Bookmark Binge: March 18, 2013

Can't get enough of...

Six Impossible Things?

Reynje of Wordchasing takes us on a tour of Dan Cereill's Melbourne. Look at all the gorgeous pictures, which Rey takes herself! This is the first post in her YA Guide to Melbourne series.

Inkcrush is such a treasure trove of Aussie YA. Nomes has a recommendation list that I refer to constantly. She also has a fantastic interview with Fiona Wood. Originally given in 2010, Fiona talks about her second book (which was called Pulchritude then) and a possible US release of Six Impossible Things. Three years later, both are happening and I couldn't be more thrilled. Fiona also shares her YA recommendations. Speaking of her second book though...

Look at all these links lying around...

Wildlife, one of my Most Anticipated Books of 2013, finally has a cover! And a blurb from Melina Marchetta!!

The cover was posted by Fiona on her Twitter. Melina's blurb says, "A beautifully crafted novel with achingly real characters that I couldn't get out of my head."

There wasn't much information on Wildlife when we posted our Most Anticipated list, but we finally have a blurb via Publisher's Weekly:

It’s the story of two teen girls – one still reeling from the death of her boyfriend, and the other, the reluctant model for a new ad campaign who is trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be; they meet during a semester in the wilderness and learn about friendship, loyalty and love.

I know I'm excited. Wildlife will be released in Australia on June 1, 2013 according to her publisher's website, and in the US in the summer of 2014.

In other cover news, Vikki Wakefield's Friday Brown (reviewed by Noelle) has a UK cover. Vikki shared it on her Twitter. It will be published by Hot Key Books on July 4, 2013. What do you think of the new cover?

How does it compare to the original (on the right), designed by the incomparable WH Chong?  According to Vikki, a US cover already exists.

Friday Brown will be released in the States as Friday Never Leaving by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on September 10, 2013.

Continuing with the Aussie invasion -- is it an invasion if it's welcomed with open arms? -- Simmone Howell's Girl Defective, another of our Most Anticipated Books, was sold to American publisher Atheneum and will also be released in the US.

I'm in love with this cover so I'll be curious to see how Atheneum changes it. Did you notice the slight tweak Pan Macmillan Australia made to the final cover (on left)?

Alpha Reader recently interviewed Simmone about Girl Defective, and I can't find out what the animal heads mean.


Upcoming Reads and Reviews:

Maggie:

Noelle:

Review: Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood
Reviewed by Maggie: March 15, 2013
Originally reviewed on August 19, 2011
Published August 1, 2010 by Pan Macmillan Australia
Goodreads • Buy at Fishpond • To be published in US




I first read Six Impossible Things in August of 2011 after seeing Cath Crowley's review. When one of my favorite authors loves a book, I seek out said book. I'll stop at nothing, including 3 international calls to Australia, a PayPal Australia account, and begging. It all worked out in the end because I adored this book. This past Christmas, it was the book I chose to give out to members of my book club.

I am so thrilled it will be published in the United States later this year, and that more people will be able to read it -- without international begging even! I reviewed it on goodreads in 2011 and I'm reposting it here.

• • •

Meet Dan Cereill.

Fourteen, smart, and totally adorkable.

He’s also dealing with:
1. His parents’ divorce
2. ...on account of his father being gay.
3. Having to move and start a new school
4. ...because dad lost their savings.
5. Trying to shed his loser image and impress the girl next door
6. ...as he ends up answering to ‘dickhead’ in front of her on the first day of school.

Needless to say, things aren’t going well. After moving into his deceased aunt's house, the person he talks to the most is Howard, the judgmental poodle who came with the house.

Still, he has a list of six things, six seemingly impossible things, that he revisits and uses as a reference point to get through each day. For example, in order to cheer up his mom (#3 on the list), he confronts the school bully, Jayzo, about crank calling his house/mom's business.

Yeah, it doesn't work for Dan either.

Even as I cringed for him, I just wanted to give Dan a hug. I was cheering for him the whole way through and hoping that he'd end up taking the girl to the dance at the end.

This was so witty and heartwarming. I would be surprised that this is a debut novel except that the author is Australian. I appreciated how she tackled social issues such as homophobia without being heavy-handed or having her character rant on and on. Dan is also prone to typical 14-year-old petulance, but I loved his character's development. There was such a sweetness to how he liked Estelle.

This book took me some effort to get (Don't even get me started on Paypal vs Paypal Australia!), but it's definitely worth it. Dear Dan, Love you big time!

Rating: 5/5 stars.