Friday Finds: Sept.18th

Friday Finds is originally hosted by Should be Reading!

Well for my first Friday Finds I happened to start on a week where I found A LOT of good books so pardon the length of the post. Commensing in Chronological Order...




Whip It by Shauna Cross


Summary (from Goodreads):

Meet Bliss Cavendar, a blue haired, indie-rock loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas.

Her pageant-addicted mother expects her to compete for the coveted Miss Blue Bonnet crown, but Bliss would rather feast on roaches than be subjected to such rhinestone tyranny.

Bliss’ escape? Take up Roller Derby.
When she discovers a league in nearby Austin, Bliss embarks on an epic journey full of hilarious tattooed girls, delicious boys in bands, and a few not-so-awesome realities even the most bad-assed derby chick has to learn.




This book looks really unique and funny. I read the synopsis, and was like Yes! this book looks so good, but strangely familiar. Then, I looked at the Whip it! cover and saw the "now a major motion picture", and realized it was the new Ellen Page/Drew Barrymore movie I've been dying to see.
The Whip It! cover is the new cover since the movie, and the Derby Girl cover is the original one. Whip It/Derby Girl are OUT NOW!

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines


Summary (from Goodreads):

It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

This looks sooooo good. Gladiators? Yes! Also, I just started The Hunger Games and am in love! Did you notice the "For fans of The Hunger Games" line, and while I don't always agree with those labels, but I believe this one. Girl In the Arena comes out on October 13th, 2009!

Albatross by Josie Bloss

Summary (from Goodreads):

What's so cool about nice guys?

Everyone at Tess's new school warns her that Micah is bad news—a heartbreaker. But she can't ignore her attraction to this brooding, brilliant, friendless emo hottie who can turn on the charm—or heart-shredding scorn—at a moment's notice. Starting over in a new town after her parents' split isn't easy for Tess, and Micah feels like her first real connection. But what happens when their bond suddenly feels like shackles? And Micah starts to remind Tess of her freakishly controlling father?

With Albatross, Josie Bloss takes her storytelling in a new direction by exploring the dark side of relationships.

I loooove Bad Boys! Those tall, dark, brewing, handsome types, Count Me In! Then with all the other elements this book has going; charm, first connection, shackles, controlling, doubts....this looks like one awesome book. Albatross comes out February 1st, 2009!



Wish by Alexandra Bullen (NO COVER)


Summary (from Goodreads):

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone... until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn't just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can't solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, WISH asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for?


Wishing is one of my favorite pasttimes, and has always enchanted me. So its a no-brainer that I would love a book about wishing. But more than that this book is about magic, sisters, death, dresses, and dealing with your problems. This book looks amazing. Wish comes out January 1st, 2009!




In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth


Summary (from Goodreads):

Story of a heart transplant told in alternating chapters between two girls: the heart transplant recipient and the heart transplant donor. When Eagan dies during a figure skating competition, Amelia receives her heart, but when she experiences new personality traits, she questions whether she's received more than just a heart.


While this summary is short and sweet, this book looks anything but. I am sure that after reading this book I will be deeply moved and have the story stay with me for awhile. I can't wait. In a Heartbeat comes out February 2nd, 2010!



Poisoned Honey: A Story Mary Magdalene by Beatrice Gormley


Summary (from Goodreads):

This story begins with Mariamne, a vulnerable girl who knows little of the ways of the world. Much as she wants to be in control of her own destiny, she soon learns she has no such power. She must do as her father and brother see fit, and when tragedy strikes, Mari must marry a man she does not love and enter a household where she is not welcome, for the good of her family.

But she finds a small way to comfort herself when she meets an Egyptian wisewoman who instructs her in the ways of the occult arts. In the spirit world, Mari finds she has power. Here, she really is in control of her fate. But is she? Or is the magic controlling her?

This gripping portrait of one of the most misunderstood and controversial Biblical figures is the story of a young girl’s path through manipulation and possession, madness and healing, to a man who will change the world forever.


Okay, you can skip basicly the whole summary and just read the last "paragraph" and it will give you enough reasons to read this book. Biblical references, manipulation, possession, madness, and a man who will change the world forever? Sounds sooo good. Poisoned Honey will come out on March 9th, 2010!




Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien-Jones


Summary (from Goodreads):

Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.

According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.

Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again.

The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.


Owls? Interesting, I always have found them pretty cool. Plus this book has the whole aspect of grandma and all her old stories, administration denying old legends, secrets, and mysterious girl thing going for it. Cant wait. Owl Keeper comes out April 13th, 2010!



My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day (NO COVER)


Summary (from Goodreads):

Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an Internet profile that makes him look like a motorcycle-riding, poetry reading bad boy. *swoon* Heidi's friends are so impressed they start emailing Heidi's fake boyfriend with their problems . . . including their problems with Heidi.

As if that weren't bad enough, a delicious and possibly single person called "A Real Boy" emails Heidi to say he knows the truth. Can Heidi escape from her world wide web of lies? Or will her chance at romance disappear faster than you can type gtg?


This sounds like such a funny book. I love fake-boyfriends, all the lies and deceit they create make for a very entertaining read. My Invisible Boyfriend comes out April 2010!



Forget You by Jennifer Echols


Summary (from Goodreads):

Zoey’s life in her Florida beach resort town is happy and organized. She’s the captain of her high school swim team, and she works for her dad at his popular water park. Then her dad has an affair with one of his employees, and her mother has a breakdown. But Zoey begins a committed relationship with a hot lifeguard, which makes her feel stable, even if things aren’t perfect at home. Everything is still under control. Until she has a car accident that she can’t remember. She should have been with her boyfriend that night, but he doesn’t seem to know anything about the accident—and he doesn’t seem to care. The person who does care, and knows more than he’s telling, is Doug, Zoey’s darkly handsome arch-enemy who saved her from the wreckage. As Zoey begins to piece together what happened that night, she finds her sense of control over her life was only an illusion. And she inches closer to discovering the darkest secret of all: why Doug has fallen in love with her.


Car accidents and ex-archenemies, while this might sound bad, make for really good books. Usually, these happen to be a bit deeper and stay with you for a bit. I am very excited to read this one. Forget You comes out July 2010.