Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp -- the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance -- and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance. - Summary from Goodreads

I read a review that said this was a southern version of a faery changling story. Usually changlings are switched with young children, it'll be interesting to see this take on the legend. I always love stories about creepy faeries so I'm really looking forward to this. Plus, it involves siblings which adds to its appeal. I think this sounds like a really awesome and really dark read.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Sarah's Choice

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over. -Summary from Goodreads

The final book in the Heroes of Olympus series is 4 months away and I'm super excited! I love the characters in this series (well, at least the Greek ones.lol) and I can't wait to see what happens to them in the end! I want more PERCYBETH!!!!

Christina's Choice
Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle #1) by Heather Demetrios

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light. -Summary from Goodreads

I love the idea of Jinni and it's not something that's done often in YA, the only ones that come to mind are As You Wish by Jackson Pearce and The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike. I'm fascinated by how dark stories with genies can be, how dangerous a simple wish can be. It will also be cool to see the difference between the Jinni world and earth, and how drama from one world could cross into the other. Ooh, the possibilities!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 Sarah's Pick

Silver Shadow's (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead 

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.
Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.
For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .
Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.- Summary from Goodreads

I just finished the VA books at the end of last year and was putting off reading Bloodlines even though I had heard great things about it because I wasn't sure about Sydney as a main character. Then I got the first book at the library booksale and it was SO PRETTY that I just had to read it. I was hooked. A few weeks later I'm finishing Fiery Heart and am on the edge of my seat to find out what happens next.

 Christina's Pick

 Sinner (Wolves of Mercy Falls) by Maggie Stiefvater

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?-Summary from Goodreads

Every Shiver fan has been waiting for this book since Forever (yes, that was a pun), but it wasn't until recently that we actually knew we would get it.
I made the mistake of reading the excerpt and hungry for this book ever since. Plus I went to California a couple of weeks ago and I'm looking for a book that can bring back that feeling of the California sunshine.