The Grace Tour with Kim Liggett Recap

I had the pleasure to attend the Boston stop for The Grace Tour at the Brookline Booksmith on Tuesday, October 8th, aka pub date for The Grace Year. I was so excited to see Kim Liggett along with moderator/author Sasha Alsberg and authors Holly Black, Rory Power and Libba Bray. I have been a huge fan of Kim Liggett’s books since I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of Blood and Salt at BEA 2015. Since then, Kim has published five books!

I met up with my friend Rachel for some ramen before heading over to Brookline Booksmith. I wanted to make sure I got a good seat so Rachel and I went to the bookstore fairly early. We browsed the store a bit and met a few YA book lovers. Rachel couldn’t stay for the event but I was so happy that I was able to see her for a little bit that night.

The panel itself was pretty hilarious. Sasha started off with an icebreaker. She asked everyone what is the most outlandish plot they wrote. She mentioned that she had a story where Justin Bieber and Criminal Minds merged together called FBI Girlfriend, Pop-Star Boyfriend.  Holly mentioned that she wrote Nights of the Silver Sun in which she mentioned she probably meant Moon. She wrote the story in 8th grade about the Interview with the Vampire mashed up with another book/show. Rory wrote a persuasive piece when she was 14-years-old about how a girl who convinced her parents to lease a horse for $20.00. Libba mentioned "all my crazy ideas have been published." She also talked about a vampire movie musical. Kim exclaimed she didn't start writing until she was 40 or so. She also said that there are no books in her drawers but at one point she had an idea for a necrophilia romance which was shot down.

Sasha talked about how The Grace Year is hauntingly beautiful yet she asks Kim, how do you scare your readers without showing it. Kim mentioned, "I don't think it's more horrifying compared to what we see everyday" when she talks about The Grace Year. With sexual assault, the Me Too Movement and how people are treated everyday, the apple is not far from the tree. Kim talks about how even thought she writes horror, she is afraid of everything.

Sasha discussed he mean girl trope and about what invokes girl on girl hatred. She mentioned about how there is a competition and how it can provide a story line and character development. She asked all the authors how do you tackle the mean girl trope and what do you think about it. Kim talked about how it is so easy to do. Girls should have offered a more helping hand. They shouldn’t bully. Kim mentioned about how this “book changed me. I changed how I view women. I grew up with Tierney.” Rory talked about how she “loves mean girls.” Her book has 40 mean girls stuck on an island. She talked about how “everyone sucks” and talks about feminism. Holly mentioned how we shouldn’t allow girls to be mean in fiction. Girls should have a complete set of emotions and not just being mean. Libba discussed about thinking about the internal misogyny and found families. There are so many ways to express feelings and sometimes people are not allowed access of rage. We need to practice being in the ring and to forge friendships. It’s about sparring and giving edges. Sasha talked about how girls should be empowering and there should be a mutual respect among people.

Sasha asked, "If your character lives until 80-years-old, what would they tell their grandchildren?" Rory thinks fondly about how her main character broke a nose over an orange. Holly mentioned how Aurora tells her children how Prince Philip ate a mouse heart. Kim exclaimed how Tierney tells how the grace year ended. Libba said two words..band camp.

In terms of mythology, Sasha asked Holly how she crafted her fairytale world and what she did for research. Holly talks about Brian Froud and Alan Lee’s book called Faeries and the movie Labyrinth. These frightening and folkloric creatures of nature intrigued her. She did a lot of research on England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I love Brian Froud's work on faeries in general. I highly checking out his works and Amy Brown's.

Hearing from the authors about if they plan the twists and turns before the ending was fascinating. Libba talked about how she doesn't plan at all. She explores the human condition. Libba also mentioned about the project when she says "Help me, Baby Jesus." And the response is "Jesus can't help you." She goes where the series goes and where it takes her. In terms of being a plotter or a panster, Libba mentions how she puts the characters through so much and they go through so much growth. Of course she is panster.

Kim exclaimed that things get worse before they get better. She knew all of her story at once after getting inspired to write The Grace Year. This has never happened before with other novels. She was at Penn Station and noticed a family in front of her. There was a girl who was 13 to 14-years-old. There was a man passing by. He stared at the girl and looked up and down. A woman passed by and she looked at the girl but with a look of sadness. The girl was going back to boarding school. The parents were relieved since the girl was tucked away for a year, keeping her safe. It’s a brutal system. It’s a gut punch. The beginning and ending was written during the trip to DC. “I had to write the book,” Kim said. It was a profound and weird experience but she knew she had to have this story be told.

Sasha asked the panelists about how they feel about backlash when they kill off a character or if they put the character through a tough feat. Sasha talked about how she appreciates the invoking of emotions. Holly feels like a message is being sent in a bottle. She disconnects with sending emotional and angry feelings and how someone receives it.

The authors discussed about what was one thing they wish they knew before they published books. Rory said that she was lazy and said yes a lot to things. She didn’t know what she was getting into. She learned how the brain thinks and how to control her impulse. Sasha exclaimed that she wished she took a public speaking course and she learned that editors don’t edit the whole book for you.

Sasha talked about creativity and asked the authors about “what is something that refilled the creative well beyond your writing?” Sasha mentioned about how she likes to paint. Kim used to be a backup singer in the 80’s. She had Aqua Net hair and she started being a backup singer when she was 16-years-old. Kim fell in love with stories this way. She mentioned about how deep hurts come from young adulthood. It’s the heard of the matter. Everything else are symptoms. Right now, Kim doesn’t sing anymore. She had massive stage fright. She stepped in front to do a showcase and she froze. Normally, she doesn’t see everyone since she is not in the spotlight. Kim exclaimed how living your own life refills the well. She had a lot of life experience and she talking about enjoying yourself. Libba is a frontwoman of a band. She writes and records music. Occasionally she will have some performances. Rory watches TV such as Criminal on Netflix. Holly loves gothic interior decorating.

Sasha had several rounds of lighting speed questions and answers.

1. What is your favorite toothpaste?
Some answers included Sensodyne, Biotene and Tom’s.

2. What is your favorite writing instrument?
Libba: Pen and paper
Kim: Rollerball
Rory: Laptop
Holly: Laptop

3. What is your least favorite word? You cannot use moist.
Libba: Trump!
Kim: Winger
Rory: Fester
Holly: Carbunkle

4. What is your favorite baking dishes?
Libba: Seamless
Kim: Brisk chicken
Rory: Microwave
Holly: Pumpkin bread
Sasha: I can't bake cookies at al.

5. What is your favorite fall snack.
Libba: Pumpkin spice..."souls of my enemies"
Kim: Apples
Rory: Cheez-its
Holly: Coffee

6. Coffee or wine?
Libba: Coffee!
Kim: Coffee!
Rory: Yes!
Holly: Ditto

7. What is your favorite city?
Sasha: London
Libba: Providence...and all 14 that live there.
Kim: Rome
Rory: Edinburgh
Holly: London and Edinburgh

8. What is your least favorite clothing?
Sasha: Socks
Libba: Bra
Kim: Bra
Rory: Tights
Holly: Bra

Sasha asked the authors what they are reading currently or what they just finished reading. Libba mentioned Wilder Girls, Three Women and Middlegame. Holly said Wayward's Son. Sasha then ends her series of questions with, "What is next for you?" Sasha talked about an urban folklore fantasy. Libba said a vampire music musical but she really is working on the last book of the Diviners series, King of Crows. Kim is currently working on two novels. One is adult and one is YA. Both has to do about what ring women together. Rory is working on a new standalone that is coming out in 2020. She describes it as corn of horror and field of nightmares. Holly is finishing up the highly anticipated Queen of Nothing.

Sasha opened up questions to the audience. One reader/teacher mentioned how they are introducing social justice themes into their curriculum for their students. They asked the authors what is one thing you wanted to hear as a 16-year-old? What did you want to know? The authors talked about rules and permission. They are not trying to play by the rules to win because rules aren't set up for us to win. We need to dismantle the system. You don't have to ask for permission to do this.

Someone asked Rory about the integration of girls discovering queerness and the exploration and how that is natural. Rory responds with how it's an important element. It's not just one particular experience. She poses the question, "Do I want to be her or be with her?" Another person wanted to hear Rory talk more about the antagonists vs. protagonists. Rory mentioned, "Everyone is a protagonist in your own story." She loves terrible girls. Rory talks about how the darker parts of a story is acknowledging parts of themselves.

The panel ended with a signing and I was so excited to see Kim again. I saw Kim a couple time back in 2015 at BEA and the Boston Teen Author Festival when Blood and Salt was published. I haven't seen her since and I was ecstatic when she told me she will be around the Boston area in October. Of course, I made sure to block it out on my calendar. It was so great to be able to catch up for a few minutes with Kim and to congratulate her on her 5th published novel! I have been a fan since Blood and Salt, which is her debut novel. Definitely check out all of Kim's novels which include Blood & Salt, The Last Harvest, Heart of Ash, The Unfortunates and The Grace Year.

The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Title: The Golden Tower
Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication date: September 11, 2018
Pages: 256
Source/format: Hardcover // Library

Rating: ☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com): 

The final, thrilling installment in this extraordinary series from bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.

A generation ago, powerful mage Constantine Madden came close to achieving what no magician had ever achieved: the ability to bring back the dead. He didn't succeed . . . but he did find a way to keep himself alive, inside a young child named Callum Hunt.

Facing up to what he is, Callum has battled chaos and evil across four years of magical training at the Magisterium, eventually defeating the armies of chaos in an epic battle.

It came at a cost.

Now, triumphant and heartbroken, Callum Hunt has just about had enough, and is ready to complete his training. But the evil Callum faced has not given up just yet...

M Y  T H O U G H T S

"We must learn from this lesson that we cannot allow fear to rule us...When fear rules us, we forget who we truly are. We forget the good we are capable of."

The Golden Tower is the fifth installment in the Magisterium and it's the last book in the series. Although the romance of the novel is untimely and it feels out of place, the character development from The Iron Trial to The Golden Tower grew for some characters while stayed the same for others. The pacing of the book was good at the beginning to the middle of the novel but it sped up too quickly from the middle to the end. It felt too rushed. The Golden Tower is a short book to begin with and I felt like the pace was too fast in terms of when Call and his friends were hunting down the four Devoured of Air, Earth, Fire and Water in order to displace the Devoured of Chaos.

The novel depicts some language and actions that are not up to par with what a teenager says or does. Call is about 16 right now and Alex is a little bit older. However, Alex acts much younger demanding things like a child would. He throws temper tantrums. Aaron is definitely the most mature with well thought out ideas. He thinks before he acts and speaks. Tamara will seek out resources if she doesn't know about something. Call relies on his friends in order to make decisions. Jasper grows the most out of all the students. He used to be cruel and bullied Call and his friends at the start of the Magisterium journey. As each year passes, he learns to accept Call and his friends to the point where he is part of their friendship circle. Readers find out what happened to his father which could have added to why he behaved in the past as he did.

Alastair's decision at the end of the book is a surprise but it shows what a parent does for their child in order to save their life no matter what the consequence. It shows that Alastair truly loves Call. Because of spoilers, I won't name who the true enemy is but the enemy could have been a very complex character and the enemy is actually very simple and not very interesting. I was hoping for more character development for the enemy or at least find out more about their backstory.

The Golden Tower sums up the Magisterium series fairly quickly. For those who love fantasy middle grade novels involving boarding schools and magic, this series is one to pick up for a quick read.

The Silver Mask by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Title: The Silver Mask
Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication date: October 10, 2017
Pages: 240
Source/format: Hardcover // Library

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):   

A generation ago, Constantine Madden came close to achieving what no magician had ever achieved: the ability to bring back the dead. He didn't succeed . . . but he did find a way to keep himself alive, inside a young child named Callum Hunt.

Now Call is one of the most feared and reviled students in the history of the Magisterium, thought to be responsible for a devastating death and an ever-present threat of war. As a result, Call has been imprisoned and interrogated. Everyone wants to know what Constantine was up to-and how he lives on.

But Call has no idea.

It is only when he's broken out of prison that the full potential of Constantine's plan is suddenly in his hands . . . and he must decide what to do with his power.

In this spellbinding fourth book of Magisterium, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare take us beyond the realm of the living and into the dangers of the dead.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Call is imprisoned in Panopticon for being the Enemy of Death until one day a fire is set loose and he is freed by Tamara and Anastasia. Unfortunately, it is all the same day Jasper decided to visit Call. What is even more unfortunate is that Anastasia had other plans and roped in Master Joseph who was supposedly dead. Call, Tamara and Jasper end up being imprisoned on an island. While being prisoners with the true enemy, Call has no where to go. The Magisterium thinks he is still the Enemy of Death and they do not trust him. Tamara and Jasper help devise a plan to alert the Magisterium who the real enemy is and what is at stake.

The plot is fairly interesting and of course the necromancy that was involved in The Silver Mask brings some form of happiness between the main characters. However, it is not meant to be. I was devastated at first when I thought Havoc died but he is still alive. Ravan, as a character, has grown on me. Although a lot of people are biased against the Devoured, not all Devoured are considered evil. Some characters I cannot talk about in this review due to major spoilers but lets say if you think someone died, there is a chance the person is still alive. Also, there is a lot of foreshadowing which I love to read about. The Devoured, the swapping of souls and the history of the Maddens all shape The Silver Mask well. The Maddens' memories, no matter how they are preserved, provide valuable insight for Call to survive and to do the right thing.

The only thing I wasn't too fond of in The Silver Mask is when Anastasia claims that Tamara likes Call, Call becomes infatuated with Tamara. He is so obsessed that he even forgets that he needs to be looking for a way off the island. There is too much instalove for me and also, Call loses focus very easily. Tamara for the most part, is looking for away to escape even if she does show some interest in Call. I just found it odd that she shows as much interest as she did since she had a thing for Aaron not too long ago.

The Silver Mask is the fourth installment in the Magisterium series. Almost everyone doesn't believe Call when he claims he is not the Enemy of Death. He eventually proves them wrong by the end of the book by actually saving all magekind. The Silver Mask takes a darker turn compared to its predecessors. This book is a turning point and a climax in Call's journey. Call doesn't know who to trust and who wants him dead.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: January 2, 2018
Pages: 384
Source/format: From Nicole of The BookBandit Blog // ARC

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Jude lives with her parents and her twin sister, Taryn, and her older sister, Vivienne until that one day when a man came to their house. In a swift minute, Jude and her sisters become parentless and forced to leave what they called home.

What Jude doesn't know is that Vivienne has a different father than her and Taryn. In fact, Vivienne's father is Madoc the Redcap. Off the children go to live in the faerie world with Madoc. They are raised among the faerie royal court and they learn more abut the faerie customs They are introduced to the important faeries of the land. One of them is a cruel prince named Cardan.

Holly Black starts off The Cruel Prince strong. Usually I have a hard time getting into her faerie books but this time she hooked me from the first page. She describes characters and scenery with so much detail.You can feel the emotions so well! Holly's beautiful writing is exuberant!

The writing builds up slowly and it's worth the wait to find out what's going to happen next. I love Jude! You can really relate to her. She is a flawed character wanting to belong among the faeries. Unlike Vivienne, Jude enjoys living in the faerie land. It was a little bit hard for me to remember the names of all the faeries but it didn't take away from the plot of the book.

With faerie politics, manipulation and a twisty plot, The Cruel Prince is a novel for those who love to read about faeries but also for those who love a good fantasy read. There is romance, action, mystery and a bit of darkness in this novel which makes it an intoxicating read.

The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Title: The Bronze Key
Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: August 30, 2016
Pages: 256
Source/format: Library//Hardcover

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Magic can save you.
Magic can kill you.

Students at the Magisterium are supposed to be safe. Under the watchful eyes of the mages, they are taught to use magic to bring order to a chaotic world.

But now the chaos is fighting back. Call, Tamara, and Aaron should be worrying about things like pop quizzes and magic contests. Instead, after the shocking death of one of their classmates, they must track down a sinister killer… and risk their own lives in the process.

As Call, Tamara, and Aaron discover, magic can only be as good as the person who wields it. In evil hands, it has the capacity to do immeasurable harm, unless it is stopped in time.

In this striking third book of Magisterium, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare present us with a school where anything, good or evil, can happen, and the only way to unlock the truth is to risk everything to find it.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

"One of you will fail. One of you will die. And one of you is already dead." - Prophecy from The Bronze Key

The Bronze Key is the third book in the Magisterium series and so far is my absolute favorite installment. It's the turning point of the series and it doesn't disappoint. The pacing of the book is good. Readers join third years Call, Aaron and Tamara on a journey to discover who the Magisterium spy is and to learn so much about other people's intentions. Holly Black and Cassandra Clare definitely keeps my mind open to all possibilities.

Black and Clare have created a story where magic and friendship collide. Trust and loyalty are hard to come by at the Magisterium especially since the Magisterium is no longer safe. One cannot even guarantee to feel comfortable in their own room without being ambushed. So who is hunting Call, Aaron and Tamara?

Call, Aaron and Tamara have to work with Jasper (the frenemy), much to their dismay, but it's the only way to keep their secret. But they're not the only ones who harbor a secret. The twists and turns in The Bronze Key caught me by surprise. Never rule anything out. That ending is still looming in my head! It's the perfect cliffhanger; Black and Clare nailed it! I had to re-read the last couple chapters just to let the ending soak in! I cannot wait for the next fourth installment, The Silver Mask, to find out more.

The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Title: The Copper Gauntlet
Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: September 1, 2015
Pages: 304
Source/format: ARC from BEA 2015

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):

Callum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall.

It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc.

Call escapes to the Magisterium -- but things only intensify there. The Alkahest -- a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic -- has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes -- and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.

As the mysteries of the Magisterium deepen and widen, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare take readers on an extraordinary journey through one boy’s conflict -- and a whole world’s fate.

My Thoughts

Callum Hunt is back at home with his father Alastair. He discovered shocking news about who he is at the end of The Iron Trial and is trying to figure out what to make of it. Everyone is out to kill the Enemy and Callum is trying to figure out who to trust. When I first read The Iron Trial, I couldn't wait for The Copper Gauntlet. Holly Black and Cassandra Clare crafted a Middle Grade series with adventure, magic, suspense and with a little bit of humor. The twist is the main character is not the chosen one. The Alkhahest, a copper gauntlet, is missing and if under the wrong hands, chaos will occur. Call, Aaron and Tamara are trying to stop the Alkhahest falling in the wrong hands or the Makar will die.

Callum, Aaron and Tamara start their copper year aka second year at the Magisterium. They are still trying to hone their skills as a Mage. Once a Mage learns to controls the elements, they are able to graduate from the Magisterium. The pace in The Copper Gauntlet moves consistently and I enjoyed this installment more than the first. The first book was more about laying out the foundation of the series. The second book is more about Call learning about who he is and what he can become. He harbors a secret very few people know about. He doubts himself a lot but proves that he can overcome anything. Chaos magic is discussed more in detail throughout this novel. Friendship and trust is super important and it's interesting to see how each character approaches what friendship truly means to them. Trust is tested and it's intriguing to see what each character is hiding from each other. Everything unfolds at the end and everyone thinks the Enemy of Death is dead but of course they cannot outrun the Enemy.

One of my favorite characters is Call's pet chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. Even though he is not a main character in the series, he is an important asset to the group. The Copper Gauntlet is a fun Middle grade read for all ages. I highly recommend the Magisterium series for readers who enjoy the Harry Potter series and books written by Rick Riordan. I can't wait to pick up The Bronze Key.

Fairy Revel with Holly Black

I was able to attend a Fairy Revel with Holly Black on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 with Melissa from Novelty Podcast. The event was held at the Public Library of Brookline in the Teen Room. I love how Robin Brenner, the teen/young adult librarian, decorated the room with vines to make it look more like an enchanted forest. She even made fairy bread with this amazing strawberry butter which everyone loved. Check out the Public Library of Brookline's teen tumblr for more pictures.

Holly Black did a reading from her latest book, The Darkest Part of the Forest, and she also did a Q&A with her fans. I thought it was nice of her to give free posters to those who asked her a question. And how fabulous is Black's jacket? Her hair and jacket are nicely coordinated.

Tithe was published in 2002 and Black wanted to return back to her roots and to write about fairies. After all, the fairies helped her become a better writer. The Q&A was very informative. The audience had good questions about her past works such as The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Curse Workers series. Black also answered questions about what her favorite POV is to write, about her writing process and she also talked about a couple fairy tales like The White Cat.

I was interested when Black described her writing process when she wrote The Iron Trial with Cassandra Clare. Both women would sit in the same room and one will write 200-500 words. The first will then hand over the laptop to the other and that person will edit the prior's writing. After editing, the latter will write some more and then will hand over the laptop to the initial writer. This process will repeat over and over until the book is finished. It also provides Callum's voice to be consistent. Black despises first drafting and this process works so well. Writing with Clare makes the process less agonizing. Black and Clare will continue this process for the remaining books in The Magisterium series.

One question I loved was how do you know if your book is finished. Black answered the question and said that there is a feeling you get when you reach the end of a book. She likes to write the first chapter, rewrite the chapter, write two chapters, rewrite the chapters, etc. She repeats this process until she reaches the last line of the novel. Although she doesn't know the right ending or exactly how the book ends, she has an idea of an ending and the book is done. From there is will polish up and edit the novel until she is happy with all the changes she makes.

Black gets to know her characters when she starts writing the first couple of chapters. There is no definite outlining of characters beforehand. She likes to step back and pull the camera back. She wants to see the story from the reader's view and not in the heads of the characters. Sometimes seeing the big picture instead of the nitty gritty is important.

When Black writes, she reads a lot of cadence of what she is writing about. She wants to keep the voice and the language in her books. She read a lot of Noir when she wrote the Curse Workers series and read a lot of fairytales when she wrote the Modern Faerie Tales series and The Darkest Part of the Forest. Occasionally she will go on a tangent and read something like high fantasy. Recently she read The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.

Black also touched upon fan fiction/fan work. When she found out about fan fiction, she was surprised people are writing for fun.
How? And why? were her first two thoughts.
"What is this?  Okay, this is interesting."
She realized the fan fiction cuts out everything except the joy of the fandom. The writing is about appealing to the reader self and not the writer self.

Before writing Tithe, Black was still learning about plot. She started writing short stories and poetry. After writing Tithe, her friend who is a children's librarian explained to Black that YA as changed over the years. This helped Black figure out what books are "categorized" as YA. In terms of genres and labels of YA and MG, it's hard to determine what horror is for children. Is Doll Bones too scary? Is it not scary enough? Black mentions what scares us the most is what we bring to it. She is scared of zombies but Libba Bray is scared of dolls. Doll Bones isn't scary to Black but for Bray it might be a book she might avoid. Black also mentions labels are often imposed by the publisher and can be helpful but they can also obscure.

The posters Black gave out are the same ones that you can receive when you pre-ordered The Darkest Part of the Forest from one of the six indie bookstores listed on her website. I love how the blue horns match Black's hair. So perfect!

Image from hollyblack.tumblr.com/

Black recently had an interview with Lisa Parkin. You can check out the interview at Huffington Post. I am super excited that Brian Froud and Alan Lee influenced Black with their Faeries book. I have always been a fan of Brian Froud. Make sure you check out his other books! While you're at it, check out Amy Brown's Art of Amy Brown Volume I and Art of Amy Brown Volume 2. I am a big fan of fairy art and I am glad it influenced Black.

Also, check out this enchanting yet creepy book trailer for The Darkest Part of the Forest. It definitely captures the mood of the novel and everything fairy!

Boston Book Festival 2014

Boston Book Festival was fantastic this year! I only attended events on Saturday and was able to attend two events I planned to see and one event that I wanted to see but wasn't my number one priority. Originally, I wanted to see Rick Riordan at the Kid's Keynote but of course you had to show up super early to even get seats. Even two hours prior to the event, there was at least 20 people in line. Because I was at a Harry Potter Ball in Salem the night before, I opted to go into Boston a little later than I planned to.

Trinity Church

However, arriving to Boston at 10:00 a.m. was actually not that bad. I was able to peruse around the area in front of the Trinity Church in Copley Square. There were dozens of tents and I was able to find one that were giving away free books. I was able to pick up a couple of ARCS and four finished copies. Surprisingly I found a book by Holly Black. Since I planed to see Holly later on the day, I figured it was worth keeping in order to get it signed.

Some of the books I was able to pick up.

Rick Riordan's panel was at the Trinity Church and right across from the main Boston Book Festival tent. I was able to see a table full of pre-signed Riordan books. I believe all the pre-signed books were from The Heroes of Olympus series. Riordan was the only author that did not have an author signing after a panel due to how insanely popular he is. I don't blame him either because I bet so many people would be in his line just to get their books signed. Plus, I would feel bad for little kids who have to stand in line for hours just to meet him and to get a book signed.

My first panel of the day ended being Fiction with a Twist. It was my only Adult panel but I enjoyed it very much. The guest speakers included Lauren Oliver, Ben Mezrich and William Giraldi. Robin Young was the moderator. The event was hosted in the Church of the Covenant which was gorgeous but then again most panels were held in churches. I arrived to the church around 10:20 and I was able to get a 5th row seat. The event started at 11:00 but at 10:55, the reserved seats opened up and I was able to snag a front row seat. I was super excited when the reserved seats opened up. During the panel, the authors touched upon their stories of characters that haunt us. The panel was very informative and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I am glad I was able to attend it. After the panel, autograph signings took place. I met Lauren Oliver and had her sign a copy of Delirium and a copy of Liesl and Po. The latter I had personalized and signed to my little cousin, Alicia.

Around 12:20, I was done with the signing and proceeded to the Emmanuel Church for the Middle Grade: Masters of Fantasy panel. Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Soman Chainani and Gregory Maguire were guest speakers. Roger Sutton was the moderator. I love how The Iron Trial and the The World Without Princes trailers were shown at the panel. It definitely amped up the vibe. Everyone was super excited. I wasn't able to get super close seats like the previous panel but I have to say 7th row is not that bad at all. I love how Chainani wrote his college thesis on Maguire's Wicked and now he gets to be a panel presenter with Maguire! How cool is that? I would love to present with one of my favorite authors.

The signing line for Black and Clare was suuuuuper long. I wasn't surprised by it. Clare signed three books and in City of Glass, she drew a picture of Church. Now, I have Church in City of Glass and in Clockwork Prince. Chainani and Maguire had pretty short lines. My friend Melissa (1/3 of Novelty Podcast) and I were able to be in the first 20 people who stood in the Black and Clare line. Afterwards, we lucked out being the last two to be in the Maguire line. Maguire was leaving at 2:30 sharp and we made it just before he left the venue. I know a lot of people were super sad that he left early. I plan to see Maguire again in December when he visits Cambridge.

Maguire was amazing when he sang a song from what he thought Baba Yaga would sing. You can see a picture of him above. "She sings when she is nervous and so do I," exclaimed Maguire right before he started singing.

Melissa and I went to Starbucks and Panera afterwards since we had a break between panels. Panera was sooooo gooood. I was looking forward to a sit down meal instead of eating snacks all day.

Last but not least, I went to the YA: Reality, Meet Fantasy panel. Panel guests included Scott Westerfled, Meg Wolitzer and A.S. King. Cathryn Mercier was the panel moderator. Even though my friend Melissa and I were there at least 45 minutes prior to the event, we got seats near the middle back. I guess it was good that we were near the signing area but I didn't expect the line outside to be so long so early. I anticipated Scott Westefeld's line to be long and I was right. Melissa was near the front of the line which was good since we were able to meet the authors near the beginning of the signing. I was able to meet A.S. King and I had her sign Glory O'Brien's History of the Future. King barely made it to the event. She said her flight was delayed and she just made it to the panel. She's such a trooper. Also, on Twitter, I heard that Lauren Oliver almost missed her panel earlier on in the day because her taxi got pulled over. Authors are super determined to make it to their panels and to meet their reader fans. I LOVE how dedicated they are. 

THANK YOU to all the authors, publishers, Boston Book Festival organizers and volunteers for making this event possible!

Books I got signed.

I will do another post about the panels in more detail. There is so much stuff that happened in one day but I hope you enjoyed reading about my BBF experience. 

Anticipating Boston Book Festival

The Boston Book Festival is around the corner. BBF is an annual event in and spreads out through multiple indoor and outdoor venues in Copley Square located in Boston, MA. Authors, librarians and book lovers alike can enjoy panels, a street fair, live music and more. The festival is free and open to the public.

This year, the festival will be on Saturday, October 25, 2014. I am looking forward to the following events.

10:45 a.m. Kid's Keynote featuring Rick Riordan

Image from camphalfblood.wikia.com

1:00 p.m. Middle Grade: Masters of Fantasy featuring Holly Black, Soman Chainani, Cassandra Clare and Gregory Maguire

Images from startribune.com, crackingthecover.com and goodreads.com

4:15 p.m. YA: Reality, Meet Fantasy featuring A.S. King, Scott Westerfeld and Meg Wolitzer

Images from cbcbooks.com, scottwesterfeld.com and nytimes.com
Don't forget to check out the venue map here.

The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Title: The Iron Trial

Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication date:  September 9, 2014

Pages:  304

Source/format: ARC from BEA

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis  (from Goodreads):

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.

Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.

So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.

Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . .  

My Thoughts:

The Iron Trial is a fun read. To me it's a mashup between The Heroes of Olympus series and the Harry Potter series. There are a lot of similarities between The Iron Trial and Harry Potter series to the point where some readers might think the Magisterium series is a rip off of Harry Potter. Thus being said, some of the plot twists were not twists for me at all because some of the things that happen in this book are similar to Harry Potter but it is not a Harry Potter rip off. Who doesn't like reading books full of magic and boarding schools? Three friends go to a magic school and a male mentor guides them through their journey. Sound familiar?

Black and Clare add their own flair to their world of the Magisterium. Students who have an affinity for magic don’t automatically receive a letter when they turn eleven to attend the school. Students must work hard to enroll into the school, only if they are worthy enough.

Masters will then choose three students to be their apprentices. These Masters are mentors will guide their apprentices until they finish school. There are five trials to complete, each trial to pass through each school year gate. They teach their students how to control their magic. Control is very important in this book and I assume in the entire series.

Instead of being witches and wizards, magical folk are called Mages or Masters. Mages are those who have the magical affinity and are being trained to study the five elements (earth, air, water, fire and the void). Once a Mage passes through all the Magisterium gates, one will become a Journeyman/Journeywoman Mage. When one masters all five elements, one will become a Master.

I love the cover art for this book. It's absolutely gorgeous and captures the book accurately. The book reads at a pretty decent pace but the Sand Room sections of the book moved fairly slowly.

I can't wait to read the next installment of the Magisterium series and I am definitely going to read each book of the series when they are released.