The Book Muncher

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

When Skye turns seventeen, she doesn’t know that trying to persuade her best friends against throwing her a surprise party and figuring out to diffuse her other friend Ian’s crush on her are the least of her worries. She has no idea that her seventeenth birthday marks such an important turning point in her life, but she’s about to find out, thanks to two new people in her life. Asher is charismatic but with a dark streak while his cousin Devin is the more reserved golden boy. Each is magnetic in his own way, and Skye can’t deny that there’s something so captivating—and disturbing—about both. Asher and Devin seem to know a little bit more about Skye than she’s normally comfortable sharing, and it isn’t long before she’s questioning the truth of her own mysterious past. There’s something larger at work in Skye’s life, and though she’s unaware, it won’t be long until she’ll be forced to take her own role in it.

A Beautiful Dark might appear to be just another book riding the angel wave of the latest paranormal trend, but debut author Davies keeps things fresh with snappy dialogue, a strong heroine, and unique angel mythology. The way that the story opens makes it seem that the main concerns of this book will be clothing and crushes, but the plot quickly gets much more exciting with the mysterious appearance of newcomers Asher and Devin along with a series of confusing and almost sinister events. I think what I liked best about A Beautiful Dark among other books about angels was that Skye fights so hard to maintain her identity while being thrust into a supernatural situation of epic proportions; it’s not that she doesn’t want things to change at all, but instead, she doesn’t want to just become a tool for one side of the conflict or another. Davies keeps readers entertained throughout the story with lots of action and romance, slowly building up the intensity of the story until its shocking conclusion. There’s no doubt that there will be many readers impatient for the next installment of Skye’s story to find out what happens to Skye, Asher, and Devin.

A Beautiful Dark is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, and Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from BEA

Win Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

(1) lucky winner will receive Tempest by Julie Cross
courtesy of St. Martin's Press

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Other details:

US/Canadian mailing addresses only.
Contest ends 2/02/12, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Tale of a book signing with Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I made the very good decision to go down to the Barnes & Noble at Union Square for a book signing. It was a good decision because it was a book signing, of course, but it was a particularly good decision because this event was for Why We Broke Up, written by Daniel Handler and illustrated by Maira Kalman.

The author and artist thoroughly entertained the audience with their random comments and witty banter, all accompanying a slideshow containing images from Why We Broke Up as well as other pictures that said something about Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler's joint history.

One of the images from the slide show

For example, the first few images were photographs that Maira sent to Daniel. He in turn wrote a little something about that image. The story accompanying the image above was particularly hilarious.

Maira Kalman & Daniel Handler, again!

In addition to these funny little stories, Daniel Handler also read a few short excerpts from Why We Broke Up. But I have to say that my favorite part of the evening (aside from, you know, getting my book signed!) was the "Are you a romantic?" quiz that everyone in the audience got to take. Here was my score:

10-15
You lied while taking the test in a vain effort to make others believe you're more or less on an even keel.

For the record, I totally did not lie.

The Darlings in Love by Melissa Kantor

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Victoria, Natalya, and Jane have successfully survived their first semester of high school at separate schools, and now they feel that the Darlings can handle anything—even and especially love. Even though Jane has sworn off love, things are going great for Victoria and looking up for Natalya. Victoria knows that she and her boyfriend Jack are just perfect together, and every moment that they spend together makes her positively glow. And Natalya’s crush Colin might just be dropping hints that he likes her back. Even Jane’s new acting partner Simon may give her a good reason to believe in love again. But just when things are going smoothly, the Darlings are going to have to learn about the more complicated side of love. Victoria’s Valentine’s Day surprise for Jack doesn’t quite go as planned, Simon might be a little too good to be true, and it turns out that Colin has been keeping some very big secrets. But through all these romantic dreams and heartaches, the Darlings know that they still have each other and that their friendship can get them through anything.

I was just as charmed by The Darlings in Love as I was by its prequel, The Darlings Are Forever. The focus on romantic relationships for this second book in a series is a tad overdone, but Kantor still handles it wonderfully. This is partially because Darlings are such a lovable trio; Victoria, Natalya, and Jane are girls that every reader will be rooting for as they struggle with their romantic and other drama. Additionally, the focus of the story isn’t solely on romantic relationships but also on the Darling’s relationships with each other and their families. Though the plot is a little predictable, I still found The Darlings in Love heartwarming and entertaining because of Kantor’s superb character development. Victoria, Natalya, and Jane are so realistic and likable that their stories are always sure to make me smile.

Fans of The Darlings Are Forever won’t want to miss its sequel in The Darlings in Love, nor will fans of The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer and Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from NetGalley

Win The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm super excited to be giving away one incredible dystopian book!

It starts with an itch you just can't shake.

Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat.

A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

And don't forget to check out the book trailer:

(1) lucky winner will receive a Miniemergency Kit and The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
courtesy of Big Honcho Media

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Other details:

US mailing addresses only.
Contest ends 1/31/12, at 9 p.m. EST.

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

This year is going to be different. This year, Kaelyn promises herself that she’s going to talk to people at school and make more friends. Then everything will be better, and she’ll stop missing her best friend Leo as much. And Kaelyn’s right: this year is going to be a lot different—only, not in the way that she thinks. Instead, people start getting sick. The symptoms are strange and unlike those of anything doctors have really seen before, with uncontrollable itching, sneezing, and coughing; a breakdown of social inhibitions; and paranoid hallucinations. No one really knows what to do, not the parents or the doctors or the government, but with the deadly virus spreading father every day, something has to be done. With her island home locked down on quarantine and people close to her getting sicker every day, Kaelyn has almost given up on everything. Is there an end to this nightmare? Kaelyn doesn’t know, but she can’t give up hope—because that’s all she has left.

The Way We Fall is an absolutely chilling look at the reverberating effects of a deadly virus in a small, enclosed community. For me, Crewe’s story is so scary and horrifying because the real villain is invisible: it’s a virus; I can’t think of anything more frightening than watching your home and world fall apart because of something you can’t see or even effectively protect yourself from. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this book because Crewe crafts this world so well. The virus itself and its symptoms are entirely believable and the degeneration of the community in which Kaelyn lives is so scarily plausible. Even when comparing the initial state and the ending circumstances of Kaelyn’s home, their vast differences are easy to understand because Crewe makes the worsening transitions so smooth. It’s also interesting to watch the changes that Kaelyn undergoes as she’s forced to grapple with unfamiliar situations and adapt to new roles, but I found that I cared less about her than I did about the overall situation on the island. I also felt that the story cut off in an odd place; either Crewe could have shortened it to leave more of a cliffhanger, which would have been acceptable considering The Way We Fall is the first in a new series, or she should have added a little more onto the ending. However, I am optimistic that character development will improve in books to come, and I am eager to see how Kaelyn’s story and life on the island will continue.

The Way We Fall will be enjoyed by fans of Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien, and Dark Parties by Sara Grant.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from NetGalley

Congratulations to...

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Annie

won a signed copy of Eve by Anna Carey

Yiling / Addictedtolife
who won a Shadowhunters poster and pin

Cialina
who won a signed copy of The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

&

Debbie's World of Books
who won Switched by Amanda Hocking

Tale of a book signing with Andrea Cremer

2012-01-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I went to my first California book signing in years. Yes, years. It felt weird not to be able to hop on the subway and take a ride to my local Barnes & Noble like I do in New York City, but fear not, I made it safely in my friend's car.

I was super excited to soothe my book event withdrawal, which occurs every time I come back to California during a school break, and also to see author Andrea Cremer, who's on tour to promote the last book in the Nightshade trilogy, Bloodrose. It's always a little awkward for me when I go to book events for books that I haven't read yet, especially when I don't have my book signing regulars to distract me from my own awkwardness, and especially when my copy of Bloodrose bears the battle scars from losing a fight with a Brita filter...long story. But of course, I needn't have worried, because it was a thoroughly enjoyable event!

Andrea Cremer! (I apologize for the poor picture quality of my iPod)

Andrea read a favorite scene from Bloodrose, and then took lots of questions from an eager audience. I was especially excited to hear about the projects she's working on next, including two prequels and other books set in the world of Nightshade, a steampunk trilogy, as well as a collaboration with the famed David Levithan. Needless to say, there is cause for my excitement!

EDIT: me, my friend Kristi, and Andrea Cremer! (thanks to Kristi for this picture)

My good friend Kristi and I got our books signed and also got to snag some pretty cool posters featuring the new (well, new in a relative sense) cover art for Nightshade. Yes, we got those signed too. And yes, I have one to give away here!

CONTEST CLOSED

(1) lucky winner will receive a signed Nightshade poster

To enter this contest, please fill out this form:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGEyTnBZSk80Mkw5N2pMQzNQSXdDbkE6MQ

Other details:

US mailing addresses only.
Contest ends 1/25/12, at 9 p.m. EST.

Interview with Megan Miranda

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

And now for a quick interview with Megan Miranda, whose debut novel Fracture, comes out next week!

What has your experience as a debut author been like so far?
I feel incredibly fortunate. My experience as a debut author has been nothing short of wonderful. That’s not to say it also hasn’t been hard work (it has), but it’s been a very rewarding experience. I think the thing that makes the debut experience so different is that you’re learning so much of the process as you go. Pretty much everything is…surprising. At least it has been for me. With that said, it’s been surprising in a pretty exciting way.

What has been the best part of the publishing process for you? the worst?
I think, like any job, there are aspects of it that are more difficult than others, but I definitely wouldn’t call them bad. Some of the hardest parts (like revisions) turned out to be the best part of the process, as it made my book that much stronger. Right now, I’d say this is my favorite part, though. Getting ready to launch the book that we’ve all spent the last few years working on. It’s a really exciting time.

What sort of research did you have to do for this novel?
I did a lot of fact checking for a lot of the science aspects, and I did a lot of research about ice safety J I feel pretty confident that I now know how to rescue someone who has fallen through the ice…

What is the most interesting thing you learned while writing Fracture? (This can be about yourself, about writing, or anything at all).
I learned a lot about my writing process. I start with characters instead of plot, so my early drafts tend to have my characters wandering around without a story. I usually have to throw out the first draft completely, but I typically have a pretty good feel for my characters by then.

What is the most rewarding part about being a young adult author?
I think the young adult community is so incredibly supportive and very approachable. Writers, people in publishing, bloggers, readers—everyone seems to be online and connected. This also extends in person. People are always willing to meet up and support each other, and I think this is such a rare thing in most industries.

If there was one thing you could change about Fracture, what would it be?
It’s not something I’d really choose to change, because I like that the book is told solely through Delaney’s point of view, but I would’ve liked to explore the back-story of one of the side characters even further, from his perspective. But it doesn't really have a place in Delaney’s story.

What are you working on next?
I have another standalone, set to come out early 2013. It’s a psychological thriller about memories, the thin line between the real and the imagined, and friendship.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Delaney had been underwater for eleven minutes before her best friend Decker pulled her out. She was trapped in icy waters under a partly frozen lake in Maine for an entire eleven minutes. Her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped functioning. She should have died—but somehow she didn’t. Against all odds and despite the scans showing brain damage, Delaney is alive. But she isn’t completely well. She finds herself waking in the middle of the night with a strange itching sensation from within her body and hands that won’t stop shaking. She finds herself pulled in strange directions which all seem to lead to people dying. Delaney’s terrified that something is seriously wrong with her, but she doesn’t know who to turn to; her parents don’t know how to deal with her anymore, and her relationship with Decker isn’t the same. But then she meets Troy, and he seems to know exactly what she’s going through. Like her, he’s drawn to people who are dying. But what is this strange ability? Is it a curse, or a gift? And what are they supposed to do with it?

Fracture is a book with a fascinating concept but a story that is not quite as spectacular to accompany it. Miranda has created such an unusual premise of a girl who, for all intents and purposes, was and should still be dead, but isn’t. I was intrigued by Delaney’s unusual situation, especially as it became apparent that it was connected to something greater and possibly more sinister—the deaths of others. However, I was much less impressed by how these ideas manifested in the story. The reasons for, precise nature of, and implications of Delaney’s strange ability are never really explained, even though this ability is very central to the novel as a whole. The focus, instead, seems to be on Delaney’s evolving relationships with her family, friends, and new acquaintances. This would be fine if it was well done, but Delaney’s tendency towards melodrama in describing how she’s been wronged became rather irritating. I was also disappointed with the ending, which didn’t leave much sense of accomplishment or conclusion. Though Fracture certainly has a unique premise, the poor execution of its story made reading it less enjoyable than it could have been.

Fracture will still be enjoyed by fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, and Frost by Marianna Baer.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from NetGalley

Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes

2012-01-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

Theia Alderson was never prepared for meeting Haden Black and especially not for falling in love with him. Because of Haden, Theia was willing to give up everything, and to save his life, she made a deadly choice. Now back in Serendipity Falls, Theia can’t help but feel out of place. Her time in Under and her sinister bargain with its evil queen have irrevocably changed her, and Theia’s afraid it’s for the worse. She is now plagued with the same demonic hungers that Haden must grapple with, and when students at their school start to suffer from a mysterious and draining illness, Theia suspects the worse. Someone—or something—is out to get Theia and Haden, to destroy what little happiness they could find, and won’t stop until all that Theia holds dear is destroyed.

Dreaming Awake is a quite satisfactory sequel that takes readers back to the interesting world of Falling Under. I’ll admit that the beginning of the book was a little slow for me at first, because it seemed the main focus of the plot was Theia’s relationship with Haden. I do find both characters intriguing, even more so when they are together, but I got tired of their emotional rollercoaster ups and downs in Falling Under, and frankly, a repeat of that drama would make for a boring book. However, Hayes quickly livens things up with some interesting twists and the promise of more sinister threats to come. In fact, Hayes seems to have a real talent for getting her characters into some very hopeless-looking situations where everything is up in the air and anything is possible, which makes for a rather unpredictable and always exciting plot, especially towards the end of the book. I can’t say that I was completely blown away by Hayes’s writing, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed the story and plot of Dreaming Awake.

Fans of Falling Under will not want to miss its sequel in Dreaming Awake, nor will readers who also enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Penguin

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Linh Cinder makes a living in New Beijing as a mechanic. More accurately, she makes money for her stepmother, a cruel and selfish woman who hates Cinder for being a cyborg. Cinder may not know how she came to be this way, part mechanical and only part human, but she knows there’s nothing she can do to change who she is. She’s mostly resigned herself to a life of being treated as a second class citizen when Prince Kai approaches her market stall and asks her to fix his android. What Cinder doesn’t know is that there’s more to Prince Kai and his android than meet the eye, and that by accepting this job, she’s going to become entangled in a high stakes game of disease, deceit, and diplomacy. In a world ravaged by a deadly plague and threatened by a malicious race of lunar people, who would ever think that one cyborg could be so important to the fate of the Earth? Cinder certainly didn’t, but now she’s about to find out.

Cinder was one of my favorite books read last year, and it will likely continue to be a favorite in the years to come. This is a book that I’ve been raving about for approximately half a year before its publication because I just couldn’t wait for others to see what I was so excited about. It boils down to this: Cinder is one spectacularly written, incredibly imaginative and romantic, futuristic fairytale retelling. Ordinarily, Cinderella as a cyborg is a concept that sounds a little odd to me, but debut author Meyer makes it work wonderfully. Her worldbuilding feels so effortless and integrated that everything from androids to an evolved race of people living on the moon to an unusually deadly plague feels completely natural within the story. This is a novel that readers will find easy to become invested in, because of the vivid characters, the futuristic setting, and the irresistibility of such a good story. I am so thrilled that Cinder marks the first installment in a new quartet, The Lunar Chronicles, and I desperately hope that Cinder makes a reappearance in later books because as much as I’d love to see where Meyer will take us next, I really don’t want Cinder’s story to be over.

Cinder will be enjoyed by all readers, especially those who also liked the A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy by Libba Bray, the Poison Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder, and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

Rating: 5.0

Review copy from publisher Macmillan

Win Switched by Amanda Hocking

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

CONTEST CLOSED

Here's an awesome giveaway to start off an awesome new year!

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

Not intrigued yet? Then check out the book trailer:

(1) lucky winner will receive Switched by Amanda Hocking
courtesy of St. Martin's Press

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Other details:

US/Canadian mailing addresses only.
Contest ends 1/09/12, at 9 p.m. PST.

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

2011-12-30T00:12:00.000-05:00

Campbell Cooper has spent the last seven years of her life in and out of hospitals, with her mother sparing no expense to find the latest treatments, hoping that this one will finally put Cam’s cancer in remission. But all these years of medical treatment seem to have done naught but put off the inevitable, unless you count eliminating hope from Cam’s vocabulary. Cam may have already given up on herself, but her family refuses to. Their search for a miracle sends them on a road trip to Promise, Maine. Cam is the last girl to believe in a miracle, even though she desperately needs one, but she can’t deny that the purple dandelions and flamingoes in the Atlantic make Promise seem almost magical. As she weathers her last summer, Cam will learn to believe in love, in herself, and maybe—just maybe—even in miracles.

I always find that books containing cancer are some of the hardest to approach, and The Probability of Miracles is no different. There seems to be no “right” way to approach the topic, because an exclusive focus would be much too depressing while a mere mention would be inappropriate for something so serious. Wunder finds a good balance in her debut novel by acknowledging the enormity of Cam’s illness but also shifting the focus to other issues, such as Cam’s relationship with her family and her conception of love. This, as well as Cam’s irrepressible sarcasm, made reading such a tough story a little less tough to read. I didn’t love this book, but I do think it is a worthwhile read. Cam’s tough-girl act holds readers an arm’s length away most of the time, so it’s hard to develop a real connection with her character, but her personal journey and trials are undeniably somewhat cathartic. I applaud Wunder for her careful handling of such a delicate topic; The Probability of Miracles is a book that is sure to coax a few chuckles and infinitely more tears from all readers.

The Probability of Miracles should be read by readers who also liked Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab, Don’t Stop Now by Julie Halpern, and Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from publisher Penguin

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

It’s New York City in the 1880s, and seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart is a little bit of an odd girl. No one really knows how to deal with her because of her selective muteness, and as a result, Natalie is left mostly to herself. But when a mysterious painting of the British Lord Denbury arrives and is set to be displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Natalie’s life takes a turn for the more interesting. There’s something so striking, so alluring about this portrait that seems to draw Natalie in. But it’s not just the attractive features of Denbury that have Natalie captivated, but the way his eyes seems to follow her about the room and the way details of the painting keep changing. Could it be that there’s something else at work here, something like dark magic? In any case, from the moment Natalie sets her eyes on Lord Denbury, she knows her life will never be the same—and she’s right.

Hieber has created a truly fantastic historical and paranormal tale in Darker Still. The story opens as many other young adult historical novels do, with a young woman concerned with her future prospects. Natalie is a well-to-do young lady who would be a willing participant in society if not for her muteness. Her worries for the sorry state of her future are quickly overshadowed when Lord Denbury appears in her life—because he seems to be trapped in a painting and Natalie is determined to free him. Readers will be swept along into Natalie’s world with each magical or otherwise sinister twist of the plot. In addition to a lovely and captivating story, I have to say that I really enjoyed Hieber’s writing and descriptions. Her tendency for the dramatic and theatrical really helps set the scene and makes the story, along with all of Natalie’s many issues, come to life. In all, I was quite enamored with Darker Still and eagerly await the next installment in the Magic Most Foul series.

Darker Still appeals to fans of Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, and The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from NetGalley

Some book events from way back when...

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I went to three different and awesome book events three days in a row, but because of all my other scheduled posts, I haven't had a chance to tell you about them until now. So here goes.

On Tuesday, December 6, I headed on down to the Barnes & Noble in Union Square with author Kody Keplinger. We got there at around 3:30 or so because we wanted to be early for an event which started at 7:00. Why so extremely early, you ask? Well, because we knew that tons of people were going to show up because this event was the launch party for The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.

It's a giant book!

Sure enough, Kody and I weren't even the first people in the store waiting on Cassie Clare. Fortunately, though, because we were so early, we got amazing seats in the second row. And even though we had to wait a really long time, we were amply rewarded for our efforts.

The fabulous Cassandra Clare herself!

Cassandra Clare and, yes, that is Ed Westwick

Guess who else decided to show up to the event? Only Ed Westwick, better known as Chuck Bass from the Gossip Girl TV show. Ed has done several audiobooks in The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices series and was awesome enough to stop by for a few minutes and introduce Cassandra Clare. Needless to say, there were a lot of squealing girls in the audience.

Here's another pic of Ed Westwick, for your viewing pleasure

As always, Cassie's event was full of fans and fun. She read a little bit from The Clockwork Prince and then took extensive Q&A from the audience. All in all, thoroughly enjoyable and well worth the two and a half or so hour wait. And I even got a signed book for a friend and some swag in the deal.

Then, that next day, I headed down to the NYPL Jefferson Market branch for December's Teen Author Reading Night. Since the weather was rainy and rather chilly, the turnout wasn't quite as good as it normally is, but the event, as always, was still fantastic.

Cecil Castellucci, Delia Sherman, Marie Rutkoski, Margie Gelbwasser, Julia Mayer, & Andy Marino

Everyone read a little bit from their most recent book and then David Levithan, the organizer and moderator of this monthly series, had some interview questions before opening up the Q&A to the audience. Unfortunately, I had to leave the even early and had to awkwardly duck out during Q&A while saying goodbye to my friends Ruth and Sam from Living Little Women.

The day after that, I headed on down to Books of Wonder for yet another event. This one featured authors Cecil Castellucci, Daniel Nayeri, Paul Griffin, and Anna Godbersen.

Daniel Nayeri, Anna Godbersen, Paul Griffin, & Cecil Castellucci

It was awesome getting to hear each of them read from their newest books, and the audience had lots of interesting questions during Q&A. As a result, I learned that Daniel Nayeri wrote the entirety of Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow on his iPhone, that research is one of Anna Godbersen's favorite parts of writing historical novels, that Paul Griffin has had many dogs and many horrible neighbors, and that Cecil Castellucci ordered a survival guide for contactees to write First Day on Earth. Fun stuff.

I had a lovely time talking to Nancy Mercado, a fantastic editor at Macmillan, and awesome Books of Wonder employee Adam. And of course, I was super excited to get my copy of First Day on Earth signed and chat briefly with the super cool Cecil Castellucci.

So, I hope you remember from my recap of Cassie's event that I picked up some swag. If you were hoping that some of that would be given away in a contest, then your hopes have been fulfilled!

CONTEST CLOSED

(1) lucky winner will receive a Shadow Hunters poster and a rune pin

To enter this contest, please fill out this form:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFlQeUlyVWlPT0FLQ2dneVVtX3U1d3c6MQ

Other details:

US mailing addresses only.
Contest ends 1/06/12, at 9 p.m. PST.

Win a signed copy of The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

CONTEST CLOSED

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

(1) lucky winner will receive a signed copy of The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
courtesy of Alloy Entertainment

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Other details:

US mailing addresses only.
Contest ends 1/06/12, at 9 p.m. PST.

Interview with Wendy Wunder

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

What has your experience as a debut author been like so far?
Hi Bookmuncher! Thanks for asking such interesting questions! My experience as a debut author has been exciting and scary. I've actually been 'authoring' for a long time, but to know that more folks will now be Reading what I wrote, while exhilarating, is also a bit intimidating. I want people to like me. Which is not the best personality for a writer to have. :) I don't recommend having that kind of personality if you can help it.

What has been the best part of the publishing process for you? The worst?
The best is just the process of writing. I love it. I have to do it. It's who I am. And with a publishing contract, I finally get to Be who I am, rather than the waitress who writes or the librarian who writes or the receptionist who writes. I can just be me. The worst is the waiting. There's a lot of waiting around to get notes and then between the different steps of the publishing process. Now that I finally have made a little inroad I want to keep things moving a little more quickly. But I'm trying to be more patient. I breathe in. I breathe out.

What is the most interesting thing you learned while writing The Probability of Miracles? (This can be about yourself, about writing, or anything at all).
I guess what I learned about myself as a writer/artist is that I'm not as 'visual' as I thought I was. My first drafts of the novel looked like movie scripts. I could easily hear what the characters were saying (the dialogue came easily to me) and I could SEE where they were, but I had a hard time describing the things that I saw in my mind. I could do it, but it took a lot of effort. I need to work on description. I also thought I was terrible at plotting, but that came more easily than it had in the past in the writing of The Probability of Miracles.

What was the most difficult part of writing The Probability of Miracles? the most enjoyable?
Whoops, I think I answered that in question 3. The most difficult was the description. The most enjoyable was the dialogue and letting the characters use their humor to get them through some intense moments.

What is the most rewarding part about being a young adult author?
Well... more than any other cohort, Young Adults need books, I think. It's important not to feel alone at that age and books are the perfect remedy for that. Also it's fun to write for folks who are just beginning their lives. You get to write with hope and joy instead of accurately depicting how dreary life can be, which is what some great literary fiction does. Don't get me wrong. I Loves me the literary fiction. I'm a strong devotee of contemporary adult fiction. It's just refreshing to be able to take a different, slightly more hopeful tone. Aside from teaching young adults (and raising my daughter) writing for young adults has been the most gratifying thing I've done.

If there was one thing you could change about The Probability of Miracles, what would it be?
Honestly, the first chapter... I worked for a while on composing a prologue. But the prologue never got powerful enough to work as a prologue by itself, so I incorporated it into the first chapter, and I think the blending of the two pieces might still be a little clunky. But, so far, I've been my worst critic, so I hope other people won't notice it as much as I do.

What are you working on next?
Oooo. I'm juggling a couple things. One of them is a magical Thelma and Louise story about the power of friendship, filled with action, romance, and the mysteries of the universe. Stay tuned...

_________________________________________________________________

Read the first 5 chapters of The Probability of Miracles below!
The Probability of Miracles - Chapters 1 - 5

_________________________________________________________________

Find out more about The Probability of Miracles and Wendy Wunder:
Official website: www.probabilityofmiracles.com
Facebook fan page: www.Facebook.com/ProbabilityofMiracles
Author website: www.wendywunderbooks.com
Author Facebook fan page: www.Facebook.com/wendywunderauthor
Author Twitter: www.Twitter.com/WendyWunder

The Book Muncher: 4 years and still going strong!

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Dear Muncher, happy birthday to you!

Can you believe it?! I hardly can. It's been four whole years since the conception of this little blog. Four years of reading, munching, and loving it. In human years, age four would mark close to the end of toddlerhood, but in book blogging years, age four makes me feel like a bit of an old lady.

Four years. Wow. I'm still a little bit in shock. I've been in the business of book munching for four whole years.

I'm going to keep the celebration simple this year. So I have no party favors to give out, but I do offer my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for visiting my little corner of the internet. Without you, The Book Muncher would be nothing.

First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Mal is the kid on the fringes of everything, and that’s where he likes to be, since he doesn’t fit in anywhere else—not at school, not at home, not anywhere. But just because he’s quiet and rarely speaks up doesn’t mean he doesn’t have anything to say, especially about what happened to him years ago. When he was much younger, he disappeared for three days. Everyone else thought he ran away and had a seizure and explained his disappearance in rational, medical terms. But Mal thinks it was something else. He thinks, no he knows that it was an alien abduction. The hope that there is intelligent life elsewhere is what has gotten Mal through the worst parts of his life, because that means they could come for him again and he can escape his life on Earth. And when Mal meets Hooper, a guy with some possibly otherworldy secrets, at an abductee support group, he’s closer than ever to getting what he wants most. But is escape from Earth really what Mal wants or even what he needs?

First Day on Earth is a quick and thoughtful look at learning to accept and appreciate the hand you’re dealt, so to speak, in the context of science fiction. Everyone’s wished to escape from their life at least once, but Mal’s desire to escape is so great that he wants to even leave planet Earth. Castellucci’s sparse yet powerful prose really draws readers to the heart of Mal’s pain and desperation. What we get is a sad but ultimately sweet and hopeful story as Mal tries to figure out whether to try to escape with extraterrestrials or to keep living on Earth. Though I most certainly enjoyed reading First Day on Earth, I can’t say that the story or its ending particularly grabbed me in the way Rose Sees Red, another novel by Castellucci that I’ve read, did. I think this is due to the fact that Mal isolates himself so much, even from the reader, that I never felt entirely invested in his life, disappointed by the bad things that happened to him, or buoyed by his moments of optimism. Nevertheless, First Day on Earth remains a worthwhile read and a good pick especially for readers looking for only a dash of sci-fi.

First Day on Earth is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman, Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, and other novels by Cecil Castellucci.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Harper Scott has always felt that her life has always been viewed in comparison to that of her older sister June. Next to Harper, who can never seem to get anything right, June seemed perfect. She was friendly with everyone and seemed to have everything going for her. That’s what makes June’s suicide just a week before her graduation so shocking. And no one is more devastated than Harper. She can’t accept that June would do something so drastic—so permanent—for no reason, but no one seems to have an explanation. Fed up with the way her parents are dealing with sharing her sister’s ashes, Harper decides she needs a different course of action. She knows that June always wanted to go to California, so Harper steals June’s ashes and embarks on a road trip. Along with her best friend Laney and Jake Tolan, a boy with a major attitude that June used to tutor, Harper is determined to make her sister’s dream come true. On her journey, Harper will learn what—and who—she needs to move on, but Jake has a secret that could destroy the peace Harper has just began to find.

Saving June is a truly beautiful and beautifully written story of loss and love. I always approach grief novels with some trepidation, because I’ve read so many of them and I’m always afraid I’m going to get a repeat of the same old, clichéd story I’ve heard already. This was a worry I quickly forgot as soon as I was introduced to Harper Scott. She’s smart and stubborn, and the thing she wants most is to find an explanation for her sister’s death. She doesn’t do this by conducting an investigation or by withdrawing into herself or depression. She tries to make things okay for herself by taking matters into her own hands, in this case, by stealing her sister’s ashes and taking them on a road trip. Harper’s character is undeniably real, and every new hurdle in her path is sure to have readers choking back inappropriate laughter or blinking back tears. I love the way Harrington develops the relationships between Harper and other characters in the book in such a believable manner, and I greatly appreciate her choice to make the plot realistic instead of exploiting opportunities for character twists. Saving June is without a doubt one of my favorite novels about grieving that is sure to win every reader’s heart.

Harrington is definitely an author to watch, especially for fans of contemporary novels. Saving June will be enjoyed by readers who also liked The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas, Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi, The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle, and A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from NetGalley

Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber

2011-12-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Beresford has lived hidden away for so long in the high rise building with which he shares his name that he barely remembers his past. He knows something terrible happened a long time ago and there are terrible people he should still be afraid of, but lately, all he can think about is the Beresford’s newest resident, teen pop star Melody McGrath. From the first moment he hears Melody singing from the crawl space behind her room, Beresford is sure that he loves her. On the other hand, the only thing that Melody is sure of is that she may have a stalker. But she isn’t prepared for the surprise of her own feelings when she and Beresford finally meet. Melody and Beresford are from completely different worlds, and though Melody finds herself falling for this mysterious boy, she’s not sure that their relationship could ever have a chance. What she doesn’t know is that it’s not only their love but their lives that are threatened by a deadly secret hidden in the depths of the building they both call home.

The concept of Melody Burning sounded more bizarre than intriguing when I first heard about it, but I was hoping that Strieber could turn the bizarre into a good story. Unfortunately, he was not quite successful, and the story remains more bizarre than anything else. The novel has a couple of interesting points that propel the plot, such as the fact that Beresford has lived secretly within a building for much of his life and the dangerous project for which the building Beresford was created. My main issues, however, were with the points and views and voices from which the story was told. I found Melody’s voice to feel somewhat inauthentic; she came off as neither a wealthy pop star nor a moody teenager, two identities she is supposed to hold. This made it difficult for me to feel sympathy for her romance with Beresford because I couldn’t tell what these feelings were based upon. Beresford’s narrations were similarly a little off base; though I understand he has spent the majority of his life on his own without guidance or education, portraying him as so simple and sweetly innocent seemed a little strange. In addition, the switch in verb tense and first or third person narration for different points of view was pointless and irritating. Unfortunately, my inability to connect with the voices of each main character in this novel really prevented me from appreciating the story and left me feeling rather unsatisfied with the novel overall.

Melody Burning may still be enjoyed by readers willing to take a chance on its unique storyline, but I feel that I’m unable to provide suitable novels for comparison, perhaps because this one is so different.

Rating: 2.5

Review copy from publisher Macmillan

Pajants Party!

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, I slept in til 11, not realizing that there was a book event I wanted to go to that day. After I remembered that, though, the next few hours of my life became a flurry of excitement because I was getting ready to attend a mega event: the Pajants Party at Books of Wonder.

Pajants, you ask? Yes, the Twitterhood of the Butt Lifting Pajants, in fact. Basically, it's a pair of pajama jeans that have been passed from YA author to YA author, decorated a bit by each, to promote butt-lifting action (and silliness and community and friendship and all that). You may remember seeing them a couple of times on The Book Muncher, since I have spotted them in the wild at previous events (see here and here).

And can I say that the Pajanters know how to throw a party! After a brief introduction to the Pajants, we all watched a brief slideshow (created and narrated by E. Lockhart) of various authors wearing the Pajants and then got to hear some more specific stories relating to the Pajants. It was quite amusing. I loved getting to hear from not only the 19 featured authors but also a few more Pajanters in the audience as well (including Alecia Whitaker, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Jess Rothenberg, and Rebecca Serle).

Elizabeth Eulberg, Courtney Sheinmel, E. Lockhart, Melissa Walker, Tara Altebrando, Alan Gratz, & Maureen Johnson (she's hidden behind the column)

Jennifer E. Smith, Leslie Margolis, Adele Griffin, Robin Wasserman, Jen Calonita, & Dan Ehrenhaft

Ann Brashares, David Macinnis Gill, Julia DeVillers, Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, & Susane Colasanti

the requisite group photo

Perhaps the most touching part of the event was the fact that Ann Brashares was part of it. You know, the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the book that partially inspired the passing around of the Pajants. Yeah. She is so incredibly sweet and humble. I am honored to have met and had a short conversation with her (mostly about how much my sister loves her books and that I go to Barnard, the same college she went to!).

Me and Ann Brashares

The rest of the time, I spent munching on yummy cupcakes and cookies and chatting with some of my favorite people, including: Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, Sam from Living Little Women, my favorite Books of Wonder employees Adam and Kaila, and authors Alecia Whitaker, Michael Northrop, Courtney Sheinmel, Adele Griffin, and Susane Colasanti. I was also excited to be recognized by authors Elizabeth Eulberg and Sarah Mlynowski and introduced to a Very Important Agent and soon-to-be-published author Jess Rothenberg.

All in all, it was an awesome time. Courtney Sheinmel even dubbed me the Official/Head Guardian of the Pajants. I know, what an honor.

And with that, I leave you with one last image of the Pajants in all their glory.

When books cannot be found in store

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, something disastrous happens in the world of books. No, I’m not being melodramatic, at least, not really. It might not be completely disastrous, but there is no doubt that it can be very devastating and certainly disappointing.

Every once in a while, books are not stocked in bookstores.

I know I’m not the only reader out there who finds it upsetting to walk into a bookstore and not be able to find a favorite book. It means that other readers may not be able to access a story that I really cared about. It means that potential readers are less likely to stumble upon this book purely by accident. Ultimately, it means that this book may not be getting into the hands of some people who will love this story.

As I feel that this is not a topic that many readers know much about, I will do my best in my post to address how this sort of situation arises, how this affects authors and readers, and what we as book lovers can do to change things or at least make them better.

Why Books Are Not Stocked in Store
It is quite obvious that bookstores, even the smaller ones, carry a large quantity and variety of books. Yet, at the same time, no bookstore can carry every book; that would be economically unrealistic and physically impossible. So, how do bookstores figure out which books to stock out of the multitudes of books that are published each year?

The key is that every bookstore has a buyer whose job is to select which books to stock in the store. Now, what are the criteria for selecting books? Obviously, this varies by store, but here are a few of the factors that booksellers may consider:

1. Packaging of the book (including title and cover artwork)
2. Publishing trends
3. Potential audience

What’s important to remember is that selling books is a business. Booksellers may not find it worth investing time, money, and space in stocking a book if they think it won’t sell in their store. For example, someone strolling through a bookstore is unlikely to pick up a book with an aesthetically unpleasant cover because people do judge books by their covers. Likewise, this person is not very likely to pick up a book with a strange title. Booksellers may stock more books because of the popularity of a specific trend (think vampires and other paranormal creatures in YA) because these books are likely to sell well. Basically, if a bookstore thinks lots of people are going to buy a certain book, they are much more likely to stock it.

However, there is another side to this equation. Since so many books are published each year, it seems unlikely that a buyer has time to sort through all of these to determine which books are the best fit for which bookstore. This is where the sales and marketing people of the publishing houses come in. It’s their job to convince the buyer that he or she should stock their new titles. The success of the sales and marketing reps hinges upon the following:

1. The rep’s familiarity with the title

2. The quantity of titles produced by this title’s publishing house

Some publishing houses are so large that they produce hundreds of books every year. How are sales and marketing reps supposed to familiarize themselves enough with each of these books in order to convince buyers to stock them? The answer is a little ugly, because oftentimes, they can’t. And to be honest, it’s unrealistic to expect them to intimately know each and every one of the books they’re trying to sell.

There isn’t a specific party to blame in these situations, but these causes lead to the unfortunate effect where certain books are not stocked in bookstores.

How This Affects Authors
Not having books stocked in bookstores can have profound repercussions for authors. Perhaps the more obvious effect is on a psychological level. It can’t be easy for any author, especially debut authors, to find out that a bookstore, especially one as large as Barnes & Noble, will not be carrying their book. When you take into account the amount of work, love, and dedication that each author pours into his or her books, this situation is upsetting to say the least.

What makes this even worse is that many authors whose books are not carried by Barnes & Noble, in particular, never find out the reason why. They are left wondering which party in this chain didn’t have faith in their book or what little detail made someone think that readers would be less likely to pick up this book in stores.

Another way to look at this situation is from an economic standpoint. It’s pretty obvious that when books are not carried in stores, people cannot buy those books in those stores. This directly affects the sales of the books, which reflect, of course, back on the author. And when an author’s books sell poorly, they are less likely to have more books published. So, on top of the psychological disappointment and stress of not having one’s book stocked in bookstores, authors have to deal with the economic fallout.

Why We Should Care
Well, this is all good and well, but why should we as readers care? Why does it matter whether so-and-so’s book is stocked in our local Barnes & Noble or not?

A good starting place to answer these questions is probably our love for books. We like reading books. We like knowing that there will be more books that we will like. We like being able to walk through a bookstore, browse the shelves, and pick a book to read.

What we probably don’t normally take into account is what it takes for us to access these books. If we’re picking books out at a bookstore, we are limited by the selection of books that have been laid out for us. What if there’s another book that we might like better? Or, maybe we may have a favorite author. Maybe this person’s books weren’t stocked and didn’t sell well, and as a result, we won’t get that sequel we desperately wanted. And these are only the selfish reasons.

We should care because we care about books period, and we care about other readers getting to love the same books that we did.

What We Can Do
So what can we, as mere individual readers, do? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Buy books from a local independent bookstore. The people who open up and work at these stores are people who truly care about supporting books and authors, probably because they started out as book readers and lovers.

2. Spread the word. If you learn that a particular book will not be stocked in Barnes & Noble, for example, let other people know, especially if this is a book your enjoyed and hope others will read. This way, other readers will know where to go to find this book.

3. Ask your library to order the book. Many librarians also truly care about supporting books and authors, and if your library has a copy, it means anyone with a library card now has access to this book.

4. Request the bookstore to order this book. Perhaps they will only order a single copy, because you asked for it, but there’s always a chance that they will order more (especially if you hint that you know other people who will buy it).

This list is by no means exhaustive or even proven to be effective. I am neither suggesting nor condoning making a huge fuss in order to sell a few books. Instead, I’m hoping that these options will provide a few alternatives to not buying a book merely because it can’t be found in Barnes & Noble.

Most of all, I greatly hope that this post has been informative and hopefully has enlightened a few more readers on an unfamiliar topic. Though I had help as I researched this topic, I take full responsibility for any and all of the information in this post that is in any way misleading or incorrect.

I want to give a big hug and many thanks to A.S. King, who was kind enough to share her story of when her second and Printz honor book, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, was not stocked by Barnes & Noble when it first released. I want to give a shout out to Kirsten Hubbard who was brave enough to blog about her experience when her debut novel, Like Mandarin, also wasn’t stocked in Barnes & Noble; though I have yet to read her first book, her second, Wanderlove, is a thing of utmost beauty. Lastly, I want to thank an author and friend for inspiring me to write this post in the first place (I owe you a cupcake).

For those authors out there who are unfortunately familiar with this situation: we care.

A long overdue announcement of contest winners

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to...

Carol M

who won Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Nina, Socknic, and Grace Sharp

who each won Seize the Story by Victoria Hanley

and

Sophia

who won an ARC of Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber