Wishlist Wednesday #68 (12/26/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Fractured Light by Rachel McCellan
Published February 8th 2012 by Sweetwater Books

I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.

There are so many YA fantasy books coming out that it’s impossible to keep up. Fractured Light was making the rounds on the book blogs in the early spring and I’m always willing to take a peek at a new series. I’ve heard OK reviews for this book and I’ve been meaning to check it out forever. Another case of a lazy reader and blogger. I need to get cracking in the New Year to whittle down my to be read pile to something that doesn’t look like Mount Everest. I’m hoping for some interesting twist with this book because otherwise it sounds like standard YA fare.

Wishlist Wednesday #67 (12/19/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones
Published April 6th 2010 by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Something is rotten in the village of Melstone

Aidan Cain has had the worst week of his life. Creepy, sinister beings want him dead. What’s a boy to do? With danger nipping at his heels, Aidan flees to Melstone, a village teeming with magic of its own. There he is taken in by Andrew Hope, the new master of Melstone House, who has some supernatural troubles too. Someone is stealing power from the area–mingling magics–and chaos is swiftly rising. Are Aidan’s and Andrew’s magical dilemmas connected somehow? And will they be able to unite their powers and unlock the secrets of Melstone before the countryside comes apart at the seams?

Diana Wynne Jones is pretty much my favorite classic fantasy author and has been ever since I read Howl’s Moving Castle as a teen. Her stories are a return to pure fairytale storytelling and are always a joy to read. I made it my mission in life to read all of her books and then watch any movie that might have been created. The Studio Ghibli Howl’s Moving Castle is a masterpiece of Japanese animation. Some of DWJ’s older books are harder to find. I’ve been unable to find a copy of Witch’s Business for example and have been quietly driving myself insane for years looking for it. So, when new books come out by her they go right on the TBR list. I’ll get to all of them eventually. DWJ has been writing for longer than I’ve been alive and I need to catch up!

Wishlist Wednesday #66 (12/12/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire
Published October 16th 2008 by William Morrow

Since “Wicked” was first published in 1995, millions of readers have discovered Gregory Maguire’s fantastically encyclopedic Oz, a world filled with characters both familiar and new, darkly conceived and daringly reimagined. In the much-anticipated third volume of the Wicked Years, we return to Oz, seen now through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion–the once tiny cub defended by Elphaba in “Wicked.”

While civil war looms in Oz, a tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before her final hour, an enigmatic figure known as Brrr–the Cowardly Lion–arrives searching for information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. As payment, Yackle, who hovered on the sidelines of Elphaba’s life, demands some answers of her own.

Brrr surrenders his story to the ailing maunt: Abandoned as a cub, his earliest memories are gluey hazes, and his path from infancy in the Great Gillikin Forest is no Yellow Brick Road. Seeking to redress an early mistake, he trudges through a swamp of ghosts, becomes implicated in a massacre of trolls, and falls in love with a forbidding Cat princess. In the wake of laws that oppress talking Animals, he avoids a jail sentence by agreeing to serve as a lackey to the war-mongering Emperor of Oz.

“A Lion Among Men” chronicles a battle of wits hastened by the Emerald City’s approaching armies. What does the Lion know of the whereabouts of the Witch’s boy, Liir? What can Yackle reveal about the auguries of the Clock of the Time Dragon? And what of the Grimmerie, the magic book that vanished as quickly as Elphaba? Is destiny ever arbitrary? Can those tarnished by infamy escape their sobriquets–cowardly, wicked, brainless, criminally earnest–to claim their own histories, to live honorably within their own skins before they’re skinned alive?

At once a portrait of a would-be survivor and a panoramic glimpse of a world gone shrill with war fever, Gregory Maguire’s new novel is written with the sympathy and power that have made his books contemporary classics.

The Wicked Witch of the West has always been a bit of a mascot to me and I happily devoured the first two books in this series, Wicked and Son of a Witch. I always enjoy books that tell the stories of secondary characters, elevating the Witch from a one-dimensional villain to a true main character in her own right and turning Oz from a cardboard cutout into a rich and fascinating world. I’ve been meaning to read the rest of the series for years but I find I’m less enthused about reading the books without the Witch being in them. Still, in for a penny, in for a pound and I hate to leave things unfinished. Maybe it’s time to return to Oz and find out what happens to the Cowardly Lion, if only so I can read what sounds like a fantastic end to the series, Out of Oz. Maguire’s other fairy tale themed books; Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Mirror Mirror, and others, look good too.

(Happy 12-12-12 day!)

Wishlist Wednesday #65 (12/5/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Summerkin by Sarah Prineas
Expected publication: April 23rd 2013 by HarperCollins

Down through the Way she fell, feeling the wind and the pressing darkness, the dizzy thump when she landed on the bank. She was through. The air felt softer here, the shadows deeper—and the pull of her connection to the land settled into her bones.

In the Summerlands, time moves slowly, roots grow deeply, and change is not welcomed. But change is needed.

After defeating the wicked Mor and freeing her kin from deadly oaths made to this false ruler, Fer is now the rightful Lady of the land. Yet her people don’t know what to make of their new Lady’s strange ways, and neither do the High Ones, the rulers of the magical realm, for Fer is an outsider—half human.

To prove herself worthy of the Summerlands crown, Fer is summoned to compete in an epic contest where her strengths and skills will be tested and her loyalties challenged. Can she trust Rook, the puck she calls friend? Can she trust herself? If Fer fails, she will lose her land and the Way will be closed to her forever.

With stunning prose, Sarah Prineas weaves an enchanting adventure in which Fer must decide if she’s ready to rule and just how far she’ll go to protect her kin.

I adored Winterling by Sarah Prineas as a return to the classic fairytale story and I was so pleased to see she was writing a sequel called Summerkin. Of course, it went straight on to my to be read list. I’ll still have to wait until 2013 until I can get my hand on it but I thought as the days get shorter and colder for everyone in the northern hemisphere that a little reminder that summer will return would do us all a little good.

P.S. WordPress made some changes, so of course it fucked everything up and my pictures are coming out tiny even though they are the same size I’ve always used for covers. Way to go WordPress. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.

Wishlist Wednesday #63 (11/21/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson

To-do: Stop the bad guys. Rescue the wizard. Find the perfect outfit for New Year’s Eve.

At last, Owen Palmer, the dreamboat wizard at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has conjured up the courage to get Katie Chandler under the mistletoe at the office holiday party. But just when it looks like Katie has found her prince, in pops her inept fairy godmother, Ethelinda, to throw a wand into the works. Ethelinda’s timing couldn’t be worse. A plot hatched by MSI’s rogue ex-employees, Idris and his evil fairy gal pal Ari, threatens to expose the company’s secrets–and the very existence of magic itself. Even worse, it could also mean the end of Katie’s happily-ever-after.

Now Katie and Owen must work side by side (but alas, not cheek to cheek) to thwart the villains’ plans. Braving black-magic-wielding sorceresses, subway-dwelling dragons, lovelorn frog princes, and even the dreaded trip to meet Owen’s parents at Christmas, Katie and her beau are in a battle to beat Idris at his own sinister game. All mischief and matters of the heart will come to a head at a big New Year’s Eve gala, when the crystal ball will drop, champagne will pour, and Katie will find herself truly spellbound.

I love the concept of these books. Katie and other people like her are immune to magic. So spells and illusions don’t work on her and she can see any little tricks that the magical community might be trying to pull over on each other, like special clauses in contracts and loop holes in laws. I read the first two books years ago, when I was still a teen, and I was thrilled to learn there were more. My only problem is that I’d probably need to reread the first two books to jog the memory about the characters and plot. I just haven’t gotten off my butt and done that yet. So, Damsel Under Stress languishes on my to be read pile. What a world! What a world! (green puddle of witch)

Wishlist Wednesday #62 (11/14/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop (hosted by Pen to Paper) where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Expected publication: February 5th 2013

It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother’s existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea–and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right–but it’s a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine’s certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.

I found this one just cruising around Goodreads one afternoon. I have a ridiculous love for teenage spy or thief plots. Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig and Heist Society by Ally Carter are some of my favorites in this genre. I noticed that Carriger even has another series that is set after Etiquette & Espionage but is in the same universe but it looks more supernatural than anything else. So I’m not quite sure what I’m going to be getting with Etiquette & Espionage if it’s set in the same universe as the more supernatural sounding Parasol Protectorate series. But I can’t wait to find out!

Wishlist Wednesday #61 (11/7/12)

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it’s entirely up to you), that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Croak by Gina Damico
Published March 20th 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex’s parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can’t stop her desire for justice – or is it vengeance? – whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

I added this one to my wish list back in the spring. I think I found it when reading a review for it on another book blog. Croak has one of my guilty pleasures – grim reapers or some type of death figure. Yes, I’m weird. I freely admit I’m weird. There used to be a TV show called Dead Like Me that I adored but it didn’t last very long. Most books that have persons with powers over death or have a function like grim reapers, that is they release or ferry souls to the other side, are fascinating to me. Maybe because reading about these characters makes what should be a scary image seem more human. Suddenly that grinning skull figure is having boy problems and has to deal with math homework. I find it an amusing juxtaposition.

Waiting On Wednesday – May 16

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

Moonset by Scott Tracey
Legacy of Moonset #1
Expected publication in 2013

Justin is infamous. The son of warlock terrorists, he and his siblings are all that remain of their parents’ dark legacy. Shuttled from town to town, raised by the very people his parent’s fought against, he struggles to find his own life among five very different personalities. Because being the middle child means playing the peacemaker: deflecting fights and spells and trying to keep others from getting kicked out of school. Again.

And his job isn’t getting any easier. Their new town brings a new threat against them, and a gorgeous girl who fascinates Justin. Ash is enigmatic and fun, and carefree in a way that he adores. But his new home also harbors a dangerous threat: a warlock who wants to pick up where their parents left off, and has his sights set on Justin. Their guardians are no help: they can’t decide whether the siblings should be saved or sacrificed. The only thing Justin knows for sure is that the sins of the father definitely pass down to the son, and if he falters, everyone he cares about will fall.

I loved Scott Tracey’s first book, Witch Eyes, and I am eagerly waiting for its sequel, Demon Eyes, coming out in October. He apparently does nothing but write because there is a third book in that series called Phantom Eyes coming out in 2013 too. I’m very interested to see if Tracey can impress me with the Moonset books.

“Waiting On” Wednesday – April 25

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

I have an obsession with The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. I have tea cups, and pictures books, a Mad Hatter hat I made myself, and a really old, really fragile copy of the book that I worship. My Alice in Wonderland obsession is all consuming. So, it is no surprise that any book coming out with even a glimmer of connection to my beloved Alice or Wonderland goes on my “to be read” list. Or should I call it my “to be obsessed over” list?

My “Waiting On” Wednesday selection is:
Splintered by A.G. Howard, to be published January 2013 (sob) Such a long time!

I love the cover!

Goodreads summary:
For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell — the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers … the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

Waiting On Wednesday – Dec. 21

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr

Expected publication: February 21st 2012 by HarperCollins

One of my all-time favorite books is M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. It’s a collection of fairy tales and fantasy stories. Ever since I read it I’ve loved fantasy anthologies.

From Goodreads:

Dangerous promises and beguiling threats swirl together in a dozen stories of enchantments dark and light by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr. Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly.

From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with…or to fear.

Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr’s stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.

So, what book are you waiting on?