#BookTrailerThursdays: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Book Trailer Thursdays!
To participate, post an entry in your blog on Thursdays with an embedded book trailer of your choice (note: the trailer can be fan made but please no movie trailers of book adaptations) with your thoughts and comments underneath. It can be a book you have read, want to read or have never even come across before.

This week we present... "Insurgent" the sequel to Veronica Roth's Blockbuster "Divergent"!



INSURGENT is the much-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling DIVERGENT.

ABOUT INSURGENT:
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. 

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. 

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature. 

Join the #DivergentNation at http://www.facebook.com/divergentseries 

Order your copy today:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/H21jGu 
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/H8E65h 
Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/Hy1PLb 
iBookstore: http://bit.ly/H0uy9e
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/Hy28Wy

...and I couldn't resist adding this cool Thank You from the author!



Thank you, Divergent Nation, for making both DIVERGENT and INSURGENT #1 New York Times bestsellers!

For more information on INSURGENT, visit:http://harperteen.com/books/Insurgent-Veronica-Roth/?isbn=9780062024046
For more information on DIVERGENT, visit:http://harperteen.com/books/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/?isbn=9780062024039

Join the Divergent Nation at http://facebook.com/divergentseries

#TeaserTuesdays - The Fairytale Keeper

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:  
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My May 1st Teaser is from:

The Fairytale Keeper
...avenging the queen


by Andrea Cefalo


Chapter: 18 March, 1248
Page: 147


"Better wake up, boy," a hoarse voice orders as the breeze of a large object sweeps past my cheek, smacks the wall next to me, and lands like a thud. My hazy eyes flash open and I shoot up violently from the unfamiliar bed. The room is a blurry brown smudge and I try to quickly rub the sleep from my eyes.

"I said, get, up boy! the voice commands and my vision clears in just enough time to see the second boot fly at me right before it slams into the side of my face.

Get Your Short Story In Front of Major Literary Agents

Win a literary agent or acclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers.  This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation.  See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details.

You could win a manuscript critique from:

• Laura Langlie, literary agent for Meg Cabot

• Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau

• Brenda Bowen, literary agent and editor of Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust

• Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe

• Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

• Cynthia Voigt, winner of the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song and the Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue

All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What You Wish For.  Essays are due Feb. 1, 2012 and winners will be announced around Mar. 1, 2012.  If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or started, your manuscript).  You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques.
        Building libraries and supporting literacy in Darfuri refugee camps.

If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss.  To enter, follow the instructions athttp://bookwish.org/contest.

Good luck and best wishes,

Logan Kleinwaks
President, Book Wish Foundation

About Book Wish

Book Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity providing high-impact reading aid for people in crisis, with a current focus on refugees from Darfur and AIDS orphans in Ghana. We give some of the world's neediest readers the books they wish for, taking requests for specific titles and subjects. This helps ensure the books will be matched to the needs of the readers, and appropriate for their reading level and culture. We typically do not accept generic book donations from the public because they do not match the requests we receive. We do not hold book drives. The books that are most useful in a refugee camp might not be best-sellers in New York.

The populations we aid have very limited resources and are facing immense challenges for the foreseeable future. For them, books can play an especially large role in education, mental health, and job training. We search for the readers who will get the most out of our books because they have so little to begin with.

Maximizing the impact of books also means maximizing the number of readers, so we will provide reading glasses, vision screenings, support for literacy programs, solar-rechargeable lighting where there is no electricity, or any other aid that can effectively increase the audience for our books.

Local Book Signing Events - LA & Orange County!

Lisa Desrochers, Jeff Marriotte, Gretchen McNeil, Heather
Brewer, Cindy Pon, Inara Scott and Katie Alender at the OCCBF

Check out the top bar on the blog and you will see I have added a new feature!


Click the link that says "OC/LA: Events/Book Signings"  - October is filled with places to go and authors to meet!


From the Orange County Children's Book Festival to Becca Fitzpatrick's release of the third book in the Hush Hush series to the "Pen Fatale Tour" and the "Dark Days of Supernatural Tour" and at the end of the month Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl present book number 3½ in The Caster Chronicles with Beautiful Chaos!


...and don't forget you have three opportunities to meet Laini Taylor and pick up an autographed copy of her latest book "Daughter of Smoke & Bone" - this is probably the most eagerly awaited book of the year.

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a lush, sweeping, romantic marvel of a book. Taylor's writing is a revelation, masterfully blending an intricate fantasy world into our own, with an artist's flair for exquisite details. Funny, devastating, delightful, unforgettable. Pure storytelling perfection." 

Kiersten White, author of the Paranormalcy series

It has received four starred reviews and was recently featured on Entertainment Weekly's "Must List" and a glowing review in the Los Angeles Times.  Laini went to high school in Orange County, so it's a bit of a homecoming for her in the midst of her 9-city tour to appear at the below events. 


I think I'm going to combine seeing the new Mysterious Galaxy Books location in Redondo Beach with picking up a copy!  Hope I run into some of you!!!

Monday, October 24th @ 7:30 PM

MYSTERIOUS GALAXY

2810 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278

Tuesday, October 25th @ 7:00 PM

BOOK SOUP

8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Wednesday, October 26th @ 7:00 PM

BARNES & NOBLE – Bella Terra

7881 Edinger Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

#TeaserTuesday - Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser Tuesday:

"Bertie rubbed her thumb over the scrimshaw as she peered at him.  Another one wearing a mask, though it's as ugly as what lurks underneath.  He smirked, sending nasty, oily serpents to pluck at her composure, to push, to goad, to tug at the reins of her temper while the Players looked on."

From "Eyes Like Stars" by Lisa Mantchev

(I chose this book today because it was recommended by one of the FABULOUS people who work at the Brea Borders - we will miss every one of you!)

Teaser Tuesday - "Moonglass"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Tuesday Teaser for today is...

Moonglass

by Jessi Kirby

"Still, every night when I flipped of the living room light, I stood for a minute in our warm living room, starring out the giant window at the dark silhouette of the abandoned cottage, waiting.  For something."

_______________________________

Thanks to Jessi Kirby for this stunning debut novel which I received from Simon Pulse.  

If you would like the opportunity to meet Jessi in person she will be appearing on the Teen/YA Stage at the Orange County Children's Book Festival on Sunday, October 2nd,  taking part in the "Keeping It Real" panel being Moderated by Heidi Kling!

Tomorrow's Guardian By Richard Denning

Tomorrow's Guardian

By Richard Denning

 Diving in and out of times and realities..., March 13, 2011

By Reading It All "Reading It All - Robyn" (Orange County, CA USA) - See all my reviews

   

This review is from: Tomorrow's Guardian (Paperback)

Tom Oakley is an ordinary 12 year old English schoolboy, except he is plagued with too-real dreams of historical characters where he becomes that person. Then he begins to have day-dreams just as vivid and his behavior become questionable to his teachers and earns the ridicule of the school bully. 

Tom learns from a raffish Welshman that time is not just the hands moving on the clock or the sun in the sky. Time is multi-dimensional; moving in parallel time streams including his own timeline with all of the history that makes up the world he know.  He also learns that he is a Walker, capable of transporting himself through time. Learning to control his gift takes him on adventures that are wilder than his wildest dreams. It also introduces him to people and ideas about doing what is right. 

Denning has handled the confusion, frustration, impetuousness, and anger of a young boy faced with the impossible very well. Working with different timelines and realities takes real imagination and organization, and the book reflects that.

Product Description from Amazon:

Tom Oakley experiences disturbing episodes of déjà-vu and believes he is going mad. Then, he discovers that he's a "Walker" - someone who can transport himself to other times and places. Tom dreams about other "Walkers" in moments of mortal danger: Edward Dyson killed in a battle in 1879; Mary Brown who perished in the Great Fire of London; and Charlie Hawker, a sailor who drowned on a U-boat in 1943. Agreeing to travel back in time and rescue them, Tom has three dangerous adventures, before returning to the present day. But Tom's troubles have only just begun. He finds that he's drawn the attention of evil individuals who seek to bend history to their will. Soon, Tom's family are obliterated from existence and Tom must make a choice between saving them and saving his entire world. Tomorrow's Guardian is a Young Adult Fantasy Novel.

The Attenbury Emeralds: The New Lord Peter Wimsey/ Harriet Vane Mystery

The Attenbury Emeralds: 
The New Lord Peter Wimsey/ Harriet Vane Mystery
By Jill Paton Walsh


4.0 out of 5 stars Deliciously Complicated...


Ms Walsh has written two other "Whimsey" mysteries with the original Whimsey/Vane" author Dorothy Sayers...this was a great foundation to build on.

In The Attenbury Emeralds: The New Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Mystery, this story, she has kept the feeling of mystery and challenge that permeates previous Lord Peter Whimsey stories.

The characters remain true - Bunter, the resourceful and intrepid manservant; Harriet, Lady Peter Whimsey, nee Vane, a mystery writer in her own right; Lord Peter, tenacious, honorable and as intelligent as ever.

The Attenbury emerald (singular) disappears; is replaced with a genuine but slightly different twin; both are stolen and returned or found, but which is which and "whodunit".

The mystery is deliciously complicated and solved in the quiet conversational way of all Whimsey mysteries, causing the reader to puzzle out the clues along with the protagonists. Great read!


Product Description from Amazon:
In 1936, Dorothy L. Sayers abandoned the last Lord Peter Wimsey detective story. Sixty years later, a brown paper parcel containing a copy of the manuscript was discovered in her agent’s safe in London, and award-winning novelist Jill Paton Walsh was commissioned to complete it. The result of the pairing of Dorothy L. Sayers with Walsh was the international bestseller Thrones, Dominations.

Now, following A Presumption of Death, set during World War II, comes a new Sayers-inspired mystery featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, revisiting his very first case. . . . It was 1921 when Lord Peter Wimsey first encountered the Attenbury Emeralds. The recovery of the gems in Lord Attenbury’s dazzling heirloom collection made headlines—and launched a shell-shocked young aristocrat on his career as a detective.

Thirty years later, a happily married Lord Peter has just shared the secrets of that mystery with his wife, the detective novelist Harriet Vane. Suddenly, the new Lord Attenbury—grandson of Lord Peter’s first client—seeks his help to prove who owns the emeralds. As Harriet and Peter contemplate the changes that the war has wrought on English society—and Peter, who always cherished the liberties of a younger son, faces the unwanted prospect of ending up the Duke of Denver after all—Jill Paton Walsh brings us a masterful new chapter in the annals of one of the greatest detectives of all time.


Disclaimer: this book was chosen from the Amazon Vine Program and I received it free of charge  - this does not change a review for me  - however I choose not to post reviews that earn below a 3 star review.

The Poison Diaries...

The Poison Diaries

by MaryRose Wood

 ...even the most innocent-looking weed can cure...

I loved this book - I picked it up because the whole idea of the ancient art of the Apothecary and Botany are sciences that interest me...but I never expected the magical story this book turn into. 

Based on the The Duchess Of Northumberland, and her famous Poison Gardens at Alnwick Castle, The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaires) draws you into the world of Jessamine. 

Losing her Mother early, Jessamine is left to herself by a Father who stays busy (and away from home) practicing the healing art of the Apothecary. So Jessamine fills her days among the healing plants in his garden...and then she meets Weed and everything changes. 

The writing in this book is amazing - you become so entrenched in Jessamine's ability to converse with the plants around her that you really want to spend time in the wilderness...this book will seriously change the way you look at the wild life around you. A little slow starting (as is the background building in some books) but it picks up quickly and once Weed comes into the story you won't want to put this down. 


Product Description from Amazon:

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .

Countdown: In the words of a 60's News Anchor...You Are There!

Countdown
by Deborah Wiles


I don't know about you - but for me - thinking about the era when I was in school as history is a little painful - but in Countdown author Deborah Wiles does just that. 

This is a new genre for the Children's Market - it is being called a Juvenile Documentary Novel. Basically that translates as historical fiction for kids! 

What an interesting decade to look at - Wiles starts her Historical Trilogy in 1962, the heyday of "Camelot" and through her use of song lyrics, news casts, and period locales - puts you in the shoes of 12 year old Franny Chapman...just as the golden boy of that storybook era gets started and makes a huge misstep with the Bay of Pigs crisis. 

Recent history is sometimes not covered in school and the political nature of the Cuban Missile Crisis has made it a tough nut to crack in an unbiased way. Seeing these life changing issues alongside the issues that are important to Franny and her Middle Grade world is a genuinely unique view of the world in the early 60's and Wiles truly put you there. 

The writing style is compelling and drags you into this look at a generation that lived with the noise of angry voices, political songs, the very real threat of Nuclear Attack and Duck & Cover...I look forward to growing with Franny.


Product Description from Amazon:
It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a formative year.

Insatiable: Why couldn't she escape stupid vampires?

Insatiable
by Meg Cabot


With a teaser that blatantly says - "Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper." - how could I resist...add that it is from the all time Queen of ChickLit, Meg Cabot and you have the perfect "beach read"! ...you know the book that you just sit down and devour! 

From the description I thought that this was going to be "Sex & the City" meets "Twilight", but Meena Harper is no Carrie Bradshaw. Meena is the script writer for a popular soap opera looking to up it's ratings by adding a "vampire storyline" to cash in on the huge new trend! ...not something Meena is looking forward to. 

When you open Insatiable you get the television studio, behind the scenes glamour, the crazy neighboor, a dark and brooding prince and you have the basic ingredients - but this is Meg Cabot! Not content to simply bring you yet another tale of Vampires living among us, Cabot throughout pokes fun at and makes reference to the other books and TV shows of this ilk. But this vampire romance has a MUCH different outcome...pick this up and take it on your next vacation. 

Older teens and young adults will love this.


Product Description:
Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.
Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)
But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own.
And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.
Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future. . . .
If she even has one.

Poison...Renaissance Poisoner as Heroine

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance 
by Sara Poole


The whole idea of "Poisoner" as heroine...begs the comparisons to the like-able serial killer Dexter. But in the Renaissance Era, the setting for this debut novel from Sara Poole, that is a legitimate profession. 

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance begins as our heroine, Francesca Giordano, takes over her father's job as head poisoner for the Borgia family (YES - those Borgias'). Cardinal Borgia wants to become pope, so this could be a deadly position that Francesca finds herself in. With her father recently killed under mysterious circumstances...threats to the Borgias' are numerous (meals and clothing must be routinely checked for poison planted by rival families). Francesca turns out to be one of the greatest poisoners in what was perhaps the most dangerous and corrupt eras, the late-fifteenth-century Rome. 

Poole weaves history and fiction in a tale that will satisfy even the most discriminating follower of renaissance history...if you are a fan of Mistress of the Art of Death this should be right up your alley!


Product Description

In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness.
Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul.
Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father’s killer from the depths of Rome’s Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends.

NEW? Book Blog Meme: Book Jewelry!

As a jeweler and an avid reader I am always looking for ways to combine my two loves!

So I am starting this meme: Book Jewelry!

...no specific day - just fit it in when you think of it.

There are some great sites that can be mined for "Book Jewelry" - most of the Artisan and Craft sites (Etsy, Artfire, DeviantArt, etc.) will have lots...you get the picture.

Be sure to include a link to the bookmarks so if someone wants to buy it, they can! ...and if you let the artist know you featured them - they may give your blog a shout out on theirs!

Some ideas:

Bookmarks that "dress up" your book

"Book Themed" bookmarks - Genre Themes & Book Titles (ie. steampunk or TrueBlood)

Jewelry with a "book theme"

Easy peasy - not a lot of rules...can I count on you to help me get this started?

In this post:

Top Photo: Stained Glass Bookmark by L-A-Glass

Bottom photo: Whispered Tales set of 4 Bookmarks by stilettoheights