Books

I'm Back....

2012-01-12T20:38:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?

I've been super busy the last 5 months, but money has been tight, so I haven't bought books in awhile. And, I'm kinda of sad to report this, aside from reading Rick Riordan's The Son Of Neptune this past fall, I really haven't read a complete novel since July.

I'm going to change that. I recently picked up the US version of The Dead by Charlie Higson. This book is the sequel(altough if you read the description, it's technically a prequel) to his previous novel, The Enemy, which was one of my favorite books that I ever read. So far the action in The Dead is great, & it looks to be another great novel. Higson, in my view, is one of the most impressive writers ever, in my opinion.

So, yeah, I'm going to try my best to keep updating the blog.

Other Ramblings...

Speaking of Riordan, he recently released the cover for the final book in The Kane Chronicles trilogy, The Serpent's Shadow, out May 1st. He revealed the cover on Rock Center With Brian Williams on Monday. I didn't know he would be on the show, otherwise I would have tuned in. Anyways, here's the cover:

In case you don't know, I'm a big wrestling fan, too. One of the WWE's biggest Pay-Per-View events of the year, the ROYAL RUMBLE, will be held in my hometown of St. Louis later this month, & I will be attending. I might post some pictures of the event on the blog.

Borders Is Going Out Of Business. Oh Snap! Is The Golden Era Of Books Ending?

2011-07-22T17:57:00.000-05:00

What sad news. BORDERS is going away. All stores are expected to close by September.

Everything is 10-40% off, so if there's anything good coming out of this, it's that you can get good books at a cheaper price. Still, it's sad to see so many people losing their jobs. Barnes & Noble & BOOKS-A-MILLION can oly hire so many people.

Even worse, it doesn't look like this economy situation is getting any better. News is breaking that Speaker Of The House John Boehner has pulled out of the debt talks. It's rather frustrating that while Congress & The White House are barely making progress, Americans are suffering.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, with E-Readers & Kindles(?), it seems that simply reading a hardcover or paperback book is being phased out. Do you think this? Please comment. Thanks, and have a great weekend, and don't stay outside too long(It's been 95+ Degrees In STL for the past 5 days)!

Books On The Road

2011-07-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

This post today is coming from Lost Valley Lake Resort in central Missouri. I'm currently taking our family's 4th of July vacation, and thankfully, the resort has WiFi technology.

I'm down here until the 10th. I brought about 7 or 8 books with me to read, so I expect to finsh them all by the 10th.

CAMPING IS AWESOME!!!

Son Of Neptune Cover & Excerpt:

2011-05-28T12:11:00.000-05:00

<<< This is the cover for The Son Of Neptune, out October 4th!

You can read an excerpt here.

Scorpia Rising

2011-03-26T17:01:00.000-05:00

Synopsis:

Scorpia has dogged Alex Rider for most of his life. They killed his parents, they did their best to con Alex into turning traitor, and they just keep coming back with more power. Now the world's most dangerous terrorist organization is playing with fire in the world's most combustible land: the Middle East. No one knows Scorpia like Alex. And no one knows how best to get to Alex like Scorpia. Until now.

The chases have never been more intense, the fights more treacherous, or the risks so perilous to mankind. And this time, Alex won't get away.

INHERITANCE: COMING THIS NOVEMBER!

2011-03-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

3 Years Of Books!

2011-03-22T08:54:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, March 22nd, 2008, I happened to discover the magic of Blogger. Then, I created the magic of Books.

It's hard to beilive it's been 3 years. It doesn't feel like it has. But it has.

So, in short, thank you all so much for allowing me you bring you the latest Book news for the past 3 years.

The 3/14/11 WWE RAW- The day after...

2011-03-15T16:12:00.000-05:00

March 15th-

Monday Night RAW episode #929 emanated from my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, from the Scottrade Center, yesterday. It was a fine, fine show.

Even guest star Snooki couldn't ruin it. In a way, she helped make it better.

She not only unleashed a beat down Jersey Shore style, but she will do it again in three weeks at WrestleMania XXVII, WHEN SHE ACTUALLY WILL WRESTLE IN A MATCH!

Yep, you heard that right.

In other news, legendary WWE announcer(and my role model)Jim Ross made a triumphant return that got a humongous ovation. Since I had never got to see him in person the previous two times because of his condition, Bell's palsy, this was a very special moment for me. However, and former broadcast partner & best friend, wrestling legend Jerry "The King" Lawler, were attacked & injured, thus being removed from the broadcast(King actually; J.R never announced last .)

Before King Left, he got in the line of the night(for the crowd anyway): "You're a bigger screw-up than Charlie Sheen!" Whether or not that was a positive comment for Charlie or not, we will never know.

Soild matches were thrown in, and "The Rock" cut a rather hilarious promo at the top of the show. All in all, a great RAW!

March

2011-03-05T15:20:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe Books is 3 years old this month. What an incredible 3 years it has been.

I'm currently reading Virals, a sort of spin-off of the TV show Bones.

Did I mention I like Bones? If I didn't now you know.

On March 14th, I will be attending WWE Raw at the Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis. Hoping to get on TV(fingers crossed!)

Everyone have a great weekend!

My Blog's Newest New Look... & More Changes Are Coming

2011-01-23T14:15:00.001-06:00

My blog has a new look... again. Nice background, don't you think? But, the text color on some of my posts is a little dark and hard to read. If you have trouble reading some of my posts, highlight the text with your computer mouse.

Also, this blog isn't all about books anymore. They still will be the primary focus of the blog, but more frequently will the posts will be centered around other activities & current issues. Same with my Twitter. Hey, you know the guy who co-founded & created Twitter went to a school near my house?

Anyway, that about sums up the changes. Take Care, everyone.

-Jake, Creator Of Books

Could This Book Have Been A Human?

2011-01-22T16:10:00.000-06:00

Strange video I just watched.

Power Play

2011-01-21T17:41:00.001-06:00

From stitchkingdom.com:

The next in the incredibly popular series which centers on what happens inside the Walt Disney World theme parks at night (at least until they hit the high seas of the Disney Cruise Line in book five), Power Play ‘s official synopsis is as follows:

For the five teens who modeled as Disney Hologram Imaging hosts, life is beginning to settle down when an intriguing video arrives to Philby’s computer at school. It’s a call for action: the Overtakers, a group of Disney villains, seem to be plotting to attempt a rescue of two of their leaders, both of whom the Disney Imagineers have hidden away somewhere following a violent encounter in Epcot. A staged attack by new Overtakers at Downtown Disney, startles the group.

One of their own, Charlene, is acting strange of late. Has she tired of her role as a Kingdom Keeper or is there something more sinister at play? When caught sneaking into Epcot as her DHI, acting strictly against the group’s rules, Finn and Philby take action.

Has the ‘impossible’ occurred? Have the Overtakers created their own holograms? Have they found a way to ‘jump’ from the Virtual Maintenance Network onto the Internet, and if so, what does that mean for the safety of the parks, and the spread and reach of the Overtakers? Are they recruiting an army from outside the parks?

A dark cloud in the Kingdom Keeper era is unfolding, and with dissention in their own ranks, it’s unclear if there’s any chance of escape.

The Throne Of Fire, Vespers Rising, Zombies & More Stuff...

2011-01-20T11:38:00.001-06:00

Yes, I know this is my first post since September. I'll try to blog a bit more from now on.

In other news, it has been announced that on May 3, 2011, Rick Riordan's Second Installment in The Kane Chronicles, The Throne Of Fire, will hit shelves. I personally can't wait for this one because I very much enjoyed The Red Pyramid when it came out last year. It appears this novel will be shorter than Red Pyramid (Barnes & Noble says about 464 pages) but it will still be great anyway. Here's a summary from the Kane Chronicles website:

THE THRONE OF FIRE

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians. And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished. First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.

A preview chapter is available here. I think you can download it, but I'm not sure.

In other news, It appears that the 39 Clues will continue when Vesper's Rising is released April 5th. I don't think the Cahills vs Vespers Series Name caught on. Here's a summary from B&N:

The Cahills thought they were the most powerful family the world had ever known. They thought they were the only ones who knew about Gideon Cahill and his Clues. The Cahills were wrong.

Powerful enemies the Vespers have been waiting in the shadows. Now it s their time to rise and the world will never be the same. In Vespers Rising, a brand new 39 Clues novel, bestselling authors Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman and Jude Watson take on the hidden history of the Cahills and the Vespers, and the last, terrible legacy Grace Cahill leaves for Amy and Dan.

I actually enjoyed the ending of Into The Gauntlet, and I personally don't think continuing the series would be a good idea. However, this doesn't mean I won't read it. I think KK4 is released on that same day, but I'm not sure.

I have been reading a horror novel titled The Enemy by British author Charlie Higson, and let me say it is brilliant. In these troubling days when a excellent book is hard to find, The Enemy stands out, altought I recommend it for mature audiences. The book has been out since May of last year, so its taken me a while to find it. It comes out in paperback May 10.

It's sequel The Dead comes out June 14. You can bet I'll buy it.

The fourth installment in the Tunnels Series Comes Out February 2nd and will be called CLOSER. The summary is below:

Closer to victory...or closer to death? An army of darkness is on the march: Who won't escape with their life? The fourth book in the New York Times Bestselling TUNNELS series!

At long last reunited with his dad, Will now spends his days exploring the "land of the second sun," decoding the cryptic glyphs carved into its three mysterious temples--or eyeing the wild animals with renegade girl Elliott. Chester, meanwhile, has finally returned Topsoil, where his homecoming is rapidly becoming a horror show. But an army of darkness is on the march. And the ruthless Rebeccas have once more cheated death. With a corps of cold-blooded Limiters at their command, they're determined to hunt Will to the bitter innards of the earth. This time, who WON'T escape with their life?

Interesting Article For New 39 Clues Fans, Thought That You Might Want To Read....

2010-09-25T12:45:00.001-05:00

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2010/09/22/baldacci-to-write-39-clues-book/

Will there be a 39 Clues Series # 2?

2010-09-12T16:40:00.001-05:00

The ending to Into The Gauntlet was the most shocking ending to any book I've ever read.

Isabel Kabra is going to prison. For life.

Speaking of her, by the way, I managed to hack into a Lucian e-mail account & retrieve her final e-mail that she will ever be sending:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Isabel Kabra

The final push

Lucians—

We’re approaching a crucial moment in our history. In the next few days, you’re going to have to ask yourselves a life changing question: How far are you willing to go to find the final Clues?

For those of you sitting there twiddling your thumbs, I’ll make it easy for you. The answer is: WHATEVER IT TAKES.

For the past 500 years, our ancestors have shaped the world through their hunt for the 39 Clues. They’ve overthrown kings, toppled empires, and even waged war in pursuit of the most precious items on earth. But the Clues are more than a mere hidden treasure. They are the key to our destiny.

Lucians are born to lead. We’re made to rule. And with the power of the 39 Clues, we’ll be unstoppable. Because of you, we’re almost unbearably close to assembling all the Clues. And soon, if everything goes according to plan, we’ll be in the position to seize the remaining Clues from our enemies.

You’ve all done incredible work on the hunt. We can’t back down now. The other branches are growing desperate, and I suspect there may be some last minute surprises.

I’m ordering all active agents to accompany me to England. Ian, Natalie, and I will need your help.

I hope you’re ready. There will be no second chances.

— Isabel
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, speaking of all agents being in England, Ekat's: If you haven't returned to the strongholds since the dramatic ending to the clue hunt on Cahill Island, here is Bae's latest e-mail. It is before the encounter in England:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bae Oh

The moment of truth

Fellow Ekaterinas,

For the past 500 years, the hunt for the Clues has pushed our ancestors to achieve greatness. It’s what drove Howard Carter into the bowels of long forgotten Egyptian tombs, gave Marie Curie the strength to continue her research despite personal tragedy and illness, and inspired the Wright brothers’ dreams of flight.

Their genius, commitment, and sacrifice were only the beginning. Because of you, our branch has collected nearly all 39 Clues. We are within striking distance of victory—of achieving everything we’ve ever hoped for.

As you read this, Alistair is en route to England where, we believe, a crucial secret is hidden. There are rumors that the other branches are sending their top agents to investigate. I know Alistair has disappointed us in the past, listening to his heart instead of his questionably-sized brain. But even he knows what’s at stake.

The Ekats MUST be the ones to find the Clues. We are the only ones equipped for that sort of power. The only Cahills fit to handle that level of responsibility. I know most of you understand this, and I think Alistair has come to understand as well. He’ll do whatever necessary to secure our victory.

I need all agents prepared to head to England. If there is some sort of final confrontation, we won’t have any time to lose. This is what we’ve been working for. Five centuries of Ekaterina history comes down to this moment.

It’s time to make Katherine proud.

—Bae
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We all know, of course, that the freaking MADRIGALS(Amy & Dan) won the hunt. Even more stunning, it turns out that they weren't as evil as we thought. They were trying to get the Cahill Family united, and here is why, so all branches, listen up:

There is another family like us Cahills, called Vespers. They are interested in our clue hunt. And the Madrigals Leader, a newly found Fiske Cahill, has sent us messages that proclaim that some of the things the Vespers have done make Isabel Kabra look like Mother Teresa...

Watch your backs. All of you.

Hopefully, The Publishing Industry Will Be A Bit More Interesting Than It Has In The Last Few Months...

2010-08-22T17:03:00.000-05:00

If you've noticed, I haven't been posting alot lately. I think this is my 20th Post Of The Year, compared to the 200 plus in the last two years.

There is a reason for this. Now that pretty much all of the notable series' around the world have culminated, there really insn't much to talk about anymore.

The publishing of the final Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Novel (look up) this fall will mark the conclusion of yet another publishing phenomeon. And it doesn't even have a summary yet!

So, with school back in session, hopefully the publishing industry will be a bit more interesting than it has in the last few months...

I'm back....& some more Ekat E-Mail...

2010-07-15T16:58:00.000-05:00

I'm back from a long, misrable vacation.

But, hey, there were some good parts to. I finally saw The Lightning Thief movie. OK, but not my cup of tea. The book is WAY better than the movie. In the movie: no Ares. No Clarisse. No Mr. D. No Mention of Kronos. Smelly Gabe looks like a senior citizen. Awesome action, however...

And finally... the next 2 Ekat E-Mails!

JUNE 25TH

From: Victor Wood

Update from the stronghold

Ekats—

Victor here, filling in for Bae. He’s in his office yelling at Alistair, and from what I can hear, it seems like they might be in there for a while. Alistair stopped in Cairo on his way back from China, and there seems to be some disagreement as to where he should go next. Bae has ordered him to investigate some strange activity in Peru, but Alistair wants to go to Jamaica. Apparently, something happened to Amy and Dan down there, and Alistair is anxious to make sure they’re “okay.”

Needless to say, Bae is not pleased that Alistair wants to waste time “babysitting the orphans.” But Alistair seems pretty adamant about it. I heard him yell something about “not letting Isabel get away with it again.”

Does anyone know what happened in Jamaica? What’s the point of having a secret stronghold in the Bermuda triangle if we can’t keep tabs on stuff like this? Bae expects a full report, stat.

— Victor

JULY 13TH

From: Victor Wood

Madrigal encounter

Ekats—

I’ve just returned from an extremely dangerous mission on Easter Island. I’d been tailing the Tomas agent Maleia Kalani while she was in Tahiti for a so-called surfing competition. When she chartered a plane to Easter Island in the middle of the night, I knew something strange was going on.

As you are all aware, the Ekaterinas have long suspected that the Madrigals may be up to something on that island—though no one knows exactly what. I'm sure it involves the island’s unique varieties of bacteria, believed to have powerful chemical properties—and think of the benefits such a discovery would have for the scientist who found it! And for the Ekats, of course.

But it turns out agent Kalani wasn’t interested in bacteria. She snuck off toward the island’s giant moai statues. I followed her, at great risk to myself. Before long, I heard a strange noise coming from the direction of the moai.

I waited to see what Kalani had done, but then I saw another agent running toward me, Lucian agent Alana Flores. She didn’t notice me, of course. I was too well hidden. I would have stopped her to find out what she was doing on the island, but before I could, a group of people dressed all in black ran past, clearly in pursuit of the Lucian.. I thought it best to make a strategic exit.

There is definite Madrigal activity on Easter Island. I am preparing a detailed report to give to Bae as soon as he returns to the stronghold. Until then, stay away from that island!

—Victor

THE LOST HERO Cover Revealed!

2010-06-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it was actually unvailed on Monday, but her is the cover for Rick Riordan's new novel The Lost Hero, out October 12th. The first two chapters are unlockable by typing in "newhero" on the directed spot. Prepare for a real shocker unveiled in the 2nd Chapter: Percy Jackson is missing. Uh Oh, we got a real problem...

Major NEGATIVE News On Changes To 39 Clues Website!

2010-05-25T18:10:00.000-05:00

Fellow 39 Clues Hunters,

As you may have noticed, The 39 Clues website has made some MAJOR changes for members of the branches! As I logged on this afternoon, I was thinking WHAT THE FREAK IS THIS? Of course, I didn't say it out loud, because I was in a library. Politte's in my last name you know...

I have found it VERY difficult to navigate, and almost called tech support to find my EKAT INBOX!

Click the phone if you need to find that, by the way.

Well, good luck- um, you know... figuring it out youself. Yeah...

GO EKATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Royal Command Out Today!

2010-05-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

This book has offically been released. Pick It Up It's a Very Good Read!!!

The Black Book Of Buried Secrets!

2010-05-17T16:22:00.002-05:00

For the past five hundred years, the Cahills have silently dominated the world. Their desperate hunt for the 39 Clues lies behind some of history’s biggest enigmas – the curse of the Hope diamond, the race to summit Mt. Everest, the wild life and death of Harry Houdini. And now – finally – the secrets are out. With an introduction by Rick Riordan, The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets reveals the shocking truth about history’s most notorious family.

In full, lush color, The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets lays bare each hidden fact, concealed strategy, top agent, lost founder, secret base and hushed-up scandal of the Clue hunt. This complete guide to the Cahills contains information on all five branches, including the notoriously elusive Madrigals. The must-know information includes:

Full files on the enigmatic Man in Black.
The true purpose of the Madrigal branch.
The complete story of the fire that split the original Cahill family.
The truth about the night Hope and Arthur Cahill died.
Open access to the secrets of the Lucian, Ekaterina, Tomas and Janus branches.

It’s never too late to join the hunt – especially with The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets to provide complete access to the Cahill’s most deeply-buried secrets.

Product Details

Pub. Date: October 26, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Format: Hardcover, 192pp

Sales Rank: 57,875

Age Range: 8 to 12

Series: 39 Clues Series

ISBN-13: 9780545285049

ISBN: 0545285046

Official INTO THE GAUNTLET Summary!:

2010-05-16T14:05:00.001-05:00

Throughout the hunt for the 39 Clues, Amy and Dan Cahill have uncovered history's greatest mysteries and their family's deadliest secrets. But are they ready to face the truth about the Cahills and the key to their unmatched power? After a whirlwind race that's taken them across five continents, Amy and Dan face the most the difficult challenge yet- a task no Cahill dared to imagine. When faced with a choice that could change the future of the world, can two kids succeed where 500 years worth of famous ancestors failed?

2010-05-05T16:16:00.000-05:00

-Just got THE RED PYRAMID from the library. DANG THIS THING IS LONG!!! 516 PAGES & 41 chapters. I'm offically going into book hibernation!

2010-04-25T21:21:00.000-05:00

The Young Bond Series Concludes in the United States on May 18th, with the release of By Royal Command.

Below, an recent article from the Young Bond Dossier(by Zencat, who has commented on some of my Young Bond posts before) gives a more accurate description of the book:

First look at By Royal Command US hardcover

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 by zencat

Thank to our friends at Disney-Hyperion, here’s a first look at the new U.S. hardback edition of Charlie Higson’s fifth Young Bond adventure, By Royal Command.

This hardcover features cover art by series newcomer Owen Richardson (which looks sensational “in the flesh”) and sports the new series title treatment. The book runs 361 pages and is uniform in size with the other U.S. hardcovers. The boards are a blue-grey with red lettering.

Rick Riordan can write a 500+ Page Book? It's true!!! Plus, more on 2nd Camp Half-Blood Series!

2010-04-14T18:37:00.000-05:00

A LONG SERIES OPENER FOR THE KANE CHRONICLES?

I couldn't beilive it myself until I went on to the Barnes & Noble website. They said 528 pages, which I doubt is excact. But, they are never far off.

So it look's like this will be Riordan's longest novel EVER!!! I read the preview on the Kane Chronicles website, & it looks really good! Check this book out when it realeases on May 4th!

USHERING IN A NEW ERA OF ~~PERCY~~ DEMIGODS!

Just revealed @ the top of the hour, the new Camp-Half Blood series will be called The Heroes Of Olympus. The first title is The Lost Hero & releases on October 22nd!

Storm Warning & Into the Gauntlet

2010-04-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

HUGE BREAKING NEWS!!!: The Covers for the final 2 39 Clues Books Have Been Revealed. They are shown in chronological order ABOVE!

I'm So Stupid!

2010-02-20T14:11:00.000-06:00

I hate when your personal library has to get new flooring. I really do.

So, get this: My floor is OLD! I had to get a new one, now...

Yeah, bad idea.

I didn't realize that I had to take EVERYTHING out of that room, including my books & my built-in bookcase. It took me 3 hours to set all my books in my living room, where they won't fall. That mean's I have to put them all back after I put my bookcase back in.

It would take alot of bad words to describe how getting that thing out took its toll on me.

So, for the next week, I don't have a room to put my books in. Oh joy...

I WAS SO RIGHT!

2010-02-06T12:24:00.001-06:00

It's truly amazing, all the stuff you can find on Wikipedia these days.
But, more to the point, Amy & Dan Cahill are part of the Madrigal Branch.

Only I could have predicted it. And I did, about 6 months ago right here on the blog.

But If You Dont Beilive Me Look Below:

Shocked by the death of Irina, Dan and Amy march into danger once again. They discover themselves as Madrigal. In Grace's journal, they find a page that says ″I am feeling melancholy today, thinking about my dear A & H and missing them so. I cannot even bear to listen to my beloved di Lasso, because of the reminder...″ and on another page it says ″I have written Deng Xiaoping, who has agreed to grant to visit to A & H when he discoverd that they, like him, are M", which they translate into Madrigals and begin to question whether they're the good guys or the bad guys. Dan and Amy also begin to question how much they trust their au pair, Nellie. So far the clues the siblings have discovered are Iron Solute, Tungsten, Gold, Myrrh, Amber, Rosemary, and Water. Meanwhile, Aunt Beatrice's detective is closer than ever to finding their location. They also discover more about their parents' murder and confront Isabel Kabra. They follow Shaka Zulu and meet a man named Kurt in Pretoria, who helps them with many others through out the book. The clue is aloe. Also, in this book, Amy becomes very Cahill-like, being mean, wanting to kill Alistair, and having temper problems.

The storyline starts the morning after the fire that killed Irina Spasky. The two were shaken up by what happened and they cant't believe that Irina was on their side after all. But moment later, Nellie Gomez their au pair appeared signalling the arrival of police. It turns out that Isabel Kabra called the police and put the blame of Irina towards Dan, Amy and Alistair. Together with Nellie and the boat driver they tried to escape the police but unfortunately Alistair took the bullet and he was the one who was taken by the police.

Meanwhile, after using again their code breaking abilities, Dan and Amy figured that the last words of Irina was actually a song. "Im with you and you're with me and so we are all together" which points to their next destination. pretoria, South Africa.

Upon arrival in South Africa, a mysterious man hands a postcard to the sibling which points to a connection to a famous person called Shaka. As they unravel the history of Shaka, they found out that he was a member of the Tomas branch. Following a line of clues, Shaka was then connected to Winston Churchill.

Visiting a library with a document coming from Churchill, they discovered that the clue was hidden with the body of Shaka. Soon they discovered a tunnel in which it is said that Churchill hid when he was in Africa. They unlocked the message of the Churchill which pointed to a certain coordinate which turned out to be a Tomas Stronghold.

After infiltrating the Thomas stronghold they soon discovered a box with diamond in it. At first they though that was the clue, but actually Aloe was the clue which was also in the box.

When they were leaving South Africa, they were captured by the Kabras. They were about to kill Dan when suddenly the professor which helped them at the Thomas Stronghold saved them again. They escaped together with the vial with green liquid that they discovered at the Maze of Bones.

They escaped them by flying Grace Cahill's old plane. During the ride, Dan and Amy had a little quarrel and accidentally broke the vial which some of the contents were spilled at Dan's arm. It turns out that it was poison. To get the antidote, they flew towards Grace Cahill's home at South Africa. There they discovered a sort of diary of Grace Cahill showing that Dan and Amy's parents belong to the Madrigal Branch.

Still don't? Click here.

I'm AWESOME! Aren't I?

More news! While The Cover hasn't been revealed, I do have the Title for Book#8. Book 8: The Emperor's Code, will be out April 6th! The color of the title gives you a hint of the color of the book!

EKAT E-MAIL!...And More Info

2010-02-01T17:04:00.000-06:00

So yeah, I'm an Ekat agent, I get e-mail from Bae & Victor.

So I figured I'd share some of the non-top-secret ones with you.

When I get e-mails(which really isn't that often), I'll post it on the blog. mm'K? Good.

Victor, your up:

From: Victor Wood (On behalf of Bae Oh)

Stronghold security

Ekats—

Our spies have reported that the Tomas, Janus, and Lucians are increasing security at their headquarters around the world.

In Hollywood, the Janus added three new surveillance cameras to their rare book room—and added five new cells to their underground prison.

In Paris, the Lucians are distributing new poison-delivery mechanisms. Watch out for any suspicious-looking people with strange rings, or weird-looking umbrellas. . . .

There are rumors that the Tomas are installing some kind of invisible, high voltage barrier around their South African stronghold, but this hasn’t been confirmed. It’s difficult to believe that the Tomas can handle any tool more advanced than a baseball bat. However, we can’t ignore the fact that the other branches are anticipating some sort of break-in.

We’ll know more once we track down Amy and Dan. For some reason, those children always end up in the middle of the action.

Get moving!

Victor (for Bae)

Also, don't forget that Book#7, The Viper's Nest comes out tomorrow. Amy & Dan's family branch will FINALLY be revealed! Don't miss out & go buy the most important installment of the 39 Clues Series yet!

Also, while I'm at it, I have important plot info regarding book 8.

I'm awesome, aren't I?

In book 8, Dan & Amy will be seperated. And... oh yeah, remember that detective that their Aunt Beatrice hired to find Amy & Dan. Well, he may have finally caught up with them...

Change

2010-02-01T16:41:00.000-06:00

Wow, this editor looks new.

So I've finally figured out how to do this.

Yay!

‘Catcher in the Rye’ author J.D. Salinger dies

2010-01-28T14:59:00.001-06:00

NEW YORK - J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.

Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author's son said in a statement from Salinger's literary representative. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H.

Immortal anti-hero
"The Catcher in the Rye," with its immortal teenage protagonist, the twisted, rebellious Holden Caulfield, came out in 1951, a time of anxious, Cold War conformity and the dawn of modern adolescence. The Book-of-the-Month Club, which made "Catcher" a featured selection, advised that for "anyone who has ever brought up a son" the novel will be "a source of wonder and delight — and concern."

Enraged by all the "phonies" who make "me so depressed I go crazy," Holden soon became American literature's most famous anti-hero since Huckleberry Finn. The novel's sales are astonishing — more than 60 million copies worldwide — and its impact incalculable. Decades after publication, the book remains a defining expression of that most American of dreams — to never grow up.

Salinger was writing for adults, but teenagers from all over identified with the novel's themes of alienation, innocence and fantasy, not to mention the luck of having the last word. "Catcher" presents the world as an ever-so-unfair struggle between the goodness of young people and the corruption of elders, a message that only intensified with the oncoming generation gap.

Novels from Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" to Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep," movies from "Rebel Without a Cause" to "The Breakfast Club," and countless rock 'n' roll songs echoed Salinger's message of kids under siege. One of the great anti-heroes of the 1960s, Benjamin Braddock of "The Graduate," was but a blander version of Salinger's narrator.

The cult of "Catcher" turned tragic in 1980 when crazed Beatles fan Mark David Chapman shot and killed John Lennon, citing Salinger's novel as an inspiration and stating that "this extraordinary book holds many answers."

By the 21st century, Holden himself seemed relatively mild, but Salinger's book remained a standard in school curriculums and was discussed on countless Web sites and a fan page on Facebook.

Other works
Salinger's other books don't equal the influence or sales of "Catcher," but they are still read, again and again, with great affection and intensity. Critics, at least briefly, rated Salinger as a more accomplished and daring short story writer than John Cheever.

The collection "Nine Stories" features the classic "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," the deadpan account of a suicidal Army veteran and the little girl he hopes, in vain, will save him. The novel "Franny and Zooey," like "Catcher," is a youthful, obsessively articulated quest for redemption, featuring a memorable argument between Zooey and his mother as he attempts to read in the bathtub.

"Everyone who works here and writes here at The New Yorker, even now, decades after his silence began, does so with a keen awareness of J.D. Salinger's voice," said David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, where many of Salinger's stories appeared. "In fact, he is so widely read in America, and read with such intensity, that it's hard to think of any reader, young and old, who does not carry around the voices of Holden Caulfield or Glass family members."

"Catcher," narrated from a mental facility, begins with Holden recalling his expulsion from a Pennsylvania boarding school for failing four classes and for general apathy.

He returns home to Manhattan, where his wanderings take him everywhere from a Times Square hotel to a rainy carousel ride with his kid sister, Phoebe, in Central Park. He decides he wants to escape to a cabin out West, but scorns questions about his future as just so much phoniness.

"I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it?" he reasons. "The answer is, you don't. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it's a stupid question."

"The Catcher in the Rye" became both required and restricted reading, periodically banned by a school board or challenged by parents worried by its frank language and the irresistible chip on Holden's shoulder.

"I'm aware that a number of my friends will be saddened, or shocked, or shocked-saddened, over some of the chapters of 'The Catcher in the Rye.' Some of my best friends are children. In fact, all of my best friends are children," Salinger wrote in 1955, in a short note for "20th Century Authors."

"It's almost unbearable to me to realize that my book will be kept on a shelf out of their reach," he added.

Salinger also wrote the novellas "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" and "Seymour — An Introduction," both featuring the neurotic, fictional Glass family which appeared in much of his work.

His last published story, "Hapworth 16, 1928," ran in The New Yorker in 1965. By then he was increasingly viewed like a precocious child whose manner had soured from cute to insufferable. "Salinger was the greatest mind ever to stay in prep school," Norman Mailer once commented.

In 1997, it was announced that "Hapworth" would be reissued as a book — prompting a (negative) New York Times review. The book, in typical Salinger style, didn't appear. In 1999, New Hampshire neighbor Jerry Burt said the author had told him years earlier that he had written at least 15 unpublished books kept locked in a safe at his home.

BREAKING NEWS!:

2010-01-20T19:22:00.000-06:00

Charlie Higson has revealed on Twitter the title of the next book in his non-Bond horror series: The Dead.

Charlie is currently working on The Dead while also promoting his new BBC series, Bellamy’s People.

Charlie tweets, “Making a new TV show has really cut down my available writing time. Am now on a grueling schedule to try to get new book (The Dead) finished. 2000 words a day every day until the end of Feb. Actually - written down like that it doesn't look so bad. Beats working down a coal mine.”

You can follow Charlie @monstroso
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 by zencat

The Red Pyramid Synopsis

2010-01-20T17:20:00.000-06:00

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

IQ, Book 2: The White House- Coming Soon!

2010-01-19T20:28:00.001-06:00

Synopsis
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue:
There was another knock on my door. I opened it.
Standing in the hallway was a very serious Secret Service agent.
"The President would like to see you both in the Oval Office," he said.
"Now?" I asked. It was 3 a.m.
He gave me a curt nod.
"Maybe we should change," I said.
"You're fine," the agent said. "He's waiting. Follow me."
Angela and I were going to meet the president of the United States in our pj's.

In Book One: Independence Hall, we met Q and his stepsister, Angela. We met their rocker parents, Blaze and Roger; we met the Secret Service team protecting the family; and we met the main players of the Mossad team that is following them.

Book Two takes us on another thrilling caper, this time to the White House where Q and Angela continue their quest to uncover the truth behind the supposed death of Angela's real mother - a former Secret Service agent - while trying to differentiate the "good guys" from the "bad guys."

Coming March 10th!

Update On The Kane Chronicles & More!

2010-01-16T11:44:00.004-06:00

What you're looking @ above is the cover of Rick Riordan's new book: The Red Pyramid, which comes out May 4th. Below is an except from the first chapter(credit goes to WSJ for helping me find this):

We only have a few hours, so listen carefully.

If you’re hearing this story, you’re already in danger. Sadie and I might be your only chance.

Go to the school. Find the locker. I won’t tell you which school or which locker, because if you’re the right person, you’ll find it. The combination is 13/32/33. By the time you finish listening, you’ll know what those numbers mean. Just remember the story we’re about to tell you isn’t complete yet. How it ends will depend on you.

The most important thing: when you open the package and find what’s inside, don’t keep it longer than a week. Sure, it’ll be tempting. I mean, it will grant you almost unlimited power. But if you possess it too long, it will consume you. Learn its secrets quickly and pass it on. Hide it for the next person, the way Sadie and I did for you. Then be prepared for your life to get very interesting.

Okay, Sadie is telling me to stop stalling and get on with the story. Fine. I guess it started in London, the night our dad blew up the British Museum.

- I got an ARC for This World We Live In. I am almost finished & a review will be posted soon.

- As you may have noticed, I have changed this page design again, this time back to Books' original look. This look is back leading up to March 22nd, Books' Second Anniversary!

STEEL TRAPP 2—The Academy: Coming January 19th!

2009-12-07T16:36:00.003-06:00

(Picture Of Book Jacket availible now @ http://www.ridleypearson.com/YA/steel.php, I am currently unable to upload photos to the page)

Steven "Steel" Trapp has been placed in an East Coast boarding school for gifted kids by his FBI agent father. He soon discovers that there's a clubby element of the faculty and upper classmen that is very secretive and protective. To his surprise, his friend Kaleigh arrives to board at the school and soon the two discover that this is not your normal boarding school. It seems a select few students are recruited, while still minors, to serve as special "translators" for the US Government. Steel's dad was able to arrange this school for his son given Steel's incredible retention skills. People—including diplomats and dignitaries—will say things around kids that they wouldn't otherwise dare speak outside of embassies. The willing student "agent" takes a semester abroad and ends up spying for his country.

But there are dark elements at play at the school. Foreign agents may have penetrated the school's secrecy and may have sleepers in place: kids spying on future kid spies. There is conspiracy and competition among the elite faculty that threatens security. As Steel and Kaileigh are recruited for their first test run—trying to break a ring of pickpockets in a Boston hotel—things go impossibly wrong. Betrayal and conspiracy cloud what should have been a straightforward assignment. And all too soon, their very lives are in danger.

November Wrap-Up!

2009-11-30T15:38:00.002-06:00

Wow, is it almost the end of the year already? Today's November 30, so tomorrow's the first of December! Wednesday is my day off, so look for a lot of posts then.

So here's the round-up:

-Still no word if I will get a THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN ARC. Susan Beth Pfeffer(the author; one day she'll be famous) has only received 6 copies to date, & all of those went to friends & family.

-No cover for Rick Riordan's THE RED PYRAMID. Yet...

-There will be an 80% off Scholastic Book Sale at one of their warehouses near me, December 4th-15th. No Goodwill leveled products here; pure fun reading material! And of course I am going!

The Viper's Nest! (And The Rise Of The Madrigals)

2009-11-17T17:15:00.005-06:00

Hey, everyone! I'm back from BOOK HIBERNATION! While in such, I have completed the entire Heir Trilogy by Cinda Williams Chima, SENT by Margret Peterson Haddix, and just a few minutes ago, IN TOO DEEP, by Jude Watson(SPOILER ALERT!!!:RIP Irina. She died by saving Dan from a burning building.)Speaking of the 39 Clues Series, if you would direct your attention to the left!

Book 7: The Viper's Nest(along with Card Pack 3: The Rise Of The Madrigals) will be released February 2nd, 2010. Peter Lerangis, who did an awesome job The Sword Thief(that's book three, and that is my favorite book to date, which means, yes, he beat Rick Riordan, and trust me it takes ALOT to do that!) is also writing this volume, and I'm sure that I will NOT be disappointed!

Another exciting hype for The Viper's Nest: Amy & Dan's family branch WILL finally be revealed. There is a strong specualtion that they are Ekats, and that's my branch, so I sure hope so! However, they could possibly be Madrigals, and if they are, then I WAS TOTALLY RIGHT FROM DAY ONE! Oh well, I guess I will have to wait until February 2nd to find out!

The Kane Chronicles!

2009-11-02T15:48:00.003-06:00

BREAKING NEWS!:As announced today by author Rick Riordan, his Eygptian Mythology Series now has a name: The Kane Chronicles! For the release from Entertainment Weekly, click here! Below is the teaser cover:

Will You Get An Early Glimpse Of Susan Beth Pfeffer's Next Book?

2009-10-12T15:26:00.002-05:00

This World We Live In, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, releases on April 1, 2010. However, if you've read the two other books in the Moon Crash Trilogy, LIFE AS WE KNEW IT and the dead and the gone, and want to know EXACTLY what happens in This World We Live In, you may have a shorter wait. I have signed up to get an ARC(Advance Reader's Copy). Susan, what a nice lady, e-mailed me this morning and told me I may or may not get one, they're are more requests than they are of books, so we will just have to see how everything goes...

Sent!

2009-09-17T18:30:00.003-05:00

Synopsis- "I think it's probably safe to say, given when you should have landed, that you're...um..."

"Tell me!"

"I think, right now, you're the king of England."

Thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip are reeling from the news that they're both missing children from history, kidnapped from their proper time period. Before they can fully absorb this revelation, a time purist named JB zaps Chip and another boy, Alex, back to the fifteenth century, where they supposedly belong. Determined not to lose their friends, Jonah and his sister, Katherine, grab Chip's arms just as he's being sent away. The result? Jonah and Katherine also end up in the fifteenth century, where they decidedly do not belong.

Chip's true identity is Edward V, king of England, and Alex is his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York. But Chip is convinced that his uncle, Richard of Gloucester, plans to kill them and seize the throne for himself.

JB promises that if the kids can "fix time," he will allow them to return to the present day. But how can they possibly return home safely when history claims that Chip and Alex were murdered?

In a riveting tale that climaxes on the battlefield at Bosworth, master storyteller Margaret Peterson Haddix brings readers back in time to an unforgettable moment in history and plunges them into the adventure of a lifetime.

Excerpt:

ONE

It was a rough landing. Lights streamed past Jonah's face, an unbearable glare. Some force that had to be more than just gravity tugged on him, threatening to pull him apart from Chip and Katherine, from the Elucidator and the Taser, from his own self. The image that burned in his mind was of his body being split into individual cells, individual atoms. And then that image broke apart too, and he couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't hear. He could only feel time passing through him, time flipping back on itself, time pressing down, down, down....

Then it was over. He lay in darkness, gasping for air. Dimly he heard JB's voice say, "Welcome to the fifteenth century. Good luck." But he couldn't quite make sense of the words. It was like hearing something underwater, sounds from another world.

"You're hiding, aren't you? Staying out of sight?" It was JB's voice again, hissing and anxious. "You have to stay out of sight."

"Darkness," Jonah mumbled. "Safe."

His tongue felt too thick to speak with. Or maybe it was too thin — too insubstantial. He didn't feel quite real.

There was movement beside him. Someone sitting up.

"You'd like to keep us in the dark, wouldn't you?" Chip accused. "You didn't tell us anything we'd need to know to survive in the fifteenth century."

Whoa. How could Chip manage to sound so normal at a time like this? And so angry (which was pretty much normal for Chip)? Wasn't his head spinning too? Wasn't his vision slipping in and out of focus? Didn't he feel like he might throw up if he had to do anything more strenuous than breathe?

"You didn't even tell us who we're supposed to be," Chip continued.

Distantly, as if hewas trying to retrieve a memory from centuries ago — no, he corrected himself, centuries ahead — Jonah puzzled over what Chip meant. Who we're supposed to be... Oh, yeah. The whole reason they were in this mess was that a group of people from the future had gone through history plucking out endangered children. This would have been very noble and kind, except that they began carrying off famous kids, kids whose disappearances were noticed. JB, who seemed to oppose any tampering with history, was convinced that all of time was on the verge of collapse because of these rescues. He and his cohorts had managed to freeze the effects of the rescues — the "ripples," as they called them — and gone after the missing children. There'd been a battle, and thirty-six kids from history had crash-landed at the very end of the twentieth century.

Chip was one of those kids.

So was Jonah.

For the past thirteen years, though, they'd known nothing about their true identities. They'd been adopted by ordinary American families and grown up in ordinary American suburbs, playing video games and soccer, trading Pokémon cards, shooting hoops in their driveways. They had no way of knowing that their ordinary lives were ordinary only because they were in Damaged Time — time itself, trying to heal, had kept both sides of the battling time travelers out.

But Damaged Time had ended. And JB and his enemies, Gary and Hodge, immediately swooped in, each side eager to finish what they'd started.

And that, boys and girls, is how I came to be lying in the dark in the fifteenth century, Jonah thought, his mind working a little better now. That "boys and girls" line was imitating someone, someone on TV probably.

Someone who wouldn't be born for another five hundred years.

A wave of nausea flowed over Jonah. He wasn't sure if it was because it'd just sunk in that he was hundreds of years out of place, or if it was because his senses were working better now and he'd just realized that the fifteenth century reeked. A smell of mold and decay and — what was that, rotting meat? — surrounded him. And his nose brought him the first fact he was sure of about the fifteenth century: Whatever else was happening then, no one had modern flush toilets yet.

"Where is that Elucidator?" Chip demanded. He was feeling around on the floor now. "JB, you've got to tell me the truth. Who am I?"

"Well, it's kind of a delicate situation," JB hedged. "We shouldn't be talking at all right now, until you're sure that no one else can hear us...."

His voice trailed off to just a whisper, which Jonah could barely hear. Why was Jonah having so many problems? He'd been holding the Elucidator — he ought to be able to tell Chip where it was. But his hands felt too numb to be sure if he was still clutching anything or not.

Meanwhile, Chip seemed perfectly capable of sliding his hands all around, groping all along the stones of the floor. He nudged first Jonah, then, apparently, Katherine. Jonah could hear her moaning softly, as if she felt every bit as miserable as Jonah did.

"So help me, JB. If you don't tell me who I am, right now," Chip fumed, "I'll scream so loud that people will hear me in two centuries!"

"No, don't," JB begged. "I'll tell you. Just be quiet. You're...you're..."

"Yes?" Chip said, his voice rising threateningly.

"It's hard to pinpoint the date, exactly, since the three of you took the Elucidator, and that may have thrown some things off, but I think it's probably safe to say, given when you should have landed, that you're...um..."

"Tell me!"

"I think, right now, you're the king of England."

Copyright © 2009 by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Al Capone Shines My Shoes!

2009-09-17T18:23:00.001-05:00

Synopsis- Moose and the cons are about to get a lot closer in this much-anticipated sequel.

It's 1935. Moose Flanagan lives on Alcatraz with his family, the other families of the guards, and a few hundred no-name hit men, con men, mad dog murderers and a handful of bank robbers too. And one of those cons has just done him a big favor.

You see, Moose has never met Al Capone, but a few weeks ago Moose wrote a letter to him asking him to use his influence to get his sister, Natalie, into a school she desperately needs in San Francisco. After Natalie got accepted, a note appeared in Moose's freshly laundered shirt that said: Done.

As this book begins, Moose discovers a new note. This one says: Your turn. Is it really from Capone? What does it mean? Moose can't risk anything that might get his dad fired. But how can he ignore Al Capone?

In Too Deep BREAKING NEWS!:

2009-09-17T18:21:00.001-05:00

It has now been discovered: Dan and Amy Cahills hunt for the the 39 clues leads them to the land down under: Australia!

Book Reviews 2 The Extreme!

2009-09-15T15:39:00.002-05:00

I've been a little quieter on the blog lately, and that's because I've been reading alot. I've just finshed all 3 three Forensic Mysterys by Alane Ferguson, and many more book reviews will be posted in the coming weeks! Stay tuned!

Remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T17:05:00.004-05:00

Yes, my friends, today marks the 8th anniversary of the most horrifying day in our nations history, 9/11. I send my condolences to the effected families victims involved in the tragedy. I also hope the Al-Qaeda terrorist network is shut down SOON, just like every other American. America should be a country of freedom and security, not a place where over 3,000 people could die in a day just because a terrorist network wants to take us over.

I know that this year, Obama wants us to do Coumminity Service projects all over the nation. I think it is a wonderful idea. Go help someone in your neighborhood. It's the least you can do for America, especially on this tragic day.

Below are some photos from September 11th:

A view of the burning Twin Towers of the WTC

A firefighter views the remains of the South WTC

The site of the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 on a field in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. This wasn't intended to be the crash site, as either the White House or the US Capitol Buliding in WASHINGTON DC, however we will never know what the real target was. The reason they crashed there is because the 40 brave passengers flight attendants on board fought with the terrorists right above where the picture was until the plane crashes in this field. We sulute the 40 people on board who had the courage to fight the terrorists.

The damage done to the Pentagon in our nations captial

The damage done to the World Trade Center, the heart of these attacks. In 1993, the WTC was the site of a bombing by the same terrorist network behind 9/11. Only 6 were killed in the 1993 bombing, 1,500 injured, and 300 million dollars in damage.

Happy 10th To Blogger!

2009-09-10T20:15:00.002-05:00

I know it's official B-Day was August 23rd, but I would like to take this moment to congratulate Blogger for it's 10th year on the web! Thank you for making nearly 2 years of Non-Stop Book Coverage possible!

Catching Fire Spoiler From Wikipedia!:

2009-09-06T19:02:00.002-05:00

WIKIPEDIA-Katniss and Peeta are again living in District Twelve, but now in large houses in the area of the district called the "Victor's Village." Katniss has found that she cannot go back to the same life that she had before the Games. She no longer has the same easygoing relationship with Gale that she used to. And everyone seems to think they are cousins. On the day that she and Peeta are to start their victory tour of the country, she is visited by President Snow. Snow is angry because of the way she defied the Capitol, when she and Peeta decided to eat poisonous berries instead of one having to kill the other at the end of the Hunger Games. President Snow tells Katniss that when she defied the Capitol, she started a chain reaction and that other districts are likely to rebel. He threatens to kill Gale if she cannot prove to everyone in Panem, including himself, that it was not an act of defiance, but that she was too madly in love with Peeta to do otherwise.

Katniss is reunited with her prep team and Cinna, her stylist. Cinna has been helping Katniss develop her "skill" which every tribute is supposed to have. Katniss has no skills that she believes are worthy of note besides hunting. So she opts to work on clothes designing. She shows off the clothes that she designed to a group of reporters and then is sent to the train where she will travel to the various districts. On the way, Katniss confesses to Haymitch, her mentor, about the meeting with President Snow. Haymitch points out to her that she must be a mentor to other tributes in the future, and that the people of Panem are never going to forget what happened between her and Peeta in the arena. He reminds her that she must continue to be "in love" with Peeta until she dies, or the people will get suspicious and the Capitol will have a reason to dispose of her. Katniss realizes that it probably means she will have to marry Peeta.

The first stop on the tour is District Eleven, where Katniss' friend and ally, Rue was from. Everyone gathers in the town square to listen to the mayor's victory speech, and Peeta's own comments. As they are being escorted into the building where they will have their victory feast, Katniss decides that she needs to say something. Peeta already gave his thanks to the families of Rue and Thresh by giving each family one month supply of his winnings every year for the duration of his life. Katniss says a quick speech, thanking District Eleven for their tributes, the boy tribute who saved her life in the arena. When she is done, a man whistles the four note tune that Rue used to tell everyone that the days work was over, and used in the Arena to tell Katniss that she was safe. The song acts as a signal, and everyone salutes Katniss using the same gesture that she used to say farewell to Rue. She is taken into the building but not before she sees Peacekeepers drag the man up the steps into plain view of the crowd, and shoot him in the head.

Katniss and Peeta then proceed to travel to all of the twelve districts before returning home. During an interview, Peeta proposes to Katniss publicly, hoping to settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow. However, after they return home to District 12 it is announced that in honor of the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, twenty-four of the remaining Hunger Games victors will be forced back into the arena to fight to the death, yet again. Katniss then realizes that it will be her job to protect Peeta by any means possible. During a final interview the day before the Quarter Quell, Cinna creates a dress that goes from being a wedding dress to a dress styled after the mockingjay, which has become a symbol of hope and rebellion among the Districts.In a final attempt to escape the arena, Peeta tells a reporter that Katniss is pregnant with his child, which causes much mayhem in the Capitol. However, Katniss and Peeta are forced into the arena anyway. Before Katniss is sent into the Arena, she is forced to watch Cinna brutally beaten and dragged off as punishment for the dress he created. His fate isn't revealed in the book, though he isn't seen or mentioned again.

Katniss and Peeta then join up with two other victors, Finnick, a twenty-four-year-old man who is known to be one of the youngest Hunger Games victors, after successfully surviving the games at only age fourteen, and Mags, an eighty-year-old woman from District 4 who volunteered to take the place of Finnick's lover, Annie during the reaping.

Katniss and Peeta survive many hardships, including an acid fog that Mags voluntarily walks into to die after they realize that she cannot be carried any farther. After Mags' death, Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick join forces with Johanna Mason, a sarcastic and often cruel female victor, and Beetee and Wiress an older couple who have been said to be, 'exceptionally smart'. Wiress soon proves her genius status true after revealing to Katniss that all of the arena's disasters (tidal waves, blood rain, acid mist, monstrous monkeys, jabberjays, insects, a "beast," and electrical storms) appear to be on a timed chart that restarts at midnight.

After an attack by two other victors, Wiress is killed and her corpse is swept out to sea. Katniss then has to swim out and find Wiress and retrieve an electrical wire from her body before the hover craft carries her off. Later on, Katniss finds out that the wire was merely the beginning of a plan Beetee was formulating to kill three other tributes, using one of the disasters (lightning) and harnessing it's power with a wire in order to electrocute the other contenders.

In the final chapters, Katniss, Peeta, Beetee, Finnick, and Johanna attempt to carry out Beetee's plan to electrify the other contenders. However, Katniss become paranoid that Johanna and Finnick are planning to murder Peeta and herself after she is shoved down to the floor by Johanna, who proceeds to rip into Katniss's arm with a knife, causing Katniss to lose a large amount of blood. She stumbles through the jungle in order to find Peeta, worried Finnick has already killed him.

She finds Beetee has been knocked unconscious, having tried to disable the force field with an electrified knife. She uses the last of her strength to fire an electrified arrow at one of the arena's force fields which results in her paralysis. When she wakes up she is being transported to District 13, a place she was told no longer existed. She is informed that there had been a plan to break out of the arena before the games even began between most of the contestants, that Beetee had been attempting to destroy the force field the same way she did, and Johanna had only stabbed her arm in order to tear out the tracking chip that the Capitol used to follow her movements. Peeta, Johanna, and Enobaria have been captured by the Capitol. She is later informed by her best friend, Gale, that District 12 has been bombed and destroyed but that he got Prim and Katniss' mother out in time.

Artemis Fowl's New Look!(and more Eoin Colfer News!)

2009-09-06T18:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm a little slow to just be noticing this, but it seems Artemis Fowl has a new logo. Here's the new cover for the first book!

In other Eoin Colfer news, I've learned that Artemis Fowl 7 will be about a possible birth link between Artemis & Holly Short, and may be out as soon as 2010. I've also learned that Eoin is planning a Supernaturalist 2! Stay Tuned for more details!!!

KK1 New Cover!

2009-09-06T18:48:00.001-05:00

The Demon King- Out October 13th!

2009-09-06T18:44:00.002-05:00

From Disney-Hyperion:

Title: The Demon King
Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history-it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Helena, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai camp - riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

Hardcover $17.99 ISBN: 1423118235
ISBN-13: 9781423118237 5 1/2 X 8 1/4

Fiction 12 and Up

512 10/13/2009

Change- Not The Obama Kind!

2009-09-04T15:43:00.002-05:00

I am changing the blog up once more. A new look, some new sidebar features, and many more things are in store. Some things will go in effect today, and many changes have occurred over the past month. Enjoy the newly redesigned site!!!

2009-08-19T13:57:00.000-05:00

The full Black Circle report comes this Friday!

Secrets of their parents past

2009-08-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

WIKIPEDIA-In these videos, fictional news anchor William Michaels will try to find out what Amy and Dan's parents dark secrets were. Also, in every video except the first one, a code will be given to receive a free virtual version of a bonus card. Information in the five cards, along with the videos, will help readers discover Dan and Amy's parents deep secrets before In Too Deep will be released.

Video 1 - September 1st

Video 2 - September 11th

Video 3 - September 23rd

Video 4 - October 12th

Video 5 - October 25th

Video 6 - November 2nd

2009-08-17T14:57:00.002-05:00

Take The What Kind Of Book Are You? Quiz!:

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofbookareyouquiz/

The Enemy Extract

2009-08-13T18:30:00.002-05:00

When the sickness came, every adult fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry.

Only children under fourteen remain and they’re fighting to survive.

Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide.

And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait.

But can they make it there - alive?

The glass doors of the swimming pool were cracked and so covered with dust on the inside that it was impossible to see anything through them. Deke hefted his sledgehammer and took a swing, aiming for a spot next to the handles. The glass exploded with a bang and fell out of the frame in sparkling nuggets.

‘Cool,’ said Freak.

‘Yes it is,’ said Deke, who loved destroying things. In the early days, just after the disaster had happened, and before he understood the dangers, Deke had wandered the streets in delight - breaking, burning, smashing - hardly able to believe that there was nobody around to stop him and that he could do whatever he wanted.

That crazy, joyous freedom had been cut short when he’d discovered that not all the adults had died. And those who had survived would treat you far worse than any parent, teacher or policeman if they ever caught you. A parent might have grounded you, a teacher might have kept you in after school and the police might have arrested you, but none of them would have tried to eat you, like the grown-ups who wandered the streets these days.

He still got a kick out of destroying things, though, when he got the chance, which was why he often volunteered to join a scavenging party.

He stood back from the shattered door to let Achilleus see inside.

Achilleus leant in and looked around.

‘We’ll need the torches.’

They all carried hand-powered LED dynamo torches that didn’t need batteries. They quickly fired them up by pumping the triggers that spun the flywheels inside. After thirty seconds the torches were charged enough to give a good three minutes of light.

They stepped into the entrance lobby and shone their beams across the dirty floor and walls. Ahead of them was the reception desk. To the right, past a turnstile and low barrier was a small seating area that opened out on to the pool.

A wide passage led the other way to the changing rooms.

The reception desk was covered with cobwebs and the faded, peeling posters on the walls were from a different world. They showed smiling, happy children and talked of health and fitness and community activities. There were a few animal trails in the dust and debris on the floor, but no sign of any recent human activity.

‘Vending machines used to be through there,’ said Freak, nodding towards the fixed tables and chairs in the seating area.

‘We’ll take a quick look,’ said Arran, and, without having to be told, Achilleus led the way. He climbed over the turnstile and dropped into a crouch on the other side, spear at the ready.

‘All clear.’

One by one the others followed, Ollie bringing up the rear, torch in one hand, slingshot in the other.

They walked cautiously forward. As they moved closer to the pool they noticed a smell. The choking, rotten stink of stagnant water.

‘Aw, who’s farted?’ said Deke, holding his nose. Freak sniggered, but nobody else laughed. The pair of them liked to joke around to keep the fear away, but the others had their own ways of dealing with their nerves.

Achilleus was tensed and alert, ready for action, almost willing a grown-up to jump out at him. Arran tried to stand tall and appear unafraid, imagining he was casting a protective shield around his little group. Ollie kept glancing back over his shoulder. He was so used to watching their rear that he almost found it easier walking backwards.

‘That is an evil smell,’ said Freak.

‘Keep it down,’ said Achilleus.

‘Come off it, Akkie,’ said Deke. ‘If there was anyone here I think they just might have heard that bloody big bang as I took out the door.’

‘Shut up so’s we can listen, Deke.’

‘OK, OK.’

They shone their torches around the seating area where the vending machines had once stood.

Nothing. Empty.

‘They’re gone,’ said Arran.

‘What a surprise,’ said Achilleus.

‘Told you this was a waste of time,’ said Ollie. ‘Now can we go?’

Arran carried on towards the pool. A dim light was glowing green through the windows around the high ceiling. The air felt hot and moist. He used to come here nearly every week in the summer. There was a water-slide that snaked out of the building and back again. It had always been noisy here, busy with kids. There had been a wave machine and all sorts of fountains, waterfalls and jets. Now it was absolutely quiet and still and stank like a sewer. Stringy weeds hung from the water-slide that stood on rusting supports.

Arran was aware of his heart thumping against his ribs.

He didn’t like being here.

‘We should take a proper look round,’ said Freak, joining him by the poolside and shining his torch around the cavernous space.

There was still water in the pool, but it was a soupy greenish-brown colour. Clumps of algae and weed floated on the surface and odd pieces of furniture had been dumped in it. Arran could see chairs and tables, a filing cabinet and what looked like a running machine, probably from the gym upstairs.

More algae and mould made its way up the walls, covering the windows - this was what was turning the light that weird ghostly green.

The others came through.

‘We should go,’ said Ollie, nervously glancing back towards the entrance.

‘Scared, are you?’ said Deke.

‘Course I’m scared,’ said Ollie simply. ‘I’m always scared when we go somewhere we’ve not been before. It’s good to be scared. Keeps you alive.’

‘Check this out,’ Freak hissed, interrupting them. He was shining his torch across the pool.

A vending machine stood there, half submerged in the water, but they could see that it was still stocked with chocolate bars and sweets and crisps.

‘We’ve struck the jackpot,’ Deke whispered.

They moved closer to the water’s edge, marvelling at the treasure trove in the stagnant pool. The side of the pool sloped gradually into the water, giving the effect of a beach. The smell was appalling, and the floor was slippery beneath their feet.

‘What’s it doing in the water?’ said Achilleus.

‘Who cares?’ Freak and Deke said in unison.

Arran shone his torch on to a sign; it was still just about readable beneath the fungal growth on its surface.

NO RUNNING. NO DIVING.

‘See that?’ he said. ‘No diving.’

The others sniggered. The thought of diving into the dark, stinking water was disgusting, but nevertheless somebody

was going to have to wade in if they wanted to get to the vending machine.

‘I don’t like it,’ said Ollie. ‘It’s not right.’

Once again he glanced back towards the entrance, making sure that their way out was clear.

‘There’s nothing here, man,’ said Deke. ‘No one. The place is deserted. Look at all that crap in the water. The vending machine must have been dumped there ages ago, and forgotten about.’

‘Come on,’ said Ollie. ‘I’m going.’

He jumped as Freak suddenly shouted, his voice startlingly loud.

‘HELLO? ANYBODY HOME?’

The sound echoed off the hard walls.

‘See? Nothing.’

‘You’re an idiot,’ said Achilleus.

‘Yeah? And who are you then - Brainiac, the world’s brainiest kid?’

‘Don’t start arguing,’ said Arran wearily.

‘Look,’ said Deke. ‘We’ve been here long enough, if anything was going to happen it would’ve happened by now. This place is dead, like the rest of London, like the rest of the world for all we know. Dead.’

‘We’re not dead,’ said Arran, ‘and I want to keep it that way.’

‘Then let’s get the gear from the machine,’ said Deke.

‘Food, yeah? To eat? You remember food, don’t you?’

‘I’m not sure about this.’

‘Oh for God’s sake, this is a waste of time.’ Freak walked to the water’s edge, holding his nose. Deke groaned as he watched his friend wade in. Soon the slime was up to Freak’s knees, then his thighs. He carried on until he had reached the machine. Turned to wave, then peered inside.

‘Sick!’ he said, grinning. ‘You should see this.’

‘Freak! No!’ Deke screamed.

The whole surface of the water around Freak had come alive as if some huge beast was rising from the depths.

Deke splashed into the pool, yelling.

‘Idiot,’ said Achilleus.

There were shapes emerging everywhere now, seemingly made from the same green slime as the water itself. They pushed up out of the bubbling pool.

People. Men and women. Blanket weed hanging off them and tangled between their outstretched fingers like webs.

‘GROWN-UPS!’ Arran shouted.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

2009-08-13T18:18:00.003-05:00

It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn. Greg, a self-confessed “indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and “family togetherness.” nbsp; Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

Check wimpykid.com for more updates!

Black Circle Back Cover Summary!

2009-08-13T18:14:00.000-05:00

Description: The hunt for the 39 Clues leads Amy and Dan to their most treacherous destination yet a frozen land of Cahill secrets and betrayals. With danger chasing close behind, the siblings must track down one of historys greatest lost treasures. Governments were toppled and rulers were killed during the last attempt to find it. Do Amy and Dan even stand a chance?

39 Clues Investigation Will Be Completed By End Of August!

2009-08-13T15:49:00.003-05:00

I Managed to get The Black Circle last night. However, in order to get every detail correct before the final report, I will read the book twice. And that means it might take at least a week, before the final report is in. Tune in soon for the report!

2009-08-11T19:14:00.001-05:00

Still At Home going 39 Clues crazy. Haven't gotten #5 yet, might in just a few hours!

The Black Circle Is Here!

2009-08-11T14:01:00.003-05:00

The Black Circle is here, and with great hope and prayers my investigation will be over by tommorow. I will do everything I can to get The Black Circle this evening, and if I can't......well, who knows! The cover isn't what I expected at all, but I think it's clear now that they will be in Russia in the novel. I think Patrick Carman will do a great job with the novel, mainly because we will finally meet the Madrigals(and we finally might know their branch, or find out that they're Madrigals!)

Get it today! HURRY!!!

Amy & Dan: Where Next Videos

2009-08-10T20:12:00.001-05:00

Watch the complete investigation(39 Clues website on):

http://www.the39clues.com/wherenext

Black Circle out tomorrow!

2009-08-10T15:38:00.001-05:00

I will have some difficulty getting The Black Circle tomorrow, so if anyone gets the book before me, comment on what happens. PLEASE, I NEED TO KNOW!!!

Black Circle: New Cover

2009-08-07T14:20:00.002-05:00

KK3 Cover Art?

2009-08-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

Found on Ridley Pearson's blog on August 5th

2009-08-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

39 clues live chat anouncement- http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/index.asp

TwitterFeeds

2009-08-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

As a effort to keep you updated with the latest book news, I've added certain author's twitter feeds to the sidebar. Some authors include Rick Riordan, Ridley Pearson, Patrick Carman, and more. My Tweets are also on the sidebar if you wish to look at them.

An New Lead..........?

2009-08-03T14:30:00.002-05:00

I have been laying low the last few days to continue my 39 Clues investigation, but the search for answers lead me to a dead end..........

Until this Morning, anyway.

I opened up my Twitter account and found the Patrick Carman was following me. For those of you who don't know, Patrick is the author of the fifth 39 Clues book, The Black Circle, out on August 11th. The book will be the primary focus of my investigation. While the location of the book's setting has not been revealed, it is almost certain that Amy & Dan are heading to Russia in the novel.

Keep returning for updates...................

The Black Circle Location: Discovered?

2009-07-24T18:38:00.003-05:00

To to evidence on Card#428, it is now believed that Amy & Dan Cahill are now believed to be headed to be headed to Wisconsin, USA. Why? Find out when The Black Circle comes out on August 11th!

Join The Hunt!

2009-07-18T19:46:00.005-05:00

Madrigal Investigation Update!: I have decided that the only way I can move forward with the investigation is to find out what branch of the family I belong to. I went to the 39 Clues website to join the hunt myself, and found out I'm a Ekaterinan. OMG! That means my stronghold was violated by the Madrigals in Beyond The Grave! Those Madrigals are going to get it!

But what if Amy & Dan are one of them...................

THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES....................!

Percy Movie Website & Trailer!

2009-07-15T14:39:00.006-05:00

Both were made public today: Click here for the website, and here for the trailer. The movie releases on Febuary 12th of next year.

Harry Potter Finale Now In Paperback!

2009-07-13T15:41:00.003-05:00

Synopsis

It all comes down to this - a final face off between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve. Do you stay the course you started, despite your lack of progress? Do you detour and follow a new lead that may not help? Do you listen to your instincts, or your friends?

Lord Voldemort is preparing for battle and so must Harry. With Ron and Hermione at his side, he's trying to hunt down Voldemort's Horcruxes, escape danger at every turn, and find a way to defeat evil once and for all. How does it all end?

Find out in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

NOW OUT IN TRADE PAPERBACK FOR $11.99!

Amy & Dan Cahill: Are They Madrigals?

2009-07-13T14:56:00.006-05:00

Look, I know some 39 Clues fanatics will be outraged at me for saying this, but with the storyline so convincing, it's got to be the only option.

I believe this assumption for 3 reasons:

1. Amy & Dan don't know what branch belong to. Grace never told them, and when people(mostly competitors) almost tell them, they are cut-off by someone or something.

2. Amy & Dan don't have much of the talents that belong to any of the 4 branches. They're not entertainers like the Janus, because Amy is frightened of large crowds(But Dan could make a good comedian.) They're not ruthless like the Lucians. Not good Chemists & inventors like the Ekats. And not as strong as the Tomas.

3. In the fifth book, The Black Circle, Amy & Dan will confront the Madrigals. Maybe they will tell Amy & Dan themselves that the siblings have Madrigal heritage. Oh, and I will tell you right now, I know nothing that happens in The Black Circle, with the exception of knowing about them confronting the Madrigals, as it is noted on the back page of Beyond The Grave.

I am in the process of rereading all four novels in order to record a complete investigation on this question. If are are Madrigals, I could only imagine what it would mean for the contest..................

In Too Deep Cover!

2009-07-13T14:51:00.005-05:00

Just released, the cover for the sixth 39 Clues adventure, IN TOO DEEP. The book comes out on November 3. More to follow later...........

Update- Book is rumored to be 206 pages.

Update- Product Description:

A hint from their parents’ past puts Amy and Dan on the trail of secrets their grandmother Grace would NEVER have wanted them to know. Awful memories begin to crowd in on Amy, just as her enemies circle closer. How far would she go to protect Dan? How much of a Cahill is she prepared to be? Perhaps Grace was right – some secrets are better left buried.

Update- They might be heading to the Loch Ness, because the front shows a sunken plane, and mission 1 says a plane chrashed into the loch with a clue. But it could also be the Bermuda Triangle because in the interviews on 39clues.com Jude Watson said that she was an Ekat and the Bermuda Triangle is an Ekat base. The description says "The 39 Clues gets treacherous. Book 6 takes Amy and Dan across oceans on the trail of a famous aviator, but they find more than they're looking for. Their enemies are becoming more vicious, and the truths they discover more crushing than ever." The famous aviator might be the Janus "Flying Ace", as it would fit a cycle: Lucian, Janus, Tomas, Ekat, Lucian ect. Or it could possibly be Amelia Earhart, as she dissappeared without a trace, and that seems suspiciously like Cahill involvement.

books Is now a website

2009-07-01T15:06:00.002-05:00

Yeah it says .webs.com, but it's still the real thing.

As Promised, Books is now a website! Click her to view it. But keep checking the blog, for continuous updates.

Giving In To Twitter

2009-06-11T19:13:00.005-05:00

I'm giving in to a major phenomenon. Everyone knows it's name: Twitter. Check mine out here. It's not very big, one one post so far, but I got 1 follower in less than 4 minutes so that's awesome!

Peter And The Sword Of Mercy!

2009-06-10T15:36:00.005-05:00

Hey, everyone, the cover for Peter And The Sword Of Mercy is Here! More info on the sidebar...............--------------------------------------------------->

Oh yeah, it's about 528 pages.

The 39 Clues Book Five: The Black Circle

2009-06-08T15:03:00.002-05:00

WHERE ARE AMY AND DAN CAHILL? The two kids were last seen in Egypt, hunting for one of the 39 Clues that could make them the most powerful people on earth. But no one has seen the siblings since. Has the ruthless Irina Spasky finally tracked them down? Or worse . . . the Madrigals?

No one knows where the Clue hunt leads next. But one thing is certain – Book 5 is gearing up to be Dan and Amy’s most dangerous adventure yet.

Coming Tuesday, August 11, 2009!

Beyond The Grave- Out Today!

2009-06-02T15:39:00.005-05:00

Today is the pub date for Beyond The Grave, by Jude Watson! This is the fourth title in the astounding 39 Clues series. This book is promised to be the best one in the series yet, according to previous authors, Rick Riordan for example:

If you thought Amy and Dan Cahill were in trouble before, wait until you see what this book brings. The plot thickens. Much is revealed. More secrets are unearthed!

I might not get to read it for a while, I have a tight schedule. If you read, you can review it here!

Is It Right To Read A Book More Than Once?

2009-05-31T14:28:00.002-05:00

There comes a time in everyones life when they run out of books to read. I'm facing that problem right now. I'm out of money. Out of books. Out of luck.

So, I'm begining to think about reading Twilight again. But I don't want to, because I just don't have the same passion for the book as I did before. I know what's going to happen. It's different, you know. What do you think? Do you think it's right to read a book more than once? Do you do it yourself?

The Sorceress!

2009-05-26T15:51:00.003-05:00

Book Three in the New York Times bestselling series.

Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent—the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.

If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic—Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane.

Except from B & N!!!:

I think I see them.”

The young man in the green parka standing directly beneath the huge circular clock in St. Pancras station took the phone away from his ear and checked a blurred image on the screen. The English Magician had sent the image: the picture was grainy, the colors washed and faded, and it looked liked it had been taken from an overhead security camera. It showed an older man with short gray hair, accompanied by two blond-haired teens, climbing onto a train.

Rising up on his toes, the young man swiveled his head, looking for the trio he’d glimpsed. For a moment, he thought he’d lost them in the milling crowd, but even if he had, they wouldn’t get far: one of his sisters was downstairs; another was in the street outside, watching the entrance.

Now, where had the old man and the teenagers gone?

Narrow, pinched nostrils opened wide as the young man sorted through the countless scents in the station. He identified and dismissed the mixed stink of too many humani, the myriad perfumes and deodorants, the gels and pastes, the greasy odor of fried food from the station’s restaurants, the richer aroma of coffee and the metallic oily tang of the train engines and carriages. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back.

The odors he was seeking were older, wilder, unnatural. . . .

There!

Mint: just the merest suggestion.
Orange: no more than the vaguest hint.
Vanilla: little more than a trace.

Hidden behind small rectangular sunglasses, blue-black eyes opened wide and his head swiveled, following the gossamer threads of scent through the vast train station. He had themnow!

The gray-haired older man, wearing black jeans and a scuffed leather jacket, was striding down the station concourse directly toward him. There was a small overnight case in his left hand. He was followed by the two teenagers, alike enough to be brother and sister. The boy was taller than the girl, and they were both wearing backpacks.

The young man snapped a quick picture with his cell phone camera and sent it to Dr. John Dee. Although he had nothing but contempt for the English Magician, there was no point in making an enemy of him. Dee was the agent of the most dangerous of all the Elders.

Pulling the hood of his parka over his head, he turned away as the trio drew level with him, and dialed his sister, who was waiting downstairs. “It’s definitely Flamel and the twins,” he murmured into the phone, speaking the ancient language that had eventually become Gaelic. “They’re heading in your direction. We’ll take them when they get onto the Euston Road.”

The young man in the hooded parka set off after the Alchemyst and the American twins. He moved easily through the early-afternoon crowd, looking like just another teenager, anonymous and unnoticed in his sloppy jeans, scuffed sneakers and overlarge coat, his head and face concealed by the hood, his eyes invisible behind the sunglasses.

Despite his form, the young man had never been remotely human. He and his sisters had first come to this land when it was still joined to the European continent, and for generations they had been worshipped as gods. He bitterly resented being ordered about by Dee–who was, after all, nothing more than a humani. But the English Magician had promised the hooded boy a delectable prize: Nicholas Flamel, the legendary Alchemyst. Dee’s instructions were clear; he and his sisters could have Flamel, but the twins must not be touched. The boy’s thin lips twisted. His sisters would take the boy and girl, while he would have the honor of killing Flamel. A coal-black tongue licked cracked dry lips. He and his sisters would feast for weeks. And, of course, they would keep the tastiest morsels for Mother.

Nicholas Flamel slowed, allowing Sophie and Josh to catch up with him. Forcing a smile, he pointed to the thirtyfoot- tall bronze statue of a couple embracing beneath the clock. “It’s called The Meeting Place,” he said loudly, and then added in a whisper, “We’re being followed.” Flamel grasped Josh’s arm with iron-hard fingers. “Don’t even think about turning around.”

“Who?” Sophie asked.

“What?” Josh said tightly. He was feeling nauseated; his newly Awakened senses were overwhelmed by the scents and sounds of the train station. The light was so sharp he wished he had a pair of sunglasses to shield his eyes.

“ ‘What?’ is the better question,” Nicholas said grimly. He raised a finger to point up to the clock, as if he were talking about it. “I’m not sure what it is,” he admitted. “Something ancient. I felt it the moment we stepped off the train.”

“Felt it?” Josh asked.

“A tingle, like an itch. My aura reacted to the aura of whoever–whatever–is here. When you have a little more control of your own auras, you’ll be able to do the same.” Tilting her head back, as if she were admiring the latticework of the metal-and-glass ceiling, Sophie slowly turned.

Crowds swirled around them. Most seemed to be locals, though there were plenty of tourists, many stopping to have their photographs taken in front of The Meeting Place or the huge clock. No one seemed to be paying them any particular attention.

“What can we do?” Josh asked. “I can boost Sophie’s powers. . . .”

“No,” Flamel snapped. “You can only use your powers as an absolute last resort. As soon as you activate your aura, it will alert every Elder, Next Generation and immortal within a ten-mile radius, and here, just about every immortal you encounter is allied to the Dark Elders. Also, in this land, it could awaken others, creatures best left sleeping.”

“But you said we’re being followed,” Sophie protested.

“That means Dee knows we’re here.”

Flamel urged the twins to the left, away from the statue, hurrying them toward the exit. “I would imagine there are watchers in every airport, seaport and railway station across Europe. Although Dee might have suspected that we were heading to London, the instant either of you activates your aura, he’ll know for certain.”

Format: Hardcover, 512pp
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub. Date: May 2009
Sales Rank: 17
Age Range: Young Adult
Series: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series, #3

Beyond The Grave Summary

2009-05-26T15:41:00.002-05:00

A Clue found in Japan has Amy and Dan jetting off to Egypt to find out just what's behind the fierce rivalry between the Tomas and Ekaterina branches of the Cahill family. Was a Clue stolen from the Tomas branch? Where is it now? And most important, can Amy and Dan get their hands on it before their rivals do?

It's a wild race that will take Amy and Dan deep down into the tombs of Egypt . . . and right into the hands of the enemy.

Hunger Games Review Coming Sometime This Weekend! :) - Jake

2009-05-21T18:53:00.001-05:00

Mythology, Wating, And More...... A Little Summary Of My Visit With Rick Riordan

2009-05-16T17:53:00.009-05:00

1500+(I think the approximate total was 1539, including me), braved a severe thunderstorm, a tornado watch and at least several hours of waiting to meet the famous author, Rick Riordan. When I got to the St. Louis County Library HQ around 6:45 PM, I thought all hope of getting to meet him and getting my book signed was lost. Five Hundred crowded the building inside, and at least a thousand more circled the building. WOW! was the only word coming out of my mouth. I was told at 5:45 PM, the line circled into the parking lot. I joined the line anyway, and just then, rain began to fall.

Apparently, we were enduring a severe thunderstorm, and were under a tornado warning. YIKES! I stood out in the rain for at least an hour and a half. When I got in, I waited another 3 hours to get my books(7 of them!) signed. When I got up to him(I've been waiting for that moment for years, trust me), he said he recognized me. I was confused at first, but then I remember, I was a Demigod Of The Week last year. He said I grew a little(honestly, I don't see it, not yet anyway), and told me Thanks for being a loyal and die hard fan, which I am! And for those who don't recognize it, try standing in a crowd of 1500 plus people, all drenched and sopping wet(I swear to gods, those clothes still aren't dry!), just to meet one person! Thanks, Rick! He also said that he is planning to release a new Camp Half-Blood Series next year, but is now also working with Egyptian Mythology too. Both of the new series' are planned to release around the same time next year.

Meeting Rick ranks #1(so far), in the highlights of my life. He's a very talented author with a lot of good skill, and if I don't ever get to meet him again, I wish him the best.

Rick Riordan wrote about his STL expereince on his blog:

I think the Saint Louis crowd caught everyone by surprise.

The county library was prepared for 900 and could hold 1000, which seemed like plenty to me. When we arrived at the library, however, it had already filled to capacity and a line of five hundred more people snaked around the building. More than fifteen hundred people showed up in all – wow. Thanks to those who heard the presentation, and especially to the hundreds who couldn’t get it and could only do the signing line. On top of everything, the area was under a storm and tornado warning! Fortunately everyone got inside before the rain started.

Favorite moment from the night: A crowd of girls dressed in costume (Bianca, Thalia, Percy, Annabeth, etc.) asked me this question: “If Percy can talk to horses and control water, does that mean Annabeth can talk to owls and control olives?” LOL. Fear me. I control the mighty black olive! Another thought-provoking question I’d never had before: Would I rather be a god, demigod or mortal? Interesting. I’m still thinking about that one. I met more school groups than I could count. Librarians and teachers came from all over the state. Families had traveled from Jefferson City, Springfield, Indiana and even Chicago to attend the signing. Thanks to the Saint Louis County Library staff for managing the huge crowd so well, and thanks for everyone who waited through the three-hour signing line with such patience.

Here’s a blog from the Post-Dispatch about the event, which they are speculating might be the largest Saint Louis book signing ever for a single author.

I'll send some pics from the event soon. Stay tuned!

PS: Oh, and one more thing! This is probably one of the longest posts I've ever written, so tell me if I did something wrong. I mean, lets face it, not everybody has perfect hands

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire!

2009-05-13T15:53:00.001-05:00

I going to a half-off book sale at a Scholastic Warehouse tonight, and I'm for cetain getting The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. It's a book I've been trying to get for months, and if I like it, I'm getting the sequel, Catching Fire, when it comes out on September 1!

Disney In Shadow

2009-05-11T15:43:00.004-05:00

Revealed sometime this past month, the title for the third Kingdom Keepers book(KK3, as people call it), is titled Disney In Shadow. It will be approximately 547 pages long, primarily take place at Epcot, and is rumored to be releasing in either August, October, or right now, September 15th of this year. More details will be posted as I find them!

The Dangers Of Cyberbulling

2009-05-08T15:38:00.002-05:00

Let's face it, not all writing sends a good message. Like stuff posted on MySpace.

If you don't live in the St. Louis area, then you need to know about a girl named Megan Meyers. Megan was an average teenager, who was diagnosed with depression. She met a person named Josh Evans on MySpace. "Josh" was nice to her at first, but in one day, hurt Megan's feelings so much that when her parents got home, hung herself in her bedroom closet. It was discovered that the MySpace account was fake, and a family friend, Lori Drew, was has been sentenced to 3 years in prison. Lori probably thought she was doing the right thing, she was trying to find out if Megan was talking about her daughter behind her back. And she went about it the wrong way.

Today, Megan's mother, Tina Meyers, came to our school to talk to our student body about the dangers of Cyberbulling. I strongly back her. So if someone wants to talk to you on the Internet, and don't know them, don't even respond, and leave them out of your life. Because you never know who's on the other side.

Last Olympian Book Review

2009-05-06T14:00:00.008-05:00

In this thrilling last novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians Series, Percy and friends find themselves finally going head to head with the evil Titan Lord, Kronos.
All your questions about the series are finally answered:

- The spy at Camp Half-Blood was, believe it or not, Silena Beauregard. Somehow, Luke got to her sometime between The Lightning Thief and The Sea Of Monsters, and convinced her to work for him. She dies right after she reveals the secret.

- The Oracle once lived inside a beautiful maiden, but when she became the Oracle almost 50 years before The Last Olympian, Hades was upset(see fact below), and put a curse on the next Oracle to stay like that forever. However, toward the end of the book, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, somehow, someway, convinced Chiron to make her become the next Oracle.

- Nico's mother's name is Maria di Angelo. Zues killed her, causing Hades to go into rage and curse the Oracle.

- The prophecy surrounding Percy's Sixteenth Birthday was on a necklace around the Oracle neck during the whole series.

- It was stated that the true last Olympian was the goddess Hestia.

- Who is the true hero in this story? Percy, you say? No. It's really, perpare for a shock: Luke. The war concludes with Luke struggling to release Kronos from his body, and Percy hands him the knife. Luke didn't want to be evil, and he had finally, finally, realized the error of his ways. He knew what he had to do. He stabbed himself in the chest, killing himself to save Olympus, but in the process, put Kronos in the right place: Tartarus.

- And for those who have been itching to know. Percy and Annabeth do get together. Happy Ending. Yay.

There are many more facts I didn't share, read the book to find them! 5 Stars! It's an epic finish to a fantastical series!

Farewell To Percy

2009-05-05T15:37:00.005-05:00

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Such is the case of Percy Jackson Series, with The Last Olympian, the final book in the series, being published today. While this is a time of rejoicing for me, knowing that all of my questions will be answered, but a sad day because my favorite series is coming to an end. It SUCKS! I mean, it like you know rocks because I think 5 is an awsome number to end at, but I was hoping for at least 7 books.

Well, I going to go buy my copy now, before they're sold out. I'll post a spoiler later this week!

BORDERS OR BARNES & NOBLE: WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE?

2009-05-02T13:43:00.001-05:00

Juvie Three Book Review

2009-05-02T13:32:00.003-05:00

BARNES & NOBLE Synopsis-

Gecko Fosse drove the getaway car.

Terence Florian ran with the worst gang in Chicago.

Arjay Moran killed someone.

All three boys are serving time in juvenile detention centers until they get a second chance at life in the form of Douglas Healy. A former juvenile delinquent himself, Healy is running an experimental halfway house in New York City where he wants to make a difference in the lives of kids like Gecko, Terence, and Arjay.

Things are going well, until one night Healy is accidentally knocked unconscious while trying to break up a scuffle among the boys. Terrified of the consequences, they drop him off at a hospital and run away. But when Healy awakes, he has no memory of them or the halfway house. Afraid of being sent back to Juvie, the guys hatch a crazy scheme to continue on as if the group leader never left. They will go to school, do their community service, attend therapy, and act like model citizens until Healy's memory returns and he can resume his place with them.

But life keeps getting in the way...like when Gecko finds romance. Or Arjay gets famous. Or Terence starts reverting to his old ways. If the boys are discovered, their second chance will be their last.

-249 PAGES/34 CHAPTERS

JAKE'S RATING - 4 STARS (Appropriate for Grades 7 & Up)

Percy And WSJ!

2009-05-02T13:31:00.001-05:00

Read About Percy in the Wall Street Journal

Young Bond Offical Guide(UK ONLY, FOR NOW!)

2009-04-30T19:49:00.001-05:00

COMING NOVEMBER 2009 FROM PUFFIN BOOKS!

2009-04-30T19:48:00.000-05:00

2009-04-30T19:44:00.002-05:00

I don't know why, but this drawing of the STL scene caught my eyes! Rick comes to STL on May 15(look above!)

Last Olympian Detail

2009-04-27T15:59:00.001-05:00

Pendragon Finale- T-17 Days!

2009-04-24T16:59:00.003-05:00

It has all been leading to this. Every victory. Every loss. All the thrills and sadness; the hope and despair. Bobby Pendragon's heart-pounding journey through time and space has brought him to this epic moment. He and his fellow Travelers must join forces for one last desperate battle against Saint Dane. At stake is not only the tenth and final territory, but all that ever was or will be. Everywhere.

This is the war for Halla.

Every question is answered. Every truth is revealed.

The final battle has begun.

Format: Hardcover, 608pp
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pub. Date: May 12, 2009

Last Olympian Preview(UK &US)

2009-04-22T16:09:00.003-05:00

"Get back!" I slashed the air in a wide arc, driving the rest of the demigods away from Annabeth. "No one touches her!" "Interesting," Kronos said.

He towered above me on his skeletal horse, his scythe in his hand. He studied the scene with narrowed eyes, as if he could sense that I'd just come close to death, the way a wolf can smell fear.

"Bravely fought, Percy," he said. "But it's time to surrender -- or the girl dies."

"Percy, don't," Annabeth groaned. Her shirt was soaked with blood. I had to get her out of here.

"Blackjack!" I yelled.

As fast as light, the pegasus swooped down and clamped his teeth on the straps of Annabeth's armor. They soared away over the river before the enemy could even react.

Kronos sighed. "Some day soon, I am going to make pegasus soup. But in the meantime . . ." He dismounted, his scythe glistening in the dawn light. "I'll settle for another dead demigod."

I met his first strike with Riptide. The impact shook the entire bridge, but I held my ground. Kronos's smile wavered.

With a yell, I kicked his legs out from under him. His scythe skittered across the pavement. I stabbed downward, but he rolled aside and regained his footing. His scythe flew back to his hands.

"So . . ." He studied me, looking mildly annoyed. "You had the courage to visit the Styx. I had to pressure Luke in many ways to convince him. If only you had supplied my host body instead . . . but no matter. I am still more powerful. I am a TITAN."

He struck the bridge with the butt of his scythe, and a wave of pure force blasted me backwards. Cars went careening. Demigods – even Luke's own men – were blown off the edge of the bridge. Suspension cords whipped around and I skidded halfway back to Manhattan.

Congrats Rick Riordan!

2009-04-22T16:01:00.003-05:00

Rick Riordan won the Missouri Mark Twain Award Last Year For The Lightning Thief. This year his won it again for The Sea Of Monsters. Congats Are In Order!

2009-04-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

2009-2010 Mark Twain Award Nominations

Dahlberg, Maurine F. The Story of Jonas. FSG.

Duble, Kathleen Benner. Bravo Zulu, Samantha. Peachtree.

Going, K.L. Garden of Eve. Harcourt.

Hahn, Mary Downing. Deep & Dark & Dangerous. Clarion Books.

Harlow, Joan Hiatt. Blown Away. Simon & Schuster.

Hart, Alison . Gabriel's Horses. Peachtree.

McKissack, Patricia. Friendship for Today. Scholastic.

Pitchford, Dean. The Big One-Oh. Penguin.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Paint the Wind. Scholastic.

Salisbury, Graham. Night of the Howling Dogs. Wendy Lamb - Random House.

Selznick, Brian. Invention of Hugo Cabret. Scholastic.

White, Ruth. Way Down Deep. FSG.

Rick Riordan's Response To The Authors In 39 Clues:
There will be ten books in the 39 Clues series and each will be written by a different author. I designed the general story arc for the whole series and authored the first book, Maze of Bones, but the other books will be published in such rapid succession — roughly one book every three months — that it would be impossible for me or any other author to write them all. The editorial team works with each author to make sure the story and the characters stay consistent, but they also allow each author to bring their own personal flair to the story.

Hurricane Gold Book Review

2009-04-19T14:32:00.002-05:00

Hurricane Gold, by Charlie Higson is on of the better James Bond books, but the rating should deserve 3 stars. The book is action packed, but deserves a longer story and not as many people should have died, espically in that river scene. Good Book, but not good enough.