Author Archives: Laura

• NPR’s Best YA Novels

  Posted at 8:33 pm by Laura, on August 7, 2012

  I’ve moved into my teeny tiny studio apartment on the east coast, started my new (semi-new…I’m a transfer) job yesterday, and looking forward to graduate school beginning in a month!

  Enough about me – on with the book news!

  Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels – NPR

  It’s almost a cliche at this point to say that teen fiction isn’t just for teens anymore. Just last year, the Association of American Publishers ranked Children’s/Young Adult books as the single fastest-growing publishing category.

  Which is why we were only a little surprised to see the tremendous response that came in for this summer’s Best-Ever Teen Fiction poll. A whopping 75,220 of you voted for your favorite young adult novels, blasting past the total for last year’s science fiction and fantasy poll at, dare we say it, warp speed.

  And now, the final results are in. While it’s no surprise to see Harry Potter and the Hunger Games trilogy on top, this year’s list also highlights some writers we weren’t as familiar with. For example, John Green, author of the 2012 hit The Fault in Our Stars, appears five times in the top 100.

  I was one of the thousands that participated in this poll, and I’m very pleased to see that all the ones I voted for had made the list! Check this out! Add them to your to-read list on Goodreads!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 1 Comment | Tagged awards, genre: young adult, news, publishing

• Maeve Binchy Dies at 72 – BBC

  Posted at 7:31 pm by Laura, on July 30, 2012

  Maeve Binchy Dies at 72 — BBC

  This makes me so sad! She was one of my mother’s favorite authors – and a fantastic Irish story-teller.

  If you haven’t read any of her books, I highly suggest you do so now. Circle of Friends and Echoes are my two favorites. She has an honest and open charm in her writing, and her stories are true to life.

  Thank you, Publishers Lunch, for providing the link.

  Posted in books, Link | 1 Comment | Tagged authors, books, news

• Upcoming Books! [28]

  Posted at 12:00 pm by Laura, on July 29, 2012

  

  Hello all! You may have noticed that I’m back from my vacation, as I was able to publish some book reviews. However, the progress of this blog from hiatus back to full news status will take a few more weeks. This coming week I’m preparing my move out east, and then it’ll be a bit before I have internet access full-time again. Graduate school and my whole new life is coming so quickly!

  Meanwhile, I will do my best to publish Upcoming Books and Book Reviews until I’m back in the full swing of things. Thank you for your patience, and for following this blog!

  ~

  Title: The Light Between Oceans
  Author: M.L. Stedman
  Genre: historical fiction
  Publisher: Scribner
  Publishing Date: July 31
  Summary: In 1918, after four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia to take a job as the lighthouse keeper on remote Janus Rock. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes only four times a year and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Three years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel is tending the grave of her newly lost infant when she hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up on shore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the dead man and the infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim the child as their own and name her Lucy, but a rift begins to grow between them. When Lucy is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world…and one of them is desperate to find her lost baby.

  ~

  Title: The Brontës: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters
  Author: Juliet Barker
  Genre: nonfiction
  Publisher: Pegasus Books
  Publishing Date: August 1
  Summary: In a revised and updated edition, the real story of the Brontë sisters, by distinguished scholar and historian Juliet Barker.
  The story of the tragic Brontë family is familiar to everyone: we all know about the half-mad, repressive father, the drunken, drug-addicted wastrel of a brother, wildly romantic Emily, unrequited Anne, and “poor Charlotte.” Or do we? These stereotypes of the popular imagination are precisely that—imaginary—created by amateur biographers like Elizabeth Gaskell who were primarily novelists and were attracted by the tale of an apparently doomed family of genius.
  Juliet Barker’s landmark book is the first definitive history of the Brontës. It demolishes the myths, yet provides startling new information that is just as compelling—but true. Based on firsthand research among all the Brontë manuscripts and among contemporary historical documents never before used by Brontë biographers, this book is both scholarly and compulsively readable.
  The Brontës is a revolutionary picture of the world’s favorite literary family.

  Beyond beyond BEYOND excited for this one!!! If I was working on a literature PhD, it would be Brontë studies! To see Barker’s ranking of the novels, see this link.

  Posted in Upcoming Books | 2 Comments | Tagged genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: nonfiction, upcoming books

• Book Review: “The Mermaid” by Carolyn Turgeon

  Posted at 10:57 am by Laura, on July 26, 2012

  

  The Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon

  Princess Margrethe has been hidden away while her kingdom is at war. One gloomy, windswept morning, as she stands in a convent garden overlooking the icy sea, she witnesses a miracle: a glittering mermaid emerging from the waves, a nearly drowned man in her arms. By the time Margrethe reaches the shore, the mermaid has disappeared into the sea. As Margrethe nurses the handsome stranger back to health, she learns that not only is he a prince, he is also the son of her father’s greatest rival. Sure that the mermaid brought this man to her for a reason, Margrethe devises a plan to bring peace to her kingdom.

  Meanwhile, the mermaid princess Lenia longs to return to the human man she carried to safety. She is willing to trade her home, her voice, and even her health for legs and the chance to win his heart…

  I had seen so many poor and mediocre reviews for this book, but the cover and the fairy twist kept calling to me. I’ve read Yolen’s “Briar Rose” and Murphy’s “Hansel and Gretel” and really enjoyed those, so I thought I’d give Turgeon a try.

  If I had not been on vacation, I may not have had patience for this book. Simple writing – almost read like a parent telling a bedtime story to a child. The characters were flawed in that they only had one goal in mind, and the main emotions that consumed them were love and jealousy. Margarethe was consumed with love for Prince Christopher (without even truly knowing him at all) and intense jealousy towards Lenia’s mermaid form; Lenia was consumed with love for Christopher (again, without truly knowing him) and jealous of Margarethe’s human form; and Christopher was an arrogant charmer (this is a euphemism for a more blunt and crude word) with no loving qualities whatsoever.

  And yet, I continued reading. It was a dark tale, with vastly different settings and worlds, surrounded with politics, mythology, and religion. I wanted to know the twist, what made this different from Anderson’s (and Disney’s) Little Mermaid. And boy, every difference was a painful one, and quite the shocker. Instead of losing her voice, Lenia loses her tongue. Sacrifices are made, on land and in the sea, for every action Lenia and Margrethe make towards their competition for the prince’s affections. It is not a happy ending, but if one were to experience the story as if it were a legend, then the happier version we know and love could easily be conceivable. We could visualize how the story transformed from “what really happened” to “what I wish had happened.” It was an interesting concept.

  Rating: ★★★
  Goodreads: 3.5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Crossed” by Ally Condie

  Posted at 7:39 pm by Laura, on July 24, 2012

  

  Crossed by Ally Condie

  Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky–taken by the Society to his sure death–only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

  Narrated from both Cassia’s and Ky’s point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.

  This sequel in the Matched trilogy is vastly different from the first, and compelling in a very alternative way. While the first story explores the Society through a methodically clean lens, echoing the feel of Brave New World with its technological advancements, secretiveness, and pills, the second installment is gritty and political, mirroring a Hunger Games feeling of predator and prey, survival, and rebellion.

  Although the political back-and-forth between Ky’s opinions and Cassia’s opinions could become irksome once in a while, I enjoyed the way Condie revealed more and more about the Society’s current situation and history. All the things I was curious about in the first book were answered in the second, and the second has raised questions for the third that are incredibly deep: is there truly a war? Who are they fighting against? How long has this been going on? Who is the Pilot? How will the Pilot lead the rebellion? What is the rebellion composed of? I’m glad these questions were different from my questions after the first book, because it’s a sign that Condie is diving deeper into her dystopian world and revealing truth to her characters and readers.

  Crossed was nothing like I expected, and yet I was not disappointed. If I had read Matched immediately before Crossed I may have felt jarred by the different atmospheres, but the books in-between certainly helped to give the slow pacing Crossed deserved to resemble the passing of time between Ky’s capture and Cassia’s move.

  Rating: ★★★★
  Goodreads: 3.53

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: dystopian, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Meaning of Night” by Michael Cox

  Posted at 5:31 pm by Laura, on July 8, 2012

  

  The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

  After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn’s for an oyster supper.

  So begins the story of Edward Glyver, booklover, scholar, and murderer. A chance discovery convinces Glyver that greatness awaits him. His path to win back what is rightfully his leads him to Evenwood, one of England’s most enchanting country houses, and a woman who will become his obsession.

  I fell in love with the first chapter of this book after reading the summary. It was everything I could ever want in a great novel: Victorian England, gothic setting, murder, mystery, story-telling, love, scandal, the highs and lows of London life — and yet, I could not love this book as much as I wanted to.

  Cox certainly needs to be applauded, though! If Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens were still alive today, I think they would congratulate him on his writing abilities and perfect imitation of literature of the time. Cox wrote this piece as if an editor had discovered a long-lost autobiography, complete with footnotes, snatches of parchment covered in poetry, dreams written down after opium and laudanum intake, and of course, the ability to tell a story in “too many words.” This could certainly have been a serial story if such things still existed today.

  However, as brilliant as the writing is and the thorough research put into this piece, I was saddened by my thoughts as I read it. I kept thinking, when will this end? Just get to the point. Collins and Dickens always had surprises and plot twists and sidebars to keep the readers entertained during the major plot, but Cox seemed to lack this. Everything connected together almost too well. After a while I became less and less sympathetic towards Edward Glyver/Glapthorn (his name changes frequently depending on whom he speaks with) and his mission.

  My favorite moments were moments of Edward’s vulnerability: his time in Evenwood. Every chapter with him there brings about a certain humanity. It’s more than his love for Emily Carteret, it’s more than his revenge on Daunt, and it’s more than his personal connection to the estate. Something about it makes him more human, more likeable, and more vulnerable. I looked forward to those chapters and relished it — sadly, there weren’t enough of them.

  I would recommend this book to history buffs and hardcore Dickens fans, as it contains everything one would love. Sadly, for me, I may have just had extremely high expectations.

  Rating: ★★
  Goodreads: 3.64

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, goodreads, review

• Upcoming Books! [25]

  Posted at 10:45 am by Laura, on July 8, 2012

  

  I will be away the following two Sundays, so there will be no updates for Upcoming Books (or book reviews and publishing news). I have three books here that will be published Tuesday, and one in particular later this month simply because I adore this author. Yes. I can have some bias here!

  ~

  Title: The Absolutist
  Author: John Boyne
  Genre: historical fiction
  Publisher: Other Press
  Publishing Date: July 10
  Summary: It is September 1919: twenty-one-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a package of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, the man he fought alongside during the Great War.
  But the letters are not the real reason for Tristan’s visit. He can no longer keep a secret and has finally found the courage to unburden himself of it. As Tristan recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will–from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain.

  ~

  Title: Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses
  Author: Ron Koertge
  Genre: young adult, fairy tales, short stories
  Publisher: Candlewick Press
  Publishing Date: July 10
  Summary: Once upon a time, there was a strung-out match girl who sold CDs to stoners. Twelve impetuous sisters escaped King Daddy’s clutches to jiggle and cavort and wear out their shoes. A fickle Thumbelina searched for a tiny husband, leaving bodies in her wake. And Little Red Riding Hood confessed that she kind of wanted to know what it’s like to be swallowed whole. From bloodied and blinded stepsisters (they were duped) to a chopped-off finger flying into a heroine’s cleavage, this is fairy tale world turned upside down. Ron Koertge knows what really happened to all those wolves and maidens, ogres and orphans, kings and piglets, and he knows about the Ever After. So come closer
  – he wants to whisper in your ear.

  ~

  Title: Playing With Matches
  Author: Carolyn Wall
  Genre:  fiction
  Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  Publishing Date: July 10
  Summary: Growing up in False River, Mississippi, Clea Shine learned early that a small town is no place for big secrets. Having fled years ago in the wake of a tragedy and now settled with a family of her own, she faces a turning point in her marriage and seeks refuge in the one place she vowed never to return.
  Clea’s homecoming is bittersweet. Reunited with Jerusha Lovemore, the kindly neighbor who raised her, Clea gains a sense of love and comfort, but still cannot escape the ghosts of her past: the abandonment by her disreputable mother, her constant search for belonging, the truth behind that fateful night from long ago. Once outspoken and impulsive, Clea now seeks only redemption and peace of mind. And as a hurricane threatens to hit False River, everything she has tried to forget may finally be exposed once and for all.

  ~

  Title: Broken Harbor
  Author: Tana French
  Genre: mystery
  Publisher: Penguin Group
  Publishing Date: July 24
  Summary: “Scorcher” Kennedy, the brash cop from Tana French’s bestselling Faithful Place, plays by the book and plays hard. That’s what’s made him the Murder squad’s top detective—and that’s what puts the biggest case of the year into his hands.
  On one of the half-built, half-abandoned “luxury” developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care.
  At first, Scorcher and his rookie partner, Richie, think it’s going to be an easy solve. But too many small things can’t be explained. The half dozen baby monitors, their cameras pointing at holes smashed in the Spains’ walls. The files erased from the Spains’ computer. The story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder who was slipping past all the locks.
  And Broken Harbor holds memories for Scorcher. Seeing the case on the news sends his sister Dina off the rails again, and she’s resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family one summer at Broken Harbor, back when they were children.

  Posted in Upcoming Books | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, upcoming books

• In Supreme Court Filing, Libraries Say Decision in Wiley Suit Threatens Lending Rights – PW

  Posted at 10:30 am by Laura, on July 6, 2012

  In Supreme Court Filing, Libraries Say Decision in Wiley Suit Threatens Lending Rights — Publisher’s Weekly — Andrew Albanese

  In a recent interview with PW, lawyer Jonthan Band, who authored the LCA brief, said a ruling upholding the Second Circuit’s interpretation of First Sale would be “a blow to the heart of the library enterprise,” because it would mean libraries conceivably could not lend books that were  printed abroad. “Not only books from foreign publishers,” Band explained, “but American-published books that are merely printed overseas.” The LCA brief notes that a significant portion of U.S. library collections consist of resources that were manufactured overseas, and more than 200 million books in U.S. libraries have foreign publishers.

  Read on for more of the legalities. It’s incredibly to interesting to see how ebook lending and publishing can help some areas of the book business and harm others.

  Posted in books, library, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, library, magazine, news, technology

• Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books – PaidContent

  Posted at 9:14 pm by Laura, on July 5, 2012

  Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books. Will readers bite? — paidContent — Laura Hazard Owen

  Twenty-six percent of Simon & Schuster’s sales are now digital, and the QR codes are seen as a way to link digital and print. The codes “make it easy for consumers to visit our site and hopefully subscribe to one of our newsletters,” S&S chief digital officer Ellie Hirschhorn wrote in a recent email to employees. Scanning the QR code on a book ”will bring the consumer to the author’s mobile page on S&S.com where they can sign up for an email, browse the author’s other books and watch video.” Jackets will also include a printed link to the author’s website “so consumers without smartphones or QR scanners could still easily find the author’s page.”

  Personally, I’m not sure it will catch on. QR codes still remain somewhat of a mystery to most Americans – and those who are aware of it rarely whip out their smart phones to scan things. What do you think?

   

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 1 Comment | Tagged books, news, publishing, technology

• JKR’s “The Casual Vacancy” Cover Revealed!!!

  Posted at 8:19 am by Laura, on July 3, 2012

  Click here! Just click here! It’s so simple it’s brilliant!

  Thank you, Hachette Book Group / Little, Brown!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, news, publishing

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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