BOOK NEWS FOR FEB. 4TH: NEW HOUSE OF NIGHT, SCI FI TO KEEP YOU AWAKE, TIME TRAVEL, WEREWOLVES, AND MORE

from the House of Night Series site: Burned cover art and release date

The 7th book in the House of Night Series now has cover art and a release date: April 27th. Here’s the book summary:

“Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird’s soul has shattered. With everything she’s ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey’s fading fast. It’s seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her.  But how?  He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates.  And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left…

Enter  BFF Stevie Rae.  She wants to help Z but she has massive problems of her own.  The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences.”

Read More here

By Hannah Huber at the Tennessee Journalist: Stephenie Meyer’s new novel eclipsed by “Twilight” series

The Twilight series has been an astonishing hit among teens and young adults, resulting in two hit films and described by the Wall Street Journal as the successor to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Stephenie Meyer’s other novel, The Host, is aimed at a more adult audience and seems to be overlooked by her large Twilight fan base.

On her official Web site, Meyer describes her novel as “science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction.” In an exclusive interview with Meyer, sponsored by Barnes and Noble, Meyer explains why her novel should not be considered a typical “sci-fi” book and tells her viewers why it can still entice the fans of the Twilight series.

“[The Host] gives a similar experience to the Twilight saga… it’s still a story based on the characters. It’s about the love story, and about what it means to be human, rather than being a science fiction novel about ray guns and space ships.”

Read More here

By Alan Cheuse at wburg.org: Sci-Fi Novels To Keep You Awake At Night

I started out as an adolescent reader feasting on science fiction, and even as I studied modern literature — and decades after that, began writing stories and novels of my own — I have kept up my habit of turning to science fiction, as I do also to thrillers, to clear my palate between books I think of as more serious. Or, as I like to think of it, sometimes you want filet mignon, sometimes you crave a Big Mac.

So I couldn’t have been happier to dig into these two new novels, each in its own way a fast track to narrative satiety. Charlie Huston’s new novel, Sleepless, posits an insomnia plague spreading across Southern California (and the rest of the country). After such popular works as Stephen King’s The Stand and Guillermo del Toro’s recent zombie treat The Strain, (or terrific movies like 28 Days Later), we know pretty much how this works — with a disease that spreads rapidly across towns and cities by airborne transmission or from biter to bitee, one chomp at a time.

Read More here

By Annalee Newitz at io9: Time Travel Back To The London Blitz In Connie Willis’ New Novel “Blackout”

Famed SF author Connie Willis’ first novel in five years, Blackout, returns to a scenario she’s explored before: Time-traveling scholars find themselves changing historical events they’re only supposed to observe. This sprawling novel veers between historical travelogue and futuristic thriller.

One of Willis’ strengths as an author is her attention to detail, both in terms of historical worldbuilding and characters. In Blackout (Bantam Spectra), which mostly takes place in early 1940s England, her main characters are finely observed, prone to fits of pettiness as well as moments of extreme bravery. We never forget that these are fairly ordinary history graduate students, dealing with departmental politics as well as time travel. On their missions, they discover that even in the midst of war, the British continue on with their lives, reading fashion magazines and worrying over their naughty children.

Read More here

via FlashNews: Werewolves Finally Get The Girl

Finally, werewolves – not vampires – have a shot at getting the girl.In the midst of vampire favoritism spawned by Twilight, personalized book company Book By You has released Fierce Moon, a steamy werewolf romance novel.

By completing a questionnaire, couples can be turned into the main characters in the book – a heroine and her werewolf love interest.

Book By You founder Mike Pocock says the novel finally gives werewolves a chance to shine since vampires are “getting a little old.”

Read More here

I still haven’t read The Host. It just doesn’t interest me as much as some other books at the moment. For instance, Blackout looks good; so does The Strain.

Are you excited about the new House of Night book? What are you reading next?