Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Can't Wait Wednesday!


Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here at WLABB, I put a little twist on CWW by featuring an upcoming release along side a backlist book or a "newly discovered" book I am looking forward to reading.

This week I can't wait for: 
My Box-Shaped Heart
Rachael Lucas
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Goodreads
A powerful YA novel about an unlikely friendship between two struggling teens—and how they come together to help one another.

Holly's mom is a hoarder, and Holly is fed up with being picked on at school for being weird . . . and having the wrong clothes . . . and sticking out. All she wants is to fit in. She loves swimming, because in the water everyone is the same.

Ed goes to the swimming pool because everything else in his life has changed. In his old life, he had money, was on the swim team, knew who he was and what he wanted. In his old life, his dad hit his mom.

Holly is swimming in one direction and Ed's swimming in the other. As their worlds collide they find a window into each other's lives—and learn how to meet in the middle.
Why I want to read this book

Lucas won my heart with The State of Grace, and I am hoping she will do it once again with this book. Swimming and an unlikely friendship sound like a winning combination for me, and I can only assume there will be many feels, as both Holly and Ed work through their home-life issues. I love the idea that the pool is their safe space, their escape, too, and am really looking forward to learning more about both of them.

The Comeback Season
Jennifer E. Smith
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: B
Release Date:
Source: Shelf
Goodreads
Baseball brings them together—but will his secret keep them apart? Find out in this heartbreakingly beautiful novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

The last place Ryan Walsh should be this afternoon is on a train heading to Wrigley Field. She should be in class, enduring yet another miserable day of her first year of high school. But for once, Ryan isn’t thinking about what she should be doing. She’s not worried about her lack of friends, or her suffering math grade, or how it’s been five whole years since the last time she was really and truly happy. Because she’s finally returning to the place that her father loved, where the two of them spent so many afternoons cheering on their team. And on this—the fifth anniversary of his death—it feels like there’s nowhere else in the world she should be.

Ryan is once again filled with hope as she makes her way to the game. Good luck is often hard to come by at a place like Wrigley Field, but it’s on this day that she meets Nick, the new kid from her school, who seems to love the Cubs nearly as much as she does. But Nick carries with him a secret that makes Ryan wonder if anyone can ever really escape their past, or believe in the promise of those reassuring words: “Wait till next year.” Is it too much for Ryan to hope that this year, this season, might be her comeback season?
Why I want to read this book

I am a solid JES fangirl. I bought this book in an attempt to read her entire backlist, and it is the ONLY unread YA from her catalog. I am motivated by that, as well as being on a sort of baseball kick. My last three baseball books have all been hits, and I am hoping this will be one too. JES + grief + a secret past + baseball should add up to a great read for me.

What are you waiting on?
Let us know in the comments!

26 comments:

  1. My Box-Shaped Heart sounds interesting - I'd like to see the two characters bond over something.

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    1. I am all about people finding someone to help them through tough times, and both characters sound like they are dealing with some pretty major stuff

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  2. tis the season for baseball so they sound like a couple of perfect reads
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. I have been having a lot of luck with baseball books lately and why not show some shelf love

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  3. I remember enjoyed TSPofLatFS (Long title!) and enjoying it. Hope you love her newest. :)

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    1. It took me a few minutes to figure out that title. 🤣 Loved that one. This is actually an old JES book, but I am now featuring one unreleased and one shelf/library book I am excited about

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  4. "Two damaged kids come together to heal" is a trope you see so often in YA that I tend to ignore any book that fits that mold. MY BOX-SHAPED HEART sounds appealing to me, though! Maybe it's because I find the whole idea of hoarding so interesting. Thanks for the heads-up on this one! I'm going to add it to my TBR list.

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    1. It is a trope that I tend to like and I think Lucas will do a nice job with it

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  5. I'm a massive Jennifer E Smith fan as well Sam, she's one of those authors that so sorely underrated. I haven't read The Comeback Season either but really looking forward to seeing what you think of it!

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    1. I love her. Windfall was meh, but every other book was a solid hit. I am excited to be completing her backlist, and baseball has been good to me lately.

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  6. Both of these sounds good. You're on a roll with the Baseball reads at the moment! :)

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    1. Right? So it seems like the right time to finally read this book

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  7. Both of these sound like good summer reads:)

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  8. Both of these sound really good! I don't think I've read a JES book yet. I'll have to fix that!

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    1. Really!? I love her books. My favorite is not most people's, but I adore This is What Happy Looks Like.

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  9. I have The Comeback Season on my shelf and still need to read it. I grabbed it and another of her first releases after I became a fan of her newer ones. My Box-Shaped Heart sounds fabulous! So that will definitely go on my tbr. Thanks for sharing!

    Tressa @ Wishful Endings

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    1. After reading two or three JES books from the library, I went and purchased the books my library didn't have, and OF COURSE, I didn't read them, but this is the last book until she writes something new.

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  10. I've never tried JES but I love sports-themed stories so I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on The Comeback Season once you've read it.

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    1. I put JES in my YA contemporary group with Sarah Dessen and Kasie West - she's a must read for me. I mean, I actually bought this book, which is saying something, because I usually only read from the library, but I was determined to read them all, and this one was not available.

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  11. The Comeback Season sounds like one I would like.

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    1. I have been very successful with JES' books, and pain, grief, and baseball have been very, very good to me.

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  12. I don't think I've heard of the Box-Shaped Heart till now, I may have to check that out! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for stopping by my Wednesday post earlier, sorry I'm so late getting back to you!

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    1. No worries! Glad I was able to bring a new book to your attention.

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  13. I haven't read anything by this author, but this story sounds good, and like it will be an emotional one! I enjoy sports romance, and with your endorsement of Jennifer E. Smith, it looks like I need to c heck her out! Great pick Sam :)

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. Lucas' debut was an OwnVoices book featuring an MC on the spectrum, which I really enjoyed. JES is one of my faves. I am sure your library has something by here. I think The Statistical Probability of Falling in Love is one of her more popular titles, though my favorite is This is What Happy Looks Like

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