The Winner of Eyes Like Stars!

And the winner of shiny new copy of  Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev is…. (drum roll please)

 

NINEFLY!

 

I’ve e-mailed you,  and your prize will head out sometime during the week.

Eyes Like Stars Contest!

I have managed to secure a copy of Eyes Like Stars to give away as my first contest! (Thanks to dad, and Borders.)

AND Lisa Mantchev, the fabulous author of some my most favorite books ever, has graciously agreed to award a bookplate and a backstage pass bracelet to whoever wins this contest. Isn’t she amazing? Thank you Lisa!

I’d prefer if you leave an e-mail address so I can contact you, but the winner will be posted, so if you forget, you can just e-mail me if you win. If the winner doesn’t respond after 3 days, I’ll get another one.

So, here’s the breakdown. You’ll get a base entry for commenting on this post.

+1 for commenting on my review of  Perchance to Dream

+1 for commenting on my review of Eyes Like Stars

+1 for commenting on my Interview with Lisa Mantchev

+3 for becoming a follower! (I need followers. See? Benefits.)

+5 if you’re already a follower! (I will be taking note.)

 

The deadline for entries is Midnight this Saturday. I’ll announce the winner Sunday, and mail out my prize next week.

Interview with Lisa Mantchev!

The Absolutely amazing Lisa Mantchev was kind enough to answer a few questions for me! My first author interview, how awesome is that?

Rather Be Reading: What do you consider to be the location of the Theatre Illuminata? (Real place, fictional, etc) Will there more information about this in the second book?

Lisa Mantchev: It's completely fictional, and it's representative of all those beautiful art nouveau and Victorian era theaters. There will actually be more discussion of it's location and time period in the third book, So Silver Bright.

RBR: What information can you give us on book two as of now?

LM: Perchance To Dream picks up where Eyes Like Stars left off, with the merry band headed out on the road. Bertie is determined to save Nate, and--as usual--Ariel isn't sharing his plans with anyone. Of course, there is a lot of silliness and mayhem and cake.

RBR: How do you think professional stage actors/ theater workers feel about the book?

LM: I hope they like it! I'm actually more nervous, having a theater-person read the novel than just about anyone else... they have more context for criticism, I think, if I got anything wrong!

RBR: If Eyes Like Stars was to be made into a movie, can you picture any actors/actresses you think would portray the characters well? (Living or dead, as far as I care.)

LM: I have pictured Ellen Page as Bertie ever since I saw Jason Chan's cover art for ELS, and Daniel Henney as Ariel. Nate is a little harder, although Craig Horner (from Legend of the Seeker) can swing a sword and wear leather pants with the best of them. XD

RBR: Do you have any advice/tips/wisdom/pity for aspiring authors?

LM: Treat it like a job, with regular hours and dedication and professional behavior when interacting with agents, editors, and other authors.

RBR: If you could collaborate on a project with any author(s), living or dead, who would they be? What do you think the project would be like?

LM: At the risk of sounding like a complete fangirl, I pick Neil Gaiman. And the project could be absolutely anything (seriously, I'd sit there and write out his grocery list, if he asked me to.)

RBR: Are you working on any other projects?

LM: I am in the middle of revising a Retrofuturist NeoVictorian (somewhat steampunk) novel, the first of another series. I am up to my eyeballs in clockwork bits, gadgets, bustle skirts, and, yes... more dessert.

Thanks so much Lisa!

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

Summary from goodreads.com - 

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Rhia’s Review – Okay, first off, Look at that cover! I mean, just look  at it! It’s GORGEOUS! I love staring at it, and it really reflects the book so well. I’m sorry. I had to gush over it for a second.

But the words inside are just as good, okay  maybe better, than the cover! I LOVED Eyes Like Stars and I’m very impressed by this sequel! It picks up right where the first left off, with all our favorite characters gallivanting off with mechanical horses. Pretty cool, huh?

We really see Bertie come to life in this book. She’s faced with difficult decisions, and is coming to fully understand her mysterious gift with words. She learns a lot about herself, and we’re right there learning with her.

But the other characters are just as important and developed, especially Ariel and those rascally fairies! (Who couldn’t love them??)

Lisa uses a lot of metaphor in this book, which was occasionally a little too much for me, but it’s nothing big. I really didn’t have any issues with this book.

I did get a little confused sometimes by Bertie’s magical journey’s and dreams. However, I was reading rather sporadically, because I was sick, so I know I missed a lot of things, which is my fault, not the writing. When I looked back over it, it would have made perfect sense, if I hadn’t left off in the middle of a chapter for like a week. (Try not to do that.) I might have to read it again before the final book, to make sure I didn’t miss anything important.

So essentially, everything about this book is great! The cover, the storyline, the characters, and Lisa is a really nice person! (You’ll really see why in a little bit.)

Now, you might want to head on over to that link in the left sidebar – and enter to win a copy of Eyes Like Stars!!!

 

The Recommendation – If you’re into innovative fantasy (There’s nothing like this one out there!) you’ll love this! However,  I definitely wouldn’t read Perchance to Dream unless you’ve read Eyes Like Stars, because you’ll be really confused.

The Other Books – Book Three, tentatively titled So Silver Bright, will be out… sometime. Next year, I think. Too long, anyway. I want it in my hands now.

The Vitals* – According to Borders.com, Perchance to Dream will be out May 25th, in hardback for $16.99.

The Links – The Theatre Illuminata

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

A few things…

Just wanted to let you all know that I’ve got something REALLY cool coming up! I promise! However… I’m feeling a little under the weather, so my reading is really slow, which is putting me behind. If all goes well, the awesomeness will be posted Sunday. If all goes not well, maybe a day later. But it’ll be SO worth it, I promise!

Thanks for your patience!

Dawn of the Dreadfuls Trailer!

As a fan of  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, I was excited to see the trailer for it! It’s really good, check it out below!

 

 

Thanks!

As some of you may know, Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century was nice enough to feature me on her blog! Thanks, Kristen!

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has followed and/or commented due to that post. I really appreciate it!

So, Thank you!!

I’m going to try to hold a contest soon, so stay tuned!

Abadazad, the Road to Inconceivable by J.M. DeMatteis

Illustrated by Mike Ploog

Summary – Kate’s little brother Matt has been missing for five years. They both adored a series of books called Abadazad. After a mysterious chat with her neighbor, Kate is pulled into the mystical world she has read about in search of her brother. But Abadazad is not completely the whimsical place depicted in the books…

Rhia’s Review – I found this poking through Borders, and couldn’t resist checking it out. (It was marked down.) It’s part novel, part comic book/graphic novel, and the story is told as the diary of the main character Kate. It’s kind of a quick read (I think it’s on middle-school grade level) but it’s interesting.

The art is pretty nice, it kind of reminds me of the Disney movie Atlantis.

I tried to do some research on this book and it’s sequels (there are two). I don’t think it’s very popular anymore, I think the company might have gone bankrupt or something. Borders doesn’t even list it on their website anymore. I’m sure you can find out a lot more, but you’re on your own. :)

So, to sum up, it’s a really enjoyable read, and worth your time.

 

The Recommendation – If you like comic books/graphic novels and/or fantasy adventures, you’ll probably enjoy this, even if it is for younger readers.

The Other Books – I’m curious to follow the story, so I might check the others out if I can get a good deal on them.

The Vitals* – The only prices I could find were on Amazon, ranging from $0.01, to $10.00, (The 10 dollar one is signed.) so I guess you can pretty much pick your price.

Lack of Updates (Feeling guilty)

I got new books today! Hooray! Look for reviews if the Iron King by Julie Kagawa and the Enchanted Quest by Frewin Jones!

 

Okay, here’s the deal: I’m feeling guilty about lack of updates and reviews lately. I don’t want anyone reading this blog to think I’m not dedicated or anything. I just read slow. And there’s not a library conveniently situated near us (yet), so I buy all my books. I don’t really know how people manage to read so any books per week, and update so often. When I have a review deadline, I can get it done fast and on time, but I just enjoy savoring my books too much. I usually don’t even get started on my reading until later at night. And maybe I read too many at one time…

But just remember that if you see a lack of updates, it’s not because I’m not reading for because I don’t take this blog seriously, it’s just that I do things differently.

 

Okay, I feel a little better now. :)

Dawn of the Dreadfuls, by Steve Hockensmith

Summary from Borders.com - Witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early 19th-century England in this terrifying and hilarious prequel to the bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Watch as Elizabeth Bennet evolves from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead.

Rhia’s Review – This book was hilarious! And also a bit gruesome, but it was all good fun! There are a few quotes that link this with Pride and Prejudice, such as lines that remind the reader of events in the original. (I won’t spoil anything for you, but there’s one involving Lydia… and most of us know what happened there.) There are even some instances that (if the Zombies were removed) this book really seems like a possible Pride and Prejudice prequel! This was a great book, the exceptions perhaps being that the illustrations aren’t quite as good as those in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (in my opinion), and there are a few sexual references I feel could have been left out. But I don’t let these spoil my opinion of the rest of the book, because the good SO outweighs the bad.

 

The Exciting Stuff! – The Most Awesome People at Quirk Books (Who also provided this book.) are also holding a contest for those who read this review. Just go Here. The way I understand it, you’ll be prompted to mention the blog you saw this on (please remember that you’d RATHER BE READING. :)) All participants will automatically be entered.

You’ll have a chance to win one of 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs! Each Prize Pack, with a retail value of over $100, will include:

• An Advance Copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• Audiobooks of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
• A password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• An awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls Poster (It is awesome, they sent one with my book.)
• A Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Journal
• A box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards

 

Whew! That’s a lot of awesome stuff!

 

The Recommendation – If you like Zombies, Pride and Prejudice (and don’t mind zombies) and if you like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you should really read this book! Totally worth it!

The Other Books – Pride and Prejudice  and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters are already earning a high place on my shelf, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a welcome addition! Android Karenina is on its way and, though I know little about the original(I’m sure this book will change that), I can’t wait! 

The Vitals* – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls releases on March 23rd in paperback for $12.95.

The Links – The home page of Quirk Classics The Dawn of the Dreadfuls page on Quirk Classics Enter the Contest!

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

the Immortal Realm, by Frewin Jones

Summary from Borders.com - Princess Tania thinks she's found a way to bring her two worlds together. But as faeries fall to a mysterious illness, Tania must race to save her beloved immortal realm from a dangerous mortal threat.

Rhia’s Review – So, book number 4. You’d think I’d be a little tired of it by now, but no. This 4th book begins kind of a new story arc. It’s really interesting to see sickness in the ‘Immortal Realm’ of Faerie, showing that no land is free from sickness and disease. This one really has a sense of suspense, given the ultimatums that are presented to Tania, and the end really left me wondering what the next course of action will be.

The Recommendation – Same as the others really; Faerie fans will probably love it. If you’re a fan of the series and were doubtful about the next one (I get nervous about continuing series, sometimes.) well don’t be! It’s well worth it.

The Other Books – The Enchanted Quest, the fifth book in the series, came out last month. I have yet to get my hands on it, but it’s definitely on my buy list!

There’s also a ‘manga’ graphic novel series, but I’ve never had an affinity for the Americanized manga.

The Vitals* – Hardback only as of yet, for the usual hardback price of $16.99.

The Links – (Allan) Frewin Jones Official Website

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.