edge of seventeen

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars...

2012-01-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

John Green, with misplaced manuscript

Sixteen-year-old Hazel Grace has stage four cancer that is spreading to her lungs. Thanks to a hopeful new trial drug, the growth of her cancer has been halted for a time. At a cancer support group meeting to help her deal with her depression, Hazel meets Augustus Waters, a handsome, charming young man whose own cancer prognosis looks better than Hazel’s. Hazel is drawn to Augustus' sense of humour, unique worldview and thorough grasp of irony and metaphor. Augustus has a weird habit of dangling an unlit cigarette between his lips, but later explains: “It's a metaphor, see. You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing.” Hazel’s relationship with Augustus and their shared love of a book called An Imperial Affliction by a reclusive Dutch writer named Peter van Houten take them along an unusual path of self-discovery.

Beautifully written and filled with humour, The Fault in Our Stars is also one of the most highly anticipated Young Adult titles this year. And it’s no wonder. It’s author, John Green, has almost two million followers on Twitter (http://twitter.com/realjohngreen) and a whole community of nerdy fans at vlogbrothers (http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers) , a collection of video journals that are a back and forth correspondence with his brother Hank. The videologs are caffeine-fuelled musings on just about everything worth talking about. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Green’s fans are of the die-hard variety, regularly posting encouraging comments on his website like “I can’t wait to receive my signed, pre-ordered copy of your new book so I can lick your signature!” OK, maybe no one actually said that, but you get the idea.

The new book does NOT disappoint. The plot and topic of this new book was a closely-guarded secret with Green and his publishers for a while, so I had no idea what this one was about. John Green could sell his shopping lists on ebay and make a fortune so it almost seemed like what he chose to write about was irrelevant. But here’s the kicker: The Fault in Our Stars is about one of the single most difficult topics around: childhood cancer. In a lesser writer’s hands, this would be the kind of book I would diligently avoid; however, this is why it’s not a problem:

1) John Green’s previous (and award-winning) book Looking for Alaska deals with death in a sensitive, intelligent, and even, at times, humorous way.

2) Green writes teenage dialogue good enough to make Joss Whedon (Buffy) and Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) sit up and take notice.

3) The Fault in Our Stars is filled with lots of literary references and poetry. I love that Green never assumes that his audience is stupid.

The Fault in Our Stars will be a feast for existing John Green fans, and--for new readers--a great introduction to a young adult writer at the top of his game.

-Erica

Wonderstruck giveaway!

2011-11-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

From Brian Selznick, the creator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the Caldecott Medal winner, comes another breathtaking tour de force. Set fifty years apart, two independent stories — Ben's told in words and Rose's in pictures — weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.

Ever since his mom died, Ben feels lost. At home with her father, Rose feels alone.
He is searching for someone, but he is not sure who.
She is searching for something, but she is not sure what.
When Ben finds a mysterious clue hidden in his mom's room,
When a tempting opportunity presents itself to Rose,
Both children risk everything to find what's missing.

With over 460 pages of original drawings and playing with the form he invented in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful, Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Win a copy of Goliath by Scott Westerfeld!

2011-11-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

An Interview with Goliath Author Scott Westerfeld!

2011-10-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

I LOVE all things steampunk. And I LOVE anything by Scott Westerfeld. So when I laid my hands on Leviathan, the first of his steampunk-inspired, totally amazing series in the fall of 2009, I was smitten. Behemoth came out next, and this fall the conclusion to the series arrived in our little bookstore to much fanfare (mostly from me). Scoot over here to see my review of Goliath to get a feel of what this series is all about.

The good folks at Simon and Schuster Canada set me up with an interview with Scott Westerfeld and his thoughtful answers are reproduced below. It seems much more steampunk to use last names only so Scott is "Mr. Westerfeld", and I will be, um... "Mrs. Sommerfield -Smith" (oh, why not?) So, as they say, tie up your dirigible and stay awhile!

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: You’ve done an amazing job of creating a fascinating alternate WWI history in the Leviathan series. You create some great “what if” scenarios and divisions (Clankers vs. Darwinists, boys vs. girls (!)). In your afterword to Leviathan you mention that “the nature of steampunk is blending future and past” and that your series “is as much about possible futures as alternate pasts.” Could you elaborate on this?

Mr. Westerfeld: Steampunk is about messing with history, Victorian history in particular. It's about bringing a flame-thrower to a tea party, while still wearing an appropriate silk cravat. So it's not just a mix of future and past, but of refinement and mayhem.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: Why did you decide to give these novels a steampunk aesthetic? Where did you first encounter steampunk?

Mr. Westerfeld: My first steampunk experience was at Disney World. I was about eight years old, and went on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride. Something about a nuclear submarine with a pipe organ and baroque stylings really clicked with me. It's that strange mix of technologies and time periods that make certain people love steampunk.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: I’ve noticed steampunk appearing more and more in literature, but also movies and television. Neil Gaiman recently wrote an episode of Doctor Who that had a decidedly steampunk feel. Are there any TV shows with a steampunk look/philosophy that have drawn your attention?

Mr. Westerfeld: I think the movie world (and more recently TV) likes the look and feel of steampunk, but doesn't know what to do with its broader themes yet. Steampunk is about rewriting history, in effect, pushing back the constraints that society placed on people because of their gender or beliefs or who their parents were. And there has yet to be a TV version of steampunk that addresses that larger project. I will admit that I grew up with The Wild, Wild West, however, and that I desperately wanted my own personal gizmo-filled train car.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: In addition to your extremely successful YA series’ you’ve written five science fiction novels for adults. Why did you decide to write for young adults? What are the particular merits of writing for this audience?

Mr. Westerfeld: Teenagers are voracious readers, they send more and better fan mail, and they aren't as limited in their genre choices as adults. But I think the coolest thing about them is how engaged with language they are. At any given moment, more teenagers than adults are studying a foreign language, writing poetry, memorizing song lyrics, and making up slang. Teens are still acquiring language to some extent, and thus they take more joy and interest in the way novels play with words. As a writer who likes to generate slang and other kinds of neologisms, I find them a much more engaged and exciting audience with which to communicate.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: Keith Thompson’s illustrations in the three novels are stunning. I love it when books are illustrated with black and white illustrations. At any time did you and Keith Thompson work together to come up with a “look” for the illustrations, or were writing and illustrating two separate endeavours?

Mr. Westerfeld: I would send Keith first drafts of three or four chapters at a time, and he would respond very quickly with sketches, so we were bouncing back and forth from the beginning. Often I would rewrite based on his illustrations, because I soon found that he was a better engineer than me, and sometimes a better researcher as well. So at times I would be quite general, "Something's going to chase in them in a couple of chapters. Could you draw something fast?" and then let my writing follow his art.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: The internet, do you love it or hate it? Does it help or hinder you as a writer? Are there benefits and/or pitfalls to having a presence online while being an active writer?

Mr. Westerfeld: I think being in touch with readers is a great experience. Teens are wonderfully frank about what they like and dislike in my fiction, which is a really great kind of feedback to get. But the best thing about the internet is the way that teens engage each other, forming communities of readers. And these communities spread outward from the books to the wider world, as with the Harry Potter Alliance and its charitable works. A love of books has always been a way for like-minded people to find each other, and the internet has only made that project more vast and wonderful.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: Your series, Uglies, has a brilliant new sci-fi take on that old (teenage) chestnut: “Be yourself”. In Leviathan, Deryn disguises herself as a boy to join the British Air Force and must be careful not to let her secret slip. I like the fact that you’ve drawn Deryn as an independent, strong-willed young woman, but she’s also not without insecurities and prejudices. What is so unique about this time in a child’s life when they are coming-of-age, and why is it such a fascinating theme to write (and read!) about?

Mr. Westerfeld: I agree that the theme of teenage fiction is Identity. Young people are still figuring out who they are, after all. (Everyone is, really, but teenagers are better at admitting it.) Because the teenage years are filled with epic firsts—first love, first betrayal, first true loss—it's a tremendously dramatic time to write about.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: I like the way the adults in this novel, particularly Dr. Nora Barlow, seem to be positive influences on Deryn and Alek. Was this a conscious choice?

Mr. Westerfeld:I think Barlow and Volger have both positive and negative aspects. They provide a lot of good advice to their young charges, but their overall worldview is one of conflict and competition. Deryn and Alek, on the other hand, are learning the importance of working together across lines of ideology and class. So it's up to my younger characters to separate the good from the bad when it comes to their elders' example and counsel.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: And do you categorize, if you could categorize your books at all, as speculative fiction? If so, what are the freedoms of writing in this genre? Are there any limitations? If not, what sets your books outside the categorization of speculative fiction?

Mr. Westerfeld: I'm lucky in writing for young adults, in that my books don't get categorized as much. I've written science fiction, fantasy, contemporary realism, and now steampunk, and yet all my books can sit happily together in the teen section of the bookstore. And that's all us writers can really ask for, that our books be findable! All the rest of it is for the critics to worry about.

Book Clubbing: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher with Bronwyn!

2011-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mandy and her fellow blogger and friend Kiirstin have had a lot of fun "Book Clubbing" on this blog. No, I don't mean violently attacking books with blunt objects (I can already imagine a librarian-led protest rally in response to this), but rather chatting, book-club style, about books they love.

My coworker and friend Bronwyn and I decided to do the latter with the book Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Bronwyn's read both of the books in the series, Incarceron and Sapphique, so she's supplied me with a little teaser for each:

Incarceron:

In a world thousands of years from now, where everyone lives as though it was still the 17th century, there exists an elaborate prison. Incarceron is so vast that it contains more than cells: metal forests, forgotten cities, vast wilderness, and fog-filled never-ending ravines. Instead of stars at night, the prisoners are followed by glowing red dots, the eyes of the prison that follow their every move. Seventeen-year-old Finn has no memory but believes that he was born outside of Incarceron. He finds a crystal key which allows him to communicate with Claudia. She not only lives outside, she is also the daughter of Incarceron's warden. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

Sapphique:

Without giving too much away, Finn and Claudia are outside together. Finn has discovered that this other world is not what he had hoped for. He must obey rules of protocol and etiquette. His friends are still stuck in Incarceron and he feels that he has abandoned them. They are searching for a magical glove, rumoured to give them the power to escape and join Finn. As the prison prepares to battle, so to does the Outside. The dynamic ending to this book will take your breath away!

***

Bronwyn: Hi Erica!

Erica: Hi Bronwyn!

Bronwyn: How are you doing? Did you get a chance to finish Incarceron?

Erica: Yes. Andrew and I were travelling home from Hamilton yesterday night

and I read a couple of chapters by flashlight. Don't worry, I wasn't the one driving! But,

point being, this book is THAT suspenseful. I couldn't wait to get home to read it.

Bronwyn: I felt the same way. I couldn't wait to finish the book and then I couldn't

wait to read the sequel, Sapphique!

Erica: You recommended that I read this book. What attracted you in the first

place? Why did you pick if off the shelf?

Bronwyn: Well first of all the beautiful cover of that key drew me in. I know as

booksellers we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I do it all the time.

Then I was really drawn in by this unique idea that Catherine Fisher created in her

book, about a kingdom 3000 years in the future that dresses and acts like they

are living in Versailles and has a prison that is a whole other world that is really an

experiment gone wrong.

Bronwyn: I was also fascinated by the amazing array of gadgets that they use

in the kingdom, things like skin wands to not look old.

Erica: I know! The cover totally drew me in too! You know how much I love anything

steampunk. I opened the front cover and there are a whack of awesome quotes:

"...a steampunk tour de force; ...a gripping futuristic fantasy", etc. So the beautiful

cover and the reviews inside really sold me on this book. The setting (3000 years in

the future, but living as if they are in the 17th century) is very steampunk,

and I found this idea fascinating. The idea that the world is controlled by imposing the

ideals of a former era is brilliant.

Erica: And gadgets! The skin wands reminded me of the the work that Cinna

the stylist did on Katniss in The Hunger Games.

Bronwyn: I also found the main characters -- Finn in the jail and Claudia on "earth" –

very well rounded. I found myself cheering for them and also sometimes a little scared

of them or disappointed in the decisions that they made. I like when an author does that,

when their characters are not superheroes or perfect wonder-beings.

Erica: Yeah, I agree. These characters are well constructed. I liked that Fisher uses the

trope of the princess that is betrothed to an odious prince, and yet Claudia is not the

standard damsel in distress.

Erica: I was also really impressed with the way that Fisher developed the Prison as a

CHARACTER in the novel. The idea of a sentient prison reminded me a bit of the computer

(HAL 9000) in the movie 2001. I think it`s such a scary premise: a prison that is all seeing,

all-knowing and that is responsible for the life and death of its inmates.

Bronwyn: Certainly, Claudia is a woman who knows her own mind and is determined to

get her way. I think she was very empowered, especially because she had been mostly raised

by this master tutor who gave her education, ethics, but mostly taught her how to think

and question the world around her. I have not seen 2001, but I am familiar with the premise.

Sometimes I wonder about that, here we are surrounded by gadgets that we depend on.

Are they all-seeing? Anyways that's a bit too Big Brother. But the books are really built on

that Big Brother premise. And even though in Claudia's world they claim that they are "free",

in fact they are not, there are silent eyes and ears listening to the citizens at all times.

In Incarceron it's obvious when these red eyes are following you wherever you go.

Erica: True. Both Claudia and Finn are each imprisoned in their own way. You could even

argue that Finn's imprisonment is less sinister, because it's right out there. Everyone KNOWS

that Big Brother is watching, so to speak. So I`ve been poking around online and I noticed

that the rights to this book have been optioned and a movie is due out in 2013.

Taylor Lautner and Emma Watson are set to star as Finn and Claudia. What do you think

of this?

Bronwyn: OOOOO that sounds amazing! As I was reading both books I was trying to

figure out how it could be made into a movie because both worlds are so complex, especially

the prison. Incarceron just felt it had all of these layers of worlds contained within it. The

metallic forest that Finn and his group walk through to try and escape the prison, really was

so beautiful, I pictured an enchanted world and then all of a sudden the prison lights go on

and you remember that this is really a jail. A strange (and dare I say wondrous) jail?

Erica: I think that they'll definitely make beautiful movies. The setting is so visually rich

and detailed. The cinematographer's going to have a party. OK. So if the Twilight franchise

has Team Jacob and Team Edward, I propose that there will be a Team Finn vs. Team Jared.

Am I alone in having a bit of a crush on Jared? Tall, dark, handsome Sapient/tutor that

he is?

Bronwyn: I think I would probably be on Team Finn... He definitely seems a "rebel with a

cause". But I can see how Jared is a beguiling character. The second book in the series,

at the very end Jared surprises me, and seems to have a very large character shift.

Bronwyn: Are you planning on reading the second book?

Erica: Definitely. I'm hoping maybe my Jared/Claudia fantasy will be realized in

Sapphique? Haa, just kidding. Too pedagogically inappropriate. No spoilers please.

I just Googled Jared/Incareron/fanfic and the author R.J. Anderson has a series of

fanfiction based on Incarceron.

Bronwyn: Interesting. I am not familiar with fanfiction. What is that?

Erica: It's when fans of a novel or a particular character in a novel take that character

and create their own story and publish it online.It's kind of an outlet for fans to expand

on a story or take characters in a different direction. It’s like a DIY way to make your

favourite stories last longer!

Erica: Here's the link for the R. J. Anderson fanfiction:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6795502/1/Th...

Goliath!

2011-10-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Goliath is the conclusion to the Young Adult trilogy, Leviathan. I whipped through the first two books in this series, Leviathan and Behemoth, so you can imagine how excited I was when I received an advance copy of Goliath.

The Leviathan trilogy is a steampunk-inspired alternate history of World War I. The series’ main characters are Alek, heir-in hiding to the Austrian throne and son of the murdered Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Princess Sophie, and Deryn Sharp, a young girl from London who dreams of being part of the British Air Service. Deryn sneaks her way in to the service by pretending to be a boy and by calling herself Dylan Sharp. In Westerfeld’s version of WWI, there are two main opposing factions: the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Clankers are countries, such as Germany and Austria-Hungary, that use steam-driven iron machines for warfare. The Darwinists use altered animals as their weaponry. Darwinists countries include Britain, France and Japan.

The three novels follow Alek and Deryn’s adventures aboard the airship Leviathan, a huge vehicle made out of a whale and an intricate ecosystem unto itself. On top of some thrilling combat with huge steampunk iron machines and some daring escapes, lies a budding romance between Alek and Deryn that builds throughout the series. Admittedly, the feelings are a little one-sided in the first two novels. As Deryn is disguised as a boy, admitting her feelings for Alek would be like admitting that her whole existence as a soldier has been a lie.

And if all this still doesn’t sell you on what a thrilling series this is, Keith Thompson’s black and white illustrations throughout the book are fantastically intricate depictions of the huge beasties and clankers. I found myself flipping ahead in each book to look at the next illustration, despite the major spoilers!

Behemoth and the entire Leviathan trilogy will appeal to teenagers and adults alike, especially history buffs and steampunk enthusiasts. A great series for teen boys who are reluctant readers, too.

-Erica

Win a copy of The Vinyl Princess 'zine by Yvonne Prinz!

2011-09-29T05:42:00.000-07:00

So imagine, if you will, my girlish squeal of delight when, one morning, my boss handed me a package addressed to Edge of Seventeen. Mail! Yay!

The return address said Yvonne Prinz. "Hmm. Who's that? ," I thought. Then it dawned on me. Yvonne Prinz: author of the incredibly cool novel The Vinyl Princess, co-founder of the indie record store Amoeba Music ,blogger and 'zine author! Inside the package was a bunch of copies of her 'zine and a bunch of VP buttons. I have three of each to give away, so be sure to enter your name below to get one.

Mandy put me on to The Vinyl Princess last year and after I read the novel, I think Mandy's review of the book perfectly captures my feelings for this book. See Mandy's enthusiastic review of The Vinyl Princess here. And her further musings here.

The 'zine that I'm giving away is like a love letter to music: vintage vinyl reviews, top ten lists, a comic strip and more.

****

Edge of Seventeen is Back!

2011-09-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

After a bit of an extended vacation, Edge of Seventeen is back! Mandy has offered me the enormously thrilling responsibility of taking care of this baby for a while. So, I've already written a few blog posts but I suppose it's never too late for official introductions. My name is Erica and I work at Words Worth Books in Waterloo. I love reading kids and YA books and I have a special interest in anything with a steampunk aesthetic. I hope that you'll enjoy my posts. Mandy will continue to post reviews once in a while, in between running a world-class local independent bookstore. In order to accomplish all of this, Mandy will give up sleep.

So, in honour of Mandy and the love for YA that we both share, I thought I'd share with you a little Q&A, to get right back to the heart of why it's so much fun to blog about Young Adult fiction.

Erica: Hi Mandy!
Mandy: Hi!!!

Mandy and Erica, blog-size.

Erica: What are you readingright now?
Mandy: The new MichaelOndaatje. It's okay.
Erica: I know that you have a veryspecial place in your heart for teen fiction, especially dystopian fiction. Isthere anything that you've read lately that's wowed you, or anything that youare anticipating?
Mandy: I'm anticipating reading thenew Kenneth Oppel and the new Maureen Johnson, for sure. Recently I finishedthe new Eileen Cook book, I think it's out in January. (I'd have to look upall the titles hahaha)
Erica: What is it about Young Adult fiction that drawsyou to this genre? The hot boys?
Mandy: Hahahahahaha! The only guys I find hot in YA arethe Weasley twins.
Erica: No!

Weasely Weasleys

Mandy: Yes!! And both of 'em! For awhile whenI was reading more YA, I loved it because there was such a huge communitydedicated to it. And I had started reading the blog Bookshelves ofDoom http://bookshelvesofdoom.blogs.com/ ,and I loved her review style. She got me on to so much and I just went withit. And then a lovely librarian friend was also locally blogging aboutteen books and I was hooked.
Erica: When you mention the YA community, what do youmean? Readers, bloggers, authors?
Mandy: Mostly bloggers, but also publishers. There wasall this new buzz about the teen genre and I wanted to be part of it.
Erica: There are LOTS of blogs on the web, and lots ofYA book blogs, to boot. What sets Edge of Seventeen apart from the rest, inyour opinion?
Mandy: Actually I think EOS is pretty standard in termsof a book blog. BUT I think with your renewed interest in maintaining it, andyour injecting it with Steampunk goodness, it'll really become something.
Erica: I don't think the blog is or has ever beenstandard! Your sheer enthusiasm and amazing author interviews made me a loyalblog reader.
Mandy: Every blog should have some unique focus to it,in partnership with being a straightforward teen book review blog. Pick apassion and incorporate it into your blog and you'll stand out. I never reallydid that.
Erica: I endeavor to take the awesomeness that youstarted and continue it.
Mandy: Ha ha ha, you'll make it great.
Erica: Anne of Green Gables was the book that made meinto a reader. It has a strong female character, which is something that Istill love in YA books. Was there a book like this for you?
Mandy: One of the books that made me into a reader was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Iloved it. It was also the beginning of my love for Sci-Fi. But I can'tremember my first book, per se.
Erica: You've interviewed quite afew fantastic authors on your blog. Which one would you most like to take outfor dinner? What would you chat about over coffee and dessert?
Mandy: I'd love to have dinner withBernard Beckett just because I have a crush on him. It's possible that Iwouldn't have much to say to him except "Genesis was amazing...." I might have more to say to MegRosoff though, just about anticipating how a story is developed. I'm in awe of How I Live Now. All of the elementsof the story and the way she builds it up, it's remarkable.
Erica: You'reremarkable. Thanks for creating such a fantastic blog and thanks for chattingwith me.
Mandy: Anytime!!

Review Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

2011-09-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

This novel is INTENSE. I was first attracted to the book because of it's awesome cover. The photo here doesn't do it justice: in real life you can clearly see that it is meant to look like weathered metal, probably copper, and the title looks as if it's been etched into the metal. Gorgeous.

Once I got past the cover, the story itself drew me in faster than any book I've read recently. The story opens in an extremely claustrophobic setting as Nailer, a teenage boy, clambers through a service duct on a grounded oil tanker. Ship Breaker takes place in a future when oil is scarce and discharged oil tankers are docked on the the coast to be broken down for parts. Nailer's job, along with the rest of the teenage crew, is to scavenge copper wiring from grounded ships (thus: ship breaking). Smaller kids like Nailer are preferred for this work, because they can easily navigate the narrow ducts in the tankers.

Listen to this nail-biting description of one of Nailer's salvage missions:

All around, the duct pinged and creaked. It sank slightly, tilting. The whole thing was on the verge of collapse. Nailer's frantic activity and extra weight had weakened it. ...Metal shrieked. The duct dropped out from under him. Nailer scrabbled for handholds as his world gave away. His fingers seized scavenged wire. For a second it held, suspending him above an infinite pit. Then the wire tore loose. He plummeted...

Aargh! **bites nails**

Nailer and his friends live in the Gulf Coast region where the worst of the frequent storms that rip along the coast are nicknamed "City Killers": storms so intense that the obliterate anything in their path. In Ship Breaker's dystopian future, global warming is NOW and New Orleans has sunk, twice. I know, know. I hear you saying: "This all sounds terribly grim. Why would I want to read another dystopian YA novel that's so unrelentlingly BLEAK?" Well, for one, Bacigalupi is an amazing author. I read this book late into the wee hours of the morning because I needed to know what would happen next. Brilliant pacing. And secondly, as with many dystopian novels, there is a hopeful undercurrent. Nailer's life is all hard knocks and he has an extremely dysfunctional relationship with his dad. His dad is a drug addict who thinks only of when and where his next fix will come from. So, ever resilient, Nailer finds family in his friend Pima and her mother, Sadna.

Family. It was just a word. Nailer could spell it now. Could see all the letters strung together. But it was a symbol, too....Family wasn't any more reliable than marriages or friendships or blood sworn crew , and maybe less. His own father really would gut him if he ever got hold of him again; it didn't matter if they shared blood or not....But Nailer was pretty sure that Sadna would fight for him tooth and nail, and maybe even give up her life to save him.

Nailer ALWAYS finds a way. He never gives up. Sure he falters and stumbles at times, but there's always a will. It's easy to draw similarities between Ship Breaker and The Hunger Games; between Nailer and Katniss. Both Nailer and Katniss are prisoners of circumstance who have to rely upon their own inner resourcefulness. And both books play around with the subject of class, comparing the haves to the have nots. In Ship Breaker's future there is no middle class: the rich are rich and the poor are dirt poor.

I recommend Ship Breaker to anyone who's enjoyed some of the more popular dystopian teen fiction of the last little while: The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. This is also an excellent novel "for the dudes."

-Erica

Faerie Tale Musings

2011-09-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to break away from books for a moment to describe an experience that was at least faerie-tale-ish. Last week, my husband and I took an early morning walk to Sabletine, a local patisserie, thinking of chocolate croissants and european-style coffee the whole way. As we approached Sabletine, something in the window of the next-door consignment shop (Patina) caught my eye. In the window tied to a hanger that displayed a lacy camisole was a pair of pink and green ostrich feathers. Hmm. But hunger trumped interest so we went directly to Sabletine. Emerging about 30 minutes later, covered in croissant dust and energized by the strong coffee, we entered Patina. I tried on a few things that, as it turned out, didn't fit; however, on our way out my husband pointed out a coat: long, black velvet, with a fur collar and lined with what looked like satin. I turned over the tag and read: 1940s Opera Coat. Hmm. I tried it on .

Opera Coat. Yes, I am indeed grinning like an idiot as I wear a winter coat in 35 degree weather.

Now here's where it gets a bit weird. When I looked in the mirror with this coat on, I really felt like I was in a some sort of mythologically-inspired folk tale. I felt as if I was late for a meeting with Baba Yaga; or that I should be strewing breadcrumbs behind me or something. Well, I WAS covered in croissant dust.

Anyway, I bought the coat, and the ostrich feathers. The lovely lady that sold them to me looked me straight in eye when I approached the counter, and frowned slightly. "Oh", she said, "You aren't the lady that was looking at this coat yesterday." "What does that mean!?" I thought, panicking. "Does that mean that I can't buy it!" Interrupting my rapid spiral of despair, she continued, "But she had plenty of time to come back and get it." Phew.

"Remarkable bird. Beautiful plummage, in'it?"

As she touched the ostrich feathers to put them in the bag, she told me that they had come to her through a older lady whose grandmother had worn them in her hair on her wedding day in the 1940s. Her fiance had just returned from the war and had purchased her her several gifts, two of which were these feathers and the lacy camisole that shared space in the shop window until I plucked the feathers away. After she told me this she said, almost wistfully, "And I guess that story dies here." Being a soft touch, I promised to share the story with others whenever I wore the feathers. So there you have it.

And this is my cat. He is VERY interested in this feather.

Holly Black's wicked "Modern Tale of Faerie" series.

On a related note, lately I've been reading Holly Black's modern faerie tales. This woman knows how to write edgy, fast-paced fantasy. Tithe is a about a teenager who stumbles into the faerie world and unwittingly becomes a pawn in the rivalry between two faerie kingdoms. I love the fact that Black portrays teenagers as real people. There are suggestions of sexual situations, and some language, so I'd recommend these books to a 15+ audience. Totally worth checking out.

An Interview with Author Anna Humphrey!

2011-08-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Anna Humphrey is the author of two amazing young adult novels: Rhymes with Cupid (HarperTeen), and most recently, Mission (Un)Popular (Disney/Hyperion). Rhymes with Cupid is a light-hearted romance that takes place around Valentine's Day. Let me just say that this little book had me grinning from ear-to-ear the whole time. Seriously. Grinning like an idiot.

Mission (Un)Popular is the story of Margot Button, a newly-minted seventh grader who struggles to reinvent herself in the seemingly perfect setting of a new school, a.k.a., new beginning. But her new best friend, Em, is trouble with with a capital T: wildly manipulative, selfish and hiding a troubled past. I loved how Margot's character deals with the turmoil: not neatly, in a 1/2 hour sitcom kind of way, but messily, realistically and honestly.

Anna's a busy mother of two on top of her full-time job as a writer, and as you'll see below, she is made of awesome. I hope you enjoy our chat!

Erica: Hi Anna. Thanks for making time today.

Anna: Hi Erica!

Erica: 2011 has been a big year for you... two books in one year!

Anna: It's definitely been busy! I also had a baby somewhere in there. It's all been a bit of a blur.

Erica: I bet! You have two young children at home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working from home?

Anna: There are so many advantages, really. I love that I (mostly) get to set my own schedule and that I can fit the stuff of life (laundry, errands, etc.) around my writing time. I also love the flexibility it gives me when it comes to my kids. They go to daycare part time, but we still get to spend the afternoons together.

Anna: And as for the disadvantages... my office supplies have a way of ending up in my daughter's craft box... but that's about the worst of it.

Erica: Aww. So cute. Your second novel (or second to be published), Mission (Un)Popular, takes place in junior high school. The main character, Margot Button, refers to the eve of a new school year as “School Year’s Eve”. I love this expression! Why do you think the transition between grade six and grade seven is such a magical (yet terrifying!) time?

Anna: I think it's magical (or, it was for me, and it is for Margot) because changing schools seems like such a fresh start--a real opportunity to reinvent yourself. But it's definitely terrifying, too. First of all, because kids can be SO ruthless and mean at that age. And also because trying to become a new, improved version of yourself isn't easy, and it never comes without risk.

Erica: I absolutely agree. There is a power shift that occurs in young girls not just in middle school, but even as young as kindergarten. Divisions happen, cliques form and girls are pitted against one another. Why are girls so mean to each other? And why is this so much more intense in the pre-teen years?

Anna: God! I wish I knew... Maybe then I could protect my daughter from it. I worry about girls. I really do. My daughter's in kindergarten and, like you say, it's already happening to some degree. If I had to guess why girls get mean, I guess I'd say it all comes down to our fear of not being good enough, or worthy enough. We take each other down to make ourselves feel better and safer, socially speaking. It's sad and wrong, but I think every one of us has been guilty of doing it at one point or another. And it gets especially bad in the preteen years, I think, because that's when you start taking a really close look at your peers and trying to figure out where you fit in, or IF you fit in.

Erica: Your book has some pretty powerful stuff to say about self-esteem and conforming to peer pressure. How do you hope your book will be received by girls that are Margot’s age?

Anna: I hope they'll be able to read it, and laugh in places, and not feel preached to in any way. Kids that age have enough people telling them what to do. If they're able to relate to Margot and what she's going through, and maybe cheer her on as she comes to realize what's right for her... well, that'd be more than enough for me.

Erica: I think you've hit the nail on the head. Kids this age don't want to be preached to. Lord knows that I didn't listen when my parents told me that the mean girls in grade seven were just "jealous." "Jealous of what?" was all I could think!

Erica: One of the things that I noted while reading Mission (Un)Popular was that Margot’s character is really believable. Thank you for not writing Margot as a child. Twelve year olds, whether we like it or not, know and experience a lot more than we’d like to admit. Do you think twelve-year-old girls have changed significantly over the years?

Erica: I mean, from our experience of seventh grade to what it's like today?

Anna: Agreed. Twelve year olds definitely know more (and have been through more) than most parents or other adults like to admit... And I'm willing to bet that today's twelve year olds are up against even more than we were at that age. I mean, everything just seems to move faster these days, don't you think?

Erica: Yes. The internet has become a whole new tool for social interaction and bullying. In fact, in your novel, Margot and her best friend, Erika, sort of breakup over the internet. On your blog, you have some pretty cute musings on what it means to be a best friend. What is your best friend like?

Anna: My best friend is made of rainbows. Seriously. She's amazing. Loyal and honest and smart and funny and always, always there for me. She's the one I call when everyone in the entire house has the flu, and she shows up every time. I've known her since I was 15 . Actually, Mission (Un)Popular is dedicated to her.

Erica: Yes! I noticed the dedication. She sounds AMAZING. You're really lucky!

Erica: I noticed some serious Sarah Dessen love on your blog! What other authors would you love to have coffee with?

Anna: I also have a great big author-crush on Susan Juby. She wrote Alice, I Think, and its two sequels. She's hilarious. She's also Canadian, and that makes me love her even more. Also, Gordon Korman. I could read I Want to Go Home a hundred times and not be sick of it.

Erica: Susan Juby! Totally worthy of an author crush! Gordon Korman's great too! One last question: You'll be leading writing workshops for 9 to 12 year olds this fall at TPL (Toronto Public Library). Magical or terrifying?

Anna: Oh. SO terrifying. Don't tell the Toronto Public Library this, but I have no idea what I'm doing, and public speaking makes me feel barfy. That said, I'm also really excited about the opportunity to write with a group of girls. I think that, once I get over my nerves, we're going to have an amazing time together.

Anna: Or guys... sorry. I should add that guys are totally welcome to sign up, too! I hope some will!

Erica: Thanks for your time, Anna! You are my new author crush.

Anna: Awe. Shucks. Thanks, Erica. It was great talking with you!

"Steampunk is what happens when Goths discover brown..."

2011-08-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of author Cherie Priest. Just as I try not to judge a book by it's cover (but I do anyway), I try not to judge an author by her author photo (so I will anyway). This photo is just too much fun. Let's see if we can pin her down.

1) She has blue hair!

2) She is wearing aviator goggles

3) Fingerless gloves. Check.

4) She appears to be posing

in some sort of a steamship/factory/military base

Now, if we add all of these elements together and factor in the major clue in the word "steamship", we can make an educated guess that Cherie Priest is a steampunk fan. The best description of steampunk that I've heard so far is "polite punk", or technology meets romance. For a lengthier definition, see here: http://steampunkscholar.blogspot.com/2009/02/towards-definition-of-steampunk.html

Priest is probably best known for her award-winning steampunk novel, Boneshaker. Dreadnought was written after Boneshaker and has some of the same characters, but it's not necessary to read the books in sequence. So, because Boneshaker was on backorder with the publisher, I decided that to give Dreadnought a go.

Dreadnought is marvellously pulpy, with a remarkable, strong, female character who makes her male counterparts sit up and take notice, thank you very much. Mercy Lynch is whip-smart, sassy and funny. Here's a little sample of her awesomeness:

"It's funny what they say about men in uniform - how people think women just can't resist 'em. Fact is, I think we're just pleased to see a man groomed, bathed, and wearing clothes that fit him."

She knows how to defend herself, is not afraid to travel alone, and is shrewd enough to unravel the mystery at the heart of his story, largely on her own.

Dreadnought takes place during the Civil War (or Priest's version of) and begins with the heroine of the novel, Nurse Mercy Lynch , receiving a telegram informing her that her estranged father is gravely ill. She leaves her post at the hospital and begins the long, dangerous trip across the country, first by zeppelin and them by train. Zeppelin crashes, armoured battle trains, wild-west type ambushes and zombies figure prominently in the a high-energy tale that ensues.

Dreadnought reminded me of everything that was good and smart and fun about Joss "Buffy" Whedon's wild-west television series Firefly. I loved this book and anxiously await the the arrival of Boneshaker!

Kenneth Oppel - in store tomorrow!!!!

2010-10-29T07:24:00.001-07:00

We are pretty excited to meet the award-winning children's author and host Kenneth in the store. Stop by - he will be here and reading to us at 10:30am!

Vampire Diaries: T.V. Show and Music Video

2010-10-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm watching The Vampire Diaries the other day and I realize there is NON-STOP music through the whole show. Alaric is telling the group some important plot details and it's all chilled and there's music playing basically over top of their conversation. How overstimulating. Are the creators so worried about losing their audience to "boring" scenes, like when they TALK? *Otherwise, loving Damon this season!*

I still have some VD books to get through. It surprised me how much I got into them.

And I do have to give cred to the sound crew at VD; there's tons of music, but it's so awesome to see them include Hope Sandoval, Tegan and Sara, Imogen Heap, Metric, Neko Case.

Win The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey!

2010-09-20T15:44:00.001-07:00

This is a scary book. The freaking creepy creatures, Anthropophagus, are unlike any monsters I've recently read about. The cover blurb by VOYA is actually on the ball when they say it's a cross between Mary Shelley and Stephen King; there's a historical, classic gothic genre thing working here, but modernized with gore.

The new paperback edition has the first chapter of The Curse of the Wendigo, (sequel).

So win it! Fill in the form below and spread the word.

Loading...

Blog Tour for Plain Kate by Erin Bow AND Giveaway!

2010-09-15T17:17:00.001-07:00

Plain Kate is Erin Bow's first novel and we're kicking it off with a blog tour! This is the first stop and I have to say it's fitting because Erin is a local author for me. I see her at the bookstore often and we're proud that she's garnered attention for Plain Kate that has stretched far outside our community.

Erin is a talented author and I devoured Plain Kate. Here's a little chat we had about her book, and if you live in Canada, enter below to win a finished copy!

***

Mandy: Hi, Erin! Thanks for making time today. :)

Erin: Hello Mandy! No problems.

Mandy: Summer has gone by too quickly. This September is a big month for you!

Erin: Crazy big. Release day is only ten days from now, which is scary and awesome. I don't know exactly what I expect to HAPPEN on release day, mind.

Mandy: It might feel more like a release month, rather than just a day. But for you, I'm sure the sun will be brighter. :)

Erin: The idea of someone actually reading the thing is -- overwhelming, is I guess the word I'm looking for.

Mandy: Plain Kate isn't the first book you've written and published -- will it be a different feeling when PK releases compared to past books?

Erin: I've had a little reader response trickle in from the ARCs. But even with that, I can't get used to the idea that people who aren't related to me are going to read the book. I think it will feel different. It's been different so far. I thought I was prepared for publishing a book, but the SCALE of publishing a novel with a big house is so different than publishing my poetry. It really is another world. I could probably put everyone who read my last book of poetry in a room. And not a huge room.

Mandy: And there's been quite the buzz at Arthur A. Levine, and Chicken House for your book.

Erin: The novel is much more out of my hands. It has more life of its own. There could be no better cheerleader for a book than Arthur. He's been amazing.He got up in front of this huge room of people at BookExpo and started talking about the books he'd worked on, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass and so on. And in the next breath he's talking about Plain Kate.

Mandy: Yeah, he has a few successes as an editor under his belt.

Erin: I knew it was coming but I still nearly fainted away. He deserves his successes, let me tell you. He's a genius editor, in addition to a good cheerleader.

Mandy: The role of an editor for a book isn't talked about as much as it should be. But I think they are instrumental.

Erin: Arthur certainly was crucial to KATE. The ending we came up with together is almost unrecognizably different. As in, different people live and die for different reasons.

Mandy: I noticed in one of your blog posts, as you were editing PK, that you completely changed the last few chapters before publication. What was there originally (broadly speaking, of course) that you felt needed to go?

Erin: Hmmmm, I am not sure how to answer that without spoiling things for those who haven't read it. One of the rules of magic in the book is that every gift has a cost. In the original version, the scales didn't balance. I wanted to give my characters a more happy ending, but I took too much away from them by doing so. The things that Kate discovers about herself at the end -- and they are important things -- have to come at a cost. In the original, they didn't. In the final version, they do.

Mandy: Oh wow, great answer, actually. The balance of magic is very important in PK. To the world of fantasy, typically.

Erin: Has to be. I can't remember who said that "if everything is possible, nothing is interesting." If you give people magical powers, you also have to give them increased burdens -- weaknesses or responsibilities. Or their lives are too easy.People with easy lives are dull to read about.

Mandy: Absolutely. Which is why I said that PK really reminded me of A Wizard of Earthsea. So much of that book is about balancing magic. And the importance of the shadow.

Erin: Earthsea is my all-time favorite!

Mandy: An absolute classic!

Erin: I didn't have it consciously in mind when the idea came to me about a girl who sells her shadow. But I think it must have been lurking in my dreams somewhere. I could really dissolve into fangirl squee about Earthsea at this point. The bit with Ged ... where he dreams about the shadow outside the door, and then it's inside the room, and YIKES. Those are great books.

Mandy: I like that you mention PK relating to a dream. Elsehwere you say it was "written under the spell of a Russian fairy tale". Can you say a little more about the tone of PK, how it relates to spells and dreams?

Erin: Hmmmm. I think it has a rather "high" tone, like a spell or a dream. It takes itself absolutely seriously. It doesn't have any of that modern irony that's so common (and usually quite enjoyable) in contemporary fantasy. It's not at all meta. I'm reading a book right now, quite a good one, that uses what it calls "the politically correct phrase 'person with paranormal identity.'" That's pretty much the opposite of the tone PK had to take. I think if it had stepped outside itself, even a little, it would have broken its own spell. But because it's unbroken, it can get away with spell-like elements: the stolen shadow, the talking cat, the ghost made out of fog.
Mandy: It is a serious book. And dark, like a traditional fairy tale. But there are definitely funny parts, most often involving Taggle, Kate's talking cat.

Erin: Taggle just about steals the show, doesn't he. But he's just saying what you know all cats are thinking. It's really an honour for us to get to live with them and pet them and give them fish.

Mandy: hahaha, do you own cats? They obviously have a special place in your imagination.

Erin: I have a cat: Augustus Asparagus, First Cat of the Empire. We call him Gus and sometimes he answers. I like how self-possessed cats are; I admire them. But would it hurt sales if I admitted I really want a dog?

Mandy: haha, it just might. Keep the dog thing under your hat for now ;) How amazing was Meg Rosoff's comment about Taggle being one of the most delightful talking cats in children's literature?

Erin: I swooned. I love Rosoff's work, and I'm so honored she loved mine. It's been interesting, her blurb. Sometimes the publisher uses the part about the cat, and sometimes they don't. I think mentioning the cat, and Taggle, makes it sound like a different book than it is. More Disney, you know? Talking animal sidekick he may be, but Taggle is definitely no Disney creature.

Mandy: I was going to say, after reading PK I think it's suited just as much for adults as for young adults. There is no Disney there.

Erin: I think in fact he'd object to "sidekick."

Mandy: I was personally worried, getting near the end, that you were going to make me cry. :) You must have been affected emotionally countless times while writing..

Erin: Did you cry? People cry...I cried, yes. I wonder if that's tacky, like laughing at your own joke. But I did.

Mandy: I was very moved by Taggle's whole story, especially how the book ends. He was the most real to me, as I read.

Erin: I delayed writing the ending for weeks and just about had a breakdown during the time. Finally I found myself at a Tim Hortons with an hour to kill before a radio interview, and I had nothing but my notebook, so I just sat down with some cranberry juice and scribbled it out. It was an intense experience, writing the climax. I'm sure the Timmy's people were about ready to call the Community Mental Health workers. Taggle is the most real, hmmmm? I live most with Kate and Linay, personally. But Taggle is very dear.

Mandy: Linay also was very vivid. He reminded me of David Bowie from Labyrinth! But Linay's story was a lot more complicated.

Erin: Awesome! He'd like that. He has a theatrical streak and probably just about has himself convinced that he's a goblin king. Linay is ... yes, complicated.

Mandy: I had a bit of a crush on him, I have to say.

Erin: You know how bad guys never think they're bad guys? But Linay is quite aware of what he's doing, and I think very torn about it. He has some intense regrets. I ALWAYS fall for the villians. And the tortured unhappy people. Perferably as played by Alan Rickman. Linay is a strange case. He's definitely the villian and he does terrible things to Kate.

Mandy: Hahahaha, me too! Love Alan Rickman. Linay IS pretty aware of what he's doing. I don't think he actually disliked Kate. He just needed something from her and she was willing to give it away.

Erin: But he's also the person who sticks by her, is most faithful to her, believes in her and tries to help her. No, he doesn't dislike her. He says he likes her, in fact, and he's not lying.
He just saw her as weak enough to exploit. The basic complication of the novel is: He's wrong.

Mandy: PK really is a coming of age story. Kate is tested by so many big life situations in one adventure. What is it about this time in a person's life when they leave childhood that is great fodder for story?

Erin: I'm not sure I know. It's certainly one of the classics, though. I guess "becoming who you are" is one of the fundamental human stories. I have had the odd complaint from reviewers that Kate's story is too reactive, that's she's too passive. I think of it differently: that she's surrounded by things that are bigger than she is, caught up in larger events -- as we all are -- and in the midst of that, she has to learn to take control of her own story.

Mandy: I didn't read Kate as being passive at all.

Erin: She does make mistakes, though, and certainly struggles with some decisions.

Mandy: That's a great line about her having to learn to take control of her own story.

Erin: I can see where that reads as "passive." My agent hated the middle bit of the book, which I always think of as the Stolkholm chapters. Kate stays somewhere she clearly shouldn't. But we're not always ready to jump free when we should, and she isn't.

It *is* a good line. I must use it somewhere.

Mandy: Especially since she's already lost so much by the middle of the book. Her mother, her father, her home. I imagined Kate would want to hold on to what she could. Like her art, woodcarving. It's the thing that keeps her together.

Erin: The truth inside the wood. You could (I am making this up on the fly) read that as a metaphor for her journey. She gets carved away to something stronger, more beautiful. But the woodcarving does keep her together. It's the one thing she has complete confidence in, and that never wavers, no matter what else happens in the book.

Mandy: I love that she carves even though she's not recognized by the Guild. The last thing I'd love to know: is there a sequel? Do you feel a sequel is necessary or maybe a companion book set in the same world, with different characters?

Erin: The British title of the book is going to be Wood Angel. I resisted that at first -- I'm so attached to PLAIN KATE -- but I've grown to like it. She is rather an angel of the wood. Something strong and good and out of place ... with a knife in her hand. I have no plans for a sequel. I know, that makes me rare among YA authors.

Mandy: It ends very well in itself. A complete story. All credits and debits balanced, magically and emotionally.

Erin: I won't rule out a companion book -- there are secondary characters in this book that I like -- but I feel as if Kate's story is told. She is not going to go on and save some different city. in book two. Right now I'm working on a few things that are entirely independent. I'm so glad you liked it, Mandy. Wordsworth is my bookstore, you know. A little slip taped to the cover there means as much as a starred review elsewhere.

***
Follow the full blog tour for Plain Kate and enter to win a copy of the book each time! See below for blog stops and dates. Good luck!

September 18th:
http://www.blogger.com/www.yabookshelf.com

September 19th:
http://www.letthewordsflow.wordpress.com/

September 20th:
http://www.lil-library.blogspot.com/
http://www.lavenderlines.wordpress.com/

September 21st:
http://www.21pages.x10hosting.com/
http://www.bellasbookshelves.wordpress.com/

September 22nd:
http://www.todays-adventure.com/

September 23rd:
http://www.themoodyteenager.blogspot.com/

September 24th:
http://www.maybe-tomorrow.net/
http://www.shelfelf.wordpress.com/

Industry Bigmouths: How Book Bloggers are Changing the Publishing Industry

2010-09-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

When I started blogging last year I was amazed when publishers and those in marketing were paying attention to my posts. I would write a book review or offer a book for giveaway and I'd get an email offering an author to interview or another book for a contest. I started noticing that I was on industry emailing lists for online promotion, and it was happening for a lot of other book blogs, that I could see.

I think it's fascinating, the role that bloggers are playing in the publishing industry. As reviewers and "industry bigmouths" (a positive term for bloggers and online promoters within the publishing industry), book bloggers have changed the way books are promoted and popularized.

And I wanted to know more, so I turned to a fantastically smart and insightful lady who not only maintains her own book blog, A Certain Bent Appeal, she was also recently promoted to Online Marketing Coordinator at Penguin Canada. Her name is Bronwyn Kienapple and I couldn't wait to chat with her about the world of book blogs and publishing!

***

Mandy: You are the online marketing coordinator at Penguin Canada. 1) Holy Cow and 2) what do you do in a day?

Bronwyn: :) 1) It's pretty much my dream job. I started as the publicity assistant here two years ago but eventually began adding tasks to my job description that looked a lot more like online marketing. These included helping to build Penguin's Bloggers & Books Network. And I also started infiltrating online communities like LibraryThing, the Ning Book Bloggers page, and also contributing to the corporate twitter account @penguincanada. Now I get to do all of this full-time, which is amazing.

2) I do social media marketing. And I do Penguin.ca updates, and update our microsites such as hamishhamilton.ca, penguinbookclub.ca etc. I also write the business to business newsletter, among other duties.

Mandy: And what is the Bloggers and Books Network? I've checked it out, but what is its function on the publishing end? Did you help develop it?

Bronwyn: Our former online marketing manager, Christina Ponte, built the concept. The Bloggers & Books Network is a network of top Canadian book bloggers. Interested bloggers can fill out the questionnaire at penguin.ca/bloggernetwork. The results come back to me and I enter that person into our database. They are then eligible to receive advance review copies of Penguin books. Myself, or one of our publicists, will email select bloggers based on their interests and they have a chance to receive a copy to review. So on my end, what I did was build relationships with these bloggers, find out their specific interests/reading preferences, and get books out to them that they'd enjoy reading/talking about.

The function of the Bloggers & Books Network is to get top Canadian bloggers talking about Penguin books. But selfishly, it's allowed me to meet some really cool Canadian book people too.

Mandy: Yeah I bet you've met some great bloggers via the network. I love the level of community online with book bloggers in particular. I'm fascinated by the rise in blogging and how popular it's become to the publishing industry. You must have seen this rise? How did it start, what were the signs? How do publishers see book blogs?

Bronwyn: When I first joined Penguin in 2008 our involvement with bloggers was minimal. This has only really exploded in the past year. People were interested in talking to bloggers but they needed to be educated on the purpose of blogs, the impact these blogs had on consumer purchasing habits etc. Now there is much more acceptance as to the role blog reviews have in getting the word out about our titles. I noticed in the US this year a lot of bloggers participated in Book Expo America and also that they had their own specific networking events. I see major publishers talking up bloggers all the time on twitter. Publishers have really caught on to how powerful some of these bloggers can be. A good example is Tricia Woods' Hey Lady blog. She has a lot of followers. She influences a lot of people.

This is a major sign that publishers take bloggers seriously. I think publishers see bloggers the way they see independent booksellers. In that they are hand-selling books to the consumer. It is one thing to run ads, to have a print review run in the Globe, to buy placement at Indigo. But a recommendation from a trusted bookseller has a higher likelihood of influencing a sale. It's a much more genuine, trusted interaction…

Mandy: you're awesome.

Bronwyn: Same thing with bloggers - they build a readership. The readers come to know the blogger and feel as if they are a trusted source, if they come to agree with that bloggers' book choices. Thus, any recommendation they make is much more likely to affect purchasing habits than most anything else.

*whew* typing at warp speed here!

Mandy: There is something about a personal recommendation made available by an actual reading blogger. Does it help that the blogger is seen as unbiased? I mean, Penguin sends ARCs out, but that never means a blogger has to say anything good about the book or even post about it?

Bronwyn: Absolutely. Some bloggers are clearly biased in that they are looking to receive products and thus don't want to print anything negative. But the same can happen with print journalists. Readers will sniff out this tendency. The bloggers we want to deal with are ones who are unbiased, who will tell their readers exactly what they think of a book, while still being fair. When I send out a book for review there is the understanding that the blogger will review it but I'd rather they posted their honest opinion than one that is skewed towards the positive. If their readers don't trust the blogger to be honest, then there is less of a chance they will jump to purchase a book if a good review is printed. We want this to happen.

Mandy: So there is no worry about posting a negative review? By that I mean an honest opinion that says "Hey, I just didn't like this book and here's why..."

Bronwyn: If it's searingly bad then obviously I would prefer they not post it but who am I to say? It's their blog so they call the shots. The only thing I dislike is when a blogger cuts down a book "just for the fun of it." But that very rarely happens.

Mandy: Your own personal blog, A Certain Bent Appeal, must give you a great perspective. You're a blogger AND you work within the industry. Is there any trend in blogger-ville that is on the way to happening? Something you see in the near future that will affect the blogging world, or some way the blogs are changing the publishing world?

Bronwyn: Book blogs are becoming much more savvy about marketing themselves, both to their readers and to publishers. As there are many more book bloggers now, they are able to share knowledge and drive traffic to each others' sites etc. This makes them much more powerful. They can also teach each other about how to interact with publishers - who to contact to get review copies, how to format their posts, what extra content they can add (which they can partner with publishers to get - like excerpts, photos, giveaways etc.). Dealing with publishers likely seems overwhelming but book bloggers are now as numerous as soldiers in an army and they have more collective bartering power.

Blogs are changing the publishing world in that the focus is shifting away from traditional print, radio and TV media. These avenues are still extremely important as they attract a large number of readers/listeners/viewers but at the same time, there is not as much book coverage to be had as there used to be. Online is expanding at a rapid rate and so publishers' focus is naturally shifting in that direction.

Of course, this takes a degree of savviness in terms of the online world so there is a bit of a learning curve. But not an insurmountable one.

Mandy: It also means that bloggers are coming out of the initial stigma of "anyone can start a blog; who says they are experts in their chosen field?"

Bronwyn: Well that stigma still exists. And to be honest with you, it exists for a reason. It takes a lot of time and hard work for a blogger to build his/her writing skills, readership, design skills etc. to a point where their blog has impact. But this still doesn't discount the casual blogger who has a dedicated (but possibly small) readership. As long as they influence some people (genuinely), then they have a place in the blogging world.

Mandy: Absolutely. The "voice" of a blog always keeps my attention. I love the header for your blog by the way!

Bronwyn: Thank you! I found the image (and used with permission) on deviantart.

Mandy: Oh really? I love how much free stuff there is online to help bloggers out. Content and programs and widgets and such.

Bronwyn: Yes, there is a lot of content and support that can be found online for free. It's just getting the knowledge to use those things that's the hard part!

Mandy: It does take a long time to develop. In your opinion, both as a blogger (and blog reader) and industry person, what are the indicators of a successful book blog? Why do you go back to the blogs you read regularly?

Bronwyn: A successful blog to me as a publishing person is one with strong metrics. And that have a large number of subscribers, either through Google Reader or what have you. Also a high number of comments. And that the blogger takes the time to really market themselves via Facebook, Twitter, online communities, Amazon reviews etc. This means translates as "hugely influential" to me. It's pretty bald, but it's what I look for. But as a blog reader, I look for more subtle things like design, in-depth coverage, writing style, passion etc.

I love a passionate reader who takes the time to really review the book, not just rehash the plot. I love depth of involvement with a text.

Thanks so much, Bronwyn!

Win a hardcover edition of The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller!

2010-09-12T18:17:00.001-07:00

I LOVE the Kiki Strike series, which only consists of two books right now. The third book in the series will focus on master of disguise Betty Bent and is called The Darkness Dwellers.

In the interim, Kirsten has released another non-Kiki Strike book called The Eternal Ones--an epic love affair, reincarnation, and a murdered rock star. Plus 'Ouroboros' is a great word.

Kirsten has been seen around the internet describing The Eternal Ones as "sinister sexy strange". And she mentions being challenged by writing in the third person:

"I love writing in first person because it allows me to adopt a more conversational tone. And make lots of poo jokes. (Seriously, the Kiki books are full of them.) Writing in the third person was a challenge. I know it will sound a bit strange, but when I started The Eternal Ones, I didn't enjoy the sensation of spying on my characters. I got over it after a couple of chapters and let my characters' dialogue be the outlet for my unusual sense of humor" (interview with The Story Siren)

..And make lots of poo jokes. Nice. I kind of love Kirsten Miller.

So win her new book in hardcover! Enter via the form below and, as always, if you choose to pass along info about this contest via facebook, twitter, or if you follow EOS or become a new follower, tell me and be entered TWICE! Good luck!

Mandy

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Trailer

2010-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

I still fall into the Unicorn camp.

This trailer is awesome. It's short, has kind of stop-animation with 2D drawings, and engages that primal, comic-book nerd need to pair disparate entities together for a match to the death. My favourite part? the disgusting crunching noise at the beginning as the Uni imaples the Zomb.

Also, I wonder, can you have a Uni-Zomb (where the Uni has been bitten and returns as a horned Thestral looking thing) or a Zombuni (Zom-BOO-ni) (which is just a zombie with a horn on its head)? Huh? Ever think of that?

Win a Hardcover of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare!

2010-09-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

So I am back to blogging this week (late this week, I know), and kicking it off with a giveaway for a finished hardcover edition of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare!

....and I KNEW it! Cliff Nielsen does the cover design. I don't know if you'll remember my love for Cliff, but maybe it's time I contact him for an artist interview. He's designed some great teen books, such as Ice by Sarah Beth Durst. And of course, Clare's earlier series, The Mortal Instruments.

A hypothetical snippet of that interview:

me: "Wow, how do you make it so shiny?!"
Cliff: "...uh,well, you know, I just do my thing..."
me: "FAScinating!"

I have yet to read the complete Mortal Instruments series, starting with City of Bones, but it's definitely on my Soonish list.

Clockwork Angel is the first in a planned series called The Infernal Devices. On her wicked-cool website, Cassandra says that you don't have to have read Mortal Instruments to read Infernal Devices. The latter is a prequel series which compliments the original series and shares a few characters. The world of the Shadowhunters, shared by both series, is well-imagined by the author and she gives a breakdown of its description and laws here. Clockwork Angel is set in an alternate Victorian London, with an Angel-hybrid paranormal/steampunk twist.

I love Cassandra's initial inspiration for the series:

"I actually got the idea for The Infernal Devices before I got the idea for The Mortal Instruments. It started with a strong mental image: the image of a Victorian-era girl and a boy standing on a bridge in London while creepy-looking mechanical monsters came after them. I had always loved the Victorian age in London, and always wanted to write a story set there; I knew I wanted to include steampunk elements, and I knew I wanted there to be a love story. I knew I also wanted to bring in fantasy and magical elements, and that the main character of the story would be a girl with an unusual power — the power to change her appearance and disguise herself as anyone" (full interview)

"standing on a bridge in London while creepy-looking mechanical monsters came after them..." what an awesome image.

So win a copy! Simply enter your name and email into the form below (information is never shared) and cross your fingers! Good luck to everyone. Contest ends September 20th!

Like this giveaway? Want to support this blog or future giveaways hosted by Edge of Seventeen? Pass on the word via Facebook or Twitter.

Glad to be back,

Mandy

.....pokes head out, squints.....

2010-08-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

...Hi.

It's been awhile.

I'm coming back to blogging the first week of September. But I thought I'd do a soft return post. I'm getting things ready for that first week of blogging; have my giveaways all lined up (and there WILL be great stuff up for grabs! I've missed the excitement and the winning and the community), and some posts in mind. But I could use a bit of help.

I haven't read any blogs for 6 months. I work at a bookstore, but haven't been as up-to-date on my teen reads. So I missed an entire summer of books! And summer, even if you're not still in school, is THE time for reading.

I need guest posts about your fave book this summer. I'll post them the first week of September. Let me know what I missed, what needs to be on my TBR pile for the Fall. What's been out, what have you read, what's the best of the season? I just need a few lines about what made that read so great.

(All guest bloggers will have their name entered 10 times per giveaway, during my "Edge of Seventeen Returns! -- With Booty!" book giveaway week)

Some other cool things I'll be doing in September include being the first stop for Plain Kate's blog tour, a new YA title by Erin Bow published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Scholastic. It's been getting a lot of buzz -- and I hope to amp that buzz because Plain Kate is great.

And I'm travelling in late September for the "Smart Chicks Kick it Tour", where a line-up of awesome lady authors tour mostly the States but then show up in Brampton, which is close to me. My travelling companion is my blogger BF Kiirstin, from A Book A Week.

Glad to be back.

Mandy

2010-03-08T01:46:00.001-08:00

Edge of Seventeen will return!!

In My Mailbox This Week!

2010-02-27T08:06:00.001-08:00

I haven't read anything by Cyn (Sin?) Balog, and Sleepless looks really good. I LOVE the cover, the flower--beautiful. It's about a Sandman who falls in love with a girl, one of his human charges. Although he's not allowed to mess with their dreams, Eron feels drawn to lonely Julia, who's boyfriend recently died in a car accident. It's out in July.

And Saving Maddie looks good, too. A preacher's son falls for the town bad girl--can he save her?

AND, I was just speaking about Dark Life last week, and now I can dig right in. Dystopia under the water, what can I say?

Poisoned Honey is a fictional story about Mary Magdalene. I think before she meets The Man. Her story is about her connection to the spirit world and the magic and power she finds there. Actually I'm fascinated by this one.

I just love the title to Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots.

Mandy

What books did you get this week?

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Book Clubbing Lament by Maggie Stiefvater with Kiirstin!

2010-02-25T15:40:00.001-08:00

I might be in the minority when I say that I enjoyed Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater more than I did Lament. Lament is the first book in duology (yeah, I went there. Or go with Two-logy if you like), I believe, as there are two books in the series and I don't see mention of a third. But that doesn't mean Maggie isn't writing it right now. I'd keep up via her website rather than through me.

Lament opens with a really great prologue. I wish I could just type it all out here for you, but I think that might step on some copyright toes. It really engaged me, it was very powerful. There is a boy in a well and you have no idea what he's doing there and why he's so scared. Then you find out that he's being Hunted by a very powerful lady. It's quite a strange way to open because I wasn't exactly sure what was going on. But reading it again after finishing the book, makes it that more powerful.

Then we're introduced to Deirdre Monaghan. She's a gifted Harp player. And I don't understand what a crazy person her mother is, but Dee pukes every time she's about to play in public. And her mother came across as this pushy child-model-mom type. Even more so, Dee's aunt. Actually her mom really bugged me in the book; she refused to let Dee kind of break out of herself. She gave Dee no credit about the guys she hung around with. As if she would only have the personality bestowed on her by them, and her mother needs to weed out the baddies for her daughter's sake. Dee IS quiet, and sometimes I thought of her as a blank slate, personality-wise. But she starts to come into her own after meeting bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold Luke Dillon (And I totally imagined him as a young Dylan from Bev Hills. It has to be the name: Luke Perry/Dylan Whateverhislastnamewas).

I liked Luke more than I liked Dee. I won't reveal his background in the story but he has a mystery to him that is unique in teen fiction. There are faeries in Dee's world, but Luke isn't exactly like them or one of them. He has his own secrets and most of the excitement in the book for me, was finding out the dirt on him. There's a part in the middle of the book where you're wondering why this amazing guy would out of the blue be infatuated with Dee. He just walks up to her, introduces himself and then says some pretty intimate things to her about her "potential" as a person. After he finishes holding back her hair while she throws up, that is. Anyway there's this scene in the middle fo the book where you suddenly see that Luke's motives may not be all that great and I really started paying attention.

I think the world in Lament is the strongest part of the book, for sure. There are faeries but they fall more into the category of magic realism. Their evidence in Dee's world was very subtle at first. I like this passage in particular:

"Didn't you ever wonder at the coincidence, that you and the Faerie Queen should be in such proximity? That a host of faeries should suddenly be on your doorstep?"
I felt foolish. "I--uh--guess I just thought there were a lot of faeries."
"They're here because of you. Faeries aren't like humans; Their realm and Their bodies don't really have fixed locations, like humans."
I seized the chance to look like I wasn't clueless. "You mean how some of Them use the energy of a storm, or a person, to appear."
Thomas nodded his approval; it made his curls bounce. I fought the urge to reach out and sproing one of them. "Exactly. Faeries are drawn to a certain sort of energy, and They move like satellites around that energy. The realm of Faerie centers around one person, the monarch--usually a human--who radiates that energy."

Dee's new psychic abilities come as a side effect of this phenomenon and I thought this was worked very well into the story. I really like this explanation for faeries in the world of Lament. It's quite unique.

I also want to mention how cool it is when the world of a novel extends beyond the story. Maggie Stiefvater has actually written and recorded music as a companion to the book. Hop over via the link to hear it. The Kiss, in particular is gorgeous. It really evokes the tone of the book; It is haunting and playful at the same time.

***

Kiirstin from A Book A Week read Lament alongside me and we had a great discussion about the book:

Mandy: Have you read any other teen books about fairies? Do you like fairies in fiction? I've only read Wicked Lovely. I can't say I'm a fairy person.

kiirstin: I'm... hmm. That's a really good question. I have, actually. O. R. Melling's books -- The Hunter's Moon being my favourite -- actually stack up quite favourably against Lament. Plus there's CanCon.

Mandy: Oh yeah. I haven't read any Melling. It's good stuff?

kiirstin: Quite. Some better than others, but largely really good. Um, the Spiderwick books too, on a junior fic level, are pretty awesome about fairies. I haven't read Wicked Lovely though. Is it comparable?

Mandy: Yeah, I think I've only read the first Spiderwick book. But it WAS good. Apparently based loosely on a true story. Or at least, Holly knew a family who claimed to see Fairies. Wicked Lovely is pretty comparable.

kiirstin: I did not know there was a kernel of truth in the Spiderwick Chronicles. I love that. I've read other fairy/Sidhe stuff too. Some of Mercedes Lackey's urban fantasies. Oh, and Charles de Lint has to count. Apparently I have read a fair bit!

Mandy: Way more than me! :) You are the fairy expert between us.

kiirstin: What was it about the fairy aspects that turned you off, do you think?

Mandy: Well Fairies in fiction don't turn me off. I just don't look out for fairies. Although I do have that assumption that fairies are going to have sparkles on them.

kiirstin: I think there is a difference between "fairy" and "faerie"

Mandy: Oh, tell me about the difference in spelling.

kiirstin: Okay. Let's see. I think the difference is maybe in my head, but I have perceived that "fairy" is usually used to mean sprites in tutus with wings and wands. And faerie, or fae, tends to be a little more on the human-sized immortal side -- what I would actually tend to call "elves" -- I am really not up on the actual mythology. Although the Wikipedia article uses the "fairy" spelling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidhe

Mandy: Maybe it's like Vampyre? :)

kiirstin: Ha! Yes, almost certainly.

Mandy: I thought Dee's mom was kind of a jerk. And cardboard-y. She really wanted to stunt her daughter into the perfect model of daughter-dom. Kind of freaky.

kiirstin: Yes, actually, I disliked her a lot. I thought there could have been a lot more development around Dee's family situation. I think I could have found her mother an interesting character, but there wasn't enough there.

Mandy: Totally. Even with her aunt and her aunt's fate.

kiirstin: Oh my god. That whole thing, yes. I have to admit, her aunt was pretty fascinating, but how much did I want to punch her. I did like that she went from just being an overbearing, sour, terrible relative to much more sinister.

Mandy: And I like how Dee's grandmother like, knew that her aunt had something wrong with her.

Mandy: One of the scariest scenes in Lament was when Dee is in bed and kind of wakes up to realize that there's a very present dark shape in the corner of her room. So scary! I thought this scene was well done.

kiirstin: Ugh, yes! I agree. And the sort of thing that keeps people up at night. Just saying. Overall, I was pretty impressed with the scenery and descriptions. Even something as simple as the reception tent, I could identify that space. It grounded the story very well.

kiirstin: Can we talk about the beginning a bit? What worked well, what didn't?

Mandy: Yeah of course! Like the prologue, which was stellar?

kiirstin: One of the best opening scenes of a book I've read, I think.

Mandy: Absolutely. Chilling and kind of perfect.

kiirstin: It opened itself up to so many questions. Who is the boy? What are the nails for? What's the deal with the bird?

Mandy: The ambiguity was perfect. I wanted to dive into the book right away. And I love that, after having read the book, I went back to re-read the prologue and it was even cooler. All of the images made sense in a whole new way.

kiirstin: I couldn't help myself -- I had to keep reading.

kiirstin: I should try that, actually. I do think, too, it prepared me a little for feeling somewhat baffled for the first little bit of the book. Which I was.

Mandy: I love reading the beginning of books right after finishing them. I can't explain why it's such a neat experience.

kiirstin: That's pretty cool. I am absolutely going to start trying that. Was it a conscious thing that she did, do you think?

Mandy: I don't know. There's a lot of images at the beginning that are beautifully written without giving anything away. I think this was masterfully done. What was the strongest aspect of the beginning for you? After the prologue?

kiirstin: That's a hard question, because I actually got a bit frustrated with the beginning post-prologue. I think the description of place was very solid. And I did like Dee pretty much off the bat. What about you?

Mandy: I didn't love Dee. And I was like "Why is this guy being so perfect with her? So sensitive and interested in her?"

kiirstin: "And why is she okay with that?"... was my big question.

Mandy: Yeah. Luke kept telling her about herself. I mean, when is this a turn-on?

kiirstin: That's such a good point. It's actually just stalker creepy. And yet, you liked Luke, no?

Mandy: Well, he was okay. He was no Patch from Hush Hush in terms of bad boys with a heart of gold. I would liked to have seen a bit of his worse side, considering his background. There's a great scene halfway into the book where the reader starts to immediatey wonder what Luke really wants with Dee. And I felt that that could have been worked in a little better.

kiirstin: Yeah. I was never really convinced that Dee was ever in any danger from Luke, even though I think I was supposed to be.

Mandy: Yes, that's it exactly. He was too nice. And how could he be?

kiirstin: It's this whole problem of having "teenage" characters who are incredibly old, and yet don't seem to carry the weight of their history at all.

Mandy: Exactly.

kiirstin: He acts quite mature, but undamaged. One would expect someone with his life experience to be permanently scarred by it. If he really was a nice, decent guy, I would think that his experiences would have made him crazy.

Mandy: Like Spike, season 7.

kiirstin: Yes! Yes. Ah, Spike.

Mandy: Incapable of a relationship, really. Or at least really messed up about them. Not the perfect guy that any girl would swoon over.

kiirstin: Yeah. A pretty scary creature, all-in-all. Who probably needs at least 500 years of talk therapy to work his way through his problems.

Mandy: "talk therapy" -- too funny

kiirstin: I did enjoy Lament -- I'm glad I read it. I really think Maggie Stiefvater's writing has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to trying Shiver. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I think I had pretty high expectations. Overall, though, the world-building and setting seems to be something we both appreciated.

Mandy: I also liked the "explanation" for how faeries use their powers, based on consuming and manipulating energy. Very smart and unique.

kiirstin: And the way it wasn't Faerie that granted Dee her powers, but rather that her powers made her a target. Like Faerie was a side-effect.

Mandy: Very cool.

Hop over to Kiirstin's blog to read her review!

Katie and Mandy Book Clubbing! Locked in Time by Lois Duncan

2010-02-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

I hadn't read any Lois Duncan before, and Katie from Read What You Know, rightfully, thought this was scandalous! Obviously I wasn't completely unaware of Lois Duncan. Her little bio says she's written 40 books for teens and YAs. And the cover says she wrote I Know What You Did Last Summer, which I didn't know. I'm familiar with the movies but really hadn't thought it was taken from a book. I put it on order once I found out, and once I was like 50 pages into Locked in Time.

I was looking for something scary. Lately I have been bemoaning the lack of scary books in Teen fiction. Like really scary, not paranormal romance adventure tension. And Katie mentioned that Locked in Time scared her when she read it originally, and I liked the sound of the title. So we agreed on a Re-read/First Read challenge.

Nore has been away at boarding school after the death of her mother, when her dad summons her to join him and his new wife in Louisiana. Nore is eager to live with her dad again but wary of his new wife, Lisette. Although to her credit, Nore is also open to the idea of liking Lisette, even though she's not her mother. Lisette would have driven me crazy, even before the crazy sets in. She's a traditonal lady of the house, kind of strict and big on etiquette. She's always on about manners and social rules. And Nore's dad is completely wrapped around her finger.

Lisette has two kids, Josie, who's like 13 and Gabe who is Nore's age, around. Gabe and Nore kind of hit it off right away and there's a bit of romantic tension between them. Which is weird, obviouslym because they're step brother and sister. This is one line I didn't forget:

"Get over here, Nore!" he commanded with mock ferocity. "Tonight we're going to forget all the 'stepbrother' stuff. If you've got a hometown boyfriend, I don't want to know about him."

Ew. Although the heat between them doesn't last too long, once Nore realizes that Lisette's family has some very dark secrets. Secrets which involve Nore and her dad. At first Nore thinks Lisette may be a black widow, finding wealthy men to marry and then murder. But then she sees that it's so much more.

I was excited about the setting of Locked in Time. I wasn't really expecting it, based on the cover. I kind of thought it would take place in an old lady's house, with knick-knacks. Shadow Grove, the family mansion in Louisiana, sounds beautiful when Nore pulls up. And Lois really knows how to make you feel like you're fully experiencing the setting. She has an eye for detail and sensations.

As a little extra to the story, I thought it was neat that Nore has a special ability:

"This is different," said Lisette, "because Nore is Chuck's daughter. She is part of the package that Gabe will soon have to deal with. But there may be even more of a problem than that, Jo. Maybe it's something to worry about, or maybe it isn't: there's no way yet to be certain what effect this may have on things. The fact is, though, that with Nore Robbins, for the first time since all this started, we are involved with someone who has an uncanny awareness of time."

Nore can tell exactly what time it is at any time, and this ability plays into the plot in various subtle ways.

Locked in Time was a spooky read. I am always creeped out by the enemies-among-you-but-you-can't-say-anything theme. And I was so vexed by Nore's dad. I get that he might have been under the spell of a beautiful woman, but he really had no connection to his daughter and just expected that she would change her whole life to fit his needs. It would be funny to "interview" him after the final crisis. He'd be all, "Oh...man, Nore you were right. Huh. I should have listened..."

***

Katie read Locked in Time when she was younger and agreed to a re-read. And I had a few questions for her:

What do you remember the most about reading Locked in Time when you originally read it? How did the experience stack up during a re-read?

Spoiler alert! I remember Nore lying down in the cemetery, counting the minutes until it was safe to move. She chooses to think about her life in terms of years, recalling memories for each year to help the time pass. (Which I totally started doing after reading this book.) You've already read how I had somehow convinced myself that she was in a grave instead of hiding between graves. I always felt the tension in the story particularly at that point and was really worried about Nore. I still felt the tension, but I knew the ending this time around -- so I wasn't as worried.

I kind of loved how Nore, once she realized what might be going on, really pushed back hard. I didn't find her a victim in the book. What was your experience?

I think she totally kicked butt. I was seriously impressed that she had the guts to bring it up to her father, and that she didn't back down even when he was convinced she was lying. And I also loved how she got into the mystery of the whole secret -- doing research and sneaking around to find hidden diaries. She's just such a great driven personality.

What do you think about Nore's dad? How he behaved in general. Do you think he was under some kind of magic spell?

I don't think her dad was under any kind of spell. He was mostly, in my opinion, lonely. He missed Nore's mother and suddenly there was a beautiful woman who was interested in him. Who wouldn't pass that up? I am a little bit peeved that he didn't listen to his daughter about her suspicions, but I think he really just wanted a happy ending. Poor guy.

***

And we both want you to win one of two copies of the new edition of Locked in Time! Enter once to win here, and then hop over to Katie's blog.

Contest ends on March 10th! Get your entry in! And then hop over to Katie's blog to enter for a second chance!

Loading...

Zombies Vs. Unicorns?

2010-02-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am an un-ironic Unicorn fan. And, like my new love for horses, it developed in my adult years. I didn't really grow up loving the Unis (YOU-nees, not youniss, for obvious reasons). So deciding between Zombies and Unicorns is easy for me. Plus, riding a Unicorn out of danger is faster than a zombie piggy-back.

So I will need to get my hands on this book:

Zombies vs. Unicorns, just announced by Simon & Schuster, will be a collection of essays detailing the pros and cons of both the shambling undead and the horned horses. The idea for the book came from a series of blog posts between authors Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Ironside) and Justine Larbalestier (Liar, How to Ditch Your Fairy) that started in 2007 and grew from there. A number of big names from the young-adult circuit, including The Princess Diaries writer Meg Cabot, have contributed individual pieces on one of the two creatures, all of which are tied together by a running deliberative commentary from Black and Larbalestier as they argue for Team Unicorn and Team Zombie respectively. (From EW)

Ha! And over on the official website, Unicorns are in the lead! People who love Unis over Zombs include: Meg Cabot, Kathleen Duey, Margo Lanagan, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik, Diana Peterfreund.

(First seen on Holly Black's Blog)

Mandy

Review White Cat: The Curse Workers #1 by Holly Black

2010-02-21T12:13:00.001-08:00

White Cat is the first in a new series called The Curse Workers, and my first time reading Holly Black. Who very much surprised me, I have to say. I think that Holly and Francesca Lia Block could be buddies; I just see a definite similar sensibility in their writing styles.

White Cat opens with Cassel Sharpe having sleepwalked out of his dormroom and onto the roof. It's actually a pretty great scene. Cassel's sharp wit and vulnerability come across in the writing immediately, and I love that he calls out for help even though he knows it makes him less manly:

"Help," I say softly, and feel crazy nervous laughter bubble up my throat. I bite the inside of my cheek to tamp it down.

I can't ask for help. I can't call anyone. If I do, then my carefully maintained pretense that I'm just a regular guy is going to fade forever. Sleepwalking is kid's stuff, weird and embarassing.

Except, once he's helped down from the roof, he's kicked out of school. It's no secret that his whole family are Curse Workers, his grandfather having been a death worker for the powerful Zacharov family. Cassel has never shown signs that he's inherited his family's worker gene, but the school thinks that maybe he's been cursed himself, on account of the shady dealings his family is associated with. Because although it is not illegal to have the ability to work, actually using your abilities to victimize others in any way is definitely illegal. Cassel's mother is in jail for this reason.

One of the coolest things about the world in White Cat is the notion and complexity of curse working. Bits of its history and rules are offered throughout the book, but there's no full-on explanation for its existence, or how some people have access to these abilities. People go around wearing gloves to protect themselves from skin contact, or if they're a worker, to show that they mean no threat to others. Traditionally a curse is transferred via the hands, and can only be countered by charms--bits of stone that have been created by workers to offer protection to the wearer:

Charms to throw off curse work, charms like the ones Audrey has hanging around her neck, are as old as curses themselves. Workers make them by cursing stone--the only material that absorbs a whole curse, including the blowback. Then that stone is primed and will swallow up a curse of the same type. So if a luck worker curses a piece of jade and wears it against her skin, and then someone tries to curse her with bad luck, the jade breaks and she's not affected. You have to get another charm each time you're worked, and you have to have one for each type of magic, but you're safe.

There's so much background info about curses and charms and how everything functions, the type of society that would grow around a world with this magic in it. Holly works * har har * this into the story flawlessly and even attempts to explain the ability to work in a scientific frame.

Getting back to Cassel's entry into the story, he tells the reader, in a Noirish way that permeates the tone of the story:

Don't be too sympathetic. Here's the essential truth about me: I killed a girl when I was fourteen. Her name was Lila, she was my best friend, and I loved her. I killed her anyway. There's a lot of the murder that seems like a blur, but my brothers found me standing over her body with blood on my hands and a weird smile tugging at my mouth. What I remember most is the feeling I had looking down at Lila--the giddy glee of having gotten away with something.

Lila was a dream worker and Cassel just expects that his nightmares and sleepwalking are just a part of his guilt. Until he starts digging through his family's secrets and finds out there's way more going on to Lila's death than he remembers.

One thing that surprised me about the story was that there was no main love interest theme. It's kind of about Cassel's resourcefulness and wit, regardless of not being a worker with special abilities. He's a bookie at his school and a smartass, and his comebacks are hilarious. But he's not exactly cocky. I wasn't annoyed by his personality. I was interested to see how he'd scheme his way out of the tight situations his family puts him in. He's the baby of the family and has to be the strongest because of it. His family members are nuts. Except for his grandpa, who is probably my favourite character. Here's a great exchange between them:

"I need to talk to you," I say, taking out a mug and pouring milk into it first, then adding the coffee. The milk billows up from the bottom, along with flecks of dust I should have probably checked for. "I had a weird dream."

"Let me guess. You got tied up by lady ninjas. With big hooters."

"Uh, no." I take a sip of the coffee and wince. Grandad made it ridiculously strong.

My grandfather shoves a strip of bacon in his mouth with a grin. "Guess it would have been kind of weird if we'd had the same dream."

Holly is a very strong writer when it comes to characters and dialogue. One of my favourite scenes is when Cassel goes to see Crooked Annie, a sharp, wizened fortuneteller who's real business is selling powerful charms. The dialogue is perfect, the back and forth between them. The scene is so vivid and really gives a lot of unspoken information about Cassel and his growing concern that his family is conning him.

The ending was not what I expected and was left a little up-in-the-air. There are two more books slated for the series and I can't imagine where the story will go from here. White Cat is a great choice for the dudes, too.

Mandy

In My Mailbox This Week!

2010-02-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

I had a supercool Vlog all ready to post here, just talking about the books I got this week, but I don't know how to upload it in blogger (well actually, my problem is that the video is a huge .avi file and I don't know how to compress it. Or whatever I need to do to get it small enough to upload quickly onto blogger. Hey if anyone has any ideas it would help me out very very much...). It's too bad because it was a lot of fun to make and I've been struggling with it for a day now, googling info to help. To no avail. Anyways...*grumble grumble*

I know DJ MacHale from his Pendragon series, so I'm eager to read the first book in his newest trilogy, Morpheus Road: Book #1 The Light. On DJ's website he recently asked "Have you ever had a supernatural experience?", and mentions that one of the scenes in this book re-creates his own experience with the supernatural. He doesn't give any spoilers, so I'm wondering what it could mean. It's out in April.

And Everlasting by Angie Frazier has a subtle cover for a story that involves historical drama, a bit of magic, and a treacherous ship crossing. The back blurb says, "An ancient magic, summoned..." It's out in June.

And I haven't read any Susane Colasanti so I'm looking forward to Something Like Fate. I love the cover on this one, it speaks volumes *har har*. Out in May.

I really love the cover for Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that Might Kill Me. It is a quirky take on the urban paranormal theme, so I hope the story follows suit. Although looking at the premise, the story is about wolves, not werewolves. Out in May.

And Jatta--what a beautiful cover. This one is about werewolves and a fierce werewolf huntress, spurred by the mauling of her sister.

The Left Hand of God is getting a lot of attention. It's the first in a trilogy which looks a little like alternative history set during the Crusades. It's out in June.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. She does really fun vlogs for her books on Sunday, that I always look forward to watching. I wish I could get mine to work this week.

Mandy

You Are All My Librarians ...Meg Cabot

2010-02-19T05:08:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a post on YA Vampire Books concerning a book meme questionnaire, I am reminded that I have read NO Meg Cabot.

What is essential Meg Cabot reading?

What's your least favourite?

If you haven't read her books, are you interested in any title in particular that you've seen around?

Can I skip her altogether?

Mandy

Vampires Vs. Dystopian Oppression...Who Will Win?!

2010-02-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

This week Publishers Weekly posted an article about Dystopian fiction becoming more popular than Vamp fiction. Which I can see, because of the popularity of books like The Hunger Games and Maze Runner. After Twilight made such a huge impact, publishers took notice and much has been published since claiming to be the next big paranormal romance. So it makes sense that after a big book like The Hunger Games, more books that could be characterized as Dystopian would find publishing favour.

It's like a Darwinian publishing phenomenon.

The Publishers Weekly article is a great resource for fattening your to-read list, so be warned. I found out about books like S.A. Bodeen's The Gardener, Dark Life by Kat Falls (which has an amazing cover. It's also about living underwater, so, awesome), and Nomansland by Lesley Hauge, where teen girls protect their island from the threat of men. There are a lot of other titles on this list that are published in 2010; the sheer number surprised me.

And I love Dystopian teen fiction, so I'm looking forward to reading many of them. Oooh, PW has a comprehensive list of Dystopian titles coming out in 2010, here.

Mandy

Reviewing Flawless: Pretty Little Liars #2 by Sara Shepard

2010-02-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

When I finished the first book in the series, I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to go all the way, read through all 7 books, just to find out who "A" really is. Now I'm hooked, and possibly doomed. The Pretty Little Liars books fills my need for a quick read that has a lot of intrigue but also the right amount of fluff. Well, not that the PLL books are fluffy, exactly. I find them smart at times, especially when insights are made about the popularity phenomenon in general. The way Alison had these girls basically doing anything for her is quite powerfully shown in the series, via flashbacks and such. Also even in the notes left by "A". In Flawless in particular you start to see Emily, Aria, Hanna and Spencer having to act out things that A compels them to do. Mostly out of fear of their secrets being found out.

And I think I mentioned in my review for the first book--I love that their secrets are normal. They aren't too over-the-top. Hanna has a past with Bulimia and her father continually rejects her in favour of his new family. Spencer keeps making out with her perfect older sister's boyfriends. Emily likes kissing girls. And Aria's father is having an affair that would rip her family apart. As secrets go, they are tame. Unless you're the one with the secret, and you go to school at Rosewood Day where anything even slightly out of the norm is mercilessly preyed upon. And these girls should know; they used to be Alison's henchmen, doling out bullying without question. The four girls let their fears control them, and Alison and A both feed on their fears, egging them on to act in certain ways that are ultimately destructive. Actually it's kind of painful at times, like "Noooooo!!! *slow motion waving hands*"

In Flawless, A is suspected of being a certain person who has had a run-in with the group in the past. More secrets come out, like Spencer knows more than she says she does. And her silence costs the group, and a really good secondary character. You find out more about the woman Aria's dad is having an affair with, and Hanna's volatile nature is pushed to the limit. Everyone is cracking and under the pressure they keep blowing their cool and making really stupid mistakes. The anxiety is high and it shows in their judgment.

I'm finding it a little hard to accept that A could be so omnipresent in the book. She can leave notes now within seconds of an incident happening. Physically notes, not just texts, on cars that people are sitting in, along lockers, etc. But the final note at the end reads:

If you were as smart as me, you'd probably have figured out who I am by now. OMG, not being a genius must be so annoying. And I can't help you with that one--I've got my hands full with four pretty little liars at the moment. But since you've been so patient, I'll give you one hint: Spencer may have a 4.0, but I've got As to my name, too. Kisses! --A

AH! FIVE more books. Man. I am really and truly tempted to grab Killer off the shelf at work and flip through to find out who A is. Oh no, Killer is number 6. Heartless is the last one. And it came out in January...And we have it in stock....Gah! There's been foreshadowing that any of the four girls could be A, or could also be Alison's killer. Emily's nickname is Killer, for a reason that wasn't obvious in the story. She was obsessed with Alison, and kissed her once. Emily thinks she was just in love with Alison, but then became very intimate with Maya, the new girl who moved into Ali's old house (could SHE be the killer?). There are so many red herrings in the story it isn't even funny. I truly truly hope that the end reveal will satisfy. Because I'm gonna really try and pretend that I don't see Heartless just sitting there on the shelf vulnerable to an impatient perusing.

One of my favourite parts in Flawless is when Hanna uncharacteristically finds herself at a Virginity Club meeting:

"We're so happy to have you, Hanna." Candace beamed. "You'd be a very positive role model for us."

"Thanks." Hanna felt a little thrill. Even if it was V Club, she wasn't often embraced like this. Not by her third-grade tennis coach, not by her friends, not by her teachers, certainly not by her parents. Perhaps V Club was her calling. She pictured herself as the spokeswoman of V Club. Maybe it was like being Miss America, except instead of a crown, she'd get a fabulous V Club ring. Or maybe a V Club bag. A cherry-monogrammed Louis Vuitton clutch with a hand-painted V.

I love how it goes from feeling this pathos for Hanna because she is kind of an unloved girl, or feels completely unloved, which is really very sad, to shaking your head, because seriously, a V Club bag?

Pretty Little Liars is like a messed up Gossip Girl, where Chuck Bass knows all your secrets and is calling all the shots. Fun!

Mandy

Don't read Flawless unless you've read the first book.

Shooting to the Top of My Reading List Is...

2010-02-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

"Oh, a box of ARCs from Scholastic, this is going to be a great day!...hmm, cool cover with the vines and the OHMYGOD IT IS THE NEW CECIL CASTELLUCCI...This is not even funny... *Co-worker looks on, unflinching (we've worked together for a long time)* I'm not even laughing about this...."

Or

Ehn! Ehn!

So, I'm a huge Cecil fangirl. Now that that's out of the bag, I know what I'm reading tonight! Although I've been pretty engaged in Holly Black's newest, White Cat: The Curse Workers #1. But Cecil is one of my faves (Beige is my fave of faves). Do you ever read two books of fiction at the same time? I try not to because it's weird for me. I'm not above it, though! Often I'll have a fiction and a few non-fiction title going at the same time.

Don't you love the cover? It makes the story seem vaguely fairy-tale-esque. Actually I have no idea what the plot is about and I think I'll keep it that way. Until I read the book, of course.

Mandy

(Cover of Rose Sees Red courtesy of Cecil's blog)

In My Mailbox This Week!

2010-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend has gotten away from me. I'm a little late with my Mailbox post. Although I've been reading more than blogging, which should happen more often for me! This weekend I've finished up Lament by Maggie Stiefvater for a book blogging post with Kiirstin from A Book A Week (more to come). And I'm finishing up Flawless by Sara Shepard because I just felt like reading the second Pretty Little Liars book, even though I have a huge list of things I should otherwise be reading. The second book is pretty good.

This week I received the new Guy Gavriel Kay book, Under Heaven. I'm really very excited about it. I hope *fingers crossed* that we have an author reading with Guy hosted by our store sometime in the Spring. The ARC is so heavy. The book is like 600 pages. Under Heaven is set in the Tang Dynasty of eighth-century China, and it looks like a stand-alone outside of his previous books' worlds.

And I also got The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman, which I didn't know anything about. The author's name sounds familiar....oh, her other book is Enthusiasm. I think I've seen a review or two. I really like the cover for Grimm Legacy. Elizabeth is lonely at her new school until she stumbles upon a secret room in the basement of the school where objects from the Grimm Tales are kept. When they start to go missing, Elizabeth and her friends search for the thief, before they're accused of the crime themselves. It looks fun.

I wanted to get to the library this weekend too, which never happened. My library is a five minute walk away, which makes the whole thing sadder. My absolute favourite way to pick up new books is by randoming choosing them from the shelves at the library. Maybe I'll get some time this week.

What books did you get this week?

Mandy

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Blog Linky Love on Friday!

2010-02-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Just like everyone else who has their own blog plus their own lives and jobs, kids, etc. I find it hard to leave comments on all the blog posts that I read through the week. So I want to start a thing on Fridays where I basically pile-up my shout-outs to great blog posts I've read through the week. To share them with you and showcase the blogs I love.

Before I get into that for this week, I really have to tell you about the Sweet Valley High Re-Boot that's going on!

I had not read any SVH books growing up, I just missed them, until Katie from Read What You Know and I read the first book in the series together and shared an awesomely funny review and chat about the story, a few months back. So I'm kind of a fangirl now about SVH, with that one book read under my belt, and I'm kind of loving the idea of a re-boot. Here are the deets:

According to St. Martin’s, Sweet Valley High’s Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield – the identical twins with blonde hair, eyes the color of the Pacific Ocean and “perfect size six” figures – will return to bookstores, possibly as soon as early next year, in Sweet Valley Confidential, a book chronicling their lives as twenty-somethings.

Rumors have swirled for years that SVH creator Francine Pascal was working on a book focusing on the twins and their friends several years out of high school. Late last month, the SVH world went into a frenzy when an editorial assistant at St. Martin’s confirmed the existence of the novel, giving Shannon’s Sweet Valley Blog a tentative publishing date of February 2011. While there is no word yet on what characters will appear in the book, there is a plethora to choose from. I think it’s safe to say that Lila Fowler, Jessica’s rich frenemy and my personal favorite, will make an appearance, as will Porsche-driving Bruce Patman and Elizabeth’s moody on-again off-again boyfriend Todd Wilkins. Continuity has never been one of Sweet Valley’s strong points, so I won’t really mind if the book pretends Sweet Valley Senior Year and Sweet Valley University never happened, focuses on just SVH characters, and retains the same fabulous campy quality as the original series.

My question is whether Francine Pascal will personally be writing them or will she have a ghost writer for the re-boot? You know, I'm calling it a re-boot but it's not. It's a continuation of the SVH "mythos" if you will--and why wouldn't you? :)
Anyway, Pascal didn't write all of her novels, will she write the new books? I am glad to hear that a fabulous campy quality will continue in the new series. Although a small part of me wonders if SVH Confidential will turn out to be like the last 3 seasons of Beverly Hills 90210: kind of used up.

If anything, I love this news because it introduced me to Shannon's Sweet Valley High Blog! Did you know about this? This lady has read every SVH book out there and reviewed them on her blog, including those special editions. She's gone through all of the books, now, but you can read through her back logs. What a feat. I'd love to see a "Julie and Julia" -type movie done for Shannon's life as she reads and blogs about SVH books, cut to scenes from Francine's life writing about the Wakefield Twins, tentatively titled "Francine and Shannon". :) Listen to THAT, Diablo Cody (aside: Have you seen United States of Tara? Created by Cody, it is really great. I'm just getting into it).

*****

Fabulous things I've found online this week:

Create a Word Cloud for your blog, here! It's really fun and you can pick through different styles. Incidentally when I popped in the name of my blog, the hugest words on my cloud were Damon and Eyebrows. Frankie and Donna I blame you completely! :)
Word Cloud link first mentioned on Pete Hautman's blog.

This week also, Simply Books wrote a review for Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas. I have a copy of the book at home and now really look forward to reading it.

YA Vampire Books, a blog I totally love, had a post this week on a little TV series called Kindred: The Embraced. It's about a pack of vampires living in the city, based on the world-view of the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade...and it's created by Aaron Spelling. Are you kidding me? That guy was everywhere! (I will also not confirm or deny that I have any intimate knowledge of this role-playing game...it was cool at the time). I kinda watched the first episode and it was alright. Click through the link to see where you can watch it all on Youtube.

Shannon Hale held a contest to make your own Rapunzel's Revenge book trailer and she's posted the videos for you to vote on. They are a lot of fun so check them out. Rapunzel's Revenge is a cool little graphic novel that came out last year with fantastic illustrations.

vvb32 Reads is gearing up for a Valentine's Day book weekend, which I'll be reading along with. I love the blog header: the focus is on zombies, vampires, steampunk, Japanese and Jane Austen in YA books and the art reflects all of these things. Awesome.

Tales of Whimsy has a great review of Animal Farm, complete with a gallery of alternate cover art over the years. "But at times the porky hypocrisy had me ready to scream at the other animals"--Juju. Love it!

And that's it for this week. What great blog posts have you found this week? Leave 'em in the comments for me to check out.

Mandy

I Pine!

2010-02-11T17:48:00.000-08:00

Pete Hautman just posted a cover pic of his newest book, Blank Confession, which he says will be available in November and I pine for it!

He says:

I’ve just shipped my latest novel off to my publisher. The original title was “Shayne,” a nod to Jack Schaefer’s classic western novel, Shane. But because almost no one born after 1970 remembers that book, my wise editor suggested an alternate title: Blank Confession. Look for it next November.

I can't really find any information about the premise of his new book, which is both refreshing and frustrating. Although I have found a post where Pete has created a Word Cloud for the book, to offer an insight:

Rawls, huh? I can't wait to hear more about this one.

Create your own Word Cloud for stuff here. Can you imagine a Word Cloud for Twilight?

Sparkle. Supra-sexual tension. Mundane chores.

I shouldn't point fingers because my blog's Word Cloud would be: Totally. Awesome. Just okay. Beverly Hills 90210.

Mandy

Yesterday was a good day!

2010-02-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a lady came into our store and asked if we could choose about $1000 of books for teens for a library she's starting. And she wants us to choose the books. For teens 12-17... $1000 worth...Me...choosing books for a starter library...

It was the best ever.

I'm looking at the list of things I pulled off the shelves, now, and I'm getting all dewey-eyed. I walked around with a shelving cart and weighed the pros and cons of each book. I approached it thinking that this might be the first library someone walks around--what can I hook them with to make them lifelong readers.

My lady wanted to have copies of Twilight and Harry Potter, which I included happily. More so the HP books. She also wanted Eric Walters, which is what all Canadian libraries make sure to have. You wouldn't think that $1000 might go pretty far, but I had problems choosing between titles. What was necessary?

We didn't have a copy of How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, but I did include What I Was. I put a few titles in by Neal Shusterman because I love him and I think he's great for guy-reads. Everlost, Unwind, and Downsiders made it into the boxes. Also, The Schwa Was Here, which I haven't read but will very soon.

I included a copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, because I LOVED this book when I was younger. I added a copy of Beige by Cecil Castellucci because it's my favourite. I totally couldn't forget to include all three of books of the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, and also a copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

I've only read The Hobbit and the first Lord of the Rings book, which I thought was okay, but I put the whole series in because I know so many people who felt these books to be so important when they were young. I stuck in a copy of Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay to introduce people to a fine Canadian fantasy writer. Same for the copy of The Broken Thread by Linda Smith I included. Beautiful fantasy writing. Oh, and also Graceling by Kristin Cashore...and The Wand in the Word, an anthology of interviews with fantasy writers which I loved reading.

Anything we had by Shannon Hale was included. Nameably Goose Girl, Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days, which are my top three.

Thief by Megan Turner, Redwall by Brian Jacques, 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, and Pirate's Passage by William Gilkerson were included.

Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller is awesome fun, and Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier is beautiful.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean, a ton by Kenneth Oppel, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, Princess Bride by William Goldman (I Know!), The Vampire Diaries books 1 and 2 ( I know, I know), Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (I am surprisingly into this series!), The Boyfriend List by e. lockhart.

Poetry by Susan Musgrave. She's so visceral and such a witchy woman; a luscious writer.

A bunch of Scott Westerfeld. All titles by John Green. King Dork by Frank Portman.

And Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle. Have you read this book yet? It's so good. Same for Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron. OH, and Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz, of course.

The first three Narnia books.

And many more, actually. I had a blast choosing them. I only picked papaerback, to go easy on the budget, if you're wondering why I didn't pick some great newer fiction. Like The Maze Runner by James Dashner or Half World by Hiromi Goto. Next time.

What would the essentials be in your starter library?

Mandy

Review The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

2010-02-08T10:46:00.001-08:00

Julia was killed on Labor Day on her way home from a party. I didn't get to see her that night. I used to meet her on Friday nights, but I was never invited to the parties that she was invited to. We'd meet on the banks of the river, clutch at each other in the backseat of her car, steam up her windows and write messages and jokes to each other in the fog on the glass, and argue about whether to turn on the A/C. Sometimes we swam in the river late at night when the water was black and no one could see us. We did all that for a year, and nobody else knew.

The Secret Year opens a few hours after Julia dies in a car accident. Colt hears about it through his best friend, Syd, who heard it from Kirby, a girl who straddles the social divide between Black Mountain Road kids and people from The Flats. Colt has to act uninvolved as he wrings details from Syd: He and Julia were the only two people who knew about their affair. Now it is just him. When Michael, Julia's brother, hands Colt a journal of letters she's kept for him, it's the only connection he has to the girl he lost.

The story follows Colt for about a year after Julia's death, as he reads her letters/journal and tries to piece together the year they spent together in secret. Julia has a boyfriend, and she lives up on Black Mountain Road with the rich elite. Colt is from The Flats. He gets to the theme of their story right away, telling us:

That was the biggest difference between Julia and me: Black Mountain versus the flats. Not that we were Romeo and Juliet or anything. Nobody was trying to keep us apart. My family wouldn't have cared if I'd gone out with her. Julia's family probably would've hated me, but they wouldn't have locked her in her room. It was what her friends would've thought that bothered her, I think.

A cool image in the book is the river where Colt and Julia go on Friday nights to be together. They meet at night and the river looks black. After her death Colt goes there to be alone. I was looking around Jennifer's blog and I found an entry mentioning her fascination with "the river cure" mentioned by Anais Nin in one of her journals:

Described a[s a] folk cure for madness that involved placing a person next to a flowing river. The person was supposed to throw a stone into the river to unlock any blocked feelings, so that the feelings could flow again. I was not aware of this before I wrote my book, but it certainly reminded me of Colt. (Yes, there’s even a scene where he throws stones in the water.) Whether he succeeds in healing his “madness” and unlocking all the secrets that bound him to Julia, I leave you to discover. (Class of 2k10)

Another important character goes to the river when she wants to think or be alone, too. Although I don't remember the part where Colt throws a stone into the water. I DO remember the first time he kisses Julia. She's waded in wearing a slip and she teases him to come in with her. And he does. It surprises her. I liked in the book how the river was like a test of character; it attracts a certain type of person who can identify this river-attraction in others. It was well-done.

The Secret Year isn't exactly a romance novel, either. Which is the sense I initially got from the cover. Colt's interest in Julia after her death, I felt, was very natural. Kirby kind of throws it in his face a bit, like he's drawing it out too much by holding on to her journal. But I disagree. Their relationship wasn't perfect or really normal, but it was passionate and real at the time. Colt takes the year after her death to really process what she was to him and subsequently what he represented to her. Jennifer has this great blog post talking about how romance in a novel can bring out vulnerabilities in the characters, and I think this makes total sense for the "romance" in the book. Julia has flaws and only retrospect showed Colt that she wasn't exactly who she seemed. I wouldn't call their connection romantic, or really any other relationship Colt has with girls afterwards, as much as it's about two people finding out more about themselves through the eyes of another.

It's funny. This review is kind of short. I enjoyed reading the book but it was more like something to experience than to pick apart. It's very character-driven, which I like, and I enjoyed the central mystery of finding out who exactly Julia Vernon is and what her last night was like.

Mandy

Recently:

Review of Book One of The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith
Review of Book Two of The Vampire Diaries (I've been on a kick)
A funny take on judging books by their cover
A review of Possessed by Kate Cann (to show that I can write an okay review :) )

Review The Vampire Diaries 2: The Struggle by L.J. Smith

2010-02-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just the other day I was reviewing the first book in the series, The Awakening, and the ending of each book is such that you have to just keep reading into the next one. The final scenes are cliffhangers and the first sentence of the next book is the last sentence of the one that you just finished. It was a smart idea for Harper Collins to print two books in one, with a few teaser chapters of the third book even, in one volume. I would have been so mad finishing each book on such a cliffhanger. It makes you just keep reading, too. But you know what else kept me reading? Damon.

Here's a sampling of my reading notebook that I keep to remember parts I like for my reviews:

261: Hot

258: Hot, with eyebrows

I was most excited about The Struggle because I felt Damon was only introduced in the first book. In the second one, the tension is on now between Damon and Elena, and Damon and Stefan. While I still found him elusive, you get way more of him in Book Two.

Here's a little taste of the above pages I wanted to remember to quote:

"I'm talking about Power, Elena." Suddenly, [Damon] stepped close to her, his eyes fixed on hers, his voice soft and urgent. "You've tried everything else, and nothing has satisfied you. You're the girl who has everything, but there's always been something just out of your reach, something you need desperately and can't have. That's what I'm offering you. Power. Eternal life. And feelings you've never felt before."

She did understand then, and bile rose in her throat. She choked on horror and repudiation. "No."

"Why not?" he whispered. "Why not try it, Elena? Be honest. Isn't there a part of you that wants to?" His dark eyes were full of heat and intensity that held her transfixed, unable to look away. "I can waken things inside you that have been sleeping all your life. You're strong enough to live in the dark, to glory in it. You can become a queen of the shadows. Why not take that Power, Elena? Let me help you take it."

Hot. And I love that on PAGE TWO Damon's eyebrows already have center stage:

[Elena] clenched her fists. "Where's Stefan?"

A line appeared between Damon's dark eyebrows. "Stefan who?"

The Struggle seemed to lack the focus and build of the first book. All kinds of things were happening--Hallowe'en dances and stolen journals, dead History teachers. Bonnie gets a little more central action as the psychic trance lady, alerting Elena and Stefan to surrounding dangers. She also gets an off-screen kiss from Stefan--Hello, L.J., please write this hot scene into the story! And I'm still not so sure about Meredith who seems to have no personality at all. I can understand why she wasn't written into the TV show. There's nothing really to work with.

A new addition to the plot was the introduction of the new history teacher, Alaric Saltzman. On his first day of class he gets everyone to turn their desks into a circle and he asks them to spill about their traumas regarding the death of their old teacher, Mr. Tanner. Then just as class is wrapping up he's all: "How about if you all come around to my place this evening, and we can talk informally? Maybe just get to know each other, maybe talk about what happened...I'll provide the refreshments." Okaaaayy. Alaric is being so obvious. He even suggests to the class that coming to his party counts as participation marks in his class. So weird. By the end of the book you don't have a sense of his motive, but I'm sure he's just getting going in The Struggle.

Actually, one of the most awesome scenes in the book happens at his party. Damon hasn't been introduced to the characters outside of Elena's sightings of him. His grand social entrance is when Elena reaches for a breadstick and chews one end of it. Suddenly, a form lunges toward her saying "Mind if I have a bite?", and Damon bites off the end of the breadstick, "in that moment, their lips were only inches apart." It was really funny. Presumably all the girls were like "oh, what a suave College guy". Can you imagine anyone doing this at a party. Especially if you didn't know they were right beside you?

I was also hoping for a little more from Caroline's character. She hooks up with Tyler from book one *barf*, and exacts a pretty petty revenge on Elena for being the coolest girl around. What Caroline isn't realizing is that Elena is naturally pulling away from her old life at school because of the secrets she has to keep. She's not the "it" girl anymore. And you're second in command; just give it a little time and there will be room at the top for you. Caroline could be a strong nemesis for Elena, but I just haven't seen it yet. She's too easily overwhelmed by her jealousy to properly execute her plans. She's Damon to Elena's Stefan and I'd love to see her as a more formidable foe.

Another theme that really keeps me reading this series is the play of darkness and light and the push-and-pull it creates, looking for balance. Damon hates Stefan because he has light in him, because he cultivates goodness. Stefan hates Damon because he is only darkness and refuses to imagine any other way. Elena is a bit of both. She's described as an Ice Queen with a raging fire inside her. She's capable of loving her friends and family, sacrificing herself for others, but she's super-spoiled and entitled. It makes her think she can do whatever she wants, regardless of the people around her. Matt accuses her of only thinking of herself. And she tries to deny her passion for Damon. At the end of book two you get a real view into her true character and the potential she has for being bad.

The ending of The Struggle really surprised me. I can absolutely say that I have NO idea how the series will continue. Many things happened that are irreversible, and huge. Things that other teen vampire romances never quite broached. So I'm looking forward to The Fury, book 3. Oh, L.J., you have me hooked!

Mandy

Neat factoid: The Fury was originally the last volume of The Vampire Diaries, which was intended as a trilogy. Pressure from fans at the time caused L.J. to write a fourth book, Dark Reunion. And a new VD trilogy is in the works, The Vampire Diaries: The Return. The first title, Nightfall, came out last February and the next two books will be out this March and July.

In My Mailbox this Week!

2010-02-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

I had a killer week in books. What rises to the top? NEW NEAL SHUSTERMAN!!! Gah! I am a huge fangirl for his books. I was just about to start reading Downsiders, because I haven't yet. Bruiser is out in July via Harper Teen. It looks awesome and I might have to break my own rule of not reading something and reviewing it until closer to its release date. I might not be able to help myself.

I'm also pretty psyched about The Body Finder. It's about a girl who can find the dead bodies of people who have been murdered. It's also the author's debut novel. Beautiful cover. Out in March via Harper Teen.

And I'm intrigued by Alive Kuipers new book, The Worst Thing She Ever Did. Up top you'll see that at one point the book was tentatively named Lost For Words. I don't know what the final published title will be. The difference could be a UK vs. North American release thing. Alice also wrote Life on the Refrigerator Door, which was very successful and won a bunch of awards and accolades.

Mistwood looks good. I love misty castles in the background. It is a debut novel for the author. Out in May via Greenwillow.

Guardian of the Dead also looks crush-worthy. It is set in a boarding school in New Zealand (I'm thinking Kiwis and Flight of the Conchords), where something ancient and deadly is lurking in the surrounding forest. Strange cover, with the mask. It's out in April via Little Brown and Company.

Oh, I also received Reality Check by Jen Calonita, which doesn't have confirmed cover art yet. My ARC just has author and reviewer blurbs. It's about 4 teens on a reality show which is like The Hills meets iCarly. I love iCarly, but the drama suggested on the back cover makes me think it'll have more weight to it as a story. Looks good. Out in June via Poppy, an imprint of Little Brown and Company.

And 13 Treasures reminds me that I want to have a Junior/Middle Grade reader post every week. I want to expand this blog to accomodate all the cool books I'm seeing. Like Tunnels and 100 Cupboards, which are for younger readers. But adults can like them too! *plaintive*

What awesome books did you pick up this week?

Mandy

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Review The Vampire Diaries 1: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

2010-02-04T16:16:00.001-08:00

I'm a fan of the t.v. show. BUT, really only because of Damon and Caroline. I love their characters and can't wait to see what happens to them (and including any of the cast members of Firefly always excites me, however badly her character was written). So, within the first 5 pages of The Awakening my first blurted thought-to-mouth was "Where's Damon?!"

And he's in there, you just have to wait for it. Which I can do. I WAS disappointed with Caroline's character, though (in the book). She could have been a real Cordelia, but she wasn't amped up enough in the book. Which is one of my complaints in general: Vampire Diaries, the book, does not have punchy, memorable characters.

Although I was surprised by Elena's character. I really liked how desperate she was to win over Stefan. She claims a few times in the book that she will persue him TO THE POINT OF DEATH! This girl is passionate about her interest and doesn't balk to spread rumors that Stefan is a "Narc" (which made me burst out laughing--I'm sure everyone remembers someone who was called the Narc in school, it's classic and should be used more in teen fiction). Or to deliver flowers for herself from her fake boyfriend, Jean-Claude. Desperate and conniving, and great to see in a main character. I find Elena in VD the TV show (VDTV) kind of cardboardy. Definately not the Cordelia-type Queen of Cool that she is at the beginning of the book. I liked how hard she tried at the highschool level to bag, although she didn't know it, a man who is hundreds of years old.

"I've decided what to do my oral report on," [Elena] said, watching with narrow eyes as Bonnie finger-combed grass out of her curls.

"What?" said Meredith.

Elena tilted her chin up to gaze at the red and purple sky above the hill. She took a thoughtful breath and let the suspense build for a moment. Then she said coolly, "The Italian Renaissance."

Bonnie and Meredith stared at her, then looked at each other and burst into whoops of laughter again.

"Aha," said Meredith when thet recovered. "So the tiger returneth."

Elena gave her a feral grin. Her shaken confidence had returned to her. And though she didn't understand it herself, she knew one thing: she wasn't going to let Stefan Salvatore get away alive.

It's refreshing to see her engage him so openly and work to get his attention so obviously. I wish that L.J. would have played up the rivalry between Caroline and Elena over Stefan a little more instead of having Caroline just kind of fade away from the picture once S and E got going. But for the most part, I wasn't annoyed by Stefan as brooding and unattainable, because VD was written before Twilight and Buffy, for that matter: you can't be bothered, while reading, to be all "yeah, it's been done already".

Actually I'm really fascinated by where Vampires in highschool began, in fiction. VD is originally published in 1991. I didn't read it at the time it came out, but I don't remember anything else out there about vamps in highschool. Or really relating vampires to the teen experience. Interview with a Vampire was a great book at the time, but it wasn't necessarily about the teen years. And VD doesn't remind me of Interview with a Vampire at all, really. What are the original vampires in highschool/teen experience books?

Getting back to Damon, I am really actually looking forward to reading the second book in the series, The Struggle. Because now we're really going to get into the push and pull between Elena and her two guys. The Awakening is about Elena and Stefan; meeting each other, falling in love, she learning his secret, them sharing an intimacy that surprised me in the story (*** Hop to the bottom for a spoilery explanation, only if you've read the book or don't mind knowing). At the end of the first book I was hankering to jump right into the second book because I knew it was Damon's time to shine. Kind of cliffhangery on L.J.'s part, but not horrible seeing as the new editions have published two books in one. Otherwise, cliffhangers are unnecessary. They suggest that you don't trust the reader to keep reading the series based on its own merit, you have to trick them into needing to know what happens next because they've committed so much time already to the book and can't duck out now. The break between the books is more like a chapter break than a whole separate book with separate title thing.

I also appreciated how slow the build-up was to the story. There wasn't a lot of detail or particular attention to character development, but it also wasn't crashbang in your face with deaths and kidnappings to Georgia and running off into the nights. In this respect it was pretty tame, I liked the pacing of it. Any action was plotted well within the story, paced properly with the other social dramas happening.

Overall I hope Damon is as cool in the book as he is in the TV show. Although there hasn't been a lot of humor in the book, so we'll see. It has my interest and I was surprised by how much I liked the story.

I also love this artist rendition of Damon from L.J.'s website. Check it out for others, including Matt, Elena, and a surprising one of Stefan.

***Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers ***

In the book Stefan and Elena have only shared kisses and one night they drink each other's blood. This type of sensuality is always suggested in books with vampires who date girls, but not as obviously carried out. I found the book did a good job of making this trade have impact, like it really meant something as an act. Like you could see them doing it regularly, just for the connection it brings them. Kind of taboo to suggest to teens.

Mandy

Fun Vampire Diary Stuff!

Follow along to the TV show as Frankie parodies, in intense detail, each episode. Seriously, well well worth it. Via The First Novels Club blog.

Jumps up and down excitedly, not unlike the pee dance, just jollier Yvonne Prinz is Here!

2010-02-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

I really loved The Vinyl Princess--pop over to my review to see how. So I am beside myself that Yvonne (we're on a first name basis, now) was generous enough to respond to my fangirl questions!

*****

(Mandy) I think it's obvious within the story itself, but founding/owning/working in a record store really must have informed the details of Allie's home away from home. I'm thinking of how well you were able to create a very exacting experience of the community created by a record store in a cool part of town. I sense that there is a bit of your own heart in the setting of Bob & Bob's?

(Yvonne) Oh, yes, very much. I was amazed at the number of people who lived on the street when we opened Amoeba in 1990. We were quick to become a part of the Telegraph Avenue community with all its quirks and eccentricities. The book is completely informed by my real life experiences working at Amoeba for five years. I heard a lot of sad stories, welcomed babies into the world, babysat puppies and made loans to desperate people. The street culture on Telegraph is sad and wonderful at the same time.

VP has been likened to High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. And you mention that you started out to write a High Fidelity for girls in your Q & A with Billboard. What is the history you have with the book? What about it appeals to you?

I really loved High Fidelity. It reminded me of my first record store job when I was seventeen. I know Nick worked in a record store too and you really have to have lived it to write about it. People who work in the stores are often struggling musicians as well which is an interesting ego type to have to deal with. Amoeba has always had rotating staff leaving on tour, which is just how it is. Nick got that in High Fidelity too, the musician/record store clerk type; Moody, fragile, sleep-deprived, egotistical.

I'm also very interested in how you developed Allie's voice, which is so distinctive and just so DEAD ON. And even Kit; too often it is so easy to write best friend characters as tonal extentions of the main character. But in VP you've created such strong, female voices which are very different from one another. What is your secret? Certainly some unholy power was called upon.

Oh, yes, I have a shaman who drops by and lights things and shakes rattles and we sacrifice a chicken or two.

No, really, Allie is more me and Kit is the “Me” I wish I had the confidence to be: Guy Magnet, great dresser, adorable.

I think that voice is a hard thing to describe but you know when you’ve nailed it. A good way to tell is if you can read back some sad dialogue that your character said and it makes you cry. Then, by gum, you’ve got it.

Is Allie's name short for Alberta? Is this a shout-out to where you were born and raised? Is this mentioned in VP? Maybe I missed it.

Yes, there’s a funny bit at the beginning about how she got her name and yes, it is short for Alberta:

“I was born here in Berkeley sixteen years ago. My mom named me Allie, short for Alberta. When my mom found out that she was pregnant with me, she did the math and discovered that I’d been conceived on their trip to the Canadian Rockies, a place called Lake Louise in the province of Alberta. She said that the skies were so blue, the mountains so majestic and the glacier-fed lakes so pristinely turquoise there that she had to name me after that place. My mom and dad had long dreamed of taking a “rugged” vacation together (and by rugged I mean a mountain view from the window of the luxury chateau and optional trail rides through previously mentioned mountains). Later, when I showed up earlier than expected, my mom re-did the math and realized that I’d actually been conceived in a rather down-in-the-heels Montreal hotel room on the same trip. But it was too late, I was Allie by then (she named me in utero) and Monty would have been a terrible name for a girl.”

What is the coolest part about writing for teens? What is the best part of the journey so far?

I had no idea how the VP would be perceived but the response has been great. I guess the best part about the book is that I get these beautiful letters from girls telling me that the VP makes them feel like they belong somewhere. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I’ve saved them all (not the girls, the letters). It’s nice to reach out with a book and know that someone is reading it and getting it.

I'm pretty excited about rumors that you are working on a book called "All You Get is Me", which will be out in 2011. Is it too soon to talk about what it's about?

No, in fact, I just finished the edits so it’s very fresh in my mind. “All You Get Is Me” is about a girl named Roar (short for Aurora) whose father, a human rights lawyer, up and buys a farm shortly after Aurora’s mother disappears from their home in San Francisco. Roar, a city girl through and through, wants nothing to do with farm life until a series of events pulls her into her new life and she opens her heart to the Migrant Farm workers and the hardworking people who live in the community. It’s a sort of a modern Day “To Kill A Mockingbird” with racism and social justice at it’s center. Oh, and a boy from LA figures strongly too.

(Ah me. I feel like a dope for overlooking the ENTIRE paragraph where my answer about Allie's name could have been answered for me. I swear I completely missed it)

Thanks SO much, Yvonne!

Mandy

A Book By Its Cover

2010-02-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

So sometimes I like to grab books randomly and, judging only by what I see on the cover, try to guess the premise of a book. Then I'll read the back and see how close I am. It's an interesting pratice. I'll try a few now:

(***Warning: what you are about to read is probably not anywhere near the real premise of the books you are viewing. They will in actuality most likely be way off-base***)

Returnable Girl by Pamela Lowell

Okay so the girl looks pretty despondant. I'm thinking her parents have divorced. She's a daddy's girl and she now has to live with her mother. Beside a patch of cement. What about the file and paperclip?...My alternate theory is that it's about a girl who was adopted and then sent back. Which would probably be too horrible, even for a teen book :) Although you never know. It would fit with the title. MAYBE the file has to do with this girl's psychiatric visits. Because she was adopted and then sent back. Maybe more than once--again, just working the title in.

What Returnable Girl is REALLY about:

Dumped by her druggie mom, Veronica (Ronnie), 13, spent three years in nine different foster homes, until she finds a family with counselor Alison, who comes to love her and wants to adopt her. But can Ronnie trust anyone? Can she abandon the idea of reuniting with her "real" mom?

Hey I was pretty close with the sent back theme! The cover is lacking something, though. A bleakness that would show in a person's eyes if they had this kind of life. The cover, to me, says "I'm sad because my parents ignore me sometimes...they have a new baby", in terms of sadness impact. And the Saved By the Bell cutesy file doesn't do the dark premise justice.

Let's do another:

Watcher by Valerie Sherrard

This one is fun because I get NOTHING from the cover. No blurbs or reviews or anything. Just a title, the author and a simple illustration. This boy has "I watch you while you sleep" written all over his face. He's a peeping tom. And a thief. He steals stuff and then hangs around in trees peeping on ladies. Then he'll fall in love with one girl in particular and connect with her in a way he's never experienced before. But he's pretty mischevious looking. He's sly. His looks say "I don't need to peep on the ladies because my natural slyness makes me attractive to them". What would he be watching then? I bet he's about 15 in the book. I'm sticking to the thug theme, though. A thug with a heart of gold.

What Watcher is REALLY about:

Sixteen-year-old Porter Delancy believes he has his future figured out, but his nice, neat plans are shaken when a man he believes may be his father suddenly appears in his Toronto neighbourhood. Porter knows he wants nothing to do with the deadbeat dad who abandoned him and his sister 12 years earlier, but curiosity causes him to re-examine the past. Unfortunately, actual memories are scarce and confusing, and much of what he knows is based on things his mother has told him. As Porter looks for answers, it begins to seem that all he's ever going to find are more questions.

Huh. The author, from her website, goes on to say that, "Parental Alienation is a form of abuse involving the destruction of a child's relationship with one parent, by the other. It is, for the most part, an unpunished crime." So the title comes from his re-evaluation of his past? I don't know why he's smirking on the cover. The real premise sounds pretty cool, though. And I didn't notice it's by a Canadian author.

This is probably one of my only blog posts where I hope the authors aren't googling themselves. Yikes. :)

Mandy

One More From the Mailbox

2010-02-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to read Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. It snuck into my mailbox today and its so tempting. The cover is amazing. I hope publishers hear that: a YA cover that does not have a photo of a person, either fully or halfy, and it AMAZES me. It is gorgeous. What do you think, would you read it?

Scarlett is a werewolf hunter. Her "raging heart" won't let her rest until she's killed all the Fenris--the werewolves who attacked her sister and ravaged Scarlett's eye. She's got a razor-sharp hatchet and expertly lures werewolves in for the kill. Her sister, Rosie, owes Scarlett her life. When she meets Silas, a woodsman, her heart is torn. The book is also a play on Little Red Riding Hood.

Sisters Red is the first of a series and it's out in June, via Little Brown.

Mandy

In My Mailbox this Week!

2010-01-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited about this week in books.

In particular Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto, as I don't know anything about it. I haven't read anything by Eric Luper, but this looks like fun. Seth gets dumped at Applebee's and on the same day sees his father there, with a woman who's not his mother. He starts an anonymous podcast called The Love Manifesto that asks the question, "what is love and why are we stupid enough to go back for more?"

The Naughty List looks good, too. I don't know if I love the cover but the premise works for me. The school's cheerleaders, The Smitten Kittens, are perfect and popular. They are also spies-for-hire, catching cheating boyfriends and exacting justice. It sounds a little like Pretty Little Liars and maybe a bit like Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood. Both great books, so we'll see. The book has it's own blog where the Naughty List is kept and surveillance is recorded, it's pretty cute.

Booklist and USA Today both compare Merlin's Harp to The Mists of Avalon and Publisher's Weekly calls it a worthy successor to T.H. White, which is wow. It reminds me of Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, which was a re-telling of Arthur's exploits through a young girl's eyes. A girl who was a pawn of Merlin and who disguised herself as a boy.

And I think I've already blogged about my interest in We Hear the Dead, because of my fascination with the Fox sisters. I can't wait to read a fictional historical.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Mandy

What books did you pick up this week?

Little Brother Book Clubbing with A Book A Week!

2010-01-29T14:42:00.001-08:00

Mostly because I didn't know how to start this review, I went trolling around to see if I could pinpoint exactly what type of SciFi sub-genre Little Brother falls into. It's not exactly apocalyptic or dystopian, but it does fall into the category of "Mundane SF", which "focuses on stories set on or near the Earth, with a believable use of technology and science as it exists at the time the story is written" (wikipedia article, which has more info and links).

Little Brother feels like it's set exactly five minutes from now. Marcus lives in San Francisco and expertly hacks his school's "safety" mechanisms. Like the gait recognition technology--"these idiot cameras that were supposed to be able to tell one person's walk from another"--and "free" student laptops which log, record and analyze every keystroke made. Marcus lives in an alternate Big Brother reality which feels like a few small steps from our own. I don't want to get too pulled away by looking up stuff, but gait recognition technology is already being developed with the intent to use it for a society's apparent safety. And the linked story is two years old.

That's what I really liked about Little Brother--it made me very interested to know how technology may be used against society in the name of communal safety. Cory also presses the point that citizens are the strongest promoters of this safety, justifying the governing body's surveillance as a way to not feel afraid. Or, at least to Marcus, citizens over 25 are most afraid of their safety.

On an afternoon that Marcus and his group ditch school to play this awesome-sounding game called Harajuku Fun Madness, there is a major terrorist attack and he and his three friends are arrested by Homeland Security on suspicion of being terrorists. With no grounds, of course, except for being young, not in school, and in the middle of the attack. But getting back quickly to Harajuku Fun Madness, how amazing does this game sound:

It's an ARG, an Alternate Reality Game, and the story goes that a gang of Japanese fashionteens discovered a miraculous healing gem at the temple in Harajuku, which is basically where cool Japanese teenagers invented every major subculture for the past ten years...They slip the players coded messages that we have to decode and use to track down clues that lead to more coded messages and more clues...Imagine the best afternoon you've ever spent prowling the streets of a city, checking out all the weird people, funny handbills, street maniacs, and funky shops. Now add a scavenger hunt to that, one that requires you to research crazy old films and songs and teen culture from around the world and across time and space. And it's a competition, with the winning team of four taking a grand prize of ten days in Tokyo, chilling on Harajuku bridge, geeking out in Akihabara, and taking home all the Astro Boy merchandise you can eat.

It's when Marcus is checking out a set of GPS coordinates as that day's clue when the attack happens and he and his friends are violently arrested after waving down a military jeep, thinking that the police might help their wounded friend. The few days that Marcus is in some secret jail, after taking a short boat ride, is a turning point in the tone for the story. His imprisonment and humiliation--the absolute power that his captors have over him--fuels Marcus to somehow get back at them for taking his rights. Homeland Security also still have Darryl, or so Marcus believes, and he's commited to freeing his friend.

If I found the surveillance technology neat so far, what is cooler is the description of how Marcus gets around them. Cory has an amazing way of describing technology in super user-friendly ways. He actually made me want to learn how to write code:

If you've never programmed a computer, you should. There's nothing like it in the whole world. When you program a computer, it does exactly what you tell it to do. It's like designing a machine--any machine, like a car, like a faucet, like a gas hinge for a door--using math and instructions. It's awesome in the truest sense: it can fill you with awe.

There is also this very long explanation of how you can rig an Xbox to create a truly secure online connection. The idea comes from a book called Hacking the Xbox, "a wonderful book that tells the story of how bunnie [Andrew "bunnie" Huang], then a student at MIT, reverse-engineered the Xbox's antitampering mechanisms and opened the way for all the subsequent cool hacks for the platform." Actually Cory has a full bibliography of sources for someone who wants to know more about the tech referenced in Little Brother. And even as a person who has little background knowledge, I totally want to know more about security systems, how to use them, and how to hack them. It was the funnest part about this book--I want to read everything Cory read before he wrote it.

*****

Followed by an early morning chat with Kiirstin from A Book A Week, on Little Brother:

Mandy: I liked your review, it was spot-on.

kiirstin: Thank you! I liked yours as well. You seemed to focus more on the technological aspects than I did. I didn't realize, for example, that gait recognition tech was something people were already working on.

Mandy: I was inspired to do some further reading, which is what I hope people would do after reading the book. My further reading was Google related, but I love that Cory included some fantastic resources at the end of his book for anyone interested.

kiirstin: Absolutely. And the essays by others at the end, I thought that was a neat touch.

Mandy: Gait-recognition technology sounds so silly after reading LB. It makes no sense. I love that LB made me question something that might otherwise seem like an okay technology to develop.

kiirstin: I thought he was very tech neutral, in some ways. Not necessarily saying "this is a bad technology" but "it is stupid to use technology in this way." Also, it made me decide I'd better password protect my cell phone.

Mandy: Many times throughout the book I was like "hunh?" about the techno-talk, but I'm used to that in SciFi. What is so cool about LB, and "mundane SciFi" in general, is that the techno-talk is not techno-babble; terms made up and used for plot purposes in some SciFi.

All of his explanations made perfect sense and were well researched. He also explained things very vividly.

kiirstin: Which all leads to that creepy "um, yeah, this could actually happen. yikes" feeling, because the technology behind the story was so established.

Mandy: Completely. You could see it all happening. LB did make me more paranoid in general--which was a big theme in the book. It also made me want to hack my Xbox with my zero hacker knowledge, but exuberant interest.

kiirstin: I think making you a bit paranoid's exactly what it was supposed to do. Even the times where I felt it might be a bit over the top, part of me was whispering that it wasn't really that over the top.

And then there was that thing on the border with the SciFi author who got the crap kicked out of him by border guards, like, a week after I finished the book.

Mandy: I didn't know about that. Who was the author?

kiirstin: Dr. Peter Watts. The first article I read about it was at Making Light. The comments on that post are really wonderful to read, too. Cory Doctorow was the first one to really break the news about that one. Dr. Watts is a friend of his.

Mandy: Cory is the coolest.

I love that his book was impeccably researched. He really knows his stuff. It's great to see someone who has a real message and gets it across, even in fiction.

Not to denigrate fiction, of course, as I love reading it. A heavy dose of non-fiction is great, though, and a bit of a breath of fresh surveilled air compared to many contemporary YA books.

kiirstin: There's a lot of fluff out there, which of course is wonderful to read too, but LB definitely had meat to it.

He just felt so familiar with the subject material. Although... if I can admit... that was one of the small things that kind of bugged me every once in a while.

Mandy: At times it was too much for me, as well.

kiirstin: It was just sometimes that there was such a clear agenda. While I agree wholeheartedly with the agenda, it was still quite noticeable.

Mandy: I agree. It was a little heavy-handed. I did like how he brings up the question, a few times in the book, how can you tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys? Both know how to hack but the good guys are the ones who use it for a "good" purpose. However, who's the judge of that?

He touches on this a few times. I would have liked him to bring this to the fore a little more in the book.

kiirstin: Oh yes! Definitely. I liked what he did with that but I did want a bit more. The thing with Marcus' father was interesting -- I think any parent reading that would understand Marcus' father's perspective perfectly.

He was like the walking question "How much freedom and privacy would you give up to protect your family." And I *know* for many people it would be "all of it" except that without a bigger picture it's hard to recognize that by giving up those things, you're also harming your family.

Mandy: And the question of security was huge in the book. But when does the need for a sense of security become a means to possibly "evil" ends? Can we ever attain the type of security we're so set on keeping?

kiirstin: For example, how far are we willing to go just to catch wankers who decide that putting explosives in their underwear is the ideal way to inspire terror?

At the risk of overloading, there's another great Making Light thread talking about that issue. The point that is made somewhere in there is that there will *always* be outliers that we will never be able to predict.

Mandy: The lengths that we'd HAVE to go, according to LB, would only be "good" for the whole, not the individual and then you get on the slippery slope of means to the end for the greater good, which sometimes bulldozes the individual. And Homeland Security in the book demands that predictability be the norm. Which is crazy to suggest. And desperate to maintain.

kiirstin: Yes, exactly! Actually, something that stuck with me about that even though I didn't write it down was an offhand comment made about a kid who was HIV positive and his parents didn't know. And because of DHS' movement-watching scheme, they flagged his (her?) movements and blew his cover. Which would quite possibly have ruined his life.

Actually, this is something we've started having to deal with in libraries. In the States, their have been a couple of cases where the DHS has wanted libraries to release patron records to see what someone who is suspicious has been checking out of the library.

Mandy: I've heard of the library records cases. Crazy.

I also love the theme of Don't Trust Anyone Over 25. Because in the book anyone over 25 doesn't trust them. It's a theme that's interesting; the latter generation doesn't trust the newer generation because they are the next world-makers. What if they aren't right for the job?

"What if we haven't taught them the right way of being in the world and now it will come back to haunt us?" = blanket mistrust.

kiirstin: That whole blanket mistrust is SO PREVALENT though. Even some parents don't trust the kids they've raised to make good decisions. And true, teenagers sometimes make stupid decisions. But adults also often make stupid decisions, and they're the ones with the power.

I really liked that push-back.

Thanks, K!

Pop over to Kiirstin's blog for HER side of the story!

Mandy

Did I Miss Out?

2010-01-29T10:06:00.000-08:00

David Levithan wrote a little essay on Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, who died this week:

Probably the most popular thing I’ve ever read during school visits is a piece from one of my novels called “My girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield.” No matter where I am in America, no matter if I’m talking to freshmen or seniors, guys or girls, every time I say the title, at least half the class knows exactly what I’m talking about. I often say that “The Catcher in the Rye” is the second most misread book in history – when you’re young, you don’t really see Holden’s pain, only his bravado. Then, when you get older, you see the sorrow and confusion underneath. And the book gets even stronger for it. (The Wall Street Journal Online)

I haven't read Catcher in the Rye yet, or anything by David Levithan for that matter. Although both have been on my radar. You can read the above piece about the girlfriend loving Holden Caulfield from his novel The Realm of Possibility, here. Actually I think I'll pick this book up -- "The Realm of Possibility is told by twenty different teens who go to the same high school – straight and queer, goth and gospel, hopeful and heartbroken"

My highschool was too busy reading Lord of the Flies every year to add Catcher to the reading list. Don't get me wrong, I love LOTF, but I feel like I missed out on a part of my formative teen years not reading Catcher. :)

Mandy

Online Coolness

2010-01-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few great things happening that I want to tell you about:

Win one of TEN signed copies of Tangled by Carolyn Mackler at Harperteen.com. You can also have a sneak peak at the book, or take the quiz to see what character you are most like (I won't even ATTEMPT the quiz because I loved Jena so much--I'm sure I'm her). You can also read my own review of Tangled here, as I recently enjoyed it. Along with Vegan Virgin Valentine, a Mackler backlist title.

And for a limited time you can read the FULL TEXT of Lesley Livingston's Wondrous Strange. Darklight is the sequel and it just came out in January. I read and enjoyed Wondrous Strange before I started blogging, and so never got around to writing a full review. I'll include one when I read and review Darklight in the near future.

And Inkpop has become official after a soft launch in 2009. Inkpop is HarperTeen's "interactive writing platform and community for teenagers". You can post stories and give feedback on what you read there. There's also a forum. An editorial board of people from Harper Collins are onboard to give helpful comments and feedback. It sounds great for hopeful writers out there.

YAnnabe blog has a hugely growing list of unsung heroes of YA from 2009, after all the awards have been announced. I LOVE the idea of lists like this because there are so many books which absolutely should be read. Essentially all of her picks, minus the two I've read already, have gone on my to-be-read list. But other bloggers have hopped on the train and are collecting their OWN lists. The whole thing is very cool.

Mandy

Dirty Little Secrets for my To-Be-Read Pile

2010-01-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Dirty Little Secrets has a unique premise:

Everyone has secrets. Some are just bigger and dirtier than others. For sixteen years, Lucy has kept her mother's hoarding a secret. She's had to -- nobody would understand the stacks of newspapers and mounds of garbage so high they touch the ceiling and the rotting smell that she's always worried would follow her out the house. After years of keeping people at a distance, she finally has a best friend and maybe even a boyfriend if she can play it right. As long as she can make them think she's normal. (From Goodreads.com)

And then Lucy's mother dies under a pile of National Geographics and she knows her family's hoarding story will be public knowledge, and Lucy has to make a split decision.

I also think this is neat, from the author's bio: "C.J. Omololu didn't grow up in a hoarded home, but she has seen what the disorder can do to a family through her research with the Children of Hoarders organization." I didn't know that hoarding was a compulsion and that it can really affect a person's childhood.

A few other authors have read Dirty Little Secrets like Jaclyn Dolamore (author of Magic Under Glass), who says: "I read it in one afternoon, but I thought about it all week." And Jen Nadol (author of The Mark) says, "This book was fantastic. I was actually in the middle of reading something else, picked it up to have a quick look at the first page or so and couldn't put it down. I finished it less than a day later and am still thinking about it."

*sigh* yet another one for my huge to-be-read pile. This one looks so good.

Mandy

Review of Possessed by Kate Cann

2010-01-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

I want to mention the cover. I like it, it drew me in, but now that I've read the book my response is "hunh?"

My initial assumption of Possessed by Kate Cann = it looks like it might be a scary book. From the title I would guess that there is a ghost involved, maybe also an exorcism or scary ghost possession. I'm getting a strong "Paranormal Activity" (the film) vibe.

And it's really not this kind of book. Possessed didn't "scare" me. Not at all. But that's okay because it was a good book as it is. However, I would definitely classify it as a mystery. It was ghost-story lite. I could have used some more chills.

BUT, it also surprised me with nuances that I really enjoyed while reading. Themes and a general tone that I was not expecting. Rayne lives in a cramped apartment in London with her needy mother and younger brother Jelly. Her mother sleeps all day, she's her brother's primary caretaker and her boyfriend, Damian is coiled energy--kind of dangerous but also psychically draining. Rayne feels a low-level anxiety all the time, especially peevish with the constant noise of the city and the demands of the people in her life:
But what did she want? Whenever she thought about that, all she could come up with was: space. Silence.

So she applies for a number of jobs online, intending to apply to the one farthest away. Just to get away for awhile, she tells herself. It's how she discovers Morton's Keep, a grand old mansion miles away in the quaint town, Marcle Lees:

Marcle Lees--it sounded like a backwater village. The sort with one church, one school, one village hall. It sounded...empty. The kind of place to let your head out of its clamp, where you could breathe deeply with no one and nothing to make you choke up...

Morton's Keep is a great setting for the book. I do love a good haunted house. Rayne decides to stay in the "Sty" just outside the mansion, which gives her the willies and freaks her out so badly that she thinks of leaving. Actually I loved that Rayne was easily spooked; every noise at night was a murderer or a ghost and if dawn hadn't come, she would have run away from there in the night. It's nice to see a bit of scaredy-cat in a main character.

Rayne has this connection with nature, with being away from the city, that comes up in her first week in the country and which really adds something to the story. In my opinion it is the main story, apart from the dark presence at Morton's Keep and the weird history of the townspeople.

The scenes where Rayne realizes the power of nature in the book were the strongest, for me. One in particular is when she and St. John, who has suspect motives for wanting to get closer to Morton's Keep, are in the woods and a stag suddenly bursts through the foliage. His antlers are covered in moss and pieces of tree and St. John tells her stags strengthen their neck muscles by thrashing around in preparation for mating season. Usually cocky and irreverent, St. John starts backing away from the animal, while Rayne finds it alluring:

"Yeah, well, we should probably get out of here," said St. John. His voice had lifted in pitch; it was starting to sound nervous. "If he doesn't go after that other stag, he might come after us."

"No, he won't," said Rayne. "Oh, he's beautiful." She was feeling incredibly stirred. She thought the stag was noble, powerful, free. Its great spreading antlers could kill, or protect.

After, Rayne makes a move on St. John, stirred by the connection she has with the stag, and he rejects her, taking her home early. Her awareness of the primal energy in the woods is like a balm for her overanxious, shut-down personality. There were also some strong passages which surprised me:

She walked on, and the silence was so heady it was like wine, making her heavy, languid. There was no one to watch her, no one to judge her. She felt like her shape had gone, like her skin wasn't holding her in anymore, she was just flowing through into the woods. She sat down on a fallen tree trunk. The wood was all around her, silent but for tiny rustling noises, glowing in patches where the sun got through. She was flowing into it, she was part of it, all her edges were blurred.

Rayne also has a connection with Ethan, a member of the local Fire Festival group. Through the book this group has an ambiguous reputation. And they remain wary of Morton's Keep and its history. St. John and Ethan are enemies, Raybe doesn't know why, and she's torn between them, although mostly infatuated with St. John and his group of followers, who seem so cool.
I was also suprised by the romance in the story. I thought it would be about a girl leaving her possessive boyfriend at home to get some air and she finds herself in a similar situation in Maracle Lees. Which makes sense for her character, especially in the scene where she hides in a tree trunk which is my favourite scene in the whole book, very powerful. I thought it was cool that Possessed has to do with ancient rituals which have lost their significance, but haven't lost their power. There is a strong folklore magic in the book which was well written.

I also like Kate's reason for writing Possessed, from her website:

To me, the most frightening arena is inside the mind. I wanted to explore that, and the fear of the not-known, in this book. I wanted to look at what would happen when a town-girl is transplanted to a remote place where nights are pitch black and nature dominates. Rayne is deeply drawn to the woods, but she hears strange stories about them, and the mysterious fire people. She must fight to find out the truth, and be brave in facing up to who she really is ....

The sequel to Possessed is called Fire & Rayne, at least in the UK. Possessing Rayne is the UK title to Possessed, so the sequel might have a different North American title.

Possessed is coming out at the beginning of February.

Mandy

In My Mailbox this Week!

2010-01-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

I love the cover to Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. I haven't heard a lot of buzz about it, yet. Oh, I see Bookshelves of Doom gives it a five star rating on goodreads.com! I love her reviews. Incarceron looks a bit like City of Ember and maybe a little Hunger Games? Hm, this sounds really good, from Catherine's website:

Imagine a living prison so vast that it contains corridors and forests, cities and seas. Imagine a prisoner with no memory, who is sure he came from Outside, even though the prison has been sealed for centuries and only one man, half real, half legend, has ever escaped.

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness.

Stupid Cupid is about Felicity Walker, who finds a job with the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow and becomes a cupid, making romanitc connections between students at her school. It looks really funny.

In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth is the story of two girls, one who dies and donates her heart and another who needs a heart transplant. You hear the two stories of both girls who have shared one heart. And this is from the Author's Note at the back of the book:

I began this book shortly after my mother died of congestive heart failure and my nephew Jason was killed in a motorcycle accident. It started out as therapy--it kept me writing through my grief. Jason was an organ donor. I liked the idea that part of him still lived on in the world, not only in our memories, but in some unique way in those lives he touched as an organ donor.

Mandy

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Some Neat Stuff at Sourcebooks Fire

2010-01-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hey I just found out that you can read the first chapter of Sourcebooks Fire's new Teen imprint! I'll post the direct links here.

It's a great way to really see if you'll get into a book.

Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton

Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

But there are others on the Sourcebooks Fire website, so go check them out!

I'm pretty excited about the Adele Griffin title. And they have a book called We Hear the Dead, which is about the Spiritualist Fox sisters. I've read some non-fiction about their story and would love to read a fictional take.

Mandy

Book Trailer for Numbers by Rachel Ward!

2010-01-20T12:29:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited by this title! I have a copy at home which is burning a hole through my bookshelf!
And they've released a new book trailer for Numbers. It's simple but I like the music. It gives the impression that Numbers is a bit spooky. Which makes sense for the premise: girl sees the dates of people's deaths above their heads, then realizes that everyone around her suddenly has the same date because there will be a terrorist attack. The cover looks kind of SciFi, too.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a review of *Possessed* by Kate Cann, as I am madly reading through it and STILL don't know what's going on! In a good way. :)

Mandy

Red Spikes for some afternoon...

2010-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

We just received a paperback copy of Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan at the store. I reeeaallly love that they've kept the original hardcover art as it is gorgeous. Evocative, awesome, daring.

I have a few books of short stories and essays and interviews piling up at home and I think I'll do a weekly post about the "shorts" I've read. You know, you read a great short story, interview, essay in the teen vein and you want to talk about it!

I have a copy of Kelly Link's Pretty Monsters coming in too, because I seem to think that I haven't read all of the stories inside.

I think that short story collections are often overlooked and shouldn't be. There is something very satisfying in finishing a complete story in one sitting. Graphic Novels are great for this too.

Any short story collections, essay collections, or interview collections I should know about?

Mandy

Oh!...Wow! Michael Printz Award Winner!

2010-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

...hunh. Going Bovine by Libba Bray is the 2010 Michael Printz Award winner?!

I am ONLY surprised because I picked it up a few months back, read 80 pages and just wasn't into it. I am a huge fan of her Gemma Doyle series. And it wasn't that she had written something entirely different, as I enjoy all types of fiction. Maybe it was just the wrong time for me to pick it up. I will totally be giving it another go, though. Which I had intended to do anyway. The Printz award will speed this up for me, though.

And Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey is a 2010 Honor Book. I have to also admit that I am halfway through this one and thought I might not go back to it. For no reason in particular. Again, it could be that I'm just not that into it right now. I'll finish Monstrumologist off, though.

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp is also an Honor Book. I haven't read this one. I love the title, though! ...*checks* OH! We have it at the store! Yoink...Hunh, creepy cover.

And I don't know anything about the other two Honor Books, Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman and Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes.

Surprises? I would have loved to see Hate List by Jennifer Brown win something. I just really liked it.

What do you think of the list? (Complete Info Here)

Mandy

In My Mailbox This Week!

2010-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

I was just talking about Nothing by Janne Teller this week. It looks so good.

And I didn't know that Holly Black is coming out with a new teen series called The Curse Workers. The first one in the series is called White Cat. It's about a family of Curse Workers--people who can change your emotions, your memories and your luck. And because their power is illegal, they are all criminals. Except Cassel. His only stain is that he killed his best friend three years ago. Now he's being haunted by nightmares and white cats.

White Cat is out in May, via Margaret K. McElderry.

I also didn't know about She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott. Kieran writes the Private and Privilege series under the pen name Kate Brian. Her newest is about a rich family who looses all their money and respect. Ally then moves away from her entitled community, Orchard Hill, to get away from the scrutiny. But now they are moving back. Ally thinks she's outgrown her old lifestyle and wonders if she can really go back to it as easily. When she meets Jake Graydon, it will be hard for them to stay together. Not if everyone around them has a say in it.

Also available in May via Simon and Schuster.

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready is about a girl who can see ghosts. Since "the shift", Aura has been able to see and speak with ghosts. When he boyfriend Logan dies, he becomes a constant in her life. But she's also getting close to her best friend Zachary. Both guys hold Aura's attention and both have a piece of the puzzle, a way to help her understand the secret of the shift.

Shade is out in May via Simon Pulse.

And Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson is one that I`m really looking forward to. It is about a girl who finds out she is a werewolf and is also in love with the son of the man leading the werewolf hunt. I hope it brings something new to the paranormal romance genre.

Also out in May via Simon Pulse.

I also received Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook, which I devured this week. Check out the review and Book Giveaway on the right sidebar!

Mandy

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff -- A Re-reading Retrospective!

2010-01-15T09:51:00.001-08:00

"It would be much easier to tell this story if it were all about a chaste and perfect love between Two Children Against the World at an Extreme Time in History but let’s face it that would be a load of crap"

How I Live Now, like other really great books, is a world of its own.

It’s also Meg’s first book, which renders me agog. Her sister’s death from cancer was the impetus to write, and at the time HILN was slated for publication she herself was diagnosed with the disease. I have read a few interviews with Meg and I have this sense of her as a lady who rightfully sees doubt and fear as huge impediments to life. The world that Daisy finds herself living in is one where you live day by day, and at times hour by hour. Meg has a wise and wide perspective and it makes HILN a deeply resonant book.

"I like writing for and about teens because it's a very extreme time of life, and that makes for intense transformations, intense possibilities for growth. I think many people find their teens a difficult and disturbing time, but also a time of great excitement and intensity. As a writer, you can't ask for a better set-up than that."
(Biography.jrank.org referencing source on Bookbrowse.com)

Daisy is 15 and on top of the intense transformational period of being a teen, she finds herself in the explosive transformative time of war. The book opens with her arrival in England, self-exiled from her dad’s home in New York, leaving behind a new step-mom and step-sister. She intends on staying with cousins she’s never met and the sister of her deceased mother. What she finds is a sprawling home in the countryside and a wonderfully unruly gang of kids who smoke and drive and make her feel more like herself then she ever remembers feeling.

Reading this book again I anticipated my favourite scenes being replayed. One of my excitements is the first time Daisy sees the house, which “is practically indescribable if the only sort of houses you’ve lived in before are apartments in New York City.” There is this garden—actually wildness and growing things are a huge part of the imagery during the first part of the story—that appears again at the end of the book and had me captivated a second time:

Climbing up the front of the house is a huge vine with a stem so thick it must have been growing there for hundreds of years but there aren’t any flowers on it yet, I guess because it’s too early. Behind the house and up some stone steps is a square garden surrounded by high brick walls and in there are tons of flowers blooming already all in shades of white. In one corner there’s a stone angel about the size of a child, very worn, with folded wings and Piper told me it was a child who lived in the house hundreds of years ago and is buried in the garden.

From an interview with Meg we did last May, I asked her about the child in the garden because I loved the imagery and what it suggested. She said that, “The angel in the garden was originally thrown in as a casual detail, but I found I liked what it suggested and added another reference to it at the end. Take your pick -- the death of innocence, the reminder that in the midst of life we are in death (to coin a phrase), mortality juxtaposed with rebirth (the bulbs and the roses in the garden) and also a little reminder to Daisy that she is not the centre of the universe -- that people have lived and died before she was even born.”

When the garden pops back up at the end of the story I was so excited and it gave me goosebumps. With a second reading the way that flora and fauna weave through the story is so vivid and perfect. Also one of my favourite scenes is the picnic that the cousins have just before their lives change. In the first part of the book these kids live outside time in a visceral and romantic connection to nature. It was very vivid for me:

We got to a place by a river and parked the jeep and got out and Isaac carried all the fishing stuff, and Edmond brought lunch and a blanket to lie on and although the day wasn’t very warm, I made a nest for myself by trampling down a little patch in the tall grass and put the blanket down and lay very still and as the sun rose up in the sky I warmed up even more and all I could hear was the sound of Edmond talking in a steady low stream of conversation to the fish, and Piper singing her odd song, and the occasional splash of the river or a bird rising into the air near us and singing its heart out.

I was thinking about almost nothing except that bird and then Edmond was next to my ear whispering Skylark, and I just nodded, knowing it was futile to ask how he knew the answers to questions you hadn’t even got around to asking yet.

There’s this magical realism in the book that I really enjoyed. It was more like Magic Realism Light, I suppose. Piper, Edmond and his twin Isaac share this unspoken connection with each other and with animals. Almost like they can read each other’s minds. Interestingly, Osbert, their older brother who goes all Hitler Youth, doesn’t connect with them in this way, or even close. Daisy finds a strong connection with Edmond, even when they are far apart. There is this amazing scene where Piper refuses to go back into their house near the end because of the ghosts, and even Daisy can still hear echoes of their old life and of the people who were in the house. Daisy is wandering around and is describing the unreal feel of home after wartime.

And while Daisy and Edmond are separated, Daisy *knows* that he is still alive. She sometimes gets a sense of what he's seeing and feeling. Although this connection is not ultimate, as seen when Edmond's mind and heart are lost to what he's experienced, which Daisy believes, must have been far worse than what she and Piper had witnessed. Meg writes about this connection very beautifully and believably.

When I read HILN for the first time this year I thought it was set in WWII. The back cover mentions a war and I just assumed, probably because it's such a hot topic for fiction. Then I did a double-take when Daisy talks about cell phone reception. It's funny, even when Edmond picks her up at the airport he seems to be a creature out of another time period. He smokes, he's assured, and way older than he seems. I kept forgetting his actual age, which I believe is like 12-13 (?), younger than Daisy for sure. Enough to make her very aware that, had they not been living virtually parent-less in a beautiful countryside house which seems to stand outside of time, there would be nothing "Okay" about their romance. Although they weren't very "romantic" with each other. There was a sweetness and a sense of first discovery--what it would feel like to find out you have a twin, and he/she's beautiful, and you know it's wrong but *everything* in the world is absolutely wrong right at this moment, so hey.

I keep seeing HILN labelled Dystopian and on Dystopian book lists and such. And I get it because the war that erupts, or rather infiltrates slowly and feeds on confusion and fear, isn't any war in particular. HILN feels like the setting could be five minutes from now. Meg mentions that the war in the book is a pastiche of modern conflicts, including WWII, but not limited to it. HILN isn't historical fiction but a story that talks about our future. The way that war will be fought--the breakdown in technology and our dependence on it. So in this way I can see it as Dystopian. The pervading fear and helplessness that sets in once all electrical communication ends is very quick. People turn on each other and no one knows what's going on.

I really enjoyed re-reading How I Live Now. I knew what was going to happen so I was able to soften my focus and catch the subtleties. There is so much in this book that I haven't covered, which is one of the downfalls of writing a spoiler-free review! There's so much to take away.

HILN really sticks with you.

What did you think of it? I'm excited to see your comments!

Mandy

What Happened to the Horror Genre in YA?

2010-01-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

I was once a huge Stephen King fan. Pet Sematary was the SCARIEST book ever--seriously I thought I was going to die of fear. It also could have been my setting at the time--lonely farmhouse up north, rounding 1 a.m., some crazy pipe banging in the background. Very scary. I also loved Misery and It, and even The Talisman, which was a little weirder, was pretty good. I'm a bit more of a baby now (as I've learned by a recent viewing of Paranormal Activity--my body had trace memories of anxiety and panic for two weeks after). But I still love to read horror. But where is it in YA?

Seriously. The Urban Vampire Paranormal Action Romance genre, although dark and spooky, doesn't exactly give me goosebumps. The last thing I read that gave me chills was The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and really only for those amazing monsters and nail-biting tension in a few scenes. But I would still call The Maze Runner SciFi. I'm reading The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey right now and it's pretty freaky. There's a lot of gore and I hope to see more gothic horror tension, but it's good so far. It's been a breath of fresh gore-flecked air for me!

Another scary-seeming title I have my eye on is Possessed by Kate Cann. It looks promising horror-wise. I was just speaking about horror in YA with my lovely friend Katie from Read What You Know (drop everything and check out her blog--she puts a LOT of work into it!), and she mentioned that a Lois Duncan book called Locked In Time STILL freaks her out. Which is so awesome that a book can be so viscerally affecting years later.

So come back to YA, Horror genre. Do you have any Scary reading suggestions for me?

Mandy

Review Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

2010-01-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

I read Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood at a frantic pace. I loved it and I see that Eileen Cook has other books. I feel a backlist marathon coming on.

First, I was absolutely drawn in by the cover. It's the single most coolest Teen cover I have seen in awhile. It stuck in my mind when I was perusing YA 2010 lists and as soon as I got my hands on a copy it rushed to the top of my gotta read 'em list. I found out on Eileen's website that the doll was custom made because legally you can't used knifed Barbies to market your wares. Who knew? Here's a cool response from Eileen on how the cover came together:

When they asked me what I had in mind for Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood I thought of a scene in the book where the main character tosses a Barbie doll dressed in a cheerleader outfit into a wood chipper. The brilliant designer, Cara, pointed out that Mattel doesn’t take kindly to people chucking their trademarked doll into a wood chipper on the cover of books. Now, personally I think Mattel owes me as I’ve bought more than my fair share of Barbies over the years. I was never a baby doll kind of person, however I had a herd of Barbies. I created elaborate lives for them and even did sort of a Project Runway kind of thing where I made clothes out of scraps of fabric. Still it was a no-go on any Barbie destruction.

Cara found a place to order a custom made doll. We could do whatever we wanted. GENIUS! The doll arrived with lace panties on. Sort of makes you wonder who the typical buyer is for this product. They wasted no time in setting up a photo shoot for the doll. Cara selected cover colors and font for the title. The finished product can be seen to the left. I love it! It captures what I wanted, the revenge aspects, that the story is funny, the artificial “fake” aspect of some friendships.

Now I just hope the average person in the bookstore likes it as much as I do! (Eileen's website)

*Waves hand frantically and shamelessly in class like Brenda* I Do!

And I was not disappointed with the story. Helen Worthington and Lauren Wood are *Best Friends*. They are just about to enter highschool, a time when, Lauren believes, you can have a do-over, a clean slate. Helen is a bit of a puppy dog and lets Lauren run the show. In the book Helen is described as the diplomat and Lauren is the drama queen. Helen always thought that Lauren was just more sensitive than most people and needed to be handled with kid gloves, but she realizes later, after "the incident", that Lauren manipulates every situation to get what she wants.

Before they start highschool neither girl is particualrly popular, and Lauren seems the most worried about this. So it comes as no surprise to the reader when she sets Helen up for a very public humiliation, something that she can't live down, which also pushes Lauren to the top of the food chain. Thankfully Helen's family move away and she never has to see Lauren again. Except for Helen's obsessive Facebook stalking of her ex-best friend that lasts 3 years and her vow for revenge. When Helen decides to move back and finish off the last year of highschool in her old town, she is unrecognisable. All of her attention is focused on cracking the popularity code and getting revenge on Lauren Wood.

It took me until Helen changed her name to Claire Dantes, but I think I actually yelled out, "Ohmigod it's The Count of Monte Cristo!!" which is one of my favourite books. Edmond Dantes is the consummate avenger, imprisoned unfairly for years because of his best friend. So I was very impressed with this reference. And Getting Revenge... was a bit Pygmalion, too. When "Claire" gets to school she's stuck with Brenda, official school buddy for new kids. She's the opposite of a Lauren Wood and Claire feels like she could balance out her revenge karmically by taking Brenda under her wing. As long as the popular girls don't notice, which would blow Claire's undercover act. So Brenda is made over and even plays a role in Lauren's downfall:

"Look, popularity is a science. It's not as shallow as it looks."
"Really?" Brenda crossed her arms.
"Popularity is a mathematical formula based on desirability criteria. High schools are a classic anthropological case study, and getting people to respond in the way you want is psychology. All science. It's just not the type of science you're used to."

Claire/Helen is basically a good person. She just wonders whether people who are horrible ever get theirs. What if karma accidentally overlooks giving out dues to the deserving. Claire wants to make sure that Lauren pays for what she's done. And as she gets closer to Lauren's inner circle she sees that she's not the only one who feels that L could be knocked down a peg or two.
I really liked how not outrageous Claire's schemes are. Orchestrating L's break-up with her boyfriend seems like cake, until she realizes that maybe L isn't that broken up about it. As Claire moves her pieces into place I actually cheered for her. Maybe I am not as evolved as Brenda is, but Claire is seeing to it that Lauren is put in exactly the same situation she put Helen into. And I got behind her motivations. Getting revenge on Lauren Wood takes over Claire's life and she realizes that even the best laid plans never turn out the way you thought they would.

The writing is tight and I loved all the characters. Except for Christopher who I thought was a little righteous. But Lauren's cronies are really well written and hilarious:

Bailey saw me first and waved like she was a plush Disney creature at the doorway to the Magic Kingdom and I was a guest from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. If they could bottle what Bailey had it would be better than Prozac. You usually didn't find people this happy unless there was serious medication support.

I found Claire a very strong character. Even if her plans are pretty crazy. She's so focused on Lauren but she doesn't see how that energy has actually been channeled into cracking the popularity code. She becomes very insightful into the nature of pack mentality, although she's using it for less than good ends. Just like Edmond Dantes, Claire doesn't know who she would be without her revenge gig and just can't pull back. She becomes a courageous, sexy, popular girl which would probably be the revenge she needs in itself, but Claire just can't help herself. She needs to see Lauren crushed:

I'd checked off established popularity on my to-do list. Now it was time to move to stage two: active destruction.

Eileen is also a fellow Canadian. View her blog here.

Mandy

And since I liked it so much I'd love to give away a copy for you to enjoy! I have a finished hardcover copy of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood here to give away! Simply fill out the form below and tell someone about this giveaway via your blog, facebook, twitter, word of mouth!

Good Luck!

Loading...

Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler

2010-01-12T10:45:00.001-08:00

After reading Tangled by Carolyn, I know that she is a GOOD writer. She's very good at it, in fact. And I was in the mood for more of her crafting. And I found a hardcover of Vegan Virgin Valentine at a used bookstore. AND its pink and sparkly. So I felt ready for another of her books.

Mara is in her final year at highschool. She's an intense overachiever. She's already been accepted to Yale, she'll start College in second year, and she's a nose ahead of her lecherous ex-boyfriend for Valedictorian. For every move in Mara's life she and her parents have meticulously planned the details. The worst part is that Mara has no idea that she's "repressed".

Or that's what V calls it. V, Vivienne Vail Valentine, is Mara's niece, although they're the same age. V is the daughter of Mara's flaky sister, Aimee, who arranges her life around guys, travelling from one lifestyle to the next:

My parents had me when they were in their forties. Now they're in their early sixties, which makes them ten or fifteen years older than most people's parents. Not that they show their age, aside from the fact that they geerally go to bed around sunset. We NEVER talk about sex, so I don't know the specifics of my eleventh-hour conception. But I'm convinced that my parents brought me into this world to compensate for my older sister, Aimee, who was eighteen and skidding down a road to nowhere.

Mara and V don't get along at all, even though V and Aimee stay with her family in between their travelling around. V is an "in-your-face" girl, who shows up to her first day at Mara's school in a tight tank top that says "I just cain't say no!" and makes out with her ex-boyfriend Travis. When Aimee moves to Costa Rica to persue her dream of learning how to make Central American cuisine, it looks like V is there to stay permanently.

While the story starts out with V acting out and really not fitting in at school or at home, the book is really about Mara and her breaking away. Seriously, she's almost 18 and she and her parents have one of those family cell phone plans so her dad can phone her all the time, and she thinks there's no problem with that! When V begins to call her on these types of things, at first Mara is angry and offended, but then she sees that V may be on to something.

Some of my favourite scenes are Mara's college drama class, taken with academic goals in mind, of course. Her teacher, Dr. Hendrick, keeps harassing Mara about her lack of dance rhythm in class. He's kind of self-important and keeps making the group do wacky improv scenarios, which are hilarious:

Twenty minutes into class, Dr. Hendrick instructed us to divide into groups of four and create a nature scene--one person as earth, one as wind, one as water, and one as fire. I was so paralyzed by the extreme cheesiness of the exercise that I didn't look around for three other people. And then, before I knew it, the class was all quadrupled up.

Dr. Hendrick sashayed behind me, rested his sweaty paws on my shoulders, and steered me toward the nearest group of four. "I hope you don't mind adopting Ms. Valentine," he said to them. "But all the elements are taken," a college girl whined. I think her name is Rhonda. Her tags are always sticking out of her T-shirts. I've had a bad feeling about her from the first day.

Mara also works at a coffee shop called Common Grounds, as a way to round-out her college resume. She doesn't want to look like a closeted nerd with no real world experience. She secretly pines for her boss, 22 year old James, who lives his life with a different definition of success. Mara is so inexperienced with guys, and wary because Travis was pushy with her, and it makes her so funny when she's around James:

"Guys can be such jerks sometimes," James said.
"Not all of them. Not you."
"Do you know that I would never push you to do anything you didn't want to do?" "I know."
"Good."

I have to admit I was relieved to hear that because, as we were discussing exes, I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that James is twenty-two. And I have a feeling that by the time people are in their twenties, they're not exactly walking in slow numerical order around the bases.

My one qualm about the story is the neat ending for Mara and Claudia. Sometimes friendships are strained too far and can't snap back. This is especially true, I found, in highschool. It would have been okay with me to show this type of very natural loose end in the book. I found that in Tangled, a loose end was left with Skye's character--you don't get to know exactly how she's doing by the last page--and I like this type of ambiguity. Although I guess Mara and Travis will never really see eye-to-eye; their whole competition for valedictorian, fueled by all of the emotions built up between them, makes for some hilarious moments in the book!

Also, I like what Carolyn has to say about the origin of her book from the back cover:

Mara Valentine first came to me in a short story. I loved how she was so rigid, but at the same time hungering to break out. And V goes back about ten years, when I met these two girls in South Dakota who were aunt and niece. They've always stuck with me. Imagine how wild it would be to have an aunt and niece the same age! What if they were total opposites? I knew that V was exactly what Mara needed to shake up the status quo.

Aw, and not to load you down with too much bolding but this is too sweet:

In the middle of writing Vegan Virgin Valentine, I married my husband. Jonas and my falling-in-love story is not dissimilar to Mara’s saga with James, the owner of Common Grounds. When I first met Jonas, I labeled him “friend material.” He didn’t fit into the category of guys I usually dated – for one, I was taller than him. And for two, it just seemed so easy to get along with him. Aren’t relationships supposed to involved lots of angst and tear-filled tissues? But I, like Mara, ultimately learned that love does not fit neatly into a category. And sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone to find something wonderful. Oh! And another similarity I have with Mara – I’m a devout vegetarian. But a title like Vegetarian Virgin Valentine didn’t have quite the same ring to it! (From Carolyn Mackler's website)

It's very cool when an author has a "Behind the Book" section on their website.

Two for two, Carolyn!

Mandy

Book Bundle...Checking Out a Few Titles

2010-01-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just a few miscellaneous odds and ends in reading today.

I am coveting a copy of Nothing by Janne Teller, which is out in February. Check out the premise:

"Pierre Anthon left school the day he found out that it was not worth doing anything as nothing mattered anyhow. The rest of us stayed behind. And even though the teachers carefully cleared up after Pierre Anthon in the class room as well as in our heads, a bit of Pierre Anthon remained within us. Perhaps this is why things later happened the way they did ..."

Thus begins the story of Pierre Anthon, a thirteen year old boy, who leaves school to sit in a plum tree and train for becoming part of nothing. "Everything begins just in order to end. The moment you were born you began to die, and that goes for everything else as well." Pierre Anthon shouts and continues: "The whole thing is just one immense play which is about pretending and about being best at exactly that."

Scared at the prospects that Pierre Anthon throws at them together with the ripening plums, his seventh grade class mates set out on a desperate quest for the meaning of life. This involves a closed saw mill, green sandals, a yellow bicycle, a pair of boxing gloves, the Danish flag, the hamster Oscarlille, a Jesus statue stolen from the church, little Ingrid’s crutches, six blue ponytails, a prayer rug, the coffin with Elise’s little brother, the head of the dog Cindarella, fame and a meaning found and lost. (From Janne's website)

It is translated from French and won a bunch of awards in Europe. Simon and Schuster are publishing it in English.

***

And I saw a great set of reviews from Bookshelves of Doom that make me want to read the Scarlett books by Maureen Johnson. Here's a bit of what she says about Suite Scarlett:

Suite Scarlett is fun times a bazillion. While Scarlett has her doubts about the fun factor of living in a hotel, reading about people living in a hotel very definitely rates high on the scale. (And reading a book by Maureen Johnson about people living in a hotel -- well, that rates even higher!) It made me laugh out loud, I loved Spencer and his talent for slapstick, the characters are hugely likable, it wasn't predictable, and again, it's fun, fun, fun.

So I've ordered a copy and now I sit twiddling my fingers.

But not for too long because my beloved co-worker Dave, who scours remainder websites for teen books for me, has brought in copies of Tempo Change by Barbara Hall. Often he won't tell me what he's seen or ordered and then when things arrive I get to discover them for the first time. Then I dance around him lauding his amazing taste and general coolness. And he nods smugly. It's a routine we've settled into. So Tempo Change (from the pub):

Blanche Kelly's dad is a famous indie rock icon, but not many people at the private school she attends on scholarship know this. Her father left when she was in the first grade, and she can’t quite forgive her mom for not understanding that an artist like her dad needs the time and space to connect to his muse.

When Blanche creates an all-girl rock band, their sound captures a wide audience and the band is invited to compete at the Coachella Music Festival. Blanche feels this could be the perfect time for a reunion with her father. Won’t he be proud to hear her band? Won’t he be happy to get to know his only daughter?

It sounds a little like Beige by Cecil Castellucci! Also, wait for it, I was like "Barbara Hall...Barbara Hall...why so familiar?", then I read her bio and she is the creator of Joan of Arcadia! Hoo Boy! (nothing I actually say in the RealWorld). I LOVE Joan. Maybe mostly for Amber Tamblyn, but also for the quirkiness and general awesomeness of story. Super-psyched.

***

And a little update on my Read The Vampire Diaries Or Not entry.

I really want to thank everyone who left their opinion of the books, the t.v. series, Damon's unearthly brows, and Vamp books in general. All readers should have a group like you for feedback!

I'm gonna give the first book a shot. I'm hearing that there is a big difference between the show and the books, and as I've just become obsessed with the show, I should check it out. I'm on the like 5th episode and I'm in love with Caroline and Damon's relationship. It's hilarious and so wrong. I also like Psychic friend. I find Stefan and Elena a bit of a yawnfest as they were all Drama-rama right away, *12 hours into their knowing of each other* "This feels really right but I can't foresee us being together forever because of things like my brother being a druggie and possibly you having some family issues. Let's just forget about it, although I PINE!!!"

Also, here is a snippet from me talking to another co-worker who patiently hears about EVERYTHING I'm watching on t.v.:

me: "Oh hey, I started watching The Vampire Diaries. Have you seen it?"

co: "Huh, well, overall it's kind of a crap show with average writing...so are you addicted yet?!"

And I am. I am thinking of it all day at work. Those brows....

Mandy

edge of seventeen

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars...

*Wonderstruck* giveaway!

Win a copy of *Goliath* by Scott Westerfeld!

An Interview with Goliath Author Scott Westerfeld!

Book Clubbing: *Incarceron* by Catherine Fisher with Bronwyn!

Goliath!

Win a copy of *The Vinyl Princess* 'zine by Yvonne Prinz!

****

Edge of Seventeen is Back!

Review *Ship Breaker* by Paolo Bacigalupi

Faerie Tale Musings

An Interview with Author Anna Humphrey!

"Steampunk is what happens when Goths discover brown..."

Kenneth Oppel - in store tomorrow!!!!

Vampire Diaries: T.V. Show and Music Video

Win *The Monstrumologist* by Rick Yancey!

Blog Tour for *Plain Kate* by Erin Bow AND Giveaway!

Industry Bigmouths: How Book Bloggers are Changing the Publishing Industry

Win a hardcover edition of *The Eternal Ones* by Kirsten Miller!

*Zombies Vs. Unicorns Trailer*

*Win* a Hardcover of *Clockwork Angel* by Cassandra Clare!

.....*pokes head out, squints*.....

In My Mailbox This Week!

Book Clubbing *Lament* by Maggie Stiefvater with Kiirstin!

Katie and Mandy Book Clubbing! *Locked in Time* by Lois Duncan

Zombies Vs. Unicorns?

Review *White Cat: The Curse Workers #1* by Holly Black

In My Mailbox This Week!

*You Are All My Librarians* ...Meg Cabot

Vampires Vs. Dystopian Oppression...Who Will Win?!

Reviewing *Flawless: Pretty Little Liars #2* by Sara Shepard

Shooting to the Top of My Reading List Is...

In My Mailbox This Week!

*Blog Linky Love* on Friday!

I Pine!

Yesterday was a good day!

Review *The Secret Year* by Jennifer Hubbard

Review *The Vampire Diaries 2: The Struggle* by L.J. Smith

In My Mailbox this Week!

Review *The Vampire Diaries 1: The Awakening* by L.J. Smith

*Jumps up and down excitedly, not unlike the pee dance, just jollier* Yvonne Prinz is Here!

*A Book By Its Cover*

One More From the *Mailbox*

In My Mailbox this Week!

*Little Brother* Book Clubbing with A Book A Week!

Did I Miss Out?

Online Coolness

*Dirty Little Secrets* for my To-Be-Read Pile

Review of *Possessed* by Kate Cann

In My Mailbox this Week!

Some Neat Stuff at *Sourcebooks Fire*

Book Trailer for *Numbers* by Rachel Ward!

*Red Spikes* for some afternoon...

Oh!...Wow! Michael Printz Award Winner!

In My Mailbox This Week!

*How I Live Now* by Meg Rosoff -- A Re-reading Retrospective!

What Happened to the Horror Genre in YA?

Review *Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood* by Eileen Cook

*Vegan Virgin Valentine* by Carolyn Mackler

Book Bundle...Checking Out a Few Titles

Wonderstruck giveaway!

Win a copy of Goliath by Scott Westerfeld!

Book Clubbing: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher with Bronwyn!

Win a copy of The Vinyl Princess 'zine by Yvonne Prinz!

Review Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Win The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey!

Blog Tour for Plain Kate by Erin Bow AND Giveaway!

Win a hardcover edition of The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller!

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Trailer

Win a Hardcover of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare!

.....pokes head out, squints.....

Book Clubbing Lament by Maggie Stiefvater with Kiirstin!

Katie and Mandy Book Clubbing! Locked in Time by Lois Duncan

Review White Cat: The Curse Workers #1 by Holly Black

You Are All My Librarians ...Meg Cabot

Reviewing Flawless: Pretty Little Liars #2 by Sara Shepard

Blog Linky Love on Friday!

Review The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

Review The Vampire Diaries 2: The Struggle by L.J. Smith

Review The Vampire Diaries 1: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Jumps up and down excitedly, not unlike the pee dance, just jollier Yvonne Prinz is Here!

A Book By Its Cover

One More From the Mailbox

Little Brother Book Clubbing with A Book A Week!

Dirty Little Secrets for my To-Be-Read Pile

Review of Possessed by Kate Cann

Some Neat Stuff at Sourcebooks Fire

Book Trailer for Numbers by Rachel Ward!

Red Spikes for some afternoon...

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff -- A Re-reading Retrospective!

Review Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler