Century’s Son by Robert Boswell:

In the small college town of Hayden, Illinois, Morgan and Zhenya have settled into a loveless, stagnant marriage. He is a former labor organizer who now works as a garbage collector, and she is a political science professor and the daughter of a prominent Russian émigré. The suicide of their son, Philip, some ten years before has left the pair emotionally dead, lacking even the courage or initiative to separate from each other. Their surviving child, Emma, has become a teenage mother and refuses to reveal the identity of the child’s father.

Into this sullen mix marches the Century’s Son, Peter Ivanovich Kamenev, Zhenya’s exasperating father. A Russian writer and an impresario of history, Peter Ivanovich claims to have had the opportunity to assassinate Joseph Stalin, to have marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the American South, and to have visited a strip club in Arkansas governor Bill Clinton. Unfortunately, Zhenya has discovered several inconsistencies in her father’s invented history, and she also discovers the limits of her patience with his neediness and self-dramatization.

Peter’s arrival, though it tears at the family, also rejuvenates it. He forces Morgan and Zhenya to confront themselves, their children alive and dead, and their lives past, present, and future, as lived, as planned, and as imagined. He embraces Emma and her child; he recognizes and exploits all of the small hypocrisies and foibles of daily life. His deceitful, smooth-talking vibrancy invigorates and infuriates everybody around him.

Leaving by Richard Dry:

In 1959, newly widowed and pregnant Ruby Washington and her thirteen-year-old half brother, Easton, board a bus in rural South Carolina. There, far from the violent events that forced her to flee her home, Ruby hopes to make a new life for her family.

Ruby gives birth to a daughter, Lida, and strives to raise the girl and Easton. But as their Oakland neighborhood changes during the turbulent 1960s, the three are driven apart by forces that Ruby cannot control. Easton becomes involved with civil rights activism and the Black Panthers; Lida, keeping a hurtful family secret to herself, spirals into a cycle of dependency and denial. Finally, Lida’s sons, Love LeRoy and Li’l Pit, must fend for themselves in the inhospitable streets of America, leaving one city for another, searching for a home.

The Treatment by Mo Hayder:

It is the middle of the summer in Brockwell Park, a pleasant residential area in London. Behind the placid façade of one house, a man and wife lie tied up and imprisoned in their own home. When they are discovered, badly dehydrated and bearing the marks of a brutal beating, they reveal one final horror: Their young son has disappeared. Called in to investigate, Jack Caffrey uses all the tricks of the forensic investigator’s trade to piece together the scanty clues at the crime scene. But the echoes of a heartrending disappearance in his own past make it almost impossible for him to view the crime with scientific detachment. As Jack digs deeper, attempting to hold his own life together as the disturbing parallels between past and present mount, the real nightmares begin.

The three books were on the clearance rack, so I won’t be heartbroken if they aren’t the best choices ever, but I’m yanking out my optimistic disposition. I’ve read the first chapters of each (while standing in the aisle like a giant bookend) and the Amazon reviews and they all look promising. Plus, they’ll introduce me to some new authors. That’s a win in my book.

From Borders

American Gods by Neil Gaiman: Having enjoyed other Gaiman novels, I decided it was time to give one of his grown up books a try and I’ve heard so many good things about this one that when I saw it, I had to buy it.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz: There’s a 99% chance that I already own an older version of this book. I read a great deal of R. L. Stine and Alvin Schwartz when I was a kid, so this is going to be a nostalgic reading experience for me.

Tales from the Odyssey (Part 1) by Mary Pope Osborne: This was a book I couldn’t resist—Greek gods, goddesses, and a cursed Grecian king? I’ve already finished it and must say, what an excellent retelling of Odyssey for a young audience. Already looking forward to the second part. (See the Amazon section.)

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke: The first thing that caught me was the cover: Dark and mysterious. Then I read the back cover and knew that I wanted to read this. It would probably be a good R.I.P. challenge read, but I don’t know if I can hold off on it that long.

From Amazon

Tales from the Odyssey (Part 2) by Mary Pope Osborne: When I got home and got halfway through the first book, I realized I’d made a mistake by not snagging the second book. (Plus, Borders didn’t have it in stock.) So I hunted it down on Amazon and was glad to find it in stock and on special, 4 for 3, which meant I needed to get another three books to take advantage. (Yes, I know there are 6 books, but technically the last 2 were bargain books.)

Soulstice (The Devouring, Bk 2) by Simon Holt: I don’t know how long this book was sitting in my shopping cart just waiting to be bought. Finally, I thought about The Devouring and how badly I want to find out about Ebon which broke me down. I’m trying to save this read until October, but I don’t think I’ll make it. Maybe.

Song of the Wanderer (The Unicorn Chronicles, Bk. 2) by Bruce Coville: I absolutely adored Into the Land of the Unicorns, which was the first book in this series. I was elated to see that the second book was also on special, so I snapped it up. It will make a lovely light fantasy read.

Uninvited by Justine Musk: The title turned me off. I’d already tried a book titled Uninvited and the memory of reading it still hurts. But I read the back cover Musk’s book and the storyline just sounds so intriguing, plus (as far as I can tell) there aren’t any vampires, which is a good sign.

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart: I don’t know if I’m emotionally ready to read this book yet, but I’ve seen so many people mention the beautiful writing that I just can’t resist. I’ll just steel myself and dive in…one of these days.

Kiss & Blog by Alyson Noel: Some time ago I saw this title mentioned on a blog (sorry I can’t remember it now so I could give some credit) and forgot about it. Then Amazon recommended to me, I saw that it was a bargain book and figured why not? From the description, it feels like it’s going to be a fun read.

From Bookcloseouts

The Tarot Café Vol. 5 & 6 by Sang-Sun Park: I enjoyed volumes 1-4 (well, 1-3 more than 4, but…) and I’m trying to figure out why it took me so long to get the final two volumes. As an aside, I’m a bit sad that book 6 is the final in the series, but all good things must eventually come to an end, right?

The Tarot Reader’s Daughter by Helen Dunwoodie: Pure impulse buy. This may come as a surprise, but I love tarot cards—primarily the artwork. When I was doing a search for the Tarot Café books, this book popped up in the search results. It was cheap, it looked interesting, so it was another why not? moment.

From Publishers

Empty by Suzanne Weyn: When I opened up the package and saw this book inside, I got chills. There’s a soft spot in my heart for dystopian reads and this one was especially unnerving because it deals with the depletion of fuel. What will happen when there are no more fossil fuels? What will people do? What will we become? Can’t wait to find out! (Um…not in real life though.)

Solitary by Travis Thrasher: Let me be honest and say that I have no idea what to expect from this book. I received a nudge from someone who said it would be up my street and the publicist was kind enough to send me a copy. I’ve already read the first couple of chapters and I have to admit, I like Thrasher’s style so far.

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford: The back cover made me laugh. That, my friends, is a really good sign (usually). Rich grannie declaring that she’s about to die and that she’s changed her will to exclude the whole family unless the culprit of a crime comes forward and offers her lawyer a written confession…oh I can just imagine the confessions now.

Two books came in for review on Monday. First up courtesy of Simon & Schuster is a middle grade fantasy adventure titled Jack Blank and The Imagine Nation by Matt Myklusch. Second is Passing Strange by Daniel Waters (that cover is the UK version, btw), third book in the Generation Dead saga, courtesy of Price Minister.

The next two just arrived two, courtesy of the UPS lady. I ordered them from Amazon after they sat in my “to be ordered later” shopping cart for a few months. Both are a set of short stories for children. First is The Devil’s Storybook by Natalie Babbitt and the second is Half-Human compiled and edited by Bruce Coville.

That, combined with the other books on my shelf waiting to be read should keep me busy for a little while.

Pharos was an intriguing read. The best part about the book was the prose. It was evocative, (usually) spare, and eloquent. The story itself wasn’t bad, but I still need to digest it a bit before I try to express my opinions coherently.

Stolen. Oh, Stolen. What can I say about that book? Well, first I’d say that it’s agonizingly slow in the beginning and although it does pick up somewhat around the later middle and end, it’s still relatively slow throughout. That said, I did like the story. Basically, I kinda wish it was written by someone else. But that one is also digesting so I can write a cogent review.

I’m about two thirds of the way through Plain Kate and I’m enjoying the journey. There is so much to love about this book so far: it’s a fairytale without gratuitous sugarcoating, there’s talk of witchcraft, there’s a blood-sucking ghost, and the protagonist isn’t handed all of her heart’s desires on a silver platter—she actually has to work for it. That said, I’ve spotted a couple of (minor) problems which I’ll address in the review, but as of now, this one’s a winner. (I’m totally in love with Taggle, Kate’s cat, because he’s just plain hilarious.)

Assuming I finish Plain Kate today (which I’m positive I will), I’ll take in a few short stories or possibly read one of the new books that came home with me today.

And speaking of new books, I’m now of the belief that it’s darn near impossible to leave the house without coming back with a bucket-load of books. This morning while grocery shopping, I noticed that they were having a 75% off sale, so I decided to rummage through the remains and have now added 3 new books (technically 4, but one of them is a craft book) to my library. I’m not really complaining though because they were only a buck apiece.

I hadn’t realized I’d picked up two books by the same author, but I’m hoping that I really like her style because she’s a new to me author (both of them actually).  Also, I hadn’t realized that The Wire in the Blood is the second book of a series, so I’ll have to scout out the first one before reading it.

If anyone has read Flynn or McDermid or these books specifically, I’d love to hear about your experiences with them.

(Obviously I was weak and ended up with three new books: Tales of Old Florida edited by Frank Oppel, 1,001 Dreams by Jack Altman, and Under the Covers and Between the Sheets by C. Alan Joyce & Sarah Janssen)

Each of the books made it into my cart after I picked them up on a lark and flipped through them and decided they were sufficiently interesting. I would have grabbed more, but I was distracted by shiny pens stopped myself just in time.

And remember my slight obsession with journals? Well, I also came home with some new journals and a notebook.

This is actually a set of three small journals (5.75”x8.25”) by the Banana Paper Company with ruled, grid, and blank pages and a large ruled notebook, by the same company, with dates atop the pages.

These pictures, unfortunately, do not do justice to the gorgeous natural grain, specks, and color of the paper. You can, however, click on them for a slightly larger view.

There were even journals made from stone(!), how awesome is that? I would have grabbed a couple if my sister composure did not grip me and drag me out of the stationary aisle.

And I’m love with another journal I snagged, Native Flowers by Jill Bliss. The floral design and subdued colors make me smile inside.

We also made a 5 minute detour to Office Max, and I didn’t make it out unscathed, but at least I only left with a few essential (or so I prefer to believe) office supplies and…

a Fast Company magazine because (and this is a secret) I think Mark Zuckerberg is pure geek-hotness…

…and two new Sharpies (the clickie kind, w00t!) in orange and hot pinkish red.

But the fun did not stop there. I decided to check my mail when I got home, because The Laziesâ„¢ kidnapped me Saturday, and what should be in there waiting for me? Two shiny new ARCs courtesy of Simon & Schuster. (The Laziesâ„¢ obviously did not have my best interests at heart.)

The ribbon holding them together was so cute, I had to snap a picture. The attached card reads:

Bound tight for your protection…
But nothing will stop you from falling in love.

And since I know you’re anxious to know which two books they are…

From the back of Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson…

Torn between two destinies…

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she’s the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: She’s a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire’s new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever…

And from the back cover of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready…

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a crucial gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts. This mysterious ability had always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because Dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura’s relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

These two books look awesome.

Sunday was a very fine day, indeed.

Anyhoo, I bet you can already guess where this post is going…

Yes, you’re right. I went out yesterday (with the intention of only being moral support for my sister on her shopping excursion) and bought more books. Three books and a magazine to be exact. (Four if you count the book I conned my sister into buying so that I could borrow it later.)

Now let me justify. I was reading up on some 24 hour read-a-thon tips and they mentioned getting some short(ish) books. Well, looking back at my reading pool, there weren’t too many short books so I decided I needed some. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is only about 275 pages and has been on my Want™ list for a day shy of forever. I’ve kept putting it off despite all the rave reviews it’s received.

I learned about the Dork Diaries a few months ago (the blog’s name escapes me at the moment) and thought the drawings were “oh, so clever!” and the story sounded adorable. My downfall was picking up the book and leafing through it and realizing that I absolutely had to have it. Luckily it’s only 282 pages (and written in bubbly print handwriting, which means it’s only about 150 printed pages, so even better).

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was a complete impulse buy. I decided I needed to expand my horizons and pick up a book I normally wouldn’t get. After reading the back flap and having vague reminiscences of the Velveteen Rabbit, I decided to throw it in the cart. Thank goodness it’s only 210 short pages.

There you have it…three more books in the read-a-thon book pool (if I can restrain myself and wait to read them).

Now someone please come and bolt me up inside my home. And figure out how to set the child filters on my computer and block me from accessing Amazon (or any other online book dealer).

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods Book 1) by Melissa De La Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically. The death of a popular schoolmate haunts her in unexpected ways. And strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan’s most exclusive social circle. Its members are the powerful, the wealthy, and—as Schuyler soon discovers—the unhuman. They are blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, and for centuries they’ve been invincible. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable of them all?

Masquerade (Blue Bloods Book 2) by Melissa De La Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help—her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly under way for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city’s wealthy, powerful, and unhuman—a true Blue Blood affair.

But it’s at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire’s destiny.

Rich with glamour, attitude, and vampire lore, this second installment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Book 1) by Richelle Mead

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires—the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking Academy hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir’s—inside the Academy’s iron gates, their world is even more fraught with danger. here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals, and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever…

Frostbite (Vampire Academy Book 2) by Richelle Mead

When love and jealousy collide on the slopes, winter break turns deadly…

rose Hathaway’s got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian.

The massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir’s on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians—including the legendary Janine Hathaway…Rose’s formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad’s holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose—and her heart—are in more danger than she could have imagined…

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy Book 3) by Richelle Mead

Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa—the last Dragomir princess—must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken…

But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn’t been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy’s iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose’s sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there’s way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most…but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I wasted the last weeks of August watching bad cartoons. I didn’t go to the mall, the lake, or the pool, or answer the phone. I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I didn’t have anyone to sit with.

I am Outcast.

The kids behind me laugh so loud I know they’re laughing about me. I can’t help myself. I turn around. It’s Rachel, surrounded by a bunch of kids wearing clothes that most definitely did not come from the EastSide Mall. Rachel Bruin, my ex-best friend. She stares at something above my left ear. Words climb up my throat. This was the girl who suffered through Brownies with me, who taught me how to swim, who understood about my parents, who didn’t make fun of my bedroom. If there is anyone in the entire galaxy I am dying to tell what really happened, it’s Rachel. My throat burns.

Her eyes meet mind for a second. “I hate you,” she mouths silently.

I don’t know how ready I am to read Speak because I already know that it deals with a very heavy topic. Therefore I must prepare myself mentally going into the book.

But, moving right along, I’ve been splurging on more books again. (Hmm, it really looks like I need to do more reviewing and less splurging. Not to worry, I have a few reviews that I need to polish and I’ll get them online.) So, without further ado, here is a list of the new titles added to my personal library:

• 
  On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, and Sunny

  Back Cover: Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, The werewolf Anna finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf king comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack–and inspires a power in Anna that she’s never felt before. Inhuman by Eileen Wilks, Kai has a secret gift of sensing thoughts and desires. What she senses in her neighbor Nathan could be dangerous. Because he has a secret gift, too, and it’s about to be let loose. Buying Trouble by Karen Chance, In a New York auction house, a Lord of the Fey crosses paths with a fiery redheaded mage named Claire. But in this strange underground society, the rarity up for sale is Claire herself. Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny, Among the children of the moon, Mona Lisa is of Mixed Blood–part Monère, part human, and destined to be alone. Then she meets a man who could be her salvation–or her downfall.

•   
  Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1) by Charlaine Harris — I had to snatch this book because there’s a Showtime HBO series that’s starting soon based on it. I want to get a feel for the story and characters before that happens.

  Back Cover: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn’t get out much. Not because she’s not pretty. She is. It’s just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He’s tall, dark, handsome–and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life….But Bill had a disability of his own: He’s a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of–big surprise–murder. And when one of Sookie’s coworkers is killed, she fears she’s next….

•   
  Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

  Back Cover: Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic…When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake. Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles. The Master of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings–and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressed by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league–but she wouldn’t have it any other way…

• 
  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, Book 2) by J.K. Rowlings

  Back Cover: Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins–someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? could it possibly be Hagrid, who mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects…Harry Potter himself!

• 
  Lucinda, Darkly (Demon Princess Chronicles, Book 1) by Sunny

  This was one of the books from my new binge that I’ve already read. I snagged it because it was in the bargain bin and the cover looked interesting. Imagine my surprise when the book yielded a lot more lurid scenes than I was expecting, but I’ll save that for the review.

  Back Cover: For time out of mind, Lucinda has dwelt in eternal darkness. As a demon dead princess, she exists in an endless, joyless realm. But she is about to discover a need she never knew existed–not for power, not for blood–but for a more dangerous passion…for centuries, Lucinda has endured the crushing agony that is her reality. As a daughter of the High Lord of Hell, she rules over nothing, retrieving the occasional wayward demon and feeding off the savage Monère–of whom she was a member before she died. Her only true diversion is visiting the living world like the shadow she has become. Then she comes across a lone Monère warrior, Stefan, living alone with a Mixed Blood boy–as outcasts. So when Stefan offers himself to her, she is moved beyond measure by her desire for him–and soon finds herself drawn back into the heady eroticism of the Monère. There, she must carve out a home between the jealously of the dead and the violence of the living if she is to keep her newfound love–and life…

• 
  Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito

  Back Cover: A mischievous artist kicks off a game of graffiti tag on a local overpass by painting the simple phrase "Uh-oh." An anonymous interlocutor writes back: "When?" Someone slyly answers: "Just a couple of days." But what happens in just a couple of days? Professor Blip Korterly is arrested; his friend Dr. Flake Fountain is drafted into a shadow-government research project to develop the ultimate biological weapon, and a bit of a leak turns into a merry-hearted, babble-inducing apocalypse that will either destroy humankind or take it to the next step in evolution.

• 
  Real Vampires Have Curves (Glory St. Clair, Book 1) by Gerry Bartlett

  Back Cover: What–did you think all vamps were pale, thin, and brooding? Don’t I wish. Me, I just happened to be bloating when a sexy Scotsman sank his teeth into me, so here I am, Glory St. Clair, eternally "full figured." On the plus side, I can rock a corset like nobody’s business. Oh, and as for Angus Jeremiah Campbell III, a.k.a. Jeremy Blade? We’ve been on and off again for centuries, currently off. After a couple hundred years we sure know how to press each other’s buttons–in good ways and bad. The whole never-aging thing means that a girl’s gotta keep moving, and I’m headed for Austin and a new business venture: Vintage Vamp’s Emporium. After all, I love cute clothes, and I am an antique. Only problem is, there’s a billionaire technofreak vampire hunter on the loose. Blade’s in total he-vampire mode and wants me to move in with him so he can "protect" me. But I’m sick of the not-so-little-woman thing. It’s time for this vamp to explore her own powers…

• 
  The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride/The Fugitives, Book 1) by James Patterson

  Back Cover: Welcome to my nightmare. do not put this book down. I’m dead serious–your life could depend on it. I’m risking everything by telling you–but you need to know. –Max Her full name is Maximum Ride. She’s 98% human, 2% bird. And the girl can fly. Max’s missions: Protect the rest of her gang–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel–from a pack of half-wolf, half-human mutants with a taste for flying humans; Rescue Angel from a crew of wack-job scientists; Infiltrate a secret facility to track down their missing parents; Figure out what she really thinks about Fang; Get revenge on the one person she thought she could trust; Discover the best chocolate-chip cookie in New York City; Save the world, for crying out loud. Not necessarily in that order, of course.

• 
  The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin

  Inside Flap: Daniel Pecan Cambridge, 30, 35, 38, or 27, depending on how he feels that day, is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment. After all, outside there are 8-inch-high curbs and there’s always the horrible chance he might see a gas station attendant wearing a blue hat. So, except for the occasional trip to the Rite Aid to admire the California girl Zandy and to buy earplugs because they’re on sale, he stays home a lot. And a good thing, too, or he would have never been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced Philipa, never done the impossible task of jogging around the block with Brian, never ironed his pillows, and might never have won the Most Average American essay contest.

• 
  The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Single Volume Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien

  Back Cover: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. From Sauron’s fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

Already Read

• 
  1984 by George Orwell

  Back cover: 1984 has come and gone, but Orwell’s prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of “negative utopia”–a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions–a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passing of time.

• 
  Twilight (Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephanie Meyer (read review)

  Back cover: About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

• 
  New Moon (Twilight Saga, Book 2) by Stephanie Meyer

  Back cover: I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect–not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.

• 
  Eclipse (Twilight Saga, Book 3) by Stephanie Meyer

  Back cover: In the dead silence, all the details suddenly fell into place for me with a burst of intuition. Something Edward didn’t want me to know. Something that Jacob wouldn’t have kept from me…. It was never going to end, was it?

• 
  Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephanie Meyer

  Back cover: “Don’t be afraid,” I murmured. “We belong together.” I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words. This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it. His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him…. It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire. “Forever,” he agreed.
  

• 
  Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Series Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

  Back cover: Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they’ll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I’m not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too. Mercy Thompson’s sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf. She’s tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire. But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself…and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

• 
  Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Series Book 2) by Patricia Briggs

  Back cover: Under the rule of science, there is no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen…. Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places–and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary–and neither is the demon inside of him…

• 
  Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, Series Book 3) by Patricia Briggs

  Back cover: I could smell her fear, and it satisfied something deep inside me that had been writhing under her cool, superior gaze. I curled my upper lip so she could get a good look at my sharp teeth. I might only weigh thirty or so pounds in my coyote shape, but I was a predator…. Mechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape–but not her loyalty. When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it’s up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. Mercy’s loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too. Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can’t decide between the two she cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice for her…

• 
  Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers From Start to Finish by James Scott Bell

  Back cover: Craft an Engaging Plot How does plot influence story structure? What’s the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that’s gone off course? With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you’ll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including: Techniques for crafting strong beginnings, middles, and ends; Easy-to-understand plotting diagrams and charts; Brainstorming techniques for original plot ideas; Thought-provoking exercises at the end of each chapter; Story structure models and methods for all genres; Tips and tools for correcting common plot problems. Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure gives you the skills you need to approach plot and structure like an experienced pro.

Currently Reading

• 
  Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (actually part of Jane Austen: The Complete Novels)

  Back cover: “I could not sit seriously down to write a serious Romance under any other motive than to save my life, & if it were indispensable for me to keep it up & never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first chapter. No–I must keep to my own style & go on in my own way.” –Jane Austen

• 
  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (I’m getting a late start on the series)

  Back cover: HARRY POTTER has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He’s never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him…if Harry can survive the encounter.

To Be Read

• 
  Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart

  Back cover: The Root of the Quest When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure. The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures–and strange coincidences which were really not coincidences at all. And it involved them in an ancient crime that still perturbed the serenity of Heaven. Simply and charmingly told, this is a wry tale, a sly tale, and a story of wisdom delightfully askew. Once read, its marvels and beauty will not easily fade from the mind. The author claims that this is a novel of an ancient China that never was. But, oh…it should have been!

• 
  Nightlife (Cal Leandros, Book 1) by Rob Thurman (read review)

  Back cover: There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I’ve known that since I can remember, just like I’ve always known I was one…Well, half of one, anyway. Welcome to the Big Apple. There’s a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side–and that’s only the beginning. Of course, most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half human. His father’s dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares–and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal. Why? Cal hasn’t exactly wanted to stick around long enough to find out. he and his half brother, Niko, have managed to stay a step ahead for four years, but now Cal’s dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they’ve always wanted him: He is the key to unleashing their hell on earth. The fate of the human world will be decided in the fight of Cal’s life.

• 
  Moonshine (Cal Leandros, Book 2) by Rob Thurman

  Back cover: I was born a monster. Although truthfully, I was only half monster. My mother was human; my father was something…else. Half monster or whole, in the end it didn’t matter. I had my weaknesses, same as anyone else. And I was facing one of them now. After saving the world from his fiendish father’s side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half brother, Niko, have settled down with a new apartment and a new gig–bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings stalk the streets just like normal folk, business is good. Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin, the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him up for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine, a gambling club for nonhumans. Cal thinks it’s a simple in-and-out job. But cal is very, very wrong. Cal and Niko are being set up themselves–and the people behind it have bites much worse than their barks.

• 
  Blood of Angels by Reed Arvin

  Back cover: An honest and dedicated public servant, Thomas Dennehy helplessly let the pressures of his job destroy his marriage and separate him from his adored young daughter. Now he’s shattered by the revelation that, as a result of a case he prosecuted, an innocent man may have been executed. In the midst of a heated public outcry, a similar case threatens to push Dennehy over the edge, leading him into a dangerous affair and through a twisting maze of lies, revenge, and death. Because, suddenly, more than one innocent life is at stake–and a good and desperate man must fight to save everything he still lives for.

• 
  Homeland: The Dark Elf Trilogy, Part 1 (Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt, Book I) by R.A. Salvatore

  Back cover: Travel back to strange and exotic Menzoberranzan, the vast city of the drow and homeland to Icewind Dale hero Drizzt Do’Urden. The young prince of a royal house, Drizzt grows to maturity in the vile world of his dark kin. Possessing honour beyond the scope of his unprincipled society, young Drizzt faces an inevitable dilemma. Can he live in a world that rejects integrity?

• 
  Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale

  Back cover: Today’s writers need more spunk than Strunk: whether it’s the Great American email, Madison Avenue advertising, or Grammy Award-winning rap lyrics, memorable writing must jump off the page. Copy veteran Constance Hale is on a mission to make creative communication, both the lyrical and the unlawful, an option for everyone. With its crisp, witty tone, Sin and Syntax covers grammar’s ground rules while revealing countless unconventional syntax secrets (such as how to use–Gasp!–interjections or when to pepper your prose with slang) that make for sinfully good writing. Everyone needs to know how to write stylish prose–students, professional, and seasoned writers alike. Whether you’re writing to sell, shock, or just sing, Sin and Syntax is the guide you need to improve your command of the English language.

• 
  The Devil’s Labyrinth by John Saul

  Back cover: After his father’s untimely death sends fifteen-year-old Ryan McIntyre into an emotional tailspin, his mother enrolls him in St. Isaac’s Catholic boarding school, hoping that the venerable institution with a reputation for transforming wayward teens can work its magic on her son. But troubles are not unknown even at St. Isaac’s. Shortly after Ryan’s arrival, Father Sebastian joins the faculty, dispatched on an extraordinary and controversial mission: to prove the power of one of the Church’s most arcane sacred rituals, exorcism. Soon miraculous events begin to unfold in Father Sebastian’s one-man war against evil. But Ryan believes otherwise, and he is certain that forces of darkness, not divinity, are at work. Evil is not being cast out…something else is being called forth, something whose hour has finally come to bring hell unto earth.

Being Delivered

• 
  The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

  Amazon.com Description: Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling’s legions of readers–as well as Aesop’s wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm–each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling’s new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle’s collection “take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe,” and “that magic causes as much trouble as it cures.”

  But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard’s-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered “among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives,” the venerable wizard’s ruminations on the Tales allow today’s readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that “Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles” during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

  Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led “a certain Beatrix Bloxam” to cleanse the Tales of “much of the darker themes that she found distasteful,” forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through “Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump” that “many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead.”

  Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more–and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

• 
  The Fantasy Illustrator’s Technique Book by Gary A. Lippincott

  From Amazon.com: From conception to publication, the fantasy artist uses a wide range of skills to create magical, mythical, and monstrous characters and worlds of wonder. This indispensable book provides a thorough grounding in the tools and techniques you will need to produce spellbinding fantasy artwork in both traditional and digital media.

  Each unit is devoted to a different element of fantasy art: find out where to look for inspiration; how to visualize the unreal; interpret narrative; bend the traditional rules of anatomy, perspective, and composition to create dramatic effects; render and color your work using pencils, paint, and pixels.

  Experiment with different genres and create truly magical settings with extraordinary characters, from terrifying ogres and trolls to mischievous imps and fairies. Take your work to the next level and discover how to become a professional fantasy artist with advice and tips on how to present, promote, and sell your finished artwork.

• 
  Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition) by Brian Froud and Alan Lee

  Amazon.com Book Description: It has been 25 years since Brian Froud and Alan Lee created the delightful, imaginative, and surprising Faeries-a book that quickly became a massive international bestseller and went on to sell more than a million copies. Readers continue to offer praise: “This is the most influential book I have ever read.” “This book is-where are the words to describe it? Magnificent / Fabulous / Beautiful / Moving / Terrifying / Fantastic. . . .”

  In celebration of Faeries’ 25th anniversary, Abrams is delighted to publish a special edition featuring eight new pages and 20 new pieces of art by Froud and Lee. The artists have also contributed new introductions. Since Faeries first appeared, both men have become tremendously successful and respected figures in the worlds of film, art, and publishing. But Faeries remains perhaps their most enduring work, a superb exploration of the myths, legends, folklore, and fantasy of the world of the faeries.

• 
  Hell Beasts: How to Draw Grotesque Fantasy Creatures by Jim Pavelec

  Amazon.com Book Description: Draw the stuff of which nightmares are made. If you harbor a love of imagery most foul, of demons and monsters and devils of all sorts … then welcome to the book from hell. Within its pages lurk sadistic orcs, flesh-eating zombies, blood-thirsty dragons, unholy monstrosities and dreaded beasts of legend and lore.

  If you dare to open this book and unleash such horror, venture forth and learn everything a good monster-maker needs to know:

  * How to spawn a loathsome range of creatures, step by gruesome step: Humanoid Monsters * Reptiles and Aquatic Creatures * Winged Beasts * Quadrupeds and More * in 29 demonstrations.
  * Masterful techniques for drawing the massive biceps of the Gaki, the jagged tentacles of the Leviathan, the wicked curved claws of the Hellhound, blood-dripping fangs, putrefied decaying wounds and other deadly features and really gross details.
  * Tips for making your creatures even creepier with the skillful use of point-of-view, iconic and action poses, color and shadow.

  Hell Beasts will empower you to bring forth the sinister beings that lurk in the deepest, darkest shadows of your imagination. Summon them to claw at bedroom windows and wreak havoc in the dreams of your unsuspecting audience for years to come.

• 
  An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures by Katherine M. Briggs