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Within the last week, I've realize marketers who use blogging sites or blogs on websites to leave self-promotion comments are creating an air of suspicion. On another of my sites, as with probably most of you who have websites, I have to go over hundreds of spams to see if I have a valid comment; it's annoying and time consuming. And, some of those who actually comment on the post have links back to product sites, affiliate sites...is this crossing a line?

While I use Akismet, I still have to skim over all the spams to find the valid ones.

I know this is a marketing strategy, but when it is too much? Is it ever too much if the commenter is leaving a valid comment pertinent to the post?

So, now I'm wondering, what is the etiquette to blogging commenting. How do you know when a comment is slightly above spam? How many urls and promotional sentences in a signature are okay, and when is it crossing some overt self-promotion line?

I actually had this discussion a couple of months ago in a group I belong to and it was evident that most in the group thought that leaving more than one url was too much. There were also a few who thought leaving any url in the signature was inappropriate.

I don't see the harm in leaving a url with your name as long as your comment is pertinent to the post. We're all promoting something (at least most of us are).

I do think that in some cases it might be rude or inappropriate though, say if your product or site is in competition with the blogger's site you're commenting on.

I'll admit, I don't have the answers; I go with the one url with your name, although I don't usually include a url in my signature when commenting on someone else's blog. And, if my name is in the tag line above my comment, I don't leave a signature. Now, is that in itself rude? Would we have written letters years ago and not signed our names?

So, I pose the question: What is blogging commenting etiquette?

Until next time,
Karen

The book Cory Doctorow was born to write:

Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.

But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

It's YA, has a teen protagonist and is about taking on the system. I can't imagine a better book for this author. If you are a YA reviewer, bookseller or librarian, you need to be reading Little Brother this year.

F. Paul Wilson gives us the teenage years of Repairman Jack with Jack: Secret Histories:

Here's where it starts: when Jack and his best friends, Weezie and Eddie, discover a rotting corpse - the victim of ritual murder - in the fabled New Jersey Pine Barrens. Beside the body is an ancient artifact carved with strange designs. What is its secret? What is the secret of the corpse? What other mysteries hide in the dark, timeless Pine Barrens? And who doesn't want them revealed?

Smart, deeply thought out suspense/horror written by a master for young adults for the first time. I'm very excited to see Jack's teen years written actually for teen readers.

The sequel to Mainspring is due from Jay Lake with Escapement. Booklist reviewed Mainspring as, "Lake's steampunk-esque alternative nineteenth century is an astonishing, marvelous place." This go round we have Paolina Barthes trying to get off the Wall and over to England without being killed in the process:

Paolina Barthes is a young woman of remarkable intellectual ability - a genius on the level of Isaac Newton. But she has grown up in isolation, in a small village of shipwreck survivors, on the Wall, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She knows little of the world, but she knows England rules it, and must be the home of people who possess the learning that she so desperately wants. And so she sets off to make her way off the Wall, not knowing that she will bring her astounding unschooled talent for sorcery to the attention of those deadly factions who would use or kill her for it.

I'm planning an Alt History column this summer and Escapement would fit perfectly in that; can't wait to read it.

The Court of the Air from Stephen Hunt combines magic and science and adventure in the best sort of ways and is set "in a fantastical Dickensian clockwork universe". (I love clockwork stories.) Here's more:

A hugely engaging adventure set in a Victorian-style world -- a fantastical version of Dickens -- that will appeal to fans of Susanna Clarke and Philip Pullman. Two orphans are more than they seem. And one megalomaniac will stop at nothing to find them! When Molly Templar witnesses a brutal murder at the brothel she has just been apprenticed to, her first instinct is to return to the poorhouse where she grew up. But there she finds her fellow orphans butchered, and it slowly dawns on her that she was in fact the real target of the attack. For Molly carries a secret deep in her blood, a secret that marks her out for destruction by enemies of the state. Soon Molly will find herself battling a grave threat to civilization which draws on an ancient power thought to have been quelled millennia ago. Oliver Brooks has led a sheltered life in the home of his merchant uncle. But when he is framed for his only relative's murder he is forced to flee for his life. He is accompanied by Harry Stave, an agent of the Court of the Air -- a shadowy organization independent of the government that acts as the final judiciary of the land, ensuring that order prevails.Chased across the country, Oliver finds himself in the company of thieves, outlaws and spies, and gradually learns more about the secret that has blighted his life.

Soon Molly and Oliver find themselves battling a grave threat to civilization, an ancient power thought to have been quelled millennia ago. Their enemies are ruthless and myriad, but Molly and Oliver are joined by indomitable friends in this endlessly inventive tale full of drama, intrigue and adventure.

I'm delighted to see these books for teens from Tor - they will fit so well with columns I"m working on this year. I've been doing so long hard looking at what is out there today for YAs - and what's missing. More on all that in coming days, but these four books are certainly welcome.

It's been awhile since I've highlighted a catalog, but this one has quite a few entries of note. Here's what jumped out at me:

Lady Lazarus by Andrew Foster Altschul - The story of Calliope Bird Morath, daughter of a punk rock legend and her biographer who follows her from silent childhood to mysterious disappearance to reemergence as "mute leader of a cultlike brigade known as The Muse". It's referred to as a "disturbing and razor-sharp meditation on 21st century celebrity culture."

All Souls by Christine Schutt - About four girls at Siddons, a "posh private school in NYC" and a fifth who is Astra "the girl with cancer". It follows the girls through "boys, teachers, exams, dance recitals, college applications, graduation, and of course, poor Astra Dell."

I have no idea why this book is for adults and not YA - I mean what could these girls be doing that makes this a novel only adults would enjoy? I'm not so excited about reading it, only because the thought of yet another book with a dying (or semi dying) girl is just too much for me. (Must they always have cancer?) But I'm really puzzled why it is in this catalog in the first place. Odd, don't you think?

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin - The story of Vergil's The Aeneid, from the perspective of the King's daughter who is mentioned in the poem but never given a voice. This is her story, how she responds to the prophecies made about her, and about the love of her life.

It's Le Guin for heaven's sake - enough said. (She talks a wee bit about the book here.)

Hubert's Freaks by Gregory Gibson - Bob is an obsessive dealer who gets a trunk with the archive of a midcentury Times Square freak show - which was frequented by Diane Arbus. There are photos in the box and he can't help but think they belonged to the famous photographer. The adventure that ensues "filled with bizarre coincidences, turns into a roller-coaster ride that takes him from memorabilia shows to the curator's office of the Met." Are the photos really Arbus'? And what does it mean if they are? And how will this change (one way or the other) everything for Bob?

I'm fascinated by Arbus so this really interests me for that inclusion alone. But Larry McMurty has a great blurb: "Hubert's Freaks will fascinate those among us who are stimulated by the richness and variety of American subculture. I devoured it."

For a Sack of Bones by Lluis-Anton Baulenas - Set in the period after the Spanish Civil War, Sgt Genus Aleu has come home to Barcelona. He is trying to fulfill his father's dying wish, amidst all the paranoia of Franco's Spain and "hurtles toward his own reckoning with the truth of war and the dangerous effects of living a lie."

The Spanish Civil War is one of the least understood (and respected) conflicts in the 20th century. If more westerners realized just how much it had to do with WWII (and the Cold War) then we would better see the ripple effect of so many other "little wars" that dominate modern times. I'm so all over this one.

The Suicide Index by Joan Wickersham - The author's father committed suicide 16 years ago and it made no sense to her. She uses an index format to investigate his life and try to understand how it could have happened. This sounds like a really original idea in terms of how to write such a book and I find it oddly compelling. What would an index of any life look like? What a brilliant idea.

A Manuscript of Ashes by Antonio Munoz Molina - Also set in Spain although in the 1960s (when Franco was finally on the way out), this is about a Minyana, a student hiding from the police after a protest. He goes to his uncle's estate to write his thesis on a rather obscure poet, who was also a friend of the uncle's. Minyana discovers the two men were in love with the same woman, who was engaged to his uncle but shot to death on her wedding night. She wrote a novel before she died and Minyana begins a search for the book, which "unravels a crime".

Another long lost book that reveals all sorts of secrets - how could anyone possibly resist?

Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks - Why on earth is this an adult book? It's the sequel to Evil Genius which was sold as a YA novel. It follows right behind the first book with the ramifications of Axis Institute being destroyed and Cadel getting ready to testify against the bad guys. Fans of the first will likely be thrilled - I'll admit I skipped it but it does sound like a lot of fun.

The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates - The woman is unstoppable. This collection focuses on ways in which evil enters out lives (uplifting, eh?). The title story is about a woman who tries to rescue her mother from a bad museum. There is also a young girl whose "romantic view of her childhood is devastated by her father's confessions" and a man who prepares "a gruesome surprise for the wife who betrayed him". I don't know that I"ll read this - with so much bad news that is true, it's hard for me to get excited about horror stories that will scare the crap out of me - but it does sound impressive. Oates really is one talented woman. (You can read the Washington Post review of the HC edition which just came out last month - the TPB is due next August.)

New this fall from Henry Holt:

Revolution is not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine. The author grew up in China under Mao and has written a memoir of that life. I love the title - finally someone makes revolution less than romantic. I find this quote from the description to be particularly prescient: "In an atmosphere of increasing mistrust, Ling fears for the safety of her neighbors and, soon, for herself and family." Sounds like the 21st century, doesn't it?

Derby Girl by Shauna Cross. Bliss has blue hair, loves indie rock and is totally out of place in her small TX town. To avoid the pageant circuit (which her mother loves), she joins a roller derby.

I started laughing as soon as I read the description - I mean how many rollar derby books have we seen lately? It's got to be worth reading just for that angle alone! (Plus any girl who hates pageants is cool in my book.)

Lobsterland by Susan Carlton. Charlotte lives on an island off the coast of Maine which she regards as a prison. Life will be so much better if she was in boarding school on the mainland. But there's her family to think about and Noah, the love of her life. Can she leave them behind? Charlotte is described this way: "her intelligence, charm and bitingly sarcastic wit are sure to win over anyone..."

Love an island book, love a Maine book - let's see what Carlton does to make Charlotte stand out.

The One O'Clock Chop by Ralph Fletcher. It's 1973 and 14 year old Matt spends his summer days working as a clam digger and his nights hanging out with Hawaiian cousin Jazzy who is visiting. He has a crush on her that is starting to get awkward. And then Jazzy "does something that changes everything between them". Okay, I'm intrigued and I'm also delighted to find a book with a boy protagonist! Yea!

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman. The many different variations of Cinderella are brought into one story (Mexico, Ireland, Zimbabwe, etc). Illustrated by Julie Paschkis (the cover is gorgeous also!). I'm curious about this - how stories transcend geographical boundaries so much. Should be interesting (and give some food for thought.)

From Feiwell and Friends (the new imprint from Holtzbrinck) - all book descriptions are on the same page, in order by age:

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell. Vassar's who life, up to the PhD, is planned. She expects to spend her 16th summer in extra classes until a family member gets her parents to send her on a backpack trip through SE Asia. Eys are opened, personal revelations made, everything changes. The author is a major traveler so she knows what's she's writing about - if done well this will be quite good - looking forward to it. (love this cover too!)

The Cat on the Mat is Flat by Andy Griffiths. Ages 4-8 and I'm sorry - I defy you not to laugh at that title! Can't wait to see this chapter book from start to finish.

The Shy Creatures by David Mack. I'm a huge fan of Mack's Kabuki comic book and have been looking forward to this picture book story about a girl who wants to take care of large scary creatures when she grows up. The illustrations look a bit Seussical, but in a contemporary way. Mack is a great storyteller; I'm sure this will be great.

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer. A play on the stepmothers in fairy tales, this novel is about three modern teen stepdaughters who unite to take revenge on their evil stepmothers. There are a lot of directions this novel could go in - from campy to the delicious creepiness of Innocence. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.

As usual, the Candlewick catalog is very impressive. Here are some of the titles that caught my eye:

War in the Middle East A Reporter's Story: Black September and the Yom Kippur War by Wilborn Hampton. That's right - a book for YAs about the Jordanian Civil War in 1970 (Black September) and the 1973 Yom Kippur War (between Israel and several Arab states). Hampton was a UPI correspondent and on the ground during both wars. He writes not only about what he saw but also "a clear balanced overview of the issues that have plagued the Middle East for decades and continue to this day."

I am absurdly excited about this book.

Explorer: A Daring Guide for Young Adventurers by Henry Hardcastle. Labeled as a gift book, this sounds like a fun look at imaginary exploration in 1930. It tells readers how to "prepare for, navigate and survive all manner of expeditions, as well as to imagine the world of possibilities just waiting to be explored." Fun stuff!

Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R Smith Jr. Smith uses rap-inspired verse along with Bryan Collier's collage artwork to tell Ali's story.

There can never be enough books written about Ali.

Sam Stern's Real Food, Real Fast. A cookbook for teens! I so wanted something like this when I was young. I hope it's good (and the food is good too!)

Don't Shoot! by Miichael J. Rosen. I missed this when it came out in hardcover (as ChaseR). Chase has just moved from the city to a country farmhouse and is finding out about life in rural community (deer in the yard and deer on the hood of hunter's cars). He starts blogging about it all as a typical "city kid in country territory" fish out of water sort of thing. Then he devises "The Plan". No idea what that is, but I like the idea here (and the inclusion of blogging in the plot.)

Full House by Dayle Ann Dodds. A picture book set at the Strawberry Inn where Miss Bloom has to constantly figure out how to split things up among her guests. So we are learning fractions through rhymes and funny drawings. Sounds way more interesting then how I learned it. (don't ask)

The Museum Book: A Guide to Strange and Wonderful Collections by Jan Mark. My son is loving Night at the Museum (I thought it was fun too) so this book couldn't be more timely. "Find out where the word museum comes from and some unusual items some early museums placed on view". Vivid examples of museums all over the world and Richard Holland's mixed media illustrations. If they liked the Ben Stiller movie, they will want to look through this (aimed at the middle grade age, so good for everyone).

The Penalty by Mal Peet. I still need to read and review Tamar (as soon as I get past my intense desire to read fun light hearted books only), but this new book from Peet sounds equally appealing. A teenage soccer prodigy goes missing after losing a big game in San Juan. South America's top sport reporter gets sucked into the mystery and follows a story of corruption and murder as well as the bitter history of "slavery and the power of the occult". Sounds like a fascinating thriller and most unusual.

From Bloomsbury Kids (and also their imprint Walker):

Dusssie by Nancy Springer. On the day Dusie "becomes a woman" he hair becomes full of snakes. That's how she finds out he family is descended from Medusa - as in the gorgon. They live in NYC along with other hiding mythological creatures but Dusie is not happy with how things are going. She turns a guy she likes into stone and sets out on a quest to save him. Sounds hip and funny and will get readers interested in the story of Medusa - I'm all for these urban fantasies that make the old stories come alive.

Omega Place by Graham Marks. Paul runs away from home and ends up with a "radical action group called Omega Place". They are determined to let people know how the government is watching them. Paul wonders why the secret cameras are everywhere and what they mean. What do they want to know about us?

Not set in a dystopian future but here and now - a thriller that will get the curious thinking even more.

Night Shift by Jessie Harland. My father worked second shift all my life so I was very happy to see a book about people who work nights. This is a no-brainer for kids who know their moms and dads are out there when everyone else is sleeping and I hope it gets some attention.

The Chaos Code by Justin Richards (author of the awesome The Death Collector). Matt is spending his vacation with his archaeologist dad when he goes missing. There's a cryptic message, strange footprints and Matt and some "unusual family friends" go looking for an ancient code rumored to have brought down the Mayans maybe Atlantis. They must traverse the globe, find the code, defeat the madman and save Dad.

Please - can you think of anything that sounds like more fun?

The Chicken Dance by Jacques Couvillon. Comparisons to Napoleon Dynamite, all about a boy who stumbles upon a family secret and then must decide what to do about it. Set in Louisiana it is all things southern, rural and oddly funny. I love a thinking teenager and this one seems to have that big time.

The Declaration by Gemma Malley. Stand back - we have science fiction here people! Set in the future where longevity drugs have erradicated old age, having a baby is not so easy. Grange Hall is full of children whose parents violated the Declaration forcing people to opt in or opt out of ageing. Anna is a surplus. One day she meets Peter who says that people outside are questioning whether we should live forever. Should they escape? Who do you trust? And do you want to live forever?

Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub. The first in a proposed series (I think), you've got intrigue, suspense, a little romance and all things creepy about the community of mediums in Lily Dale, NY. Long long overdue as a YA setting as far as I'm concerned. There's a family secrets twist (of course) and a lot of coming-of-age and what the heck am I stuff thrown in.

I just might wallow in YA thrillers this fall!

First, some of you may have notice that my mother has commented here and then yesterday my step-Dad commented also. This means no more using my favorite cuss word (unless I really really really need to). Almost 40 and still don't want to freak out parents...do we ever out grow that? Onward to literary subjects.....

Harcourt had a beautiful catalog (as always) but there were only two titles that really stood out for me. There are a ton of picture books to be found there though, so if you're looking for those be sure to check it out. (The fall catalog is not online yet, but should be soon.)

The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi. Rinaldi has written several titles on American history particularly in the Civil War era. This time around she looks at the Underground Railroad from the perspective of a white teenage girl whose father was part of the route. CeCe now lives with her uncle, an ornithologist, who invites her South in search of a rare bird. She learns along the way that he is helping slaves stay on the route and gets a better understanding of what her family believes in and why.

I like the ornithology twist (usually adults do mysterious "business" things in historical novels for teens) and that Rinaldi is looking at the Railroad from a different perspective. Should be unique.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko. Kirsten and Wlker have lots of problems of their own dealing with family and friend chaos but uncover "a secret that shakes them both to the core". It sounds like they don't start out even really knowing each other, but somehow team up in the wake of discovering that secret. I have no idea what the secret is or how it affects them, but the book is described as "fast paced, marvelously funny and brutally honest" so I'm hoping it's another take at teens surviving school and parents without losing their minds.

From FSG:

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron. Okay, he really got me with that title which we've all heard a million times (or some variation of it) while growing up. James is a soon-to-be freshman at Brown Univ and wishes he lived in the long ago worlds of Anthony Trollope, or his fav writer, Deton Welch. His parents are self-absorbed, his sister a snooty princess, his shrink not so helpful and his grandmother a D-list (!) celebrity. He also has a crush on a good looking guy at his mom's art gallery. It's all about coming-of-age without losing your mind (comparisons to Catcher of course) but I really like that it deals with a kid who has graduated from high school - and still doesn't have a clue (yea for realism!). Looking forward to this one.

Lenny's Space by Kate Banks. Lenny is 9 and knows a lot but doesn't know how to communicate it to the world. His father is gone, mother busy and nobody likes him at school. The story follows him making a friend with similar qualities and a therapist who is able to break through. Lenny finds acceptance and blossoms. Sounds like a good book to point out to kids in a similar situation.

Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja. I really enjoyed Koja's unsual The Blue Mirror and this sounds like another surreal twist on a typical high school story. It's senior year, Dana and Avra are best friends and Avra is dating Emil. Dana plans for college and studies bees for her bio project. Avra plans to run away and Emil isn't talking. Dana learns about the hive mentality and that there can only be "one queen bee". Where it goes from that conclusion I have no idea, but sounds like a brainy original take on friendship and teen confusion. Koja is a very unique write and I'm looking forward to this one.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. Anyone acquainted with Sis's work will have an idea of how fantastic this book will be. Love his stories, love his art and love that he is tackling this subject for young readers. Very cool. (And his site is awesome!)

The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane by Polly Horvath. This is a slight departure for Horvath - a bit more adventure than usual. It involves two cousins living on a private island with their eccentric uncle. The island was once an air force training camp where a flying tragedy occured. The book is told in alternating voices (the two cousins, and I assume uncle and housekeeper) and learn to deal with grief in different ways. It might be a good way to get boys reading about the subject as it includes the airplane angle - more accessible to them then Everything on a Waffle, perhaps.

Junk Collector School by Adam Dahlin, illus by Emma Ackerman. A picture book about collecting junk and becoming a collector. It sounds like a primer on seeing beyond the obvious and learning what you like. The drawings look very quirky and fun and I think this would be a brainer look at "stuff" and why most kids like to hoard all kinds of things (we have rocks, feathers, cars, planes, etc. around here.)

Mini Mia and Her Darling Uncle by Pija Lindenbaum. Mia loves her uncle and wants to keep him as her own. One day she meets his new boyfriend and wants him to go away (back to Scotland!). It's a twist on the "three is a crowd" idea but I love that it has gay characters - that the story is not about them being gay, but just about Mia not wanting to share her uncle. Perfect for any kid dealing with favorite relative issues and will introduce them to further definitions of family. (Be aware that the link is to the Norwegian version of the book - the description is in English but some of the place names, etc. have been changed to Americanize the text - for example her name is now Mini Mia rather than Little Zlatan.)

I've got catalogs - and hot blissful days that make me not want to be at the computer. So here's some short takes while I drink another glass of ice tea and savor the warmth (it was a long cold winter folks......)

From Unbridled Books:

This catalog is flat out gorgeous and if you aren't aware of the wonders from this small press then you are really missing something. I recently reviewed (and very much enjoyed) The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish, Sins of the Innocent and last year, Mohr. So far, I've found each of Unbridled's title I've read to be both unique and irresistible - but in a slow, thoughtful kind of way. They aren't thrillers but they are great grand novels in almost an old fashioned tradition. Just consider them good reads - and lately that is pretty much my basic criteria for anything I'll even consider cracking open the cover on.

This fall they have an Industrial age tale in NYC with Every Past Thing by Pamela Thompson, a look at Errol Flynn's post Hollywood life in Jamaica with The Pirate's Daughter, a high school history teacher writing a book about the life and death of Merriwether Lewis - while coping with his own personal crisis of faith in The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis by Michael Pritchett and The Lamentations of Julius Marantz which is described as "part a portrait of cynical politics and religious fervor, part scientific speculation and part mediation on the glories of Coney Island..."

Yeah - I have no idea how author Marc Estrin came up with all that in one book either.

From the backlist, I'm sorely tempted by Rain Village. A girl who is saved by the stories of a librarian and then runs away to join the circus and become a trapeze artist? Pretty irresistible, don't you think?

Back tomorrow with Candlewick, Bloomsbury kids and Harcourt children's. And I've been tagged by multiple memes...something for the weekend I'm sure.

Don't forget that Monday will see another entry in the "Wicked Cool Overlooked Books" series. If you have a book you want to blog about, let me know and I'll link to you here.

A very long (near endless) night last night with a sick child and then a "get here in 20 minutes for the only appointment we have open" mad dash this morning to the pediatrician. The boy is fine - more lovely cold-induced asthma. (If anyone wants evidence that the Earth is polluted look no further than the insane increase in asthma and diabetes for children.)

So not a very substantial post here, but a peek at many upcoming books from the catalogs that have been arriving lately at breakneck pace.

From Harcout Adult:

Lady of the Snakes by Rachel Pastan. About a scholar in the field of 19th century Russian literature (I think this would appeal to you Kelly!), who is making her name on the life of a famous novelist and his "long-suffering" wife. She uncovers evidence that the wife might have been more than just muse and/or helpmeet to the famous husband and sees it as her ticket to "academic superstardom". Our heroine also has a husband and child herself however and things get out of hand - the book is billed as appealing to "any woman who has ever aspired to have it all".

Sounds a bit like Possession, but I'm intrigued by the "have it all" angle, both for the modern researcher and the Russian wife from the past.

The Florist's Daughter by Patricia Hampl. I recently reviewed Hampl's Blue Arabesque and found it hard to describe - a memoir/travelogue/cultural history that was very compelling and certainly well written. This title seems to be far more personal, focusing on Hampl's revisit to her childhood as her mother slowly dies. It is a "tribute to the ardor of supposedly ordinary people." Honestly though - Hampl could write the directions for how to make paste and I would be on board. She's just a beauty of a writer.

Aaronsohn's Maps by Patricia Goldstone. A biography of the Jewish scientiest/diplomat/spy who was key to the British capture of Jerusalem during WWI and compiled the area's first detailed water maps. He also created "a plan for Palestine's national borders that predicted and - in its insistence on partnership between Arabs and Jews - might have prevented decades of conflict to come." I think this might be a frustrating read - evidence yet again that greed trumped sanity - but it seems like an important and worthy read; the sort of book that we all need to tackle to better undersand the history of the Middle East.

The Theory of Clouds by Stephane Audeguy. There is something about this title that is so damn compelling sounding. It's about a Hiroshima survivor who is a collector of "all literature having to do with clouds and meteorology." He hires a young woman to catalog his library and there appear to many digressions in the story into the lives of other cloud lovers, both real and imagined. The librarian goes to London in search of a book by a famous cloud photographer and encounters "a quest no less wondrous and strange" than her employer's.

I've found this sort of idea before, first as insect research in Nicholas Christopher's Trip to the Stars and again in human anatomy in Barbara Hodgson's The Sensualist. It's a plot device I never get tired of, and I hope this title is as wonderful as those.

From Tenspeed Adult:

The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather. Okay, I'm not ever going to be able to make the kind of desserts this woman makes but I swear - it sure is damn pretty. The whole catalog copy makes me feel kind of bad in a "Martha Stewart kicks my ass" sort of way but still; talk about pretty cake!!! (And no - I won't be reviewing it. I'm totally incapable of even knowing how to adequately review cookbooks.)

From Chronicle Kids:

Cowboy Stories Illustrated by Barry Moser. This one looks flat out gorgeous - as any fan of Moser's can imagine. It is a great idea though; a collection of cowboy short stories by authors like Elmore Leonard, Louis L'Amour, O. Henry, Annie Proulx and Dorothy Johnson now brought together for YA readers. I was crazy for westerns when I was around 12-13 and I think a book as well done as this one looks to be needs to be reviewed and appreciated alot to get the word out.

From Front Stree:

I'm Being Stalked by a Moonshadow by Doug Macleod. Okay, Seth Parrot wants Miranda to be his girlfriend but needs advice on how to make that happen. So, Seth starts reading the teen magazine "Dolly" for help while also trying not to be driven insane by his family. "Dealing with a melodramatic younger brother, a housing inspector bent on destroying the Parrot home, and a gardener who would prefer all flowers dead, Seth navigates his way into Miranda's heart."

Sounds way to funny to resist - I wish it was out this summer as it seems to be a great beach read, but I'll be looking forward to it in October.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Mirjam Pressler. Johanna knows her grandfather as someone who founded the largest clothing story in town - built from the ground up, etc etc. But on a class trip to Israel, she finds out he acquired the company during the Nazi regime (legally) and now worries that her family's wealth is due to injustice. Should she leave it alone?

I'm not a huge fan of more WW2 books - so many stories have already been told to death, but this kind of story sounds quite unique and interesting. How do you cope with the unsavory actions of your parents/grandparents/ etc? Pressler is a renowned YA author in Germany, so she should be well acquainted with stories like this one.

From Kingfisher:

Dinomummy by Dr. Phil Manning. So, in 2000 a teenage dino-hunter discovers the fossil remains of a hadrosaur in N. Dakota. Turns out it's actually a three dimensional mummified dinosaur. He hooks up with Manning, a paleontologist from England and this excavation changes the way we think of dinosaurs. The book follows the excavation and shows us what "Dakota" has revealed. The intro is by Tyler Lyson - former teen fossil hunter and now studying for his PhD in paleontology.

I mean really - could there be a better book for kid crazy about dinosaurs?!

From Houghton Mifflin Kids:

Emi and the Rhino Scientist by Mary Kay Carson and The Whale Scientists by Fran Hodgkins. These are two new entries into the fantastic "Scientists in the Field" series and I can not recommend this series enough. A recent marine bio title, Tracking Trash, will be the Cool Read in my June column and I just love every one of these titles I've come across. Lots of phots/maps/illustrations, straightforward text, fascinating subjects. It's all good. Every library should have them and they are perfect for readers of any age really - Trash blew my mind and also impressed other adults I've given it to as well. (Homeschoolers - jump on them!)

Houghton Mifflin Adult:

The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss. A crossover title for adults and YAs, it is the story of a young woman in 1917 who arrives at an Oregon ranch for the job of breaking horses. With war time labor shortages she gets the job but surprises everyone by using the "horse whisperer" approach of making peace with the animals, not breaking their spirit. It's a story about "connections between and among people and animals" and sounds pitch perfect for horse lovers regardless of age. I hope it lives up to the copy.

As I hear about more, I'll let you know!

The Benjamin Franklin Award Finalists 2007; Wands and Worlds has the children's lit finalists, complete with handy Amazon links to find out more info about the book.

And now once again I'm using my own post to veer off on a tangent; the Amazon links issue. As anyone reading the blog knows, I link to Amazon both within reviews and on the sidebar and am an Amazon Affiliate. Why?

In no particular order:

-- cool techie stuff! You may hate it, but I really like the bit that zooms up and contains all the information on the book.

-- using the cover image. There is no definite law on whether or not use of a book or DVD cover is allowable under copyright; seriously, whatever page you link to in my comments saying it is OK is an interpretation of current copyright law. So, for my own peace of mind in not having to worry about it publisher by publisher, book by book, artist by artist, I figure if I'm an Amazon Associate I have the right to use the cover art on my site. This is the solution that works for me; you do the one that works for you. Apples, oranges, six of one, half a dozen of the other. Long time readers may remember how for a while I solved this dilemma by not using cover images at all.

-- my readers are grown-ups. No, seriously. I respect you all as intelligent people; you'll buy or borrow the book from wherever you want to.

-- Amazon does contain additional information about the book that I'm either unable or unwilling to include. Yep, so do other book sellers, to a point. What I couldn't include if I wanted to : the text of published reviews. In looking for published reviews, I like to check out multiple bookseller sites because no one site contains all the published reviews. And, of course, the original review source, if it's available online and is free. I also like that booksellers contain all the info like ISBNs that right now I don't want to include.

-- Why not make a few bucks? Basically, if someone clicks on one of those links and buys something, I make a few pennies. To date, having done this program for over a year, I have made less than fifty dollars. The money is not the reason I'm using the program; it's more for the reasons above. But is it nice when I do find out I've made a few dollars? Yes; it gives me an excuse to buy DVDs.

-- Well, you may ask, why not link to the library and promote that? Truthfully, I haven't looked into it at all. If you prefer to get your books from libraries, I suggest using this Library LookUp Bookmarklet. Basically, if you're in Amazon (or any entity that includes the item ISBN in its URL), you click the bookmarklet and it brings you into your local library catalog to see whether or not your library has the item.

Different people use Amazon Affiliates for different reasons. And guess what? It's all cool; because, as I said, we are all intelligent people who are well aware of the issues about booksellers, mega sellers, independents and big business; marketing, advertising, and promoting; as well as looking at our time, how it is spent, and what we want out of it. I believe that of bloggers; and I believe that of blog readers.

The first round of fall catalogs are starting to arrive, here's what looks interesting from Bantam Dell (including the Dial and Spectra imprints):

The Archivist's Story by Travis Holland. A debut novel from Holland, set in Moscow, 1939. Pavel Dubrov is an archivist who is sent to authenticate an anonymous story confiscated from a political prisoner in Lubyanka prison. The writer turns out to be Isaac Babel who will spend his last days writing with all works to go to Dubrov, who will ultimately be ordered to destroy them. Dubrov makes a decision, "he will save the last stories of the writer he worships, whatever the cost."

So what you have here is great historical fiction about a very real place and time that is largely overlooked in fiction and it is about the power of written words over all else.

I am so going to read this book.

Logorrhea, edited by John Klima. There has been buzz about this on the SF blogs for awhile - it's a collection of stories based on winning spelling bee words since 1925. Contributors include Hal Duncan (that actually scares me a bit!), Tim Pratt, Jay Lake, Liz Hand, etc. This could be a lot of smart and innovative fun and might just make it as a crossover for teen readers. I love how the SFF crowd does such interesting anthologies - there's nothing like them anywhere else in fiction.

The Bestiary by Nicholas Christopher. Okay, Christopher is one of my all time favorite writers, especially his wonderful novel A Trip to the Stars. He isn't SFF exactly - but definitely surreal (maybe a bit like Liz Hand?). In this outing Xeno Atlas takes his childhood interest in animals and uses it to fuel a quest for the "Caravan Bestiary" - the medieval text containing the animals not granted passage on Noah's Ark. His quest takes him all over the world (and there are ancient libraries!) but "it is only by riddling out his own family secrets that Xeno can hope to glean what he is looking for."

Check out Stars if you are curious about this title - it will show you what kind of unique writer Christopher is.

Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden. Major points for the title alone! This is a great match up of two amazing writers. Golden's name should be familiar to anyone, but I was most recently captivated by the rerelease of his Peter Pan story, Straight on Til Morning. Mignola is the creator/writer/artist of Hellboy - enough said on how awesome he is. Baltimore is an illustrated novel, told in flashbacks about how Lord Henry Baltimore found himself a vampire on the battlefields of WWI. "Both a chilling tale of the paranormal and an allegory for the nature of war...", this book was clearly written exactly for someone like me. WWI and Mignola and Golden? Oh, I really hope it lives up to its promise!

One for Sorrow by Christopher Barzak. First, for all of you at Justine's blog wondering about the beheaded teen girls on covers everywhere - Barzak's book gives us a floating beheaded teen boy! (Who decided this was the way to do book covers is what I want to know.) The story centers around 16 year old Adam who is struggling to cope with a recently paralyzed mother. When one of his classmates is murdered he goes to the site where the body is discovered (shades of River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton) and "discovers Jamie Marks was a boy just like him, a boy no one paid attention to - a boy almost no on will truly miss. And for the first time, Adam feels he has a purpose. Now, more than ever, Jamie needs a friend."

This definitely sounds like YA crossover to me and Karen Joy Fowler calls it "the most haunting ghost story I've ever read."

Finally, End of the World Blues by Jon Courtenay Grimwood. What sells me here is the combination of "psychologically complex sci-fi meets heart-stopping crime thriller". Kit Nouveau is in the middle of getting robbed at gunpoint when he is saved by "a pale girl in a red cloak who appears out of nowhere." Niji has just stolen 15 million and killed a man but hasn't graduated from high school yet. Who she is, what she wants and how this all comes together is up in the air but I'm willing to go along for the ride. Could be a nice hard boiled mystery for curious teen readers and if I found that, I just might faint or something from sheer joy.
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