Tonight: Alexander Gordon Smith at 7.00 and he'll be talking about his newest book: Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4

Furnace Penitentiary is the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, Alex has done the impossible and escaped. But the battle for freedom is only just beginning. Charged with his superhuman abilities, Alex must uncover the last of Furnace’s secrets — the truth about Alfred Furnace, the man who built the prison. And to do that he must stop running and finally confront his greatest fears.

Can't wait!

For those of you who don't know his books, see the book trailer below



See you tonight!

How far would you go to help the ones you love? Would you let someone else live in your body?

In Callie's world the Spore Wars killed anyone not vaccinated, including her parents. So only the very old and the very young survived. Callie lives with her little brother Tyler and her friend Michael. They live in abandoned buildings, never have enough to eat, and fight continuously for survival. They know that to be caught by the Marshals means being thrown into forced work camps. Then Callie hears of Prime Destination, a company where the young and beautiful can rent out their bodies to the old for a lot of money - with strict limits of course. It seems like the perfect way out of her problems and to help Tyler who is sick.

But there's a glitch, a malfunction in the chip they put in her brain, and she wakes up on the floor at a dance in her renter's life. She's back in her own body but she can live her renter's life. She can't believe her luck, especially when she meets Blake. But there is a catch - there is always a catch. And she starts to hear her renter's voice in her head. And her renter has a plan. This is a very disturbing look into the future, a real page turner that rang true. Can't wait for the sequel.

Yay, TC Boyle stopped by today to sign stock. Love his books.

In a brainstorming session, Angus Killick, newly appointed v-p and associate publisher of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, had one of those bolts of lightning. He thought: Fierce. "Here's a word teens relate to. If something is fierce, something is really great," he said. "It's edgy, too." A campaign was born: "Fierce Reads."

The Four Books for Fierce Reads are:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Holt)
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (FSG)
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (Feiwel & Friends)
Monument 14 by Emily Laybourne (Feiwel & Friends)
Guest for the tour: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"We looked at all these amazing debut novels and came up with a great word that we could hang it all on. There's nothing that says a Fierce Read has to be a new author, though it so happens that all four this spring are new authors." Special guest authors will attend some of the Fierce Reads events, too.

"The ultimate goal," explained Killick, "is to create an online home and a brand where teens can interact with books they love and be a part of the discovery of new books." Fierce Reads will promote books across all imprints, with a mix of debut and well-known authors. Killick sees this as a brand to build on over several seasons, one that he hopes will be embraced by not only teens but also librarians and teachers.

And the best news: they will be at Kepler's with
Marissa Meyer, who wrote Cinder (which I loved) on June 8th.
Don't miss this.

They've just announced the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Books. What a great list. Which have you read? Which do you recommend? I LOVED Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I would recommend it to everyone. Which shall I read next?


Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor (Viking Juvenile)
Chime, Franny Billingsley (Dial Books; Bloomsbury)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Hodder & Stoughton)
Everybody Sees the Ants, A.S. King (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
The Boy at the End of the World, Greg van Eekhout (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman (Big Mouth House)
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson (Greenwillow Books)
Ultraviolet, R.J. Anderson (Orchard Books; Carolrhoda Lab)

Full disclosure: I'm such a big fan of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones series - both books and TV series. HBO has upped the tension for the second season of Game of Thrones, with a new video offering more details on the impending war in Westeros. It's SO good and makes me want it to start right now.



According to the Hollywood Reporter, here are the 10 best lines from the new video:

1. "Sometimes those with the most power have the least grace."
2. "The war of five kings they're calling it; nothing matters but how it ends."
3. "The time to strike is now, the Starks fight the Lannisters, the Baratheons fight each other."
4. "The Iron Throne is mine, by right."
5. "You have inherited your father's responsibilities -- they come at a cost."
6. "The comet means one thing, boy: dragons."
7. "They will hit us in force and they won't run away when we hit back."
8. "You want to lead one day? Well learn how to follow."
9. "When my dragons are grown, we will lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground!"
10. "The king is a lost cause; it's the rest of us I'm worried about now."

Yes, I'll admit it, I loved the Harry Potter books. Read all of them. More than once. Saw all the movies. And apparently JK Rowling is now writing her first book for grown-ups. And she's not telling anyone about the characters and plot of her new book.

She said: ‘Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series. '
‘The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me.’

Industry insiders expect the new book will be released later this year.

Will her new novel have the same mass appeal as Harry Potter? Who knows. But it is a very exciting prospect. Last year she launched the Pottermore.com website, which is effectively a virtual wizarding world offering users encyclopaedic detail about the original books. Millions registered to join it and access material about the key characters in Harry Potter that had been previously unpublished.

Thousands have taken to Twitter to debate the new project. Have you? I think this is wonderful news. Can't wait!

Read more here

It's 1952 and Janie Scott's world falls apart when her parents are suspected of being Communist sympathizers. They have to leave their home in LA hurriedly and head for London, where they have been offered jobs. She's lonely until she meets Benjamin Burrows, who is the son of the Apothecary and who wants to be a spy. A game of chess becomes a way of tracking Russian spies and keeps her mind off her homesickness until The Apothecary disappears, leaving his Pharmacopoeia with his son for safekeeping. And as for the secrets hidden in the Pharmacopoeia - well, who wouldn't want to know how to become invisible, or turn into a bird? No wonder everyone is looking for it.

The adventures that follow are extraordinary as Benjamin and Janie try to find the Apothecary, safeguard the book, and ultimately prevent the detonation of a nuclear bomb. Brimming with magic, historical detail, and science, this adventure has everything - nuclear threats, political conspiracies, and spies. And it reads like a classic.

Imagine a future where you spend most of your time in a virtual world called the Oasis. It's where you go to school, socialize, play games, earn money - everything. A place outside reality where you can be anyone you want. The creator of this world dies an incredibly wealthy man. And he had no one to whom he wanted to leave his money. Thus he leaves behind a set of puzzles and bequeaths his fortune to the winner. Sounds easy - but when the book opens no one has even solved the first clue, although millions are trying.

Wade Watts wants to win badly. He spends his time researching everything 80s because Halliday, the creator, loved that time and Wade is convinced this will help him find the keys. But when he finds the first key, everything changes. Suddenly people are watching him, competitors are everywhere, and the danger is all too real.

I loved everything about Ready Player One. I raced through it but at the same time tried desperately to slow down and savor every moment. Packed full of 80s references, this is a nonstop adventure that reads like a video game. It's fun, it's clever, it's incredibly entertaining, and it never slows down. I did not think this book would talk to me, but I was SO wrong. Don't miss this one.

Sad news. Yesterday Lev Grossman revealed here that Fox decided to pass on the television pilot script based on his novel, The Magicians. The pilot script was written by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, the writers who worked on X-Men: First Class and Thor. Nevertheless, hope is not lost for a show.

He says that the way forward for the show now gets rockier. They’re going to take the script to cable networks and also going to renew talks on the feature-film side.

How disappointing.

Aria lives in a future world that has been ravaged by aether storms. Safe from the outside world, she lives in a pod and spends most of her time in a virtual reality known as the realms. When we meet Aria she is in an abandoned pod with a group of friends where things get out of control. She only survives because an Outsider saves her. But she's blamed for what happened and is exiled, expected to die.

The people who live outside the pods are thought of as savages and the two worlds are very separate, until Aria runs into Peregrine, the same Outsider who has already saved her once. He's a hunter, can feel people's emotions, whose nephew was taken by the Dwellers. Perry is determined to rescue his nephew and Aria needs to find out if her mother is OK. They are so different, yet both have something the other needs. And thus starts their wild journey to find the person Perry thinks can help them.

The world in Under the Never Sky often feels brutal and dangerous. It's full of action and adventure and includes a very different mythology. The world is rich and complex, the characters vibrant and well drawn, and I found I could not put it down. Did I also mention that it includes cannibals, violent storms, and people who have extraordinary powers of sight or scent? And it's beautifully written.

Meg Rosoff is a store favorite. How I Live Now is one of my favorite YAs of all time. We've all read this one, shared how much we love it, and did happy dances when we found out she was visiting the store. I did mention that Meg Rosoff will be at Kepler's on February 16th at 7.00 pm, didn't I? So, so excited for this one. So, if you are in the Bay Area, don't forget to join us. Below is Antonia's review (I've already said we all loved it - right?)


One of the funniest stand-up routines I have ever seen is Robin Williams talking about the Duck-Billed Platypus and coming to the obvious conclusion that God must have been drunk or stoned or both at the time.

Meg Rosoff's God isn't drunk. Or stoned. He's a teenager. A teenaged boy to be precise, who got the job of God for this out of the way planet (ours) in the back woods of the universe in a poker game. He wasn't even playing. His Mom was. And it was late, and the players just couldn't be bothered any more, and it wouldn't really matter who got the job after all, so sure, why not give it to Bob.

And as we know, living here, that's working out soooo well!

What doesn't help is like most teenaged boys, Bob's eye can be turned by a pretty girl - and when it does, all hell breaks loose. Or at least Mother Nature. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes - world wide. And then there is Lucy. Pretty, kind and Bob's latest infatuation - and things pretty much go down hill from there.

Absolutely hilarious, Meg Rosoff has out done herself in this brilliant novel.

Did you see the announcement? They have chosen who will be playing Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes in the Beautiful creatures movie! (click here for more)
Ethan: Jack O’Connell
Lena: Alice Englert
What do you think?
I'm just happy they are starting casting and moving the movie along.

As soon as I finished The Iron King (which I loved) I turned straight to The Iron Daughter, where if you remember Meghan had no choice but to fulfill her side of the contract and follow Ash back to the Winter Court. And that is where we find her in The Iron Daughter, a prisoner in Queen Mab’s court, with no one believing how dangerous the Iron Fey actually are. And things only get worse when the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen and Mab blames the Summer Court. War is imminent and Meghan knows she must try to get the Scepter back and stop the war before the Iron Fey attack again.

This is every bit as hard to put down as the Iron King, as we again adventure with Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grimalkin, and Ironhorse. Yes, they are all back and I must say I did like the new role for Ironhorse. Meghan is a stronger character in this book and the twists still managed to blindside me. I will say that I am tired of love triangles but, that said, the romance sizzles here and there is more than enough intrigue and adventure to lose yourself in. On to the Iron Queen for me… (oh, I love this series…why didn't I read this sooner? And yes, many of you told me so!)

Good news: hot off her Printz Honor for The Scorpio Races , Scholastic just announced the publication of a new four-book series from Maggie Stiefvater. The first book in the series, The Raven Boys, will be published on September 18; three additional books in the Raven Cycle will follow.

The book introduces Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III, a handsome private school student seeking a vanished Welsh King, and Blue Sargent, the daughter of a psychic, who has been told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. “I grew up on a diet of exceptional fantasy series for children—The Dark Is Rising, The Black Cauldron, A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia—and I’ve always wanted to write one of those sprawling epic sagas built from intimate moments,” said Stiefvater in a statement.

Happy dance. I've loved all her books and can't wait for this one.

More info here

February and thoughts turn to Valentine's Day. It's no secret that I loved MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. And then I saw it - Valentine cards using the photos from the book. What a brilliant idea! Go here to see them all

You must have all heard of Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman's fabulous new book, Why We Broke Up. And that they are on tour. Well, they will be at Kepler's on Thursday, February 2, at 7:00 p.m.

Yes, it was originally scheduled to be held at the Menlo Park Council Chambers, but it has been changed and I just want everyone to know that it will now be held in-store. So, for anyone who has ever been heartbroken, join us. Share your stories on our board (see left). Hear their stories and join us for an unforgettable evening.

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

And even better: we are giving out signing line tickets with every copy of the book you buy from us. And these tickets will be numbered. So the earlier you buy the book, the less time you will spend in line waiting to meet and get your book signed by Daniel and Maira. Can’t get better than that!

And if you come on Thursday, stop me and introduce yourself. Always a pleasure to meet you

We all know the story of Cinderella – now imagine her as a cyborg in a world ravaged by a plague, set after World War IV in New Beijing. She still has an evil stepmother/guardian, two step-sisters, but one of them develops symptoms of the illness and Cinder is blamed for her exposure. This Cinder is a mechanic and meets the young Prince Kai in the marketplace when he brings his android to be fixed. And of course there is a ball, which her stepmother does not want her to attend.

Add to this mix a Lunar Queen who visits unexpectedly after the Emperor dies, wanting to marry the Prince and ultimately rule Earth, a missing princess, and experiments to cure this plague and you get a very different Cinderella story.

I love fractured fairy tales and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It retains most of the traditional elements but is also a completely different story. This is the first of a quartet, it’s unusual, fun, and leaves you wanting the second installment NOW.

Here's Antonia's review of Daughter of the Centaurs. Looks great


Malora was young when she witnessed her father and his hunters attacked and killed by great winged beasts from the sky. In the months that followed Malora's village was decimated by the same creatures. Sent away by her mother as her only hope of survival, Malora spends years on the plains with her herd of horses before she is captured by a strange group of people long thought mythical - the Centaurs.

Treated almost as a pet by these vain, proud creatures, Malora must learn their ways in order to not only survive - but thrive. With unexpected allies in this hostile realm Malora faces her future as the last of her kind.

Different, exciting and fun, this first book in The Centauriad Trilogy left me eager for more.

Here's YALSA's top ten list for best fictions for young adults. If you want the whole list you can go here

Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns.
Cohen, Joshua C. Leverage.
King, A.S. Everybody Sees the Ants.
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite.
Myracle, Lauren. Shine.
Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls. Illus by Jim Kay.
Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray.
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races.
Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
Zarr, Sara. How to Save a Life.

Hm, do you agree? I have only read 4 on this list (but shh, don't tell anyone!) 3 others are on my TBR pile. Sigh.

I had the great pleasure of hosting Lauren Myracle at Kepler’s yesterday. What a lovely person - so thoughtful and fun. Bit of background: She’s the author of numerous young adult novels and holds an MA in English and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. She has written many novels, including the New York Times bestselling IM books, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r.

But did you know that her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for 2004, was named by Booklist as one of the "Top Ten Youth Romances" of the year, as well as one of the "Top Ten Books by New Writers." She went on to write the middle grade series Eleven, Twelve, etc , the Flower Power Series as well as Peace Love and Baby Ducks, Bliss, How to Be Bad, and Rhymes with Witches.

According to the ALA Lauren’s books were one of the most challenged books of 2009 and continue to be challenged. And then there was the firestorm with the National Book Foundation and Shine. I’ll just say that Lauren handled it all with grace and maturity and the book is fantastic and deserved its place on the shortlist. And, as she tells it, she learned a lot, and got the National Book Foundation to donate $5000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. I hope the National Book Foundation judges learned from this too.


Lauren has an easy and open style, she sat perched on a stool and chatted about her writing, her inspiration, her path to publication, and her books, how she works at Starbucks and listens to all the conversations around her - and was so supportive and interested in her audience. They had great questions. If you get a chance, go and hear her. It's well worth it.

And, by the way, these photos were taken by Nancy aka the Ravenous Reader because my camera died. Thank you Nancy.

Lauren Myracle is in the Bay Area this week and is touring local schools today to talk about her new Flower Power book, Ooopsy Daisy, and will be at Kepler's tonight (Jan 23) at 7.00 to talk about her wonderful book, Shine.

Join us!

Want to know more about the book?

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. This daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

So - it appears all my picks were incorrect but I did guess a few. And now I've got even more books added to my TBR pile...What did you think of this list? Did you do a happy dance when you saw this? Did they include your favorites? And what books did they overlook?

John Newbery Medal
“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos
Honor Books: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and
"Breaking Stalin’s Nose,”

Randolph Caldecott Medal :
“A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka
Honor Books: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco,
"Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and
“Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell

Michael L. Printz Award:
“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley
Honor books : “Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman,
“The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood and
“The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award:
Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,”
.
William C. Morris Award :
“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley .
Finalists: “Girl of Fire and Thorns,” written by Rae Carson,
“Paper Covers Rock,” written by Jenny Hubbard, ,
“Under the Mesquite,” written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, and
“Between Shades of Gray,” written by Ruta Sepetys,

Schneider Family Book Award:
“Close to famous,” written by Joan Bauer and
“Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures,” written by Brian Selznick .
“The Running Dream,” written by Wendelin Van Dranen

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
•“Big Girl Small,” by Rachel DeWoskin
•“In Zanesville,” by Jo Ann Beard
•“The Lover’s Dictionary,” by David Levithan
•“The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens,” by Brooke Hauser
•“The Night Circus,” by Erin Morgenstern
•“Ready Player One,” by Ernest Cline
•“Robopocalypse: A Novel,” by Daniel H. Wilson
•“Salvage the Bones,” by Jesmyn Ward
•“The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures
•“The Talk-Funny Girl,” by Roland Merullo

So, I guess, when I'm finished Under the Never Sky (which is SO very good) I'm going to turn to Where Things Come Back!

Oh we have such great events coming up. Just want to recap for you (so I've included all ages from picture books to teen events). Hope to see any of you who live in teh Bay Area at many of these events. SO excited.

Lauren Myracle
Monday, January 23, 7:00 p.m.
Shine

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. This daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

John Green
Friday, January 27, 7:00 p.m.
The Fault in Our Stars
Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway St., Redwood City

John Green is coming to the Fox Theatre on January 27 to celebrate his new book with his brother, Hank. Be prepared for a night of music, readings, comedy, free posters, fancy programs, and vlogbrother mayhem! This will be unlike any other reading or booksigning. Come and be entertained.

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

This is a ticketed event; we are sold out.


Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) and Maira Kalman
Thursday, February 2, 7:00 p.m.
Why We Broke Up
Menlo Park Council Chambers, 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park

Have you ever had your heart broken?

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

We can’t tell you how excited we are for this event. And you can imagine how long the signing line will be. The good news is that we are giving out signing line tickets with every copy of the book you buy from Kepler’s. And these tickets will be numbered. So the earlier you buy the book, the less time you will spend in line waiting to meet and get your book signed by Daniel and Maira. Can’t get better than that!


Love Maia
Thursday, February 9, 6:00 p.m.
DJ Rising

The first thing I hear is music. The first thing I've always heard is music. Meet Marley, an unassuming high school junior who breathes in music like oxygen. In between caring for his heroin-addicted mother, and keeping his scholarship at a fancy prep school, he dreams of becoming a professional DJ. When chance lands Marley his first real DJ job, his career as "DJ Ice" suddenly skyrockets. But when heart-rending disaster at home brings Marley crashing back down to earth, he is torn between obligation and following his dreams.

Love Maia share Marley's passion for music and his belief in dreaming big. She loves the freeing energy of the club world, as well as pizza, kickboxing, butterflies, death metal, and underground hip-hop.

Another of Marilyn's fabulous reviews, this time for Tiger's Curse series by Colleen Houck. Must. read. faster.

Who wouldn't want adventure in exotic lands hunting for mythic relics with exciting gorgeous guys? Every girl does and Kelsey's no different. But she's in for some big surprises! The circus' white tiger she's tasked to care for is being moved to a preserve in India. Kels feels great loss by the news of the tiger's departure but is pleased to learn she'll be helping the tiger in transit to India. Imagine her surprise to discover the white tiger is actually an Indian prince trapped in the tiger's body!

Kels is now on a whole new life path tracking ancient evil to free Ren and his brother from their tiger curse. This series has it all - romance, intrigue, crazy adventure with awesome princes! Read it - you'll be glad you do!