• Hazel has her Gus. Last week, the director and producers of the upcoming film version of The Fault in Our Stars announced that actor Ansel Elgort (what a name!) will play the part of Gus, opposite Shailene Woodley’s Hazel Grace Lancaster in the movie. Elgort has author John Green’s official sign-off and even got the self-described “cautious pessimist” excited about the movie. Fun fact: Elgort is also starring with Woodley in the film version of Veronica Roth’s Divergent, only in that film, he plays her brother, not her love interest. I have to admit, I’m intrigued to see just how good they are as actors. If they can pull off brother/sister in one movie and boyfriend/girlfriend in another, I’m sold.
• And, as predicted: of course, you can’t make everyone happy, so there are already people grumbling about the casting choices for The Fault in Our Stars. Author John Green decided to tackle some of these grumbles head on by responding to an anonymous question on his Tumblr. He makes some really good points (starting with the fact that while he does indeed get some say in the casting, it’s not his final decision), especially when it comes to disliking someone in a role based only on speculation. I understand the fervent nature of book fans being wary of film adaptations, but it’s always best to reserve judgment until you see the final result.
• And while we’re taking (at least in directly) about Veronica Roth, the cover art for the third and final book in the series, Allegiant, has been revealed. It has a similar look and feel to the previous two books and its tagline (“One Choice Will Define You”) seems much more definitive than the other two taglines, which relied on the much more ambiguous verb “can.” The cover is much brighter than the other two, but I wouldn’t read too much hopefulness into that. I’m willing to bet quite a lot of angst occurs before a somewhat happy ending. And while we’re on Divergent news, hey look! It’s a new photo from the film that’s filming now. It’s the first jumper scene, where Tris makes the jump from Beatrice to Tris. I’m getting more and more excited for this movie as time goes on.
• And the connections just keep on coming. From one cover reveal to another: earlier this week, Ally Carter revealed the title and cover of the final Gallagher Girls novel, due in bookstores later this year. Cammie’s final adventure will be called United We Spy (awesome! and appropriate) and will involve Cammie and friends tracking down the members of the Circle of Cavan before they can do any more damage. On Twitter, Carter has strongly hinted at character deaths (my money’s on Mr. Solomon, only for real this time), so my heart is already pounding in anticipation of what will happen.

As always, happy reading.

The Chocolate Rose is Laura Florand’s third book in her Amour et Chocolat series, featuring the great (ficitional) pâtisseries and restaurants in France. In this novel, the action shifts from the busy bustle of Paris to the lazy, sun-drenched villages of Provence and the Côte d’Azur. Like the previous two books in the series, Florand brings a wealth of rich details to make readers feel as if they are right there with the characters, walking down ancient cobbled stone streets, breathing in the scent of jasmine and lavender. She also sprinkles the novel with French phrases and words, which may not work for every reader, but as an intermediate Francophone, I really enjoyed having the French mixed with the English (especially because Gabriel swears in French quite a bit – they don’t teach you those words in school).

I’m not always a fan of the “blackmail that turns into love” type of plot. If it’s not well written, it can end up feeling manipulative, instead of romantic. But in The Chocolate Rose, it works, and that’s in large part due to the wonderfully flawed, utterly frustrating and entirely loveable main characters, Gabriel and Jolie. In many ways, Gabriel is typical of Florand’s heroes: arrogant, self-assured and supremely confident – until Jolie walks into his kitchen and he completely falls apart. For all of his success, Gabriel still harbors some self-doubt and insecurity, in part stemming from his history with Jolie’s father, and in part because he’s so adorably clueless when it comes to women. Like Jolie, there were times when I wanted to slap him silly and then there were times when I wanted to hug him until his vulnerability went away.

I found Jolie harder to read; she kept so much to herself and spent so much time sacrificing her own desires. There were moments when I felt she was being too martyr-ish, but I also admired her love and dedication to her father, and her infectious enthusiasm for the art of food. Together, they both learn from each other and by the end of the novel, they are better people as a result.

Having now read three of Laura Florand’s books, one of the things I’ve been consistently impressed by is her ability to vividly describe the scenes in the restaurant kitchens, the pâtisseries, and in France itself. My knowledge of gourmet food and chocolate extends to one simple fact: I like to eat it. But by reading Florand’s words, I’m given a glimpse into these worlds, where the most exquisite plates are created and destroyed within the same breath. Her descriptions make these things and places come alive, so I can picture exactly where Gabriel’s restaurant might be and what it might look like, even though I’ve never been to Provence. Florand’s books drag you into a highly visual world. And I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: yes, this book will make you hungry. Just go with it.

If you haven’t yet discovered Laura Florand and her Amour et Chocolat series, you need to remedy that, immediately. The Chocolate Rose, like the famous dessert itself, is sweet and sumptuous, with a hidden center that will surprise you. Vivid descriptions, fantastic characters and plenty of sensual innuendo can be found within its covers. Find yourself some good chocolate, a comfortable chair and lose yourself in Gabriel and Jolie’s story.

Full disclousre: The author provided me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Photo Credit: Goodreads]

Abecedarian (“ey-bee-see-dar-ee-uhn”)

Adjective; from Dictionary.com:

1. Of or pertaining to the alphabet; in alphabetical order
2. Elementary, rudimentary

McPhee defines the outline that finally emerges, in deference to her training, as “logical,” but its logic is of no ordinary, abecedarian variety, A to Z or 1 to 10. (The John McPhee Reader)

Who knew you could create a word using the first three letters of the alphabet? Sometimes, when I least expect it, the ingenuity of the evolution of the English language simply delights me. Abecedarian, which sounds like a made-up word, but I assure you, it’s real, actually stems from Latin. Though “A-B-C” are the English pronunciation of the letters, the Latin root of the word, abecedarius, referred to the first four letters of the Latin alphabet, from which English is descended. This early version of abecedarian translated to “primer” or “alphabet table.” Over time, the word also took on the meaning of “elementary” or “primary.”

Your turn, bookworms – Let’s talk bookshelves. Do you organize your books in a recognizable, abecedarian way, or are you like me, with an organization system that only makes sense to you?

[Photo Credit: Google Images]

Any Duchess Will Do is the fourth book in Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series, and this time, the heroine, Pauline, isn’t one of the village’s visiting unconventional ladies, but rather a barmaid at the local tavern/ tea shop. Her ducal hero, Griffin, made a brief (but memorable) appear in Dare’s A Week to Be Wicked, and now gets his own story that proves there is much more to him than meets the yes. Any Duchess Will Do is sweet and satisfying, with several moments that had me laughing aloud (there’s one particular scene where the duke’s servants’ unburden themselves by confessing their secrets and I couldn’t stop giggling because it reminded me of my eight-year-old nephews and their deadly serious confessions at their First Penance). There’s a scheming but well-intentioned mother, a ridiculous and ill-intentioned “friend” and, best of all for any romance, tinges of My Fair Lady. Like any excellent romance, there’s also lots for Pauline and Griff to learn and accept, both about themselves and each other. I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but it bears repeating: with each book, Tessa Dare keeps getting better and better.

At first glance, Any Duchess Will Do is a classic romance trope: duke meets servant girl, duke falls for servant girl, duke sweeps said girl off her feet, they all live happily ever after. But this novel is not just that; there’s so much more. Griff tries at every turn to thwart his mother’s plans for him, but doesn’t except to find his match in Pauline. For her part, Pauline almost immediately picks up on Griff’s game and decides to cleverly give as good as gets. The result is a relationship to grows from mutual admiration and respect, despite their wildly divergent backgrounds.

There were many aspects of the novel and its characters that I loved. I loved that Pauline dreamed big and wasn’t willing to give up on her dreams, no matter how bad things seemed. I loved that she was willing to stand up for herself, call Griff out on his bad behavior and take pride in who she was, and I loved that she cared deeply and wholeheartedly for the people around her, from her sister, to Griff and his mother. I really liked that Griff saw Pauline as she was, and not as a symbol of her class or station in life. I liked that Griff wanted to be better for her, and tried so hard do so. And I really liked Dare’s depiction of fatherly love – and grief. I haven’t read a lot of historical romances where the hero’s role as a father is equal to his role as the romantic lead. Any Duchess Will Do is one novel that does, and gets it right.

Throughout the book, Any Duchess Will Do explores the idea of personas: who we are (or who we want to be) versus who the world sees. Both Griff and Pauline are seemingly cast into specific roles by friends, family or society: the barmaid or the debauched duke. But they both also hope and want more; they both are trying to find a better way, one that will let them truly be who they are to themselves and each other. Pauline has her dreams and plans of her bookshop, Griff is moving on from his past bad behavior both because of his daughter and in an effort to be worthy of her. They both want so badly to be seen as someone different or better than the person the rest of the world sees. Dare does a really good job of mirroring and intertwining their journeys.

Naturally, if you’re already a Tessa Dare and Spindle Cove fan, you shouldn’t miss Any Duchess Will Do. But if you haven’t yet experienced this series or this author, I would highly recommend both. Any Duchess Will Do has the best of all of Dare’s previous novels: laughter, emotion, some seriously sexy scenes, and a hero and heroine you’d want to be friends with. What more could you ask for from a good book?

Full Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Photo Credit: Goodreads]

• It’s not quite an Atticus Finch-led trial, but there’s still intrigue. Harper Lee is suing her literary agent for copyright infringement. Lee’s suit claims that the son of her longtime agent tricked her into signing over her copyright when she was in a nursing home recovering from a stroke five years ago. The 87-year-old author is seeking full ownership of the entire copyright (instead of sharing a portion of it with her agent) to prevent the agent from receiving any more royalties. Lee’s first and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is an international bestseller, with more than 30 million copies published.
• Maureen Johnson is awesome and here is why: earlier this week, Johnson took to Twitter to propose an experiment: she asked people to take a well-known book, then to imagine the author of that book was of the opposite gender, or was genderqueer, and imagine what that cover might look like. The purpose was to highlight how often book covers – especially those books written by women and/or marketed to teen girls – are given “fluffy” covers that don’t show the true contents of the book. Within hours, hundreds of fans had created their versions of a “cover flip” and I dare you to look at the flipped covers and not realize that you probably (unfairly) judged a book by it’s cover.
• I better start practicing my beauty queen wave! JKSCommunications, a literary publicity company, is organizing the First Annual Book Bloggies Awards to honor book bloggers. Awards will be presented in four categories: biggest variety, most creative feature, best indie reviewer, and most eye-catching blog layout. Voting for those categories is open to the public; the company will also choose one overall winner as the Mr. or Miss Bloggie of the Year. I applaud the idea in theory, but book bloggers have already come together to nominate and honor their own, with awards that mean more because they come from fellow book bloggers and with far less annoying names than “Miss Bloggie.” And, what’s up with the random categories? I enjoy a good blog design, but a good website design says nothing at all about a blogger’s ability to review books. Good intention on the part of JKS, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
• Tis’ the season for graduations and with graduations come speeches. I’m sorry to say I don’t really remember the speeches given at my high school, undergraduate or graduate commencements, but I do remember that Tim Russert spoke at the undergraduate one. Anyway, Book Riot has a countdown of 10 great commencement speeches given by writers, because writers can – you know – WRITE. JK Rowling’s oft-quoted and linked speech at Harvard in 2008 is at the top of the first (as it should be), in addition to speeches by Elie Wiesel and Ray Bradbury, who told students at Columbia College in Chicago that he “graduated from the library.”
• The battle is on. The first trailer for the movie version of Ender’s Game was released on the Internets this past week. Featuring Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff, Viola Davis as a reimagined Anderson, Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham and even Abigail Breslin as Valentine, the film will open in theaters in the fall. It’s highly anticipated as the first live-action version of Orson Scott Card’s Hugo-winning novel. Putting aside my personal feelings about Card, I am really looking forward to the movie.
• There is a reenactment of Star Wars, using Shakespearean language and NO ONE TOLD ME?!?!? *flails* Apparently, while I’ve been under a rock, Quirk Books and students from Drexel University staged a few scenes in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In July, Quirk will publish Ian Doescher’s book, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, which will feature Star Wars “in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon.” *flails some more.* OMG.

As always, happy reading.

Last month, my book group read The John McPhee Reader as our selection. This book offers samples of a wide range of McPhee’s writing, from his earliest pieces for The New Yorker magazine, to his later works that stretched into full-length books. The selections are wide-ranging and diverse. There are profiles of specific people (including a young college basketball star named Bill Bradley who would eventually run for President), the history of Florida’s orange groves, and even a story on a hybrid airship. Despite the fact that nearly all of the selections are taken from larger works, they don’t feel out of place or incomplete. Each selection stands easily on its own, a testament to McPhee’s skill as a writer to make every word count.

McPhee attended Princeton and continues to teach there to this day, so there is a subtle sense of elitism that pervades The John McPhee Reader, especially with regards to his profile of Bill Bradley (a fellow Princetonian) and a profile of Thomas Hovings, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But McPhee also writes about the people of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, and the crofters on the island of Colonsay off the coast of Scotland. Whatever his own experiences were or are, McPhee has the enviable ability to fit in with his subjects and draw out their own thoughts, ideas and opinions. Most of all, the level of detail is mind-boggling. From a description of the precise appearance of a piece of art, to so-strange-it’s-true facts of an orange-growing empire, McPhee packs his essays, articles and books with a truly impressive number of details.

Interestingly, the one part of the book I found most interesting wasn’t written by McPhee at all. The editor, William Howarth, introduces The John McPhee Reader with a McPhee-esque mini profile of the writer himself. In it, Howarth outlines McPhee’s personal and exceptionally disciplined approach to writing. It’s a fascinating and intimate look at how the writer embraces his craft and how McPhee works meticulously in stages, tweaking and pruning his words until what remains is exactly right. You’ll end up reconsidering your own writing style as a result.

McPhee’s talent is undeniable, so if you’re a fan of creative nonfiction, The John McPhee Reader is a great introduction to one of the first and still one of the best when it comes to literary journalism.

[Photo Credit: Goodreads]

Abnegation (“Ab-ni-gay-shun”)

Noun; from Dictionary.com:

1. The act of denying oneself certain rights or conveniences
2. The act of relinquishing or giving up a right or possession

At the Abnegation table, we sit quietly and wait. Faction customs dictate even idle behavior and supersede individual preference. (Divergent, Veronica Roth)

Another Latin-based word! How shocking. (I kid, I kid. I heart you, Latin.) The Latin root word, abnegationem, translates to “refusal” or “denial.” Another further root word, abnegare, also means “to refuse” or “to deny.” People or things who practice abnegation are willingly giving up something that would otherwise make life easy or comfortable. Abnegation involves sacrifice and selflessness, because it is never easy giving up that which we want.

Your turn, bookworms - If you were forced to practice abnegation and give up one author or one book, (1) would you be able to do it? and (2) who would you choose?

[Photo Credit: Google Images]

Veronica Roth’s debut novel, Divergent, was published in 2011 and while I’ve heard many great things about it, I resisted reading it until now. What an idiot I was. After finally starting it all these months later, I couldn’t put it down. I devoured the entire book in just two days and immediately went out to buy the second book in the series. Divergent is one of those great books where I felt absolutely compelled to keep reading. Roth is excellent at building the tension and revealing things at just the right moment; throughout the book, my heart pounded, my brain raced and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. It is very much the first book in a series, so there’s a lot of backstory and information to convey, and the more complex part of the conflict doesn’t come into play until the last section of the novel. But Roth manages to include all the information she needs to include without making it feel as if she’s dumping information over your head. Best of all, even with the vast numbers of dystopian and post-apocalyptic YA novels published in the last few years, Divergent still feels new and fresh.

One aspect that I thought helped Divergent stand out was its solidly built history and (for lack of a better word) mythology. Though each of the five factions isn’t completely fleshed out (we never get a truly good look at Candor or Amity), Roth gives us a close up look at the other three. More importantly, she wisely uses the secondary characters to illustrate the factions’ characteristics and to highlight just how widely diverse this world really is (despite its claims otherwise) even within each faction. Roth subtly shows off the cracks in the society, making it easier to believe when those crack break wide open.  I also really loved the use of a ruined Chicago as the setting for the story. Roth includes references to real places that once were in this world, which gave Divergent a stronger sense of place and location.

The highlight of Divergent, though, is Tris – wonderfully, deeply imperfectly flawed Tris. I loved Tris because she seemed completely and fully real. There are times when she’s selfless brave and then there are times when she’s vindictive, cruel and petty. She’s a whole person, not just one specific characteristic. That puts her in serious danger in her world, but for us readers, it gives us someone and something to relate to, because no one is just one thing all the time. Tris is not the prettiest, she’s not the strongest or the smartest, and she’s not the nicest or even the bravest. But because she is a little bit of all those things – because she is, in every sense, divergent – she’s the realest part of the novel.

Best of all, she’s human. She’s uncertain about her choices, she second-guesses herself, she has trouble making friends and struggles with missing her family – she feels and that ends up becoming her greatest strength. Tris never becomes perfect over the course of the book, but she does become better; she slowly starts to understand herself more, to trust herself more (even when that means directly defying the powers that be) and that’s a different kind of strength and bravery.

I could kick myself for not reading Veronica Roth’s Divergent sooner, but that would be counterproductive. (I also would have had to wait impatiently for the next book in the series and this way, I only have to wait impatiently for the last book.) I’m just glad I finally jumped on the Divergent bandwagon because this is an excellent start to the series and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

[Photo Credit: Goodreads]

• It’s not fight to the death, but maybe that’s for the best. Scholastic is asking Catching Fire fans to create videos explaining why they love the book, for a chance to be included in a new book trailer for the second book in The Hunger Games series. Fans can create a video, answering a set of specific questions about why they love the book and what the best part is. Based on the videos, Scholastic will select some fans to appear in a new promotion for the book. Scholastic most likely anticipates increased sales of Catching Fire in the run-up to the movie version’s release this fall.
• Are you there, Judy? It’s me, a fan. As hard as it may be to believe, there has never been a movie version of a Judy Blume novel. I personally find that shocking, considering how I devoured every one of her books growing up. It is, however, about the change. This summer, a movie version of Blume’s 1981 novel Tiger Eyes will be released in theaters. The low-budget film was director by Blume’s own son and features a script she helped write, so you know it’s going to be faithful and true to the story. Now, if only Hollywood would get its act together and make a version of all her other novels…
• Two short bits of information regarding two other upcoming book-to-film adaptations: there’s another trailer for Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing film floating around the Internet. This trailer is the UK trailer and don’t ask me how or why that’s different from the US trailer, except that it shows snippets of different scenes. When it comes to Joss Whedon trailers, I’m not really picky. I’ll take them anyway I can. In other news, Entertainment Weekly has one of the first looks at Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham in the upcoming film version of Ender’s Game. Rackham is a near-mythological character in the novel, shrouded in mystery until young Ender Wiggins comes along. The Ender’s Game movie will be released in the fall.
• Novels: the perfect source for husband material. Let’s face it: sometimes, guys in books are much more attractive – in every way – than guys in real life. So the folks at Book Riot put together a handy comparison chart to track the advantages and disadvantages of various young adult fantasy novels. As one might expect, characters from Harry Potter and Twilight appear (though, really, Edward’s not that great of a catch), but there are also options from lesser-known fantasy series. Everyone will have her (or his) favorite, but I absolutely love the both Ron and Neville are included – and Harry is not.

• Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund – Last year, Peterfreund’s For Darkness Shows the Stars was one of the best – and most surprising – books I read. This is not exactly a sequel; rather Across a Star-Swept Sea will take place in the same universe (possibly unfolding parallel to the first novel) on a different island. Inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, this novel seems destined to be unique, creative and exciting.
• Allegiant by Veronica Roth – The eagerly awaited third and final book in Roth’s Divergent trilogy doesn’t have an official synopsis yet, so I can only guess what might happen. But with all the twists and turns of the previous two books, you can bet that your guesses will probably only partially prepare you. A changing world and an emerging leader. Something tells me Tris has got her work cut out for her.
• Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - At long last, after a long wait, the third book in Perkins’ loosely connected series, will be published this September. After Anna and Etienne, Lola and Cricket, readers will finally get the story of Isla and Josh. With a new city (New York) and a familiar one (Paris), this book promises to be filled with the same kind of excellence that made the previous two books so wonderful.
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Selected as one of the YA Buzz Books for the BEA panel, Fangirl has a lot going for it. First, author Rainbow Rowell is getting praised for her most recently published book, Eleanor and Park. Second, Fangirl features a coming-of-age story that nearly everyone can relate to – how to create your own life, when you’ve been living in other people’s worlds for so long. As someone who often “gets lost” in my own imagination, I really look forward to seeing how Rowell deals with the subject.
• The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan – Book two in Milan’s Brothers Sinister series, this novel will feature the story of Oliver Marshall, the man who’s conception and birth were at the heart of The Governess Affair novella. There’s not too much known about the plot right now, but I already know it will be wonderful. I have yet to be disappointed with a Courtney Milan novel and I have no reason to believe The Heiress Effect will be any different. (The same goes for The Countess Conspiracy, which is book three in the series and is due to be published in late 2013.)
• Just One Year by Gayle Forman – Oh, Gayle Forman. How you make me feel. The companion book / sequel to Just One Day, Just One Year will feature Willem’s story and given the amount of emotion crammed into the first book, I know my heart will ache and leap while reading this book. Forman has an uncanny ability to coax even the most latent reaction from her readers – and I’m far from having latent reactions to her books. Usually I require several boxes of tissues; I’ve already pre-ordered my tissues for when I read Just One Year.
• No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean – Book three in the Rules of Scoundrels series is Temple’s story. And, judging by the brief synopsis, may just be the darkest novel yet. Temple has murder (or at least, potential murder) in his past and a mysterious woman asking for his help. MacLean is one of my all-time favorite historical romance authors and each new book gives me more and more to love. And, since there’s only one more book left after this, one hopes we get more clues about the enigmatic Chase as well.
• The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn – Also the third book of four in its own series, we return to the Smythe-Smith family and Sarah, the sharp, witty and clever member of the annual quartet who knows exactly how horrible their musicale really is. Sarah’s hero is Hugh Prentice, who’s been a secondary character in the two previous books and from those small appearances, has a wit to match Sarah’s. Julia Quinn writes such wonderful stories that make me laugh and I look forward to laughing at the Smythe-Smiths once again.

So, now it’s your turn – what books are you looking forward to the most this summer and fall? Any I missed and should absolutely know about? Tell me in the comments!