Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Expected publication: September 4th 2018 by Doubleday Books 

From the Booker Prize-winning author of the Regeneration trilogy comes a monumental new masterpiece, set in the midst of literature's most famous war. Pat Barker turns her attention to the timeless legend of The Iliad , as experienced by the captured women living in the Greek camp in the final weeks of the Trojan War.

The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, who continue to wage bloody war over a stolen woman--Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman watches and waits for the war's outcome: Briseis. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army.
When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and cooly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position to observe the two men driving the Greek forces in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate, not only of Briseis's people, but also of the ancient world at large.
Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war--the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead--all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives--and it is nothing short of magnificent.

THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS SOUNDS BEYOND AMAZING! I'm always up for reading retellings of the Trojan war and especially the female perspectives. This particular topic has become really popular in recent years, which just makes me so happy and I hope to see many more stories like it. I'll definitely have to pre-order this book as soon as possible. I think it's going to be wonderful.

I usually don't share a lot of personal stuff but my 8 y/o bunny passed away yesterday and I'm just so sad right now so just wanted to share it with you all. :(

Waiting On Wednesday: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
Expected publication: September 5th 2017 by Flatiron Books
Pre-order on: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Kobo

Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber in this feminist fantasy reimagining of the Snow White fairytale

At sixteen, Mina's mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

Because it sounds simply amazing!

Waiting On Wednesday: The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence: A Story of Botticelli by Alyssa Palombo
Expected publication: April 25th 2017 by St. Martin's Griffin
Pre-order on: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Kobo

A girl as beautiful as Simonetta Cattaneo never wants for marriage proposals in 15th Century Italy, but she jumps at the chance to marry Marco Vespucci. Marco is young, handsome and well-educated. Not to mention he is one of the powerful Medici family’s favored circle.

Even before her marriage with Marco is set, Simonetta is swept up into Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici’s glittering circle of politicians, poets, artists, and philosophers. The men of Florence―most notably the rakish Giuliano de’ Medici―become enthralled with her beauty. That she is educated and an ardent reader of poetry makes her more desirable and fashionable still. But it is her acquaintance with a young painter, Sandro Botticelli, which strikes her heart most. Botticelli immediately invites Simonetta, newly proclaimed the most beautiful woman in Florence, to pose for him. As Simonetta learns to navigate her marriage, her place in Florentine society, and the politics of beauty and desire, she and Botticelli develop a passionate intimacy, one that leads to her immortalization in his masterpiece, The Birth of Venus.

Historical fiction. 15th Century Florence. Botticelli. Why wouldn't I want to read this amazing sounding book? :D

Waiting On Wednesday: Paper Fools by Staci Hart

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Paper Fools by Staci Hart
Pre-order ► Amazon (99cents)
Expected publication: April 17th 2017

Aphrodite knows love — just don’t ask her to figure out her own mess.
Rather than deal with her sticky love life, she toys with the hearts of unwitting humans. It’s a little game she plays, and the stakes are high. Lucky for her, she’s just found the perfect match.
Lex is everything Dean needs, but he can’t have her.
It doesn’t matter that her eyes speak to a long forgotten part of him, or that her art and poetry touch his shredded heart. She’s off limits — crossing that line would implode his band and everything he’s ever cared about. There’s only one option: stay away from her, no matter the cost. Even if the price is his heart.
Dean is everything Lex wants, but she can’t take the risk.
The second she meets him, she knows her heart is in danger. She’s convinced it’s only attraction that has her hung up on the dark, quiet lead singer, but with every day that passes, she knows it’s more. It’s just that she can’t put her heart on the line. She won’t — love has never been worth the sacrifice.
If only they knew they were just pawns in a much bigger game. And in the game of love, Aphrodite never loses.
*Formerly titled Deer in Headlights, Paper Fools has been rewritten and reedited for your enjoyment.*

It's a new book by Staci Hart so of course I want it + it just sounds like a really great story! Luckily it releases next week already. <3

It's also up for Kindle pre-order for only 99 cents right now. Find the link to Amazon above. I just grabbed the pre-order myself. 

Waiting On Wednesday: Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino
Expected publication: August 15th 2017 by Atria Books
Pre-order ► Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Kobo

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers and Swear on This Life comes a novel about a young woman who reunites with a soulful artist after their magical one-night stand…only to be faced with an impossible decision.

Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, floating from interest to interest, job to job, and guy to guy, searching for a spark but never quite finding it. All she knows is that she won’t discover it working as a waitress at a pies-and-fries joint in Los Angeles or living with her fun but aimless best friend in a tiny apartment in the Arts District.

Then Charlotte collides with Adam, a gorgeous and soulful painter who seems just as lost as she feels. Their instant connection turns into a midnight drink…and a whirlwind night of champagne, Chinese food, and the kind of conversation that only happens in romantic comedies. But the next morning, Adam gives Charlotte the cold shoulder, leaving her confused and hurt—and wondering if the few odd moments between them the night before were red flags in disguise.

Months later, Charlotte hasn’t been able to shake Adam, so she decides to find out what happened the morning after their magical night together. This fateful decision rewrites their wild love story, but what Charlotte doesn’t know yet is that the ending has already been written.

I've enjoyed Renee Carlino's previous books Before We Were Strangers and (especially) Swear on This Life so it's no surprise that I'm very excited for her new upcoming novel. I can't wait!

Question: Have you read any books by this author before? What are your thoughts on them? Let me know! :)

Waiting On Wednesday: Queen Of Emeralds by Kelsey McKnight

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Queen Of Emeralds by Kelsey McKnight
Expected publication: April 4th 2017 by Limitless Publishing
Pre-order ► Amazon | Barnes & Noble

British heiress Charlotte Holloway never had any interest in marrying…

However, a woman in Victorian England spends her life in the control of men, making finding a husband necessary. Fearing his daughter losing everything when he dies, Charlotte’s father forces a match with an old friend, Richard Howard. But Richard is much more interested in an heir than a wife, and will do anything to continue his bloodline.

Beaten and battered, Charlotte sees no way out of the union…

Then the handsome Scottish laird Conner MacLeod crashes the social scene. He sets her body on fire with a mere touch, but he has a bad reputation of leaving a string of women in his wake. Nonetheless, when Conner offers his emerald queen sanctuary in his Highland castle, Charlotte flees with him into the night, escaping her marriage. But those who wish to trap her are never far behind.

The Highlands give her hope, but fill her life with new perils…

She and Conner begin growing closer, although the shadows of his former relationships haunt her. Still, the magnetic forces that pull them together are making it harder for her to stay away. And just as Charlotte is beginning to settle into her life, she learns someone wants her gone for good and will do so…by any means necessary.

When Charlotte escapes one marriage only to find herself on the cusp of another, will she ever be free?

I stumbled upon this book last week and I just really love the description of it. It sounds like a really good historical fiction novel. 

You can sign up for the book blitz on Xpresso Book Tours here. 

Waiting On Wednesday: Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd 
Expected publication: March 28th 2017 by NPRB
Pre-order ► Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

“The Butler Rooming House is a boutique luxury hotel owned in part by the Butler family and movie-star, Jack Eversea. It is run with exceptional 5 STAR elegance by young hotelier Jessica Fraser.” ~ Lifestyle Magazine, Travel editor-at-large.

It’s four years after movie star, Jack Eversea won Keri Ann back. They are living happily in their newly-built home on Daufuskie, having left Keri Ann’s childhood home in the capable hands of her brother and her best friend Jazz.
Keri Ann has let it be known that she might finally be ready to tie the knot with Jack, but unforeseen circumstances are causing rifts in their relationship, and conspiring to make the lovers take a good long look at their future.

This novel is the 5th book in the Butler Cove series and the final installment of Movie star Jack Eversea’s relationship with Keri Ann Butler.

First of all, I'm totally in love with the cover of this book. It's just really beautiful. And of course I can't wait to read it since it's the final book about Keri Ann and Jack. I love these two so much. ♥

Also, I got my ARC of it today so I'm even more excited now!

Reviews of the series:
Eversea 

 Forever Jack

 My Star, My Love

All That Jazz

Question: Have you read any books by Natasha Boyd? What was your favorite? If not, I'd highly recommend her books!

Waiting On Wednesday: Rogue in Love: Thea and Lex by Inger Iversen

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Rogue in Love: Thea and Lex by Inger Iversen
Expected publication: March 28th 2017

Missing Teal and Trent from Inevitable: Love & War? Check out Rogue in Love, the first of many standalones featuring Trent Reed's new employees!

Ten years ago, Lex was forced to skip town, giving up everything he’d ever known. But even his time in solitude couldn’t keep away the memory of the girl he’d left behind. The girl who’d offered him her innocence, and her heart.

Thea had moved on from the boy who abandoned her. Good job, fiancé, comfortable life in New York … until everything is ripped away from her, leaving her to pick up the pieces alone.

When the care of an ailing loved one brings them back to Blackwater, Lex and Thea are confronted by the pains of the past. For Lex, that means helping to heal the broken-hearted woman he left behind. For Thea, it means refusing to let him see the gaping hole his absence created.

The old feelings still linger, but only they can decide to relight the sparks, no matter the secrets and heartaches that come with them.

I think I have a new favorite cover! And of course I'm very excited for the story itself + it's Inger Iversen! <3

Waiting On Wednesday: The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano 
Expected publication: October 24th 2017 by Balzer + Bray

A banished princess.
A deadly curse.
A kingdom at war.

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

I'm so very excited for The Glass Spare! I don't know if you guys know this but I'm a HUGE fan of the author's Chemical Garden Trilogy. The first book, Wither, will always be one of my favorite books ever, but after those books I kind of lost track of Lauren's writing so I'm hoping to get back to her with this book. And doesn't it just sound amazing? :D

Waiting On Wednesday: Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Expected publication: July 25th 2017 by Harlequin Teen

A darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires.
Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.

Doesn't this book just look and sound amazing? I can't wait to get my hands on it once it releases. I'm so excited for it!

Waiting On Wednesday: Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki & Owen Pataki

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki & Owen Pataki
Expected publication: July 11th 2017 by Dial Press

Set in Revolutionary Paris, a rich and sweeping novel about courage, duty, sacrifice, and love by the bestselling author of Sisi, Allison Pataki, and her brother, Owen Pataki.

From the courtrooms to the battlefields to the alleyways of Paris, with cameos from infamous figures in French history, the Patakis have crafted an epic, action-packed novel of the French Revolution as it has never been seen before. Three years after the storming of the Bastille, Paris is enlivened with the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The monarchy has been dismantled and a new nation, for the people, is rising up in its place. Jean-Luc, a young optimistic lawyer, moves his wife, Marie, and their son to Paris, inspired by a sense of duty to contribute to the new order. André, the son of a former nobleman, flees his privileged past to fight in the unified French Army with his roguish brother. Sophie, a beautiful young aristocratic widow and niece of a powerful, vindictive uncle, embarks on her own fight for independence.

Underneath the glimmer of hope and freedom, chaos threatens to undo all the progress of the revolution and the lives of these compatriots become inextricably linked. As the demand for justice breeds instability, creates enemies out of compatriots, and fuels a constant thirst for blood in the streets, Jean-Luc, Andre, and Sophie are forced to question the sacrifices made for the revolution. Liberty proves a fragile, fleeting ideal, and survival seems less and less likely—both for these unforgettable individuals, and indeed for the new nation itself.

The beautiful cover drew me in but the description of the book made me really want to read it + it's set in Revolutionary Paris so I can't wait to get my hands on this book!