Waiting

Once I get into an author, it's all I can do to wait for another one of their books to come out. Once upon a time C recommended that I read Shannon Hale's, The Goose Girl, and I became hooked. I read all of Shannon's books and was ready for more! She has a new one out now, though, called Austenland, and I just can't get excited about it despite my love for all things Jane Austen. Sure, I put myself on the waiting list for it at my local library about as soon as I was able to, but I'm not exactly chomping at the bit. Last night I learned that she has ANOTHER book coming out this summer:



This one I'm ordering straight from Amazon! This is the Shannon Hale I've grown to know and love. No one does a fairy tale retelling like Shannon. Well, except for Gail Carson Levine. When's *her* next book coming out?!

There are loads of other authors I've been waiting on. I loved Justine Larbalestier's Magic or Madness Trilogy, and have been eagerly looking forward to her next book. Well, she *just* announced what it is on her blog: The Ultimate Fairy Book, due out Fall 2008. I'll have to wait and see what this one is about to get really excited as the title just isn't doing it for me. Her husband, Scott Westerfeld, wrote a couple series that I loved (Uglies and Midnighters), and *his* new book, Extras, is due out this October.

Markus Zusak wrote my absolute favorite book of 2006: The Book Thief. I am literally beside myself waiting for his next book, but I've heard no news so I assume it will be a while. Please, Markus! Give a girl a break!

Other authors I'm waiting on, and their upcoming books (if known):

• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (December 2007) -- I've been waiting for the third book in her trilogy since the second one came out in 2005!
• Edith Pattou wrote three amazing books, but I haven't heard a peep about her since. If you haven't read East yet, get thyself to the library!
• Clive Barker and his Abarat Trilogy. The books are worth reading for the illustrations alone! You can see some of them at his website here. I want some of his prints up in my apartment!
  
• Another installment of An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams -- the first two were laugh-out-loud funny.
  
• Cornelia Funke's Inkdeath, sequel of Inkheart and Inkspell (I'm not sure when the English version will be published, though I believe you can buy it in German)
  
• Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth (April 2008)
• Lisa See, Peony in Love (June 2007!!)
• Elizabeth Kostova (fine, I haven't spoken with anyone who's enjoyed her first book, The Historian, as much as I did, but I think she's fabulous)
• A non-graphic novel by Audrey Niffenegger -- how much did I love The Time Traveler's Wife? So much that I'm pretty nervous about this.
  

Well, there are certainly many more authors to add to that list, but you get the picture. I just can't wait! And it's heartening to know that I won't have a shortage of new books to read. Not that that should *ever* be a problem...

Which authors/books are you guys waiting on?