Angieville

So I've been fairly itching to know where this series would go after the third book-- Fragile Eternity --came out last year and utterly realigned my loyalties as far as the faery courts go. Well, that's perhaps not entirely accurate. They were already leaning heavily in that direction after Ink Exchange . But the developments in Fragile Eternity cemented the shift so firmly, I wondered if I would ever recover my early fondness for some characters or if, alternately, anything on God's green earth would be able to uproot my newly acquired devotion to others. Where Fragile Eternity was a more direct sequel to Wicked Lovely , Radiant Shadows is a sequel to Ink Exchange . Given the way I loved Ink Exchange , I, for one, was definitely looking forward to a couple of fresh, new characters, a possible mention of how Leslie was doing, and being back in the Dark Court with less tiresome Keenan and Ash and more magnetic Irial and Niall. Ani is a halfling. Daughter of the Dark Ki...

After reading and loving both of Sarah Addison Allen 's first two books I just went ahead and popped her on over to my auto-buy list and sat back to wait for The Girl Who Chased the Moon . I was lucky enough to discover Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen only a few months ago and so it hasn't been that long a wait. But Garden Spells was perfectly delightful and The Sugar Queen was quite literally an example of the perfect book at the perfect time . I can't wait to re-read it again. So I found myself just about as anxious to find out what delights Ms. Allen had in store for us next as I would have been had I been forced to wait a year or more as is so often the case when I discover a debut author. I suppose that's just the way of things with the good ones. And, given how much I enjoy these reads, I wouldn't have it any other way. Emily Benedict is seventeen and motherless the day she moves in with her Grandpa Vance in the out of the way town of Mullaby, North C...

Just a few interesting places to stop on your rounds this Monday morning: You've heard me go on enough about the wonder that is Megan Whalen Turner 's Queen's Thief series. Well, now (for a limited time) you can read the first book-- The Thief -- for free online over at Harper Collins' site . Go see what I've been blathering on about. If you're looking for another push, go read Ana's review of the latest installment over at The Book Smugglers .  Next, (because I can't help myself and I loved the book and they're making a a movie!) here is the official movie trailer for Beastly --the film adaptation of Alex Flinn 's novel.    Who can say for sure? But it's got NPH and this can only be a good thing. Really, if you haven't read the book and you enjoy B&B retellings, definitely give it a shot.  And lastly, the story of a father-daughter reading streak that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Seriously, if you don...

So we've all watched the angel trend swoop down on YA in recent times. And is it just me or do these books get the most beautiful of beautiful covers? It's got to have something to do with the subject matter. That or all the Paradise Lost possibilities go directly to these cover designers' heads, and the result is we get little slices of heaven like these: Just no denying how gorgeous they are. Or these, which, if not quite as stunning, are still nothing to turn your nose up at: And now here is the latest bit of angelic cover loveliness:  Seriously? Are they trying to kill me with this cover? It's so pretty ...so swirly and golden, with the wings and the hair and the... Now. The thing is, I've read Hush, Hush and Eternal and found myself seriously underwhelmed. And I've been warned off Fallen for reasons similar to why I did not like the other two. These are issues of personal taste, of course, and not meant to warn anyone else away from trying them. And...

I jumped at the chance to interview Carolyn Crane when she contacted me as part of her blog tour celebrating her debut novel Mind Games . Partly because I've been a fan of her blog for quite some time now and particularly as I thoroughly enjoyed the book itself and was curious as to how she came up with this most unusual of scenarios. You can read my review here . So, without further ado, please welcome CJ to the 'Ville! First things first: When did the idea for Mind Games first hit you and what (if anything) did you know right off the bat? I got the idea from reading a really depressing quasi-philosophical book ( Straw Dogs ) and  I felt quite disillusioned by it, and I thought, this would be a book you would give to an enemy. In fact, I don’t know why I’m telling everyone this, but I recommended it to somebody I was angry with, like, ‘Oh, you should read this book!’  Anyway, then I thought, what if people did that for money? Affected others on an emotional or psychologic...

And the winner is . . . Kath! Please contact me with your mailing address and we'll get your signed copy of Brightly Woven sent out to you right away. I have to say you all made me laugh with your favorite wizards (and witches!) and why you love them, and how long you have loved them, and how much you're looking forward to meeting North and Sydelle. The top favorites were overwhelmingly Harry Potter, Howl, Gandalf, and the Weasley twins. Other honorable mentions included Ged, Merlin, Dumbledore, and Harry Dresden. Fine choices all of them.  And to Lizzy, who questioned my lack of love for the revered Howl, what can I say? I still feel bad about it to this day. I just never connected with him. I definitely see the literary lineage between he and Eugenides. And, magical/wizardy elements aside, they are both adept at role-playing when it serves their purposes. But the difference (for me) is in the glimpses we see of the real Gen--so packed with visceral emotion. The kind that s...

I've been eagerly awaiting Carolyn Crane 's debut novel  Mind Games for what seems like ages now. If you're not familiar with the name, I suggest you head on over to Carolyn's hilarious blog The Thrillionth Page and acquaint yourself with CJ and her hilariously eclectic style and wit. One night a few weeks ago I was lying awake in bed scheming on how I could get a hold of an early copy of Mind Games and then--POW--Carolyn contacted me wondering if I'd be interested in a review copy. I love it when the fates align like that. This is the first in the Disillusionists trilogy--and I really do love this cover. I love the tangle of highway behind her and her cool stance and watchful expression. The knife doesn't hurt. Or the blurb by Ann Aguirre at the top. Justine Jones is on death's door. At any moment she could drop dead. Of this she is absolutely certain. But she's also aware that she is a hypochondriac in the worst way and her life has been one long...

On Monday, Lesley over at LesleyW's Book Nook  wrote an excellent post entitled "The End?" in which she ruminates on a few of her favorite book endings as well as some of her "least favorite endings EVER." This is a follow-up post to the one she did on first lines . I love both these topics and it often seems like they are so hard to nail. Lesley poses the question of whether or not a book's ending can change your opinion of the novel--for good or bad--and I've been thinking about it ever since. I've decided the most obvious example of that for me is the ending of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner . Up until the end I was reading along , enjoying my time pleasantly enough, but not overwhelmed with the awesomeness that was the story. Until the end that is. Within the span of literally just a few pages, the tension and excitement levels shoot off the charts and so many heretofore unexpected things become clear that your mind is suddenly spinning and y...

I can't believe it's been over a year since I first read Perfect Chemistry . I think it feels more recent because I've been singing its praises (to the tune of "Somewhere" from West Side Story ) ever since. I've only re-read it once, but I found that it held up very well the second time around. And, along with the rest of you who fell madly in love with Alex and Brittany, I was giddy with anticipation when I heard Simone Elkeles was writing a sequel featuring Alex's cocky little brother Carlos. And then the other day a lovely little package arrived in the mail out of the blue and made my day (thanks Bloomsbury)! Just look at that cover. What kind of sacrifice do you think Ms. Elkeles made to secure such freaking awesome covers? I mean, seriously. I love the Perfect Chemistry cover because that is exactly how I picture them (and how often can you say that?) and because, as my friend Trisha said, "Boy, does it do it's job well." And now I c...

The other day Trisha over at The YA YA YAs posted a review of Courtney Summers ' Some Girls Are that had me convinced I needed to get a hold of a copy as soon as possible. Trisha's reviews often have that effect on me. Especially when she starts off with lines like these: Courtney Summers ' debut novel Cracked Up to Be won a Cybils Award last month, and I think Some Girls Are is an even better book. First of all, for me there's nothing like the almost mystical lure of hearing that an author's second book is even better than her first. Especially when it's an author I've never read before. Second, having been involved with the awesome Cybils Awards , I am always interested in reading books by Cybils winners. I'd never read anything by Summers, though I'd certainly heard of both her books, and so later that day I went out and bought a copy of Some Girls Are and started it--like I have so many others--in the parking lot outside the bookstore. ...

I don't usually blog on the weekends (a girl's got to take some time off, right?!), but I couldn't let the day end without wishing my man a happy birthday. If I were cool like he is I'd write him an awesome poem to mark the occasion. But as I am not cool like unto him, I'll play to my strengths and make a list. Why I Love Him •He's the reason I get up in the morning. (If you knew how much I loathe getting up, you'd understand just what a big deal this is). •He's the owner of, hands down, the best smile in the world. •He writes me poems. He's like, really good with words. •He takes the prettiest pictures in all the land . •His voice sends shivers down my spine. •He thinks my blog is cool (along with the reading habit that fuels it all). •He's SuperDad. He's got the cape and everything. •He makes me laugh out loud. At least once every single day. •He dances with me. Down grocery store aisles, past fountains, in other people's kit...

I am so thrilled to tell you that Meg Rosoff has announced that she sold the film rights to her fabulous dystopian novel How I Live Now ! They've got a director and a script and everything . This book is one of my most beloved. Perfect in every way. I even named my daughter after one of the characters in it. Even though they could screw it up royally, I will be seeing it the day it comes out. Because what if they got even one scene just exactly right? Like, say, the day they go swimming. Sigh . Ms. Rosoff has a hilarious FAQ post up on her blog  in which she assures readers they will not cast Meryl Streep as Daisy, the story will not be reset in Orange County, and the film will most likely be released late next year. All of which is music to my ears.

Here is the very nice cover art for Elizabeth C. Bunce 's upcoming sophomore novel-- Star Crossed . I got all jumpy when I saw it as I have been really looking forward to this release ever since I went absolutely wild over Bunce's A Curse Dark as Gold . The writing was so stunning, and the reworking of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale so surprising and pitch-perfect that I vowed to read whatever the woman wrote. Star Crossed features a thief/spy named Digger, a land where magic has been banned, and a rebellion in the works. I simply cannot wait. Star Crossed is due out October 1st.

I fell in love with the cover of Alexandra Bracken 's debut novel-- Brightly Woven --last fall and the scant synopses I could find at the time certainly piqued my interest. After managing to get my hands on an ARC, I found myself surprised and pleased with this unique fantasy. You can read my review here . As the release date approached, I invited Alex to participate in an interview and giveaway here on the site and, despite her crazy busy schedule, she kindly accepted. Enjoy! First things first: When did the idea for Brightly Woven first hit you and what (if anything) did you know right off the bat? I remember the exact moment it hit me—what I was doing, who I was talking to, what song was playing on iTunes.  :)  I had just come back from Winter Break my sophomore year in college and was sitting on my bed chatting with my mom.  Sophomore year was pretty remarkable in terms of the insane weather that we had in Virginia (where I was in school) but it had also been a bizar...