Wednesday, September 2, 2009

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Americans in Space


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Americans in Space
By Mary E. Mitchell
Publication Date: October 13

From Amazon:

"Life is a challenge for 36-year-old Kate Cavanaugh, high school guidance counselor to a motley group of at-risk students. Two years after finding her young husband dead in bed beside her, Kate’s storybook life has vanished, and she and her two children are still reeling. Her daughter Charlotte, once a sweet girl, has morphed into an angry, tattooed, tongue-studded teen; and Hunter, Kate’s four-year-old, keeps his feelings sealed tight inside and an empty ketchup bottle clasped to his heart. When a tragedy occurs at the Alan B. Shepard High School, it’s Kate who finds herself in need of counsel and guidance. What she does next catapults her and her family down an unfamiliar road, on a trajectory into space—toward understanding, forgiveness and healing."

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Want to participate? Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave a link in the comments section!

54 comments:

  1. Here's mine. I'm taking off from work, so I'll take a look at everyone's when I get home!!!!

    http://owlforya.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  2. Wow, that sounds like a good book! Thanks for the heads up!

    Here's my WOW.

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  3. That one sounds really good!

    Here's mine. :)

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  4. That sounds like a really good book. Here's what I can't wait for! http://libridilectio.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-1.html

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  5. WOW... This sounds like something I'd love; thanks

    Here is mine:

    http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-of-wednesday-humbling.html

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  6. I realized (too late) that I left a comment on your original Waiting on Wednesday post! Tired, I guess.

    I haven't heard of Americans in Space yet, looks interesting.

    It looks really good. My Waiting on Wednesday is here.

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  7. This sounds really good - I'll have to add it to my list.

    Mine is here.

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  8. That sounds like a good read.

    Here is mine:

    http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-6.html

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  9. Mitchell, Mary E.

    Here's what Kirkus has to say:

    AMERICANS IN SPACE



    Mitchell (Starting Out Sideways, 2007) arrestingly depicts a family consumed by grief.



    Two years after the sudden death of her husband from an undiagnosed heart condition, Kate Cavanaugh’s family is virtually unrecognizable. Her daughter, Charlotte, has morphed into a sullen, tattooed teenager. Her four-year-old son Hunter, the book’s most affecting and lovable character, quietly toddles around clutching a ketchup bottle to his chest. The only person keeping the Cavanaughs functioning, it often seems, is their neighbor “Auntie Marge,” a wealthy tech geek with the body of a linebacker and a heart of gold. Kate’s professional success as a guidance counselor at Charlotte’s high school underscores her difficulties with her personal life. She effortlessly soothes the problems of the likable, charismatic misfits in the school’s “touchy feely” support group, but she is unable to have a conversation with her daughter that doesn’t devolve into yelling and slamming doors. Kate’s further breakdown after a school tragedy is painful to witness, but well handled by the author’s delicate description and organic dialogue. The myriad relationships—between mother and daughter, sister and brother, husband and wife, children and grandparents, friends and co-workers—are artfully rendered. The characters give the novel its shape; each acts as a window into seemingly inescapable grief and the strength required for revival. Mitchell keeps it honest by painting multidimensional people whose dark sides she’s willing to expose. Readers will be surprised at how quickly they are sucked into the Cavanaughs’ grief and how much they root for this small clan. The title alludes to the isolation and ungrounding of Kate, Charlotte and Hunter after a quarter of their family is unfairly taken away. Mitchell lets her characters drift further apart, their individual trials breaking our hearts until, mercifully, she brings them back down to earth.

    Get out the tissues, but plan on reading this impressive, stirring novel straight through.

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  10. Oh, I'm going to have to check that out!
    Here's mine:
    http://crystalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-7.html

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  11. That book sounds so interesting! Adding it to my list.

    Here's mine.

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  12. adding it to my tbr list!

    here's mine =)

    http://thatchickthatreads.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  13. Sounds like an interesting read. Here's my wow this week:

    http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  14. I like the cover of your pick!

    Here is mine: http://psychoticstate.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-september-2-2009.html

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  15. Here is mine!

    http://karissabooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-92.html

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  16. Here's Mine. Looks like everyone has interesting choices this week.

    http://thenovelhovel.blogspot.com/2009/09/waitng-on-wednesday.html

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  17. I like your choice this week!!

    Here's mine =)

    http://creativitygone.blogspot.com/2009/09/day-269-waiting-on-wednesday-26.html

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  18. I can't wait for this one either...it was my WOW pick back in July!

    Here's Mine:

    http://missysbooknook.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  19. here's mine!
    http://tyngasreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-dawnbreaker-by.html

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  20. Your WoW sounds quite intense!

    Here's mine:
    http://thebookgirlreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  21. Looks great!

    Here's mine for the week:

    http://deadbookdarling.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-body-finder-by.html

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  22. My WOW is The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima, to read more visit my blog at

    www.bookwormnation.blogspot.com

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  23. your pick sounds like a sad one. but uplifting in the end. may give it a try.

    here's me with mashup picks:
    http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-14.html

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  24. Americans in Space sounds great! I'm adding it to my wishlist. :D

    My WoW is here.

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  25. Wow, sounds interesting! I like the title.

    Here's mine

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  26. Sounds, like a book I would enjoy. Thanks. Here is ours
    Page Turners

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  27. Here is my link:
    http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-10.html

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  28. This sounds good. I wonder what she does?
    Here's Mine.

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  29. Here's mine

    http://melissa-coffeebooksandlaundry.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  30. Americans in Space sounds great!

    Here's mine: http://readingisthespiceoflife.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

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  31. Awesome!

    Mine's at http://lucidconspiracy.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-4.html

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  32. Good pick! ;)

    Here's my link: www.tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com


    Enjoy!
    TBQ

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  33. Here's mine:

    http://inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-burning-ambition.html

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  34. Thank you for sharing!

    Here's mine:

    http://sugarandgrits.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-1.html

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  35. Mine can be found here (kinda last minute, but I wasn't sure which book to pick):

    http://ponderingthelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday-92.html

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  36. Here's mine -- Happy reading all in September..

    http://erotichorizon.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-thursday-but-waiting-on-wednesday.html

    E.H>

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  37. I haven't heard of this-it sounds great! I'm waiting on the Kathy Griffin autobiography and the last Nabokov!

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  38. Just beginning this! Mine is for Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson.

    Poisoned Rationality

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  39. Here's Mine -

    http://erotichorizon.blogspot.com/2009/09/waiting-on-wednesday.html

    E.h>

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