Diva Delight: Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

You know we love steampunk at readergirlz. We had a blast with Scott Westerfeld, right? Well, how about a collection of steampunk short stories by some more of our favorite, favorite YA authors? You'll recognize many from our rgz Circle of Stars, past guests and contributors. Grab your goggles, because this collection by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant delivers!


So, what will you find in Steampunk: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories? How about mystery, murders, and machines? Worlds of gears and steam in amazing new locations from the minds of 14 writers: M. T. Anderson, Holly Black, Libba Bray, Shawn Cheng, Cassandra Clare, Cory Doctorow, Dylan Horrocks, Kathleen Jennings, Elizabeth Knox, Kelly Link, Garth Nix, Christopher Rowe, Delia Sherman, and Ysabeau S. Wilce.


How fun to find new authors I hadn't discovered before among old friends, all writing speculative fiction which often left me with chills. This quote from Cory's short story "Clockwork Fagin" really captures the collective atmosphere of Steampunk!:

"For machines may be balky and they may destroy us with their terrible appetite for oil, blood, and flesh, but they behave according to fixed rules and can be understood by anyone with the cunning to look upon them and winkle out their secrets. Children are ever so much more complicated."

Perfect, right? With three starred reviews already, look for this release October 11th!

Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories
edited by Kelly Link and Gary J. Gavin
Candlewick Press, 2011

rgz Seattle HOST: The Cassandra Clare & Holly Black Tour!

Hi readergirlz,

Earlier this month I headed out to see Holly Black and Cassandra Clare on tour promoting Red Glove and City of Fallen Angels at Third Place Books in Seattle. There was standing room only (see right), unless you wanted to pick your way through tightly packed knees and take the one seat deep in the middle, between the mom with the baby and the big pack of girls. I was eyeing it… but I chickened out.

A few highlights from Holly’s and Cassandra’s Q&A:

Advice for aspiring authors: Read outside your comfort zone; read a lot of nonfiction, because you’ll use it; write a lot; and find a critique partner who’ll tell you when your stuff is crazy.

For Shadow Hunter fans: Cassandra has a new trilogy in the works!

Holly’s favorite part of being an author is meeting other authors, and “not having to pretend [she's] not staring at them in a creepy way.” Love that, Holly! Except tonight, I was the one staring at you in a creepy way.

Cassandra’s favorite part of being an author is getting to talk about her characters with people who know all their quirks and foibles, just like she does.

It was amazing to see these two ladies in action -- they're warm and totally down-to-earth, with wicked senses of humor. Don't miss them if they hit your town on the tour.

See you soon, girlz! --Stephanie

Our Seattle Host, Stephanie Guerra, teaches children’s literature, young adult fiction and a seminar in writing instruction at Seattle University. She also heads a volunteer creative writing program at King County Jail, and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk and incarcerated young adults. Stephanie lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and children. Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012.

Daphne Unfeasible rocked the drop #operationtbd

Daphne Unfeasible, who may or may not be related to the wonder-agent Kate Testerman at KTLiterary, left a copy of VACATIONS FROM HELL with @maureenjohnson @cassieclare & more in local Starbucks.

Follow her on Twitter here: @DaphneUn

rgz LIVE! Beyond Our World with Cassandra Clare, Patrick Ness, and Melissa Walker

Welcome to the fourth of our week long series of live chats in celebration of Teen Read Week: READ BEYOND REALITY. Tonight, Read Beyond Our World with three out of this world's authors:

CASSANDRA CLARE


PATRICK NESS


MELISSA WALKER


The chat goes live at the top of the hour! Take note that Cassandra is hailing from Mexico tonight, and Patrick is asleep in England, so he'll answer any questions left in the comments tomorrow morning!

Congrats to all the Teens' Top Ten nominees we've hosted this week at rgz!

Teen Read Week! Melissa Walker, Cassandra Clare, and Patrick Ness!

The Teen Read Week awesomeness here at the readergirlz blog continues tonight with LIVE! chats with Melissa Walker (LOVESTRUCK SUMMER), Cassandra Clare (CITY OF ASHES), and Patrick Ness (THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO)!

So far the chats have been spectacular, with swag, prizes, and terrific author chats! The chats are all this week, October 19-23, Monday - Friday at 6pm PST/9pm EST right here!

Hope to see you!

Rgz Salon: Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments, Reviewed by Rene Kirkpatrick

René Kirkpatrick has been a bookseller and book buyer, specializing in children's and teen literature, for many years. She has a degree in elementary education and reads widely across all genres. She is currently a buyer at Third Place Books.

We're honored to have her here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where four of the top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Here's René!

I just finished up the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare! The books are City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass and are based in both the mundane world (the one most of us live in) and a world around us filled with Shadowhunters, angels, fairies, vampires and werewolves. Our main character, Clary, occupies both of these worlds, often with dire consequences. Clary is a human girl, as far as she knows, with the ability to see and hear those not-quite-human beings that surround her. This ability can be detrimental both to her health and to the health of others. When Clary becomes involved, quite by accident, in a non-human affair, those beings become very interested in the fact of her existence and her life as it was before is shattered.

The books are exciting and romantic, and there is a lot going on in them. Clary is friends with a boy who becomes a vampire, she is in love with a boy who is Shadowhunter, some of their friends are werewolves, and all of this is complicated by the fact that none of these supernaturals are comfortable with each other’s existence, but they are all bound by Clary and her needs.

Ooh…they’re good! You are all so lucky because you have all three to read at once, you won’t have to wait like the rest of us did! Except! I just heard that there is going to be a fourth book! There is more story to tell. I hate to use this tag-line but if you know any Twilight fans, they will devour these books, too.

Ages 14 and up.

Rgz Street Team: Vanessa Reviews Vacations From Hell

The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.

Today, Vanessa reviews Vacations From Hell by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Mlynowski:

"Not every vacation is just a walk in the park. We find that out firsthand with these tales of terror by five exceptional authors of today. Starting out with Sarah Mlynowski's "Crusin" -- a story of two girls on a cruise that is more than anyone bargained for -- this book dives in with a captivating opening. Convinced she is ready for big things this vacation season, Kristin asks her friend Liz to help her meet the perfect guy. Upon finding him, Kristin throws caution to the waves...

Meanwhile in "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" Claudia Gray introduces us to Cecily Harper, a young witch heading off for her annual family vacation with her mom's coven from college. Unfortunately, Cecily has to deal with her life-long enemy who has brought a surprisingly attractive boyfriend along this year. It's up to Cecily to decide what she's willing to risk for someone else's boyfriend...

In Maureen Johnson's "The Law of Suspects," sisters Charlotte and Mary Louise head to France to meet their mother's cousins. Unfortunately the cousins are nowhere to be found, leaving Mary Louise and Charlotte to fend for themselves in a quiet house in the middle of nowhere...

And these are only three of the five stories included in this terrifically terrifying anthology. With this book in hand, being bored on vacation is no longer an option this year. Let the summer begin!