Die For Me by Amy Plum

I'm very belatedly posting Amanda's review of Die for Me because it appears I forgot to post it beforehand and because I'm reading Until I Die at the moment (le sigh)

Still grieving from the tragic death of her parents, Kate Mercier barely registers the world around her. Now living in Paris, she escapes into her books and museums--content to be alone. But then she meets the beautiful and mysterious Vincent and falls in love. Of course, Vincent is not all that he seems. He is a "revenant," an immortal, fated to sacrifice himself in the act of saving others. As Kate witnesses the violence and death surrounding Vincent, she must decide if her heart can bear to be a part of Vincent's destiny. Is he the love of her life, even in death? Not at all your typical zombie book, Die For Me brings to life a new twist in paranormal romance.

The Catastrophic History Of You And Me by Jess Rothenberg - Review

Here's Marilyn's review of The Catastrophic History of You and Me. And best of all she'll be at Kepler's on April 18th at 7.00 with Gayle Forman, Stephanie Perkins, and Nina LaCour. Really. So, so excited. Panel will be moderated by Heidi Kling. It is sure to be a blast.

Seriously, four words did it; ripped Brie's heart in two. Four words; I.Don't. Love.You. No one could save her - not her brilliant cardiac surgeon dad, her BFFs, or God.

Brie, newly dead has all eternity to be dead. Wow - this is way harder and a lot more strenuous than her active life was as a living, breathing almost 16 year old teen! Brie sees her memorial with all her weeping stunned family, friends and school; takes the weird bus ride (for one) to the funky old pizza place where cute but annoying Patrick welcomes her to the afterlife. Brie has an E T E R N I T Y to learn the steps she must take before she can actually R.I.P. No other words can be as terrifying for her to hear.

**Spoiler alert, I can only tell you this book is hilarious - take Brie's trip with her, you'll be glad you did.

And don't forget to join us Aptil 18th!

Bzrk by Michael Grant - Review

Everyone here at Kepler's are such fans of Michael Grant's Gone series. So we couldn't wait to get our hands on his newest book, Bzrk. Here's Antonia's revew and it's definitely going to be my next read.

What ever you do don't spend too much time researching nanobots - you may never sleep again. Its not cute like that Dennis Quaid movie - yeah, yeah, I'm dating myself - these suckers are creepy. And I don't do parasites. Have I mentioned that?

Michael Grant however, does. Parasites, that is. And nanobots are basically parasites, and they run into organic parasites when they in or on the human body, and that's the bit that creeps me out. But this one at least I could read (I had to put Plague down and find out from a friend what happened. Peeps too, but I'm not going to go into that.) In fact, not only could I read it, I loved it! This is pure thriller (and I guess the parasites having human motivations makes me less squeamish than the mindless eating variety) in two worlds macro (our real world) and nano (so tiny it is sub-microscopic). The bad guys are the same, the only difference is in the way that they meet. Michael Grant is a master of page-turning awesomeness, and this one does not disappoint.

Ally Carter, Out of Sight, Out of Time

Ally Carter is one of the most charming women I have ever met. I love her books (both series) and I love her. And she is coming to Kepler's on

MARCH 21
at 7.00

so anyone in the Bay Area should mark it on your calendars and make sure you come and hear her talk about her newest Gallagher Girl book, Out of Sight, Out of Time

Background: With more than a million Gallagher Girls books sold, a legion of fans have fallen in love with the New York Times best-selling spy-girl series, and the fifth book delivers the most nerve-wracking, high-stakes adventure yet.

The book: The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, her memory is a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie's summer vacation are the bruises on her body and dirt under her nails. All she wants is to go home. But even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers as Cammie and her friends face their most difficult challenge yet. With only their training and a few clues to guide them, the girls go in search of answers on the other side of the world. But the Circle is hot on their trail and will stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

see video:



and join us!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Review

Hazel Grace meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group. Hazel has thyroid cancer, carries around an oxygen tank, and feels like she is living on borrowed time. Gus has osteosarcoma and has had a portion of a leg removed. As they get to know each other Hazel shares her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction (that I googled because I SO wanted it to be real). They are both witty and perceptive, charming and incredibly likeable, which makes the book all the more heartbreaking.

But what could have been a very depressing book isn't at all. It's about two people meeting their match and finding out how precious life is, determined to live undeterred by their diagnoses. As Hazel herself says, "cancer books suck" but although this is a very real picture of how they deal with their illnesses and their friends illnesses, it is also full of hope. The book leads to a trip to Amsterdam, there's lots of humor, and yes, it made me weep. But it is beautiful, touching, and full of empathy. I was deeply affected by this book and find it still lives with me. John Green is a very talented writer and this, for me, is his best work. It deserves every prize I am sure it will win.

Tonight - Alexander Gordon Smith

Tonight: Alexander Gordon Smith at 7.00 and he'll be talking about his newest book: Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4

Furnace Penitentiary is the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, Alex has done the impossible and escaped. But the battle for freedom is only just beginning. Charged with his superhuman abilities, Alex must uncover the last of Furnace’s secrets — the truth about Alfred Furnace, the man who built the prison. And to do that he must stop running and finally confront his greatest fears.

Can't wait!

For those of you who don't know his books, see the book trailer below



See you tonight!

Starters by Lissa Price - review

How far would you go to help the ones you love? Would you let someone else live in your body?

In Callie's world the Spore Wars killed anyone not vaccinated, including her parents. So only the very old and the very young survived. Callie lives with her little brother Tyler and her friend Michael. They live in abandoned buildings, never have enough to eat, and fight continuously for survival. They know that to be caught by the Marshals means being thrown into forced work camps. Then Callie hears of Prime Destination, a company where the young and beautiful can rent out their bodies to the old for a lot of money - with strict limits of course. It seems like the perfect way out of her problems and to help Tyler who is sick.

But there's a glitch, a malfunction in the chip they put in her brain, and she wakes up on the floor at a dance in her renter's life. She's back in her own body but she can live her renter's life. She can't believe her luck, especially when she meets Blake. But there is a catch - there is always a catch. And she starts to hear her renter's voice in her head. And her renter has a plan. This is a very disturbing look into the future, a real page turner that rang true. Can't wait for the sequel.

TC Boyle

Yay, TC Boyle stopped by today to sign stock. Love his books.

Fierce Reads comes to Keplers June 8th

In a brainstorming session, Angus Killick, newly appointed v-p and associate publisher of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, had one of those bolts of lightning. He thought: Fierce. "Here's a word teens relate to. If something is fierce, something is really great," he said. "It's edgy, too." A campaign was born: "Fierce Reads."

The Four Books for Fierce Reads are:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Holt)
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (FSG)
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (Feiwel & Friends)
Monument 14 by Emily Laybourne (Feiwel & Friends)
Guest for the tour: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"We looked at all these amazing debut novels and came up with a great word that we could hang it all on. There's nothing that says a Fierce Read has to be a new author, though it so happens that all four this spring are new authors." Special guest authors will attend some of the Fierce Reads events, too.

"The ultimate goal," explained Killick, "is to create an online home and a brand where teens can interact with books they love and be a part of the discovery of new books." Fierce Reads will promote books across all imprints, with a mix of debut and well-known authors. Killick sees this as a brand to build on over several seasons, one that he hopes will be embraced by not only teens but also librarians and teachers.

And the best news: they will be at Kepler's with
Marissa Meyer, who wrote Cinder (which I loved) on June 8th.
Don't miss this.