Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.
This week I can't wait for:
Brian Francis
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Inkyard
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Goodreads
Set in a small town in the 1990s, this is the story of a girl on the edge—of a breakdown, of family secrets, of learning who she really is.Why I want to read this book
Life has been a struggle for Toby Goodman. Her mother died by suicide five years ago, and her father left their small town before Toby was born. Now a teenager living on her grandparents’ dairy farm, Toby has trouble letting people in. She keeps even her closest friend, the brash but endearing Trisha, at arm’s length, and recently ended her first relationship, with Trisha’s burnout brother, Mike. Convinced that she is destined to follow her mother’s path, Toby creates a plan to escape her pain.
But with the news that her father is coming home and finally wants to meet her, Toby finally learns the truth of her parents’ story. Her father is gay and a world-famous female impersonator—in a time when these facts are a source of small-town whispers and secrets, and not something anyone had dared talk with her about before.
As Toby’s careful plans go awry, she is forced to rebuild the life she thought she knew from the ground up. While she might not follow an expected path, through the support of a quirky but lovable circle of friends and family, Toby will finally put together the many different pieces that make up her past, her present and her future.
There were so many things mentioned in the first two paragraphs, that made me add this book to my TBR. I know this sounds weird, but I have had great success with books set on farms. Maybe it's because I grew up in a city, but I have a special appreciation for farm life. I also adore small towns, the 1990s, and books about grief and loss. Just from reading the synopsis, I know I want to root for Toby as she rebuilds her life, and I am eager to meet everyone from her circle of friends.
Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits, #1.5
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: December 8, 2014
Goodreads
A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarryWhy I want to read this book
For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.
But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.
Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.
My love for Katie McGarry runs deep, and this was the first couple I ever met in any of her worlds. I was excited to find out what happened "after". This one obviously slipped through the cracks, as it has been on my shelf for years, but I think it will pair well with another book on this week's TBR, and I have exactly zero doubts that I will love this book.
What are you waiting on?
Any backlog books you want to read soon?
Let us know in the comments!
Any backlog books you want to read soon?
Let us know in the comments!
It's been so long since I read a book set on a farm but that drew me to Break in Case of Emergency too! And I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteAnika | chaptersofmay.com
I do the 50 States challenge every year, and I have found quite a few books set in farming communities that way. I recently finished Squashed and I remember loving the Dairy Queen series. It's a nice change of pace for a city girl.
Deletei agree -- Toby rebuilding her life sounds riveting!
ReplyDeleteRight? I am so all over that.
DeleteBoth sound good! Hope you are able to get to them soon.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my Wednesday post
I finished the McGarry book this morning, and wow! She really made me work for that HEA
DeleteI love all Katie McGarry's books. You're in for a good read with the novella.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she meant it to be a novella, but it's over 300 pages. It's a full story, and man, it was stressful. I hate seeing couples I like struggling, even if I know it will all end in an HEA
DeleteSam didn't you tell me once that your grand father had or worked on a farm? Maybe that explains why you feel so drawn to these stories!
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather farmed back in Poland and kept a garden in Brooklyn. I loved "helping" him with it. My aunt Ilse raised pigs for a while too. It was wild going to visit her.
Deletehope you get a chance to read them soon....and enjoy them
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I finished McGarry's book this morning. It was good. The ending was especially lovely.
DeleteI have so much love for Noah and Echo. The struggles they faced individually were staggering at times and I loved seeming them overcome so much - individually, together, and with support from others.
ReplyDeleteThat book was stressful. I finished it this morning, and whew! I was super happy with the ending, but the ups and downs were crazy.
DeleteI hope you enjoy, Brake In Case of An Emergency!
ReplyDeleteKatie McGarry is an author I've been meaning to read for years. I have several books of hers on my kindle and I've never taken the plunge. Maybe I'll finally do it next year. (I'm already "next yearing" books as I've finally admitted I'm not getting to them this year, lol.)
Her last book was little bit "magical". You might also like her MC books. I was shocked how much I liked them, as I don't normally go for MC books.
DeleteBreak In Case of Emergency sounds pretty good, I do like the sound of the farm setting. I think we need more of that in YA.
ReplyDeleteI am always trying to find books set off the coasts or in more rural settings, but the whole concept of the book appeals to me as well
DeleteI have yet to read a Katie McGarry novel. I really need to get on it one of these days. I hope that you love both of these. :)
ReplyDeleteI love McGarry, even when I didn't think the book would be for me, as with her MC series, I ended up loving it.
DeleteOh gosh, I need to read that first book. It sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon it, and you know, I cannot pass up an illustrated cover these days
DeleteYou remind me... I never went back for that Katie McGarry follow up story either. Both do look really good, Sam!
ReplyDeleteBreaking the Rules was a rough ride. It was tough seeing Echo and Noah struggling, even if I knew it would end with an HEA.
DeleteI agree, farm life or ranch life has a special appeal to us city girls! I'm happy that Toby's plans to follow in her mother's footsteps went awry! It makes my heart hurt when any teenagers feels the need to contemplate suicide. Sounds like an emotional journey and I look forward to your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI think Echo and Noah's was my favorite of the series. I probably read the novella but I can't remember now. :)
I loved vacating at my aunt's farm, the lake, or my other aunt's mountain cabin, and I grew up in Brooklyn, which is a solid city setting. Echo and Noah weren't my favorite, but they were my first McGarry couple, so they hold a special place in my heart.
DeleteLove that both of these have 'break' in the title. I haven't heard of the first one you mentioned! I do like small town settings, but I haven't read many set on farms before. Also, it's always lovely reading through a favourite author's backlist and getting to experience as much of their works as you want ^.^
ReplyDeleteI didn't even realize that. *mind blown* I just discovered the first book, and I am not even familiar with the author, but it sounds like something that could definitely work for me. This was the only unread book by McGarry I had. It just slipped through the cracks.
DeleteIt's been so long since I've read a Katie McGarry book! I have this one sitting on my shelf and was so excited when it was released, I loved Echo and Noah's story. It was a narrative that really touched me and made me quite emotional. It's been sitting there all forgotten. Thanks for the reminder! Looking forward to seeing what you think of it!
ReplyDeleteI thought McGarry's last Tor release was wonderful! I am really excited about her upcoming release (which I have - yee haw!). Echo and Noah were my first McGarry couple, so I am happy to catch up with them. It was cool that Isaiah and Beth were in there too.
DeleteWhoa, that blurb for Break in Case of Emergency took quite a turn there! I wasn't expecting that bit about her dad, but it just adds this whole other layer to the story!
ReplyDeleteSounds a bit unique and I am definitely interesting in getting the full story.
DeleteI need to read Breaking the Rules! I really enjoyed Echo and Noah's story when I read it years ago. I will be looking for your review!
ReplyDeleteIt was high drama, and even though we all know how it would end, it was stressful waiting for it all to play out.
DeleteBreak In Case Of Emergency sounds fun. And I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteI think it will be a great combination of humor and gut punch, and I love that
DeleteBreak in Case of Emergency sounds good! I love it when books take place in the 90's because that's when I was growing up, and it makes me nostalgic. This sounds like it's going to be an emotional read. Yes to Katie Mcgarry! I love all of her books too :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
The 80s and 90s were formative eras for me, so I am a fan too. It's nice when I can "get" all the pop culture references. LOL
DeleteWhy are we so similar in not reading things? I also never got to reading Breaking The Rules so I really hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteBreaking the Rules was good, but at the same time, so stressful, because it was Echo and Noah still working through personal issues that were affecting their relationship. It was nice to be back in that world for a bit, though.
Delete