Bookish friends are among the best kinds of friends, don't you think? I met one of my favorite friends when we were both in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps together. Honestly, I have no recollection of what brought us together but from my end, what keeps me obsessed with Alexis is the fact that she is one of, if not THE most caring person I have ever met. She is someone who actually listens to people and remembers details about their lives. I have a million and one other reasons to love her but one of the most glaring is that she is amazing at talking about books. I consider her to be a very well-read person and our tastes often overlap so I think it's also safe to say that she has impeccable taste. (I'm sure one of the traits Alexis loves about me is my AMAZING sense of humor) Even though we've been having great success with our recommendations, I knew Tatiana, Catie, and I needed a break from challenging each other in She Made Me Do It, so I decided to enlist this real-life reader bud of mine for the job of recommendation-maker. Plus, it has the added bonus of keeping us in touch since Alexis is finishing up her PhD on the east coast and I am just sitting here soaking up the fall Seattle rain. So, here we go...

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

What it's about: A young woman on the way home stumbles into a dying man and takes up his mission, delivering a message to the king.  The simple delivery turns into a major adventure.

Why I think she'll like it:  I read A LOT of fantasy books with strong female leads thrust into world saving adventures.  Green Rider doesn't break the mold, but instead fits the mold really really well.  This is a satisfying fantasy adventure romp with a great female lead that keeps you wanting more.  I recommend this to Flannery because sometimes a person is just looking for a comfort read--a classic, well written, fantasy epic.

Maus by Art Speigelman

What it's about: A graphic novel that depicts one man's survival during the Holocaust and his son's efforts to remember and understand his father's journey.

Why I think she'll like it:  This book was assigned to me in one of my first college classes.  I remember going to the university book store to buy all of my assigned books and picking up Maus and feeling so liberated.  No more textbooks!  Maus is a powerful, complex story enhanced by the visual imagery.  Since Flannery is on a graphic novel kick, I want her to read the book that started my obsession with graphic novels and remains my absolute favorite.

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

What it's about: A rookie in the Provost Guard tries to make it as a crime fighter in the roughest part of town.

Why I think she'll like it: I am always recommending Tamora Pierce books to Flan and she seems to enjoy them (although perhaps not with as much devotion as me).  I think she will like this latest installment because it is the same fun, easy reading as Pierce's other Tortall books but focuses on the seedy underbelly which makes for some unique, entertaining characters and adventures.

On Green Rider: This is probably the one I am most excited about because it has been a priority read for me for a year or two. I need the push and I hope this is the one that will get me over the finish line because I could do with a good fantasy novel at the moment, especially a female-driven one.

On Maus: This is such a classic graphic novel and I'm really ashamed I haven't read it yet. My family has had a copy of it on our bookshelves for decades and I'm fairly sure that every one of my siblings has already read it. *sigh* This is absolutely first on my list. I already checked out both volumes from the library and I am waiting until after work tomorrow to read them in case they make me cry, which I have a feeling they might.

On Terrier: Tamora Pierce is such a comfort read for me, and Alexis knows this. She's read many more of Pierce's books, maybe even all of them, but I still have many more to go. True confession: I even have two of Alexis's Tamora Pierce books sitting in a pile of books in my bedroom. Anyway, Pierce writes awesome young confident female characters and I am certain I will love this book.

Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose

What It's About: A jury of men deliberating about the guilt or innocence of a young man accused of murder.

Why I think she'll like it: Alexis is smart. She is also interested in politics and I think that interest will translate to the same kind of interest I had in this play from the 1950s. Alexis keeps up with the news and I found Twelve Angry Men to be scary--it reminded me just who makes up juries and how much trust we put in everyday people. I bet she'll find it just as compelling as I did.

Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer

What it's about: A pastry chef. Romance. You know the rest.

Why I think she'll like it: Alexis is like me in that she loves reading random contemporary romances to decompress. This book isn't earth-shattering or anything but I think she'll like it and it's very low on the attention requirement scale. I'm certain she could read this very fast but I'm also sure that she won't have any trouble dropping and picking the story back up later.

Saga, vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

What It's about: A pair of star-crossed lovers (well, spouses) in space.

Why I think she'll like it: Well, I'm not positive she'll will, but I have high hopes. After she included Maus as one of her recommendations for me, I thought about what graphic novels she might like since I have read so, so many this year so far. I picked Saga because Alexis loves space stories (when they are well done), and I think Saga is the best graphic novel in that area.

On Seeing Me Naked: I haven't heard of this book but it does sound right up my alley and I am definitely in need of some fluffy romance to decompress.  I also happen to love books that involve cooking or baking which is an added bonus.  Flannery says I will read this quickly which is probably a good thing because I suspect I will be craving baked goods throughout.

On Twelve Angry Men: Flannery does know me well.  Back when I wanted to go to law school as a kid, this was one of my favorite movies.  At the time, it never occurred to me to read the original source material.  I will be interested to read this and go back to the movie as well for comparison.

On Saga, Vol. 1: The short blurb for this series sounds fantastic.  I am intrigued that the main characters are married--so many of the books I read these days are "will they or won't they?" romance plotlines.  My only worry with this graphic novel is that it will take awhile to identify with the main characters when one has moth wings and the other one has ram horns.  I am up for the challenge though, haha.

I'm not usually a fan of angel books but I kept hearing from blogger and Goodreads friends of mine that I should give the Rephaim series by Paula Weston a try, and they were right. This series, if the first book serves as a basis, is the exception rather than the rule. I found myself totally entertained for the entirety and it has that uniquely Aussie feel to it. So when Weston's US/Canadian publisher, Tundra Books, asked if we might participate in the blog tour for Shadows, I had no hesitation in saying yes. I mean, take a look at these reviews by some of my buddies: Nomes from Inkcrush, Mandee from Vegan YA Nerds, Trinity from Trin in the Wind, and Keertana from Ivy Book Bindings. (there are many, many more!) I am very happy that the lovely author agreed to answer some questions for me today on the blog. After listening to a few podcasts on which she was a guest, reading tons of Google links about her, and, of course, reading the book, I had tons of questions. It was pretty hard to narrow them down so I didn't--and she answered them all! I hope you all will enjoy her answers as much as I did. And go get the book! Here are the links to Amazon, B & N, and Book Depository.

1.       I listened to a podcast interview in which you talked a bit about the changes that were made for the UK version of Shadows. Has anything changed for the US/Canada edition? Was it mostly (or only) word choice changes or has anything plot-related changed?

First up – thanks for having me. :-)

Tundra Books has taken a very light approach with the US/Canadian edition, with all changes being minor and relating to individual words. There are some basic changes, like ‘carpark’ becoming ‘parking lot’ and ‘takeaway’ becoming ‘takeout’, and then others where the Australian terms would have had no meaning to those unfamiliar with them – ‘loo’ (washroom), ‘jumper’ (sweater) and ‘doona’ (blanket). And, of course, ‘stubbies’ have become ‘shorts’. Stubbies are a brand of shorts that are quite iconic for working class guys in Australia (or, in the case of the Butler brothers, farmers of illegal crops).

Happily, nothing has changed relating to characters, plot, structure etc.

2.       One aspect of Shadows I particularly enjoyed was the balance of supernatural and human characters. So often, the human characters in paranormal stories can come off as helpless or totally one-dimensional but some of my favorite moments involved Maggie, the Butler Brothers, or other fully human characters. Do you have as much fun writing those characters as you do those with more fantastical abilities?

Absolutely. The Butler brothers are among my favourite characters to write, particularly Mick as he says exactly what he’s thinking, without finesse. I don’t share his attitudes, but I like the idea of having meat-head guys like the Butlers getting caught up in this epic battle involving demons, angels and half-angels. I enjoy writing Maggie too. It took me a little while to flesh out her character because I definitely wanted her to be more than a one-dimensional best friend. The light bulb moment for me came when my editor challenged me to think more about why Maggie and Gaby had become friends. Once I worked that out, their relationship became more organic and real, and is now one of my favourites in the series.

3.       Without getting too spoilery, memory loss plays a part in the plot of Shadows. While I’ve read in other interviews that you knew the overall story arcs for the series, when you worked on Shadows, did you know everything that had happened during that “missing time”? (e.g. Did you have an outline of prior events that took place before the novel?)

Mostly. :-) From the start, I’ve known what happened between Gaby and Rafa, and what Gaby and Jude did that left everyone thinking they were dead. I’m still refining the detail as I work my way through the series and the critical moments take more solid shape (particularly the events leading up to them). The more time I spend with the characters, the better I understand them, which helps flesh out the detail in a way that feels ‘real’. I don’t think it’s giving too much away to say readers will know the details of those critical past events by the end of the series – with a few other reveals along the way as well.

4.       Think there’s any chance we might ever get to see those two plays and five manuscripts you finished before Shadows?

Hmm, not sure about the plays, and three of those earlier manuscripts will definitely never see the light of day. But I still think the fantasy series I was working on before Shadows has some promise, so I’d like to return to it some time in the future. (One of the rejections I received was on the basis it was YA, so I guess it’s a YA fantasy series – which I’m comfortable with.) I’ve learned so much as a writer since working with a professional editor and I’d like to apply that knowledge to the series – but not just yet. I have too many other ideas to explore first.

5.       I have to be honest, I don’t usually like angel books. Shadows is one of the only exceptions I’ve found and I read it because so many bloggers and Goodreads friends of mine recommended it to me. What do you think of the role social media sites play in book publicity these days? Do you think word-of-mouth recommendations like the ones I received have affected you as an author?

Great question! For a genre-writer (especially a genre YA writer), social media and word-of-mouth is invaluable. In Australia, it can be tough to get genre YA novels reviewed in mainstream media, so bloggers, social media and word-of-mouth has been really important. This probably sounds naïve, but I had no idea how many angel books were out there when I wrote Shadows, and had no clue of the love/hate relationship readers have with them. So the very kind word-of-mouth provided by book bloggers and on Goodreads has been a huge bonus. You’re right, it’s enticed readers to give my series a go – not just in Australia, but in other parts of the world. Of course Shadows is not for everyone, I get that, but it’s nice not to be dismissed straight out of hand for being ‘another angel story’. And I have a lot of wonderful bloggers to thank for that.

6.       You’ve said that you feel Shadows is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance and that you agree with idea that UF might be described as a story in which the romance could easily be removed and the story wouldn’t fall apart. (or the story wouldn’t lose its biggest element) Do you read much in the UF genre? Do you have any recommendations?

Tags for books are such tricky things, and they can’t help but shape reader expectations. I tend to describe the Rephaim series as urban fantasy over paranormal romance because, while the relationship between Gaby and Rafa is a core part of the story, theirs is not a sweet, epic romance. I worry that readers looking for a more traditional romance (as the paranormal romance tag might suggest) will be disappointed/frustrated when it doesn’t deliver. But if they like an antagonistic relationship and are interested in the broader world building within the story, then the Rephaim series could still work for them.

But to answer your question, I do enjoy urban fantasy. I’ve recently discovered Marjorie Liu’s Hunter Kiss series, which is wonderfully complex with intricate world building and a well-rounded female narrative character. Other favourites are Deadtown by Nancy Holzner and Hounded by Kevin Hearne (both first novels in their respective adult series). In the YA sphere, I’d recommend a witty and clever Australian novel called The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks, and Julie Kagawa’s Blood of Eden urban fantasy/dystopian series (starting with The Immortal Rules).

As for other recommendations that could (very) loosely be tagged urban fantasy: Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Boys series. (Okay, so this is just an excuse to talk about two series I particularly love.)

7.       What’s next after you finish the Rephaim series? Any stories itching to be written?

As a matter of fact, I’ve had an idea percolating away for a few months now, again starting with two characters and an interesting situation. It’s YA, has an urban fantasy twist, but is nothing to do with angels. I’ve written some preliminary notes, but won’t be developing the idea until I’ve submitted a draft of Book 4 of the Rephaim series.

8.       You’ve managed to do something extremely notable with the two main characters in Shadows—you wrote a female character who is very capable and a male love interest who treats her as an equal. (I wish this wasn’t notable in YA world) Who are your favorite couples in literature? (Yes, I realize that Rafa and Gaby aren’t technically a couple but let’s be real here, everyone who reads the book is rooting for them.)

Thank you. That’s a huge compliment.

This question turned out to be deceptively tricky! I love so many books and characters, but when I thought about favourite couples it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. So, after mulling it over, I realise that two of my all-time favourite couples are in Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere Chronicles: Finnikin and Evangeline and Froi and Quintana. In both relationships, the people involved have to see beyond each other’s flaws and address their own. Love and trust is hard-earned – on both sides – which makes it all the more sweet and rewarding when they finally sort themselves out. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice rank up there too. I’m actually really interested to hear other people’s thoughts on this one.

9.       Even though the first book in the Rephaim series is only just being released in the US/Canada, the second has already been released in Australia. Now that you’ve spent so much time with your characters, do you have any actors/actresses in mind when you write, in terms of either looks or personality?

Not when I’m writing them, but I do occasionally see an actor in a particular role and think they’re the right ‘type’ for one of my characters. For example, in Friends with Benefits, there’s that moment when Mila Kunis’ character runs into the doctor she’s just spent the night with when he’s trying to sneak away. To me, the send off she gives him is vintage Gaby (and her look is very close to how I imagine Gaby – except Gaby would be a bit taller). Fellow Aussie author Vikki Wakefield told me she pictures Taylor Kitsch when she thinks of Jude, which totally works for me. :-) As for Rafa, I really haven’t seen anyone that captures the image I have of him in my head. But of course that’s the beauty of characters on the page – we can imagine them in ways that work for each of us.

10.  What are your favorite types of scenes to write? The action ones? The witty dialogue?

I love writing dialogue. I learn so much more about my characters when they’re interacting. The witty stuff is fun (glad you found it witty!), but so are the arguments – especially between Gaby and Rafa. I also enjoy a good action scene, especially one that gets my heart racing when I’m writing it (like the cage scene at the Sanctuary). And those moments when Gaby and Rafa are doing things other than arguing…they’re fun too. :-)

Paula, thank you so much for visiting today and for thoughtfully answering all of my questions. I hope readers in the US and Canada will enjoy the Rephaim series as much as those in Australia have. And if you are a reader, check out Shadows to see if you'll like it as much as me! If you liked this interview and/or you love the series or are intrigued enough to find out more, you should check out the rest of the stops on Weston's US/Canada blog tour.

Have you read Shadows or any more of the books in the Rephaim series? What did you think? What'd you think of Paula's answers to my questions?

A few months ago, I signed up for a crazy ambitious challenge that a bunch of bloggers organized called Classics Retold. The aim of the event? For bloggers to select a classic work and then evaluate the retellings, sequels, and adaptations of it. Since the scope of source material is so vast, there are several organizers, each in charge of a different section of source material. Here they are:

• Alyssa @ Books Take You Places is in charge of Ancient to Renaissance Lit Classics. Sign up post
• Brittany @ Book Addict’s Guide is in charge of Mythology Classics. Sign up post
• Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy is in charge of 19th Century and Gothic Classics. Sign up post
• Alison @ The Cheap Reader is in charge of Children’s Classics. Sign up post
• Wendy @ Excellent Library is in charge of American & Misc. Classics. Sign up post

I thought for a while about what book I would like to tackle but finally decided on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. How many adaptations could there be, right? BAHAHAHA, WRONG. There are so, so many. Today, since it is already halfway through September, I just wanted to finally put a post up acknowledging that I am working on this project--though it will probably take me further into October--and to start talking a bit about what's out there in terms of retellings. Let's look at the movie and television adaptations...

I'm very excited to tell you that, DRUMROLL PLEASE, there is a Lifetime movie about the March sisters and it only came out last year! The March Sisters at Christmas (2012) centers on the four sisters in modern times trying to keep hold of their family's dilapidated estate. It doesn't sound from the blurb on IMDB like it will be anything other than a very loose adaptation but it does have something that I love watching movies about: home renovations. I spent a few bucks and bought this version on iTunes so it will be the second retelling I'll tackle.  Have I mentioned I'm far more excited to watch retellings than read them? I don't have a lot of free time these days and he time investment is much lower with movies. I can just lay around on the couch like a slug instead of doing all that hard work of turning pages or hitting 'next page' on my Kindle.

There are a few more versions that I don't think I'll be able to find access to, especially not in the next month. These include the 1918 version and the 1970 TV miniseries. Sigh, there just is never enough time.

Hey, look!  We made it through another round of recommendations! In this dry spell of a summer that we all seem to be having, I call this a victory, even if all the recommendations are short works of fiction. The fantastic thing about these short challenges is that we have a much higher completion percentage. This time, each of us read at least two of the challenge recs. We're hoping to ease our way back into the blogging world in the next few weeks. Here's to hoping we have as much success at that as we did in this challenge. Be sure to let us know if you have any recommendations for short fiction in the comments.

Tatiana read: EVERYTHING!

Verdict: Coincidentally, I liked Flannery's recommendations in the order the appear above - from the best to less... best.

Iphegenia in Aulis was the best for me. It was such interesting twist on a familiar trope! I won't mention which trope, not to spoil things, but this paranormal story was awesome (much better than the Sookie short that was in the same collection) and probably the best work of fiction about this particular type of creature.

I enjoyed Y as well. One day all male species die out and the MC is the only surviving man. How will this women-filled world function? I didn't agree with all the extrapolations Vaughan came up with in this comic, and yet it was entertaining. I will eventually read the rest of this series.

Finally, Address Unknown. I definitely wasn't as impressed by it as Catie and Flannery had been, but to be fair, it's hard for me to be impressed by a Nazi story (I had been raised on WWII books and movies), but I appreciated the clever twist.

Great picks again!

Catie read: Hell is the Absence of God and Wenlock Edge...plus a few others from Ted Chiang and the entire volume of stories from Alice Munro.

Verdict:  I can credit Tatiana with introducing me to two new favorite authors this month, as I adored both of these collections.  I haven't read the entire Ted Chiang yet but I'm working my way through steadily (and out of order, for some reason).  Hell is the Absence of God is the absolutely frightening story of a man who lives in a world where visitations from terrifying and destructive angels are an everyday occurrence.  Heaven is populated by those who believe in God; whereas, hell is quite a bit like Earth – only without all the hindrances of corporeality.  When the main character loses his beloved wife, a believer, he as a non-believer struggles to reconcile his desire to see her again with his complete lack of faith.  The ending is a bleak punch to the face look at the darker side of absolute faith that left me feeling sick and cold.  In other words, I absolutely loved it.  Chiang’s other stories (the ones I’ve read so far) are likewise brilliant – he writes hard science fiction with an emphasis on the hard.  I would recommend his writing to those who love Ursula K. Le Guin or Bernard Beckett.

Too Much Happiness was just genius from start to finish; although, I must say that Wenlock Edge wasn’t my favorite in the collection.  Munro has a very quiet, understated way of writing that seeps into you and makes you feel more and more uneasy.  It’s that feeling of standing in a completely bland, normal looking room and just knowing that somewhere, something is terribly off.  She is an expert in building quiet tension and although her stories don’t often end with fireworks, they leave a definite mark.  My favorites in the collection were Dimensions, about a woman who can’t seem to separate herself from her abusive husband and Deep-Holes, about a mother who constantly undermines herself for her husband and children.

In conclusion, my main verdict is this: Tatiana has impeccable taste.  Thanks for another great round!

Flannery read: Fade to White and Black Step.

Verdict: Fade to White is the first of Valente's work I've read and it certainly won't be the last. I've already recommended this story to several more readers. I could absolutely picture every part of it as a movie. I WISH IT WAS A MOVIE. My heart broke for one of the characters and in such a short piece, that is a feat. I liked Valente's style, particularly the way she describes things and how her characters interact. Black Step I didn't like as much, but I think part of that could be that I wanted it to be a story by Ron Rash, one of my new loves. There were several images in the story that I loved and I am still thinking about it a few hours after completing it, which is always a good sign. Catie is right that this author and collection are good recommendations to people who enjoyed Rash's Nothing Gold Can Stay. I definitely plan on reading the rest of this collection, though I think I might enjoy Woodrell's work even more in audio format. There's something about these dark, depressing tales that lend themselves to audio performance. I suppose it is the way each of them feel like a character telling a short story--it feels like oral history. I wanted to read Squirrel Meets Chipmunk but just didn't make the time this month. I will eventually, though! Thanks for the recommendations, Catie!