You should never judge a book by its cover.

Sure….but they never said we couldn’t admire them. Cover of the Week pays homage to the beautiful and eye catching graphics that grace the covers of our young adult titles.

This week’s cover of the week goes to Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Release Date: June 2011

“Yellowcake brings together another ten short stories from this extraordinarily talented writer – each of them fiercely original and quietly heartbreaking.”

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When I first received Yellowcake in the mail the first thing I saw was the cover (duh). I thought it was so pretty, very bright and quite unique….then I saw the author’s name and I dropped the book like a hot potato and ran away to hide.

Now you’re probably wondering, “What did poor Margo Lanagan ever do to you??”. Well, nothing really, but quite recently I read her multi award winning novel, Tender  Morsels and basically….I found it quite disturbing. That experience indicated two things – that Margo Lanagan isn’t afraid to push the boundaries when it comes to content and her writing is powerful and will evoke strong emotions (where or not you like those emotions, will depends on the story).

Without much of a blurb to tell me what this collection of ten short stories was about, I was convinced to give the book a try and stop being a baby by other bloggers and fans of Margo’s work, as well as some gentle encouragment from the author herself (gotta love twitter).

By the end of the book I was pleasantly surprised. Yellowcake is an example of the skill it  takes to write an engaging story in only 20 pages. Most standard novels need that much or longer before the reader starts to become interested.

Each story is unique and separate from one another and covers a range of time periods and places, with their own weird and wonderful characters. Some you wont understand till you reach the end of the story….some you might not understand at all (sorry Margo), but there will be some you’ll find completely fascinating which will leave you with that ‘nooo it’s over already!’ feeling that comes with short stories.

My favorite stories were  – The Golden Shroud, A Fine Magic, Night of the Firstlings, and Ferryman.

Yellowcake is a collection of stories that has something for everyone. Lanagan’s writing style is completely unique and sometimes on the strange side so those unfamiliar with her work might not be completely sold. For those who had a similar experience as I did withTender Morsels, I can assure you Yellowcake is far less confronting. If you’re already in love with Lanagan’s style then Yellowcake will be a must have addition to your collection.

Pages: 252
Pubslisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication Date: March 2011
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

Flavor of the week : Walker Blueberry Sorbet

Pubsicle is a weekly meme that combines our two favorite things – ice cream and books. We hand the reigns over to some of our awesome publishers as they highlight what upcoming releases they’re excited about.

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, Book 4) by Cassandra Clare

Love, blood, betrayal and revenge – the stakes are higher than ever in the fourth
book in the bestselling Mortal Instruments sequence.
Simon Lewis is having some trouble adjusting to his new life as a vampire, especially now
that he hardly sees his best friend Clary, who is caught up in training to be a Shadow
hunter – and spending time with her new boyfriend, Jace. Simon decides he needs a
break and heads out of the city – only to discover that sinister events are following him.
Realising that the war they thought they’d won might not yet be over, Simon has to call on
his Shadowhunter friends to save the day – if they can put their own splintering relationships
on hold long enough to rise to the challenge.

Australian Release date: April 5, 2011

Cassandra Clare lives in Brooklyn. She has worked as an entertainment journalist for The Hollywood Reporter, has published several short stories and is the author of the popular internet parody The Very Secret Diaries. The Infernal Devices is her second major series.

Website: www.cassandraclare.com

Reviews:

by A Glass of Wine

by In the Good Books

Alex Rider Book 9: Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider wants his life back.
But when you’re the world’s most successful spy, there’s only one way out.
One bullet. One life.
Alex Rider … The End.

A dark and shocking conclusion to the best-selling Alex Rider missions. This gripping final
mission brings together Alex Rider’s old enemies to frame the teenage superspy in an
unstoppable plot of revenge, from which he can never return. Pursued from Europe to North Africa
and Cairo’s city of the dead – this is the twistiest and most deadly plot of any Alex Rider mission
yet, and will reveal Smithers’ ultimate gadget and see the shock death of a major character.

Release Date: March 21, 2011

Anthony Horowitz is one of the most popular contemporary children’s writers, and his
Alex Rider series is enjoyed by millions of readers worldwide. He has won many major
awards including the Bookseller Association/Nielsen Author of the Year Award, the
Children’s Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards, and the Red House
Children’s Book Award. Anthony also writes extensively for TV, with programmes
including Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, and most recently Collision. He lives in London.

Website: anthonyhorowitz.com

Reviews:

by The Elliott Review

Little Sister by Aimee Said

Al Miller wishes she was an only child.
Al Miller is counting down the days until her over-achieving older sister Larrie finishes Year
Twelve and leaves Whitlam High School for ever. Then, Al is certain, people will finally see
her as more than just “Larrie’s little sister.”
But when a rumour about Larrie spreads around school, Al finds herself in the spotlight for
all the wrong reasons.
Who’s behind the rumour? And will it kill Al’s chances with school hunk, Josh Turner?

Release date: May 1, 2011

Aimee Said grew up in Sydney and now lives in Melbourne. When she’s not writing fiction,
Aimee is a web-content writer, plain-language trainer and sock-knitting enthusiast. Her
big sister came out when Aimee was 16, an experience that she drew on when writing
Little Sister.

Website: aimeesaid.blogspot.com

Giveaway

Thanks to Walker Books Australia, we are giving away 3 prize packs to 3 lucky winners!  The prize pack includes a copy of City of Fallen Angels, Scorpia Rising, and Little Sister.

The Nitty Gritty:

• Simply fill out the form below with your name, email, and mailing address. We randomly draw the winners using random.org.
• Contest open to AU and NZ residents only.
• Ends on May 3, 2011.

Visit Walker Books Australia online at www.walkerbooks.com.au.

Ruta Sepetys is the author of the new page turner, Between Shades of Gray.

“Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Ruta Sepetys grew up hearing stories of her father’s childhood as a Lithuanian refugee. Realizing this was a story never told in a novel for young adults, Ruta decided to tell it herself. When not writing, Ruta works in the music industry.”

Between Shades of Gray is also our April Book of the Month.  Ruta took the time to chat with us for a quick Q&A.

Where did the inspiration for the story come from and how much of it is true?

RS – Well, history holds secrets. But secrets can be painful and secrets can be destructive. When I was in Lithuania meeting with family members they told me that they had burned all of the photos of my family, because they couldn’t let anyone know they were related to my grandfather. And so many people in the Baltics had experienced the terror of Stalin but had never spoken of it for fear of the consequences. The stories of Soviet occupation and Stalin are rarely discussed. And it occurred to me, there are so many heroes that we’ve never had the chance to meet or hear about. They’re nameless and faceless. So I was inspired to write the book to honor the many people who were deported to Siberia by Stalin. The characters in the book are fictional, but the things they experience are situations that were related to me by survivors in interviews.

As a reader, so many moments were heartbreaking to read, what was it like writing it?

RS – Emotionally, it pulled me through the wringer. Every day I was left pondering questions like “What does it take to bear the unbearable? And “Who survives this kind of thing?” I was left in awe of the people who managed to use suffering as a great teacher and somehow, while everyone around them was dying, their will to live burned like fire.

The cover fits so well with the story, did you get much input in the design?

RS – Thank you! I love the cover, too. I didn’t have any input on the design but I thought it was fantastic as soon as I saw it.

(This question is for those who might be unfamiliar with Stalin’s reign) Why was Lina in the labour camp so long after World War II ended?

RS – Following the end of WWII, many countries remained Soviet occupied, including the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The countries were considered Soviet territory and people who were labeled “Anti-Soviet” prior to the war, remained within that classification. So people like Lina were regarded as criminals.

Toward the end of the story, it seemed there was a bit of doubt as to whether or not one of Lina’s family members survived?

RS – Yes, I was trying to balance the horrific events in the book with a bit of hope. And many of the survivors I interviewed during my research told me that they received news that someone had died, only to find out years later that they were actually alive. That thread of hope interested me and I wanted to weave it into the story.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects that you’re working on?

RS – Sure! I’m currently working on another young adult historical novel. It’s about the daughter of a prostitute who, against all odds, is determined to get into a prestigious college.

Do you think you’d ever revisit any of the characters from Between Shade of Gray in another book?

RS – I hadn’t really thought of it, but I’ve received a lot of requests to pick up Lina and Andrius’s story. It might be interesting to do that and, in alternating chapters, show what each character is going through until they eventually reunite. What do you and your readers think?

What books are on your To Be Read pile?

RS – Oh, there are so many! Here are a few:
“Strings Attached” by Judy Blundell
“Rival” by Sara Bennett Wealer
“Haven” by Kristi Cook
“The Fourth Stall” by Chris Rylander
And here are a couple I just finished that are fabulous!! :
“Across the Universe” by Beth Revis
“Dead Rules” by Randy Russell

___

Thanks Ruta!

Check out our review of Between Shades of Gray.

You can find Ruta online here:

www.rutasepetys.com •  www.betweenshadesofgray.com • www.facebook.com/rutasepetys

You should never judge a book by its cover.

Sure….but they never said we couldn’t admire them. Cover of the Week pays homage to the beautiful and eye catching graphics that grace the covers of our young adult titles.

This week’s cover of the week goes to Sirensong by Jenna Black

Release Date: July 2011