Back to joining up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't
Wait Wednesday posts hosted by
Wishful Endings. The amount of good looking books coming out is back up at the beginning of the year!
From my ARC list for January 7th, 2020:
Sounds very appropriate for the social media issues of today. Plus, what a cool cover! I should be posting a review of this on Saturday!
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
When Ella Karman debuts
on the Social Stock Exchange, she finds out life as a high-profile
"Influencer" isn't what she expected. Everyone around her is consumed by
their rankings, in creating the smoke and mirrors that make them the
envy of the world.
But then Ella’s best friend betrays her, her rankings tank, and she loses—everything.
Leaving
her old life behind, she joins Keystone, a secret school for thieves,
where students are being trained to steal everything analog and original
because something—or someone—is changing history to suit their needs.
Partnered
with the annoyingly hot—and utterly impossible—Garrett Alexander, who
has plenty of his own secrets, Ella is forced to return to the
Influencer world, while unraveling a conspiracy that began decades ago.
One wrong move and she could lose everything—again.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
Read this for a blog tour and HERE is my review.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
The oasis saved them. But who will save them from the oasis?
Alif
had exciting summer plans: working on her father’s archaeological dig
site in the desert with four close friends . . . and a very cute
research assistant. Then the sandstorm hit.
With their camp wiped
away, Alif and the others find themselves lost on the sands, seemingly
doomed . . . until they find the oasis. It has everything they need:
food, water, shade—and mysterious ruins that hide a deadly secret. As
reality begins to shift around them, they question what’s real and
what’s a mirage.
The answers turn Alif and her friends against
one another, and they begin to wonder if they’ve truly been saved. And
while it was easy to walk into the oasis, it may be impossible to leave .
. .
Katya de Becerra’s new supernatural thriller hides a
mystery in plain sight, and will keep you guessing right up to its
terrifying conclusion.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
Because I need all things to do with Buffy and of course I loved the first book. Finished reading before this post and HERE is my review!
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Nina continues to learn how to use her slayer powers against enemies old and new in this second novel in the New York Times bestselling series from Kiersten White, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Now
that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and
lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With
her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the
castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus,
though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling
quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a.
fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.
And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside,
there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle
symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s
demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one
near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right?
The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
Sounds like a good contemporary read.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
From the critically acclaimed author of A Step Toward Falling and Say What You Will
comes a new YA standalone about mental health, chronic illness, and two
teenagers learning to deal with both while falling for each other,
perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart.
David Sheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis.
Jamie Turner is a quiet sophomore, struggling with depression.
The
pair soon realizes that they can be their true selves with each other,
and their unlikely friendship develops into something so much more. But
neither Jamie nor David can bring themselves to reveal the secrets that
weigh most heavily on their hearts—and their time for honesty may be
running out.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
Another good sounding contemporary.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
This moving debut
novel in verse about a teenage girl dealing with the aftermath of an
accident that nearly takes her brother’s life is a stunning exploration
of grief and the power of forgiveness.
The reminder is
always there—a dent on the right side of Jonah’s forehead. The spot
you’d press when you felt a headache coming on. The bullet tore away
bone, the way dynamite blasts rock—leaving a soft crater.
Life
changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally
shoots himself with his best friend Clay’s father’s gun. Now Jonah needs
round-the-clock care just to stay alive, and Liv seems to be the only
person who can see that her brother is still there inside his broken
body.
With Liv’s mom suing Clay’s family, there are divisions in
the community that Liv knows she’s not supposed to cross. But Clay is
her friend, too, and she refuses to turn away from him—just like she
refuses to give up on Jonah.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
This one sounds like it could be intense and emotional.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Bestselling author
Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with Jane Anonymous, a gripping tale of a
seventeen-year-old girl’s kidnapping and her struggle to fit back into
her life after she escapes.
Then, “Jane” was just your
typical 17-year-old in a typical New England suburb getting ready to
start her senior year. She had a part-time job she enjoyed, an awesome
best friend, overbearing but loving parents, and a crush on a boy who
was taking her to see her favorite band. She never would’ve imagined
that in her town where nothing ever happens, a series of small
coincidences would lead to a devastating turn of events that would
forever change her life.
Now, it’s been three months since “Jane”
escaped captivity and returned home. Three months of being that girl
who was kidnapped, the girl who was held by a “monster.” Three months of
writing down everything she remembered from those seven months locked
up in that stark white room. But, what if everything you thought you
knew―everything you thought you experienced―turned out to be a lie?
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
I am really starting to read more of this aspect of World War II, and this one sounds good.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
From award-winning YA author Andrew Fukuda comes The Light Between Us,
a powerfully affecting story of World War II about the unlikeliest of
pen pals--a Japanese American boy and a French Jewish girl--as they
fight to maintain hope in a time of war.
"I remember visiting Manzanar Camp in California and standing in the windswept plains where over ten
thousand internees were once imprisoned, their voices cut off. I
remember how much I wanted to write a story that did right by them.
Hopefully this book delivers."--Andrew Fukuda
In 1935,
ten-year-old Alex Maki from Bainbridge Island, Washington is disgusted
when he's forced to become pen pals with Charlie Levy of Paris,
France--a girl. He thought she was a boy. In spite of Alex's
reluctance, their letters continue to fly across the Atlantic--and along
with them the shared hopes and dreams of friendship. Until the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor and the growing Nazi persecution of Jews force
them to confront the darkest aspects of human nature.
From the
desolation of an internment camp on the plains of Manzanar to the
horrors of Auschwitz and the devastation of European battlefields, the
only thing they can hold onto are the memories of their letters. But
nothing can dispel the light between them.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
So, I love this author. And to be completely honest, I haven't completely finished the book that this is a companion to, it is sitting by my bedside. But I know I'll want to read this one, and since it isn't a sequel exactly, I can do it without finishing the first one.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Inspired by Shakespeare's Henry IV, Lady Hotspur
continues the saga of Innis Lear, centuries later, as revolution, love,
and a betrayal corrupt the descendants of two warring kingdoms.
Hal
was once a knight, carefree and joyous, sworn to protect her future
queen Banna Mora. But after a rebellion led by her own mother, Caleda,
Hal is now the prince of Lionis, heir to the throne. The pressure of her
crown and bloody memories of war plague her, as well as a need to shape
her own destiny, no matter the cost.
Lady Hotspur, known as the
Wolf of Aremoria for her temper and warcraft, never expected to be more
than a weapon. She certainly never expected to fall in love with the
fiery Hal or be blindsided by an angry Queen’s promise to remake the
whole world in her own image—a plan Hotspur knows will lead to tragedy.
Banna
Mora kept her life, but not her throne. Fleeing to Innis Lear to heal
her heart and plot revenge, the stars and roots of Innis Lear will teach
her that the only way to survive a burning world is to learn to breathe
fire.
These three women, together or apart, are the ones who
have the power to bring the once-powerful Aremoria back to life—or
destroy it forever.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
I love stories like this that introduce me to history and cultures that I may not be familiar with. And that cover is so gorgeous!
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.
Ximena
is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian
royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an
ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad.
Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her
rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.
When Atoc demands the
real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead.
She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s
no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can
return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.
She hunts
for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries
for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted
princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes
more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without
starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and
her Condesa.
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
It just sounds like another cute contemporary.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Quinn and Grayson have
been fierce speech and debate rivals for years. They can't stand one
another, either in competition or in real life.
But when their
AP Government teacher returns their school assignments to the wrong
cubbies, they begin exchanging anonymous notes without knowing who the
other is.
Despite their differences, the two come together
through their letters and find themselves unknowingly falling for the
competition. Before the state tournament, the two of them need to figure
out what they want out of life, or risk their own future happiness.
After all, what’s the point of speech and debate if you can't say what's
in your heart?
Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.
Final Thoughts:
Whew! 2020 is starting off with a lot of new and great sounding books! Have you read any of these yet? Are they
on your TBR? And hey, while you're here, you should go try to win some
of my ARCs from Cleaning Up My TBR Post HERE. The US only giveaway is open till Friday at midnight, there are even some 2019 ARCs that can be one of your two choices.
