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Grimm, News
Dystopia: the new Supernatural Romance?
23.05.11 | Permalink | Comment?

Here’s some links for lovers of young adult dystopian fiction: has it overtaken supernatural romance as the YA genre of choice?

- Love and Dystopia: a new sub genre? There’s been a new influx of novels exploring social issues for teenage girls living in dystopian environments (Matched by Allie Condie, XVI by Julia Karr, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Bumped by Megan McCafferty for example). We like sub-genres. The New York Times looked at this theme recently.

- The Hunger Games movie: more anticipated than Twilight? The internets is awash with discussion of casting for the Hunger Games movie (due out in the first half of next year): just plug “hunger games casting controversy” into your preferred search engine. The major casting controversy (a blonde actor as Katniss???) might be put to rest soon, with her appearance in costume on the cover of the latestEntertainment Weekly*. See the cover here (what do you think?). EW also has a special Hunger Games Central site here. Incidentally, The Hunger Games made an appearance on the list of 10 most challenged books in the USA in 2010 (although it wasn’t as un-popular as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and And Tango Makes Three is still rocking it at number one).

- Back to the New York Times, here’s a debate they hosted about dystopian fiction, featuring authors like Scott Westerfeld (Uglies etc), Paolo Bacigalupi (author of Ship Breaker), and Maggie Stiefvater (currently not a writer of dystopian fiction).

* We have Entertainment Weekly in the young adult magazine collection, so you’ll be able to borrow the Hunger Games issue for free very soon!
Movies, Simon, Trailers
Trailer Tuesday
08.02.11 | Permalink | Comment?

The Superbowl – America’s premier lawn bowls championship playoff thing – was yesterday, and during the ads many new film trailers were screened for films that we can not wait to see! (And subsequently stock in the library, of course.)

Here, we’ve embedded some. The first two are superheroes; Captain America and Thor. I suspect they’re leading up to the eventual Avengers film (this won’t make any sense to anyone not familiar with Marvel comics).

Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Seas, the fourth film in the series based on a theme park ride, has a new trailer. Pirates! Zombies! The usual! No Jack Davenport though! :`(

Here’s one for a film called Super 8 which is maybe about aliens? I’ve not done much research.

Transformers : Dark Side of the Moon has a new trailer! (Hopefully it is better than the last one, frankly.)

Battle LA seems to be a mixture of the last two films, in so far as mass destruction by aliens goes. Which is all the way to the bank!

Cowboys & Aliens. Sure, why not? The title is pretty literal. It is what it says on the label.

The End.
Movies, Trailers, Vic Ferrari
Trailer Tuesday: Proms and Superheroes
18.01.11 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Movie trailers this week!

Prom is an upcoming teen-dramady with a self-explanatory title. Boy trouble, anxiety, secrets, anticipation and apparently a fire are all on the cards. Opening June 2nd, official trailer below…

Also coming in June (the 16th to be more specific) is The Green Lantern. Starring Ryan Reynolds and featuring Taika Waititi and Temuera Morrison, it looks to be an action filled romp (obvs) and is also presented in 3D in selected theaters (again, obvs). Official site here and trailer below…
Comedy, Horror, Movies, Simon
Mega Shark Vs. Crocosaurus
08.12.10 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Fans of the film Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus (the library’s copies have become popular so therefore it has fans I guess) will be thrilled to learn that a sequel is imminent! It is called Mega Shark Vs. Crocosaurus, and the trailer is below. Something to look forward to.
DVDs, New, Vic Ferrari
More DVDs Than I Could Carry!
14.10.10 | Permalink | Comment?

There are an awful lot of new DVDs, which is good news for fans of watching things.

Hating Alison Ashley
“14-year-old Erika Yurken (Yuk) is a melodramatic teenager living in a chaotic house with an unconvential family. At least at school Yuk feels she is shining. That is– until the arrival of miss perfect, Alison Ashley ruins all her plans. Alison is beautiful and rich and to top it all off, she is smart.” – Cover

Sister Act 2 : Back In The Habit
“The lounge singer turned Nun, Deloris Van Cartier, returns to the habit to help her fellow sisters run an inner city school full of rowdy teenagers.” – Cover

Hulk : 2 Disc Special Edition
“Scientist Bruce Banner has anger management issues. His quiet life as a brilliant scientist working with his ex-girlfriend conceals a painful past. A freak lab accident reveals his heroic impulses but also unleashes his inner demons. He becomes the most powerful being on earth, a super-hero and a monster.” – Cover

Material Girls
“As ‘celebutantes’ who have inherited their father’s multi-million-dollar cosmetics empire, life for Ava and Tanzie Marchetta is a rollercoaster ride of fun parties, gorgeous guys and designer clothes. But when they are implicated in an awful scandal, they are suddenly stripped of their money and possessions! Now, Ava and Tanzie are going to have to learn to live in the real world– and discover what they’re really made of.” – Cover

Fantastic 4
“After exposure to cosmic radiation, four astronauts become the most remarkable, if dysfunctional, superheroes of all time. The media loves them, the world loves them, but unfortunately not everyone’s a fan,as they quickly learn when the sponsor of the mission that created them reveals his own tranformation… into the world’s most lethal super villain!” – Cover

Lord Of The Rings : The Fellowship Of The Rings
“With the help of a courageous fellowship of friends and allies, Frodo embarks on a perilous mission to destroy the legendary One Ring. Hunting Frodo are servants of the Dark Lord, Sauron, the Ring’s evil creator. If Sauron reclaims the Ring, Middle-Earth is doomed.” – Cover

Lord Of The Rings : The Two Towers
“The fellowship has broken, but the quest to destroy the One Ring continues. Frodo and Sam must entrust their lives to Gollum if they are to find their way to Mordor. As Saruman’s army approaches, the surviving members of the Fellowship, along with people and creatures of Middle-earth, prepare for battle. The war of the ring has begun.” – Cover

Lord Of The Rings : The Return Of The King
“The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growling power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest.” – Cover

The O.C. : The Complete First Season
“Money and beauty are the key values of this Southern California coastal enclave. But from the moment troubled outside Ryan Atwood moves in with the Cohens, all statuses aren’t quo. Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan and Adam Brody play the Cohens, a family willing to give a newcomer a chance. Ryan’s arrival triggers a Newport wave of peer pressure, love triangles, generational conflicts and more.” – Cover

Gossip Girl : The Complete Third Season
“Our beloved Upper East Siders, all grown up. Though high school may be behind most of them, you can be sure a future of love, scandal, and, of course, secrets awaits. Told through the eyes of an all-knowing blogger, Gossip Girl, who, via constant, avidly read text messages, is determined to uncover and fuel every scandal possible on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where gossip rules and affluent young people find themselves with the money, access, and appetite to explore.” – Cover

Avatar, The Legend Of Aang : Book 2: Earth, Volume 2
“Now a master Waterbender, Aang leaves the Northern Water Tribe to continue his quest to master the next element, Earth. Along with Katara and Sokka, they visit new Earth Nation cities, encounter a slew of different Earth Kingdom citizens, and even reunite with a crazy old king!” – Cover

Avatar, The Last Airbender : Book 3: Fire, Volume 1
“The kids enter the Fire Nation with the goal of covertly moving from island to island to the Royal Palace, where they will eventually confront and defeat the Firelord. Along the way, they discover the people of the Fire Nation are not all that different in their needs and desires from the other peoples of the world.” – Cover
DVDs, New, Violet Beauregarde, anime
The DVDs that are the newest
30.09.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Fullmetal alchemist. Collection 2, Volumes 7-13

“Edward and Alphonse Elric continue on their journey to find the Philosophers stone to restore their lost bodies. In order to do so they must come to face with many people from the past and discover the true purpose of the Homunculi. Will their journey lead them to the promised powers?” – Cover

Resident Evil : Apocalypse

“Heroine Alice is thrust back into the war against the bloodthirsty undead and the fight against the powerful Umbrella Corporation, and is pitted against a super-human super-weapon, who has been unleashed to destroy her.” – Cover

Looking for Alibrandi

“Josie Alibrandi has a lot to deal with right now. She’s 17, got the dreaded H.S.C. in front of her and the boy of her dreams seems completely out of reach. Then there’s that other problem. She’s a wog. Sure it’s where Josie comes from but it’s not where she feels she belongs. In fact, Josie doesn’t know where she belongs. With her Nonna in one ear talking about the old country and the stuck-up girls at her school telling her she’s an outsider, it’s no wonder. This year, however, everything is going to change. Josie will let loose, face her fears, uncover secrets – even discover the true identity of her father. It’s going to be a year when Josie finally finds out where she belongs” – Cover

Trials of life. Volume 1

“Life is one long struggle, a challenge for even the fittest animal. Leaving parents, searching for food, building a home, finding a mate – each day brings a new test. These programs, superbly crafted and originally presented, investigate the many amazing ways in which creatures from all parts of the globe face up to and resolve The Trials of Life.” – Cover

The private life of plants. Volume 1

“David Attenborough’s study of the world of plants, which demonstrates, with the aid of time-lapse photography, the rich and varied ways in which they flourish.” – Cover
DVDs, New, Vic Ferrari
More DVDs Than I Can Believe
26.08.10 | Permalink | Comment?

The Last Song

Seventeen, angry, and alienated from her estranged father, Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Miller’s life gets turned inside out when her mother forces her to spend the summer with him in the small Georgia beach town where he lives. Here, Ronnie finds salvation, friendship, second chances, and first love. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and starring Miley Cyrus.

Animal Farm

In 1954, a revolutionary animated feature hit screens across the world. George Orwell’s Animal farm told the story of animals staging a coup, taking over the land from their tyrannical master Farmer Jones and discovering the pitfalls of social order. Led by Snowball and Napoleon, the two most intelligent pigs on Manor Farm; the animals set out to create a life of equality, harmony and prosperity. Life runs smoothly at first but gradually Napoleon sees the chance to seize power above and beyond the others. He orchestrates the removal of the altruistic Snowball and assumes control of the farm. “Pig rule” is established with the animals finding themselves exploited once again. They dimly remember under the revolution that “all animals are equal”– though some obviously more so than others. – Cover

Racing Stripes and The Adventures Of Milo And Otis (double feature)

“Racing stripes” – During a fierce thunderstorm in rural Kentucky, a young zebra is accidentally left behind by a travelling circus. He is found by former champion horse trainer Nolan Walsh and ‘Stripes’ is quickly adopted as a favourite pet by his daughter Channing.

“The adventures of Milo and Otis” – Join a curious kitten named Milo and his inseparable buddy, a pug nosed pup named Otis, as the fall, frolic, scramble, glide and tumble through one exciting escapade after another in this acclaimed live action movie adventure narrated by comedian Dudley Moore.

Futurama : Season One

Fry, a pizza guy is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out New Year’s Eve 2999. Shenanigans ensue in a crazy future you’ve never imagined… Unless you’ve imagined booze-powered robots, foxy cyclopses and semi-literate lobsters that is. The Emmy award winning animated comedy from Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins

“What brings best friends together? For Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy and Shaggy’s spunky pup Scooby-Doo, it’s a mystery! The feature-length live-action Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins original movie takes you back to when four teenage sleuths (plus one dog detective) first met. Unjustly accused of staging a spooky practical joke complete with ghosts, the kids are suspended from Coolsville High. To clear their names, they team to solve the supernatural mystery– and head straight into nonstop laughs and adventure. Special fun, special friends and extra-special effects make this “how-it-all-began” story – from boy-meets-dog to the first trip in the Mystery Machine and more – a doggone great time!” – Cover

Barbershop 2 : Back In Business

When slick new hairdressers Nappy Cutz opens across the road from his barbershop, Calvin and his haircutters must make a stand to save the shop from bankruptcy, and the neighbourhood from a shady development deal. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer and Queen Latifah.

The Princess Diaries and The Ice Princess (double feature)

“The princess diaries” – A hilarious, hip and heart-warming modern day Cinderella story. Mia, a shy and gawky teenager who survives each school day with minimum attention, discovers the shocking news that she’s a real life princess.

“Ice princess” – Though she longs to become a graceful figure skater, gawky Casey Carlyle is only a brainy misfit with a strong willed mother pushing her towards a top university. But when Casey uses her head and follows her heart, she’ll find herself transformed beyond her wildest dreams.

Sorority Boys, My Boss’s Daughter and 10 Things I Hate About You (triple feature)

“Sorority boys” – “When three broke playboy chauvinists are thrown out of their college fraternity, they find themselves drawn to one last desperate hope for free room and board – the D.O.G. house, the Delta Omicron Gamma sorority. With a little makeup and some pantyhose, our heroes go undercover in ‘enemy’ camp while they try to figure out how to get back in the fraternity” – Cover

“My boss’s daughter” – “When ambitious junior executive Tom Stansfield accepts an invitation to the stately home of his grouchy boss, he thinks it’s for a big date with his boss’s sexy daughter. But Tom instead gets a big surprise when he’s expected to house-sit! And while he’s left to hold down the fort, Tom’s out-of-control coworkers begin showing up ready to party!” – Cover

“10 things I hate about you” – “On the first day at his new school, Cameron falls for Bianca, the gorgeous girl of his dreams! The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date– until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat goes out too! In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad-boy with a nasty reputation of his own!” – Cover

Planet Of The Apes : Definitive Edition

“In the year 2029, interstellar reconnaissance missions are relegated to chimpanzee pilots from the space station Oberon in deep space. On one mission, a chimp loses communication and vanishes from the radar. Fearless astronaut Leo Davidson launches a rescue mission and lands on a jungle-like planet not unlike the earth. To Leo’s astonishment, English-speaking apes and primitive humans inhabit the planet. Following his capture by the apes and subsequent escape, Leo leads a rebellion against an overpowering ape force that will result in freedom or complete annihilation” – Cover

Lord Of The Flies

“When a plane carrying several dozen English schoolboys crashes on an uninhabited tropical island, the children are left to fend for themselves. Leadership is left to two very different boys – the charismatic and dependable Ralph, and the macho, wild Jack. Soon the island becomes split between Ralph’s sensible followers and Jack’s violence “hunters”, and the true nature of humanity is revealed as the film reaches its electrifying and disturbing climax” – Cover

Resident Evil : Apocalypse

Heroine Alice is thrust back into the war against the bloodthirsty undead and the fight against the powerful Umbrella Corporation, and is pitted against a super-human super-weapon, who has been unleashed to destroy her. Starring Milla Jovovich.

The Cake Eaters

Easy Kimbrough is the patriarch of the family and the local butcher. He is grieving over the recent loss of his wife, Ceci. He hides his secret ongoing affair. Beagle is his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother. He works in the local high school cafeteria by day but wants to paint street signs. Guy is the oldest son who has been away from the family for years while pursuing his rock star dreams. He learns of his mother’s passing, but misses the funeral. When Guy returns home, the family begins to unravel. Beagle’s pent up emotions connect with Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill teenage girl wanting to experience love before it’s too late. Easy’s long time affair with Marg, Georgia’s eccentric grandmother, is finally exposed to Beagle and Guy. Guy discovers that while he was gone, his high school sweetheart has started a family of her own. Through it all, the Kimbrough’s and Kaminski’s manage to establish a new beginning in the face of their greatest fears.

Turn It Loose

Sixteen of the world’s best B-Boys battle one on one in a disused power station in the heart of Soweto, South Africa, to determine who will be the next world champion. TURN IT LOOSE is a film about the ‘BC One’ competition. Through the eyes of six competitors we leave behind any preconceived notions of what breakdance used to represent, and as the film digs deep, we discover an extraordinary form of non-contact combat that has evolved over 30 years to become a truly global 21st century phenomenon.

The Mummy Trilogy

“Brendan Fraser is the intrepid Rick O’Connell, braving supernatural danger and battling legions of undead Mummies across the world, from the burning desert sands of Egypt to the freezing Himalayas and the Great Wall of China. See the entire Mummy trilogy unfold with deadly enemies like the Dragon Emperor, fearsome monsters and spectacular white knuckle adventure!” – Cover
DVDs, Movies, Vic Ferrari
The Newest DVDs
19.08.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

Follow the journey of four aspiring artists as they showcase their talents in Europe’s largest child song-writing contest: the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Be touched by the candid stories and insights from 10-year-old Giorgos from Cyprus, 13-year-old Mariam from Georgia, 14-year-old Marina from Bulgaria and 15-year-old Laurens from Belgium.

Bring It On : Fight To The Finish

Christina Milian stars as sassy cheer captain Lina Cruz, whose world is turned upside-down when her family moves from the urban streets of East Los Angeles to the sunny beach town of Malibu. At her new school, Lina clashes with Avery, the ultra-competitive all-star cheer captain, while also falling for Avery’s super-cute brother, Evan. Lina’s always been able to rise to a challenge, but can she create a new all-star squad, beat Avery at the Spirit Championships and still keep her romance with Evan?

The Sarah Jane Adventures : The Complete First Series

This dramatic complete first series is set to excite and thrill as Sarah Jane and her trusted teenage companions, Luke, Clyde and Maria, battle against Slitheens, Gorgons and sometimes the people they trust!

Sharing the same writers as Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures has the energy and drama to leave you wanting more!

Cirque Du Freak : The Vampire’s Assistant

From the best-selling books comes this unstoppable fantasy adventure. Visiting a travelling freak show, 16-year-old Darren is bitten by a vampire (John C. Reilly). Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak and descends into a fantastic life with a sideshow of fabulous freaks, including Salma Hayek and Willem Defoe. As war looms between the vampires and their evil counterparts, one boy’s bravery will become humanity’s last hope.

The American Mall

From the executive producers of High School Musical, The American Mall is about Ally, a hardworking young woman whose mum owns a shop that’s the soul of the mall. Ally’s singer/songwriter ambitions start to blossom when she meets Joey, a musician moonlighting as a janitor at the mall to support his own rock star dreams. While Joey understands her songs (and heart) like no one else, Ally’s happiness and the fate of the store are threatened when the mall owner’s spoiled, driven daughter Madison gets involve. It’s high drama that rocks full on through song and dance. And at The American Mall you can fall in love, live your dreams and have the time of your life.
Books, Comedy, Horror, New, Sci Fi, Simon
New Books
12.07.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Compromised, by Heidi Ayarbe (452 pages) – After Maya’s con-man father goes to prison, and she finds no joy in foster homes, she decides to try to find a long-lost aunt. It’s a long, dangerous journey (400 miles!) and the aunt mightn’t even exist.

First line: ‘First they take our flat screen.’

My Boyfriend’s Dogs : The Tales of Adam and Eve and Shirley, by Dandi Daley Mackall (265 pages) – High-school senior Bailey Daley turns up at a diner soaking wet and leading three wet dogs. The diner’s owner invites her in and listens to her story of searching for the perfect boyfriend (and obtaining three dogs).

First line: ‘“My mother says that falling in love and getting dumped is good for you because it prepares you for the real thing, like it gets you ready for true love and all, but I’m thinking it’s more like climbing up the St. Louis Arch and falling off twice.“

Paper Daughter, by Jeanette Ingold (215 pages) – Maggie Chen’s journalist dad is killed in a hit-and-run accident, and her research (for she is a journalist also) soon uncovers illegal activity that may be connected to him. She is determined to uncover the truth, and discovers more about her family’s past than she expected.

First line: ‘“Your, Maggie.” Mom pushed an envelope from the Herald down the counter where I was putting out bread for sandwiches.‘

Sweet 15, by Emily Adler and Alex Echevarria (240 pages) – Destiny Lozada is turning 15, and so a traditional quinceañera (a religious ceremony with party, tiaras and ballgowns) is planned by her parents. Her older sister thinks it’s an outdated and misogynistic ritual. So! Destiny doesn’t want to take sides and, in fact! would rather be skateboarding and watching TV.

First line: ‘Here’s how it went down, the beginning of The End. Breakfast: out of the blue, my mom, in a red bathrobe, with her makeup already on, making coffee in our big yellow kitchen, hit me over the head with “Destiny is having a quinceañera!”‘

Home Beyond the Mountains : A Novel, by Celia Barker Lottridge (224 pages) – It is 1918, and the Turkish army is eradicating the Assyrian and Armenian peoples in the eastern parts of the Ottoman empire. Nine-year-old Samira and her surviving family members are forced from camp to camp for many years before the opportunity to return home presents itself. Based on a true story.

First line: ‘A sound, a very quite sound, woke Samira.‘

Little Miss Red, by Robin Palmer (254 pages) – A summary prepared earlier: ‘Sixteen-year-old Sophie’s dream of meeting her soul mate during spring break in Florida seems to have come true, but she must determine if Jack is really the romantic hero he seems to be, or if ex-boyfriend Michael could be.’

First line: ‘I’m very big on signs. So when the captain announced that our flight to Florida would be delayed because of some last-minute passengers, I took that as yet another sign that this trip was going to be a disaster.‘

For Keeps, by Natasha Friend (267 pages) – Josie lives with her mum, and her father has never been part of the family. Until suddenly he turns up! And Josie also may have found her first, real boyfriend. ‘A fresh, funny, smart story.’

First line: ‘It’s the last Friday night in August, and instead of dancing on a table at Melanie Jaffin’s party with the rest of the soon-to-be junior class, I am crouched behind a tower of Meow Mix in the pet-food aisle of Shop-Co, watching my mother hyperventilate.‘

The Hunchback Assignments, by Arthur Slade (278 pages) – Modo is rescued from a freakshow by the mysterious Mr Socrates as a wee baby. He is subsequently trained as a first-class secret agent for the Permanent Association, who are pitted against the evil Clockwork Guild. Steampunk in a Victorian setting! Based on a true story (just kidding).

First line: ‘Six hunting hounds had perished in previous experiments.‘

Only the Good Spy Young, by Ally Carter (265 pages) – This is the fourth Gallagher Girls book. Gallagher Girls are spies-in-training! Cammie ‘The Chameleon’ is being hunted by an ancient terrorist organisation, and might not be able to trust even her classmates! Ever the way, I suppose.

First line: ‘“Target’s acquired, ten o’clock.” My best friend’s voice was as cool as the wind as it blew off the Thames.‘

The Demon’s Covenant, by Sarah Rees Brennan (442 pages) – This is the sequel to The Demon’s Lexicon, about a world of magicians and demons (obvs).

First line: ‘“Any minute now,” Rachel said, “something terrible is going to happen to us.”‘

Happy as Larry, by Scot Gardner (291 pages) – ‘An extraordinary tale of an ordinary family’, says the cover. ‘Laurence Augustine Rainbow is born into an ordinary family, and seems set for an ordinary life. But as the world around him changes, so does the happiness of his own family,’ says the catalogue, which points out that it is also ’unique, dark and ultimately uplifting.’ We can trust the catalogue, I feel.

First line: ‘Laurence Augustine Rainbow was born in July 1990.‘

The Mission, Jason Myers (361 pages) – When Kaden’s older brother is killed in Iraq, he follows his late brother’s advice and heads to San Francisco to visit his cousin. His previously sheltered life hasn’t prepared him for what he encounters there, and family secrets further rock his world.

First line: ‘The car creeps to the end of the driveway and turns onto the gravel road, the tires kicking up a small cloud of dust that whips into a spiral in the dead air before disappearing just as quickly as it came.’

Sugar Sugar, by Carole Wilkinson (337 pages) – Jackie leaves Australia and heads to Paris, dreaming of becoming a world-famous fashion designer. Somehow she ends up in Afghanistan! With New Zealanders!

First line: ‘I was dreaming of the sea when the moonlight woke me.‘

The Resurrection Fields : Book Three of The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus, by Brian Kearney (158 pages) – The final installment of this ‘concoction of science fiction, horror, and fantasy’ – ‘Although beset by otherworldly perils, Dante and his best friend Bea continue to be dedicated to the overthrow of Sigmundus and the dark powers that have latched on to his methods of authoritarian mind-control.’ Not based on a true story, but it would be cool if it was.

First line: ‘The storm that had raged over the south of Gehenna had finally blown itself out.‘

The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa (363 pages) – Meghan Chase, the back cover says, has a secret destiny. She is about to learn why she’s never really fit in, and why there’s a stranger watching her… and find love in the process.

First sentence: Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeared.

The Keening, A LaFaye (163 pages) – Set in 1918 which, Twilight fans might know, is when an influenza pandemic roared across the United States. Lyza feels like she’s the talentless member of an artistic family, but when her mother dies and she (Lyza) must help her father find his feet, uncovering her own gifts in the process.

First sentence: As a child who waded in the head-high grass of our cliffside home, I’d harbored a peculiar fondness for funeral marches – the sight of all those people in one long line, each face holding a memory.

The Complete History of Why I Hate Her, Jennifer Richard Jacobson (181 pages) – “Wanting a break from being known only for her sister’s cancer, seventeen-year-old Nola leaves Boston for a waitressing job at a summer resort in Maine, but soon feels as if her new best friend is taking over her life,” says the catalogue.

First sentence: Song is hanging on my arm, afraid I’m going to slip onto the bus and out of her life as quickly as I made the decision to go.

Toads and Diamonds, Heather Tomlinson (276 pages) – a fairytale set in India (in fact a retelling “of the Perrault fairy tale set in pre-colonial India” to be precise (the catalogue comes to the rescue yet again!)). Diribani and Tana both receive something from a goddess, one a blessing and the other a curse, at least this is how it first appears, but “blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem” (book cover).

First sentence: Diribani ran toward the stepwell.

Also:

Alice in Wonderland: A Visual Companion, Mark Salisbury – to the movie, that is. Full of interesting photos and other graphics, and info about how this visual symphony was made.
DVDs, Music, New, Synthesiser Patel
The CDs, They Keep On Coming!
22.05.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Here are the latest CDs to arrive in the YA collection. There have been a lot lately, but there’s even more on the way if you can believe it.

First up is Glee : the music : the power of Madonna. This features Glee cast members singing Madonna songs, as if you couldn’t guess from the very informative title. It’s the soundtrack to the fifteenth episode of Glee, which hasn’t aired in New Zealand yet, which means it’s kind of a sneak preview. Listen to the future! Sort of.

Twilight : music from the original motion picture soundtrack has been deluxe-ified with the addition of a DVD and some bonus tracks. Alongside the original hits from Paramore, Muse, Iron and Wine and the rest are remixes, live versions, acoustic re-workings, interviews, videos and all that sort of jazz. One of the interviews is with Hayley Williams from Paramore, making it a must have for Paramore fans and Twi-hards alike.

British electro-pop starlet Ellie Goulding released debut, Lights, last year to positive reviews after becoming a hit in the blogosphere. Imagine the middle ground between Florence and the Machine and something more poppy, like say, Atomic Kitten and you’ll be right about on the money. If that sounds like a cup of tea you’d enjoy a sip of, you know what to do, issue it obvs.

Taylor Swift’s Fearless has also be given a deluxe-ing and the result is Fearless : platinum edition. Now it includes previously unissued tracks + DVD with music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, photo gallery and awards footage. No word on whether the awards footage includes a bonus interrupting Kanye West. Though it would be an absolute travesty if it didn’t. There’s quite a few extras anyway, so probably worth a look-see if you enjoyed it the first time around.

The Phoenix Foundation’s latest, Buffalo, is here. It’s a continuation of the freak folk/alt-country/pop stylings they’ve been crafting for over a decade now. They’re from Wellington and it’s still New Zealand Music Month for a week or so, which means you should support them by issuing their albums, they’re good.

Former Guns ‘n’ Roses (back when they were awesome) guitarist, Slash, has an album out called Slash. It’s not quite a solo album because every song features at least one of a cast of extremely varied guest vocalists. Which hopefully means there is something for everyone, examples: Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Chris Cornell, Adam Levine, Dave Grohl, Kid Rock and Iggy Pop. Quite a mix, huh?

Also, some new DVDs. Totally spies! : the movie, Doctor Who. The masque of Mandragora, Whip it, Doctor Who. Peladon tales, and Naruto. Collection 2, Episodes 14-25