Lucienne Diver

The lovely Lucienne Diver was at Kepler's yesterday to sign copies of her book Vamped and to talk to her readers.

In this video she talks a little about Vamped:



She told us about her inspiration for the novel (the big-haired girl in high school), about her book group telling her that the short story she wrote should be a novel, about her work as a literary agent, about how Flux, her publisher, chooses such great covers, about the sequel ReVamped, and about another series she's writing centered on a teenage witch.

It was a pleasure to host this event and I wish Lucienne every success with her novels. If you missed meeting Lucienne at Kepler's but want to catch her while she's in the area, she'll be at the World Fantasy Convention this weekend in San Jose (where Garth Nix is one of the guests of honor. Garth Nix!)

Come and Meet Lucienne Diver tomorrow

Come and meet and chat with Lucienne Diver, fabulous author of Vamped, tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, at 4:00 p.m. Should be fun.

Meet Gina Covello, fashionista of the damned. Gina’s life isn’t quite going the way she planned. Not since she was vamped by chess dud turned vamp stud Bobby Delvecchio at the prom.

But Gina’s trying to look on the bright side. Perks of her new vampire lifestyle include: eternal youth and beauty and free designer clothes. Her new mission is to save everyone she knows from fashion disasters and other fates worse than death.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson - Review

Imagine waking up and finding that you remember nothing --absolutely nothing. The people who say they are your parents tell you that you've had a terrible accident and that you need to stay inside while you recover. And that maybe you could recover your memories by watching the videos they've taken of your life. So you start to watch. But all the time you wonder why your family has relocated from Boston to California, why your Grandmother keeps such a distance from you when she clearly doted on you in the movies, why no one from Boston has tried to get in touch with you? And why don't they want you to leave the house.

But then you start remembering things that you shouldn't really remember and you decide your parents are keeping something from you. So you go to school, make new friends, and try to start again. But you keep trying to find out what they are keeping from you. Trying to recapture your past and what happened to you.

It's an amazing story that explores what it means to be human, how you impact the world around you, what makes you "you", and how far people go to save those they love, while exploring the boundaries of science and ethics. Beautifully written, complex yet realistic, this is thoughtful, provocative, disturbing, and yet uplifting. It will leave you with as many questions as it answers.
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Eoin Colfer

I've been a fan of the Artemis Fowl series for years and a fan of Eoin Colfer since I heard him speak at BEA a few years ago. He was just so funny, even very early in the morning.

I am also a HUGE fan of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series (did you know that this is the 30th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the series?). So I can't tell you how excited I am that tomorrow, Wednesday October 28, at 6.30 pm Eoin Colfer will be at Kepler's to talk about And Another Thing... the sixth novel in the ever-more increasingly inaccurately named trilogy.

So don't panic. Arthur Dent is hitchiking through the galaxy again! His accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident. Arthur has traveled the length, breadth, and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forward and backward through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released, and colorfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course he's comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Arthur has finally made it home to Earth, but that does not mean he has escaped his fate. His chances of getting his hands on a decent cup of tea have evaporated rapidly, along with all the world's oceans. For no sooner has he touched down on the planet Earth than he finds out that it is about to be blown up . . . again.

And Another Thing . . . features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet Eoin, hear about this newest book in the Hitchhikers Guide series, and even get to see Eoin sitting in the above photographed egg chair! Come and join me.

Latest New Moon Trailer!

Have you seen the newest trailer for New Moon? Called Showdown with the Volturi we see the confrontation with the Volturi when they decide Bella is a liability and is not worth keeping around. Nice to see a little action but what is Edward wearing? (A red velvet dressing gown?)

Are you counting down the days to the movie opening on November 20?

Courtney Sheinmel Visit

I met the lovely Courtney Sheinmel at BEA a few years ago and got one of the first signed ARCS of her debut novel My So-Called Family. I had no idea what to expect from the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. So I'm delighted that she's visiting Kepler's on Thursday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about her new book, Positively.

Here's Courtney telling me about the book when she visited last February:



And here's the summary:

Emerson Price cannot remember a time when life was ordinary. She was four years old when she and her mom were diagnosed as HIV-positive and eight when her parents divorced. Now she is thirteen and her mother is dead.

When Emmy's dad and stepmother send her to Camp Positive, a camp for HIV-positive girls, Emmy is certain she is going to hate it. But soon she realizes that she is not so alone after all -- and that sometimes letting other people in can make all the difference in the world. Author Courtney Sheinmel has written an unforgettable novel about strength and hope in the face of tragedy.

And I've just found out that she's bringing singing sensation, Jessarae, with her. If you haven't heard of him yet watch this video.



He's just got a record deal and it should be a fantastic event -- I can't wait. Come and join me!

Fallen by Lauren Kate video

So I got a copy of Fallen by Lauren Kate this week and just can't wait to start it. Especially after I saw this - singer-filmmaker Ben Bliss' exciting trailer. The video is a finalist in the Kirkus 2009 Book Video Awards - have you voted yet?

Jeff Kinney and Dog Days

OK, so I know this was not really a teen event but I have to just mention that the wonderful Jeff Kinney was at Kepler's and the Menlo Park Library on Tuesday with his Dog Days tour. He arrived on a fantastic-looking bus and was relaxed and charming as he signed SO many books for the waiting hordes of kids, chatting to everyone individually, posing for photos with anyone who wanted one. They waited for hours, faces lighting up as they neared the front of the line, "look, that's him!" they shouted, "will he sign all my books, do you think?" (yes!), "will he answer my questions?" (yes!), and "what color will the next book be?" (didn't hear an answer to that one...) He's an inspiration to so many and we were very fortunate he stopped to sign books in Menlo Park on his tour. It was a first author visit for many of the people in line and they all left exhilarated.

Here's Jeff talking about Dog Days:



And here he talks about the whole Wimpy Kid series:

Waiting on wednesday

This idea was taken from Breaking the Spine (thanks) and is such a great idea because it's the place we can talk about the books we really, really want - now. And this one calls to me. I loved her first book, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side so this week I am waiting and waiting and waiting for

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantasky

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her Dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she’s tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

Really - just can't wait.

Nation by Terry Pratchett - Review

I'm a huge Pratchett fan - have been for years - and today I'm posting Megan's review of Nation (runner up for the Guardian Fiction Prize this year).


Terry Pratchett is one of those authors who are so good that I will read anything that he has written. He is always funny, sometimes sad, and exuberantly intelligent throughout. His stories have serious things in them--religion, for instance, or death, or the misunderstanding of foreign culture--but he presents them with such humor, and in the hands of such likable characters, that you don't notice when they punch you in the stomach.

Nation is about two young people: a shipwrecked girl from England named Ermintrude, and a boy named Mau whose entire tribe is lost in a tsunami. Together, they have to survive, despite the discovery that not speaking the same language is sometimes like standing on opposite sides of a very thick wall. They are sensible young people though, and their adventures turn them into heroes, despite the foul-mouthed parrot, the insistent ghosts, and the impending tribe of cannibals.

This is a different kind of Terry Pratchett book--it's not set in his famous Discworld, and its world could almost be ours, a long time ago--but it's still full of his familiar wit and good humor.

Reviewed by Megan

Interview with Heidi R. Kling

I posted my review of Sea a few days ago so you all know how much of a fan I am for the book and I was lucky enough to interview Heidi and get to know more about her and how she came to write such a wonderful book.
And here's the interview:


1. Tell us a little about Sea
SEA is the story of a California teenager who spends a life-changing two weeks in post-tsunami Indonesia. Ultimately, it’s a love story that explores hope after tragedy.

2. Tell us about your inspiration to write Sea?
My husband volunteered at an Indonesian orphanage after the tsunami and came back a changed man. I know that sounds cliché’ but in this case it was positively true. He now works entirely in non-profit sector with trauma survivors. I thought if my husband were this moved by the experience, how would it affect a 15-year-old girl. I created Sienna and her background story and the story grew from there. The longer version is on my website: http://heidirkling.com

3. You tackle a difficult subject like post traumatic stress disorder so sensitively. How did you research this?
Thank you. I’m lucky that I have a PTSD expert living under the same roof. I also put myself in their shoes—how would I be if I lost my parents? What if my entire city was washed away? When I write I empathize with my characters, which helps me get into their heads—I feel what they feel, cry when they cry.

4. Did you visit Indonesia?
I haven’t. I’d love to one day. When my husband went, our son was a toddler and wasn’t old enough for the vaccines, so I couldn’t go along. He wrote incredibly detailed journals, however, and I have several friends — two of the surviving orphans and one volunteer who spent 6 months there — who helped me with the details.

5. What made you write this story from the standpoint of a young girl?
That is such a great question. Originally, my husband suggested writing it from the point of view of one of the survivors, but that didn’t feel natural to me. I felt like a fish-out-of-water character would be my best shot in creating an authentic experience into the story. Sienna’s voice felt right from the beginning.

6. Is there one of your characters you identify most with?
Sienna, absolutely. Authors often say that they are nothing like their characters, but I’m a lot like Sienna—or rather, she is a lot like me. I can also relate to Deni. I’m the eldest of three girls and I’ve always felt responsible for them. I used to direct children’s theatre and saw older kids take on the ‘parent’ roll of the younger ones. I love that type of person in real life and exploring leader traits in characters. For the record, I don’t think I’m anything like Vera. ;)

7. What would your high school self think of Sienna?
High school Heidi would be jealous of that scene in the rain. And she would love her.

8. Did you always want to be a writer?
I did. I started writing songs. I wanted to be like Olivia Newton-John and Maria Von Trapp. Then I wanted to be like Madonna. When I was 10 or so I started writing neighborhood plays and short stories that I’d sell for 10 cents (usually to my sisters.) I wrote my first novel in high school, which I also adapted it into a screenplay. I majored in creative writing in college and then earned my MFA in Writing for Children from the New School. So yes, the answer is yes. =)

9. Which writers do you admire most and did they influence your own writing?
Judy Blume was my favorite writer growing up. Her books taught me so much. She related to kids on such a real level. As an adult writer, I read LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green. I was just finishing my first draft of SEA. It blew me away. I felt like that novel raised the bar for contemporary YA. I’ve heard him speak several times and the carry-home message (among others) is that all of writing is revising, which made me explore further and dig deeper with SEA.

10. What was your favorite book growing up?
The Little House on the Prairie books, everything by Judy Blume and Beverly Clearly. I snuck the VC Andrews books as a teen. They were deliciously bad.

11. What are you currently reading?
STRUTS & FRETS by Jon Skovron. It’s an absolute gem. Jon, like John Green, captures that teenaged boy voice so well. Plus, the main character is a singer-songwriter—and I’m a major sucker for that type of soulful boy. I just finished 20 BOY SUMMER, by Sarah Ockler—which was another heartfelt delight.

12. What next?
A YA contemporary fantasy, which is a proposed trilogy. It’s like Romeo & Juliet with magic. I’m also writing a contemporary humorous YA about drama geeks and censorship and a young MG that may-or-may-not involve zombies.

13. What book would you like to read again for the first time?
Your questions are wonderful! Oh gosh. For now I’ll say my book. I’d like to rewind three years, read the ARC, cut and paste and save myself 10 rounds of revision. ;)

14. Is there something about you that would surprise people who don’t know you?
I once went spelunking in New Zealand. The roof of the cave was covered in glowworms. I was lowered down on a harness, forced to zip across a line, dive into freezing black water and then tube down an underground river. And the whole thing was my idea.

15. Do you have any advice for young aspiring writers?
Write the story you want to read. If you don’t love your book it will be hard to convince others to. Fall in love with your characters and your story. Don’t give up if you trip over bumps along the way. We’re all covered in Band-aids. It’s worth it.

Thank you Heidi for your time and insight. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and Sienna and I can't wait for Sea to be published. And, ooooh, zombies!

In My Mailbox

Again with thanks to the very creative Kristi aka Story Siren and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the blogs where this meme started, here are the books I acquired this book

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens — both named Will Grayson — are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.


Fallen by Lauren Kate

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce - and goes out of his way to make that very clear - she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

And as I've just finished The Maze Runner (so good - I'll review it later this week) I was wondering what to read next! Both look fantastic, don't you think?

Sea by Heidi Kling - Review

I had the good fortune to read the manuscript of Sea - and also had the great pleasure of interviewing Heidi this month (thanks Heidi!). So without further ado here's my review. I'll post the interview tomorrow or Monday.

How do you carry on when your mother’s plane disappears over the Indian ocean? This is the question that has haunted Sienna for three years. She’s scared, she won’t surf any more, is terrified of flying, and has disappeared into herself, clinging to the hope that her mother will somehow come back.

When her father, a psychiatrist, announces he is going to Indonesia to try to help children who escaped the tsunami Sienna grudgingly agrees to go with and there she meets a little girl, Ellie, who melts her heart and Deni, a charismatic boy who is the uncrowned leader of the survivors and to whom she is inextricably drawn. Despite their differences, they can’t keep away from each other. And Sienna learns so much about herself and the way forward from this boy who really seems to understand her. And then there is Spider, the friend who may or may not be waiting for her back home.

This was not the book I expected. It gives a very real impression of post-tsunami Indonesia and the problems therein. The characters are strong and three-dimensional, and you gain a wonderful glimpse into another culture as Sienna works hard to help Deni while avoiding cultural minefields inherent in crossing traditions. Not only can you lose yourself in the sights and sounds of a far away country in this book, you find yourself admiring those who give up their time and expertise to help in a crisis, only to discover they have helped themselves more than they could know.

On a personal note, this won the first line competition I held in my living room one week. I had a stack of books and couldn’t decide what to read first. So I read out the first lines and took a vote. This won by miles (and it was in a pile of some very heavy hitters!) And to save you the trouble, because I know you now want to know, here it is:

I’m sitting alone on the other side of the world talking to a sea turtle that might be my mom.

It's a nice mix of realism and romance, life in post-tsunami Indonesia and what we can do to help. And of course a great cross cultural romance, with a fantastic cover.

And I'll post my interview with the wonderful Heidi Kling either tomorrow or Monday.

Mal peet wins the Guardian Fiction Prize 2009 for Exposure

Mal Peet has won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2009 with Exposure, the third in a series of novels about footballers. This modern retelling of Othello casts the Moor of Venice and his popstar wife Desmerelds (Dezi) as a South American football star (like David and Victoria Beckham).

Here, the villainous Iago becomes Diego, Otello's agent. And the story's different strands are held together by sports journalist Paul Faustino, a regular in Peet's books who follows the story of Otello's transfer to club Rialto. The bones of Shakespeare's play jut through the text, which Peet divides into five acts.

You can read more about it in The Guardian here.

Exposure beat out these titles for the prize

Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner
Then by Morris Gleitzman
Rowan the Strange by Julie Hearn
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Past winners of the prize (the only children's award in which authors are judged by their peers), which has been running since 1968, include Philip Pullman, Ted Hughes, Anne Fine and Jacqueline Wilson. Patrick Ness won last year for The Knife of Never Letting Go.

I don't usually read sports-themed books, I must admit, but this looks really good!

National Book Awards Short List 2009

They've just announced the short list for Young People's Literature for the National Book Awards of 2009


Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
(Henry Holt)

Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

David Small, Stitches (W. W. Norton & Co.)

Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic)

Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen/HarperCollins)

Have you read any of them and if so, which would you vote for?

Angie Sage

We were so lucky to host the wonderful Angie Sage yesterday. Angie is the author of the Septimus Heap series: Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, and Syren. And the good news is that apparently she's going to write two more volumes in this series!

Here she is talking about her newest book, Syren



And here she is reading from Chapter 1 of Syren



She's a lovely woman, patient and funny, who answered every question, signed every book (including our back stock) and I'm so glad she stopped here on her tour. And if you haven't tried the series, do - it's great. Witches, wizards, and princesses, boggarts, brownies, and magogs, kidnapped babies, hunters, assassins, ghosts, and dragon ships all appear in Magyk, a gentle, funny non-stop adventure of a seventh son of a seventh son. It has a crowded cast with many plot lines that leaves you eager to read the rest of the series.

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan - Review

And here's Antonia's review of The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Alan and Nick have been on the run for as long as they can remember. Their Dad started running from the magicians when they were both small, but he died years ago. Since then Alan has been running the show, taking care of their mother and Nick in their father's absence.

Now they are both almost grown. Nick has turned sixteen, a strong and brutal fighter, while the older Alan is more gentle until backed into a corner - and with his gun, he never misses. While taking care of their insane mother, they continue to fight and flee the magicians and their demons. But then Mae and Jamie come into their lives. Jamie has been marked by a demon - a three tier mark meaning only death. But there may be a way to save him - if one of them is able to make the greatest sacrifice and take the mark upon themselves.

The bond between the brothers is unbreakable until the unthinkable truth is revealed - only then can Alan and Nick make their choices - straining their bond to its very limits.

This fascinating fantasy explores the bonds of love between families and shows how far we will go for the ones we love.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - Review

Here's Antonia's review of the very wonderful Scott Westerfeld's new book, Leviathan. (It's next on my list when I've finished The Maze Runner.)

Three of my favorite things have combined into one phenomenal read: Scott Westerfeld, Alternate Reality, and the First World War. One night in 1914 a young Austrian boy, Aleksandar, is awakened by his mentor for a training exercise meant to hide him from those who wish to assassinate the boy. Alek is the son of Arch Duke Ferdinand of Austria, who is on a state visit to Sarajevo with his wife. . . you know what happens next on that fateful trip. Meanwhile, across the Channel a young girl, Deryn, disguises herself as a boy to join the British Air Service. Both teens are unaware that Europe is on the brink of war.

Familiar territory thus far? But this is not history; rather it is a tale from the mind of Scott Westerfeld. In Westerfeld's world the English Darwinists have gone much further with the theories of evolution than mere study. Manipulating DNA, they have created new species as weapons of war! The crews who man these creations fondly refer to them as "beasties," and intrepid Deryn is assigned to Leviathan, the biggest and most dangerous of these. The Germans and Austrians abhor the British's bioengineered beasts that they see as abominations outside the proper natural order. Instead, they have fabricated technologically advanced mechanical contraptions that the English dub "Clankers." Keith Thompson's spellbinding illustrations of these awesome wonders deepen our understanding of the distance between the two empires.

These two radically different belief structures, pitted against each other, are more transcendental than the petty colonial aspirations and balance of power ambitions that fueled the World War I as we know it. They feel even more radical than some current day politico-religious divisions amongst cousin monotheistic faiths. Caught on opposing sides of this titanic struggle between two great powers Alek and Deryn are destined to meet, but not before Leviathan plummets out of the sky!

Westerfeld has done it again!

Scott Westerfeld and Sarah Rees Brennan

We were so very fortunate to host the wonderful Scott Westerfeld and Sarah Rees Brennan yesterday, talking about their new books Leviathan and The Demon's Lexicon. And I must say that if you couldn't make it to the event but get a chance to hear them, go, because it was a great presentation - both were intelligent, funny, and made you want to rush straight home to start their books.

Scott talked about the history of illustrations in books. For example, I had no idea that Conan Doyle never described Sherlock Holmes as wearing a deerstalker hat. That was the invention of the illustrator. But can you imagine Holmes without his trademark hat? Leviathan is the first of a trilogy so of course there will be four books. I'm quoting. Oh yes, Scott also said he had no plans to write another book for adults in the near future.

Sarah showed us the Japanese cover of her book, because The Demon's Lexicon had no illustrations. And she's currently writing a romance with Cassandra Clare. Now there's one to pine for.

They both graciously signed every book their fans had brought with them - some fans even brought gifts (see Sarah's pumpkin). And if you read this, Scott and Sarah, thank you. We're so glad your tour brought you to Menlo Park.

I'll post our reviews of both books over the weekend. And here are videos of both Scott and Sarah talking about their books, Leviathan and The Demon's Lexicon.

Just wanted to remind anyone who lives in the Bay Area not to miss the fantastic Scott Westerfeld and Sarah Rees Brennan as they debut their newest works of fantasy, Leviathan and The Demon's Lexicon.

Leviathan is the first in a brand new trilogy that reimagines history. On the eve of World War I, the machine-loving Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their big steam-powered Clankers. Inspired by Darwin, the British have fabricated animals into warships. Their mothership, "Leviathan," is a marvelous whale-dirigible.

The Demon’s Lexicon is the tale of two young men. Brothers. Demon Slayers. Sixteen-year-old Nick and his brother, Alan, are always on the run from the deadly magicians who use demons to work their magic. Alan is Nick's partner in demon slaying and the only person he trusts. So things get very scary when Nick begins to suspect that everything Alan has told him about their past is a complete lie.

The event is at 7:00 p.m. tonight at the Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park. Will I see you there? If you do go, make sure you come and introduce yourself to me. I'll be selling books in the foyer.

Waiting on Wednesday

This idea was taken from Breaking the Spine (thanks) and is such a great idea because it's the place we can talk about the books we really, really want - now. And this one is a no-brainer. I am totally addicted to this series and simply cannot wait for:

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
And it won't be out until May 18th 2010!

But please don't read further if you haven't read Blood Promise because it does include spoilers.

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s — and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true — Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him…forever.

Can you hear my cries of
NOW, NOW, NOW!

Malinda Lo video book talk

So the lovely Malinda Lo was at Kepler's on Friday to talk about her wonderful debut novel, Ash. To see our review, please click here.

Here she is talking about Ash

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser - Review

My colleague, Natalie, loved this book so I'm posting her review here. Perfect book for the season...another one added to my wish list!

An anonymous blogger, a serial killer, and a pretty, popular girl who knows she could be next. This chilling murder-mystery will have you wondering whether your latest Facebook status could wind up getting you killed.

Madison Archer has never questioned the security of her wealthy neighborhood in Soundview. But when three of her closest friends start to disappear one by one, she realizes she is in grave danger. When Madison finds an anonymous blog that wishes death upon the very students who disappeared, she thinks she's found the answer. But in a book this suspenseful, chances are the blogger is completely innocent and even more terrified than Madison, while the real killer is someone totally unexpected.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and utterly terrifying, you'll need to think twice before reading this after dark by your monitor's dim light.

Reviewed by Natalie

In My Mailbox

Again with thanks to the very creative Kristi aka Story Siren and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the blogs where this meme started.

This week I have laid my hands on two books, And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer and Positively by Courtney Sheinmel. Both authors have events at Kepler's coming up (Eoin on October 28th and Courtney on November 12th) and I can't wait to hear both of them talk about their books.

And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer
I have been a fan of The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy series since I first read them, love the Artemis Fowl series, and thought Eoin was one of the funniest speakers I have ever heard when he spoke at BEA.

Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident. Arthur has traveled the length, breadth, and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forward and backward through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released, and colorfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course Arthur Dent has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Arthur has finally made it home to Earth, but that does not mean he has escaped his fate. His chances of getting his hands on a decent cup of tea have evaporated rapidly, along with all the world's oceans. For no sooner has he touched down on the planet Earth than he finds out that it is about to be blown up . . . again.

And Another Thing . . . is the rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese.

Positively by Courtney Sheinmel
I really enjoyed Courtney's first book, My So-Called Family, and had the pleasure of meeting her also at BEA

Emerson Price cannot remember a time when life was ordinary. She was four years old when she and her mom were diagnosed as HIV-positive and eight when her parents divorced. Now she is thirteen and her mother is dead.

When Emmy's dad and stepmother send her to Camp Positive, a camp for HIV-positive girls, Emmy is certain she is going to hate it. But soon she realizes that she is not so alone after all -- and that sometimes letting other people in can make all the difference in the world. This is an unforgettable novel about strength and hope in the face of tragedy.

So what are you reading this week?

An Exquisite Corpse

An exquisite corpse in not necessarily a terribly beautiful and recently deceased individual, despite the sudden rash of zombies and vampires that seems to be taking over the world. Sometimes an exquisite corpse is a game. You write a bit of a story on a piece of paper and fold it over. Then someone else writes the next bit and folds it over, and so on and so on, until everyone has written and you read all the hidden bits together and find out what happens in the story.

Jon Scieszka, aka, author of many awesome books (including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales), aka, the National Ambassador For Young People's Literature, has launched just such an exquisite corpse story. It will last a year, with an episode every two weeks, each one created by amazing writers and illustrators (let me give you a taste: M. T. Anderson, Daniel Handler -- who is also Lemony Snicket, Shannon Hale, Susan Cooper...) and posted on a really swanky website that pretends to be a book, complete with pages to turn.

Interested? Intrigued? Go here:
http://www.read.gov/exquisite-corpse/Book/#page/2/mode/2up
or you can just click here

Thanks Megan for pointing this out

Shiver - the movie!

I am a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater's books, as I keep saying, and just read in Publishers Weekly that Unique Features has acquired screen rights to Shiver. The story is a paranormal romance between a boy who becomes a wolf each winter and his girlfriend, who helps him find the secret to staying human. You can read my review of Shiver here. The sequel, Linger, will be published next August and I just can't wait. Unique acquired all three books in the series. Wow.

So who would you like to see play Sam and Grace?

JK Rowling and the Bush administration

According to the Guardian, a new memoir by George W Bush's former speechwriter claims that Bush administration officials objected to giving JK Rowling a presidential medal of freedom on the grounds that her Harry Potter books 'encouraged witchcraft.' Really.

Speech-Less: Tales of a White House Survivor by Matt Latimer reveals how politicized the medal became during the Bush administration according to the Think Progress blog.

The medal is given to "individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors". Tony Blair, Harper Lee, Muhammad Ali, Alan Greenspan, Nelson Mandela, Doris Day and Charlton Heston all received this medal under the Bush administration..

The first 16 recipients of Barack Obama's presidential medal included Stephen Hawking and Senator Ted Kennedy – who, according to Latimer's book, failed to receive the medal during the Bush administration because he was "a liberal."

Witchcraft? Really? Sigh. Although I'm sure I've read that Laura Bush, a former librarian loved the Potter books.