Upcoming Releases I Am Actually Super Excited About

Once upon a time, I kept a very detailed spreadsheet of upcoming releases, which I updated on a weekly basis. Nowadays, I'm the complete opposite–unless I happen to see a new release announcement on Facebook or Twitter, I exist in a fog where book releases do not register on my radar at all.

As I've said before, there aren't a lot of authors on my auto-buy list anymore. Even for authors I do consider "auto-buy," by the time I figure out they have a new release out it's usually at the library (unless they self-publish of course), so I borrow it there. If I love it, then I can buy it to add to my collection. If not, no loss on my end.

But! There are a couple of books I'm super excited about coming out later this year. What are they? *drumroll*

The English Spy by Daniel Silva (June 30th)–Silva's one of my auto-buy authors. I loved The English Girl, and The English Spy's title suggests this book will focus more on Christopher, one of the secondary characters populating the world of super agent Gabriel Allon. That's a good thing, because the book after The English Girl, The Heist, languished a bit.

In other news, I really hope Gabriel destroys Isis.

Oblivion by Kelly Creagh (July 28)–I read Nevermore, the first book in this trilogy, wayyyyyyyy back in 2010 and loved it. It was like if Snape and Lily actually hooked up at Hogwarts. The second book, Enshadowed, was meh and skimmable. But! I love Creagh's writing style and I want to find out what happens with Varen and Isobel next, and I've waited far too long for this book to get it from the library.

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas (October 27)–A new historical novel by Lisa Kleypas! Dreams really do come true! I've been kinda off historical romance for a while, but Kleypas still has my loyalty. Perhaps because she hasn't published a historical since 2010, when I was still reading them, but anyway. Excitement! (And thanks to Colette from A Buckeye Girl Reads for giving me the heads up about this one.)







Okay, so I know that's only three books, but for me it's a lot. What are some upcoming releases that are on your radar?



Discus this post with me on Twitter, FaceBook, Google+ or in the comments below.

Review: ENSHADOWED by Kelly Creagh

After leaving Varen in the Edgar Allan Poe dreamworld, Isobel has not moved on with her life. Instead, she's spiraling into a depression and has horrible dreams. If only she could find a way to be in Baltimore on Poe's birthday, she might be able to convince Reynolds to show her a way back to the world she left--for good reason--in the last book.

I really enjoyed Nevermore by Kelly Creagh when I read it a few years ago (review here), so I was super-excited about the planned sequel, Enshadowed. Nevermore had everything: a broody, Snape-like hero; the big dance at the end where EVERYTHING HAPPENS; poetry (you guys know I love it when characters quote poetry); a Gothic atmosphere; and a romance where the hero and heroine fight. The only thing I didn't like about Nevermore was the last third of the book, which was all about "nocs" and the spooky Poe dreamworld. It felt tacked on and completely nonsensical. Plus, Varen (aka Young Snape) was not in it.

The thing about Enshadowed? It's basically the last third of Nevermore, but spread out over another 500 pages.

I still enjoy Creagh's writing style, and for about the first 100 pages Enshadowed I was completely gripped by the story. I loved Isobel's brother and their interactions, and I liked the idea of setting the book during Christmas while Isobel's on break. BUT. The spooky incidents that lead nowhere started to get really repetitive, really fast, especially as they were pretty dang corny: The TV that plays a static-y black and white video clips. Shadows on the wall. Books o' mysticism. The ethnic minority who knows way too much about demons. Also, THERE WAS NO VAREN. Instead, Isobel hangs out with this girl named Gwen, whom I honestly do not remember from the previous book at all.

But the real drag on Enshadowed is that this is not a story. Or if it is, it's a short story, and one about which I probably give only a marginal shit. The actual story lies with Varen--he's the one trapped in Poe World (coming in 2013, brought to you by Dickens World) with a demoness. What's he doing to get himself out of this mess, hmmm? What if he likes it there? Reading about this story from Isobel's perspective is like reading about Harry Potter from the perspective of Mrs. Weasley. SHE'S NOT EVEN AT HOGWARTS. You get what I'm saying?

Enshadowed wound up being extremely skimmable, and I'm very happy I waited for it to come in at the library rather than shelling out money for it. Based on the (rather ridiculous) cliffhanger at the end of Enshadowed, I'm guessing there's going to be a third book in the series, which will hopefully be better.

Kelly Creagh Interview

Today I'm very pleased to have Kelly Creagh, author of Nevermore, stop by for an interview.  Nevermore was one of my favorite books of 2010, so I was happy when Kelly took some time out of her super-busy schedule to answer a few questions I had about the book.

1.      Varen is such a great character! Did you base him off anyone (Severus Snape, for example ;)?

Varen was and is a blast to write. He’s so complicated and conflicted. I didn’t base him off of Snape, per se. Since Snape is one of my all time favorite characters, he may very well have had an influence on my writing but I didn’t set out to create a character like Snape. Actually, Varen was loosely inspired by a real person I knew who always wrote in purple ink.

2.      Nevermore is an incredibly visual book.  Were you inspired by anime or comic books when you were creating the "look" of the novel?

I was mostly inspired by my own memories of high school as well as my current surroundings. Nevermore is based in a semi-fictional Louisville, though the city is never mentioned by name. Trenton is based off of my own high school and Varen’s neighborhood is based directly on Old Louisville, which is one of the nation’s largest preservation districts. Another huge influence was the imagery in Poe’s works, especially in The Masque of the Red Death and his poems Dream-Land and Ulalume. I took as much as I could from Poe’s works when constructing the dream-world aspects of the novel. This includes the characters found in this realm, like the Nocs and even Reynolds.

3.      It's pretty unusual to have a heroine who isn't bookish in YA novels.  Were you worried about readers being able to connect with a character who didn't read?

I didn’t worry about that at all, really. I was just writing about the person who was in my head. In many ways, Isobel led the way in the story and Varen too. I always know I’m doing something right when the characters take over and it begins to feel as though I’m taking dictation rather than composing. I think that even though Isobel isn’t the biggest fan of literature, she is still relatable to avid readers and reluctant readers alike. It was actually very fun to create a main character who was popular, coordinated, spunky and a little different than your normal YA heroine. When I began writing Nevermore, I didn’t know much about cheerleading at all but I knew that Isobel loved to cheer and I knew that it was one of the most important things in the world to her. So that meant I had to go out and learn everything I could about cheering. This included sitting in on a practice session. I also watched documentaries on cheering and read coaching manuals. I was never the athletic type in school but it has gotten to the point where I’m such a cheerleading fan. It’s such an intense sport and it takes so much energy, resilience and bravery—which are all of the qualities I could hope for in any heroine!

4.      Why do you think Edgar Allen Poe and his work is so appealing, even after more than a hundred years?

I think Edgar Allan Poe remains so popular because of the nature of his work. So much of what Poe wrote about focuses on what happens after we die. This is unknown territory that will never ever cease to be intriguing. Poe’s brand of horror is more about the mind and less about gore and shock. That’s not to say that he hasn’t mixed in his own fair share of slashing axe-through-the-brain terror. But bloodshed in Poe’s works is never gratuitous. And really, what turns out to be so unsettling about his stories is the psychology behind the mayhem.

5.      Where are we likely to see Cemetery Sighs on tour? ;)

Right now the band is enjoying the success of their hit single, Emily Not, Not Gone, which you can download from my “Extras” page. Stay tuned to my website and blog for any updates about their music, appearances and future albums.

6.      What would you say the theme of Nevermore is?  Are the other books in the series going to have the same theme?

I never set out to write a novel with a specific theme in mind. If I had to pinpoint the theme of Nevermore, I would say that it has a lot to do with acceptance of differences and also not judging things on face value alone.  The theme of the sequel will be different. The story gets much darker.

7.      Reynolds is supposed to visit Poe's grave one day every year.  Have you tried to catch him in the act?

The Poe Toaster is a real person who visits Poe’s grave every year on Poe’s birthday. “Reynolds” is the name Poe was calling out just before he died. As far as I know, I am the first author to connect the two into one character. And I have seen the person known as the Poe Toaster! In January 2009, I went to Baltimore with a few of my friends to witness the rite and I was lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of the toaster. In January 2010, the toaster did not appear at Poe’s grave. It has been the only time he has failed to show in the 60 years the ritual has been documented. I can only hope that he will return in 2011! Be sure to google him on January 19th to see if he came!

8.      Will there be any new characters in the next book?

Yes. But that’s all I’m willing to say!

9.      Will Varen ever graduate from high school?

;) I can’t answer that one without giving too much away.

10.     Are there any plans to adapt Nevermore into another medium--graphic novels, TV, movies?

Wouldn’t that be awesome? I have to admit, I would LOVE to see Nevermore adapted to film. Whenever I write, the stories in my head play out like movies in my mind's-eye. So I think it’s only natural to want to see how it would really appear on the big screen. Not only that, but how cool would it be to watch the Nocs come to life?
Right now, there is no movie or graphic novel adaptation planned. Perhaps sometime soon, though!

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Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

What if Snape and Lilly hooked up at Hogwarts instead of Lilly and James?

Isobel is a blonde cheerleader.  Her boyfriend is the most popular guy at school, and the football team's quarterback.  Her besties are also cheerleaders and have boyfriends on the team.  Isobel's world may look great from the outside looking in, but it's one that's very insular and brooks no deviation from the norm.  When she's paired with Varen, a super-goth guy in her English class, for a project, Isobel is NOT. Happy.  But she needs to pass English or she'll get kicked off the cheer squad, and Varen at least reads (unlike her), so she begrudgingly agrees to meet him on Saturday in the library.

If I had to compare this book to something, it would be chocolate--dark, addictive, and the perfect thing to devour on a crisp fall afternoon.  It has a deliciously Victorian Gothic feel to it, which is balanced out nicely by humor and real-life teen crises we can all relate to (where to sit in the lunchroom!  OMG, the social minefield!).  And even though it takes a while to get going, it is also very, very romantic.  Le sigh worthy.  There will be poetry.

I mentioned at the beginning of this review that the romance in Nevermore can be boiled down to if Snape and Lilly from Harry Potter hooked up.  If you're a fan of Snape (as you might have guessed I am--and not just because he's played in the movies by Alan Rickman, although that is definitely a big part of it), you have to read this book.  Varen totally has the attract/repel thing going on that Snape does, and even though this makes him very much an unlikely romantic hero, it works.  Varen is a deeply unpleasant person who puts every effort into demonstrating how little he thinks of Isobel and her opinions--which makes his eventual respect for and attraction to her all the sweeter.

Another unique element in Nevermore is that it has its own visual language.  At one point, Isobel's brother says, "If this were in Japanese, it would so be an animé," and he's absolutely right!  You can see in your head a kind of stylized Edward Gorey/animé scene when Creagh describes things such as, "...like in a creepy painting where all the figures seem to stare at the onlooker, they turned their heads.  All those outlined eyes chiseling into her..."  The graphic visuals add a lot of character and fun to the novel that makes it distinctive.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the last third.  During this chunk, Isobel goes into some strange land connected to Edgar Allen Poe.  This might have worked, if the fantasy element had been better integrated into the novel as a whole.  As it was, it felt tacked on and out of place.  Plus, Varen and Isobel were completely separated for the majority of that section.  Since the message of the book was that Varen and Isobel could solve impossible problems as long as they were together, I felt the ending betrayed the theme of the novel.  It would have made more sense if Isobel and Varen had worked together.  And I wanted an explanation for all the WFT crap happening to come from Varen, not Random Reynolds.

Overall, though, I really recommend this book.  It's atmospheric, fun, romantic, and to be totally honest all I've wanted to do since I finished it is go back to the world Creagh has created!  Definitely, definitely worth picking up.

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