wordcandy.net

Practicing what she preaches

Nora Roberts has a new book out, and while I am (once again) suppressing my irritation over the $16 price tag, I was interested to learn that the story was directly inspired by the historic inn Roberts and her husband recently bought and renovated. I still have my doubts about the book*, but the inn sounds adorable—the decor was inspired by famous literary couples, so you can choose your room based on your novel of choice: Pride and Prejudice, The Thin Man, Jane Eyre, The Princess Bride...

*$16 for a paperback is NEVER OKAY.

Labels: New Releases, Nora Roberts

Back, and more painful than ever

If you've spent the past few years yearning for another book in Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, you're in luck (sort of): Rennison has recently kicked off a new series starring Georgia's cousin, Tallulah Casey. Tallulah's misadventures commence in the just-released Withering Tights. Behold:

Kind of a great cover, I must admit... but I'll be skipping this nonetheless. I didn't have the stomach for the Georgia Nicolson books, which felt like a cross between Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ and a particularly painful teen romantic comedy. I'm just not brave enough to face that much excruciatingly British teen-girl humor.

Labels: Louise Rennison, New Releases

Romeo and Juliet + Zombies = Inevitable

NPR has posted a review of Anne Fortier's novel Juliet, a modern, completely re-imagined take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I'm not sure I'll read this—the cover is totally boring, and I am more than a little concerned by Fortier's comments about not wanting to be "weighed down" by doing too much research—but I am sincerely hopeful that this book will inspire a new craze for re-working Shakespeare, allowing poor, much-abused Jane Austen to rest in peace.

Labels: New Releases, Retellings, William Shakespeare

Beach reading

Several Wordcandy-approved romance novelists have released books in the past few weeks, so if you've got an economic stimulus package burning a hole in your pocket and a beach visit or a plane trip in your future it might be time to head down to the bookstore:

Duchess by Night is the third title in Eloisa James's "Desperate Duchesses" series. I find most of Ms. James's novels tedious, but--judging by her sales numbers--plenty of other people seem to like 'em.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, the third book in Meg Cabot's "Queen of Babble" series, is out. I didn't care for the first book in this series (it read like a teen novel, but it had the cover price of an adult hardback), but maybe it has gotten better with age...?

Suzanne Enoch has just released After the Kiss, a sweet-looking historical romance that--in a rare but welcome combination--happens to be both the cheapest title featured in this post (costing a mere $6.99) and the one I'm most excited to read!

Labels: New Releases, Romance

"Writing as Ian Fleming", huh?

The new James Bond novel is out, and it's written by some guy named Sebastian Faulks:

According to the veerrry fine, veerrry pale print between the two authors' names (can you guys even read that?), Mr. Faulks is apparently channeling Ian Fleming. What a talent!

Labels: Ian Fleming, James Bond, New Releases

Freakout ahoy!

Bestselling Japanese horror/mystery author Miyuki Miyabe has a new book out. Here's the publisher's description of The Devil's Whisper:

"The three deaths come in quick succession: one girl jumps from the roof of a six-story building; another falls in front of a train; and the third is hit by a late-night taxi. But how are these related? And are they accidents, suicides or murder? Slowly, the answers are uncovered by sixteen-year-old Mamoru, the nephew of the taxi driver currently being held by the police on charges of manslaughter for the death of the third victim.

Determined to help his uncle, Mamoru discovers that the girls killed by his uncle's taxi had participated in a devious scam to separate vulnerable men from their money, and that three of the four girls involved in the ploy are now dead.

A powerful businessman comes forward with new evidence in favor of Mamoru's uncle and also to reveal the truth about Mamoru's long-lost father, who disappeared when the boy was only four.

But in the meantime, Mamoru must go all out if he is to save the last of the four girls being targeted by the real killer. And then the killer contacts him..."

We here at Wordcandy look forward to Ms. Miyabe's books with equal amounts of excitement and trepidation. This woman is a phenomenal writer, but that just means that the creepy bits in her books are all the more hair-raising. Consider yourselves warned....

Labels: Horror, Miyuki Miyabe, New Releases

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Practicing what she preaches

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Back, and more painful than ever

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Romeo and Juliet + Zombies = Inevitable

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Beach reading

Thursday, June 05, 2008

"Writing as Ian Fleming", huh?

Friday, November 16, 2007

Freakout ahoy!