Waiting on Wednesday: The House of Hades

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for the week:

The House of Hades
(Heroes of Olympus, #4)
by
Rick Riordan

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus

Release Date: 8 October 2013


Okay, confession time: I haven't actually read book 3 in this series (Mark of Athena), but I know I'll like it. I loved the first two books in this series, and all of the Percy Jackson series, which is set just previous to this series. My husband keeps telling me I need to read it already. I'll read it before book 4 releases. (I hope.) ^_^

Waiting on Wednesday: Icons

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for the week:

Icons
by
Margaret Stohl

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

Book blurb from Goodreads.

Ms. Stohl is the co-author of the Caster Chronicles. I already know I like her writing from having read the first two books of that series. (I'm so behind!) This book sounds really interesting, and I've been on a bit of a science fiction kick lately, so this is perfect for me. ^_^

Release Date: 7 May 2013

Like a Phoenix From the Ashes...

The Key to the Golden Firebird
Maureen Johnson

Release Date: June 2004
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Rating: 6.5/10
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Borders ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Books-A-Million
Content Warning: Discussion of sex

On a perfect spring afternoon, May, Brooks, and Palmer Gold returned home to find an ambulance in front of their house and a swarm of family friends trying to tell them some terrible news. May barely remembers it all. Why would you want to remember every detail of the day your father died right in the garage, sitting behind the wheel of his prized golden Firebird convertible?


A year later, May is still picking up the pieces. Her family is broke, and the house is a wreck. Her older sister Brooks has given up on her main passion, softball, and drinks all the time. Her little sister Palmer is becoming a mute weirdo. And no one is around to teach May to drive, except for her life-long nemesis, Pete. It's like the entire universe is conspiring against her.

The Gold sisters have been changed irrevocably, and they are all but lost to one another, until the key is found. The key to their father's Pontiac Firebird.

(Blurb taken from author website.)

I'm with May. Who wants to remember every detail of the day a parent dies? I certainly don't. But, unlike May, I can't seem to forget. I envy her that.

I really enjoyed this book. I could empathize with the characters, especially May. I, too, lost my father while in high school. Unfortunately, I had already lost my mother at that point in time. I didn't have any siblings either. Maybe they would have made it easier, I don't know. I'll never know.

May reminded me so much of myself it was scary. She's the smart one in the family; so was I. She went numb when she heard The News; I did, too. (Later, that evening, though, when I wasn't babysitting anymore, I fell to pieces.) A year later, she's lashing out at those around her for no real reason. Yeah, I did that. I still do sometimes. (Sorry!)

Would I have enjoyed this book as much as I did if I didn't relate to it? Maybe. Probably. Miss Maureen's writing is brilliant, though not quite on par with her later books. (This was her first published novel, so it's to be expected.) Her characters and plot were believable; they felt real, like friends I'd forgotten I had.

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes young adult novels.


----------------------

P.S. Please take a moment to answer my poll (you may need to scroll up, it's near the top of the right-hand column). Thanks. -->

Fin-tastic! (With Giveaway!)

Forgive My Fins
Tera Lynn Childs

Release Date: 1 June 2010
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Rating: 9/10
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Borders ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Books-A-Million
Content Warning: None

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

(Blurb taken from author website.)

I first heard about Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs about two months before its release on June 1st. I thought it sounded pretty cool. I mean, a new take on mermaids, how cool is that?

Very, very cool.

The whole bonding with a kiss element really upped the tension for me. In many young adult books, kissing is commonplace. Nothing special.

A first kiss should be something special.

In this book, it is. To Lily - and other mermaids - anyway. Not so much for human teens. How do I know? Well, I could tell you, but that would be a spoiler. I try to avoid those. ^_-

Let's just say the book is wonderful. It's well-written and has a sweet love story.

I read it in a single sitting. I adore this book!


------------------------------------

Now for the giveaway! ^_^

I'm a member of Miss Tera's Splash Team, which was created to help promote this book. I've given out almost all of the bookmarks and temporary tattoos received as part of my Splash Team kit. However, I do still have a couple left.

I'll select two winners. Each winner will receive a bookmark and two mer-mark temporary tattoos. (I have extra tattoos because the local library didn't want them. The bookmarks, they loved.)

THE RULES:
1) You MUST be a follower of this blog. (Yes, I want more followers. Sue me. Not really. I'm unemployed.)
2) Post a comment on this post by midnight on Sunday, July 11.
3) Only open to residents of the United States. (Sorry, but being unemployed, I can't afford international postage.)

Simple, yes? Good. ^_^

I'll pick the winners using random.org on Monday, July 12 and post them later that day.

I'm not giving extra entries for tweeting or otherwise telling people about the contest, but I would appreciate the publicity. Thanks!