I'm back!

Alright, admittedly I am a slacker. Not just in writing here, but in reading generally. This summer I held four jobs and, therefore, had little time to spend with books with the intention of reviewing them. I promise that I will, one day, put up an entire list of my favorites with short summaries and ratings.

For now, I just finished reading an ARC of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare! By looking at that exclamation point, I assure you that I am pretty excited about this book! Review to come soon!

Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, & Lauren DeStefano CONTEST!

Like I mentioned in my last post, I had several goodies from the Clare-Black-DeStefano signing... I don't need all this stuff for myself... so you're all in luck :D I have:



THREE promotional posters for the Books of Wonder event, SIGNED by all three of the authors!






Postcards [an unopened pack] between Magnus and Alec on their world travels (mentioned in City of Fallen Angels) and the others in NYC... oddly about a Malec wedding... [These are HILARIOUS!]




TWO sets of Curse Workers postcards with slogans - if you've read Red Glove then you'll find these familiar!






A double-preview with chapters from Holly's Black Heart and Cassie's Clockwork Prince!





A preview from Book Two of The Chemical Garden Trilogy, SIGNED by Lauren DeStefano!






For those keeping track, that is EIGHT items to be given away! Want to win one of them? Here's what you need to do!

TO ENTER: (only available to people in the USA)

+Follow my book review blog: The Pages of Brooks

+Comment on this entry [yes, I will be making sure you are a follower!] with the book you are most excited to read from these authors!
+LEAVE YOUR EMAIL in the comment so I can contact the winners!

+Spread the word about this contest give-away. You can easily copy: http://dft.ba/-pgsobrooks :and paste it wherever you wish

Winners will be chosen RANDOMLY on June 1st!

An Evening with Authors, Fans, and Characters (and lots of linking)

Books of Wonder happens to be the place I went to my first book signing and where I first met Cassandra Clare in real life :D Very fond memories.

Tuesday, May 3rd was Cassie and Holly Black's only appearance in New York City for the spring, so of course I had to go; Lauren DeStefano, though little known for now, also tagged along [I'm extremely excited to read Wither]. I'm especially glad I attended because it was one of the most fun signings I've been to - all because of the people I met.

I arrived two hours early and I wasn't even near being the first person to have arrived. Luckily, while I waited for Dorothy Donne (of MundieSource)and Michael Sourcows to arrive, Mitali (from The Alley of Books) recognized me as a friend of Devyn Burton and I clung to her like a fangirl to Robert Pattinson (who wasn't there and won't get a link). Through her, I was introduced to Rachel (The Book Muncher). We three bonded - fun ensued.

It's interesting to see how intense some fans become for their favorite authors. There were plenty of home-made shirts that looked like they took hours; part of me wonders how anyone possibly has the time to be that detailed, but the rest of me already figures that the Fearless Rune Tattoo on my back is proof enough that I'm a fan.

We took our seats LITERALLY right in front of the authors' tables [not creepy at all] and mingled with Vania (known to most for creating book trailers - particularly for City of Fallen Angels). The authors came out like rock stars, but with better shoes. Cassie, Holly, and Lauren each read us an excerpt before moving quickly on to the Q&A segment. In all, we've learned that Magnus's favorite color is sparkle; Lauren doesn't outline her stories at all; Holly could practically run a marathon with the amount of effort she puts into getting the microphone to people. Also, there's a fanbase for Chairman Meow and Church - unexpected, but true!

With big-named authors, the signing part of the event takes forever. I was Number Four 38 and I didn't get to the table until at least 45 minutes after the first person [she arrived at the store at 10am]. Holly gave out wristbands for different kinds of curse working [I chose one for Luck] and a combo preview of Black Heart and Clockwork Prince; Cassie gave postcards between Alec and Magnus on their world travels and those back at the Institute [probably the funniest things I've read. (i.e. Isabelle planning Malec's wedding) - more on these COMING SOON.]; Lauren had little candied sunflower seeds and a preview of her next book as well.

I stalked Robin Wasserman [who promptly asked "Haven't I already signed every book of mine you own?] outside with Barry Goldblatt [agent to practically everyone] and made a fool of myself asking her to sign Zombies vs. Unicorns... which she isn't a part of. She did sign it though, just as Maureen Johnson [which works since MJ signed my Geektastic even though she isn't in that one]. It turns out that Robin will be in a coming anthology that will be released around the same time as a movie next summer... Detailed, right? All Barry would tell me is that the movie has a very hot guy in it and the cover to the anthology will probably be along the same lines - brief mentions of Robin posing in a bikini were given... This is a wonderful rumor - go spread it :P

My night ended by riding on the subway with Jace. You really can't make things like that up.

Now, for Cassie to read the prologue of Clockwork Prince

Also, a much longer version with some conversation with all the authors and their readings. Thanks to VintageBomb for letting me borrow it!

COMING SOON: A contest to win some little things (several autographed) from Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, and Lauren DeStefano.

City of Fallen Angels

by Cassandra Clare

Overall: YYYYY
Action: aaaaa

Comedy: aaaa4

Drama: aaaaa

Romance: aaaaa

Suspense/Mystery: aaaaa

Tragedy/Tear-Worthy: aa4

Explanation of rating

***VAGUE SPOILERS! But, I don't think, anything too horrible >.> ...But Cassie says SPOILERS so it must be true :P ***

Summary: The story opens with Simon mulling over a cup of coffee about his Vampire Mojo [yes, it does exist]; in the past several weeks since City of Glass ended, he finds himself dating two girls, Isabelle Lightwood [sexy Shadowhunter] and Maia Roberts [nerdy werewolf]. Isabelle meets him at the diner, but their date is cut short when Simon is approached by two blood slaves to a powerful vampire of Manhattan. [Hint: Simon's love-life is pretty much its own blood-sucking demon.]

Camille, a beautiful vampire introduced in TMI's prequel Clockwork Angel, has returned to the city to reclaim her clan that Raphael had coerced from her. She offers Simon a deal to partner with her to remove Raphael - with Simon's Mark of Cain [which comes into action], few vampires would want to go against them. She gives him five days to decide - which happens to be the most drama-filled days of his life [but he's getting used to trouble following him and his friends... kind of]. Not only is Camille after him, but another mysterious power keeps trying to kill him [more than his undead life-style already required].

Meanwhile, Clary has been training to be a Shadowhunter. More than once Jace unintentionally distracts her and [what fans have craved more of from the past three books] several scenes are dedicated Clary and Jace finding it hard to keep their hands off each other [or finding a private room to do so]. With constantly shifting points-of-views, it is learned that Shadowhunters are being killed in Downworlder territories, someone is playing with babies and Demon-blood again, and teenage hormones are becoming trickier. With each of The Mortal Instrument's familiar characters, the past doesn't seem to want to stay in the past, not even for the immortals.

I can't give a jolting final sentence to end this summary, purely because there is no one way to sum up the story. There are so many twists and un-expectations [I was shocked to tears in the last few pages] that you simply have no other choice than to read this book and flail your arms wildly at the end.

"The love that moves the sun and all the other stars.

The kind of love that can burn down the world

or raise it up in glory."

~~~~~~~~~~

Opinion: I have never been so thrown off by an author's answers to questions as greatly as I have with this book. For those of you who follow Cassie Clare on Twitter, you know that she answers fans' questions almost daily - and she answers them truthfully. That's the worst part. Like I mentioned on my own Twitter, she's like a faerie - she doesn't lie to her fans, but she secretly and gleefully enjoys the subtle misconceptions we so willingly fall into. She gave us straight answers, but giggles like a devilish child while doing so. Touche, Miss Clare. Touche.

Was that not enough of an opinion for you? Fine. Here you go:

This book is even more fabulous than Magnus in a sari. With glitter [always with glitter]. Perhaps in South Carolina.

~~~~~~~~~~

For School? (Hey, I'm a teacher, I think about this stuff!) Pretty sure I would make my students read this purely so I can have another hundred people to talk to about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a spoilery review, go over to Mundie Source

WIN from Beth Revis

WINNERS!!!

Yaaaaay! It's over and I want to thank EVERYONE for all the entries and awesome comments! I'm crazy excited that there was so much excitement over this contest :)

(if you missed it, check it out HERE)

Now, on to the winners :D

FIRST PLACE: (winner of I Am Number Four SIGNED by Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron)

paperback.pixie

SECOND PLACE: (winner of an I Am Number Four t-shirt from Hot Topic)

firegirlkw

I used Random.org as a number generator to make my choices truly random... all except a special Third Place winner, who had too awesome of a comment not to reward :P She/he is receiving a surprise second Hot Topic t-shirt (donated by my lovely friend Tara):

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The three winners, please email me ASAP at reachforthestarfish@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can send these prizes out to you right away! Warning: if you do not respond in TWO WEEKS, I will move on to a new winner!

Everyone else, thanks again for entering! Stay following for more book reviews and give-aways!

[edit] Oh god... I totally screwed up trying to clean my inbox on this thing. Definitely just deleted a whole bunch of comments! Ugh. I'm an idiots. Let's hope that these three winners get in touch with me... and if they don't... well.... I'll have to make something up quick. [/idiot] [/edit]

TIME'S UP!

No more entries allowed into my contest to win a copy of I Am Number Four SIGNED by ALex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron!

Good luck to everyone! I will announce and contact the winners soon!!!