Watch for It: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Girls of No Return

We HEART Laini so much! And wow to her latest novel! Between multiple starred reviews and a movie sale, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a must to find. You must read it before it hits the big screen. Laini is as fresh are ever. All the divas are talking about this one. Congrats, Laini!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor
Little Brown Books, 2011



And here's a heads up sneak peek for February, 2012. Watch for The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin. Kirkus calls the work, "A smashing debut." I was intrigued and held in wonder and suspense from the first page. Be prepared for a journey into the wilderness and into self. Congratulations, Erin! Enjoy the moment!

The Girls of No Return
by Erin Saldin
Aurthur A. Levine Books, February, 2012

Rgz Salon: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Reviewed by René 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, discussing Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor.

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a fabulous fantasy filled with demons and angels, starlight and hell. The story focuses on blue-haired art student Karou who runs mysterious errands for a person who may not be human while she tries to get through school. When black handprints begin to appear on door lintels around the city, she becomes swept up in a war between winged beings and the only family she’s ever known.

"A big, thick book that guarantees hours of riveted reading, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a great book for the teen (or older!) reader of fantasy. The story takes place in Prague and seems to be firmly anchored in the here and now with this other world just out of sight. I would read it again just to see what I missed the first time around." 14 and up. $18.99. Little Brown.

October: Discussion Roundup

Did you miss any of the chatter? Still time to jump in. Thanks, rgz and Laini!

Discussions with Laini
The concept of beauty
The power of desire

Which Lips Touch story is your favorite?
Punishments for Desire

Which Lips Touch story would you live inside?

Chance vs. Fate

Do you believe in the soul?

Girl-Mothers Leaving Babies Behind

Religion and disasters

Would you want to live forever?

Giving up humanity
 

Extras

Welcome, Laini!

Things to know about Laini

Laini's post of awesome
Soundtrack for Lips Touch

Party ideas for Lips Touch

Reach Out: Body HeART

Recommended Reads Guest Post: Jamie S. Rich

Recommended Reads Guest Post: Pat Mora

Danke, Laini!

We've LOVED having Laini here this month! Thank you so much for hanging out.

A few highlights:

Laini's post of Awesome on the concept of beauty.

The LIVE! Twitter Chat with Laini!

What's up next from Laini: "I just finished my new book, Daughter of Smoke & Bone (fall '11). Now: the sequel!"

We adore you and can't wait for more books, Laini! Happy Halloween!

Lips Touch Roundtable

Little Willow: Welcome to the roundtable discussion of Lips Touch by Laini Taylor, which was our featured book for October. Many thanks to all of the roundtable participants. Today, I'm joined by readergirlz divas Lorie Ann Grover and Melissa Walker as well as Enna Isilee from the blog Squeaky Books.

Lorie Ann Grover: Oh, it's a delight to host Laini and discuss Lips Touch! Almost as fun as her funky Laini's Ladies. Have you seen them? Mine hangs in my kitchen! But okay, let's get to her collection of stories!

Little Willow: Lips Touch is a collection of three stories: Goblin Fruit, Spicy Little Curses, and Hatchling. What was your favorite scene or character from Goblin Fruit?

Melissa Walker: I loved the description of Kizzy when she was introduced, and the reasons why the goblins wanted her and knew she was easy prey. I was instantly mesmerized.

Lorie Ann Grover: I loved her grandmother, trying to warn her! Listen, Kizzy!

Little Willow: I wanted to warn Kizzy as well. I thought this story was a great way to kick off this collection, and I liked the fact that each story took place in a different time and location. Goblin Fruit took place in current times. If this story had been set in Victorian times instead, how would it have been different? What might have stayed the same?

October: Giving Up Humanity

Laini says, "In Hatchling, the Druj have given up their humanity in exchange for other things. What is humanity? What is it that they've given up? What do you think is the nature of humanity?"

October: Would you want to live forever?

Laini says, "In Hatchling, the gift of long life is also a curse. Would you want to live for hundreds of years if no one else around you could?"

October: What role does religion play in disasters?

Laini says, "In Spicy Little Curses, James considers the role that God plays in disasters, and not preventing them. How does religion deal with this issue? How do you deal with it? "

October: Girl-Mothers Leaving Babies Behind

Laini says, "In Hatchling, the girl-mothers supposedly left their babies behind. Do you think they would/could do that? What do you think happened to them?"

October: Do you believe in the soul?

Laini says, "In each story the soul is a real, physical thing that can be stolen, restored, smashed to smithereens, cleansed by fire, and otherwise manhandled. Do you believe in the soul?"

October: Chance vs. Fate

Laini says, "In Spicy Little Curses, James ponders Fate versus Chance. Which do you believe in?"

rgz LIVE! twitter chat with Laini Taylor!!!

Readergirlz, this one is for you! To celebrate LIPS TOUCH THREE TIMES and our amazing featured author Laini Taylor, join us tonight on twitter at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern for a goblin-fruited, secret love-infused, fabulous rgz LIVE! chat!

You won't want to miss this final monthly chat - we're rolling out a whole new format in November, which you can read about here!




Don't have a Twitter account? It's fast and easy to set one up!

Go to http://twitter.com/ to get started. All you will need is your name, a unique user name, and an email address. Add a password, and you're now on Twitter!

Search for readergirlz to begin following us and our tweets.

If you want others to see your posts ("tweets") during the chat, make sure the "Protect my tweets" box is not checked on the Accounts tab. If you want to get fancy, you can add a picture and customize your page in the Design tab.

Protect your privacy! No one can see your email address on twitter, but it's a good idea to choose a user name that doesn't give away your real name or location (especially if you are not an adult).


To join the Laini Taylor chat:

Click on the "Home" page and enter #rgz in the Search box. Our chat will come up, and you can jump right in! Be sure to include #rgz in your chat posts so that everyone else can see them and respond.

We'll see you there tonight!

Party It Up: Lips Touch

Planning your own book group get-together for Lips Touch? Here are some party ideas from featured author Laini Taylor.

Invite: Thick creamy paper, dark red ink, and of course: a lipstick kiss!"
Décor: Cemetery chic; picnic blanket on the floor, candles, little etched glasses

Food: Fruit, very ripe; chocolate, very dark; tea, as it is served in Hell

Movies: The Fall (gorgeous, mythic, set all over the world - especially India); The Company of Wolves (1984 gothic fantasy-horror movie of Angela Carter's werewolf stories).

Game: You could play charades in honor of Anamique.

October: Which LIPS TOUCH Story Would You Live In?

Laini says, "If you had to live in one of the stories, which would it be? Why?"

October: Is Desire Really Punishable?

Laini says, "Do you believe that in real life, desire is punished? Or is this a contrivance of society to try to trick you into behaving?"

October: The Soundtrack to Lips Touch

Featured Author Laini Taylor hand-picked songs for the playlist that accompanies Lips Touch this month (take a sneak peek, left). Listen to the full soundtrack with the player in the right-hand sidebar or see the list of songs in the October issue!

October: The Punishments for Desire

Laini says, "In each of the stories, characters face consequences for desire. Can you give examples? Whose punishment is the most severe?"

October: What's Your Favorite Story in Lips Touch?

Laini says, "Did you have a favorite story of the three in Lips Touch? Why that one?"

Seeking Participants for the Lips Touch Roundtable

If you enjoyed this month's book pick, Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor, we'd love for you to participate in an online roundtable discussion.

It's really easy to do. Just leave a comment below with your email address. In the coming days, I will send you an invite through Google Docs. We'll post some basic discussion questions to get things started, and you may feel free add questions of your own and additional commentary about the book (and its gorgeous illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo!) Then check the document every couple of days throughout the month to respond to questions and comments from other readers. Since the roundtable will be available online at Google Docs 24/7, you may keep adding to the discussion any time you'd like until we wrap things up in late October. I'll post the complete roundtable at both the Bildungsroman and readergirlz blogs at the end of the month.

Check out previous roundtables to see how they work.

Click into the October issue of readergirlz to learn more about Laini Taylor and Lips Touch.

October: Things to Know About Laini Taylor

On the nightstand: Anna & the French Kiss (ARC) by Stephanie Perkins; Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman; two travel guidebooks to Tahiti, because *dream dream*

Favorite drink while you write: A "depth charge" -- large coffee plus espresso.

Place to write: The café where I wrote my new book closed its doors TODAY. Without warning. I'm out on the street! Need to

audition new cafés soon.

Inspiration: All the weird stuff people have believed throughout history.

Dream book tour: By gypsy caravan with my favorite writers, stopping overnight in castles and haunted monasteries.

Cure for writer's block: Brainstorming and freewriting. Bowls of cereal at midnight. Cute new notebooks.

Favorite outfit: Polka dot waitress dress with platform shoes.
Author idol: Neil Gaiman, because he can and does do everything (beautifully, always)

Next up: I just finished my new book, Daughter of Smoke & Bone (fall ‘11). Now: the sequel!

Blog: http://growwings.blogspot.com