This is the official summary of the ever anticipated book 2 of the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

The book will be published on September 8, 2009.

Hey yaReaders,

Love a bit of Melissa Marr action? Then check out her tour dates – she’s hitting the road to promote her new book Fragile Eternity.

Click here to view the dates

This just in from Patrick Ness’s blog:

And here it is, the promised first peek at the UK cover for “The Ask and the Answer”.

The Big A is in foil on the hardcover and all the blue printing is on the clear acetate sleeve.  Pretty nifty, eh?  Wait ’til you see it in person.  The US cover (not coming out until September) is different, but this UK one will be out 4 May.  Not long to go.

I’ll be back to the diary in a couple weeks (it’s coming time for a redesign here, so I’m looking into it) with a nice little announcement or two.

So what do we think folks? I’m stoked about this. I can’t wait for the book release!

Carrie from Carrie’s YA Bookshelf is hosting her very first contest. She’s giving away You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay, Evermore by Alyson Noel, and The Girl’s Guide to Vampires: All You Need to Know About the Original Bad Boys by Barb Karg.

Awesome right? Head on now to her blog to join!

Coraline, the animated movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel, opens today. It is directed by Henry Selick and Coraline as Dakota Fanning.

Trailer

Read more about the movie at coraline.com.

Hey guys,

That new Twilight Movie book that we were talking about yesterday has a release date – March 17, 2009. It’s available for pre-order now.

Fans of the Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Faria Stolarz will be interested in this one. Its the cover of her next book in the series, Black is for Beginnings. It’s the fifth book in the series and is due to his shelves in the American fall, 09.

Word from Laurie’s camp is that this one is actually a graphic novel. So what do we think?

Twilight movie fans will love this one. Little, Brown are publishing yet another book about the Twilight movie. This time, the book is to be penned by Director Catherine Hardwicke and will take an intimate look at the making of the movie. The book is said to include inside ’secrets’ on everything from wardrobe right though to behind-the-scenes photography.

Sounds a little like the official Twilight Movie Companion, right? Well, we’re assured that its not!

Here’s the cover:

No official word yet as to the available date of publication.

Fans of the Patrick Ness book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, will be pleased to know that the second book in the series, The Ask and The Answer, will be available for purchase in the UK in May. If you’re in Australia you’ll have to wait till July, but its he Americans that fair the worst, with the book not available in the States till September.

Here’s a sneak peak:

“Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola the last few feet into Haven…  And right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss.

“In exchange for Viola’s safety, Todd is forced to work with the Mayor in creating a new society for the settlers to come, one based on bringing an ominous-sounding order to the chaos of New Prentisstown.

“But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer?

“And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode…

“Tense, shocking and deeply moving, The Ask and the Answer is a terrifying novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure.”

Stay tuned for more info. Cover art coming soon!

Maggie Stiefvater just posted the cover of Ballad at the forum and I thought I’d share it to the rest of you guys. Here it is:

Isn’t it awesome?!

As the title of the news item suggests, the results for the Urban Fantasy Land Reader’s Choice Poll are in. Check them out:

(please note, not all the winners are YA material)

Best Young Adult Author – Richelle Mead

Best YA Book – SHADOW KISS by Richelle Mead

Best in Fey – SWALLOWING DARKNESS by Laurell K. Hamilton

Best in Ghosts, Witches, Magic – MAGIC BURNS by Ilona Andrews

Best in Demons, Zombies – SUCCUBUS ON TOP by Richelle Mead

Best in Vampires – BITTEN TO DEATH by Jennifer Rardin

Best in Shapeshifters – IRON KISSED by Patricia Briggs

Best Anthology – HOTTER THAN HELL

Best Author – KIM HARRISON

Best Book – THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS by Kim Harrison

And after compiling the results from over 400 emails and comments, here are the winners of the bonus categories:

Favourite Heroine – Rachel Morgan from Kim Harrison’s Hollows series

Favourite Hero – Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series

Favourite Series – Kim Harrison’s Hollows series

Favourite Author website/blog – Richelle Mead’s Even Redheads Get the Blues

Favourite Debut Author – Caitlin Kittredge

Click here for more information.

Check out the new cover of Libba Bray’s upcoming novel Going Bovine

The book is scheduled for release on September 22, 2009. Gemma Doyle fans should be wickedly excited. Though somehow, I don’t think Gemma is going to make any kind of cameo in this one, what do you think?

Loving this cover.

Here they are:

• It’s Complicated: The American Teenager – Robin Bowman
• Waiting for Normal – Leslie Connor
• Mexican Whiteboy – Matt de la Penna
• Boy Child – Siobhan Dowd
• The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
• Ten Cents a Dance – Christine Fletcher
• Baby – Joseph Monninger
• Nation – Terry Pratchett
• Skim – Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki
• The Brothers Torres – Coert Vorrhees

For more information click here

Rumor has it that Dakota Fanning, who starred in movies such as Charlotte’s Web, is tipped to play Jane in the second Twilight movie, New Moon. Interesting development, and quite possibly just another rumor.

Jane is part of the infamous Volturi – the vampire clan that govern all other living vamps in Twilight world!

Interesting scope. Check it:

Love contests? Well here’s one that you might really get into. Libba Bray, author of the popular Gemma Doyle trilogy, is hosting one over on her LJ page. Check out the details:

I am currently writing a vampire short story for an anthology. I know! Vampires–it’s never been done before! We are really on the cusp of something new and exciting here, I think, peeps. I mean, sure, there’s that obscure Twilight book, but honestly, who’s read that, right? Anyhoo, it’s a cool anthology with people like Holly Black and Cassandra Clare and Cecil Castellucci and yours truly. I am having a lot of fun writing my little rock-n-roll vampire story. But I have a problem: I can’t seem to come up with a name for my main character or any of the characters really. Nothing that’s sticking. Nothing that feels right. Quel tragique! So why not offer you guys the chance to be characters in my story?

Okay. Here’s how it breaks down.

DA RULES
1. You must create something inspired by The Gemma Doyle trilogy. This can be anything you like: Art. Movie trailers. Parodies. Dramatic reenactment. Musical or song. You can do a fanmix of songs inspired by the books. Icons, banners, wallpaper, buttons, postcards. A vlog talking about the books. Photography. Get creative. Go crazy. Have fun.

2. You must post the entry in a place where it can be publicly viewed: DeviantArt. Amazon. Booksense. iTunes. Flickr or Photobucket. YouTube. You know, the usual public viewing suspects. Posting it on your blog doesn’t count. Must be public.

3. You must post to the link on my LJ ON THIS BLOG ENTRY ONLY. got it? THIS BLOG ENTRY ONLY. That way we’ve got a central locale. If you post it elsewhere, it will be disqualified. All together now: POST ONLY ON THIS BLOG ENTRY RIGHT HERE.

4. The contest will end on Friday, February 7th. I will choose the winners pretty promptly (since this story is past due…) and announce them the following week. All winners will, of course, get signed copies of the books when they are available down the road. But also, you’ll have a walk-on role in a vampire short story. How cool is that?

5. There are five female characters and four male characters. So, guys, it’s not just for the ladies. Suh-weet.

For more info, click here

Whoever created the Internet blog deserves a medal. Authors post all kinds of really interesting information about their books and their lives that we never had access to before. Like this for, example. Click to read here more about Stephanie Kuehnert’s new book (author of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone), Ballads of Suburbia

Fans of Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games, are going to be so excited about this! We can officially announce that the second novel in the trilogy, called Catching Fire, is due for release on September 8, 2009. Check out the awesome cover:

Collins is currently working on the third novel in the trilogy, and Scholastic Books are saying that they’re keeping everything with Catching Fire and the third novel completely under wraps. To read more, click here

Melissa Marr, author of the popular Wicked Lovely series, has updated her blog with some reading suggestions for you!

Go herefor more information.

On February 25, 2009 a whole bunch of authors will be appearing at the Westport, CT Public Library in Connecticut. Authors on the line up include: Maureen Johnson, Robin Wasserman, Libba Bray, Holly Black, and Cassandra Clare. At the moment, this is all the information we have regarding this event. As soon as more comes in, we’ll post it here!

What an awesome line-up!