Thank You, Tamora Pierce!

Here's a big MERCI to the incredible Tamora Pierce for joining us at readergirlz this month!

We loved hearing stories from Tamora and learning about the intricate worlds she's created. We also learned that:

1. She plays an online game called Shanghai to procrastinate.

2. She gives great writing advice like, "Entertain yourself."

3. She had a friend who "had done weaving, glassblowing, gardening, pottery, carpentry, sculpting, sewing, knitting, lacemaking, metalsmithing, so if I got stuck at any point, I knew I could get him to help me out!" She based Niko on him. Cool!

We've so enjoyed having you here this month. Thank you, Tamora!

December Party It Up: Trickster's Celebration

Planning your own book group/get-together for this book? Here are some party ideas from author Tamora Pierce herself!

Invite: Decorate with crows and crowns.

Food: Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese in a pinch; mangos, papaya, star fruit (shown)

Décor: Swaths of colorful silk, posters of Indonesia

Movies: Richard Lester's Three Musketeers and Four Musketeers starring Michael York, Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Lee, and Charlton Heston - Tamora said, "I swiped one of the ways I write sword fighting from these." Also watch A League of Their Own for, as Tamora put it, "women being active and themselves."

December: Do We Need Heroes?

In Trickster's Choice, Dove tells Aly, "Everybody needs heroes...Everybody. Even grown women. Even slaves." Do you think this is true? Who are your heroes?

December: Trickster's Playlist by Tamora Pierce

Featured Author Tamora Pierce hand-picked songs for the playlist that accompanies Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen this month. Check it out in the December issue!

December: Which Sister Are You?

Let's discuss the differences between the Balitangs daughters: young, quiet Dove, a very observant girl, and her older sister Sarai, the romantic ingenue with unlikely strength. Which one do you resemble? Do you have sisters? If so, is your relationship like Dove and Sarai's?

Welcome, Tamora Pierce!

We are thrilled to welcome Tamora Pierce to readergirlz. Her novels Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen are our December picks! Check out the our interview with Tamora, book party ideas themed around both books, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Tamora's chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen: Alianne, sole daughter of Alanna the Lioness, does not want to become a knight like her mother. She's more like her father, George, "the king of thieves." After a fight with her mother, Alianne attempts to run away but is kidnapped and sent to the Copper Isles to toil as a slave for an exiled royal family. Alone in a foreign land, Aly will need both her father's wit and her mother's courage to navigate a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy.

Aly's adventure continues in Trickster's Queen, when she must keep the potential teenage queen and her younger siblings safe. But Aly, who is usually adept at anticipating danger and changes, is in for a few nasty surprises.

And the buzz...

"Aly is easily among the most interesting of Pierce's heroines. Thrilling fun." - Kirkus

"Aly arrives fully formed, a snarky, talented über-heroine. Cameos of old favorites complement a rich cast of new characters." - Kirkus Reviews

"Pierce deftly weaves an unforgettable story...The plot sweeps readers along in a whirlwind of court intrigue, deception, murder, and romance." - School Library Journal

"A complex and rewarding tale." - KLIATT

We are excited to have the fantastic Tamora with us this month! Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE chat on Wednesday, December 16th at 6pm PST/9pm EST.

Happy December, readergirlz!