The good folks at Harlequin Teen have offered up copies of Rachel Vincent’s My Soul To Save for me to give away to 3 of my lucky readers! To enter, just leave a comment below. Win an extra entry by blogging about the contest and leaving a trackback below. Open to US residents only. Entries close at 11:59EST on 2/8/10 and 3 winners will be selected using random.org. My Soul to Save is the second book in the SoulScreamers series and it has a killer…
Synopsis: Subtitled: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters. Review: Counterfeit Gods is a slim little volume that must have been taken from a sermon series by Timothy Keller, pastor of New York City’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Pastor Keller speak on a number of occasions, as the church I’ve gone to for the past 15 years is in the same family as Redeemer. While I didn’t feel like I learned anything astonishingly…
And in my last little bit of coverage for the book tour for Calamity Jack, I’m pleased to offer an interview with illustrator Nathan Hale! You can read my interview with authors Shannon Hale and Dean Hale here. 1. What was the first image that came to mind when you began working on Calamity Jack? The city-I really wanted to make the city a real place. I pictured Jack running through the ruins of a fancy turn-of-the-century city. In the snow! 2. What was the…
Synopsis: A psychiatrist takes on a recalcitrant painter who attempted to stab a painting in the National Gallery, and his fruitless attempt to get the man to talk lead the doctor to investigate the artist’s life and loves–and obsessions. Review: There’s a solidly compelling mystery at the heart of The Swan Thieves, Elizabeth Kostova’s latest jaunt through history and memory. Nothing supernatural here, but it still has an otherworldy air about it that makes the experience of reading the book haunting and delicious. For the…
Synopsis: A successful lawyer is stricken by a mysterious illness that makes him walk, walk, walk, unable to slow down or stop until his body collapses from exhaustion miles from home. Review: The Unnamed is soaked in misery, both the mysterious and the more pedestrian. Tim’s walking fits threaten his job, his marriage, his security, and even his physical integrity, and he’s powerless to stop. Author Joshua Ferris wisely avoids using Tim’s condition as a literal metaphor, as easy as that might be. If anything,…
Synopsis: An essay about the practice of Christian meditation. Review: I really should stop saying yes when asked if I want to review books like Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times, because I just keep finding theological bones to pick with foundation suppositions. But I really am interested in the topic of Christian meditation because I think we have a lot to learn about the discipline of focusing our minds on God. Sadly, this slim volume (really just an essay, and not even a very…
As part of the blog tour for Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, with illustrations by Nathan Hale (no relation), I’ve got an interview with Shannon and Dean! 1. What sparked your interest in creating a graphic novel? SH: Dean. Dean sparked my interest. DH: Shannon sparked my interest, too. That and 20 years of reading comic books. 2. What were your inspirations, graphic novels or otherwise? SH: Ooh, I don’t think I could choose even just a few. There are so many.…
Synopsis: In a steampunk fairyland, a charming criminal mastermind dogged by bad luck ends up battling a beanstalk of epic proportions. Review: Calamity Jack is a graphic novel sure to delight brainy teens in search of a cool story with fun characters. The illustrations, by Nathan Hale, have whimsy and solidity in marrying pixies and steel beams, yielding an anachronistic delight. The story, by Shannon Hale and husband Dean, has all the wit, emotional depth, and creativity that you’d expect from her. I don’t really…
I’m pleased to announce that the kind folks at Point have offered this blog 3 copies of The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg! To enter, please leave a comment below by 11:59 EST on Monday, January 25th. One entry per person–but get a second entry by blogging about this giveaway and leaving a trackback to this post. Winners will be selected at random. Open to US residents only. About the book: Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: No…
Synopsis: The rise and fall of a Texas cotton family cursed with success and tragedy in equal measures. Review: I was SO excited to dig into Roses. I love me a good epic melodrama, and I was hoping for something along the lines of Douglas Sirk’s Written on the Wind, a favorite movie of mine. Sadly, I was disappointed and gave up about 175 pages into it for lack of interest. There wasn’t enough drama or sweep or passion or grandeur. I wanted more society…