Good Times in Author Land

So I'm slow as usual in posting about these author events.  However, I have been pretty lucky to meet several authors in the last few months.  I was able to see:

James Dashner (again) so that all my books are neatly signed.

I was pretty excited to hear about the prequel to The Maze Runner, The Kill Order, slated for this August (especially because that was in answer to my own question of what was next for him).

In all his signing glory.

Then we had a visit from the Great Christopher Paolini (it seems like we should call him that, since he brings his own bodyguard and the signing line was so mechanical that I was through before I could even think of something to say).  He was pretty funny to listen to and I really enjoyed the energy of the crowd (even if our view of him was less than stellar).  It was the first event my husband attended where he was exposed to the true geeky-ness that exists in fantasy fans.  I felt right at home, of course :)

I took a little video of him talking about how he figured out he should be a writer (pretty fun story of what kinds of things kids do in their spare time).

And last but not least, I went to the Dark Days tour at Changing Hands, which was lovely. I only had one book to get signed, since money is pretty tight, but I really enjoyed listening to the authors: Veronica Rossi, Tahereh Mafi, and Ellen Schreiber. While I didn't really like Tahereh's book Shatter Me, I am a personal fan of hers. She has such enthusiasm for writing and YA lit and really understands fans (being one herself). I think she's one of the most interesting and personable authors I've met.

Don't mind my wretched phone pic skills.  I take terrible event photos and very few of them as well.

Who do you want to meet?

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Classic Double Challenge: February

 
Hooray for those of you who have already done some reading on this challenge!  It's month two, and I still haven't picked up a book for this yet (but I have one on my list that's coming up - New Girl by Paige Harbison, a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier). 
 
The winner for last month's prize is Jenni Elyse!  I'm still putting the prize together, but I'm quite sure at least one book will be included.  We'll be doing the same thing this month, everyone signed up for the challenge is automatically entered.  If you leave a link for the month (or a review in the comments, for those with no forum to review), you will get extra entries.  Do check out the links folks leave so we can have some discussion.  And for a little brain work, today's question is:
 

What is your all-time favorite retelling (or sequel/related book) and why?

 

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson

The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication date: August 2011
Pages: 304
Source: ARC provided by publisher
For: Review
Series: Jenna Fox Chronicles, Book 2

*Spoilers for The Adoration of Jenna Fox*
Two hundred and sixty years after Jenna woke up, her two best friends Kara and Locke have finally been released.  After spending centuries locked inside their own memories in the dark, the two are trying to adjust to a new life, in a completely new world.  As they learn more about their new place in this world, they become more and more anxious to find the one person they remember from before: Jenna.

Things I Liked:
I'm always excited to read books about future ethical issues, particularly medical ethics.  And this book also has a fabulous story to go with it.  It has complex and interesting characters, internal and external conflict, and all the makings of a spanking good story.  I love how Pearson's future world felt realistic and totally believable - I can see how these types of medical advances just might be possible.  I liked being in Locke's head, feeling all that he experienced being in a new world and trying to figure things out, all while still dealing with the horrible past he couldn't forget.  A book that will make you think deeply about what being human means.  Here's  some of my favorite parts:

I have a fabricated body. I am in a world that is completely different from the one I was born into. What I think is all I have left. My mind is the only thing that makes me different from a fancy toaster. What we think does matter - it's all we truly have. p 105

My surprise at the mission suddenly clicks. I didn't picture a future that would have room for faith. I thought everything would be explainable by now, right down to the atom of every mystery, but the world has more mysteries for me now than it ever did. In fact, I am one of those mysteries. How does someone like me fit into this world now? p 180-181

I told you Bots dream. At least some of us do, whether we are supposed to or not, we dream. Some of us think beyond our cabs, we imagine where our customers go and what things they see. When they jump into our cabs, we imagine where they have been, and how it has changed them.their worlds become our secret worlds, and sometimes we share those places with others like us and sometimes ed even dare to dream that those worlds could be lures knew day. We don't know if that could ever be true for us, but we hear stories. And now...I am one of those stories. Escape is not about moving from one place to another. It's about becoming more. p 249-250

Things I Didn't Like:
Despite the great story surrounding Locke and Kara, I was not as interested as when we were in Jenna's head in the first book.  Also, some parts of it were slow and made me want to put it down. Still, I wholeheartedly enjoyed this sequel/companion novel to one of my favorite futuristic books, The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

Read-alikes:
Start with The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few

mrg-factor: X
a little bit implied

v-factor: ->
a bit here and there, nothing too gory

Overall rating: ****

What's your favorite thing about futuristic books?

Looking for more dystopian goodness?  Be sure to stop at Presenting Lenore's Dystopian February celebration.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage