Saturday, October 6, 2012

Notable New Book Releases | Sept. 30 - Oct. 6

There are lots of exciting releases this week for young readers! (Or adult readers like me who get just as excited about them.) These are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

In this riveting debut, a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world—before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret—she’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death—and time is running out.



The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.

When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.

She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.

To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests—or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

From New York Times best-selling author Lauren Oliver comes a bewitching story about the reaches of loyalty, the meaning of love, and the enduring power of hope.



The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

September has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September’s shadow. And Halloween does not want to give Fairyland’s shadows back.

Fans of Valente’s bestselling, first Fairyland book will revel in the lush setting, characters, and language of September’s journey, all brought to life by fine artist Ana Juan. Readers will also welcome back good friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. But in Fairyland Below, even the best of friends aren’t always what they seem. . . .



The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.



Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe . . . The world is dead. The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen–rich air.

Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?



Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch
Publication Date: October 1, 2012

On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run---with only one place to go.

With MAGISTERIUM, Jeff Hirsch brings us the story of a complex, captivating world that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.



Sailor Twain: Or: The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

One hundred years ago. On the foggy Hudson River, a riverboat captain rescues an injured mermaid from the waters of the busiest port in the United States. A wildly popular--and notoriously reclusive--author makes a public debut. A French nobleman seeks a remedy for a curse. As three lives twine together and race to an unexpected collision, the mystery of the Mermaid of the Hudson deepens.

A mysterious and beguiling love story with elements of Poe, Twain, Hemingway, and Greek mythology, drawn in moody black-and-white charcoal, Sailor Twain is a study in romance, atmosphere, and suspense.



A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Hope Larson (Illustrator)
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

The world already knows Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, Calvin O'Keefe, and the three Mrs--Who, Whatsit, and Which--the memorable and wonderful characters who fight off a dark force and save our universe in the Newbery award-winning classic A Wrinkle in Time. But in 50 years of publication, the book has never been illustrated. Now, Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of tessering and favorite characters like the Happy Medium and Aunt Beast. Perfect for old fans and winning over new ones, this graphic novel adaptation is a must-read.



Ten Creepy Monsters by Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis
Publication Date: October 4, 2012

Ten creepy monsters met ’neath a gnarled pine.
One blew away,
And then there were nine.
And so the countdown begins . . . A mummy, a witch, a ghost, a werewolf, a vampire, and others all gather, but one by one their crowd diminishes. At last there is only one creepy monster left. But what kind of monster is it?

Squeals of laughter are sure to accompany the reading of this book from bestselling illustrator Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis, as 10 creepy monsters set out for fun.



Did any of these books make it on to your wishlist or bookshelf this week? Have you had a chance to read them yet? Be sure to let me know what books you were excited about this week especially if they didn't make it onto this list!

Jennifer

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Thursday, October 4, 2012

Book Review | Seed by Ania Ahlborn

Seed is the debut novel of Ania Ahlborn. Seed was originally a self-published phenomenon before being scooped up by the Amazon imprint 47North. More on that after the review!

Book Description
With nothing but the clothes on his back—and something horrific snapping at his heels—Jack Winter fled his rural Georgia home when he was still just a boy. Watching the world he knew vanish in a trucker’s rearview mirror, he thought he was leaving an unspeakable nightmare behind forever. But years later, the bright new future he’s built suddenly turns pitch black, as something fiendishly familiar looms dead ahead.

When Jack, his wife Aimee, and their two small children survive a violent car crash, it seems like a miracle. But Jack knows what he saw on the road that night, and it wasn’t divine intervention. The profound evil from his past won’t let them die…at least not quickly. It’s back, and it’s hungry; ready to make Jack pay for running, to work its malignant magic on his angelic youngest daughter, and to whisper a chilling promise: I’ve always been here, and I’ll never leave.

Country comfort is no match for spine-tingling Southern gothic suspense in Ania Ahlborn’s tale of an ordinary man with a demon on his back. Seed plants its page-turning terror deep in your soul, and lets it grow wild.

I have had Seed sitting on my Kindle for over a year now begging me to read it. I am so glad I didn't wait any longer. Seed is a great scary novel to read this October (or any time!).

I don't get the creeps very often. I wish I did, but it's pretty hard to freak me out. Seed gave me the creeps. I actually wrote "aaaaaahh" and "don't go!" in my notes. (Yes, notes, whatever.) I don't want to spoil anything so I won't go into specifics - like why I really, really wanted my dog to stop scratching on the door.

If you are looking for some fresh, new horror, I highly recommend Seed. On top of being fast paced and suspenseful, it's an atypical horror story and it is completely unsettling. I loved it.

9/10: Highly Recommended

Amazon Studios announced yesterday they have selected Seed as their first novel to option for film. I'm super excited because 1) I obviously loved Seed and 2) Amazon chose a great horror story for its first film adaptation. So many good things rolled up into one.

Have you read Seed? Do you have plans to read anything scary for October?

Jennifer

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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Wishlist | The Neighbors by Ania Ahlborn

This week I am anxiously waiting on The Neighbors by Ania Ahlborn. I just read her first novel, Seed, and loved it. (Expect a review of Seed soon.)

The Neighbors is another stand alone novel and will hopefully be just as suspenseful as Seed!

Andrew Morrison sacrificed everything—his childhood, his education, and the girl of his dreams—to look after his alcoholic mother. But enough is enough, and now he’s determined to get out and live his life. That means trading the home he grew up in for a rented room in the house of an old childhood friend— both of which are in sorry shape.

The only thing worse than Drew’s squalid new digs and sullen new roommate is the envy he feels for the house next door: a picture-perfect suburban domicile straight out of Norman Rockwell, with a couple of happy householders to match. But the better acquainted he gets with his new neighbors—especially the sweet and sexy Harlow Ward—the more he suspects unspeakable darkness beyond the white picket fence.

At the intersection of Blue Velvet and Basic Instinct lies The Neighbors, an insidiously entertaining tale of psychological suspense and mounting terror by the boldest new master of the form, Ania Ahlborn.

The Neighbors will be published November 27 so I still have a while to wait!

Have you read Seed? Are you dying for The Neighbors? What are you waiting for this week?

This post is being shared as part of Breaking the Spine's "Waiting for" Wednesday.

Jennifer

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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Banned Book Review | A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in the Time Quintet series by Madeleine L'Engle.

Book Description
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."

A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.

I have a vivid memory of the day I picked A Wrinkle in Time from my elementary school library. I had never heard of it before, but the description sounded like something I wanted to read. I had no idea how much I would fall in love with that book. A Wrinkle in Time had a huge influence on me as a reader. It was one of those rare books that brought me to another world and completely consumed me.

I've been considering rereading A Wrinkle in Time for a few years now, but I was scared to do so. I couldn't remember anything about the book other than how much I loved it. I didn't want to taint that memory, but at the same time, I wanted to remember what I loved so much about it. When I saw it was one of the most frequently challenged books, I knew it was the perfect book for me to read for Banned Books Week.

As soon as I started reading A Wrinkle in Time, I knew why I loved it! A spooky storm, a haunted house, mysterious people, and a missing physicist dad all right off the bat. A Wrinkle in Time is a nerdy book, too. School teachers and librarians have to love this book. There are so many elements of reading, math, science... and not just science - the good quantum physics stuff!

I'm so glad I didn't let my reread fears keep me from revisiting A Wrinkle in Time. I highly, highly recommend it for young readers. I will definitely be reading it again with my boys.

9/10: Highly recommended

Have you read A Wrinkle in Time? Are you reading anything special during banned books week this week? What are some of your favorite books that have been challenged?

This review is being shared as part of Banned Book Week hosted by Book Journey. Be sure to check out the posts all week long for lots of awesome banned book reviews, posts, and giveaways!

Jennifer

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Monday, October 1, 2012

Currently Reading | Jenny Pox, A Casual Vacancy

I don't know what happened while reading The Raven Boys! It seemed like a story I would like, but I couldn't connect to it at all. I made it 136 pages before I decided to put it aside. Were you guys hooked by then? I decided to read my childhood favorite, A Wrinkle in Time, instead in honor of this week being Banned Books Week.

I also picked up J.K. Rowling's new book, A Casual Vacancy. That read isn't going very well, but I'm going to give it some more time. In the mean time, I am thoroughly enjoying J.L. Bryan's Jenny Pox. Have you read it? It reminds me of J.E. Medrick's Icarus Helix series. Fun times!

If I make it through J.K.'s new book, I'm going to finally pick up Ashen Winter.

Be sure to let me know what you're reading this week!

This post is being shared as part of Book Journey's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Jennifer

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