I Heart Sam and Dean

Vote for your favorites!

Simplicity=Incredible

I know this isn't book related, but this is just too cool not to share.  For someone like me that can't carry a tune in a bucket, this sounds like sugah!  In our high tech world, don't forget that sometimes simplicity=incredible.  

Help!  I can't stop listening!

Zombie Apocalypses and Losing Our Free Internet

I like zombies, and my free uncensored internet, and if Congress passes the bill allowing websites to be shut down just on the off chance of copyright infringement (see below, seriously) we won't be able to watch cool Youtubes EVAR, and because last week I finished reading Paper Towns by John Green, been thinking about my review, and his Mountain Dew buzzed energetic vlog entries, I've decided to share this with you guys.  I heart me some John Green.  Smart, funny, handsome, and likes zombies...what's not to love?

For those that haven't watched any of his vlogs, check this out.  (3:46 secs)



I totally agree with his number one choice!  What do you think?


And just like I promised:


Did you know there's a bill in Congress that will allow the government to censor the internet?  Check this out by Hank Green, John Green's brother, and sign the petition!

The Hunger Games Latest Trailer

This trailer for The Hunger Games made me shiver, and tears welled in my eyes as Katniss volunteers for Prim.  The haunting four notes at the end, Rue's whistle, makes my heart ache.  Who has two thumbs and will be a sobbing, snotty mess during the movie?  This girl.



Jennifer Lawrence nails Katniss Everdeen, delivering strong gut-twisting, emotional scenes.  OMG.  It's torture waiting for this movie. Want. It. Now.

Initially I wasn't impressed by Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark but now I think he can totally pull it off.  Lenny Kravitz as Cinna doesn't feel like a good fit to me; he's not as charasmatic as my perception of Cinna.

What do you think of the latest trailer, and the actors?

Uncle Jack: A Great Five Minute Short

Please, just take 5 minutes and watch this great short film, Uncle Jack, by Jamin Winans.  It's been a favorite of mine on youtube for a while.

Jamin Winans also wrote and directed Ink, a supernatural sci-fi fantasy movie.  I watched it on Netflix, and was impressed by its strangeness.  Very cool stuff if you like to travel off the beaten.

Bella's Baby Bump: Exclusive

 Here's an exclusive Breaking Dawn Bella Bump teaser, with Bella looking quite pale and sickly, definitely not the usual pregnancy glow.  Opens in theaters November 18th. 

The full theatrical trailer will premiere Tuesday, 9/13 at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT, on Yahoo! Movies.

And just in case anyone's missed it: 

Excited?  Will you see Breaking Dawn on opening night?

Most Popular Book on the Beach, Unofficially

I just got back from a much needed vacation at the beach where I was able to do two of my favorite things.  Read and relax.   I lost myself in Harry Potter world, and whenever the heat got to bake my brain temperature, I'd walk in the surf, peeking at the books everyone else was reading.  Then I had an epiphany.  Or possibly heat stroke, I don't know which, but I decided to conduct unofficial research to find the most popular book on the beach!  Fun, right?  I could get friends and family to help.  NOT.

But I would not be deterred.  It was a good idea.  I slathered on SPF, put on my straw chapeau and set out on my own to gather information.   Of course, I didn't want to appear weird weirder than I am , so I tried to be sleuthy and non-chalant about it which is really difficult when you're the only one on the beach craning, squinting and stooping to read book titles.  Adding to the difficulty, the author's name often appears much larger on the cover than the title.  My research lasted only a few miles (I wasn't wearing a watch) but I still think the findings are fun.

Beach reads are often considered light reading.  Most books were paperback, and I only saw two eReaders.  James Patterson, Amanda Quick, Tess Gerritsen, Anita Shreve and Fern Michael's were uber popular.  One person was reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as I was.  Two people were reading Game of Thrones by George Martin.  I saw Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, and Impulse by Ellen Hopkins.  I spied Helter Skelter, the story of the Manson murders, under the same umbrella with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  One person was reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

But which title did I glimpse most often?  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins takes the lead with a whopping eight adult readers.

With filming of The Hunger Games underway, excitement over the series hasn't waned.  Its fan base is increasing.   Check out this awesome Hunger Games youtube video.  I'm not ashamed to admit I burst into tears.  It's not the actors in the actual movie, but it's professionally made.  I can't wait.



So what'd you think of the video?  What book did you take on vacation this summer?

Be well, and happy reading,

Creepy Book Trailer: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Looking for something a little different to read this summer?  Amazon named "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs best book for young adults for the month of June, and you just might want to read it before the movie release.  After a heated auction, Twentieth Century Fox snatched up the rights, but there's no mention of dates, actors or director.   All the buzz has piqued my curiosity.  It's gotta be good, right?


The author recently went to Belgium to shoot this goosebumpy trailer for his novel.  What do you think?

What is J.K. Rowling Up to Now?

J.K. Rowling is up to something!  She admits the latest project isn't another Harry Potter book, but could it be a MMORPG where we can play Quidditch together, and practice wizardry?  Or could it be something way more awesome... a Potter theme park to rival Disney World?

Check out Pottermore and click on the owls to see the mysterious countdown for yourself.

So what do you think?

Lauren DeStefano, Author of Wither, Talks About Goodreads

On her Vlog, Lauren DeStefano talks about Goodreads and the effects of reading reviews of her book, Wither. Funny. I've never heard of the book, but I enjoy reading debut authors. The book sounds intriguing.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a fun meme for sharing books we received (purchased, borrowed, found, received from publishers, or a two-foot traveling book troll just passing through whose rucksack was too heavy, etc.) during the week.

Purchased:

The Medusa Amulet by Robert Masello

Department 19 by Will Hill (YA debut novel)

Rotters by Daniel Kraus (YA)

I'm very excited about all of these wonderful books. Read them? Comments?

What books found their way into your hands this past week?

Ireland Here We Come!

Tomorrow we're off to Ireland for 12 days! I can't wait to finally see the Emerald Isle after reading so much about it and enjoying Irish poets and authors for years.

We'll definitely be busy, traveling from coast to coast and back again. And don't I wish Jericho Barrons was for real- Barrons Books and Baubles would be my first stop! I was going to buy tickets to a reading by Seamus Heaney-real and definitely more literary-but so not the same. I admit it, I'm shallow. I'll take a Guinness and my fantasy, please!

Now don't forget about my Monday giveaways! They'll resume when I get back.

Happy reading, everyone, and enjoy the Gerard Butler vids! They're two of my favorite scenes from the movie PS I Love You. Although he's Scottish, he plays one hot singing, dancing leprechaun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2bNw1FU9i0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDgiq21uUhg

Be Surprised!

Talent! I wish I had some. Take a minute and be blown away by the big voices in these little people.

According to Jane by Marilyn Brant

According to Jane, another book I can't wait to read!

I had the pleasure of sitting next to Marilyn Brant during lunch at the RWA conference, and had a lovely discussion about Jane Austen's novels, both agreeing that Pride and Prejudice is our favorite. It wasn't until the end that I found out about her debut novel, According to Jane. It won RWA's Prestigious Golden Heart Award in 2007 and is due in bookstores September 29th.

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". From nowhere comes a quiet 'tsk' of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there. Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go - sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham. Still, everyone has something to learn about love - perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending.

Although Marilyn and I agreed on our favorite novel, there was some debate on the better film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I'm firmly in Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfayden's camp while she votes for Colin Firth, but she does believe that Kiera Knightley's version introduced young people to the story that wouldn't otherwise know about it.

Which is your favorite?

More Like Guidelines Than Actual Rules

Rules become guidelines in Ghostbusters and

Pirates of the Caribbean, two movie classics.

In the Ghostbuster clip, the line is around

1 minute 30 seconds, but the entire scene

is hilarious. Enjoy!

Vampire Diaries Extended Trailer

The Vampire Diaries, a new series from Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson's Creek and Scream and based on the best selling novels by L.J. Smith, will air on Thursday evenings starting this fall at 8 o'clock, the pilot tenatively set for September 10th.

I think I'll give the series a try for two reasons. Every Thursday evening at 9PM I'll already be parked in front of my big screen watching the Winchester boys of Supernatural- Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles- as they fight Lucifer himself in the fifth and final season of the show. So why not start in on the other worldly fun an hour earlier with Ian Somerhalder as Damen Salvatore, the dark, sadistic brother that wants Elena's blood? Er, heart? Vampire Diaries looks like Trueblood for the young adult crowd.

Red Sage Secrets: Untamed Pleasures, Volume 27

Nicole North, the author of Devil in a Kilt, is the instructor for the online course, Take Your Writing to the Next Level, that I'm enrolled in now.

Here's a video she made for the book, Untamed Pleasures, out in July.

Steamy!

Castle, The Unusuals and Metal Heart

There are only two shows that I'll put books down to watch: ABC's Castle and The Unusuals. They're both great shows.

Castle is about an author in need of a muse, and ends up hanging around with NYPDs Detective Kate Beckett.

The Unusuals is about the quirky, and dangerous events that happen to detectives, personal and on the job. In addition to being a good show, it has excellent music.

I can't find the song played at the end of last night's show, but I did find this one from a previous episode.

Battlestar Galactica: The Final Season

The final season of Battlestar Galactica begins January 16th on the sci-fi channel and we'll soon learn the fate of the last few humans left in the entire universe.


If you look closely, you'll recognize some famous faces. If you haven't watched the show from the beginning, tivo the final season and run, do not walk, to the nearest store and pick up season one on DVD. If you enjoy sci-fi, you'll be glad you did!

I rarely watch television but I do confess to watching Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural, which I lovingly refer to as The Sam and Dean Show. Eye candy that fights all manner of scary, otherworldly creatures. What's not to love? These shows are worth putting a book down for!

Melissa Marr on BlogTalkRadio

Listen to Melissa Marr on BlogTalkRadio!

For a fresh, edgy, and electrifying look at the fantasy genre, join New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr on January 8, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. EST for a YA and Urban Fantasy show on BlogTalkRadio moderated by Eos Executive Editor, Diana Gill. Listen to Melissa Marr discuss Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and her upcoming novel Fragile Eternity. Call (347) 826-9684 to ask questions live during the show!


Watch Melissa Marr's interview filmed in San Diego. I was fortunate enough to have met Melissa Marr and she truly is an awesome, classy woman and her writing continues to be the eloquent standard by which I compare all books fey. I value her literary instincts so last night I purchased Graceling by Kristin Cashore simply because of her comment on the back. If she loved it and shares it with her daughter, it must be good. Melissa Marr, my favorite. Can you tell?