Waiting On Wednesday: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine, and it gives you a chance to spotlight a book that you are eagerly waiting to be released.

This week, I picked:

The Unexpected Everything

By Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 3, 2016

From Goodreads:

Andie had it all planned out. 

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing - if everything's planned out, you can never find the unexpected. 

And where’s the fun in that?

Why I picked it:

1. I love Morgan Matson's books. LOVE. THEM. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was absolutely fantastic, though it worries me that my expectations may be too high.
2. I read a review that said the love interest is a fantasy author, and there are lots emojis involved. And who doesn't like emojis??
3. I love the cover. It's a little bit different from Matson's previous books, but it's still gorgeous.

if you would like to read this book, click here to put your name on the hold list

Monday Meme Spotlight: Summer Reads

     Unlike Grumpy Cat here, you may love the summer. Do or don't, there are a ton of great summer reads out there to soak in while you're enjoying the sun or on a trip to the beach. Summer is a time of endless opportunities- why not use some of the time to enjoy a relaxing book with your toes in the waves? Here are a few summer-themed books to set the mood.

1. My Life Next Door- Huntley Fitzpatrick: This is a fun read, mostly light and all about that summer life. And yet, it doesn't feel empty. There's a bit of mystery in there, and an political intrigue that doesn't overpower the main theme, but adds a surprising twist that keeps the book captivating right up to the last page. I love this book, and Ms.Fitzpatrick's other book, What I Thought Was True, carries the same sort of theme and I liked it almost as well. Unfortunately, the library's copy of My Life Next Door is missing, but you can request What I Thought Was True here.

2. Open Road Summer- Emery Lord: Although I haven't personally read this one, it comes highly recommended by a fellow contributor, kwatanabe, and she featured Lord's upcoming novel in a past Waiting on Wednesday post. It's on my to-read list- a novel of music and cross-country touring with drama along the way sounds like just the thing to read on a warm summer day with lots of sun. You can grab a copy here.

3. Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots- Abby McDonald: This one is a summer read, although it doesn't take place on a sunny beach. This one's for the woodsy, the ones who prefer to spend their summer exploring a forested trail with a survival guide. No matter who you are, it's a fun read with a satisfying conclusion. We can all use a good pair of hiking boots. Check out the library's copy here.

4. Second Chance Summer- Morgan Matson: This one also comes highly recommended, by the Young Adult librarian here ay KHCPL. It's the story of a family coming together for one last summer at the lake- and I've read the author, so I know it's got to be a good one. Matson is a master of the emotional spectrum, and her books are always worth reading. Check it out here.

     Whether you love summer or you hate it with a passion, you'll love these summer themed books. And whichever side you're on, remember...

And there's nothing we can do about it.

Monday Meme Spotlight: Music in Books

     I think we've all asked that question at least once in our lives. But even if we can't have automatic background music, we can read books that bring it to mind. There are a lot of books out there about rock stars and mellow kids with iPods and earbuds, but these are a few of my favorites. 

1. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour- Morgan Matson: This is an epic road trip, just like the title implies. Compete with playlists of real music and scrapbook-esque mementos of their journey across the county, this novel is fun, heartwarming, and makes you want an In-and-Out burger so bad you can almost taste it. It isn't all fluff, in case you were worried- Amy's father died in a car accident, and since then she hasn't been behind the wheel, so this is a journey epic in both the physical and mental fortitude she needs- with Roger's help- to overcome her past. 

2. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: Nick needs a five-minute girlfriend. What he gets is a New York adventure fit for the big screen- fittingly, it's been made into a movie. It's two teens, just trying to figure out who they are and where the next great band will be playing. Told in alternating perspectives, this is the story of a love too big and bright for simple words- only music can make it real.

3. Just Listen- Sarah Dessen: Dessen is a master author. Her characters are commanding, funny, and so rounded that they feel like they jump out of the book and talk right to you. In Just Listen, we meet Owen, a guarded guy with a violent past and a love for music- all music, including weird chants and what sounds like water dripping- and Annabel, the girl who had everything, and then lost it. Together they rediscover what it means to have it all and how to live even when the world is crashing down, all while swallowed in the warm embrace of music, the music that keeps you together when everything is pulling you apart.
     Another of her novels, This Lullaby, is also centered around music- a cynical girl who finds herself caught up in the messy happiness of a musician.

4. Where She Went (If I Stay #2)- Gayle Forman: I didn't include If I Stay in this because while it does include music, it doesn't focus on it to the extent that Where She Went does. Where She Went takes place years after its predecessor, and we find Mia, single, in the midst of an uprising cello career and Adam in the throes of stardom. It's their journey back to each other to find the closure that they need for their lives to move on after the accident, set against the backdrop of New York's music scene. It's a heart-wrenching novel that sings true to the picture of love and loss that Forman paints in all her writing.  

     No matter what your taste in books, there's something out there for everyone. And if you don't like books, but you love music, one of these picks, or any that revolve around music, are a great transition into the world of writing.