Book Review - Lorien Legacies #2 Power of SIx - Pittacus Lore

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight. 

Due August 29th 2011

The second book in the Lorien Legacies, Power of Six picks up not too long after the events of I am Number Four. This book introduces number Seven - Marina of the sea and her Cepan, who have taken refuge in Spain. Fast and eventful, John, Sam and Six are on the run and Marina must come up with a way to contact them, but she has her own problems to deal with as well.

More background story on how they left Lorien is unveiled and she see the introduction of a two new characters that John, Six and Marina never saw coming. 

Just as good as the first book, I finished it in two days. New powers, new people, new enemies I highly recommend this to anyone who loved the first book.

If you would like to know more about the first book 'I Am Number Four' then go to the official website here

Fantastic Boxed Sets

Do you like giving books as a gift? Then, the perfect gift is a boxed set. These sets are beautifully presented and they keep the series together. Not only that, but they are generally a lot cheaper than buying the individual books seperatly. We have a few boxed sets in the store at the moment.

These are just a few that we have. There is also the Vintage Classics boxed set and the Zac Power boxed set.

Great Books

Book Review - Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor ARC

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is a thrilling story about Karou and her secret life as an apprentice to a wishmonger.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

DUE OCTOBER 2011

I received an ARC of this book from our Hachette rep with the words - You are going to love this!

When I read the blurb, I was intriqued. A magical gateway to another world, wishes being granted, teeth used as some sort of bartering system. It sounded like it was up my alley. So I started to read this book and once I started - I couldn't put it down. The story grabbed me from the get go, Karou is a mysterious, strong willed girl who attends prestigious art school in Prague. She is a brilliant artist and all of her drawings tell a story that would never be belived to be true.

She works for the Wishmonger -who raised her as a child. Karou doesn't know who her parents are or where she came from. She goes all around the world, via the doorways that all open to the Wishmongers workshop, to gather teeth. Then she meets an Angel and all hell breaks loose. 

This isn't a religous book, it just happens to have angels and demons in it. Wonderfully written, Laini Taylor captures the essence of the wonderment of the unknown. Her writing is lyrical and enganging, and I can't wait for the next book!!

Laini Taylor is the author of three previous books, the most recent of which, Lips Touch: Three Times, was a silver medal finalist for the 2009 National Book Award. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their baby daughter Clementine.

Her website is here

Book Review - Graveminder - Melissa Marr

The New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adults, a story about the living, the dead, and a curse that binds them.
Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."
Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place--and the man--she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D--a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

This book is due for release in July.

I received an ARC of Graveminder, and having read some of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, I thought this is going to be a great read.

I was right.

It did take me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I was there – the book had me hooked. I really liked the idea of the Graveminder and Undertaker. Melissa, has outdone herself with this one, I can't wait to see what the next one is going to be like. The walking dead are not like your typical zombies – their bites aren't infectious as such, but they do eat the flesh of the living.

The underworld is fascinating, Charlie is quite a character and both Byron and Bek must have their wits together when they deal with Mr.D.

Very interesting concept and I would love to see where Melissa takes Bryon and Bek!

If you would like to know more, then head over to Melissa Marr's website

Book Review - Anita Blake #20 Hit List - Laurell K Hamilton

A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect "monsters" are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, US Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.
But some monsters are very real. The Harlequin have been the bogeymen of the vampire world for more than a thousand years; they are a secret so dark that even to speak their name can earn you a death sentence. Now they are here in America, hunting weretigers, and human police.
The Harlequin serve the Mother of All Darkness, the first vampire. She was supposed to be dead, but only her body was destroyed. Now she needs a new one, and she's decided that Anita Blake's is the body she wants. Edward thinks the serial killings are a trap to lure Anita closer to the most dangerous vampire they've ever hunted. The vampires call Edward "Death," and Anita the "Executioner," but Mommy Darkest is coming to kill one, and possess the other, and she doesn't care how many others have to die along the way.

This is the 20^th book in the Anita Blake series. For a while there, the series had turned into books mainly about sex. All kinds of sex. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong about that – in fact that is a reason why people like to buy them, but the detective part of the series is what drew me to them and Laurell has gotten back to that.

The book starts off with the grisly murder of a were tiger and sets the pace from the start. We see more back story for Edward and Anita has to battle Olaf obsession with her. There are changes in the Marshal Service, that lead to problems for Anita and Edward.

I did think some parts of the story were contrived, just a little and I wasn't happy with how the end was wrapped up. It was very fast. All in all though, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing what Laurell does next with Anita.

Keri Arthur Book Signing Blog Post

The delightful Keri Arthur arrived early from the airport on Friday the 3rd. We were waiting for our table to arrive and was like, OMG Keri is here and we aren't set up. She was in and out, quick as a flash dropping off her bags and heading out to find some lunch. Our table arrived, and I got to work setting it up.

Throughout the day, we had been getting calls asking what time was the Keri Arthur signing and such. Also we had a few customers come in early so they could get a good place in the line. Keri, throughly happy with her lunch, was straight into the signing. We had people waiting and they couldn't wait to meet with her and ask her questions. 

 

Tamara and her friend, dressed up with vampire teeth and brilliant corsets and jeans, just like one of the characters in Keri's books. It was fantastic! Here they are, flashing their fangs :D=

In a lull between people, I asked Keri a few questions that I had prepaired earlier hehe. These are the questions that we, as booksellers get asked by our customers.

Tarran: Did you think about self publishing?

Keri: No, it really wasn't an option when I first started to get published.

Tarran: Would you like your books to be made as a tv series or movie and what series would be better?

Keri: (throwing back her head and laughing) Yes! Please someone buy the rights! I would love for it to be turned into a tv show. I believe that the Reily Jenson series would make the best TV show.

Tarran: Now comes the standard question, where do you get the ideas for your books?

Keri: I have a very weird imagination and a lot of my story lines come from my dreams!

Tarran: Do you like your covers?

Keri: The new covers are fantastic! They(publishers) did a brilliant job on them. Got Reily as I see her in my head.

Tarran: How do you know if a book is going to be a series?

Keri: I don't until the end of the book. Reily Jenson was meant to be one book, then turned into three, then into nine.

Tarran: Are you under contract for certain amounts of books or do you have to negotiate for each one?

Keri: I am under contract.

Tarran: Who is your favourite character in the Reily Jenson series?

Keri: (laughs) Reily, of course. Also Leander.

It was a great day, we all had a lot of laughs and people were happy to meet Keri and get their books signed. It was too bad that the rain kept people from the shopping centre. As a thank you gift, we gave Keri a bottle of Patritti's Wines Chardonay - an excellent winery located in Brighton, S.A. If you like wine, then you have to check them out! All in all, excellent signing and we hope to see Keri again.

                                                                Keri with an excited customer

                                                              Robyn getting her book signed

                                                                  Keri and Tarran (Me)
 

                                                                  Keri and our rep Debbie

If you would like to know more about Keri's books, then go to her website or join her facebook fanpage. Also if you would like more information about Patritti Wines, A South Australian owned winery, then go here

Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals Recipe

Taken from the Penguin Facebook site

Free recipes from Jamie's 30 Minute Meals, Pregnant Jools's Pasta, Crunchy Chicory & Watercress Salad, Little Frangipane Tarts, Page 30-33.

PASTA

4 spring onions

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

1-2 fresh red chillies

1 x 6-pack of good-quality sausages (approx.400g)

1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

500g dried penne

4 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

a few sprigs of Greek basil, or regular basil

SALAD

2 red chicory

1 x 100g mixed bag of prewashed rocket and watercress

Parmesan cheese, for shaving over

1 lemon

SEASONINGS

olive oil

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & black pepper

TARTS

6 small deep shortcrust pastry cases

1 egg

100g ground almonds

100g butter

90g golden caster sugar

1 orange

1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

a 350g jar of good-quality raspberry jam

1 x 250g tub of crème fraîche, to serve

TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Turn your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Fill and boil the kettle. Put a large frying pan on a high heat. Put the standard blade attachment into the food processor.

PASTA Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with the chillies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Keep pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs. Put a large deep saucepan on a low heat and fill with boiled water. Fill and reboil the kettle.

TARTS Put the 6 pastry cases on a baking tray. Make a frangipane mixture by cracking the egg into a mixing bowl and adding 100g of almonds, 100g of butter and 90g of golden caster sugar. Grate over the zest of 1/2 an orange and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste or extract. Use a spoon to mix everything together.

Spoon a small teaspoon of jam Into each pastry base. Top with a heaped teaspoon of frangipane, add another small teaspoon of jam, then finally another heaped teaspoon of frangipane. Put the tray in the oven on the middle shelf and set the timer for 18 minutes exactly.

PASTA Top up the saucepan with more boiled water if needed. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid askew.

SALAD Trim off the bases of the chicory, then click apart all the leaves and quarter the heart. Scatter over a platter, then sprinkle the rocket and watercress on top and toss quickly with your hands.

PASTA Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

SALAD Speed-peel or shave some of the Parmesan over the chicory salad and take it to the table with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon wedges for dressing right before eating.

PASTA Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl and take straight to the table with the rest of the Parmesan for grating over. Scatter over a few basil leaves.

TARTS When the little tarts are golden and cooked, turn the oven off and take them out. Serve them warm, with a dollop of creme fraiche on the side.

Allyson Gofton's Beef and Guinness Casserole

If you are wanting a nice warm winter recipe, then look no further!


Allyson Gofton's 'Slow' cookbook is for you. Here is a sample recipe, taken from the book.

Beef And Guinness Casserole

Beef And Guinness Casserole

Free recipe from Slow by Allyson Gofton - Beef & Guinness Casserole, page 58.

1 kilogram lean beef for casseroling
2-3 onions, peeled and diced
4 rashers rindless bacon, diced
12-18 prunes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
pared rind one large orange
about 4 sprigs fresh thyme or
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
2 cups Guinness
2 cups beef stock

serves 6-8
preparation time without browning 15 minutes
preparation time with browning 25 minutes
cooking time low 7-8 hours, high 4-5 hours

Including the pared rind of one orange in this classic dish adds a hint of sweetness under the rich. warm flavours of the Guinness.

Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.

Cut the beef into 2-3-cm pieces.

If wishing to brown the ingredients:
Brown the beef, onions and bacon well in a dash of oil in a hot fryin9-pan. This will be best done in several batches to avoid the in9redients stewin9 rather than brownin9.

Into the pre-warmed slow cooker put the beef, onions, bacon, prunes, garlic, orange rind and thyme.

Mix together the flour, Guinness and stock to form a smooth mix and pour over the beef. Stir to mix well and cover with the lid.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve with seasonal vegetables.

Allyson's tips

• Pare the orange rind thinly to avoid any white bitter pith being added. If there is some attached to the pieces of peel, turn them over and with a small sharp knife, carefully cut the pith off.
• Guinness is a distinctive Irish beer, prepared from roasted barley, hops, yeast and water. While it's referred to as black, it is actually a dark rusty red colour. If you do not have Guinness, use another dark-style beer.

If you would like to know anymore information about this book, head over to the Penguin Website here or leave us a comment.

Author Signing - Keri Arthur 3rd June

On the 3rd of June at 1pm, Keri Arthur will be coming in store to sign copies of her latest book - Mercy Burns. Also she would be happy to sign any of her other published books as well.

Keri Arthur explodes onto the supernatural scene with a sexy, sensuous tale of intrigue and suspense set in a world where legends walk and the shady paths of the underworld are far more sinister than anyone envisioned.She is the author of the popular Riley Jenson series:


A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne's Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races-and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker-until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn't be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.…

Mercy burns is the second book in Keri's Myth and Magic series:

DARKNESS DESCENDS.
LOVE ABIDES. BUT . . .
MERCY BURNS

Mercy Reynolds is a reporter in the San Francisco Bay area, but she's also more - and less - than human. Half woman, half air dragon, she's a 'draman' - unable to shift shape but still able to unleash fiery energy. Now something will put her powers to the test.

Mercy's friend Rainey has enlisted her help to solve her sister's murder. Then a horrible accident claims Rainey's life, leaving Mercy only five days to find the killer: If Mercy fails, according to dragon law, Rainey's soul will be doomed to roam the earth for eternity. But how can Mercy help when she herself is a target?

Hope to see you all there!
If you can't make it and would like one of Keri's books signed, just give us a call on (08)8277-8857 and we can try and organise something for you!!