Wednesday, September 30, 2015

September 2015 Recap

We're getting into the home stretch of 2015, and that's just . . . crazy. I can't help noticing how far I am from reaching my Goodreads reading goal for the year at this point, but I'm not going to panic. A lot of life stuff has been taking up every spare moment, but I think I'll be able to make reading a priority for a little bit—before the holiday season kicks into high gear and life returns to being insane again, LOL!

Reviews Posted:

Featured Posts:

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Fandom Mashups (21)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
An evil King has taken up the mantle and declared that he is the supreme ruler of all. Who's going to help you overthrow him?

  1. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games): If there's one character who's practically become synonymous with "rebellion," it's this lady.
  2. Celaena Sardothien (Throne of Glass): Celaena knows ALL ABOUT evil kings. Like, no joke. And she's also very capable of taking them down single-handedly.
  3. Harry Potter: One, Harry has great leadership skills to rally others to the cause, and two, he has plenty of experience battling evil.
  4. Valek (Poison Study): You can never have too many assassins on the team for a mission like this.
  5. Bruce Wayne/Batman: He has the power, influence, and money to start up a revolution. And . . . Batman! XD

Monday, September 21, 2015

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
By Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher:
Scholastic Press
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Buddy Read with Micheline of Lunar Rainbows Reviews

To Sum It Up: Six years ago, Grace Brisbane was saved from an attack by a pack of wolves—by another wolf with yellow eyes. Whenever the weather turns cold, the wolf returns, and although it keeps its distance, Grace can't help feeling that a connection exists between them. That's because the wolf is also a human named Sam, who's never forgotten about Grace. Sam's remaining days as a human are severely numbered, however, and it seems he's destined to live out his life as a wolf.

Review: As a rabid fan of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle series, reading her Wolves of Mercy Falls series was a must for me. And with the final Raven Cycle book still months away, well, I needed to get my Stiefvater fix somehow. So this was an ideal time to dive into Shiver.

The cold plays an integral role in this werewolf story, and, unsurprisingly given her prodigious talent, Maggie Stiefvater never lets you forget about it. Even living in a warm climate where it still feels very much like summer although it's almost fall couldn't keep me from believing that I needed a parka whenever I picked up this book. Every sensation and mood that can be associated with winter made its presence known within the pages of Shiver. The imagery is simultaneously gorgeous, haunting, and somber, as befits the overall tone of the novel.

I was pre-warned that this is a sad read, and I found that to be true. As Sam’s backstory unfolds, it just becomes more and more anguishing. I wouldn’t call it angsty, though; if anything, Sam has borne it all without devolving into self-pity. And just when Sam finally, as a human and not as a wolf, gets to know Grace, whom he’s fallen in love with over the six years since he saved her from nearly being killed by the rest of his pack, that damned cold stands between them. Dropping temperatures cause Sam to shift, and very soon, he won’t be able to fight off the change at all.

As the novel went on, I was surprised by how invested I became in Grace and Sam’s struggle to stay together. I’ve said it in a few other reviews: I’m far from being a romantic. Gooey love stories aren’t my cup of tea, so if the romance ends up being my favorite aspect of a book, it has to be nothing less than phenomenal. I admit to feeling a bit iffy about Grace and Sam’s relationship at first; it seemed like we were headed for another case of insta-love. But the more that I considered how they had a link from the day that he rescued her and that bond then continued to develop over six years, the more I came around to the intensity of their feelings for each other. Ah, analyzing matters of the heart is such a subjective thing, especially for someone whose brain is so ruled by logic like mine is.

Reading Shiver reminded me how much I absolutely adore Maggie Stiefvater’s prose; you could set it to music, just as it is. Once again, I can’t quite believe that I’m saying this, but it’s the truth: I LOVED the romance in this book. I desperately wanted Grace and Sam to find a way to be with each other as much as they did. Now, please excuse me while I resume trying to figure out just what the hell this book did to my heart.

All in All: I had really high expectations for this because of all the love that I have for The Raven Cycle, and I was not disappointed. Shiver is a beautifully written story that I’m very happy to have read at last.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Fandom Mashups (20)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
Your car breaks down on the side of the road. Who do you call to help fix it?

  1. Adam Parrish (The Raven Cycle): Adam is a great mechanic, and hey, if he turns up with Blue, Gansey, Ronan, and Noah in tow, who are we to complain? XD
  2. Rosalie Hale (Twilight): Rosalie is also a skilled mechanic should we need additional expertise.
  3. Tony Stark: Tony has the know-how to fix ANYTHING. Dependability is a bit of a concern, though, so it's a good thing that we have some other capable mechanics on hand.
  4. Cinder: She's also brilliant at these kinds of repairs.
  5. Arthur Weasley (Harry Potter): Not sure if he could actually fix the car, but he might be able to turn it into a flying car!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (100)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Which one of the 5 trials the trio faced in Philosopher's Stone would have been your downfall? (Flitwick's flying keys, Sprout's plants, Snape's potion riddle, McGonagall's chess match or Dumbledore's Mirror/Stone trick)

I love jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles, but I am horrible at logic puzzles! So, without a doubt, Snape's potion riddle would literally kill me because I'd end up drinking the poison! I am no Hermione when it comes to figuring those things out, lol.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Review: Every Breath by Ellie Marney

Every Breath by Ellie Marney
Every Breath (Every #1)
By Ellie Marney
Publisher:
Tundra Books
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: With all of his logic and forensics knowledge, James Mycroft is more than an amateur sleuth. When he and his friend/neighbor Rachel Watts happen upon a murder scene, Mycroft’s brilliant mind immediately sets to finding the killer. Assisted by Watts, the two work to solve a mystery that looks likely to fall through the cracks in the justice system otherwise.

Review: Confession time: I’m one of the few people on the planet who’s never seen an episode of Sherlock; I’ve also never read any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels about the world’s most famous detective. I don’t even read mysteries often; I can count on one hand the number I’ve read as an adult (I did love reading the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was a kid, though). But I kept coming across Ellie Marney’s contemporary, Sherlock Holmes-inspired Every Breath, and, looking to read something outside of my usual genres for a change, I decided to give Every Breath a go.

James Mycroft and Rachel Watts are friends/neighbors/classmates in Melbourne, Australia. Watts handles the narrating duties; she’s still adjusting to city life after her family’s financial situation forced them to give up their farm. Mycroft is not without his own struggles; he lost his parents as a child and has been raised by an aunt who provides the basic necessities but with whom he has no emotional connection. If you’re beginning to think that Watts and Mycroft are two kindred souls who perfectly complement each other, you would be correct.

Many other readers have swooned over the development of Watts and Mycroft’s relationship, and I shall add my own swoons to the pile. Truly, truly, my favorite aspect of Every Breath was the irresistible Watts/Mycroft combination. Not only does the pairing work in the sense that they’re an ace investigative team, but there’s also the undeniable chemistry between them from the novel’s outset. Their banter is so easy, and there’s just always this sense, even when they’re at odds with each other, that they’re right together. This is one of the best written YA romances I’ve read in a while, and for me, was the standout here, even over the unraveling of the murder mystery.

I took to Mycroft straightaway because—what’s not to love? He’s hyper-intelligent, logical, and fastidiously attentive to details. In other words, he couldn’t be better suited to detective work. Mycroft is also on the quirky side, but he wouldn’t be Mycroft without his little eccentricities. And Mycroft is the real deal; he’s not playing at being a detective. The only thing that’s missing is the badge to make it official.

Watts may not be into studying forensics like Mycroft is, but she brings plenty of her own smarts to the partnership. She doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinions, either, and I can’t emphasize enough how she’s not merely second fiddle to Mycroft. My only quibble with Watts’s character was how much the novel seemed to dwell on her yen for the country. Granted, feeling out of place in the city and longing for her former way of life were central to her character’s conflict, but I couldn’t help feeling that Mycroft’s internal battles were integrated into the book more subtly. After the first few times Watts mentioned her difficulties adapting to Melbourne, I got the picture and thought the additional references began to belabor the point a bit.

As for the mystery that forms the heart of Every Breath, the suspense buildup is very well done. The crime itself is portrayed unflinchingly, and the fact that it’s not sugarcoated lends the book a rather impressive sense of gritty realism. What I was not so keen on was the big reveal. Although I really enjoyed following Mycroft and Watts as they looked into every possible lead to figure out who killed their homeless friend, Dave, I immediately picked out the perpetrator. When it came time for the culprit’s tell-all speech, the motives just didn’t deliver the impact that I’d been expecting in comparison to how skillfully the investigation itself was plotted.

Although Every Breath pulled up a tad short for me with its resolution, I loved Watts and Mycroft and their snappy dialogue and their wonderfully simmering romance. The latter was a most pleasant surprise, and I’d recommend this book on the strength of the romance alone. And believe me—I do not typically read books for the romance!

All in All: I thought Every Breath lost some of its steam toward the end, but that didn’t overshadow all of the Watts/Mycroft awesomeness. I don’t think anything could, really, because the relationship is developed so brilliantly.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Fandom Mashups (19)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
A very priceless artifact has gone missing and the owner has asked you to help uncover it. Who do you take with you?

  1. Harry Potter: All of that experience tracking down those darn Horcruxes would surely be useful here! And being able to use magic is a definite plus!
  2. Indiana Jones: If Indy can't find the artifact, seriously, no one can.
  3. Gansey (The Raven Cycle): When Gansey sets his mind to a quest (see: search for Glendower), he gives it his all, and he's extremely thorough with his research.
  4. Kell (A Darker Shade of Magic): Kell is a collector of sorts himself and has a knack for finding things that are difficult to locate.
  5. Flynn Rider (Tangled): In case we need to steal the artifact back. XD

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (99)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
What Magical Creature Would You Like Living in Your House?

If I could choose one magical creature that I could have in my household, I would choose a hippogriff. Specifically, I would want my hippogriff to be Buckbeak, but if that wasn't possible, any old hippogriff would do. Hippogriffs are beautiful creatures and they have the awesome ability to fly. I would definitely be using my hippogriff as transportation, that way I wouldn't have to fight over using the car, lol!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Book Loot (19)

Like so many of you last week, I was thrilled to finally get my hands on Queen of Shadows! I feel very confident in saying that it's likely to be my favorite book of 2015. ❤

Ally and I had been watching The Legend of Korra on Amazon Prime, but seasons 3 and 4 were not available for free. Although we weren't overly enthused with the first season, we got heavily invested in the second, and so this is how I ended up buying seasons 3 and 4 on DVD, lol.

Bought:

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
The Legend of Korra: Book Three: Change and Book Four: Balance

eBooks Bought:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

The Would You Rather Book Tag

I love bookish tags, and this one especially because Ally constantly pitches me Would You Rather? scenarios, lol. Many thanks to Charlene at Bookish Whimsy for tagging me! (Credit for the original meme goes to booktuber Rachel Reads.)

1. Would you rather read only trilogies or standalones?

I read mostly series, despite how it's often painful to wait for sequels, so I will go with series here.

2. Would you rather read only male or female authors?

I've never given much thought to whether I've read more books by male or female authors; ultimately the main factor in whether or not I pick up a particular book is if I think I'll really enjoy the story. But, as Would You Rather? means I can't be wishy-washy with my choices, lol, I'll say female authors.

3. Would you rather shop at Barnes & Noble or Amazon?

I'm an Amazon Prime member and Kindle user, so I think that already gives me away here, lol. I used to be a frequent B & N shopper during my college days, but ordering from Amazon just became more and more convenient and often, more economical.

4. Would you rather all books become movies or TV shows?

Yet another tough question. I love all of the Harry Potter films, but I also love the TV adaptations of Game of Thrones and Outlander. I do think that TV offers the opportunity to keep more of the book details that otherwise might have to be cut for a movie adaptation, so I will say TV shows.

5. Would you rather read 5 pages per day or 5 books per week?

I wouldn't be able to only read 5 pages per day, even on really, really busy days, lol. I'd much rather set my goal at 5 books per week, even if I couldn't meet it.

6. Would you rather be a professional reviewer or author?

Writing a book one day is my ultimate fantasy, and I'd love to make it come true.

7. Would you rather read your top 20 favorite books over and over or or always read new ones you haven't read before?

These questions are so hard! I could easily pick 20 books to reread over and over again, but then I'd be sad over all the other books I'd be missing out on. So I'd prefer to read new books.

8. Would you rather be a librarian or a book seller?

Both would allow me to push my favorite books on people, lol, but I think I'd really love working in a library.

9. Would you rather only read your favorite genre or every genre except your favorite?

This is as difficult to answer as Question #7. Again, though, I'd rather have variety in my reading diet, although I'd really, really miss reading paranormal books.

10. Would you rather only read physical books or ebooks?

Finally—an easy one! Although I've been reading more eBooks since I got a Kindle about two years ago, I still read and buy mostly physical books. I like the smell of paper. I like the feel of a book in my hand. I like using physical bookmarks!

If you would like to join in on this fun tag, please leave me your link and I'll be sure to check out your post! :D

Monday, September 7, 2015

Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search

* This review contains spoilers if you haven't watched the complete Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search
By Gene Luen Yang (Script), Gurihiru (Art)
Publisher:
Dark Horse Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Haunted by the mystery of what happened to his mother, Zuko sets out on a mission to find her at last. Aang, Katara, and Sokka are by their friend’s side as he delves into his mother’s past, but they’re also there to keep a watchful eye on the other member of their traveling party—Azula. Her troubled mind causes her to see her mother everywhere, and while Zuko hopes that this quest will somehow help him connect with his family, Azula has other ideas.

Review: If, like me, you yelled “NOOOOOO!!!!” during the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender when Zuko questioned his father, Ozai, about the whereabouts of his mother only to have the scene cut away, then The Search is for you. Finally, finally, finally, here is the desperately needed closure to one of AtLA’s biggest unresolved story lines.

As a Zuko fan of infinite degree, I loved the Zuko-centered plot of The Search. I was also hugely invested in his quest because I wanted to know what had happened to his mother, Ursa, following the events in the TV series. The show left her fate dangling on one gigantic question mark, and I was really surprised that it was never revisited during the series’ run. The Search, however, does a fantastic job of filling in those gaps through an impressive, compelling employment of flashbacks. We learn about Ursa’s life before her marriage to Ozai, which she really didn’t have much choice but to accept or risk the wrath of both Ozai and his father, Fire Lord Azulon. The heartbreak commences early in The Search, as Ursa must leave her loved ones behind.

As The Search focuses not only on Zuko but on his whole family, Azula also figures prominently in the graphic novel. Her descent into madness is so sad to behold, and Zuko very much wants to set things to right for her as well as try to mend their fractured relationship. Azula, however, is so wrapped up in the maelstrom of thoughts that is her mind right now that she imagines seeing Ursa everywhere and feels she’s constantly being judged by her mother. I’m not the biggest Azula fan, but I do feel really, really sorry for her here, especially since Zuko makes such an effort to help his sister.

Although there’s an overall somber tone to The Search, Sokka lightens the mood with every page that he’s on. Alas, Toph is not part of this quest; she’s presently occupied running her metalbending school. But we’ve still got Aang and Katara (and Appa and Momo!), and seeing the gaang assembled and off on another journey together brought all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings to my heart, which helped balance out all of the times it shattered over some utterly gut-wrenching scenes. Yeah—I almost cried a few times.

Once again, script writer Gene Luen Yang and artists Gurihiru have collaborated to produce an amazing piece of work. While I still would have loved to have seen this story developed into an episode of the show, fans won’t be let down in any way by all that The Search delivers. It constantly surprised me with plot twist after plot twist right until the very end. This is absolutely essential reading if you love AtLA and have been wondering about Zuko and Azula’s mother ever since the TV series ended.

All in All: The Search is AtLA storytelling at its finest—brilliant writing, gorgeous artwork, and plenty of Zuko scenes. Every page is a mini-masterpiece.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Fandom Mashups (18)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
There's been a murder *gasp* and the police are calling it an accident but you know they're wrong. Who do you call up to investigate with you?

  1. Sherlock Holmes: Pretty self-explanatory. XD
  2. James Mycroft (Every Breath): I just finished reading this novel by Ellie Marney, which is a modern day Sherlock-type mystery, and Mycroft would be an invaluable asset to this team. He's extremely intelligent, logical, and studies forensics.
  3. Kami Glass (The Lynburn Legacy): Kami loves a good mystery and has very solid sleuthing skills.
  4. Lisa Simpson It was Lisa who figured out who shot Mr. Burns! Plus she's a genius.
  5. Jim Gordon (Batman/Gotham): He's diligent and won't give up until justice is served.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Anything Saturday (1): Adventures in Binge Watching Avatar: The Last Airbender

It's been a loooong while since I wrote a random-ish post; so much for consistency, lol. I've had a couple of ideas, but you know how it goes: not enough time to turn them into posts. The few posts I did churn out went up on Sundays, but Saturday now works out better schedule-wise, hence the name change to "Anything Saturday." XD Now let me quit rambling and talk about my latest obsession: Avatar: The Last Airbender!

I am a big, big kid at heart, and I think I always will be. I still love watching animated shows and movies, even though it’s been a long time since I was part of the target age group for most of them, lol. I’d wanted to check out Avatar: The Last Airbender for ages; I know that a couple of my bloggy friends loved it, and it was one of Ally’s childhood faves, too. Ally kept reminding me over and over and over again that I needed to watch it. It’s a good thing that she’s so persistent, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be sitting here writing this ode to AtLA. And believe me when I say: I FREAKING LOVE THIS SHOW!

Where to start with the fangirling? How about with the animation itself? It is absolutely gorgeous, from the way each kind of bending is brought to life to the scenery. One of my favorite visuals from the series was the first time the gaang laid eyes on Ba Sing Se. That was a breathtaking tableau, as you witnessed the city in all its vast glory. And then there’s the bending—what I wouldn’t give to be able to bend any element. There’s such beauty and grace in each type of bending, and I got the chills whenever there were multiple benders, bending in unison. It was like watching the most mesmerizing of dances.

My mind is still in complete awe of the depth of the story lines and the incredible development of the characters throughout the series. A good number of episodes don’t wrap up neatly by the end of the twenty-two minutes or so; major plotlines span multiple episodes, and in some cases, an entire season. The storytelling is epic and compelling; the problem with binge watching a series like this is that there’s NEVER a good place to leave it for the night. I went to work quite bleary-eyed a few times due to ditching sleep in order to watch just one more episode of Avatar. And the bleary eyes were totally worth it!

Aang is one phenomenal hero. His destiny is to save the world—not a small burden by any means. For all of his youth (and he is still young, despite really being much older in actual years), he shoulders that weight with an awe-inspiring strength. Aang’s airbending skills are insane, and later, once he masters all forms of bending, he’s unstoppable as the Avatar, but he also possesses a gentle spirit that reveres life. I wish that I were more Zen like Aang; if I’m being completely honest with myself, I most resemble Azula in temperament when I get really stressed, lol.

Accompanying Aang on his journeys are some equally amazing friends. I LOVED the camaraderie between the core gaang: Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph (and, of course, Appa and Momo!). If not for Sokka’s jokes and quips, the series would not have been the same. He’s also a great leader in his own right and is simply spectacular in the final episodes of the last season. I adored the sibling bond between Sokka and Katara. Sure, they sometimes razz each other and get on each other’s nerves, but they’re also fiercely protective of one another. Katara is kind of the overall motherly presence within the gaang in addition to being one powerful waterbender. As the self-proclaimed greatest earthbender in the world, you just don’t mess with Toph. She’s not exaggerating, either—her skills are uh-mazing. While I never had a least favorite type of bending, I gained a whole new respect for earthbending once I saw Toph in action. This girl is a badass!

You may have been wondering when Zuko was going to show up in this post; obviously, I’ve saved my favorite character for last! I. LOVE. HIM. It’s as simple as that. The transformation that his character undergoes is astounding. ASTOUNDING! Okay, I confess that when I first began watching Avatar with Ally and she proclaimed her love for Zuko I was a tad skeptical. My response was something along the lines of, you love how obsessed this guy is with capturing Aang? But, as in almost all things, Ally was right, especially about me eventually loving Zuko too because I love broody boys. As more of Zuko’s backstory was revealed, I got it. Restoring his honor and being allowed to return home meant everything to him. As much as I loved all of the Avatar characters, it was Zuko’s arc that had me counting down the seconds until I could sit down and watch the next Avatar episode. I waited with rapt attention for the episode(s) when Zuko would reach the potential that his very wise uncle Iroh saw in him all along. Without going into spoiler-y detail, we’ll leave it at this: Zuko made me extremely proud by the end of the series.

I’m going to stop myself here because I could go on about Zuko indefinitely. I can’t promise that I won’t go ahead and write a post entirely about him someday. For now, though, I’ll wrap up all the Avatar/Zuko gushing by dedicating this post to Ally, who absolutely called 1) how much I would love the show and 2) how much I would love Zuko. Ally typically makes customized birthday cards for everyone in the family, and I’ve already put in my request: I’d like the front of the card to have the “Hello, Zuko here” scene on it. When this happens (and notice I said “when,” not “if.” Because this is happening.) next year, I’ll be sure to post a pic!

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (98)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Place You Wish We'd Explored in the Series But Didn't?

I would have loved to explore some of the other wizarding schools such as Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. It was fascinating to see the similarities and differences between students from the various schools during Goblet of Fire. Hogwarts was so well developed that it was kind of like another character, and it makes me curious about the other schools' architecture and the histories behind their foundings. I think it would make such an awesome spin-off!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Fall 2015 Releases I Need to Read

Well hello there! It's time for the 2015 edition of Fall Releases I Need to Read. I actually considered skipping this year's post because I felt like the list was a little shorter than in the previous two years, but this post has sort of become an annual thing for me, and in the end, a sense of continuing tradition won out. Plus, I NEEDED to highlight Queen of Shadows, which releases today!

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
Publication Date: September 1 (TODAY!!!)

GAHHHHHH!!!!! I don't know if I'm ready for this. I mean, I just have to think about last year's Heir of Fire to summon the torrent of feelings I had at the end of it. Um, has anyone preemptively formed a post-QoS support group yet? If so, please sign me up now.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Smoke and Shadow, Part 1
by Gene Luen Yang
Publication Date: October 6

ZUKO!!!!! I've loved both Avatar graphic novels I've read so far, and I expect to feel the same about this one! I'll probably end up waiting until all three parts are published in a hardcover edition, though, to match the versions I already own. But I HAD to include Part 1 of Smoke and Shadow here!

Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello
Publication Date: October 13

I rarely read nonfiction, but as a HUGE Elvis fan, of course I need to read his memoir. I'm eagerly anticipating reading this not just because it's EC, but because he's a fantastic storyteller in concert. Also, when Rhino Records reissued a chunk of his back catalog a while back, Elvis penned new liner notes, and they were absolutely absorbing to read.

Manners and Mutiny (Finishing School #4) by Gail Carriger
Publication Date: November 3

This is such a fun series set in a world that I adore. As much as I want to see how the series concludes, I'm also sad to see Sophronia's adventures come to an end.

Are there any other upcoming fall releases that you think I should add to my list?