Sweetly, by Jackson Pearce- Review

From Goodreads:
As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone -- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

If you're anything like me you've been drawn to Jackson Pearce's Sweetly and Sisters Red because of their fabulous cover art and intriguing contemporary YA retellings of beloved fairy tales.  And maybe, like me you've been meaning to read them forever and you've just never found the time.  Well thanks to the lovely folks at Hatchett UK I finally managed to get Sweetly off my one-day-someday list and onto my towering to-be-read pile instead.

Sweetly has a slow start.  Gretchen and her brother Ansel have a complicated past, steeped in mystery they don't even fully admit too or understand.  So it's hardly surprising when they end up in a small town also plagued by unpleasant mysteries and a complicated past and seem to fit right in.  Pearce very masterfully sets up this strange set of coincidences and happenstance so that although it is all very odd, and decidedly unbelievable in a way, it works.  If any two people can overlook a bizarre situation and turn a blind eye to the things that don't add up, it would inevitably be two people who were raised to do it from a young age.

She's also populated the town with a host of intriguing characters and rural quirks that make it seem like  something out of Twin Peaks.  Ms Judy, Samuels cat crazy and difficult elderly landlord, Miss Nikki/ Miss Zuelika the local mystic, tarot card reading psychic who likes to put on a finer show for the tourists than the regular town folk, and of course Samuel the outcast on a motorcyle who's bent on saving a town that wants nothing to do with him.  Not to say anything of the chocolate shop that's mysteriously located in the middle of forest wayyyy out of town.

The real joy in the story for me though, was Gretchen's taking control of her fear and facing it.  As she starts to question and fight back she becomes a much more empowered girl character than the usual YA girls.  Yes there's a boy, but her survival doesn't depend on him, so much as they're working as a team to fight off the monsters.  The scenes where Gretchen is learning to shoot and hunt were some of my favourites and I loved how Pearce had her constantly battling her fear and not just switching into an over night super fighter chick.

Dark and creepy, just as it was originally meant to be, Pearce has written a great retelling of a classic fairy tale for a whole new generation.

Sweetly, by Jackson Pearce

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers, August 2011

My copy kindly provided by Uk publishers Hatchett UK.

Buy Sweetly on Amazon

Nothing Special, by Geoff Herbach- Blog Tour Review and Guest Post

From Goodreads:
Felton Reinstein thought he had it all-a great girlfriend, an athletic scholarship in the bag, and football friends he could totally count on. Wrong Like an elephant storming a house of cards, it all comes crashing down. And it's Felton's fault. Turns out his little brother has taken an impromptu road trip to Florida (aka desperate flight from all the talented people) to make a bid for stardom (aka fronting a hotel rock band with escapees from a retirement community). What's a big brother to do but help pick up the pieces, even if it means giving up all the status, all the glory and once again facing a life of nothing special.

Right up front let me tell you, this is part two. Nothing Special is the follow up to Stupid Fast, which I quite stupidly didn't realize, making the dive right into the depths of Felton's mind totally disconcerting.  Therefore I want to make it known, before I get into the review, I think I was missing a rather large part of what made Nothing Special tick. IE- all the development of Stupid Fast.

Told in letters, dated and timed during a mystery trip you're not sure about until the end, Felton tells the first person narrative of his disasterous summer.  It's a crazy adventure, and because of how it's narrated, full of the misadventures of a completely seperate mystery trip, it keeps you guessing about what's going on right up until the end.  I found it confusing to follow for the first third of the book or more, but I think that was likely because I was supposed to be already familiar with both Felton and the events from Stupid Fast.  I'm gussing it's much more fluid if you've read it in the appropriate order.

Felton has a unique voice, it's wonky and it definately grows on you, again- not likely an issue with readers of Stupid Fast.  His bizzare family, and even more bizzare sudden athletic super powers are charming, and I like the juztaposition of the celebrity-jock with the hopelessly odd kid scenario.  How he bungs up his celeb-jock moments in a purely weird kid way are amusing and honest, and makes him higly relatable.

But more than anything I like how Felton works out his issues.  How he realizes his head was shoved up his backside, the way he discovers his neurosis affects his crazy little brother and the way he deals with his possible ex-girlfriend.  It's all done in a very honestly teen way, misguided and a bit hopeless, but with the best of intentions and ultimately success.  Everything about Felton is nitty gritty real, from his terrible B.O. to his hopeless dealings with the hottie on his plane and bus.  I 100% appreciate a teen character who stays teen in narration, and isn't tarted up as the 20 something god of all things social and beautiful.

All in all Nothing Special was a nice change of pace in the YA category.  A great male protagonist, and a fun story.  I highly reccomend giving the series a try.

Nothing Special, by Geoff Herbach
Published by Sourcebooks Fire, May 1st, 2012
Buy Nothing Special on Amazon

Because I leave on my BEA bound road trip in just 6 days, Geff Herbach has stopped by today to talk about the top ten things to bring on a roadtrip!

TOP TEN THINGS TO BRING ON A ROAD TRIP

I am always woefully unprepared when I hit the road. Generally I gain a lot of weight from eating truck stop crap and also have to buy supplies along the way, because I’m not a good planner. So, if I were to think about it ahead of time, rather than taking off half-cocked, these are the ten items I would make sure I had:
1. A cooler for my beer. Just kidding. I’d bring a cooler for yogurt and health drinks and for lettuce. I’d also bring some almonds for heart health and some delicious fruit to tide me over until I can hit the next organic co-op along the way.

2. Stretchy pants. After agonizing over how much I don’t like vegetables, I will need to have stretchy pants, because I will likely freak out after a day, and then I’ll eat pizza and sub sandwiches and many bacon cheeseburgers. If I’m in the south, I will eat cheese grits. My jeans will burst and I’ll need stretchy pants.

3. A harmonica. I’ll use this when I’m singing the fat man blues.

4. Several phone chargers. I spill coffee on everything electronic when I’m road tripping. Phone chargers fizzle fast. I’ll likely need a new phone or two, but that’s a risk I’ll take (won’t buy in advance, due to expense).

5. A paper map. Electronics die when you spill coffee. Paper just looks gross. You can still read a map through coffee stains.

6. A Frisbee. My muscles get all knotted up. Nothing feels better than chasing a Frisbee through the winds of some foreign place (if my heart can take it after all the bacon).

7. Mad libs. These are funny for three minutes. The best three minutes of your trip will be spent creating a dirty mad lib.

8. A friend or two. My friend Sam and I went on a two-month book tour a few years ago. We took lots of hilarious pictures in crazy places – like at crazy Niagra Falls – which made the trip seem fun!

9. Underpants. Remember, you will want a change of underpants at some point.

10. A notebook. The truth about road trips is that much time is spent suffering, confused, wishing you were home. I love that. I would rather suffer than be bored. You get to know yourself when you’re uncomfortable. Bring a notebook so you can keep track of your beautiful monkey thoughts.


That sounds about right.
Geoff

Hmmm, all good tips, but lets not tell my hubby about number 10 hey? He's dreading a road trip and I'm gleefully telling him they're wonderfull.  I also told him kittens don't have smelly poohs- I have a habit of being proved wrong.

So now that you're dying to dig into Nothing Special it's GIVEAWAY time!  Enter below for your chance to win a copy of Nothing Special, shipping to US or Canadian Addresses.  Contest closes on June 14th (when my BEA roadtrip ends!).  For extra entries make sure to follow me or otherwise bandy about to your friends and frenemies that they can enter to win themselves!

Slated, by Teri Terry- Review

From Goodreads:
Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.
She’s been Slated.
The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

A dystopian that felt more a like a slow building thriller, Slated was a chilling read that left me with more questions than I started with.  Heavily character driven, Slated is told from Kyla's first person perspective which is skewed, at best, and it focuses much more firmly on who/what she is then on her dystopian world.    Because of this introspection Slated is much less action driven than the run of the mill dystopian, but it has an intensity that more than makes up for its quiet build.

Because of Kyla's Slating, the reader is learning about the world around Kyla at the same time as her, which makes for really smooth world building, and although the tried and true secret government tropes are used, it felt different.  Maybe because the suggestion is always there that many people know about the secrets, just not Kyla, but also because at a certain point it seem clear the terrorists are just as big a risk as the government henchmen.

Of course the most fascinating mystery is who Kyla actually is herself, and I have to say the tease at the end of the book was a big one.  It's a little frustrating to be left with such a large cliff hanger when there's inevitably going to be a year between books, so I was disappointed that a few more answers weren't revealed as pay off until then.  Without a doubt it's a difficult balance to reach, leaving a reader with enough mystery to have them jonesing for book 2 but not so much that book one feels like it was too unresolved and therefore only a prologue to the story.  However, as it stands I might recommend waiting a little closer to Fractured's release
(May 2013, in the UK, later in Canada and the US) to start the series so you get a more completed story, unless you love a good mystery, in which case dig in!

A really nice change of pace in the dystopian department, Slated promises to be an intriguing thriller like drama.  I can't wait to hear more about Fractured, and what Teri Terry has in store for this series.

Slated, by Teri Terry
Published by Orchard Books May 1 2012
My copy kindly provided by the publisher
Buy Slated on Amazon

Me and the Fuzzy Kids try to prep for BEA, and fail miserably

It is 31 degrees here today, 38 with the humidity and I have been trying all afternoon to catch up on reviews for while I'm away (and before), and failing miserably.

Me and the fuzzy kids are outside in the pimped up new backyard and I don't know if it's the weather or the distraction of untangling kitties every 20 minutes but I'm not getting anywhere!

Alas, time for a cold drink and some gardening, maybe Thurman will write something for me if I give him the laptop.

The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats- Review

From Goodreads:
Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.

Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.

While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.

I'm not sure what I expected from this story, but it's most certainly not the impressive two sided view of a difficult piece of medieval history which I came away with.

To begin with I was impressed with Coats use of voice.  Cecily is 100% relatable teen with a 1290's vocabulary and slang.

Tonight at supper, over capon and relish, my father ruined my life.
He smiled big, scrubbed his lips with the end of his cloak, an said, "We're moving house."
"Thank the Blessed Virgin!"  I sat up straighter and smoothed my kirtle.  "I'm weary to thimbles of Coventry.  Will we be back at Edgeley Hall in time for the Maypole?"
"No, sweeting.  We're not going back to Edgeley.  We're moving to Caernarvon."
"What in God's name is that?"
"It's a town in Wales."
I'm in my chamber now. I will never speak to him again.
Unless he buys me a new pelisson for the journey.

Her use of language and voice swept me up into a time and place which would otherwise be difficult to imagine.  Middle Ages Wales is not part of the average teens, or adults, for that matter, history background; but Coats made it easily and quickly accessible with her no-nonsense writing. 

As the story unfolds, and the players develop, I was impressed by how unlikeable both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar became.  The back and forth between them, with occasional flashes of understanding and camaraderie but with a constant jostling for superiority and control so beautifully illustrated the greater problem between the Welsh and English that I absolutely didn't care that I wasn't really rooting for either of them.  I was so fascinated by their complex relationship, I was completely undisturbed by my lack of caring for pretty much all the characters other than the dog Salvo and Mistress Tipley.  An unusual prospect I would normally bemoan in a book, however it served a purpose, and it worked.  My wavering dislike for both parties, mixed with understanding and the occasional redeeming moment kept me very unbiased about the outcome (Well, except for when it came to Salvo.  Seriously, damn dog broke my heart.), which in the end made this book the perfect telling of a historical moment.

The best part is, by introducing these people to the telling, lacing through their petty, and not so petty issues, their relationships and their disappointments, Coats has taken a dry piece of very old history and given it life.  I would imagine The Wicked and the Just will inspire a number of teens, and likely adults, to dig a bit deeper into obscure Welsh/English history, and that is always a score as far as I'm concerned.

If you're looking to mix up your reading, step away from the love triangles and whet your palette on some history then look no further.

The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats
Published by Houghton Mifflin, April 17, 2012
My copy kindly provided by the publisher
Buy The Wicked and the Just on Amazon

Pure, by Julianna Baggot- Review

From Goodreads:
We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.
When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

I've said it so many times in the past year, but it bears repeating, the BEA did something magical to my bookshelves.  I'm not sure if it's the atmosphere at the show, or simply the freedom to be less picky since the books are free, but somehow I walked away with loads of books I likely wouldn't have picked up at a bookstore.  Almost everyone of them has been amazing, but also a total breath of fresh air and  Pure was one of those refreshing books.

With a huge marketing push on the floor, I must have passed piles of Pure everyday, including flashy info on the series titles and release dates -this was a well publicised hot new read (and super-duper in advance).  It was a massive book (I was always thinking about my luggage), and billed as dystopian adult.  I was intrigued but hesitant, and I passed it by a few times before I took the plunge and grabbed a copy.

Then as it rolled closer to it's February release date, the Internet buzz started up and I remember it was languishing in my enormous TBR pile and decided to give it a go.  From almost the first words I was riveted in a way that only the best dystopians can achieve.  By this I mean, Baggott captures the human element immediately, while slowly delving into her mysterious dystopian landscape but without ever letting it take over the story as they are often want to do.  Pressia and Partridge are not only characters you feel deeply attached too, but also characters who feel completely real and honest despite their very unusual world and experiences.

A well executed dystopian is a rare thing.  It has to perfectly balance often bizarre dystopian worlds and world building against character driven stories.  If done well then the world is a fascinating part of the whole, but doesn't overwhelm the nuancing of the relationships within it, while still driving the plot with some sort of threat or tension.  So it stands to reason that a lot of the dystopians out there right now are a little flat, but it also makes a beautifully executed one, like Pure, a gem of a find.  Hence the thrill of dystopians for me, since I first read The Hunger Games, it's a bit of Russian Roulette but well worth the pay off when you find the good ones.

The outside of the Dome world, full of fused people and even stranger fused monsters, is equal parts enthralling and horrifying.  The myriad ways in which Baggot finds to complicate the fuses, people with inanimate objects, people with animals, people with other people and all the horrors and complications they present is an intriguing Dystopian twist, as it's firmly a world building element, but also deeply character defining.  How a person has been fused has deep ramifications on who they've become since, and how they live.  Meaning also, that it creates this intriguing segregation between the Pure's and the Fused which is so much more than just physical or emotional.  It was this element, more than any of her other world building aspects that I was completely enamoured of, and for me, coupled with the wonderful characters and relationships sold this story to me.

Of course there's a fascinating mystery brewing as well, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on Fused when it comes out winter 2013.  One final word, the leads are all teens in Pure, and if I read it without knowing how it was classified I would have thought it was YA, so it would definitely appeal to YA readers.

Pure, by Julianna Baggot
Published by Grand Central Publishing, February 2012
My copy acquired at the BEA
Read the first 7 pages of Pure
Buy Pure on Amazon

Oh Hello Internet, Remember Me?

Ok, sorry about the hiatus.  Three days without a post (this post almost doesn't count its so late), and it feels like I'm some negligent parent who left her toddler at home in a play pen with a dish of water and went for a quick drink with friends.  I'm terrible, I do apologize.  However I have been very, very busy and I have pictures! So time for show and tell!

Remember that wedding dress I was working on way back when? 

Well I'm still working on it, but now it looks like a wedding dress.

This is still the "mock up", which is called a Muslin in dress making terms.  It's basically ready to be mailed to England for fitting.  When it's finished there's going to be a layer of the lace on top of the satin.

But while making it, I have now signed on to do my friends hair-piece too.

What can I say? I can't say no to a new challenge.

So do Thurman and Baxter, and yes, I did have to keep moving Baxter off of the flowers, glue and beads.

I got a bit carried away, I've made 5 so far and plan to make a couple more.

They're going to England, so I want to make sure she has lots of selection.  And my running joke right now is that my friend, the bride, can open her own Etsy store with all the ones she doesn't use and help fund her wedding.

There has also been a massive backyard reno in the works the past week and a half.  You'll possibly recall, from old summer posts, that it looked like this.

And yes, the grass looked that bad every year, even though I re-seeded it, fertilized it, replaced ALL the soil going down 3 inches, and otherwise did everything in my power to keep it alive.

And also, look how tiny Thurman used to be!!

So we gave up, and decided to make a paved patio with bigger flower beds.  Outside of a huge trek out to the burbs for the stones, the hubby bore the brunt of the initial work.

Today was the day the flower beds got redesigned and filled.  I built them up in places, made them more hilly (they were completely flat originally), put in rocks and moved the existent plants around, and filled in with some new ones.

I'm not sure why I left the garage door open in these photos, ignore that!  Also, the passion flower around the door has to come outside still, and that fencing leaning against the door is not going to live there either.

But this is it more, or less, finished.

Of course now I want a new bbq and lawn furniture. 

 Eventually.

Meanwhile, Thurman is seriously pleased.

Tomorrow is going to hurt.  But at least I get to come home to a delightful backyard!

PS- My computer crashed yesterday and lost all my link salad links.  I really need a better system.

Happy Long Weekend!

Guest Post and Giveaway by author Krista Holle, for The Lure of Shapinsay

Joining me today is The Lure of Shapinsay author, Krista Holle.  She come by to talk about her love of Fairy Tales and the fun of writing one.  And she's also giving away some great prizes, so without further ado, here's Krista!

A Fairytale from Shapinsay

Once upon a time, on the windy island of Shapinsay, there lived a beautiful maiden who loved to swim more than anything. While the rest of the islanders hid in boats or skittered beyond the waves, Kait would embrace the sea with gulping arms and splashing feet. She did not trust the warnings of the village women, nor did she feel the nearly human eyes watching her from deep beneath the surface…

I’ve always loved fairytales. They’re full of romance and magic while still threatening the hero or heroine with the most insurmountable danger. When I was growing up, my peers were gobbling up books by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. Not me. I was scouring the library for that one fairy tale I might have overlooked. These were not pretty picture books, but fairy tales from all around the world with lots of black text.

I know I’m not alone here. Hollywood has been on the fairytale bandwagon for some time. There’s been Splash, The Princess Bride, Stardust, Red Riding Hood and Enchanted, just to name a few. All blockbuster hits—smart Hollywood!

When I wrote The Lure of Shapinsay, I wanted it to have an almost fairytale feel to it. I cranked back the clock a couple of hundred years and conjured up some lively peasants to be my main characters. I also located the perfect setting of Shapinsay. It’s a barren little island off the coast of Scotland, complete with a castle, loads of woolly white sheep, and fierce winds.

The only thing missing now is a villain. The waters of Shapinsay just happen to be full of them. They come in the form of selkies. Just to clarify, selkies are the original shape shifters—beautiful men and women who live as seals in the sea, but shed their skins and walk on land when it suits them. The men are notorious for luring women to their deaths deep beneath the sea. Voila! Instant lover and villain rolled into one.

When I set off writing The Lure of Shapinsay, I imagined a fairytale for young grownups and older teens, what I didn’t expect I’d end up with was a very unique paranormal romance. In it you’ll meet Eamon, a criminally good looking selkie with a penchant for killing sheep. He loathes everything on land, especially humans. It’s more than a small problem for Kait, the feisty blond, who’s magically lured by the very selkie who wants her dead. She’ll do anything to win her seal man’s heart—even follow him under the sea. The odds of this land/sea relationship working are pretty slim. But that’s what a fairytale is all about… isn’t it?

 

Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant.
Kait is woken unexpectedly by a beautiful selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure.

She obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of the ebook, a T-shirt, a bookplate or a book mark.  Open internationally, must be 15 and up to enter.  Follow Krista on her blog for an additional entry!

So You're Heading to the BEA?!

Well, three weeks from today is the official start time of BEA 2012, and if you're taking in the BBC, now called the BEA bloggers con, (which I highly recommend, if for no other reason then The Bloggess will be there) then three weeks from yesterday. 
I know, I can hardly believe it either.

Last year was my first time at the show, and I perused a zillion helpful blogs to get the lay of the land and their top tips before I arrived, and thank god I did!  It's a mega show, it's overwhelming and exciting and yes, someone bit someone else last year, so there's a kind of crazy madness too.  I don't recommend the crazy madness, it's not one of the perks of the show, and generally easy enough to avoid.

Anyhoots, I thought I would set up a post of tips and tricks with links to helpful info for the first timers out there, and also for those of us repeat visitors who are always looking for some helpful hints to make the best of our time on the floor and to survive in the most pleasurable way possible.  Make sure to add your thoughts in the comments below, and I've also included a linky list so you can link up your helpful hint posts as well!  Let's face it, we're largely a researchy bunch so why not make it easier for ourselves?

The Javits Center, the home of the BEA and BBC for 4 short days, is a gigantic convention center on the west side of Manhattan between 34th and 38th.  It has four levels and will blow your mind upon entrance if you haven't been there before.  First things first, bring serious walking shoes.  I know you think you own a pair or two, I will suggest right now- they're not as great as you think.  I walk a lot, and I have tramped around Manhattan for 8 hours a day before and I was still woefully unprepared for how sore my feet would get.  To give you an idea of what you need, I went out this year and bought a pair of shoes from Marks Work Wearhouse that have 7 layered insoles, and I expect my feet will still get sore.  So put serious thought into your shoes, and bring insoles to have on hand, and expect swelling.  I kid you not.  The floors are almost all concrete, only a couple of booths will lay carpet and you will be pounding across the couple of city blocks worth of the convention center all day long.  Then if you're more superhuman then me, you'll go out and pound the pavement of Manhattan, and possibly all the lovely publishing and city wide bookish events, all night long, and you're feet will hate you.  It will be a mutual feeling, I promise you.

If you haven't already, pick a hotel as close to the Javits as possible, but still comfy and somewhere you don't mind kicking back in the evening.  If you're a lesser superhuman (like me) you'll go back to your hotel most evenings and want at least a couple of hours of laying down, regrouping and planning out the next days attack, and resting the tender tootsies.   There are shuttles to a wide variety of hotels from the Javits, but if you've picked somewhere within a couple of blocks (there are loads of close options) then you won't have to get up at the crack of dawn for the rush tickets for author signings, and you can stumble out in your pjs if you need to and then go back to bed for a bit before the day begins (my hubby did this for me twice last year, it was amazing).  Also you can take down time in your room mid afternoon if need be, or make much needed book dumps.  None of these things can be done conveniently on a shuttle, so keep it in mind when booking.

Now, the show itself! How to prepare?  Start off by consoling yourself with this little bit of knowledge- there is no way to do it all.  Resign yourself to that fact before you even look at the schedule, it's going to save you heartache.  If you really need to have as many signed books as humanly possible team up with someonelse who is going or bring along any interns/co-bloggers/admin people you use on your blog and send them off with lists each day of what you need.  Keep in mind that you likely already have strong relationships with some of the publishers present and they'll  send you ARCs if you request them, so don't feel compelled to lug them home from the BEA.  Focus on the signings, the talks and the ARC's you really want right now, as opposed to a month or more down the road.  Also keep in mind that all the panels, and author breakfasts stream live, and are archived on the BEA website if you can't fit them in.  You can watch them from the comfort of your home and couch, instead of killing yourself to rush across the halls in enough time to garner a seat.  For those of you who can't make the BEA I've installed the BEA streaming player so you can access all the great panels and talks straight from here!

Speaking of great new BEA technology, the next thing you want to do is sit down and play with the BEA show planner.  This baby will organise your days for you and then provide you with email/print worthy PDF's to make your life easier!  You will waste hours of time glazed and drooling over your computer using this tool, remind someone to feed you.  Last year, prior to this lovely tool, most of us did this by hand.  My recommendation, since you'll quickly learn everything happens at the same time, is make 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th picks for everything.  Then on the day you can make quick judgments based on the insanity of line ups and what you're heart most desires once faced with the prospect of only walking away with one option.  For example, on day two of the show last year I had 4 signings happening between 10-11, I headed in to the BEA, saw book 1 was dropped in advance of the signing (sometimes happens, sometimes not), made the decision that I could live without the signing as long as I had the book, which immediately cleared my way to go to two of the signings (one at 10 if I lined up very early I would be able to leave for the 10:30 one and still make it before the line was closed off) and sent the hubby to book signing the third for which I was OK with not meeting the author face to face as long as he got a picture and the signed book.  Other times I would see a line up that was going to eat up hours of my time and decide the other books I could get while I would be waiting were not worth the one book the line up was for and move on.  So make sure you have it all written down for quick reference.

Use PW articles and then the PW daily editions (available at the Javits during the run of the show) for the most up-to-date info on drops and signings.  Often the daily editions at the show would have info on signings you wouldn't find anywhere else.  If you want to arrive early for the door opening line up (I'm not joking, it happens, and it's huge) then this is a good time to pick up that days PW daily and flip through it, then make adjustments to your schedule for the day.  Otherwise, grab it and do your updates in your first line up of the day.  A note about that show opening line up- unless you like the community of it, it's wildly unnecessary.  Come 10 minutes before the doors open wait off to the side for the line to feed in, and then saunter in behind the rush.  Nobody is getting anything, or entering line ups so quickly that you need to get in the door 1st, 2nd, or 89th.  Also, I suspect the more rabid runners/shovers/biters are in the die hard beginnings of that line up.  Avoid them for a more pleasant BEA experience.

Look how huge this post is already, and I bet you haven't even once considered when you'll stop during the day and eat.  Although I know you're looking at your schedule and already deciding you'll just starve your way to 4pm each day, let me suggest you'll be happier if you don't.  First recommendation, do not eat at the Javits Center.  Their food court is 7 kinds of bad and overpriced, and there is nothing relaxing about it.  Take a real break and leave the building for 30-45 minutes, you body and mind will thank you for it, and the refreshed feeling you'll take back to the Javits floor will be well worth the 67 things you think you missed in that brief hiatus.  There is one dinner a 5 minute walk from Javits (on 11th between 43rd and 44th)that's big, fast, relatively inexpensive with decent food and big servings The Market Diner, and it's where the hubby and I went for all our BEA fuel ups.  There are a variety of restaurants further out, more a 10-15 minute walk away westbound, but the fact of the matter is, you likely won't want to go farther than The Market Diner because it's going to be killing you being away from the show at all.

Business cards- don't go crazy with them, as in- don't buy 500.  Bring 50ish.  You'll be amazed how little you use them, even if you're networking like crazy.  This is something I read on many, many posts last year, including ones that are far bigger than mine, so don't just take my word for it.  You'll get a BEA badge when you pick up your registration the day before the show (go on Monday, you don't want to be stuck in that line up Tuesday morning), slide a handful of your business cards into the back of your badge for quick and easy access.  Your hands are always going to be full, trust me!

Speaking of full hands, whether you're planning on being an ARC glutton or not (I suggest not, there are only so many books you can read in a year! AND you have to get all those buggers home), I highly recommend bringing a rolling suitcase.  I believe it's 5$ each day to check it and you can come and go from the check all day filling it.  No matter how few books you have, dragging them around on your shoulders all day will kill your back.  There have been interweb rumors of theft, true or not, it's easily avoided if you use your suitcase lock that came with it.  The hubby and I were very discerning with our books and the suitcase was still a lifesaver, who needs a sore back and shoulders on top of the sore feet?

Quick pointers for newbies!
-All books are free at the show, but bring some small bills for donation at the author signing area.  You don't have to donate, but think of how much you're getting for free?  It's the least you can do.
-Don't take more than one ARC, there are many folks at the show and everyone deserves a chance at the books.  Chances are there's a blogger you can team up with to share books to read the ones you missed.
-Network! This is half the reason you're there, remember?  Free books are great, but you still get those from your publishing contacts, don't loose site of that when you see the piles of shiny books.
-Check out networking sign ups like the one over at jennsbookshelves.com to make plans in advance to meet the bloggers who you particularly enjoy or are online buddies with.
-Post a picture of yourself on your blog in the weeks prior to the show.  A real picture, not a staged one, so your followers can recognise you and introduce themselves!  I'll put one up of me in my new pudgy steroid glory, it'll be embarrassing but hey! I want to meet you too.
-Keep in mind that all the signings are brief and limited. Just because you're in the line, doesn't mean you're going to get a signed book.  Usually they count out the line in advance and save you from hanging around too long waiting to see if you made the cut, but not always.
-Finally, this should go without saying, but this is a professional conference still, don't run, push, loose your temper or, you know, bite.  We're all a bit fan girl/ fan boyish, it goes without saying, and this is like our mecca, so obviously everyone is excited, but it makes a bad name for everyone when people don't act professionally, or at least cordially.  And dude, it'll totally blow up all over the Internet, there will be pictures of you biting up online for the rest of your life! 

Do you have a great post with more tips?  Please link up below and share the fun!
Want to see what you're getting into before you show up in three weeks?  Check out my BEA posts from last year, official BEA post, Day 2 and 3 updates while there.
Have something to add?  Please comment with all your helpful hints!
And in case I haven't said it yet, I can't wait to see you all there, make sure you say hi!

Goddess Interrupted, by Aimée Carter- Review and Giveaway!

From Goodreads:
KATE WINTERS HAS WON IMMORTALITY.
BUT IF SHE WANTS A LIFE WITH HENRY IN THE UNDERWORLD, SHE'LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Goddess Interrupted jumps right into the thick of things with Kate, Henry and the rest.  By 84 pages in everything has gone to hell in a hand basket, Henry has been captured and Kate is  off to the rescue.  The adventuring is interesting, but mainly it leads to Persephone which is where the real story starts for this sequel.

Persephone, her sordid past with Henry and the rest of the Gods, and her now complex relationship developing with Kate was what made Goddess Interrupted tick for me.  Between the awkwardness, the jealousy, and the total strangeness of the situation, Persephone kept the story on its toes once she arrived.  Plus she highlighted my favourite aspect of the two books which is Kate's bizarre petri dish existence.  The levels of weirdness and adaptation required to wrap her mind around the fact she was conceived and groomed, her entire life, to marry Henry and make him happy, is delved into much further and it's nuances are enjoyable.  Especially with Kate's sister looming over her while she does it.

My only complaint was how whinny Kate was throughout the middle part of the book.  It started to grate on my nerves after awhile and I also thought it went against her personality of being the strong supportive type.  It was insanely satisfying when James tells her to just suck it up already.

"Yes," said James, oblivious to how deeply that one word cut me. "It's your fault.  You accepted this, for better or for worse, and you need to give it more than a day.  I appreciate what you're going through, but beating yourself up about it right now isn't going to solve anything.  Toughen up, get it through your head that Henry does in fact love you, and move on.  We have more important things to do."

 But what really sold me on this story was the ending.  Kate and Henry figuring out how to make things work, of if they even can, and the big cliff hanger were totally satisfying.  I can't wait to see where things go in part 3 next March.

But don't take my word for it!  From now until Sunday May 27th I'm giving you the chance to win a copy of Goddess Interrupted courtesy of the fine folks at Harlequin Teen!  Open to US and Canadian addresses, fill in the form below and make sure to follow Aimée and Harlequin Teen for extra entries at one, or all of the social medias listed.

Like Aimée on Facebook
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Goddess Interrupted, by Aimée Carter

Published by Harlequin Teen, March 27th, 2012

My copy kindly provided by the publisher

Buy Goddess Interrupted on Amazon
Want more Goddess goodness? Check out the Goddess Teen Novels website!

The Goddess Test, by Aimée Carter- Review

From Goodreads: 

EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.
NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS...

I'm a big fan of Greek Myth.  One of the very best university courses I ever took was on Greek Myth.  It was so amazing I used to bring all sorts of friends, some not even in university yet, to come sit in and enjoy it.  The professor was funny and he brought the tales to life, but also the myths are just so crazy and fantastical, who can help but get enthralled?  So whenever I stumble upon YA or MG with Greek origins I'm immediately intrigued.  Somehow though, I had totally missed Carter's entry into the genre until a few weeks ago when part two, Goddess Interrupted blew onto the scene.

I really liked both that Carter focused on the Hades and Persephone myth, one of my particular favourites, and also the slant she took with it.  Let's face it, Greek Myth is nothing if it's not salacious.  Filled with sex, rape, betrayal and murder, it often reads like a well loved Soap.  But as Kate gradually discovers, many years of retelling has turned specifics into overblown gossip and exaggeration (as is the case with many actual historical details, just think of Marie Antoinette and "let them eat cake!"), and the actual Hades is nothing as she expects.

The budding romance between the two is sweet, though I often wished there were more reveals about Hades as he was my favourite of the characters but also the one who remains the most aloof and mysterious to the reader.  Kate was a bit harder for me to get on board with, I liked her at times but found her overly long lasting disbelief/belief see-saw a bit tiresome.  She grew on me farther into the book but was never the character I was rooting for, it was always Hades, which seemed strange since she was the protagonist.

Some of the reveals at the end I saw coming a mile off, but some of them I didn't.  One in particular confused me a bit and left me wondering what the Gods did day to day, I won't ruin the surprise but if you know what I mean please spill the beans in the comments!  In the end though, the full implication of what happened, and how, was stunning, as in the ramifications were still sinking in while I carried on into book two- and this coupled with my love of Hades really sold me on the story by the finish.

A fun light read, The Goddess Test was an interesting take on a small aspect of Greek Myth, and would make a good addition to any summer reads list.

The Goddess Test, by Aimée Carter

Published by Harlequin Teen, April 2011

Buy The Goddess Test on Amazon

Saturday Link Salad

I have just had brunch with a small palette cleanser of chocolate cake from a small Birthday Party we had last night for a friend.  I am also slightly hung over, and my neighbour is cleaning his yard in a speedo with Birkenstock and socks- he's in his late 50's, all in all it's turning out to be quite a colourful day already!

In an effort to spread the joy I bring you the most linkable lunch online, dig in!

-In reveals and excerpt news, Michelle Hodkin has posted (as promised) the first of two teasers in anticipation of the forthcoming The Evolution of Mara Dyer.  This week the Goodreads pin contest excerpt went live;  also promised is an outtake which Michelle is currently polling for on her website, a reward for hitting 5000 Twitter followers.  You know you want a Noah POV people.

-In other cover/excerpt reveals, part two in Marie Lu's Legend series has had it's big moment.  It's called Prodigy (how appropriate), and you can check out an excerpt over on USA Today Books.

-The interwebs were all aflutter this past week with "The Next J.K. Rowling?" news.  A 20 year old English undergrad sold a 7 part adventure children's series for 6 figures.  The story is pretty crazy, check out the Mail Online article for the colourful details.

-Speaking of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling's original Harry Potter manuscript is going on display at the British Library.

-Maggie Stiefvater is doing a Figment chat on Tuesday you don't want  to miss out on.  Head on over for Maggies plea for you to join her.

-Heading to NYC for the BEA this year?  Well make sure not to miss the whole host of concurrent events in the city that week.  NY Book Week has started announcing some great sounding events, and although there are no announcements yet, the Teen Author Carnivals website is currently live.  Fingers crossed they have a bigger space this year as it was apparently a bit scary last year.

-Finally, did you buy and read your copy of COLS this week? If so, Cassie has some goodies for you (I know! Already?!).  First up is a deleted scene with Magnus and Alec, but she also has Q &A (be warned, spoilers!).

Now enough! Walk away from the computer and get some fresh air already! Go watch your neighbours garden in their underwear!  At least, that's what I'm going to do!

How your cats can teach you about the good life, on this Feline Friday

The reasons are legion why I think pets are wonderful, but without a doubt I would have to say, nothing makes me stop to appreciate the little things more than the slow and appreciative lifestyle of my cats.  Everything is about snoozing in sunbeams, enjoying a snuggle (especially while in bed or while reading), eating and taking it easy.  And living with them makes me want to slow down and enjoy it all with them, if for some reason I'm still running around like a crazy woman they make sure to let me know when its time to sit down already and take it easy.

On weeks like this one, when I'm about to return to work after 4 weeks of sick leave, I appreciate their influence on my life.  Which is why this Huffington Post article made me smile.   If you were on the fence about getting a pet, or if you just want a good laugh today then I highly recommend you check out Jackson Galaxy's 7 THings My Cat Taught me About Life.

Now I'm going to go bake a cake, enjoy the sunshine, and just generally appreciate feeling better and being footloose and fancy free for just a few more days.  Maybe while ignoring house work, because come on, the cats don't do house work and they're my inspiration today, right?  

Works for me!

Happy Friday!

Graham Parke Guest Post with Prizes!

The ever popular Graham Parke is back!  He has a great sounding new book and a massive blog tour with all sorts of chances at prizes.  So without further ado... Here's Graham!

Unspent Time Launch Party

Get free books and win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch

Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%*
(* These statements have not been evaluated by any person of consequence!)

From the award winning author of No Hope for Gomez! comes a collection of impossible tales. Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time; time that was allotted but never spent. This is where we find the stories that could have been true.
Read how to enter below.

Excerpt

Kiala really didn't want to open her front door. There were no signs that anything was lurking around out there, but she knew she couldn't be alone. Not on a day like today. She'd thought about sneaking a peek through the blinds, checking the tree line that marked the edge of the village, but realized it wouldn't do her any good. Sooner or later she'd have to step out. There was little point in making it more difficult for herself.

She took the magic rod from its encasement by the door and tested it out. It was a heavily carved piece of petrified wood that had been handed down by the women of her family for generations. It had many splendid and remarkable properties but it was not, she knew for a fact, in any way magical. It could cast no spells, ward off no evil, and it enchanted exactly nothing. It wasn't even magical in the way that sunsets and sunrises were said to be magical. It was just an odd looking branch that had beads and feathers and sharp bits stuck to it.

In any other situation, a girl wouldn't be caught dead carrying around something so flamboyant and so obviously manufactured to look mysterious. As situations went, however, today's really wasn't like any other.

No, sir.

But the rod was surprisingly sturdy for its weight. It barely topped half a coin sack and that was the one thing Kiala appreciated about it. Her tiny frame wouldn't carry a rod of similar proportions if it were made of actual wood. Not for long anyway. Not long enough to cut through the forest that separated the village from the edge of the world.

A deep breath, a hand on the door handle, then a quick, strong tug. Like ripping off a band-aid, she told herself.

What she found outside was bad. Of course it was. It was as bad as she had expected, and then a little worse. But what should a girl expect on the day she'd been chosen to die?


... continued in Unspent Time

How to enter:
For the launch of the new novel I decided to discount it to $0.99 for today (PC and eBook), give away some exclusive content, and raffle off two Kindles. All entrants will get:

• An exclusive spin-off novelette (not available for purchase anywhere!)



• Making of Gomez: behind the scenes eBook



• Signature for their paperback or kindle edition



• Chance to win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch

(Prizes can be traded for Amazon gift certificates if you already own them.)
Just email your receipt to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com to enter.
Each purchase counts, so stock up on birthday presents (for people you don't like that much, for instance) The discount ends today, but be sure to send the receipts no later than June 1st.


(Or order the books from any bookstore.)
Coupon code for today: ZB77D

And then get by tweeting about your purchase:Tweet


Sound bites from Unspent Time:

I'm looking into my past lives. I'm convinced some of them still owe me money.

I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.

I didnít actually want to do it, Kiala told the boy. The universe just kind of conspired to force me to make a fool of myself. It does that quite a lot, actually.

Sadly, my socks are like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike.

Here's what reviewers had to say:

"A veritable page turner of nonstop laughs!" -- Reader Views
"An unputdownable read. a Coens Brothers' film in book form." -- BookReview.com
ìExtremely witty and clever writing.î -- California Chronicle
"A Party for your Brain!" -- Warren Baxter


Bio:

Graham Parke is responsible for a number of technical publications and has recently patented a self-folding map. He has been described as both a humanitarian and a pathological liar. Convincing evidence to support either allegation has yet to be produced.

www.grahamparke.com
www.grahamparke.blogspot.com
GoodReads
Facebook

Lightbringer, by K.D McEntire- Review

From the Press release:
Wendy has the ability to see souls that have not moved on- but she does not seek them out.  They seek her.  they yearn for her...or what she can do for them.  Without Wendy's powers, the Lost, the souls that have died unnaturally young, are doomed to wander in the never forever, and Wendy knows she is the only one who can set them free by sending them into the light.
 Each soul costs Wendy, delivering to many souls would be deadly, and yet she is driven to patrol, dropping everyone in her life but her best friend, Eddie- who wants to be more than friends- until she meets Piotr.
  Piotr, the first Rider and guardian of the Lost, whose memory of his decades in the never, a world that the living never see, has faded away.  With his old-fashioned charms, and haunted kindness, he understands Wendy in ways no one living ever could, yet Wendy is hiding that she can do more than exist in the never.  Wendy is falling for a boy who she may have to send into the light.
  But there are darker forces looking for the Lost.  Trying to regain the youth and power that the Lost possess, the dark ones feed on the Lost and only Wendy and Piotr can save them- but at what cost?


Sounds uber complicated right?  Unfortunately this constitutes my biggest complaint about Lightbringer.  It's a story with many different angles, mysteries and convergences.  The relationships alone are rubix cube-esque in their complexity.  Wendy and Eddie go way back, Eddie wants Wendy, and Wendy kinda wants Eddie? Maybe?  I wasn't totally sure, so moving on- Piotr has a variety of past relationships, but he kind of doesn't remember them, but they do and there is all sorts of unexplained tension you suspect comes from lost memories of Piotrs.  Except you're not told right away he's forgotten things.
Large, large swaths of things. So um, still confused, but whatever, I'll get it sooner or later.

Then there's the whole mystery of the kidnapped Lost.  Less convoluted, unfortunately.  I- who never guess the big mystery in books- saw this one coming a mile off.  Which was a bit disappointing, but not story crushing.  However the explanation left a lot to be desired.  I saw who the culprit was going to be, but couldn't anticipate the big reveal of why, so when it came and I didn't buy it, there was a problem.  There was a great deal of angry Harrumphing on my part while reading the end, with an angry toss across the room when I got to the last page.  This was a first for me.  I was waiting patiently for everything to come together, telling myself there was a lot of possibility here still, and I was going to get to the pay off soon.  Right? Right!?  Not so much.

I was really miffed, Robin Wasserman had glowing things to say in her blurbs, the story premise sounded cool, and although there were many clunky relationships I thought the puzzle of the premise was really going to win me over in the end.  I was impressed by how completely it didn't.

I was so disappointed by this book, it made me feel like I'd obviously missed some inherent component somewhere along the way.  Suffice it to say, me and Lightbringer were not compatible.  But since credible others have blurbed glowing things about it I would venture to tell you not to write it off on my bad experience. I mean Robin Wasserman of the amazingly wonderful The Book of Blood and Shadow liked it.  I must be insane, or maybe my book was missing a few chapters.

Lightbringer, by K. D. McEntire
Published by PYR books, November 2011
My copy kindly provided by the publisher
Buy Lightbringer on Amazon

Ballad, by Maggie Stiefvater- Review

It nearly killed me waiting for the slow re-release of Lament and Ballad in their new re-prints by Scholastic.  But the gorgeous new art work was well worth it.  So this past Tuesday, the first mega release day of May, among my many purchases was Ballad.  And even though Insurgent was in that pile of new books, I had to catch up with Dee and James first.  I can't say no to a new-to-me Maggie Stiefvater read.

From the back jacket:
When his best friend, Dee, fell in love with a faerie, James realized she'd never feel the same way about him.


Tying to escape into music, James finds himself surrounded by more faeries than ever.   Before he knows it, James is trapped in a dangerous game.  One where the only way to win is to betray the one you love...


Everything I loved about Lament I adored even more in Ballad.  The feeling of wrongness encompassing everything going on, the dialogue, the surprising and impossible romance, it was delicious in the way that could only compete with, say, luscious caramel cheesecake.  Or, you know, something else divine.

James was such an enchanting character in Lament, to be in his head this time around was such a treat.  To see the faeries, Dee and the music from his perspective shone so much light on Lament it made me want to read it again, even though I only read it a couple of months ago.   And of course, James was a amusing and smart-assed as ever.

"Call me," Mom said.  "Later.  When you're not so glib."...
"Right.  I'll schedule a call when I'm thirty, then, shall I"
"Shut up."  Mom's voice was fond, and for a moment I felt a tremendous, childish sensation of homesickness.  "We miss you.  Be careful.  And call me later.  Not when you're thirty."

Of all her characters he reminds me the most of Cole, who I adore, but he has his own thing as well, and I may be hard-pressed to pick a favourite.  Though I am leaning towards James at the moment.

The new secondary characters were also fantastic, and it was especially interesting to see things from Nuala's perspective intermittently.  The Faeries are such a huge force in this series, to be inside one of their heads, even an outsider like Nuala, added a bit of depth to the darker moments.  It also gave me a bit more sympathy for their particular brand of difficulties, which will be interesting come Requiem.  At least from some of the hints and reveals at the end of Ballad.

A fantastic book that totally swept me away, as per usual with Stiefvater.  She's my favourite kind of bookish cheesecake, and she just proves the point a little more with everything I read of hers.

Ballad, by Maggie Stifvater
Canadian reprint by Scholastic, May 2012
Buy Ballad on Amazon
Check out some great extras on Maggies website

Lament, by Maggie Stiefvater- Review

You might remember, way back when, the hubby bought this little lovely for me on Valentines.  Because I'm a book whore, and he's a book whore, and this is how we tell each other we still like one another.  Well, this and cake, which we also had.

I immediately devoured it, despite a staggering pile of review books looming over me, and giving me the evil eye from my bookshelf.

From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .


Maggie has an incredible ability to create ambiance to a degree I find staggering.  Her books, like Harry Potter and so many of the best of reading, sweep me away to somewhere else altogether other.  They have atmosphere, characters I want to carry around in my pocket, terrific dialogue and, of course- an engrossing story.  I started with The Scorpio Races and moved backwards through her repertoire, and I have continually expected to hit a book where I realize I've gone far enough back that some of this impressiveness is lessened from lack of experience.  And although there are hints at style development, I've yet to find a book of hers that doesn't impress me the way the first did.

Lament was sweeping, dark and mysterious.  The love story was edgy and intriguing and I was guessing, right up until the end, about what was really happening.  Dee, in her uncertainty and self consciousness was such a perfect foil to brassy James, and deadly Luke, and the mix of the three set the perfect balance for the story.  But most of all I loved how dark this story was.  Like Holly Black, Maggie has gone with a much edgier, and traditional, brand of faerie, and it's wonderful to a degree I can't express.

A decadent start to a three parter, Lament will make you want to get your hands on Ballad as soon as possible.  If for no other reason then to submerse yourself in this diabolical, musical heaven.

Lament, by Maggie Stiefvater
Re-printed in Canada by Scholastic, February 2012
Buy Lament on Amazon

Saturday Link Salad, and a belated pic for Feline Fridays

I know, I know! Two days of bad posting.  But in my defence I have to say that yesterday I was Insurgent blitzing and today was suburbia adventuring (Burblunking maybe? Yes, that will be my new term for those who like to go on wild adventuring to the burbs), and neither of those things lend themselves to computer time.  But I've managed to find my way home through snarled traffic, and strange neighbourhoods that look like I've stepped off the planet Ontario and landed in Alberta or something (seriously, the next person who suggests I go anywhere near Thornhill on a Saturday is getting laughed out of my home), and I'm ready to catch up!

-Amy Plum's Until I Die, the sequel to Die For Me, is coming out in the second mega week of releases in May- i.e., tuesday, but if you can't wait then HarperTeen has you covered. Head on over for a first look at the first 73 pages!

-Julianna Baggott's wonderful Pure trilogy has a cover for book two Fuse!  It's beautiful, and very in keeping with the first.  I'm dying to know whose wings they are.

-Diana Wynne Jones may no longer be with us, but she has another book coming out.  David Fickling Books announced this week they would be releasing a collection of papers including literary criticism, some autobiographical works and some revelations about the origins of her books.

-Lauren DeStefano has announced the title for book 3 in her Chemical Garden trilogy.  Check out her Facebook page for the details. 

-PubDate has released details about a cocktails evening for those attending the BEA.  Come on out and chat with folks from Quirk Books, DC Entertainment, Graywolf Press, Other Press, Pegasus Press, Seven Stories, and Steerforth Press.  RSVP on their Facebook page.

-Lauren Oliver has released the cover for her new MG novel Spindlers.  It got a starred Kirkus review, which you can check out on the same post.


-Patrick Ness has written his first adult novel, and Canongate Press released the details earlier this week.  It's called The Crane Wife and will come out summer 2013.

-PW put out an AMAZING list of the YA and MG galleys up for grabs at the BEA, with emphasis on which ones should be on your radar.  I was in tears of joy, over this list, so many awesome titles lots of which I didn't think would be there!  My car is going to be packed I tell you!

-In a stranger bit of news for the week, two new pages from The Little Prince were found.  Some experts say they show new political insights into the story, though the auction house mentions the pages are covered in "near unreadable, annotated writings ".

-Finally, I had the BEST Feline Friday for you yesterday on May 4th, Star Wars Day. AND I FORGOT TO POST IT!! Argh. So I have it for you today, Saturday, the 5th of May (which has nothing to do with Star Wars).    Do enjoy.

The article is entitled "Man builds Star Wars Themed 'CAT-AT' for friends forceful felines."  And it's very, very funny.  Plus it's kind of the coolest Cat condo on earth.

Seriously.

Now go forth and Saturday on! 

The Springsweet, by Saundra Mitchell- Review

From Goodreads:
Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going. There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a "springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land. Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

Although Amelia's fire was enjoyable, I have to say, I was elated to find out The Springsweet was entirely about Zora.  I adored Zora, and her ending was not one I wanted to leave her with, so it was entirely satisfying to find her in the very first pages, with no preambles.

Mrs. Stewart, sadly, wasn't in this one as much.  However, she's in the beginning and continues on just as I expect, in the most satisfying combination of proper mom for the time period, and one who understands the confines of their society and is willing to work around them.  In a word, she's delightful, and I'm relieved we get a bit more of her before Zora leaves for Oklahoma.

Growing up in the prairies, I read a great many stories about homesteaders both in Canada and the States. Wonderful books like The Doll, by Cora Taylor, filled my imagination with the struggles, the heat and the hardships of those plucky people.  I'm not sure if it's my Saskatchewan roots, or something else that appeals to me about the whole thing, but I find I'm still drawn to these stories.  The Springsweet is an excellent YA entry into the category.  Mitchell describes the hardships, the community and the struggles but she balances them nicely by paying tribute to good moments too.  I loved the Barn raising scene, it so beautifully showed how people came together, and it's a sense of group spirit that exists still today in the prairies.  I've always thought of that feeling of community, as a defining characteristic of being a prairie person.  I was charmed she caught, and expressed the feeling in so many ways.

Unlike The Vespertine, The Springsweet has a small love triangle.  This one is about the proper gentleman versus the improper, and I liked how Mitchell rolled it out, how very un-prepared for Zora Theo is and how very capable of handling her Emerson is.  Their play against each other shows so many of the strange rules of the time to good advantage, and it highlights so many of the limitations in place for people to do the "proper" thing.  Of course Zora's modern notions expressed this well too.

Theo relaxed a bit, washed over with vindication.  " I believe in chivalry."  "oh, I don't,"  I replied.  "A knight always gets to have his cake and eat it too, doesn't he? 'Hello, my lady, I love you- but I must run off to find the Holy Grail now.  Wait for me!"  Cross, Theo considered me from the corner of his eye.  "That's not chivalry at all.  And finding the Grail would be an honorable quest."  "Says the man who would get to ride after it and savor all sorts of adventure in the search,"  I shrugged; I had hardly designed the way of the world.  I was simply subject to it.   "I assure you, there are absolutely no epic ways to make a sampler or roast a lamb shank."  "So you're a suffragette," Theo declared.  I stopped and turned to him.  "What if I were?"  And amazingly, Theo quailed.  He honestly lost a shade of color from his handsome face, and his brows tented ever so slightly in horror, as if I had pulled open my coat to reveal a clockwork heart, or perhaps a second head growing just beneath my breast.  It lasted just a minute, but the impression lingered, even as he recovered.  "I don't see why women shouldn't have the vote."  "That's very generous of you," I said..."But I don't believe we were talking about the vote."

Like The Vespertine, The Springsweet is both a lovely character piece and a fascinating look at a time period and place in history.  It was witty and engrossing, and although it doesn't have the mystery of The Vespertine I was completely swept away by the adventure of it.  I will be awaiting the final part of this series, The Elementals, with baited breath.

The Springsweet, by Saundra Mitchell
Published by Harcourt Children's Books, April 17th 2012
My copy kindly provided by the publisher
Buy The Springsweet on Amazon