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www.bigworldnetwork.com/site/series/Murmur

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MURMUR Season 1 Episode 6 PLAYLIST

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Damsel Under Stress Shanna Swendson

This is the 3rd book in the Katie Chandler series. Obviously, there are some spoilers for earlier books

Wahoo! Katie and Owen finally got their act (and themselves) together. But, of course, in the world of corporate magic, it all goes to hell in a handbasket immediately.

Ari’s escaped from MSI’s holding cells and it quickly becomes apparent that Irdis is a puppet in a larger plot to bring down Merlin and the MSI team.

Plus, every time Katie and Owen do get a moment together, Katie’s fairy grandmother tries to “help” with disastrous consequences.

Poor Katie and Owen! Owen just gets more and more adorable and Katie’s determination to keep her magical and non-magical lives separate gets harder and harder. I also love how the Irdis plot continues to deepen and thicken, giving it more teeth. Owen also takes Katie home for Christmas, and finally meeting his foster parents explains a lot.

Not my favorite book in the series, but a good bridge novel for the later part of the series.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

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Mary E. Pearson's imaginative Fox trilogy has come to an end. I wasn't ready.

What began in The Adoration of Jenna Fox and continued in The Fox Inheritance concludes in this third volume, aptly titled¹ Fox Forever. This final chapter in the story feels like a continuation of book two, which was also told from Locke's POV. When Locke is told he must do a Favor (with a capital F), he is drawn into a movement that is both political and personal. Far away from the people he trusts, working alongside people he doesn't yet know, it would be easy for him to retreat into himself or openly rebel against orders, but as the story develops and he realizes what's really at stake, he becomes determined to see things through.

One of my favorite exchanges of dialogue appears on page 237. Note I've omitted the narrative and descriptors for the sake of clarity; the book is written in the typical prose style - specifically, in first-person, past tense - and not in the script-like manner in which I'm about to present this passage.

Locke: "Do you ever get used to it, Jenna?"
Jenna: "What's that?"
Locke: "Not being who you once were, not being like everyone else?"
Jenna: "Being like everyone else is highly overrated."

Yes, it is, Jenna. Yes, it is.

Another favorite moment comes when Locke is among the lower-class Non-pacts, who are making the most of what they have, combining ingredients to make a meal for everyone, enjoying their life and their community despite their hardships. At one point, Locke observes an unnamed girl:

A younger woman stands near the fire in the middle, telling a story to a few who are close by, her hands expressive, chopping the air with punctuation and passion. - Page 74

As with the volume which preceded it, Fox Forever offers action, intrigue, and even romance while Locke navigates through darkened passages, watches a rooftop, a ladder, and a girl, and encounters old friends, new allies, a variety of bots, low-class citizens fighting for freedom, and corrupt figures bloated by power. The "spy-on-this-person, fall-for-this-person" beat will appeal to fans of Gallagher Girls while retaining the "Fight the Future!" sci-fi / I heart dystopia audience from the previous books.

We held hands. We crossed a line. We made one another braver.⁽²⁾

I must admit, I initially wanted Jenna to be a bigger part of the story, but I quickly realized that she didn't have to be: her story was told in the first book. She was used sparingly in Fox Forever; she was there when Locke needed her, and he, in turn, was there when she needed him. Their friendship endured trials that some of their friends (and enemies) could not and did not endure. They were loyal to one another 'til the end.

1) Read the book, get to the final line, and then we'll talk.
2) If you like the TV show Fringe, you will like these books. #CrossTheLine #WeCrossedTheLine

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Book Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Book Review: The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
He Said, She Said: The Adoration of Jenna Fox and The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
Book Review: A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary E. Pearson
Interview: Mary E. Pearson (2008)
Interview: Mary E. Pearson (2011)

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Looking for a graphic novel that will make you giggle? Check out ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: Re-Entry by Dave Roman. This series follows the hijinks of students enrolled in a school in outer space. And we're talking highly funny hijinks: shapeshifters that will steal your heart (literally), time travel, detention, a bilingual panda, heartbreak, robots, and Fireball, a game that resembles lacrosse and Quidditch, but with FIRE. And there's a competition montage. This story is so ready to be made into an animated film.

I laughed out loud several times while reading this book, which includes subtle pop culture references as well as different characters' definitions of OTP. Yes, you read that correctly. At one point, someone goes "Squee!" Then there's this exchange between two characters:

"Labels can't define who we are on the inside."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"Only if you want me to be."
"I [heart] sarcasm. (No, seriously.)"

The cast of characters is multicultural, which is delightful. Roman's black-and-white-and-gray illustrations clearly show kids with different skin colors, different hair styles, and different fashion senses. Some are shy, some are outspoken. Some are bullies, some are friends. A few are spies. A few are ninjas. Did I mention there's also a raccoon or two, a rabbit or two, and that this is book two in the line? Read the ASTRONAUT ACADEMY graphic novels in order:
#1 Zero Gravity
#2 Re-Entry

I just dropped by Dave's blog to see what's new, and I discovered that he's signing copies of his books for his local bookstore, WORD, which is also holding a really cool contest. Want to get an Astronaut Academy-style portrait of yourself (or a friend), hanging out with the character of your choice? Click here to learn more.

ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: Re-Entry will be available May 14th, 2013 from :01 First Second Books.

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Interview: Dave Roman
Graphic Novel Review: Teen Boat!

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In the world of Magic Zero, everyone and everything is magic.

Everyone, that is, except for Timothy. For his own safety, his kind father kept him hidden away for years, providing him with a safe haven and a chance at a decent - albeit magic-free - childhood.

When his father passes away, Timothy is flung back into the world. Now everyone knows he exists. Who can he trust? Where can he go? He must decide who his allies are - and quickly, because assassins are coming for him.

The books are packed with action, fantasy, and drama. Timothy is surrounded by intriguing, strong characters: a warrior who can blend in with his surroundings; a robot buddy of his own creation; firebreathing, war-torn dragons; a talking raven named Edgar; and Cassandra, a girl who may or may not be on the same side as her power-hungry grandfather.

You simply must put Magic Zero in the hands of kids who love magic and fantasy series. There's something here for everyone, whether you like the otherworldly creatures in The Spiderwick Chronicles or the battles and tribunals featured in Star Wars. This is a great introduction to the works of the imaginative and prolific authors Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Each author has released a multitude of titles individually, including Golden's chilling Shadow Saga (thankfully, these vampires do not sparkle) and Sniegoski's best-selling teen angel series The Fallen. Older readers (meaning teens and adults) should check out the pair's dark fantasy series The Menagerie, which I often compare to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and give to fans of the X-Men.

Back to Magic Zero: Is this for the Harry Potter crowd? Yes, no doubt about it. At the core of the story, you've got a boy who becomes an unlikely hero in a world filled with magic. The really cool flip in Magic Zero, what sets it apart from other books starring a Young Boy on a Magic Quest, is that Timothy's the only person who cannot wield magic. Also, we know this going into the book, rather than being a loss or gain of powers somewhere along the way. Magic Zero is inventive, the premise well-developed and executed. Just wait 'til you see what happens when Timothy approaches a door protected by magic. Also, there are dragons, robots, talking animals, and more, more, more. Steampunk aficionados, check out the alternate sources of energy used in these books; Star Wars fans, prepare thyself for a battle of epic proportions.

Here's the official book flap summary:

Timothy has great potential for power - no magic necessary - in this start to an action-packed fantasy series from two New York Times bestselling authors.

In Timothy's world, everyone has magical powers. Except him. He has spent his entire life as an outcast hidden on a remote island. When he is finally taken back to the city of his birth, Timothy is fascinated by the current of magic that fuels the world and mesmerized by the buildings and orbs that hang weightlessly in the sky. But he is also marked for death.

Assassins are watching his every move, and some very powerful people want him destroyed. Timothy can't imagine what threat he could possibly pose; after all, he wields no power in this world. Or does he?

The Magic Zero quartet, originally known as the Outcast series, features an unforgettable adventure. Read the books in order:
Magic Zero - available today, April 2nd!
Dragon Secrets - available today, April 2nd!
Ghostfire - coming in June
Battle for Arcanum - coming in August

Get the Magic Zero series online now!

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Series and trilogies are not the same.

http://www.magicalwords.net/diana-pharaoh-francis/planning-trilogiesseries/

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<!-- START INTERCHANGE - THE POPULARITY PAPER 5 -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> The Popularity Papers: The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow marks the fifth book in the series since it

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Two more Body of Evidence thrillers are now available as e-books, including one of my favorites in the series!

Head Games by Christopher Golden

"They were my friends. I've known them almost my entire life. Maybe they both just lost it. But I think something's going on here, and I have to take a closer look."

Home from college on break, Jenna Blake is horrified to discover that a childhood friend has murdered his entire family -- and he's not the only one. During the next two days, several other area teens experience homicidal rages, but are later unable to explain or even recall their actions.

The police are leaning toward the popular explanation: brutality influenced by violence in movies and video games. But when Jenna investigates further, she begins to believe that someone is playing sinister head games with her former classmates...and with her, as well.

What Jenna needs is someone to take her seriously, but Slick is preoccupied with a mystery of his own, her father has taken off for France, and her college friends have all gone away for the holidays.

Jenna's on her own this time.

Get it from Amazon.com
Get it from Amazon.co.uk

There's a powerful message here: It's easier to blame violence in the media than to realize that humans can be inherently violent. I dislike violent video games and recently repeatedly turned down a friend's invitation to play a first-person shooter game. That's not for me. As a strong-minded person who is not being easily influenced by others, it was chilling to read about these seemingly well-adjusted characters who snapped due to something out of their control. Wowza.

Skin Deep by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala

"A girl is dead, and one of your best friends got his head cracked with a
shovel, because some white guy didn't want to see them kiss.."

When Jenna and Damon first began dating, neither worried too much about the other's skin color. After all, Somerset is a pretty liberal college environment. But when a black couple is attacked by a white man on campus, race relations become cause for frenzied peace rallies, protests, and debate for the entire student body. Suddenly, Jenna has her hands full investigating the attack - and defending her interracial romance...

Then a white student turns up dead at the hands of a black assailant.

As racial tension reaches a fever pitch on campus, the crimes continue, growing increasingly brutal. Strangely, in each case no two witnesses can form the same description of the perpetrator.

The people are looking for two young men. Until one assailant, pronounced dead at the crime scene, disappears...

Get it from Amazon.com
Get it from Amazon.co.uk

Skin Deep is so good, people. If it opens up just one person's eyes...

And this quote:

There was magic in the world again. Hope.

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

Amazon.com Widgets

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Pilkey, Dav. 2013. Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers. New York: Scholastic.

Maybe you're not a fan of Captain Underpants, the superhero alter ego of mean, Jerome Horwitz Elementary School Principal, Mr. Krupp.  Maybe you're not a fan of the frequent misspellings of Mr. Krupp's troublesome 4th graders, George and Harold.  However, it's hard not to be a fan of one of the most wildly popular series for young and reluctant readers.  This goofy, irreverent series continues to gain new fans and flies off the shelf with as much regularity and enthusiasm as the flying Captain Underpants himself. "Tra la la!"

This latest adventure finds George and Harold travelling through time with pets Crackers and Sulu, to correct the events of an earlier time-travelling venture that had disastrous consequences for the future.  Pitted against Tippy Tinkletrousers, Tiny Tippy Tinkletrousers, and Slightly Younger Tiny Tippy Tinkletrousers and their Freezy-Beam 4000, George and Harold will have to use their wits if they are to save Captain Underpants and return to the future.  Six great Flip-O-Ramas are included (they make a fun art activity), as well as a 24-page wordless comic featuring Ook and Gluk.

Although the series is suggested for ages 7 and up, I find that much older kids will read Captain Underpants, too - and not just reluctant readers.  I know high-level readers that enjoy Dav Pilkey's Three Stooges brand of humor and art as well.  I'm not much for bathroom or pratfall humor, but Chapter 2, "Let's Get Serious, Folks," had me laughing out loud.   Explaining why we miserable, regretful and grumpy grownups discourage all kinds of fun, the narrator offers readers this bit of advice,

     Keeping this in mind, you might not want to smile or laugh while reading this book.  And when you get to the Flip-O-Rama parts, I suggest you flip with a bored, disinterested look on your face or some adult will probably take this book away from you and make you read Sarah, Plain and Tall instead.
     Don't say I didn't warn you.

When I checked today, Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers was ranked #213 on Amazon.com.  Not #213 in children's books, #213 in all books. Not too shabby.  And the reviews?  All 5 stars.



If you think kids are the only ones who follow the adventures of Captain Underpants, guess again. Captain Underpants was even featured on NPR's Morning Edition.  Read or listen to "Hold On To Your Tighty Whities, Captain Underpants is Back!" here.

DreamWorks Animation has the film rights to the Captain Underpants series, but no timeline for production has been announced yet.

Oh yes, and he's got an app, too. Preview the Adventures of Captain Underpants app here.

Update: Forgot to add that Advance Reader Copies were provided at my request by Scholastic and NetGalley.

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Another Body of Evidence thriller is now available as an e-book, and it's one of my favorites in the series!

Skin Deep by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala

"A girl is dead, and one of your best friends got his head cracked with a shovel, because some white guy didn't want to see them kiss.."

When Jenna and Damon first began dating, neither worried too much about the other's skin color. After all, Somerset is a pretty liberal college environment. But when a black couple is attacked by a white man on campus, race relations become cause for frenzied peace rallies, protests, and debate for the entire student body. Suddenly, Jenna has her hands full investigating the attack - and defending her interracial romance...

Then a white student turns up dead at the hands of a black assailant.

As racial tension reaches a fever pitch on campus, the crimes continue, growing increasingly brutal. Strangely, in each case no two witnesses can form the same description of the perpetrator.

The people are looking for two young men. Until one assailant, pronounced dead at the crime scene, disappears...

Get it from Amazon.com
Get it from Amazon.co.uk

Skin Deep is so good, people. If it opens up just one person's eyes...

And this quote:

There was magic in the world again. Hope.

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Head Games by Christopher Golden

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

Amazon.com Widgets

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Burning Bones by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala

Official book jacket summary:

"How do you burn someone to death in public, and not have anyone notice?"

Two people burst into flame, burned alive in front of plenty of eyewitnesses with no obvious cause. Spontaneous human combustion is a bizarre phenomenon, but according to published accounts, it happens. Could that be what occurred here? Or is it murder?

As Jenna Blake turns nineteen, she is getting over a recent breakup and is rekindling an old flame. Between her personal life and college, she has enough on her hands. The last thing she needs is another nasty little puzzle.

But the burn victims' clothes weren't flammable, the crime scenes reveal no evidence of arson, and none of the various witnesses can provide anything resembling a clue. In fact, she and Slick are just beginning to re-evaluate their faith in rational, scientific explanation when the fire claims another victim, and an incredible explanation presents itself. Even as they struggle with their discovery, the danger hits far too close to home...

My thoughts:

In the words of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's best guy friend, Xander Harris, "It's like the Human Torch - only it hurts." Unless you've experienced severe burns, one can only imagine how excruciating it must be to be injured much less killed in such a manner. In this book, the way that the killer burns his victims is (evil) genius.

And then what happens during the climax of the book - Wowza.

In Burning Bones, Jenna continues to juggle her professional, academic, and personal responsibilities. Throwing herself into her schoolwork and her work at the M.E.'s office helps her bounce back from her breakup. Though the books are narrated in third-person, readers can easily get in Jenna's mind, which is great not only when she's puzzling out crimes, but also when she's reminiscing about Animaniacs in one paragraph and referencing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in the next - then, a page later, considering Shirley Jackson's novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Bibliophiles will see themselves in the line "Jenna was a constant reader" while people fascinated with medical facts and criminal profiling will love the discovery of evidence, research, and interrogation scenes throughout the novel.

Can you imagine Jenna working alongside with Abby from NCIS? I definitely can! Jenna is smart, and she is clever, and she's not about to let people think she's incapable of solving crimes due to her age or her gender. She's a strong female protagonist, often as bold as Lilly Rush on Cold Case (another character I admire and praise!) and while her youth and willfulness might get her into scrapes now and again, those elements also help her figure things out, as she's quick-thinking and often more open-minded than some of the older detectives, doctors, and scientists.

If you aren't already hooked, let me share with you the first line of the book:

         If looks could kill.

Get it from Amazon.com
Get it from Amazon.co.uk

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

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Starring Jules #1: Starring Jules (As Herself)
by Beth Ain
Scholastic, on shelves March 2013

Jules is a list maker, a worrier, and a girl with a whole lot of pizzazz. Her friendship with Charlotte is on shaky ground, but she is hopeful that she'll become friends with the new girl from London.

Jules' pizzazz is spotted by a talent scout and she is given a chance to try out for a mouthwash commercial. The only problem is that that mouthwash is orange flavored, and Jules has an irrational fear of the flavor of oranges.

This is going to be a fun series for readers who love Clementine, Frankly Frannie and Just Grace. Although Jules has an artist mom, a chef dad, an apartment in New York City, and a teacher from Cuba ("...her English sounds like the music they play on the beach in Florida."), Jules is ordinary enough to strike a chord with all kinds of readers.

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Baltimore: The Widow and the Tank by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

A blood-curdling double feature! Eisner Award–winning horror master Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden present this horrific double feature about a widow with a not-quite-dead husband and a child-killing vampire taking refuge from something even worse.

Praise for the Baltimore series:

"It still takes something special to impose a unifying vision, and Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden have got it." - The Wall Street Journal

"These Baltimore miniseries over at Dark Horse have provided us with the type of genuine Gothic horror that we crave...this is a great read." - Complex

Get Baltimore: The Widow and the Tank from your local comic book store today! UPC: 7 61568 19678 8 00111

Find out where the story began: Read the illustrated novel Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, the tale that inspired the subsequent comics and graphic novels.

When Lord Henry Baltimore awakens the wrath of a vampire on the hellish battlefields of World War I, the world is forever changed. For a virulent plague has been unleashed -- a plague that even death cannot end.

Now the lone soldier in an eternal struggle against darkness, Baltimore summons three old friends to a lonely inn -- men whose travels and fantastical experiences incline them to fully believe in the evil that is devouring the soul of mankind. As the men await their old friend, they share their tales of terror and misadventure, and contemplate what part they will play in Baltimore's timeless battle. Before the night is through, they will learn what is required to banish the plague -- and the creature who named Baltimore his nemesis -- once and for all.

Baltimore was named one of Booklist's Top 10 SF/Fantasy books of the year - and for good reason.

Learn more about this inspired gothic take on Hans Christian Andersen's story The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

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<!-- START INTERCHANGE - THE ALCHEMYST THE SECRETS OF THE THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> The Alchemyst : The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott was published in 2007, the same

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** I wrote this review in 2009 and was thinking about this book again recently.  Drift House is imaginative and thoughtful and poignant in ways that so many works of fantasy aren't these days so I wanted to introduce or remind you of it. Also, there is a FANTASTIC list of similar books (and links to me reviews) at the end of the review. The criteria being, each series (or stand-alone) features

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Unbeknownst to her, as she approaches the age of eighteen, Katharine will have to make a decision that will change her life, and the lives of many others. The year is 1852, and Katharine has been sent to her uncle's estate by greedy relatives who need him to be declared legally insane in order to collect the inheritance.

At first, Katharine thinks she'll report the truth, either way - "Whatever Aunt Alice chose to do with any information I gave her was neither my responsibility nor my sin." (Page 57) - but once on his property, Katharine realizes that her uncle is not insane, just not mainstream. As Katharine becomes closer to her uncle and interacts with the people in his community, she begins to soften up to them. But when she lets her guard down, she makes herself vulnerable to those who would wish her harm. She struggles to keep her wits about her while deciding who to trust. In order to protect her uncle, she may have to lie and risk her status in society - and, unexpectedly, risk her life.

If you loved Walter Bishop on Fringe, then you are sure to have an affinity for Katharine's uncle Tully. He is an inventor, a creator of automata, brilliant with numbers but easily overwhelmed by disruptions to his schedule, by strangers, by anything or anyone that upsets his routine. Were he living in present day, he would possibly be placed on the autistic spectrum, but as this is the Victorian era, he is considered eccentric by some and crazy by others.

Steampunk is, technically, simply, a story that involves machines powered by steam. Some steampunk novels involve more sci-fi elements than others, stretching the imagination and dipping into something more fantastical, while others, like The Dark Unwinding, stick fairly close to realistic science. Most, if not all, of the creations in this story are explained, moving pieces that are based on clockwork and other such mechanisms. Uncle Tully needs help bringing his creations to life - and that's where Lane comes in. Tully just does "the numbers and the pictures. Then Lane takes my pictures and brings back my pieces and I put them together until they are what they should be." (Page 38)  Moody Lane, with his dark hair and gray eyes, is clearly the counterpart to Ben, the smiling blond boy. Both assist Tully; both connect with Katharine. Meanwhile, she clashes with Lane's aunt, Mrs. Jeffries, and tries to coax her ward, young, mute Davy, to communicate. Davy doesn't speak or write, instead clinging to his everpresent rabbit, Bertram, and saying everything he needs to say with a simple gesture, a tug, or the look in his eyes.

Katharine's maid Mary talks a mile a minute, much like I do. I loved her fast-paced monologue on page 44. Katharine, trying to process everything Mary's saying, simply blinks in response - and Mary just keeps right on talking. It was the perfect introduction for her character. Mary's exuberance energizes every scene she's in.

I enjoyed The Dark Unwinding, and the fact that it was rooted in science and in truth. I greatly appreciated the fact that, even though a sequel was coming up, this book wrapped up most of the stories and thus can stand alone. That being said, I look forward to reading the sequel, A Spark Unseen, when it is released in October 2013. It should be interesting to see what happens next.

Also, I want the dress that Katharine's wearing on the cover of the book. She reminds me of Wendy Darling there.

My favorite lines from the book include:

Life at Stranwyne hung by a ribbon, a ribbon that was currently tied to my hand. - Page 49

But people, in my experience, could be sorted like numbers: evens, odds, groups that could work together, and others that could not. My uncle was someone I could not sort at all. - Page 70

"Big things can be little." [Uncle Tully said.]
Or sometimes little things can be big, I thought. - Page 304

I also enjoyed every single time Uncle Tully refers to Katharine as "Simon's baby!", complete with exclamation point, and this:

"Listen, little niece!" he'd yelled over the dun. "They are telling us when! Listen to the clocks tell us when!"

Dear Uncle Tully, and everyone at large: Numbers are so beautiful. I hope the clocks soothe you. Good night, gentle readers.

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Get ready for surf, sand, and murder. Talk about perfect timing: Brain Trust by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala has been re-released just in time for Spring Break. In the eighth Body of Evidence novel, college freshman Jenna Blake heads off to Florida with her best friend for a much-needed vacation. It's all fun in the sun until the girls witness a horrible accident - one they barely escape themselves, or so they think. Jenna quickly becomes convinced that it was no accident, and she learns more about the victim, she realizes he's not the only one who has been killed in this fashion. But who's next?

This is a really cool story, not only because of the tension (and nifty scientific factoids) that Golden and Hautala have in all of the BoE books, but also because the readers know early on who the perpetrators are - and can only helplessly watch (that is, read) as they work their way through their list of targets. Without giving anything away, let me just say the villains of the piece are creepy and calculating.

If you're looking for an awesome series of thrillers, pick up the Body of Evidence books by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala. You won't be sorry.

Cover flap summary:

"Maybe the odds are against the cases being connected, but I'd hate to find out that it was some contagious, horrible disease."

Spring break is prime time for R&R, fun in the sun, and all things low-key. So when Jenna Blake goes to Florida with her roommate, Yoshiko, the last thing she's expecting to find is another mystery. Well, you can take the girl out of the ME's office, but...

A series of seemingly natural deaths turn out to be suspicious when each of the bodies proves to have mysterious growths of some kind. Needless to say, despite Yoshiko's concerns that her roommate is missing the point of a vacation, Jenna can't stay away from this case.

After autopsies, another common denominator among the victims presents itself. And when further research reveals similar deaths in other states, Jenna starts to wonder if the deaths were indeed natural. As the body count climbs, Jenna's break gives way to a dangerous chase. With Slick and Danny back in Massachusetts,  Jenna has only herself to rely on...for survival.

Get Brain Trust on Amazon

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Head Games by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Skin Deep by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Burning Bones by Christopher Golden

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

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Calliope Reaper-Jones doesn't want to be daddy's little girl anymore.

Too bad her father happens to be Death himself.

From the creative mind of award-winning actress and writer Amber Benson comes an inventive and witty series of fantasy novels to die for.

The Golden Age of Death, the fifth and final novel about Calliope Reaper-Jones, is now available. For the sake of humanity, read it. Callie's work as CEO of Death, Inc. isn't easy - understatement of the year - but it's certainly never boring.

Read the entire series:
DEATH'S DAUGHTER
CAT'S CLAW
SERPENT'S STORM
HOW TO BE DEATH
THE GOLDEN AGE OF DEATH

For more about Calliope and her creator:

http://www.deathsdaughter.com

http://www.amberbenson.us

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Take a deep breath and dive into Last Breath by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala. The ninth Body of Evidence novel finds protagonist Jenna Blake prepared to enjoy the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of college. Summertime and the livin' is easy, right?

Maybe not so easy. At  least, not when you're working for a medical examiner and attempting to stop a serial killer who is drowning people left, right, and center and leaving the victims in public places.

I love the prologues in this series. Akin to the "cold open" of Law & Order or CSI, the Body of Evidence prologues tend to introduce us to our first victim. The prologue of Last Breath takes place in an aquarium, and deserves a Jaws-worthy underscore.

As with the other books in the line, Last Breath made me want to visit Boston right away. The locations are beautifully detailed. Jenna's emotional journey will pull in readers and keep them turning pages. Her strength is really tested in this book, and the events which take place in the last few chapters will change her forever.

If you like modern-day murder mysteries with characters, pick up the Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala. Check out the widget at the bottom of this post to get all of the books.

Cover flap summary:

"When a psycho wants to make a statement, and nobody gets it, he's only going to say it louder the next time."

Jenna thought spending her summer in Somerset would be quiet and relaxing. With classes over and the students home on break, the campus is a ghost town. But the summer is not chock-full of R&R. In fact, her latest case at the medical examiner's office is anything but quiet.

A psycho killer is on a rampage, drowning the victims in Boston's most public places. It seems everyone is talking about the murders, yet no one has any leads.

Then Jenna uncovers a key piece of evidence, and she is quickly drawn into the puzzle. But the closer they get to the killer, the more frequent -- and more violent -- the drownings become. And before Jenna realizes how deep in she's gotten, it's suddenly sink or swim time for her...literally.

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Book Review: Brain Trust by Christopher Golden

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Throat Culture, the final volume in the Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala, begins by the sea and ends on a strong note.

Anyone that's worked in food service could tell you a story or two about what goes in the kitchen and on the floor. There are the regular patrons, the menu changes, the interesting requests, the difficult co-workers, and more. After an employee at Oceana's By the Sea conducts a deadly experiment on the customers - just as, quote, "a field test to see how things work" - he decides not to stop there. Shortly thereafter, he taints the food at a faculty luncheon at Somerset University - a luncheon celebrating the marriage of Criminology professor Frank Logan and English professor Shayna Emerson. And Shayna's reaction to the tainted food lands her in the hospital, paralyzed.

Enter Frank's daughter, Jenna Blake, who works for the Medical Examiner's office and has both the personal and professional motivation to catch this guy. Readers who have followed Jenna through all ten novels in this series will be cheering her on as she investigates the crime that's hit so close to home - but will she go too far this time?

As extremely sad as I am to see this series come to an end, I am glad that the authors gave us such a solid final scene. That image has stuck with me, and it still strikes me when I re-read it. Jenna is a fiery, intelligent, and resourceful woman, and her strength and determination make her a great protagonist. The characters who surround her - Danny, Slick, Yoshiko, Hunter, Dyson, her friends, her family - matter to her, and to the readers.

Throughout the course of the series, we've seen Jenna grow and change, but she's always stayed true to herself, and she's always fought for the victims, refusing to give up until she finds the perp or at least makes things better for those touched by the crimes. If there ever was another book in this line, and it was set a few years in the future, I wouldn't be surprised to find Jenna working Homicide or Undercover - and her partner would be Veronica Mars. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Cover flap summary:

"Could she have become infected without showing any symptoms herself? Could she be contagious?"

Wedding bells are ringing for Jenna Blake's dad, and she couldn't be happier for him. His new wife, Shayna, is just the greatest. And their wedding luncheon is perfect -- until the food arrives. When guests start experiencing unusual symptoms, Jenna knows something is terribly wrong. Then all too quickly, Shayna winds up paralyzed.

But Shayna's not the only victim. The mysterious illness begins to sweep Jenna's college campus, leaving two students dead. Doctors suspect that this is no ordinary virus. Highly unusual and destructive, it could only be the work of human hands.

While the Center for Disease Control is blanketing the campus, Jenna and the rest of the medical examiner's team scramble to put the pieces together. But the longer it takes to solve the puzzle, the more critical the situation becomes...

Because this virus is deadly -- and very contagious.

Get THROAT CULTURE from Amazon.com
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Related Posts at Bildungsroman

Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Head Games by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Skin Deep by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Burning Bones by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Brain Trust by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Last Breath by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala

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<!-- START INTERCHANGE - PENNY AND HER MARBLE -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} I reviewed Penny and Her Song, Kevin Henkes's first foray into beginning readers,  a year ago. Henkes's pictures books have been special to me because his career was really taking

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The Graves of Saints, a brand-new Christopher Golden novel about Peter Octavian, is now available.

I'm excited. First of all, brand-new Christopher Golden novel. Those are magic words, and his words are magic.

Second of all, it's part of The Shadow Saga - If you like fictional vampires, then you need to read this inventive, thought-provoking, myth-twisting, heart-racing series RIGHT NOW.

Third of all, the previous novel, Waking Nightmares, ended on a what-just-happened-no-no-NO tragic turn of events, and the fallout from that starts Saints off with a bang.

But don't listen only to me -- Check out what other horror and fantasy writing juggernauts have to say about The Shadow Saga series:

"Christopher Golden was writing kick-@$$ urban fantasy before the genre even had a name. The Peter Octavian novels are smart, fast-paced, lyrical and vicious." - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory and Rot & Ruin

"Christopher Golden scared the unholy $#!& out of me. Thank god I was reading with the lights on! WAKING NIGHTMARES is one deliciously terrifying, un-put-down-able book. Totally, compellingly creepy. (I hate him now and shall have to kill him because I'll never be able to sleep again.)" - Kat Richardson, author of the Greywalker novels

"Startlingly original." - Charlaine Harris, author of The Southern Vampire Mysteries which inspired the TV series True Blood

"A delightfully different take on vampires." - Kelley Armstrong, author of the Women of the Otherworld series and The Darkest Powers trilogy

Cover flap summary:

For centuries, Vatican sorcerers kept demons and monsters out of our world with the magic found in a grimoire called The Gospel of Shadows. Years ago, to save his people from madmen, Peter Octavian defeated those sorcerers and the Gospel of Shadows itself was banished from the Earth. Ever since, the evils and monstrosities lurking in parallel worlds have been waking to the realization that our magical defences are down - the barriers keeping them out of our world are crumbling.

With massive demonic incursions in locations around the world, Octavian should be focused on using his own sorcery to drive the evil out and rebuild our defenses. But a renegade vampire named Cortez has murdered the person Octavian loves the most and, even with his friends and allies around him, he is so lost in grief that he can think of nothing but revenge. There are others who can fight the darkness - mages and Shadows, witches and Reapers and vampire samurai - but only the warrior-mage, Peter Octavian, can defeat it.

If he will answer the call.

Additional Information
Published by Simon & Schuster UK
March 14th, 2013
368 pages
ISBN-10: 0857209647
ISBN-13: 9780857209641

eBook available:
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I don't read much young adult dystopian nonfiction, but I listened to the second book in the Swipe series by Evan Angler.  Here is my review as it appeared in the March, 2013 edition of School Library Journal.

Sneak: Swipe Series. By Evan Angler. 7 CDs. 8:25 hrs. Oasis Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-61375-636-0. $48.99


Gr 6–9— With a vote nearing on the Global Union, the American Union has begun a crackdown on its Markless society in a show of solidarity with the larger worldwide community. The Markless are individuals who have refused to be permanently identified with a "swipe-able" Mark. In this second book (Thomas Nelson, 2012) in Angler's dystopian series, Logan Langley, having escaped from his marking or "pledge ceremony," is on the run from agents of the Department of Marked Emergencies (DOME), and determined to rescue his sister, who failed her own pledge some years earlier. A folk hero among the Markless and somewhat of a loner, Logan is nevertheless aided by a group of Markless known as The Dust. His former girlfriend, a marked girl whose father works for DOME, is also trying to assist. The fate of the Markless and the outcome of a late plot twist will be determined in a future installment. The very strong Christian theme, including Bible verses and songs, may be appealing to some and off-putting to others, so make purchase decisions accordingly. The lack of character depth and dialogue often unsuited to teen protagonists makes Barrie Buckner's job of narrator difficult. Jo, a member of The Dust, sounds perpetually petulant, and a British boy sounds decidedly Aussie. A halting delivery and occasional mispronunciations add to an overall lackluster delivery.

Copyright © 2013 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

Listen to an excerpt here:

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