Giveaway: Perverse by Larry Rodness

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books, free books, free swag, Giveaway, larry rodness, perverse

Literophilia is proud to announce that we are once again hosting a giveaway!

Larry Rodness has generously offered up his latest book to satisfy your literary addictions. Literophilia is giving away 1 copy (in ePub or PDF form) of Perverse! If you haven’t read my review on this book yet, you can check it out here. You can also check out our interview with Mr. Rodness here so that you can get better acquainted with him!

To enter, leave a comment telling us why you want to win. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail — otherwise, we won’t be able to notify you if you win! You can increase your chances of winning by earning extra entries. Do one (or more) of the following and post a comment to let us know. Just make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry or it won’t count.

Twitter this phrase: “Want a free copy of an awesome book? Literophilia is giving away Larry Rodness’s Perverse! http://is.gd/pSWy4T“. Then leave a comment here linking back to the tweet (the actual post, not just your Twitter page).

Mention this giveaway on your blog or Facebook and link back to us (you can use the shortened URL if you like: http://is.gd/pSWy4T). Then leave a comment here linking to the post.

Sign up to receive e-mail updates from Literophilia (using the link in the sidebar) and comment here with your e-mail to let me know that you’ve done so.

All entries must be submitted by June 31st, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST. 1 winner will be chosen and notified via e-mail. This contest is open to all readers as per your local state/country’s laws.

Author Interview with Larry Rodness

Tags

author, fantasy, fiction, goth, horror, Interview, larry rodness, perverse, rodness, vampire, vampires

After our most recent review of Larry Rodness’s novel Perverse on Literophilia (in case you missed it, the review can be found here), we were eager for a chance to explore the mind of the author. Mr. Rodness was kind enough to let us in on the secrets behind his process and, as always, we found out about his own Literophiliac tendencies as well. As if that weren’t enough, Literophilia is excited to announce that we’ll be doing a giveaway for a copy of Perverse soon, too! Read on to find out what it was like for an adult male to write from a teenaged girl’s perspective, how he made his novel stand out in the overcrowded vampire/horror genre and what’s next for the author!

Literophilia: What was your inspiration for Perverse?

Larry Rodness: It actually arose out of boredom. The kernel of the story came to me one day when I was browsing in an antique shop. I saw a sketch of a rural scene in winter. I asked myself, what would happen if I looked at the scene again and noticed footprints in the snow that were not there before. Then I asked myself, who would have made those footprints and what would she be doing there?

Perverse

Tags

goth, larry rodness, perverse, urban fantasy, vampire, young adult

Book: Perverse by Larry Rodness

Publisher: ITOH PRESS

Furnished by: The author himself

Publisher’s Description: “19 year old Emylene Stipe is a 2nd generation Goth who, like every teenage girl, is trying to find her place in the world. One night she comes upon an old painting in an antique store and is compelled to purchase it. When she brings it home an image of a young woman appears in the sketch and then magically materializes in her apartment. Emylene nick-names her ‘Poinsettia’ and they soon become fast friends. But Poinsettia has an ulterior motive for her sudden and strange intrusion into her host’s life which causes Emylene to question her whole belief system.”

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Review: Perverse is the story of Emylene Stipe, a local Goth Princess, who grows up under the influence of her Goth parents, Theo and Vandy. She spends her youth examining and reveling in death and “the black,” thinking that she’s got the world pretty well figured out. But when she comes upon a magical painting in an old antiques shop, her entire world changes. And it isn’t just changed for Emylene — it’s an upset for the entire city, and, eventually, the world.

Evil magic makes pulls Emylene into the painting, ultimately forcing her trade places with Mira, the young girl who had been trapped there prior to her. 16 months later, she is released back into her own world by the mysterious Croation, Laszlo. He is hellbent on his mission to find Mira, who is trapped in Other-Town, a place which sprung up in the city only after Emylene disappeared into the painting. Other-Town is run by vampyres which suck the blood and life-force out of anyone who is drawn there. And their numbers and powers are growing exponentially, day by day. He thinks that Emylene must hold the key to saving humanity. But how can a young, confused girl save anything?

This book was a very quick read for me. It was well-paced, the characters were interesting, and it was a somewhat fresh take on a subject (vampires) that has been given quite a bit of mileage lately. As a former Goth, I found that part of the story particularly interesting. It’s a subculture that is very well-known, but not often well understood. Rodness offers an interesting look inside the culture and its subscribers. He also plays with the rules of vampire myths a bit, giving them the power to feed on energy and desires as well as the traditional feeding method of blood. Mind control plays a big part here, as well.

Since it was such a quick read, I’m hoping that there’s a sequel coming for this. The book was definitely ended on a note which both gives you closure and leaves you wanting more — a great way to set up a series. Find out more about Larry Rodness on his website, LarryRodness.com.

Dream Eyes

Tags

dark legacy, dream eyes, jayne ann krentz, psychic, romance, series

 

Book: Dream Eyesby Jayne Ann Krentz

Publisher: Putnam Books

Furnished by: Putnam, via a Shelf Awareness giveaway

Publisher’s Description: The death of her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, brings psychic counselor Gwen Frazier back to the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and brings back memories she would rather forget. Two years earlier, a killer stalked the members of one of Ballinger’s research studies including Gwen. And though she survived while two others didn’t, Gwen knows that Ballinger’s death is related.

Sent by a friend to help Gwen, psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith arrives in Wilby barely in control of his own talent and his own life, haunted by urgent dreams. His attraction to Gwen is primal, but there are secrets he must keep to protect himself from surrendering to her completely, even as their investigation draws them into dreamscapes, into decades of deception, and into the paranormal fires of a desire too strong to resist…

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review: Dream Eyes is the story of Gwen Frazier and Judson Coppersmith — two talented people with psychic abilities, trying to fit in to an otherwise ordinary world. The two meet through shared friends and odd paranormal situations, but find that these more obvious things aren’t the most important thing that they have in common. Gwen is struggling to put together the slowly unraveling mystery of the recent death of friend and mentor Evelyn Ballinger. Judson is failing to deal with the haunting nightmares that won’t let him move on from one of the most traumatic events of his life. Both of them are alone and afraid not to be because of their own struggles with their powers. Dream Eyes is a story of murder, mystery and turning tragedy into triumph.

Dream Eyes is book number two in Jayne Ann Krentz’s Dark Legacy series. I didn’t get to read the first book in the series, but I didn’t find that to be a problem here. As with many books in the supernatural fiction genre, the author ties things from the previous book(s) together nicely with the present and adds enough conversation among characters or inner monologue to fill in the gaps for readers like myself who have come in to the series later on.

Krentz, to me, is the personality of a writer personified. Her imagery is delicious — perfectly described scenes with just the right amount of detail. Enough to let you paint a perfect picture in your mind, but not so much that you get bored and put down your paint brush. However, the dialogue in her book is stilted. At times, it makes a light conversation between characters seem stiff and uncomfortable. Krentz is great at communicating with the mind, but not with the mouth.

This anomaly creates for a rather awkward ending. Krentz makes the final showdown between heroes and anti-heroes a boring and almost uncomfortable scene instead of the action-packed climax and denouement that it should be. Her final scenes are built on a foundation of dialogue and only peppered with imagery for decoration — a structure that works soundly in film and, especially with Krentz’s lack of conversational skills, falls flat in literature. Had she used more of her sound story-telling devices and illustrated a scene of struggle and triumph, this scene could have set hearts racing and created excitement for the next novel in the series.

Other than that downfall, the book flowed fairly smoothly. From small-town Wilby, Oregon to the underwater caves of the Carribbean to Gwen’s psychically created foggy dreamscapes, Krentz continued to paint beautiful scenes for exciting events. (There’s also a house cat in the book named Max. Any book that has a cat as a character gets bonus points.) This was also billed as a romance book (not my usual scene) but the romantic scenes were not what I expected — they were short and tasteful and not the focus of the book. So this book is great for people who wouldn’t normally expose them to the romance genre but enjoy supernatural fiction.

Kim Harrison Chat on Goodreads

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author, goodreads, kim harrison, rachel morgan, the hollows, video chat

One of my favorite authors, Kim Harrison, did a live video chat on Livestream via the Goodreads community. If you’re not familiar with Ms. Harrison’s work, she’s mostly known in the dark urban fantasy community for her The Hollows series, starring badass witch Rachel Morgan. Recently, Harrison hit the road on tour for her newest addition to the series, Ever After, which is the eleventh installment to the series and was released on January 22nd (my own personal copy is still sitting in the cardboard box it was delivered on days after it released — I’m not allowed to touch it until I finish the latest book I’m reviewing for Literophilia!). As a fan of the series, I was thrilled to hear her answer some questions about my favorite characters and about what’s next for the series. As always, with Goodreads, she was asked about her own favorite authors. And, always interesting for me as a writer, she talked about some of her writing methods and gave her own advice for new authors everywhere.

After the jump, read more about the interview and where you can watch it yourself!

Chloe Parker’s Top 5 – Comfort Books

Tags

a series of unfortunate events, a wrinkle in time, alice in wonderland, call of the wild, charlie and the chocolate factory, children's books, comfort, comfort books, conrad richter, cs lewis, jack london, jostein gaarder, lemony snicket, lewis carroll, madeline l'engle, mark twain, norton juster, novels, philosophy, roald dahl, sophie's world, the adventures of huckleberry finn, the light in the forest, the lion the witch and the wardrobe, the phantom tollbooth, through the looking-glass, top 5, where the red fern grows, wilson rawls

In a recent issue of Shelf Awareness, children’s editor Jennifer M. Brown wrote about comfort books — books that will help children, teens and even adults find feelings of comfort in times of tragedy, grief and loss. The past few months have brought wave after wave of unthinkable tragedies for people worldwide. People often tend to wallow in the misfortune of these events and pour over the details. And when this happens, it is a major sign that it’s time to look to better times and find a way to cope. Create new memories for your children and instill these comforting feelings for the first time. Or, for teens and adults, harken back to a time when the world was simpler and safety and comfort included a cup of hot cocoa and warm blanket. Comfort books can help us all escape from the world’s harshness while reinforcing that we can create our own safety and comfort by simply reading a book. This is one of the very reasons that I created this blog and decided to share my love of all things literary with the world: the ability to escape, to recreate, to embellish — in a healthy way. And so, inspired by Ms. Brown’s post, here are Chloe Parker’s Top 5 Best Comfort Books!

I, Nemo

Tags

captain nemo, deanna windham, historical fiction, j. dharma windham, Jonathan de Chevalier Mason, nautical, the nautilus

Book: I, Nemo
by J. Dharma Windham and Deanna Windham

Publisher: Self-published by J. Dharma and Deanna Windham

Furnished by: The authors themselves

Publisher’s Description: “What if the Nautilus and its famous captain wasn’t fiction?
Every legend has a beginning. Every man has a name. But none as dark and mysterious as the depths of the seas he stalked. The world in time would come to know him as Captain Nemo and his fabulous submarine the Nautilus. Here, for the first time, the tale is told in his own words of how he came to be: I, Nemo.”

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review: We all know Jules Verne’s version of Captain Nemo — whether you’ve read the book or seen the movie, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has always been the authority on Nemo and his adventures… until now.

I, Nemo is the story behind the story. Told in “his own” words through a series of water-logged journal entries is the tale of the man born to earth and to civilization as Jonathan de Chevalier Mason. A naval engineer for England’s royalty, Mason lives a noble life with his wife and two daughters. However, a slip of the tongue quickly teaches Mason that whilst his friends have been close, his enemies have been much closer.

Betrayed, beaten down and banished, Mason finds himself imprisoned until he eventually finds his salvation in a French priest, Father Blondeau, and his band of monks from the order of St. Mary. Together they concoct a daring escape to an island in the South Pacific which holds the lost treasure of Napoleon Bonaparte and the key to Mason’s dream: to engineer the world’s first submarine, The Nautilus. And thus, born to sea and solitude we meet a brand new man, fueled by anger and a deep desire for revenge — our infamous Nemo (a name borrowed from Homer’s Odyssey meaning “No One.”)

As we travel beneath the water’s surface with the Captain and his crew, the authors paint a beautiful picture of the pure, untouched sea-life that becomes Nemo’s world. However, eventually, his desire for revenge eats away at his soul. And Nemo won’t stop until the waters run red with his enemies’ blood.

Though this isn’t the type of subject matter I’d normally choose to read, I was very glad that I did. The authors do a wonderful job of pulling the reader into Nemo’s world and keeping her there. With all the vivid imagery being used, it’s easy to picture Nemo wherever he is — slaving in a penal colony on a deserted island, acting the gentleman all over Europe or proudly calling out orders deep beneath the sea.

This story is relayed to us by a narrator of sorts, Dr. Jacob Ballion of The Pacific Oceanographic Institute, who was the one to discover the wreck of The Nautilus which contained Captain Nemo’s journal. While we all but forget about him during the storytelling (only interrupting here and there to make a note on the condition of the journal’s missing material or to add a bit of historical background), our story is cut off by an emergency in Ballion’s world just as it finishes its perceived climax. His ship, the transcriptions of Nemo’s journal and all evidence of The Nautilus is seized by the U.S. Navy and whisked thoroughly away — leaving us with a cliffhanger and a perfect setup for a sequel. I’ll be looking forward to finding out what happens next in Raise The Nautilus.

ARC Roundup: 6.12.09

Tags

books, liz jensen, luis miguel rocha, pat conroy, paul collins, persona non grata, persona non grata: a novel of the roman empire, ruth downie, samantha hunt, shakespeare's first folio, south of broad, tarquin hall, the book of william, the case of the missing servant, the holy bullet, the invention of everything else, the rapture

Welcome to another ARC Roundup! For those unfamiliar with our format, an “ARC” (sometimes known as an ARE) is an Advanced Reading Copy (or Edition, respectively). What does this all mean to you? FREE BOOKS! Read on to find out what’s available straight from the publishers this week.

And don’t forget to look for Literophilia’s Picks, which are the books we think look especially worth checking into — they’re highlighted in hot pink so you can’t possibly miss them.

Author Interview with Kevin Krohn

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author, Interview, kevin krohn, krohn, severed ties

In addition to the book giveaway we’ve got going on this week (ending Wednesday, so get those entries in!), Literophilia was lucky enough to get an interview with Kevin Krohn, author of the Severed Ties series. Chloe Parker spoke to Krohn about what’s next for the characters of Severed Ties, what it’s like to be a new author and of course, we found out what authors he likes to read when he’s not filling that role himself.

Literophilia: What inspired you to write about murder?

Kevin Krohn: I think the first thing that inspired me is the fact that I am a fan of murder mysteries, both books and movies.  There needs to be a point in the story where your protagonist faces adversity or a dilemma, and using murder as that device is exciting because of all the different ways a story can unfold from that point. Different characters can react differently, and the chain reaction a jarring event like murder can create makes it something that will continue to be a major part of television, movies, and literature.

That’s my generic answer… the real reason is that my dad took me to the drive-in to see Robocop when I was 10 years-old in 1987.  I don’t think he realized it was going to be so graphically violent.  I was definitely too young, and it definitely warped my brain a little.

Rx for the Literophiliac

Tags

for the book lover, shopping

Banned Books Bracelet; $20|Fight Club Soap; $6 | Jane Eyre Bag; $45 |
Librarian Action Figure; $10 | Peter Pan Bookends; $40 | Edgar Allen Poe Shoes; $45 |
Pride & Prejudice Mug; $14 | The One Ring; $25 | Twilight Bookends; $35

CLOSED: Severed Ties (Volume 1) by Kevin Krohn

Tags

books, free, Giveaway, kevin krohn, severed ties, spiralbound publishing, volume 1

Giveaway is closed, winners will be contacted. Thanks to all who participated!

Literophilia is proud to announce that we’re hosting our very first giveaway. If this goes well, I’m strongly considering seeking out the means to do more of them in the future. So tell all your friends and enter away!

Kevin Krohn has generously offered up his latest book to satisfy your literary addictions. Literophilia is giving away 5 copies of Severed Ties (Volume 1)! If you haven’t read my review on this book yet, you can check it out here. We’ll also be posting an interview with the author later on in the week so you can get better acquainted with him.

To enter, leave a comment telling us why you want to win. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail — otherwise, we won’t be able to notify you if you win! You can increase your chances of winning by earning extra entries. Do one (or more) of the following and post a comment to let us know. Just make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry or it won’t count.

Twitter this phrase: “Want a free copy of an awesome book? Literophilia is giving away 5 copies of *Severed Ties (Volume 1)* by Kevin Krohn! http://is.gd/LD6w“. Then leave a comment here linking back to the tweet (the actual post, not just your Twitter page).

Mention this giveaway on your blog and link back to us. Then leave a comment here linking to the post.

Sign up to receive e-mail updates from Literophilia (using the link in the sidebar) and comment here with your e-mail to let me know that you’ve done so.

All entries must be submitted by June 10th, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. 5 winners will be chosen at random and notified via e-mail. This contest is open to all readers as per your local state/country’s laws.

Severed Ties (Volume 1)

Tags

kevin krohn, severed ties

Book: Severed Ties (Volume I) by Kevin Krohn

Publisher: Spiralbound Publishing

Furnished by: The author himself!

Publisher’s Description: “Severed Ties tells the story of Nyne Harper, a college freshman living with her widowed father. At the tender age of two, she lost her mother tragically in a house fire, believed to have been retaliation against her father for blowing the whistle on a large corporate cover-up. The two have been on the run since, trying to piece together some semblance of a normal life while constantly looking over their shoulders. Now an adult, Nyne is ready to quench her thirst for revenge and protect the only family she has left. The question will be, is she prepared for what her life is about to become? A hip, non-stop thrill-ride, Severed Ties is a story of family, friendship, and revenge.”

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Review: Severed Ties is a series by new author Kevin Krohn that follows Nyne Harper; a cute girl who’s just trying to deal with her overprotective dad, boys and college. As if growing up isn’t hard enough on its own, Nyne’s life has a bit of a twist to it: her father, Lesane, is so overprotective because the Harpers are on the run from a dark past that includes murder, mayhem and mystery.

When she was just two years old, Nyne’s mother was murdered in connection with her father’s work at Rytax Pharmecuticals — a corrupt company that will do anything to cover their secrets. From then on, Nyne spent her entire adolescence training to become a stealth killer. And at the age of 20, she decided that it was time to stop running and put her training to the test. The Harpers moved back to their original home in Portland, Oregon to begin a killing spree that would take out an entire family as revenge for what had been done to their own family.

But that’s not the end of the craziness. As Nyne takes out the Stanfield family one by one, things begin to change. Nyne starts to find that her life may not be quite what she thought it was. That, perhaps, these murders aren’t justified; that an eye for an eye doesn’t always make things equal; that maybe the word “family” could have a completely different meaning to her. Her dark past becomes even darker, and suddenly Nyne isn’t sure who she is anymore — or if she’ll ever get the chance to find out.

Severed Ties is a thrill ride for sure, and I’m ecstatic that it’s a series so that we’ll be able get to know Nyne better in the future. She’s a fantastic character — and honestly, even though my life is quite different than hers, I was able to connect. I love that Krohn lets her attempt to live a normal life filled with mundane college lectures and cute, nerdy boys that provide first dates and first kisses. Somehow, to me, it makes all her mood swings and reactions to killing make a little more sense.

Ready to read it? As always, you can click the link at the top of the page to pick it up from Amazon.com. However, if you’re like me and your wallet is a little empty these days, keep checking back to Literophilia: we’ll soon be hosting a giveaway of Volume I!

Volume 2 of the series will be released on June 30th. Until then, you can visit Kevin’s MySpace for more details.

Chloe Parker’s Top 5

Tags

1984, alice's adventures in wonderland, books, c.s. lewis, chuck palahniuk, douglas adams, george orwell, high fidelity, invisible monsters, lewis carroll, nick hornby, rob gordon, stephen king, the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, the lion the witch and the wardrobe, the shining, the ultimate hitchhikers guide, through the looking-glass and what alice found there, top 5

I read a lot of publishers’ newsletters, and I notice that a certain question pops up quite often during author interviews: “What is your favorite book?”

I’ve never much been one to play favorites with anyone or anything — my tastes are pretty varied, so it’s hard for me to just pick one thing and have it represent everything I like. But recently, it struck me: As a loud and proud Literophiliac, shouldn’t I have some sort of favorites list when it comes to books?

I sat down and really thought about it, and I decided to take a cue from one of Nick Hornby‘s more well-known characters, Rob Gordon. So here we are: my desert island, all-time top 5 favorite books. For now. 😉

The Man’s Book: The Essential Guide for the Modern Man

Tags

the essential guide for the modern man, the man's book, thomas fink

Book: The Man’s Book: The Essential Guide for the Modern Man by Thomas Fink

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Furnished by: ARC from Hachette Book Group

On Sale Date: May 6, 2009

Publisher’s Description: “Being modern and manly in today’s world isn’t always easy.

Do you know how to tie a bow-tie, mix a martini, or make a potato gun?

Do you know when to get married and how to break up, or the difference between a bock beer and a bitter?

Do you know which urinal to choose or how to start a fire with a Coke can?

The answers to every man’s burning questions are within these pages, from the morning wet shave to the whiskey night-cap, from hunting deer with a .30-06 to wooing women like 007. At a time when the sexes are muddled and masculinity is marginalized, The Man’s Book unabashedly celebrates maleness. Organized by subject in a man-logical way, it’s the go-to guide for anyone with a Y chromosome.”

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Review: So I admit, I originally picked up this book on a lark — the publisher’s description makes the book sound like it’s filled with pick-up lines, bar jokes and how to burp the alphabet. I was intrigued at this rare look into the male psyche and figured that, if nothing else, it’d be amusing.

What the publisher’s description doesn’t tell you is that Thomas Fink, the author of The Man’s Book, is a theoretical physicist at the Curie Institute/CNRS and the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and he wrote this book in his spare time (although, amusingly enough, Fink took his own author photo to be displayed on the back of the book, and it’s a total MySpace picture… and it looks like it was taken in an airplane bathroom mirror). Check out the author’s website and you’ll get an idea of the tone and style of Fink’s writing.

Instead of cheesy pick-up lines, I found an entire 13-page chapter devoted to women, including sections on to chivalry (apparently it’s not dead), first date etiquette and marriage. Instead of bar jokes, I found a very sophisticated section on drinking that explained nearly every type of wine, beer, spirit or liqueur and its application with or without food. And instead of teaching the reader how to burp the alphabet, Fink has included an entire section on urinal etiquette and, to make sure the rules hit home, a 67-question quiz on where to stand at the urinal to ensure optimal privacy.

Some of my favorite sections include: “Underwear,” where the eternal question of boxers versus briefs is looked at scientifically to find out whom the ultimate victor shall be; a section explaining how to properly brew coffee, which includes a chart showing the caffeine content of popular beverages (did you know that Coca-Cola has the least caffeine content of the major pop brands, including its no-calorie counterpart, Diet Coke?); a page full of men’s superlatives (including Best Advice: “Never apologize,” and Best Beer: Westvleteren 12); and even a list of the 50 most essential books for men.

Overall, this book was just really cool. I learned a lot — not necessarily about men, but just random little facts. And I love learning random things. What really struck me about the book, though, was how sincere and sound most of the advice was. It kind of struck me as a book you’d give to a young man who is just coming of age and will need to know these things growing up (Bar Mitzvah gift, anyone?), or to a boy who’s going to college. But really, it’s just a fun book for any man (or woman) to read. Maybe you’ll pick up some new trivia to show off next time you’re at the bar, who knows?

Those visiting Literophilia from another country may be wondering why I’m writing about this book now, since it isn’t new. But it’s new to us Yankees! Expanded, revised and retypeset, this is the first time that The Man’s Book will be available in America. According to the author himself, “New features include 16 more sections, 35 more figures and numerically indexed sections and subsections.”

ARC Roundup – 5.11.09

Tags

brandon sanderson, burnt shadows, christopher reich, daniel levin, erica eisdorfer, free books, kamila shamsie, naseem rakha, rules of vengeance, shannon hale, the actor and the housewife, the crying tree, the last ember, the wet nurse's tale, twitter, warbreaker

Welcome to another ARC Roundup! It’s a little late this time, but there are a ton of books available, so it all balances out. For those unfamiliar with our weekly roundup, an “ARC” (sometimes known as an ARE) is an Advanced Reading Copy (or Edition, respectively). What does this all mean to you? FREE BOOKS! Read on to find out what’s available straight from the publisher this week.

And don’t forget to check out Literophilia’s Picks — they’re highlighted in hot pink so you can’t possibly miss them.

The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers

Tags

angie fox, lizzie brown, the dangerous book for demon slayers

Book: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Co. Inc.

Furnished by: ARC from the publishers

On Sale Date: April 28, 2009

Publisher’s Description: “Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that’s another story. It’s not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing.

So I’ve decided to write my own manual, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, because no one tells me anything. Dimitri, my ‘protector,’ may be one stud of a shape-shifting griffin, but he always thinks he can handle everything by himself. Only he’s no match for the soul-stealing succubi taking over Las Vegas. If I can’t figure out how to save him—and Sin City—there’ll be hell to pay.”

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Review: After posting about this book in last week’s ARC Roundup, I thought it sounded interesting enough to put in my first ARC request since December. As it turns out, that was a great idea because I really enjoyed this book. (Also, big ups to Dorchester Publications for quick turnaround — this book landed in my mailbox only a week after I put in my request, which is probably the fastest I’ve ever gotten an ARC!)

The follow-up to Angie Fox’s first book in the demon slayer series, The Accidental Demon Slayer, The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers is narrated by the accidental demon slayer herself, Lizzie Brown. As an ex-preschool teacher, Lizzie is a complete outsider to the world of rule-breaking (so much so, she claims, that she’s never even received a speeding ticket). But on her 30th birthday, she suddenly became part of a supernatural world that was previously unknown to her and includes a biker gang of witches, shape-shifting griffins, grouchy fairies, gargoyles, succubi and a whole hell of a lot more. To make matters worse, she’s not only expected to be a part of this world — she’s expected to take on the role of the extremely rare demon slayer, saving the world from things you haven’t even seen in your worst nightmares.

In this book we get to know the magical world right along with Lizzie and her loyal Jack Russell terrier, Pirate (whom she is now able to hear “speak,” which I adore). As loyal readers of Literophilia found out in one of my previous posts (Chloe Parker’s Library), I have a sweet spot for the supernatural thriller/romance genre. This series will definitely find a home next to my Laurell K. Hamilton books. It satisfies my craving for a quick, exciting read (I flew through the book in two days) and allows the reader to get to know tons of unique, interesting creatures while still throwing in a bit of romance along the way (the quick, fiery, passionate kind — not the kind that makes you gag from its sappiness). I also like that, similar to Hamiton’s vampire hunter, Anita Blake, Lizzie has to deal with learning about herself along the way. While it’s wonderful to lose oneself in a good supernatural thriller, I think that when the author gives her characters a wealth of human flaws, it gives the book that little something extra to make her reader truly connect with the story.

Rx for the Literophiliac

Welcome to this week’s Rx for the Literophiliac. It’s loaded with book-related goodies for all ages, and of course, everything listed is Literophilia approved (i.e. we’d buy it if we had money. :))

| “Smart Women” Journal; $15 | “Banned Books” Necklace; $16 | Kindle 2 Cover; $42 |
| Bookmark Dictionary; $36 | Shakespeare Book Bag; $35 | Bookmark Notepad; $3.50 |
| Harry Potter Lamp; $58 | Mad Hatter Bag; $18 | Nancy Drew Stationary; $10 |

ARC Roundup – 4.17.09

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an edible history of humanity, angie fox, arc, free books, marc fitten, strength in what remains, the dangerous book for demon slayers, tom standage, tracy kidder, twitter, valeria's last stand

Welcome to another ARC Roundup! I apologize for my recent absence — I’ve been pretty busy lately. I’ve also been missing out on doing book reviews since I’ve put myself on an ARC ban. I got NINE books for Christmas and have been slowly making my way through them (recently finished the Twilight series and am now delving into The Lord of the Rings trilogy). But that doesn’t mean you guys shouldn’t be able to scoop up everything I’m missing out on!

And don’t forget to check out Literophilia’s Picks — they’re highlighted in hot pink so you can’t possibly miss them.

Chloe Parker’s Library

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bookcases, books, library, pictures

Chloe’s Personal Library

One of the many ‘symptoms’ of Literophilia is an over-abundance of books. Being the child of a Literophiliac, I know this symptom very well — nearly every room in my mom’s house holds a bookshelf that is literally packed to the brim with books.

Since I’m only 23 and I move to a different apartment nearly every year, I haven’t been able to get my collection looking how I’d like. Recently, I bought a couple of bookcases ($20 at Ikea!) and I’ve been happily staring at my beautifully organized bookcase for the past week or so.

Come take a look with me!

Rx for the Literophiliac

Tags

for the book lover, shopping

Welcome to this week’s Rx for the Literophiliac. It’s loaded with book-related goodies for all ages, and of course, everything listed is Literophilia approved (i.e. we’d buy it if we had money. :))

Check out last week’s post, too!

| Wreck This Journal; $10 | Wonderland necklace; $28 | Book of Monsters Plush; $15 |
| Betty Boop Bookends; $28 | Damask Book Cover; $12 | Nancy Drew Handbook; $17 |
| Big Skull Bookends; $21 | How to Make Books; $17 | Twilight “Be Safe” Necklace; $20 |