Links go to Goodreads.
1) Lessons in French: A Novel by Hilary Reyl: This novel isn't YA, I don't think. But it sounds like an excellent story. The protagonist is straight out of college and looking for work and it is in France and it is in 1989. It just sounds so different, from what I usually read, but I may be interested because I wonder what I will be doing when I get out of school. It is a coming-of-age story by the sound of it.
2) The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd: I'm sure this is high on a whole lot of people's wish lists. In case you have been living under a rock (Don't worry. I've been known to once in lots of whiles!), here is the Goodreads summary because I couldn't do it justice.
London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.3) Panic by Sharon M. Draper: Gorgeous cover! The color scheme makes the butterfly's wings pop. And I feel something of a struggle from it as it is pinned down. Fairly simple, but I think it connects well with the summary for this book.
Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.
It is a mystery of sorts? Because from the summary, it sounds like we will be on both sides of the conflict. Maybe we will live Diamond's moments of captivity and then also live the fear her family has trying to find her kidnappers. It sounds like it will be emotionally wrenching and hopefully cathartic.
4) City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster: I fell in love when I read the title. Add the majestic cover and you get one of my most anticipated books of 2013. Nisha is the main character and she may or may not be training as an assassin? Anyways, it will take major sleuthing for her to find out what is causing girls her age to kick the can. And there will be forbidden romance along the way. All good reasons to beg someone to get it for me!
5) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: Although I've read some good reviews and some not so great ones, I am still looking forward to reading it. The main characters sound so ordinary! So not stars of a novel type characters, but everyone has a story to tell. I think this will be a very memorable read, because the story may be generic, but the characters are something else altogether.
6) Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum: Read this as a cautionary tale against robots. I knew it! They will eventually take over the world and where will we be left? It will be 2071 and some humans will survive only to be forced to live in fear deep in the woods. But things get much worse for three teens living the nightmare. They must begin an uprisiing, a revolution, to release their families from the clutches of robots. I for one, cannot wait to see how they will fight a bunch of machines.
7) Also Known As by Robin Benway: A girl in high school is actually a spy. And her parents are spies too. That is all I know and I am intrigued! Did I mention there are spies?
8) The Murmurings by Carly Anne West: Dark books aren't my favorite kind of reads, but this one will hold readers in suspense. Her sister committed suicide, because she heard voices. But now Sophie hears them too and she on a mission to find out whether there was more to her sister's suicide then her doctor wants to let on. This novel sounds like it will have a kick-ass heroine and deals with two very major issues.
9) Flowers in the Sky by Lynn Joseph: Flowers in the Sky will be a sentimental and probably heartbreaking read. Nina Perez has to move from the Dominican Republic to New York and of course she is homesick, but what she finds in New York may or may not trump all the bad things in her life. Sweet, sad, and full of longing, I will save this one for a rainy day (which there are a lot of in Oregon).
10) The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door by Karen Finneyfrock: A freshman bent on revenge, Celia Door's character seems pretty wacky. But of course, enter the cute guy from New York and Celia's plans for sweet revenge may be flipped upside down. I wonder if it will be an ironic story or a comedy, since Celia sounds pretty intense for a 14-year-old.
So these are just a few books that I can't wait to get my hands on. It is kind of sad in a way to be thinking of the books coming out next year when my to-be-read list is insane enough as it is. I'm sure that about a hundred of those books came out this year and the other hundred last year. Soooo many wonderful novels and there just isn't time enough in the world to read all the ones I want. Feel free to post links to your TopTenTuesday in the comments as I am always adding more and more to by tbr pile despite the huge number of books already in it!
