Interview: Suzanne Gardner co-author of Don't Stop Believin' The Unofficial Guide to Glee

To celebration the season premiere of Glee Season 2 tonight I have one of the co-authors of Don't Stop Believin' The Unofficial Guide to Glee, Suzanne Gardner here today to talk a bit about what else but Glee! You can also get all the latest Glee info on her blog Gleeks United!

1. What attracted you to the tv show Glee? And the idea of blogging about it and eventually turning it into a book?

For me, the show had the perfect mix of comedy and drama and the most uncanny ability to pick the most perfect song, nine times out of ten. Glee really speaks to the underdog in everyone, and I found that even though I'm several years out of high school by now (let's not count how many exactly...!), I could still really relate to these characters, even if I was never actually in a glee club myself. I really fell for the show immediately, and since I've always been a writer, it was natural for me to decide to start a blog since I had free time on my hands and thought I might as well combine my love for the show with my love for writing. The book came along as a progression from there – a friend of mine was writing a book about True Blood for my future publisher, ECW Press, and one day she point blank asked me when I was planned on pitching my book! It didn't take much to convince me, and fairly soon after I made my pitch, I had a book contract in my hands! Trust me, this was not anywhere near to a typical experience for a first-time author!

2. What is it about Glee that get people SO excited?

I think it's the kind of show that people really do relate to – like I said above, it speaks to the underdog in everyone. I mean, even the jocks and cheerleaders like Finn and Quinn have a vulnerable underdog side to them! And I think because fans so easily connect with the show, it in turn becomes very influential and inspiring to them. I've read so many articles about glee clubs that have started in high schools because of Glee. This show truly encourages kids to be whoever they want to be and do whatever they want to do, to the extent that these kids have gone and applied these lessons to their real lives, and that blows my mind. Glee gets people excited because they relate to it, they understand it, and, on top of all that, it has the most catchy soundtrack ever. How can you not get excited about that?

3. You wrote Don't Stop Believin' with Erin Balser, the author of gleedork.com. What was it like to write with another person?

Writing with another person is both strange and awesome, all at the same time. For someone like me who has been writing for many years, for newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc., it was very weird at first to divvy up work and write only half of it yourself. On the other hand, it was also fantastic to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to, well, share the crazy huge workload. We wrote this book in a very short timeline (all of the writing was done in about 5 months), so having someone to share that with was extremely helpful.

4. Don't Stop Believin' is extremely comprehensive – how on earth did you compile all of this information?

Thank you! We both read one HELL of a lot of interviews with the cast and crew, I can tell you that! Seriously, we both know too many random facts now. But its comments like yours that make us know it was all worthwhile. In our very first review, from a diehard gleek, he said that there were some facts in our book that even he didn't know! That's a sign that we've earned our Rachel Berry-gold stars, I think!

5. What was the hardest part of the book to write, your favorite part?

I think for me the hardest part was also my favourite! I wrote all of the analysis/commentary that kicks off each episode, and although I sometimes found it very challenging to remain analytical and to not recap the episode too heavily, it was incredibly rewarding when I got to get into some great character commentary, because I find all of these characters so interesting and love talking about the finer, subtler points of the show, rather than focusing too heavily on the very strong themes Ryan Murphy and co. often like to shove down our throats.

6. You interview a lot of the actors and actresses from the show and also fans of the show, how difficult was it to get in contact with everyone?

Getting in contact with cast members was a tough gig, as you can probably tell since we weren't able to score very many regular cast members (the biggest name we got was Heather Morris, which was a pretty sweet score, but she was only able to talk to us via email). Several times we received an initial positive reply from an actor's publicist, only to have the interview fall through later because FOX put the brakes on. It was a bit frustrating at times, but we're happy with the interviews we did get to do, because we chatted with several guest stars who we think still played a big part in shaping their particular episodes! We also really enjoyed interviewing fans of the show, because that's a perspective that I don't think we hear from enough. Glee's fans and their hardcore dedication to the show have been hugely instrumental into making the show the success that it is, and I think having their perspectives, both positive and sometimes a little bit critical, adds a really interesting element to the book that I haven't seen in other Glee-related books.

7. What are your predictions for Season 2 of Glee?

Ah, I'm not a big prediction girl, to be honest! Never been that good at that. I'm really interested to see Quinn post-pregnancy though. I've heard that she's going to be fighting Santana to be queen bee again, and that's something I'm looking forward to. I hope that Quinn's last year at the bottom of the heap really changes things for her, and maybe makes it hard for her to be the tough bitch she needs to be to reclaim her crown. Quinn's definitely not the same girl she was at the beginning of the show. I'm also looking forward to seeing Rachel and Finn's relationship play out and if they can really sustain a relationship for an extended period of time – especially when the bomb inevitably drops that they both lied about the sex they did or didn't have in "The Power of Madonna." Other than that, I'm just predicting another awesome year full of great songs, great laughs, and great drama!

Hardcover vs Paperback 99

The Sky Isn't Visible From Here by Felicia C. Sullivan

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

Days before Felicia Sullivan graduated from college, her mother disappeared; she hasn't been heard from in more than twelve years. It was possibly the last betrayal her mother, a beautiful, volatile, deceitful drug addict, would add to those that built their relationship, which subjected Felicia to a nightmare childhood on the toughest streets of 1980s Brooklyn. Growing up in the close company of dealers, users, and a host of unsavory characters, Felicia became her mother's keeper at a shockingly young age—getting her to the hospital after her overdoses, enduring her cruelty and narcissistic rages, and accepting the abuse or indifference of numerous so-called stepfathers. Years later, damaged and ashamed of her past, Felicia invented a new, brutally hard-partying persona to show to the world: she became her mother.

Affecting, honest, and utterly extraordinary, The Sky Isn't Visible from Here is a book about secrets and forgiveness—the story of a young woman unraveling . . . and then putting her life back together again.

While I do appreciate the heaviness the hardcover brings to the equation, there is just something off about it. I get what the designer is trying to create here but it's not working for me. Paperback for me.

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Don't Stop Believin' The Unofficial Guide to Glee by Erin Balser & Suzanne Gardner

GoodReads.com:

he kids in McKinley’s high school’s glee club “New Directions” might not be the most popular in school. For every chart-topping song “New Directions” belts out at practice the glee kids are liable to get a slushie tossed in their face by a football player or harassed online by the creme-de-la-creme of the school, one of McKinley’s “Cheerio” cheerleaders. But fictional popularity aside, the television show Glee is unquestionably a runaway hit, and audiences can’t get enough of their story: from the songs to the students, and especially the wacky teachers.

Don't Stop Believin': The Unofficial Guide to Glee is for Glee fans who demand more once the curtain falls. From information about the stars, the music, the trivia, and the in-jokes, to analysis of each relationship and fashion choice, Don't Stop Believin': The Unofficial Guide to Glee is the go-to guide for all things Glee. The book is thorough enough to satiate even the most dedicated of fans, yet accessible enough that a casual viewer can enjoy it.

Don't Stop Believin' in my mind was pretty perfect when it comes to giving all the dish and facts on Glee. It starts off with a few chapters on how Glee came to be and backgrounds for all the main cast. Then it dives into the bulk of the book, breakdowns of all the episodes.

I loved how the episodes were broken up into sections, so say you weren't interested in the best Sue quotes from the episode (How Sue Cs It) then you could just skip that section, but who wouldn't be interested in that! I personally read and enjoyed all the sections, my only comment would be that it would have been nice to have a Brittany quote section, though her quotes often popped up in other sections of the recaps. I also thought it was cool that there was a section that compared Ryan Murphy's other show Popular to Glee (That's Pretty Popular), which made me decide it was about time to watch Popular again, and so I am.

I think this guide lends itself wonderfully to all sorts of Glee fans, the ones like me that want to gobble up all the information all at the same time and read it straight through, and those that would prefer to leisurely flip through when they are watching a certain episode, it's all here. There is even a small section of color photos in the middle, not so large that it eats up the rest of the book but enough to give your eyes a rest half way through.

If you are a fan of Glee, hands down this Glee guide is for you!

Don't Stop Believin' was released on September 1st
Genre: Non-Fiction, TV
5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by the publisher

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Amazon.com:

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.

Hush, Hush is a hard one to wrap my head around. I loved how mysterious it was, Nora has all these unexplained events happening around her but why? And she has this new lab partner that is basically hell bent on getting to know her and is a weird cross between a major flirt and a creepy creepy dude. She knows to stay away from him but he keeps appearing and giving her rides etc so that doesn’t really happen. He didn’t seem extremely scary to me but enough to warrant her fear. But she also can’t help her attraction to him though she sure tries.

I liked Nora’s character but her friend Vee, while funny, WOW she was kind of an idiot. I could have done without her, she was just getting Nora into trouble instead of really helping her with anything.

But towards the end when all the angel stuff (yeah that’s what I’m going to call it) comes out it’s sort of contradictory. One angel tells another if you do this you will be back in heaven and do this, and then they do just that but they end up doing something else instead of going back to heaven. I know that sounds really vague but I don’t want to spoil. Also, aren’t angels supposed to be nice, not fallen angels but normal angels, they don’t seem so nice.... It was just really confusing to me. And my interest started to wain towards the end.

I will say it will be interesting to see where the story continues in Book 2 Crescendo.

Hush, Hush will be released in paperback on September 21st
Genre: Young Adult
3.5/5 Stars
ARC reviewed from publisher

This Week In Books or A Book Gets Roughed Up in the Mail!

Monday: nothing

Tuesday:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson (Purchased from the Library)
Million Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton (Purchased from Borders)
Around the Corner: Crochet Borders by Edie Eckman (Purchased from Amazon)
200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans by Jan Eaton (Purchased from Amazon)
50 Sensation Crochet Afghans and Throws edited by Bobbie Matela (Purchased from Amazon)
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga (Purchased from Amazon)

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: nothing

Friday:

Gleeful! by Amy Rickman (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Saturday:

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Blast from the Past by Meg Cabot (Just Showed Up Review Copy-this is the back of the book, Allie's face got ripped off in the mail ahh!)

Lookalikes 119

After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr

The Sky Isn't Visible from Here by Felicia C. Sullivan

I really like how the title has been constructed on The Sky Isn't Visible here, something about strong typography mixed with a photo really gets me going. And the monochromatic color scheme is also really nice. After the Moment is fine but I'm not really fond of how the color scheme was pushed into that sort of over saturated yellow and the grungy border.

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz

Amazon.com:

In her first full-length graphic memoir, Julia Wertz (creator of the cult-hit comic The Fart Party) documents the year she left San Francisco for the unfamiliar streets of New York. Don’t worry—this isn’t the typical redemptive coming-of-age tale of a young woman and her glorious triumph over tragedy or any such nonsense. It’s simply a hilarious—occasionally poignant—book filled with interesting art, absurd humor and plenty of amusing self-deprecation. Box by box, Wertz chronicles four sketchy apartments, seven terrible jobs, family drama, traveling fiascos, and too many whiskey bottles to count.

Being a fan of Fart Party, I was so excited to see Wertz had a new book out and in this case it's a more of a whole store, a graphic memoir, instead of stripes compiled together.

I really think there was no way I couldn't like this book, Julia travels to New York to see what she thinks of it there and being a fan of New York myself I love reading about people's experiences with it.

While we might not have a lot in common hobby wise (I SO don't like beer), I feel like she's the comic voice of my generation. She perfectly describes what it's like to be a 20-something, sometimes you just have no idea what is going on with your life and it sucks. Through it all though she keeps a mostly positive attitude and finds new adventures and discovers more things about herself.

Wertz's sense of humor is great, and no it's not just a fart party people! She's funny and her illustration style is approachable, she keeps it simple and that's what I love in my graphic novels style wise. Besides the humorous bits she mixes in the hard parts of her life and the troubles with her family, to me it flows really well and it extremely honest yet she never gets to down, always seeing the hilarious side of every situation.

If you want to try something a little new and different in graphic novels and are ready to break away from the "classics" of graphic novels, give this one a try!

Drinking at the Movies was released on August 31st 2010
Genre: Graphic Novel
4.5/5 Stars
ARC from Amazon Vine

Weekly Dose of Crafts!

For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday!

So last week I finished my first afghan (or since I don't like that word it sounds too stuffy, blanket!!!) The only thing I really had left to do was the edging which you can see here. And in case anyone is interested in making the Granny Stripe Blanket for themselves you can find the pattern here at Attic24.

I also checked out the book, Crochet Me from the library and made this scarf! It works up really quickly though turned out rather short. If I were to make this again I'd make it like twice as long!

This is the yarn I used (already owned):

Vanna’s Choice:

Mustard

Loops & Threads Impeccable:
Aqua
Chocolate

This weekend I started another blanket, this time a Ripple blanket, surprise this pattern is also from Attic24! I haven't forgotten about my Summer Garden Granny Square blanket, just still on a break from all the end weaving etc! For this Ripple blanket I'm using mostly the same colors as the Granny Stripe (the extra yarn actually) but I'm doing it in ROYGBIV order instead of just random. Here is what I'm using:

Vanna’s Choice Baby:
Cheery Cherry
Goldfish
Duckie
Sweet Pea
Mint
Aqua
Little Boy Blue
Bluebell
Berrylicious
Pink Poodle

Vanna’s Choice:
Pink

Loops and Threads: Impeccable:
Grass
Aqua
Lavender
Grape

Last week Crochet Today's Special Must-Have Gifts issue came out, I had thought it was coming out later in the month but Tami let me know she had seen it in stores so I went out and found it. Interestingly none of the craft stores had it but Borders did! The magazine had this fun scarf pattern that was made with crochet thread and since I've never used it I jumped at the chance so I bought that specific thread which since it's made from Bamboo it's really really soft and some thicker stuff to try a coaster pattern also in the magazine. The issue is comprised of patterns from past issues that I guess are considered gift-able and luckily for me since I'm a new subscriber only one of the patterns I already had! Thought they probably should have checked the patterns over because the crochet thread for the previously mentioned coasters doesn't seem to be available in this country anymore! I also got a crochet pattern calendar that is smartly placed right by the check out line that I've eyed the last few times I was at Joann's and some Tweed Stripes yarn from Lion Brand to maybe make a scarf or something out of, haven't seen this line before!


And lastly some of my latest craft books, some of these I got recently at Half Price Books and forgot to share and the rest are part of a big Amazon order I recently placed that came the end of last week and yesterday!

Happy Crafting!

Recent Giveaway Winners

The winner of the What is Regency Hat Girl Thinking was Virginia who said:

"As soon as his Lordship looks my way, I'll lower my eyes, blush prettily and then glance shyly in his direction. I only pray that my encouragement will not be intercepted by another! If so, I shall then faint daintily, and his Lordship will act as a gentleman and come to my aid. Wait! Perhaps he would send someone else to assist me...someone totally unacceptable! What if I accidentally tripped someone just as they approach his Lordship? Then he and I could assist the victim together! Aha...there goes someone now...a slight slip of the slipper...he's down! Oh, La! It's his Lordship's father!"

The Louder Than Words winners are:

Set of 3 - Tina
Hannah- Kaitlyn
Alexis- Victoria
Rae- Kelly

The Waxed winner is:

Shabbygeek

The winner of the Spaceheadz (and Simon & Schuster MG book pack) is:
Julie

Julie, I have emailed you, please respond with your full name and mailing address by Friday September 17th to claim your prize!

Hardcover vs Paperback 98

The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

This year, Austin Gray is going to wave to the crowd from the hood of a shiny pickup truck in the annual No-Jesus Christmas Parade, and finally show the town bully that she’s got what it takes to be the Sweetheart of Prosper County! Austin will do almost anything to become Sweetheart, including joining the Future Farmers of America and raising an animal—a rooster with an attitude named Charles Dickens. She has lots of support: her oldest friend, Maribel, her new FFA friends (including the reigning Sweetheart and a very cute cowboy), a mysterious Cajun outcast, and an evangelical Elvis impersonator. But will her momma ever stop being overprotective, and start letting Austin live her own life?

Oh man, I just LOOOOOOOOOVE this book! I guess I was a little sad to see they changed the cover because I thought it was so darn cute, but I guess I could see how a rooster on a cover might not attract the girls that would enjoy this book. At least they kept the same type treatment which I also adored!

Thanks to Kelly who pointed out this makeover!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #3 and #4 by J. Torres art by Eric Kim (#3) and Steve Rolston (#4)

Missing You Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #3

Spinner has been dumped by Darcy for his cheating ways! But with God as his witness, he promises to get her back no matter what it takes - including resisting all manner of temptation, all summer long. When arch-nemesis Jay Hogart offers to help, Spinner finds himself torn between "good" and "evil." Which one will win out?

Considering what Liberty's been through recently, it's no wonder she's spending her summer vacation moping about. Her parents suspect post-partum depression, but something else is weighing on her mind. Could Liberty be planning a desperate move?

The third book in the Degrassi: TNG Extra Credit series takes us into Spinner and Liberty's worlds. I really like how this book shows what happens to Spinner over the summer so there is a bit of explanation when the new season starts and if he is or isn't back with Darcy!

I think this might have been my least favorite of the books illustration wise, some of the facial expressions were not really detailed enough and some of the wide shots were way too cartoony for me, it made for a disrupt in the story.

Overall though, another fun installment in the series!

Missing You was released on April 24th 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel/TV/Young Adult
4 Stars
Purchased from Amazon Marketplace

Safety Dance Degrassi The Next Generation Extra Credit #4

When Marco sees Dylan get into a fight with a homophobic hockey player, he's suddenly super self-conscious about the way the world looks at him. Dylan wants to take their relationship to the next level, but Marco is holding them back. What will it take for Marco to move forward? Ashley is back from merry ol' England but she's finding it hard to reconnect with her stepbrother Toby and to rekindle the romance with ex-boyfriend Jimmy. Is her talk of all things British keeping them at a distance...? Or is it her hideous hat?

Like the other books in this series, this book focuses on two characters, this time Marco and Ashley. Marco is/was one of my favorite characters so I loved that he got his own story in one of the graphic novels! I really love the author's sense of humor, bringing in the running gag through the books of Ashley's really ugly hat from the season finale of season 5. It was darn ugly!

What I liked about the artwork in this installment was how clean it was. Clean and crisp lines create my favorite types of graphic images in graphic novels!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Degrassi: TNG graphic novels, now that it's been a few years since these came out and there is a whole new cast of characters I would love to see a some new installments of the graphic novel series!

Safety Dance was released on May 8th 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel/TV/Young Adult
4 Stars
Purchased from Amazon Marketplace

This Week In Books

Monday: nothing

Tuesday:

Beyond the Square: Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman (Purchased from Amazon)
Don't Stop Believin': The Unofficial Guide to Glee by Erin Balser & Suzanne Gardner (Accepted Review Copy)


Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: nothing

Friday:

Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry (From Harlequin Ambassadors, if you are interested in a copy shoot me an email!)
Like I Give a Frock by Michi Girl (Purchased from Amazon)
Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy (Purchased from Amazon)
Amigurumi by Lan-Anh Bui & Josephine Wan (Purchased from Amazon)
Stitch by Stich by Deborah Moebes (Purchased from Amazon)

Saturday:

Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Lookalikes 118

Queen Geeks in Love by Laura Preble

My Life and Other Catastrophes by Rowena Mohr

What makes me giggle here is both designers decided to pick up on the pink in the sneakers for the title. I guess they are both sort of fun, the only thing I don't really like is the big purple blobby thing on the second cover, but if I'm not mistaken that's done on all the books in that series/collection, still don't like it though.

Thanks to Sarah who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Special Delivery!

A few weeks ago I was contacted about a special online campaign for Andrea Cremer's upcoming book Nightshade. Definitely being one for creative advertising and promotion (I still can't get over the Pretty Little Liars Secret Keepers Game) I responded that I was definitely interested.

Flash forward to today when I go to get the mail, only to find out there is a long box in there, so long the mailman used a rubber band to keep the mailbox as shut as he could.

This is what was inside (and yes that's my blanket again - i bet you are getting sick of it):

The little card says "An Invitation"

Inside was a Calla lily (yes it's fake, and yes I had to ask my mother what kind of flower it was) similar to that on the book cover. Ripped up inside were pages of Crime and Punishment and a key that was actually a jump drive, hello awesome!

I stuck the key into my computer and turns out the jump drive was named Alea! and there were 2 files, one that said to watch it first. It was a video from the author Andrea Cremer, personalized for me, she talks a bit about her upcoming book Nighshade and how to start off the book she's creating a prequel in the form of webisodes. Everyone can join in the fun and help Shay, the star of the videos solve a mystery! The first video was on the jump drive and I have to say it's pretty cool. You can watch that and the second episode below.

Also, to join in the fun you can visit Shay's facebook page at facebook.com/shadowshay. I'm definitely interested to see where this online adventure of books and reality goes!

Weekly Dose of Crafts

For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday!


My 2 blankets are getting close to being done yay! Also, I think I'm becoming the master of blurry pictures :( Closest to done is the Granny stripe blanket that you didn't see last week. I decided it was going to be way too large with the stripes going perpendicular to a bed so I flipped the blanket to make it parallel and decided it was almost done (with 3 stripes of each color). All that it needs is a border or edging which I think I've already picked out, we'll see how it looks and some ends need to be still weaved in!


The Summer Garden Granny square blanket is coming along as well. I started putting the squares together! I have 4 of 11 rows attached, so still a bit to go!


Also, I ordered 10 books from Amazon recently and they are starting to arrive, for some reason they are coming in 5 shipments, oy! This is the first of the craft books I ordered that has arrived! And yesterday evening I happened to be near one of the yarn stores I wanted to check out so I went there and got 2 more skeins of this yarn I've been collecting. I think I want to make grannies with it, I think I have 9 colors! But I'm not positive if that's what I'll end up making.

Since I ended up needed far less yarn for the Granny Stripe blanket I think I'm going to use the leftover yarn which is like 15 or so almost full skeins and start a ripple blanket! This time I'm going to stitch it in ROYGBIV and also I think swap in and out a few colors! Who knows, maybe next week I'll already have something to show!

Happy Crafting!

"Waiting On" Wednesday 99

The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer by Emily Martin

Amazon.com:

Join the creator of The Black Apple, Emily Martin, on a trip through her magical world of paper dolls, imaginary places, and clever craft projects.

Inside this book you’ll find 21 sweet, mysterious characters with clothes and accessories all their own—from a busy beekeeper’s daughter to a bird-loving librarian. You’ll also find 16 dolls ready to be designed and brought to life by you! Emily will show you how to draw, paint, and personalize your way to a little paper replica of anyone you’d like.

With basic art supplies and the instructions in the book, you’ll also learn to:

• Make a custom wedding invitation or holiday card
• Color, cut, paste, and frame a unique family portrait
• Design your own paper clothes, shoes, glasses, and the like
• Cut and fold an armoire for doll-sized clothes
• Build a paper theater using one of the TK illustrated backdrops
• Direct a stop-motion film with jointed paper doll actors
• And so much more!

So sharpen your scissors and get ready for a unique and wonderful adventure.

Released November 2nd 2010

I'm sure you guys sometimes wonder if I'm actually a 6 year old child over here writing this blog, and this week's WOW isn't going to do anything to disprove that, yes, paper dolls! But hear me out, I've loved the Black Apple look for a few years now and it just seems like it's going to be AWESOME! I mean who doesn't want to sit down and make themselves a toy sometimes, I know you want to!!!!!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Hardcover vs Paperback 97

If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

This young adult thriller takes place in twenty-four hours and explores how people as well as the media can exploit a situation with devastating results, especially when innocent children are involved.

Jack Fountain knows that what’s happened to his family sounds like the most horrible soap opera anyone could ever write. But it’s all true. It happened—to his parents; to his sisters, Smithy and Madison. And to his baby brother, Tris. What made it worse was that the media wanted to know every detail.

Now it's almost Tris’s third birthday, and everything’s starting again. Aunt Cheryl, who’s living with the Fountain children, has decided that they will heal only if they work through their pain—on camera. It will be a field day for the media, and no one, except Cheryl, wants that. Jack and his sisters gear up to keep Tris’s adorable face off-screen, but they quickly realize that there is more at stake than their privacy. The very identities they’ve created for themselves are called into question. What really happened the day of their father’s accident?

The Fountain siblings have less than twenty-four hours to change their fate. Together, they will ask questions no one asked at the time of the tragedy. And together, they vow that this time, they will not be exploited.

Ok, I have not read this book so I'm not sure if the candle means anything but reading the summary it doesn't seem to have anything on the paperback cover. I feel like in general the covers (with some exceptions) for this author seem really dated like the designers are carrying on a look they created for her in the 90s or something. I think overall her bookcovers could use updating.

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Blog Tour: Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Amazon.com:

The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she's ever experienced. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died.Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans. As breathless as Twilight and as spooky as Shiver, this is a book to be devoured in one sitting—by an acclaimed YA author making her paranormal debut under the pseudonym Ivy Devlin.

I have been barely reading any paranormal for the last year, it just wasn't feeling like my thing and I was getting sick of the repetitiveness but I wanted to read Low Red Moon because of who was writing it. Unfortunately I don't think I was ready for more paranormal.

I was definitely interested in the mystery in Low Red Moon, Avery's parents die and she's found with their bodies but doesn't really remember a thing, besides seeing a flash of silver. That was definitely my favorite part of the story, was it a paranormal creature or something or someone else? I also liked Avery being reunited with her Grandmother, after the falling out her father had with her Grandmother years ago.

Other than that, like I've heard others say this reminded me a lot of a mash-up of a few other paranormal stories, the hint of mystery is there, the romance etc. I was hoping to really be gripped by this story by something fresh and brand new but sadly this didn't happen for me.

I think if you are a paranormal fan though, you might want to check it out!

Low Red Moon will be released on September 14th 2010
Genre: Young Adult
3/5 Stars
ARC picked up at BEA

Center Stage Book Tours

The Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow

Amazon.com:

It's all about the Attitude

Parker Bell knows the secret to beauty is pretty simple–wearing the right clothes isn't as important as how you feel in them. Popularity is like that too. It's all about attitude. You have to picture who you want to be and then just imagine that's who you already are.

This year Parker and her three best friends have made their way to the top of the populadder at Wallingford Academy. And they're ready to use their Aristobrat status to help spread positive vibes throughout the school. But when the girls are assigned to produce the seriously lame school webcast, their popularity plummets! Will this tragedy destroy the girls' status? Or their friendship? Or both?

The Aristobrats is about a group of girls that while high on the popularity scale aren't really what you would consider mean girls, not really, they really like their popularity but for the most part they are nice to other students which was refreshing!

The book was very current which was good and bad, I loved the idea of someone like Steve Jobs providing the school with all sort of current gadgets like giant screens and tablets and things that let you spy on classrooms making it an ultra-techy school. But at the same time there was so much insider lingo to the girls' group it sort of distracted from the actual story because I kept having to look up the words in the back or if there weren't listed in the Guide to Terms figure it out on my own. Yes, the lingo showed how close the girls were having almost their own language but it made it a bit harder for me, the reader.

I also thing telling the stories from each girl's perspective for say a whole chapter instead of for a bit here and there would have helped separate them more from each other and create a clearer personality for each girl. But if this is set to be a series, which I think it is, maybe the next book will be told for another girl's perspective?

I did really like the plot though, how the girls were assigned to write and film a school wide newshow with other classmates, and also the normal things 8th grade girls go through dealing with cliques and boys etc. Overall, I think this book might be especially enjoyed but Middle Grade/Junior High age girls!

The Aristobrats will be released on September 7th 2010
Genre: Young Adult
3/5 Stars
ARC picked up at BEA

This Week In Books

Sunday:

Handmade Hello by Eunice Moyle and Sabrina Moyle (Bought at Half Price Books- went again!)
The Big-Ass Book of Crafts by Mark Montano (Bought at Half Price Books)

Monday:
The Limit by Kristen Landon (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton (GoodReads Swap)

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday:

Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz (Amazon Vine)
John Belushi Is Dead by Kathy Charles (Accepted Review Copy)

Thursday:

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivan (Amazon Vine)
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas (Purchased at GoodWill)

Friday:

Along the River by Adeline Yen Mah (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
The Things A Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
Jump by Ginger Rue (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
The Exquisite Book by Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski, and Matt Lamothe (Purchased from Amazon)

Saturday: nothing

Lookalikes 117

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist

These both creep me out, especially the coloring of the first one. I guess I prefer my thrillers (not that I read them often) more sophisticated looking.

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Guest Post from Jennifer Solow, author of The Aristobrats

Today I'm pleased to welcome Jennifer Solow, the author of The Aristobrats. When Jennifer mentioned that Sex and the City played a part in her book I had to know more!

What does my new book have to do with Candace Bushnell’s shoes?

I met Candace Bushnell a couple of years ago when I was asked to interview her on stage at The Lark Theater. I was extremely intimidated and it took me something like five days of outfit planning and a whole box of Rembrandt teeth whitening strips just to get to begin to get mentally ready.

Candace arrived at The Lark Theater rockstar-late, chain-smoking, possibly tipsy, impossibly thin, unfairly charming, and of course, wearing spectacular shoes. I arrived nervously early, stone sober, teeth hypersensitive from all that whitening, wiping my sweaty armpits with a piece of Kleenex I found in my car and, luckily, also wearing über-chic footware. Even more über-chic, I thought, than Candace Bushnell’s. Imagine that.

The killer shoe thing gave me the boost of confidence I needed and, thusly, I was able to conduct the interview while projecting a façade of utter poise and élan.

Candace and I sat in the spotlight chatting about this and that (honestly I don’t remember much because of the nervousness-induced amnesia), but I do remember that I had come to the stage armed with not only my gorgeous pair of Pradas, but the knowledge that my interviewee had just signed a book deal to write The Carrie Diaries, the pre-prequel to SATC – the younger days of our favorite foursome of friends.

When I asked her about it, she answered in a way you’d expect an impossibly thin, possibly tipsy, chain-smoking, mega-wealthy author/producer/other important stuff person to answer – she seemed to have absolutely no idea what I was talking about. Well, so there went about twenty minutes of what I’d hoped Candace and I would be talking about on the stage at The Lark, but for weeks I kept thinking about the fab four and their younger days.

I’d already begun work on my own kinda diary-book-thing (and when I say “begun work” I mean four notebooks of emo scribble-babble started and almost immediately abandoned when I was still in high school). So when Dan Ehrenhaft approached me about writing a YA series, I pulled out the old notebooks and the vague memory of a very odd interview with Candace Bushnell and her less-great shoes.

Now I love the Sex and the City friendship. I love the cocktails. I love the clothes. I love the hair. I love the closets. But most of all, I love them. There are days when I wish I could call Miranda and get some sensible advice, meet Charlotte at Neiman’s to talk female issues, go bar-hopping in an up-to-there couture frock with Samantha, then sit down at my typewriter with my mass of Garnier Nutrisse curly blonde locks to write something pithy, vulnerable and wise: “As we speed along this endless road to the destination called who we hope to be, I can’t help but whine, ‘Are we there yet?’”

Almost every female I know can see herself in one of these characters – or an amalgamation of more than one of them. Like I may have mentioned or at least heavily alluded to, I like to imagine myself a ‘Carrie’ with her quirky, mismatched, yet impeccably sophisticated sense of style, her not-to-beautiful-to-hate good looks, her charming insecurities and, I’ll just say it, her extremely perky boobies. But in truth, I’m often more a ‘Miranda’: wound up too tightly, perennially PMS-ing, and waging a war between work and life and losing at both. I’d like to say I have some ‘Charlotte’ in me: Upper East Side ready, innocent and romantic, hopelessly optimistic and unequivocally pretty. But there never was much Charlotte in me. Sorry, I’m just not a Charlotte kinda girl. I’m definitely a Samantha when I can muster her up: when the world feels like it should revolve around me, when I can’t help thinking about the naughty bits of my yoga instructor, when I can pick myself up, brush myself off and keep on walking even though my 5” heel just broke off.

So even though it’s been out for a while now, the Carrie Diaries is not on my bookshelf nor do I plan to put it there. Why spoil the fantasy? But I did spend some time as I was preparing to write The Aristobrats thinking about the qualities that shape characters like those, characters that are able to make such an indelible mark on our emotional landscape. So much so that we wish they were our own friends.

So what would they have been like in their early teens?

Like the older versions of themselves, Samantha, I thought, would be unabashedly self-centered and flirtatious, in denial of any faults she might have and undyingly loyal. I thought Charlotte probably would have channeled her romantic hopefulness into obsessing over what college she’d get into, never getting in trouble for anything, and championing the unfair and unjust. I pictured Miranda a mini-me of what she is now: at odds with her own femininity, quietly smart, and in desperate need of a well-padded bra.

They are not perfect women and they probably weren’t perfect girls. It’s easy to make a list of what they’ve done that we don’t approve of, glaring mistakes that they can’t seem to stop making, or what they’ve worn that we wouldn’t be caught dead in (I mean “you” when I say “we” because I would happily be caught dead in anything they’ve worn).

And in recent years, a.k.a. the zillion-dollar movie franchise, they’ve become glossier than we’d hoped, less fault-filled, more manicured. But in the end, the answer is simple: we love them because they love each other.

So I set out to write characters like that. With super white teeth. Who wear great shoes.

Jennifer Solow, bestselling author of THE ARISTOBRATS

Which Aristobrat Are You? Take the Quiz.

Watch the trailer here.

Weekly Dose of Crafts

For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday!

This week I really got Grannying! I'm hoping by next Wednesday to be actually putting the blanket together! There will be 121 squares, I'm hoping that with a border will be large enough. I made this all with stash yarn, and I sort of overshot and have been running out of colors left and right so we'll see how it ends up!


I also made these slippers based on this pattern. I thought it would be really hard, I mean it's a damn slipper! But it was actually pretty easy to work up! Except that I got as much yarn as the pattern told me too and I still ran out! Oh well!

This is the yarn I used for the slippers and the flower:

Debbie Bills Eco Fairtrade Collection

609 (Purple) 2 skeins
612 (Pink) 1 skein

I think if I were to make the slippers again I would use a different yarn, this yarn turns out to not be so comfortable to walk on even though it was soft to the touch.


And from the leftover yarn from that project I tried out a flower which I attached a pin to (so you can wear it) based on Attic24's pattern here. Sorry for the blurry picture!


I worked a bit on the Granny Stripe blanket but not really enough to be able to tell the difference since last week. I also tried out this pattern but ended up ripping it out because I got it a little off and want to use different yarn, maybe next week that will be back in progress!

Happy Crafting!

"Waiting On" Wednesday 98

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

GoodReads.com:

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Released January 11th 2011

I don't really go for Sci-Fi like ever, but the summary really stood out as different and then I read the first chapter. I'll definitely be buying this one in hardcover, which I never do!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

This Year in Movies: August

With most of the summer shows over and my crochet habit in full swing it seems I've found some time to watch some things.... er 17 movies and 9 tv shows on dvd to be exact!

Degrassi: TNG Season 1 - Over the years I've had a friend mention Degrassi every now and again, I even caught a few early episodes some random weekend on some random tv channel. Recently John mentioned it to me and I figured now is the time to really watch it... and watch I did. Basically I'm obsessed. It's definitely a great show to crochet to!

Degrassi: TNG Season 2 - I really love seeing how all the kids grow up, and how they look a bit older every year. Also love seeing how they change the opening credits every season or two!

Degrassi: TNG Season 3 - Yup, not nearly done for this month!

Dear John - I thought the ending of this one was interesting, a bit different than the other Nicolas Sparks movies I've seen. I love both of the leads so it was fun to watch.

Degrassi: TNG Season 4 - And still watching....

She's Out of My League - This was a fluffy little movie. Sort of when the Beauty Meet the Geek.

TiMER - I had my eye on this movie for years! I love the idea of it, timers implanted in people's wrists that tell them when they are going to meet "the one" for the most part it definitely lived up to my expectations. Not sure if I totally liked the ending though.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - Ugh, didn't like this. I wanted to since John Krasinski directed it but it was not my thing at all.

Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger - This movie was totally cute and very original, I really liked it. I started checking out some movies on Netflix Instant view (like the above two) and this was one that was recommended based on other stuff I had watched and I totally liked it!

Youth in Revolt - I love Michael Cera but was sort of afraid I might not like this movie based on the trailer, but it turned out to be just quirky enough and not too over the top like I feared. Good stuff.

Arranged - What a beautiful movie. The friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman that both teach at the same school, I just adored it!

According to Greta - This was a Hilary Duff movie I had heard about, turned out to be pretty good!

Dakota Skye - Random Indie about this girl that knows the truth when people tell lies. Kind of a funny concept.

The Babysitters - This sort of dark and weird movie about babysitters that do more than take care of kids.

Falling Up - I loved the premise of this, a doorman and a girl that lives in the building, fall for each other. I just loved seeing what happens in a building lobby! It starred the guy from Running with Scissors!

Step p 2: The Streets - After watching SYTYCD all summer and hearing about Step Up 3 over and over again, I realized I hadn't seen the second movie! I love dancing movies!

The Neighbor - This was like the month of gimmicky movies, this one was about two neighbors, one trying to get rid of the other and in the end they realize they kind of like one another.

Degrassi: TNG Season 5 - And we are back!

Glee Vol 1 - Have to start getting ready for Season 2. I also watched it to see how the book, Glee: The Beginning jives with the pilot. It sort of did and sort of didn't.

Shutter Island - Ugh. What a waste of time. I was expecting some awesome twist at the end, but it was the most obvious ending. The first thing you think of when you hear about the movie.

Blue State - This was a rather interesting movie, people moving to Canada after Bush won for the second time.

How to Be - Another R. Patz movie. I thought the beginning to the middle was good and then it just got weird at the end.

Degrassi: TNG Season 6 - Yup.

Secret Life of the American Teenager Vol 4 - Why am I still watching this?

Loverboy - 80s movie with Patrick Demsey. Like The Babysitters, it's about a pizza delivery boy that delivers more than pizza.

Degrassi: TNG Season 7 - Oh yeah, and I'm onto Season 8 already.

What did you watch in August you really liked? Have you ever watched Degrassi?