New Book News for New Year's!

In case you hadn't heard, Rainbow Rowell is spinning off her own book into a new one. For those of you who don't know, Rainbow's Fangirl is about a girl who writes an uber popular fanfic about Simon Snow (think Harry Potter). Fangirl even contains fake excerpts from the original book, from Cath's fanfic ("Carry On"), and news articles about the series. But it's all just pieces of an untold story. Until now. Rainbow is writing a full-length book about Simon Snow called, surprisingly, Carry On. It will focus on Cath's version of the story and characters.

She also announced a special edition release of Fangirl, complete with an excerpt of Carry On.

ON MAY 12, YOU CAN GET A "FANGIRL" SPEC. EDITION WITH GORGEOUS FAN ART & EXCERPT FROM MY SIMON SNOW NOVEL "CARRY ON." pic.twitter.com/0UW6sQ7rVM
— Rainbow Rowell (@rainbowrowell) December 12, 2014

TL;DR It's a book based on a fanfic about a fictional series that appeared in another book. Hope that's not too confusing.

A lot of you asking whether I'm writing Carry On -- or whether Cath or Gemma is. It's me. (They actually don't exist.)
— Rainbow Rowell (@rainbowrowell) December 10, 2014

Here's the synopsis from Rainbow's Tumblr:

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything. 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.  

Snowflakes!

Don't you guys just love snow? Come into the Main branch to make your own snowflakes! I mean, they're made of paper, but they're cool--and we'll put them on display on our bulletin board! We have a few instructions printed out, but for awesome designs, look at samples online!

And speaking of snow, when people say, "No two snowflakes are alike," they're totally right. But they don't mention how incredible snowflakes are up close! Here are some samples from a photographer named Alexey Kljatov (who even teaches you how to photograph snowflakes on his blog!):

 

Unreal, right?!

And for more snowy weather fun, grab a mug of hot cocoa and settle in with one of these books for snowy days (all of which are available through the library system!):

• Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
• Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Matt de la Pena, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, and Kiersten White
• Six Months Later by Natalie Richards
• Starry, Starry Night: Three Holiday Stories by Lurlene McDaniel
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen
• The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (we have the graphic novel and audiobook, too!)
• Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
• The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
• Holiday Princess by Meg Cabot
• Tug-of-War by J.C. Pearce
• The Year the Wolves Came by Bebe Faas Rice
• The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
• Far North by Will Hobbs
• The Trap by John E. Smelcer
• Winter On Her Own by Elizabeth Howard
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (or really any HP book; they have great winter scenes)

Authors Sort Their Characters Into Hogwarts Houses!

At LeakyCon last weekend, BuzzFeed asked famous YA authors to sort some of their characters into Hogwarts houses, and the results are amazing. The photos are here (and the drawings are hilarious--I mean, let's just say that some of these authors should stick to writing *ahem*JohnGreenGayleForman*ahem*), but I'll type them up here:

John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)
Augustus Waters - Ravenclaw
Hazel Grace Lancaster - Gryffindor

John Green (Looking For Alaska)
Alaska - Ravenclaw
Pudge - Hufflepuff

Gayle Forman (If I Stay)
Mia - Gryffindor
Kim - Ravenclaw
Adam - Gryffindor

Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park)
Eleanor - Gryffindor

Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl)
Levi - Hufflepuff

Holly Black (Magisterium: The Iron Trial)
Callum Hunt - Slytherin

Holly Black (The Coldest Girl in Coldtown)
Gavriel - Gryffindor

Holly Black (The Darkest Part of the Forest)
Hazel - Hufflepuff

Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss)
Anna - Ravenclaw
Etienne St. Clair - Gryffindor

Stephanie Perkins (Lola and the Boy Next Door)
Lola - Gryffindor
Cricket Bell - Hufflepuff

Stephanie Perkins (Isla and the Happily Ever After)
Isla - Ravenclaw
Josh - Ravenclaw

Scott Westerfield (Uglies)
Shay - Slytherin
David - Gryffindor
Tally - Gryffindor

Lev Grossman (The Magicians)
Julia - Ravenclaw
Janet - Slytherin
Quentin - Ravenclaw
Alice - Gryffindor


So what do you think?? Are there any that you agree with? What about ones that you disagree with? Comment with your suggestions for characters they didn't sort!

TTT Voting - Starting August 15!

You guys are definitely enjoying the Teens' Top Ten nominee books we received from YALSA. We barely have any on the shelf at any given time! (To know if you have one of these books in particular, see if it has a blue sticker on the spine. It has been chosen.)

Here is the complete list of 25 nominees, including synopses and a cool intro video.

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Love In The Time Of Global Warming by Francesca Lia

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau - download it through Overdrive or OneClickDigital

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - download it through Overdrive

Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray - download it through Freading

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Monument 14: Sky On Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards - download it through Freading

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Winger by Andrew Smith

A Midsummer Night’s Scream by R.L. Stine

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke

In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - download it through OneClickDigital

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

If you see one you really want to read, put a hold on it! Check it out! Read it! Download it! Listen to it! Fall in love with it! Or maybe just have a crush on it. Then you can vote on your favorites when the Teens' Top Ten voting starts on August 15.

What better way to have your voice heard than vote for the Top Ten YA books? Oh right! Comment below with which of the 25 nominees are your faves, or which ones you think should have made the cut!

Eleanor & Park Movie!

Wow, you must think all I care about are YA-movie adaptations. You aren't 100% wrong.

But OMG GUYZZ!!! Rainbow Rowell's unbelievable YA novel Eleanor & Park is being turned into a movie!!! I'm sorry I can't contain my unbiased and overly enthusiastic opinion, but here are the reasons why this adaptation is cool beans:

1. Rainbow herself is writing the screenplay. ("I have never written a screenplay! Suckers!" she said, laughing. "But I had never written a book before I wrote a book. I'm going to do my best.")
2. She wants virtually unknown actors to be in it. Why? "They are unusual people to be in movies and to star in movies. There's not a lot of chubby redheads and 16-year-old Korean guys who star in movies."
3. Even the studio bigwigs felt a connection with the book. (Holly Bario, DreamWorks president of production, admitted: "It reminded all of us of our own sort of awkwardness, or family dysfunction.")
4. Rainbow wants to get The Mountain Goats to do the music for the movie. ("I listened to them pretty much constantly while I was writing the book.")
5. She also wants a female director for the film. ("I would love it if it were a director who could make it her own.")
6. This quote hints to maybe some special effects--perhaps like a comic book??

"The book is uniquely structured in that one chapter is told by Eleanor and one chapter is told from Park’s perspective, and they alternate,” Bario points out. “So we’re trying to figure out how to do that in a movie. There are all storts of groovy stylistic things you could do with voice over, or words on the screen, but we want something that’s real Rainbow."

7. Can you imagine the amazing 80's hair and makeup and clothes they're going to have?? Between Eleanor's mane of red hair and Park's mom's Avon makeup skillz and Eleanor's DIY clothes sitch and Tina's 'tude, it's going to be off tha hook! Look for every homecoming/party/prom to be 80's throwback themed.

Whew, I can't handle this, you guys. I'm going to be on an IV drip by the time the movie comes out.  Luckily DreamWorks is looking to start shooting by 2015, so I'll have plenty of time to prepare myself.

BTW, I almost don't want to ask, but any thoughts for a dreamcast? I know Rainbow wants unknowns for Eleanor and Park, but I couldn't keep Chloe Bridges (Donna LaDonna from The Carrie Diaries) out of my head as Tina.

via rtroncampus.com

She's the perfect example of cliquish mean girl with a few moments of genuine conscience.

What do you guys think? Comment with your suggestions!

Quotes from EW & MTV News