Angieville

Since I thought I'd start with the two most egregious reviewing gaps, you get Wayward Son next. I hope this is agreeable to all and sundry. And let's just agree not to pull any punches, shall we? I'll start by admitting that this book wrecked my life. To be clear, I am not complaining. It's just that it had been a long time, yeah? A long time since  Carry On came out. Just such a very long time since I'd been in the company of these two. And their crew. And I thought I was ready. Don't I always? Must remember to learn from past mistakes. But more than that, I wasn't thinking about the fact that of course Rainbow Rowell would create nothing less than the sequel that would naturally follow the events at the end of Carry On. Which is to say a sequel that would hurt . Because everything about what happened to Simon Snow from the beginning of his life to his graduation from Watford was designed to damage. With the shining exceptions of Penny and Baz. And so th...

I don't know about you, but I needed something excellent to lift my spirits. A huge thanks to St. Martin's and Buzzfeed for giving us the upcoming paperback cover of Rainbow Rowell's Carry On . The cover art is by none other than the incredible Kevin Wada . I mean, I purchased two copies of Leigh Bardugo's Crooked Kingdom  just so I could get the one with his gorgeous illustrations inside the jacket. He captured Kaz and the gang so perfectly, I had to have them. And I think he's captured Simon and Baz so well here. Due out May 9th, it will make the perfect lender copy. I'm thinking it's time for a reread . . . "You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all."

And here it is! The cover for Rainbow Rowell 's upcoming Simon Snow novel Carry On . I've spent a not inconsiderable amount of time wondering just what direction they would take this cover and I find myself both surprised and satisfied. In some ways it reminds of me the hardback Attachments cover. Rowell mentions that she wanted a cover that "made me feel a little nervous." Done and done, St. Martin's. I'm anxious, excited, nervous, pretty much all the emotions. Carry On is due out October 6th. Who else will be there the moment their bookstore opens (or conversely, have you already pre-ordered)?

So you heard, right? You heard Rainbow Rowell is actually writing a Simon Snow book?! Guys, it's like I woke up and Christmas came early. It's like I'm the Grinch and my heart just grew three sizes this day. She announced it via Twitter last night. And it is Simon & Baz's story. And it is due out next October. And it is her first fantasy. And there was this (along with a summary) on her tumblr : Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters. Take my money, Ms. Rowell.

So I figure I'm not the only one who regularly occasionally finds herself mired in the dilemma of which edition of a book to buy. With a number of lovely sites like The Book Depository out there, we collectors have increasingly easier access (thank you free shipping worldwide) to the gorgeous editions available to our friends on the other side of the world. And covers are such personal things, aren't they? I love browsing different editions and experiencing that moment when I see the one . The one that will live on my shelves. Of course, then it's a matter of locating it and scraping together the funds . . . but never mind that bit. All of this to say that I thought I'd start up an irregular and entirely at my personal whim feature entitled Choose Your Own Edition , in which I can secure your good opinion on which edition I should purchase of whichever book I'm romancing at the time. Up first: Rainbow Rowell's Landline .  I loved this book (as I ten...

For those of you who like your multitasking, I thought I'd let you know that  Landline is also available on audiobook (read by Rebecca Lowman).  Macmillan Audio was kind enough to offer up an audiobook teaser clip for your pleasure. Enjoy!

This might be my most anticipated novel of the year, people. It's hard to say for certain, what with Sinner having just come out (more on that soon) and Isla and the Happily Ever After hitting shelves in August (the day before my birthday, but who's counting). And then there's the annual Briggs and Andrews to look forward to. But Landline ? Yeah, I think it was the one. I started it just as fast as was humanly possible after it arrived in the mail, and then I held it for long minutes after finishing, just . . . not wanting to be physically separated from it yet. I've even had difficulty letting it out of the house since. But then I'm the same way with my copies of Fangirl and Eleanor & Park . I want everyone in the world to read them, but I get just a bit twitchy while they're gone. Rainbow Rowell 's books tend to hit me where I live, whether that's the me that rode the bus tense and lonely in high school, the one that fell in love unexpectedly a...

So last year, as you probably recall, I lost my crap over Fangirl . It was not my first Rainbow Rowell book, but it was the first time I fell good and hard. After uneven results with Attachments , I just sort of avoided Eleanor & Park when it came out, despite its ridiculously charming cover. Then Fangirl came along with it equally adorable cover and I gave Rowell a second chance. It went so unbelievably, fantabulously well that I purchased a copy of Eleanor & Park before I even finished Fangirl , just knowing that skipping it had been a huge mistake. Possibly a fatal one. But it has taken me this long to get around to it, so afraid was I that it wouldn't live up to Fangirl . This book is an entirely different beast, to be sure. But I read it through from cover to cover the other night completely unable to stop. It was one of those rare and beautiful situations in which the level of my feelings for a book is so high that I feel an obligation to see it through in one...

. . . and that book? That beautiful book kills me dead.

So the other night I found myself compelled to pick up my copy of Fangirl . It only recently made its way back to my shelves after a few rounds with a few of the usual suspects. Rather lazily, I opened it to whatever page my fingers found and reread that page. And then I did it again. Browsing led to bingeing. But before I lost track of time completely, I had the good sense to see the writing on the wall. And so instead of just reading from the 3/4 mark (where I was at the time) through to the end, I flipped happily back to page one and settled in for a blissful reacquaintance with the characters and words I fell so in love with the first time. You guys, it was so good. And because I couldn't quite contain the pleasure within my own skin, I started tapping out my favorite quotes and texting them to . . . people who would understand. I may have gotten a touch carried away, but at one point my friend Beth made the observation that it's the rereads that ease all the cracks i...

I feel like I've been waffling on whether or not to read this book for years now even though it's only been a few months. The thing is, I really enjoyed the first half of Rainbow Rowell 's Attachments . I really, really did. And then I was summarily disappointed with the second half. I don't know if it was me or the fact that I read it immediately after giving birth and that just rarely ever works out for me or what. But the direct result was that I stayed away from Eleanor & Park , despite it's adorable cover and quirky premise. And I was apparently still shell-shocked enough that I was going to just go ahead and pass on Fangirl if it wasn't for Janice 's enthusiastic review some weeks back. I thought I was just sort of waltzing around lacking the Rowell gene, when in fact I simply hadn't found my gateway book. So, Janice. Can I send you a book bouquet or a fruit basket or some such gift of gratitude? Because I'm kind of having a hard ti...

Two pretties posts in a month (barely)! You can tell I'm looking ahead these days. Just the two pretties for you this Wednesday morning/afternoon. But truthfully I was so taken with this pair of covers, I didn't even really want to slap anything else up there with them. I'm content to sit and gaze at them admiringly, imagining what they'll feel like when at last they're in my hands. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell I read Rowell's first book, Attachments , with uneven results. I adored the first third of the book. Loved the hushed setup full of awkward longing. Unfortunately, the pacing stuttered for me after that and it was a chore to finish. Many loved it though, and I always sort of planned on checking out what she wrote next. This one takes place in 1986 and features a couple of misfits wrestling with first love and mix tapes. I am in deep smit with that cover. Everything about it is awesome. And check out that cover blurb. Not too shabby. Due out...