Can't wait to sink your teeth into Vlad Tod? Read an extract now!

We're kicking off our The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod weekend with an extract from the first book in the series, Eighth Grade Bites... click here to read now!

Hate waiting for the sequel after reading a great new book? Us too... that why it's awesome that the second book in the series, Ninth Grade Slays is out now too! 

Stay tuned to BTL as we've got an extract for Ninth Grade Slays coming shortly!

Strange Angels Vol 3: Jealousy... out in 3 days!

The wait is nearly over, 3 days and counting until the third in the Strange Angels series Jealousy goes on sale and we know many of you cannot wait to get your hands on it!


Here's a review and an extract to get you excited!


‘Jealousy’ is a wonderful read. Fast-paced, action-packed and with sharper edges and a more nitty-gritty storyline than the YA urban fantasy genre has seen recently.  Danielle ALPHA reader




Missed the first two books in the series? It's not too late to catch up!


Strange Angels
Dad? Zombie. Mom? Long gone. Me? Well, that's the scary part.

The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken down her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust . . .

 

Betrayals
No more little miss nice girl.


Poor Dru. Her parents are long gone. Her best (okay, only) friend Graves has been bitten by a werwulf. And she just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. Now Dru's strange and handsome savior, Christophe, has her hidden away at a secret Schola for djamphir and wulfen teens. Trouble is, she's the only girl in the place. The really bad news? Dru's killer instinct says that one of her schoolmates wants her dead.

Attention Aussie minions! The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod are coming!

If you, like the BTL crew, (and our giant puffin!) are eagerly awaiting the release of Eighth Grade Bites, the first in the awesome new, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, then your wait is almost over... Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod will be instore from 2 August!

To celebrate all things vampiric, we're hosting a Vlad Tod weekend on BTL, starting on Friday 30th! So stay tuned to BTL this weekend for all things Vlad Tod!

Girl in Translation, BTL crew review by Athina

Kimberley Chang’s story in Girl in Translation is one of dislocation, hardship, and loss of innocence but, above all, it’s an extraordinary story of courage and resilience.

When Kimberley and her mother migrate to the United States they are rudely thrust into an unfamiliar culture and language and forced to live in a hellish, vermin infested apartment in a slum. If that’s not insult enough, Kimberley’s mum, who’s an accomplished musician, has to work under miserable conditions in her brother-in-law’s sweatshop for them to survive. But Kimberley is an exceptionally talented and gifted student who soon realises that education is their ticket out of this existence.

I’m not sure I can adequately convey the profound effect this semi-autobiographical story had on me: I was distressed and indignant at the hardships forced upon Kim and her mother; I was enthused by Kim’s acute observations and characterisations of those arround her; and I was moved by Kim’s determination which propelled her to persist despite all the challenges she encountered.

But long after I’d finished reading Kim’s story, her voice resonated within me loud and true; and her courage and resilience inspired me.

Read this story. I promise you it will be an amazing experience.

Dancing in the Dark - not to be missed!

Ditty was born to dance, but she was also born Jewish. When her strictly religious parents won't let her take ballet lessons, Ditty starts to dance in secret. But for how long can she keep her two worlds apart? And at what cost?

A dramatic and moving story about a girl who follows her dream, and finds herself questioning everything she believes in. 

Dancing in the Dark was published earlier this year and is one of BTL's favourites for 2010. The cover is stunning and the story is really special. The author draws you in to a world that not many people outside of the Jewish religion know much about. It is utterly fascinating and the main character Ditty is pretty amazing. You really feel for her and want her to find some way to follow her dreams without cutting herself off from her family, friends and her whole way of life... if you missed it first time round, here's your chance to find out more!

Read an extract here.

Watch Robyn Bavati video here.

Interview with Melvin Burgess, author of Nicholas Dane

Book trailer for Little Paradise, by Gabrielle Wang

Read an extract here.

Nine Lives BTL crew review by Erin

 

Let me begin by saying that I don’t usually read books about sport, particularly sport biographies – they simply hold no interest for me. However, I picked this book up for one reason – I’m a Bombers fan and I clearly remember hearing that Adam had been diagnosed with cancer and I remember when he started playing again. I wanted to know how that was possible, what actually happened and how did he recover.

At the age of 22 Adam Ramanauskas was the youngest player on a Premiership winning team. That same year he was diagnosed with cancer. The lump on his neck was found during a routine massage after training and, not wanting anything to put a dent in his season, Adam ignored it. When it hadn’t gone away after a few weeks, Adam reluctantly sought the advice of the team doctor who immediately sent him for tests. The lump was larger than first thought and would require major surgery to remove. Adam was told that he may lose the use of his right arm. Adam’s recovery was slow and painful but he started playing again and was almost back to his old form when the cancer returned. Adam ended up being diagnosed three times, each time worse than the last. He not only went back to playing elite sport after three major surgeries, but also after 6 months of intense radio and chemotherapy.

I finished this book with a new respect for elite sportsmen and women. The level of Adam’s dedication is extraordinary, but so are the lengths his family, friends and team mates went to in order to help him get through. I also found this to be a really interesting look into what goes on behind the scenes at a professional football team. You get a real sense for the strong friendships formed between players – after all, no one could understand the world Adam came from the way his team mates could.

I am the same age as Adam and the thought of having gone through three rounds of cancer and recovered is incredible and inspirational – certainly puts your life in perspective. So, even if this is not ordinarily your thing, if you want a book that will remind you what life is really about, give this one a go. 

Read an extract here. 

Interview with Jean Kwok, author of Girl in Translation

Read an extract of Girl in Translation here.

Congratulations to our The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod t-shirt winners!

Congratulations to the following ten BTL'ers, who correctly answered that the three interests listed in Vlad Tod's year book entry (in the awesome book trailer posted last week!) were music, movies and homeroom... and no, there was no extra prize for the additional interest of blood!

Jenny Evans, Ronja Schubert, Larissa Chapman, Naomi Rees, Vicki Young, Amy Mansell, Katelyn Harris, Robert Webster, Neda So and Emily Lawn - your t-shirts will be in the mail shortly!

Stay tuned to BTL for more about Vlad Tod - available in Aussie bookshops on 2nd August!