On vacation for the rest of the month

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be on vacation from today to the end of the month. See you in August.

I Am Number 4 by Pittacus Lore - Review

Imagine seeing your world destroyed, your people fighting for their very existence and losing, and being one of nine children sent on a ship to safety with your guardians, knowing that the soldiers who destroyed your planet will keep hunting for you until you are no more.

So you move constantly, trying to blend in wherever you go, trying not to show how powerful you are, how fast. You train. You don’t make close friends. And you wait for your legacy to show itself.

This is the story of Number 4 (John Smith), whose planet, Lorien, was destroyed and who escaped with eight others. They can only be killed in order and the first three are dead. Now they are coming for him. But John has made his first real friend, has fallen in love, and does not want to leave. He knows, however, that the Mogadorians will not stop until all nine of them are dead.

A fast-paced page turner, this novel kept me transfixed right to the end, kept me up at night, and pulled at my heart. And if aliens do walk among us, let them all be like Number 4.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher - free excerpt

I've just finished Incarceron and before I post my review I wanted to let you know that you can read an excerpt of it free here.

It took me a while to get into the book as it blends two stories - inside the prison and outside but once I got involved I was completely hooked. And can't wait for the sequel Sapphique.

Here's the blurb: Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: Its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can’t remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside. He’s determined to escape, even though most inmates don’t believe that Outside even exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia who claims to live Outside — her father is the Warden of Incarceron and she’s doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know. Because Incarceron is alive.

Teaser Tuesday

Yes, I'm fully aware it's Wednesday but I haven't posted a Teaser Tuesday for ages and this week I wanted to. 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 Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead and here's my teaser:

He put his face right up to mine, so close that our foreheads touched. "Roza..." he murmured. His breath was warm and sweet against my skin. It seemed like it should have smelled like death or decay, but it didn't. "Why? Why did you have to be so difficult? We could have spent eternity together..." (p. 177)

Fabulous return to form from Richelle Mead. But it's December until we can get our hands on Last Sacrifice!

Reckless by Cornelia Funke - review

Jacob has a secret. He knows the mirror in his missing father’s study can lead him to another world, a world filled with magic, a world where he can lose himself amid witches and fairies, dwarves and trolls, shape-shifting foxes, and so much treasure.

And all it takes is one mistake, after all those years of caution. He is impatient; he doesn’t wait to make sure his brother, Will, is asleep. Will follows, of course, leaving Jacob guilt-ridden when Will is cursed and starts turning to stone. But this is no ordinary curse and Will seems to be turning into the Jade Goyle of legend. Can Jacob find a cure in time? The race is on.

I tumbled headlong into this adventure, emerging dazed and astounded, still caught in Funke’s delicious fairy tale world. I was caught in the dark, dark side of the Grimm legends, where nothing is as it seems, and all is dangerous. Here fairy tales have grown up and the stories are complex, rich, and like nothing you’ve read before. You have no idea where this story will take you – you just have to buckle up and enjoy the ride. I think this is Funke at her very best.

In My Mailbox

It's been another great week for books. But then it seems it's always a great week for books. Thanks go, as ever, to The Story Siren for hosting this meme. The books? Not many this week, but oh so good

1. Torment by Lauren Kate
Sequel to the wonderful Fallen. Started it the second it made it's way into my hands. Gorgeous, gorgeous cover.

2. The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway
Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty novel from the author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood — powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose? April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds — everyone’s but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they’ll always have each other. Because there’s one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood.

3. And I finally bought
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead.
Now I love this series, am a huge fan, but didn't much care for Blood Promise. So wasn't sure I would read Spirit Bound. But I read only good things about the book so here it is now gracing my shelves.
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. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.

What did you get this week?

Events!

This weekend I thought I'd remind you of some of the fabulous events Kepler's is hosting in July (Ally Carter and Maggie Steifvater) and to let you know which authors I've just booked (but have not yet posted the events).

First up is Ally Carter coming on July 22 to talk about her latest Gallagher Girl novel, Only the Good Spy Young. Click here for details.

The very next day, July 23, we host Maggie Steifvater, on tour with Linger, her follow up to Shiver. Click here for details.

I am a huge fan of both authors and am so glad they will stop at Kepler's on their tours.

August 24th brings our Mockinjay/Pizza party where you can get your copy of Mockingjay, eat pizza, and get tickets to the signing line for Suzanne Collins.

September, oh September is awesome. We host the Smart Chicks on September 18th. Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Caine, Kimberly Derting, and Melissa de la Cruz. It just can't get better than this. So many great authors together...leaves me out of words (and I'm never out of words!).

And then we host Lauren Kate on September 29th on her Torment tour. And I loved Fallen. Did you see the Torment cover? Magnificent.

October brings us James Dashner on his Scorch Trials tour on October 25th. I was so impressed with The Maze Runner and have read only the first chapter of the Scorch Trials but am oh so eagerly waiting the rest of it.

And then November - well, November 3rd brings us Suzanne Collins. Excited is just too tame a comment on this event. Suzanne Collins! And you don't have to worry about long lines if you buy your book from us on release day. Because we'll be giving out tickets to the front of the line. And you know you want to be at the front of this line...

What an incredible line-up. This is why we can be found grinning at work like mad fools. Just can't wait!

Julie Kagawa

Have you read The Iron King by Julie Kagawa? If not, do you know that you can read Chapters 1-3 here to see if you like it? Cool, huh?

And now Julie has posted a novella on her website called Winter's Passage that you can download FREE until July 31. Just go to http://enterthefaeryworld.com/ironfey/# or click here and you'll see the button.

Let me know how much you liked it.

Vampire Academy Movie News

Just read in Shelfari that Don Murphy (Transformers) will team with Michael Preger (Village of the Damned) to produce a film version of Richelle Mead's six-part Vampire Academy series. How awesome is that?

"The joy of these books is that in the wake of Twilight they offer a chance to create a movie franchise that guys will want to see as well as girls," Murphy said. "Michael and I plan on positioning the films as something both sexes will enjoy together, expanding the genre of sexy young vampires to a whole new audience. We are beginning discussions with studios immediately."

Can't wait

If you read my Waiting on Wednesday meme, you'll have noticed that I'm waiting not too patiently to read Personal Demons. You can read Chapter 1 on Lisa's blog here and I've just noticed that she's hosting a contest to give away a signed arc (click here to get to Lisa's blog).

So here are her rules:

Below, I’ve listed my four YA debut picks for July. All you have to do to enter to win one of those, or a signed Personal Demons ARC, is comment on this post by noon (PST) on Friday July 30th. Nothing fancy, you can just say hi or ask a question. In addition to commenting (for which you get one point) you can accumulate extra points as follows:

Old blog follower: +3 points
New blog follower: +2 points
Follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez) +2 points
Link to my contest post on your blog or twitter: +1 point
Dedicated post with link to my contest on your website/blog: +3 points
Add me to your blogroll: +2 points

Also on your entry, please remember to tell me how to find you (email address). And remember, there will be no rollover points. Points start new every month.

The winner will be chosen by the randomizer and posted on the blog after noon on July 30th. The winner will then have their choice of one of the following:
a signed Personal Demons ARC by me =)
Other by Karen Kincy
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber
Shadow Hill by Anastasia Hopcus

And yes, I've already entered. So what are you waiting for?

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 had the pleasure of meeting the author recently so went looking for information about the book - and it looks fantastic. Worth waiting for indeed! What's the book?

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

And here's the back cover copy:

If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?

Are you sure about that...?

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.

Always so hard to wait.

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter - Review

The Gallagher Girls are back and better than ever in their fourth adventure. They are older, a little battle-worn, but every bit as much fun.

Picture the scene: best friends on vacation skating on the moat around the Tower of London. Idyllic. But these are Gallagher Girls and one of them is being chased by an ancient terrorist organization. So even though there are operatives everywhere she looks (and she looks), even though her friend’s parents are two of the best spies she knows (and she has high expectations), she is pulled onto a bridge by someone she no longer knows whether to trust, told to follow the pigeons, and her world begins to unravel.

All this leads to Ally Carter’s best adventure to date, full of suspected double agents, back story, daring exploits, covert ops, and even a little romance (yes, Zach is back- but can he be trusted?). You learn a lot more about Cammie’s background, much about the strength and tenacity of the Gallagher Girls, and the power of friendship.

If you can’t tell, I adore Ally Carter and the Gallagher Girls. She can’t write quickly enough for me - especially after an ending like that!

In My Mailbox

Happy fourth and it's been another great week for books. Thanks go, as ever, to The Story Siren for hosting this meme. The books?

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Fourth in the Gallagher Girl series, I couldn't wait for this. I love Ally Carter and the series, picked it up as it hit the shelves, and have already finished it. I think it's her best to date and I'll post a review later in the week. And what an ending...

Beat the Band by Don Calame
I found Swim the Fly one of the funniest books I read last year so am excited to get my hands on this sequel, where Coop is paired in Health calss with the infamous Hot Dog Helento prepare a presentation on safe sex. Coop is convinced the only way out of this popularity death sentence is to win the Battle of the Bands. The problem: none of them actually play an instrument!

Nomans Island by Lesley Hauge
Sometime in the future, after devastating wars and fires, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy - men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by some strange objects found there — high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up. What are they to make of these things and what does it mean for their society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate but dangerous hold on Phoebe, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that they are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?

Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay, and GREAT NEWS

Did you hear? Scholastic announced today that it has increased the first printing of Mockingjay, the final book in the nationally bestselling The Hunger Games trilogy, to 1.2 million, from a previously announced 750,000 copies. WOW.

There's a reason for the huge grins and people jumping up and down in excitement here at Kepler's today. Scholastic also announced that the New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Collins, who was named among the 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People, will embark this fall on a twelve-market North American tour to promote the release of Mockingjay. Beginning on the August 24 (publication date for Mockingjay), Collins will tour bookstores in New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Boston, her first bookstore tour since September 2008. In September 2010 she will continue the tour in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, and in October she will travel to Chicago, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. The tour will conclude in November with visits to bookstores in Northern California, Seattle, and Vancouver. And yes, she's coming to Kepler's. November 3rd. Watch out for more informations as soon as I have it for you. But write it in your calendar. NOW!

The Passage by Justin Cronin - Review

Despite the hype, despite it's length, I loved this book. And think it's a perfect crossover title.

It all starts with a covert government experiment with 12 death-row inmates injected with a virus. They become increasingly violent, intolerant of light, overpowering with their thoughts. Then the government decides to inject 6-year-old Amy and things go very wrong. The virus spreads into a plague, riots erupt, and the world as we know it falls apart. Amid the chaos, an FBI agent and a nun become convinced they must save Amy.

Years later, an enclave of survivors uses lights to keep the virals away--but the power is beginning to fail. They find a young wanderer at their door, a girl who seems like a link between them and the virals, and who carries a message embedded in her neck: "if you find her, bring her back."

Once in a while you find a book that so enthralls you that to surface from it seems a crime. This is such a book. Epic in scale, it is horrifying, chilling, thought provoking, compulsive, and the best book I've read this year. It will keep you up, make all else stop, make the hairs on the back of your neck prickle. You'll talk about it for weeks. If you only read one book this summer, it should be this one.