Waiting on Wednesday: The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider

Expected Release Date: August 27, 2013

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes? 

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

(summary via Goodreads)

This one looks like a solid YA read.  I love that we get a male POV in a contemporary story (they’re out there, but certainly much more rare than the female narrators), and I think this one looks like it’s  going to be equal parts funny, sweet, and maybe a little sad.

Definitely a great end of summer read.

What are you waiting on this week?

Movie News and Randomness

Time for another installment of movie news and blather, where I bring you all the movie news that’s fit to print (or at least what I find interesting).  Without further ado or preamble, let’s get right into it!

1. Do you guys cringe every time you see the trailer for The Big Wedding, too?

I just think it looks awful.  I’m embarrassed for it.  I’m embarrassed for me, too, because I’ll probably see it.  Ugh.  Life, you know?

2. Inside Llewyn Davis might be the first Coen brothers movie I actually WANT to see

It boasts a pretty impressive cast and looks like it’s going to be interesting, intriguing, and well done.  I don’t know.  I’m not a Coen brothers fan, but this one looks not awful.

3. Judy Blume’s Tiger Eyes finally has a trailer

You can watch it here.  I can’t wait to see it, but I love Judy Blume and I want to see Willa Holland in something where I don’t want to shake her.  I think it looks pretty great.  I can’t wait for this one in June.

4. The East looks pretty interesting and has my girl Ellen Page in it

It’s getting good buzz, and it’s about someone who goes undercover to investigate a cult and sort of gets sucked into it.  I don’t know.  It’s got Alexander Skarsgaard in it, too, so you know I’m there.

5. Emma Stone is in talks to star in Woody Allen’s next movie

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. (Deadline)

What movies are you excited about this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Expected Release Date: August 20, 2013

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .

(summary via Goodreads)

Despite the sort of blech-y end to the book’s blurb, I’m pretty stoked about this one.  I loved Myracle’s Shine, and she’s definitely a writer to watch.  It looks to be a pretty solid contemporary YA romance with some heavier stuff thrown in.  Myracle’s a good enough writer that I think this one will be interesting and good escapism.  I’m withholding judgment on the rest of it right now.  Either way, it’ll be a great way to end the summer.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Expected Release Date: September 10, 2013

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

(summary via Goodreads)

I’m a pretty big fan of Rainbow Rowell’s work, and this one looks to be just as great.  I love the idea of fan fiction as fodder for actual fiction, and Rowell has proven herself to be an author to watch.  It’s older YA, it’s Rainbow Rowell, and it the cover is super great (and looks like it was done by Noelle from GingerHaze?)  Why wouldn’t I be dying to get my hands on this one?

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Want to Reread

I don’t often participate in Top Ten Tuesday, but I am today because it’s a choose-your-own-theme week and because I’ve been thinking a lot about rereading.  I’ve been doing a fair amount of rereading this year, which is why my reviews of new books has been so spotty.  For the past few years, I’ve had a strict no rereading policy, but I’ve let up on that for 2013.  As a result, I’m participating in this week’s Top 10 Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and Bookish.

1. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

I’ve long claimed that Frankie Landau-Banks is one of my favorite YA novels of all time, but I haven’t ever actually reread it.  Most of my most beloved novels have been read countless times, but this one hasn’t, for whatever reason.  I have a copy, and I talk about this book often enough, so what’s holding me back?  Am I afraid I won’t love it enough the second time through?  I suppose it’s a distinct possibility, but if the book is half as clever, smart, and thought-provoking as I remember it being, it’s unlikely.

2. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Time was, I used to reread this series nearly every July.  It’s been a couple of years since I reread these books, and it’s probably about time to do so.  I find the books are a certain kind of comfort food, and I usually end up so enmeshed in the world of Harry Potter that going back to regular books is sort of difficult.  I’ll probably save a reread of these for the summer, when I can sit on our deck and sip lemonade (spiked, probably) and while away whole hours.

3. Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

Eagar is one of my favorite YA authors, and unfortunately she’s still predominantly unknown here in the United States.  You can find a copy of this book for your Kindle on Amazon, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a physical copy of the book that doesn’t require international shipping.  One of the most moving books I’ve read in recent memory, Raw Blue sticks with you long after you’ve finished it.  Eagar is an author to check out, if you have the means of obtaining her books.  I should reread this one, because I love it so.

4. The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan

The Lover’s Dictionary is one of those books that will present differently to you depending on where you are in a given relationship or life stage.  Moving, clever, and often achingly real, I tore through this book the first time I read it.  I’d like to go back and read it again and really take my time with it.  There’s a lot I’m sure I missed, and being in the healthiest romantic relationship of my life would give me a fresh perspective, I think.

5. Good Oil by Laura Buzo (published in the US as Love and Other Perishable Items)

I read Laura Buzo’s excellent debut when it was still an Australia-only publication, so I’m including it on this list with its original title (which I prefer, for so many reasons).  One of the smartest, most  unique coming-of-age tales, Buzo’s book is a must-read for any fan of contemporary YA.  Heartachey, honest, and funny, this is a book worth a second read.

6. Tighter by Adele Griffin

I remember reading Adele Griffin’s Tighter in something like one or two sittings.  I remember literally not being able to climb off the treadmill because I needed to see what was going to happen next.  The book is incredibly engrossing, tense, and fraught with the perfect kind of twisty, mind-bending suspense that is guaranteed to hook you.  Pairs well with The Turning of the Screw, which is the novel it’s adapted from.

7. Lucy Peale by Colby Rodowski

Lucy Peale is a holdover from my own childhood, and it’s a book that I should own a copy of but don’t, for some reason.  Blame several moves and an occasional book purge.  The book is definitely one I should purchase a copy of, but the fact that it’s out of print has delayed this, for whatever reason.  A book aimed at the middle-grade set, this one focuses on a young girl from a scary-religious family who finds herself pregnant and cast out.  It’s atmospheric, beautiful, and very real.

8. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

By far Niffenegger’s less-popular full-length novel, it’s also the more interesting, thorny one.  It features at least two sets of twins, a ghost, and a very quirky apartment complex in London.  I haven’t re-read it, but I should, because the novel’s twists and turns almost necessitate it.  Dark and completely absorbing, this would be a great fall/Halloween read.

9. The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

The first time I read this book, it took me more than a year to complete it.  It’s not that Shriver’s book isn’t interesting or engrossing, because it is.  Blame it on life stuff and a short attention span.  By the time I finished it, I was cursing myself for waiting so long.  It’s like Sliding Doors in book form without the cute romantic comedy tropes.

10. The Children and the Wolves by Adam Rapp

Dark, dark, dark.  This is one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read, but there’s so much to think about and chew on that reading this slim novel just once doesn’t do it justice.  You have to revisit it and really spend time with the characters, no matter how disturbing they are.

What’s your top ten this week?  What would you reread, given the chance?

Movie Blather & Randomness

Time for another installment of movie news and blather, where I bring you all the movie news that’s fit to print (or at least what I find interesting).  Without further ado or preamble, let’s get right into it!

1. The Great Gatsby Trailers Get Crazier

I’m not entirely sure what it is about the trailers for Baz Lurman’s The Great Gatsby, but each one makes it look a little crazier.  Last weekend, I saw a trailer in the theater for the movie and couldn’t stop laughing, much to the amusement (and bemusement) of my friends.  I can’t wait to see it, but my expectations are that it’s going to be a complete disasterpiece.  What do you think?

2. Carrie Gets a Trailer

So the first official trailer for the Carrie remake is live, and the result is…not great?  It sort of looks like exactly what you’d expect.  I suppose there’s no need to worry about spoilers (and most trailers these days don’t do that, anyway), but it doesn’t seem as though there’s anything to really look forward to.

3. Veronica Mars Movie YAYAYAYAYAY

Since it’s been a couple of weeks since I posted about movies, I haven’t been able to talk about the Veronica Mars movie, which is definitely happening and is likely to be super awesome.  The Kickstarter campaign to raise funding ended last night, and it was record-breaking.  I contributed, and I can’t wait to see the movie when it comes out next spring.  In the meantime, I’ll continue re-watching the series with J., hoping he loves it as much as me.

4. The Conjuring Looks Kind of Scary?

The horror movie The Conjuring is brought to us by the creator of the uber-bloody Saw series (and also Insidious).  Another haunted house story, this one has Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston living in a house unsuitable for pretty much everyone.  Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play paranormal investigators (based on real-life paranormal investigators).  The movie comes out in July, which isn’t a great sign for a horror movie, but a strong cast might make it worth seeing.

5. The Purge is More HORROR

In that same vein, check out the trailer for The Purge, starring Ethan Hawke (who seems to have found his calling after last year’s Sinister).  This one is all about what would happen if the government sanctioned a 12-hour window for all crime to be legal each year.  Non-criminal citizens are encouraged to lock themselves up in their homes, but who do you trust?  Eh.  We know I’ll watch this.

What movie news are you excited about this week?

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

Expected Release Date: May 7, 2013

Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his heart, and she loves him more than anything. There’s nothing Nikki wouldn’t do for Dee. Absolutely nothing.

So when Dee pulls Nikki into a crime—a crime that ends in murder—Nikki tells herself that it’s all for true love. Nothing can break them apart. Not the police. Not the arrest that lands Nikki in jail. Not even the investigators who want her to testify against him.

But what if Dee had motives that Nikki knew nothing about? Nikki’s love for Dee is supposed to be unconditional…but even true love has a limit. And Nikki just might have reached hers.

(summary via Goodreads)

It’s no secret that I love Terra Elan McVoy’s books, so there’s no doubt that I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her newest book.  This one looks a lot darker than her previous offerings, but I can’t wait to read it.  If it’s done well (and my guess it will be), it’ll be a nuanced look at coercion and love and what happens when the two collide.  I can’t wait to read this one this spring.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Expected Release Date: May 7, 2013

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it’s over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano — on her own terms. But when you’re used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl’s struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It’s about finding joy again, even when things don’t go according to plan. Because life isn’t a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

(summary via Goodreads)

Sara Zarr is obviously a huge name in the YA world.  She writes stories that are beautiful, moving, and memorable.  This one looks to be no different, as she sets up a fascinating premise that is sure to hook readers.  I like the idea of a pianist rediscovering her love of the instrument.  I haven’t read a lot of YA novels about musicians or child prodigies, so this one should be interesting.  You can’t really go wrong with Sara Zarr, right?

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland 

Expected Release Date: May 7, 2013

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. 

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on–most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits–that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

(summary via Goodreads)

This looks like the kind of summer read I’m always in search of.  Truth be told, I’m still looking for a summer book to move me like Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer did.  So far, I haven’t been so moved.  But I’m hopeful.  This looks like the kind of perfect mix of family/hard stuff/romance that I so love in a YA novel.  Here’s hoping this is done well.  I can’t wait to settle down with this one.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Its purpose is to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m eagerly awaiting:

The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

Expected Release Date: April 30, 2013

In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

(summary via Goodreads)

I’m in the mood for something light this week, because I’ve been reading a lot of very dark (but very good) stuff lately.  This cute contemporary YA novel looks to be right up my alley.  I love the incorporation of technology and science to the book, and I love that the science geek is a female.  I’m sure this one won’t reinvent the wheel, but it does look to be a totally enjoyable read.  The great news is that it comes out at the end of April, so I don’t even have to wait that long for it!

What are you waiting on this week?