Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Dear Martin/The Girl In Red/One Night at the Lake/The Orphan's Song



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!


Dear Martin by Nic Stone (2017)
Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.
[Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: I first heard about this book around the time I read Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give, and knew I had to read this one as well. I haven't yet gotten to it despite having added it to my TBR shelf, but it remains a book I hope to read. 

Have you read this one? If not, is this something you would like?

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The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
Release Date: June 18, 2019
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood"...about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems.

It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.

Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods... [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: "Little Red Riding Hood" with a big twist . . . I like it! 


One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase
Release Date: June 18, 2019
A tragedy on a hot summer night at a lake house forever alters the lives of two best friends—and the man they both love. But the truth isn’t as simple as it appears in this intricate novel of love, friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness in the tradition of Miranda Beverly-Whittemore’s Bittersweet.

Leah Tessaro has been waiting for this moment for a long time: Her boyfriend, Ollie, is taking her to his family’s home on Seneca Lake for a week of lazy summer bliss, boating, and barbeque. The couple has been together for four years, and Leah is convinced that Ollie is finally going to pop the question. And Leah can’t wait to share the joyous news with her best friend, June Kang, who is joining them on their getaway, and whose presence will make everything feel more real.

Seven years later, the moment June has been dreading has finally arrived: Her fiancé, Ollie, is taking her to his family’s lake house. But this is not an ordinary visit to an ordinary place; it is a house haunted by June’s long-buried memories of her lost friend, Leah—and the connection that appears to remain between Leah and the man for whom June’s love is as deep as her sense of foreboding.

Alternating between the two women’s vibrant voices, One Night at the Lake is a gripping novel that explores a complex tangle of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal, all driving toward one question: What exactly happened to Leah on that hot summer night? [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: One Night at the Lake has all the ear markings of an emotional and suspenseful book. 


The Orphan's Song by Lauren Kate
Release Date: June 25, 2019
The historical adult debut novel by # 1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate, The Orphan's Song is a sweeping love story about family and music--and the secrets each hold--that follows the intertwined fates of two Venetian orphans.

A song brought them together. A secret will tear them apart.

Venice, 1736. When fate brings Violetta and Mino together on the roof of the Hospital of the Incurables, they form a connection that will change their lives forever. Both are orphans at the Incurables, dreaming of escape. But when the resident Maestro notices Violetta's voice, she is selected for the Incurables' world famous coro, and must sign an oath never to sing beyond its church doors.

After a declaration of love ends in heartbreak, Mino flees the Incurables in search of his family. Known as the "city of masks," Venice is full of secrets, and Mino is certain one will lead to his long-lost mother. Without him, the walls close in on Violetta and she begins a dangerous and forbidden nightlife, hoping her voice can secure her freedom. But neither finds what they are looking for, until a haunting memory Violetta has suppressed since childhood leads them to a shocking confrontation.

Vibrant with the glamour and beauty of Venice at its zenith, The Orphan's Song takes us on a breathtaking journey of passion, heartbreak, and betrayal before it crescendos to an unforgettable ending, a celebration of the enduring nature and transformative power of love. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: Such an interesting time period and an intriguing story! 


Do any of these interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? 


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22 comments:

  1. All the books sound interesting but I'm leaning more towards "The Girl in Red". :)

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    1. Melody - I think The Girl in Red sounds really good!

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  2. Dear Martin is an excellent read. I even liked it better than The Hate U Give. And I NEED The Girl in Read NOW!

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    1. Barb - I am so glad to hear you liked Dear Martin. I look forward to reading it. I think I will try to make time for it sooner than later. The Girl in Red does sound irresistible, doesn't it? I can't wait to read it!

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  3. The Orphan's Song and One Night at the Lake both look fantastic. I hope you enjoy them both!

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    1. Katherine- I think so too! I can't wait to read them.

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  4. Definitely want to read The Girl in Red. Hope you enjoy your picks. My WoW

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  5. The Girl in Red is one I REALLY want to read! :)

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  6. All the books sound great, especially Dear Martin and The Girl in Red. I hope you read them soon!

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    1. Eustacia - I hope I will be able to read them soon as well!

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  7. My review of The Girl in Red is scheduled for June 3. It met my expectations and my only complaint was wanting more.

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    1. Jenclair - I look forward to reading your review of The Girl in Red! And if your only complaint is wanting more, well, that's pretty good!

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  8. Books I may well pick up if I were to see them in the library,
    I'm just not sure I'd buy any of them with the exception of The Girl in Red which sounds like my kind of read.

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    1. Tracy - I am hoping it will be as good as it sounds. :-)

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  9. I have heard great things about Dear Martin and hope to try that one myself at some point. I have The Girl in Red and The Orphan's Song that I hope to get to very soon. I hope you enjoy all of these.

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    1. Carole - I hope you enjoy The Girl in Red and The Orphan's Song when you read them!

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  10. THE GIRL IN RED sounds SO fresh and fascinating, and I agree...THE ORPHAN'S SONG too!

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    1. Donna Marie - I am looking forward to both of them. Hopefully they will live up to my expectations. :-)

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  11. I'm OBSESSED with the cover of The Girl in Red!

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