Final Friday Interview -- Lisa Mantchev

The Faeries, Mermaids, & Ghosts
along with
Rabid Unicorn, Co.
Are Proud To Present
An Interview With Lisa Mantchev
Starring:
Nicole
Lisa Mantchev, author of Eyes Like Stars

We all know how much I adored Lisa Mantchev's Eyes Like Stars, and it's no secret that I adore Lisa just as much. Funny? You bet. Original? Of course. Awesome? Duh. [review of ELS]

N: 'ello, Lisa! Eyes Like Stars is full of fun and interesting characters. Which one is your favorite?

L: That varies by day and what I'm trying to do with the current work-in-progress. Today, it's all about Bertie, because I get to pick her hair color for Book 3. *L*

N: I do love Bertie, though the faeries are pretty high up on my list. Speaking of chaos causing creatures, what is your zombie apocalypse plan?

L: We live pretty far out in the boondocks, so we'd hole up in the house and keep an eye on the driveway, because I don't think the zombies can shamble through the forest. Also, dynamite. Lots of dynamite.

N: Don't let the faeries touch the dynamite... Now, in order to write Eyes Like Stars, you had to have a substantial knowledge of plays. Which play is your favorite?

L: Tricky, tricky, tricky... today, I'm thinking it's Phantom of the Opera, but instead of the stage play, that bit of the movie when Gerard Butler is singing "Past the Point of No Return" dressed as Don Juan. Then I shove Christine off the catwalk and kiss him muchly.

Er... Did I just say that out loud?

N: *laugh* I'm not a fan of Phantom myself, but Gerard makes anything amazing. If you could star in any play, which play would it be and who would you play?

L: I would love to play Katharina in Taming of the Shrew again (I played her for a few scenes in my high school senior English class.)

N: Ah, high scho-quick, write me a haiku.
L:
It is the morning
I need more coffee to live
And not slap someone

N: Ew, coffee. Beatrice loves her theater. What would be your perfect home?

L: One that would clean itself. Seriously. I want a house that you can lock up like a self-cleaning oven.

N: I believe that Disney made a movie like that once. The house turned on it's owners...
N: If I was Beatrice, I would pick Ariel myself, though I love Nate - but who do you prefer, Nate or Ariel?

L: Both, for entirely different reasons. Ariel is ethereal and maddening and it's hard to tell just why he does what he does. Nate is caring and steadfast and stubborn and just bossy enough to make a girl swoon instead of clipping him in the jaw.

N: Agreed. Now, let us review. What is the best way to get glitter from faeries, oh Glitter Queen?

L: Trade cupcakes for it!

N: And if you want emo glitter, feed faeries broccoli. They hate broccoli.
N: BONUS HALLOWEEN QUESTION! What's your favorite candy?

L: I adore the dark chocolate-covered caramels from Trader Joe's. *argledrooool*


*wipes off drool* Thanks for stopping by, Lisa! You rock.

Don't forget to enter the two contests I've got going on here - they end tomorrow night!

A Haiku For You

NaNoWriMo starts
on Sunday. My characters
do not yet have names.


Oh yeah.
Lisa Mantchev will be here tomorrow.
She may have a haiku for you, too.

~Nicole

My NaNoWriMo theme song:

deviantArt

I've mentioned my love of deviantArt on WORD before.

Did I mention how perfect it is for Christmas presents? Buy a couple prints and frame 'em, you've got gorgeous gifts - perfect for, say, college dorms - for your friends.

I, being the obsessive person I am, ordered myself some as well. Mine included:







And that's just to name a few of mine, not even the ones I ordered for my friends.

What pictures would you order for your friends? Would they be book related?

Don't forget, Lisa Mantchev's stopping by WORD this Friday!

~N

Zombie

We see Zombieland - the kick ass zombie killing movie.

We see quite a few zombie books, like



and



Anybody else feeling the Zombie love?


Don't forget to enter the two contests I have on my blog! They end Halloween night...

Lit Drift

Want to see a kick ass website?

Then check out Lit Drift! [link] I mean, come on. Their banner is the zombie version of Romeo and Juliet; the layout is excellent; their fonts rock.

And that's just on appearance.

So check these guys out. They're pretty fierce.

The 39 Steps

And in an act of shameless promotion,
Nicole posted the above clip.

I caught 39 Steps at the Helen Hayes Theater yesterday.

How was it?

BLOODY FANTASTIC. The cast, the plot line, the cast, the jokes, the cast - they were all wonderful. (Did I mention how epically the cast did?) If you guys are in the city and have a chance, snatch up some tickets to see this show. It rocked.

Cupcakes

Your friendly reminder that the amazing Lisa Mantchev will be appearing here, on this blog, this Friday! (That is, if the internet hasn't eaten her email. Again.)

Don't forget to tune in!

DragonRiders of Pern

DragonRiders of Pern
Anne McCaffrey

Dragonflight
After ten long turns, Lessa was ready to come out of hiding, to reclaim her birthright...and to Impress the young dragon queen and become Weyrwoman of Benden.

Suddenly the deadly silver Thread once again threatened all Pern with destruction. But the mighty telepathic dragons that for centuries had defended Pern were now few in number, not nearly enough to protect the planet in its hour of greatest peril. So Lessa hatched a daring and dangerous scheme: Rally support from people who had long ago ceased to exist...

Dragonquest
Another Turn, and the deadly silver Threads began falling again. So the bold dragonriders took to the air once more and their magnificent flying dragons swirled and swooped, belching flames that destroyed the shimmering strands before they reached the ground.

But F'lar knew he had to find a better way to protect his beloved Pern, and he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed any more dissent...before his brother F'nor would be foolhardy enough to launch another suicide mission...and before those dratted fire-lizards could stir up any more trouble!

The White Dragon
A close bond existed between young Lord Jaxom and his white dragon, Ruth. Everyone on Pern thought Ruth was a runt that would never amount to anything. But Jaxom trained his dragon to fly, and to destroy the deadly Threads that fell from the sky.

Undoubtedly one of the best dragon series ever written, Anne McCaffrey's DragonRiders of Pern series paved the way for modern day dragon stories. Her characters are vivid and creative, her world unique and interesting, and her dragons vibrantly crafted.

Out of these first three novels, The White Dragon is my favorite. What can I say, I have a soft spot for the underdog! Ruth is probably my favorite dragon character of all time (followed by Lessa's Ramoth). Jaxom is pretty awesome too - but let's face it, the dragon makes the Rider.

To explain the awesomeness that is this series, I own over fifty of Anne's books. Twenty three of them are the DragonRiders series (though the first three are still the best.) And nobody but me is allowed to touch them. Yes. I'm that protective.

Still uncertain?

I'd choose these over any other dragon book offered to me. Take that, Paolini.

~Nicole

Friday Fronts - The Trouble With Islam Today

As you can tell, this isn't normally the book I look at on this site.

STORY TIME!

My economics teacher, who shall go unnamed for her own sake, is pretty fierce and virtually impossible to describe without confusing you. Those of you who read this and are lucky enough to know her - you know who she is. (I'm not sure if my favorite quote from her so far has been, "I'm not insinuating that Christ was gay..." or "Economics is all about food and sex." But I digress.)

This teacher apparently thinks I'm smart, or at least interesting, and therefore lent me this. I'm all for books and I'm all for learning new things. I'm not going to pretend I'm Muslim (I'm not) but I love differentiated opinions, so I opened the book and started reading. It's a fantastic book so far - I'll get more into it when I give you a review later.

END OF STORY TIME!

Anyway, I love the cover. First off, Irshad Manji is a gorgeous woman.

Then, of course, there is the KISS rule. (Keep it simple, stupid.) This cover follows it rather nicely. One author, one perfectly placed strip of white, simple font, easy color scheme.

A rather plain, but nice, cover, if I do say so mehself.

Until next time 'round!

~ Nicole

Biggest Bookworm

I won Biggest Bookworm of my school's senior superlatives!

-confetti-

I already decided what book I'm posing with for the picture ->
(On another note, did anybody know the next book in the series had come out? It's called Rapture of the Deep - I'm quite excited to read it. 'cept I don't have it. I'm tempted to order it, but... Christmas is so close. Library, maybe? Anybody wanna let me borrow it? Or maybe Houghton Mifflin Harcourt can send me a copy... Just joking! I'm ordering it this week.)

But we all need a quote for beneath the picture.

I could quote a book. I could say, "Beauty and the Beast? My kind of library!" I could say, "I like books. I eat them for breakfast."

But I don't know.

I'll edit the post at the end of the day when I've decided.

Until then, peace out!

~N

Oh, Library

My library got one half of their new shipment of books in today.

My updated NICOLE NEEDS TO READ THIS SOON! list...

Magic lies at the heart of Cassaforte, medieval city of bewitchments and intrigue. Cassaforte is home to sixteen-year-old Risa Divetri, whose fate is about to be decided by the gods.

Risa has led the sheltered life of a nobleman's daughter, but soon she plans to leave home to study the family craft-creating enchanted glass objects. When the gods are consulted to determine which school she will attend, the impossible happens: Risa remains unchosen. The rejection sends Risa into a spiral of shame, anger, and confusion. If she's not meant to be a glass maker, what will she do?

But when Cassaforte's age-old magic begins to unravel and dark forces threaten the kingdom, Risa's fiery spirit and untapped powers take her on a perilous journey—one that will lead her to her true destiny.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces—to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

Maia Morland is pretty, only not pretty-pretty. She’s smart. She’s brave. She’s also a self-proclaimed train wreck.
Leigh Hunter is smart, popular, and extremely polite. He’s also completely and forever in love with Maia Morland.

Their young love starts off like a romance novel—full of hope, strength, and passion. But life is not a romance novel and theirs will never become a true romance. For when Maia needs him the most, Leigh betrays both her trust and her love.
Told with compassion and true understanding, After the Moment is about what happens when a young man discovers that sometimes love fails us, and that, quite often, we fail love.

A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

A war-dragon of Babel crashes in the idyllic fields of a post-industrialized Faerie and, dragging himself into the nearest village, declares himself king and makes young Will his lieutenant. Nightly, he crawls inside the young fey's brain to get a measure of what his subjects think. Forced out of his village, Will travels with female centaur soldiers, witnesses the violent clash of giants, and acquires a surrogate daughter, Esme, who has no knowledge of the past and may be immortal. Evacuated to the Tower of Babel -- infinitely high, infinitely vulgar, very much like New York City -- Will meets the confidence trickster Nat Whilk. Inside the Dread Tower, Will becomes a hero to the homeless living in the tunnels under the city, rises as an underling to a politician, and meets his one true love–a high-elven woman he dare not aspire to. You've heard of hard SF: This is hard fantasy from a master of the form.

Sadima lives in a world where magic has been banned, leaving poor villagers prey to fakes and charlatans. A "magician" stole her family's few valuables and left Sadima's mother to die on the day Sadima was born. But vestiges of magic are hidden in old rhymes and hearth tales and in people like Sadima, who conceals her silent communication with animals for fear of rejection and ridicule. When rumors of her gift reach Somiss, a young nobleman obsessed with restoring magic, he sends Franklin, his lifelong servant, to find her. Sadima's joy at sharing her secret becomes love for the man she shares it with. But Franklin's irrevocable bond to the brilliant and dangerous Somiss traps her, too, and she faces a heartbreaking decision.

Centuries later magic has been restored, but it is available only to the wealthy and is strictly controlled by wizards within a sequestered academy of magic. Hahp, the expendable second son of a rich merchant, is forced into the academy and finds himself paired with Gerrard, a peasant boy inexplicably admitted with nine sons of privilege and wealth. Only one of the ten students will graduate — and the first academic requirement is survival.

When Rio Jones's wealthy family moves from New York City to southern California in the middle of her junior year, Rio is worried. She saw herself as an unattractive geek in her old school, but she was happy with her friends Paige and Hud. The first day at her new school brings her up against Kristi, a petite, beautiful cheerleader who is also the class bully. In AP Art, she meets Mason and Jas, who befriend her but also cause her to get a week's detention for leaving campus at lunchtime. When Rio later comes to school in the trendy clothes her mother convinces her to wear, Kristi decides to bring her into her circle as long as she agrees to reject Mason and Jas. Feeling that it is her first chance to be popular, she goes along with Kristi although she has a crush on Jas. Her mother, a former model, encourages her friendship with Kristi, not knowing that the association will teach Rio to drink till she gets sick, use cocaine, mistreat less popular people, and go farther sexually than she really wants to. After she talks back to Kristi at a party, Kristi destroys her reputation at school and turns her into an outcast...

Ghostgirl

This giveaway is over.

Boys and girls of every age,
wouldn't you like to see something strange?



What is this? A Ghostgirl pillowcase? And Nicole's giving it away for Halloween!?


You have heard correctly, my dear followers! Tonya Hurley's fantastic Ghostgirl series is available to you, autographed, along with that fantastic pillowcase, for a limited time!*

What is Ghostgirl about?

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

What do you have to do to win this fantabulous prize? Well...

[+0] You have to be a follower! Yes, this is an exclusive followers only contest. New followers, old followers - it matters not. This is for you and only you!
[+1] Comment and tell me if you tell me what candy would be more interesting to choke on than a Gummy Bear
[+2] Post this somewhere else and give me the link! Twitter, a blog - it matters not.
[+2] Follow me on Twitter! [link]

Unfortunately, this is for Americans only.

Contest ends on Halloween, 11:59 PM, EST. You must comment on this post to be entered.

Will you win?

We'll see.

*Only valid if you win.

Monday Quote

Once upon a time, I did not live in Shady Pines.

Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.

Once upon a time, I didn't know how lucky I was.

Living Dead Girl - brilliantly written, oh so quotable, and haunting.

What's one of your favorite books to quote from?

How Lucky I Am

I've just realized how lucky I am to live where I do, and how lucky I am to work where I do.

The library that I work at does not have a banned books list. We do not have a board that has to approve each and every book we decide to order. If a book is requested, it gets ordered, no questions asked. The librarians love the library and what they do. We hold event after event free of charge, or only a small fee, for the public. We're connected to all of the other libraries in the county so that if we don't have something, we can get another library to send it over to us.

Libraries, if you ever need an example of what to be - look to us.

I live three hours away from New York City and one of the biggest bookstores in the world. Within fifteen minutes of my house are four different bookstores, and within a half hour are seven. Three libraries, not including the one I work at, are also within a half hour span. My school library has a wonderfully large collection of literature.

There are tons of book nerds around.

Thank you, oh wonderful town.

~ Nicole

Oh, Twilight...

... how we love to loathe thee.

Friday Fronts - ttyl

Good: It followed the KISS rule - Keep It Simple, Stupid. It's easy to read.

Bad: There's your whole book, right on the front cover. Annoying chat speak? Check. Happiness? Check. Innocence? Check. Anger? Check.

I'm half and half on this one. You?

~Nicole

Harry Potter..

I'm pretty sure she's haunting my bathroom.

Piece of the Week

Guess what quote I analyzed for my English class' Piece of the Week?











"You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope.
I pull up the covers over my head as if this will protect me from the redheaded girl who can’t speak. But I can feel her eyes staring at me, piercing through walls and doors and bedding.
I wonder if she’ll enjoy watching me die.”"

Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games


What quotes do you love?

NaNoWriMo

I signed up for NaNoWriMo yesterday. [my profile]

Don't know what NaNoWriMo is?

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Essentially, you set your own goal and every day in November, you write a little bit until you achieve that goal. You pledge online [link] and become involved in a community of writers and wannabe writers whose goals are to finish - or at least work on - their novels during November.

I need an incentive to write, or else I'll just jot down random scenes and ideas I like and never commit to a plot. Granted, I have a million plots in mah head - but none of them have ever been fleshed out and fully developed, with history for whatever characters and society I'm doing.

I, myself, am a fantasy writer. No matter what I try to write, I always get back to something fantastical happening - magic, vampires, dragons. My imagination always expands in that direction. The story I'm going to work on during NaNoWriMo involves magic.

Because, you know, magic rocks.

So if you want to write a novel, give NaNoWriMo a shot. Who knows - by the time December rolls round, you might have a novel done.

~Nicole

Oh, Thank You Library

As most of you know, I work at my local library. This job comes with many perks -- I don't have to worry about due dates and fines, and I get first dibs on most any book that comes in. I can come in at any point of the day, grab something, check it out and leave without waiting.

It's not often that I miss a book I want to read.

I walk in on Saturday, head to shelve the YA books that have been returned... and what do I see?



I am one happy camper.

~Nicole

Scrapbooking

This year is my senior year.

T.T

Of course, I can't just let senior year go unforgotten, so a scrapbook is being made! Homecoming week, my graduation, prom (Operation Corset!), friends, family - it's all going in there!

Of course, I can't talk about senior year without thinking of WORD. So WORD gets a page, too!

So what should I include? Perhaps make a giveaway with people submitting pictures of them holding a sign that says I LOVE WORD?

Hmm. I need your thoughts, peoples!

PS: If anybody's interested, the scrapbook cover is the AWESOME zebra print. ^-^

The Hunger Games - Movie Cast

YouTube videos inspired me to make a post of my own, and I definitely want to hear who you guys would cast! Of course, there are charries I am missing. Oh well.

As of right now, due to Maddie spamming the comment page, I've turned off comments for a bit. I'm terribly sorry! All suggestions can be posted on other Hunger Games posts of mine - just look 'em up.

An unknown actress as Katniss Everdeen

Jackson Rathbone as Peeta Mellark


Johnny Depp or Hugh Laurie as Haymitch
Drastically different takes on the character, I know.


Ben Barnes as Gale


Yara Shahaidi as Rue


Christian Siriano as Cinna


James Marsden as Caesar Flickerman


Bonnie Wright as Foxface


Taylor Swift as Glimmer


Kristin Chenoweth (whom I adore) as Effie


Sienna Guillory as Mother Everdeen


Abigail Breslin or Elle Fanning as Primrose Everdeen


Danielle Panabaker as Avox Girl

Friday Fronts - Wake

Must I even elaborate? The font and the effects behind it are simply gorgeous, and the simplicity of the design adds to the mystery of the novel...

What do you think?


Don't forget to come back at the end of the month for our interview with the all amazing Lisa Mantchev!

Current Wish List

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Being an heiress in 1920s Austria with nothing but a broken-down castle to your name and nary a penny in your purse could be frustrating for anyone but the Princess Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein. "Tessa," however, is thrilled with her situation, as it allows her to concentrate on her love of the arts—and no one in the Viennese opera company need know that their delightful and charming under-wardrobe mistress is really a princess. But when the dashing self-made millionaire Guy Farne arrives at the opera in search of suitable entertainment for his high society guests, Tessa realizes that there may be more to life—and love—than just music. But while the attraction between them in undeniable, Guy's insufferable snob of a fiancée only solidifies Tessa's determination to keep her true identity a secret. Yet, after a chance meeting with the handsome Englishman, Tessa's reserve begins to melt, and she starts to wonder if it's not too late for a fairytale ending...

Doyle's debut novel is a Georgette Heyer-style, light-as-a-feather romance with supernatural overtones. Ball after ball and visits to Kensington Palace and brushes with royalty await twins Persephone (Persy) and Penelope (Pen) in their first season "out" in early Victorian London society. But when their beloved instructor of magic/governess Miss Allardyce (Ally) is kidnapped by a handsome stranger as part of a devious royal plot, her two devoted wards set out to discover the truth about Ally's disappearance and save the day. Luckily, the plot relies little on magic (it's difficult for "cloaking spells" and cries of "repellere statim!" not to seem like pale imitations of Harry Potter), except as a device to conjure court intrigue. The story hinges instead on the will-they, won't-they budding romance between Persy and her handsome, all-grown-up childhood friend, Lochinvar (Lord Seton).

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

Why I Don't Read on Wednesdays

Any other Gleeks out there?

Blog will resume bookishness tomorrow.

College Essays

My college essay contains the following quotes:

- shining, sparkling, wonderful smelling books
- I mean, words? On paper!? Come on!
- Unless it’s a story about a boy wizard or sparkly vampires, ain’t nobody gunna care.
- practically demand that I read such-and-such because “it’s [insert descriptive word of choice here]”
- millions of green Sticky Notes with book suggestions covering my room/computer/notebook/guinea pig.
- the best way to get glitter was by feeding faeries broccoli.
- Last time I took a significant break from reading, I’m pretty sure the [to-be-read] pile started growling at me.
- oh nay nay!
- snooty world famous journalist
- rabid hippopotamus


... I really hope whoever ends up reading it has a sense of humor.

Audrey, Wait!

Audrey, Wait!
Author: Robin Benway
Series: ---
Publisher: Penguin Group
How Received: library

Breaking up is hard to do...
When Audrey decides to break up with her boyfriend Evan, she figures that yes, things may be awkward at school and all, but that's the most she'll have to deal with.

What she doesn't expect is for him to write a song about it. For that song to shoot up the charts. For Evan to become a celebrity. For the paparazzi to start following her every movement. Finding a fanbase.

She doesn't expect to have to deal with losing the only normal life she's ever known.

My summary made the book sound a lot more serious than it actually is. Audrey, Wait! was definitely a fun, fast read that had me laughing out loud at parts and wincing in others. It's honest - you feel like you're there with Audrey, experiencing what she's going through and every annoying, funny, or twisted thing that's happening to her.

Speaking of funny, this quote made me laugh out loud.

The timing was pretty ironic, since Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" was playing, but also a relief, since every guitar player in the room - and there were many - was air-guitaring along with Jimi and making that horrible guitargasm face. Thank God Simon was a singer and I was spared the embarassment of watching him do that.

What I like about Audrey and all of the characters were that they were fleshed out. Not one character fell flat - there was more to each of them than what you first glimpse, and they all have their flaws. Nobody's perfect, but they're all damned fun to read about.

Final Comments: I'd definitely recommend it, especially for people in the music industry. It's just a fun, fun book.

Peace, love, wait!

Nah, just joking. You don't have to wait.

~ Nicole

Nobody's Princess

Nobody's Princess
Author: Esther Friesner
Series: Nobody's Princess (#1)
Publisher: Random House
How Received: library

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

I'm not going to say Nobody's Princess wowed me. It didn't. What Friesner does, she does well - she gets you into the story, cheering for Helen in all her quirky glory, eager to see what happens next. But that's about it. The writing is nothing spectacular, and Friesner could have made this good book great. The description is simple and only a few characters fully develop.

However, Helen and the plot line that accompanies her make up for these faults. Helen herself is a fantastic character -- right up there with Jacky Faber from Bloody Jack as one of my favorite kick ass heroines of all time. She's fearless and fun, and she doesn't care one twig about her beauty. I love it.

I was pretty. It never failed. One man even said I was beautiful, until his fellow envoy was very quick to say that no one could be beautiful in the palace of Tyndareus except his queen.

Pretty. What did that mean, really? And was I? I had no way of knowing...

Would I recommend this book over Bloody Jack? After all, both are historical novels with strong female characters. However, even despite my natural tendencies to the pirates, Bloody Jack is a more strongly written, better developed novel than Nobody's Princess. However, the wily young princess makes for a fun, quick read.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Peace, love, SPARTA.

~Nicole

Eyes Like Stars

Eyes Like Stars
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Series: Theatre Illuminata (#1)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
How Received: borrowed

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

As a theater nerd, may I proclaim my utter and undying love for this book?

Sure, it's not the best writing. I don't think that was the point of the book. It's engaging, the characters are well developed, and it's just an overall fun read. It's one of the few books this year that I've cleared my schedule for and just sat down and read it straight through.

May I throw in my favorite line?

Gertrude pointed at Macbeth, who was holding up a cruller and muttering, 'Is this a doughnut I see before me?'

As somebody who had to do many Macbeth spoofs last year - this quote took the cake for me.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 10/10. I loved it. May not be everybody's cup o' tea, but I thought it a lot of fun and can't wait to see the next thing Lisa comes out with.

Don't forget, I'll be interviewing Lisa at the end of the month!

Peace, love, glitter.*

~Nicole

*Or emo glitter.

Friday Fronts - Shiver

I did mention something about October needing werewolves, didn't I?



Oh, the glorious subtlety in this cover. The simple combination of the shades of blue and white. The easy to read font. The single sudden dash of red above the i. The wolf hiding in the background.

One of my favorite covers ever?

You betcha.

Skellington-a-palooza

This giveaway is over.

Wondering who won the two Spiderwick Chronicle sets? That would be Jessy and Anna Moore! Congratulations, guys.

HAPPY OCTOBER!

As this month's contest will end on Halloween, I find it only appropriate that this month be all about those other worldly creatures! Faeries, werewolf, vampires - I love them all.

Or it's an excuse to say that this month's author visitor is the queen of the glitter, the mistress of magic, the captain of crazy...
LISA MANTCHEV!

With that said and done, ya ready to hear what I'm giving away this month?
And yes, the normal rules apply. Those rules being...

- Answer the question at the bottom of the post in an email/comment. [mandatory]
- Follow my blog (and tell me). [+2]
- Follow me on Twitter (and tell me). [+2]
- Tell me where you saw this. [+1]
- Link back to this post (and tell me). [+4]

Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion
Mark Cotta Vaz

Everything fans want to know about the hotly anticipated Twilight movie and much more!

Designed as a celebration of the film, this lavishly illustrated paperback edition is an exclusive behind-the-scenes guide featuring full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets, as well as storyboards, interviews, details of the special effects, and much more.
For all you fans of the sparkly vampires.

Peeps & The Last Days
Scott Westerfeld
A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.

Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind....
I love Peeps - it's sequel, The Last Days, isn't as amazing, but it's a fantastic series nonetheless for those who like a different type of vampire. (Like a non sparkling kind.)

Nobody's Princess
Esther Friesner

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.
And then we have our kick ass princess, the top to every Halloween cake!


Question?
What are you going/would you go as for Halloween?


We've got faeries, vampires, and princesses! And, if you're smart, you'll do yourself a favor and buy Shiver and get me a picture of the receipt for an extra plus five entries. (Or just a picture of you with the book in, like, your kitchen or someplace not a bookstore. I'm not picky.)

Subtly throwing that in there, no?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Well. Almost.

~Nicole