This week we have a ton of great new books to share with you, ranging from the paranormal (Lisa McMann's GONE), mystery (TOKEN OF DARKNESS by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes), romance (RAVEN by Allison van Diepen), to dark drama (Mary Jane Beaufrand's THE RIVER), and everything in between. Any fan of literature will find something that they’ll love this week, so go out there and get reading!

New Releases for February 8th

Hardcover

SWEET LITTLE LIES by Lauren Conrad (HarperCollins)
How Sweet it is?
Jane Roberts was the average girl next door until she and her best friend, Scarlett Harp, landed their own reality show, "L.A. Candy." Now the girls have an all-access pass to Hollywood's hottest everything. But there's more to life on camera than just parties and shopping…
When racy photos of Jane are leaked to the press, she finds herself at the center of a tabloid scandal. She turns to her co-star Madison Parker for help, unaware that Madison is scheming behind the scenes. She might be Jane's shoulder to cry on, but does Madison really have Jane's back?

Scarlett's working on a scandal of her own. She's fallen for someone who's strictly off-limits --- which means Scarlett has a big secret to keep…from the "L.A. Candy" cameras, the paparazzi staking out her apartment, even from her best friend.

Of course, nothing stays secret for long for the stars of the newest hit TV series, and all this drama couldn't be better for ratings. But can Jane survive another season in the spotlight?
In television star Lauren Conrad's dishy, entertaining novel about young Hollywood, the lies are only as sweet as the people tell-ing them.

Paperback

RAVEN by Allison van Diepen (Simon Pulse)
She wants him.

Zin dances with fire in every step; speaks with a honey sweet voice; and sees with eyes that can peer into your soul. Nicole's friendship with him is the only thing that saves her from the boredom of school and the turmoil of her family life. It's no wonder why Nicole is madly in love with him. But she can't understand why he keeps her at a distance, even though she can feel his soul reaching out for hers.

Zin is like no man Nicole has ever met, and he carries with him a very old secret. When Nicole uncovers the truth, her love may be the only thing that can save him from it.

SOPHOMORE SWITCH by Abby McDonald (Candlewick Press)
Take an administrative snafu, a bad breakup, and "The Hot-Tub Incident," and you’ve got two thoroughly unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American party girl Tasha, an escape to Oxford may be a chance to ditch her fame as a tabloid temptress, but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of the exchange, studious Emily, nurses an aching heart amid the bikinis and beer pong of U.C. Santa Barbara. With an anthropologist’s eye for detail and a true ear for teen-speak, Abby McDonald crafts a funny, fast-paced, poignant look at survival, sisterhood, and the surprising ways we discover our true selves.
- Click here to read our review of SOPHOMORE SWITCH.

STELLA STANDS ALONE by A. LaFaye (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Stella Reid is fighting to save the home she loves. After her father is killed and her mother succumbs to yellow fever, it's up to Stella to run Oak Grove, her family's plantation. Unlike most Southerners, Stella sees herself as equal to the African Americans she works side-by-side with in the cotton fields. The white Southerners reject her, and the freed men can't trust her after generations of enduring the horrors of slavery. So Stella stands alone as she fights to follow through on her father's dream to leave Oak Grove to her and the slaves. His will is nowhere to be found. Now, the bank has foreclosed on the plantation --- and the day of the auction is rapidly approaching. With no legal claim to the land, Stella is confronted with the possibility of losing Oak Grove, the only home she's ever known.

In this inspiring novel, A. LaFaye, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, recounts a young woman's struggle to save her family's land and preserve their memory, illuminating the harsh realities faced by women and freed slaves during the turbulent years after the Civil War.


New Releases for February 9th

Hardcover

AFTER by Kristin Harmel (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Lacey's world shatters when her dad is killed in a car accident. And secretly? She feels like it’s her fault. If she hadn’t taken her own sweet time getting ready that morning…well, it never would have happened. Her mom wouldn’t be a basket case. Her brother Logan wouldn’t drink. And her little brother would still have two parents.

But life goes on even if you don’t want it to. And when Lacey gets the chance to make a difference in the lives of some people at school, she jumps at it. Making lemonade out of lemons is her specialty. Except she didn’t count on meeting a guy like Sam. Or that sometimes? Lemonade can be a pretty bitter drink to swallow.

THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN by Josh Berk (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Will Halpin has ditched his former "deaf school" and is now trying to merge into the auditory-able mainstream at Carbon High in eastern Pennsylvania. As the new, overweight kid who has to sit off to the side during classes so he can try to read the lips of both his teachers and his classmates, Will --- no slouch when it comes to reading human reactions --- quickly downsizes his social expectations and retreats back into the soundless cocoon of his own skull. Luckily for readers, it's darkly hilarious in there. That's this debut novel's most potent hook: the opportunity to spend some quality time inside the precociously perceptive and sardonically witty head of this ultimate outsider as he visually eavesdrops --- and rips on --- the sick subtleties of a typical high school's social order. What teens wouldn't want to have Will's skills as he, notebook in hand, monitors the school bus mirror and pieces together what all the cool kids are talking about? Most, Will discovers, as he deftly dissects personalities and devilishly deconstructs high school culture, are slavishly focused on being invited to an exclusive party being thrown by popular jock Pat. But when Pat dies during a field trip to a defunct coal mine, under suspicious circumstances, the story morphs into an engaging mystery as Will reluctantly accepts the unsettlingly friendly overtures of a quirky classmate bent on enlisting him as a partner in some amateur sleuthing. A coming-of-age mash-up of satire, realistic fiction, mystery, and ill-fated teen romance, THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN is a genre-bending breakthrough that teens are going to love.

FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta (Candlewick Press)
2008 Printz Award Winner Melina Marchetta crafts an epic fantasy of ancient magic, exile, feudal intrigue, and romance that rivets from the first page.

Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an impostor seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems --- and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

GONE: Wake, Book Three by Lisa McMann (Simon Pulse)
Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.

She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life --- and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out. . . .

HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter (Disney-Hyperion)
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.
- Click here to read Ally Carter's guest blog, "The Family Business."

JAKE RANSOM AND THE SKULL KING’S SHADOW by James Rollins (HarperCollins)
When a mysterious envelope arrives for Jake Ransom, he and his older sister, Kady, are plunged into a gripping chain of events. An artifact found by their parents --- on the expedition from which they never returned --- leads Jake and Kady to a strange world inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations, a world that may hold the key to their parents' disappearance.

But even as they enter the gate to this extraordinary place, savage grackyls soar across the sky, diving to attack. Jake's new friends, the pretty Mayan girl Marika and the Roman Pindor, say the grackyls were created by an evil alchemist --- the Skull King. And as Jake struggles to find a way home, it becomes obvious that what the Skull King wants most is Jake and Kady --- dead or alive.

THE LIFE OF GLASS by Jillian Cantor (HarperTeen)
Before he died, Melissa's father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren't always the most beautiful --- that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn't only skin deep, the people around her don't seem to feel that way. There's her gorgeous sister, Ashley, who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school; there's her best friend, Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney; and there's Melissa's mother, who's dating someone new, someone Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.

To make sure she doesn't lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and finishing a journal he began --- one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.

This is a lyrical tale of love, loss, and self-discovery from the author of THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS.

NOTHING by Janne Teller (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster)
"Nothing matters."

"From the moment you are born, you start to die."

"The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. You'll live to be a maximum of one hundred. Life isn't worth the bother!"

So says Pierre Anthon when he decides that there is no meaning to life, leaves the classroom, climbs a plum tree, and stays there.

His friends and classmates cannot get him to come down, not even by pelting him with rocks. So to prove to him that there is a meaning to life, they set out to build a heap of meaning in an abandoned sawmill.

But it soon becomes obvious that each person cannot give up what is most meaningful, so they begin to decide for one another what the others must give up. The pile is started with a lifetime's collection of Dungeons & Dragons books, a fishing rod, a pair of green sandals, a pet hamster --- but then, as each demand becomes more extreme, things start taking a very morbid twist, and the kids become ever more desperate to get Pierre Anthon down. And what if, after all these sacrifices, the pile is not meaningful enough?

A LORD OF THE FLIES for the twenty-first century, NOTHING is a visionary existential novel --- about everything, and nothing --- that will haunt you.

THE RIVER by Mary Jane Beaufrand (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Veronica Severance feels cut off from the world. Forced to move from the city to rural Oregon with her parents, she is haunted by loneliness and by the chilling sounds of the Santiam, the river that runs through her backyard.

Through the fog of isolation, Ronnie finds herself becoming close with Karen, a young girl who she babysits. But when she discovers Karen's body on the banks of the Santiam, the victim of a supposed accident, Ronnie feels compelled to uncover the truth.

As she becomes increasingly obsessed with solving Karen's death, Ronnie is led deeper and deeper into the woods surrounding the river and to the dark secret hidden within its midst.

THE RIVER is a darkly atmospheric story of murder, isolation, obsession and dark secrets that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

TOKEN OF DARKNESS by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Cooper Blake has everything going for him --- until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself…but Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.


Paperback

A STONE IN MY HAND by Cathryn Clinton (Candlewick)
The year is 1988 in Gaza City, and it has been a month since eleven-year-old Malaak’s father left to seek work in Israel, only to disappear. Every day Malaak climbs to the roof and waits, speaking little to anyone, preferring the company of the little bird she has tamed. But her twelve-year-old brother, Hamid, has a different way of coping. He feels only anger, stoked by extremists who say violence is the only way to change their fate. Malaak’s mother begs him to stay away from harm, but Malaak lives in fear of losing her brother as well. What will it take for her to find her voice --- and the strength to move past the violence that surrounds her?

STARGAZER by Claudia Gray (HarperTeen)
This sequel to EVERNIGHT throws more plot twists at readers, but the writing has improved. The characters are also better developed, and readers find out more about their history. As the new school year begins at a private (vampire) academy, Bianca, a vampire, and Lucas, a vampire hunter, continue their illicit romance, meeting every few months. Her friend Balthazar is trying to find his sister, who is being pursued by the vampire-hunting group the Black Cross. Bianca has several encounters with wraiths and finds out that all of the humans admitted to EVERNIGHT have homes haunted by ghosts. Still confused about who and what she is, she gets hot and heavy with Balthazar but returns to Lucas in the end. Part Romeo and Juliet, part paranormal romance, part high school drama, this series will definitely continue as the author is keeping some secrets from readers. Fans of Richelle Mead and Stephenie Meyer will definitely enjoy this book.

New releases for February 10th

Paperback

SECRET OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE: Paparazzi Princess by Jen Calonita (Poppy)
As the last season of "Family Affair" comes to a close, prime-time teen star Kaitlin Burke is no closer to deciding what she wants to do after the show ends. Struggling with career choices and bummed over a ridiculous catfight with her BFF, Liz, Kaitlin is so mixed up she even starts to semi-bond with her archnemesis, Sky. Worst of all, she falls in with two of Hollywood's biggest party fiends when one of them asks her, "Don't you ever do what you want to do?" Shopping sprees and the Tinseltown nightlife seems fun at first, but soon Kaitlin realizes that being a paparazzi princess just might be her downfall.

Labels: New Releases

Today, we're spotlighting two Reader Q&As from 13-year-old Emma Rigby from Quincy, WA and 17-year-old Alexandra Wu, one of our UK readers from Sidcup, Kent. Below, they each describe their three favorite books of all time and weigh in on the age-old book-vs.-movie debate.


Emma Rigby from Quincy, WA
Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

I would like to invite Cassandra Mortmain (I CAPTURE THE CASTLE), Amber (CARPE DIEM), and Alice (TWILIGHT).

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

My top favorite books are:

1. I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
2. CRISS CROSS
3. GONE

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

I've seen the Twilight series and I thought the books were way better because of the things they said, and the books seems more romantic then the movies.

********

Alexandra Wu from Sidcup, Kent, UK
What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

GONE by Michael Grant. Yes, I would suggest it to a friend because it's fast paced, exciting and you're always unsure as to what will happen next and whether or not "normal" will ever reign again.

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare is the final installment in the Mortal Instruments series. Clare always leaves you hanging and there are always questions lingering as to what will happen next.

CRANK by Ellen Hopkins is a beautiful novel written in verse that manages to capture exactly what it is like to be a teen, yet Hopkins creates a situation just far enough that you can't properly relate to Kristina.

REVELATION by Kate Brian is the eighth book in the Private series. Each book is left on a cliffhanger and the constant buildup from the previous novels after Cheyenne's death creates huge anticipation for Revelation. My favourite of the Private series so far.

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is a complicated novel and so it was always going to be a hard film to make. Yes, the film captured some of the best and most important moments, but in my opinion, there was not enough depth and they did not include all the scenes that I feel are important --- the book was much better than the film.

Tell us about your favorite book series.

My favourite book series is The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Her description is like a work of art and although the plot is complicated and deeply intertwined, it is easy enough to understand. She creates a tension and friction between the characters that is almost tangible and the shock revelation at the end of the first novel resonates throughout the series and stays with you until the very end.

Labels: Reader Q and A

Answering our Reader Q&A this morning is thirteen-year-old Liz Eggen from Joliet, IL. In her answers below, reveals why she'd like to trade places with a werewolf, muses on how much fun it would be to invite a couple of non-humans to her birthday party, and describes what she didn't like about the movie adaptation of MY SISTER'S KEEPER.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

I would trade places with Leah Clearwater from The Twilight books because I would like to see how it would feel to be a werewolf and run really fast.

What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

The last book I read was called PRETTY LITTLE DEVILS. I would suggest it to a friend because it always kept you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. I thought it would be a different kind of book but it was really different. In a good way!

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

I would like to invite Alice from the Twilight books because she is my favorite character, and Jacob, because everyone needs a werewolf at their party. I would also like to invite Darren Shan from the Cirque du Freak books because it would be awesome to have a half-vampire there too.

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

I have seen My Sister's Keeper. I like the book a lot better because I thought they ruined the movie by changing the ending.

Labels: Reader Q and A

Joining us today is Linda Newbery, the award-winning author of THE SHELL HOUSE, SISTERLAND, SET IN STONE and AT THE FIREFLY GATE. Below, she tackles some popular Frequently Asked Questions about her latest release, FLIGHTSEND.


"Where do you get your ideas from?" must be the question authors are confronted with most frequently. Many of my novels have begun with a particular place --- real or imaginary --- and FLIGHTSEND is one of them. The village in the story, and Flightsend, the cottage Charlie goes to live in with her mother Kathy, aren't real, but I had in mind the countryside in Northamptonshire, England, where I live --- gently rolling countryside, woodland, stone cottages, sheep-farming. It was the rather tumbledown cottage that first came into my mind, and its position close to a church, and I wanted the main character in my story to be moving there with great reluctance. The circumstances of Charlie's move --- the loss of baby Rose, her mother's split with Sean and resignation from her job --- gradually formed themselves around this setting.

Charlie has no choice but to support her mother, though she feels that Kathy is making a series of disastrous mistakes. At sixteen, Charlie doesn't want to be marooned in a remote village --- how will she have any kind of social life? But what upsets her far more is the rift with Sean, her mother's partner, the father of the stillborn baby. Sean isn't Charlie's dad; her own father left when she was a baby. He isn't her stepfather, either, since he and Kathy weren't married. Now he's gone, and there's no name for Charlie's relationship with him. But Sean has been part of her life for five years; she misses him very badly, and wants him back in her life. I decided to make this painful for Charlie by casting Sean as a PE teacher at her school, and by making him several years younger than her mother; so every day she sees him around the school in a way that feels awkward and uncomfortable for both of them. Of necessity, she's rather mature and capable for her age (as many girls are) but finds herself in turmoil as her feelings for Sean become hard to contain.

Another question authors are often asked is whether their characters are based on real people. Usually mine aren't, but there are two exceptions in FLIGHTSEND. One is Caspar, the lurcher dog, who turns up at Flightsend; he's based on a real-life lurcher (a cross between greyhound and wolfhound, traditionally a gypsy dog) called Jake, with a comically expressive face and lolloping limbs. The other is Angus, who is loosely based on a funny, popular boy I taught years ago as an English teacher; I don't know if this boy has ever tried Morris-dancing, but he certainly did play Bottom, in green tights, with huge success.

FLIGHTSEND must be one of my most English stories, with its village setting, wartime airfields and village fete. I always enjoy the flavour of American rural life in novels I've read by authors such as Jane Smiley, Barbara Kingsolver and Cynthia Voigt, so I hope US readers in turn will enjoy FLIGHTSEND.


-- Linda Newbery

Taking part in today's Reader Q&A is Christine Huang from San Jose, CA. Below, she lists her top three favorite books and literary-based movies, and explains which character from a Sarah Dessen novel she'd want to trade places with.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

If I could trade places with any character from any book, I'd trade with Remy from THIS LULLABY. She reminds me of myself because she's kind of mean, bitchy, and doesn't believe in love.

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

My top 3 favorites are THE TRUTH ABOUT FORVER and THIS LULLABY by Sarah Dessen, and THE KINGDOM KEEPERS by Ridley Pearson.

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

I've seen quite a few, especially the Harry Potter ones. In comparison to other books made into movies, the Harry Potter movies were amazing, all except The Half-Blood Prince. But I still prefer the books rather than the movies.

Labels: Reader Q and A

Prepare to lose some sleep this week, as this latest edition of the New Releases Roundup is spotlighting 24 unputdownable titles from YA faves like Walter Dean Myers, Kathryn Lasky, Jordan Sonnenblick and Alice Hoffman. High on our radars is SCARLETT FEVER, Maureen Johnson's sequel to the hilarious SUITE SCARLETT; Rachel Ward's creepy debut, NUM8ERS; the edgy RIKER'S HIGH by Paul Volponi; and THE RESISTANCE, Gemma Malley's futuristic thriller now out in paperback.


New Releases for January 31

Hardcover

DOPE SICK by Walter Dean Myers (Amistad)
The itch starts when things get too heavy for Lil J. Skin popping or stealing pain pills from his mom help him relax. But Lil J's focus is wandering because money is short, and his man Rico knows a way to make some quick cash. It's supposed to be an easy deal, but it isn't so simple when the buyer is an undercover cop.

With a gunshot wound to the arm, Rico in jail, and a police officer clinging to life, Lil J is starting to get dope sick. He'd do anything to change the last twenty-four hours, and when he stumbles into an abandoned crack house, it actually might be possible. . . .

Walter Dean Myers weaves elements of magical realism into a harrowing story about drug use, violence, alternate perceptions of reality, and second chances.


New releases for February 1st

Hardcover

AFTER EVER AFTER by Jordan Sonnenblick (Scholastic Press)
Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen who's in remission, but life still feels fragile. The aftereffects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute.

THE CLONE CODES by Patricia C. McKissack, Fredrick McKissack and John McKissack (Scholastic Press)
The Cyborg Wars are over and Earth has peacefully prospered for more than one hundred years. Yet sometimes history must repeat itself until humanity learns from its mistakes. In the year 2170, despite technological and political advances, cyborgs and clones are treated no better than slaves, and an underground abolitionist movement is fighting for freedom. Thirteen-year-old Leanna's entire life is thrown into chaos when The World Federation of Nations discovers her mom is part of the radical Liberty Bell Movement.

After her mother's arrest for treason, Leanna must escape as she is chased by a ruthless bounty hunter. Soon Leanna finds herself living among the Firsts, and nothing will ever be the same again. But what does The World Federation want with the daughter of a traitor? So much is uncertain. Danger hides everywhere. Fear takes over. With help from unlikely sources, Leanna learns the origin of The Liberty Bell Movement and how its members may have answers about her past-and her new reality.

As family secrets are revealed, Leanna must face startling truths about self-identity and freedom. Through time travel, advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence, this exhilarating adventure asks what it means to be human and explores the sacrifices an entire society will make to find out.

Acclaimed authors Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack have collaborated with their son, John to deliver a novel that is as suspenseful as it is searing.

NUM8ERS by Rachel Ward (The Chicken House/Scholastic)
Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today's number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem's world is about to explode!

SCARLETT FEVER by Maureen Johnson (Point)
Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-agent, entered Scarlett Martin's life, nothing has been the same.

She's still in charge of the Empire Suite in her family's hotel, but she's now also Mrs. Amberson's assistant, running around town for her star client, Chelsea --- a Broadway star Scarlett's age with a knack for making her feel insignificant.

Scarlett's also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, her lab partner who is being just a little TOO nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart.

In the midst of all this, her parents drop a bombshell that threatens to change her New York life forever...


Paperback

ALBATROSS by Josie Bloss (Flux)
He was music, everything else was noise.

Everyone at Tess's new school warns her that Micah is bad news --- a heartbreaker. And a girl named Daisy is acting like she owns him. Still, Tess can't ignore her attraction to this brooding, brilliant, friendless emo guy who can turn on the charm --- or heart-shredding scorn --- at a moment's notice. Starting over in a new town after her parents' split isn't easy for Tess, and Micah feels like her first real connection. But then their bond suddenly feels like shackles.
Caught in an obsessive triangle of jealousy and co-dependence, can Tess learn to break away and find herself again?

FABULOUS by Simone Bryant (Kimani)
There's no such thing as being too rich, too popular or too fabulous…

Pace Academy is an exclusive private school catering to the rich, pampered and beautiful. And Starr, Dionne and Marisol are its ruling elite, with an endless supply of designer clothes, platinum credit cards --- and drama….

Starr is planning a spectacular Sweet Fifteen party…but it may be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

Dionne stepped out of the hood and into Pace's inner circle, even though her parents are struggling to pay for their lavish new lifestyle.

Marisol is the daughter of a baseball star whose wealth and fame might just tear her family apart.

Now all three girls are about to learn that the price of being fabulous can sometimes be too high, even for the Pace-setters…

GREEN ANGEL by Alice Hoffman (Scholastic Press)
Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.

THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin)
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny --- one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth --- that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

LIGHT BENEATH FERNS by Anne Spollen (Flux)
I have this strange sense that my silence is preparing me for something I can't name...

Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have "normal" lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic boy who draws Elizah into his dreamlike and mysterious world.

Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel --- and discover an unimaginable secret.

THE SECRET STORY OF SONIA RODRIGUEZ by Alan Lawrence Sitomer (Disney Jump at the Sun)
Sonia Rodriguez was born in the United States, but her parents are Mexican immigrants who came to California before she was born. Her father has three Social Security numbers, her mother is pregnant (again), and neither of them speak English. Sonia's mother spends most of her time in bed, watching soap operas, and letting Sonia clean up after her brothers. Sonia's father works dutifully to support his family, but he knows that his daughter's dreams are bigger than making tamales for family get-togethers. When Sonia attempts to put school work before her familia, her mother decides that it's time for Sonia to visit her grandmother in Mexico to learn "the ways of the old world." While in Mexico, Sonia spends time with her wise grandmother and her cousin Maria who teach her that while familia is important, the most important thing is to follow your heart. Sonia returns to the States determined to succeed in school, but the birth of her new twin siblings, inappropriate advances from her drunk uncle (Drunkle), and a forbidden relationship with an El Salvadorian boy push school to the back burner. If only Sonia can find the time to cook dinner, secretly meet with her boyfriend, avoid her Drunkle, AND finish her homework, she just might be able to graduate from high school...

TWO GIRLS OF GETTYSBURG by Lisa Klein (Bloomsbury USA)
Lizzie and Rosanna are cousins. But when the Civil War breaks out, Lizzie finds herself committed to the cause of the Union, while Rosie is swept up in the passions of the old south. Torn in their alliances, each girl finds herself grappling with the brutality of war, and the elusive promise of love, until the battle at Gettysburg brings them together once again.

WHEREVER NINA LIES by Lynn Weingarten (Point)
Nina was beautiful, wild, and adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But one day, Nina disappeared. 2 years later, everyone has given up hope that Nina will return, but Ellie knows her sister is out there. If only Ellie had a clue where to look.Then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing. Determined to find Nina, Ellie takes off on a crazy, sexy cross-country road trip with the only person who believes she's got a chance --- her hot, adventurous new crush. Along the way, Ellie finds a few things she wasn't planning on. Like love. Lies. And the most shocking thing of all: the truth.

The book contains interior black-and-white illustrations, since the sister's drawings play a crucial role in the story.


New Releases for February 2nd

Hardcover

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS by C. J. Omololu (Walker Books for Young Readers)
Everyone has a secret. But Lucy’s is bigger and dirtier than most. It’s one she’s been hiding for years --- that her mom’s out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She’s managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they’d be disgusted by the truth. So, when her mom dies suddenly in their home, Lucy hesitates to call 911 because revealing their way of life would make her future unbearable --- and she begins her two-day plan to set her life right.

With details that are as fascinating as they are disturbing, C. J. Omololu weaves an hour-by-hour account of Lucy’s desperate attempt at normalcy. Her fear and isolation are palpable as readers are pulled down a path from which there is no return, and the impact of hoarding on one teen’s life will have readers completely hooked.

IN A HEARTBEAT by Loretta Ellsworth (Walker Books for Young Readers)
When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.

When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different --- dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy --- her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.

Told in alternating viewpoints, IN A HEARTBEAT tells the emotional and compelling story of two girls sharing one heart.

LOCKDOWN by Walter Dean Myers (Amistad)
When I first got to Progress, it freaked me out to be locked in a room and unable to get out. But after a while, when you got to thinking about it, you knew nobody could get in, either.
It seems as if the only progress that's going on at Progress juvenile facility is moving from juvy jail to real jail. Reese wants out early, but is he supposed to just sit back and let his friend Toon get jumped? Then Reese gets a second chance when he's picked for the work program at a senior citizens' home. He doesn't mean to keep messing up, but it's not so easy, at Progress or in life. One of the residents, Mr. Hooft, gives him a particularly hard time. If he can convince Mr. Hooft that he's a decent person, not a criminal, maybe he'll be able to convince himself.

Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers offers an honest story about finding a way to make it without getting lost in the shuffle.

THE LONG WAY HOME by Andrew Klavan (Thomas Nelson)
Charlie West went to bed one night an ordinary high school student. He woke up a hunted man. Terrorists are trying to kill him. The police want to arrest him for the stabbing death of his best friend. He doesn't know whose side he's one or who he can trust. With his pursuers closing in on every side, Charlie makes his way back to his hometown to find some answers. There, holed up in an abandoned mansion, he's joined by his friends in a desperate attempt to discover the truth about a murder he can't remember --- and the love he can never forget.

Paperback

AURELIE: A FAERIE TALE by Heather Tomlinson (Square Fish)
Once upon a time, three children and a little river dragon were the best of friends --- until a promise was broken. Now they are almost grown up and barely speaking to one another. With her country in turmoil, Aurelie is sent on a peacekeeping mission. But how can she prevent a war when she can’t even make her friends get along? Heartsick at losing her dearest companions, especially the handsome Garin, Aurelie finds comfort in her secret, late-night trips to fairyland. But a princess can’t hide from her duties forever. Her country needs her, and so do her friends --- whether they know it or not.

THE RESISTANCE by Gemma Malley (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books)
The year is 2140. Peter and Anna are living freely on the Outside, trying hard to lead normal lives, but unable to leave the terror of the Declaration --- and their experiences as surpluses --- completely behind them. Peter is determined to infiltrate Pharma Corporation, which claims to have a new drug in the works; "Longevity +" will not just stop the ravages of old age, it might just reverse the aging process. But what Peter and Anna discover behind the walls of Pharma is so nightmarish it makes the prison of their childhood seem like a sanctuary: for it seems the only way to regain youth is to harvest the young.

New Releases for February 4th Hardcover
ASHES by Kathryn Lasky (Viking Juvenile)
Thirteen-year-old Gabriella Schramm’s favorite pastime is reading. With Adolf Hitler slowly but unstoppably rising to power, Gaby turns to her books for comfort while the world around her changes dramatically: The streets become filled with soldiers, Gaby’s sister’s boyfriend raises his arm in a heil Hitler salute, and the Schramms’ family friend Albert Einstein flees the country. When Gaby’s beloved books come under attack, she fears she may have to leave behind the fiction --- and the life --- she has always cherished.

MY BOYFRIENDS’ DOGS by Dandi Daley Mackall (Dutton Juvenille)
If only boys were more like dogs.

On a stormy night in St. Louis, Bailey Daley finds refuge in an after-hours diner. Bailey, a girl with three dogs in tow, wearing a soaking-wet prom dress, obviously has a story to tell. See, she wants what every girl wants from her boyfriend: enthusiasm, loyalty, and unconditional love. And Bailey is always falling in love --- with boys, and with their dogs. And each of her dogs came from a relationship that didn’t quite work out. But don’t worry: in this fun, clean romance, true love is never far away --- it just waits until you stop looking for it.

RIKERS HIGH by Paul Volponi (Viking Juvenille)
Martin was sitting on the front stoop of his apartment building minding his own business when he was arrested for something he didn’t even mean to do. Five months later, he’s still locked up on Rikers Island, in a New York City jail. Just when it seems things couldn’t get much worse, Martin is caught between two warring prisoners, and his face is slashed. Now he’ll be forever marked with a prison scar. One good thing comes from the attack: Martin is transferred to a different part of Rikers where inmates are required to attend high school. If Martin opens up to a teacher who really seems to care, perhaps he’ll learn a lesson more valuable than any taught in class.

An award-winning author, Paul Volponi is uniquely qualified to tell Martin’s story because he taught on Rikers Island for six years. He originally wrote RIKERS for an adult audience. The book has been revised for young adults and is being republished as RIKERS HIGH.

A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME by Brenda Woods (Putnam Juvenille) If you could get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for anything at all, what would it be? This writing assignment, given out in Ms. Hart’s tenth-grade creative writing class, sparks a group of nine students each to tell his/her own story. Readers are introduced to Jake and Shante’s interracial romance, Carlos’ fear of deportation, and Sunday’s determination after being sexually assaulted. These teens persevere through hardship and heartache, laughter and love, and in the end, their voices shine through inspiring journal entries that answer the question in unusual and unexpected ways. Once again, Brenda Woods shows a keen understanding of the teenage psyche, as she did in EMAKO BLUE winner of the 2005 IRA Children’s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award.


Paperback

A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL by Kristin Walker (Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers Group)
Fiona can be hard to get along with: she's a little prickly, clueless, opinionated, and unrelenting. When a course on marriage, a requirement for graduation, forces her to wed Todd, a male cheerleader, she is flabbergasted. They are the worst match on the planet, and she just knows this will be torture. To make matters worse, her best friend announces that she is in love with Fiona's lifelong crush, and that she finds Fiona too self-absorbed. Fiona is, of course, hurt, and left without a friend on whom she can rely. However, her senior year is also filled with hilarious situations. As she deals with her trials and tribulations, Fiona learns a great deal about herself and about how to interact with other people. While the book is laugh-out-loud funny in some places, it also gives readers time to pause and think about priorities, relationships, and making the most of trying situations.

Labels: New Releases

Ally Carter, author of the bestselling Gallagher Girls books, is set to release the first installment of a new series on February 9th, called HEIST SOCIETY. Below, she explains how a "farm girl" like herself can have so much in common with the characters she's created... who just so happen to be spies and thieves.


When I was two years old my parents packed up my family and moved us to the farm where my mother was born. It’s a small farm, but beautiful, and the day we moved there is the day that the single-most important aspect of my personality began to form --- that’s the day I became a farm girl.

It’s true. Really, it is.

I have driven tractors, worked cattle, shucked corn, raked hay, and painted fences. I remember being the only member of the family small enough to climb inside the baler and clean it out when it got clogged while Daddy was baling hay. I remember the summer before I started kindergarten being allowed responsibility for my very own gate when working cows. There is never a time, in fact, when I don’t remember working right beside my parents, doing my part in the family business.

And that’s why I write what I write: books about spies and thieves.

See the connection? Really, you don’t? Okay, let me explain.

When I started writing about the Gallagher Girls I knew from the very beginning that Cammie Morgan (the main character) was the daughter of two elite spies, and that Cammie would constantly struggle with the best way to follow in her parents’ footsteps. My new series, Heist Society, started with a single line scratched on a spare piece of paper --- “the daughter of thieves.”

Kat and Cammie may be on opposite sides of the law, but the more I dove into Kat’s world, the more familiar it felt and the more I came to realize that these characters have a lot in common with each other --- and with me. I realized that, in a way, I keep writing my own story --- the story of girls who have been going to work in a family business every day of their lives. They talk shop around the kitchen table. They were given responsibility and training at a very young age. And, like me, they’ve been raised in worlds that are commonly considered to be male-dominated fields. (Kat and I have both spent a lot of time as the only girl in the room.)

While I was crawling up into that baler in the middle of our family’s hayfield, Kat was crawling through air ducts at the Tower of London. While my father was pointing out the different types of weeds and grasses to me as we walked through the pasture, Cammie’s father was pointing out how to spot a surveillance detail on a crowded street.

So they aren’t so unalike, Kat and Cammie.

I guess, in a way, they’re both farm girls too.

-- Ally Carter

Labels: Ally Carter, Heist Society

Lovers of fantasy, have we got a treat for you! Melina Marchetta --- the award-winning author of powerful, emotionally driven coming-of-age fiction like SAVING FRANCESCA, LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI, and ON THE JELLICO ROAD --- recently tried her hand at this new genre, and the end result is a spellbinding, epic novel that's already a big hit in her native Australia. Teeming with plenty of magic, intrigue and romance, her latest, FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK, promises to be a hauntingly beautiful, dark and complex tale about a cursed kingdom and the young hero destined to save it.

While the book won't hit store and library shelves until February 9th, its captivating book trailer is making its rounds now. Check it out below, and share your thoughts in the comments!

Labels: Book Trailer, Finnikn of the Rock, Melina Marchetta

Brianna K. from Chicago, IL joins us for today's Reader Q&A, where she talks about the last good book she read, favorite film adaptations, and the three fictional characters she'd like to meet.


What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

THE REFORMED VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP. Definitely, because it's a different take on vampires and makes fleeting references to Stephenie Meyer. It's cool to see how vampire lit affects others in the genre.

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

Meggie from the Inkheart Trilogy, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, and Mr. Darcy from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." - THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: I liked the book better, but I think it was mostly because the movie had to give the story a definitive plot while the book didn't necessarily.

Harry Potter: I like them equally because I still believe that the movies are good interpretations of the book.

Inkheart: I thought it was a brilliant and faithful interpretation. SO beautiful.

Labels: Reader Q and A

What is “Incarceron”? It is a prison like no other in the sense that the prisoners don’t believe in the idea of an “Outside.” But after 17-year-old Finn discovers a link to the world outside of Incarceron’s walls, the race is on to escape the prison --- a prison that has as many secrets as it does prisoners.

Check back later this month for our review of INCARCERON, a novel from Catherine Fisher (author of the Oracle series) that is being hailed as “one of the best fantasy novels written for a long time.” But, in the mean time, watch its book trailer below and let us know what you think!

Labels: Book Trailer, Catherine Fisher, Incarceron

Got a story you want told? A poem you want praised? Do you feel like you have what it takes to become the next J.K. Rowling or Shel Silvertein? If that’s the case, then you’ll be happy to hear about HarperCollins Publishers’ newest venture, inkpop. Inkpop is like social networking meets fan fiction --- an online community where teens can come together to share their writing with the world. But the big difference is that on inkpop, not only will your peers be viewing your works, but HarperCollins editors will be reading as well, and they will be choosing select works for publication.

With already over 11,000 submissions --- including short stories, poems, and even full-length novels --- from over 100 countries, inkpop is growing at an alarming rate. An online community for those who have a passion for reading and writing, inkpop serves as a shining beacon for the revolution of the written word in the 21st century. If you have a story to tell, it’s your responsibility to share your creativity with the rest of the world. We will be here, waiting patiently.

Visit HarperCollins's inkpop here.

Labels: Fun Stuff, HarperCollins, Inkpop

This week's new releases are all about fantasy and teen drama, with six buzzworthy titles sure to satisfy your cravings for everything from other-worldly adventures and star-crossed lovers to twisted fairy-tale endings and even a zombie romance. Sure to keep you on the edge of your seat are Catherine Ryan's dystopic UK hit INCARCERON and BONES OF FAERIE by Jannie Lee Simner, while the more grounded CULTURE CLASH by L. Divine and Leslie Connor's WAITING FOR NORMAL temper the atmospheric fiction of Frewin Jones's THE ENCHANTED QUEST and I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND LIKED IT with high school social issues and coming-of-age survival stories.


New Releases for January 26

Hardcover

THE ENCHANTED QUEST: Faerie Path #5 by Frewin Jones (HarperTeen)
Far from the Realm of Faerie, a quest to save immortality . . .

A deadly plague is sweeping through Faerie, and no one is immune to its bite. Now, with the guidance of the Dream Weaver, Tania, Rathina, and a mortal ally, Connor, must head off to find the Divine Harper --- the only one who can help Tania renew the Faerie Covenant of Immortality. Their quest will soon take them outside the borders of Faerie, to hostile and unwelcoming lands beyond.

On their travels, Tania and her companions encounter danger at every turn as they battle pirates, contend with mysterious and mystical beings, and try to outwit those under the sinister grip of the Dark Arts. But when Tania's beloved Edric appears, it looks as if they have help at last. Or do they? As tensions and dangers rise, Tania is forced to question everything and everyone around her in order to decide if she is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her loved ones.

INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher (Dial Books for Young Readers)
Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside --- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.


Paperback

DRAMA HIGH: CULTURE CLASH by L. Divine (Dafina)
Ever since she discovered a love for drag racing, it's full speed ahead for Jayd Jackson. . .
Fed up with the way her school's handling Cultural Awareness Day, Jayd and her crew decide to form the first African Student Union. Now some notorious haters are out for blood. But that's not the only multicultural activity Jayd's got cooking. On the boy front, Jayd discovers she loves being behind the wheel of her friends' hot rods, but she can't deny her attraction for Emilio, the new Latino sophomore at South Bay High. Emilio seems to be crushin' hard on Jayd too. And now that Jayd may be South Bay's last virgin, she wonders if it's time to take things to the next level.

I KISSED A ZOMBIE, AND I LIKED IT by Adam Selzer (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Algonquin “Ali” Rhodes, the high school newspaper’s music critic, meets an intriguing singer, Doug, while reviewing a gig. He’s a weird-looking guy --- goth, but he seems sincere about it, like maybe he was into it back before it was cool. She introduces herself after the set, asking if he lives in Cornersville, and he replies, in his slow, quiet murmur, “Well, I don’t really live there, exactly. . . .”

When Ali and Doug start dating, Ali is falling so hard she doesn’t notice a few odd signs: he never changes clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally Marie, the school paper’s fashion editor, points out the obvious: Doug isn’t just a really sincere goth. He’s a zombie. Horrified that her feelings could have allowed her to overlook such a flaw, Ali breaks up with Doug, but learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of --- at the same time she learns that vampires, a group as tightly-knit as the mafia, don’t think much of music critics who make fun of vampires in reviews. . . .

BONES OF FAERIE by Janni Lee Simner (Random House Books for Young Readers)
The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see --- into the past, into the future --- and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Janni Lee Simner’s first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction --- as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique.

WAITING FOR NORMAL by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen)
Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie all to home, where she wants to be with her half sisters. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal.

Labels: New Releases

Libby Schmais's first novel for young adults, THE PILLOW BOOK OF LOTUS LOWENSTEIN, follows a teenage francophile and her humorous, less-than-successful attempts to live and love in the footsteps of some famous Parisian existentialists. Today, Libby joins us with ruminations on the value of romance, and shares some back story on the legendary French couple idolized by her 16-year-old heroine.


With Valentine’s Day looming on the horizon, my thoughts turn to romance and of course, chocolat (hint, hint). In my novel, THE PILLOW BOOK OF LOTUS LOWENSTEIN, the main character, Lotus, is obsessed with French food and the romance between Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, two famous Parisian existentialists. JP (as Lotus likes to call him) and Simone had an open relationship, which worked for them (although to be honest, I’m not sure how happy Simone was about it), but when Lotus tries to replicate it with her love interest Sean, it doesn’t turn out too well.

Maybe writing about Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir seems an odd choice for a book about teens, but what I like about JP and Simone is that they are so not the poster couple for a healthy relationship, but at the same time they had a great romance.

What was so romantic about this famous couple? Well, for Lotus (and moi), much of the romance stems in imagining how they lived, seeing the two of them sitting around in Café des Deux Magots in Paris, their favorite hangout, writing, mercilessly editing each other’s books, drinking endless espressos and having long discussions about philosophy, love, politics and all the ideas of the day.

The romance was also in how they seemed so free, so willing to sacrifice "normal life" for their life of ideas. The couple is even buried in the same grave, at the famous Cimitière de Montparnasse (which I plan to visit on my next trip to Paris).

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that we should emulate this dysfunctional relationship. Back in Brooklyn, when Sean and Lotus attempt to follow the freethinking ideas of these two famous existentialists, it doesn’t translate all that well to their real life. Lotus almost loses her best friend, finds out that Sean was not all that she thought he was, and realizes that she doesn’t like to share --- especially when it comes to l‘amour.

And yet, there’s still a great value to romance, and it’s something that we lose in the day-to-day, quotidien-ness of our lives and relationships. It’s something that takes us out of ourselves and makes us long for a bigger, more dramatic life. It’s funny --- I doubt whether Simone de Beauvoir, who saw herself as a serious intellectual, not to mention an early feminist, would have been comfortable being seen as a romantic heroine. Here’s a quote of hers on love and romance: “Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, the romance and you find out you still care for that person.”

Now that is deeply romantic!


-- Libby Schmais

Labels: Libby Schmais, The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein

In today's Reader Q&A, 14-year-old Alexandria Poggio from Linden, CA shares a favorite quote that sends her a-flutter each time she reads it, reveals what she'd ask Sarah Dessen if she were ever given the chance to meet her, and explains why she almost physically assaulted (jokingly, of course!) her local librarian.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

If I could be any character from a book for a day, it would be Alice from ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll. What can I say, I'm a sucker for adventure. Exploring my wonderland is what I do most of the time anyway, but I would be happy that this would only last for one day so I can slip out right before the Queen of Hearts cuts off my head!

What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

The last book I read was THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan. It was great! It's filled with everything I love in a book. It was a love, adventure, and horror story all in one. I have already recommended it to lots of people. I practically threw the book at my librarian to read it (JK).

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

I would invite:
Hannah Baker from THIRTEEN REASONS WHY because I had so many questions I wanted to ask her at the end of the book.
Ruby from LOCK AND KEY because I love her rebel attitude.
Katniss from THE HUNGER GAMES because she is smart and adventurous.

Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?

Yes, it is said by Edward Cullen in NEW MOON by Stephine Meyer, from chapter 23, p.514.

"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars --- points of light and reason... And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything."

It gives me butterflies every time I read it.

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

TWO-WAY STREET by Lauren Barnholdt is my favorite romance novel. I literally read this book three times so I could get that feeling in the pit of my stomach that only a good book could give you.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins is another favorite. This book is like eating the perfect piece of candy. You always want more.

My next favorite would be a Sarah Dessen book. Probably LOCK AND KEY. Ruby always tries to save others when she is the one who needs to be saved and that reminds me of myself in many ways.

If you had the opportunity to meet any author (dead or alive), who would you choose to meet, and what three questions would you ask him/her?

It would be Sarah Dessen, my all-time favorite author. I would ask her:
1) which book that you wrote do you think is your best?
2)What are you working on now?
3)What is your all-time favorite book?

Labels: Reader Q and A

Today's guest blogger is Lauren Kate, author of THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE and the newly released FALLEN. Below, she explains why "lying" isn't necessarily such a bad thing, especially for readers and writers of fiction.

And if you haven't already, check out Lauren's Author Q&A and FALLEN book trailer we posted earlier, here.

Have you ever played the game Truth, Truth, Lie? The rules, er…rule is simple: working around the room, each person tells (in any order) two true statements about him or herself along with one lie. The object is to guess is to guess the lie --- which gets harder and more fun when you play with some skilled fabricators.

Because the truths have to measure up to the lies in terms of how interesting or bizarre they are, people usually offer some pretty juicy details. The kinds of things that never come up in small talk. I once dated a girl with the same name as my ex so I wouldn’t have to get my tattoo removed. That kind of thing.

I love the game because it never fails to get a group of strangers loosened up and laughing. Plus…it actually encourages making up a big fat lie, then playing it off as if it were a fact! And who gets away with that past the elementary school playground?

Well…writers do.

When I teach creative writing workshops, I like to play Truth, Truth, Lie on the first day of class. Some of you might not think encouraging your students to lie is the brightest idea. That I’m just setting myself up for a semester full of my-dog-ate-my-homework-on-the-same-day-as-my-grandmother’s-funeral kind of stuff. But that seems a small price to pay to convey the idea that great fiction relies on a steady combination of truth and lie. The lie is there to catch our fancy, and set a story aloft; the truth tethers it back to reality and makes it accessible to readers.

And all the lying writers do? It’s contagious.

When writers lie, what they’re really doing is giving their imagination free reign. Think of Yann Martel writing those incredibly affecting tiger-in-the-rowboat scenes in LIFE OF PI. A masterpiece of a lie.

When characters lie, they get termed “unreliable narrators” and we love them all the more for it. Think of Holden Caulfield, maybe the most famous liar in American fiction, who grows more charming with every fib he tells in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.

Readers: before you get all self-righteous, understand that you lie, too. A really good book will practically force you to. You lie to suspend your disbelief, to make the impossible possible, to comprehend how in the world a starving tiger in a rowboat wouldn’t eat that character you’ve come to care about so deeply.

As a reader, caught up in a great story’s web of lies is one of my favorite places to be. As a writer, lying lets me live out any far-fetched narrative I can come up with --- as long as I can balance it out with enough truth that you’ll suspend your disbelief when you pick up my book.
I’ll leave you with a turn at Truth, Truth, Lie and challenge you to try and separate fact from fiction:

1. I have worked as a door-to-door discount carwash sales person.
2. When I was fourteen, I went to the junior Olympics for giant slalom snow skiing.
3. My husband totaled our car thirty minutes before our wedding.


-- Lauren Kate


Please check out The Book Butterfly for the next stop on Lauren's blog tour.

Labels: Fallen, Lauren Kate