Top 15 Most Anticipated Books for the Second Half of 2017

Here are 15 young adult books all releasing in the second half of this year that I am most crazily excited for. All but two are straight up contemporary. All (except one which is a companion novel) are stand alone titles. Some I have been waiting on for what seems like such a long time (I'm looking at the new Paula Weston ~ can you believe it is almost here!) and others I've more recently stumbled upon and have high hopes for. 

I am also so incredibly out of the loop regarding upcoming titles, both Australian and international, so I am sure there are other books out there that I really want too, haha, but these are my fave ones waiting on my goodreads TBR. 

It goes without saying that if Jaclyn Moriarty's new book suddenly gets a pub date in 2017, that will be my number one ;)

They are listed here in order of release date. All links (in the titles) go to goodreads.

What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes a charming and poignant story about two struggling teenagers who find an unexpected connection just when they need it most. For fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Niven, and Rainbow Rowell.

Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her. 

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

July 11

Why I'm excited: Absolutely loved Julie Buxbaum's YA debut Tell Me Three Things. I got my sister to preorder this for me as a bday gift (even though my bday was in January, haha, it's a belated gift I am very excited for).

The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

lake effect | n.
The effect of any lake, especially the Great Lakes, in modifying the weather in nearby areas

It’s the summer after his senior year, and driven, focused Briggs Henry is ready to leave behind his ex-girlfriend, his comically aggressive grandmother, and his parents’ money troubles for Lake Michigan and its miles of sandy beaches. He’s lined up a summer job working as a personal assistant and living in a gorgeous Victorian on the water—exactly the kind of house Briggs plans to buy his parents once he’s a multi-millionaire. But when he arrives, his boss, the eccentric Mrs. Bosic, tells him to get dressed for her funeral. Uh . . . It’s the first of many funerals they’ll attend this summer—to hilarious and eye-opening effect. Add to this a new set of friends-cum-enemies-cum-friends-again, and Abigail, the mysterious girl next door on whom Briggs’s charms repeatedly fail, and “the lake effect” is beginning to take on a whole new meaning.

July 11

Why I'm excited: I really liked I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by McCahan (which had a refreshing and unique voice and premise) and this cover is pretty much perfect

Lucky in Love by Kasie West

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture. 

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

July 25

Why I'm excited: Kasie West!!!! I adore her books (her sassy, smiley characters and her boys!) and her cruise-y, feel good reads usually end up being fave reads of the year for me. I love how prolific she is becoming and will be reading this immediately upon release.

Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman

Kissing Max Holden was a terrible idea...

After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn't himself. As his long-time friend, Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn't know how. When Max climbs through her window one night, Jill knows that she shouldn't let him kiss her. But she can't resist, and when they're caught in the act by her dad, Jill swears it'll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea.

With a new baby sibling on the way, her parents fighting all the time, and her dream of culinary school up in the air, Jill starts spending more and more time with Max. And even though her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend, not kissing Max is easier said than done. Will Jill follow her heart and allow their friendship to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden once and for all?

August 1st

Why I'm excited: Uh, that title - can you go wrong? haha. Well, it just looks and sounds cute and the early reviews are so promising. This is a wild card read for me (new author) and I love the possibility of finding a new writer to love. 

The Undercurrent by Paula Weston

Eighteen-year-old Julianne De Marchi is different. As in: she has an electrical undercurrent beneath her skin that stings and surges like a live wire. She can use it—to spark a fire, maybe even end a life—but she doesn’t understand what it is. And she can barely control it, especially when she’s anxious.

Ryan Walsh was on track for a stellar football career when his knee blew out. Now he’s a soldier—part of an experimental privatised Australian military unit that has identified Jules De Marchi as a threat. Is it because of the weird undercurrent she’s tried so hard to hide? Or because of her mother Angie’s history as an activist against bio-engineering and big business?

It’s no coincidence that Ryan and Jules are in the same place at the same time—he’s under orders to follow her, after all. But then an explosive attack on a city building by an unknown enemy throws them together in the most violent and unexpected way.

Paula Weston, author of the much-admired Rephaim series, returns with a standalone work: a futuristic thriller that is only slightly futuristic—but utterly and undeniably thrilling. Great writing, heart-burning characters, probing questions about where technology is taking us—and a plot that zips and zings like an electrical current itself

August 

Why I am excited: From the author who brought as Gaby, Jude and Rafa! I love Weston's Rephaim series so much and am so thrilled to have more characters to meet and fall in love with. 

Because of You by Pip Harry

Tiny is homeless. Nola has everything she could ask for. They meet when Nola is forced into volunteer work for the writers’ group at the homeless shelter where Tiny is staying, and at first it seems impossible that two people who are so different could ever be friends. But despite her initial prejudice, Nola quickly learns that there isn’t much separating her from the people who live on the streets. And Tiny begins to see that falling down doesn’t mean you never get back up. Because of You is a story about homelessness, prejudice and the power of words to provide a little hope. 

At its heart is the friendship between Tiny and Nola, and how this relationship changes both girls at the core. Pip Harry doesn’t shy away from some heavy topics—Tiny’s story is heartbreaking and the details about life on the streets of Sydney is horrifying—but Because of You is ultimately a hopeful story about human resilience and the life-changing power of discovering your best friend. YA readers aged 14 and up who loved John Larkin’s The Shadow Girl and Cath Crowley’s Words in Deep Blue should be diving for this powerful coming-of-age story.

August

Why I am excited: I love Pip Harry. Her characters have always seemed so real and managed to crawl under my skin (not in a creepy way, lol). Also, how awesome does this blurb sound? I am ready to have my heart broken and patched up again. 

The Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes 

Molly Mavity is not a normal teenage girl. For one thing, her father is a convicted murderer, and his execution date is fast approaching. For another, Molly refuses to believe that her mother is dead, and she waits for the day when they’ll be reunited . . . despite all evidence that this will never happen.

Pepper Yusef is not your average teenage boy. A Kuwaiti immigrant with epilepsy, serious girl problems, and the most useless seizure dog in existence, he has to write a series of essays over the summer . . . or fail out of school.

And Ava Dreyman—the brave and beautiful East German resistance fighter whose murder at seventeen led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall—is unlike anyone you’ve met before.

When Molly gets a package leading her to Pepper, they’re tasked with solving a decades-old mystery: find out who killed Ava, back in 1989. Using Ava’s diary for clues, Molly and Pepper realize there’s more to her life—and death—than meets the eye. Someone is lying to them. And someone out there is guiding them along, desperate for answers. 

August 22

Why I am excited: From the author who brought us The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly. That book broke me, and kept me up all night - so good. Pumped to read what else Stephanie Oakes has in store for her readers. 

Freshers by Lucy Ivison and Tom Ellen

Freshers is a YA novel about love, sex, and friendships in the first two months of college.

August 3rd

Why I am excited: I adore this duo! Lobsters and Never Evers are both fave books of mine. They are absolutely hilarious and I love the UK YA vibe. 

Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

Jane has lived an ordinary life, raised by her aunt Magnolia—an adjunct professor and deep sea photographer. Jane counted on Magnolia to make the world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on one of her expeditions.

Now, with no direction, a year out of high school, and obsessed with making umbrellas that look like her own dreams (but mostly just mourning her aunt), she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family's island mansion called Tu Reviens.

Jane remembers her aunt telling her: "If anyone ever invites to you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you'll go." With nothing but a trunkful of umbrella parts to her name, Jane ventures out to the Thrash estate. Then her story takes a turn, or rather, five turns. What Jane doesn't know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price. 

September 19

Why I am excited; Kristin Cashore!!! And, it also sounds intriguing :)

The Girl With The Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

When sixteen-year-old Ellie Baum accidentally time-travels via red balloon to 1988 East Berlin, she’s caught up in a conspiracy of history and magic. She meets members of an underground guild in East Berlin who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the Wall—but even to the balloon makers, Ellie’s time travel is a mystery. When it becomes clear that someone is using dark magic to change history, Ellie must risk everything—including her only way home—to stop the process. 

September 1

Why I am excited: Time travel, Berlin Wall, red balloons... This sounds unique and will hopefully be something special. 

Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood

Kate, a quiet boarder, making some risky choices to pursue the experimental music she loves.

Clem, shrugging off her old swim-team persona, exploring her first sexual relationship, and trying to keep her annoying twin, Iris, at arm's length.

Ady, grappling with a chaotic family, and wondering who her real friends are; she's not the confident A-lister she appears to be.

When St Hilda's establishes a Year 10 Wellness Program in response to the era of cyber-bullying, the three girls are thrown together and an unlikely friendship is sparked. One thing they have in common: each is targeted by PSST, a site devoted to gossip and slander that must have a source within St Hilda's.

Who can you trust when rumour is the new truth?

Take Three Girls is a collaboration between award-winning, internationally published authors Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood. With its themes of friendship, feminism, identity and belonging, it is honest, raw and funny, a novel that will strike a chord with young readers everywhere.

August 29

Why I am excited: Three of my fave authors <3

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

A gorgeously written and deeply felt literary young adult novel of identity, millennial anxiety, and first love, from the widely acclaimed author of The Mystery of Hollow Places

In Savannah Espinoza’s small New Mexico hometown, kids either flee after graduation or they’re trapped there forever. Vanni never planned to get stuck—but that was before her father was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, leaving her and her mother to care for him. Now, she doesn’t have much of a plan at all: living at home, working as a performing mermaid at a second-rate water park, distracting herself with one boy after another.

That changes the day she meets Leigh. Disillusioned with small-town life and looking for something greater, Leigh is not a “nice girl.” She is unlike anyone Vanni has met, and a friend when Vanni desperately needs one. Soon enough, Leigh is much more than a friend. But caring about another person stirs up the moat Vanni has carefully constructed around herself, and threatens to bring to the surface the questions she’s held under for so long.

With her signature stunning writing, Rebecca Podos, author of The Mystery of Hollow Places, has crafted a story of first love and of the complex ways in which the deepest parts of us are hidden, even from ourselves. 

October 17

Why I am excited: I loved Podos's debut The Mystery of Hollow Places. It was a great match for me and I'm really keen to read more of her work. Also - working as a mermaid sounds cool, haha. 

Untidy Towns by Kate O'Donnell

I ran away on a Tuesday afternoon in late March. Six pm and I was headed south-west in a train that smelt stale.

Seventeen-year-old Adelaide is sick of being expected to succeed on other people’s terms. She’s made a new plan: drop out of her fancy boarding school to read and dream. She just needs to stick it out at home for one more year and then she’ll be free.

But before she can work out her next move, Addie’s grandad offers her a job at the local historical society. It’s dusty and messy, like her hometown, like her new life. Then she accidentally kisses Jarrod, the boy who spends his days getting into trouble. But he’s as stuck as she is and Addie starts to wonder that maybe when you really want something in life, you’ve actually got to do something about it.

A heartfelt story about love, friendship and untidy towns.

October

Why I am excited: Sounds like my kind of read, and I've long since followed author Kate O'Donnell's blog and she has the most gorgeous and impeccable taste in books. I love this cover, too <3

The First To Know by Abigail Johnson

Don't miss the second gripping and heartfelt story from the author of If I Fix You! A girl's plan to find her father's birth family turns potentially devastating when the secret DNA test she has done reveals that she has a half brother her age she never knew about. 

Dana Fields's father never knew his parents. When Dana secretly does a DNA test for her dad, hoping to find him some distant relatives for his birthday, her entire world implodes. Instead of a few third cousins, Dana discovers a half brother her age whose very existence means her parents' happy marriage is a lie.

Dana's desire to know her half brother, Brandon, and the extent of her dad's deception, clashes with her wish not to destroy her family. When she sees the opportunity to get to know Brandon through his cousin, the intense yet kind Chase, she takes it. But the more she finds out about Brandon, her father's past and the irresistible guy who'll never forgive her if he discovers the truth, the more she sees the inevitable fallout from her own lies. With her family crumbling around her, Dana must own up to her actions and find a way to heal the breach—for everyone—before they're torn apart for good.

November 7

Why I am excited: I unexpectedly loved Abigail Johnson's debut (If I Fix You) so I'm thrilled to be able to follow it up so quickly with her second novel release :)

 Not Now, Not Ever by Lily Anderson

The sequel to The Only Thing Worse than Me Is You, inspired by The Importance of Being Earnest.

Elliot Gabaroche is very clear on what she isn't going to do this summer. 

1. She isn't going to stay home in Sacramento, where she'd have to sit through her stepmother's sixth community theater production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
2. She isn't going to mock trial camp at UCLA.
3. And she certainly isn't going to the Air Force summer program on her mother's base in Colorado Springs. As cool as it would be to live-action-role-play Ender's Game, Ellie's seen three generations of her family go through USAF boot camp up close, and she knows that it's much less Luke/Yoda/"feel the force," and much more one hundred push-ups on three days of no sleep. And that just isn't appealing, no matter how many Xenomorphs from Alien she'd be able to defeat afterwards.

What she is going to do is pack up her attitude, her favorite Octavia Butler novels, and her Jordans, and go to summer camp. Specifically, a cutthroat academic-decathlon-like competition for a full scholarship to Rayevich College, the only college with a Science Fiction Literature program. And she's going to start over as Ever Lawrence, on her own terms, without the shadow of all her family’s expectations. Because why do what’s expected of you when you can fight other genius nerds to the death for a shot at the dream you’re sure your family will consider a complete waste of time?

This summer's going to be great.

November 21

Why I am excited: I loved The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You. This sounds just as awesomely good and I really am holding out for it!

Just putting this post together has gotten me pretty excited about the rest of my 2017 reading life, tbh, lol! 

Are any of these books on your wishlist for 2017?

What upcoming books are you most excited for?

Hope all is well in your world,

:) Nomes

Ten More Books I'm Hanging Out For in 2013

A week or so ago, I got all psyched for ten books I can't wait to read in 2013. All of those books I am so excited for (and am thinking they'll be on my fave reads of the year list). All of them are from authors I already know and love.

I am also getting excited for books from unknown-to-me authors. Which is the best kind of feeling, having something to look forward to. Books with awesome premises, gorgeous covers and that just give off this vibe that I am going to totally love them. 

So here's ten books I am also itching to check out this year, all from authors I've never read before (most are debuts)

[links in the titles got to goodreads]

1. Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair 
Sept 3


Now that Leah Kurtz has a place to call home, there’s no way she can tell the truth.

That her name is Faith, not Leah.

That she’s seventeen, not nineteen.

That the baby isn’t hers—she kidnapped her.

She had to kidnap Addy though. She couldn’t let her newborn sister grow up like she did, with parties where the drugs flow all night and an empty refrigerator in the kitchen holding nothing but pickle juice and ketchup packets inside.

She can’t risk losing Chris—the only guy she’s ever given herself to completely—by telling him she’s been lying. He’s the most generous person she’s ever known, and he’s already suffered the tragic deaths of his mom and infant sister.

But being on the run with a newborn catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions, and Chris’s aunt finds a newspaper article about Faith and a missing baby. Faith knows it’s time to run again—from Chris and the only place that’s ever felt like home.

I am seriously ALL OVER THIS ONE, you guys. I love the synopsis and the cover is my kind of mesmerising. I have so many hopes for falling in love with this book.

2. Canary by Rachele Alpine
August 1

Staying quiet will destroy her, but speaking up will destroy everyone.

Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete. 

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad’s vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes.

Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.

Canary has me so intrigued with the high stakes premise. And it has me hooked with the mix of prose and verse. I love verse novels, hey. Also, what an utterly stunning and evocative cover. 

3. The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
March 21

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

Basically this just looks cute, sounds fun and is pretty different to my usual kind of read. I'm in. 

4. Wild Awake by Hilary T Smith
May 28

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

I love the blurb for this, pitched to get me smiling already. Love the premise and that cover is just screaming to be read. Also, has some so very favourable early reviews <3

5. Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
April 30

A charming and laugh-out-loud novel by Lauren Graham, beloved star of Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, about an aspiring actress trying to make it in mid-nineties New York City.

Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works. 

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. 

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.

Guys, doesn't this just sound like the perfect rainy day comfort read? And it's by Lauren Graham! <3 I really love breaking up a YA streak with a good adult novel and this one sounds just like my kind of thing. 

6. Premeditated by Josin L McQuein

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

I've heard so much good stuff about this one. It's not my usual thing, but I am thinking that could be a good thing, hey. I'm pretty keen to check this one out. 

7. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I am not all burnt out of dystopia/post-apocalyptic stuff (largely due to the fact that I have steered clear of many... haha). This sounds good. Great, even. I'll be picking this up, for sure. Anyone read Yancey before? My library doesn't stock him, but I've heard he is rather brilliant. 

8. Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Meet Anne Dowling – a fresh, original, and funny new YA heroine whose knowing, irreverent voice will remind readers of Pretty Little Liars and Private. 

Anne practically runs her exclusive prep school on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she burns part of it down. Accidentally. Her lawyer father decides to send his not-quite-so-innocent only daughter to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to reform her bad girl ways and make it back to New York, making friends at the Wheatley School is the last thing Anne cares about. There is one girl Anne is able to stand, though—her roommate Isabella. That is, until Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

Anne is convinced someone knows what happened to Isabella the night she was viciously murdered—but no one is talking. That’s when Anne starts to notice how old and creepy the Wheatley School really is. When she meets Isabella’s twin brother and learns he also thinks the school might be covering up the truth about Isabella’s death, Anne can’t help it…she starts poking around. Utilizing her lock-picking skills, unmistakable charm, and the help of a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping around in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

You guys, I am not usually into the pretty little liar scene (or Kate Brian's series) but I have more than a feeling Kara Taylor's debut will be something fresh and unique. Once upon a time I read an earlier manuscript of Kara's and I loved it so. Her voice and humour was amazing and she brought this really dreamy swoon in the form of a hot Aussie muso = love. If this premise at all intrigues you, you should definitely be adding this to your wishlists. 

9. If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
August 1

Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...

The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

I am intrigued by this one. I love a good sad, haunting kind of contemporary. And I have always loved exploring what ifs. Also, the cover is so simple but has this perfect emotive vibe, like wishing in the rain.

10. Meet Me At the River by Nine De Gramont
October 15

Stepsiblings Tressa and Luke, close as children, fell in love as teens, and neither the disapproval of those around them nor even Luke's death can keep them apart as long as Tressa needs him.

OKAY I AM TOTALLY CHEATING WITH THIS ONE.


Nina De Gramont's book, Every Little Thing in the World, is one of my fave contemporary YA reads of recent years. I would have had this on my earlier lst, but only just discovered it. YOU GUYS. I don't even care that the blurb is so short, I am completely sold and insanely excited to finally read more of Nina's work. So wanting this. Such  long wait... 



So, tell me, are any of these books on your wishlist?
I would also love to know which books you're dying to get your hands on (I am a teeny bit out of the loop with upcoming reads...)

Ten Books I cannot Wait to Read in 2013

Heyyy,

So it has been a little while (apart from me reviewing a new stunning absolute fave) and I have been somewhat out of the loop of the reading world. We moved house at the end of last year (same suburb, further into the rainforest) and my computer died :/ But the good news is, I've had so much reading time (I have read 17 books already this year, which is more than double my rating rate of 2012) and it's been seriously so good to rekindle my love of reading and that buzzy feeling you get from having a truly good book waiting for you to curl up with.

My new backyard. So very blessed to have a creek running through it...

In honour of getting psyched about books again, I have made a little list of books I am seriously pumped for. It is not exhaustive (I know there are lots coming out that aren't even on my radar yet). This entire list is just books from ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE authors of mine. The authors who I have already read their entire catalogue of books and just sit around twiddling my thumbs waiting for more...

I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a GREAT year for reading.

1. Haze by Paula Weston
If (for some insane reason) you have not read Shadows yet, now is the perfect time to get with the program (and meet the hotness that is Rafa). I have been chatting about Shadows with a good friend of mine and we seriously cannot get over JUST HOW GOOD IT WAS (She reminded me of a certain shower scene...haha). I am saving up my second reread for a smidgen closer to the release of Haze, but I am so itching to get my hands on this sequel (who else is counting down to May?)

2. The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Guys, Sarah Ockler just keeps getting better and better. Her last book, Bittersweet, was in my top ten reads of 2012 and if you're any kind of contemporary YA fan at all, Sarah Ockler is where it's at. My sister has preordered this for me (as a delayed birthday present). Bring on the swoon <3

3. The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
Speaking of contemporary. The brilliant Sara Zarr has one coming out in May. She is pretty much the goddess of contemporary, such achey characters and killer dialogue. So good at crafting tension, she could be writing about taking out the rubbish and I'd be on the edge of my seat, admiring the prose, haha. Really excited for this book, hey.

4. Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott
So this list keeps getting better and better. I ADORE Elizabeth Scott. She is my go to author for comfort reading. She always brings the swoon and often get tears out of me as well. Me + her books are just the perfect combo. I couldnt stop grinning when I heard a new book would be out in September...

5. The Howling Boy by Cath Crowley
It's been two years since I fell so hard for Lucy and Ed and the brilliance that was Graffiti Moon. And I just know this book is going to be so well worth the wait (sounds like such a lame phrase for what I am trying to say: which is I am simply DYING to get my greedy little hands on it)

6. Wildlife by Fiona Wood
The sophomore novel to the brilliant debut that was Six Impossible Things. Oh, you guys, YOU GUYS, I feel like we have been waiting so long for this book that it is hard to imagine it actually finally being out there. But 2013 is the year and, even more exciting, Fiona Wood recently announced her US three book deal (being Six Impossible Thing, Wildlife plus (yay!) a third. About time, hey! :) I am so psyched that Fiona will have such a wide readership and I know her books are going to bring so much joy, so many smiles, to so many readers x

My last three books I am hanging out for are from favourite adult authors

7. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
You know I love the Moriarty girls. So so much. I feel positively SPOILED to have another book by Liane Moriarty coming up. I recently read Nicola Moriarty's book and loved it so, just loved it. And I have loved all of Liane's books, they are just the perfect kind of book to curl up with and smile through. (and occasionally cry happy-sad tears)





8. Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell
I am not sure how much love I have spread for Maggie, but I truly LOVE her work. She writes beautifully, her story are just hauntingly good. Her characters bleed on to the pages. She is a beloved author of mine and I so very much cannot wait to read her latest <3

9. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
My fave swoony, light-hearted, slightly ridiculous-always fun chick lit author. Everyone needs an author like Kinsella to grin an afternoon away with :)

10. Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar
You guys, Tessa Afshar has rekindled my love of really really great Christian fiction. This is her third book and I seriously devoured her first two: both being unputdownable stories with flawed and compelling characters. I am so sold on her stuff, she is an auto-buy for me and I 100% recommend her to all fans of Christian historical fiction.

So just putting together this post has me getting all jittery and excited for my reading year  And this is only the beginning. There's a bunch of debuts that are calling out to me, and other authors I have my eye on (I didn't even get to discussing other faves such as Stephanie Perkins, Gayle forman, Jennifer Echols and Lauren Strasnick...)

Are you hanging out for any of these? 

Any books from your favourite authors coming out in 2013 that I should know about?