Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story. . .
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.
Wow. Yet another stunning cover here that conveys the story perfectly. Let’s see if I can be coherent without just gushing forever about how much I love this book.
First of all, I added it to my TBR list quite a while back when the Gatekeeper said how much she was enjoying it. Then not so long ago I was wandering through the book store looking for a thriller to read as “research” for my revisions when this gorgeous cover stared back at me.
I sat down on a Sunday morning and started this book and finished it that same evening despite everything else going on around me. You know, laundry, kid, food…who needs any of that when you’re reading an awesome book, right?
The book is jam-packed with action, edge-of-your-seat intensity, and an unexpected twist.
This is one of those reads where you can’t help but love Cas and root for him the whole time, but underneath it all you wonder if he’s a little misguided. Until the ending. Holy ending, Batman. The whole time I was reading the book I was thinking, “Okay, this isn’t too scary. This is good.” Then the ending happened. Then I didn’t think I’d ever be able to sleep again.
Or eat for that matter.
It does get a bit gruesome, so beware.
All in all, this book was AMAZING. If you want something with a strong male protagonist, to recommend to a boy to read, or just something to keep you up all night reading — this is it. I very highly recommend. Also, I can’t wait for the sequel!!!! HURRY UP, AUGUST!
Okay, so you may or may not have noticed I’ve gone from Recommendations to “Book of the Week” status for these posts. Why? Well, it’s all part of this evil plan of mine to read more. Last year I didn’t even come close to touching my book reading goal, and while that’s all fine and dandy, I really need to up my game. So each week I’m going to feature a book that I’ve read this year and enjoyed. This way if I haven’t read anything, I’m going to be forced to admit it on ze olde blog.
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
Well. First of all, let’s just gush over how gorgeous the cover is, because…dude. Right? Right.
I read DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE at the fervent recommendation of several friends (Such as Meredith’s, which convinced me that I had to read it.)
Let me just say, Laini Taylor is an incredible writer. I mean…make-you-freeze-in-your-tracks just to stare at the beautiful way she strings words together.
As for the story, Karou is one of those characters that you just can’t help but love. I honestly probably felt more a part of Karou than I have any other character in a long time. She’s so real and so vivid! The story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It’s definitely one that will keep you up long after your bedtime, because you won’t be able to sit it down.
One warning: the setting will make you want to zip off to Prague and maybe never come back.
My favorite part of this story was that I had no idea where it was going. I could guess and hope, but I don’t think I was right even once. Haha! Which, normally I’m pretty good at pegging a plot.
So if you’re up for an adventurous read with writing so beautiful it’ll steal your breath, go read this book.
How many of you have read it? Do you have any other recommendations for me?
ACK! Sorry guys, I just realized my post didn’t actually post! Here it is!
So, guys, I have a pretty awesome surprise for you. I know, I know, I keep taunting you about it, just spill the beans already, right? Haha. That wouldn’t be half as much fun.
I made a video (vlog? video blog? Whatever…), but…eh. I’ll just tell you about it instead. Are you ready?
Somehow (perhaps with my magical powers) I managed to get my hands on an ARC (so, more like authorly kindness than magic)…but not just any ARC. I have a copy of my lovely friend Susan Dennard’s debut SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY!!!
***SQUEE!!***
It’s beautiful and shiny and all I could do when I received it was stare and marvel at the amazingness of it all. Then, naturally, I devoured the story in a single sitting. Of course. (Let me tell you, coolest reading experience ever.) IT IS MADE OF AWESOME, people! See?!
There’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.
I will be doing my own review later on, but let’s just say that Daniel is perhaps the most swoon-worthy character ever, and Eleanor’s strength is unparalleled!
But what’s so exciting about this for you guys? That’s where the fun begins. You see, promotion is a big part of a book’s release, and so to help get the word out there about this amazing story, I’m going to host an ARC TOUR!
Yep, you read that right, an ARC Tour for SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY!
Here’s the deal…I’ve got one book, and the only way to get some buzz going is to get people reading it. So I’m “giving away” spots on the ARC tour. Five of them to be exact.
FIVE!! That’s a lot of chances to win and read this book before it releases in July! (And even if you don’t win, you can pre-order it at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and the Book Depository!)
How does an ARC Tour work? Easy. I choose FIVE winners, line them up, and we ship the book from one person to the next. So, it’s shipped to you, you ship it to the next in line, etc. After you read it, all I ask is that you take a minute to tell someone about it. Blog it, Tweet it, put it on your Goodreads list, or just exclaim about it to everyone who comes within a three-foot-radius of you. That’s what I do! (The only people seeing your address will be me and the person shipping the book to you, so it won’t be broadcast into the stratosphere.)
Actually, the tour has already begun, and tomorrow you’ll all get to read the first review of SS&D over on Erinn’s blog, where there will be another chance to enter the contest!
Just to top it off, you’ll get five chances to enter the contest this week! Each day a different blog is going to feature Susan and SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY, and she has even done a couple of guest posts for us. I’ll be linking to them here every morning, so make sure you pay attention!
Now, what would an ARC Tour be without an author interview? Susan was kind enough to answer some questions for me, so read on to see what she has to say about her experience with SS&D.
What would you say was your favorite part of writing SS&D?
Honestly, I think writing was a nightmare! My early drafts were so bad. Just BAD. But revising–now that’s where I enjoy the book process! Rewriting and finally getting to the heart of the story I meant to tell, finally finding Eleanor’s voice, finally isolated how Eleanor finds her strength in the face of nightmares (zombies! Spirits! OH MY!)–I learned so much about myself during that process.
I know you did many revisions to the story, and I know revisions as a whole are not an easy undertaking, but did you have a round that stands out as the most difficult? What helped you work through that?
The first round was probably the hardest in terms of work load. The story was just NOT the story I’d intended to tell. It was sort of fluffy, two-dimensional, and just…wrong. I wanted a dark story (I mean, people are dying–it’s not a “light” topic!), wanted a heroine that moved from a place of naivety to a position of experience. A place of dependence to INdependence.
The final rounds (round ten? Twelve? SO MANY, CANNOT EVEN COUNT! ) were also extremely hard because I was so burned out on the story, so tired of revising, so SICK of going back through those 400 pages. BUT, I also knew the book wasn’t where it needed to be. It needed more polish, needed all loose ends and subplots tied up, needed a smash-bang ending, etc. So I kept on powering through until I felt I’d made the book the absolute best it could possibly be. (And you did a fantastic job, by the way.)
Your journey through the publication process was fierce and fast, I know. What was it like for you during the time of getting an agent and a book deal?
A WHIRLWIND! I was on vacation and barely had access to the internet when I was querying. I figured I wouldn’t hear from anyone for a while, so I sent out my queries and then went off to the south of France for a week…only to get requests for fulls the same day! Then a few days later, I got my first offer of representation.
Once I decided to sign with Nancy Coffey Literary, we went through a quick round of revisions, and two weeks later, I went on subs. I was pretty nervous, obsessively checking my email, trying to do ANYTHING but think of my book in editors’ hands.
Fortunately, I didn’t have too stress out too long. Harper made an offer six days later, and after a day of negotiations, I was an official HarperTeen gal!!
Honestly, I feel like my luck with that book all boils down to two things: how much I revised the book before I even began querying (I totally over-revised! But maybe my perfectionism paid off…er right?) and timing. The premise for Something Strange and Deadly was exactly what my editor was looking for at that exact moment, so it was all very “stars aligning”, you know? I realize exactly how lucky I am with all this!
Now, since you’ve only got a few more months before SS&D is out in the wild, what are you planning to do to celebrate? Champagne for sure, right?
Champagne for SURE! Haha. I have a very fancy-shmancy bottle that I’ve been saving for years for a “special” occasion…but I didn’t drink it when I got married, nor after I sold the book–they just weren’t special enough events! But perhaps the actual release will be special enough.
I think I’ll also try to have a launch party and just spend time with my family, friends, and writing buddies. Something low-key, relaxing, and FUN! And perhaps with…steampunk costumes?!
That sounds like loads of fun, Sooz! Thank you so much for contributing to our event this week, answering questions, and being generally awesome.
Here’s what you guys need to do…fill out the form below to enter the contest. That’s it! Easy as pie. (It is only open for US residents though, sorry guys. Shipping times and all.)
Now, if you’d like to help us get the word out, we’d really appreciate your tweets/blogging/facebooking or whatever method you prefer. It’s not required, but tweeting will earn you extra entries.
I will be announcing winners next week! Good luck!
Blurb from Goodreads: “From the shadowy banks of the River Thames to the wild and windswept coast of Yorkshire, the quintessential Victorian virgin Mina Murray vividly recounts in the pages of her private diary the intimate details of what transpired between her and Count Dracula—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair and her rebellion against a force of evil that has pursued her through time.”
I was so excited to score this super-fantastic ARC (Thanks to Doubleday!!). The novel is set to debut August 10, 2010, and let me tell you — you want it.
First of all — the cover! *gushes* I absolutely adore the cover. Then I started reading, and I got that shivery feeling of awe from the very first sentence. I was hooked.
The first chapter was a bit disturbing, as it is an attempted rape scene. Really, the whole book is very sexual, so if that’s not your taste then stay far away. I’m not a romance reader, and in my YA I usually like it kept pretty clean, but this isn’t YA.
I’m not sure what I’d call this to be honest. Paranormal romance? A romantic historical fiction? Is that even a genre?
Who cares, I loved it. For me, reading this book was like eating a box of delicate dark chocolates. The writing is superb, the prose enchanted me from the start.
This is her own rendition of Dracula. She took the same characters, twisted it around, put the story in Mina’s perspective, and gave a fresh look to a classic tale.
The blurb: “In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.”
This is a novel that you devour in one sitting and spend the next few days thinking back on. It is haunting and beautiful, heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. This is the kind of book that makes you question yourself, and really think twice.
A book hasn’t affected me like this in a very long time. I was weary of reading it to be honest, I’m quite emotional when it comes to kids, and wasn’t sure I could handle the premise. The thing is, the story is written in such a way that,…moreThis is a novel that you devour in one sitting, and spend the next few days thinking back on. It is haunting and beautiful, heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. This is the kind of book that makes you question yourself, and really think twice.
A book hasn’t affected me like this in a very long time. I was weary of reading it to be honest. I’m quite emotional when it comes to kids, and I wasn’t sure I could handle the premise.
The thing is, the story is written in such a way that, while sad, I didn’t cry. I felt like an observer — not a part of Mia’s world. It really helped to have that distance, because while I was emotionally invested in the story, I didn’t feel like the author was making my heart break just to keep my attention. She didn’t have to. And the result was this phenomenal, life-changing novel about Mia’s choice to live or die. It really will leave you wondering, “What would I do?” This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. Honestly. And I feel like I could read it 100 more times and never get tired of it, always come away with a new lesson.
The ladies over at YAHighway are taking a break from Road Trip Wednesday this week to offer some fabulous prizes! They are celebrating their one year blogiversary! Make sure to visit them!
So, I thought I’d throw my own question out there. Feel free to answer it on your blog or in the comments! If you post it on your blog, let me know and I’ll link you in my post.
Who is your literary crush? Can be fictional character, Author, Poet…anyone! (Or several if you’re like me and can’t choose just one.)
I could never choose just one, so here are the people I love and why (in no particular order):
Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games, need I say more?
JK Rowling- Yeah, Harry Potter, again- need I say more?
David- From Aprilynne Pike’s Wings and Spells- He is the sweetest, most adorable fictional boyfriend, like, ever.
Peeta- Because he’ll go to any end to save you should you ever wind up in, oh ya know — a situation where everyone is out to kill you.
Juliette Marillier- Have you read her Sevenwaters books? Run-now-read. (The first is the best, but the others are great as well.) The way she writes is just…amazing…I really don’t know how else to put it. Her books wrap you in a spell and don’t let go. Ever.
Po- From Graceling- He’s another really great good-guy love interest who would do anything to save you if you ever found yourself say — being chased by a psycho king bent on controlling you with his words.
This is the second installment in the Wings trilogy.
Blurb: “Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger–and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever. When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?”
This is a light, fun-hearted story that really centers around Laurel, David, and Tamani. Much like its predecessor Wings the battle for Avalon is more of a secondary plot to the love triangle that Laurel struggles with.
I really loved that we got to experience Avalon and learn more about the faeries. The twists Aprilynne put on fae folklore were really interesting.
Laurel grows even more in this book than the last, finally coming into her own and not depending so much on others to set her life before her. Which is great. Maybe it gives teenagers that kick of, “Hey, this is my life, I need to do what I love.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, laughed out loud at several parts, and tried desperately to figure out where it would go next. Warning: It leaves you wanting more.
Definitely something I’d recommend, and I look forward to book #3!
Which one should I read for next week? I’m trying to decide between If I Stay and Before I Fall.
Blurb: “The Order – the mysterious group her mother was once part of – is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence’s burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.”
I couldn’t put it down. 800 plus pages, be darned! It was an enthralling read.
Felicity is definitely what made the story for me. She was such a vibrant character and we really got to learn a lot about her in this book. Finally we understand her motivations that had only been hinted at before. And Poppy warriors scare me. I’ll take the gargoyle from the roof thankyouverymuch.
It’s an enchanting world with issues that cross the boundaries of normal YA literature right into your living room. Clear your calendar. You’ll be reading.
You should also check out agent Nathan Bransford’s Query System Experiment. He posted 5 random queries which were voted on, and then a 30 page sample of the stories to be voted on as well. It was to determine if the querying system is effective in choosing stories that sell based on such a short word count.
There was also an interesting post on DGLM’s blog about writing manuals and if they really are effective. I, personally, only ventured into the writing manual section once I had a completed manuscript. The books I’ve used have been on structure and expectations of agents and publishers in general. There are a lot of interesting comments on the post as well.
Was there anything epically awesome that I missed this week? If so, please share!
I read Wings over the weekend and really enjoyed it. This is more of a soft story. The coming of age and, well, learning you’re a faerie. “Laurel discovers she is a faerie, sent among humans to protect the gateway to Avalon. Thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she’s torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to each world. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.“Aprilynne’s Website
Most of the book is about Laurel’s discoveries about herself and who she really is. And, trust me, they are mesmerizing enough to keep the pages turning. It will leave you satisfied and looking forward to Spells, the next book in the series.
Anna Dressed in Blood
Here it is!
(The only people seeing your address will be me and the person shipping the book to you, so it won’t be broadcast into the stratosphere.)
