Waiting on Wednesday: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Release Date: November 6, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown, & Company

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."

Why am I waiting for this book? Well firstly--HOLY QUEEN OF CLIFF HANGERS, Daughter of Smoke and Bone!! I can't even... I don't even... Okay, Kelsey, DEEP BREATHS. The ending of the last book was like a big ol' smack in the face so naturally I am seeking VENGEANCE in the form of the sequel! (Sorry for so many caps but this is AN ALL CAPS KIND OF BOOK)!

Photo credit Rachel Manija
from 2011 Sirens Conference!

Ridiculously quotable and incredibly crafted writing aside, Laini Taylor is an absolute doll. No seriously, she is. I went to a conference with her last fall and it was such a joy to have here there! And she brought her family (see right), who is equally as cute and now all I want in life is to be their daughter's nanny or something so I can hang out with the three of them constantly. Another reason you should read this book? Her daughter's name is Clementine Pie, and she is the CUTEST (and yes, you have my solemn promise that if you name your child Clemintine Pie, I will read your novel too!)

And for all of you who haven't read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, FEEL SHAME, and let that shame guide you to the nearest bookstore asap (the audible is good too). Now run free, my readers, and read the heck out of your Wednesdays!

What are y'all waiting for?

Book to Movie Trailer: The Host by Stephanie Meyers

Hi all! For those of you who have not yet seen this, I bring you the movie trailer for Stephanie Meyer's The Host, which premiered at the midnight Hunger Games showings last Thursday.

I must admit, I was pretty disappointed by this trailer. Personally, I think it resembles a book trailer more than it does a movie one. I'm ambivalent about the Twilight series, but I really loved The Host, so was very much looking forward to seeing this adaptation (fun fact: I almost worked on it!). However, this trailer, which is..... well let us not mince words, this trailer is pretty awful, does not seem to bode well for the upcoming film.

The good news? This is only the first of many trailers to come. The movie isn't released for another year so there's plenty of time to get it right. I am curious to see how they will adapt this book, which lives primarily in the thoughts of The Wanderer, into a film. (I suspect a lot of flashbacks.) I am completely baffled by the choice of Diane Kruger as the psychotically agressive Seeker, but to be fair, I only know her as Helen of Troy. Clearly there are a lot of tricky decisions that are going to have to get made, and I think this is going to be a tough film to pull off, but we'll just have to wait and see!

What do you all think? Did you like the book? Are you excited for the film?