dark and stormy fairy tale giveaway

Usually I try to give away books that I know intimately and can recommend whole-heartedly. I’ve seen a book that I absolutely MUST have, though, and I while I wait for its arrival and read it and love it (because I KNOW I will…) I want to pass the joy on to one of you, as well. So check out the description of Jasmyn, by Alex Bell…

One day, without warning, Jasmyn's husband died of an aneurysm. Since then, everything has been different. Wrapped up in her grief, Jasmyn is trapped in a world without colour, without flavour - without Liam. But even through the haze of misery she begins to notice strange events. Even with Liam gone, things are not as they should be, and eventually Jasmyn begins to explore the mysteries that have sprung up after her husband's death ...and follow their trail back into the events of his life. But the mysteries are deeper than Jasmyn expects, and are leading her in unexpected directions - into fairytales filled with swans, castles and bones; into a tale of a murder committed by a lake and a vicious battle between brothers; into a story of a lost past, and a stolen love. She's entering a magical story. Jasmyn's story.

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First off, the cover is gorgeous. Second, after checking out Alex Bell’s website, I just know that her prose will be entertaining and dark and fabulous. And third, she does twisted fairy tales, which are my own favorite little niche category. This equals amazing. In celebration of these facts I’m giving away one (1) copy of Jasmyn.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post answering the question, “Who is your least favorite fairy tale hero/heroine?”

Please include your email address. Giveaway is open internationally. Comments will close on September 25 at 11:59pm EST, and I will notify the randomly selected winner via email.

Good luck!

never slow dance with a zombie. ever.

Confession: I’m drowning in my to-read pile. When I realized that it would be VERY hard to fit in E. Van Lowe’s Never Slow Dance With A Zombie in the time frame of Zombie Appreciation Week, I did the unthinkable. I dragooned my entirely too-accommodating 19-year old brother into completing the task! He’s really possibly the nicest kid around. I mean, who reads a girly, fluffy zombie book for their sister? And reviews it afterward? My sheet-metal working, camouflage wearing youngest brother, that’s who.

Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion meets Night of the Living Dead in this laugh-out-loud debut YA novel by Emmy Award-nominated TV writer E. Van Lowe.

Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:

Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.

Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.

Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.

On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!

Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....

My Brain Hurts…

Halfway through reading Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, I was ready to put the book down. The beginning was rather slow (this coming from someone who read the book in two hours) and the plot was very simple.

Basically, it’s like this: Zombies taking over a high school do wonders for people who feel they don’t fit in or are not part of the hip crowd. However, too much imagination is required to make it work, especially the part about how the parents in the book don’t care about children. The book was funny in parts, but the plot was extremely far-fetched, implausible and fairly sappy.

And there you have it, folks, a (very) brief book review by Joey, one of the best brothers ever. This post is part of the Zombie Challenge. Go check out the Zombie Appreciation Week!

and the only alien on the planet goes to...

And the randomly-generated winner of Kristen D. Randle’s The Only Alien on the Planet, a book filled with mysteries, tension, and coming-of-age experiences, is:

Llehn

Who answered the question, “Which book changed your world?” with:

“The First Form At Malory Towers by Enid Blyton made me want to write my own books.”

There were many insightful answers, and a vast range of books that changed worlds. I’m copying a couple of the ones that made me want to rush out and get the books they mentioned…though all the comments were a delight to read!

Steph Bowe at Hey! Teenager of the Year wrote:

Town by James Roy.
It's a series of interconnected short stories by an Australian author that I read a few years ago. And for the first time in my life, I just went: Wow, this is a real representation of what life's like as a teenager. This book doesn't lie. Nothing's glorified, it's just raw and real and truthful. This was a book that really inspired me to write and write truthfully.

Indigo at Shattered Prose wrote:

The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint.
He allows his main character Jillian, to peel away the layers she had hidden herself in to discover the little girl that was abused as a young child. I was able to relate to Jillian on so many levels. It freed me up to realize it was ok to comfort the child I was, yet move on to the woman I would become.

Stay tuned...I'll be posting another contest before the week is out!

teaser tuesday (9)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page. Post two (or more) sentences from that page, along with the title and author. Don’t give anything vital away!

“‘If we start selling my body to rich old ladies now,’ Nick said, ‘Can I quit school?’

‘No,’ Alan answered with a sidelong smile, warm as a whispered secret. ‘You’ll be glad you finished school one day. Aristotle said education is bitter, but its fruits are sweet.’

Nick rolled his eyes. ‘Aristotle can bite me.’”

-p. 3 of Sarah Rees Brennan’s The Demon’s Lexicon