Top Ten Movie Countdown

Huzzah! Today is Alex J. Cavanaugh's Top Ten Movie Countdown blogfest! I love making lists, and I haven't done my favourite movies yet, so this is perfect timing!

I am actually going to play strictly to the rules and only pick ONE movie per slot (e.g. I won't be cheating and mentioning the whole Harry Potter series, for example.) Most of my selections are geeky, but a couple of them are not (gasp).

Without further ado, here are my favourites:

10. The Italian Job

A clever heist, good acting, and car chases that are actually interesting. This movie is fun, and even appealing to the non-geek.

9. Pride and Prejudice

What? A girly movie on my list? Come on, I think I'm entitled to at least one... And yes, it's the long BBC version.






 
8. The 10th Kingdom

No one seems to have heard of this movie, but it's so good! A fantastic twist on the "lonely lass finds her way into fairy-tale land" story. It's so much fun. I might have to write a review on it to further convince you all.





 


7. Spirited Away

Miyazaki's finest. So weird and so good.






 

6. Back to the Future

 A classic.






 



5. The Avengers

 Joss Whedon can do no wrong, can he?

4. Sword in the Stone

 My favourite Disney movie. My family can quote this one backwards and forwards.





 




3. Serenity

What was I saying about Joss Whedon? So glad Firefly got a movie that tied some of the loose ends. And it's a fantastic movie even on its own.





 


2. Empire Strikes Back

The original trilogy is still the best. I like to pretend episodes I-III don't exist. Episode V is my favourite.




 



1. The Fellowship of the Ring

I was brought up on Lord of the Rings. It was so exciting when this came out, and it absolutely didn't disappoint. It's my favourite of the trilogy.








And there you have it. Whew. So hard to pick just 10. Honorable mentions go to Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, X-Men 2, and Tangled.

What are your top ten movies? Be sure to stop by Alex's blog and visit the other participants in the fest!

Looking Forward to 2013

I posted about my favourites from 2012 last week, so I thought I'd share the books, video games, movies, and tv series that I am most looking forward to in 2013.

Books

Fantasy - Bloodfire Quest by Terry Brooks
Pub Date: March 12, 2013

Long ago, many dangerous creatures were locked behind a magical barrier, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. But now those barriers are eroding, and generations of embittered prisoners are about to escape. War seems inevitable...unless a few brave souls can stem the tide. While some venture into the forbidden lands, others must undertake a perilous quest-a quest whose success will mean the death of a young girl who has barely even begun to live, but whose failure will have unimaginable consequences. From riveting start to cliffhanger ending, this is an epic for the ages! (synopsis from Goodreads)

Sci-Fi - The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
Pub Date: February 5, 2013

A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever.

Now a man and a woman from these two clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race—and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications. As their mission hangs in the balance, this unlikely team—one cool and cerebral, the other fiery and impulsive—just may find in each other their own destinies . . . and a force that transcends all. (synopsis from Goodreads)

YA Fantasy - Pantomime by Laura Lam
Pub Date: February 5, 2013

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada. (synopsis from Goodreads)

YA Sci-Fi - Dualed by Elsie Chapman
Pub Date: February 26, 2013

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Video Games

Mistborn: Birthright
Developer: Little Orbit
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Windows, Mac
Release Date: Fall 2013
Genre: Action-RPG

This game is a prequel to the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, and the story and dialogue were written by Brandon Sanderson. I've heard great things about the Mistborn series though I've never read it. This game looks promising. 

Star Wars 1313

Developer: LucasArts
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: 2013
Genre: Action-Adventure

I get to play as a bounty hunter instead of the usual Jedi? Yes, please. (Not that being a Jedi isn't fun, but, you know, it's been done.) This game sounds more gritty than past Star Wars games, as you navigate Coruscant's underworld trying to uncover a mystery using bounty hunter gadgetry and weapons. Sounds like fun times to me!

Movies

Iron Man 3
Release Date: May 3, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness
Release Date: May 17, 2013

Ender's Game
Release Date: November 1, 2013

Thor: The Dark World
Release Date: November 8, 2013

TV Shows


Doctor Who, Season 7.5
Airing: April, 2013

Fringe, the End
Airing: January, 2013

Warehouse 13, Season  4.5
Airing: April, 2013

Woo! And there is my long list. Any of the above look good to you? What are you looking forward to in 2013?

2012 Highlights

Happy new year, everyone! I hope your new year's eve was filled with fun and cake. What, cake's not a new year's thing? Well, it should be. I thought I'd share with you my highlights from 2012 in books, video games, movies, and TV series.

Book: Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks

I am a huge Terry Brooks fan, though some of his later books I'm not enjoying as much as the older ones. But I am loving this new series. The second book in the Dark Legacy of Shannara is on my Kindle waiting to be read and reviewed, and I can't wait to get to it. You can read my review of Wards of Faerie here.

Video Game: Mass Effect 3

I am cheating a bit with this one as I haven't actually gotten to play it yet, but I will say it has been my most anticipated to play game that came out in 2012, and I can't wait to get to it.

 Movie: The Avengers

I don't think this one needs an explanation. There was action. There was humour. There was Joss Whedon directing. It was a masterpiece. (My short review is here).

TV Show: Eureka

On it's final season this year, Eureka did not suffer from the "too many seasons" syndrome, where the show gets boring (Terra Nova), old (How I Met Your Mother), or just weird (Lost). The characters were great, the plots appropriately wacky, and the funny parts made me giggle. It was a satisfying end to a satisfying show. I love it when a show ends well.

 
 You can also check out my list of Top 5 Sci-fi/Fantasy TV Shows of 2012 on TV Geek Army.

'Tis the Season for Guest Posts and The Hobbit

I grew up with knowledge of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It was my family's tradition to watch the old cartoon versions every year on Halloween and we switched to Peter Jackson's versions with delight when they came out. When I was old enough, I read the books and loved them. So it was with great expectations that I waited for this movie, and with great excitement I went to see it.

Maybe I was too excited and built my expectations too high, because I was a little bit disappointed. They added a lot of things that weren't in the book; I haven't read The Silmarillion or other background lore, so I'm not entirely sure what they got from Tolkien and what they made up. The whole Necromancer plot and the pale orc are not part of The Hobbit, anyway. The movie definitely didn't have to be so long. I feel like they're just doing everything they can to milk the story and lengthen it into three movies so they can make more money (well, of course they are), and that is sad.

That being said, it was still enjoyable. I absolutely loved Martin Freeman's performance as Bilbo and Richard Armitage as Thorin. Their acting made the movie for me. The scenes from Middle Earth were beautiful, as expected. The dwarves' haunting singing and Bilbo riddling with Gollum were also two of my favourite parts.

What did you think of The Hobbit?

Guest Posting News

It really does seem to be the season for me to visit other blogs and websites. Stop by sci-fi author Eric Diehl's blog today for a re-post of my review for Terry Brooks' Wards if Faerie.

Also, I am opening up Geek Banter for guest posts in the new year! If you would like to post here on a geeky topic (this could be on anything from TV shows, movies, books, video games, writing, fantasy, sci-fi, or other geek culture), shoot me an email and let me know what you would like to post about.

Happy Christmas, everyone!

Genre Favourites Blogfest

It is Alex J. Cavanaugh's Genre Favourites Blofest today, and I am pleased to join in the fun of listing our favourite genres in movies, music, and books. Thanks for hosting this, Alex! Be sure and visit the link for other participants in the blogfest.

 Favourite movie genre: Science Fiction

I love stories that take place in space, or that take place in our world with sci-fi elements (time travel, anyone?). I was introduced to Star Wars as a little girl and my love of sci-fi has only grown from there. I love the interesting technology and endless opportunities sci-fi offers. Some of my favourite movies are Star Wars, X-Men, Back to the Future, and Serenity. I also am a huge fan of the TV shows Doctor Who, Firefly, Fringe, and Stargate.

Favourite music genre: Progressive Metal

My favourite bands and genres change as I get tired of what I've been listening to, but right now I've been enjoying Progressive Metal. I find it was an acquired taste, as it is very different from other genres. It is not something that you will hear on most radio stations. I have been enjoying Seventh Wonder, Dream Theater, Kamelot, and Symphony X. I also love instrumental music, especially from video games. There are so many awesome soundtracks from video games like Halo, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Zelda, and more.

Favourite book genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy

I love reading about other worlds. For those of us with big imaginations who love to escape into another realm or planet, sci-fi and fantasy is the genre. Some of my favourite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, J.K. Rowling, Sara Creasy, Lloyd Alexander, Orson Scott Card, and Diana Wynne Jones.




  

Guilty pleasure book genre: YA and Middle Grade

Kid books are just so much fun. Even as an adult I still go back and read my favourite children's books, and look for new YA novels to read. Sometimes I get funny looks when I am exploring the kids' section in the library, but I don't care. Kid books rock.

Working Titles

Again I apologize for my absence in the blogosphere. It has been a crazy week, and I have now officially moved, though am still looking for a job. Huzzah!

I didn't realize that films often have working titles before they are released, whether to keep details secret from the public or because they haven't come up with a better title yet. Check out Empire Online for some fun re-imagined movie posters. Some of them are funny, some of them are just bad. My favourites are for The Avengers and Captain America.

As an avid Star Wars fan, I am ashamed I never knew about Blue Harvest. Apparently this was a pretty well known title, and there is Blue Harvest memorabilia available from who knows where. The producers even gave this so-called horror film the tagline "Horror Beyond Imagination." Lucas wanted to avoid attention while the movie was in production and also didn't want to be overcharged for company services who would probably milk everything they could get if they realized they were providing a service for a Star Wars movie.

What's your favourite working title that you've heard of?

Movie Review: THE BOURNE LEGACY

Great action scenes combined with stellar acting from Renner and Weisz make The Bourne Legacy a highly entertaining movie. I'd seen the first three Bourne movies and liked them a lot, though my memory was foggy on the plot details so I was a little concerned I wouldn't understand what was going on in this film. However, I needn't have worried, for though the plot draws on details from the past movies, it is easy to understand on its own.

I actually enjoyed this movie even better than the first ones (though many other reviewers say the opposite). I think it is partly because I like Jeremy Renner better than Matt Damon, and Rachel Weisz is also one of my favourite actors. The storyline intrigued me too; who can resist a plot about a government trying to create super agents?

Edward Norton did a good job of playing Byer, the guy trying to track down and kill all the agents in the program, but he has such a distinctive voice that all I could think of when I heard him was "Hey, that's Steve from The Italian Job," as that's the only other movie I've seen him in. But he does do a good "bad guy," you've gotta admit.

There are not many surprises in the story, and it relies on the great action sequences and the fantastic acting to keep you captivated, which worked for me. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this movie. I was also impressed that they developed a relationship between Renner and Weisz's characters without including a sex scene. Bravo, Universal! I would watch this movie again, for sure.

Movie Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

It was really soon for a reboot, but I am glad they made this movie because I enjoyed it much more than the previous ones. Apparently, this one follows the comic plot line much more closely, though I wouldn't know because I have never read the comics.

I loved the actors they chose for this one. Andrew Garfield is the perfect combination of snark and awkwardness. I enjoyed his embarrassing moments with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey at the beginning. I also found it refreshing that he wasn't the "geek" in the high school being force-fed a disgusting lunch by the school hotshot. That story was used up in the first series, and I'm glad they wrote his character a little differently this time. Peter Parker wasn't the geek or the cool kid, he was somewhere in between--someone with the guts to stand up for what is right.

This movie was a perfect combination of character development, action, and back story. I liked the bits they included about Peter's past and his parents. I liked how the villain wasn't black-and-white evil. And even though you sometimes knew what was coming (certain character deaths, for example), the scenes were played out so well that they were still emotionally jarring. This is one of the best movies I've seen this year (after The Avengers, of course). Definitely worth seeing in theaters.

Upcoming Posts

I apologize for my absence from the blogosphere lately. I am moving in the next month or two, and am busy trying to find a job and an apartment. I will try to post twice a week, and I do have some exciting reviews and posts upcoming.

Upcoming Book Reviews

White Raven: The Sword of Northern Ancestors (White Raven #1)
Author: Irina Lopatina
Publisher: Light Messages
Pub Date: July 30, 2012
Read the synopsis for White Raven on Goodreads here.

I am part of the TLC book tour for this one. I was interested by the synopsis and the author's background. She is from Russia and says she was inspired by visiting archaeological sites of ancient settlements on mountain plateaus and reading Russian fairy tales as well as books by J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula Le Guin. I have only read the first few pages just today, but the introduction has already intrigued me. We'll see if it continues to hold my interest.

Shadowfell (Shadowfell #1)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher: Knopf Books
Pub Date: September 11, 2012
Read the synopsis for Shadowfell on Goodreads here.

A land where magic is forbidden? A tyrannical king? A group of rebels fighting for freedom? These are plot devices used again and again, but if written well, I will still enjoy them every time. I've read the first few chapters of this one and the writing is captivating. I am interested in Neryn, her unique gifts, and the stranger who helped her out of a bad situation. I look forward to reading more of this first installment from Marillier's new series.

The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1)
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Pub Date: October 2, 2012
Read the synopsis for The Assassin's Curse on Goodreads here.

Ananna is the daughter of a high ranking family and escapes an arranged marriage, only to have to run from an assassin they hire to kill her. She ends up allying herself with said assassin after she saves his life. I am excited to read this one because I am a sucker for bad guy turned good, and the story sounds fascinating. It seems (and the cover looks) like it has an Arabian feel to it, and I love fantasy that focuses on another culture. It's also got some great reviews already.

Upcoming Movie Review

Yes, I saw The Amazing Spiderman this past weekend, and yes, it was awesome. I will tell you precisely why it was awesome very soon.











Upcoming TV Show

Season 4 of Warehouse 13 premieres on July 23. Who wants to watch it with me? If you have never seen the show, it is a great series that follows Secret Service Agents Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) and Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), who are assigned to work for Warehouse 13, which is located in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. Myka and Pete's job is to find dangerous artifacts that have magical properties, bag 'em and tag 'em. The show has great characters; you gotta love them. Season 2 has been my favourite so far, and I'm hoping this next series will be a similar fun and wild adventure.





Upcoming Random Posts of Geeky Subject Matter

Stay tuned for my number one video game in my Top 10 Video Game Countdown post series.

Who's old enough to remember the Commodore 64? (You can't have to be that old, because I remember it.) I'm going to take a trip down nostalgia road and remember some of my faovurite C64 games, where my love of gaming all began.

Just can't get your kid interested in reading? I'm going to let you in on my Childhood Favourite Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books, guaranteed to get them interested in the written word. And if not, well, you will probably enjoy these books too, because they are wonderful. Who says adults can't read kid books? I certainly don't.

What's the deal with Gamer Names? Haven't thought too much about this post topic yet, but I think it might be fun to discuss.

A new and totally awesome progressive metal band has emerged, releasing their first album this past Monday. And it is free to listen to! I will let you in on who they are and the link to download their debut album.

So, any of these upcoming posts sound interesting to you? If none of them do, I'm not sure what you're doing here. Happy Wednesday to one and all!

Movie Review: THE AVENGERS

Saw it. Loved it. 'Nuff said.

But if you want more, here are some of my highlights:

I was worried that six heroes in the same movie would all demand center stage and create too many story lines. But I needn't have worried. Joss Whedon masterfully wove their individual stories into the main plot and allowed the characters' different personalities to play off each other wonderfully.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Robin (Cobie Smulders) from How I Met Your Mother playing uptight and awesome agent Maria Hill.

I'd never heard of Hawkeye before, but now I think he should get his own movie. A hero who appears to have an interesting back story, shoots explosive arrows and hits his mark without even looking? Yes, please.

Seeing all the heroes with their fantastic weaponry and then Black Widow standing beside them with her tiny pistol at the ready made me laugh. (Her cool, manipulative assassin character made up for her lack of interesting weaponry though.)

Joss Whedon, you have done it again.

First Loves Blogfest

Today is the First Loves Blogfest, hosted by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh! I am jumping in at the last minute because it looks like a lot of fun. The idea is to post your first love in movies, music, books, and people, so here goes:

Movie -- The original Star Wars trilogy

I am the youngest of four, with two older brothers who influenced me in tomboy-ish activities like climbing trees, playing cops and robbers, fishing, catching frogs, and yes, movies. They loved the Star Wars trilogy and watched it over and over as we were growing up. I watched it because they did, and grew to love it too (in fact, I probably like it more than they do now). Star Wars introduced me to the joys of science fiction movies and led me to seek out science fiction books as well. Interesting fact--I used to be scared of Yoda and ran away whenever his scene in Dagobah came up in Episode V! I'm not sure why he scared me... I guess I just thought the grey-green monster was creepy. Now that scene where he is poking around Luke's stuff and having a tug-of-war with R2-D2 is one of my favourites!

Music -- Coldplay

I have a very wide taste in music. I like soundtracks, instrumental, rock, jazz, oldies, progressive, Christian, alternative, you name it... Pretty much anything but country. However, I often only like one or two songs from one band. Coldplay is one of the first bands that I enjoyed a lot of the songs. Their music is relaxing with catchy melodies.

Book -- Magic Kingdom for Sale - Sold!

When I was 11 or 12, my dad brought home some used books from a garage sale by Terry Brooks. He declared that they were wonderful and that I should read them. Attracted by the interesting cover (it was the older cover not shown here with a dog wearing glasses sitting in front of a book, a man holding an amulet and a wizard standing in front of him), I read Magic Kingdom for Sale - Sold! and loved it. It introduced me to the wonders of humorous fantasy and the genius of Terry Brooks. He writes a brilliant adventure story. (If you're interested in Brooks you can read a previous post about him here.)


Person

I'm not sure if this counts as "love," but in Kindergarten I was best friends with a boy who wrote me a note on my birthday telling me he loved me. My mom thought this was so cute, she posted it on our kitchen wall, and I think it stayed up there for a few years. How embarrassing!

Looking Forward to 2012: Books and Movies

We've looked back at 2011--now it is time to look forward to 2012 and get excited about some upcoming releases. Huge welcome and thanks to SQT from over at Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews, who is our guest blogger today! I am looking forward to so many of these, in particular Insurgent and "The Avengers."

---

2012 looks to be a great year for genre, especially as far as movies are concerned. How can you not be excited when you have a movie schedule that includes both "The Avengers" and "The Dark Night Rises?" Needless to say, this was a fairly easy list to compile. I do have to acknowledge, however, that my book list is incomplete since I really couldn't find any publication lists that go beyond June of this year. So the book list is my "Most Anticipated for the First Six Months of 2012." I look forward to adding to it later...

MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
DAW Hardcover
February 7, 2012
448 pages

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings:

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, "The last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat," just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame's family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter's path.

Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla's young assistant, a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety, is eager to deliver God's justice. But even as Raseed's sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the Lion-Shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man's title. She lives only to avenge her father's death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father's killer. Until she meets Raseed.

The Scar by Sergey Dyachenko and Marina Dyachenko
Tor Books
February 28, 2012
336 pages

Reaching far beyond sword and sorcery, The Scar is a story of two people torn by disaster, their descent into despair, and their reemergence through love and courage. Sergey and Marina Dyachenko mix dramatic scenes with romance, action and wit, in a style both direct and lyrical. Written with a sure artistic hand, The Scar is the story of a man driven by his own feverish demons to find redemption and the woman who just might save him.

Egert is a brash, confident member of the elite guards and an egotistical philanderer. But after he kills an innocent student in a duel, a mysterious man known as “The Wanderer” challenges Egert and slashes his face with his sword, leaving Egert with a scar that comes to symbolize his cowardice. Unable to end his suffering by his own hand, Egert embarks on an odyssey to undo the curse and the horrible damage he has caused, which can only be repaired by a painful journey down a long and harrowing path.

Doubletake: A Cal Leandros Novel by Rob Thurman
March 6, 2012
Roc
352 pages

Half-human/half-monster Cal Leandros knows that family is a pain. But now that pain belongs to his half-brother, Niko. Niko’s shady father is in town, and he needs a big favor. Even worse is the reunion being held by the devious Puck race — including the Leandros’ friend, Robin — featuring a lottery that no Puck wants to win.

As Cal tries to keep both Niko and Robin from paying the ultimate price for their kin, a horrific reminder from Cal’s own past arrives to remind him that blood is thicker than water — and that’s why it’s so much more fun to spill.

Sworn in Steel: A Tale of the Kin by Douglas Hulick
Roc, April 3, 2012
432 pages

Second book in an action-packed edgy fantasy series about thieves. It's been three months since Drothe killed a legend, burned down a portion of the imperial capital, and found himself unexpectedly elevated into the ranks of the criminal elite. Now, as the newest Gray Prince in the underworld, he's learning just how good he used to have it.

With barely the beginnings of an organization to his name, Drothe is already being called out by other Gray Princes. And to make matters worse, when one up and dies on him, all signs point to Drothe as being the hand behind the knife. As members of the Kin begin choosing sides - mostly against him - for what looks to be another impending war in the streets, Drothe is approached by a man. A man who not only has the solution to Drothe's most pressing problem, but also an offer that's hard for the new Prince to refuse: an offer of redemption. The only problem is, the offer isn't for him.

Now Drothe finds himself on the way to the Despotate of Djan, the empire's long-standing enemy, with
an offer to make and a price on his head. And the grains of sand in the hour glass are running out fast.

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig
Publisher: Angry Robot
Date: April 24, 2012
320 pages

Miriam Black knows when you will die.

Still in her early twenties, she's foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, suicides, and slow deaths by cancer. But when Miriam hitches a ride with truck driver Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be gruesomely murdered while he calls her name.

Miriam has given up trying to save people; that only makes their deaths happen. But Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim. No matter what she does she can't save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she'll have to try.

The Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Date: 4/24/2012
Pages: 324

A bishop is dead. As Detective Inspector Adam Ferguson picks through the rubble of the tiny church, he discovers that it was deliberately bombed. That it’s a terrorist act is soon beyond doubt. It’s been a long time since anyone saw anything like this. Terrorism is history. At first, suspicion falls on atheists more militant than the secular authorities. But when the target list expands to include the godless, it becomes evident that something very old has risen from the ashes. Old and very, very dangerous. . .

Tricked by Kevin Hearne
Publisher: Random House
Date: April 24, 2012
384 pages

Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Katherine Tegan Books
May 1, 2012
496 pages

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 576

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.


MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES

John Carter



The Hunger Games



The Avengers



Snow White and the Huntsman



The Dark Knight Rises



Brave



Prometheus




2012 looks like it is going to be a great year for us geeks! What are you looking forward to?