Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Wordcandy odds and ends
Well, dear readers, we're finally finished: it wasn't quite a week, but we did get through nine book reviews in eight days, so we're feeling pretty proud of ourselves. Meanwhile, though, other Wordcandy blog posts have been piling up, so we're going to try to get through several mini-items at once. 1. We said that we'd do a breaking news bulletin if J.K. Rowling announced her plans to write another Harry Potter book, and sure enough, she came through for us! Well... sort of. Her book of HP-related short stories The Tales of Beedle the Bard might never be seen by the public, so this doesn't really count. And we can't help but agree with the author of the linked article--if she really wanted to donate a huge amount of money to charity, why not publish the book and donate her profits to a deserving cause? 2. Behold, an adorably mod-looking retelling of Cinderella:  3. Check out this surprisingly functional coffee table--an attractive adaptation of a piece of library furniture that I've always coveted:  4. And, last but not least, we were thrilled to see that Jennifer Colt's next McAfee twins book will be out this month, and it's Christmas-themed! And a hardcover! The Con Artist of Catalina Island: A McAfee Twins Christmas Novel is due out on November 20th, and here's the publisher's description:  "In their fourth hysterical outing, Terry and Kerry are headed to Santa Catalina for a family vacation with Aunt Reba and Cousin Robert. But all is not as it appears on this quaint island getaway, as the twins learn when they launch an investigation into the case of a bride, uncovering a nefarious plot that reaches all the way from the shores of Catalina to a defunct Namibian diamond mine. The Con Artist of Catalina Island takes aim at the Patriot Act and the suspension of habeas corpus, while answering the burning question: What happens when you mix a French poodle with a herd of buffalo?" Ms. Colt's books are always a guaranteed good time, and it will be nice to have another non-sappy Christmas story to sit next to Jennifer Crusie's Santa, Baby on my bookshelf. Labels: J.K. Rowling, Jennifer Colt, Jenny Crusie, Shopping
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Hot coupon action
 In honor of our current Featured Book— Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer's Agnes and the Hitman—we'd like to point out that their shared website is currently featuring a coupon for a $3 rebate off the cover price of Agnes and the Hitman, PLUS a free paperback copy of their earlier novel, 2006's Don't Look Down. Please note that this coupon is only good through September 4, 2007, so take advantage of it soon! Labels: Jenny Crusie, Shopping. wordcandy
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Crusie and friends, part II
Well, here's the cover art for Jennifer Crusie's upcoming collaboration with Bob Mayer, Agnes and the Hitman:  And here's the official publisher's description: "Agnes Crandall, a food columnist better known as Cranky Agnes, is working on her second bestselling cookbook (More Mob Food) and getting ready for the big society wedding that's going to be held in her back yard when a guy with a gun breaks in and tries to kidnap her dog. Agnes accidentally kills him. Shortly after that, a big grim guy named Shane (just Shane, like Madonna) shows up to protect her. That's good because things just keep getting worse until it's pretty much Agnes and Shane against the world, at least the part of it that's armed and coming for Agnes." Sounds pretty cute. Although didn't their last collaboration feature two possible covers--an Art-Deco-y one for Crusie's fans and a more manly affair for Mayer's? This thing looks 100% girly--you should complain, Mr. Mayer. Labels: Bob Mayer, Book Cover, Jenny Crusie
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Hocus pocus... with a little hanky-panky
 The release of The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, Jennifer Crusie's newest collaboration (with authors Eileen Dreyer & Anne Stuart) totally snuck up on me this week. I think between anticipating the iPhone release--yes, I am that nerdy--and speculating about the final Harry Potter book, this one didn't make it onto my radar screen. I am a big fan of Jenny Crusie. But while I enjoy her collaborations, they tend to make me miss her solo novels even more. And (sadly) it looks like we will have a long wait before we see another one of those. In the meantime, check out the excerpt for The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes on the book's website, and be on the look-out in August for Ms. Crusie's second collaboration with Bob Mayer, Agnes and the Hitman. Labels: Jenny Crusie, website
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Crusie on the move
 I recently happened upon the website for Jennifer Crusie's upcoming collaboration with Anne Stuart and Eileen Dreyer*, The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes. The website isn't much to look at**, but it does offer a snippet from each of the three primary storylines and the background story (which also seems to have been written by Crusie). And part-time Crusie fans (as opposed to the hardcore fanatics, who obviously already own it) should take note: the paperback edition of Don't Look Down, her collaboration with Bob Mayer, is now out in stores. This book doesn't hold a candle to Crusie's solo efforts (when's another one of those gonna come out?), but it's cute enough. *Much, much better choices than the authors she was paired up with for Santa, Baby. **Although it does feature different--and prettier--cover art than the above image, if you need another reason to visit. Labels: Jenny Crusie, website
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Valentine's Day options
Valentine's Day is nearly upon us, and, as always, the Wordcandy staff is on the lookout for appropriate holiday reading. We understand that this is a holiday that evokes a wide array of emotions, so we've tried to pick books that will suit a variety of tastes.  If you're in a successful romantic relationship, and you can stomach an unabashedly happy story, try Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me.  If you're in a... well, quirky relationship, and you're looking for a story that will reassure you that the world is full of much more dysfunctional couples, try Yayoi Ogawa's Tramps Like Us.  If you've spent the past month thinking of February 14th as "Black Wednesday", try Laura Zigman's Animal Husbandry. Hope that helps! Labels: Holiday, Jenny Crusie, Laura Zigman, manga, Shopping
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Wordcandy Weekly Book Snippet
Excerpt from: Hot Toy, by Jennifer Crusie, found in the collection Santa, BabyWhy you should buy a copy of your very own:Because Jennifer Crusie's Christmas novella (if not the other two entries in the collection) is the most fun you'll have this season for $7.99. Crusie has a gift for screwball-comedy patter that you have to see to believe. In this scene...Trudy is really not enjoying her Christmas Eve. She's been sent out on a wild goose chase for this year's most hard-to-get toy (it's been out of stock since Thanksgiving), her sister is at home guzzling the gin, and she's just discovered that she accidentally picked up the wrong kind of wrapping paper.  "'Oh, hell.' 'What?' Courtney said. 'I got birthday paper', Trudy said. 'I need Christmas paper, and this is birthday--' ' Trudy', Courtney wailed. 'Maybe you can fake it', Reese said, with badly concealed exasperation. 'If it's just a bunch of animals, it could be anything.' Trudy held up the paper. It said Happy Birthday over and over and over. 'No animals. Just 'Happy Birthday' in red.' 'Well, then you're screwed', Reese said, sounding bored with the whole thing. 'No, she's not.' Nolan held out his hand. 'Give it here.' 'You're going to fix this?' Trudy said. 'How are you going to fix this?' Nolan wiggled his fingers. 'Gimme.' She handed the paper over and watched while he took out his pen again and wrote Jesus under every Happy Birthday." ©Jennifer Crusie, 2006 Labels: Jenny Crusie, Snippet
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Jennifer Crusie believes in Santa.
 Jennifer Crusie's novella Hot Toy, the first story in St. Martin's new collection Santa, Baby, is absolutely adorable. I couldn't believe how much Crusie packed into a mere 111 pages--her book was the only Christmas story that I've ever read that featured an Alfred Hitchcock reference (the hot toy of the title, which all of the characters are obsessed with, is the Major MacGuffin, The Tough One Two action figure), Chinese double agents, and gin-soaked gumdrops. Hot Toy was funny, sweet (well, as sweet as Crusie ever gets), and the perfect way to while away a pre-holiday hour or two. Unfortunately, I found the other two novellas in the collection to be nearly unreadable. To be fair, starting with the Crusie story meant that my standards were set quite high, and I might have enjoyed the other two novellas more if they'd been released independently (or, at least, if I'd read them before I read Crusie's contribution). As it is, one can only hope that St. Martins will eventually re-package Crusie's story and sell it individually. Hot Toy is cute enough to become a holiday classic, but first it needs to shake off the dead weight. Labels: Jenny Crusie
Monday, May 01, 2006
Megan's Bookshelf Update
With all of these trips to New York & D.C. I have spent plenty of time waiting in airports. This has resulted in many new additions to my book collection--so many, in fact, that I will either have to go shopping for a new bookshelf or make a trip to the local used book store for some serious trading. Here are a couple of the books that I have picked up over the past few weeks... all of these are great books to take with you on your next trip! Don't Look Down Remember me mentioning (a few times) the release of Jennifer Crusie's collaborative book Don't Look Down? I read it shortly after it was released, and I can completely recommend it as a hardcover purchase. There's the awesome alligator cover art, PLUS the book is great! Crusie and Mayer do an amazing job of blending their writing styles into one seamless story. I can't wait to see what they have planned next.  The Care and Feeding of Unmarried MenI am fairly sure the last time I did a bookshelf update I was talking about An Offer He Can't Refuse. Well, now the second book in the Caruso sister series has come out. The Care and Feeding of Unmarried Men is centered around society columnist Eve Caruso. The whole cast of characters is back--and most of them (including members of the mob and the SEC) seem all-too-interested in Eve's affairs.  The Barefoot PrincessI picked up this book in a moment of desperation at the airport when I realized that I left my plane-reading book of choice in the car and had just checked my bag with all my other books. Amy, an exiled princess, has made her home on Summerwind Island. Seeing that the villagers are being forgotten by their lord, she comes up with a crackpot idea to kidnap Lord Northcliff and chain him up in her basement. Then she tries to blackmail his uncle into paying a ransom to the village, which, of course, backfires. I haven't read anything by Christina Dodd in a long while, but I figured with a plot like that we had no where to go but up. I was really surprised that I enjoyed the book as much as I did, and I will be looking out for the others in the "Lost Princess" series. Labels: Bob Mayer, Christie Ridgway, Christina Dodd, Jenny Crusie
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Wordcandy weekly book snippet
Excerpt from: Bet Me, by Jennifer CrusieWhy you should buy a copy of your very own:Because you should buy a copy of every Jenny Crusie book that you can get your little hands on, obviously. In this scene...Min Dobbs is in the process of being dumped by her yuppie scum boyfriend. She's not exactly torn up about being dumped (she's well aware that he's yuppie scum), but she is mad as hell about the fact that now she won't have a date to her sister's wedding, and her mother is gonna kill her if she shows up without an escort.  '"I'm sorry, Min," David said, clearly not. Min crossed her arms over her gray-checked suit jacket so she wouldn't smack him. "This is because I won't go home with you tonight? It's Wednesday. I have to work tomorrow. You have to work tomorrow. I paid for my own drink." "It's not that." David looked noble and wounded as only the tall, dark, and self-righteous could. "You're not making any effort to make our relationship work, which means..." Which means we've been dating for two months and I still won't sleep with you. Min tuned him out and looked around the babbling crowd. If I had an untraceable poison, I could drop it in his drink now and none of these suits would notice."...and I do think, if we have any future, that you should contribute too," David said. Oh, I don't, Min thought, which meant that David had a point. Still, lack of sex was no excuse for dumping her three weeks before she had to wear a maid-of-honor dress that made her look like a fat, demented shepherdess. "Of course we have a future, David," she said, trying to put her anger on ice. "We have plans. Diana is getting married in three weeks. You're invited to the wedding. To the rehearsal dinner. To the bachelor party. You're going to miss the stripper, David." "Is that all you think of me?" David's voice went up. "I'm just a date to your sister's wedding?" "Of course not," Min said. "Just as I'm sure I'm more to you than somebody to sleep with." David opened his mouth and closed it again. "Well, of course."' (c)Jennifer Cruise, 2004 Labels: Jenny Crusie, Snippet
Friday, January 27, 2006
Don't Look Down
 Okay, so I have to admit it- I was skeptical when I heard that Jenny Crusie's next book was going to be co-authored with Bob Mayer. I had never heard of him, and after doing some research I decided that his books didn't really seem like my kind of Wordcandy. But after checking out their joint website I am happy to discover that I was so wrong... I can't wait until this book comes out! And how did this unlikely partnership come about? "One evening in Maui, Jenny Crusie was watching the sun set over the Pacific when Bob Mayer sat down beside her and said, "What do you write?" Jenny said, "Well, basically, in my books, people have sex and get married." Bob said, "In my books, people have sex and die."
Naturally they decided to collaborate.
Nine months later, Don't Look Down was done."I know I have mentioned this book before (okay, maybe a few times) but after I discovered their website I knew I had to pass it along. Make sure you click on the book spine to read the hilarious first chapter and definitely check out their joint blog. If the book is anything like the website then we are in for a great ride! Labels: Bob Mayer, Jenny Crusie, website
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Rumors and Blogs...
Okay... so I know that I promised to be back yesterday with news about our favorite authors but I kinda got sidetracked reading Jenny Crusie's and Meg Cabot's blogs. Jenny Crusie Ms. Crusie started a blog last July, which I have somehow missed during all of my previous visits to her site. This is a great source of book-related-gossip as well as a way to tide you over during the wait for her next book. Speaking of her new book- we won't be seeing that until May, but I do have a little info on it. Jenny co-wrote this book with Bob Mayer (who I have not had a chance to read yet) and from the description this will definitely be the kind of book I buy in hardcover: Don't Look Down (St. Martins Press) Lucy Armstrong goes to Savannah to direct the last four days of a movie, find out what's wrong with her sister, and earn some easy money. J. T. Wilder signs on as a stunt man for the last four days of a movie to alleviate his boredom, meet some hot actresses, and earn some easy money. Trouble ensues. Jenny wrote all the scenes in Lucy's point of view, Bob Mayer wrote all the scene's in J. T.'s point of view. There's sex, violence, and alligators. It's great. Meg Cabot Meg's blog is one of my favorites- she obsesses over many of the same things that I obsess over. (We are sisters in obsession!) Her last entry from Monday gave a great overview of the latest made for TV disaster movie (one of my secret loves!) So if you forgot to TiVo it last Sunday, you can get caught up for next week's finale!  But if disaster movies aren't your thing, don’t worry. Meg is great about keeping us informed about what's new with her writing, including this sneak peak at the possible final cover for her next book, “Size 12 is Not Fat”, coming out next month. Eh. I don’t hate the new cover, but it's not doing much for me. Well, that's it for me today... I think soon Julia should be posting some new stuff over at the main site so you should go and check that out. Labels: Blog, Jenny Crusie, Meg Cabot
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