Once Upon a Time: Journey to Neverland and Heart of the Truest Believer

Hi everyone! Are you ready to journey back to the world of fairy tales and magic? I was really looking forward to the season premier and I thought I would watch the special feature to remind myself of the twists and turns of last season. So if you weren't able to catch it, here's my recap of the recap.

Henry:
Innocent + persistent = smartest character + Mother = Savior - adoptive mother = trouble + Rumple + Neal = Grandfather!? + problems + other bad guys = kidnapped by ... Peter Pan?

Emma:
Wily + No ties = lonely + Neal = le sigh - Neal - Henry = walls + fighter + Henry + True Love's kiss of a mother = Destiny + Regina = arch-nemesis - Henry = angry mama bear

Rumplestiltskin:
Crocodile + Beast + Fairy Godmother + creepy seer = change in behavior - wife = megalomaniac + anger + obsession - son = tortured - seer + prophecy + grandson = conflict

Neal:
Son - father + Emma = Henry + family - family + Tamara = uh-oh + family + sacrifice = true love

Snow:
Rude + Snotty + mother = kindness - mother = sad + good + Regina = uh-oh + secrets + spilling the beans + dead lover = evil stepmother + theft + Prince = true love + good heart + hope = hatred from Regina - Cora + consequences + black heart = despair + family = new purpose

Charming:
Shepherd + king = Prince + danger = hero + belief + family = true love + faith = happy ever after

Regina:
Innocent + Cora = frustration - father + love = disaster - love + power = vendetta + Rumple = loss of innocence + anger + death = evil queen + Henry = conflicted - Henry = vendetta + Henry = confusion - Henry = rage + Henry = sacrifice

Hook:
Pirate + Rumple's wife - Rumple's wife = vendetta + revenge = dissatisfaction + Regina + the Charmings = plan + Peter Pan = dun dun dun

Great! So now that we're all caught up let's jump into Season 3!
3.1 "Heart of the Truest Believer"

Tonight Henry runs into the woods with an ex-Lost Boy, tangles with some pixie dust, and proves himself to be a true believer. Meanwhile Snow, Charming, Hook, Regina, and Emma survive a mermaid attack, and whip up quite a storm ... literally until Emma is able to bring them all to their senses. Back in the Enchanted Forest Nealfire has a chat with Mulan, makes friends with Robin Hood, and finds a magic snowglobe.

Tonight I think that, believe it or not, Mulan had the line that summed up the point nicely: She tells Nealfire, "Your belief in love wasn't strong enough to overcome your fear of rejection." And this becomes the sticking point for a lot of our characters. Can they believe in love enough to save themselves and each other? Or are they going to get caught up in how hard it is or could be.

Tamara and Greg are, as Pan says at the end, driven by hate. They don't believe; they want to destroy and it gets them stabbed in the back - literally. They also teach us the important lesson that you should never, ever, ever tick off a Lost Boy. Because they are mad creepy. Also, you probably should stay away from Rumple's family. Because he doesn't really do forgiveness.

Rumple may be driven by love for his family, but his motives are getting so convoluted that it's hard to know where he's going to go next. I really do hope that he believes in family enough to overcome his fear of losing his power, but it makes me nervous having him out on his own.

For our three villains (Rumple, Regina, and Hook) Regina and Hook's conversation wraps up the difficulty they face. Regina notes that "Villains don't get happy endings" to which Hook responds, "I hope not, or else we've wasted our lives." So can the three of them make enough things right? Can they un-become villains? Or are they destined to suffer and/or die because of their past villainous ways. And can they break out of that villainy or are they trapped in it forever?

And at the same time, Emma shouts at Snow that good doesn't always win, but she consistently makes the "good" choice, proving that Rumple has underestimated her ability to take a leap of faith, and, I think, the breadth of her imagination. After all, we are talking about a woman who went from being a pragmatic bounty hunter to believing that she is the savior of the fairy tale world whose mother is Snow White. I think her imagination's been stretched quite a bit recently and she's adapted remarkable well.

Which is why she's not really surprised when mermaids attack the boat (btw, love that they are vicious monsters) and is the first to realize that the weather is being directed by the attitudes on the boat. Brilliant plan to get everyone's attention, but true to the nothing-can-ever-go-right-for-a-Charming-ever edict, a loose pulley knocks her out, but also knocks sense into the others on the boat who have to pull together to save her. Though Regina's attack on Snow's use of "unicorn stickers" to win over the mermaid was hilarious and the ensuing cat fight bordered on ridiculous. In a good way.

On a side note, Hook and Charming had more brilliantly quippy lines this week. Love the snark:
Hook to Emma: "I've never known you to need to get ready for a fight. I thought it was your natural state." snrk

Charming: "I will not be capsized by fish!" This was my lol moment of the night.

Back in the Enchanted Forest we get to see our intrepid trio of Aurora, Philip, and Mulan. Mulan as a foil for Nealfire is pretty hilarious and I love the way he tells her the movie is pretty good. Too bad the character on the show in no way matches up with that movie and that she can't get a decent story line of her own. And I'm kind of nervous about some of the hints and nudges they've been building around her because if they go where it seems like they're going to go I may just have to throw a shoe at the screen.

However, Aurora is epic and I love the way she's just taking charge. Philip was kind of walking set piece in this episode.

I love the fact that Belle's insistence on mercy for Robin Hood came back to save Nealfire's life (rabbit trail - do you realize that in time Belle could end up being Henry's step-grandmother?!?! ahem.) and I was happy to see Robin back in the picture. I'm truly curious how they're going to play this because I don't think I can handle a long drawn out we-have-to-get-back-together story line. Again. I was actually kind of hoping that the magic eight ball snowglobe was going to transport him right there, but that would have been too easy.

And of course, as our episode title directs, Henry does have the heart of the truest believer. This kid will hold fast to his beliefs in the middle of anything, and that fervency is really the only thing that has kept him alive. It's also gotten him in a heap of trouble, but you know. It's a good thing he's had so much experience running through the woods, because he gets out of there awfully quickly when Tamara yells at him to run. His utmost faith in his family, in his own ability to survive, and in the magic that surrounds him is touching. It is such a hard line to walk and he could come across as obnoxiously optimistic, but the actor hits just the right tone and you just root for Henry to keep believing. I totally didn't call Peter Pan, but then was hitting myself over the head thinking - duh, of course that was him. But he seriously underestimates Henry. A kid who is willing to go to such extremes (I mean, jumping off a cliff?!) is not going to just give up or give in without a fight and Peter Pan has no idea what lengths Henry's family will go to in order to rescue him.

Match Game 647

You may have seen the following internet meme on facebook this week, "It's International Book Week. The rules: Grab the book closest to you, turn to page 52, post the 5th sentence as your status. Don't mention the title and post the rules as part of your status."  While there is no "International Book Week," this is still a fun game to play.  

I asked my BWOBNY friends for their page 52, 5th sentences here and I thought we'd play a little match game.  No, not Match Game 67 although that is an awesome game show.  Consider this Match Game 647 (our old store number.)  Just try to match the quotes with the books and authors listed at the bottom.  We'll post the answers on our facebook page this evening.

The Quotes

1.  "I'm entertained by the way Michelle chops her hands through the air as she's explaining the plan for a separate wing when the exhibit arrives, and how she prefaces many of her sentences with, 'I mean, look."

2.  "The crack of my windshield sounded like the hammer of my brother's .357 Magnum, and the splintering of the safety glass made me squeeze the steering wheel like an orangutan strangling a kitten."

3.  "I feel as if I'm dead to the world."

4.  "After brushing his teeth over the cracked basin, he locked the glass door, set his alarm clock and undressed."   

5.  "Still wrapped in her luxe hotel room with a diamond ring wedding band on her left finger, Andy reminded herself not to indulge in revisionist history." 

Book & Author 

A.  The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling

B.  97 Orchard Street, Jane Ziegelman

C.  Revenge Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger

D.  The Chaos of Stars,  Kiersten White

E.  Killing yourself to Live, Chuck Klosterman.

For bonus points, try to guess which bookseller suggested which book: Rachel L., Jess P., Jenn N., Grammy T, and Rebecca T.  


Please share your "answers" in the comments below. Remember to check our facebook page tonight for the correct matches.  We'd also love to see your page 52, 5th sentences as well.  Don't forget to cite the book and author in your comment.  Happy Reading! 

Slimed: An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age by Matthew Klickstein

 
"SLIMED! An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age tells the surprisingly complex, wonderfully nostalgic, and impressively compelling story of how Nickelodeon -- the First Kids' Network -- began as a DIY startup in the late 70s, and forged ahead through the early eighties with a tiny band of young artists and filmmakers who would go on to change everything about cable television, television in general, animation, and children's entertainment, proving just what can be done if the indie spirit is kept alive in the corporate world of contemporary media... All from those who made it happen!" - goodreads.com

If you were a kid growing up in the mid-80's to mid-90's it was next to impossible to not be familiar with Nickelodeon shows unless you were living under a rock.  Mathew Klickstein interviewed dozens of Nickelodeon stars, producers, directors, writers to compile this oral history of what he calls and I believe to be Nickelodeon's "golden age."  As this in an oral history, the book reads like a transcript of a roundtable discussion with the assorted talent and crew.  While this style provides the reader with candid stories, it was also a little confusing at times.  There was several passages in the book where one "conversation" would end and another would begin without a segue.  I had to re-read several passages over again for clarity.  Throughout the book, the actors, producers and assorted personnel are identified by name only.  While I watched many Nickelodeon shows back in the day, I wasn't a fan of every show nor could I recall all the actors' names.  I think the "Cast of Characters" section that appeared at the close of the book, would've been better placed at the front of the book to refresh the readers memory of who was who.

Regardless of some confusing passages, "Slimed" was a very interesting read.  The backstage drama behind "Ren & Stimpy," was unbelievable.  Marc Summers provided some great anecdotes about the making of "Double Dare."  My favorite anecdotes though came from the cast of "Hey Dude."  Two of the show's actors had an off-screen romance and another had a stalker problem that caused her to retreat from the public eye.  Jim Jenkins, who created the cartoon "Doug" shared many great stories that left me yearning to order the entire series on DVD.  I also appreciated the food for thought contrast of the "golden age" Orlando studio days of Nickelodeon to the Hollywood polish of today's Nick programming.  

While "Slimed" is a great book, it's a niche read that I'd recommend only to Nick devotees of the 80s and 90s era.

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me a digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Laydown Lowdown

This week is Banned Books Week, a week dedicated to building awareness of contemporary censorship.  What better way to celebrate than reading any book you like?  Don't ever let someone tell you what you can and can not read. 

I don't think any of this week's new reads will ignite a controversy but you never know...

Romance fans' hearts will be racing today as there are dozens of new genre releases today.  Some of the highlights include: "Deadline," by Sandra Brown, "A Lady Most Lovely," by Jennifer Delamere, "Captain's Paradise," by Kay Hooper, "Summer is for Lovers," by Jennifer McQuiston, "One Lucky Vampire," by Lynsay Sands, and  "Always on My Mind," by Jill Shalvis. "10 Shades of Seduction," an erotic short story collection featuring the work of Tiffany Reisz, Lisa Renee Jones, Portia DaCosta and others is also available today.

Move over to Mystery and you'll discover "Cut to the Bone," by Jeffrey Bass, "The Bride Wore Size 12," by Meg Cabot, " "The Crooked Pearl," by Shaun Morey, and "The Good Sister," by Wendi Corsi Staub.

Scoot by the Science Fiction/Fantasy section for "Autumn Whispers," by Yasmine Galenorn, "A Study in Silks," by Emma Jane Holloway, "All is Fair," by Emma Newman, and "Star Wars: Empire & Rebellion: Razor's Edge," by Martha Wells.

Jocelyn Davies wraps up her "Beautiful Dark" trilogy with "A Radiant Sky," available in Young Adult today.  Other new releases in the genre include "Chasing Shadows," by Swati Avasthi, "Inheritance," by Malinda Lo, "Not a Drop to Drink," by Mindy McGinnis, and "Through the Zombie Glass," by Gena Showalter.

Will any of these books make your "to-read" list?  Please share with us!  Happy Reading and remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible. 

Watch Out! Shows We Loved and Shows We Want

With the Emmys tomorrow we thought it would be fun to think back on our favorite tv shows from last season and to talk a little bit about the new and returning shows we just can't wait for. Sure this isn't a post about books, but a good story is a good story, right? And there have been some great ones on primetime!

My fave new show is The Carrie Diaries (Oct. 25 on The CW). While it's a Sex and the City prequel, it's a sweet show with a lot of heart. I also love the 80's setting and wardrobes. Despite the retro time period, I find it's a very relatable and realistic show. It deviates slightly from the books but not too much, and they've added some things that I really think strengthened the story. I can't wait to see what happens on season 2.
This season I'm really looking forward to The Blacklist (Sept. 23 on NBC) starring James Spader. I loved him on Boston Legal and this new role of his where he plays a career criminal who surrenders to the Feds in exchange for immunity to help them catch other baddies looks awesome.

I am looking forward to 2 shows returning (I can't decide which to choose). The first is Once Upon a Time (Sept. 29 on ABC). I have been LOVING all the different twists on our classic fairy tales and how all the characters have relationships with each other. It's also cool to see a reference from Lost every now & then. The other returning show is White Collar (Oct. 17 on USA). White Collar always has such powerful mid season and season finales. Just when I think I can't get hooked any more they do something else to draw you in even further. Also it's nice to see the relationship between the 2 main characters, Peter & Neal, evolve as seasons go on.

The new show I am looking forward to is the Once Upon a Time spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (Oct. 10 on ABC) ... especially since they have cast Naveen Andrews as Jafar. I want to know what he is doing in Wonderland; did he go there before or after Agrabah?

I am a bit of a TV nut (I blame it all on Lost). One of my favorite shows from last season isn't coming back. Cult was so much fun - just the premise of being a tv show about a tv show hooked me from the beginning and the season finale cliffhanger was a killer - especially since I will never find out what happened!
For returning shows I'm psyched to find out what happens on Castle (Sept. 23 on ABC). The development of Castle and Beckett's relationship has been perfectly timed and I am dying to know what her answer is. And there are about 5 (or 10) other shows I could talk about that I am excited to see return from The Walking Dead (Oct. 13 on AMC), to Person of Interest (Sept. 24 on CBS), to Arrow (Oct. 9 on The CW), to Vampire Diaries (Oct. 3 on The CW) and its spin-off The Originals (Oct. 3 on The CW), to doing my weekly posts on Once Upon a Time, but I'll just list them and move on.

For new shows, the one that has me sitting on the edge of my seat is Joss Whedon's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Sept. 24 on ABC). This is the first Whedon show I'll be able to watch live, the humor looks wicked, plus it's set in the superhero world, and, best of all, they brought Agent Coulsen back from the dead. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.

What shows did you enjoy last season and what are you looking forward to coming back or starting new?

10 Things I Loved about Defiance by C.J. Redwine

This book had been on my radar for a while as it looked exactly like the kind of book I normally want to read. Apparently I got it for my Nook and then completely forgot about it because of school and the 800,000,000 other books in my TBR pile. But then someone linked to this interview with C. J. Redwine and I couldn't stop laughing. (no seriously. Click on that link and read it. It's the most hilarious interview I have ever read. Ever. I want to be her best friend.) So I immediately requested Defiance and the sequel Deception from the library and as soon as it came in I started reading. This was when I realized I already owned Defiance, which made me super happy because now this awesomeness is mine! Ahem. So 10 non-spoilery things I loved about this book:

1. Rachel. Talk about your takes-no-prisoners, kick-you-know-what heroine. I love her spunk, her fire, her mad skill with weapons. And that her greatest strength is also her greatest flaw.
2. Logan. Please can I have one? Because seriously. I loved the way he weighed the Worst Case Scenarios in his head almost constantly. I loved the development of his character. I love his "tech-head" personality. And his backstory ;-;
3. Alternating Viewpoints. As someone who has a tendency to write this way myself, I really liked the way Redwine moved back and forth between Rachel and Logan. It added a lot to the story and allowed me to get into both of their heads at important times.
4. The Symmetry. I know this is something that some people might find annoying, but I simply adored the way that both Rachel and Logan would come to the same conclusions or develop the same attitudes basically at the same time. It never felt forced to me, but a natural outgrowth of the situations they were going through.
5. The Dress Scene. Holy cow. When Rachel comes into the room in her Claiming dress and Logan goes completely babblingly inarticulate in his mind I was dying laughing. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
6. Oliver. Oh Oliver. I loved the grandfatherliness of his interactions with Rachel and the comfortable way they were around each other.
7. The Worldbuilding. It was so unique and different and I can't wait to find out how the Cursed One plays into the sequel.
8. The Villain. It's pretty common for dystopian/post-apocalyptic to have a kind of "big bad" that has to be fought, but there was something about the Commander that drove me crazy. I feel like there is so much more to his story and I really hope we get more of it in the second book, but in Defiance he was exactly what he needed to be: cold, cruel, calculating, and mysterious.
9. The Cover. Okay, so this isn't something in the book per se, but I really do love this cover. I'm kind of over the pretty girl in a dress cover, but there is so much depth to this cover with lots of little hints at things in the story. I love the city line across the bottom and that she actually looks like Rachel.
10. There's mo-ore! Yes! There is a second book! I get more Rachel and Logan! I can't wait to read it!

Laydown Lowdown

Fall allergies totally kicked my butt yesterday.  It's that time of year unfortunately.  Luckily, there are many new books this week to curl up inside with.

Best-selling author, Catherine Coulter leads up Mystery with the first novel in her new series with JT Ellison, "The Final Cut."  M.C. Beaton brings us the latest "Agatha Raisin," caper and JD Robb takes us into the future with "Eve Dallas" latest thriller, "Thankless in Death.  Plus Nelson DeMille's "The Quest" is also released today.

Saunter over to Science Fiction/Fantasy for "The One Eyed Man," by L.E. Modesitt, "Delia's Shadow," by Jaime Lee Moyer, and "Anarchy," by James Treadwell.

Ally Carter wraps up her "Gallagher Girls," series with "United We Spy," available in Young Adult today along with "The Dream Thieves," by Maggie Stiefvater. 

Romance lovers will have to console themselves with another genre as there are no new releases in the genre today.

What books will make your "to-read" list?!  Share with us and remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible.  Happy Reading!

More than just a store...

It's been two years since Borders 647 of Middletown, NY sold its last book and closed its doors for good.  While our staff is still heartbroken over the loss of a bookstore and one of the best jobs we've ever had, we are extremely grateful to still have each other.  This blog and our book club has helped us to keep in contact and made our friendships even stronger than before.

This video made by our own Rebecca T. has been posted here before but I think it's worth sharing again.  Please take a moment to view our video and then call up that friend or family member you haven't talked to in awhile and catch up.  And please remember to support your local bookstores and mom n' pop shops whenever you can.  For most people, it's simply not a job or a livelihood, it's family! 

The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz (and Giveaway!!)

"Nora Sutherlin is being held, bound and naked. Under different circumstances, she would enjoy the situation immensely, but her captor isn't interested in play. Or pity. 

As the reality of her impending peril unfolds, Nora becomes Scheherazade, buying each hour of her life with stories-sensual tales of Søren, Kingsley and Wesley, each of whom has tempted and tested and tortured her in his own way. This, Nora realizes, is her life: nothing so simple, so vanilla, as a mere love triangle for her. It's a knot in a silken cord, a tangled mass of longings of the body and the heart and the mind. And it may unravel at any moment. 
But in Nora's world, no one is ever truly powerless-a cadre of her friends, protectors and lovers stands ready to do anything to save her, even when the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak...."  - tiffanyreisz.com

The Mistress is the fourth book in Tiffany Reisz's best-selling "Original Sinners" series.  The book is so amazing that I had to hold off on compiling this review because it was just so incredible that no adjectives seemed adequate enough to describe it properly.  The Mistress picks up right where "The Prince" left off and successfully brings together characters from the previous installments and ties up all the loose ends in a masterful fashion. This series gives you so much more than just the wild sex seen in other erotica novels.  Although there are plenty of hot, intense, and sexy scenes, Reisz writes with such detail and passion that her characters come to life.  You become invested in what they do both in and out of the bedroom. 

While "The Mistress" concludes the "Original Sinners: The Red Years" series, there is much more to come.  I was lucky enough to attend Tiffany's reading in New York City last week where she read from her forthcoming "The Saint," the first in the "Original Sinners: The White Years" quartet.  This quartet will take us back in time to when Eleanor first met Soren up to the events in "The SIren."  Plus, Tiffany announced she has even more tricks up her sleeve.  She is penning the scripts for a series of graphic novels.  I can't wait to see how my visions of Nora, Soren, Kingsley and the rest of the sinners match up with the illustrations.  "The Devil and Danielle Webster," the first of the graphic novels will be released in the Fall of 2014.

In addition to having Tiffany sign my copy of "The Prince," in which she wrote something hilarious and unrepeatable on a family friendly blog, I had her sign a book for you lovely blog readers.  Because you can't jump into this series in the middle, I'm giving away a copy of "12 Shades of Surrender," a short story collection which features "Seven Day Loan," by Tiffany Reisz the first story about Nora Sutherlin. So head on down to the rafflecopter for your chance to win.  Then get out to local bookstore to pick up the rest of the series today!

For more about Tiffany Reisz and her books, visit her website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My blogging bestie Jen (l), me (center) and Tiffany (r)

Please note that I received no financial compensation for this review.  Special thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Mira for providing me with a digital copy of The Mistress in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Laydown Lowdown

Where did the summer go?!  I can't believe it's September already.  Fortunately, there are many new books to escape with this week.  

First up in Mystery, you'll find best-selling author Sue Grafton's latest, "W is for Wasted.".  I am quite curious as to what words she will use for future installments X, Y & Z.  Michael Brandman continues the work of Robert B. Parker in the latest "Stone Cold" novel, "Damned If You Do."  "Second Watch," by J.A. Jance, "The Bones of Paris," by Lauire R. King, and "The Wrong Girl," by Hank Philipi Ryan are also available today. 

Romance lovers will be satisfied to get their hands on "Revealing Us," by Lisa Renee Jones, the conclusion to the "Inside Out" trilogy, "The Storycatcher," by Ann Hite, and "Before Darkness Falls," by Eugenia Price.

Science Ficton/Fantasy fans can discover "Blue," by Lou Aronica, "Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl," by David Barnett, and "Dateline: Atlantis," by Lynn Voedisch.

Finally, young adult fans will have to catch up on their homework as "Rose Under Fire," by Elizabeth Wein, is the only new release in the genre today.

Will any of these reads make your "to-read" list?  Share with us!  Happy Reading and remember to support your local bookstore whenever possible.

August Book Club: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Since the movie was releasing in August we thought it would be fun to read the book and then possibly even review both if we'd had a chance to see the movie by now.

Clary just wants to have a normal life, spend time with her best friend Simon, and get her overprotective mother to let her go out once in a while without freaking out. But when she sees someone murdered in the middle of a crowded club and no one else even notices she finds herself caught up in an avalanche of events that she is powerless to stop. With her mother now missing, her life in danger, and a strange boy telling her she's not even human, Clary has to navigate a world of shadows, secrets, and magic to discover who she really is.

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What we thought:
Jess B: From someone who loves all things supernatural when I saw City of Bones I was all for it. But I will say this: I had shelved countless copies of it at Borders but never gave it a chance until I saw the trailer and my jaw dropped. The book was fantastic! Multidimensional with just the right amount of drama to keep you hooked! I fell instantly in love with Magnus Bane. Kinda wanted to be his bffer...hahahahaha!!! Now for the movie... I loved it! I understood when they needed to take artistic license and where they went with it. There are two things I hated, but they are small. Madame Dorothea and the lack of Alicante. But I even brought Sean with me and he thought it was amazing as well!

Rebecca T: I had tried reading this a while ago and couldn't get through the first chapter, but this time when I started reading I didn't want to stop. I thought that the book was nicely layered with enough intersecting storylines and mysteries to really keep things complex without being too confusing. I thought the characters were very well drawn and I do really want to read the next one. I also loved the movie. I thought they kept the main feel of the book even with the many changes and adaptations. There were 2 significant things from the ending, however, that really confused me. If you have read the book highlight the next blank space with your cursor and you'll see my questions. 1. What about the cup? In the book Valentine takes it, but in the movie Clary still has it. 2. In the book it's pretty straightforward that Clary and Jace are brother and sister, but in the movie they very overtly make you question whether that is so. Perhaps I don't know since I haven't read the other books, but I didn't like that. Overall I thought they did a great job adapting the book and I look forward to the next installment!

Jenn N: I really enjoyed the book. I haven't had a chance to see the movie yet, but I hope to soon. I'm curious to see how the film handles the complex relationships between Clary, her family, and Jace. I thought the world building was very clever. I loved the juxtaposition on modern day NYC against the secret dark underworld. I also appreciated that Clary's powers and skills developed over time and the way she dealt with the weight of her new life seemed realistic. I was quite surprised by the total game-changing revelation that came in the book's close. I can't wait to see how it's handled in subsequent books and the film as the revelation is a total doozy that had me questioning and ranting for days.

In September we decided to have an Emmy party and to keep with that theme we're reading While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax. Also follow along with us on Twitter on Sunday the 22nd as we'll be live tweeting our Emmy joys, disappointments, and, as always, Snark.

Laydown Lowdown

Happy September everyone!  I can't believe that fall is just around the corner and that school bus traffic is back to complicate our mornings.  Fortunately, there are plenty of new books this week to enjoy with pumpkin lattes and other fall treats. 

Teens looking for a homework break may want to unwind with new YA releases such as "Conjured," by Sarah Beth Durst, "The Song of the Quarkbeast," by Jasper Fforde, "The 100," by Kass Morgan, or "Snitch," by Allison Van Diepen.

Or perhaps, you'd like to heat up a chilly night with a steamy romance.  "High Passion," by Vivian Arend, "Dark Lycan," by Christine Feehan, "True Spies," by Shana Galen, "Styxx," by Sherilyn Kenyon, and "The Protected," are all available in Romance today.

If you're not ready to say goodbye to Summer just yet, you may want to check out "Clammed Up," a mystery set at a clam bake, by Barbara Ross.  Or, relax with the latest Jack Reacher thriller, "Never Go Back," by Lee Child, "Mayan Secrets," by Clive Cussler, or "Dick Francis's Refusal," by Felix Francis.

Best selling author, Margaret Atwood, completes her dystopian trilogy with "Mad Addam in Science Fiction/Fantasy today.  Other new releases in the genre include "The Shadow Lamp," by Stephen R. Lawhead, "Shaman," by Kim Stanley Robinson, and "The Given Sacrifice," by S.M. Stirling.

Will any of these new releases make your "to-read" list?  Please share with us and Happy Reading!! Remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible.