Can't Wait Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for:

One of Us is Next
Karen McManus
Series: One of Us is Lying, #2
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Delecorte
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Goodreads

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller everyone is talking about, One of Us Is Lying! There's a new mystery to solve at Bayview High, and there's a whole new set of rules.

Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now.

This time it's not an app, though—it's a game.

Truth or Dare.

Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.

Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules.

Why I want to read this book

I remember, when I was lucky enough to get an ARC of One of Us Is Lying. It was love at first read. I felt like McManus really understood the delicate balance I required to read slightly outside my normal zone, and I adored every page of the book. Fast forward, and once again, McManus delivered a hit to me in the form of her second book, Two Can Keep a Secret. I have exactly zero reservations about diving back into the world of One of Us Is Lying, as my previous successes with McManus' books have me feeling confident about her forthcoming release. I am also eager to catch up with all the characters, as I had grown fond of them, and am curious to see what happened after.

Girl Against the Universe
Paula Stokes
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Goodreads

From the author of The Art of Lainey and Liars, Inc. comes a fresh, contemporary story about a girl coping with PTSD and the boy who wants to help her move on from the past.

Sixteen-year-old Maguire knows the universe is against her. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when she's around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or the time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash--and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

Despite what her therapist tells her, Maguire thinks it's best to hide out in her room, far away from anyone she might accidentally hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star who wants to help her break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for him is to stay away, but it turns out staying away might be harder than she thought.

Why I want to read this book

I am a solid fan of Stokes' work. I am always impressed with her ability to successfully genre jump, and she has yet to disappoint me. I purchased this book back in 2017, because I wanted to read all the Paula Stokes books, but you know, time got away from me. I was pretty excited to see this as a 5-star rated book on Grace's read shelf, and therefore, selected it as not only part of my #ReadForGrace TBR, but also, my backlog book for the week.

What are you waiting on?
Any backlog books you want to read soon? 
Let us know in the comments!