Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

June 8, 2021 ~ Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense ~ 14 Comments

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings where bloggers share which upcoming releases they’re most looking forward to. Join us every Wednesday and watch your TBR list multiply.

At the top of my list of 2021 debuts that have really caught my attention is Zoe Hana Mikuta’s Gearbreakers. Using Pacific Rim as a comp was the first thing about this that won me over, but then I learned it’s enemies-to-lovers, found family, and sapphic! So many amazing things rolled into one and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Cover is linked to Goodreads.

Title: Gearbrakers
Author: Zoe Hana Mikuta
Series: N/A
Pages: 416
Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Publication Date: June 29, 2021

“Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other–in Zoe Hana Mikuta’s high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.
We went past praying to deities and started to build them instead…
The shadow of Godolia’s tyrannical rule is spreading, aided by their giant mechanized weapons known as Windups. War and oppression are everyday constants for the people of the Badlands, who live under the thumb of their cruel Godolia overlords.
Eris Shindanai is a Gearbreaker, a brash young rebel who specializes in taking down Windups from the inside. When one of her missions goes awry and she finds herself in a Godolia prison, Eris meets Sona Steelcrest, a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. At first Eris sees Sona as her mortal enemy, but Sona has a secret: She has intentionally infiltrated the Windup program to destroy Godolia from within.
As the clock ticks down to their deadliest mission yet, a direct attack to end Godolia’s reign once and for all, Eris and Sona grow closer–as comrades, friends, and perhaps something more…”

Are you participating in Can’t-Wait Wednesday or Waiting on Wednesday? Is this book on your TBR? Be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments and I’ll visit!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Misfit in Love by S.K. Ali

May 18, 2021 ~ Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense ~ 11 Comments

S.L. Ali’s Saints and Misfits is one of my favorite contemporary novels. You know those characters who you just want to be your best friend, Janna is one of those for me. I am so happy that Janna is getting this sequel, she deserves all the good things. Hoping to reread the first book before Misfit in Love comes out. Cover is linked to Goodreads.

Title: Misfit in Love
Author: S.K. Ali
Series: Saints and Misfits, #2
Pages: 320
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Publication Date: May 25, 2021

“In this fun and fresh sequel to Saints and Misfits, Janna hopes her brother’s wedding will be the perfect start to her own summer of love, but attractive new arrivals have her more confused than ever.
Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad’s getting married, and she’s reuniting with her mom, whom she’s missed the whole summer.
And Nuah’s arriving for the weekend too.
Sweet, constant Nuah.
The last time she saw him, Janna wasn’t ready to reciprocate his feelings for her. But things are different now. She’s finished high school, ready for college…and ready for Nuah.
It’s time for Janna’s (carefully planned) summer of love to begin—starting right at the wedding.
But it wouldn’t be a wedding if everything went according to plan. Muhammad’s party choices aren’t in line with his fiancée’s taste at all, Janna’s dad is acting strange, and her mom is spending more time with an old friend (and maybe love interest?) than Janna.
And Nuah’s treating her differently.
Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, two newcomers—the dreamy Haytham and brooding Layth—have Janna more confused than ever about what her misfit heart really wants.
Janna’s summer of love is turning out to be super crowded and painfully unpredictable.”

Are you participating in Can’t-Wait Wednesday or Waiting on Wednesday? Is this book on your TBR? Be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments and I’ll visit!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan

April 27, 2021 ~ Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense ~ 10 Comments

I am so stoked for the many fake dating books coming out this year and one that I have high on the TBR is Tashie Bhuiyan’s Counting Down with You. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. I don’t care if it’s predicable or how many times I read these books, they always feel like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold night. Also, peek at the page count on this one. I can’t remember the last time I read such a long contemporary book. Cover is linked to Goodreads.

Title: Counting Down with You
Author: Tashie Bhuiyan
Series: N/A
Pages: 464
Publisher: Inkwell Press
Publication Date: May 4, 2021

“A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.
How do you make one month last a lifetime?
Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.
Karina is my girlfriend.
Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.
T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?”

Are you participating in Can’t-Wait Wednesday or Waiting on Wednesday? Is this book on your TBR? Be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments and I’ll visit!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 ~ Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense ~ 10 Comments

I am so excited for Zoraida Córdova’s Illusionary, the sequel to her YA fantasy Incendiary. The first book had one of my favorite twists and I really want to reread it before this one comes out knowing what I know now. If you like fantasies with unique magical systems and a flawed MC, you should check out the first book in this duology. Cover is linked to Goodreads. Also, hello, I think I am back for real this time >_<

Title: Illusionary
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Series: Hollow Crown, #2
Pages: 368
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 11, 2021

      "In Zoraida Córdova's thrilling sequel to Incendiary, Renata embarks on a dangerous journey to bring justice to the kingdom -- perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Sarah J. Maas.
      Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she's reluctantly joined forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. They're united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other.
      With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She'll have to control her magics--and her mind--to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all.
      For years, she was wielded as weapon. Now it's her time to fight back."

Are you participating in Can’t-Wait Wednesday or Waiting on Wednesday? Is this book on your TBR? Be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments and I’ll visit!