I haven't read Keeper of the Lost Cities yet, but my daughter has.  Several times, in fact.  She loves it and can't wait to see what Shannon Messenger does next!

2.)  A few weeks ago, MG fantasy author Brandon Mull visited the Phoenix area as part of his book tour for Arcade Catastrophe, the newest installment in his Candy Shop Wars series.  My daughter (the same bookish young lady I talked about above) came home with amazing news: not only would the author be visiting her school, but she had been picked to introduce him when he spoke to the student body.  Thrilled does not begin to describe her reaction to this fabulous opportunity.



I had planned to join her on the Big Day, but a monster cold was kicking my butt, so I ended up at the doctor's office instead.  My daughter said the whole thing was awesome.  She had lots of fun listening to and visiting with the very, very nice Brandon Mull.  Our whole family had actually gone to see him at Deseret Book the previous year (see photo above), but she was excited to spend more time with him.

The good folks at Shadow Mountain asked me to post the book trailer for Arcade Games (which I haven't read, but my daughter says is great) a few weeks ago.  I'm a little late, but here you go:



Pretty fun, right?

3.)  I abhor Black Friday shopping, let me say that right now.  But, when my mom and sister are visiting and want to chase deals at Deseret Book (since neither of them have one close to where they live), who am I to spoil the fun with my I-hate-Black-Friday attitude?  There weren't very many people at DB, thank goodness, plus there were some good deals going on, plus we finished our little excursion at Tia Rosa's, the best Mexican restaurant around, so it was all good.

Anyway, while I was in the store, I noticed Mark S. Nielsen sitting at a table signing copies of his book, I Believe in Jesus Too.  The title will probably sound familiar because I reviewed it not long ago.  As we chatted, Mark asked about doing another giveaway on my blog, just like the one I ran back in May.  Of course, I agreed.  It's a lovely book and I'm happy to help someone win a copy of it.  Although it's not preachy, I Believe in Jesus Too is about children who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Obviously, you don't have to be LDS to enter the contest, but I wanted to make sure you all know that it is about Mormonism.

Okay, so, up for grabs is one hardcover copy of I Believe in Jesus Too.  The giveaway IS open internationally.  Here's what you need to do to enter—just leave a comment on this post by midnight on January 1st saying that you're interested in winning the book.  For fun, why don't you tell me what you're looking forward to most this holiday season.  And ... that's it.  Easy cheesy.  Good luck!

Let's see, I think that's all I've got for you today.  Watch for more reviews to come, but if they don't happen right away ... forgive me, yeah?

So, the picture's a little blurry (camera phone), but, as you can (kinda) see, the fam and I went to see Brandon Mull last night. We all love his Fablehaven series, so we were excited to meet Brandon and have him sign some books for us. We were some of the first ones at Deseret Book last night, so we had lots of time to talk to him. Brandon was wonderful - very personable and fun. We all enjoyed chatting with him. The kids were especially star struck :) My 12-year-old kept saying, "I can't believe I actually got to talk to Brandon Mull!"

If you live in the Mesa/Phoenix area, be sure to stop by and see Brandon. He'll be at the East Mesa Costco this afternoon (starting at 11, I think) and later, at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe. You can see his other tour stops here.

Lastly, I promised Brandon I would check out the book trailer to A World Without Heroes, the first book in his new Beyonders series and post it if I found it to be "blog-worthy." I do, so here it is:

The sanctuary holds many secrets, the biggest of which is a magical artifact. It's so powerful that no one knows its location. Not that that's stopping anyone from searching. Kendra's grandparents have brought in a team of experts - Tanu, a potions master; Vanessa, a trapper of mystical life forms; and Coulter, the Indiana Jones of the magical world - to help them find the treasure before members of Society of he Evening Star can take it and use it for their own nefarious purposes. As Kendra and Seth learn from the newcomers, they make a startling discovery: someone in the house is a traitor. Is it the jolly poisons expert? The beautiful trapper? The curmudgeonly treasure hunter? Or someone much closer to home?

Imps, brownies, satyrs, naiads, fairies, blixes, even a golem, oh my! When 14-year-old Kendra Sorenson and her 11-year-old brother Seth arrive at their grandparents' estate, they have no idea that its grounds teem with mystical creatures. All they see is a sprawling mansion with no t.v. or Internet where they will have to stave off boredom while their parents live it up on a 17-day Scandinavian cruise. At least they can jump in the swimming pool or explore the lush, butterfly-filled gardens. Grandpa Sorenson has warned them away from the forest that rings the house, but his explanation seems fishy - ticks? For real? It's almost as if there's something else living in the woods. Something ... magical.

Always obedient, Kendra resigns herself to two weeks of painting, sunning herself by the pool, and trying to solve the puzzle her grandfather left for her. Leave it to foolhardy Seth to plunge right into the one place they're not supposed to go - the woods. His bumbling leads to a shocking discovery: Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson are the caretakers of Fablehaven, a sanctuary for magical beings. Residents of the preserve range from resourceful brownies to playful satyrs to bloodthirsty demons. Grandpa's restrictions are still in place: wandering through the place can be dangerous, if not deadly. Still, it's a land full of wonders. And secrets. Like, what's in the barn? Why do they have to stay hidden on Midsummer's Eve? And, where's Grandma Sorenson?

All the excitement becomes a little too much for Seth, a boy not known for his inhibition. One false step and he manages to unleash an ancient evil into the relative peace of Fablehaven. The centuries-old laws which keep it all in check have been broken. Danger lurks around every corner in a place where spiteful fairies use powerful spells to exact revenge, naiads lure unsuspecting visitors to their watery graves, and something as harmless as a wooden puppet can become a most terrifying foe. Now, the fate of Fablehaven, its caretakers, and every one of its dwellers is in the hands of two children. Kendra's never cared much for adventure; Seth likes it a little too much - can the pair of them rally enough courage and common sense to save the preserve, themselves and, quite possibly, the world? Or will they, too, become victims of the horrors that roam the grounds of a bewitching little place known as Fablehaven?

Children finding hidden worlds in seemingly ordinary places is not exactly a fresh literary device. Still, Fablehaven, the first book in Brandon Mull's popular series, proves that originality still exists in the world of fantasy. While we've seen satyrs and demons and fairies before, we've never met creatures quite like the ones that crawl out of Mull's vivid imagination. They're creative, fun, and rarely predictable. Not unlike this series. Fablehaven's humans need some fleshing out, its prose could use a polish, and a little pep wouldn't hurt the dialogue one bit. Despite that, the book's a fun, action-packed start to what promises to be a thrilling series. Clean, upbeat, and exciting, Fablehaven's one of those series that's sure to enchant all readers, be they children, adults or something in between. Just know that when entering a magical sanctuary, it's best to tread carefully, expect the unexpected, and, above all, drink your milk. Consider yourself warned.

(Readalikes: reminded me a lot of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, a little of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for fantasy violence

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Fablehaven from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain. Thank you!