This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the Macmillan Summer 2013 Catalog:
In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!
Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!
But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.
Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!
But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.
Witches plus steampunk? Yes, please!! I adore both of those things so it almost seems like this one can do no wrong. Although I wasn't in love with the last book I read by Shannon Delany, I am hopeful that Weather Witch will be everything I want it to be.
Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.
In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.
In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.
What a charismatic title, cover, and blurb! I think my main interest in Love in the Time of Global Warming is that I don't really know what to expect, but I can tell that it's something very intriguing. I am very curious about this one!
Old Gods never die…
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.
Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.
Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.
Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.
The Goddess War is about to begin.
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.
Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.
Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.
Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.
The Goddess War is about to begin.
AHHH, how good does Antigoddess sound from the blurb?! I'm excited for it because I love mythology and - though I haven't read her work myself - I understand that Kendare Blake is a talented author from the fans of Anna Dressed in Blood.
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Macmillan Summer 2013 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Macmillan Summer 2013 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?
Macmillan always has such awesome books, and their summer catalog is no different! Love in the Time of Global Warming sounds really cool, simply because of the way you said it: you have no idea of what to expect. I am SO excited for Antigoddess, because not only does the synopsis sound awesome and it's like a fresh twist on mythology, but it's Kendare Blake! I absolutely adored her Anna series (which you most definitely need to read!), and I know her new book is going to be just as awesome. Most of the bookish community is excited for Fangirl, because like you said, we relate to Cath SO WELL. ;)
ReplyDeleteLovely picks, Aylee! <3
-Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life
I love the cover of Weather Witch! I have to admit, the synopsis sounds intriguing. :)
ReplyDeleteMy WOW: http://skizzles22hu.blogspot.com/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday-2.html
I have the first two and I've tried so hard to read The Weather Witch, but it's just not working for me. Love in the Time of Global Warming is different. I've only read the first few chapters, but the writing is absolutely gorgeous, so different. And of course I want Antigoddess very badly, and Fangirl... let's not even go there. :))
ReplyDeleteGreat picks, Aylee!
Great picks! Antigoddess was already on my TBR list, the others I will add as well:)
ReplyDeleteMy WoW:
http://evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday-3.html
Antigoddess was added to my TBR two weeks ago and Weather Witch looks interesting! :) And it's coming out soon, yay!
ReplyDeleteHere's my WOW.
They all sound great :)
ReplyDeleteMy WoW
I'm looking forward to Antigodess! It looks promising. Great picks.
ReplyDeleteMy WOW
Sounds great. Hope you get to read it soon!
ReplyDeleteBrandi at Blkosiner’s Book Blog
Fangirl has a cute cover and I can't wait to read Antigoddess!
ReplyDeleteMel@thedailyprophecy.
Yep. Every one of these is on my TBR. I loved the Weetzie Bat series by Lia Block when I was a teen. Fangirl looks cute and Antigoddess just looks awesome. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteNatflix&Books' WoW
Fangirl sounds cute. I think anyone who is a Potterhead can relate. Of course Anti Goddess looks awesome. I can't wait to read that one.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of reasons I heart visiting your blog, but I'll keep it specific to the reasons why I love your WoW picks:
ReplyDelete1. I almost always (seriously, like 90% of the time) find that 1 or 2 of your picks, are already on my wishlist and then I get to fan-girl about them some more...
2. Your other picks that I haven't heard of yet almost always (again, like 90% of the time!)cause me to rush over and ADD them to my wishlist! :D
Case & point? OMG YES to Weather Witch. I've never read any Shannon Delaney but I too am hoping this one delivers! Although if the early reviews on GR are any indication...o.O I,ll be reading it anyways though so I'm holding out hope heh! Love in the Time of Global Warning I'd never heard off but it's my newest addition to the wishlist ;D How awesome(& cryptic) is that synopsis?! It sounds like an epic questing adventure and I want to know more about those 'strange creatures'. Antigodess I'm into because: mythology. That's as much as I need right there lol. And Fangirl I wouldn't usually be into, but we went to a YA Buzz Panel at BEA and when they talked about it, I kind of fell in love. That fandom bit and how it consumes the MC sounds VERY relatable (!!!) >.< It just seems really charming, fun & well-written to boot! Eeeep, YAY Fangirl!!
(At this point: 'awesome choices Aylee' is redundant, right?)
I really do love the sound of Love in the Time of Global Warming, and that's the first I'm hearing of it, so thank you, Aylee! All of these sound like totally interesting reads, and now they're all on my TBR :)
ReplyDeleteI am DYING to read Fangirl. I'm so jealous of those that got a copy at BEA. It sounds fantastic and definitely like something I could relate too. I used to read fanfiction all the time...I even wrote some, but never posted it online. haha But yeah, a story about a diehard fan? Definitely the story of my life.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Antigoddess and Fangirl are definitely on my list! So many good books from this catalog that I can't wait for. Great picks :)
ReplyDeleteAntigoddess sounds so amazing! I've heard really great things about Kendare Blake's other novels so I'm hoping this one will be just as good. Great choices!
ReplyDeleteKrystianna @ Downright Dystopian
I'm especially excited for Antigoddess and Fangirl! Weather Witch sounds fantastic too (witches + steampunk? I'm sold).
ReplyDeleteOMG OMG OMG I can not wait for Fangirl.
ReplyDeleteThat book the library repoed that I was gripping about on Twitter, Attachments.
Definitely looking forward to all of these as well, especially Antigoddess and Fangirl. The latter's up on NG right now, if you wanted to know. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteSO looking forward to Antigoddes. Sounds fantastic and Kendare Blake is amazing. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteMy WoW Pick!
I love the cover for weather witch and I actually snagged a egalley of FanGirl and I'm SOOOOOOOOO excited to read it (I'm just waiting for a break in work so I can devote myself to it).
ReplyDeletePlus, I totally used to write fanfiction when I was 18 and dropped out of college after my freshman year to purse a life of... going into a different college closer to home still majoring in something I didn't quite like... lol, so yeah, fan fiction was a huge part of my life for a while, and I'm so excited about reading a girl who loves fictional characters that much. Plus, Simon Snow is a great name.
So many amazing Macmillan titles! I already really wanted to read Antigoddess and Fangirl, but now I'm also excited for Weather Witch too, it looks so cool! Thanks for sharing :-)
ReplyDeleteAntigoddess and Fangirl are the ones I'm interested in. I've seen mixed reviews for Block's previous books so I'm kind of staying away from her and I've got an ARC of Weather Witch which I may return to at some point.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read Fangirl! I read Antigoddess but it was kind of meh for me. Great picks this week!
ReplyDelete