Can't Wait Wednesday (225) - 2 New Finds and a Question at the Bottom

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

And in honor of DOG DAYS OF SUMMER, all month long you'll be getting a pick from me and an additional one from Cassius!

FROM GOODREADS:  From the New York Times bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series comes a hilarious and high-octane adult novel about a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who lives an isolated life in the bayous of Louisiana—and the raucous adventures that ensue when he crosses paths with a fifteen-year-old troublemaker on the run from a crooked sheriff.

In the days of yore, he flew the skies and scorched angry mobs—now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his Laz-Z-Boy recliner. Laying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack. For centuries, he struck fear in hearts far and wide as Wyvern, Lord Highfire of the Highfire Eyrie—now he goes by Vern. However...he has survived, unlike the rest. He is the last of his kind, the last dragon. Still, no amount of vodka can drown the loneliness in his molten core. Vern’s glory days are long gone. Or are they?

A canny Cajun swamp rat, young Everett “Squib” Moreau does what he can to survive, trying not to break the heart of his saintly single mother. He’s finally decided to work for a shady smuggler—but on his first night, he witnesses his boss murdered by a crooked constable.

Regence Hooke is not just a dirty cop, he’s a despicable human being—who happens to want Squib’s momma in the worst way. When Hooke goes after his hidden witness with a grenade launcher, Squib finds himself airlifted from certain death by…a dragon?

The swamp can make strange bedfellows, and rather than be fried alive so the dragon can keep his secret, Squib strikes a deal with the scaly apex predator. He can act as his go-between (aka familiar)—fetch his vodka, keep him company, etc.—in exchange for protection from Hooke. Soon the three of them are careening headlong toward a combustible confrontation. There’s about to be a fiery reckoning, in which either dragons finally go extinct—or Vern’s glory days are back.

A triumphant return to the genre-bending fantasy that Eoin Colfer is so well known for, Highfire is an effortlessly clever and relentlessly funny tour-de-force of comedy and action.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  Anyone who knows my love of weird books knows I wouldn't be able to resist and vodka-drinking, Flashdance-watching dragon in Louisiana!  I need this NOW!

CASSIUS'S PICK: 

FROM GOODREADS: IT’S A “RUFF” WORLD OUT THERE

Trigger is a talented private detective down on his luck… and he’s also a one-eyed brown Chihuahua. In fact, everyone in Arc City is a dog or cat — from Lily the pretty white Chihuahua, to Rico the infamous yet benevolent thief, to Patches the straight-laced police officer trying to survive within a corrupt police force — they’re all part of Trigger’s adventure.

When Lily needs to track down the missing collar left to her by her late mother, it’s Trigger who hunts for the thief’s scent. But there’s a bigger problem out there. Namely, Mr. B, all around mean cat and the most feared criminal mastermind in the city. He controls most of the police, politicians, and business leaders, and he’s not going to stop anytime soon. And when Trigger enlists the help of Rico and Patches, what starts as a missing ruby collar becomes the case of Trigger’s career.

The Ruby Collar is the first book in the Detective Trigger series. Join Trigger and his pals as they make Arc City safer for dogs and cats alike. Because it’s a dog’s life… and every dog has its day. 

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT:  I think this sounds like a lot of fun and I think Mom would really enjoy it (so much so it's already preordered to arrive on her Kindle today!)  I think Trigger sounds cool and I'm sure if I was helping, he'd find the collar in no time.  

QUESTION:  So I used to assist the boys in doing "Books to Bark and Crow About" but I'll be honest, it just isn't the same without Booker T.  So Cass wants to know if our regular visitors mind if he becomes a regular contributor to Can't Wait Wednesdays - or is 2 books each week too much?  Just let us know in the comments.