Home       About Me       Review Archive

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday: Simon & Schuster Summer 2013 Catalog

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.

This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the Simon & Schuster Summer 2013 Catalog:

Starglass by Phoebe North
Date: July 23, 2013
Add to Goodreads

Terra has never known anything but life aboard the Asherah, a city-within-a-spaceship that left Earth five hundred years ago in search of refuge. At sixteen, working a job that doesn't interest her, and living with a grieving father who only notices her when he's yelling, Terra is sure that there has to be more to life than what she's got.
But when she inadvertently witnesses the captain's guard murdering an innocent man, Terra is suddenly thrust into the dark world beneath her ship's idyllic surface. As she's drawn into a secret rebellion determined to restore power to the people, Terra discovers that her choices may determine life or death for the people she cares most about. With mere months to go before landing on the long-promised planet, Terra has to make the decision of a lifetime--one that will determine the fate of her people.

Starglass reminds me a lot of Across the Universe - a city-within-a-spaceship, a murder on ship, a protagonist responsible for protecting the entire populace on the ship. I hope it's just as good as Across the Universe and yet still manages to bring some originality to the table!


The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand
Date: August 27, 2013
Add to Goodreads

Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year.
Her mother left, her neglectful father -- the maestro of a failing orchestra -- has moved her and her grandmother into his dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat.
Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia’s help -- if the hall is torn down, they’ll be stuck as ghosts forever, never able to move on.
Olivia has to do the impossible for her shadowy new friends: Save the concert hall. But helping the dead has powerful consequences for the living . . . and soon it’s not just the concert hall that needs saving.

I've heard very good things about Claire Legrand's The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, though I haven't read it yet myself. The Year of Shadows is another MG paranormal/fantasy offering from Claire Legrand and I hope it does just as well in reviews!


Thin Space by Jody Casella
Date: September 10, 2013
Add to Goodreads

Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side.
But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.
As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

I am very much intrigued by the concept of a Thin Space - a barrier between worlds that is thin enough to get through to the other side. And concepts involving parallel/alternate worlds are a favourite of mine so suffice it to say that I am very curious about Thin Space!


Final Descent by Rick Yancey
Date: September 10, 2013
Add to Goodreads

Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop have encountered many horrors together—but can Will endure a monstrumological terror without his mentor?
Will Henry has been through more that seems possible for a boy of fourteen. He’s been on the brink of death on more than one occasion, he has gazed into hell—and hell has stared back at him, and known his face. But through it all, Dr. Warthrop has been at his side.
When Dr. Warthrop fears that Will’s loyalties may be shifting, he turns on Will with a fury, determined to reclaim his young apprentice’s devotion. And so Will must face one of the most horrific creatures of his monstrumology career—and he must face it alone.
Over the course of one day, Will’s life—and Pellinor Warthrop’s destiny—will lie in balance. In the terrifying depths of the Monstrumarium, they will face a monster more terrible than any they could have imagined—and their fates will be decided.

Final Descent is the final book in the four book series, The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (of The 5th Wave fame), and I absolutely CANNOT wait to read it as this series is one of my all-time favourites. This fourth and final book almost didn't happen due to poor sales of the series until us fans got together to try to reverse Simon & Schuster's decision with a letter writing campaign organized by Stephanie Reads. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when, in a completely UNPRECEDENTED move, S&S decided to go back on their decision to cancel the series. It was unprecedented because publishers almost never reverse their decisions once they've discontinued a series. So it was a pretty big deal! And I am just pleased as punch that I get one more book set in The Monstrumologist world! And it's a good thing, too, because Will Henry's story clearly could NOT end the way it did in the third book, The Isle of Blood.


How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Simon & Schuster Summer 2013 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Simon & Schuster Summer 2013 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

33 comments :

  1. I already read Thin Space and really like it. It was sad but unique. Starglass sounds like something I would enjoy!

    My WOW

    ReplyDelete
  2. You picked some really interesting sounding WoWs, I have to add The Year of Shadows to my TBR, it sounds so good!
    Greetings :)

    Here is my Wow: http://kimberleyjones17.blogspot.de/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday-5.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yay! A new Monstrumologist! Thanks for the heads up.

    brenda

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great choices, Year Of Shadows and Starglass are both on my wishlist! I'd never heard of Thin Space but it sounds intriguing.

    My WoW!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You picked some good choices - I'm most interested in reading Starglass by Phoebe North - it looks really good and I love the premise.

    Here's my WoW

    ReplyDelete
  6. YES to Final Descent! I'm loving this new horror twist I'm seeing in the YA genre, and that cover is to die for! Wonderful picks this week, Aylee! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are some great picks! Starglass reminds me of the Sky Chasers series, which I enjoyed. Thin Space also sounds intriguing to me and the Rick Yancey book, though I haven't heard of this series yet I read The 5th Wave and LOVED it, so I'd be willing to give another of his series a try.

    Thanks for the picks!
    Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

    ReplyDelete
  8. I did not know that about Rick Yancey's series. I only recently started it and so far it is really good. Starglass, Thin Space and Year of Shadows all sound awesome as well. Very nice choices this week!

    My WoW

    ReplyDelete
  9. These sound great. Hope you get to read it soon!
    Brandi at Blkosiner’s Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
  10. Starglass looks AWESOME! Really excited for it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have Starglass on my GR already. Hope it would turn out great.

    Here's my Wednesday post.
    Michelle, The Escapist.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Whoa Thin Space sounds so crazy and cool. Too bad the cover is meh. I haven't started the Monstrumologist series yet, but everyone raves about it. It blows my mind that they were going to cancel the last book! And that a blogger saved it!!

    My WoW

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great picks! They all sound very interesting;)

    My WoW:
    http://evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday-2.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've got Starglass and Thin Space on my Kindle and I can't wait to read it! And The Year of Shadows sounds amazing as well. :) I haven't read any of Rick Yancey's books, but The 5th Wave is on its way and I'm so excited! This series sounds plenty interesting, too. :) Great picks, Aylee!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the cover of Starglass! I don't usually like alien books but for that cover I might make an exception. Thin Space sounds like something I would like too.

    ReplyDelete
  16. All wonderful picks! I've not read any of them but a few are on my TBR list.

    My WoW

    ReplyDelete
  17. Enjoy! your choices, sounds good.

    http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Year of Shadows looks pretty good! I'm a bit curious about Thin Space as well. And that's awesome their is a fourth book in the Monstromologist series. I have the first one and need to read it...but it's a big deal that the publishing company went back on canceling the series before the end.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ooooo nice nice. I love the font on Year of Shadows.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm super excited for Starglass! The Year of Shadows is new to me, but sounds very interesting - definitely going on my wish list :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. That's so cool about the Yancey series! I'm exicted for Starglass and Thin Space, too. Both sound so good. Great picks!
    Natflix&Books' WoW

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ooh, Thin Space sounds so good. Might have to add that one to my looking forward to list as well.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Aaaahhhh!! Spyglass - YES! It sounds so great, I hope it lives up to our expectations hehe! The Year of Shadows is a new one for me but I've added it to my reading list already, it looks great! This Space has a really intriguing concept, I hope it'll be well executed too! Oh and I remember your praise for the Monstrumologist series but that is SO COOL that the publishers reversed their decision because of you guys and released another book :D Yay!! Awesome selections all around girl

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great choices! I haven't heard of Starglass before but I loved the Across the Universe series. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
    My WoW

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am insanely excited about Starglass. Phoebe is nice and amazingly intelligent. I just know her book will be something to rememember. I actually haven't read Monstrumologist (I know, believe me, I'm ashamed of myself), but I've been meaning to, especially now after The 5th Wave.
    Thanks for sharing, Aylee!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love the sound of Thin Space - very interesting concept!

    Oh my gosh, I really need to start The Monstrumologist soon. I bought a copy a long time ago (your reviews prompted me to purchase it) but it's still sitting on my shelf unread! That's so cool that S&S decided to go back on their decision and print the final book.

    Great choices! :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love the darker and more horrific side these YA books are taking! I love Legrand's Cavendish Home... and this one looks awesome! And The Final Descent! so pysched!!!! :D Great picks!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm really glad you're getting the final Rick Yancey book! I found out on another blog and immediately thought of you. I do love the power of fans. I'm also really curious about Claire Legrand's new release! It sounds fantastic, and I've heard nothing but good things about her books in the past. Great picks, Aylee.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I remember how much you like the Mounstrologist! I think that I might pick it up now that the series is over because you know patience it's not one of my virtues. And the year of shadows looks kind of sweet and cool.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh my gosh you've listed all the Simon books I'm MOST excited about! I can't wait to read the last Monstrumologist book (SO freaking glad that letter campaign worked!) and Starglass. You're right it has serious Across the Universe vibes. I love Claire LeGrand so I was always going to read The Year of Shadows, and Thin Space just sounds so cool. Great picks! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Every SINGLE on of those books sounds AWESOME! I'm sort of drawn most to the MG book The Year of Shadows.

    I'm very impressed that readers were able to influence such a big publisher to rethink a decision and not cancel a series book, especially if there only was one left to publish! Anyways, I bought the Monstrumologist, on your recommendation and recently, I picked up book two (can't remember the name) for $1.99 Daily Kindle Deal. I've read a little of Book one and its creepy, but oh so GOOD. What a fantastic writer Yancey is. I'm impressed!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm looking forward to the first two on this list. I'm not a big sci-fi fan so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll enjoy Starglass since I got it for review.

    ReplyDelete