Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

It seems I am very bad at posting about our events on time.

The wonderful new events space at Kepler’s was crowded on June 17th, awaiting the arrival of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, the voices behind the hilarious Go Fug Yourself.com, a blog devoted to satirizing fashion gossip.

Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks met when they were working as recappers for the website Television without Pity. They initially created gofugyourself.com to amuse themselves and their friends, but it quickly became popular and well known. It’s clever and very funny, like their debut YA novel, Spoiled, which they were at Kepler’s to discuss. And if you haven't seen it yet, try it because it is hilarious. And Spoiled is perfect summer reading for anyone who loves to dish the dirt on the rich and famous.

Jessica and Heather said they loved reading YA, and so it seemed a logical extension of their blog to write about fashion and life in Hollywood. Apparently there were references in the book that they had to take out. They were joking about Kevin Costner in Robin Hood, for example, and their editors explained that teens would not have seen this. So they told the audience to rent – no, stream – it because it was so funny.

When asked what YA they liked to read they said: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins , Stephanie Perkins' book Anna and the French Kiss, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, Megan McCafferty's Bumped, Maureen Johnson's The Last Little Blue Envelope and Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Year of Secret Assignments and The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie. (Not to self: must read Jaclyn Moriarty. Many people have recommended her books and I've still not tried one.)

They were so much fun, talking about their blog, celebrity fashion in general, how they wrote together, how they were already working on a companion novel to Spoiled, and gave out nail polish to everyone who came to have a book signed. Nice nail polish. Great colors. On my toes now! Their audience loved them, posed for photos, asked tons of questions. And we sold out of their book. Another success for the fabulous Fug girls. Hope they come back with their companion novel.

You can see them talk about Spoiled here

My Summer Reading List

I posted some author reading lists but didn't remember to post mine. So here are ten sitting at the top of my TBR pile, in no particular order

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
It's what I'm reading now and so far it is amazing. One of the best I've read all year.

2. Au revoir Crzy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
Because of the title. Because it sounds different. Because it sounds so me.

3. Forever by Maggie Steifvater
Because I love everything she writes. And I've just finished the wonderful Scorpio Races. And I want to see how the series will end.

4. The Slayer Chronicles by Heather Brewer.
Because I love the Vladimir Tod series and want to see how this new series will read.

5. Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Because everyone tells me how good it is.

6. Jessica Rules the Dark Side - Beth Fantaskey
Because I loved Jessica's Guide to Dating on the dark Side

7. Everybody Sees the Ants by AS King
Because Dust of 100 Dogs is incredible. And so is Vera Dietz. And Pen loved it.

8. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Because Paranormalcy was so fun

9. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Because it looks fantastic. And I'm a fan of dystopian novels if done well.

10. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
I can't wait - the Vampire Academy was addicting

What's on your summer reading list?

School library journal asked several authors what was on their summer reading lists. Here's a few answers

AS King

I have a growing pile of books ready for the summer. First, I'm going to read Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell with my daughter because she's curious about the Vietnam War since our trip to the [memorial] wall this spring. She's also looking forward to Lisa McMann's The Unwanteds. For my youngest: every Mo Willems book ever written. We're loving his "Elephant and Piggy" books right now.

For me, the annual brain-sorbet reread of Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions; or, Goodbye Blue Monday! and God Bless You Mr. Rosewater is in the cards as well as Matt de la Peña's I Will Save You and Charlie Price's Edgar Award winner, The Interrogation of Gabriel James. And if I get an extra minute, I want to reread Jitterbug Perfume, my favorite Tom Robbins, because I always found it to be the perfect summer read.

Tom Anglberger

The book I'm dying to read this summer is The White City, the third book of "The Clockwork Dark" series by my friend John Claude Bemis. Bemis has created a fantastical history of America, where the folk hero John Henry was a real-live person...but died. Now, a handful of sideshow performers must defeat the vast and terrible evil that killed Henry and has grown impossibly powerful. After finishing the first two books, I couldn't wait to start Book 3. But it doesn't come out until late August! That'll give those of you who haven't started the "Clockwork Dark" series a chance to read The Nine Pound Hammer and The Wolf Tree.

Rick Riordan

A couple of adult books I'm looking forward to this summer: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay. As for children's books, my family and I are excited about Michael Scott's The Warlock and Neal Shusterman's Everfound.

Veronica Roth

1. If I Stay by Gayle Forman—sometimes I'm in the mood for the complete opposite of what I write. In this case, thoughtful (and highly recommended) contemporary, instead of action-packed dystopian!

2. East by Edith Pattou—recommended to me by my editor, because I needed an example of multiple-but distinct-voices in one book. So you could say that East is part of me furthering my writer education.

3. Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver—my first foray into middle grade. I am a big fan of Lauren Oliver's work, so I would have read it anyway, but it also balances magic with grief, playful with dark, and I find that particularly compelling.

4. Home by Marilynne Robinson—my first writer crush, and this book is a kind of exploration of the story of the prodigal son, so I'm curious to see how Robinson's excellent writing breathes life into that storyline.

And finally,

5. "Harry Potter," Books 1 through 7, by J.K. Rowling. Over the years most of my Harry Potter books have gotten lost, so I recently ordered the paperback box set and I'm excited to experience the series again in its entirety—with less anxiety about how it ends! This time, I intend to pay particular attention to how intricately the details of these books are woven together to lead to the last installment. There is definite genius there.

MaryRose Wood

Then I'll switch to gothic young adult mode to write the conclusion to the "Poison Diaries" trilogy. For that I've stockpiled creepy classics like The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, The Monk by Matthew G. Lewis, and of course, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Pottermore

Oooooh, just out from Scholastic, news from JK Rowling.
An online reading experience of the Potter Universe (Potterverse?).
It will be open to everyone from October but if you want to be one of the first people to take a look at the site and help shape it "follow the owl"

Here's the video:

Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan - Review

"You say spoiled like it's a bad thing"

16-year-old Molly Dix grew up with her Mom in suburban Indiana. But on her death bed, her Mom confesses to a secret: her biological father is Brick Berlin. THE Brick Berlin, world famous movie star and director. And, of course, her Mom wants her to get to know her father. So, like any good soap opera heroine, off she heads to LA, leaving behind her friends, grandparents, and boyfriend. Yes, she's terrified - and, truth be told, rather excited - about meeting Brick and her step-sister, Brooke.

And thus Molly finds herself in the middle of celebrity life in LA, dealing with new-found fame, the paparazzi, clothes shopping, and Brooke herself. It's hilarious, fun to spot celebrity cameos, and full of fashion, Hollywood glamor, and innuendo. No question, this is The perfect beach read for anyone who loves to dish the dirt on the rich and famous.

And if you haven't checked out their blog, www.gofugyourself.com, it is one of the funniest sites I've read. I LOVE it.

Lauren Kate

Lauren Kate came to Kepler’s on Tuesday to launch the third in her Fallen series, Passion. Local fans had voted to bring her to the Bay Area and many had driven a long way to see her. One father and daughter had driven two and a half hours to get there (only admitting this when asking for a photo). We had an eager audience of about 50, many arrived early, and all came with questions.

A little background: Lauren grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York. Her experience of the “Old South” in the Atlanta area inspired her to set Fallen in a Civil War era academy. Her themes are rooted in theology although Lauren certainly plays around with the idea of what an angel is supposed to be. Much of Torment is set on the mendicino coast and she says it’s close to her heart because she got engaged there. And Passion gives us backstory about our two main characters. She told her audience that Cam is based a little on her husband (and that he reads drafts of her work and says things like, “I wouldn’t do that”) and that she’s seen her next book cover and it is wonderful.


She really was charming and gracious, answering every question, posed for photos with almost everyone in line, and signed all our back stock. AND she gave out nail polish to her readers! Squee! Doesn't get better than this.

Tonight - Lauren Kate

If you are in the Bay Area, remember that that the incredible Lauren Kate will be at the store at 7.00 to launch her new book, PASSION!

And if that wasn't enough (and oh, it is!) we have freebies to give away.

See you tonight!

Teaser Tuesday

Haven't done this for ages but I'm reading Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan and it is just so much fun. Perfect for these warm sunny days. 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

Here it is:

People stopped talking and stared, brows furrowed, like they were at the zoo and Molly was an exotic animal they'd never heard of before. Behold, Los Angelenos, the world's only Skittish Hoosier in captivity. it was like a really bad sequel to Saturday night. (arc p127)

OK, I may just have to give you another snippet. Forgive me.

"Heaven. Heaven."
"Seriously, this one is, like, a religious experience."
"I totally just saw God. I'm not even kidding."
Molly wished she could see what the three willowy stylists buzzing around her were talking about, but their light-speed tugging and pulling and tweaking - not to mention their enthusiastic spiritual visions, and the accompanying wild skyward gestures - made it impossible to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror. (arc p 70)

It's that entertaining. And if you'd like to meet them, come to Kepler's on Friday at 7.00 where you can chat about the book, fashion, celebrities, and get a free bottle of nail polish while there! Doesn't get better than that!

In My Mailbox

Oh this week went so fast. End of the school year for most. Graduations for many. This week I've read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (SO good) and am half way through Warlock by Michael Scott (I love this series!) And thanks, as ever to Story Siren for hosting the meme.

Next week we're hosting the launch of Lauren Kate's Passion tour (can't wait!) on Tuesday and Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan for their debut novel, Spoiled (these ladies are the voices behind gofugyourself.com, which is hilarious)

As for my books this week:

Daughters of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylot
I've heard a lot about this and it looks fabulous.
Here's the catchline: Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Writer of The Duff, this looks like No Talking (Andrew Clement) for teens! Lissa decides to end the rivalry between the football and soccer teams by organizing a hook up strike 9I kid you not).

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
Sequel to The Mockingbirds. They have a new case - students are using drugs to cheat. I really enjoyed The Mockingbirds so I'm hoping this will be just as good.

So - that was my week. How was yours?

City of Bones casting

Had to post this. Did you see that they've cast Jace (finally) in the movie version of City of Bones.

Jace will be played by Jamie Bower Campbell.

What do you think? Is this who you wanted for the part? He played Caius in New Moon, BTW, and was in Sweeney Todd.

Personally I'm just glad it's not Alex Pettyfer!

Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy - Review

Here's Marilyn's review of an older title that she LOVES. Book 3 in the series coming this fall

If you delight in the world of horror and monsters, this is the book for you, The setting is late 19th century New England: the atmosphere is dreary and gloomy, the local townsfolk are suspicious and edgy.

Will Henry is an orphan and apprentice to a doctor with a bizarre specialty, hunting monsters. Hideous, terrifying, nightmare-causing monsters These headless monstrosities with razor sharp claws and teeth hunt down, savage and destroy any breathing creature with a pulse in a hunt-able range. And they seem to be on the loose...Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop must try to find and destroy them and their subterranean nests before more citizens are eaten.

As you read this haunting ghoulish tale, just remember it happened long, long ago so you should be safe enough when you lock your doors, play loud music, and hide in your closet...maybe you'll survive the tale...

In My Mailbox

Yes - another week has flown by, and again I'm a little late with this post. We hosted Emma Donoghue with her incredible book, Room, and the fabulous Melissa Marr, one of my favorite writers, with her debut adult title, Graveminder.

I finished Zombies vs Unicorns, no idea why it took so long to read, am mid way through The Eleventh Plague, and am reading The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater!

Now to the books of this week:

The Scorpio Races by maggie Stiefvater.
This is the one I wanted. So excited. Killer horses!

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Yes! Richell's new book, brought back from BEA for me by my wonderful and generous friend nancy. Can't say enough thank yous.Set in the same world as VA, about Sydney and the alchemists.

Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Another dystopia, this one with an army of "changed", this one called to me.

Very very lucky this week! No events this week so I can concentrate on reading. What did you get?

Wicked Lovely News

OK, so while I'm on a Melissa Marr kick, there is more news.

Do you believe in faeries? Mary Harron certainly does. The director of "American Psycho" and "The Notorious Bettie Page" will soon try her hand at young adult fantasy as she prepares to direct the adaptation of Melissa Marr's novel, "Wicked Lovely," according to Deadline.

I think Melissa's novels will make wonderful movies if done right. They haven't talked about casting yet. Who do you want to see in the movie?

Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong unveil a secret project

Publishers Weekly just announced that Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong will join forces to write a middle grade trilogy called The Blackwell Pages for Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Both Armstrong and Marr have a strong young adult following and this will be the authors' first foray into middle grade fiction.The Blackwell Pages will tell the story of two 12-year-old boys and one girl, all distant descendants of the Norse gods, who must journey to prevent the impending apocalypse. The first book, Loki's Wolves, is slated for publication in Spring of 2013. Must remember to ask about this tonight (remind me!)

Melissa Marr TONIGHT!

If you live in the Bay Area, don't miss the incredible Melissa Marr tonight here at Kepler's at 7.00. One of my very favorite writers, she will be here this time to talk about Graveminder, her debut novel for adults. And it is very very good.
We also have awesome giveaways!

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna!

So you must have seen by now that they've cast Lenny Kravtiz as Cinna in the Hunger Games.

Soon after news broke, Twitter users took to the social networking site to share their reactions. In fact, the actor-musician soon became a trending topic (see here). Kravitz is set to play stylist Cinna, who helps Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) prep for the Hunger Games. It's a role that fans had been anxious to see filled for some time. And judging by Twitter reaction, they are mixed about the casting news.

What do you think? I have to say that he's not who I would have cast for Cinna. (I was thinking someone like Stanley Tucci!) But you never know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Lauren Kate

I've been talking about it forever but we are launching Lauren Kate's Passion tour on June 14th. Yay! If you are in the Bay Area, you must join us.

As a teaser, here's the trailer for Passion:



So good!