Author Event Recap - Rachel Hawkins at Parnassus Books

View of Parnassus from the storefront

March has been a fantastic month for author events!  I attended my second one on Wednesday, March 28.  This time, I got to meet Rachel Hawkins for the second time.  The signing took place at the lovely Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN.  It was my first time visiting Parnassus and, I must say, I was very impressed!  It had the feel of an old-fashioned library (including rolling ladders), yet with a whimsical feel thanks to the star light fixtures and the truly adorable children's section.  They had an awesome variety of YA titles.  I'm definitely going to go back for some retail therapy in the near future.

The table full o' Hex Hall glory!

I made the trek to Nashville with the awesome Heather of SupaGurl Books, who was a total blast to travel with.  After I introduced her to the wonder that is Sweet Sallie's (you're welcome, Heather), we stopped by Nikki's house to pick up her book for the signing, then hit the interstate.  We reached Parnassus with plenty of time to browse around and snag prime seats at the very front.  While we waited, we got to know the also awesome Shalena from Writer Quirk, as well as her friend, Megan (hey, girls!).  We didn't have to wait long until Rachel's arrival and, shortly thereafter, the start of the event.

Rachel sharing her stories from the road

Rachel was an absolute riot.  She regaled us with stories of her tour shenanigans with Ally Carter, including the infamous Philadelphia train incident.  We all had a great time listening to her stories and laughing ourselves silly.  There were no frowns at Parnassus, that's for sure!

The book signing portion was a lot of fun.  We got to chat with Rachel a little, get our books signed (with a grape-scented marker, nonetheless), as well as chat with Myra McEntire, who also attended the event.  I think it's safe to say that all of us bloggers enjoyed ourselves immensely judging by the chatter and laughter coming from our group.  We rounded out the event by standing around talking shop for at least an hour after Rachel and Myra left.  I'm definitely looking forward to May when we might all get to hang out at Parnassus again!

Heather, Rachel, & myself

Heather, myself, Rachel, Shalena, & Megan

 

Review - Spell Bound

by Rachel Hawkins
publisher: Disney Hyperion
date of publication: March 13, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 327
source: purchased
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

What I Thought

Can you believe it?  The infamous cliff hanger at the end of Demonglass finally has a continuation!  It has been a long, long wait, but answers are to be had at long last.  This is one of those books that had me feverishly shuffling my review pile just so I could at long last see what the heck happened to Sophie.  Let me tell you: it was very much worth the wait.  Sophie is back with in all her snarkastic glory (hey, it's a word; just watch Gilmore Girls!) and has some huge surprises in store.

I'm so glad to say that Sophie hasn't lost her touch.  I spent just as much time giggling through her exchanges with Archer as I did getting very, very nervous about how she was going to get herself out of her situation.  As it turns out, there is still so much to learn about Sophie, so much so, in fact, that there were several moments during which I was completely blind-sided.  How such a familiar character can still contain that many huge surprises, I'll never know.  As for new additions to the cast of characters, I just have to say it: The Brannicks left me feeling awed.  They are quite the family: red-headed warrior women?  Heck, yeah!  They are the very definition of formidable and I absolutely loved the contribution their addition made to the story.

Spell Bound takes the action from the second half of Demonglass and kicks it into overdrive.  The book pretty much hits the ground running and it seems that there is always something major going on.  There is little time to settle in before the bomb shells start dropping and things start happening.  It is everything I hoped it would be and provided hours of riveting entertainment that didn't quit until the very last page.  Everything from the realization of the villains' master plan to the tragedy that strikes, Spell Bound will leave you seriously considering taking up nail-biting. 

Since I suspect giving away anything major will cause those who haven't had the chance to read it yet to chase me through the street with torches and pitchforks, all I have left to say is that Spell Bound was truly worth the wait.  Rachel Hawkins put some incredible spins on various situations that will definitely leave you reeling.  I know this review gushes more than usual, but it's hard not to get swept up in the humor and light-hearted side of it all.  I absolutely loved it and encourage you to pick it up ASAP!

TN Author Event Alert!

Good news, Tennessee Hex Hall fans!  Rachel Hawkins announced her upcoming tour schedule for Spell Bound on her blog this morning.  There just so happens to be a stop at Nashville's new indie bookstore, Parnassus Books!

If you were able to see Rachel on the Ash2Nash Tour or another event, you'll know what a treat you are in for.  If you've never met her, trust me, you need to go to this signing!

The event will take place on Wednesday, March 28, 2012.  I haven't been able to locate the time of the event, so keep your eyes on the Parnassus website for more information.  Also, don't forget that Spell Bound will hit stores on March 13th!  I hope to see you all there!

Ash2Nash: The Nashville Stop

Yesterday was absolutely fantastic! Nikki and I drove to Nashville again for another awesome author event, this time the final stop of the Ash 2 Nash book tour, featuring Victoria Schwab, Myra McEntire, and Beth Revis, with special guests Julie Kagawa, Rachel Hawkins, and Ruta Sepetys. We reached B&N super early with the intention of getting coffee and getting some reading time in. We both had coffee and were also intrigued by a little something called the "blackout" cupcake.



I just have to say it: that cupcake kicked my butt. I only finished half of it before I had to call it quits. Nikki looked like she felt a little ill after hers. Evil, evil cupcake! It's as menacing as it looks, folks. Beware!

We both got in some much-needed reading time, which was excellent. After a while, though, the chairs became uncomfortable, so we decided to look for empty arm chairs. They were all full, so back to the cafe we went. When we walked back in, I looked up only to notice that Julie Kagawa was sitting 2 tables away. I mentioned this on Twitter while having a "holy crap!" moment, only to notice Victoria Schwab walking across the parking lot outside. Yup. The time was drawing near!

Shortly thereafter, Shannon from Stalking the Bookshelves arrived, and while she was getting a cup of coffee, we had some unexpected visitors drop by our table. I saw someone out of the corner of my eye, then heard, "Marla?" It was Julie Kagawa and Victoria Schwab. (insert shock here) Apparently, my tweet didn't go unnoticed. LOL! I (obviously) couldn't see my own face, but I'm pretty sure it looked something like this when I looked at Nikki:


Introductions were made, my inner voice did much squealing, and then it was time to head back to the event area. Also, I can definitely say that they are both as awesome as their books. It was great talking to them.

Let me preface the next pictures by saying that these ladies are utterly hilarious. The discussion portion of the event was very funny and a good time was had by all. I wish I could have gotten video for you all. Unfortunately, I was seated behind some ladies who were roughly my height, which was both unusual (I'm rather tall) and prevented me from getting any direct shots of the whole panel. I had to make do with ducking and weaving the camera around heads and over shoulders. Thanks goodness for 18X zoom!

After the discussion, chaos ensued. There were people everywhere waiting to get their books signed. Any thought of a queue was out the window. It was a free-for-all! Luckily, there was plenty of time left, so everyone had the chance to get their books signed and chat with the authors for a bit. This was truly awesome, as Nikki and I didn't have to rush off this time and could stay until the end. We even found out that Ruta has a home near us and that she is in our town fairly often! She was very nice and a lot to fun to chat with. We got to talk with most of them for a fair amount of time and snapped several pics in the process.

We also snapped some pics with Shannon. It was really awesome to get to meet another book blogger.

It was a fantastic night and I sincerely hope that they can all make it back to Nashville someday. If you ever get the chance to attend an event with one of these ladies, do it! You won't be sorry and I can guarantee that you'll have a great time.

Be sure to visit my IMM post on Sunday to see all of the books I got signed last week, as well as at Ash 2 Nash. Also, make sure to keep an eye on my blog in the weeks to come. I brought back something special that I will be giving away at a later date. What is it, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out. ::wink::

Waiting on Wednesday: July 27, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To participate, simply share that book(s) you are eagerly awaiting the release of and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. Clicking the image above will take you straight to her post and widget. (Special note: The nifty button above comes from Lindsay at The Violet Hour. Isn't it pretty?)

This week, I am awaiting the third and final installment of Rachel Hawkins's Hex Hall series, Spell Bound. Slated for a March 13, 2012 release date, Spell Bound concludes the adventures of Sophie Mercer and brings to a head the events taking place in her world. I immensely enjoyed the first two books in the series (Hex Hall and Demonglass) and can not wait to see what happens next.

From Goodreads:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Review: Demonglass

by Rachel Hawkins
publisher: Hyperion
date published: March 1, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 359
source: library
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

What I Thought

I was absolutely thrilled with Demonglass. I really liked Hex Hall, but I loved this book from beginning to end. I was so curious to find out what Sophie's father was like by the end of Hex Hall. Luckily, he made his official appearance in this instalment. I wasn't disappointed by him or the other new characters. They all delivered, though some delivered in ways I would never have imagined. All I have to say is, "Holy plot twists, Batman!"

Sophie began coming more into her own in this book, which was very good to see. She was her usual snarky self, although with the addition of a smattering of heartbreak and trauma to add a certain haunted quality. She was able to begin thinking things through and making important decisions, though some, while important, didn't have a good outcome. Life isn't easy for Sophie, but she keeps trucking on throughout the entire book. There is a touch of love triangle in Demonglass, but in this case, Sophie seems to have her mind made up as to who she wants to be with, which is a bit different from your typical YA PR and, honestly, a bit of a relief for me. All of those raging hormones get exhausting to read about, sometimes!

I really loved how the plot worked out in this book. There was comedy, tragedy, mystery, intrigue, danger, and the aforementioned romance. There were enough plot twists to keep continually surprised. When I thought I had an idea as to where one thing was going, BAM! Something completely different would happen. As a result, I was happily kept on my toes. In addition to the plot twists, I really enjoyed learning more about Sophie's family background. This book revealed the who, how, and (possible) why behind the transformation of Sophie's great-grandmother, as well as more information on Sophie's grandmother and father. I loved learning more about every single one of them and look forward to more revelation in the forthcoming book.

I had a great time reading Demonglass. It took what was begun in Hex Hall and built upon it to make an even stronger book. I will be eagerly awaiting the title and cover reveal for book three while I even more eagerly await the release of said book. I will definitely be adding the rest of this series to my collection and I am happy to award Demonglass with 5 hoots.

Review: Hex Hall

by Rachel Hawkins
publisher: Disney Book Group
date published: April 27, 2010 (first published March 2, 2010)
format: NOOK ebook
pages: 196
source: gift
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

What I Thought

When I read the first few chapters I thought, "Uh oh. Am I reading a soap opera? Is this All My Witches or something?" I'm happy to say, though, that there is more to Hex Hall than at first meets the eye. This was a very fun read, albeit a short one. I immensely enjoyed Sophie as a character, as well as Jenna, her roomie and friend. The banter between the two was smile-inducing and they conveyed a definitely sense of camaraderie.

The story line was a lot of fun, as well. It's a little like Harry Potter with more hormones. The behaviors and interactions between the teens at Hex Hall was very believable and often very charged. I loved the air of mystery surrounding the events that started before Sophie arrived and resumed once she had settled in. There's nothing quite like a good "whodunnit" in a story like this. I was very surprised by the outcome and was left wanting to know more about the how and why.

The first few chapters left me feeling very dubious, but the rest of the book quickly won me over. I am eagerly looking forward to reading Demonglass and am glad that I already have it checked out from the library. I don't think I would want to wait too long to read more. This was a great intro to the Hex Hall series and I look forward to seeing what else Rachel Hawkins has for us. I give Hex Hall 4 hoots.