I got off to a slow start to the 48 Hour Read-a-Thon, but I usually do.  I was exhausted last night when I finally got home from work and a visit with the ponies.  My allergies are acting up, and I have also had a sinus headache since yesterday.  I am powering my way through it, though – it will eventually go away.  I hope!

Anyway, here is my progress so far:

Finished reading:

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

Kekkaishi Vol 22 by Yellow Tanabe (Such an awesome series!)

Skip*Beat! Vol 21 by Nakamura Yoshiki

Some of the books I hope to get through this weekend include:

Sarasah Vol 4 by Ryu Ryang

Stepping on Roses Vol 2 by Rinko Ueda

Rasetsu Vol 5 by Chika Shiomi

Alice the 101st Vol 1 by Chigusa Kawai

Seiho Boys High School Vol 1 by Kaneyoshi Izumi

The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes by Kelly Easton

It’s not too late for you to jump in on the fun.  Just visit Unputdownables for all of the lowdown on the read-a-thon!

Now, I have a few errands to run, including grabbing lunch with Dean, and then it’s back to the books!

What have you read so far this weekend?

 

Title: White Cat

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

ISBN: 978-1416963967

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories

Review:

I decided to give White Cat a try because I enjoyed Holly Black’s Spiderwick Chronicles and The Good Neighbors graphic novels.  I started reading a sample on my Kindle app, and well before I reached the end, I was hooked.  I promptly downloaded the entire book and followed along as Cassel frantically attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding him and his family.  After a rude awakening on the roof of his school, dressed in just his boxers, he begins to wonder why he has started sleepwalking, and what his family of curse workers is hiding from him.

I loved the concept of the curse workers.  Though I don’t understand a lot of it, as the author is a little stingy with details, I enjoyed what I did glean from Cassel’s sparse narrative.  Cassel comes from a family of curse workers, and he is the only one without a gift.  His mom is a con artist and she’s in jail, while his brothers work for a gangster.  Cassel is trying to keep his nose clean by going to a boarding school, but the skeletons in his closet soon catch up with him.  Kicked out of school, he is forced to move in with his grandfather while he tries to find a way to get back into school and away from his family.

The curse workers are a scary lot.  They each have a special ability, and non-workers aren’t thrilled to mingle with them.  Everyone wears gloves and tries to keep skin to skin contact at a minimum, to avoid being worked.  While I love the thought of being able to alter people’s memories, or make them fall in love against their will, or even to kill them, what I really like is that there is a price to be paid when working someone.  There’s a blowback, an often painful and unpleasant side effect for using their gifts.  This is why I love Fullmetal Alchemist; using your special powers shouldn’t be free, and it should come with consequences.  It should exact a toll, and make you think twice before you take the easy way out.  Superman is boring because there isn’t much that can defeat him.  If you had to sacrifice a piece of your soul or suffer physical pain to use your spells, that would kind of even things out for the rest of us.  There’s no such thing as a free lunch, unless you’re an investment banker.

Cassel charmed me from the first page.  He’s a smart, fast-talking young man who is far too clever for his own good.  He thinks that he’s playing by the rules, now that he’s staying at school and away from his family.  Little does he know that everyone is playing him!  The plot is compelling and complex, and little nuggets of information about Cassel and his shadowed past are played out slowly, one tidbit at a time.  The pacing is tight and suspenseful, and the ending left me gasping for more.

For a book I wasn’t sure about, I thought that White Cat was a tense, engrossing read.  I can hardly wait for the sequel, Red Glove.  I want to know more about Cassel, and the intriguing world he lives in.

Grade: B+

Review copy purchased from Amazon

To read more reviews about White Cat visit Blog with Bite, where it was the July YA review title.  Several other bloggers dropped in to leave their thoughts about the book.  Click here to read them!

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted at Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s a way to share your wishlist with the rest of the blogsphere. The books can be old, new or forthcoming, but my lists will be limited to already released titles. If you would like to join in and post your wishlist,  click here for more information.

How can  you not be intrigued by a book titled Solace & Grief??  I know I can’t!

From Amazon:

Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl has an awesome cover, and an awesome title.  It’s not an ebook, unfortunately, but I would like to get my hands on it anyway.

From Amazon:

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love–and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald’s offer–and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

I’ve had plenty of fashion disasters, but I don’t think any of them left a significant impression on my life.  The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle has a great title and looks like a fun read.

From Amazon:

Out of all the people in the world, why do I have to be the freak who went to school on the very first day of the year with a pair of PANTIES stuck by static cling to the leg of my pants?!!!- Seventh grade was supposed to be Alli’s breakout year-only her big debut ends up being a big disaster. Then queen bee Rachel Delaney takes Alli under her wing, and Alli finds herself in the inner circle of seventh-grade cool. But the inner circle is nothing like Alli expected, and there-s ugliness lurking behind the prettiest faces. Can Alli figure out where she fits in, or will she get caught up in the glamour of running with the in crowd?

What’s on your wishlist?

 

Title: B.O.D.Y. Vol 6

Author: Ao Mimori

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 9781421523613

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

I knew that Kousuke was trouble right from the very start. Now he’s vowed revenge on me and broken my friend’s heart. Why can’t she give up on him? He’s played her for a fool! Why can’t more hosts be like you?  Why’s he such a tool? Be mine!

I am so glad that the “Kousuke is a big jerk” story arc wraps up in this volume.  It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying it, it’s just that it was getting old and starting to play on too many clichés.  I found myself getting more and more irritated with Asuka, both for not believing Ryoko and for allowing herself to be played so easily by Kousuke.  Asuka’s dismissal of both Ryoko’s advice and her friendship just didn’t ring true for me, and it made me question why I ever liked Asuka to begin with.  If they were BFF, I hope it would take more than a hot guy spewing cheesy lines to destroy their friendship.  It was especially irritating because Kousuke’s real target was Ryunosuke, who couldn’t have cared a fig about his rival.  If this episode taught me anything, it’s that Ryoko can really be a big sap,too! 

The rest of the volume was more enjoyable, as Ryunosuke’s dad makes a surprise appearance.  Followed quickly by an unannounced visit from his mom.  To say that his parents are unusual is a vast understatement, and Ryoko is quickly sucked into a very awkward situation.  Ryunosuke’s parents get along like oil and water, and they can’t even put aside their differences for the duration of their visit.  With an ice princess mom and a vagabond dad, it’s easy to see why Ryunosuke has developed an aloof personality.  His parental units are more than a handful, and they must have just sucked the life out of him when he was younger.  No wonder he’s so self reliant; if he had to depend on them for anything, especially a little cooperation, he would be doomed to disappointment.

Though light on substance, I am enjoying this storyline much better than the last.  There are some nice comedic touches, and the tone is breezier and more fun.  Now I’m curious to see how much trouble his feuding, meddling parents will make for Ryunosuke and Ryoko.  If they ever thought that they were going to get some snuggle time together, I fear that they are going to be sadly mistaken.  While not ground breaking, the entertainment value is now on an upward tick.

Grade: B

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Blogger Hop is a meme held every weekend and it is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books.  It’s a great way to find book blogs that you might now know about.  Hop over here for all the rules.

Weekly Question – Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year? This is another tough question, because I have been reading so many new to me authors.  My favorites so far are Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall) Charlie Higson (The Enemy), and Lesley Hauge (Nomansland). I am eagerly waiting for another read from all of them!

Parajunkee is hosting Follow Friday, which is another fun way to meet new bloggers.  Check out Parajunkee’s blog here.

If you are visiting from the Blog Hop, please leave a comment so I can stop by your blog to say hi!

JANET AND ALEX EVANOVICH’S TROUBLEMAKER A SUCCESS AT COMIC-CON!

JULY 27, SAN DIEGO, CA—Last week, fourteen-time number-one best-selling author Janet Evanovich’s first-ever graphic novel, Troublemaker, saw a much-anticipated worldwide English-language release.

Troublemaker is available everywhere, from department stores to bookstores and comic shops across the U.S., making the title one of the most widely distributed the company has published without any Hollywood tie-ins.

Cowritten by daughter Alex Evanovich, Troublemaker is the continuation of the popular Barnaby series, which features the high-stakes misadventures of the main character, Alex Barnaby; NASCAR driver Sam Hooker; and, of course, Beans, the Saint Bernard. The third book in the series, this exciting new volume delivers more fast cars, fast-paced action, and steamy romance.

“I’ve loved comics all my life and it’s really exciting to be working with Dark Horse to produce my very own graphic novel,” said Janet Evanovich. “I’m also excited that I could do this with my daughter Alex (the family comicaholic).”

“This is a groundbreaking project in which Janet and Alex are telling the third chapter of an established prose series in graphic-novel format,” said Dark Horse president Mike Richardson. “We feel that this book will open up the characters to a brand-new audience, as well as expanding the authors’ fan base.”

In celebration of the release, both Janet and Alex Evanovich attended San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, appearing on the company’s publishing panel on Friday, and signing in the Dark Horse booth later that day. Janet and Alex greeted hundreds of excited fans, and hosted one of the largest crowds of the convention.

Additionally, the two appeared at the Barnes & Noble in the Mira Mesa Market Center, and drew an even larger crowd of fans who could not attend the convention.

Janet and Alex Evanovich’s Troublemaker Volume 2 arrives in November.

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Tim Burton, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

I actually accomplished lot more than I thought with my Mini Manga Marathon a couple of weekends ago, so when I saw Wallace at Unputdownables was hosting a 48 hour Read-a-Thon, I thought I’d take the opportunity to join in. Here are the guidelines in case you want to join in the fun: If You’re In:

1. Choose a few books that you will attempt to finish this weekend (Friday evening through Sunday night).
2. Post your TBR Read-a-Thon books on your blog so your readers can see what you are attempting for the weekend.
3. Challenge your readers to read along with you! (It’s OK if they don’t, but it might be fun if they want to choose at least one book to participate with).
4. Join the discussion all weekend long at #bookblogchat on Twitter.
5. Post updates on your blog about what you are reading and what you have finished (full reviews can come later, but this will let your readers know what you are reading so they can either read along or look forward to your reviews!)
6. Visit other blogs that are doing the read-a-long. Post comments and follow your fellow bloggers.
7. Make sure you sign up here with Mr. Linky with a link to your first post so we can follow your progress!
8. *If you don’t have a blog but want to participate: Sign up with Mr. Linky, just don’t add a website (or you can link to your Twitter or GoodReads page).*

I will get a game plan together tonight after work, and I’ll post the list of books I would like to try to get through.  In a slight departure from the official goals, I also have three guest posts I need to polish off by Monday, so I am adding them to my list of tasks that I hope to accomplish. I hope you will join in and let us know what great books you discover this weekend!

 

Title: Jack Frost Vol 3

Author:  JinHo Ko

Publisher: Yen Press

ISBN: 978-0316077866

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

The battle comes to a head in the forest of unicorn! Noh-A learns that the head of the Kite family has been systematically wiping out his own clan on his quest for power, just to capture her and steal her immortality. But the unicorn aren’t extinct just yet. The unicorn’s last offspring faces the power-hungry Kite leader, but his strength may not be enough. With Jack caught up in the battle between the districts, how will Noh-A and the unicorn survive?!

Ok, I still don’t understand what is going on here, but at least the fights are exciting.  I love the artwork, too.  I just wish the story was a little more coherent.  Noh-A finds herself, once again, in grave danger.  Omu is about to slay the last offspring of the unicorn, and then turn the unicorn’s antler against Noh-A.  It’s the only thing that can overcome her immortality and kill her.  If he can kill her before she awakens to her powers, he can steal her immortality for himself!  Wow!  Does he realize how unpleasant it’s going to be to be decapitated, even if it doesn’t kill him?  Noh-A certainly has found herself some winners, now that she’s in Amityville.  First there’s psycho Jack Frost, and now this power crazed monster who wants to kill her!

Despite having issues grasping everything that is going on, I have been dazzled into liking Jack Frost anyway, probably because I can’t resist all of the flashy screen tone.  Explosions and mangled bodies abound, and I guess there are times when that’s all you need to keep the pages turning.  I love JinHo Ko’s fine line work, and the energy that bursts through the panels.  The battles are a lot of fun, even if I don’t totally comprehend the need for them.  I am beginning to doubt that I ever will, but I still experience a little flutter of happiness when a new volume of this series is released.  Why, why, why do I find these fighting manga so enticing?

I wish I could tell you how fantastic the plot is or how I am enjoying the character development in Jack Frost.  Unfortunately, I can’t.  All I can say is that it’s like a bright, shiny object, and I can’t stop myself from greedily grabbing each new release and devouring its nearly incomprehensible contents. 

Grade:  B-

Review copy provided by publisher

 Lisa Desrochers was able to spend some time in the virtual office, and we chatted up her upcoming release, Personal Demons.  The book will be in stores in September, so make sure you get your pre-orders in so you get your copy on release day!

Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

You’ve heard of reluctant readers? I am a reluctant writer. I’ve never trusted that my writing is good, but I can’t make myself stop. I think I need Writers Anonymous.

Can you tell us a little about your novel, Personal Demons?

It’s a classic good versus evil. It’s about a girl, Frannie, who’s taken a few hard knocks in life. Because of that, she’s spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends. But, when Luc Cain enrolls in her class she can’t seem to stay away from him. What she doesn’t know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation.
Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

Personal Demons is unique in that it’s written in dual first person POV, and one of those POV’s is a demon’s. You ever been inside a demon’s head? It’s surprising the things you’ll find in there. :p

How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

It really started with a name: Lucifer Cain. It popped into my head one day last February and I thought, what a great name for a demon. I sat down and started writing from that demon’s perspective, and the rest is history.

Was it hard to find a balance for Luc’s character?  He is determined to set Frannie up for a fall (all the way to Hell!) – was it hard to keep him sympathetic?

Well…you’ll need to judge if he’s supposed to be sympathetic. He is a demon after all—the bad guy—so how much sympathy does he deserve. ;p

What have you learned about yourself through your characters?

I don’t know if I’ve learned this through them, or because of their teasing, but I’m really not all that clever. Luc has a much better sense of humor than me, and he never lets me forget it.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book? Was there a scene that you just couldn’t get right?

Gabe. He was challenging. He’s an angel, so he’s got definite rules. He was trying to stick to them when I was trying to make him not stick to them. You’ll have to read to see who won. =)

Can you tell us about your experience finding a publisher?  What was the process like?

My agent made finding a publisher easy. She submitted to publishing houses and fielded the offers. I sat back and wrote the sequel while she did all the work. Hi Suzie! *waves* You rock!

Finding an agent is a little more work. I went through the standard query process and was lucky enough to get several offers of representation.

What’s the most gratifying aspect of having your book published?

Knowing that the characters that I love so much are going to be out in the world where maybe others might love them too.

Who was your biggest supporter while you were working on the book?

Honestly, my daughter was the only person in the world who knew I was writing a book. I didn’t even tell my husband. (I know! #wifefail)

If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, what would it be?

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. I HATED reading as a kid. But I picked The Hobbit up in seventh grade and devoured that and Lord of the Rings.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

Most of the time I’m not writing, I’m working one of my other two jobs or shuttling my kids around. Truthfully, I don’t get that much downtime, but the time I have I…you guessed it…read. Boring but true.

Lisa, thank you for spending some time with us!  I am looking forward to reading your book!

To learn more about Lisa and her book, visit her website here and her blog here.  You can pre-order Personal Demons (Tor Teen/Macmillan, September 14, 2010) by clicking the Amazon link below, or by visiting your favorite bookseller.

Title: Dark Wraith of Shannara

Author: Terry Brooks

Illustrations: Edwin David

Adaptation: Robert Place Napton

Publisher: Del Rey

ISBN: 9780345494627

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

THE FIRST-EVER GRAPHIC NOVEL SET IN THE WORLD OF SHANNARA!

Possessing an awesome power he is only beginning to understand, young Jair Ohmsford must summon the devastating yet darkly seductive magic of the wishsong on a fateful mission to save his friends . . . and protect the future from the forces of evil.
If you’ve never ventured into the wondrous world of Shannara, consider this an ideal opportunity. Prepare to enter the breathtaking realm of the Four Lands, where beings both noble and sinister have quested and clashed, crossed swords in the names of darkness and light, and engaged in adventures rich with mystery and majesty.

This title has languished far too long in the TBR pile.  The Sword of Shannara was one of the very first fantasy novels that I ever read, and I still have fond memories of the book.  I was drawn to it because of the cover, which was illustrated by the talented Brothers Hildebrandt.  It even had a little fold out poster, which sealed the deal and convinced me to spend my hard earned allowance on the book.  The poster was quickly removed and placed on my bedroom wall, where I would stare at it and dream of lands far away.  I was an odd little teenager, and I think I am an odder adult. 

It’s been a long time since I have read anything by Terry Brooks, but I was reassured after reading the forward.  This graphic novel stands completely on its own, and you don’t have to be familiar with any of the previous novels to understand what’s going on.  After reading the book, I agree – this is something you could pick up and enjoy without having any knowledge of the world of Shannara.   It’s been so long since I read The Sword of Shannara that I only remember a few plot points, but I was able to understand this comic with no trouble.  I think maybe I enjoyed it more, because I had zero expectations for it, and was happy with the fast-paced adventure presented within the pages.

Jair Ohmsford is recruited back into the service of Allanon, after the wizard pays a spectral visit to the hero.  Jair only wants to go home and keep his promise to his sister.  After learning that he has used his wishsong magic to become Garet Nix, the dead Weapons Master, Brin is appalled and worried that Jair will lose himself.  So she makes him vow to never use the magic again.  When he agrees to save the lands of Shannara again, this time from the evil Croton Witch, Jair finds that keeping his word isn’t as easy as he thought.  I enjoyed his inner struggle to not break his promise, but with so much at stake, he finds it very difficult to keep his word.

The story is standard fantasy fare; Jair and a very reluctant companion set off to end an evil threat, one that they have little hope of overcoming.  The action is non-stop, the danger never ending, and I was quickly caught up in the adventure and Jair’s inner struggle to complete the task at hand without resorting to magical aids.  There is really nothing new or groundbreaking here, just a solid little action yarn with lots of fighting and daring do. 

I’m not so sure that I liked the art.  There are samples in the back showing illustrations prior to tone being added, and I liked them better.  I feel that details were lost with all of the toning added to the drawings, and there is almost no white space at all, anywhere in the book.  It just got overwhelming for me, and the visuals weren’t as crisp and clear as I would have liked.

Overall, Dark Wraith of Shannara is a fun read.   I think this would be a good title to coax a reluctant reader into sitting down with a book.  The even pacing and likable hero make for an engaging read.

Grade: B

Review copy provided by publisher

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week, I am hitting the pre-orders for MG books. Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes looks like a solid read, with a strong focus on family relationships during a very trying natural disaster.  The cover is trippy, too.

From Borders:

Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. She doesn’t have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya’s visions show a powerful hurricane–Katrina–fast approaching, it’s up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm.

Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family–as only love can define it.

White Crane by Sandy Fussell puts an interesting twist on martial arts stories.  I am curious to see what the author does with the book.

From Borders:

Can a one-legged boy become a great samurai warrior? Meet some unique aspiring champions in this kick-off to an exciting new martial arts series.

Niya Moto is the only one-legged samurai kid in Japan, famous for falling flat on his face in the dirt. The one school that will accept him is the Cockroach Ryu, led by the legendary sensei Ki-Yaga. He may be an old man overly fond of naps, but Ki-Yaga is also known for taking in kids that the world has judged harshly: an albino girl with extra fingers and toes, a boy who is blind, a big kid whose past makes him loath to fight. A warrior in his time, Ki-Yaga demands excellence in everything from sword fighting to poetry. But can the ragtag Cockroaches make the treacherous journey to the Samurai Trainee Games, never mind take on the all-conquering Dragons? In a fast-moving, action-filled tale that draws on true details of feudal Japan, Niya finds there’s no fear they can’t face as long as they stick together — for their friendship is more powerful than a samurai sword.

Technically, 100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons is already out.  The paperback will be released in August, though. I love the premise and think it sounds very cute.

From Borders:

You’d be upset too if you turned into a poodle instead of a wolf.

Freddy Lupin is gearing up for the most exciting night of his life. It’s the evening of his one-hundred-and-twenty-first month (that’s ten years and one month to a human), and he’s about to undergo his very first transwolftation. But when Freddy is introduced to the much-honored Hidden Moonlight Gathering of Werefolk, the rite of passage quickly morphs into an episode of humiliation. Because Freddy doesn’t turn into a wolf. He turns into a poodle.

A funny and fast-paced adventure ensues, in which Freddy is thrown out of his pack, uncovers the truth about his legendary father’s mysterious death, and discovers that a werewolf hunter is planning to destroy all of his family and friends—and Freddy might be the only one who can stop him. He might be small, pink, and groomed, but luckily, Freddy Lupin is one hundred percent wolf.

What are you waiting for?

Title: Blue Moon Bride

Authors: Renee Roszel, Kako Ito

Publisher: Harlequin K.K./SOFTBANK Creative Corp.

Available at eManga.com

After Hannah is insulted at work, she resigns in a huff and storms out of the office, vowing to never return.  Unemployed, she takes a holiday away from the city to sort herself out and try to decide how to get her life back on track.  When she encounters Roth Jerric, her former employer, under the blue moon, her life will never be the same again.

I was disappointed with Blue Moon Bride for a couple of reasons.  The plot was rather jumbled and jumped all over the place, making it difficult for me to be drawn into the story.  The protagonists fought almost all the way to the last page, but it was a mean kind of fighting, and there wasn’t much tension to be found anywhere in the story.  Hannah is still reeling from being called “arm candy” and mediocre, and she can’t move beyond that.  Jerric didn’t really have enough of a back story to get a handle on his insecurities, and that made his character seem flat and one-dimensional.

Aside from a very contrived storyline that fails to offer any sort of suspense or energy, the translation is iffy in a few spots. The conclusion is unconvincing, and doesn’t deliver on an emotional level. On a positive note, I will say that this is the first Harlequin that I’ve read at eManga where the words actually fit inside of the word balloons.  What a glorious day!  The word balloons were functional!    Yay!

The art is clean and fits the romance genre quite well. The character designs are attractive, and there’s a great deal of attention paid to background details that make the settings come to life.  I just wish the plot had been a little stronger so that the illustrations didn’t overshadow it so much.

Blue Moon Bride is an average read.  It doesn’t offer anything to set it apart from the crowd, and the characters’ motivations aren’t very interesting.  This is worth a rent if you’re a die-hard Harlequin fan; otherwise, try some of the other titles first.

Grade: C

Review copy provided by publisher

 

Title: Dear Hound

Author: Jill Murphy

Publisher: Walker & Company

ISBN: 9780802721907

Available in stores Sept 2010

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Alfie’s your average deer hound puppy—curious about the world around him, happy to chase the cat and laze around in his favorite beanbag bed, and very loyal to his boy, Charlie. So he’s extremely upset when Charlie goes away and leaves him with a sitter—upset enough that he escapes into the woods. With the help of some friendly foxes, Alfie learns to live in the wild, but he never stops thinking of Charlie and trying to find his way home. And Charlie, of course, never stops thinking of Alfie, either. Will these two be able to find each other before it’s too late? Featuring irresistible black-and-white line drawings on every spread, Dear Hound is both an accessible, heartwarming story and the perfect choice for readers graduating out of early chapter books.

This is such a cute book!  It’s got one huge thing going for it, even before I picked it up – it’s about a dog, and I am a sucker for animal stories.  I love the cover, though after reading it, I understand why Alfie has such a nervous expression on his face.  I have to admit that there were times during his adventure that I was in an agony of anxiety.  Poor, poor dog!  Getting lost is not fun, and being clueless and unsure of how to survive is even worse!  Good thing Alfie ran into a pair of kind hearted foxes who were willing to go out their way to save his bacon.

Dear Hound is a charming read, and it is a book that also delights visually.  Jill Murphy has packed her story with illustrations that enhance the reading experience, skillfully working in tandem with the narrative to deliver a suspenseful and ultimately rewarding read.  Alfie’s journey to be reunited with his family comes to life from the first page, the art pulling the reader in, as the fast-paced adventure plays out for both Alfie and his boy, Charlie.  It’s a gripping, and at times, emotional, story, and it’s one that I enjoyed immensely.  I don’t read many books geared for readers this young, but I liked this one so much that I will be exploring more titles and authors in the coming weeks, via the library.  It’s also a title that will appeal equally to boys or girls, and I think it will hook even reluctant readers. 

Grade: A

Review copy provided by publisher

Yup, it’s Teaser Tuesday again!  For a full description of what it is, check the bottom of this post.

I am reading Girl’s Best Friend by Leslie Margolis, a MG novel with dogs and a very clever girl.  It’s a lot of fun so far.

“Despite what Ivy did and despite the girl she’d become, I had to help Kermit. A hundred dollars was a lot of money, but I had it. No way could I refuse.”

Janet & Alex Evanovich teamed up to try their hand at a graphic novel.  Joelle Jones helmed the art duties for Troublemaker.

“But a girl can only be blown up so many times. It’s hell on hair…and shoes.”

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!

 

Title: D. Gray-Man Vol 17

Author: Katsura Hoshino

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 978-1421531601

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Cursed teenage boy saves mankind one soul at a time. Parting Ways An experimental virus is turning members of the Black Order into zombies! Even Count Krory is infected, driving him to attack Allen and Lavi. It’s up to Komui, creator of the virus, to deal with this disaster, but though he knows how to stop it he literally doesn’t know where to start. Can he figure it out while also contending with a vengeful spirit eager to see the virus complete its rampage?

The beginning of this volume disappointed me a lot.  I’m not sure what Katsura Hoshino’s goal was with the zombie virus bit, and I don’t think she knew either.  A parody of horror flicks, it felt out of place and was tedious to read through.  It seemed like she wrote herself into a corner, and didn’t know what to do next, so she just threw together a couple of chapters of mindless babble to give herself some time to work on the rest of the plot.  It was senseless and annoying, and not very funny.

Things got back on track in the middle of the book.  Headquarters has been moved, and everyone is getting settled into their new home.  Allen is under a tremendous amount of suspicion, and the Director is making life very unpleasant for him.  With his Innocence neutralized, he is interrogated by Cross Marian, and shocking revelations are revealed about his past. Conspiracies are afoot, and it appears that no one is safe.

I started enjoying how the story is starting to progress again, and my interest has been piqued about The 14th and Mana Walker.  Allen is starting to look even more like a pawn, helpless to escape his impending fate.  Will the strength of his will and the power of his Innocence be enough to protect him from the dark tidings ahead?  I was starting to get a bit bored with the storyline, but the ending of this volume has popped it back on the radar for me.  Now I can hardly wait to see what happens next!  

Grade: B-

Review copy purchased from RightStuf

Changeling by Steve Feasey looks like an interesting series. If nothing else, it has werewolves.

I can hardly wait to get my hands on Paranormalcy by Kiersten White! It looks so awesome!

Winners of the Got Books? Contest – Your shiny new copy of Frost Moon will be in the mail this week.  Thanks again to Anthony Francis for dropping in and participating in the Got Books Event.

Adelina

Indigo

Kailia

Pussreboots

Dakota

Winner of 100 Followers Contest – Your copy of Restoring Harmony will go out in the mail this week too!

Elizabeth B

I will send everyone an email tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks again to Bell Bridge Books for making the Frost Moon contest possible.  Thanks also to Got Books for organizing and hosting a fun two days of contests!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, and it is hosted by The Story Siren.   Go here for a full description of IMM.

Wow, I had another epic week for books.  This helped to pull me out of the dumps after a stressful week of work and dealing with some upsetting issues in my personal life.

For Review:

Yes! Yen Press showed me some love!

Sarasah Vol 5 by Ryu Ryang

One Thousand and One Nights Vol 11 by SeungHee & JinSeok

Goong Vol 9 by Park SoHee I am so far behind on this one!

Moon Boy Vol 8 by Lee YoungYou (YAY!!!)

 

Maximum Ride Vol 3 by James Patterson & Narae Lee

Sugarholic Vol 5 by Gong GooGoo

 

 

SumomomoMomomo Vol 5 by Shinobu Ohtaka (This is so funny!)

Black God Vol 10 by Dall-Young Lim & Sung-Woo Park

Higurashi When They Cry Vol 2 – The Killing Arc by Ryukishi07 & Yoshiki Tonogai

  Dark Horse has some awesome books that have just been released!

From Dark Horse:

Gantz Vol 11 by Hiroya Oku

Beasts of Burden : Animal Rites by Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson (Congrats on winning an Eisner!)

Troublemaker by Janet & Alex Evanovich & Joelle Jones

From Tokyopop:

The Qwaser of Stigmata by Kenetsu Sato & Hiroyuki Yoshino

Gakuen Alice Vol 12 by Tachibana Higuchi – I need to catch up on this series as well!

Hanako and the Terror of Allegory Vol 2 by Sakae Esuno

Red Hot Chili Samurai Vol 2 by Yoshitsugu Katagiri

From Bloomsbury USA (Thanks, Kate!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Hound by Jill Murphy – I have to admit that I was a little stressed out with this read, but it is so cute! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Extra-Ordinary Princess by Carolyn Q Ebbitt

Girl’s Best Friend by Leslie Margolis

A great big thanks to all of the above publishers for supporting my blog with review copies

Bought:

Sorry, no picture for these.  It is going to be a while before I get to most of these, too!  If there is a title below that you really, really want to see reviewed soon, drop me a line and I will do my best to move it up in the queue. 

The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth

Arata Vol 2 – Yuu Watase

Rastsu Vol 5 – Chika Shiomi

Butterflies, Flowers Vol 3 – Yuki Yoshihara

Stepping on Roses Vol 2 – Rinko Ueda

Toriko Vol 1 – Mitsutoshi Shimabukouro

Muhyo & Roji Vol 17 – Yoshiyuki Nishi

Two Flowers for the Dragon Vol 6 – Nari Kusakawa

Crimson Hero Vol 13 – Mitsuba Takanashi

Claymore Vol 16 – Norihiro Yagi

Natsume’s Book of Friends Vol 3 – Yuki Midorikawa

Nana Vol 21 – Ai Yazawa

Silver Diamond Vol 6 – Shiho Sugiura

Hyde & Closer Vol 1 – Haro Aso

Children of the Sea Vol 3 – Daisuki Igarashi

Saturn Apartments Vol 1 – Hisae Iwaoka

Orfina Vol 8 – Kitsune Tennouji

Please be sure to enter my Got Books? contest, featuring Anthony Francis and his urban fantasy FROST MOON.  Click here to enter!

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted at Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s a way to share your wishlist with the rest of the blogsphere. The books can be old, new or forthcoming, but my lists will be limited to already released titles. If you would like to join in and post your wishlist,  click here for more information.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman has gotten some really good reviews, so I would like to see what all of the fuss is about.

From Amazon:

Best selling author Aimee Friedman is back, with her signature combination of warmth and humor. And with this book, she adds a touch of fantasy….16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science…and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she’s happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother’s estate.There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can’t make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship…and reality.

Shadowed Summer by Sundra Mitchell has cool cover and it’s about a ghost.  Yup, right up my alley.

From Amazon:

Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.

Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?

I love the title for My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking.  I don’t even care what it’s about, I like it that much!  It’s priced at 99 cents, which means I’ll be purchasing it as soon as I have time to read it!

From Amazon:

Seventeen-year-old Alice Bonham’s life feels out of control after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave hits aside, Jack’s unlike anyone she’s ever met.

Then she meets his brother, Peter. His eyes pierce through her, and she can barely breathe when he’s around. Even though he can’t stand the sight of her, she’s drawn to him.

But falling for two very different guys isn’t even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood…

What’s on your wishlist?

Today is the kickoff for the Got Books Event, which lasts until tomorrow.  You can win all kinds of books and book related swag, just by visiting the site and then visiting the other participating blogs.   I’m super geeked to have Anthony Francis, the author of Frost Moon, here to join in the celebration.  To make things even sweeter, we have 5 (FIVE!!!) copies of Frost Moon to give away to readers.   Let’s get things kicked off by asking Anthony a few questions about his book!

Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

By day, I’m a computer scientist; by night, I’m an author and artist … or just an Atlantan enjoying Silicon Valley with his wife and cats.

Can you tell us a little about your book Frost Moon?

FROST MOON is about Dakota Frost, a magical tattoo artist who can ink tattoos that move and make her own tattoos come to life, her fight with a serial killer who cuts magic tattoos off his victims on the full moon, and her attempt to ink a "control charm" for a werewolf who might be the killer … or the next victim. It’s set in an alternate Atlanta where magic is practiced openly, where vampires are trying to live with humans and werewolves are trying to hide from them. It’s got magic, science, romance, action, and an irrepressible weretiger child who pushed her way into the book and refused to let go.

How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

Dakota Frost was inspired by the "tough chick showing too much skin" book covers of urban fantasy and related genres, which often show the heroine wearing revealing outfits that appear only in the first scene or not at all – the cover of Kim Harrison’s DEAD WITCH WALKING and the first issue of the comic Witchblade are examples, shoving Rachel Morgan and Sara Pezzini into outfits that are the complete opposite of their personas. At the same time, several of these heroines – Anita Blake, Rachel Morgan, and Sara Pezzini – are presented fully formed: while they may not yet have encountered their first great challenge, they already have the butt-kicking skills needed to deal with it – vampire hunter, bounty hunter, detective. That can be immensely fun, of course, but I wondered … how did those characters get that way?

So I created Dakota Frost to explore the question: what if the heroine of a typical urban fantasy showed her midriff on the cover because she had to, and what if she didn’t already go to the gun range three times a week, and had to learn how to deal with conflict? That led to the idea of magic tattoos: Dakota shows a little skin on her arms and midriff because her magic wouldn’t work otherwise. That led to the idea of alternative culture: she doesn’t wear a special outfit for the cover, she dresses as she dresses when she goes to work at the tattoo parlor. And that led to the idea that initially, she’s not a vampire hunter, bounty hunter or any kind of hunter, she’s just a tattoo artist: Dakota knows a little karate and her dad was on the force, but the events of FROST MOON end up being a huge shock, one to which she has to radically adapt.

Everything from then on was easy: if my heroine is a magical tattoo artist, the villain must be attacking the tattooed. If she’s shocked by the supernatural, it must be forced upon her: a friend who becomes a vampire, a client who is a werewolf, a blind witch who sends her deep into the Edgeworld looking for more help. And by then I had the idea for the whole Dakota Frost series: a world of hidden magic, dragged screaming into the light by the counterculture of the 1950’s and 60’s, in which each book explores a new monster, a new alternative culture practice turned magical, and a new disability which adds a complication. If FROST MOON is about werewolves, tattooing and blindness, BLOOD ROCK is about vampires, graffiti and Tourette’s Syndrome, LIQUID FIRE is about dragons, firespinning and deafness, and so on.

Have you learned anything about yourself through your characters?

A great deal, especially about the conflicts in me. I do a lot of research, and very early on I tattooing was a big problem for conservative branches of Christianity. While I am more liberal, I’m still a Christian and that made me do some soul searching about elements of the story. So I gave voice to those conflicts in the story, primarily through the Christian vampire Savannah. While I am religious, I’m still a scientist, and that made me do more soul searching about what I believed in. So I gave voice to those conflicts in the story, primarily through Dakota, who is extremely skeptical about the literal trappings of religion but has a stubborn core of belief that powers her ethics and action.

And I learned about what I loved, especially Atlanta. Many urban fantasies, especially Laurell Hamilton’s, are delightfully concrete, tied to real places – they’re not set on The Moor or in The City where The Heroine is attacked by The Monster and saved by The Hero, but instead in upper Hoboken where the Heroine takes the Monster by the horns and throws him out of her fire escape and through the glass window of that nice little donut shop in Hoboken you could visit in real life if you wanted to – and see the fire escape that inspired the author. I’d just moved to the Bay when I started FROST MOON and didn’t know it so well, so I set FROST MOON in Atlanta, and in the process found out how much I really love that city.

Is there a message you want readers to come away with after reading the book?

The Message. That’s a big question. When writing FROST MOON, I wanted to have fun; I wanted my readers to have fun; if they’re lucky, I hope they’ll learn something; and if I’m really lucky, they’ll think. There are lots of little things I hope people learn reading FROST MOON, from the importance of tattoo safety to the location of good burger joints in Atlanta. But the big deep message of the book is the importance of turning the other cheek and accepting people around you for the way they are.

What was the hardest part of writing this story?

There was a lot of work involved with this story – calling friends and visiting Atlanta for research, reading books on tattoos and relationships, iteration after iteration trying to make the plot tighter based on feedback from my beta readers and editors – but the single hardest moment was writing the first scenes in the werehouse. I knew Dakota was going there, I even knew some of what happened there, but at the precise moment when Dakota, Transomnia and Lord Buckhead turned from the base of that bridge on the banks of the Chattahoochee and started down that path I realized: I’ve got nothing. I don’t know what the end of that path looks like. So I started pulling in everything I had: images from the old Atlantic Steel complex, hobo symbols from a graffiti book, werewolves, werestags, the Bear King. The character Cinnamon literally shoved her way into that book at that point – she had not been part of the plot prior to her first appearance – bursting out of a crowd and refusing to leave the book. In the end, the werehouse scenes became the ones of which I’m most proud.

Why do you find urban fantasies appealing?

Urban fantasies bring magic into our daily life. Most high fantasy stories happen in The Land of Long Ago and Far Away, children’s fantasies are hidden behind The Magic Door That Works Only Once, and horror stories are safely Down That Path You Shouldn’t Have Followed. Urban fantasy, in contrast, brings the magic home to our cities, our homes, to places we recognize. Vampires and werewolves and magic get tied up into our schools, our politics, our reality, and force us to think about that reality: do werewolves shave? Is it pointless on a full moon? Legally, does a full moon count as a sick day? Where does the mass go when werewolves change? What is mass anyway? Would you date a vampire? Would you vote for a vampire? In a way, urban fantasy is just like classic science fiction, where the Other arrives and shows us things about ourselves that we wouldn’t otherwise see without the contrast, except now the Other is a vampire rather than an alien.

Magical tattoos would be cool.  If they were real, what would you get and why?

A dragon; not only have I loved them since I was a child, it would be really cool to have a multifunction tattoo like Dakota’s that can breathe fire, whip out its tail or make a shield with its wings.  Plus, it would probably really be hot.

You know, Dakota’s wonderful library of tattoos would be great to have – not just a dragon, but yin-yangs to gather mana and vine to channel it, asps to strike and hawks to fly, jewels to charm and butterflies to bless. But I’m not ready for a library of tattoos – actually, I don’t have a single one.

Who was your biggest supporter while you were working on the book?

My wife is always my biggest supporter and biggest fan, but beyond her I’d say it was the Writing Group at Barnes and Noble at Steven’s Creek. The regulars at those weekly writing sessions inspired me, heard the first words of FROST MOON fresh off the page before it even had a title, and served as my first beta readers.  I can’t thank them enough.

If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, what would it be?

I don’t remember the title, but it’s a book on dinosaurs in the Greenville County Public Library children’s section. I was already a reader, but reading that book made me want to learn more and I got permission at a very early age to check out books from the adult section of the library. I’d bring home huge stacks, more than I could ever read before they were due, and I never stopped. 

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?

Reading! (Specifically, reading while sitting in a Panera Bread eating a cinnamon roll!)

Thanks!!

It’s been my pleasure! Thanks for the opportunity.

_____________

Frost Moon sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it?  I love the cover!  If you don’t win a copy here, you can purchase it from Amazon in paperback or for your Kindle. 

Thanks to Bell Bridge Books for providing the contest prizes!

To win, all you have to do is fill out the form.  The contest is open to US/Canada.  Contest closes July 24th.  Winners will be announced Sunday July 25th.  Good luck and don’t forget to hop over to Got Books? to enter even more contests!

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