Get to Know...Adam Selzer!

(Click on picture for a peek at Adam's website!)

Adam Selzer, most recently the author of I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It and The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History, graciously offered to do an interview on my blog! Hooray! I loved Zombie and couldn't wait to find out more about the mind that it sprang from!

1. Did you always feel that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a specific moment when you made the choice to pursue a career in writing?

I guess I always wanted to be one - I used to make picture books when I was about 7. And in third grade I was always trying to write an adventure series. The adventure series ended up being eight or nine stories about my friends and I having adventures - they were about 10, 15 pages each. But I never stopped thinking of them as a "real" book series. Then, when I grew up...look, these days, even if you can find a job, it's tough to find a company that doesn't have its head up its butt to work for. I've worked day jobs off and on, but writing is a lot more satisfying. I feel like I've really accomplished something when I finish a book. My credit rating is a joke and I don't have a retirement plan, but I also don't have an assistant manager to deal with. That's a worthy trade-off, I think.

2. Where do you write? Do you have to create a certain mood or atmosphere?

Most of my writing is done at Sip Coffee in Chicago - I'm there every morning, usually the minute they open (in fact, I'm there right now!). Like a lot of writers, I make playlists for projects - songs that have the right atmosphere for the project, songs the main character would like, songs about the right kind of subject matter, etc. I don't know if it actually helps me write, but it's fun. For "Zombie," there were some goth and zombie songs, a few by bands that Alley would like, like Neutral Milk Hotel (who I could never get into, honestly, until I started listening to them on that playlist) and a bunch of songs that just had this sense of ragged glory that I always want my books to have.

3. It says on your website that I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It was based on a song you wrote. How did you go from the song theme to a full fledged book?

I wrote the song, "I Thought She Was a Goth," in the shower one day ten years ago, and it just took on a life of its own (you can download it free on the page). For a few years, every time Robert Aspirin (the recently deceased and much-missed fantasy author) and I were in the same place, he'd shove a guitar in my hands and say "play it!" He told me he was teaching it to bands all down Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Then one day Random House decided they wanted a zombie book in a real hurry, and somehow they got ahold of that song and asked me if I could turn it into a book. I had to change a bit around - there's not nearly enough story in the song for a whole book. I reversed the genders of the characters in the song, then tried to figure out how a girl might mistake her zombie boyfriend for a goth without being an idiot. Doug, the zombie, hasn't decomposed much, so it's an easy enough mistake to make - especially in Des Moines, where you never really expect to meet a zombie. Suburban Des Moines is not the world's most diverse place - one of my favorite things in the book is that Doug is just as surprised to find out Alley's Jewish as she is to find out he's a zombie.

4. Did you do any research on paranormals for this book? I love the strained interaction between the different types of post-humans.

A little - I worked a night job in the ghost hunting industry at the time I was writing the book, so paranormal business was always on my mind. I had a bit of a problem with paranormal YAs - they seemed to be full of mean guys who acted like stalkers and girls who thought that being stalked meant they were so in love they should be rearranging their whole life for guys they really just met. I really wanted to explore a lot of the relationship issues that I thought a lot of paranormal YA was ignoring. Love always involves a lot of sacrifice and overlooking someone's flaws, but where do you draw the line? Despite the fact that there were zombies and vampires in the world of the book, I wanted it to be as realistic as possible. There's nothing paranormal about vampires in the book - it's all to do with protein mutation or something like that. The world of the book is how I imagine the world would work if those sort of vampires and zombies turned out to be real.

5. Love, love, love the pamphlet on your webpage, "Vampires, Zombies, and You: Questions and Answers about Post-Humans for Teens!" Should we be keeping an eye out in school nurses' offices across the country for more?

That was another thing that bugged me - it seemed like a lot of those books used becoming a vampire as a metaphor for sex. That's just silly. Becoming a vampire is a WAY bigger decision than having sex. Sex is definitely a big deal, but if you're careful, the fact is it probably won't kill you. You probably won't even get pregnant. But becoming a vampire WILL change your life completely, and FOREVER. Like, for millions of years or however long it takes for someone to tear you apart or whatever. I figured that in a world where zombies and vampires were known to exist - and girls were known to be gaga for them - "conversion" would turn into a much bigger issue than sex or drugs. Only about half the girls who try to convert survive. Actually, technically, none of them do. I don't really think the "Twilight" thing has gotten so extreme that girls are actually trying to become vampires, so nurses probably don't REALLY need these pamphlets yet, but if vampires were revealed to be real and moping around high schools, as they are in the book, I could see it happening. Can I also plug the fake Huffington Post article on there? (Check the comments!!)

6. Your book, The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History, also came out this past December. How do you approach the non-fiction writing process as opposed to fiction? Do you prefer one over the other?

I like them both! The non-fiction is incredibly satisfying and rewarding - you can always tell when you're making progress, which you can't always do with fiction. But non-fiction has a shelf life - sooner or later, nonfiction books start to seem out of date. Fiction COULD last forever. It probably won't - our ideas of what's funny evolves over time. For most of the last 170-odd years it was generally agreed that The Pickwick Papers was the funniest thing ever. It's still funny, but when I read it now, I can't help but think, "well, I guess you had to be there." But then again, practically every classic book that's still read today is fiction. Well, fiction or philosophy, I guess.

The work itself is very different for them - "Zombie" took about three (very frantic) weeks, and "Smart Aleck's Guide" took about three years. But it's really the same amount of discipline - it's still getting up and going to the coffee shop every single morning.

7. Okay, on to fun things!! What is something about yourself that most people would be surprised to know?

Here's a neat story - one thing about being a writer is you never know when you're going to get paid. One time I ran broke about a month before my check came. My electricity got turned off, and I got a call from the landlord's office saying that if I didn't get my rent in, they'd put my apartment on the market. The person who made the call was Crystal Bowersox, who is now kicking butt on American Idol. She used to work the front desk at my landlord's office. I've only seen the show a couple of times, but it's strange to see her up there and think about conversations I used to have with her about broken washing machines! The guy who played lead guitar and accordian on my last couple of records used to play gigs with her.

8. You seem to have a lot of hobbies besides your writing...how do you find the time to do all these fantastical things??

I'm sort of lost when I don't have a project to work on. I live in a small apartment in the city, so I don't have a lot of yard work or anything to keep me busy. Working 2-3 hours every morning on books is enough time for 3-4 books per year, and leaves a lot of time for other projects. Sometimes you can do both at once - a short film I wrote was being filmed while I worked on Zombie, and I'd be sitting in the corner of the set during down time, typing my head off.

9. What was the last book you've read that you would highly recommend to other readers?

"Back Home" by Michelle Magorian - it's a middle grade book from the early 80s (they'd probably call it YA now) about a British girl who was evacuated to the States during World War 2. She comes back to England and the whole world has changed. She has a little brother she's never met. Her mother has learned to fix cars, and her father (who, in all fairness, probably went through some trauma in the war) is still living in the "old" England of rigid class structure and is horrified that his wife can fix cars now. And she herself speaks with an American accent and feels like a stranger in a strange land. It's a knockout of a book - Disney made a TV movie out of it with Haley Mills about 20 years ago that I remember very vividly.

10. Quick Picks List: Favorite Vacation Destination? Favorite Childhood Book? Favorite Movie? Favorite Food? Favorite Clothing Item?

Vacation: The food alone makes Disney World top the list, though I'm dying to get back to the U.K. - hopefully we'll go in 2012 for Dickens's 200th Birthday.

Childhood Book: Superfudge was my favorite for years, though I think Spinelli's Space Station Seventh Grade had more of an influence on me as a writer. And The Snarkout Boys and the Advocado of Death by Daniel Pinkwater - I practically based my life on that book. The fact that I live right nearby some of the locations in the book is not entirely a coincidence.

Favorite Food: Roast beef with good gravy and mashed potatoes, probably. We make that a lot.

Favorite Clothing Item: Coats! I love coats. Coats are awesome. I'm always on the look-out for a good Victorian longcoat with a shoulder cape - they're incredibly hard to find these days. I also really want one like the one David Tennant wore on Doctor Who. These days, with the weather warming up, I wear a brown corduroy blazer. I lived in Georgia for several years, and only being able to wear coats and sweaters a couple of months per year was just torture for me!

Adam - Thank you SO much for the interview! It was great!!!!!

Hex Hall

Hex Hall
by Rachel Hawkins

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father - an elusive European warlock - only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her Dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries start to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

What a stellar debut from Hawkins! I picked this book up and couldn't put it down. It flowed like a dream. Not once did I question who Sophie was or have any confusion about characters or their relationships to each other.

I loved the world setting - reminiscent of Harry Potter in a way, with regular humans and Prodigium, but SO not a Rowling rip-off. "Hex Hall" was an interesting place, full of complex and varied characters. Sophie is fantastic and believable and I cannot, CANNOT wait to see what happens to her next. Her love interest is smoking hot and the twist in their potential relationship is HUGE!

After the major revelation and twist at the end...what can I say? WOW. I am holding my breath until book 2 comes out.

Get to Know...Lesley Livingston!

Lesley Livingston, author of Wondrous Strange and Darklight, has graciously granted me an interview! *squee* She is one of my favorite YA authors and so this was a fantastic opportunity to get to know her better.

(Click on picture for link to Lesley's website)

1. Did you always feel that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a specific moment when you made the choice to pursue a career in writing?

I've always felt I wanted to be a storyteller. I guess I sort of fulfilled that ambition in two ways - through both the acting and the writing. I know they are two very different mediums, with very different disciplines, but, to me, they've always felt connected. I think the specific moment I decided to pursue the writing aspect as my career focus was when I finished my first novel (which remains, as yet, unpublished). It felt like such an accomplishment and I knew that writing was not something that was going to leave me anytime soon...so I figured I might as well make the most of it!

2. Where do you write? Do you have to create a certain mood or atmosphere?

Most of my writing is done in my upstairs office, which I affectionately refer to as the Nook, whereupon I am routinely interrupted by one of three cats, who will stand on his hind legs and reach up to tap me on the shoulder. Every five minutes. Until I take a break and furiously pat him on the back as if he were a congo drum (this sounds cruel, but it is his absolute favorite thing in the world. He is not right in the head.) But I am also portable. "Have laptop, will travel." And then write. I used to have rituals. Music, a favorite candle, snacks, herbal tea...not so much anymore. Acutally - that's a lie. My ritual now consists of: turn on computer, open file, write dammit. Anytime, anywhere possible. Because time is a precious, fleeting, rare commodity apparently. Especially when you are on a deadline!

3. What was your inspiration for Kelley's world (or in this case...worlds)? Was there a single sparking moment that inspired Wondrous Strange?

As to how that fascination managed to find a home in the middle of an adventure set in NYC, well, I had some time ago written a short story about an actress in a production of DREAM in which some of the characters in the play were actually real Faeries. It was a fun little character piece and it stuck with me as something to expand upon. But, if it was going to become a longer tale, it needed a truly extraordinary setting outside of just the theatre. When I went down to New York for the first time to meet my agent, I - naturally - paid a visit to Central Park. That was my "sparking moment" as you so aptly put it! I fell instantly, irrevocably in love with the place. And with its history. The Park was the most magical place I had ever been and it virtually demanded that I turn it into a setting for a story. For some reason, it was just perfect for this story. It fits so well with the play and the pastoral setting, but there is also a whole bunch of really interesting history behind the building of the Park that just dovetailed wonderfully with what I had in mind.



4. I love the covers. The colorization is beautiful and ethereal. Is there anything you would change about the covers? Have you started working on the next one?

I wouldn't change a thing. I am absolutely thrilled with the job the HarperCollins design team has done on these books and I feel extremely lucky. I also can't take an ounce of credit for them! As for book 3, I have seen the unfinished art and it is absolutely lovely. I can't wait to see the final product!

5. Central Park almost plays a role as its own character in Kelley's world. Why Central Park?
I guess I sort of answered this with question 3 but I'll say it again. It's MAGIC. And, you're absolutely right - the Park is really its own character in the books. That's actually the way I approached writing it.

6. What type of research did you do for this series? I love the more traditional view of the "fair folk," especially the leprechauns. Similar to Grimm's Fairy Tales, I think many traditional folk tales have become too child friendly instead of retaining their cautionary origins.

Absolutely. Faerie stories should be cautionary! Personally, I've been fascinated by Faerie lore in general since I was a kid. The stories that intrigued me the most were never the ones that portrayed the Fae as tiny, sweet, sparkly things. Rather, I was drawn to the idea that these were the creatures that existed beyond the circle of firelight, or just on the other side of the threshold, or just over that far hill; things only ever glimpsed out of the corner of your eye - if you were lucky! I love the dangerous aspects of the Fair Folk. I always appreciated that you got the sense with Shakespeare's chracters. That, given just a little nudge, things could go badly south with those creatures pretty quickly. Like it does with my leprechauns! Glad you enjoyed them!



7. What is your favorite Shakespeare Quote?

Aghhh-urkk...so many...too many...head exploding...can't choose...Okay, okay...I'll choose. But I cannot, in good conscience, choose just one. So, instead, I'll choose just two. I adore:
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio,
Then are dreamt of in your philosophy"
for it's sentiment, and
"Light thickens; and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood:
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
While night's black agents to their preys do rouse."
for the way it sounds. So lush and ominous. And I love the imagery of light thickening. Gadzooks - the man truly was a genius.

8. What was the last book you've read that you would highly recommend to other readers?

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins (of course, I recommend reading the first book in the series, THE HUNGER GAMES, first.)

9. Your next book, Once Every Never, is set in Britain during the Roman Conquest. Are you having fun researching the details of that period?

Oh yeah! Buckets of fun! It's actually a time-period that I've always been fascinated with so I already have a fairly broad knowledge base, but I love researching detail stuff and there's a lot of richness in this particular story.

10. Would you ever try a different genre?

Sure! I would have to have the right story to write first, of course, but I read broadly and eclectically and I write things that I want to read so it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility. But I have to say, that I really, truly enjoy the genre and the age-range I'm writing for now.

11. Okay, on to fun things!! What is something about yourself that most people would be surprised to know?

I'm really quite shy and retiring. Most people who've met me would not believe that if you told them. In fact they would laugh in your face. Loudly. It would go on for some time. And then maybe they'd just think you were talking about someone else... or that you were a crazy person. (But it's true!)

12. Do you miss being the Waitron-9000, source of endless B-movie trivia knowledge?

Hee! I do not miss the false eye-lash application, nor the glitter that seemed to get everywhere...but - yeah, I really do. She was a ton of fun to play, sparkly and snarky all rolled into one!

13. Quick Picks List: Favorite Vacation Destination? Favorite Childhood Book? Favorite Movie? Favorite Food? Favorite Clothing Item?

Wales. Or New York. It's a toss-up.
The Black Stallion
It varies, depending on my mood but right now I'll say the Lord of the Rings trilogy, extended version (and I do consider it to be one long movie).
The Linguine Bolognese at a restaurant in NYC called Scalinatella. Insanely good.
A comfy pair of jeans and the teal knit hooded tunic my boyfriend bought me at Anthropologie in L.A.

Thank you so much!!

No - thank YOU so much!! This was a ton of fun and I really enjoyed your questions!!

Cheers, Lesley.

PS - If you click on the cover of either book, it will take you to the Amazon listing where you can get more information.

Monthly Roundup - March 2010

Here's what I read in March 2010:

Tanglewreck - Jeanette Winterson
Incarceron - Catherine Fisher
Raven Rise - D.J. MacHale
Prada and Prejudice - Mandy Hubbard
The Enchanted Quest - Frewin Jones
Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show - Frank Delaney
Fired Up - Jayne Ann Krentz
The Betraying Season - Marissa Doyle
Sleepless - Cyn Balog
Twilight: The Graphic Novel vol. 1 - Stephenie Meyer
The Mysterious Benedict Society: The Prisoner's Dilemma - Trenton Stewart
Heist Society - Ally Carter
The Bone Magician - F.E. Higgins
I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It - Adam Selzer
Scandal - Kate Brian
Hourglass - Claudia Gray
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins

Total: 17 books

March 2010 Favorites:

Sleepless - A surprisingly great addition to the paranormal romance genre in YA literature.

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It - A fun, sarcastic, and thoughtful zombiefest!

Hex Hall - A fun, quick, quirky read with great, realistic characters. Can't wait for a sequel.

Heist Society - It really is Ocean's Eleven with teens. Fun!

Betraying Season - A fantastic sequel, rich in Irish folklore and magic, as well as a little romance...

Hourglass

Hourglass: Evernight Book 3
by Claudia Gray

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

I was so glad when I started reading this book! I thought that Evernight, book 1 in the series was great. I was not as enthusiastic about Stargazer until about 2/3 of the way through so I had some trepidations about how this volume was going to go, but I had to know what happened after the end of book 2!

I was pleasantly surprised that Hourglass brought me right back to that happy place I had been in Evernight. The pacing was quick, there was suspense, great character interaction, and little twists that kept me on my toes. By the end of the book, no one's life is the same, and I am anxiously holding my breath to see how it's going to go on in book 4!

Riveting.

Scandal

Scandal: Private book 11
by Kate Brian

After her terrifying Carribean vacation, Reed can't wait to get back to campus and resume her normal life of classes, shopping trips with the Billings Girls, and late-night gossip sessions. But when she arrives at Easton, she gets the shock of a lifetime.

Billings House is gone.

The administration has razed the scandal-rocked dorm and separated the Billings Girls. Outraged, Reed takes immediate action, turning Billings into a secret literary society - with a whole new set of rules. Eleven spots are open to any girl strong enough to endure the initiation. Every girl on campus wants in, and it's up to Reed to pick the best and brightest. And only the strongest will survive...

Okay, so I am totally addicted to this series. I practically drool when the new book comes out...every time! There is just something compelling about trying to figure out exactly how much disaster Reed can survive. The girl has been drugged, almost killed multiple times, backstabbed by best friends...and she keeps coming back for more! Plus she goes through boys like they're candy.

I know, I know...not great morals to be putting out there as examples, but I just can't help but devour these and as an adult, I don't have to worry about being able to discern that what I read in a book is not always the right behaviour to emulate! This is a series to pass on to girls who like Gossip Girl (though I didn't, hated the books, but LOVE the TV series).

What I loved about this particular entry into the series was that Reed took back the "Billings" label and made it her own. She stands up for what she believes in and takes the Billings Girls back to their roots as an organization made up of smart, loyal, nice, and brave women...not just the girls on campus who are connected (like a cashmere mafia!). Unfortunately, this doens't seem to work out...

Holding my breath already for Vanished in November.

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It
by Adam Selzer

Eighteen-year-old Algonquin "Alley" Rhodes lives in a town where post-humans have officially "come out of the coffin" and are now participating in normal society. Alley isn't into the whole post-human thing, thinking all vampires are just brooding, self-absorbed jerks, until the night she goes to the Cage to review a local band and falls for the "real goth" guest vocalist. For the first time ever, pale skin and black clothing are exactly what Alley finds hot!

When she and Doug start dating, Alley falls so hard she misses some key signs that there may be more going on with Doug than just an emo trend. He doesn't seem to change clothes, he smells a little funny, and he can't hold lengthy conversations. Finally, she gets clued in...Doug is the real deal...not just goth, he's a ZOMBIE!!

Alley knows that she needs to break up with Doug, but just can't seem to do it. Even with his "quirks," Doug is the most interesting guy Alley's been with...ever. Unfortunately, the vampire counselor at Alley's school thinks that if she's going to date Doug she's gonna have to go all the way and convert. Is Alley willing to die for her date?

This is a funny little gem of a book! It is full of snarky human, societal commentary, romance, teenage horomones, and yes, even zombie horror. What I loved most about this book was the realism amidst the paranormal horror. Alley is told she'll have to "convert" (a.k.a. die!) to continue seeing Doug and she goes online to do research. Finding sites and chat rooms devoted to people in human/post-human relationships, Alley uses first hand accounts and plans for their futures to help her decide what she should do. It was eerie how close Selzer was able to make some of those conversations sound like ones that teens have about other topics...

I don't want to ruin anything because I want people to read this book!! It's only 177 pages, so it took me about 2 hours to read, and I laughed A LOT! I think it ends very realistically...Selzer did a great job.

Fired Up

Fired Up: Book One of the Dreamlight Trilogy
by Jayne Ann Krentz

More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations.

Jack Winters, descendant of Nicholas, has been experiencing nightmares and blackouts-just the beginning, he believes-of the manifestation of the Winters family curse. The legend says that he must find the Burning Lamp or risk turning into a monster. But he can't do it alone; he needs the help of a woman with the gift to read the lamp's dreamlight.

Jack is convinced that private investigator Chloe Harper is that woman. Her talents for finding objects and accessing dream energy are what will save him, but their sudden and powerful sexual pull threatens to overwhelm them both. Danger surrounds them, and it doesn't take long for Chloe to pick up the trail of the missing lamp. And as they draw closer to the lamp, the raw power that dwells within it threatens to sweep them into a hurricane of psychic force.

An excellent addition to the Arcane Society series. Jack and Chloe had great chemistry and I love this start to the particular Dreamlight trilogy. I cannot wait to see which characters the next two books in the trilogy feature. Fallon Jones has been a side character in several previous books in the series and I hope that he might be the main character in the third book.

My favorite part of the Arcane Society series overall is that there are three different types of Arcane books. Amanda Quick, the historical fiction pseudonym that Krentz adopts, puts out the books set in the Victorian era that give the Society's origins. Jayne Ann Krentz puts out the contemporary Society books. Jayne Castle, another Krentz pseudonym, puts out novels set in the future in a space colony. The books are being published simultaneously and I am amazed that Krentz can keep track of three worlds that are dependent upon one another.

I know this series is not YA, but this is one of my guilty pleasure adult series and I thought I would share! Can't wait for book two, Burning Lamp.

Heist Society

Heist Society
by Ally Carter

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

This was a fun, fun, fun book! I loved it. Katarina, a.k.a. Kat, Kitty Cat, Kitty, is a great character. I loved how she wanted to go straight to do something different...to be different...by being "normal" for a while. I also loved how she stepped up and took charge when her family was in trouble. She has tons of spunk!!

I also really loved the relationships she had with all the characters around her. Hale, especially! It was somewhat refreshing to see a boy who obviously loved a girl to the umpteenth degree, but didn't pressure her about it...at all!! He was supportive and let her make her own decisions. Yay Hale!

I was totally bemused by the brothers Hamish and Angus. They were funny and sweet. Kat's cousin Gabrielle was a great example of how to combat stereotypical characters. She was hot, but by no means vapid! Simon was funny...especially when he finally noticed Kat was a girl.

All that gushing being said...I cannot wait to see what caper these characters get up to next!! A must read!

Anxiously Awaiting...

It's Not Summer Without You
by Jenny Han

Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing.
Publication date: April 27, 2010

In Jenny Han's follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly finds out what comes after falling in love.

Disney's "The Princess and the Frog"

Okay, so I just watched Disney's "The Princess and the Frog." I was super excited originally because I love the New Orleans setting. I love voodoo, jazz music, the bayou...everything New Orleans! I was so excited to see how that would all be incorporated into the movie.

I was very surprised, not only to be pleased with the animation and the setting, but also with the morals and values portrayed in the movie. Disney actually did a really good job with this "Princess" and her story.

Tiana is an average Southern working girl who grows up with the "Princess" of New Orleans. All her life, she and her Daddy dreamt of opening a restaurant. Tiana works and works and works for that restaurant...and doesn't complain about having to work for her dream!

When Prince Naveen comes to town, Charlotte, New Orlean's "Princess" is determined to win him. However, the evil voodoo man, Dr. Facilier, turns him into a frog and Prince Naveen must escape into the bayou with Tiana, who he's now accidentally turned into a frog as well, to try to find a way to become human again.

Along the way, they learn that they may not get everything they want, but they can still have everything they need...each other. Charlotte recognizes their true love and attempts to help them, but can't in time, and so will be stuck as frogs, but they do not care, because they have each other.

I don't want to spoil everything, but let's just say true love really conquers all, hard work pays off, and dreams really do come true!

My favorite part of all? When Ray, the firefly, finally gets to be with his Evangeline! *tear*

Sleepless

Sleepless
by Cyn Balog

Reviewed from ARC sent by SLJ. Publication date: July 13, 2010
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken the rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't reach her. Eron's time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn't seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn't recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her...

Even once they've become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won't be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was fairly short, but chock-full of new paranormal lore. The Sandmen concept was fascinating. Humans are chosen to fill a Sandman/Sandwoman position for 100 years after they die, then once they fulfilled their term, they can go back to being human at the age they were when they died.

Eron, about to go back to being human, realizes that his favorite charge, the one he should admit he's become way too attached to, is being threatened in a very mortal way. Eron has difficulty protecting her, though, since sometimes he's human, sometimes he's a Sandman (therefore invisible) and the threat comes from another Sandman, someone almost impossible to stop.

Though I am very, very sick of using Twilight as any type of a reference at this point, I have to admit that Twilight fans will eat this book right up. It has an ill-fated, but all consuming love, danger coming from an unusual and hard to understand source, even the friend trying to become more than just a friend! This is not just a Twilight-esque book, though. It is a well done book that any fantasy reader can enjoy.

In a genre that is bursting at the seams right now - often with poorly written, unimaginative books put out just so that teens will keep buying, buying, buying - Sleepless is an excellent addition to the YA paranormal fantasy realm.

Betraying Season

Betraying Season
by Marissa Doyle

Penelope (Pen) Leland has come to Ireland to study magic and to prove to herself that she is as good a witch as her twin sister, Persy. When the dashing Niall Keating begins to pay her court, however, she can't help but be distracted from her studies.

Little does Pen know, Niall is acting upon orders from his sorceress mother. And although it starts as a sham, Niall actually falls deeply in love with Pen, and she with him. But even if he halts his mother's evil plan, will Pen be able to forgive him from trying to seduce her into a plot? And what of Pen's magic, which seems increasingly powerful?

I really enjoyed this second book in the Leland Sisters series. I had loved Persy as a narrator in the first, but found myself drawn even deeper into the story with Pen narrating this time. Her social naivete coupled with her magical knowledge made for many interesting situations.

I loved the "earthiness" of the female goddess' magic and the Irish setting. I will caution Librarians that this book was more sexually explicit than the first. It wasn't horrific, but it is very clear that Niall needs Pen to lose her virginity so that she cannot complete his mother's spell and he attempts to seduce it out of her - though in a very nice way since he plans to marry her.

All in all, a fabulous read and I really, really hope for a third book in this series!

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show - CONTEST!!!!

Alright everyone...this is my first ever contest on the blog!! :P

I just reviewed Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show in my last post and now the publisher is offering a free copy to the winner of my contest! Very exciting.

If you would be interested, just comment on the review (found here) before April 3rd and I will randomly draw a winner!

Good luck!!!

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show: a Novel
by Frank Delaney

"She sprang from the womb and waved to the crowd. Then she smiled and took a bow." And so we first meet Venetia Kelly, the beguiling actress at the center of this new, spellbinding, and epic novel by Frank Delaney, the bestselling author of Ireland and Shannon.

January 1932: While Ireland roils in the run-up to the most important national election in the Republic's short history, Ben MacCarthy and his father watch a vagabond variety revue making a stop in the Irish countryside. After a two-hour kaleidoscope of low comedy, Shakespearean recitations, juggling, tumbling, and other entertainments, Ben's father, mesmerized by Venetia Kelly, the troupe's magnetic headliner, makes a fateful decision: to abandon his family and set off on the road with Miss Kelly and her caravan. Ben's mother, shattered by the desertion, exhorts, "Find him and bring him back," thereby sending the boy on a Homeric voyage into manhood, a quest that traverses the churning currents of Ireland's fractious society and splinters the MacCarthy family.

(copy taken from inside jacket)

Delaney does a marvelous job in this lyrical and interesting book. Deftly interweaving the political roil of the early 1930's in Ireland, into the story of one family, Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show both captivates and educates.

The main character, Ben, becomes embroiled in a web of scheming and incestous relationships, unable to fully entangle himself, even as he writes his story as an old man. As I read, I marveled at the way that he reacted to the others around him, at their expectations of him, and the way that many of them depended upon him - he, the youngest character in the entire book.

Venetia Kelly and her mother, Sarah, both seemed entrancing and undeniable. I felt myself drawn into the circle of their world with ease, following Ben blindly as he wanted to learn more. Nuances of their relationships with each other and the other people that surrounded them (i.e. - King Kelly, Mrs. Haas, Cody, etc.) were compelling and drew me deeper into the novel with every chapter.

At first, I attempted to skip over some of the political pieces mentioned in this novel, but soon realized how intregal they became to the story so I started really paying attention. Once I picked up on some of the smaller details, I found that I learned a lot about Ireland's political history in this time and that was very interesting.

This 400+ page novel is definitely an adult, not YA book, but it is beautifully written and worth the read. Eventually, I plan to go and check out some of Delaney's other novels. (I think I will miss Blarney - the ventriloquist doll that was almost elected to office - in the next one that I read, though!)

Full disclosure: Hardcover provided by publisher/author for review

If you would like more information, you can check out Frank Delaney's website at www.frankdelaney.com or his Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frank-Delaney/400446510051?ref=ts

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Adapted from the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan.

I just watched this movie tonight and I have to say it was pretty good. I haven't read the books so I don't know how it is comparitively, but I definitely enjoyed it just as a movie. The special effects were pretty good, it wasn't too gross, and I liked 95% of the casting choices. In fact, this movie did it's job, as I now want to go and read the series!

Just a little FYI, if you are thinking about showing this movie in your library, with proper licensing, of course, there are a few blantant swears and there is quite a bit of violence. Just warn your viewers that it is rated PG-13.

A Pearl Among Princes

A Pearl Among Princes
by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Welcome to the island where Princes learn to be charming...

Gracepearl Coal is the Cook's daughter on Miramore, the island all Princes visit for their summer program in the Charming Arts. Each year Princes-in-training arrive on gallant seacraft, guided by captain's trained to navigate the island's treacherous waters. Passage on one of these boats is the only way to leave the island - thus betrothal to a royal is the only way for Pearl to find her far-off destiny, the one that's started haunting her dreams. Luckily, this year's crop of Princes include some promising prospects, but how will Pearl leave behind her ailing father or - hardest of all - marry a boy other than her long-time beloved, Mackree...who now finds it too painful to even speak to her?

This was a charming book. I found Gracepearl to be a likeable character. She was nice, sweet, conscientious, but also balanced. Her love was true, even if it was confused. She never led on the boys she was considering and she took her friends feelings into consideration all the time.

The other main characters were all likeable as well. Some were gruff, some misunderstood, some shy, but all were true to themselves. This is a good book to give to a tween or less self-assured teen who needs a little dose of a "nice" book where the characters treat each other fairly well and remember who they are when all's said and done.

Parts of the plot were a little predictable, and it all seemed to work out very well at the end, but it is such a nice story that I was left smiling at the end anyway. I think there are a lot of readers who would have this same reaction. A good read!