Waiting on Wednesday: Concrete Rose & Cast in Firelight

 Concrete Rose
(The Hate U Give #0)
by Angie Thomas

Release Date: January 12th 2021
by Balzer + Bray

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

Add to Goodreads

Cast in Firelight
(Wickery #1)
by Dana Swift

Release Date: January 19th 2021
by Delacorte Press

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal, and Renée Ahdieh.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who's mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery's most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.

Add to Goodreads

•     •     •

Two more awesome upcoming January releases for my WOW picks this week!
I am super excited for both.
Hurry January!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

My Thoughts: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (Audiobook)

On the Come Up
by Angie Thomas
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9780062498564
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Realistic Fiction
Source: *Finished Copy from Publisher

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families. (Goodreads)

I was a little late to the party when it came to reading Angie Thomas’s first book, The Hate U Give, but once I finally read the book, I absolutely loved it, and I was determined to read On the Come Up as soon as I possibly could. I am so glad that I dived into this book right away, instead of waiting like I did with the previous book. I definitely enjoyed it, and this will most definitely be another hit for Angie Thomas!

While this book is set around the same neighborhood as The Hate U Give, it’s a brand new story and set of characters to get to know. I really enjoyed all the characters in this novel, including the main character, Bri, who wanted nothing more than to become a famous rapper so she could provide for her family and get them out of their current neighborhood. I love Bri for this, and she definitely has the skills to be a great rapper. I also really love her family and friends as well. They were all so well written.

This book also has a really great storyline, which was not only addictive, but also complete relevant to things that are happening in the world today. As with The Hate U Give, reading On the Come Up was definitely an eye-opening experience, and it made me feel all sorts of feels. It’s rare that I experience such a wide range of emotions when reading a book, yet Angie Thomas has made me feel these things not once but TWICE, and I love her for it.

I also want to add that I started reading the print version of this book at first, but then I opted to listen along with audiobook as I read, which was definitely the best decision ever. The narrator for the audiobook is Bahni Turpin, who also narrated The Hate U Give, and she was definitely the best voice for this novel. She does such an amazing job reading this story to you, and I very much enjoyed every bit of it. (If you haven’t listened to anything narrated by Bahni, I highly recommend you do so. She is the best!)

Overall; It’s pretty obvious that Angie Thomas has yet another hit on her hands with On the Come Up! I loved both this new book and The Hate U Give, and if you haven’t yet picked up either of these books, I definitely recommend them. Angie Thomas is an author that you definitely want to keep your eye out for, as I imagine we will see more and more excellent books from her. She has definitely become an auto-buy author for me.

Waiting on Wednesday: Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss & On The Come Up

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss
by Kasie West
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062675798

Add to Goodreads

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Lacey Barnes has dreamt of being in a movie for as long as she can remember. However, while her dream did include working alongside the hottest actor in Hollywood, it didn’t involve having to finish up her senior year of high school at the same time she was getting her big break. Although that is nothing compared to Donavan, the straight-laced student her father hires to tutor her, who is a full-on nightmare.

As Lacey struggles to juggle her burgeoning career, some on-set sabotage, and an off-screen romance with the unlikeliest of leading men, she quickly learns that sometimes the best stories happen when you go off script. (Goodreads)

Is anyone else SUPER excited for the new Kasie West book??
It sounds super cute, and I can't wait to read it!!

On the Come Up
by Angie Thomas
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062498564

Add to Goodreads

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

This is another book that I'm super excited for! I read The Hate U Give last year,
and really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read Bri's story next!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

My Thoughts: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Audiobook)

The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: February 28th 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 453
ISBN: 9780062498533
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Own

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. (Goodreads)

I have had The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas on my TBR for way too long, and I was determined to finally read the book, not only because the movie is set to release soon, but also because I have seen SO many good reviews for it, and I really wanted to finally check it out. Now that I’ve officially read the book, I am totally kicking myself for not having read it sooner. This book was so good.

The Hate U Give definitely lives up to all the hype that I had heard about the book. The story was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and though it is a work of fiction, it is very much relevant to what’s happening in the world today. The story is shocking and heartbreaking, and so very real. There are some parts in the story that are extremely painful to read, and it’s really disheartening to know that the stuff that happens in the book happens in real life. But, these are the stories that need to be told, and Angie Thomas did a fantastic job telling her story in this book. While the story was hard to read at times, she also managed to get her message across, all while making you fall completely in love with the main character, Starr, and her wonderful family. This book was everything, and I hope you read it and agree!

I also want to add that I opted to listen to the audiobook for The Hate U Give, mostly because it is narrated by the amazing Bahni Turpin, who has also narrated the audiobooks for Children of Blood and Bone and Dread Nation, both of which I also really enjoyed. I also discovered that she narrates the audiobooks for The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon and They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, as well as Angie Thomas’s next novel, On the Come Up, and SO many more! I am really looking forward to listening to all of these, and if you haven’t yet checked out an audiobook that is narrated by Bahni, I highly recommend you give one a try!

Overall; I am so glad to have finally read The Hate U Give, and it is totally one of those books that I wish I had read sooner. It was such a powerful read, and I really enjoyed Angie’s writing style. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her books, including On the Come Up, which I mentioned above, and which is currently set to release in February 2019. I can’t wait to check it out! If you’ve not yet picked up The Hate U Give, you should definitely do so ASAP!