Girls in the Stacks.com - Read. Review. Laugh.

Well, wouldn’t you know it…we need help! Like lots of help (no, not that kind of help – we have therapists for that).

THE AD:

We’re looking for someone that would be willing to do back-end, non-glamorous type things. You know, like changing our sidebar content out (it’s quite simple), uploading pictures, scouring the internet for book news, tweet and facebook on occasion, tagging posts*, editing posts (tweaking them), help develop creative content, and maybe writing the occasional  book review or book related post and lots of other things we haven’t thought of yet.

*familiarity with wordpress, html, SEO stuff and other social media would be a plus.

THE BENEFITS:

We know what you’re thinking, “what’s in it for me?” We’re so glad you asked, because the benefits are pretty fly (especially if you’re a ‘glass half full kinda person’). Here’s what you can expect:

1. You’re very own Girls in the STACKS tshirt (authors will fight to sign your t-shirt … oh wait … it’s black)
2. A STACK Girl email account
3. BOOKS, ARCS, AUDIO – we’re good sharers’
4. You get to say you’re one of us (you’ll be fighting off hordes of fans clamoring for your autograph – yea, we’re delusional)
5. Really, we’re just trying to sell a job that you would do for free. You’re cool with that, right?

CONTACT:

So, if you’re interested send an email to stacy@girlsinthestacks.com. Please include information about yourself, why you think you would be a good fit, a writing sample – or whatever, be creative.

So when I read on Tuesday that Jack Gantos won the Newbery for his latest novel, Dead End in Norvelt, I must admit I cursed aloud! This was a book that:

A) I had read and thoroughly enjoyed
B) I had just given away to my father for Christmas (it was autographed!!)
C) I interviewed Jack Gantos when he came to St. Louis in September promoting the book!
D) I love Jack Gantos and was thrilled that he finally got some well-deserved recognition!

So here is my metaphor for my “relationship” with Jack Gantos: He is the amazingly cool kid in high school wearing the Ramones t-shirt, skinny jeans, and Chuck Taylors who is too cool for school but loves to show his brilliance by making witty remarks in honors English. I am the dorky girl with the oversized glasses, permed hair, braces and lack of fashion sense, sitting in the corner, worshiping from afar.

As you can tell in my picture with Jack, I’m a little star-struck to be attending an awesome dinner party at NCTE 2010 where he talked to me like I was a normal person and put his arm around me for the picture!

What did we talk about? The fact that his non-fiction memoir A Hole in My Life is the most stolen book from my classroom (because it deals with the time when he, as a teenager, helped sail a boat into NYC full of hash, but alas, got caught and went to jail for a year=hole in life). It definitely is a book kids want to read, but when they finish, they pass it on to their friends and not so much back to me.

Then he came to St. Louis this September and was gracious enough to grant me an interview for Vocabgal -which will be posted next Thursday, Feb 2nd! Again, he chatted with me like I was a normal human being, rather than a star-struck fan (I kept my giggling to a minimum I hope.)

What I love about Jack is that he bases much of his writing on his own personal life, and he has a fascinating, if not always warm and fuzzy, life. Dead End in Norvelt is so interesting because it is almost another memoir -he based it on the time he spent as a child in the town of Norvelt-a town named for Eleanor Rosevelt who created this awesome, pseudo-socialist community where everyone built each others’ homes and paid each other with their own goods and services. Jack’s mother had grown up in this town and, as the book opens, has moved back with her family, but Jack’s father is not as happy with the location…

Jack’s sense of humor and comedic timing describing the events of the story make the book laugh-out-loud funny, yet the poignancy of his task to help the town’s nurse write the eulogies for the last original townsfolk is rather touching (and the fact that these townsfolk start dying off rather quickly also poses a mystery to be solved).

My favorite part of the story is when Jack has to sneak inside an old woman’s house to see if she is dead, so he dresses up in his Halloween costume-which, of course-is a Grim Reaper outfit. The woman isn’t dead, but almost dies when she sees the embodiment of death itself creeping toward her.

This is what you can expect from the book that has it all-humor, excitement, love, eccentricities and Jack’s personal flair. I think the autograph he created just for this book conveys it all!

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Release date: November 21, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin Group, Inc.)
Book Links: jay asher, carolyn mackler, goodreads

from goodreads.com:  It’s 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They’ve been best friends almost as long – at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh’s family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they’re automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn’t been invented yet. And they’re looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they’re forced to confront what they’re doing right – and wrong – in the present.

**SPOILERS ABOUND!**

my take:  The story premise is what made me pick this up – what would you do if you could see 15 years into your future?  Would you try to save the world, corner the stockmarket, or see if you married well and were deliriously happy?  And what would you do if your life seemed … unhappy?

Emma is upset that her future life seems to be miserable, and experiments with small changes that effect her future posts.  I suppose I did not like Emma very much – she seemed very self centered.  She let her gross boyfriend grope her even though she was planning on breaking up with him … ugh, why did she do that?  She kisses Josh just to mess with their future timeline, even though she knew Josh had a thing for her and she burned him big time 6 months previous when he’d revealed it … not very nice.  What she reads into her innocuous facebook posts is that she is married to a loser … so she decides not to go to the college where she meets him.  But the future guy she marries instead is even worse … so she changes something else … on and on it goes until it’s so mixed up I couldn’t keep it straight. 

I really wanted a lot more emotional development from Emma, or maybe make her a little more considerate of Josh. She does look up her best friend Kellan on Facebook, and try to prevent her from making a major mistake; but she does it by slipping a condom in her jacket pocket instead of actually talking to her about her love life or preventing pregnancy.

I liked Josh.  He was an easygoing, laid back skater dude, and even though Emma spurned him he came over to help her when she discovered “Facebook” on her computer and thought it was a mean prank.  When he found out he would be happily married to the hottest girl in school, with a good job and (eventually) three kids, did he get a swelled head and lord it over Emma because she rejected him?  No, he did not.  Even his interactions with his “future wife” were sweet.  Yep, he was a nice guy.

My other big disconnect was the whole “opening up a future Facebook with an AOL CD-ROM” thing.  I must have gotten hundreds of those things in the mail, but I never got a wormhole to the future in mine, ha ha.  Actually, I just wanted a little more explanation on the hows and whys of that.  And alllll the ’90s references were there - Diskmans, dial-up noise, skateboarding, beepers, Alanis Morissette and Dave Matthews Band.  Got it.  Actually, the funniest bits were when Emma and Josh tried to make sense of all the modern day references – what is Glee, Netflix, and what horrible thing happened to planet Pluto? 

The idea that every decision you make influences your future was really interesting.  I could see the potential for this story being so much more than it was, but it fell a little short for me.  I liked it OK, but wish I had liked it better, because there were so many great reviews out there they made me want to give it a try.

See you in the STACKS,
Nancy

Jane Eyre, simply put, is a tale of love and redemption.

description from penguin classics… Having grown up an orphan in the home of her cruel aunt and at a harsh charity school, Jane Eyre becomes an independent and spirited survivor—qualities that serve her well as governess at Thornfield Hall. But when she finds love with her sardonic employer, Rochester, the discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a choice. Should she stay with him whatever the consequences or follow her convictions, even if it means leaving her beloved?

Here are my thoughts:

My thoughts are many and varied and they are inadvertenly scrambled. Ahhhh!!!

Okay, meltdown over…moving on.

*Jane’s abusive childhood and utter loneliness brought tears to my eyes. I felt every harsh word and look of disapproval. The only saving grace was Bessie, which consequently is whom I think she learned to love from. However, the exposition was long. When I say long, I mean long. There were ten chapters, yes TEN whole chapters on Jane’s childhood, maybe even more. I was beginning to think I picked up an MG book.

*Jane is constantly thrown into grueling situations. Like the good trooper she is she endures all, from the hard hand of Mr. Brocklehurst at Lowood, to her desperate times on the street to suffering judgments from others unfairly. She remains constant;  she learns, yes, but she does not degrade herself long with her situation.

*I can’t stop thinking about Jane’s relatives. Her aunt, Mrs. Reed and her cousin John were just appalling. They were mean, uncaring and crass towards her. She not only suffered physical abuse, but emotional as well. I’m surprised at how well she turned out with such a beginning.

*The “gothic” elements of this book might have been on the edge of scary back in the day, but I found them dull and boring.

*There were lots and lots of references to the Bible and God. If I were a good scholar I would pick out all the points and scrutinize them. Alas, I have no time for that but I do have a theory or several little theories. That is, don’t judge people by who they are/what they are (there was a lot of that going on), because things aren’t always as they seem, nor are people. Money nor station does not secure your spot in heaven, that only love, forgiveness and redemption can do that.

*I thought it was interesting how much alike St. John and Jane were in their respects to temptation and their chosen path. They seemed to reflect each other.

*Jane has tenacity. Love that the most about her, she never gives up or loses her faith.

*The “third floor mystery” fell flat for me. It could be because I saw it coming, remembered it from a movie or just from casual conversation with friends. Though, I will admit if I had seen that woman in my room ripping apart my veil I would have screamed like a little girl.

*Edward. I liked him. He did piss me off a bit with his hot and cold attitude and his underhanded way he handled the whole Miss Ingram affair.

*I loved, LOVED the way Edward and Jane communicated their love. It wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine, it was real and it was heartfelt. Albeit, the elf talk could have been left out.

*Jane is true to herself, her beliefs and she uses that to guide her and does not fall to temptation.

I could go on and on but in the interest of your time (and mine) I end my review here.

If you’re a lover of classic literature than this is a must read, however if old English and French phrases that are never interpreted isn’t your style than I would suggest watching one of the many movies based on the books or read a modern re-telling and call it a day.

See you in the STACKS,
Stacy, who’s kindle did more defining than there are hours in the week while reading this book.

So, I (Sarah) fianlly got my first interview gig and got to meet and talk with Sara Zarr-on tour for her latest book, How to Save a Life- at Pudd’nhead Books in St. Louis.  She is soo awesome (as it seems all YA authors are) and she even remembered me when I saw her again at ALAN (wow)!

Check out our interview where we talk female narrators, Sara being friends with other hip YA authors and why being a writer is a great job!

Destined by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Release date: October 25, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Book Links:  author, goodreads, house of night

From Goodreads.com:  Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow…

 But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him…

 Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

My take:  If you have not read any of the books in this series, go get Marked and start there, because jumping in here would be a mistake.  This is book nine in the House of Night Series, and it feels like it.  P.C. Cast said that they have a twelve book deal with the publisher, which means there are three more books after this one in which to wrap up this series.  Honestly, they should have stopped at six, or seriously edited and combined the last few.

Don’t get me wrong – this series is a guilty pleasure of mine, and the first few books in the series were fabulous vampire teen soap opera fun.  But honestly, we have come to book nine – NINE – and still main baddie Neferet is in power and messing with Zoe, and no one outside Zoe’s group even knows she’s bad!  Even the Kalona storyline is getting old – he is relegated to the sidelines here with some vague plan for revenge that is only hinted at.

I’d just like something to happen to move the overall story arc along, and give us more drama.  There was no major character growth (unless you call the BFF twins breaking up “growth”).  This book felt like it was marking time, the middle of a story that began in the last book and will end with the next one.  In other words, when are you going to give Neferet her comeuppance???

I am enjoying the story line of Rephraim, the Raven Mocker and son of Kalona, who turned to the Goddess and was forgiven.  His romance with Stevie Rae, and his punishment of being a bird by day, boy by night, is one of the things that redeemed this book for me.  Kalona is trying to tempt him to spy on the House of Night for him, and he still loves his daddy, so who knows what may slip?  The Aurox story line is also beginning to interest me, but they didn’t go far enough with it – at the end, I still wasn’t sure; is he Heath or not?

Another thing that is beginning to grate on my nerves is the childish language and dialogue.  It’s a “gihugic” turnoff.  I know they are teens, but it’s just too much, always with the joking and bickering and slang.  With all the crap they’ve been through in the last eight books, I’d be kinda depressed and not so jolly all the time, ya know?

Anyways, I now see the light at the end of the tunnel, since there are only (presumably) three books left.  Story lines will be moving along and wrapping up, and we will get resolution.  Yes!  I’m hoping the Casts get their groove back and come up with a fantastic ending for those of us who have been with this series from the beginning.  I can’t wait to find out how it all ends.

See you in the STACKS,
Nancy

This is what we’re reading this week…

The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig
publisher: Dutton Adult
release date: February 16, 2012
book links: goodreads author site

from goodreads - As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, English operative Augustus Whittlesby gets wind of a top  secret device, to be demonstrated over the course of a house party at Malmaison. The catch? The only way in is to join forces with that annoying American socialite, Emma Morris Delagardie, who has been commissioned to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. Even so, it should leave plenty of alone time with Augustus’ colleague (and goddess), Jane Wooliston, who has been tapped to play the heroine. Or so Augustus tells himself. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing seems to go quite as scripted… especially Emma.

all me - Willig has done it again. Her newest Pink Carnation book, The Garden Intrigue is just as captivating and charming as the rest.

This time we are introduced to Emma, a small and overly ostentatious American living in Paris. Though small, she is no wall flower. She knows everyone, including First Consul and soon to be Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. She’s also friends with the Pink Carnation, Jane and secret agent disguised as a poet, Augustus. These relationships, and her deceased husband’s desire for irrigation, put her smack dab in the middle of Napoleon’s scheme to invade England and those who thwart it.

I heart Emma. Her bodices are a bit too low, and her finery is over the top. She is a perfect wiry and full of life character. Yet, with all of her outward illusions, Emma is a very private person. She guards her heart, her feelings and lets very few in – including herself. Which brings me to…

Augustus, the “atrocious” and rather silly poet. His life as a secret agent has him hiding behind tight pantaloons, billowy shirts (puffy shirt!!)  and rather absurd poetry. His life too is full of illusion and because of his trade his true self is seldom, if ever seen.

These two illusion artists, who are hiding from themselves, are a perfect match. Watching their friendship blossom is oh, so sweet and to see it fully bloom into passion is just down right romantic. There are pivotal points in the story that you can see their relationship grow from their early quick and humorous banter to mutual respect and understanding, and finally, to love.

As for the “intrigue” part of the story, it’s simple and brilliantly keen.  How Willig manages to take a key time in history and add in believable elements with great dollops of whimsical romance is utterly amazing. She had me convinced that her Bonaparte was the real deal; from the submarines to theatrical productions to covert operations.

My only complaint with the story is the present day tale. It seems trite. The saga of Colin and Eloise’s relationship seems to be stuck in time, like it’s taken to long for them to get where they are. I’m sure this has everything to do with their short screen time, and the fact we get a new “historical romance” every book but their story remains the same.

See you in the STACKS, Stacy – who wonders  when is it Jane’s turn for a romance and are we going to see Turnip again??

We’re super excited; today’s show features the talented writer and author, Theodora Goss. Name sound familiar? It should, she’s written several short stories, essays and poems that have appeared in numerous  magazines and books alike. Our discussion today is on her newest publication, the lovely and totally unique, The Thorn and the Blossom: A Two-Sided Love Story.

For more information on Theodora and her book, visit her site here.

*as always, you can download us on itunes*

Guess who‘s the official live blogger for the sunny San Diego stop of the Dark Days of Winter Tour at the awesome Mysterious Galaxy ?? We are!!! Well, actually it’s just me (Shannan), the rest of the girls are freezing in Texas and Illinois, hahaha!!

So, what did I do when I was given this prestigious opportunity?  I did what any respectful blogger would do, spun around my living room floor singing, “the hills are alive with the sounds of music…,” very gleefully and then I packed a suitcase, put my kids (and hubby) in the car, and hit the road to spend a weekend away full of book adventures!

Who’ll be there?? Just a few of they’re so-hot-if-you-touch-them-you-will-burn-yourself authors;  Tahereh Mafi (SHATTER ME), Ellen Schreiber (MAGIC OF THE MOONLIGHT) and Veronica Rossi (UNDER THE NEVER SKY)!!!!

So…come meet, chat with, ask questions and have your books signed by these fabulous authors -TONIGHT!

Want to participate virtually? If you’re like the other STACK girls and live in a cold place and can’t make it tonight, you can still join in on the fun! Here’s how; follow Pitch Dark on facebook and twitter and then follow tweets, using the #pitchdarkdays on twitter!! I’ll be live tweeting throughout the entire event!

Check out the rest of the tour dates!!
Friday, January 13^th
SAN DIEGO
Mysterious Galaxy, 7pm – Shannan will be here!

Saturday, January 14^th
PHOENIX
Changing Hands, 4pm

Thursday, February 16^th
DALLAS
B&N Southlake, 5pm   – Stacy and Nancy will be here!

Friday, February 17^th
AUSTIN
B&N Austin, 7pm

Saturday, February 18^th
HOUSTON
Blue Willow Book Shop, 4pm