's when the book becomes so real and personal. The author really impressed me with how smoothly she could transition into different emotions - one minute I'd find myself smiling from one of Jackson's corny jokes, and the next I'd be on the verge of tears. The book dealt with some heavy issues, but ended beautifully. I'm so glad I gave this author a second chance (I wasn't a big fan of her first novel) because this was realistic fiction at its finest.

Cover Thoughts: It's sweet; I like the colors, and the fact that the cover model's face is not showing. (I like to imagine what the character looks like, not make them fit the face of the girl on the cover.)

Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls #1) by Victoria Foyt

Title: Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls Part One)
Author: Victoria Foyt
Published: January 2012 by Sand Dollar Press Inc

My Rating: 4.5 stars
Tags: YA | Paranormal | Sci-Fi | Romance
Includes: Violence, Sensuality

First Lines: Eden jumped at the sound of approaching steps. They must not see. Hide Beauty Map! Her mental command caused the Life-Band she wore to send a tiny white spark into the air. In a flash, the holographic images that appeared in front of her - a blond girl playing on a sunlit beach - disappeared.

In a post-apocalyptic world, everyone must live underground to protect themselves from the extreme heat on Earth. People with white skin, called Pearls, are the most susceptible to die from The Heat, and most have already perished. Eden, a Pearl herself, has managed to survive with her father, an intelligent scientist. They now live underground surrounded by a population of dark-skinned people called Coals. Eden's light skin forces her to be in the lowest class, being looked down upon by the powerful Coals. There's only one way for her to earn respect from them, and that's by mating before she turns eighteen. With just half a year left, Eden must find a man that will accept her as a Pearl, or be left stranded on the surface of Earth alone to die. Meanwhile, Eden's father has been working on a secret biological experiment that could save the existing Pearls. But when the experiment is put into the wrong hands, Eden must flee with her father and boss, Bramford, above ground and into a whole new world.

There were so many great and wonderful things about this book, it's hard to find a place to start! First of all, the entire story itself was brilliantly thought out and creative. It was really interesting reading about a super high-tech setting underground, where the people dwelled. Sure, it was very farfetched, but that's what made it fun. Also, even though the setting itself wasn't realistic, the people that made up the community living there sure were. Right away, I liked Eden's character. She was independent, open-minded, brave, and rebellious. I admired how she marched to the beat of her own drum, and refused to just deal with the rules given to her. She was also flawed, which made her character seem that much more real! She whined and complained some, ached to fit in and belong among the Coals, and like any girl does, yearned to be loved by a mate.

Another unique thing about this book was how the concept of racism was turned around. It was interesting seeing how people with white skin were in the lowest class and treated like scum, while those with very dark skin were superior and ruled over everyone. Something I would have liked to know that was never mentioned in the book was how the surface of the Earth grew so overheated that it began killing off people. The Heat, which was the deadly disease that white-skinned people got, was described as like an extreme sunburn that after a few days lead to sickness and then eventually death. I would have liked to know the background behind all that.

The only thing that felt a little awkward sometimes in the story was the relationship between Eden and Bramford. Sometimes it felt forced or unnatural, and the romance wasn't completely believable. There were a lot of unexpected things that happened in the book that I never saw coming. I liked how it was unpredictable and full of action. This was a great book to the start of a new unique series.

Cover Thoughts: I really love this cover art! It captures the whole essence of the book, and I absolutely love how the girl's face is half light and half dark.

For the Future (22)

This is a monthly meme of mine that I made up! :) It's similar to my "Waiting on Wednesday" posts, but highlights many books, not just one, and doesn't include summaries. Here's a list of young adult books that are still in-the-making or will be published in the future. These can range from being released tomorrow, to two years from now! The covers and release dates might not be permanent, it's just what I saw on Amazon, Goodreads, or the author's website. Hope this will be efficient to expand your reading pile! All of the titles are linked to their Goodreads' pages so you can add them to your TBR shelf. :)

Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep (November 29, 2011): I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter.
Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith (December 27, 2011): Leah has the life most high school girls would kill for—popularity, glowing grades, a rich, athletic boyfriend. So why does she feel like she can’t breathe? And why can’t she stop thinking about the boy from the country club?
Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook (January 3, 2012): Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.



The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges (January 10, 2012): St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead.
Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (November 22, 2011): The Wolf Springs Chronicles introduces readers to a town of secrets and the new girl who's about to start believing in werewolves.
The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten (December 27, 2011): When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears.



Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey (January 5, 2012): Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe (January 24, 2012): When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.
Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer (February 14, 2012): To Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic and wholly unknown. But when her life in Brooklyn begins to fall apart, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where centuries of family secrets await her.

Waiting On Wednesday: The Probability of Miracles

This week's WoW book is The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder! It will be released on December 8, 2011.

SUMMARY: Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingos in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles. A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

This book has received a lot of positive reviews, and I'm excited to check it out for myself. PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 8, 2011.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Published: September 2010 by Razorbill

My Rating: 3 stars
Tags: YA | Fantasy
Includes: Violence, Sensuality, Profanity

First Lines: I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have. Everything is cold and branches scrape the window screen. Giant trees, rattling, clattering with leaves.

In the town of Gentry, every seven years a child is taken and replaced by something not quite human. It's something that the townspeople don't speak of, understanding that by allowing this, their town can remain prosperous. The majority of the replacements die, unfit for the conditions in the human world. But as for Mackie Doyle, a replacement himself, he survived. When a girl named Tate has her baby sister taken and replaced, she refuses to just go along with it. So she turns for help from the only person she can think of: Mackie. However, living in the human world is taking a toll on Mackie, and he's slowly dying from his fatal blood and iron allergies. The dead replacements underground in the House of Mayhem supply him with medicine to let him live. But soon Mackie must make a choice: to follow along safely with the rest of the replacements, or go against them to help save Tate's sister.

After seeing this disturbing, eerie, and dark cover (which I absolutely adore!), I had set expectations for the book. I thought this was going to be a terrifying novel, when in fact it wasn't really scary at all. The story is actually told from Mackie's perspective. So even though the replacements were supposed to be scary, they weren't since I was reading from their POV. Now don't get me wrong, the ambiance of the book is definitely deliciously dark. The author created a completely original, one-of-a-kind world with strange, quirky characters. It was like something straight out of a Tim Burton movie. The downside to all of this though, was the lack of explanation. I was confused from the very beginning to pretty much all the way to the end. For some reason I just couldn't grasp my mind around the idea of why a bunch of dead, ugly creatures would kidnap and sacrifice a child every seven years for the sake of the town's "prosperity". It still doesn't really make sense to me and I would have liked it if the author had explained it better, and mentioned when it first started and where these replacements had even come from. This book stirred up so many questions that were sadly never answered for me.

From page 107
A little girl was crouched on the floor. She had on a white party dress that looked like it was made of old surgical gauze and also like it might have been on fire at some point. She was sitting with her legs pulled up, drawing on the stone with a burned stick. All the pictures looked like eyes and giant mouths full of teeth. The girl turned and looked up at me. When she smiled, I stepped back from the desk. Her face was young and kind of shy, but her mouth was crowded with small, jagged teeth. Not a nice, respectable thirty-two, but closer to fifty or sixty.

The freaky, whimsical characters that lived underground were what made the story. They were described in a beautifully ugly way, to the point where instead of being scared, I felt sorry for them. The actual storyline dragged on and on, which was a disappointment. There was so much potential for this book, and it didn't live up to my expectations. It wasn't until the final chapters that it finally picked up and was full of action and mayhem. There were significant things that I loved and didn't love about the book. It took me a long time to finish reading, and after a while I was just ready for it to end. If you're someone who likes digging into the characters of interesting, bizarre creatures than this is the book for you. But if you're looking for a scary, thrilling, action-packed storyline, prepare to be let down.

Cover Thoughts: Oh my gosh, one of the best covers I've ever seen! I love everything about it: the creepy red text, antique stroller, metallic fog, and dangling weapons. They all work so well together and create a terrifying cover.

Pure Enough by Sandy DeLisle

Title: Pure Enough
Author: Sandy DeLisle
Self-Published: October 2011

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Tags: YA | Romance | Realistic | Ebook
Includes: Sexuality

First Lines: If I had known wearing my cowboy boots was going to cause me so much grief on my first day of classes at Deer Grove High School, I would have worn the white sneakers my mom bought me for the occasion.

Growing up in Black Earth, Iowa, Katherine Brinkman has lived a very sheltered and conservative life. Because of her extremely protective parents, she has never had a boyfriend. After her mother receives a great teaching opportunity for a semester in Chicago, Katherine leaves with her mother to live there. Life in Chicago is very different than that in Black Earth. On the first day of school, as Katherine is teased for being a "hick" and "cowgirl", a goth named Charlotte stands up for her. From there, a tight friendship is formed between the two girls - one that Katherine must keep a secret from her mother, who only wants Katherine to befriend Christians. Katherine, who later changes her name to Kat, also falls for the attractive Aiden. Soon, they begin secretively dating and expanding their relationship to be more physical. Kat has grown up believing it's important to be pure and wait to have sex until marriage, but that value becomes more difficult to follow every day that she's with Aiden. Torn between the decision of whether to have sex or not, Kat must choose which is more important: to be pure and wait or give in to her sexual desires.

I've read a fair share of romance YA books that act as if sex is no big deal, which is something I disagree with. Being a Christian and firm believer in abstinence myself, I was really interested in reading this ebook. It was so different than all of the many other romance books I've read, since it treated sex as a big life-changing decision for Kat. Katherine's character was very realistic and I liked being able to see her grow and change throughout the book. It was interesting watching her question values that she had always learned to believe, and becoming more open-minded. By reading this book, I myself, realized that sometimes I can act just like her extremely conservative and close-minded best friend, but on a lower level. So I really connected with the characters and the storyline, and got a lot out of this book.

The author's writing was not extraordinary or memorably fantastic, but she definitely brought up great things to think about. I found myself really aggravated with Kat's uptight mother, and Kat's best friend irked me a lot. I love when a book's characters stir up emotions and reactions from the reader though, it really engrosses them in the novel even more. This was a quick and enjoyable read; it may at first seem light on the surface, but will leave you thinking in depth by the end. It's nice to know that there are still books in this generation that haven't completely abandoned the idea of sex being an important decision.

Cover Thoughts: For a self-published novel, it's actually pretty good. Nothing that memorable and it doesn't really stand out to me, but it is pleasing to look at.

The Iron Knight Blog Tour

During the release of the much-anticipated book The Iron Knight, I am playing host for today as I welcome Julie Kagawa to my site as part of the blog tour!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Published October 25, 2011

Bestselling author Julie Kagawa is back with the highly anticipated fourth book of The Iron Fey series. Unable to survive in the kingdom of his beloved due to his supernatural nature, a warrior prince sets out to turn himself human. But first he must cross deadly lands and overcome nightmarish obstacles before reaching the fabled testing grounds, where he will endure a series of challenges. He is joined on his quest by a team of fantastical creatures, each with an agenda of their own—one, a faery prankster whom the prince has vowed to kill for past misdeeds; another, a wise-speaking cat who claims to be a truthful guide; the third, a legendary and villainous beast pulled right from the fairy tales; and finally, the last, a seer who appears to be the resurrection of the prince’s former love, long thought dead but now restored to life and as beautiful and tempting as ever. With these dubious allies by his side, the prince sets off to achieve his ultimate prize, but to do so will require overcoming the greatest challenge of all in his quest for a human soul—himself.

What five books are most important or influential to you?

In no particular order:
Harry Potter by the great J.K. Rowling: For obvious reasons, not the least being the whole new world she introduced.
Helm by Stephen Gould: Little known sci-fi about a seventeen year old boy who takes on enormous responsibility.
The Druid of Shanarra by Terry Brooks: My first literary crush came from the Shannara series, and this book had one of the most beautiful (and tragic) love stories.
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher: This book had me thinking about it for days. Extremely powerful and emotional, probably my favorite contemporary YA.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Another book that needs no introduction, Anne taught me that it was okay, even admirable, to be different. Though that stubbornness also made me want to smack her when it came to Gilbert Blythe.

Fun Facts About You:
Favorite food?
Sushi! Raw fish over pizza any day!
Dog-lover or cat-lover?
I live with two dogs and two cats, so I think that classifies me as both (or crazy).
Vanilla ice cream or chocolate?
Chocolate.
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?
Will Shakespeare.
I can't live without my...
Caffeine, my precioussssss.
If I could take an all-expense paid trip anywhere in the world, I would go to...
Japan.

FIND JULIE ONLINE: Website | Goodreads | Blog

Waiting On Wednesday: Wherever You Go

This week's WoW book is Wherever You Go by Heather Davis! It will be released on November 14, 2011.

SUMMARY: Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather — but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend? As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side? Told from the perspectives of Holly, Jason, and Rob, Wherever You Go is a poignant story about making peace with the past, opening your heart to love, and finding the courage to move forward into the light.

For some reason I'm infatuated with books that have ghosts - good or bad - in them, so I'm excited to check out this book. PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 14, 2011.

Winners of the Halloween Giveaways

A copy of The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (my October 'deb of the month') goes to...

Melanie M at A New Kind of Ordinary

The 3 winners for The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki are...

Indigo from Shattered Prose

Mary D [M.A.D.]

Tiffany D from Book Cover Justice

The winner for an autographed copy of Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts is...

Joy Davis

A signed copy of Frost by Marianna Baer goes to...

Cheyenne T from The Hollow Cupboards

The winner of The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall is...

Katie from Novel Society

A copy of Damage by Anya Parrish goes to...

Ren from All My Myshelf

Thank you to the authors that let these giveaways even happen, and for the many wonderful blog followers that entered them! :)

For the Future (21)

This is a monthly meme of mine that I made up! :) It's similar to my "Waiting on Wednesday" posts, but highlights many books, not just one, and doesn't include summaries. Here's a list of young adult books that are still in-the-making or will be published in the future. These can range from being released tomorrow, to two years from now! The covers and release dates might not be permanent, it's just what I saw on Amazon, Goodreads, or the author's website. Hope this will be efficient to expand your reading pile! All of the titles are linked to their Goodreads' pages so you can add them to your TBR shelf. :)

Fix Me by Rune Michaels (December 6, 2011): Orphaned as a child, terrorized by her abusive brother, and haunted by memories, Leia feels exposed, powerless, and vulnerable. When her tormented mind can stand it no longer, she escapes to the zoo, where she finds shelter and seeks refuge.
Legend by Marie Lu (November 29, 2011): Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
Fracture by Megan Miranda (January 17, 2012): Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?



Illuminated by Erica Orloff (December 8, 2011): Some loves are not made to last. Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story—and hers—takes on another life.
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker (November 21, 2011): It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on - and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.
Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala (January 3, 2012): Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the hurt of bullying, the meaning of family, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.



Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (February 7, 2012): Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Under the Influence by Lynda Sandoval (December 20, 2011): For the first time, Alyssa has to decide whether to follow everyone else’s rules and remain in her perfect bubble, or rebel and abide by the rules of her heart.
Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire (November 15, 2011): Lightbringer tiptoes down the line between love and horror as an independent young woman discovers herself and the darkest parts of the afterlife.

Waiting On Wednesday: Don't Expect Magic

This week's WoW book is Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough! It will be released on November 8, 2011.

SUMMARY: Delaney Collins doesn't believe in fairy tales. And why should she? Her mom is dead, her best friend is across the country, and she's stuck in California with "Dr. Hank," her famous life-coach father—a man she barely knows. Happily ever after? Yeah, right. Then Dr. Hank tells her an outrageous secret: he's a fairy godmother—an f.g.—and he can prove it. And by the way? The f.g. gene is hereditary. Meaning there's a good chance that New Jersey tough girl Delaney is someone's fairy godmother. But what happens when a fairy godmother needs a wish of her own?

Sounds like a cute, quirky, fun read. PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 8, 2011.