Eve is unlike any other Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic novel I have ever had the pleasure of reading. From the get-go Eve had me wrapped up in the world and lives of Caleb and Eve. This exquisite page-turner is practically impossible to put down! The world of “New America” is extremely addicting and an eye opener to how love can survive even the toughest situations with characters as inexperienced as they are. Rather than having brain-craving zombies running amuck, the world’s run with an extremely oppressive totalitarian government, which runs on subordination, ignorance, and the willingness of the people to serve.

Sixteen-year-old Eve lives in the dystopic, post-apocalyptic world, which was devastated by a plague ten-year prior. The plague killed the majority of women in New America, including Eve’s mother. With a dead mother and a father who abandoned her at a very young age out of the picture, Eve was sent to government run boarding school, as were many other girls her age. In 2025, she is valedictorian and ecstatic about crossing the lake, where all sixteen year olds go to learn a specific trade. Days before graduation the school outcast, Arden, tells Eve that across the lake is a mass reproduction hospital for the dying country of New America. Arden was right and Eve runs away the night before graduation, leaving her friends and world behind. Eve is a story of living in a broken world with misconceptions, tyranny, and pure, innocent love. It is survival of the fittest. She soon discovers the fears and secrets of the perilous, sexist, outside world with Arden and her love-interest Caleb.

Eve is unforgettable story of uncovering the truth, and rediscovering the true meaning of love in a practically barbaric world, and learning how to survive in a dilapidated, scary world. Eve is the first of The Eve Trilogy. I cannot wait for the second installment of this promising series!

I’ve read several books about werewolves and loved all of them. Unleashed was no exception. When Katelyn McBride moves to Arkansas from L.A. because of her parents’ deaths, she is dreading living with her grandfather who she barely knows, not to mention having to leave her best friend, and possibly ending her gymnastics career. When Katelyn arrives in Arkansas, she is in culture shock. She thought that the new town she was moving to would be boring, backwards, and extremely country. She is in for a surprise when she discovers the town has charm and the people are close to one another.

The Book Owls meet once a month and discuss young adult books. To be a part of this book club, or any of our Lemuria Kids books clubs, email emily@lemuriabooks.com.

As I finished one book and was ready to move on to another, I looked at my bookshelf and this bright pink cover caught my eye. When I was little I remember watching the movie with my grandmother. A wonderful memory but the book is better. Isn’t that always the case?

Many other classics have been republished with an eye catching cover. Take a look at some others.

Think how good this would look in your hands as you read.  It’ll look just as good on your bookshelf. Instant decoration!

See the whole collection here.

They read the first two books in the series, Tiger’s Curse and Tiger’s Quest, and were ravenous for more, but the third book hadn’t come out yet. As some of you may know, one of the perks of being a bookseller is that we often get review copies of books that haven’t come out yet. I happened to receive a review copy of the third book in this series, entitled Tiger’s Voyage, the day before we met for book club. It was too good to be true, especially for the girls. They started passing the review copy around and hatching a plan: They were going to get Colleen Houck to come here.

I was all for Colleen coming here, but I also knew that she lived in Salem, Oregon, which is quite a long way for here. We comprised all of our praise for the series anyway and sent them off to the publisher, Sterling, knowing that it was a shot in the dark, but trying none the less. When I got the call from the publisher to set up the signing, I could hardly believe it. I squealed, which, let me tell you, is nothing compared to what the girls did when I told them. Ah! It really worked!

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So there you have it. People, no matter their age, really can make things happen. I am so glad I get to share not only this story, but also the author event with you: Colleen Houck will be here this Friday, November 11th at 4:00. I hope you will come out and see what all the hubbub is about, and maybe pick up a couple of the books for the middle to highschool girl in your life.

Q. What inspired you to write about the apocalypse?

Because it could happen tomorrow? Because people can be so destructive? Because civilization is so fragile, only a construct?

Seriously, I’ve lived through some scary times, including the nuclear arms race, but the apocalypse seems much more real to me now. In part, I’m sure that’s my reaction to 9/11, but I am and always have been very nervous when it comes to environmental issues—and I gotta say, climate change is terrifying. Mass extinctions are happening. Environmental degradation is real. Resources will just become more scarce, and water is the next huge issue. People don’t realize how much time we don’t have to fool around while the ecosystem goes to hell.

Or maybe they do, on an unconscious level at least. Perhaps that’s why we’re seeing so many teen and YA dystopian and apocalyptic narratives at the moment. Now, the apocalypse is and has always been very big in sf, and we’re not talking alien invasion here but possible and probable scenarios: asteroid strikes, overpopulation, pollution, climate change, that kind of stuff. One thing about some current YA dystopias, though, is that not only are the nitty-gritty details of how the society collapsed pretty vague, but people are also somewhat shockingly well-behaved. I remember reading one book—a very fine novel, in fact—and wondering why no one had broken into the kid’s house and taken everything. Having worked with some pretty nasty inmates, being the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, dealing with highly disturbed patients . . . I know people aren’t all that nice, especially when they’re under stress. Just turn on the news for the disaster or riot of the week, if you don’t believe me. Better yet, go read some history. As scary as the world is, it can always get worse.

But if I were only about doom and gloom, then I wouldn’t have bothered with this book or subgenre. Honestly, adults can get so mopey and, yes, things are bad, but one of the things I love about YA is how redemptive it is. These kids are in crummy situations, ones their society or parents created, and what these books are about is changing the world and making it better. We desperately need that kind of energy and optimism. We need teens and young adults to realize that they’re the game-changers here. The adults had their shot. Time for a change, if you ask me.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick is published by Egmont, an independent publisher distributed by Random House.

Click here for the full interview at Random Acts of Reading.

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “Who are the Story Pirates? Who is Theodore Boone? What is the Thrill of Rights? Huh?” I know, it can get pretty confusing.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is the first in the series, released in June 2010.

Let me start at the beginning: John Grisham has written two books for kids in his Theodore Boone series. A Hardy Boys- esque series, Theo’s parents are both lawyers and he has been in love with law since he can remember. Theo is a lovable character for kids and parents alike.

John Grisham is not touring with his new book, but the Story Pirates, an arts and literacy activist acting troupe, have taken the characters from Grisham’s well loved books and create the play “Theodore Boone and the Thrill of Rights.” It is this play that they will be performing for five different audiences while they are in Jackson, MS.

This tour kicked-off with a performance at Jackson Elementary, one of Atlanta’s top-ranked public schools, and the tour will wrap up with three days of performances for the Sarasota County school system in Florida, while making stops in seventeen different cities and over five different states.

In Jackson, Maggie and the Story Pirates will visit First Presbytyrian Day School and St. Andrew’s on Thursday with a public show that afternoon at the Eudora Welty Library at 4:00. Then I will be taking the Story Pirates to Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Power APAC Friday, September 9th.

Theodore Boone: The Abduction is the second in the series, released in June 2011.

During the show, the audience will learn basic concepts of the American justice system while being introduced to the world and characters of Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer. The performance will include sound effects, interactive skits and games, and audience members will act as a jury. The Story Pirates performers, who have proved popular among teachers, students, parents, and education advocates, will be on hand after the show to sign posters.

And although Grisham won’t be joining the tour to sign books, Lemuria will be on hand at every stop in Jackson with books for sale, as well as hardback copies of both Kid Lawyer and The Abduction signed by John Grisham himself.

It’s going to be a fun time and if the play isn’t coming to your school, be sure to be at the Eudora Welty Library Thursday, September 8th at 4:00!

These are the books available at the events and at Lemuria:

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, 2010, signed hardback 1st edition, $16.99

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, paperback, not signed, $7.99

Theodore Boone: The Abduction, 2011, signed hardback 1st edition, $16.99

Raised by Wolves is the first book in the new series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Bryn, the main character in the first book, was raised by wolves, literally! Bryn is a stubborn and smart girl who throughout the story is trying to figure out her complex past while at the same time keeping up the shroud of being a normal human girl. Easy as all this might sound, Bryn’s life is a constant battle of what she thinks is best as opposed to what her adoptive mother Ali and her guardian Callum think. Her course of life never seems to change until the presence of a new wolf is sensed by the pack. Naturally told to keep away, Bryn goes to Callum arguing and pleading with him to see the new wolf. After the arrival of the new wolf Chase, the story is set into overdrive as Bryn separates from the pack with Chase, her new love. Together they conquer demons from their pasts and form a new family of young wolves. This book is a wonderful and thrilling ride with words that ride with you through the betrayal, romance, and adventurous scenes of being raised by wolves.

Bryn lives with a pack of wolves. That might sound fun but when you have all of them breathing down your neck to be perfect… not so much. Even though her friends are always there for her when she meets Chase its a bond like no other in their eyes, but the pack thinks otherwise. And so of course as all good and great books do, our Bryn goes out on an adventure to find her parents killer, the truth to her past, and most importantly her reason for being saved as a child. Once our epic story comes to an end after a battle against Wilson the rogue were. All seems well for now with Bryn, her new rescued pack of adolescent werewolves, and of course her soul mate Chase. But will it last?

Remember, if you are wanting to be a part of the book club, email emily@lemuriabooks.com. Members get 10% off of the monthly book and we are always looking for new members.