Mundie Moms

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Books, News & Other Things (IMM #131)

Happy Sunday! Here's some of the goodies that arrived this week in my mailbox.




For Review:
Mundie Kids:
Bought:
  • Wildwood by Colin Meloy, already reviewed and LOVED it
  • The Apothecary by Maile Meloy, already reviewed and loved it
  • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, this is an adult book a ton of my mom friends of been trying to get me to read for a few years now. I finally picked up this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing what this series is all about.
Thank you to: Simon & Schuster Audio, Random House/Sarah Rees Brennan, Splinter/Jean Book Nerd, Mtv Books/Nancy Holder, and Derek the Ghost for this week's awesome reads!

What goodies did you receive this week?

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Here's a quick re-cap of some of the things that were featured on MM's this past week. 

TMI/ID News:
Book Reviews:
Author Interview:
Exclusive Cover Reveals:

Thanks for stopping by the blog! Have a fabulous Sunday and great rest of your week!

Book Review: Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn

Publisher: Viking
Release Date: June 14, 2012
Source: Purchased / ARC for review from publisher
Rating: 4 stars -- I enjoyed it.

Synopsis: When sixteen-year-old Violet agrees to spend the summer with her father, an up-and-coming artist in Seattle, she has no idea what she's walking into. Her father's newest clients, the Yamada family, are the victims of a high-profile art robbery: van Gogh sketches have been stolen from their home, and, until they can produce the corresponding painting, everyone's lives are in danger--including Violet's and her father's.

Violet's search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery thickens, Violet's not sure whom she can trust. But she knows one thing: she has to solve the mystery--before it's too late.


 
I love heist plots. They’re my absolute favorite and what I like best about reading them is the anticipation in wondering just how all the pieces of the puzzle will fall.  My favorite theme in stories is anything involving families. Diana Renn combines both of those in Tokyo Heist and boy, does she do it well.
What I loved most about Diana’s book is that it’s not told from the traditional heist point-of-view (usually the people pulling off the heist), rather it’s told from the character who is trying to solve the mystery of who stole the sketches. The character of Violet, the sleuthing protagonist, is downright adorable. I loved her voice and her inner determination. I also loved how her skills in drawing her graphic story, Kimono Girl, gave her a better understanding of her artist father. Her father, a single dad who is paid handsomely to create a mural for a wealthy, Japanese businessman (the very one whose Van Gogh sketches were stolen), immerses himself in his art and demands no distractions. This leaves Violet and her quirky friend, Reika, free to pursue leads on the investigation.
Diana also creates believable stakes. After all, Violet and Reika are teenagers and yet, they find themselves stumbling upon and logically connecting clues that the adults investigating the crime missed or simply didn’t know existed. I liked the fact that they worked hard at finding the logic thread in the mystery.
I must admit that I fell for a red herring or two and when the crime was solved by Violet, I did breathe out a relieved, “HA! I knew it!”  I think that’s all part of the fun of second guessing this type of plot.
As for art, well, the theme is handled beautifully. The book is carefully researched and the Author’s Note in the back explains how Diana was inspired to write the history of the artwork mentioned.
For those of us who love a little romance, don’t worry, there’s just enough of it in Tokyo Heist to make it interesting. And those moments are presented with a sweetness that still makes me smile when I remember it.
If you’re looking for a good mystery with a great setting (it makes me want to visit Tokyo even more), and an artistic protagonist who will not give up until the right criminal is found, you will love Tokyo Heist. This heist story is beach-bag worthy. Be sure to pick it up at your favorite bookstore or library.

This Week's YA Book News

There has been a ton of exciting book news this week! Most of which has been for us TMI fans, as the CP2 cover was revealed, we received some exciting TMI movie casting news and a few exciting Clockwork Princess teasers. I know in all my excitement over all the TMI/ID news I missed some other books news. 

Here's a recap of what I did catch this week:




In case you missed it, Cassie revealed the cover for Clockwork Princess this week on her tumblr. Talk about a lovely cover. The Infernal Devices series has the best covers! I love that Simon & Schuster has featured Will, Jem and now Tessa on each cover, and has kept with the same theme through out the series. You can find my posts about the cover reveal here and here.


TMI Movie News: We finally have our SIMON!! With the TMI movie set to start filming in August, Cassie was able to reveal to us fans who SIMON will be. Congratulations to Robert Sheehan for getting this coveted role! I can't wait to see him bring Simon to life on the big screen. 




Along with the movie casting news, Cassie also revealed the TMI movie poster! I seriously love the use of the rune in the word of. The thing that excites me the most with all the movie news, is that now it finally feels like the movie is actually happening. I know I'm not the only TMI fan who feels that way. I can't wait for more casting news. You can find all the latest TMI movie news here. 




Tracy Deebs revealed her cover for her upcoming YA book (set to be released in January of 2013), DOOMED here on Mundie Moms, as well as a few other sites. You can find out more info about the book, and read an excerpt here




Magic Mayhem's cover release, which is edited by Douglas Rees and Laurie McLean was also featured this here on Mundie Moms. Set to be released this October, this book is a collection of stories from a variety of YA authors. You can find out more about the book here.



Julie Cross's sequel to Tempest, VORTEX's cover was released this past week on EW. I love that this cover is a complements Tempest's cover. 






Julie Kagawa revealed her Iron Fey series has recently been released in Japan! Check out these awesome magna covers! She also linked to the artist, Hideyuki Mori, who's the artist behind the covers. I have to say, I hope he does an Iron Fey Graphic Novel, because his artwork is awesome! Check out more of his Iron Fey work here.

If there's any other exciting book news that was revealed this week, please feel free to link to it in the comments. 

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