Waiting on Wednesday #108: The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos Hernandez

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

The book I am waiting on this week is The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos Hernandez. It's due out January 1, 2016 from Rosarium Publishing.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Assimilation is founded on surrender and being broken; this collection of short stories features people who have assimilated, but are actively trying to reclaim their lives. There is a concert pianist who defies death by uploading his soul into his piano. There is the person who draws his mother’s ghost out of the bullet hole in the wall near where she was executed. Another character has a horn growing out of the center of his forehead—punishment for an affair. But he is too weak to end it, too much in love to be moral. Another story recounts a panda breeder looking for tips. And then there’s a border patrol agent trying to figure out how to process undocumented visitors from another galaxy. Poignant by way of funny, and philosophical by way of grotesque, Hernandez’s stories are prayers for self-sovereignty.

Why am I waiting on this book? The reviews I've read indicated that this collection of short stories is varied in topics. And they also agree that it is a funny book. These stories are Science Fiction and Fantasy. I don't read Science Fiction that  much, but I really enjoy Urban Fantasy and Magical Realism. All 3 genres are supposed to be present in the book. Also, I am a big fan of humorous fiction. This promises to be a good collection for that.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.
Happy Reading!

Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is a YA dystopian novel told from Malencia Vale's point of view. This is  book one in a new trilogy.

It's after the Seven Stages War and the majority of the population is organized in colonies for safety. Cia and her family live in the Five Lakes colony which is the smallest colony and hasn't sent any graduates to the testing in several years. It's also a little more self sufficient than the other colonies giving the students lots of skills. Cia is a young student about to graduate school and wants nothing more than to go for Testing for University. But, is she ready for the Testing and all that it holds?

Ready or not she is selected along with a few others from her colony. Before they leave, her father gives her one last piece of advice based on his own shadowy recollections of his own testing, "Trust no one."

Tomas is her love interest. Everyday he seems to be more in love with her. But. should she trust him? Should she be ruled by her heart or her head?

I usually don't much like dystopian novels, but this one I did. I found myself turning the pages wanting to find out what happened next. I liked the characters especially Cia and Tomas. I liked the variety of action and the character development. People who enjoyed The Hunger Games or dystopian fiction in general will like this book. And I think if you like science fiction at all you will enjoy it. This book is expected to be available
June 4, 2013.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.