Bookmark Binge: October 21, 2012

Can't get enough of...

The Assassin's Curse?
Check out the newly released cover art for the sequel The Pirate's Wish. (PS. That's a manticore!)
Cassandra Rose Clarke's blog tour had a lot of fun posts including: a hypothetical movie cast, her favorite fictional pirates, and the development that went into deciding Ananna would be a pirate.

The Girl Most Likely? 
It's going to be a film and Rebecca Sparrow tweeted that Rachel has been cast!
I can't wait to hear who Rachel and Zoe are. You can follow the news on their FB page.

Look at all these links lying around...
This YA book cover themed wedding shower card is hilarious (via That Cover Girl)
Don't miss Belle's close encounter with Craig Silvey.
Check out The Reclusive Reader Battle of the Covers for Graffiti Moon. (Maggie actually owns 3/4 of the versions in the battle!)

Upcoming Reviews and Reads...
Maggie has been plowing through our The Readventurer She Made Me Do It challenge like there's no tomorrow but I managed to get on the score board this week by finishing book one in my challenge.  I'll optimistically add the other two books as "coming soons":
  

How about you Maggie?
I finished the White Cat audiobook but didn't love Jesse Eisenberg as the narrator. Once I uncurl from the fetal position, I'll be reviewing Quintana of Charyn. Quintana was unquestionably my most anticipated book this year. I'll also review the final book of The Readventurer challenge and hopefully start another fantasy series by the author of Code Name Verity.

Our Bookstagram Life: October 19, 2012

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YAA Soundtrack: Graffiti Moon

By Noelle

If you scroll through my favorite books on Goodreads, chances are I have a soundtrack for them on my iPod.  And like any music-obsessed person, I live to force my favorite songs on others.  For any other playlist aficionados out there who enjoy making and listening to book-themed soundtracks, you've come to the right place!  We will occasionally be posting links to playlists from my personal soundtrack collection. 

Oh, Graffiti Moon.  I love you so.  With this soundtrack I mostly went for a fun night of adventure theme and tried to find songs that are bittersweet, hopeful or full of sweet anticipation.  Hope you enjoy!

Take a listen to the grooveshark playlist or check out the track listing and liner notes below:

1. Some Nights - fun: Yup. Starting out with the most overplayed song on the radio right now! Posting these playlists 6-8 months after I originally make them is really working out for me.  (True story: this just came on my work's Light Rock, Less Talk station while I was writing this post.  Ag!)

2. Gentle Roar (Mylo mix) - Niki and the Dove 

3. Our Braided Lives - Matt Pond PA 
It must be you and me were made for night. / ‘Cause there’s streetlights showing off inside your eyes,
[...] Far below the knowing ceiling sky / The night will end / The dark will leave.

4. Sail - AWOLNATION: This one is for Ed and Leo.

5. The Prayer - Bloc Party: My Lucy/Shadow (and his identity crisis) song.

6. Colours - GROUPLOVE

7. Paris - Kate Nash
You can stand on your own two feet, you can lead me through the streets
Pave the way, so we can dream dreams, no one else can see what you made me see
[...]
You said you'd lend me anything, I think I'll have your company 

8.Momentum - The Hush Sound: Reading the lyrics to this song has me convinced it could have been written about Graffiti Moon.  It's got references to it all--punches, the bike riding scene, FEELINGS.  Everything.

9. Embers - Just Jack: Noelle Trivia! This song has three of my favorite things in a song: violins, handclaps and a round.

10.  Young Blood (slow version) - The Naked and Famous

11. Shake It Out - Florence and the Machine 

Thanks for listening! Did I do it any justice?  Do you have any favorite books that are just dying for a soundtrack?

YAA Art Projects: Graffiti Moon

by Noelle

As many of you know, I just loved Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley.  Loooooved it.  It's pretty much spray painted on my heart.  (See what I did there??? But it's TRUE!)  And as my Goodreads friends know, I found Graffiti Moon very artistically inspiring:

Like I said, this is old news for the Goodreads crew, but since I haven't posted it on the blog yet and since I'm posting a Graffiti Moon Soundtrack (this afternoon!),  I figured, what the hell, it was time for another YAA Art Project post.  

I painted this in honor of Graffiti Moon's US release back in February 2012.  I call it "I Want to Collide" after one of my favorite quotes from Graffiti Moon:  “Mum says when wanting collides with getting, that's the moment of truth. I want to collide."

Here it is!

Another favorite quote from the book is: "For a while, for as long as you're looking at it, that painting is the world and you get to be in it."  As you can see, to me, Graffiti Moon was that work of art and what a pleasure it was to spend time in it's world.  Thanks for the inspiration, Cath Crowley!

Rory Curtain Review: The MacGregor Grooms by Nora Roberts

Behind the Rory Curtain: Where the smut hangs out in Stars Hollow (and YA Anonymous).

Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
The Assassin's Curse #1
Reviewed by Noelle on October 15, 2012
Published October 2, 2012 by Strange Chemistry
Goodreads • Buy on Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository

This is an accurate portrayal of me after reading The Assassin's Curse:



In fact. You know, what? Hit it:

Ananna is a pirate, born and raised 

and on the high seas is where she spends her days.  

Sword fightin', riggin', stealing your loot.  

Handy with a lie and a knife in her boot.    

All she wants is to travel to distant lands, 

but her mom and pop are plotting marriage plans.

She'll take adventure over a relationship, 

so on the big day gives her fiance the slip.

She has no idea just what trouble she's in, 

turns out he wasn't joking about that assassin.

Naji's an assassin with a capital A.  

He's got a new target, he's stalking his prey.

He's the shadow behind her in the dead of night, 

knows eighty ways to kill, never lost a fight.

All covered in blood magic, scars and tattoos. 

He'll meet her in the desert for a midnight duel.

But versus Ananna, he experiences a first: 

instead of an easy kill they both get cursed.

Enemies become allies if only to survive.  

The Curse is Impossible but they still have to try... 

Dance Break!

I'm sorry.  I'm not sorry.  This book was so much fun!

There are few things I like better than reading about two adversaries forced to become allies in pursuit of some higher goal.  When Ananna accidentally triggers a curse binding herself with her would-be assassin, Naji, they quickly become one of my most favorite Buddy Cops of Convenience of all time.   The awkward teamwork!  The reluctant bonding! The coordinated sword fights!  Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter!

What makes this particular team so perfect is that both sides of the partnership hold equal weight.  You'd think that might be hard to pull off with one side being a legendary blood magic assassin and all, but Ananna is no wilting flower either.  In fact one of the most enjoyable parts of the book for me was how often Ananna nonchalantly saved Naji's ass.  Perfect heroine is perfect.  Etc. Etc.

As much as I enjoyed this first book, I can already tell the sequel is going to be even better.  I cannot wait to get my greedy hands on it.  As is, though, The Assassin's Curse is a gem and has the perfect blend of hijinks and high stakes.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Warning: I bought the paperback and the back cover copy includes developments that happen within the last 10 pages or so of the book so just go ahead and stick with the Goodreads summary if you don't want to know the set up for the next book until you get there.

Bookmark Binge: October 14, 2012

So...it's been awhile but instead of shame spiraling we are making up for lost time!

Can't get enough of...

Friday Brown?
Read Vikki Wakefield's Story of My Book at Readings.
There is another great interview with Vikki from ALPHA Reader.
Listen to Wakefield discuss Friday Brown and teen fiction in general on ABC Adelaide.

Clara in Washington?
There aren't many reviews of out there, but I really like this one by My Girl Friday.
I also liked seeing an actual copy of the book with its gorgeous cover on Bean There, Read That.

Unspoken?
Don't miss the two short stories of the Unspoken universe: The Spring Before I Met You and The Summer Before I Met You
Sleeps With Monsters: Sarah Rees Brennan answers Six Questions for Tor.com.
SRB talks with the designer of that beautiful, beautiful cover on her blog.
SRB's tumblr is a ton of fun as well complete with fancasting and fan art and series news!

Look at all these links lying around...
This slideshow by Entertainment Weekly of TV Faves reimagined as kid fiction cracked me up.
At the Hairpin: Things to Ban Instead of Commonly Banned Books (thanks for the link, sis!)

And if you're wondering what we'll be reading soon...
Check out our She Made Me Do It Reading Challenge over at The Readventurer!