Sunday, August 23, 2009

good things come to those who wait. . .


TwilightMoms.com has news on a NEW book in the Mortal Instruments series! We all thought it was over, but Cassandra Clare (author of the Mortal Instruments) will be releasing a 4th book in the series that follows Clary's friend Simon... here's the story:

"A group of our New York TwilightMOMS attended a Cassandra Clare book signing yesterday. Cassandra is the author of The Mortal Instruments Series that we’ve featured as our Book of the Month. The third book City of Glass was published last March and we all thought that it was the last book in the series but we were wrong. Our Moms that were at the book signing today were the first to hear that Cassandra is writing a 4th book in the series. Yes, you read that correctly!!! (Go ahead, do a happy dance. I know I did!) The book is titled City of Fallen Angels and is scheduled to be published in March of 2011.

Here’s the press release that the NY Moms received yesterday-

New York, NY, August 24, 2009—Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, has acquired City of Fallen Angels, a fourth book in Cassandra Clare’s bestselling young adult fantasy series, The Mortal Instruments, which has over 1 million books in print. The story follows Simon, a character from the first three Mortal Instruments novels, City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass, as he adjusts to life as a vampire. City of Fallen Angels will publish in hardcover in March 2011, followed by a paperback edition in July 2012.

Love, blood, betrayal and revenge — the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. Simon Lewis is having some trouble adjusting to his new life as a vampire, especially now that he hardly sees his best friend Clary, who is caught up in training to be a Shadowhunter—and spending time with her new boyfriend Jace. Not to mention that Simon doesn’t quite know how to handle the pressure of not-quite-dating two girls at once. What’s a daylight-loving vampire to do? Simon decides he needs a break and heads out of the city—only to discover that sinister events are following him. Realizing that the war they thought they’d won might not yet be over, Simon has to call on his Shadowhunter friends to save the day — if they can put their own splintering relationships on hold long enough to rise to the challenge.

“Simon has always been one of my favorite characters to write about, and I’m excited to get the chance to tell his story while revisiting some of the other characters that I love form The Mortal Instruments series,” said Cassandra Clare. “The enthusiasm for telling Simon’s story that I’ve received from the team at McElderry Books and Simon & Schuster has been great and I’m excited to be working with them to bring a fourth book to the series.”

In addition to the news about the 4th Mortal Instruments book it was also announced yesterday that graphic novel versions of the books are in the works and that the film rights to the books have been obtained by Unique Features. You get read more about all of these announcements on Cassandra Clare’s blog . . . " [AmyO]

check out this story here

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Currently Reading: Italian for Beginners

Italian for Beginners

Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel

"Thirty-four-year-old Manhattan accountant Cat Connelly has always lived life on the safe side. But after her little sister gets married, Cat wonders if she has condemned herself to a life of boredom by playing by the rules. She decides to take a chance for once, accepting an invitation to spend a month with an old flame in Italy. But her reunion with the slick and gorgeous Francesco is short-lived, and she finds herself suddenly alone in Rome. Now, she must see if she has the courage to live outside the lines for the first time - and to face a past she never understood. It will take an unexpected friendship with a fiery Italian waitress, a whirlwind Vespa tour of the Eternal City with a handsome stranger, and a surprise encounter with an old acquaintance to show Cat that life doesn't always work out the way you expect, but sometimes you have to have fall in order to fly. [amazon.com]"

Kristin has become one of my favorite authors. Her previous releases, How to Sleep with a Movie Star and The Art of French Kissing, were both charmingly funny in a way that makes you want to read them again and again. Italian for Beginners follows closely in their footsteps. The book maybe had too many possible romantic interests in it when I already knew who I wanted Cat to end up with; however, each relationship is fun and entertaining in it's own right. If you're looking for a cute "chick lit" read with a little more wit and depth than you're used to in this genre- pick up any of these Kristin Harmel novels!

picture from amazon.com... visit the books amazon page here if you really want a look inside!