Waiting on Wednesday, Shakira and a possible book challenge

After a two years in a row of utter fail in reading challenges, I decided - in fact, PROMISED - not to join any more book reading challenges. But since then I came across this

and decided just one easygoing challenge wouldn't hurt. After all, it's low key; it's to encourage reading of books that have been on my TBR shelf/pile/mound/hill/MOUNTAIN; It's only one book a month - I can surely read one book a month, right?
{hosted by Dollycas via Goodreads}
sigh...Then I come across Beth's blog and find
THIS!

Yes. This person is hosting a Terry Pratchett related reading challenge...

Now, I'm not committing myself to it yet {oh hell, you know I'm going to end up at least trying this!}, but if you're a Discworld fan, then you know how tempting this is. Very. I love reading this guy, and he comes through with a book every year - usually around October.
If you're interested in this challenge, go over to OnceUponATime, {click on Terry Pratchett's pic above for the challenge link}
Most likely, I'll be joining - I love reading Terry Pratchett's work and it'll be nice to have an excuse to go back and re-read his work. I'm mostly up to date with his releases, so most of my challenge reads would have to be re-reads. The only thing I haven't read by him is Unseen Academicals in his discworld series. there's an unrelated to Discworld series novel coming out next called The Long Earth which sounds very intriguing - different from his normal work. But then Pratchett does write other things besides the Discworld - not as much, but some others. :) I'm willing to give the other work a try.




Which brings me to Waiting On Wednesday {frequently known as WOW}; I haven't posted one of these for a while {sometimes it's hard to keep up, folks...especially when I'm trying to expand my city in Cityville, find hidden pics in Hidden Chronicles and killing Zombies in Zombie Lane! That's a lot of hard work, very consuming *g* DAMN you FaceBook!}. Today, I feel the need to post an WOW.
Hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, W0W is a great place to post books we're waiting to read, waiting even to see published.

Suzanne McLeod will have her fourth Spellcrackers.com novel out, which I'm looking forward to very much.

The Shifting Price of Prey is slated to be released in the UK June of 2012. If I have to order from The Book Depository, that's what I'm doing {I HATE waiting for the U.S. release, *g*} The continuing adventures of Genny and co. With McLeod's writing, narration, characters, and dialogue I know I'm going to enjoy The Shifting Price of Prey. Want to see some cool covers? click here for the German version of the Spellcrackers.com novels - love the covers.

As I mentioned earlier {or, higher up in this post} I'm looking forward to reading Terry Pratchett's upcoming The Long Earth. Started way back in the 1980's, apparently this manuscript was put aside when the Discworld books were demanding Pratchett's attention. Lately, Stephen Baxter has teamed up with Pratchett to finish up this novel; it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. Pratchett once before teamed up with another writer {Neil Gaiman on Good Omens} and that turned out pretty good. Sorry - can't find an excerpt of this yet.

Now what should we end with?

another LOLcat? or a music video?

Shakira - an appearance via David Letterman

Shakira takes Salsa dance to a whole 'nother level. Good way to stay in shape, yeah?

waiting on wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

Well Heck! I almost missed this, because I follow Rachel Vincent's Blogger site, and she now has a new site over on wordpress (I wonder why, Blogger people? Could it be because sometimes we users can't even access our own accounts? HMMM? well? COULD IT!!?) Thankfully, Ms Vincent posted on her old site a link to her new site, or I would have forgotten completely to look for this until I saw other posts from other bloggers.

Anyway, I've enjoyed Rachel Vincent's Shifter series, tried her YA series (not so crazy about them) and I am looking forward to this new series by her about a "Bloodhound" - a woman who tracks things with her scenting abilities. An excerpt of the first chapter is up on her new Wordpress site. I read it and it reads well, very promising. So when this novel comes out August 23rd, I hope to get it.

partial description from Goodreads -->>; "Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special – a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood. Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one. But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, ...." I only used part of the description, because the rest goes on about the MAN SHE CAN'T HAVE, BUT IS DRAWN TO. and I do get a bit tired of that stuff - sometimes book blurbs put that in, whether it's a strong part of the story or not. So I guess we'll soon see.

It's been awhile since I've put up an LOL Cat, so here's one I like

I LOVE LOL cats!

Waiting On Wednesday

Hosted by Jill of BreakingTheSpine, Waiting onWednesday is a fun meme that has us listing books that we are waiting for. Sometimes patiently, sometimes impatiently, sometimes Both!

Author Christine Cody (aka Chris Marie Green, of Vampire Babylon fame) is coming out very soon with her new steampunk series. The first - Bloodlands - will be released July 26th, and I'm looking forward to reading it. And if I like it, then I'm in luck, as the second and third are going to be released one a month after. It seems to be a mix of steampunk, futuristic and western. There are revolvers. I like revolvers in stories....sometimes.




From the product description at Penguin..."It was called the New Badlands, home to the survivors of a cataclysm that altered the entire nation. Then the vampires arrived, and it was rechristened the Bloodlands. Not because of the vampire, but because of the gun-for-hire who'd decided to slay every monster in the country by any and every means necessary."

Usually, when I do this meme, I look for books that haven't come out yet. I look for books that aren't coming out for a few months at least...sometimes even longer. But I just read an excerpt of a book that's been out since 2008 (at the least), after reading a review of it by TheHappyNappyBookSeller.
A La Carte a YA Novel by Tanita S. Davis

I definitely want to read more after this taste. A La Carte is about a young girl who has a true passion for cooking and making new dishes - vegetarian dishes. She has a dream to become a famous chef, with her own line of cooking accessories. Smart girl. But there is a young man that can possibly get in the way of her dream, distracting her with promises of true love....

The Cover - Bellissima! Guapa! absolutely Beautiful!

Ms Davis's website is full of fun info - go explore

Last, but certainly not least....coming out August 30 (man, I STILL have to wait??!!??) is the latest Sirantha Jax novel by Ann Aguirre. Aftermath. What is there to say? If you've been reading them, then you know why I'm waiting semi-impatiently for this....and if you haven't ....well, then it's indescribable. Go read Grimspace...then the next...If you're not hooked on them after, then you probably aren't going to like any of them....but it seems that most people who've read this series really loves these books.

I can't find an excerpt right now....hopefully it'll be posted later.
This time, Sirantha is on trial by the Conglomeration. Oh Boy.

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine.

Full guidelines for this weekly meme are at the host blog - basically you post a bit about a novel you're looking forward to. I usually go on about a book (or three or five) that's coming out months in the future...But THIS TIME!

THIS. Time.

I am excited about an e-novel that is coming out in about two weeks.

That's right.

June 24th J.A. Campbell's first full length novel will be published.

FULL LENGTH

First time in e-print (is that a valid word?)

her Debut full length Young Adult paranormal novel.

whew!

Senior Year Bites

Just check out this partial blurb (taken from the webpage)

"Senior year is supposed to be fun:boys, dances and graduation.

It's significantly harder to enjoy when you're dead.

....I survived the attack, but it took me a few days to figure out what was going on.
....Steph {one of Meg's best friends} decided that we should be cool, like superheroes, and fight crime.....

....Only I'm a vampire, not a hero....."

See? posting and reading part of this blurb makes me want to re-visit Megan's town and her friends. I did get to read this before, bit since then, it's been picked up, re-worked and edited - all that fun authorly stuff. I am waiting for it to be released, so I can read a polished and finished story. The version I read was very impressive already, so I'm really looking forward to reading the...

Final Version.

Senior Year Bites

by J.A. Campbell

Look for it from Decadant Publishing

June 24th, 2011

I'll be buying my copy!

Waiting on Wednesday

I haven't done one of these WOW posts for a little while. In fact, I don't do them every week, because there are so many books I want that I would spend all my time looking them up, copying and pasting the covers, uploading posts...etc. that I wouldn't have time to read the books that I do have...I already spend too much time in the 'net.....(snicker, smirk, wink, wink-no idea why I'm snickering, smirking or winking here, I don't always make sense)

Hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, Waiting On Wednesday is a place to post about books that we're looking forward to reading. I usually post about books that are far into the future (the whole waiting thing), but there is a book out right now that I am stressing about because I couldn't get to the bookstore TODAY to buy...not that I would have been able to read it right immediately anyway. In my formerly over-doing it fashion, I'm not only listing that book, but three others...because there are many,many books that I am waiting to get.

:)

Magic Slays released on Tuesday, May 31st. I've been waiting patiently for this to come out...so patiently, that it just snuck up on me! I remember years ago, when the very first book by these two (Ilona and Gordon Andrews) came out and they were relatively unknown this book pretty much jumped out at me from the bookshelf at the store. Magic Bites - who could resist that title? and when I read the back cover, I had to try it out. Ever since that first book, Ilona Andrew's books have joined the ranks of books that I just automatically buy when they come out, not even bothering to read the blurbs anymore. I don't care what the back covers say anymore, I know it's going to be a good read just because it's the series that I enjoy from the couple that writes hell-a-good books.

Another novelist/book series that I automatically buy is any book in the Disc World series by Terry Pratchett. At this point, any book by Terry Pratchett is one that I'll buy. I like some more than others - that's inevitable with over 30 books under his belt, but they're all good books. Snuff comes out in October of 2011. In hardback...ouch, but I usually do buy Sir Pratchett's books in hardback...can't WAIT! for the paperback versions. (evil publishers....lol) I just want you all to know - it is very difficult to find excerpts of some of the discworld books, and yet others are very available...so click and read-get a taste of Pratchett if you've never read him before. Good writer...Brilliant....Genius.....

Yes! I know this has been out for a while, possibly longer than a year...maybe even almost two years (?!?). But I didn't buy it right away (came out in hardback) and Christopher Moore's novels rarely come out in mass market paperback size (the only mmpb I have of his is Practical DemonKeeping, his debut novel). Nope, this guy's books now go from hardback (in the U.S. at $25 or more) to TRADE paperback...and those are now around $16. Can't get a BREAK! (evil publishers-smaller lol here). So. Soon, I plan to shell out the medium bucks to buy a copy of Bite Me....It's the third in the vampire trilogy - (Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck) and I've read the first two - enjoyed them....need to read the third.

By the way - follow the Christopher Moore link, and you will be able to find excerpts to all his books. Amazing. Good Authorly thing to do.

Jemma 7729 came out in a few years ago, though it was written in 2004ish...I remember reading about it way back in ...well, I can't really remember what year. I was able to read an excerpt though - it must have been before 2008. (damn-it, am I rambling here!? like an elder....jeez) I remember reading it and thinking, "Damn! I have to get a copy of this!" I was so excited about it, futuristic science fiction, rebellious, kickass female character....and then for one reason or another I kept forgetting to actually ORDER it. By the way, it's written by Phoebe Wray and she was working on a sequel (Jay2 - not sure if that's the final title or just the working title). Well, since I once again thought about this book, I once again looked it up on The Book Depository and went ahead and ordered myself a copy...finally. Since I've been suddenly craving Science Fiction reading, I'm hoping to receive it soon.

I've been craving SciFi so much that I'm considering re-reading the Sirantha Jax Series, and taking a re-read of the Nylon Angel series (for the scifi furturistic feel)

So that's it for my Waiting On Wednesday. One of the books is a future wait...one I can go get tomorrow....and the other two are books that I've waited way too long to acquire.

At least I ordered it....finally.

In the meantime, I'll just have to soothe myself with silly cat pictures.

Courtesy of LOLCatz also known as ICAN Haz Cheezeburgers