Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that simply don't know how we will be able to wait for. I haven't posted a Waiting on Wednesday book for so long but this week I've just seen a book I want so so much. SO MUCH. The beautiful, beautiful cover was posted on the author's facebook page and I fell in love. What's the book?

Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston

I've loved both Wondrous Strange and Darklight

And I just can't wait!


“I don’t love Sonny Flannery.”

With a single lie, seventeen-year-old Kelley manages to protect the boy she loves and send him retreating into a haven for Lost Fae hidden below New York City. If she can figure out who’s after Sonny’s magick and uncover the reason why Janus Guards are being recruited to hunt innocent Faerie, Kelley might stand a chance at getting him back … but not before she must finally confront her own Faerie powers and master them.

The much-anticipated finale of Lesley Livingston’s ravishing trilogy that began with Wondrous Strange and gathered force in Darklight comes to a stormy head. Fans new and old will revel in the lush romance — and be swept away by the chaotic tempest that’s swirled Kelley and Sonny together.

The Cardturner by Louis Sacher - Review

I've been a fan of Louis Sacher's work for such a long time. Here's Megan's review of The Cardturner, which I've just started because of her review.

Alton's uncle is very old, very blind, and very rich. When he asks Alton to be his "cardturner," Alton's parents are thrilled because they think this is a chance to work their way into Uncle Lester's will. Alton is embarrassed, but he can't seem to get out of it. He takes Uncle Lester to his bridge club, helps him with his cards, and slowly starts to realize that figuring out bridge is a lot like figuring out life. He falls in love, learns some obvious things about his friends and some totally crazy things about his family. He even learns some interesting things about himself.

You wouldn't think that a book about a card game could be exciting. I mean, we're not talking championship poker here, something broadcast on cable television with piles of cash at stake. We're talking bridge. I didn't know anything about bridge before I read this book, but I assumed it would be boring. I had no idea that I would soon be holding my breath over every card, unable to put this book away.

In My Mailbox

Another great week for books with thanks, as ever, to The Story Siren for hosting this meme. Another week where it's so hard to know which I want to pick up first.

First, Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel.
A vampire book with a twist. This is the one I was waiting for. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Leah has become human again. Can she survivie or will her past come back to haunt her?

Pegasus by Robin McKinley
I love her work and apparently this is a tale of friendship, mythical creatures, and courtly drama.

The Painted Boy by Charles deLint
Charles deLint is always interesting, always provocative, always worth reading. Jay is a member of the Yellow Dragon Clan, on a quest, having to face dangerous otherwordly challenges to survive and prove his worth to the clan.

The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes
A modern Phantom of the Opera with a twist. Set in the West Indies this is a love story served with spine-tingling suspense.

Crossing Over by Anna Kendall
"There actually are worse fates than death"
Roger has the ability to cross over into the land of the dead and speak to the residents. He escapes his uncle only to find there are worse dangers: court intrigue.

What was in your mail box this week? And how many of you have already bought your tickets for Eclipse?

More about the unREQUIRED Reading Panel

Most schools ask their students to pick their summer books from a required reading list. So we were happy to host the first stop on the unREQUIRED reading tour with Brent Crawford (Carter's Big Break), Stacey Kade (The Ghost and the Goth), and Kristen Tracy (A Field Guide for Heartbreakers). I posted their video book talks yesterday (weren't they great?)

All three authors talked about their paths to writing, read from their books, and answered many questions. They were lively, charming, and funny and even had a flip camera to film each other as they move from city to city. They're posting it all on facebook so check it out. I can't wait to start their books. Oh, and I have signed water bottles to give away!

unREQUIRED Reading

You heard about the unREQUIRED Reading Panel, right? Well, one of their first stops was at Kepler's: Brent Crawford, Stacey Kade, and Kristen Tracy. Today I'm posting video of them talking about their most recent books - photos and event info to come.

First here's Brent Crawford talking about Carter's Big Break:


Stacey Kade talking about The Ghost and the Goth:


And Kristen Tracy talking about The Field Guide for Heartbreakers:


Three more books to add to my ever-growing to be read pile!

For the Win by Cory Doctorow - Review

Maybe you’re a gamer. Maybe your friends or family are. Maybe you’ve read about the millions of people who play multiplayer online games ALL the time. Maybe you’ve heard about people in the third world who work in terrible conditions to win virtual gold. Maybe you’re just interested. Doctorow opens windows into this world. He introduces characters from India, China, and Los Angeles, all of them somehow connected to the brutal underside of gaming and a woman called Big Sister Nor. Nor reminds them that together they are strong, even while they face horrible conditions, ruthless bosses, blackmail, and outright violence.

To read Cory Doctorow is to become a fan. He is intelligent, thought provoking, forceful, and passionate. His books are political thrill rides that bring you back time and again. For the Win is a revolutionary call to action, following in the footsteps of George Orwell and Upton Sinclair. It is full of understanding and sympathy. Hard to put down, it is risky, brave, and determined. Doctorow is an inspiration.

In My Mailbox

I had rather a busy weekend so have only now got to my IMM entry (sorry). But it was a great week for books and I'm very excited about them. As ever, thanks to The Story Siren for hosting this meme. Now to the books:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Much anticipated prequel to the Mortal Instruments trilogy. Yippee.
"Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still. "

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
And what a fabulous and creepy cover it has. Mackie is a replacement, was left in the crib of a human baby and is now slowly dying because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground. He wants to stay but when his friend's sister goes missing he is drawn into the underworld of Gentry and must find where he belongs.

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
There's been much discussion about this book about a girl who is not the prettiest of a group, who has problems at home, is labeled "Duffy" by a school hottie who she ends up kissing to distract herself from her problems and finds it's not easy to keep a secret enemies with benefits relationship stay as just that.

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
"In a city as mean as this, even a big bad wolf should be afraid."
This looks fabulous, a noir mystery about Henry Whelp, a big bad wolf, and fairy dust

All look fabulous and hard to know where to start. But I'm still mid way through I Am Number 4 at the moment and must get back to it - IT IS SO VERY GOOD so far. Really. How was your week in books?

Phoebe Kitanidis is the author of the novel Whisper. Have you read it yet? You can read my review here. When asked to describe Whisper in 7 words or less, Phoebe said, teen sisters hear people's wishes: danger ahead. She grew up in a variety of places, including Athens, Greece; the American Midwest; and the San Francisco Bay Area. She now lives in Seattle and wrote Fab Girls Guide to Friendship Hardship as well as dozens of articles for tween girls before writing Whisper.


The event at Kepler's was packed. My last count was 70 people but I saw people arrive late and her Dad putting up more chairs. They bought a cake with the book cover on it (see photo), champagne, and cider. The audience asked lots of questions and were genuinely thrilled to see Phoebe here at the store she has shopped in her whole life. We sold out of books. It was a lot of fun. Ah, I love events like this one.

Lisa Desrochers (Personal Demons), Phoebe Kitanidis, Heidi Kling (Sea)

Photos of Heidi Kling, Nina LaCour, and Jandy Nelson

If you didn't make it to our Reality Bites event with Heidi Kling, Nina LaCour, and Jandy Nelson you want to see photos - right? All three are Bay Area debut novelists of teen realistic fiction, all with unique voices, all who write incredibly well.

Nina LaCour is a high school English teacher and former bookseller. Hold Still is her first novel, was a finalist for the 2010 Morris Award and was named one of five fall 2009 Publishers Weekly “Flying Starts”. Jandy Nelson was a literary agent for many years, and a published poet. The Sky is Everywhere was a Indie Next List pick for Spring, a Junior Guild selection and a YALSA Best Fiction Nominee for Young Adults. It depicts grief in a way I haven’t read in YA before and even the prose seems at times like poetry - big and bold and full and real. Heidi Kling, well, Heidi is remarkable. She comes to lots of events and is the best networker I've ever met. She's the creator/co-moderator for the 2010 YA debut group: the tenners and Sea was an Indie Next List pick for the summer (er yes, my review), and has been garnering simply tremendous reviews from just about everywhere.

What an inspirational group of women they are. /a> It felt like a party. There was cake and t-shirts for sale and a raffle (including gorgeous Sea t-shirts even aphrodisiacal roses). I think they worked because I left just a little in love with all three books. So if you haven't already read them, add them to your summer reading list.

The Clique Web Series

According to Shelf Awareness, Warner Premiere is developing a web series adapted from Lisi Harrison's The Clique series for young adult readers. Variety reported that the project "will feature new characters and adventures." Justine Bateman and Jill Kushner are writing the scripts, and Peter Murrieta will be executive producer. Alloy Entertainment is co-producing. The company's Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy, who will be executive producers, produced last year's The Clique movie "that went straight to DVD and was also produced by Warner Premiere," Variety wrote. "We see a world that doesn't just begin where the books left off; it enhances, enriches and brings the characters, the story and the references into 2010," Murrieta said. "By doing this, we'll not only introduce a whole new audience to The Clique, we'll appeal to the original fans too."

Christy Raedeke talking about Prophecy of Days

I've been meaning to post this for ages. Here's Christy Raedeke talking about her debut novel, Prophecy of Days, when she was at Kepler's.



And click here if you want to read my review. And I still want a monkey like Mr Papers...

White Cat by Holly Black - Review

I loved the Tithe series and so am happy to post my colleague Megan's review of her newest book. White Cat. Can't wait to read it myself. Do note that it is the first in a series called The Curse Workers.

Cassel is the only person in his family who doesn't have magic. And in a world where magic is illegal, he would be the only one who is not a criminal, not a con man, not a mobster, except that three years ago, he killed his best friend. He does his best to survive the guilt and nightmares, to live behind the mask of an ordinary and unexceptional life. He lies so well that he almost succeeds. And then everything falls apart.

This book is fun. It's the kind of fun that makes you shiver and has a slicing edge. The magic here is not nice. It's dangerous, it stains memories, it piles on secrets in complicated and irresistible layers -- but the characters sweep you up and carry you through. They step out of the book and into your head, and then, when your defenses are down, they drag you into an adventure.

In My Mailbox

Week 3 post BEA and for my In My Mailbox this week you can probably feel my excitement - I have so many books I so wanted. As ever, thanks to The Story Siren for hosting this meme. Now to the books:

1. I am Number Four by Pittacuy Lore
Rumored to be co-written by James Frey this is first in an SF series about alien teenagers hiding on earth; and it's already been optioned by Steven Spielberg for DreamWorks. This is THE book I wanted and the lovely Nancy, the Ravenous Reader gave it to me, earning my undying devotion. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2. The Search for WonderLa by Tony DiTerlizzi
A girl who has been hiding underground searches for others like her.

3. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
A zombie apocalypse brought to life through the emotioanl struggles of a teenager trying to find his place in this new world.

4. Zombies vs Unicorns, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
I got in line for this at BEA - a very very long line - and was told that there weren't enough copies for everyone in the line. But I was given a copy back at home - thank you so much, Antonia. Can you hear the glee that is behind that thank you?

5. Virals by Kathy Reichs
launches a YA mystery series set on an island near Charleston, S.C. By the author of the Bones series.

Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney
Edward. Stefan. Bill. Finbar. - Finbar? Some vampires are good, some are veil, and some are totally faking it to get girls.

Where to start? And how was your week?

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

Can you imagine what it's like to hear what other people are thinking and not be able to shut it out? In Joy's family it is not unusual to do just that. They call them Whispers. When Joy hears a wish from those around her she tries to give them exactly what they want. Her sister, on the other hand, goes out of her way to make things worse for people. If Joy sees her talent as a gift, her sister sees it as a curse. So, as you can imagine, they are not close, culminating in a terrible argument on Joy's birthday.

But when Joy overhears her sister Whisper I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that's what it takes, she knows she has to find her, chasing after her in a stolen car with a boy she's really just met..

This is unlike anything else in the urban fantasy genre, looking at what it would be like to actually know what people are thinking all around you, knowing what they want, and how to deal with it. Joy has to find out the importance of family and her place in the world in this unusual debut novel.

Oh, and if you are in the Bay Area and want to meet Phoebe and hear her read from Whisper she'll be at Kepler's on June 16th at 7. And there will be cake!

Meet Heidi Kling, Nina LaCour, and Jandy Nelson tomorrow

I've talked about this event before - I know I have - but I just want to remind anyone who can get to the Bay Area to come to our Reality Bites: Teen Realistic Fiction Panel with Heidi Kling, Nina LaCour, and Jandy Nelson. It's at Kepler's tomorrow, Thursday June 10, at 7:00 p.m. Come and meet three of our favorite new writers of teen realistic fiction:

Heidi R. Kling: Sea
Still haunted by nightmares of her mother's death, Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to Indonesia with her father's relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post-traumatic stress disorder. The last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage. When Deni hears a rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn't think twice about running away with him to the epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they find there could break both their hearts.

For my review of Sea click here.

Nina LaCour: Hold Still
Ingrid left a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope in the wake of her best friend's suicide. With the help of family and friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and realize that true friendship didn't die with Ingrid.

Jandy Nelson: The Sky Is Everywhere
Lennie Walker plays second clarinet and lives in her sister, Bailey's, shadow. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage and finds herself struggling to balance two boys: Toby , Bailey's boyfriend; whose grief mirrors her own and Joe, a transplant from Paris whose grin is matched by his musical talent. For Lennie, one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But they can't collide without the world exploding.

For my review of The Sky is Everywhere click here

There will be door prizes (oh I hope it'll be aphrodisiac roses), maybe even cupcakes. But I know it'll be a lot of fun. So come and join us.

Smart Chicks Tour

Talking of Melissa Marr made me want to remind you about the extraordinary Smart Chicks tour. They are traveling from Sept 13-25th, from BookPeople in Texas through B&N, Houston, Blue Willow, Houston, Lemuria in Jackson MS, Poisoned Pen in Phoenix, AZ, to us at Kepler's on the 18th, Vroman's in Pasadena, Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, Anderson's in Chicago, books & co in Dayton, OH, Joseph Beth in Cincinnati, and Chapters in Brampton.

And have you seen the line-up? Kelley Armstron, Melissa Marr, and Alyson Noel will be at every stop and appearing at selected stops will be: Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine, Cassandra Clare, Melissa de la Cruz, Kimberly Derting, Becca Fitzpatrick, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Jackson Pearse, Mary Pearson, Carrie Ryan, Jeri-Smith Ready, Jessica Verday, and Rachel Vincent. Could it get better than that?

At Kepler's we are hosting: Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, Alyson Noel, Melissa de la Cruz, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Rachel Vincent. We could not be more excited. Hope you can come and join us.

Darkest Mercy new Pub Date

Melissa Marr has just revealed that DARKEST MERCY, the 5th & final WICKED LOVELY book, releases in the US on February 22, 2011. Can't wait. But haven't seen a cover yet.

New Eclipse trailer

Of course I had to post the new Eclipse trailer, unveiled at the MTV Movie Awards. You know I had to.

Watch the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at MTV.com!

And if you haven't seen it, here's Kristen Stewart And Robert Pattinson winning Best Kiss on MTV.com.

Watch the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at MTV.com!

See you on opening night! And who has already finished The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner? If you have, what did you think?

In My Mailbox

Week 2 post BEA and for my In My Mailbox I'm going to talk about those books that arrived in my first Fed Ex box. I'd forgotten which books I had stuffed into boxes so I was delighted to open this first one and realize I wanted to start each one NOW (OK so I have to finish Matched first, I know). As ever, thanks to The Story Siren for hosting this meme.

The books:
1. Delirium by Lauren Oliver.
The line to get this book was huge but I was waiting with the delightful Courtney Scheinmel, Heidi Kling, and Jackie Dolamore so the time passed by so very quickly. And it looks absolutely fantastic - worth the wait. "Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold."
2. Kiss Me deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love with stories by Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Vincent, Maggie Stiefvater, Diana Peterfreund, Michelle Zinc etc
Can it get better than this? Given to me by Diana Peterfreund while we were in line to get a copy of Forge. Thank you again.
3. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
Sequel to the very powerful Chains. Oh, I am such a fan of Laurie Halse Anderson's work. She really is an extrordinary writer.
4. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
"Some schools have honor codes. Others have handbooks. Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds - a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of the student body." When Alex is date raped she has 2 options: stay silent or enlist the Mockingbirds.
5. Three Quarters dead by Richard Peck
I heard Richard Peck talk at the Childrens Author Breakfast and found him an incredible speaker - intelligent, eloquent, and passionate. I think I would have taken anything with his name on it after the speech and this is his new book - a ghost story ripped from the headlines, a return to his horror roots and an examination of peer pressure.
6. Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore
"If your Mom is a vamp and your Dad is a wulf, that makes you a very confused kid"
I'm simply not reading fast enough it seems. Hard to know which to start first. What did you get this week?

According to Publishers Weekly, Laura Moser and Lauren Mechling have launched a YA serial on Slate.com with a parallel online world where their characters update their Facebook pages, tweet, and post videos on YouTube. How cool is that? The story, which went live today, will unfold in 11 three-chapter segments posted every Friday through August.

Mechling, a culture editor at the Wall Street Journal, said the idea for the novel started unfolding after her coauthor, who writes for Slate, was approached by editors at the site to do something in the YA vein. The result, My Darklyng, is about a 10th grader named Natalie Pollock whose obsession with a popular vampire series takes a scary turn after she auditions to be a cover model for one of the new books. They apparently started with the story but found it rewarding and fun to build online components that complemented and expanded upon the world they were creating. Teenagers Hannah Grosman and Erin Schrode portray the book's lead characters online.

To read more about this story, click here.

The Gardener by SA Bodeen - Review

Mason had a routine. He petted the neighbor's dog every morning as he waited for the bus to school. But one day the dog attacked and tore at his face, and the damage was too close to the facial nerves for reconstructive surgery. That is when his Mom shows him the DVD of his missing father reading to him.

Fast forward ten years and Mason is trying to convince his Mom to let him enroll in a summer science program at the local large corporation called TroDyn. His Mom remains dead set against it. When he discovers she used to work there Mason heads to the nursing home where she now works to find out what she's not telling him and is saddened to see a group of comatose teenagers in the lounge. To calm himself down he plays the DVD of his father reading. How could he know this would awaken one of the teenagers? She opens her eyes and says, "Don't let the gardener find me." How could she know that Mason, being a large-framed football player with a scarred face spends his time trying to help people? Yes, he has a bona fide hero complex. Of course he will help her. They run and what a fast-paced all-action chase it becomes.

This is not as creepy as the cover leads you to believe - after all, it does say, "this greenhouse grows humans". But it raises so many questions: Will the food supply really run out? Is there anything we can do to change this scenario? What are we willing to sacrifice for the good of the planet? Do the ends justify the means? What do we owe future generations? Should we be able to force evolution? Bodeen brings up more questions than she answers, questions that don't fade as you turn the last page.

But take mt advice: skip the epilogue.

Teaser Tuesday

This meme originated with MizB of Should Be Reading and anyone can play along. Just do the following:

-Grab your current read.
-Open to a random page.
-Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers

This week one of the many books I'm reading is Matched by Ally Condie and here's my teaser:

My grandmother would want to know if I wondered if it wasn't a mistake after all. If Ky were meant to be my Match.

For a moment, I did. When I saw Ky's face flash in front of me so quick I couldn't even see the color of his eyes, only the dark of them as they looked back at me. I wondered, Is it you?

(arc, p. 68)