Welcome to our third guest post in the YAAM – 2010 edition. As part of our celebration of all things YA, we invited authors from different genres to write articles about the books and the genres they write.

Today’s guest is Sarah Rees Brennan, one of Ana’s favourite writers, author of The Demon’s Lexicon and The Demon’s Covenant. We invited Sarah to talk about YA and to answer that infamous question: why should we read YA?

Here is what she has to say:

But Tell Me – When Are You Going To Write a REAL Book?

We’ve all heard someone say it.

I like agent Jennifer Laughran’s succinct reply on the subject: ‘YA writing is fine, but eventually you should “graduate” to writing grown-up books. Errr… screw you.’ But since I think Ana and Thea would scrag me if ’screw you’ was the entirety of my guest blog, here are some more thoughts on Why YA.

Here’s a thing about YA, and I freely admit this is not a revelation I had myself, but rather something that I think fabulous YA writer Holly Black said first (and then I stole it, and then Scott Westerfeld stole it. Or possibly I do fabulous YA writer Mr Westerfeld a wrong, and he said it first, and then I stole it, and then Holly Black stole it. We YA writers are a scurvy bunch. All I’m sure of is that, I AM A THIEF OF WORDS.)

YA is about your first time. And not just that first time, though that’s often on the table as well.

It’s about the first time you ever get betrayed by a friend. The first time you fell in love. The first time you realised, on a bone-deep, gut-deep level, that the world was unfair, that something terrible and irreversible could happen to you, that nobody was coming to save you. And the first time is a really intense time – it’s shocking, it cuts deep. The world never comes as such a surprise again.

I’m not saying YA always gets this feeling down, but when it does, YA is like a knife that cuts both ways. (A… knife with no handle. …I’ve never really understood that song.)

An excellent example of what I mean about the questions raised by YA would be The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson, which is a funny, heartbreaking book – the best books, as we all know, are both funny and heartbreaking – which is about what happens when you start to feel disconnected from your first tightly knit group of friends, what happens when you find out you or someone you’re close to aren’t society’s idea of the norm before you realise how ridiculous those norms really are, what happens when you love someone, they betray you, and you keep loving them anyway.

Another thing about YA is that it’s a time when almost everyone is sometimes a jerk.

Think about it. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye is a jerk. (And if Catcher in the Rye was published today it would be YA, and people who now love it would sneer at it. Yes it would! Yes they would! Which goes to show how silly judging quality by category really is.) Holden actually is enough of a jerk that he gets up my nose anyway, but it would be so much worse if he was an adult, and I’ve read enough books with grown-up Holdens in it that I am certain of this.

One movie that never fails to get on my nerves is As Good As It Gets. In which Jack Nicholson plays an assbucket.

RECEPTIONIST: How do you write women so well?
JACK NICHOLSON’S CHARACTER: I think of a man, and then I take away reason and accountability.
SARAH: Assbucket! He sounds like the worst writer in the world!

Now, of course Jack Nicholson’s character has OCD, which has given him a jaundiced view on life (not that everyone with OCD does, but it’s a reason if not an excuse for his behaviour) and Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear’s characters help redeem him and make him ease up on the misogyny and homophobia, and I am not saying that people can’t change/redeem themselves at any age.

But really. He is such an awful character. And he has been going around making the world unpleasant for people for at least fifty years. In fifty years, has he never noticed that he is terrible? At this point, I don’t care. I just wave my arms at the screen and yell ‘Assbucket!’

Whereas it’s okay for a teenager to have not realised yet what a huge jerk they’re being, how this affects the people around them, or what behaviour means they’re a jerk. Teens have a lot going on, and not that much time for it to go on in! Sorry Carlisle in Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover is an assbucket, and I love him. Ditto Felicity Worthington in Libba Bray’s A Great And Terrible Beauty.

The hero of the Demon’s Lexicon series, my own Nick? Yeah, I have to admit: total assbucket.

A genre in which you can explore the most flawed characters, with the most room for growth and change? How could anyone not want to write in that genre?

And at a time when everything seems like life or death, what if the situation really was life or death? That’s what draws me to YA fantasy the very most: because you can take that experience, and raise the stakes.

It is no secret to those who know me, or indeed to the world wide web, that I truly and deeply in my soul love cheesy teen movies. It is like my love for country music. I cannot explain it. I just feel it. I have seen all three High School Musical movies, I have seen Wild Child, I have seen 17 Again, I have seen this movie called The Derby Stallion starring Zac Efron, a movie that I cannot talk about without having deeply traumatic flashbacks.

And so of course, in the fullness of time, I came to see a made-for-TV Disney movie called The Wizards of Waverly Place. And actually, I really liked it. What is this movie even about, you say? I will tell you!

It’s about a family of wizards, who will all have magical powers until they reach the age of wizard majority or something, at which point they have a crazy tournament and only the winner gets to keep their magical powers. The family in question’s father deliberately lost his power so he could marry their nonwizard mother, and their aunt (who also lost her powers) is estranged from both her brothers. Anyway so the heroine of this movie is Alex, the middle child and the only girl, and she is by way of being kind of a thoughtless but charming rogue! Which I always like to see girls being, as they get to be unapologetic rogues less often than boys. And the hero of the movie is her older brother Justin, who is straight-laced, dedicated to his studies and also dedicated to scooping his little sister out of trouble. And the plot of the movie is that they have to go on an Epic Quest, which of course teaches them to appreciate each others’ abilities, rely on each other, save each other multiple times and of course heartbreakingly confess their love for each other. (See the picture. Hug it out, Alex and Justin. Hug it out.)

This movie intrigues me for two reasons. One is the fabulous premise, which as soon as I work out how to make my own I will be stealing from Disney and making it so that there is a lot of Gothic goings-on, including actually being tempted to kill your sibling. (Which you really might be! If they were competition for the most important thing to you in the world! And how could you have a normal family relationship if you were aware of that growing up anyway?) But in the end, of course, love would triumph. Because I am a big sap.

The other is that YA affords you more opportunities to tell stories like that. About the love between friends, which is the main subject of the aforementioned Bermudez Triangle.

And about the love between siblings. Having siblings as a teenager is a fascinating and frustrating thing. It’s a time when you’re fighting to be recognised as an individual in your own right, and trying to figure out exactly who that individual is, and thus a time in which you might realise that you are extremely different from the people with whom you’ll still be sharing a roof for a good few years. Passions run high! There’s sibling jealousy, sibling competition, siblings banding together against parents, and fierce sibling affection.

The first book of my Demon’s Lexicon series was very consciously constructed as a sibling romance. (No. Wait. Come back. I didn’t mean in a Flowers in the Attic way!) But many a romance goes like this: protagonist wonders about other character’s feelings for them. Protagonist is given serious reason to doubt other character’s feelings for them. Matters Build to a Climax, with things looking ever more dire for Our Protagonist, and then we and Protagonist discover other character’s secret: Other Character, as it turns out, loves Protagonist very much. It was fun to be able to use that structure to tell a story that wasn’t a romance, to say that there are more stories in heaven and earth than people dream of. Which is not to say that I don’t love a good romance. I do love a good romance, and there’s romance in my books. But the emotional heart of the books is familial love: between brothers Nick and Alan, brother and sister pair Mae and Jamie, Sin and her much younger brother and sister, and the complicated relationships all have with their separate parents. And I love that I can do that, in YA, and it’ll mean so much: I love that it was easier to do that in YA than it would’ve been for any other genre.

This woman is mad, you may say at this point. Mad and lacking in taste! She freely admits to enjoying a Disney movie more than a movie which won MANY OSCARS, including Jack Nicholson’s for Best Assbucket! No wonder she likes writing YA.

And therein lies the most important reason to the eternal question of Why YA: I really do like doing it. I love doing it, and I’m proud of it. To me, YA has some of the realest books there are. And that’s why YA.

About the author: Sarah Rees Brennan was born and raised in Ireland by the sea, where her teachers valiantly tried to make her fluent in Irish (she wants you to know it’s not called Gaelic) but she chose to read books under her desk in class instead. The books most often found under her desk were Jane Austen, Margaret Mahy, Anthony Trollope, Robin McKinley and Diana Wynne Jones, and she still loves them all today.

After college she lived briefly in New York and somehow survived in spite of her habit of hitching lifts in fire engines. She began working on The Demon’s Lexicon while doing a Creative Writing MA and library work in Surrey, England. Since then she has returned to Ireland to write and use as a home base for future adventures. Her Irish is still woeful, but she feels the books under the desk were worth it.

Thank you Sarah!

And we turn the question back to you, dear reader: why do YOU read YA?

It’s sayonara Week 2, and konnichiwa Week 3! The madness continues with another ridiculously full week of reviews, but first, a few announcements:

Giveaway Winners:

First up, we’ve got our winner of For the Win by Cory Doctorow:

And our two lucky winners of Early to Death, Early to Rise:

Bits and bobs

So, our book discussion of Sisters Red on why we did not like the book, seemed to have caused quite an impact.

The author herself came over to comment which basically consisted of telling us in CAPITAL LETTERS, what were her INTENTIONS when writing the book. We, of course, replied to her comment at length trying to explain that once a book has been published, the author’s “intentions” don’t mean a thing: the book is out there in the world to be interpreted by the readers. Although we might as well have simply said: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” because the author probably did not read our reply – since she was very vocal both here and on twitter that “she doesn’t read the comments” and “For the record, I haven’t re-read the review in question since responding, and don’t plan to. I’ve said my piece, no interest in arguing”. Which is totally her prerogative of course, but we wonder: why comment at all if you don’t plan to be a part of a conversation? But we think that the best answer came from this post at Manifesta: The Difference Between Intention and What Actually Happened which is well worth a read.

Join us in celebrating YA!

Don’t Forget: on Sunday 15th of August, as part of our last week of YYAM, we cordially invite you to write a post about anything Young Adult. Anything counts: a review of an old favorite, a review of a new (or new to you) YA novel that you recently discovered, a post examining YA, or even a piece on why you DON’T read YA. Anything at all, as long as it is about YA.

You still have some time to prepare and you can comment on this post and/or email us (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com) if you have any questions or need suggestions.

Anyone with a blog can join. On August 15th we will post a Mr Linky post and you can add the link to your blog. Join us!

This Week on the Book Smugglers

On Monday, Thea reviews the first two books in the Salt trilogy by Maurice Gee – Salt and Gool

On Tuesday, Ana reviews her first ever Jaclyn Moriarty book: The Ghosts of Ashbury High

On Wednesday Thea reviews…… while Ana reviews LGBT novel My Most Excellent Year

On Thursday, we post our joint review of award winning How I Live Now by Med Rosoff

On Friday it is a What She Said day! Thea reviews Ana’s favorite book of 2010 so far Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves while Ana take on That Book That Made Thea All Tingly Inside: Hero by Perry Moore.

And finally, on Saturday, author Sarah Rees Brennan is our guest author for the day with an article on Why Read Ya.

aaaaand that’s it from us today!

Title: The Demon’s Covenant

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA/UF

Mae Crawford always thought she was in control. Now she’s learned that her little brother Jamie is a magician and Nick, the boy she’d set her heart on, has an even darker secret. Mae’s whole world has spun out of control, and it’s only going to get worse. When she realises that Jamie has been meeting secretly with the new leader of the Obsidian Circle and that Gerald wants him to join the magicians, she’s not sure how to stop Jamie doing just that. Calling in Nick and Alan as reinforcements only leads to a more desperate conflict because Gerald has a plan to bring Nick down – by using Alan to spring a deadly trap. With those around her torn between divided loyalties and Mae herself torn between her feelings for two very different boys, she sees a chance to save them all – but it means approaching the mysterious and dangerous Goblin Market alone…

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (US)/ Simon & Schuster Children’s (UK)
Publication Date: May 18 2010/ May 27 2010
Hardcover: 448 pages/ Paperback: 448 pages

Stand alone or series: Second in a trilogy, which started with The Demon’s Lexicon

Why did I read this book: The Demon’s Lexicon was on my top 10 last year and this sequel was one of my most anticipated reads of 2010.

Review:

Warning: this review contains spoilers for the FIRST BOOK because I can’t review the second without spoiling the first one. The spoiler completely ruins the experience of reading the first book and if you haven’t yet but still plan to read The Demon’s Lexicon I urge you to avert your eyes NOW. You have been warned!

It was only a few days ago that I talked about how 2010 has been a great reading year for me. The Demon’s Covenant is another addition to an already incredible line up. It feels like it was only yesterday that I discovered The Demon’s Lexicon a book that inconspicuously crept into my top 10 last year after its world and its characters became so alive to me, I was able to remember the smallest details after months of reading it. The Demon’s Covenant has been on my Most Wanted list since then and I was both anxious and terrified of reading it. Would it, could it, be as great as its predecessor? The answer is a resounding YES, a million times YES, and not only that: I find that it is even better.

I hereby declare Sarah Rees Brennan to be a freaking genius. For writing characters that become so alive that I feel like I know them, that make me care so much for their future as though they are real people, for making it possible to establish such an emotional connection with fictional people, I hereby declare that this writer has just joined the list of Ana’s Great Ones. Her name is now set in stone which means, I will read anything she ever writes because we (her writing and I) have crazy chemistry. It is possible that I am behaving like a fan-girl. It is possible that I am not in total control of my thoughts and actions because they have turned to mush after finishing this book. It is possible that I am wearing my heart in my sleeve. It is possible that you think I am exaggerating and it is very possible that I am. But this is what Good Books do to me and I wouldn’t trade this feeling, this experience, for anything in this world. I want to nurture it and above all I want to be able to spread it. So here it goes.

The Demon’s Covenant is very much a second book in a trilogy – by expanding on the first book’s storylines and setting the stage for the final act. It picks up a few weeks after the events at the end of The Demon’s Lexicon and the characters are still suffering the aftermath of what happened then. They are still struggling with the discovery that Jamie is a magician (and if you remember, most Magicians in this world are not Good) , with Mae’s feelings after she has killed someone to protect her brother and with the Twisterific revelation that Nick is in fact, a demon (and if you remember, the one thing that could be worse than being a magician, is definitely being a demon).

The story opens with Mae trying to go back to a normal life when she discovers that her brother is meeting with one of the magicians from Obsidian Circle, Gerald. Terrified that she might lose him, she contacts the brothers Nick and Alan to ask for their help once more and then all attempts at normalcy go down the drain; she is dragged back into the midst of a fight between Circles, a fight between brothers, and into the magical world of the Goblin Market – a world she would do anything to forget but which she is reluctantly fascinated by and attracted to.

The first thing of note in The Demon’s Covenant is the change in narrator . Nick is no longer the voice or the eyes from which this story is narrated making the sequel completely different from its predecessor and yet still fundamentally similar. The difference comes from of course, the narrative voice as instead of Nick’s cold, detached point of view, we get Mae’s deeply emotional one. I thought the choice of picking Mae as the narrator (as opposed to say, Nick again, or Alan) was extremely interesting and at first I wondered why. Then it hit me, even though they are miles apart in terms of humanity (or lack of) , Nick and Alan actually share something. They are both outsiders looking in. Nick, as the non-human, puzzled by emotional conundrums which he doesn’t have and Mae as the only one who does not possess magic, or fighting skills. Her narrative is poignant because of considerations such as what can she possibly offer to the group?

As Nick’s observations of others spoke loudly of how they felt, the same can be said about Mae. Her eyes observe everything and relate to the reader: the strange tension between the brothers, Jamie’s loneliness, the allure of the Goblin Market. Sometimes her observations are not as keen as she would like to believe but that might as well come from being deceived by others but also because of self-denial. She battles with her own heart for most of the book, trying to find normalcy she can’t possibly have after all that has happened and love in the arms of people which she doesn’t truly love. If you read the first book, you know that Alan has a crush on Mae and that Mae has a crush on Nick. At one point in the book, Nick tells her that she would be crazy not to pick Alan but the heart wants what the heart wants, folks. In some sense, Mae is as an unreliable narrator as Nick was but for completely different reasons. That to me, was awesome. As awesome was her strength, her resilience and her gift for action and plotting and above all, her capacity for understanding and connecting. Her understanding of Seb, a guy who could be scorned off as a bully but who is embraced by her or her friendship with another fantastic secondary female character, Sin of the Goblin Market (who is to be the narrator of the final book) . And even though, she is understanding and accommodating that does not make her feeble. I absolutely LOVED how her reactions to discoveries she made about people (I am being cryptic on purpose!) throughout the book were very firm and yet still well-balanced.

As fascinating as the narrative voice was, and how the world-building is incredibly compelling with added dynamics and politics within the Goblin Market and across the Magicians Circles nothing surpasses characterisation. What strikes me the most though in the world created by the author, is the complexity and the greyness of her characters. These are complex human beings making morally questionable decisions all the time. They all know for example, that Magicians are bad and kill humans to use their body to bring demons into the world in order to control their powers and yet, both Mae and Jamie are attracted to the use of magic.

Alan, who is my favourite character by far, is someone who would do anything, and I mean, anything for his brother Nick. He kills, maims lies, manipulates, and goes behind people’s backs to get what he wants. He unleashed a demon in the world. Yes, it is all for love and devotion but…does that make it right though? Probably not, but reading his father’s diary and how Alan has loved and cared for Nick from day one, just about broke my heart. Everything he does is for Nick but he also seems to have an unlimited amount of love to give to anybody who would accept. His actions in the end of the book (another twist, although not as mind blowing as the first one, but still, a good one) shows us that. I found myself consumed with love for Alan and the ONE thing I want the most is for someone to truly, deeply LOVE him.

Breaking my heart is something that I need to get used to though when it comes to this series. With every single scene of sibling affection between Nick and Alan or Mae and Jamie; with the ardent need that both Mae and Alan have for Nick to show some sign of humanity; with Nick’s obvious urgency for trying so hard to appease Alan even though it goes against his own nature and for his vulnerability; for Jamie’s hopeless crush; and so on and so forth, I got continuous heart twinges.

What is it that makes us human, I asked myself reading this book over and again. It is the emotions we feel? The capacity for connection? To make mistakes and err and fall and get back on our feet again? Nick might not feel the right emotions – but he is devoted, protective of the ones we considers “his”, does that not make him slightly human? Alan is human and is so clearly emotional and yet he can be as cool and detached as Nick if necessary – does that make him less human?

I don’t know the answers; I am terrified that the answers to those questions will come in the final book and it will break my heart into tiny little pieces. All I know is that I want the best for these characters . The Demon’s Covenant is definitely not a book about plot – in fact, when push comes to shove, little happens in the way of moving the story forward and all that was necessary to set the third act, is contained in the last few chapters. The majority of The Demon’s Covenant is about the characters’ and their motivations, and about love. Loving who you shouldn’t love, people being worthy of being loved even when they don’t think they are or the seemly endless capacity for sibling love that both Mae and Alan have. As such it is a feast for the readers who like me, are inclined towards character-driven stories.

I was a huge, giant MESS when the book ended and still I could have begged for more. I am consumed with love for these characters, flaws and all (or even because of that), terrified for their future because their world is bleak and the prospect of happiness is not that great, and yet, still hopeful for all of them, but above all for Alan. On Ana’s corner of the Smuggliverse there is one thing that I say to the books I love and cherish above all and which I consider to be the greatest compliment I could ever give: THIS IS WHY I READ. This book goes straight into my top 10, without a shadow of a doubt.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Angie, in her AWESOME review, quoted a scene that I too, loved so I am copying it here, because it shows that the book is not only dark and bleak but also oh, so funny in parts:

Mae grabbed Nick’s arm and he whirled on her, then caught himself and stood looking down at her with his pulse thudding against her palm and the knife still in his hand.

She lifted her chin. “Oh, put that away.”

Nick put it away. “Just making a point.”

“Yes, I took your point,” Jamie muttered. “Right up against my throat.”

Mae looked away from Nick and walked quickly toward the wall, scrambling over it and trying so hard to make the climb look easy that she skinned her elbow as she did so. She pretended it didn’t sting.

Nick did not try to help Alan over the wall this time around. He stood with his hands clenched into fists in his pockets as they all waited for Alan to get over on his own.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” he told Jamie suddenly.

Mae reached out and touched Nick’s shoulder. Her hand brushed muscle, braced and tense under her palm, for a moment. Then he shied away from her and glared.

She smiled as if this reaction was perfectly normal. “Sometimes when you pull knives on people, they get this impression that you’re going to hurt them, and then they’re completely terrified. Crazy, I know!”

“Okay,” said Nick. He turned to Jamie and popped his left wrist sheath again. “Look.”

Jamie backed up. “Which part of ‘completely terrified’ did you translate as ’show us your knives, Nick’? Don’t show me your knives, Nick. I have no interest in your knives.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “This is a quillon dagger. That’s a knife with a sword handle. I like it because it has a good grip for stabbing.”

“Why do you say these things?” Jamie inquired piteously. “Is it to make me sad?”

“I didn’t have you cornered,” Nick went on. “You could’ve run. And this dagger doesn’t have an even weight distribution; it’s absolute rubbish for throwing. If I had any intention of hurting you, I’d have used a knife I could throw.”

Jamie blinked. “I will remember those words always. I may try to forget them, but I sense that I won’t be able to.”

Verdict: The Demon’s Covenant is an amazing sequel to The Demon’s Lexicon, everything I could have hoped for, with characters that feel alive and real, catapulting this series and its author to the top of my favourites’ list. Definitely on my top 10 of 2010.

Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Reading next: Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

Hello everybody!

We have a few bits and pieces to share (including the newest Internet brouhaha) and giveaway winners to declare before we talk about what we will be reading this week.

First up are our giveaways winners.

Giveaway Winners

The four winners of Magic on the Storm by Devon Monk are:

elaing8 (comment #23)

Heidi C (comment #44)

Jennzah (comment #31)

Chris (comment #34)

The winner of Feed by Mira Grant is:

Laura (comment #31)

You all know the drill. Email us (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address and we will get your winnings out to you as soon as possible. NOTE: due to the increasing number of unclaimed prizes, winners have one week to contact us/reply to our email. After one week, we pick a new winner.Thanks again to everyone that entered, and congratulations to all of the winners!

The Latest Internet Brouhaha:

The latest Internet brouhaha is all about Fan Fiction. It started with writer Diana Gabaldon, of the Outlander fame, declaring it immoral and illegal. Fantasy author George R R Martin chimes in saying he is against it and cites as an example the differences between authors Edgar Rice Burroughs’ and H P Lovecraft’s stance on copyright and how one died a millionaire and the other in poverty. Both pieces caused quite the shit-storm – and rightfully so, as it seems neither has clear ideas of what fan fiction is all about. To be fair, in reply to the clarifications they both received, the two authors wrote follow-ups in which they take onboard those clarifications. Then blogger James Long from Speculative Horizons stirs the pot and says that fanfiction is “pointless” and “masturbation in prose form”.

If you were taken aback by these powerful negative declarations and like us, want to learn more and want to read about fanfiction, from people who actually DO know what they are talking about, we suggest you read these articles:

Nick Mamata’s awesome reply to George RR Martin and how he is wrong about the Lovecraft issue

The Bookshop’s, incredible, comprehensive reply to Diana Gabaldon, including links to breakdown to the legal status of fanfiction in the US and a list of authors who support fanfiction

Author Sarah Rees Brennan’s heartfelt post about the subject

And finally, the jewel of the crown:

Cory Doctorow’s article “In Praise of Fanfic”.

We sort of understand how some authors might be so attached to their creations they feel they shouldn’t be touched by other people and we think that their wish of not allowing fanfiction should be respected by their fans but we also believe that fanfic is not about them. It is about creative expression and cultural appropriation and as Philip Pullman so beautifully puts:

“It’s just another aspect of the democracy of reading.”

EDIT: It appears Ms. Gabaldon has taken down her posts pertaining to fanfic.

Authors Signings

Speaking of Doctorow: his new YA novel FOR THE WIN hits shelves next Tues, May 11th and the author will be touring all over the USA:

CHICAGO

Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 7:00 PM
Anderson’s Bookshop
123 West Jefferson Avenue

Thursday, May 13, 2010, 5:00 PM
Chicago Public Library
“YOUmedia” Teen Space
Harold Washington Library Center

SEATTLE

Friday, May 14, 2010, 7:00 PM
Sunset Tavern
5433 Ballard Ave
Book Signing and Q&A with Paul Constant
* Special performance by lit-minded rock band Pillow Army
Part of The Stranger’s Reading Series, $5 at the door

PORTLAND

Saturday, May 15, 2010, 2:00 PM
Powell’s Books
Cedar Hills Crossing

SAN FRANCISCO

Monday, May 17, 2010, 7:00 PM
Borderlands
866 Valencia Street

Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 7:00 PM
* Not Your Mother’s BookClub *
Books, Inc.
855 El Camino Real (Palo Alto)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 7:30 PM
“Geek Reading” Electronic Frontier Foundation [EFF] Fundraiser
111 Minna Street
$25 in advance, $30 at the door

http://action.eff.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100201

AUSTIN

Thursday, May 20, 2010, 7:00 PM
BookPeople
603 North Lamar

Thursday, May 20, 2010, 8:00 PM
Whuffiefest/ Presented by EFF-Austin and Plutopia Productions
Amelia’s RetroVogue and Relics
2213 South 1st Street
$10 Entry/ Drinks and Music

RALEIGH/ CHAPEL HILL

Saturday, May 22, 2010, 4:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
760 SE Maynard

Sunday, May 23, 2010, 1:00 PM
Flyleaf Books
752 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

NYC

Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 6:00 PM
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street

Thursday, May 27, 2010, 7:30 PM
powerHouse Books
with Gary Shteyngart and Rivka Galchen
* Moderated by Ben Greenman, New Yorker
37 Main Street

Friday, May 28, 2010, 7:00 PM
McNally Jackson
52 Prince Street

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, in London, at that fabulous bookstore Forbidden Planet: Three authors, one signing:

On May 20th 6-7pm
Forbidden Planet Megastore
179 Shaftesbury Avenue
London WC2H 8JR

TV Shows

Now that Lost is coming to an end – pause for sobbing – we need to find new TV Shows to keep us occupied. There are two new shows coming to ABC Family this fall, which we plan to check out, since both are based on YA novels:

Based on the young adult series written by Sara Shepard and with its premiere on June 8th, the show stars Lucy Hale (Privileged) as “Aria,” Shay Mitchell as “Emily,” Troian Bellisario as “Spencer,” Ashley Benson as “Hanna,” Sasha Pieterse as “Allison,” Holy Marie Combs (Charmed), Chad Lowe (24), Laura Leighton (Melrose Place), Ian Harding, and Bianca Lawson.

Then, on June 28th, it is the premiere of HUGE – no poster yet. Based on a novel of the same name by Sasha Paley, the drama series is about seven teens sent to a summer weight-loss camp called Wellness Canyon and it stars Nikki Blonsky and Gina Torres (of Firefly fame) amongst others.

We can’t wait.

But meanwhile we prepare ourselves for the sad, inevitable END of all things LOST. How will life be without it? The answer … is here in this awesome promo video called…”Obsession”:

This Week on The Book Smugglers

On Monday, Ana reviews Paper Towns by John Green, her new author crush for all things YA and Geekery.

On Tuesday, it’s Thea’s turn with her review of YA Fantasy Mistwood by Leah Cypess.

We continue our YA-inclined week, with Ana’s review of Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson on Wednesday.

On Thursday Thea reviews the highly anticipated Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.

And finally, on Friday, Ana reviews The Demon’s Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, followed by Thea’s review of God Stalk by PC Hodgell.

Phew. That’s it from us today. But before we leave, in hommage to what we went through in the UK this week ….

More awesome Empire Magazine Election Mash-Up posters

~ Your friendly neighborhood Book Smugglers

Welcome to Smugglivus – Day 24!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guest: Angie of the Young Adult/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction review blog Angieville. Angie runs one of our very favorite blogs, and has a knack for picking up and reviewing books that both of us Smugglers love. She’s one of our go-to sites for book ideas – if Angie likes it, chances are, we will love it too!

Please give a hand to Angie!

Best Performance by a Heroine in a Recurring Role: Kate Daniels for Magic Strikes Kate just gets cooler and tougher and couldn’t stop taunting the Beast Lord to save her life. My kind of girl, is Kate.

Best Debut Performance by a Heroine in a Leading Role: Lyn for Girl in the Arena

She’s the daughter of seven gladiators. She loves her family and is true to herself, while refusing to perpetuate a suffocatingly rigid social system. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Lyn.

Best Performance by a Hero in a Recurring Role: Curran for Magic Strikes

It’s just that he’s Curran. And he’s so furry and cocky and implacable. And out of his mind over Kate. Love the guy. Love, love, love him.

Best Debut Performance by a Hero in a Leading Role: Brigan for Fire

Because if you’re looking for still waters run deep, look no further. His iron self-control and constant putting of duty and family before any personal desires…well, in Kristin Cashore’s capable hands, he’s utterly spellbinding.

Best Performance by an Antihero in a Leading Role: Nick for The Demon’s Lexicon

Talk about the definition of an antihero. Nicholas Ryves takes the cake, my friends. You love him, you hate him, you love to hate him. And his relationship with his big brother Alan will melt your heart. See if it doesn’t.

Best Performance by a Villain: President Snow for Catching Fire

The dude smells like blood and roses and I can’t read a scene he’s in without gagging. Seriously. What is wrong with him?

Best Performance by a Vampire in a Supporting Role: Stefan for Bone Crossed

Stefan is just, hands down, my favorite vampire around. He smells like popcorn and drives a VW bus painted like the Mystery Machine and he absolutely made Bone Crossed. I hope Mercy gives Marsilia what she deserves one of these days. For Stefan.

Best Series Finale: Diana Peterfreund for Tap & Gown

For never dropping the ball and coming through in every way that matters and more. Tap & Gown is the perfect ending to a ridiculously entertaining series. How many of those have you read?

Best Packaging: Arthur A. Levine Books for Marcelo in the Real World

I just love it. Better yet, its inside is every bit as breathtaking as its outside. And that is saying something.

Best Kiss: Lady Julia Grey and Mr. Nicholas Brisbane for Silent on the Moor

These two are three books in now and the tension…let’s just say it remains high. Part of it can be chalked up to how well-suited they are to one another and part of it is just that Ms. Raybourn can infuse a scene with Victorian heat like nobody’s business.

And last, but not least…

Best Author Pimping: My booktwin and dear friend Martha for her tireless and heartfelt pimping of Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia

Thank you, Martha. What can I say? I should have listened to you earlier. I have seen the error of my ways and will never delay reading a book you rave about ever again. This series instantaneously skyrocketed to the top of my beloved bookshelf and Turner is an absolute storytelling master. Highly recommended for fans of Robin McKinley, Kristin Cashore, and Sherwood Smith.

As for my 2010 Must Be Mine list…I’m gonna leave you with my top 15 most anticipated titles. They hail from 3 new-to-me authors and 12 near-and-dear ones. The list is comprised of 8 YAs (4 fantasy, 2 urban fantasy, 1 dystopian, and 1 contemporary), 3 urban fantasies, 3 straight fantasies, 1 historical mystery, and is top to bottom made of awesome. Shiny, no? Here they are in order of publication date:

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

In a world of fever camps, wandering exiles, and cursed kingdoms, young Finnikin joins forces with the reckless Evanjalin in a bid to save the land of Lumatere from the evil that threatens to swallow it. After the wonder that was Jellicoe Road, I will read anything the woman writes. Due out February 9

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

A young woman leaves Scotland, bound for Roumania to visit a friend and write her book. There she encounters the mysterious Count Dragulescu and, well, really, need I say more? Due out March 1

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

The long-awaited fourth novel in the beloved Queen’s Thief series. This one follows Sophos as he fights his way to take his place as the heir to Sounis. Confession: I’m 100 pages into my ARC and it is, in a word, sublime. Due out March 23

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

A land beset by storms and quakes, a mysterious wizard who brings rain, and a young woman stolen from her home who may hold the key to it all…I am so there. Due out March 23

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Fifth Mercy Thompson novel. ‘Nuff said. Due out March 30

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

The unexpected but delightfully welcome sequel to Perfect Chemistry. This one follows Alex’s little brother Carlos. I enjoyed the hell out of the first book and can’t wait for the follow-up. Plus, that cover? Smokin! Due out April 13

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

A young girl has lost her memory. A desperate prince risks everything on the mere hope she is who he believes her to be. Forced to return to a place she once fled, amid scheming and lies, Isabel struggles to determine who she used to be and what she must become. Due out April 17

Lord of the Changing Winds by Rachel Neumeier

First in the Griffin Mage trilogy. The griffins are coming, bringing fire and desert in their wake. The king prepares for battle to protect his land. Meanwhile a young girl is summoned to heal the Griffin King and her awakening abilities lead her to the truth behind their sudden flight. Due out April 27

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

The fourth Kate Daniels book. Ilona and Gordon knocked it out of the park with Magic Strikes and I’m just not sure I’m gonna make it until May. Thank goodness for re-reading, right? Due out May 25

White Cat by Holly Black

The first in the Curse Workers trilogy, it’s about a boy named Cassel and takes place in a private boarding school, features a family of grifters, and is about curse magic. Oh, and a white cat. And is a fairy tale retelling. And it will be mine. Due out May 4

No covers quite yet on the rest of these, but keep your eye out because they are definitely not to be missed.

Heroes Return by Moira J. Moore

The fifth Heroes book featuring the lovable Source & Shield duo: Taro & Lee. Due out July 27

Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

This series is #3 in my top favorite urban fantasies. I just love how smooth the writing is and finding out what happens to Ciara and Shane and the gang in the next WVMP Radio installment. Due out August 1

The untitled Hunger Games Book 3 by Suzanne Collins

I have no idea how it’s all going to play out but I can tell you one thing. Katniss better knock some heads together in this one because I am THIS CLOSE to losing it. Grrr. Due out August 24

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

The second Killer Unicorns book (I just love saying that) and the sequel to Rampant. Peterfreund is one of my very favorite authors and I, for one, am looking forward to more Astrid, more Giovanni, more Phil, and more Bucephalus! Due out September 21

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

The sequel to the lovely Heir to Sevenwaters. This one is Sibeal’s book and one I’ve been waiting for for a long time. If you’ve never read any Marillier before, you have until December to pick up Daughter of the Forest and discover the splendiferousness for yourself. Janicu–I’m lookin’ at you. Due out December

That’s it for me. Thanks for having me, Smugglers! I’m off to track down some hot cider and wrap the last few presents. Thanks for stopping in this Christmas Eve and I hope your holidays are filled with good cheer and good books!

Thank you, Angie!!!

Next on Smugglivus: Doug Knipe, aka SciFiGuy

Welcome to Smugglivus 2009 – Day 18!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guest: Sarah Rees Brennan, YA author who debuted this year (and knocked Ana’s socks off with her writing). To read Sarah’s article about her Inspirations and Influences, go here.

Recent Work: The Demon’s Lexicon (set to make Ana’s top 10 of 2009). Ana reviewed the book here and Thea reviewed it here.

Please welcome Sarah and her list of favourite things of 2009 (plus a giveaway):

My Favourite Things of 2009

So here’s a thing people don’t talk about a lot: reading books by people you know.The first book you read by someone you know is simultaneously really exciting (because you’re happy their book is out! You love this person! You’re dying to read it!) and absolutely terrifying (If you don’t like it, perhaps you can move to Siberia and never ever check your email?).

The thing I never expected is that reading a book by someone you know is really reassuring. You know you’re going to get their humour: you know you find the same kind of things interesting. You’re absolutely certain that there is never going to be that Horrible Lurching Moment of Dismay when you realise the author’s value system is totally different from your own and now all the characters you love are tainted and you can never talk about the books again without going off on a weird rant that makes you look like you’ve been through a bad break-up.

‘I always knew the books were flawed (Oh we were never that serious), I still sometimes pick up their books in the shop (I drunk-dialled him last week), That character was really always the weak point in the series (I always knew that vile girl from the copy shop/his suspiciously clingy best friend Mitch would steal him away from me!), I guess I feel like other people should know how the series turns out before they waste their time (I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights).’ Book break-ups are hard to do!

But when you know someone’s mind and find out you love their writing (and that one’s a gamble…) then you can have a lot of fun. I made a lot of friends among fellow debut authors in 2009, and thus I had a lot of opportunities to find authors I trusted and books I love. (Some of them, of course, were written by total strangers. Who I will now be stalking incessantly in an attempt to get to their laptops – uh, I mean, enjoy their company.)

2009 BOOKS WHAT I LOVED

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare

I have been reading a lot of romance this year, looking at what works in romance for me, enjoying rolling around with books that seem to really like the ladies (hating on the ladies, something I am very very tired of in books), and I’ve observed that some of the most recent historical fiction has an increased focus on the heroines. Which I love – how d’you invest in a romance without loving both of the main players? And Goddess of the Hunt has one of my very favourite heroines of the year – Lucy, who gets all dolled up in the morningtime to woo a suitor and looks ridiculous, who is self-confident and occasionally embarrasses herself and then picks herself up and goes again, Lucy who eats a crazy amount to keep up her levels of energy for new adventures. I loooove Lucy. The writing and the hero, also excellent, but Lucy made the book one of my favourites.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

I loved the first book and when I found the sequel in a bookshop early, I performed a little spinny dance that caused one of the bookshop ladies to come and bond with me over the brilliance of this series. Derek and Chloe, I looooove them. I am also fond of Derek’s half-Asian sweet and good-lookin’ foster brother, though if he gets in the way of the romance, there will be consequences. Dark, snarly and hideous genius werewolf Derek! Tiny, blond and relentlessly sensible movie buff Chloe! If I had dolls of them, I would make them kiss all the time. (Quit looking at me like that.)

Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Definitely one of my favourite books of the year – reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird. I have a deep weakness for the South, possibly due to imprinting on Gone with the Wind young, and I also have a deep love for sensible heroines, mysteries, dark secrets in the past, and everybody being to blame and yet not being unlikable.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margi Stohl

In a world of lots and lots of YA featuring withdrawn ladies who fall in love with magnificently beautiful supernatural dudes – not that I don’t love several examples of that YA, but a change is nice – a sweet, normal boy narrator, a deep South background that was exotic (to me at least) and beautifully realised, and a romance that is goofy and adorable and obviously deeply-felt.

Knife by R.J. Anderson (known as Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter in the US)

Knife is the most badass YA heroine I came across this year, and she’s only about five inches tall. She wields a letter opener with deadly accuracy, though! And she spies on the strange and terrible humans who live near her – including Paul, who is newly wheelchair-bound, blond, sensitive, and – ahem! – kind of a hotass. Two very different people coming together in a gorgeously written mystery.

2009 MOVIES WHAT I LOVED

Star Trek

Went in having slept through every Star Trek episode I’d ever been shown, only because I’d heard awesome things, still very wary about space and action. Five minutes in, I looooved it: I loved the cool, reticent Vulcan dude, I loved the rebel with the cause that was daddy issues, and I loved the girl who was cool, confident and very brilliant at something that wasn’t kicking ass but was cerebral – I wish to see more of that. And the subtle, tropes-inverting romance was wonderful. I can’t wait to see the next one.

Let The Right One In

Vampire movie of the year! I love creepy child vampires, I love romances where the girl is the supernatural one, I love supernatural stuff that’s edgy and not romanticised. I loved the cold horror and the analysis of how morals would degrade in the face of the necessity of killing – and how children have very different morality, anyway.

Sherlock Holmes

Um, I haven’t seen it. But I really want to, and Robert Downey Jnr plus hilarity plus a new and strange take on the Sherlock Holmes mythos – I expect to love it!

2010 BOOKS I CAN’T WAIT FOR

(These include books I haven’t read and am dying to read, books I have read and am dying to talk about, and so on!)

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Dude, how awesome was Forest of Hands and Teeth? Plus, everyone who has read it says it’s even better than the first book. I mean, I don’t know, personally. Because I haven’t read it. I guess Carrie Ryan hates me or something. But Carrie ‘Doesn’t Love Me’ Ryan is still pretty magnificent. I’m dying to read it. By the time March rolls around perhaps I will be a zombie already. Not that Carrie ‘Heartless Withholder’ Ryan cares.

Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan

As I said earlier, I have been observing a trend I call the New Wave of Historical Romance, which I LOVE, and I think ‘Proof by Seduction‘ is one of the best examples I’ve read so far. The heroine is a scheming fortune teller, and we start out thinking oh well, she’ll repent of her ways, the handsome hero will teach her to love again, and then you realise that in fact Jenny is like a psychiatrist for her clients – she didn’t know that’s what they needed, and they didn’t either, and yet they all needed help – and that truth can be found in lying, cheating and gambling: and the proof is in the book.

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This is one of those I have read: I love Cassie’s other books, and how they’re funny, dramatic and romantic all at once, and I was excited and nervous to read her historical demonhunters. I think this is her best book yet – I expected to love the uber-gentleman super-zen Jem, but I did not expect how much I would love Will, who is tall, dark and Totally Insane, and I really did not expect that the Love of the Book for me would be Tessa, the heroine who loves books in a way that I think we can all identify with – passionate, consuming, relating real life to books and books to real life, and being all the better for it. Plus – demons and period clothes and a secret London and lots of delicious humour, what’s not to love?

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

My rule of trilogies is as follows ‘Book One: set up, Book Two: make out, Book Three: defeat evil.’ The first book was a symphony in punking the steam, dressing the cross and buckling the swash, and it set up (I hope) a romance that is my favourite of Scott’s books so far. Therefore I am extremely eager for the Make-Out Book. Also, I have received thrilling spoilers for this one. I know some stuff that happens. And you will be electrified! (Also, I am willing to sell these spoilers to the highest bidder. Okay, not really.)

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

I would kill to read this book. Seriously – no, seriously. All Kelley would have to do is send me an email, with a name in it. And I would understand her. I would go and commit murder, while Kelley constructed a perfect alibi for herself. Perhaps she could be doing a reading? And then later, I would receive my book. It would be completely worth it! I must know what happens next with the surly, shockingly not-hot werewolf Derek and the damsel-in-distress-who-occasionally-stabs-a-bitch Chloe. My suggestion is – making out! (To be fair… that’s usually my suggestion.)

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

I am expecting gorgeous writing, a genius mystery and a use of point of view that makes me really think. The King of Attolia is one of my favourite books ever, ever, and really… I don’t know what would happen if Megan Whalen Turner decided to get in on my murder offer for Kelley Armstrong and I opened the letter and it had the name of a loved one in it. Well I’m not saying I would do it. BUT IT WOULD BE A VERY HARD DECISION.

The White Cat by Holly Black

A world where magic was outlawed at the same time as Prohibition, and now magic is the province of crime and seven magical, criminal families. Cassel is the youngest son of a family of magical conmen: he has no magic, has a hard time not thinking like a criminal (though he tries) and he has far too many secrets. A family of attractive and potentially evil brothers and a very unusual romance, and a YA fantasy written like a noir detective novel. It’s so funny, so different, and I so can’t wait for other people to read it.

And, er, well, in 2010 my second book The Demon’s Covenant comes out, and I thought I might share an excerpt with y’all.

“It’s not some kind of tragically stupid love triangle. I’m not going to choose one guy out of two and settle down. It doesn’t have to be either of them for me, or have to be me for either of them. The world’s full of people, if you hadn’t noticed. I could ask any of a dozen guys out, and any of them could ask me out.” Mae took a deep breath. “I didn’t ask for your advice on my love life,” she said. “And it’s not necessary.”

“Glad to hear it,” Nick told her. “One last thing before I go.”

He leaned in closer, his hand held up to screen their faces as if he didn’t want anyone watching to even read his lips. His fingers were curled about half an inch from her cheek.

“I’m sure you’re right,” he said, his voice a whisper that seemed to curl in the air like smoke, to find a way in to her stomach and twist there, low. “I’m sure there are a dozen guys who will ask you out if McFarlane loses his chance. I just want you to know something.”

“What?” Mae asked, whispering because he was whispering, tilting up her face because he was leaning down, and for no other reason.

Nick looked down at her, his face obscuring the rest of the world, narrowing down her focus and stripping everything else away until she was left with cold black eyes instead of a summer sky.

“I never will,” he said.

2009 was a very special year for me in a lot of ways – chiefly that it was the year my first book was published. I’ll never be a debut author again! It was nervewracking, exciting, and humbling. I’ve loved the responses for my book – I hope more people will start reading with the release of the paperback and The Demon’s Covenant in 2010 – I carry gratitude, terror, happiness and a whole lot of booklove from 2009 to the next year, and the next!

To celebrate Smugglivus and the Year of My Debut, pray comment to win one of two Irish silver quillon dagger charms – my hero Nick’s favourite kind of knife. And happy Smugglivus to you all!

Sarah

And a Happy Smugglivus to you Sarah!

The Giveaway:

Leave a comment to enter to win one of two Irish silver quillon dagger charms! The contest is open to everyone and will run till Saturday 26th 11:59pm (PST). Good luck!

It’s Adios! to week 2 of Smugglivus and Hola! to week 3. But before we tell you the line-up for another MUY LOCA week, we need to announce last week’s giveaways winners!

Simon and Schuster UK giveaway (swag with titles for 2010):

The winner is……..Peta

The Julie James Giveaway:

The winner is…Susan Laura (Comment #11)

The Nalini Singh Giveaway

The winner is…….Donna S (Comment # 23)

The Sherrilyn Kenyon Giveaway:

The winner is….SaraC (comment #34)

Flash Giveaway

Winner of batch 1: Ginny
Winner of batch 2: Debbie (comment # 62)

Congratulations! You know the drill – send an email to contact AT the booksmugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks to all that entered, and if you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. There’s plenty more where that came from!

This Week on The Book Smugglers

The week starts later today with a guest post from Linnea Sinclair, one of our favourite Sci-fi Romance writers.

On Monday, we have Historical romance writer Kate Noble with her fave reads (and other cool stuff) of 2009

Later on Monday, Thea will post reviews of Vampire Haiku by Ryan Mecum and I am Scrooge – A Zombie Story for Christmas by Adam Roberts.

On Tuesday, our Smugglivus guest of the day is Ilona Andrews, followed by our joint review of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

On Wednesday, we have two more Smugglivus guests: writers Carrie Ryan and Diana Peterfreund tell us all about their top reads of 2009 and…

…then on Thursday, Fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson tells us all about his upcoming book The Way of Kings and Alice Morley from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers with what we can expect from the publisher in 2010 with a fabulous ARC giveaway!

On Friday it is Sarah Rees Brennan’s turn to tell us about her Favourite Things of 2009 (with a special giveaway), followed by Thea’s review and giveaway of Raiders Ransom by Emily Diamand.

Finally on Saturday, Fantasy writer Sam Sykes talks about what books he loved best in 2009 followed by a post by Historical Fiction writer Susan Holloway Scott with her own list.

Then FINALLY (phew), on Sunday, our last author/publisher guest, Erin Galloway, publicist for Berkley and NAL, tells us all about the upcoming books from the imprint.

And after that…it is guest bloggers’ time to dish about their favourite reads of 2009!

So buckle up, we have only just started!

~Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

So, while Thea is on a Thanksgiving break and I am left on my own, I decided to take over (Muwahaha) and do this stash, Ana style.

What was on my mind last week?

First and foremost: I was immersed in Smugglivus’ (upcoming event to celebrate reading and books!) preparations.

Drooling over the pretty poster, organising our crazy schedule, contacting our guests, etc. If you missed our Smugglivus’ announcement last Thursday, you can read it here.

I also spent some time trying to decide which books to read next month. Because of Smugglivus and the end of the year , I will be able to read those books I wasn’t able to read so far. One of those was The Magicians by Lev Grossamn and that did not work out as expected.  Alas, I do hope my next reads will be better. I have high expectations for those in particular:

I also spent some time musing and fawning over this one here:

I think the cover is fabulous; I like the blurb; I read one story by Sam Sykes in the Dragon Book and I liked it; The twitter buzz around this novel is growing; The book is not out till April though and it is KILLING me that I have other books I need to read before I can read this one.

Speaking of new authors: not a new author per se, but new author to me, I think I have a new author-crush for Jim C. Hines. I loved his Princess books, which I reviewed this week

….and I have been reading his livejournal. On top of interesting posts about writing, there is one about Rape in Fiction which I thought was fabulous.

Speaking of  rape in fiction. Kate, from What Kate’s Reading posted her thoughts on The Windflower and ended up writing a great post about rape and

why Rape is not romance. Rape is not a laughing matter. Rape is not a cheap literary device.

Her post is part of The Windflower World Tour, which by the way, is getting back on track!

For those who do not know, The Windflower World Tour is an across-blogs event in which a copy of the out of print The Windlower by Laura London is going around the world from blogger to blogger. The book is an old school romance and the reactions to it are all over the place. You can read more about it here and here. Next stop on the tour is at Literary Escapism.

Also on my mind last week, were the series of great posts that author Jackie Kessler wrote about the whole Harlequin Horizon debacle (in which publisher Harlequin opens a Vanity Publishing on the side). You can read more about it here and here. Also, here.

Great is also the word I would use to describe a post by Sarah Rees Brennan where she reviews some books she loved (including a couple of wonderful romance novels by the ever magnificent Meredith Duran) and mentions the Blank Page Heroine. Justine Larbalestier picked up the term and talked about it on her own blog . Make sure to read the comments – they are great too.

Speaking of heroines – and heroes and “great” , I jump right into Super-heroes ( am I trying too hard? LOL) : I saw this at Harry’s blog and loved it! The Super Emo Friends:

Seriously, how cute is that? And so, so true.

Anyways, this is what I have been up to. On Tuesday, we kick-off Smugglivus and we will post a special Week One Schedule tomorrow right after my review of Deep Kiss of Winter (Kresley Cole’s story) goes live.

What else? I think I need to do something important. Ah! Giveaway winners! I saved the best for last!

Tainted Giveaway:

Carolyn H (comment # 3)

Flash Giveaway:

Batch 1 – Jenny N (comment #63)
Batch 2 – Sarah (comment #80)

Congratulations! You know the drill – send an email to contact AT the book smugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks to all that entered, and if you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. There’s plenty more where that came from.

And that is it from me today! Have a great Sunday and until tomorrow!

~ Your friendly neighborhood Book Smugglers

Today we bring you a new feature, called “What She Said…” in which we both review books that the other has already read and reviewed. The idea arose because of the dilemma that if one of us reads and reviews a book, the other can’t really post again about it, right? WRONG! Hence, “What She Said…” was born. For those books that we REALLY want to read after the other has reviewed – and gushed – about it. For today’s installment, we take on Jasmyn by Alex Bell, and The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Jasmyn by Alex Bell
Gollancz (UK), June 2009, Trade Paperback 320 pages

Original Review June 2009
Original Rating: 8 Excellent

What Thea Said:

“You know those books, the ones that when you finish them you feel like your heart is being twisted in your chest – with love for how wonderful the book was, but inexplicable sorrow too because the book has come to an end? Such is Alex Bell’s beautiful, haunting contemporary fairy tale, Jasmyn.

Jasmyn is a 27-year old widow, her beloved husband of less than a year having just passed away by sudden aneurysm. Jasmyn’s world is thrown into darkness with Liam’s death, leaving her alone and lost in the world. And that’s when the strange things begin to happen – at Liam’s funeral, six black swans fall dead out of the sky. Jasmyn starts to feel that she is being watched by a shadowy figure, and a few weeks after the funeral, a strange pushy man shows up at Jasmyn’s home, completely unaware of Liam’s death and claiming to have known him through work. With the help of her brother-in-law, the strangely spiteful and cruel Ben, Jasmyn uncovers a whole secret life Liam kept from her, leading her down a path into a fantastic world filled with cursed swans, star-crossed love, and shocking revelation. Jasmyn learns that Liam has meddled with some potent magic, and more importantly, that Liam is not at all the man who she believed him to be.”

What Ana Says: Thea’s review of Jasmyn made me almost regret sending the book to her instead of reading it first: Jasmyn, the book, travelled all the way from the UK to LA and back before I was able to read it, almost an exact imitation of the journey that Jasmyn, the character, undertakes in the book.

Starting in the UK, the 27 year old recently widowed albino woman tries to live through the grief of losing Liam, the man who was not only her husband, but her soul mate, her childhood sweetheart. Ever since that day, in primary school and he walked to her and instead of voicing the usual cruel taunt of “are you a ghost” he asked “are you a snow princess”, he has been her safe port, her best friend and Jasmyn is overtaken with loneliness when she loses him.

Then strange things begin to happen , starting with black swans falling from the sky on the day of the funeral and her wedding photos, all of a sudden showing her face twisted in agony instead of the happiness she remembers feeling – to an around the world race for answers – about Liam and who he really was.

Jasmyn is one of those books where the STORY itself outshines everything else and I simply loved reading this book – regardless of how I sometimes felt about Jasmyn and her lack of self-confidence. Regardless of the fact that I felt like punching Ben, Liam’s brother, in the face. Regardless that sometimes, the writing was tentative and the lack of detail about the background fairytale left me wishing for more. The fact remains, that from beginning to end I was completely captivated by Jasmyn’s story – it is everything a fairytale should be: difficult and sad sprinkled with bits of horror and heartache but with such beauty that was almost painful for me to read.

This is at its core a love story and it has a most rewarding happy ending but beware: two things you need to know before starting to read it

1)This is a contemporary fairy tale, which means that all that happens in the book happens in a world like our own and people believe in stuff like fairies and magic swans. There is no point in reading it if you are going to question the magic behind it or to question how people can believe in those things. It is a fairy tale: to question these here would be akin to reading Snow White and asking: “what do you MEAN there is a talking mirror?”

2) I cannot stress this enough: Don’t start this book unless you mean to finish it. As difficult as it may be especially with Jasmyn and Ben’s frustrating behaviour in parts, the pay off only comes when you read till the end – this is one of those books where the ending rewrites the whole story and it’s all the more poignant for that.

I will end with Jasmyn’s opening words:

“You have never heard a story quite like this one. I can hear you protesting already but, the fact is, it doesn’t matter how old you are, how many books you’ve read, how many things you’ve seen…this story will be new to you. Maybe it will even haunt you a little. Because what happened to me….well, I don’t think it’s even happened before.
(…)
This story (..) has the ribbons and the glitter and the magic. But it also has the blood and the sacrifice and the twisting evil – for this is a real fairy tale, not the sugar-coated imitation. It is a story of love, loss, illusion, castles, hatred, seduction, ice palaces, adventure and knights.”

And what a story this is. If it isn’t clear enough: I totally loved this book as much as Thea did and wholeheartedly second her recommendation.

Rating: 8 Excellent

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Margaret K. McElderry (US)/Simon & Schuster Children’s (UK), June 2009, Hardcover 336 pages

Original Review June 2009
Original Rating: 8 (leaning towards a 9) – EXCELLENT

What Ana Said:

“The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn’t have been so bad except that Nick kept his favourite sword under the sink.”

The Demon’s Lexicon starts with this opening line and it’s a great beginning because it serves the book well. This line is significant in the way it shows how the “abnormal” coexists with the “normal” in this world. Right there and then, I am taken. And this feeling only increases as I read and every single time I had to put this book down, I felt its absence. Much like an umbilical cord between myself and it, there was a calling, something that connected me with to it; I kept thinking about it when I wasn’t reading, mostly theorising about the main character and what it all meant. I am in a way, a few days after reading The Demon’s Lexicon, still hooked in its characters, still thinking about them but mostly still overflowing with admiration for the author. For what she did, for what she dared, for how she constructed the characters, the world, but mostly for how she showed a wondrous dark world and amazing, wonderful feelings such as sensitivity, devotion, fondness and sacrifice through the eyes of a character that feels none of these very same feelings and who is, at every turn and all the time, conscious of this…lacking.

What Thea Says:

Ana has been trying to get me to read The Demon’s Lexicon practically from the second she started the book. I’d received countless emails from Ana about the darkness of the main character, the compelling plot, the strong writing and the humor of the novel, and was instantly intrigued. So, when I picked up Ms. Brennan’s debut novel for myself, I had some pretty high expectations, given Ana’s enthusiastic endorsement – and I’m pretty happy to say that I really liked this book.

The Demon’s Lexicon is told from the third person perspective, but with insight to the protagonist, Nick’s thoughts. Right from the beginning of the novel it is clear that Nick isn’t all that much like his kind and sympathetic brother Alan, and it rapidly becomes clear that Nick isn’t much like anyone else, either. Nick’s defining trait is his strange coldness; he doesn’t understand the motivations that fuel other people around him (like his brother Alan protecting two strangers, to the point where he takes on two demon marks willingly), nor does he get why people are so quick to emote, touch each other in comfort, or talk so much about anything and nothing. And I think Ana describes Nick best when she says:

Nick is a character that makes it hard for the reader to connect with – it is so very hard to feel sympathy for Nick but it is impossible NOT to feel for him.

Ms. Brennan does a ballsy thing by writing a character that is angry, cold, distant and almost alien – but it’s impossible NOT to care for him. Even though he doesn’t ever think or say it specifically, we know that he feels protective of Alan because he loves him (at least, that’s my interpretation). Nick might not identify with our concepts of love, but much like Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter, I think that he subconsciously knows and feels this. Maybe not in the way that “normal” people feel love…but it’s there, and he expresses it in his own way. In short, I loved Nick. He’s a very different character from the norm, and being privy to his thoughts, reading how he interprets (or fails to interpret) the people around him is fabulously different and insightful. Most YA novels tend to take the perspective of the everygirl/everyboy and look at the scarier, different characters from the outside – but Ms. Brennan flips convention through the eyes of a very different anti-hero protagonist. I cannot stress enough how much I loved that Nick was not written as a badass with a heart of gold – NO ONE in this book is what they seem. Besides Nick, Alan is another character that surprises with hidden depth. It is Nick as a character, and then the bond of brotherhood between Nick and Alan that makes The Demon’s Lexicon such a fabulous read.

My only problems with the book had to be the uneven start and some of the writing. In the early chapters especially, the odd descriptions of movements and repetitive details read very much like a debut author trying to write her debut novel – which isn’t really bad, and doubtless will improve in subsequent books (as it is, by the end of The Demon’s Lexicon, Ms. Brennan finds her voice and smoothly tells her story). My other quibble would be with some of the humor – Jamie’s jokes, endearing to Ana felt forced and awkwardly un-funny to me – and with a level of predictability with the plot. There are many not-so-subtle hints strewn throughout The Demon’s Lexicon concerning The Twist – but to the book’s credit, even though you KNOW what’s coming from a mile away, it doesn’t really matter because the story is so dratted compelling!

Basically, with only a few reservations I really enjoyed this book – and I cannot wait for the next in the series! Also, I just have to quote one part that gave me the goosebumps because it was that flipping awesome:

Nick threw his head back and let himself laugh. It was a slow, delighted laugh, rolling cold as the sea and washing through the whole room. He’d used the laugh before to make people shiver and turn pale…

“What?” [he] snapped, and then, as the low laugh continued, his nerve broke and he shouted, “What?”

Nick leaned forward in the dark and whispered, “You don’t know my brother.”

He was still speaking when the first shot was fired.

Rating: 7 Very Good – and Ms. Brennan is clearly an author I need to keep my eye on in the future!

Reading Next on What She Said:

Ana: Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

Thea: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Ahoy mateys! I’m back from Vegas, didn’t lose too much money or sanity, and I’m taking over the blog…

Well, not really. Just to give you the skinny on another Sunday, and another stash. First, we have a giveaway winner to announce…

Giveaway Winner:

The lucky winner of our giveaway of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is:

Congratulations! You know the drill. Send your snail mail address to us (contact AT the book smugglers DOT com) and we’ll get your winnings off to you as soon as possible.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

We’ve got a SUPER packed week coming up for you. On Monday, while Ana’s out enjoying her bank holiday Thea (finally) reviews The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan…

…and also takes a look at the upcoming fall TV schedule.

The sequel to the highly praised The Hunger Games, Catching Fire is already making its way to the top of many “Best of 2009″ lists…so on Tuesday, we’ll be having a SuperMegaFantastic Catching Fire bonanza! To celebrate the release day of one of the most highly anticipated books of 2009, Thea will review Catching Fire, and then later in the day we will be offering a giveaway of THREE copies of the book, along with prize packs of T-shirts and mockingjay pins. Make sure to stop by for a chance to win this great swag.

On Wednesday, we bring you a brand spakin’ new feature: “What She Said…” In which Ana and I read books that the other has read and loved this year. The idea arose after Ana *cough*STOLE*cough* Name of the Wind from the “Joint Review” pile and decided to go rogue and read it on her own (even though I’ve had the book on my shelf for ages and was the one who told Ana about it!). She loved it, wrote an awesome review about it, won’t stop gushing about it…and I’ve had enough. I want to read and review this book, but the dilemma was that if I did read it, I wouldn’t really be able to post again about it. Right? WRONG. Hence, “What She Said…” was born. On Wednesday, Ana reads one of my suggestions, Jasmyn by Alex Bell (which I loved and immediately thought Ana would adore too)…

and then I get to read The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brenan (which Ana loved and immediately told me to buy).

On Thursday, Ana reviews A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James and Thea reviews Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead.

Friday, we give you a joint review of a book we’ve both been waiting to read for a long time, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn: The Final Empire (book 1 of the Mistborn trilogy).

Woohoo! (Love the new cover, by the way)

On Our Smuggler Radar: (Or, Books Thea Really Really Wants)

Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe.

Reaching the end of their tense and desperate flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives — Todd’s gritty and volatile; Viola’s calmer but equally stubborn — the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

It happened quickly. Overnight, the greater Los Angeles area found itself in the horrifying grasp of a werewolf epidemic. Twenty eight days of the month they are no different than you or me–the High Bloods, who managed to go unaffected. But every full moon, they are the most ravenous creatures man has ever seen.

A new law-enforcement agency has been created to keep tabs on the those whose blood runs Lycan. Rawson is an agent for Lycan Control, and his job is to make sure all the afflicted are found, monitored, and kept at bay the night they change. But the Lycans in Hollywood have risen to cultlike proportions, and Rawson’s job is getting tougher.

One night, a woman changes right in front of Rawson. And it’s not a full moon. Someone deep in the annals of Hollywood has managed to trip the logic of the werewolves’ being. Battling a rising tide of Lycan rights activists and a growing population of those who are choosing to be Lycan over High Blood, Rawson must carve a path to the top of the Lycan chain before all hell breaks loose.

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger’s subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn’t only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.
Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.

It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.

Indigo Springs is a sleepy town where things seem pretty normal . . . until Astrid’s father dies and she moves into his house. She discovers that for many years her father had been accessing the magic that flowed, literally, in a blue stream beneath the earth, leaking into his house. When she starts to use the liquid “vitagua” to enchant everyday items, the results seem innocent enough: a “’chanted” watch becomes a charm that means you’re always in the right place at the right time; a “’chanted” pendant enables the wearer to convince anyone of anything . . .

But as events in Indigo Springs unfold and the true potential of vitagua is revealed, Astrid and her friends unwittingly embark on a journey fraught with power, change, and a future too devastating to contemplate. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends as Astrid discovers secrets from her shrouded childhood that will lead her to a destiny stranger than she could have imagined . . .

Elfland is an intimate, sensual novel of people—both human and Aetherial—caught between duty and desire. It’s a story of families, and of Rose Fox, a woman born to magic but tormented by her place in her adopted world.

Led by Auberon Fox, a group of Aetherials—call them the Fair Folk, if you will—live among us, indistinguishable from humans. Every seven years, on the Night of the Summer Stars, Lawrence Wilder, the Gatekeeper, throws open all gates to the Other World. But this time, something has gone wrong. Wilder has sealed the gates, warning of a great danger lurking in the realm beyond them. The Aetherial community is outraged. What will become of them, deprived of the home realm from which their essential life force flows?

Rose Fox and Sam Wilder are drawn to the lands beyond the gates, even as their families feud over Lawrence’s refusal to do his duty. Struggling with their own too-human urges, they discover hidden truths that draw them together in a forbidden alliance. Only by breaching the dreaded gates and daring the danger beyond can they confront that which they fear most— their otherness—and claim their birthright.

That’s about it for now folks! Hope you enjoy the week ahead.

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers