Just taking a quick minute to let you know about Lisa Mantchev’s, author of Eyes Like Stars contest! Simply tell Lisa how you think Peaseblossom, Mustardseed, Moth and Cobweb would help you around the holidays, and you could win!
Full details here - A Very Fairy Holiday
And yes, my review of Eyes Like Stars is coming very soon!
So, since I’m doing National Novel Writing Month this year, and it’s officially started, my blog is pretty much on hiatus until December.
I’ll still try to post every now and then, but the writing is taking up most of my time. I haven’t had a chance to read at all. I’ll probably cancel this month’s feature.
I realized I forgot to do all the cool stuff i had planned for last month’s feature, but I should do better next time.
I’ll try to take some time this weekend and at least post about this month’s author visits.
So wish me luck on NaNo, and know that' I’ll be back ASAP and things will be kicking again!
Win books!!! from Author Cynthia Leitich Smith! She’s giving them away on her blog, and she’s got some good stuff on offer! Check it out!
I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, and loving them. Now, you may or may not have previously heard about Little Women and Werewolves, but this third book in the 'literary mash up trend', as it appears to be called, is stirring up some controversy. Take the article below, for example.
‘Little Women and Werewolves’: a step too far? csmonitor.com
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Now, I wouldn’t be so hard on this, and similar, novels. I, personally, am loving them, and I hope they don’t stop anytime soon. (I think it’s be great to remix some Dumas with some evil creatures.)
Okay, so, maybe the concept does have the propensity to get old. But as long as they keep things fresh and unique, it could stick around for a while. Ad if you think about it, it’s the adult equivalent to Children’s Illustrated Classics. The addition of crazy monsters makes the book more accessible to reluctant readers of classic literature, by adding concepts more appealing to them. Maybe after reading the parody, or mash up, or what have you, they’re more interested in reading the original, to compare?
I can see how some people could somehow be offended by this destruction or demeaning of a classic novel. (Which really doesn’t make that much sense, cause they didn’t write it.) It’s how the co-authors (which you notice they call themselves, as well as list their name second) pay tribute to these works. I think that if the original authors of these classic pieces of literature knew about, and understood the motives behind, these works, they would probably think it was hilarious, even appreciate that their novel was famous enough to deserve a parody.
I think this just bight be blown out of proportion a little bit. But, what do you think?
By the way, did I mention that Seth Grahame-Smith, co-author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, is currently working on a new title? Yep. It’s called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And I can’t wait to read it.
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
Gone by Lisa McMann (Feb. 2010)*
Since I reviewed FADE yesterday, I thought this would be the best post for today.
From Lisa McMann's Official Website
Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she'd made her peace with it. But she can't handle dragging Cabel down with her.
She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He's amazing. And she's a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves--she has to disappear. And it's going to kill them both.
Then a stranger enters her life--and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she'd ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out...
He reaches toward her, his fingers black and bloody, his eyes deranged, unblinking. Janie is paralyzed. His cold hands reach around her neck, squeezing tight, tighter, until Janie has no breath left. She's unable to move, unable to think. As his grasp tightens further around Janie's neck, his face turns sickly alabaster. He strains harder and begins to shake.
Janie is dying.
She has no fight left in her.
It's over.
* = Subject to change.
Since the events of Wake, Janie Hannagan has been working for the police, along with secret boyfriend Cabel. There’s a new case in the works at Fieldridge High, and undercover ‘Dream Catcher’ Janie is the only person with the skills to uncover the secret.
FADE is really a teen crime novel with a dash of paranormalcy (my new word) thrown in. I prefer my paranormal fiction with the paranormal a bit more prominent, while this book deals mostly with the crime drama/romance part, but in the end, it made the book’s chemistry just right. The passage of time marked by time stamps instead of prose really makes it feel like a case file sometimes, which helps set the mood for the story.
The book is really well written, and it’s always nice when characters have fully developed problems and background stories. Although, the two main characters have such sad pasts, it sometimes seems like they’re just trying to have themselves a pity-party, but it does make some of the character motives more believable, because really, they’re all each other has.
The Recommendation – FADE is perfect for fans of crime drama and romance. But I must warn you, there are some graphic elements in this book, including much cussing, and some scenes that are not sexually graphic, but, let’s say, sensual. (Just in case you can’t handle that kind of thing.)
The Other Books – I already own WAKE, the first book in the trilogy, and I really think I might buy GONE, the final book. I’m really curious to see how the story ends.
The Vitals* – FADE is available in hardcover for about $15.99, and WAKE is available in hardcover ($15.99) and Paperback ($8.99).
The Links - Lisa McMann's Official Website Some Fun Extras for WAKE
* = All prices from Borders.com, and are subject to change without notice.
Borders, I never thought the day would come! You have failed me! Archenemy still isn’t in, we called this morning. So we’ll either have to wait forever, or order it online. But I don’t like to do that because then I can’t pick the one that looks the least manhandled.
I’m slowly yet steadily making my way through my pile of books, and I should have another review ready pretty soon, but I can’t guarantee that I will or which book it will be.
Just wanted to post an update to make sure that any passersby know I AM working on it.
