Waiting on Wednesday - Timeslip or is it Time Travel?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

There seem to be a few time travel or time slip books coming out in 2011. Being able to travel into the past and view or change the course of events that have already happened could be a very interesting thing. Imagine being able to witness historical events as they occur. And of course who wouldn't want to go back and be able to change their mind about a decision they made which led to an unexpected outcome. 

In the following three books the main characters all get to time travel or slip through time: 

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Publisher: Egmont USA

Publication Date: June 14, 2011

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I'm not sure that it's possible to love a cover any more than I love this cover. I haven't even read Hourglass and this is my favorite cover of 2011 so far. Cover aside, Hourglass has been getting a lot of buzz in my twitter stream, on blogs and in real life too. Enough buzz that I want to read it now, like: can't wait would someone be willing to loan me a copy I will drop everything and read it as soon as I get it now! Plus, just based on the reviews I've read (and the fangirl and boy comments on Twitter), I included it in a presentation on YA trends I did last week.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Publisher: Henry Holt & co.

Publication Date: May 10, 2011

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon, the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Again, with the pretty cover! This one is even prettier in person - well the ARC cover, which is a little different, is gorgeous in person. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Ruby Red and am excited to read it. Since it's not coming out until next month, I'll wait a little longer to read it. But, I have a feeling that this will be a must buy.

This next book has already been published, but since it's still on my TBR pile, I figure I'm still "waiting on" it.

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.

The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.

Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

So, romance, pirates, and time travel all mix together in Steel - that sounds like a terrific combination to me. Plus, Jill is a fencer which means that she knows how to handle a sword and can most likely hold her own against the pirates.

What fabulous reads are you eagerly waiting for?