Monday, December 28, 2009

Tuesday Tomorrow and a Fforde Week in Store!

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde
Published by: Viking Adult
Publication Date: December 29th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of Thursday Next—a brilliant new novel about a world where social order and destiny are dictated by the colors you can see .

Part social satire, part romance, part revolutionary thriller, Shades of Grey tells of a battle against overwhelming odds. In a society where the ability to see the higher end of the color spectrum denotes a better social standing, Eddie Russet belongs to the low-level House of Red and can see his own color—but no other. The sky, the grass, and everything in between are all just shades of grey, and must be colorized by artificial means.

Eddie's world wasn't always like this. There's evidence of a never-discussed disaster and now, many years later, technology is poor, news sporadic, the notion of change abhorrent, and nighttime is terrifying: no one can see in the dark. Everyone abides by a bizarre regime of rules and regulations, a system of merits and demerits, where punishment can result in permanent expulsion.

Eddie, who works for the Color Control Agency, might well have lived out his rose-tinted life without a hitch. But that changes when he becomes smitten with Jane, a Grey Nightseer from the dark, unlit side of the village. She shows Eddie that all is not well with the world he thinks is just and good. Together, they engage in dangerous revolutionary talk.

Stunningly imaginative, very funny, tightly plotted, and with sly satirical digs at our own society, this novel is for those who loved Thursday Next but want to be transported somewhere equally wild, only darker; a world where the black and white of moral standpoints have been reduced to shades of grey."

This book was quite literally awesome! One of the top books I've read this year, so be sure to check it out, you will not regret it. Don't believe me just saying it's awesome? Well... my review will be up tomorrow and then there's a little surprise to hopefully sway you if my words can't. Because not only does Jasper Fforde, renowned for his Thursday Next books, have a great book coming out launching a new series, but he'll be stopping by my blog! Or more precisely, his words will be (if my words can't sway, surely the author's can), seeing as I chatted on the phone with him the other day to get to the heart of color and the world he has created... or at least that's what I hope I did... there's a funny bit about a goose attack and a game of Monopoly if you stop by later in the week. Also he'll be touring to promote the book, and us Americans have to get out and show him a) how much we love him and the book and b) how cool is it we got the book released before the UK! He's also braving the Midwest for you, so go buy the book and listen to a great talk! I'll be at his talk in Skokie, so come along and say hi to me at least! Plus, I'm contemplating a little giveaway to mark the occasion... also, seeing as I just realized, this is my 200th post!

Author tour:
Monday, January 4th - BARNES & NOBLE, Lincoln Centre, NY - 7.30pm

Tuesday, January 5th - PARTNERS & CRIME, Greenwich Ave, NY - 7pm

Wednesday, January 6th - BORDERS, Rochester Hills, MI - 7pm

Thursday, January 7th - BARNES & NOBLE, Skokie, Chicago, IL - 7.30pm

Friday, January 8th - THIRD PLACE BOOKS, Lake Forest Park, WA - 6.30pm

Saturday, January 9th - M IS FOR MYSTERY, San Mateo, CA - 2pm

Sunday, January 10th - CAPITOLA BOOK CAFE, Capitola, CA - 5.30pm

Monday, January 11th - VROMAN'S BOOKSTORE, @All Saints Church, Pasadena, CA - TBA

Tuesday, January 12th - BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC, Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA - 7pm

Wednesday, January 13th - BOOKWORKS, Albuquerque, NM - TBA

Thursday, January 14th - BOOKS & BOOKS, Coral Gables, FL - 8pm

Friday, January 15th - BARNES & NOBLE, Buckhead Atlanta, GA - 7.30pm


And then he flees our shores for even more PR overseas!

The Bronte Sisters: Three Novels: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey by Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: December 29th, 2009
Format: Paperback, 672 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The most cherished novel from each of England's talented sisters, in one gorgeously packaged volume

The Brontë family was a literary phenomenon unequalled before or since. Both Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights have won lofty places in the pantheon and stirred the romantic sensibilities of generations of readers. For the first time ever, Penguin Classics unites these two enduring favorites with the lesser known but no less powerful work by their youngest sister, Anne. Drawn from Anne's own experiences as a governess, Agnes Grey offers a compelling view of Victorian chauvinism and materialism. Its inclusion makes The Brontë Sisters a must-have volume for anyone fascinated by this singularly talented family."

I know you all probably have tones of editions of the Brontes... and I'm not such a fan of omnibus editions, because they do tend to get unweildy... but look at that goregous cover! Too pretty... must resist... hopeless... it's like my Kryptonite!

1 comments:

Yay for Shades of Grey! I can't wait to see your review!

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