First Day : The Series is a webseries that will have eight episodes (or webisodes!), and is about a high school student who gets to relive her first day at a new school over and over, like Groundhog Day. It is brought to you by the same company who produce the Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl television shows, so quality is assured.
Hello, I’ll get to the new CDs later in the week, for now I just wanted to tell you about a site called bandcamp (watch the intro video, it explains the site better than I could possibly hope to). A lot of newer bands and artists have started to use it as a platform to release music over the past couple of blog years. Searching the tags is a great way to discover new bands and a lot of them are giving away mp3s and sometimes entire albums away for free. Free! Once you’ve found something cool it’s very easy to share on facebook, blogs etc. here is a song by Liam Finn and Connan Mockasin’s new band BARB
Incidentally, BARB is one of the new CDs on the shelf. If you enjoyed the track above, why not get the full album out from the library? Hmmm? It’s very good.
Spring. Publishing madness. Shadow Wave is due to be published this month, we should be getting Mockingjay anytimesoon, same goes for The Clockwork Angel, and Crescendo has a publication date of the middle of October, which is like next month only. Last Sacrifice is marked for December, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer for that one.
1. Shadow Wave, Robert Muchamore [no change]
2. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins [up 2]
3. The Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare [up 2]
4. Last Sacrifice, Richelle Mead [up 2]
5. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Stephenie Meyer [down 3]
6. Crescendo, Becca Fitzpatrick [up 2]
6. Glee: The Music, Volume 3, CD [down 3]
7. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer [no change]
8. Fang, James Patterson [no change]
9. Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer [up 1]
10. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins [back again]
10. Jealousy, Lili St Crow [new]
10. Brigands M. C., Robert Muchamore [no change]
10. Glee: The Music: Journey to Regionals, CD [new]
Today is the official publication date for The Clockwork Angel, the first in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (author of the Mortal Instruments series), and here is the official book trailer:
I wonder about book trailers and whether they’re a good idea – do you want to see what the characters and landscapes look like in a book trailer before reading? Hm. Anyway, the library copies will be ready for borrowing soon (they need library-proofing and cataloguing and whatnot first). If you haven’t reserved it yet and you’re interested in reading it you can do it now!
Bloc Party frontman
releases solo debut,
the indie kids dance.
Outspoken vegan
makes enough singles to just-
-ify a best of.
Various Artists – Stroke: songs for Chris Knox
Tributes for legends
should all be as good as this.
Get well soon, Chris Knox.
Marina and the Diamonds – The Family Jewels
“I’m from Ancient Greece”
- Marina Diamandis
That’s a weird claim, huh?
It’s the “dark album”
hi-NRG synth-pop tunes
abound on their sixth
Alicia Keys – As I am : the super edition
What makes it super?
The DVD probably.
Soulful as usual.
Another dance group
collects songs and puts them on
a disc. Repackage.
Sunshine pop from a
blonde-haired, blue-eyed lady from
the antipodes.
The Nesian Mystiks
return, Scribe shows up, so does
a guy called Wise. Chur.
Seventeen, angry, and alienated from her estranged father, Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Miller’s life gets turned inside out when her mother forces her to spend the summer with him in the small Georgia beach town where he lives. Here, Ronnie finds salvation, friendship, second chances, and first love. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and starring Miley Cyrus.
In 1954, a revolutionary animated feature hit screens across the world. George Orwell’s Animal farm told the story of animals staging a coup, taking over the land from their tyrannical master Farmer Jones and discovering the pitfalls of social order. Led by Snowball and Napoleon, the two most intelligent pigs on Manor Farm; the animals set out to create a life of equality, harmony and prosperity. Life runs smoothly at first but gradually Napoleon sees the chance to seize power above and beyond the others. He orchestrates the removal of the altruistic Snowball and assumes control of the farm. “Pig rule” is established with the animals finding themselves exploited once again. They dimly remember under the revolution that “all animals are equal”– though some obviously more so than others. – Cover
Racing Stripes and The Adventures Of Milo And Otis (double feature)
“Racing stripes” – During a fierce thunderstorm in rural Kentucky, a young zebra is accidentally left behind by a travelling circus. He is found by former champion horse trainer Nolan Walsh and ‘Stripes’ is quickly adopted as a favourite pet by his daughter Channing.
“The adventures of Milo and Otis” – Join a curious kitten named Milo and his inseparable buddy, a pug nosed pup named Otis, as the fall, frolic, scramble, glide and tumble through one exciting escapade after another in this acclaimed live action movie adventure narrated by comedian Dudley Moore.
Fry, a pizza guy is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out New Year’s Eve 2999. Shenanigans ensue in a crazy future you’ve never imagined… Unless you’ve imagined booze-powered robots, foxy cyclopses and semi-literate lobsters that is. The Emmy award winning animated comedy from Simpsons creator Matt Groening.
Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins
“What brings best friends together? For Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy and Shaggy’s spunky pup Scooby-Doo, it’s a mystery! The feature-length live-action Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins original movie takes you back to when four teenage sleuths (plus one dog detective) first met. Unjustly accused of staging a spooky practical joke complete with ghosts, the kids are suspended from Coolsville High. To clear their names, they team to solve the supernatural mystery– and head straight into nonstop laughs and adventure. Special fun, special friends and extra-special effects make this “how-it-all-began” story – from boy-meets-dog to the first trip in the Mystery Machine and more – a doggone great time!” – Cover
Barbershop 2 : Back In Business
When slick new hairdressers Nappy Cutz opens across the road from his barbershop, Calvin and his haircutters must make a stand to save the shop from bankruptcy, and the neighbourhood from a shady development deal. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer and Queen Latifah.
The Princess Diaries and The Ice Princess (double feature)
“The princess diaries” – A hilarious, hip and heart-warming modern day Cinderella story. Mia, a shy and gawky teenager who survives each school day with minimum attention, discovers the shocking news that she’s a real life princess.
“Ice princess” – Though she longs to become a graceful figure skater, gawky Casey Carlyle is only a brainy misfit with a strong willed mother pushing her towards a top university. But when Casey uses her head and follows her heart, she’ll find herself transformed beyond her wildest dreams.
Sorority Boys, My Boss’s Daughter and 10 Things I Hate About You (triple feature)
“Sorority boys” – “When three broke playboy chauvinists are thrown out of their college fraternity, they find themselves drawn to one last desperate hope for free room and board – the D.O.G. house, the Delta Omicron Gamma sorority. With a little makeup and some pantyhose, our heroes go undercover in ‘enemy’ camp while they try to figure out how to get back in the fraternity” – Cover
“My boss’s daughter” – “When ambitious junior executive Tom Stansfield accepts an invitation to the stately home of his grouchy boss, he thinks it’s for a big date with his boss’s sexy daughter. But Tom instead gets a big surprise when he’s expected to house-sit! And while he’s left to hold down the fort, Tom’s out-of-control coworkers begin showing up ready to party!” – Cover
“10 things I hate about you” – “On the first day at his new school, Cameron falls for Bianca, the gorgeous girl of his dreams! The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date– until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat goes out too! In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad-boy with a nasty reputation of his own!” – Cover
Planet Of The Apes : Definitive Edition
“In the year 2029, interstellar reconnaissance missions are relegated to chimpanzee pilots from the space station Oberon in deep space. On one mission, a chimp loses communication and vanishes from the radar. Fearless astronaut Leo Davidson launches a rescue mission and lands on a jungle-like planet not unlike the earth. To Leo’s astonishment, English-speaking apes and primitive humans inhabit the planet. Following his capture by the apes and subsequent escape, Leo leads a rebellion against an overpowering ape force that will result in freedom or complete annihilation” – Cover
“When a plane carrying several dozen English schoolboys crashes on an uninhabited tropical island, the children are left to fend for themselves. Leadership is left to two very different boys – the charismatic and dependable Ralph, and the macho, wild Jack. Soon the island becomes split between Ralph’s sensible followers and Jack’s violence “hunters”, and the true nature of humanity is revealed as the film reaches its electrifying and disturbing climax” – Cover
Heroine Alice is thrust back into the war against the bloodthirsty undead and the fight against the powerful Umbrella Corporation, and is pitted against a super-human super-weapon, who has been unleashed to destroy her. Starring Milla Jovovich.
Easy Kimbrough is the patriarch of the family and the local butcher. He is grieving over the recent loss of his wife, Ceci. He hides his secret ongoing affair. Beagle is his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother. He works in the local high school cafeteria by day but wants to paint street signs. Guy is the oldest son who has been away from the family for years while pursuing his rock star dreams. He learns of his mother’s passing, but misses the funeral. When Guy returns home, the family begins to unravel. Beagle’s pent up emotions connect with Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill teenage girl wanting to experience love before it’s too late. Easy’s long time affair with Marg, Georgia’s eccentric grandmother, is finally exposed to Beagle and Guy. Guy discovers that while he was gone, his high school sweetheart has started a family of her own. Through it all, the Kimbrough’s and Kaminski’s manage to establish a new beginning in the face of their greatest fears.
Sixteen of the world’s best B-Boys battle one on one in a disused power station in the heart of Soweto, South Africa, to determine who will be the next world champion. TURN IT LOOSE is a film about the ‘BC One’ competition. Through the eyes of six competitors we leave behind any preconceived notions of what breakdance used to represent, and as the film digs deep, we discover an extraordinary form of non-contact combat that has evolved over 30 years to become a truly global 21st century phenomenon.
“Brendan Fraser is the intrepid Rick O’Connell, braving supernatural danger and battling legions of undead Mummies across the world, from the burning desert sands of Egypt to the freezing Himalayas and the Great Wall of China. See the entire Mummy trilogy unfold with deadly enemies like the Dragon Emperor, fearsome monsters and spectacular white knuckle adventure!” – Cover
Mockingjay has now officially been released to the world (we don’t quite have it yet but soon), which means there are finally sneaky peaks to be had on the internet (there were strict rules about this), for example this one: Suzanne Collins reading the first chapter of the book -
So what’s Mockingjay then and why all the hype? If you’ve been too busy with vampires you might not have read The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, which we recommend (some of us have put a Librarian’s Choice sticker on it). The Hunger Games takes its inspiration from reality TV shows, the ancient gladiator culture, and Greek mythology. In a dystopic future America which is controlled by the Capitol and the slimy President Snow, teenagers and children are annually thrown into an arena in a fight to the death (last one alive wins). Catching Fire was the second (we do strongly recommend you read them in order).
That’s right; only a few books. But there were an awful lot the other day, so we can’t be too sad.
Addicted to Her, by Janet Nichols Lynch (220 pages) – Rafael falls obsessively in love with Monique, whose attentions require that he must choose between her, and his family and his responsibilities.
First lines: ‘Monique! She’s everything I could ever want.‘
The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya, by Nagaru Tanigawa (201 pages) – this is the sequel to The Melancholy of Hurahi Suzimiya. Which I can only recommend! Hurahi Suzimiya is the creator of the SOS club, and now she wants to create a film. She is also a goddess who can destroy the world (she doesn’t know this).
First line: ‘The sole worry of Haruhi, who looked like she didn’t have a worry in the world, could be summed up with the words “the world was too normal.”‘
Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto (484 pages) – The first in a series, I think. It is about angels – check the cover! One of them, Bethany, falls in love with the ‘handsome school captain,’ Xavier, in a wee town they – the angels – are protecting from the forces of evil led by a suave demon named Jake.
First lines: ‘Our arrival didn’t exactly go as planned. I remember it was almost dawn when we landed because the streetlights were still on.‘
And here are the magazines. They’ve built up! I have been on holiday.
Teen Vogue September 2010 – Get perfect skin | Read Lady Gaga’s self-confidence secrets | See the latest fashions | Flick past ads for those weird ’shaping’ shoes
Simpsons Comics #164 – quite funny!
Entertainment Weekly #1113 – ‘The secrets of Inception‘
Entertainment Weekly #1114 – Eat Pray Love
White Dwarf August 2010 – DAEMONS
Australian Mad Magazine #458
Dolly August 2010 – ‘Dating mini dramas sorted!’ | Bigorexia | “I have the most Youtube subscribers in Australia”
The eighth book in the House of Night series by P C and Kristin Cast, Awakened, is due to be published in January next year. If you’re a fan of the series you can reserve it now.
Read about what happens here.
Follow the journey of four aspiring artists as they showcase their talents in Europe’s largest child song-writing contest: the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Be touched by the candid stories and insights from 10-year-old Giorgos from Cyprus, 13-year-old Mariam from Georgia, 14-year-old Marina from Bulgaria and 15-year-old Laurens from Belgium.
Bring It On : Fight To The Finish
Christina Milian stars as sassy cheer captain Lina Cruz, whose world is turned upside-down when her family moves from the urban streets of East Los Angeles to the sunny beach town of Malibu. At her new school, Lina clashes with Avery, the ultra-competitive all-star cheer captain, while also falling for Avery’s super-cute brother, Evan. Lina’s always been able to rise to a challenge, but can she create a new all-star squad, beat Avery at the Spirit Championships and still keep her romance with Evan?
The Sarah Jane Adventures : The Complete First Series
This dramatic complete first series is set to excite and thrill as Sarah Jane and her trusted teenage companions, Luke, Clyde and Maria, battle against Slitheens, Gorgons and sometimes the people they trust!
Sharing the same writers as Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures has the energy and drama to leave you wanting more!
Cirque Du Freak : The Vampire’s Assistant
From the best-selling books comes this unstoppable fantasy adventure. Visiting a travelling freak show, 16-year-old Darren is bitten by a vampire (John C. Reilly). Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak and descends into a fantastic life with a sideshow of fabulous freaks, including Salma Hayek and Willem Defoe. As war looms between the vampires and their evil counterparts, one boy’s bravery will become humanity’s last hope.
From the executive producers of High School Musical, The American Mall is about Ally, a hardworking young woman whose mum owns a shop that’s the soul of the mall. Ally’s singer/songwriter ambitions start to blossom when she meets Joey, a musician moonlighting as a janitor at the mall to support his own rock star dreams. While Joey understands her songs (and heart) like no one else, Ally’s happiness and the fate of the store are threatened when the mall owner’s spoiled, driven daughter Madison gets involve. It’s high drama that rocks full on through song and dance. And at The American Mall you can fall in love, live your dreams and have the time of your life.
I seem to remember Eminem retiring for a while back there, but he’s now on to “comeback album” number two. I guess he wasn’t all that serious about moving to Florida, taking up golf and enjoying earlybird specials after all. So it’s back to the tried and true, rhyming about his troubled past and taking pot-shots at celebrities. Recovery will be a welcome addition to any Eminem fans’ reserve queue.
Canadian indie-rockers Metric’s third album, Fantasies came out late last year and signalled the band’s intentions to make the step up from underground favourites to overground rock stars. So it’s pretty much the same catchy rock formula, but with extra polish. This gives the songs a shine they lacked previously, kind of like how in every single teen movie when the previously nerdy girl removes her glasses for the prom – nothing’s really changed, but more people like it.
More from Canada, this time electro, with Crystal Castles self-titled debut. The Toronto based duo make confrontational punk rock, but with synths in place of guitars. It was a favourite in Teen Blog Towers back in 2008 and nearly made our end of year best of list, until we decided we couldn’t really justify the inclusion of an album that wasn’t in our collection. It’s here now though, can something released in 2008 be considered for a 2010 list?
Veteran glam-rockers Placebo collected together all their singles up until 2004 for Once more with feelings : singles 1996-2004. It’s a good entry point for new listeners unfamiliar with the band’s pre-emo (premo?) riffage and nasally anthems. All the big hits are present, including Nancy Boy, Pure Morning, Every You Every Me and Taste In Men.
Noise rock pin-up girl Dee Dee Penny and her Dum Dum Girls have released their debut full length I Will Be on the back of several killer, buzzworthy singles and it is a real treat. Classic pop sensibilities covered in layers of feedback and sass, completely deserving of the blog-hype and message board anticipation. It’s Synthesiser Patel’s pick of the week!
Glee : the music : journey to regionals needs no introduction, it is after all the fifth (fifth!) Glee soundtrack on the shelves. Judging from the title, I’d say it’s the musical chronicle of the Glee crew’s eventful journey to the regional finals of the big glee-club-offs. Includes these songs Faithfully, Any way you want it ; Lovin’ touchin’ squeezin’, Don’t stop believin’ (regionals version), Bohemian rhapsody, To sir, with love, Over the rainbow. Yup.
Local drum and bass/dubstep-er, Bulletproof, has released the loftily titled, Soundtrack To Forever. It features a wide array of guests including Tiki Taane, Boh Runga, Isaac Aesili, Deva Mahal, PNC, David Dallas, Milon Williams and Evan Kiljoy. If you’re digging on the New Zealand dance scene, this is a must have.
He wins an award!
Have you read/watched and loved Macbeth? If yes (and what’s not to love: ghosts, witches, mad people, lots of murderous treachery, swords, deaths, and lines like “out, damned spot”) then you’ll be interested to hear that Macbeth was the inspiration behind the inaugural winner of the LIANZA Young Adult Book Award: Banquo’s Son by Tania Roxborogh.
A fantastic idea for a story (so much so I wish it were mine!), Banquo’s son Fleance gets a very, very short walk on (or run off?) part in Macbeth, when he’s told by his father, “Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! / Thou mayst revenge” (Act 3, Scene 3). Macbeth kills Banquo and Fleance flees south - according to Tania Roxborogh’s story - to England, where he’s taken in by a family, raised as their son. Ten-ish years later, Fleance’s destiny is to avenge his father’s murder…
If you like Shakespearean adaptations then read this. You’ll be pleased to hear it’s the first in a trilogy (Bloodlines will be published in September this year), and there is, I think, also a film in the works. See more information on the trilogy on the blog (Fleance, being Web 2.0, has one).
Persnickety Snark, an Australian YA review blogger, recently conducted a thorough poll of her readers and fellow bloggers and such, asking them what their favourite YA books were. She’s carefully collated the results, and counted down the results in a Top 100 for 2010. Number 1 is, interestingly, The Hunger Games, with the first in the Harry Potter series coming in second. I’ll summaries the top 10 for you here, so you could have a browse through the results and read stuff you like the look of (if you haven’t already).
The Hunger Games, Suzanne CollinsIt looks a pretty good list (especially if you love Sarah Dessen).
Book title trivia: here we find similarities between the titles of a heart-warming picture book and a raving bestseller with a stylish black cover: The short second life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer and The short and incredibly happy life of Riley by Colin Thompson (a bit of a librarians’ favourite, this; well worth a read). Is it just the titles that are similar?
The first book delves into the back story of a minor character in Eclipse, the second delves into the wisdom to be gained by examining a small character.
Riley appears in both, although with slightly different personalities and agendas: Riley the rat is out to prove to people that the simple life is best, Riley the vampire is out to establish an army of rabid newbies hungry for blood ~ Bree is a bit mousy, and actually isn’t up for all the cutthroat violence. Riley is at pains to point out that life in a cutthroat society is not going to make you happy ~ People are scared by both vampires and rats, particularly the idea of a swarming army of the things.
In summary: The short and incredibly… is not the second Eclipse novella, but do read both!
Jump, Elisa Carbone (255 pages) – “a high-adrenaline love story”. P K and Critter both love rock climbing. P K is desperate to leave town, and her parents, and Critter comes along for the ride and they rock-climb their way out west (States), until the police eventually show up and decisions have to be made.
First sentence: Things I know to be true: 1 I am not my body.
The Princess and the Bear and The Princess and the Snowbird, Mette Ivie Harrison – magical, time travelling and shape-shifting books (the first in the series being The Princess and the Hound) with a hint of historical romance.
First sentence for the bear: Long ago, there lived a wild cat that was the sleekest, fastest, and bravest of its kind.
And the snowbird: Thousands of years ago, before humans ruled the world, the snowbirds flew above the earth and watched over the flow of the first, pure aur-magic, spreading the power to all, and making sure that every creature had a share.
Fallen Grace, Mary Hooper (294 pages) – Google Books says “A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister.”
First sentence: Grace, holding on tightly to her precious burden, found the station entrance without much difficulty.
Illyria, Elizabeth Hand (135 pages) – Madeline and Rogan, who are cousins, have an intense passion for each other and for the stage. A “creepy”, spooky short novel about a forbidden love, and the winner of the World Fantasy Award.
First sentence: Rogan and I were cousins; our fathers were identical twins.
The Karma Club, Jessica Brody (258 pages) – when Maddy’s boyfriend is caught cheating on her with the perfect girl, and they become the hot new couple, Maddy and her other friends form The Karma Club, “to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind.” High jinks ensue, but also a right mess.
First sentence: I can tell you right now, it’s all Karma’s fault.
My Double Life, Janette Rallison (265 pages) – Lexi discovers that she is a dead ringer for a famous rock star, so she gets paid to be her body double. This might sound like an ideal sort of job, but really life isn’t like that, it’s much more complicated.
First sentence: I didn’t want to write this.
Classic (An It Girl novel – 227 pages) – the latest in the Jenny Humphrey series, where she’s trying to work out why her new boyfriend Isaac is acting “skittish”, and all other sorts of intrigue is going on, which you get at exclusive academies.
First sentence: The cold February wind whipped across the snow-covered Waverly Academy fields, cutting right through Easy Walsh’s thick Patagonia jacket.
Jealousy, Lili St Crow (A Strange Angels novel – 316 pages) – Dru has made it to her exclusive academy equivalent (the Schola Prima, a djamphir training facility). Sergej still wants to suck her blood, or tear her “to shreds”, Graves and Christophe still hate each other and now there’s Anna, who wants to show Dru who’s on top, and who’s after Christophe.
First sentence: I am lying in a narrow single bed in a room no bigger than a closet, in a tiny apartment.
The Thin Executioner, Darren Shan (483 pages) – inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and therefore a road trip type adventure book with horror twists, The Thin Executioner sees Jebel Rum travelling to the home of a fire god in order to get inhuman powers that will make him the most lethal human ever (the thin executioner), taking with him his human slave sacrifice. Things may well get dodgy along the way.
First sentence: The executioner swung his axe – thwack! – and another head went rolling into the dust.
The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nagaru Tangigawa (210 pages) – a novel speckled with manga illustrations. Haruhi is the ringleader of her school’s S.O.S. Brigade, who must keep her from getting bored, because when she gets bored bad things happen and she actually has the power to destroy the world.
First (fabulous) sentence: Looking back, the memorable inauguration of the SOS Brigade, which had left me, not Haruhi, in a state of melancholy, had been back in the beginning of spring, and the incident involving the production of the independent film, which, naturally, had forced me, not Haruhi, to sigh, had technically happened in autumn if you go by the calendar.
Lost for Words, Alice Kuipers (210 pages) – the story of Sophie, who wants to forget the difficult, tragic past but is haunted by it as she struggles to make sense of her life, her friendships and her future.
First sentence: I look at the words, black like inky spiders, and watch the webs they weave.
Divided Souls, Gabriella Poole (A Darke Academy book – 298 pages) – Cassie – new to the academy – is enjoying Istanbul, but she is also torn between old and new loves. She must also choose between old friends and the Few, plus there is a killer on the hunt.
First sentence: This was no chore.
The Demon’s Covenant, Sarah Rees Brennan (440 pages) – a follow up to The Demon’s Lexicon, which got good reviews. Mae’s brother Jamie has started showing magical abilities, and Gerald (an unlikely name for a power-hungry magician?) is after him for his coven.
First sentence: “Any minute now,” Rachel said, “something terrible is going to happen to us.”
Mistwood, Leah Cypress (304 pages) – this intriguing blurb here: “The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes.”
First sentence: She knew every inch of the forest, every narrow path that twisted and wound its way beneath the silver branches.
Folly, Marthe Jocelyn (246 pages) – cool cover. A tale set in Victorian London about three lives intertwined; a somewhat innocent if commonsensical country girl, a heartthrob cad and a young orphan boy. Sounds entertaining.
First sentence: I began excceeding ignorant, apart from what a girl can learn through family mayhem, a dead mother, a grim stepmother, and a sorrowful parting from home.
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, Morgan Matson (343 pages) – Amy’s mother wants her to drive the family car from California to Connecticut (aka a very long way), but she’s not been able to get herself to since her dad died. Roger comes to her rescue, a friend of the family (friends of the family not usually being romantic possibilities, specially not ones called Roger), and so they set off and on the way Amy learns “sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.” Another road trip!
First sentence(ish): I sat on the front steps of my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-de-sac.
Free as a Bird, Gina McMurchy-Barber (160 pages) – Ruby Jean has Down syndrome and when her grandmother dies she’s sent to Woodlands School, originally opened in the 19th century as a lunatic assylum. There she learns to survive the horrors of life.
First sentence: My name’s Ruby Jean Sharp an I growed up in Woodlands School.
We’ve also got: new The Vampire Diaries books with the TV tie-in covers (look out for The Struggle at your library). Cirque Du Freak manga.
If not, here’s your big chance! Next week is Library Week, which means you get to blind date a book. Excitement. Think of it as a practice run.
Starting from Monday and for one week only at the central library (and other participating library branches) there will be a collection of brown paper packages tied up with, um, coloured rubber bands. On these packages will be a short description, and inside will be the mystery blind date book. All you have to do is read the descriptions, find one that grabs your attention, take the package to the issues desk with your library card (to be issued), then take it home, unwrap, read and (with a bit of luck) enjoy. It might be the start of a beautiful friendship.
More on Library Week: this year’s theme is “Ask me, you might be surprised.” (We’re thinking pleasantly surprised.) This means if you’ve got a burning issue you want to know more about, or a question, or an assignment you’re struggling to find information on, don’t forget to come into the library and ask a librarian. We’re better than google.
There are also Library Week competitions we mentioned here.
From the newsdesk:
If you have an iPhone and you’re into Choose Your Own Adventures (or you were when you were a kid), then you might be very pleased to hear that you can get a CYO iPhone app. Most excellent. We of course have heaps of the old fashioned book-thingies in the library. How very luddite of us.
More on book covers – people are getting sick of pink! (After all, thanks to paranormal romances, black is the new pink.) Not sick of pink cars, though: pink cars are handy to have if you don’t want your car stolen.
For Artemis Fowl fans: Eoin Colfer is definitely winding up the happenings of the teenage evil genius, apparently (maybe because things got kissy with Holly?). The latest (and second to last) in the series, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex is available for borrowing now.
There having been six-ish short months between the movies New Moon and Eclipse, we were surprised to hear that the world will wait one whole year between Breaking Dawn 1 and Breaking Dawn 2. How will the world cope? In the mean time, The short second life of Bree Tanner gets a thumbs up from our buyers/reviewers (reserve a copy, it’s a quick read so you might not have to wait too long).
More on the City Of books by Cassandra Clare: having originally thought that these were a trilogy, and that she’d moved on to the Infernal Devices trilogy (the first of which, Clockwork Angel, is due out in a couple of months)… and then that she was writing just one more City Of book (City of Fallen Angels, April 2011), … we were surprised (but not too much) to hear that, actually, now Clary and Jace and co will be going strong for a few years yet: there’s more, or more more – two more to be exact.
And finally, two YA books are finalists for the nicely-titled Gold Dagger Award (for mystery writing, see?), including Blacklands by Belinda Bauer, which we’ve got.
Some additions to the lookalike bookcovers collection: we thought Possessed by Kate Cann looked a little bit similar to some of the other covers we’ve done a spotlight on recently, like Blackbox, for example (see this post here):
Possessed, like its thriller-like lookalikes, is tense and a bit spooky (there may be ghosts? Anyway, there’s a disturbing manor house).
Here’s also more grass, with a couple of sporty inclusions (see the others here):
My personal favourite is the Julie Anne Peters one – why sit on grass when you can sit on a lovely fold out chair on grass? So comfortable.
Now we’re going looking for shoes, or something.
We Hear The Dead, by Dianne K. Salerni (422 pages) – The Fox sisters – Maggie and Kate – became famous in the 19th century for their ability to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Of course, they were really faking it! But as their fame increased, the burden of lies becomes a, well, burden. A true story!
First lines: ‘My earliest memories always include Kate. With three years between us, there must have been a time when she was a toddling child in infant’s clothes and I an independent youngster, but I do not remember this.’
Restoring Harmony, by Joelle Anthony (307 pages) – It is 2041; oil, food, and law and order are all in short supply. Sixteen-year-old Molly must leave the safety of her remote farm in Canada and travel through the U.S., which has fallen into chaos. Also, there is romance.
First line: ‘When the plane’s engine took on a whining roar, my grip tightened on my fiddle case.‘
Tell Us We’re Home, by Marina Budhos (297 pages) – Three best friends – Jaya, Maria, and Lola – are all daughters of maids and nannies. They go to the same school as their mothers’ employers’ kids, and when Jaya’s mother is accused of stealing, things turn nasty.
First line: ‘Meadowbrook, New Jersey, looks like it’s right out of an old-time postcard.‘
Whisper, by Phoebe Kitanidis (281 pages) – Joy and her sister, Jessica, can hear ‘Whispers’, or the thoughts of other people. Joy uses her ability to make people happy, whereas Jessica uses her power to make others miserable. Joy hears Jessica thinking about ending it all and - being the nice sister! - she sets out to save her from herself. Also, there might be romance.
First lines: ‘My sister showed me how to Hear a Whisper when I was three. “All you have to do,” she said, “is touch somebody else, and if you don’t Hear one right away, just hold on.“‘
The Water Seeker, by Kimberly Willis Holt (309 pages) – Amos, born in 1833, is the son of a trapper and dowser (someone who tries to locate water with sticks). His mother dies in childbirth, which is only the beginning of a hard life ‘filled with losses, adversity, and adventure’. And finding water!
First lines: ‘Jake Kincaid was known as the dowser. With a forked branch, he’d made his way from the Arkansas Territory to Missouri, stopping at farms to find water for new well.‘
Oracle : Ancient Greece, An Acrobat Brother and a Sister with the Gift of Truth, by Jackie French (342 pages) – Thetis can only tell the truth, and after she and her brother, Nikko, awe the Mycenaean court, Thetis puts a damper on things when she tells the King something about his future he doesn’t want to hear. She’s sent to Delphi, and Nikko and the horse dance, Euridice, travel across Greece to find her.
First line: ‘The wind smelled of rock and ice the night their father took Nikko’s sister out to die.‘
Somebody Everybody Listens To : A Novel, by Suzanne Supplee (245 pages) – Retta Lee Jones leaves high school dreaming of becoming a country music star. She has the name for it, I guess! She goes to Nashville, and begins to ‘forge her own path’.
First line: ‘Even on graduation day, the Starling High School gymnasium smelled just like it always did – a combination of old sweat and dust masked somewhat by cherry-scented disenfectant and floor polish.’
Zen and Xander Undone, by Amy Kathleen Ryan (212 pages) – Zen and Xander are sisters; Zen is a karate blackbelt, and Xander is a scientific genius, who is going off the tracks a bit and Zen can only protect her for so long. Their mother died a year ago! And they go on a road trip to try to solve a mystery.
First lines: ‘My sister, Xander, causes a scandel practically everywhere she goes. Even funeral receptions, I now know.‘
Fen Runners, by John Gordon (136 pages) – A long time ago, when Jenny’s grandfather was a boy, he fell through the ice and into the icey black water of the fens. He returned without a skate and with nightmares of something down there. Now Jenny too feels haunted, and when her friend Kit feels a presence there they decide to unravel the (frankly quite spooky!) mystery.
First line: ‘They stood with their toes curled over the edge of the bridge and looked briefly into the distance.‘
Crown of Acorns, by Catherine Fisher (281 pages) – No synopsis seems to be available, so here’s what the back cover says: ‘Who can escape their past, in a place where it curves and comes up behind you? The Circle is the oldest magic. Three lives exho in a ring of stone …’
First lines: ‘Stop now. To go further is dangerous. The circle is the oldest magic. If you enter it it will enfold you.‘
Fifteen Candles : an Amigas novel, by Veronica Chambers (187 pages) – This is the first in a new series written by Veronica Chambers, created by Jane Startz, and inspired by Jennifer Lopez. It is set in Miami and is ‘a warm celebration of Latin culture, especially the traditional quinceañera,’ (a kind of big coming-of-age party for girls).
First line: ‘Alicia Cruz has the good fortune of being born into wealth, but not spoiled by it.‘
Linger, by Maggie Stiefvater (362 pages) – The much-awaited follow-up to Shiver; ‘As Grace hides the vast depth of her love for Sam from her parents and Sam struggles to release his werewolf past and claim a human future, a new wolf named Cole wins Isabel’s heart but his own past threatens to destroy the whole pack.’
First line: ‘This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.‘
Here are the New Magazines for the week fortnight month! This is the best new books post ever!
Entertainment Weekly #1112 – Ryan Reynolds is as GREEN LANTERN | Tron! | Thor! | New Buffy?!
Transworld Skateboarding August 2010 – Cab backtail bigspin | Frontside feeble | Fakie hardflip! | Cab to backside lipslide! | Backside tailslide frontside shove-it out!
XBox 360 : Official Australian Magazine #56 – Gears of War 3 | The Force Unleashed 2 | a whole lot of other games reviewed/previewed
Playstation August 2010 – Grand Turismo 5 | 18 page E3 coverage | games reviewed/previewed
Girlfriend August 2010 – ‘The pretty myth’ | Can you spot a bully? | ‘What his gaming style says about him’
Creme September 2010 – 10 ways to boots your self-confidence and happiness | What does your hair say about you?
Seventeen August 2010 – Fitness insert, ‘Get your best body’ | Ultimate jeans guide | Dude drama
And also a book for fashion lovers. We’ve recently ordered the following selection of non-supernatural romance titles:
Teen Vogue Handbook ”an insider’s guide to careers in fashion” - have a look at the book preview here.
How I Made it to Eighteen by Tracy White, which is a graphic novel about coping with depression - here’s the author’s page dedicated to the book.
Some other (pretty serious) fiction:
Behind You and From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun both by Jacqueline Woodson. Behind You is the sequel to If You Come Softly: 15 year old Miah has died, and his girlfriend, best friend, and parents are coming to terms. Melanin Sun is a 14 year old whose mother drops a bombshell: she’s in love with a woman.
Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky. Gord’s brother is a drug addict whose troubles are destroying their family.
I know It’s Over by C.K. Martin. Sixteen-year-old Nick comes to terms with the idea of being a father when his temporarily-estranged girlfriend announces she is pregnant.
Juggling Fire by Joanne Bell. Rachel’s father disappears in the Yukon wilderness (Northern Canada), so she confronts danger (there be bears in Canada!) and loneliness as she hikes, trying to find clues as to what happened.
Other by Karen Kincy. Okay, we told an untruth: one supernatural romance (although possibly more supernatural thriller, maybe?). Stephanie says: “she can change into a bird!”
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