"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Tayor
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 432 Pages (September 27th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Title: Glow (Sky Chasers, #1)
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 320 Pages (September 27th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Title: The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1)
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, 384 Pages (September 20th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I love pairing three totally different titles together in my WoW's and here's another set that are so different from one another, I don't think I could have chosen better this week. I am so excited for these three, you have NO idea. Thankfully I have Glow here and should be reading and reviewing soon. As for the other two, they are up pretty high on my every growing wish list. What are your thoughts on each of these books in this weeks WoW?

*covers are always subject to change.
*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this post.

I have a couple of winners to announce for giveaways that have recently ended. Also, I wanted to say Hello to all the new and old followers. Thanks to everyone who's stopped by and to all those who have entered.

Here are two lucky winners -

Dead Iron By: Devon Monk

Meadow

Blogfest 2011 - $15.00 to the Book Depository

Stacy Taylor

The winners have been email and have 48 hours to respond. If you haven't received an email from me & believe you are one of the winners, please be sure to check your spam folder or email to claim your prize! Winners were chosen via Random.org.

Thanks again for all who have entered and I'm happy to welcome so many new and old followers back. I have some great things coming up over the next few months, right through the end of the year, so I hope you'll all continue to stop by & comment. I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts on books & reviews, etc that I talk about here, so keep those comments coming!

Title: Pearl
Author: Jo Knowles
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 224 Pages (July 19th 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Bean (née Pearl) and Henry, misfits and best friends, have the strangest mothers in town. Henry’s mom Sally never leaves the house. Bean’s mom Lexie, if she is home, is likely nursing a hangover or venting to her friend Claire about Bean’s beloved grandfather Gus, the third member of their sunny household.

Gus’s death unleashes a host of family secrets that brings them all together. And they threaten to change everything—including Bean’s relationship with Henry, her first friend, and who also might turn out to be her first love.

Review: 4 Stars - Author Jo Knowles new title Pearl is an emotional journey from a teen girls point of view. It’s about dysfunctional families and growing. It’s about finding out who you are while learning where you come from.

Pearl aka Bean and Henry both come from highly dysfunctional families. They are each others only friends and it’s during one fateful summer the two go looking for answers that Bean has been asking about for years. When a sudden death in the family brings all the questions to the surface, Bean and Henry will stop at nothing until they know the truth. It’s up to her mother to come clean and Bean won’t stop until she knows what happened between her mother and her grandfather and finally, who her father is.

Henry has his own set of troubles at home and the two are there for each other when no one else was around and when they each needed someone the most. The two are both heart warming and heart breaking as they face being a teen with all the extra crud piled on top of the two within their respective home lives. Since they have known each other from a young age, they’ve grown up together and have witnessed first hand what the other goes through day in and day out.

The relationships between all the characters were bumpy but also the core of the story. I felt for both Bean and Henry and my heart often broke for each of them. I could easily put myself in either of their shoes as Knowles writing made these young adult characters real and honest throughout the major uphill battles they each faced.

Their mothers on the other hand were the root of all the issues that the two had to wade through during their search for Beans truth that I found myself shaking my head and wondering how on earth two adults could be so totally blind to what their kids were going through? It’s a sad reality in that so many kids have to face a vast number of challenges other than just what it means to be a kid. Truly, I was ready to smack the adults in this one a couple of times, let me tell you!

All in all, Pearl was a quick read with two young characters you’ll feel for and some adults you’ll want to scream at. I enjoyed Bean and Henry’s friendship and was happy that the plot wasn’t focused on them falling in love. Their true, honest and deep friendship came blazing through and was the driving force in making this a title I enjoyed. If you are a fan of contemporary YA titles then you won’t want to pass up this latest book from Jo Knowles. Happy reading!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 487 Pages (May 3rd 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review: 5 Stars - Divergent by Veronica Roth is hands down the best book I've read so far in 2011. It’s thrilling and unique with an amazing story that will suck the reader in and leave you gripped until the very last page, leaving you begging for more. Roth is without a doubt an amazing new talent within the young adult community and Divergent is the must read book of the year.

Divergent is told from the voice of the female lead character – Beatrice, who lives in a divided society. People are born into one of five fractions – Candor (honest), Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Amity (peaceful) and Erudite (intelligent). Beatrice happens to be Abnegation and in a world when you become 16, you are tested and must finally select where you will live for the rest of your life. Stay where you are or become who you feel you’re really, truly meant to be. However, once you choose there’s no going back. If you choose a fraction that’s not what you were raised in, you give up that life and your family forever.

Beatrice or Tris as she calls herself is such an incredible character. I couldn't imagine going through many of things she does, or if I’d have the strength or guts to do even half of the things she came to do. I liked how she was loyal and challenged herself and her beliefs and went after what she felt and knew was the right thing to do. A huge part of the strength she finds in herself comes from the friends she meets and the impact that they have on each others lives. She learns that maybe all isn't as it seems and that somehow, someone needs to make a stand.

It was easy to put myself right into the middle of things in this book. I felt that I was a fly on the wall amid Roth’s dystopian Chicago. Her amazing descriptive writing flowed seamlessly and I found myself quickly becoming emotionally invested and attached to her characters. With the turn of the last page I was extremely tempted to begin from page one all over again and read it straight through, back to back! Everything about this book sticks with you for hours, days, weeks and months after reading, and trust me that’s far from a bad thing.

Divergent is in one word amazing!! If I’m being totally truthful here, amazing doesn't even cover it. It’s epic, it’s a must read and I’ll be pushing this title on others until they pick it up and read it! Roth has it all in this title and then some. With characters you can’t help but become attached to, a story that’ll have you gripping the edge of your seat, a fascinating new take on the dystopian genre, descriptive settings you’ll find yourself sitting right in the middle of, with ease and a romance that’s smoldering hot… I mean what are you waiting for? Seriously, what are you waiting for, go pick it up now, you won’t be disappointed in the slightest, promise. And with that, I’ll be sitting with bated breath for the continuing story in the next book within the Divergent series – Insurgent – May 2012. Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Synopsis: Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.

Be sure to check out my review for Forgotten HERE!

How long did it take you to write Forgotten from concept to published book? And did the original idea/story change much along the way?

I got the idea for Forgotten mid-November 2008. I started writing immediately, and submitted the first draft to my agent on February 2, 2009.

Over the next five months, with the help of my agent, I edited the heck out of the novel. I laughed when I read this question because when I was writing Forgotten, my agent teased me that I’d send him a new book every time I did any editing. That’s an exaggeration, but the book did change quite a bit from those earlier drafts. It was always about London’s condition—there was always Luke—but I struggled to find the right mystery angle. When I found it, I got chills. (I won’t say any more on that so I don’t spoil it for readers.)

In August 2009, Forgotten sold at auction to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Then there was about six months of editing and copyediting to fine-tune things. So, adding up all that time, it took about 13 months to finish the book (and a few more to do marketing plans and cover treatment, etc.).

Being that this is your first published title, was there anything you were surprised about during your road to becoming published?

I was surprised about how long it takes to publish a book. It’s been two and a half years since I had that book idea eureka moment, and nearly two years since the book sold. It felt like a very long time to wait, mostly because I was so excited to see it on shelves.

What were your favorite part and the hardest part about writing Forgotten?

My favorite part was letting London’s story spill out of me. I’d written a (truly terrible) adult fiction novel years before, and if nothing else, that exercise taught me that I could write something novel length. So, when I got the idea for Forgotten, I didn’t second guess myself—and I didn’t wonder whether I could do it. I knew I could. I really believed in the idea and I just…wrote. It was so fun!

The hardest part was finding time to write, and feeling guilty about doing it. I have twin daughters who are almost three now; I wrote Forgotten before they were one. On one hand, it was an intellectual outlet when I could have given in completely to Mommy Mush Brain, but on the other, time spent in London’s world equaled missed moments with my girls. Ultimately though, I was able to find a good balance, and I truly believe I’m a better mom because of it.

Can you share with us a favorite line or two from Forgotten?

Some of my favorites are from the second half of the book and will give away too much if I share them. So, I’ll choose one from chapter two that I think really points to the dilemma of London’s condition: What would you choose to remember?

“I grit my teeth and grip the pen and do what I have to do. I lie to myself.”

London and Luke are two amazing and unique characters – can you tell us what you’d like everyone to take away from each of them as separate characters and then together as a couple?

Hmm…what we take away from books is so subjective. Perhaps I’ll tell you what I personally take away from “interactions” with them.

From Luke, I’m reminded of how important it is to stand by people you care about, no matter what. London reminds me that I have control over my own future. I make my own choices. If I don’t like something about my life, I can take steps to change it. And from them as a couple? I think Luke and London are a great example of why open communication in any relationship—not just a romantic one—is so critical.

London has a lot to deal with – trying to keep track of a past she can’t remember, that even today she’ll forget while she sleeps – and a future she sees and remembers, but is also bound to forget. If there was one thing you and Luke could each tell her that she wouldn’t forget, what would it be?

Having London’s condition could certainly make anyone feel abnormal: Luke’s reminder might be simply that he loves her as she is.

I’d tell her that no matter how bad her memories seem, she has the power to change them. That’s a gift that is uniquely London’s.

Are there any books you’ve recently read that are must reads? Anything that is yet to be released out into the wild you can’t wait to get your hands on?

I’ve read a lot of books that I really enjoyed recently but my number one must-read is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I read it a while ago—it’s out in paperback now—and it’s still the one I think of when anyone asks about must-reads.

I’m very excited to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Crossed by Ally Condie and The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler.

Lastly, can you tell us anything about what you’re currently working on? You mentioned on twitter and on your website your next book will be out in 2012 from Little Brown. What can you tell us about it

Unfortunately, I can’t share much at this point except to say that it’s not a sequel to Forgotten, but please follow me on Twitter/FB or through my blog for news soon!

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Cat! We hope we can do this again sometime soon!

Thank you!

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