Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (#10)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme highlights some of the books whose releases bloggers are most anticipating this year.

The book whose release I am most excited for this week is...

Title: The Language Inside
Author: Holly Thompson
Release Date: May 14th, 2013
A beautiful novel in verse that deals with post-tsunami Japan, Cambodian culture, and one girl's search for identity and home. Emma Karas was raised in Japan; it's the country she calls home. But when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, Emma's family moves to a town outside Lowell, Massachusetts, to stay with her grandmother while her mom undergoes treatment. Emma feels out of place in the United States, begins to have migraines, and longs to be back in Japan. At her grandmother's urging, she volunteers in a long-term care center to help Zena, a patient with locked-in syndrome, write down her poems. There, Emma meets Samnang, another volunteer, who assists elderly Cambodian refugees. Weekly visits to the care center, Zena's poems, dance, and noodle soup bring Emma and Samnang closer, until Emma must make a painful choice: stay in Massachusetts, or return early to Japan.

C'mon, admit it - that cover is beautiful. It is eye-catching, it's different, and I love the fact that the girl on the cover can see her reflection in the mirror. It really is a very well taken picture, but even better than that, is this novel's poignant synopsis. I haven't read a lot of novels that deal with real-world issues, cancer, or even different cultures, but this story seems to have them all, which I love. I think it takes on a fascinating subject of what "home" really is and Emma's struggle to blend in with society and make a new home for herself is already one I find compelling. Furthermore, I love that the romance is so subtly interwoven into the synopsis which makes me think that this is a highly character-driven novel with a beautiful underlying romance - in other words, it's exactly what I love, so I can't wait for this one to release! Plus, did I mention that title? It's so lyrical, I could say it all day..."the language inside, the language inside, the language inside..." :)

What new books are you anticipating this week? 

20 comments:

  1. This book looks really interesting I'm going to add it to my massive tbr list. Great pick!
    Check out my WoW post :)

    -Kimberly @ Turning The Pages

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    1. Yay! I can't wait for its release, so I hope it winds up being as good as I hope! :)

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  2. This book sounds very exciting and touching! Adding to my TBR list! Great pick and thanks for sharing! :D

    My WoW post! 

    ~ Maida @ Literary Love Affair

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    1. Thanks Maida! I can't wait for this to release!(:

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  3. Beautiful cover! Intriguing synopsis! Wow!! I'm adding this to my to-read list. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Yay! I can't wait for its release and I hope it's as good as it sounds, Henrietta! :D

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  4. Certainly sounds like a great synopsis. You are definitely right!

    A long time to wait though...

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    1. I knoww! I hate it when the wait is long, but I can't wait for this one! :)

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  5. I have not heard of this book but I will be checking it out! Thanks for spotlighting it! Check out my WoW!

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    1. You're welcome, Dani! I hope you enjoy it when it releases!(:

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  6. This is very different from my usual read and sounds wonderful. What a great find!

    - Jessica @ Book Sake

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    1. Yay! I'm so glad you're interested in this one, Jessica! It is very different, so I'm excited for its release!(:

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  7. This book sounds so unique and wonderful! I love books about other cultures and make you think of what/where home really is. I could say this title a lot too. :) wonderful pick!

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    1. I love novels like that too! They're so rare but heartfelt, so I can't wait for this to come out! :)

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  8. You find such interesting books to highlight, Keertana! I hadn't seen this one before, but it's on my radar now!

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    1. Thanks Jessie! I'm really looking forward to this release, so I'm glad I helped you find a new novel! :)

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  9. That cover has such a subtle beauty to it that I love- you're right, the reflection in the mirror was a brilliant move on the cover artist's part. :) And the premise sounds really emotional and moving. I hope it exceeds our expectations, Keertana! Lovely pick. :)

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    1. It does, doesn't it? It's beautiful and I hope it exceeds our expectations too! *fingers crossed*

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  10. I really have enjoyed verse novels and I love this description. I'm going to put this in my TBR. Great pick Keertana! :)

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    1. Yay! I'm so glad you're looking forward to this one too, Rachel! I can't wait for it to release! :)

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