Cover Talk: A(nother) New Look for the Curseworkers Trilogy

I am a huge fan of Holly Black's Curseworkers books. They're really innovative and different, and the world in which they are set is AWESOME. (Did I mention that I met Holly at a conference in November? It was awesome! She gave an awesome talk about creating worlds and writing. That's me with her afterwards!)

One thing I really like about the covers is that they are very noir and they take a tired red, black, and white color scheme and really make it dark and fun. I especially love the cover of White Cat because it's one I've witnessed both guys and girls pick up.

The fact that publishers often revamp covers of series is something that has always frustrated my complex about having matching covers, but it is something that I've almost come to expect. So I wasn't surprised to see that the Curseworkers books got a cover lift (it's already happened once), but I was surprised to see just how different these new covers are.

 Versus:

Note that the first version of Black Heart won't be printed. 

I like the use of color in the new covers--very nice. And they continued a theme with Cassel on one cover, Lila on another, and both on the final cover. And I do really like the design--it's very unique and very fun. It demands to be looked at.

My only issue with them is I'm unsure of how well they really fit the books and whether or not a guy will be as likely to pick up the first book. The first covers went along with the content a lot better. And...is it just me, or does the new White Cat cover seem too suggestive of the twist in the book?

What do you think of the cover change?

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Ethan was kidnapped when he was seven years old. Now sixteen, he has finally found his way back to his family, but he doesn't remember them or his life before. This lapse in memory makes it hard for him to fit back in after a nine year absence--his parents are supportive but tend to smother him, his younger brother is angry all the time and isn't welcoming at all, and his six-year-old sister feels like his replacement. Everyone is trying to make things work, but there's a secret being kept--one that, if revealed, could wreak havoc on the family once more.

 Lisa McMann's latest book may not have the supernatural elements that fans have come to expect in her work, but it has all of the trademark suspense, mystery, and sharp, direct narrative that make her novels so readable. She hooks you in right away with this intriguing premise, and Ethan's voice. Ethan is a bit damaged--he's been through a lot, and not being able to remember his family is tough. What's even harder are his good memories of Ellen, the woman who took care of him for so many years, when everyone wants to make her out to be a hardened criminal. He desperately wants to fit into his new family life, but his temper and conflicting emotions make the adjustment hard. All the while there remains the mystery of what has really happened to Ethan throughout the last nine years beyond the basic story he tells everyone, and why he willingly went with his kidnapper that fateful day long ago. As you delve deeper into the story, you'll begin to slowly doubt Ethan and race to the end to find out the truth about what happened--with some shocking answers. McMann's abrupt ending adds to the surprise of the final revelation, and definitely makes it memorable--so much so that readers will forgive her for not revealing more details. Fans of McMann won't want to miss Dead to You, and reluctant readers will zip right through it.

Cover Comments: I like this perspective, and the close up of the snow on the face and lashes--it's cool and little bit eerie!

This one will be out on February 7th, 2012!

ARC provided by publisher.

People, Please

Some of you people confuse me, but thanks for reading the blog.

Shelf Discovery: Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight

Shelf Discovery is a feature in which I highlight one book that I have found while prowling the shelves of the independent bookstore I work at it. These books aren't necessarily YA books; they're books that have discovered and find interesting or unique. I hope you do too.

Okay, I admit that 95% of the reason why I gravitated toward this book in Ingram Advance (the bookstore monthly catalog) was because of its title. You've got to love a good play on words. I am a big Jane Austen fan (I'm bookish and female, so it's like a prerequisite) but I normally stay away from a lot of the unauthorized sequels and modern Jane Austen-inspired stuff because they aren't always good. But there are always exceptions. Like this. And this. This too. (I sense another blog post coming on...)

With a title like Austentatious, I'm willing to give this one a try! Here's what it's about:

"While browsing in an Austin shop, Nicola James finds a blank vintage journal hidden among a set of Jane Austen novels. Even though Nic is a straight-laced engineer, she's still a sucker for anything Austen-esque. But her enthusiasm turns to disbelief once she starts writing in the journal - because somehow, it's writing her back...Itching for a bit of excitement, Nic decides to follow her "Fairy Jane's" advice. The result: a red-hot romance with a sexy Scottish musician who charms his way into Nic's heart in about five seconds flat. But a guy like Sean doesn't exactly fit into her Life Plan. With no one but Fairy Jane to guide her, Nic must choose between the life she thought she wanted - and the kind of happy ending she never saw coming..."

What do you think? What are some of your favorite Jane Austen inspired reads?

E-book Freebies

Free things are always cool, and free stories by our awesome authors are even cooler. Check out these free stories and samples available now--they can help you find your next work, or maybe just tantalize you until that sequel comes out. And, they're free.

Don't have an e-reader? No problem--you can download the free Kindle app to your computer, phone, iPod, whatever you use!

Dark Days of Winter

This sample contains excerpts from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Bewitching by Alex Flinn, Balthazar by Claudia Gray, Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, and Slide by Jill Hathaway.

Pitch Dark: Even Darker Days of Winter

This sampler has excerpts from Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, Magic of the Moonlight by Ellen Schreiber, The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, and Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.

Hunger for Dystopian 

This all dystopian sampler has excerpts from Divergent by Veronica Roth, Gone by Michael Grant, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Variant by Robison Wells, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Eve by Anna Carey, and Partials by Dan Wells.

Story Crush

This sampler is all about romantic stories with excerpts from Pretty Little Liars: Ruthless by Sara Shepard, The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith, The Secret Sisterhood Of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten, and Slide by Jill Hathaway.

New Teen Voices

A sampler from Simon and Schuster with excerpts from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Witchlanders, Fury, Virtuosity, Dark Inside, and Still Waters!

"Tomorrow is Today" by Julie Cross 

This short story goes with Julie Cross' debut novel, Tempest! Tempest is an awesome, awesome book that you should definitely read. I'm excited to dive into this short story!

"Tortured" by Caragh M. O'Brien

This short story is being advertised as a bridge story between her debut, Birthmarked, and its sequel, Prized. I loved Birthmarked, but haven't read Prized yet, and I am looking forward to both the story and the novel!

Tempest Audio Book Excerpt and Giveaway!

One book that I really, really enjoyed over Christmas break was Tempest by Julie Cross! It's a great time travel romance, but with a lot of action and mystery--more like a Jason Bourne movie than The Time Traveler's Wife. You can read my review here and see the trailer here.

Lucky for us all it came out this week in print and as an audio book! Macmillan has a ton of great audio books that they publish, like Cinder. And thanks to Macmillan, I have an excerpt to share with you all, and a chance to win an audio book!

Also, did you know that there's a free bonus Tempest story available as an e-book?

Reading Rants: Spectacular Settings II

About six months ago, I talked about settings in books that I LOVED. I am big on setting--they can make or break a book, and I think a good setting goes a long way in making a story memorable. So, here's another group of books I love with awesome, memorable settings.

StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

This one is set in a fantasy world where magic is forbidden, and the kingdom is ruled by religious oppression. But the majority of the action takes place in a tiny corner of this world, high up in the mountains. It's the middle of the winter at an old keep, and the characters are snowed in with each other in an ancient castle. The nooks and crannies of the place, and the sense of entrapment, heighten the tension of the plot wonderfully--this is such a good book!

The Leviathan books by Scott Westerfelt

This series is driven by its steampunk setting, and it rocks. The time is alternate 1910's, where war has broken out in Europe. The two forces are the Clankers and the Darwinists, and the two main characters lie of opposite sides, brought together by some unusual circumstance. One of the best parts about these books is the amazing world-building going on. We start out in Britain and western Europe, move East toward Constantinople, breeze through Siberia, and take a tour through North America. This is to say nothing of the ship Leviathan where much of the action takes place--Westerfeld does some amazing things with setting here!

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

The premise of this one is a bit chilling--a stalker kidnaps a teenager in a Bangkok airport and whisks her away to the Australian Outback to live. It's an amazing story, written in the form of a letter from the girl to her kidnapper. I don't know a ton about Australian geography, but the descriptions of the landscape and desert here are just amazing. This is a tremendous book.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

I love, love, love this book. The writers take a setting that is both chaotic and a bit magical--New York City at Christmastime--and turn it inside out. This book is a scavenger hunt throughout the city, and it is described so well with wit and heart. This is not only one of my favorite Christmas books, but one of my favorite New York books.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

This retelling of Hansel and Gretal has the magic and intrigue of the original tale. The witch's cottage is a candy shop hidden in the woods of the South in this modern story, and the perfect refuge for homeless teens Gretchen and Ansel. The peacefulness and comfort of the candy shop is juxtaposed nicely with the danger of the witch preying on young girls in a local town. This was a great escape.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

One of the best parts of this book was the amazing Spanish-influenced setting. The arid landscape and the rough terrain that heroine Elisa is forced to travel across are described perfectly, and fit right into her coming-of-age story. I just loved how this setting was really unique to most fantasy books out there now.

What are some of your favorite settings?

Reviews

I was going to write a post about the drama over reviews and the author-blogger relationship, but Maggie Stiefvater really said it all right here.

Harbinger Trailer!

A couple of months ago, I interviewed Sara Wilson Etienne, whose debut book Harbinger will be out February 2nd! I just saw the book trailer, and it is awesome! Check it out:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Hadley Sullivan has been dreading the day of her father's marriage for months. She's been angry with him ever since he left her and her mom for a new life and new woman in London, so avoiding him has turned out to be pretty easy. Then she misses her flight to London by minutes—and ends up meeting Oliver, a British guy on his way home for an event of his own. He talks her through the flight and her claustrophobia, and they connect through shared personal stories and jokes. But will their new friendship last after the plane has landed and they've gone their separate ways?

Jennifer E. Smith's third book is her best yet. From the title to the final page, her words pull you in and make you laugh and cry in turn. Hadley is an excellent narrator—realistic, smart, and still smarting from her father's actions. But despite her pain, she also wants to make amends and doesn't want to lose her father's love—she's just unsure of how to make things right with him again. Oliver is funny and charming from the start, but it's not until a little further into the book that the depth of his character is revealed—he has his own problems and grief to deal with. The issues that both characters have concealed are what allow them to reach out to each other and become friends. There's isn't an instantaneous, unbelievable romance that requires a suspension of belief, but a chance connection with the potential for something more. Smith manages to throw in a few twists that will lead Oliver and Hadley away from each other and back again several times, and she keeps the story fresh with frequent flashback to Hadley's life in the past few years. The book concludes very nicely without a fairy tale ending, but one that is realistic and quite hopeful. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is an emotional, funny, thoughtful book about love, loss, and serendipity.

Cover Comments: I am in love with this cover. I like the illusion of motion around the couple, how they're kissing, and the font and design. It's just so neat, so eye-catching!

ARC picked up at BEA.