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We are pleased to announce the second of two RBMS 2016 exclusive catalogs. We made an extremely small print edition to distribute at RBMS [inquire!!!] There will be a pdf. available on the Lux Mentis website, but are excited to debut it as a flip catalog [N.B. there is a FullScreen button in the navbar and a .pdf download option].

Contact us with questions or find us at RBMS at the Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables. #rbms16

We are pleased to announce the first of two RBMS 2016 exclusive catalogs. We made an extremely small print edition to distribute at RBMS [inquire!!!] There will be a pdf. available on the Lux Mentis website, but are excited to debut it as a flip catalog [N.B. there is a FullScreen button in the navbar and a .pdf download option].

Contact us with questions or find us at RBMS at the Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables. #rbms16

Coral Gables,FL-Venetian Pool-Linen

About a month away before Lux Mentis ventures to Coral Gables, FL for Rare Books and Manuscripts Section/ACRL Conference 2016! Lux Mentis is sponsoring a seminar:

“Common Sense, Charm, and a Glass of Wine: Successfully Navigating Donor Relations in Special Collections”

Stay tuned for exciting catalogs furthering our manifesto of vice and debauchery and if you are lucky, a print version (while supplies last!).

Follow the marauders on Instagram: instagram.com/luxmentis/

Marvel has released their latest catalog, featuring trade titles for May – July 2016. There are a few interesting titles, otherwise, these are collections of the periodical comics being published now. Marvel doesn’t have any covers available, so this post is rather dry.  Here’s what I found interesting: Little Marvel Standee Punch-Out Book The Unbeatable […]

Lots of great titles from lots of great small press publishers in the 2015 Consortium catalog - here are the ones that caught my eye with some catalog copy to describe them:

Three Kinds of Motion: Kerouac, Pollock and the Making of the American Highways by Riley Hanick (Sarabande Books). In 1943, Peggy Guggenheim commissioned a mural from Jackson Pollock to hang in the entryway of her Manhattan townhouse. It was the largest Pollock canvas she would ever own, and four years later she gave it to a small Midwestern institution with no place to put it. When the original scroll of On the Road goes on tour across the country, it lands at the same Iowa museum housing Peggy's Pollock, revitalizing Riley Hanick's adolescent fascination with the author. Alongside these two narrative threads, Hanick revisits Dwight D. Eisenhower's quest to build America's first interstate highway system. When catastrophic rains flood the Iowa highways with their famous allure and history of conquest, they also threaten the museum and its precious mural. In Three Kinds of Motion, his razor-sharp, funny, and intensely vulnerable book-length essay, Hanick moves deftly between his three subjects. He delivers a story with breathtaking ingenuity.

The Shark That Walks on Land....and Other Strange But True Tales of Mysterious Sea Creatures by Michael Bright (Biteback Publishing). When you dive into the sea, do you ever wonder what's down there, beneath you, poised to take an inquisitive bite? Author of Jaws Peter Benchley and film director Steven Spielberg certainly did, for below the waves lies a world we neither see nor understand; an alien world where we are but the briefest of visitors. The Shark that Walks on Land uncovers tales of ancient and modern mariners, with stories of sea serpents, mermaids and mermen, sea dragons, and the true identity of the legendary Kraken. But this book contains more than just a medley of maritime myths and mysteries for marine biologists; it celebrates wonderful discoveries by blending the unknown and the familiar in an entertaining miscellany of facts, figures, and anecdotes about the myriad creatures that inhabit the oceans. Along the way we meet the giants, the most dangerous, the oddballs, and the record breakers; and the shark that really does walk on land!

Enormous Smallness: The Story of E.E. Cummings by Matthew Burgess, Illus by Kris Di Giacomo (Enchanted Lion Books). Here E.E.'s life is presented in a way that will make children curious about him and will lead them to play with words and ask plenty of questions as well. Lively and informative, the book also presents some of Cummings's most wonderful poems, integrating them seamlessly into the story to give the reader the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry.

In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that.

Mischief and Malice by Berthe Amos (Lizzie Skurnick Books). Set in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the eve of World War II, Mischief and Malice is a brand new work from an iconic figure in young adult literature. Following the death of her Aunt Eveline, fourteen-year old Addie; who we first met in Berthe Amoss's classic Secret Lives; is now living with her Aunt Tooise, Uncle Henry, and her longtime rival cousin, Sandra Lee. A new family has just moved into Addie's former house, including a young girl who is just Addie's age. Meanwhile, Louis, the father of Tom, Addie's lifelong neighbor and best friend, suddenly returns after having disappeared when Tom was a baby. Between school dances, organizing a Christmas play, fretting about her hair, and a blossoming romance with Tom, Addie stumbles upon a mystery buried in the Great Catch All, an ancient giant armoire filled with heirlooms of her family's past, which holds a devastating secret that could destroy Louis and Tom's lives. Once again, Berthe Amoss has created an indelible portrait of a young girl coming of age in prewar New Orleans.

The Astrologer's Daughter by Rebecca Lim (Text Publishing Company). Avicenna Crowe's mother is missing.

The police suspect foul play. Joanne is an astrologer, predicting strangers' futures from their star charts. Maybe one of her clients had a bad reading?

But Avicenna has inherited the gift. Armed with Joanne's journal, she begins her own investigation that leads into the city's dark underworld. The clock is ticking, and as each clue unravels Avicenna finds her life ever more in danger.

The Keeper's Daughter by Jean-Francois Caron, Translated by Don Wilson (Talonbooks). Young Dorothea is appointed by the tourist bureau to direct a documentary film re-enacting life at a lighthouse off Quebec's North Shore in the 1940s and '50s. To obtain material for the film, she is advised to interview an old woman, Rose Brouillard, the daughter of a fisherman who grew up on a nearby island in the St. Lawrence. Rose is finally tracked down in Montreal. She is now old: her memory and grasp of reality are hazy; nevertheless she tells her story and takes Dorothea back to scenes from her childhood. We see fishermen on the docks with their nets, hard-at-work villagers with shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbow, leafy gardens and tree-lined streets, all recreated from Rose's failing memory. The problem is that many of these scenes are invented, not real. Does that matter? Or are the stories we tell more important?

(This one is listed as "Finding Rose" in the catalog but "The Keeper's Daughter" at the publisher and online booksellers - not sure what it really is, though.)

Load Poems Like Guns: Women's Poetry from Herat, Afghanistan compiled & translated by Farzana Marie (Holy Cow! Press). A groundbreaking collection of poetry by eight contemporary Afghan women poets in English translation en face with the original Persian Dari text. These poets live in Herat, the ancient epicenter of literature and the arts.

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain (Gallic Books). Bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street and feels impelled to return it to its owner.

The bag contains no money, phone or contact information. But a small red notebook with handwritten thoughts and jottings reveals a person that Laurent would very much like to meet.

Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?

The Little Free Library Book by Margret Aldrich (Coffee House Press). Take a book. Return a book." In 2009, Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library as a memorial to his mom. Five years later, this simple idea to promote literacy and encourage community has become a movement. Little Free Libraries; freestanding front-yard book exchanges; now number twenty thousand in seventy countries. The Little Free Library Book tells the history of these charming libraries, gathers quirky and poignant firsthand stories from owners, provides a resource guide for how to best use your Little Free Library, and delights readers with color images of the most creative and inspired LFLs around.

Fanny Says by Nickole Brown (BOA Editions, Ltd). In this "unleashed love song" to her late grandmother, Nickole Brown brings her brassy, bawdy, tough-as-new-rope grandmother to life. With hair teased to Jesus, glued-on false eyelashes, and a white Cadillac Eldorado with atomic-red leather seats, Fanny isn't your typical granny in a rocking chair. Instead, think of a character that looks a lot like Eva Gabor in Green Acres, but tinted with a shadow of Sylvia Plath.

Chernobyl Strawberries by Vesna Goldsworthy (Wilmington Square Books). How would you make sense of your life if you thought it might end tomorrow? In this captivating and best-selling memoir, Vesna Goldsworthy tells the story of herself, her family, and her early life in her lost country. There follows marriage, a move to England, and a successful media and academic career, then a cancer diagnosis and its unresolved consequences. A profoundly moving, comic, and original account by a stunning literary talent.

The Surfacing by Cormac James (Bellevue Literary Press). Far from civilization, on the hunt for Sir John Franklins recently lost Northwest Passage expedition, Lieutenant Morgan and his crew find themselves trapped in ever-hardening Arctic ice that threatens to break apart their ship. When Morgan realizes that a stowaway will give birth to his child in the frozen wilderness, he finds new clarity and courage to lead his men across a bleak expanse as shifting, stubborn, and treacherous as human nature itself.

Well Fed, Flat Broke by Emily Wright (Arsenal Pulp Press). This collection of 120 recipes ranges from the simple (perfect scrambled eggs, rice and lentils) to the sublime (Orecchiette with White Beans and Sausage, Mustard-fried Chicken). Chapters are organized by ingredient so that you can easily build a meal from what you have on hand. Well Fed, Flat Broke has flavours to please every palette including Thai, Dutch, Indonesian, and Latin American-inspired recipes such as Kimchi Pancakes, Salvadoran Roast Chicken, and Pantry Kedgeree, reflecting a diverse array of affordable ingredients and products in grocery stores, markets, and delis.

Emily is a working mother and wife who lives with a picky toddler in one of Canada's most expensive cities. She offers readers real-talk about food, strategic shopping tips, sound advice for picky eaters, and suggestions on how to build a well-stocked, yet inexpensive pantry. Cooking every night can be challenging for busy families who are short on time and lean in budget; Emily includes plenty of one-pot dishes to keep everyone healthy, full, and happy.

Titles I've read from the Adams Media Fall 2013 catalog:

Poor Little Dead Girls, by Lizzie Friend:

Sadie doesn’t trust people blindly, and she makes a concerted effort to avoid making stupid choices—there are a few conversations about the idiocy horror movie heroines—and Friend works to give even the most two-dimensional of her characters at least SOME depth. (The British twins, granted, don’t get much in the way of fleshing out, but they are REALLY funny, and since they created their public personas as a very deliberate caricature, I gave them a pass.)

Unaccompanied Minor, by Hollis Gillespie:

Things that work: As long as you aren't looking for something SUPER realistic—the bad guys are all mustache-twirlers, for example—almost everything! It's funny, fast-paced, smart, witty, and just totally entertaining across the board. Extra points for the phrase "psychotic Bobbsey Twins".

No Surrender Soldier, by Christine Kohler:

There certainly are aspects of the book to appreciate and admire: most notably the depiction of the Guamanian culture, which combines aspects of the various colonial powers that have controlled the island over the years with the indigenous Chamorro culture that was there originally and is there still. The cast reflects that multicultural heritage—Kiko is Chamorro, as is his crush at school, while his best friend Tomas is of Japanese descent—as does, and often in a stomach-growling inducing way, the food.

Escape from Eden, by Elisa Nader: I read this one and loved it, and then never wrote about it! I'll have to go back and re-read so I can do it justice, because Nader BROUGHT THE CRAZY, and in a TOTALLY EXCELLENT WAY. It's about a cult, and escaping from a cult, and first love. It's action-packed and tension-filled and there are thrills and chills and GAHHHHs galore! Also, HUMAN FREAKING TRAFFICKING. *shudder*

Ahem. Yeah, so I liked that one. A lot.

Titles I want to read from the same catalog:

Twigs, by Alison Ashley Formento: Issues galore, but hopefully in a none issue-y way? I'm mostly intrigued because it's apparently an homage to High Noon.

Deceived, by Julie Anne Lindsey: A thriller about a girl in boarding school who discovers that her father might be a complete stranger to her. I'm always up for a new thriller set in a boarding school.

Anyone But You, by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes: I really liked Exposure, the previous installment in the Twisted Lit series, so I'll definitely be reading this one, which is a re-imagining of Romeo & Juliet in and around Italian restaurants. Suddenly I feel like I should dedicate a week or two to getting caught up on all of the Shakespeare rewrites that I've missed over the last few years. BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT.

Titles I've read from the Macmillan Winter 2014 catalog:

Scarlet, by Marissa Meyer:

Anyway, it's pretty safe to say that if you liked Cinder, that you'll really like Scarlet! It has all of the first book's strengths—plucky heroine, really cool worldbuilding INCLUDING a setting centered OUTSIDE of the United States (WOO!), political intrigue and threads about cultural and economic and physical differences and YES, ROMANCE—and, like Cinder, in Scarlet, Meyer takes a familiar story and makes it fresh and new and compelling and surprising.

My Book of Life by Angel:

Unlike a lot of verse novels, it reads like poetry: lots of rhythm, lots of passages that convey multiple meanings, even some wordplay. As the title suggests, Angel is writing her own story, and voice is believable, raw, determined, and surprisingly enough* considering her circumstances, displays a decent amount of humor. I don't want to say that there are moments of loveliness in the story—because, for me, there weren't—but the writing itself is lovely.

Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick:

It's not going to be for everyone. I GUARANTEE that some readers are going to want to throw it at the wall. (Perhaps you have already done so?) But something about it resonated with me. It's not just that I'm impressed by the structure—I am—or that I love Sedgwick's writing and skillful atmosphere creation—I do—or that I was blown away by how each segment was so different, but how (even discounting the physical details: the names, the flowers, the hare) each one was also so clearly part of a larger whole.

Titles I'd like to read from the same catalog:

The Rule of Three, by Eric Walters: Sounds a bit like Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It, but with a larger cast. I continue to suffer from apocalypse ennui, but I'll give it a try.

Grandmaster, by David Klass: Klass' books have been hit-or-miss for me (LOVED You Don't Know Me, HATED Firestorm), but this one is about a CHESS TOURNAMENT! (I have no interest in playing chess, but oddly enough, I am fascinated by the culture that surrounds it.)

The Winner's Curse, by Marie Rutkoski: The catalog write-up namechecks Kristin Cashore. GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.

Love Letters to the Dead, by Ava Dellaira: This one sounds like it'll be a readalike for both 13 Reasons Why and Perks of Being a Wallflower. So. Onto the list it goes.

Plus One, by Elizabeth Fama: Star-crossed love in a world where people are divided into two groups—those who can only go out at night, and those who can only go out during the day.

Cress, by Marissa Meyer: GIMME GIMME GIMME. Ahem. Yes, I very much enjoyed Cinder and Scarlet. So. Duh.

The Undertaking of Lily Chen, by Danica Novgorodoff: A graphic novel about a guy who accidentally kills his older brother... and then is ordered to go out and find him a bride. He finds the perfect girl, but there's one rather large problem: she's still alive.

Tin Star, by Cecil Castellucci: I covered my reasons for wanting to read this one over at Kirkus.

She is Not Invisible, by Marcus Sedgwick: I love his books. That is all.

Keeping the Night Watch, by Hope Anita Smith: Verse novel about a boy wrestling with his feelings about his father, who walked out on the family... and then came back.

Fourmile, by Watt Key: When Foster first gets to know the new guy in town, a Gulf veteran, he thinks he's found the perfect ally to go up against Dax, his mother's bad news boyfriend... but it turns out that the stranger might be just as dangerous as Dax, if not more so. WARNING: THERE IS A DOG ON THE COVER.

Titles I'd like to read from the Flux Winter 2014 catalog:

Hero Worship, by Christopher E. Long: As the storyline involves superheroes who act in less-than-super ways, this one sounds like it would pair well with the upcoming V is for Villain. Bonus points for a thread about economic class (the protagonist is a homeless boy who isn't ALLOWED to use his superpowers).

More Than Good Enough, by Crissa-Jean Chappell: A boy moves onto the Miccosukee reservation to live with his father. From the blurb, I'm getting the impression that the book deals with friendship, family, identity, culture, and maybe a romance.

The Violet Hour, by Whitney A. Miller: Daughter of the leader of a powerful religious organization starts having visions of what looks like a future apocalypse... and then said visions begin to come true. Set in Asia.

The Drowned Forest, by Kristopher Reisz: Best friends jump off a bridge to go swimming, only one survives. Instead of a body surfacing, though, a sad and confused mud creature does: and anyone she touches dies. Sounds super dark and super creepy, but also possibly super depressing. So I'm iffy on this one.

There are also some titles that're entries in ongoing series. Anything there I shouldn't miss?

Several titles caught my eye in the Consortium catalog - here's a peek:

1. She Wore Red Trainers: A Muslim Love Story by Na'ima B. Robert (Kube Publishing). This YA title introduces Ali and Amirah (who wears red trainers/sneakers). Ali is dealing with the death of his mother and "exploring his identity as a Muslim". Amira has sworn never to marry but...well, they fall hard for each other (of course!). This one is billed as a "unique romance that explores the possibilities and passions young Muslims face when falling in love." I'm hoping the characters are compelling, though they kind of had me with the Converse high tops on the cover.

2. Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit (Haymarket Books). This short (100pgs) NF title (an essay really) is just what it sounds like - Solnit's take on "conversations between men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don't." It is apparently the origin of the term "mansplaining". (Plus, REBECCA SOLNIT. Do you really need to think twice about anything with her name attached to it?)

3. Jam Today Too by Tod Davies (Exterminating Angel Press). I am endlessly attracted to cookbooks and just so not good at cooking. I have big dreams to eat well and eat interesting things but it never seems to happen. I don't know why this is, but it is. Anyway, Davies has created not just a cookbook but a memoir discussing new ways to "cook and enjoy a meal with friends, family and even beloved pets, during the best and worst time." How can you resist?

4. The Stonehenge Letters by Harry Karlinsky (Coach House Books). A mystery with photographs and illustrations wherein a psychiatrist in the Nobel Museum finds letters from famous people providing explanations as to why Stonehenge was built. Apparently they were responding to a contest in Nobel's will (open only to Nobel laureates) with a prize to whoever solves the mystery of Stonehenge. That's a pretty unusual novel premise!

5. Looking for Jack Kerouac by Barbara Shoup (Engine Books). BARABARA SHOUP! A YA title set in 1964 that involves a road trip by some Kerouac fans down to St Petersburg, FL to find their hero (who really lived there at the time). I don't know how to begin with the proposed wonderfulness of this book (great cover too!) but Barbara Shoup + Kerouac for teens just sounds great.

6. Ancient Oceans of Central Kentucky by David Connerley Nahm (Two Dollar Radio). First, the title itself is great and hard to beat (it's what grabbed my attention). Leah's little brother Jacob disappeared when they were young, now a grown man shows up at her job and claims to be him. Back to childhood memories and figuring out what happened for Leah! It's described as a "wrecking-ball of a novel that attempts to give meaning and poetry to everything that comprises small-town life in central Kentucky." I do not think there are enough novels set in Kentucky, (where the author is from), so nice to see this one.

7. Red Love: The Story of an East German Family by Maxim Leo (Pushkin Press). Leo's memories of growing up in East Germany with his rebellious parents and the questions he seeks to answer about why their marriage did not last are what fuels this title. Mostly, I'm attracted to the idea of growing up in a country that no longer exists - which is so far from my own experience it might as well be another universe.

8. Domestic Arrangements by Norma Klein (Ig Publishing). Another entry from Lizzie Skurnick Books. I love Norma Klein so much - she was hugely important to my teen years. This one is about Tatiana, who becomes famous for filming a nude scene at 14 in a major movie. "A stunning example of Klein's fearless take on the complexities of adolescence..." The intro is written by Judy Blume.

Do I really need to say anymore? I didn't think so.

9. Point of Direction by Rachel Weaver (Ig Publishing). A psychological thriller in remote coastal Alaska about a couple hired to be caretakers at a lighthouse. Things do not go well - of course! Obviously the AK setting has me on this one and although I don't know if they identify it as such, the cover pic is of Eldred Rock Lighthouse in Lynn Canal, which is just really cool. (Not too remote though - the ferry goes by every single day more than once.) Always happy to see a book set in AK that is not...well, not making fun of AK. Here's hoping this is a good one.

Titles I've read from the Disney-Hyperion Spring/Summer 2014 catalog:

Project Paper Doll: The Rules, by Stacey Kade:

Ariane’s narration is funny and thoughtful, and her paladin tendencies make her immediately likable. In order to disappear into the background, she observes human behavior (and high school culture) very closely, and her habit of constantly second-guessing each action with an “Okay, what would a regular human do?” keeps her perspective fresh while also evoking all of Dexter Morgan most entertaining moments.

School Spirits, by Rachel Hawkins:

• Fans of Buffy will love that Izzy’s relationship with her mother is complex and believable, that she almost immediately aligns herself with the school outcasts (who are all awesome), and that Hawkins turns the usual P.E. dodge-ball scene on its head when Izzy gets ticked off and accidentally dislocates a bully’s shoulder.

In Too Deep, by Coert Voorhees:

All that said, it might work for a younger fan of adventure stories who’s just beginning to explore the teen section...well, as long as you’re dealing with a reader who’ll respond to sexual innuendo along the lines of, “I bet he’s showing you his hard drive” and “I hope you’re using a surge protector” with a giggle rather than a gasp.

All Our Yesterdays, by Cristin Terrill:

On the one hand, Terrill does a great job of writing two versions of the same characters: Future Em and Past Marina, Finn's selves and, to a lesser degree, James' past and future selves are all clearly the same people with the same personalities, but they are vastly different in terms of maturity and perspective. Which is extremely cool. 

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud:

It's smart, it's scary, it's exciting, it's funny, it's got loads of atmosphere and great world-building and DID I MENTION HOW MUCH I LOVE IT?

Titles I want to read from the same catalog:

The Ring and the Crown, by Melissa de la Cruz: I've only ever read one book by de la Cruz, and it wasn't a good fit for me. But that was a long time ago, and I'm ready for another dance. Oh, who am I kidding? I totally got reeled in by the "glam of thrones" line in the description. Also, alt-history involving a "bastard mage"! Obvs, I need to check it out.

Far From You, by Tess Sharpe: Murder mystery! Addiction issues! Long-held secrets! Debut author!

Don't Look Back, by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Mean girl gets amnesia! Sounds a bit like if Lois Duncan had written Before I Fall, minus the fantasy element?

Project Paper Doll: The Hunt, by Stacey Kade: I loved the first one in the series, so duh.

The Rules for Disappearing, by Ashley Elston: Witness protection! Lots of romantic thrillers in this catalog, which is OKAY BY ME.

Caged Warrior, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer: Mixed Martial Arts cage matches in Detroit. A Boy With Potential is pulled every which way by a terrifying and controlling father, an inspirational teacher, and the local criminal element.

V is for Villain, by Peter Moore: The brilliant-but-generally-seen-as-unimpressive younger brother of a superhero gets his own adventure. The blurb suggests that the "heroes" and "villains" might be reversed in this one, so I'm kind of hoping for some hilariously awful heroes along the lines of Captain Hammer or Captain Quark.

Dark Metropolis, by Jaclyn Dolamore: 1930s-ish! Dark magic! Atmospheric! Disappearances and curses and decadence and "heartless masterminds"!

Midnight Thief, by Livia Blackburne: I'm worried that this debut fantasy is just going to make me miss Starcrossed's Digger all the more, but I'll give it a whirl.

Welcome to the Dark House, by Laurie Faria Stolarz: Contest winners thrown together in a creepy house. Sure, it's an old premise, but it's one of my favorites!

Titles I've read from Chronicle's Spring 2014 catalog:

Nobody's Secret, by Michaela MacColl:

It’s possible that it could have worked as short fiction, but there’s so little story here that 230 pages feels really, really long. It’s clear that the author has an appreciation for her subject both as a person and a poet, but the characters—including Emily, which is especially unfortunate—never make the shift from two-dimensional characters into three-dimensional people.

The Clockwork Scarab, by Colleen Gleason:

It’s fun, it’s smart, and despite the familiar components, it’s a solidly entertaining steampunk adventure. Most notably, it has a much stronger focus on the relationship between the girls than on any of the various romantic entanglements, and there’s a thought-provoking thread about feminism, and about cultural assumptions about gender roles: how “appropriate” conduct is defined by worldview.

Under Shifting Glass, by Nicky Singer:

Under Shifting Glass is about beginnings (birth, family, new realizations about old relationships) and endings (death, the end of friendship, the end of childhood); it’s about different kinds of families (blood, chosen, kindred spirits), about jealousy and about the realization that there is room in your heart for more than one person at a time. In another book, a convergence of so many storylines that drive the same themes home could easily feel contrived, but in this book, which celebrates connections of all sorts—Jess calls them ‘joinings’—it just...works.

Titles I want to read from the same catalog:

Always Emily, by Michaela MacColl: I wasn't a huge fan of Nobody's Secret, but I'm a sucker for all things Brontë. And really, I have to read it, because otherwise, my Wuthering Heights roundup would be INCOMPLETE.

The Falconer, by Elizabeth May: Revenge and romance in steampunk Scotland. It's the first in a trilogy (obvs, since standalone fantasies are an endangered species), but there are EVIL FAERIES. So, you know: worth a try!

Going Over, by Beth Kephart: Two crazy kids in love, separated by the Berlin Wall in 1983. Kephart's writing is so gorgeous in You Are My Only that I'll read anything by her.

In the picture book realm, I've got my eye on Cali & Chaud's I Didn't Do My Homework Because... and Reynolds & Tankard's Here Comes Destructosaurus purely because I like the artwork.

Oh, and also Pittau & Gervais' The Open Ocean, because I love nature books with lift-the-flaps and pop-ups.

Titles I've read from Candlewick's Spring-Summer 2014 catalog:

The Freedom Maze, by Delia Sherman:

Descriptions of a working, pre-Civil War plantation; the relationships between slaves, and between slaves and their owners; the speech patterns and dialect; the depiction of a complicated religious and mythological belief system; from all of that and more, as I read, I was convinced that Delia Sherman must have done a boatload of research for this book*. That made the complete lack of infodumps all the more impressive: even when Sophie gets a crash-course in plantation life via some of the younger slaves, Sherman doesn't use that opportunity to give her readers a lecture—instead, she cuts away from the scene. I loved that.

Feral Nights, by Cynthia Leitich Smith: I adored the Tantalize quartet, and so I was so excited to find out about this spin-off series! It's set in the same universe, and it stars some of the same characters: Clyde the werepossum, human Aimee, and newcomer Yoshi, the super-sexy werecat brother of Ruby the suspected murderess (and also super-sexy) werecat.

As in the Tantalize books, Smith plays a LOT with the different traits and cultural relationships between the different species, and she includes LOADS of SF/F references. It's different in tone, though, more quirkfest-bananas (one word: WEREYETIS), and less end-of-the-world EPIC. Kind of like the Zeppo episode of Buffy, or the episode of Leverage where Parker is stuck at home with a broken leg, a comparison that is even more apt when you consider the fact that that action in this book is taking place at the same time as the action in Diabolical. (They work as stand-alones, though.)

Smith dosn't satirize herself in quite the same way as Buffy and Leverage did, though the end result is similar: ultimately, Clyde and Aimee level up from being sidekicks to heroes in their own right. Her books are always such a blast, and I can't wait to read the next one.

The Cydonian Pyramid, by Pete Hautman: As in The Obsidian Blade, the story rapidly bounces from time to time, place to place, character to character, timestream to timestream, and because of that alone, there will be plenty of readers who won't find it particularly enthralling. The jargon and occasional dialect will turn others off.

Personally, I loved the first book in the series, and so even though this one didn't do a whole lot for me emotionally (except for the section about Lah Lia's time in Hopewell, which felt more personal than the rest of the book), I'm still enjoying the series on a more intellectual level: basically, I'm curious about where Hautman's going with it, and I look forward to the inevitable final confrontation between Tucker and his father and Lah Lia and hers.

Personal Effects, by E.M. Kokie: ...apparently, I never wrote about this one. It's about Matt, who is grieving for his older brother, who was recently killed in Iraq. Matt's life is spiraling down—school, home, friends—and so he starts digging into his brother's life in an effort to find some closure. In so doing, he finds out that his brother was keeping some Rather Large Secrets: the big one being [SPOILER] that he was gay [END SPOILER].

It's a story that could have gone in any number of unimpressive directions—trite, preachy, insipid, black/white—but doesn't. Kokie doesn't shy away from Matt's less-than-politically-correct and sometimes less-than-empathetic feelings—and even when he's exhibiting them, he's still a sympathetic character because of all of the pain and confusion and anger he's feeling—and she always, always stays true to her character. It's a good one about the complexities of family and brotherhood and truth and bravery, and I'm kicking myself for not having gotten around to writing about it Way Back When.

Titles I want to read from the same catalog:

Weasels, by Elys Dolan, and Have You Seen My Dragon?, by Steve Light: Since I'm doing all of the ordering for the library, I have to pay closer attention to picture books now, too! And these two look way cool. I mean, HELLO, AWESOME--->

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made & Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done, by Stephen Pastis: Kid Detective! Enough said.

Boy on the Edge, by Fridrick Erlings: Icelandic author! Setting: a home for troubled boys called the Home for Lesser Brethren. O.o

Feral Curse, by Cynthia Leitich Smith: As I said above, I ADORE THE TANTALIZE QUARTET, and I don't know how I managed to miss out on this spin-off series for so long. (I only read Feral Nights today! Apparently Feral Curse has a haunted carousel! HAUNTED! CAROUSEL!)

The Story of Buildings, by Patrick Dillon and Into the Unknown, by Stephen Ross: In both books, the illustrations are by Stephen Biesty, so these are obvious picks for fans of his Cross-sections books. (Of which I am one.)

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton: Magical realism is generally Not My Thing, but it looks like Candlewick is pushing this one hard. Which makes me curious.

Swim that Rock, by John Rocco & Jay Primiano: Did you ever see that movie Diggers? I feel like no one else did, even though it was quite good, and, like, EVERYONE was in it. Okay, by 'everyone', I mean Ken Marino and Paul Rudd and Maura Tierney. ANYWAY. This book ALSO deals with clamming and a family teetering on the brink of economic disaster. And I want to read it.

Breakfast Served Anytime, by Sarah Combs and The Chance You Won't Return, by Annie Cardi:
Two debut contemporaries. A coming-of-age story set in a Kentucky summer camp for geeks and a girl figuring out high school and first love... and a mother who thinks she's Amelia Earhart. SOLD AND SOLD.

The Klaatu Terminus, by Pete Hautman. This is my relationship with Pete Hautman: He writes it, I will read it.

Titles I've read from the Albert Whitman Spring 2014 catalog:

Being Henry David, by Cal Armistead:

To a degree, Being Henry David is one of those frustrating stories in which the protagonist could save himself pages and pages of torment and confusion if he’d just, you know, ask someone for help. But Armistead makes Hank’s reasons for avoiding the authorities emotionally believable and logically plausible, so it’s not really an issue. It is, as evidenced by my one-sitting read, an extremely compelling book, and the Thoreau quotes are woven in quite nicely: I can easily imagine this book inspiring younger readers to go and look him up.

Titles I want to read from the same catalog:

Mafia Girl, by Deborah Blumenthal: Sounds like Son of the Mob, but with more DRAMZ. So I'm there, obvs.

Skin and Bones, by Sherry Shahan: I oftentimes avoid books about eating disorders because I they make me have lots of feels in a bad way. But this one is about a male protagonist, which is unusual. So I'll make an exception.

The Summer I Found You, by Jolene Perry: I'm always looking for new Dessen readalikes. And despite the preponderance of Somewhat Heavy Issues in the description, the cover art suggests Dessen. (Or Ockler, or Scott, or Han, etc., etc., etc.)

Hardcover

Paperback

Titles I've read from the Abrams Spring 2014 catalog:

Splintered, by A. G. Howard:

Like Carroll's Alice, much of the time that Alyssa is in Wonderland, things are out of her control. Unlike Carroll's Alice, though—and this is where my major difficulty with the book lies—Alyssa's loss of control can almost always be chalked up to one of the two guys in her life: Morpheus, a Wonderland denizen who has a penchant for fancy hats and a hookah, and Jeb, the aforementioned crush. She is bossed around, held against her will, lied to, and argued about as if she A) wasn't standing right there and B) someone with, you know, AN OPINION ABOUT HER OWN WELFARE.

A Soldier's Secret, by Marissa Moss: Apparently, I never wrote about this one. I liked it, though I thought it A) could have been tighter (then again, it did convey the long stretches of boredom that were so horrible for morale during the war), and B) at times, it felt like Moss was determined to cram in EVERY. SINGLE. FACT. she'd unearthed over the course of her research. And imagined endings tacked on to true-life stories tend to make me uncomfortable. Despite this complain-fest, I actually mostly enjoyed it. FOR REALS!

Shadow on the Mountain, by Margie Preus:

There's a wonderful balance between Espen's Resistance activities (along with the knowledge that if he's caught, his family will be punished for his actions); his younger sister's interest in his activities, which ultimately leads to her own direct involvement with the Resistance; the split that occurs within his peers between those who join the Resistance and those who join the Nazis; and his own coming of age and burgeoning romance.

The Peculiars, by Maureen Doyle McQuerry (AMAZINGLY different cover treatments, right? I love the long fingers on the paperback):

That said, it's always a relief to read about a heroine who is different from her peers in a way that really would make her life more difficult, rather than being too beautiful or too talented or too badass or too witty or too all-around awesome. (<--Come on, you know I'm right. I'm looking at you, The Selection.)

Titles I want to read from the same catalog:

The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier: Um. The cover art is semi-terrifying, as is the excerpt in the catalog. And we all know how I like to scare the bejeebers out of myself.

Otherbound, by Corinne Duyvis: I just read a parallel universe book that I found PROFOUNDLY disappointing, so here's hoping that this one's a better fit? Because I do love me a good multiverse story. AND THIS ONE HAS A WICKED CREEPOLA TWIST: when the main character closes his eyes (I don't know if that means "BLINKS", or if it means "IS SLEEPING" or "KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS"), he sees a different world through someone else's eyes... and then he learns how to CONTROL HER. Which she doesn't appreciate. So. It has potential.

High & Dry, by Sarah Skilton: MYSTERY! BLACKMAIL! A DRINKING PROBLEM! TEEN CRIME FICTION FTW!!

Lauren Myracle's TTYL, TTFN, and L8R, G8R: It's been ten years since this series started. TEN. YEARS. It's probably time for me to read them, eh?

Not to be outdone by all the Consortium Books wonderfulness I've been spreading the word on, the Coffee House Press catalog arrived last week and several titles there jumped out at me. Here they are, with publisher descriptions:

An Impenetrable Screen of Purest Sky by Dan Beachy-Quick. Daniel is pursued by stories. his father, in thrall to a myth, has disappeared; his mother and sister, too; and Lydia, his lover, leaves him and the novel he cannot finish for quantum mechanics, the place where theory tells tales about the real. And then there is Pearl, the girl beneath the floorboards, whose adventures hum alongside Daniel's own.

In this contemporary, contemplative fairy tale, the autobiographical novel takes on the cast of legend, and the uncertainty of memory leaves reality on shaky ground. Can parallel universes exist? Can a preoccupation with Moby Dick overwhelm the story unfolding before you? Where do you stand in relation to the metaphysics of your own life?

Dan Beachy-Quick has a fascination for whales and whaling (he wrote The Whaler's Dictionary) and while I am not a huge fan of Moby Dick, I am fascinated by the topic and intrigued by his blending of folk lore here. This new book almost sounds a bit like Ekaterina Sedia (who blended fairy tale and horseshoe crabs in The House of Discarded Dreams). Certainly worth a look.....

Potluck Supper with Meeting to Follow (essays) by Andy Sturdevant. Keepsake, guidebook, and wunderkammer of enthusiasms, Sturdevant's essays offer a new ay of thinking about urban spaces and the contemporary Midwest. Craigslist ads, homemade signs at Target Field and alleyways all open up with possibilities for measuring cultural time and the resonance, not provincialism, of spaces closely observed. Published to coincide with Sturdevant's solo show at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Potluck Supper with Meeting to Follow reveals the essayist as pied piper and artist, whose canvas is the city.

Just so much of this sounds excellent - the potluck suppers, the look at the contemporary Midwest (so often referred to as "flyover country" and i hate that); just the notion of an "investigation" of modern life in the midst of the country that is not about politics but culture, about how people live. I can't get enough of understanding who we are and how we come to be ourselves.

Angel de la Luna and the 5th Glorious Mystery by M. Evelina Galang. Angel has just lost her father, and her mother's grief means she might as well be gone too. She's got a sister and a grandmother to look out for, and a burgeoning consciousness of the unfairness of the world-in her family, her community and her country.

Set against the backdrop of the 1986 Philippine People Power Revolution, the struggles of surviving Filipina "Comfort Women" of WWII in the early 1990s, and a cold winter's season in the city of Chicago, Angel de la Luna is the story of a daughter coming of age, coming to forgiveness, and learning to move past the chaos of grief to survive.

WWII Filipina Comfort Women in a novel for teens - I can't imagine passing this one by.

After covering the titles for adults in the fall/winter Consortium catalog for small presses, I wanted to also share some titles for teens and kids that caught my eye. Here they are, along with some catalog copy descriptions:

Wild Ocean, Ed by Matt Dembicki (he also edited Trickster: Native American Tales) (Fulcrum Publishing). In this graphic collection, Matt Dembicki....explores the adventures of twelve iconic endangered sea animals: hawkbill turtle, bluefin tuna, hammerhead shark, giant clam, manatee....Produced in cooperation with the nonprofit PangeaSeed, these gripping stories instill a passion to conserve our magnificent sea creatures.

For ages 8 and up this is a format and topic I never get tired of. I liked Trickster and I'm eager to see what Dembicki does here.

Breath of Wilderness: The Life of Sigurd Olson by Kristin Eggerling. (Fulcrum Publishing) ...the story of Sigurd Olson's love for wild places and how that love transformed his life. It inspired him to play a key role in the movement to preserve wilderness throughout North America, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the largest lakefront wilderness in the country. Olson's successful writing career, born from his devotion, spread his fervor worldwide. This is a story of one man finding his passion and standing up for what he believed even in the face of tremendous adversity.


Secret Lives by Berthe Amoss (from the Lizzie Skurnick Books imprint at IG Publishing). The Lizzie Skurnick imprint is about bringing back into print YA lit from the 30s and 40s through the 70s and 80s. Although much of the appeal will likely be to adults filled with nostalgia for long out-of-print titles from their childhood, I think Secret Lives in particular should be received well by today's MG & young teen readers of historical fiction as well. Here's a bit:

Set against the backdrop of 1930s New Orleans, Berthe Amoss's 1979 young adult mystery follows twelve-year-old Addie Agnew as she struggles to uncover the secret of her mother's death. Living with her spinster aunts in a house that's practically haunted, Addie was always told her mother was perfect and was swept off to sea with Addie's father in a Honduran tidal wave. But Addie suspects there's something her aunts aren't telling her, and it has something to do with the locked trunk in the attic. What's in the trunk? And what really happened to Addie's parents? In this classic story about family secrets and growing up, Addie will stop at nothing to discover truth about her mother, even if learning the truth will change everything forever.

Lone Wolves by John Smelcer (Leapfrog Press). Deneena Yazzie's love of the woods and trail come from her grandfather, who teaches her their all-but-vanished Native Alaskan language. While her peers lose hope, trapped between the old and the modern cultures, and turn to destructive behaviors, Denny and her mysterious lead dog, a blue-eyed wolf, train for the Great Race - giving her town a new pride and hope.

This one is a no-brainer for me, the Alaska setting, suggestion of dying language, Iditarod and struggle between old and new is all very familiar to me. Smelcer is an Alaskan Native who is the last surviving reader of the Ahtna language. Looking forward to it.

Nine Open Arms by Benny Lindelauf (Enchanted Lion). Oh how I love Enchanted Lion! What a great publisher - their books are STUNNING. This one is for MG readers - here's a bit:

A ghost story, a fantasy, a historical novel, and literary fiction all wrapped into one, this highly awarded novel for young readers begins with the Boon family's move to an isolated, dilapidated house. Is it the site of a haunting tragedy, as one of the daughters believes, or an end to all their worries, as their father hopes? The novel's gripping language, enriched by Yiddish, German, and Dutch dialect, plunges the reader into the world of a large, colorful motherless family.

[To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie is another great book from Lizzie Skurnick Books. Find out more here.]

The big fat Consortium Books catalog arrived last week and there were several books that caught my eye. Here is the quick & dirty catalog copy on them along with a comment or two from me on what made them jump off the page:

Unmentionables by Laurie Loewenstein (Akashic Books) Marian Elliott Adams, an outspoken advocate for sensible undergarments for women, sweeps onto the Chautauqua stage under a brown canvas tent on a sweltering August night in 1917, and shocks the gathered town of Caledonia with her speech: how can women compete with men in the workplace and in life if they are confined by their undergarments?

It's not due out until January so be sure to check out the full description (which is a little confusing) at the pub site. I love the time period and the topic (women's suffrage) and I've got high hopes.

I wrote about Palmerino by Melissa Pritchard (Bellevue Literary Press) a little while ago and I'm still looking forward to this fictional look at the real life of Violet Paget, the "brilliant gender-bending, lesbian polymath known for her chilling supernatural stories". (Due in January.)

Also from Bellevue, I think this would be a good choice for my column: Then They Started Shooting by Lynne Jones. The author interviewed over forty Serb and Muslim children who "came of age during the Bosnian War and now returns, twenty years after the war began, to discover the adults they have become." (Due in October.)

The River Detroit by Paul Vasey (Biblioasis): What is the Detroit River? It's dumps, dogpatches, ships, steamers, storms. It's month-long salvage operations. It's the Zug Island stacks, belching clouds of purple and yellow....It's the reflection of a city in riot. And it's the singing motormen, the agitators and the autoworkers who look into its waves every day and see something of their future.

I am endlessly fascinated by Americana, especially of unexpected angles to see features of this country and how they inform who we are. This sounds wicked cool. (Oct)

Baghdad Central by Elliot Colla (Bitter Lemon Press). I love Bitter Lemon mysteries - they are very similar to SoHo Press in that they share foreign locales, a hardboiled sensibility and a lack of "coziness". (Not that there's anything wrong with that - I enjoy a cozy every now and again as well.) Here's the gist of Baghdad Central:

"...a noir debut novel set in Baghdad in September 2003. The US occupation of Iraq is a swamp of incompetence and self-delusion. The CPA has disbanded the Iraqi army and police as a consequence of its paranoid policy of de-Baathification of Iraqi society. Tales of hubris and reality-denial abound, culminating in Washington hailing the glorious mess as "mission accomplished."

Into all this walks Inspector Mushin al-Khafaji, forced into a deal with the Americans and investigating the disappearance of young women translators working for the US Army. I love the setting - I've been waiting for a Baghdad series from this period. Check out more Bitter Lemon titles at the website. (Oooh - a new Leonardo Padura is on the way - great Cuban author whose Mario Conde series I really enjoy.)

A Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo w/art by Jessica Lynn Bonin (Chin Music Press). Here's all you need to know: "a collection of facts, both real and imagined about pie." No, wait - here's more: "Lebo explores the tension between the container and the contained while also busting cliches and creating new myths around strawberry rhubarb, vanilla cream, mincemeat and many other pies."

Just go see more at Lebo's website - the book started as a zine and now it is a book! Huzzah! (October)

Afghan Box Camera by Lukas Birk and Sean Foley (Dewi lewis Publishing). This is the most unique title I've heard of in ages: ...Afghanistan is one of the last places on earth where the box camera continues to be used as a way of making a living. Handmade out of wood - a camera and darkroom in one - generations of Afghans have had their portraits taken with it. Spanning decades, from peacetime to war, box camera photography exists within a more sophisticated photographic history....the story is told through a rich mixture of contemporary and archive photography, ephemera, illustrations, interviews and storytelling. (October)

Check out the Dewi Lewis site - some really interesting books over there.

Play Pretty Blues by Snowden Wright (Engine Books): The mysteries of blues legend Robert Johnson's life and death long ago became myth. Part researched reconstruction, part vivid imagination, this lyrical novel brings Johnson alive through the voices of his six wives, revealing the husband and son inside the legend. (November)

More here - Robert Johnson never gets old to me; I'd love to see what Wright does with his legend.

Next week, the YA titles from Consortium that caught my eye.....

There was a little chat about this one twitter the other day and I chimed in as it was already on my radar for January. Here's what Bellevue Literary Press has to say about it:

Welcome to Villa il Palmerino, the British enclave in rural Italy where Violet Paget, known to the world by her pen name and male persona, Vernon Lee, held court. In imagining the real life of this brilliant, lesbian polymath known for her chilling supernatural stories, Pritchard creates a multilayered tale in which the dead writer inhabits the heart and mind of her lonely, modern-day biographer.

Positing the art of biography as an act of resurrection and possession, this novel brings to life a vividly detailed, subtly erotic tale about secret loves and the fascinating artists and intellectuals--Oscar Wilde, John Singer Sargent, Henry James, Robert Browning, Bernard Berenson--who challenged and inspired each other during an age of repression.

I am looking at the fall 2012 catalog right now, can't you tell?

A lot of these books jumped out me, some as excellent titles to review in my column, some as personally appealing and some as titles that I know other folks will adore. First up, there's a new book on designer Alexander McQueen by photographer Anne Deniau who was the only photographer allowed backstage at his shows for thirteen years (ending with his death). Love Looks Not With the Eyes celebrates the creativity of both of them - both in what he made and how she saw it. Beautiful.

Nick Brandt's African wildlife titles On This Earth and A Shadow Falls are now combined in a doortstop edition that is oversized enough to do them justice. Essays from Jane Goodall, Alice Sebold, Peter Singer, etc. Love his work (but be prepared to pay for it). Another animal title is due from Tim Flach - More Than Human. This is one of those you just need to see to believe. It is "a highly original visual and written enquiry into our relationship with animals..." The cover alone is like few others. (Panda!!!!!)

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow by Bryan Fies is coming out in pb with a new rocket-shippy cover. I have this in HC and it's a great gn. Very funny and totally plays on so many things like THE FLYING CARS WE WERE PROMISED!!! (I'm still bitter about that.) Also, there's Economix: How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work) in Words and Pictures by Michael Goodwin. This looks perfect for teens (and a lot of adults). I'm also excited to see The Carter Family by Frank Young and David Lasky. Talk about an unorthodox family to get the bio treatment in a gn! And it comes with a cd! Excellent American history and in a format that will get it a lot of teen attention (I hope). (Geeky music teen attention, I'm sure.)

There's a new Vogue book - The Editor's Eye. It's all very very pretty. Tim Walker (who has been in Vogue a very memorable time or two) also has a new book out - Storyteller which "showcases his signature fantastic style". The cover alone makes it impossible to resist. (Though yes, very pricey.) (I'm still putting it in on my holiday wishlist though.) A fashion memoir that I thought had teen appeal is I Want To Be Her! by Andrea Linnett. Illustrated with the most charming sketches by Anne Johnston Albert this is Linnett's salute to all the people who have shaped her style over the years. (She's the co-founder of Lucky.)

Oh - and Todd Selby returns with Edible Selby. This go-round he's focusing on chefs with looks at gardens, homes, kitchens and restaurants. It will include the same short interviews as his last book but everyone also contributes a recipe. What I like about Selby is the interesting things

In the past two weeks I blazed through more than a dozen fall catalogs taking notes, plotting future columns and emailing requests. This is the most concentrated I have been about a season's catalogs and organizing columns in a long long time. Partly it is an experiment - I want to see if I really can pull this off as effectively as I'm planning - and partly I just wanted to immerse myself in the joy of the fall's offerings. I ended up requesting more than three dozen books from a rash of publishers (I still have about a half dozen more catalogs I'm waiting to see). Here are the ones that caught my eye from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Children's catalog:

Noah Webster and His Words by Jerri Chase Ferris. A picture book on Webster (yes, how I will fit this into a YA column means some serious creativity but it's more of a MG picture book then a wee child one). I am a sucker for Webster and the whole notion of creating a dictionary. I just love the idea of someone deciding to do this and accomplishing it. (I hope Catherine Reef one day writes a bio of him!)

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey by Gary Golio. JOHN COLTRANE!! Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, for MG readers. They had me at John Coltrane.

The Bronte Sisters by Catherine Reef. Has Reef written a bad biography? She does such an excellent job with these books, walking the fine line between informative and compelling, that I've bought more than one for adults. I very much look forward to seeing how she deals with all the Bronte dramarama.

Wild Horse Scientists by Kay Frydenborg. I have yet to be disappointed by the "Scientists in the Field" series and this looks like another stellar offering. Wonderful illustrations, great information - another series that I have found adults to enjoy as much as younger readers. These have potential for anyone over the age of 8.

Delusion by Laura Sullivan. Not a huge fan of the cover (It's a photo) but the description is so different, I couldn't resist. It's WWII, two teenage stage magicians (from a long line of performers) are sent to the country for safety and meet a secret society of real magicians and illusionists. There's a rush to save England from the Nazis which all sounds very Bedknobs and Broomsticks to me (in the best possible way). Love the setting and the idea; very excited to give it a shot.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. I think this is an unfortunate title because it makes me think of the Dragonslayers of Pern and a zillion other high fantasies when the description is very different. From the creator of the quirky Thursday Next series, this book one in a new YA series. Here's the skinny:

In the good old days, magic was powerful and unregulated by government, and sorcerers were highly respected. Then the magic started to fade away. Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, a magic employment agency. Work is hard to come by, and unexciting: These days, sorcerers find work unblocking drains, and even magic carpets have been reduced to pizza delivery. So it's a surprise when the visions start. Not only do they predict the death of the last dragon at the hands of a dragonslayer, they also point to Jennifer. Something is coming. Something known as Big Magic

It promises the same amount of wit as the Thursday series and should be so different from everything else out there; I'm hopeful of this one.

Broken Lands by

There are few things I enjoy browsing through more than a new book catalog. While I totally embrace the green decision to go with online catalogs versus print, I will sadly miss the bright shiny covers showing up in my mailbox with all their possibilities for future readerly joy. There are some things that just don't translate as well to screens, alas.

First Second is proving to be one of the publishers I look forward to with great anticipation each season (see two several current titles reviewed in my current Bookslut column this month). THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS by Mark Long & Jim Demonakos (illus by Nate Powell) is a semi-autobiographical tale set in 1967 Texas about a white family and black family "overcoming humiliation, degradation and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman." I am notoriously skeptical of new Civil Rights titles for kids because like Holocaust literature I think both subjects have been done to death. But this is a fresh setting and story and the graphic novel format should lend a lot to the telling. I'm also looking forward to FRIENDS WITH BOYS by Faith Erin Hicks, also for teens about homeschooled Maggie who is facing high school and has been followed by a silent ghost her entire life. She must solve the ghostly mystery, make a new friend and face the outside world. It's coming-of-age with a wee bit of supernatural fun and I like Hicks' art a lot.

From FSG are two nonfiction titles that jumped out me starting with THE PLANT HUNTERS about 18th and 19th century botanical explorers by Anita Silvey. Heavily illustrated and by an author with a proven NF track record, I don't see how this one can fail. I am seriously interested in this subject and have read a lot of adult bios on plant hunters so I'm hoping that Silvey doesn't disappoint. (I doubt she can, honestly.) Also, there's a new picture bio of Sylvia Earle by Claire Nivola, LIFE IN THE OCEAN. Earle is a perfect subject for a kid's bio and I think she's awesome, so I'm happy to see this.

FSG is all about the fiftieth anniversary of A WRINKLE IN TIME with a great retro cover (I'm soooo happy to see this) and an intro by Katherine Paterson, plus photos, memorabilia, etc. I'll be buying it in hardcover just because it is so much cooler looking then the copy I already have. (And everyone must have a copy of WRINKLE.)

Henry Holt has me intrigued by Lori Griffin Burns' CITIZEN SCIENTISTS, a NF MG title aimed at teaching kids how to actually participate in events like the Audubon Bird Count and FrogWatch USA. What I like about this book (other than the author whose work in the Scientists in the Field series impressed me deeply), is that it is not just a general title on how to be a naturalist but specifically aimed at certain activities that kids can take part in. Homeschoolers are going to love it I bet.

There's also an interesting looking gn from Kevin Pyle: TAKE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY. This follows two storylines, one set during WWII with a Japanese American teen in CA who must leave everything behind for an internment camp and another in 1978 Chicago with a teen shoplifting from convenience stores with his friends. The stories will converge at some point as the boys "discover compassion, learn loyalty and find renewal in the most surprising of places."

Finally, from Feiwel & Friends James Mihaley has YOU CAN'T HAVE MY PLANET, BUT TAKE MY BROTHER, PLEASE! about a twelve-year old boy who learns that aliens have been renting Earth to humans and now want it back. (Come on, you have to laugh at that whole premise!) And Caldecott winner Erin Stead illustrates AND THEN THERE'S SPRING by Julie Fogliano which looks to be a sweet story about a boy and his dog and their anticipation of spring after a long snowy winter. The cover alone made me smile.

Several titles in the new S&S catalog caught my eye (for good or ill). Here's a rundown:

1. I posted yesterday on the excellent cover for Jennifer Bradbury's WRAPPED. I'm also excited about this one because there is a dearth of YA historical romance that is well written and full of the sharpness and wit that makes the adult titles so popular. Here's hoping Bradbury addresses all that and hits this one out of the park. (It doesn't hurt that she has started with mummies.)

2. WHERE THINGS COME BACK by John Corey Whaley is about the summer before Cullen's senior year when a cousin overdoses, his town becomes obsessed with the suspected return of a long gone bird (hello Ivory-billed Woodpecker!) and then his fifteen year old brother disappears. There is a dual plotline apparently, with a young missionary in Africa in search of meaning. I have no idea how these stories are supposed to come together (Arkansas and Africa?) but apparently they do. I'm a big fan of the "Lord God Bird" so I'm in this one, for sure.
3. Do I have to tell you that Book 2 in Holly Black's Curse Workers series is coming out? Okay, RED GLOVE is on the horizon. How could it be anything other than fabulous? (This is the UK cover and I think it is waaaay better than the photo cover on the US version. But that's just me - I like non-photo covers in YA.)

4. Cleopatra fever is now infiltrating YA with CLEOPATRA CONFESSES by Carolyn Meyer. This is the story of her teen years, conflicts with her sisters, the power of romance "that stands the test of time". I don't know. So much about Cleopatra is unknown (and never will be known) that it is hard for me to look at this as truly historical, especially with the sisterly battles. But I'm sure it will be well received among teens who never tire of the idea of Cleopatra.

5. THE LOST CROWN by Sarah Miller is a novel that really perplexes me; the story of the four Romanov sisters as they enjoy day to day life as revolution sweeps the country. It's all well and good to show how they "dote on their dogs, flirt with the soldiers" etc but this does not end well. They all die horribly, are buried in an unmarked grave and remain lost to the world for decades. Can this really be "one part Anne Frank, one part Daisy Buchanan"? I just see a tragedy, from start to finish. I'm not sure I understand how anything as flip as Daisy's life can be inserted into a book where bloody death meets the lives of every single major character. Can you do that? (I'm not thinking that cover exactly screams "historic tragedy" either.)

6. Finally, WITH LOVE FROM JO by Gabrielle Donnelly is actually an adult novel but has a ton of obvious YA crossover potential. The great great granddaughter of Jo March feels like a failure when compared to her two sisters who she both loves and is driven mad by. The discovery of Jo's letters helps Lulu "understand the trials of sisterhood". Could be great fun or a poor attempt at riding on Alcott's coat tails. Points for Donnelly even going there however - it sure beats modernizing the classics by adding zombies to the storyline! (I've also seen this one listed as THE LITTLE WOMEN LETTERS online, the title in the catalog was WITH LOVE FROM JO. No cover available either way.)

Finally getting to the bottom of my catalog pile and wanted to point out a few more titles of interest for winter & spring.

From Scholastic, Judy Blundell has a new book due out in March, STRINGS ATTACHED. Everybody loved WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED (and for good reason) and this time we have another mid century noir with mobsters, the entertainment industry (in NYC) and a boyfriend who has gone off to Korea. I love the YA mystery aspect and the time period but mostly I just love Blundell...GEEK FANTASY NOVEL by E. Archer is a MG fantasy about Ralph who is spending the summer with his "strange British relatives" setting up their wifi network. And then something starts happening with games and he gets stuck in something and there are "killer bunny rabbits, evil aunts and bothersome bacteria". Color me curious....And Shaun Tan fans will delight in the new packaging for three of his earlier works: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing and John Marsden's fantastic (it's amazing) The Rabbits (Tan did the illustrations). I have all these books and love them and Tan fans will see a lot they recognize in them. Put together in LOST & FOUND, this volume should cement his position as a writer and illustrator to watch.

From Tor: Jo Walton has a new one coming out, AMONG OTHERS. From the pub: "Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment." Includes elements of autobiography & fantasy and sounds utterly original....Also, they are reissuing Philip K. Dick's PUTTERING ABOUT IN A SMALL LAND - a realistic novel about married life in the LA suburbs in the 1950s. I love the period, the kitchiness of it and that the man who wrote Blade Runner could write this. Totally check out worthy.

From Graywolf: OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE HUMAN CONDITION, an essay collection by Geoff Dyer. He's a great writer, always thoughtful, always smart.

From FSG Kids: MEADOWLANDS by Thomas Yezerski - a PB about the meadowlands area in NJ and how it is coming back (I think this will even appeal to MG or older reluctant reader/sports fans familiar with the name but not the history and it will get them reading about nature)...DEATH CLOUD by Andrew Lane - how Sherlock Holmes became Sherlock Holmes told when he was a teen with lots of James Bond type action. Smart thrills! This one apparently came out this summer but it's listed for winter. Hmmm.

FSG Adults: MOLOTOV'S MAGIC LANTERN by Rachel Polonsky. The Independent ran a review on this one in March. Here's a bit:

The genesis of this intriguingly entitled book is the writer's discovery, as an academic expatriate living in Moscow, that the flat directly above hers had been occupied for many years by the disgraced Soviet foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov. His heirs, who were now renting the flat out to well-to-do foreigners, had left bits and pieces from his library, and a "magic lantern" affording faint pictures of a forgotten past...The result is that Rachel Polonsky was diverted from her flagging research into early 20th century Russian Orientalism and wrote this unusual and elegant book. It moves outwards, chapter by chapter, from the flat, in a block and a street at one time reserved for the Soviet priviligentsia, via provincial cities in the Russian north and south, to the Russian Far East, marking the point at which Molotov's professional life declined into quasi exile when he became ambassador to Mongolia.