Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Can't-Wait Wednesday: We Are The Perfect Girl & Planet Earth Is Blue


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

This week I can't wait for
We Are The Perfect Girl
Ariel Kaplan
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 21, 2019
Goodreads
She’s the beauty, I’m the bold one—together, we are the perfect girl…

“Hilarious, heartfelt, and painfully real, this pitch-perfect, sharp-tongued take on Cyrano is the coming-of-age of my teenage dreams.” —Dahlia Adler, author of Just Visiting

Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D’Agostino, a proverbial “ten,” who happens to be fluent in six languages—seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes… What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It’s only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany’s friendship survive the fallout? From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming.
Why I want to read this book

I have read, and adored, Kaplan's last two books. At this point, I want to read anything she writes, but I am very intrigued by the concept of this story. It's a Cyrano retelling, and I like the spin on it. Kaplan is good at witty and humorous dialog, and books with female friendships are always high on my list. I am confident this will rate high by me.

Planet Earth Is Blue
Nicole Panteleakos
Age/Genre: Middle Grades, Contemporary
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Release Date: May 14, 2019
Goodreads
"Tender and illuminating. A beautiful debut." --Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me

A heartrending and hopeful debut novel about a nonverbal girl and her passion for space exploration, for fans of See You in the Cosmos, Mockingbird, and The Thing About Jellyfish.

Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger--it's the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home.

While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can't express. As the liftoff draws closer, Nova's new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she's counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she'll see Bridget again. Because Bridget said, "No matter what, I'll be there. I promise."
Why I want to read this book

That whole synopsis is full of feels. I love that we are seeing more books featuring characters in the foster care system, and Nova sounds like a girl after my own heart. Her love of science alone makes me want to know her better, and I like the promise of friendship in there too.


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

30 comments:

  1. I love the idea of a Cyrano retelling and it sounds like the author has come up with a fun take on that story. Great pick!

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    1. I suspect it will be modern and perhaps, feminist? I know it will definitely be funny, because all Kaplan's books have amused me.

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  2. Sam, you have such a sixth sense for books that just make me ache with how much I want to read them and how much I know they're going to make me feeeeel so much. Planet Earth is Blue, goodness. <3

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    1. I at least know what I would like to read, and usually, I do end up enjoying all my picks. When I am looking for something guaranteed to hit me in the feels and leave me warm and fuzzy, I turn to middle grades. Those authors are delivering some amazing books.

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  3. Really looking forward to a new retelling to dive into! We Are the Perfect Girl is on that I have my eye on as well. I hope it is one we both love! :)

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    1. Kaplan is 2 for 2 with me, and I am hoping to make it 3 for 3. This one sounds fantastic!

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  4. Cute picks! Not my type of read but I hope you will absolutely love both of these once you get to read them!

    Here's my WoW

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  5. Planet Earth Is Blue sounds really uplifting (no pun intended) and I agree- foster system rep and in this case science/ space exploration sounds like a fabulous combination. And We Are The Perfect Girl does sound fun- lots of feels and snarky banter in that one, I imagine. :)

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    1. Kaplan is so good at banter, and I have been having such a run of luck with these wonderfully heartwarming MG books. I feel like Planet Earth will deliver for me.

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  6. We Are the Perfect Girl sounds very fun, and I'm very into retellings this year!

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    1. I like a retelling that does something interesting with the source material, and am looking forward to seeing what spin Kaplan put on it.

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  7. Planet Earth Is Blue looks like a really wonderful read

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    1. I am so interested in meeting Nova after reading the synopsis

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  8. Oooh! I love the cover to Planet Earth! Great picks!!

    Here’s my WoW!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  9. We Are the Perfect Girl sounds like it's going to get messy real fast. Hope it ends up being as entertaining as it sounds!

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    1. I am confident Kaplan will make it all work out. She likes to wade through the messes in her books.

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  10. I love Cyrano retelling Sam!!! Sophie @bewareofthereader

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    1. I think Kaplan will give us a fun twist on it too.

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  11. We Are the Perfect Girl sounds awesome! I hope you get to read both of these soon!

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    1. I have had great success with Kaplan's books, and am looking forward to reading it

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  12. We are the Perfect Girl sounds good but there's a very fine line to be walked with Cyrano re-tellings... They can go horribly wrong. Fingers crossed this is a good one!

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    1. I sure things will get messy, but I also believe Kaplan will make it work.

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  13. Planet Earth is Blue sounds like a fun read, they both do really. I will have to check these out. I hope you enjoy them when you read them!

    Mary

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    1. I feel like I need to feature three books a week, because I am always adding books to my TBR from MG, YA, and the adult age range.

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  14. I don't know the story of Cyrano and have never heard of it before! But I do like that cover and will wait on your review to see if it is one for me...

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    1. He was a not so attractive guy, who was good with words, and helped his more attractive friend win the heart of the woman he really loved. Yeah, it's complicated, but it's about being able to see past the exterior to the interior of a person's heart.

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