The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Erin Morgenstern’s dark, enchanting debut takes us to the black and white tents of Le Cirque des Reves, a circus that arrives without warning, simply appearing when yesterday it was not there. Young Celia and Marco have been cast into a rivalry at The Night Circus, one arranged long ago by powers they do not fully understand. Over time, their lives become more intricately enmeshed in a dance of love, joy, deceit, heartbreak, and magic. Author Morgenstern knows her world inside and out, and she guides the reader with a confident hand. The setting and tone are never less than mesmerizing. The characters are well-realized and memorable. But it is the Night Circus itself that might be the most memorable of all."
I believe that this might literally be THE book of fall. Everyone I know is eagerly awaiting it and I can't wait to go to Erin Morgenstern's signing near me! Plus, that cover is just beautiful!
So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family – and the Theatre Illuminata – from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate. "
More from the Theatre Illuminata... which I have been planning on visiting for years (well, since the first book came out... damn, I have the backlog of tbrs!)
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Published by: Scholastic
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 608 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In a return to the eye-popping style of his Caldecott-award winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick’s latest masterpiece, Wonderstruck, is a vision of imagination and storytelling . In the first of two alternating stories, Ben is struck deaf moments after discovering a clue to his father’s identity, but undaunted, he follows the clue’s trail to the American Museum of Natural History, in New York City. Flash to Rose’s story, told simultaneously through pictures, who has also followed the trail of a loved one to the museum--only 50 years before Ben. Selnick’s beautifully detailed illustrations draw the reader inside the museum’s myriad curiosities and wonders, following Ben and Rose in their search for connection. Ultimately, their lives collide in a surprising and inspired twist that is breathtaking and life-affirming."
If this is anywhere near as good as Hugo Cabret it will be a fabulous book indeed!
Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
Published by: Overlook
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 960 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Enter the world of Gormenghast. The vast crumbling castle to which the seventy-seventh Earl, Titus Groan, is Lord and heir. Titus is expected to rule this Gothic labyrinth of turrets and dungeons, cloisters and corridors as well as his eccentric and wayward subjects. Over the course of these three novels-Titus Groan, Gormenghast, and Titus Alone--Titus must contend with a kingdom about to implode beneath the weight of centuries of intrigue, treachery, manipulation, and murder.
Peake has been compared to Dickens and Tolkien, but the Gormenghast trilogy is unique. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy, and those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. Overlook is publishing this definitive volume to mark the centenary of the author's birth."
Not only is Gormenghast a book everyone should own, but to have a new illustrated edition for Peake's centenary is a true treat. I'm also sure that they are his drawings, seeing as that man loved to draw!
Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
Published by: Voice
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In the summer of 1974, a fourteen-year-old girl in Dolton, Illinois, had a dream. A dream to become an actress, like her idols Ron Howard and Vicki Lawrence. But it was a long way from the South Side of Chicago to Hollywood, and it didn't help that she'd recently dropped out of the school play, The Ugly Duckling. Or that the Hollywood casting directors she wrote to replied that "professional training was a requirement."
But the funny thing is, it all came true. Through a series of Happy Accidents, Jane Lynch created an improbable--and hilarious--path to success. In those early years, despite her dreams, she was also consumed with anxiety, feeling out of place in both her body and her family. To deal with her worries about her sexuality, she escaped in positive ways--such as joining a high school chorus not unlike the one in Glee--but also found destructive outlets. She started drinking almost every night her freshman year of high school and developed a mean and judgmental streak that turned her into a real-life Sue Sylvester.
Then, at thirty-one, she started to get her life together. She was finally able to embrace her sexuality, come out to her parents, and quit drinking for good. Soon after, a Frosted Flakes commercial and a chance meeting in a coffee shop led to a role in the Christopher Guest movie Best in Show, which helped her get cast in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Similar coincidences and chance meetings led to roles in movies starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and even Meryl Streep in 2009's Julie & Julia. Then, of course, came the two lucky accidents that truly changed her life. Getting lost in a hotel led to an introduction to her future wife, Lara. Then, a series she'd signed up for abruptly got canceled, making it possible for her to take the role of Sue Sylvester in Glee, which made her a megastar.
Today, Jane Lynch has finally found the contentment she thought she'd never have. Part comic memoir and part inspirational narrative, this is a book equally for the rabid Glee fan and for anyone who needs a new perspective on life, love, and success."
Whether you're a Gleek or not, Jane Lynch is an amazing and hilarious arctress who has amazed me in everything from Party Down to the pleathora of Christopher Guest movies to even guest stints on Veronica Mars. Go get this book!
Castle Rock might just be the most interesting adaptation out there because for it's inspiration it's not taking just one Stephen King book but a whole heck of a lot of them and mashing them up in new and unique ways. Besides all the stunt casting of actors who have previously been in King adaptations from Sissy Spacek to Tim Robbins to Bill Skarsgard, the references to King's works are just staggering, from The Shinning to Needful Things to Cujo, seriously, just google "Easter Eggs Castle Rock" and you're going to get so many lists you'll be reading for days. Why I was especially excited for season two was because Misery was coming to Castle Rock. Now of all Stephen King's books that I've read for some reason Misery has always been a favorite of mine. Could it be because I watched the movie and loved it at a young age? Probably. Could it be because it's one of the first Stephen King books I read? Most definitely! Could it also have to do with seeing a stage adaptation one of my friends was working on when they used a blowtorch instead of a hammer? Oh yes! I love me some real fire on stage! So while this season drew maybe more heavily on 'Salem's Lot then from Misery, I was totally just judging it on the merits of Misery, and they succeeded wonderfully. The success was all down to Lizzy Caplan. I've been a fan of hers ever since Party Down, which means I know her for her comedic chops, and wasn't sure if she could deliver dramatically as Annie Wilkes. Oh, she was perfection. She was a young Kathy Bates while somehow making it her own. Also the background they wrote for the character? Perfection. If future seasons are this good I hope we get many, many more. And not just because I want more answers. Though that would be nice too. 
