A weekly event on my blog where every Wednesday I post about 5-10 books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.

There are themes today! Yay!




Mrs. Beast
by Pamela Ditchoff
release date: January 1999 / 25 March 2009

The novel begins with Beauty shortly after her marriage to the prince when she finds herself wishing she had her beloved Beast back rather than the vain and eccentric prince. She embarks on a quest through Grimm Land to find the enchantress than changed him and convince her to change him back to the Beast. Along the way, she meets Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and learns what became of them after marrying their princes. This is a humorous, dark, edgy, bawdy and intelligent riff on the fairy tale genre.

Why it's on my wishlist
This is being reissued in a book version in 2009 I think. It is a fairy tale "continuation" focusing on Beauty, who wants her Beast back rather than the arrogant Prince she married, so she travels to find the Enchantress who had first laid the curse on the Prince. She meets Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella on her journey and see how their lives turned out after their own Happily Ever Afters. I've always been curious when I was a kid as to what happened to the princesses after their marriage (though Disney has dished out some sequels), and this promises a "humorous, dark, edgy, bawdy and intelligent riff on the fairy tale genre", so it definitely makes it to my to-read list.


Fairy Tales #1:
Firebird
by Mercedes Lackey
release date: 27 December 1996

Tsar Ivan has eight sons; all are brutes like himself except for happy-go-lucky, least-favored Ilya. Cast out through the machinations of his jealous, competitive brothers, Ilya stumbles onto an enchanted castle, distressed damsels, a garden of questing princes turned to stone, and the secret of the shapeshifting woman called the Firebird. In love with a captive princess, Ilya enlists the Firebird and a charming, crafty vixen to help him battle the sorcerer. But is settling down with a princess what "happily ever after" really means?

Why it's on my wishlist
This is supposedly in the same "series" as Lackey's other book that I read: The Black Swan. I really enjoyed her retelling in that novel and this one is about a Russian fairy tale. The main character is the "happy-go-lucky, least-favored Ilya" of a brutish family, and is about his journey through falling in love with a captive princess, befriending a crafty vixen, and finding the true meaning of Happily Ever After. I'm kind of rooting for the vixen since the summary hints at the princess only being the "obvious" romantic interest, but not necessarily the one the boy ends up with.




The Rise of Renegade X
by Chelsea Campbell
release date: 11 May 2010

Damien Locke knows his destiny - attending the university for supervillains and becoming Golden City's next professional evil genius. But when Damien discovers he's the product of his supervillain mother's one-night stand with - of all people - a superhero, his best-laid plans are ruined as he's forced to live with his superhero family.
Going to extreme lengths (and heights), The Rise of Renegade X chronicles one boy's struggles with the villainous and heroic pitfalls of growing up.

Why it's on my wishlist
A superhero book! Except(!) this one is about a supervillian! Well, at least he wishes he was, but the main character is the product of a one-night-stand between a superhero (his dad) and a supervillian (his mom). This is the story of him being forced to live with the superhero family, and sounds absolutely hilarious. It's sorta like a coming-of-age novel about a teenage boy who literally has to choose between a life of "good" or "evil".


Icarus Project #1:
Black and White
by Jackie Kessler, Caitlin Kittredge
release date: 23 June 2009

Jet, the darling good girl of the city, uses her shadow-power to battle the forces of evil. But her shadows also mask the fierce demons that only she, her mentor, and her former best friend - and now arch-nemesis - know about. Iridium is that former best friend: able to wield the power of light, she trained as a hero only to become one of the most infamous villains in the city - for what she feels are truly heroic reasons. Alternating between the present-day threat and their past exploits as friends, and later rivals, at the Superhero Academy, the novel brings these two women to vivid life, portraying the complexities of being a true hero in a world determined to categorise you in a neat box of good or evil - black or white.

Why it's on my wishlist
Most people probably know about my intense hate of the absolute good/evil or black/white dichotomy. This book, despite it's title, is about exploring this issue in the world of superheros. The plot is centered around two superwomen who had been friends in the past (one storyline) and are now arch-nemeses (second storyline). One uses "shadow power" to fight evil and the other has deflected to the dark side and uses "light power" to battle good. I'm expecting it to ask questions about what is really good or evil, or if there is such a neat separation point between the two.




Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies)
by Justina Chen Headley
release date: 5 April 2006

Getting her fortune told by a Taiwanese 'belly-button grandmother' (who feels up her navel) instead of attending the spring dance is just one of the joys of being Patty Ho, a covertly snarky 'hapa' (half Asian, half white) struggling with her dual heritage. Patty's domineering mother is determined to make her a good Taiwanese girl. Gangly Patty, no 'China doll,' longs to be white like her long-gone father...

Why it's on my wishlist
Recommended strongly by GAL Novelty. She won me over by revealing that the main character (a half-Asian, half-White girl) does math in her head a lot and is in denial about liking math XD; Personally my connection with the main character is not so biological as cultural, having grown up an Asian in North America and having to balance the two sides. I'm really interested in how this want-to-be-White thing of hers pans out...but I'm mostly in it for the math *nerd*


Flash Burnout
by L. K. Madigan
release date: 19 October 2009

Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him. When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue). In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

Why it's on my wishlist
This cover was really appealing to me, maybe 'cause it's an Asian guy. I don't really often read teen romance, but this plot was rather interesting: a boy who has a girlfriend and a friend who is a girl. It is a love story told from the boy's point of view, and I find that refreshing. Kinda hoping there will be some stuff on photography too =)




Leviathan #1:
Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld | Illus. Keith Thompson
release date: 6 October 2009

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Why it's on my wishlist
Recommended by GAL Novelty and my brother, who is a major military history nut ♥ There is a crossdressing girl, a nephew of Archduke Ferdinand (lol), and Darwinists (enhanced animals) vs Clankers (machines)! I've heard the writing/tone is targeted towards a younger audience, but the premise is too attractive to let go. Plus the cover is shiny and pretty, I'll be getting a copy for my brother and giving it a read before I hand it over >D


Newsflesh Trilogy #1:
FEED
by Mira Grant
release date: 1 May 2010

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.
NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Why it's on my wishlist
It's the cover that grabbed me. The RSS feed symbol turned into a bloody smear on the wall. I'm not sure if I should be expecting social commentary, but if this is a zombie apocalypse thing (year 2014), then it will definitely carry at least some critique by default. Plus, there's a conspiracy angle 8D

That went better than expected, maybe I should do this theme thing more often...

That's all for this week, you can see my full wishlist at goodreads.