strange and random happenstance

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Published by: Quirk Books
Publication Date: June 7th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

This looks wonderful delightful and spooky. It was evern picked as one of Amazon's books of the month. Of course, it's by Quirk Books, so it could be aweful, re, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...

Everlasting by Alyson Noel
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 7th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Their epic love story has captured the hearts of millions and enchanted readers across the world. In this beautiful finale, their journey draws to a spectacular conclusion—where all will be revealed.

Their darkest enemies now defeated, Damen and Ever are free to embark upon their final quest—to free Damen from the poison lingering in his body. If they can just find the antidote, they’ll finally be able to feel each other’s touch—and experience the passionate night they’ve been longing for. But their fight to be together will lead them into the most formidable terrain yet…into the dark heart of Summerland.

Here in a land of scorched earth and endless rain, Ever and Damen will discover their relationship’s hidden origins, expose a secret history they never imagined…and come face to face with the true reason fate keeps tearing them apart. Only then, when the final mystery is unraveled and the last secret revealed, Ever and Damen’s future will hinge on one ultimate decision that will put everything at stake….even eternity."

I keep meaning to pick this series up... well, now I don't have to wait around for the final book once I start!

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: June 7th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"They are in your house. They are in your car. They are in the skies…Now they’re coming for you. In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans – a single mother disconcerted by her daughter’s menacing “smart” toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a ‘pacification unit’ go haywire – but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late. When the Robot War ignites -- at a moment known later as Zero Hour -- humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us…and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years. "

Ok, don't really know much about this but, yes, Robots will soon be everywhere, they could take over the world. Oh, and Stephen King chose this as one of his summer reads!

Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: June 7th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Lily gets called away from her vintage clothing store to give police a witch's take on how the leader of a rationalist society could be murdered, surrounded by superstitions he discredited.

Evidence points to dark witchcraft. Lily's determined to use magic of her own to find the murderer, before everyone's luck runs out. "

It's a witch. It's a pig. It's San Francisco. Need I saw more?

Ink Flamingos by Karen E. Olson
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: June 7th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Dee Carmichael, lead singer of the pop sensation The Flamingoes, has been one of Brett Kavanaugh's most dedicated customers at her tattoo shop. When Dee is discovered dead surrounded by ink pots and needles, Brett is branded a suspect.

It seems that someone is impersonating Brett. And if she doesn't act fast, the killer is sure to put the dye in dying once again... "

Another guilty fun mystery! Plus, the title! John Waters reference, it has to be.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alyson Noel, Daniel H. Wilson, Everlasting, Hexes and Hemlines, Ink Flamingos, Juliet Blackwell, Karen E. Olson, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs, Robopocalypse

Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain
Published by: University of California Press
Publication Date: November 16th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 760 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Mark Twain is his own greatest character in this brilliant self-portrait, the first of three volumes collected by the Mark Twain Project on the centenary of the author's death. It is published complete and unexpurgated for the first time. (Twain wanted his more scalding opinions suppressed until long after his death.) Eschewing chronology and organization, Twain simply meanders from observation to anecdote and between past and present. There are gorgeous reminiscences from his youth of landscapes, rural idylls, and Tom Sawyeresque japes; acid-etched profiles of friends and enemies, from his "fiendish" Florentine landlady to the fatuous and "grotesque" Rockefellers; a searing polemic on a 1906 American massacre of Filipino insurgents; a hilarious screed against a hapless editor who dared tweak his prose; and countless tales of the author's own bamboozlement, unto bankruptcy, by publishers, business partners, doctors, miscellaneous moochers; he was even outsmarted by a wild turkey. Laced with Twain's unique blend of humor and vitriol, the haphazard narrative is engrossing, hugely funny, and deeply revealing of its author's mind. His is a world where every piety conceals fraud and every arcadia a trace of violence; he relishes the human comedy and reveres true nobility, yet as he tolls the bell for friends and family--most tenderly in an elegy for his daughter Susy, who died in her early 20s of meningitis--he feels that life is a pointless charade. Twain's memoirs are a pointillist masterpiece from which his vision of America--half paradise, half swindle--emerges with indelible force. 66 photos and line illus."

Well this should be interesting... seeing as it's been held back for so long and is already on best sellers lists. Of course I've been hearing it's kind of stale and boring.

Night Star by Alyson Noel
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: November 16th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
 Night Star
The official patter:
"With 2 million copies of her Immortals series in print, Alyson Noël is one of the hottest paranormal teen authors writing today.  Night Star continues the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world.  In this installment, Ever and Damen face down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears—all in the hope of being together forever.  Night Star is guaranteed to mesmerize fans and leave them breathlessly awaiting the sixth and final book!"

Hmm, now that this series is getting to the end, perhaps it's time for some marathon reading!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Alyson Noel, Autobiography, Mark Twain, Night Star

Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate Book 3) by Gail Carriger
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: August 31st, 2010
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.

Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.

While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto. "

I really don't know how I've been able to hold out for this third installment! I don't know how I can even wait till tomorrow!!! And how will I handle the wait for books four and five? Also, pesto, ewww, me and pesto, oh, we do not get along.

The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Book 1) by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: August 31st, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

Look at that steampunky goodness of a cover, plus Cassandra Clare, I know what book I want to get!

Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Published by: Mira
Publication Date: August 31st, 2010
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"After siphoning her own blood magic in the showdown at Hubal, Opal Cowan has lost her powers. She can no longer create glass magic. More, she's immune to the effects of magic. Opal is now an outsider looking in, spying through the glass on those with the powers she once had, powers that make a difference in the world.

Until spying through the glass becomes her new power. Suddenly, the beautiful pieces she makes flash in the presence of magic. And then she discovers that someone has st olen some of her blood—and that finding it might let her regain her powers. Or learn if they're lost forever… "

The third book in the Maria V. Snyder's Glass series, and I can't count how many people I know who view this and her other series as their favorites.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Published by: Harper Teen
Publication Date: August 31st, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal."

Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be going, ooooh, pretty cover, me want... but the synopsis sounds good too... we'll see...

Radiance by Alyson Noel
Published by: Square Fish
Publication Date: August 31st, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . ."

Alyson Noel, of The Immortals fame, has a new book with ghosts, sounds cool! Plus English castle? I'm in!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Alyson Noel, Blameless, Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel, Gail Carriger, Kiersten White, Maria V. Snyder, Paranormalcy, Radiance, Spy Glass, Steampunk, The Parasol Protectorate, Tuesday Tomorrow

Dark Flame by Alyson Noel
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 22nd, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions

At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.

Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …"

I feel bad, I haven't started this series yet. I just picked up the first book and added it to my ginormous tbr pile, but they look sooo good, might have to bump it up in the cue!

A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham
Published by: Thomas Dunn Books
Publication Date: June 22nd, 2010
Format:Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Chick lit superstar Wickham (The Wedding Girl) is in stellar form in her latest, a story of intersecting fates set in suburban London. Self-centered Liz Chambers, bored with her job and under a mountain of debt, frequently lashes out at her even-tempered husband, Jonathan, and begins an affair with wealthy realtor Marcus Witherstone, who proposes that Liz and Jonathan rent their unsold house to a young couple, Ginny and Piers Prentice, with whom Liz and Jonathan's sullen teenage daughter, Alice, strikes up an unexpected friendship. Ginny, meanwhile, pins her hopes on would-be actor Piers getting a part in a soap opera, and Jonathan is put on a pedestal by Marcus's wife, Anthea. Marcus begins regretting a shady business deal that could land him in huge trouble, and as Liz grows more delusional, Ginny becomes more worried and desperate, and Anthea more unforgiving and relentless. It all comes to a head at a party Ginny throws on the eve of Piers's big audition. A well-executed and unexpected ending caps the dizzying action and demonstrates why Wickham is so deservedly on her genre's A-list."

How does Sophie Kinsella put out so many books a year? Sophie and Madeleine being one and the same of course. I'll check this out, for sure, still uncertain about the new Shopaholic book coming out this fall, I think Becky has way overstayed her welcome.

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 22nd, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To BuyThe official patter:
"Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck. . . .

BAD LUCK:
Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs.

GOOD LUCK:
Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash.

BAD LUCK:
Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Vinnie’s messing up Mooner’s vibe, running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger’s apartment, and making Stephanie question genetics.

GOOD LUCK:
Between a bonds office yard sale that has the entire Burg turning out, Mooner’s Hobbit-Con charity event, and Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save the business, and Vinnie, from ruin.

BAD LUCK:
Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter. In Trenton, this involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

GOOD LUCK:
The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky---the only question is . . . with whom?"

Anybody else getting the feeling she's headed the way of Sue Grafton? Cause, you know, there is no fixed set of numers....

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Desirable Residence, Alyson Noel, Dark Flame, Janey Evanovicj, Madeleine Wickham, Sizzling Sixteen, Sophie Kinsella, Stephanie Plum, The Immortals, Tuesday Tomorrow

Crocodile Tears: An Alex Rider Novel by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Philomel
Publication Date: November 17th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 352Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's just another day in the life of an average kid. If you're Alex Rider, that is. A con artist has realized there is big money in charity-- the bigger the disaster, the greater the money flow! So that is what he will produce: the biggest disaster known to man, all thanks to genetically modified wheat that can release a virus so potent it can knock out an entire country in one windy day. But Alex Rider will face whatever it takes--gunfire, explosions, hand-to-hand combat with mercenaries-- to bring down his most dangerous adversary yet.

Often imitated, never equaled, the series that triggered a reading phenomenon is back, exhilarating and addictive as ever."

Last night's Masterpiece "No-Longer-Theater" presentation of Collision not enough Anthony Horowitz for you? Watched all the episodes of Foyle's War currently available? Went through all the episodes of Midsomer Murders and Poirot he wrote and even broke into Crime Traveler, conceivably the worst named show ever, according to my brother? Need another hit? Well, lucky for you a new Alex Rider novel is out this week! The seventh book in the extremely popular book series (it did fail as a movie after all so I can't really claim popular franchisement...) by Anthony Horowitz is finally available. Pushed to pre-Christmas publication to cash in on the meager amount of money people will be able to spend this holiday season, it's sure to be on the top of a lot of reader's lists. I love Anthony Horowitz, omnipresent and obviously OCD, he literally writes all scripts for his shows. Plus if you head on over to his website, you can't believe the amount of research and travel he devoted to his newest book just to make sure everything was right. I don't think I could say that about many Young Adult author's books... He's also on tour for this book, the cities have been announced but I have no further information other than I'm bitter it's nowhere near me! Boston, Detroit, St Louis, Raleigh, Atlanta and Washington DC are all on his itinerary... go check out this genius in the flesh if you have time or frequent flier miles to cash in...

Shadowland by Alyson Noel
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: November 17th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 368Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world’s darkest enemies—so they could be together forever. But just when their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen…one that could destroy everything. Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into the Shadowland. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source…a surfer named Jude.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She’s always believed Damen to be her soulmate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them, Ever’s connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before…"

The next book in the popular Immortals series by Alyson Noel. Ashamed to say I haven't read these yet, and they look so good... hmmm perhaps I should go to that while all the faithful are out devouring this newest installment...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:41 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Alex Rider, Alyson Noel, Anthony Horowitz, Collision, Crime Traveler, Crocodile Tears, Foyle's War, Midsomer Murders, Shadowland, The Immortals, Tuesday Tomorrow

In trawling the ever expansive web I found another cool contest. Over at Fantastic Book Review they are having a competition to win signed copies of Evermore and Blue Moon by Alyson Noel. So go check it out, everyone likes free stuff, and especially books right?

And in other giveaways news, I've finally won a goodreads giveaway! I don't really know how many competitions I've entered in the time I've been a member, but I finally won! And not just any book, a book by that genius Anthony Horowitz. If you don't know who Anthony Horowitz is you really have been living under a rock. Even if you don't know any kids who worship him for his Alex Rider or Gatekeepers/Power of Five books you must have watched Foyle's War? One of the best BBC mystery series set during World War II starring Michael Kitchen, Anthony Howell and Honeysuckle Weeks. Or Midsomer Murders, Anthony Horowitz was the head writer for all the early episodes and his wicked wit was a trademark the writers continued to employ after he left to do bigger and better things (ie Foyle's War). Or Poirot, you have to know Poirot and Anthony Horowitz did all the early dramatizations of that show. He's literally omnipresent and a true workaholic, currently re-launching Foyle's War, writing the next Alex Rider, working on a few other TV shows, a screenplay, a play and numerous writing festivals...does this man actually ever sleep? Anyway, look for my review of Anthony Horowitz's Gatekeeper's/Power of Five Book Four, Necropolis coming to the blog hopefully soon.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 4:10 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Alyson Noel, Anthony Horowitz, Blue Moon, Evermore, Fantastic Book Review, Foyle's War, Goodreads, Midsomer Murders, Power of Five, The Gatekeepers