The New Railway Station in Liège (Belgium)

The project of brand new railway station with a huge peak from a steel and glass was developed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

High-speed Railway System in Belgium

The project connects two parts of a city till now divided by tracks. The peak covers five platforms and lasts on 145 meters at length.
The underground floor with a series of foot bridges and paths which connect various parts of a complex is created. The station provides a high-speed railway system of Belgium with a new complex of services.

VIA «Railway Station “Under the Peak”»

'So difficult': Fergie was disappointed she couldn't join her daughters Eugenie and Beatirce at the ceremony
She was disappointed she wasn't able to accompany her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 22, and Eugenie, 21, who attended the wedding with their father Prince Andrew.
'I was not invited,' Ferguson, 51, who was caught up in a scandal last year after she was taped offering access to Prince Andrew for $724,000, said on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
In contact: The 51-year-old said she spoke to her ex-husband Prince Andrew throughout the day
'I went through the phase of feeling so totally worthless and that [it] was quite right they didn't invite me. Why would they - why would they invite me?'
'I chose to go and be in Thailand in a place called Camelia... the jungle embraced me,' she explained.
Ferguson revealed she was in contact with her former husband, whom she married at Westminster Abbey in 1986, throughout the day.
'When Andrew went with the girls, we were talking all morning and he was saying, "It's okay. Just remember we had such a good day. Our wedding was so perfect." Because we're such a unit together. He made me feel very part of the day on April the 29th.'
Royal affair: Fergie said Diana would be 'so proud of her son'
Ferguson is to have a show on Winfrey's new cable station, OWN.
Her interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show will air in the U.S. tomorrow.
Sarah Ferguson Spills on Royal Snub

Duchess Of York Sarah Ferguson: From Royalty To The Real World

source:dailymail

VIA 'It was so difficult': Fergie reveals her hurt over Royal Wedding snub

New photos of a tower “The Shard”, a multi-functional building which will construct near to London Bridge are published. Design: Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

VIA «New photo «The Shard»»

Musical Zenith

VIA «Foster + Partners have reincarnated in Zenith»

Hello all and welcome to the first Award Winning Wednesday. Jacinda and I decided that throughout the duration of the challenge, each Wednesday we will both post a review of a book that fits the criteria of the challenge. Also, at the bottom of this post is a linky (the same one that can be found on Jacinda's blog!) Feel free to link up any reviews you write throughout the month for the challenge! And remember, each review you write, on any site, provides you will an extra entry in the giveaways!:)

I spent a while trying to decide which book to review for my first Award Winning Wednesday, but finally settled on Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going. Why did I pick this one? Because I read it on Monday. It's my first completed challenge book! A copy of this will also be one of the prizes given away at the end!:)

This book is about Troy. As you might have guessed from the title, Troy is fat. He knows it, he knows the world knows it, he knows the world sees nothing but it, but he doesn't know what to do about it. He spends so much of his time and attention being terrified that everyone is staring at him and his bulk, that every comment, every laugh, smirk or snicker, every look is directed at him that he is paralyzed much of the time in public. His kid brother doesn't help the situation either. After the death of their mother, Troy ate and ate and ate, burying his emotions and pain in food. But Dayle focused his attentions on working out, eating well, and becoming amazingly good at sports. He's embarrassed by Troy and he doesn't even try to hide it. In fact, the story starts with Troy standing on the Subway platform, trying to decide if he really should just jump in front of the F train. Dayle told him to Please, go for it, and at this point, all that's stopping Troy is the fear that people are going to laugh again. He should at least be given some dignity in his suicide.

But, his almost attempted suicide is stopped by an incredibly skinny, incredibly dirty and smelly kid sleeping in the station. Turns out this homeless kid is really Curt MacCrae, a musical legend in his school. And for some reason, Curt not only wants to talk to Troy, but he also wants Troy to be his new drummer. Starstruck and dumbstruck, Troy agrees. Only problem? Troy can't play the drums. That doesn't stop Curt though, and he just barrels through, doing this as he does everything. He wants Troy as his drummer, so he is determined to make it happed. For Curt, the music is the most important thing, possibly the only important thing. Music remains an important element throughout the story. It's through music that Troy finally begins to feel like he is, and could remain, a part of something. But his revelations and experiences are not those of the standard music-themed YA novels.

Watching the developing friendship between these two boys was such an interesting experience for me. Both were such unusual characters. Curt is always starving, always dirty, not totally reliable and completely unpredictable. Troy is such a sad character. He cannot get over his insecurities about his weight, and it consumes his thoughts. Always. But, as he starts spending more time with Curt, he starts to view himself in a new light. Curt helps him realize that everyone isn't staring at him all the time. That his weight might him additional strength and leverage that he could use to defend. That he has worth. That there there are pieces to his personality, to what makes him who he is that are incredible strengths.

I hurt for Troy every time he mentally degraded himself. I was angry every time his brother blew him off, mocked him, or made him feel small. I was frustrated with his dad, who couldn't find the time or the words to reach out to his son, or look and realize that he was hurting. I felt my heart start to life as his dad did start to make more of an effort. I smiled as Curt upended their small, orderly (and miserable) world and started to force the family to view things and themselves in a new light.

This is not a perfect story with a perfectly happy ending. Troy doesn't magically lose 150 pounds, or end up with a stunningly hot girl who sees him for who he is on the inside and starts to prepare for their 3 bedroom house, white picket fence and 2.5 children. His brother doesn't suddenly turn around and say just kidding, you are beyond the coolest person I know. His dad doesn't turn into Wonder-Dad over night, and Curt, who has his own serious set of problems doesn't suddenly end up with the perfect sitcom family, enough to eat and no drug habit. This isn't a story that wraps up the story and ties it up with a pretty little bow. This is a story that is too honest for that, too real. It's a story that contains elements of the happy ending, without cheapening the struggle the characters took to get there. You cheer for the characters at the end, but you do it with the understanding that there is more out there for them to learn. After all, there is always more to learn.

Review Link Up here! Review you Printz and Newbery reviews for extra entries in the giveaways and some extra comment love! Link to your blog, goodreads, or any where else you post reviews!

I've recently started listening to a lot of talk radio and literary podcasts. I thought it was important to do a post showcasing these shows because they provide a lot of great insights into the literary world and really round out my blogging ideas.

By far my favorite literary podcast is Books on the Nightstand. This weekly podcast is hosted by Michael Kindness and Ann Kingman. They both work in the publishing industry, but this podcast isn't full of fancy lingo I can't understand. It's actually very easy on my ears and the podcasts are relatively short because I honestly don't have a lot of free hours to listen to podcasts. On average the podcasts are about twenty-five minutes long. There is usually some kind of book topic, this past week it was cookbooks, and then Ann and Michael each suggest a book and talk a little bit about it. Ann and Michael have great chemistry and their podcast is informative as well as fun to listen to. I subscribe to this podcast through iTunes but you can also download the podcast on their website.

Another great podcast is the New Yorker's monthly fiction podcast. This podcast features an author reading a story by another author and then there is a discussion about the story and why they chose the story they did. This podcast has introduced me to a few writers I would not have otherwise heard of and this is another short one. It's only once a month and about thirty minutes long. Very easy to keep up with!

NPR Books isn't my favorite podcast but I listen to it pretty frequently. It's fairly short, about twenty minutes, and features, reviews, news, and interviews. It's an enjoyable podcast but it doesn't feel as friendly to me as Books on the Nightstand does.

The next podcast isn't exactly a lit show but it is a show about book bloggers. Linus's Blanket's Nicole hosts That's How I Blog, a weekly podcast about blogging books. This is a great podcast that has given me ideas on how I would like to change my blog, and Nicole asks some great questions! It's always interesting and there is also some discussion of books (obviously, what else can you expect from book bloggers) in each episode. You can download these podcasts on Blog Talk Radio.

I'm probably a little biased on this one, but the University of Iowa's radio station has two great literary radio shows. One is the newer Not Your Literati which is hosted by my two pals Pierce and Mackenzie. This show talks about what is up on the undergraduate literary scene every Sunday. There is another show on Tuesdays called The Lit Show, which I sadly don't get to hear very often. You can listen to these shows even if you don't live in Iowa City. You can find the schedule on KRUI's website and download the stream for your music player. Both of these shows are one hour long.

The BBC has been investigating the trade, and the routes from Syria through Turkey and Lebanon to Europe.

The Smuggler

It has taken many calls and a lot of coaxing to get a man we are calling "Mohammed" to meet us. He is originally from Damascus but now plies his trade in the Bekaa valley on the border between Syria and Lebanon. He's 21 but looks much younger in his T-shirt, skinny jeans and black suede shoes. As we sit in an apartment in central Beirut I have to lean forward to hear the softly spoken young man describe how he began smuggling looted antiquities from Syria. "There's three friends in Aleppo we deal with, these people move from Aleppo all the way to the border here and pay a taxi driver to sneak it in." He specialised in smaller items which would be easier to move on - but he says even that has become too risky. "We tried our best to get the items which had most value, earrings, rings, small statues, stone heads," he says.

He made a good profit but bigger players with better connections "sold pieces worth $500,000, some for $1m", he says. When I ask who's making the money and controlling the trade in Syria his gentle voice takes on a flinty tone: "IS are the main people doing it. They are the ones in control of this business, they stole from the museums especially in Aleppo," he says. "I know for a fact these militants had connections overseas and they talked ahead of time and they shipped overseas using their connections abroad." Mohammed is still involved in cross-border trade, but no longer in antiquities. "Anyone caught with it gets severe punishment," he says. "They accuse you of being IS."

The Go-between

To sell looted antiquities you need a middle-man, like "Ahmed". Originally from eastern Syria, he is based in a town in southern Turkey - he doesn't want me to specify which one as he doesn't want the police to know. As a Turkish-speaker he is popular with Syrian smugglers, who ask if he can move goods on to local dealers. When I speak to him via Skype he shows me a blanket next to him filled with artefacts - statues of animals and human figures, glasses, vases and coins. They were dug up in the last few months. "They come from the east of Syria, from Raqqa, all the areas controlled by ISIS (Islamic State)," he says. Islamic State plays an active part in controlling the trade, he tells me. Anyone wanting to excavate has to get permission from IS inspectors, who monitor the finds and destroy any human figures, which are seen as idolatrous (those Ahmed is showing me have slipped through the net). IS takes 20% as tax. "They tax everything," he says.

The main trade is in stoneworks, statues and gold, and it can be extremely lucrative. "I have seen one piece sold for $1.1m," he says. "It was a piece from the year 8500BC." He gently handles each artefact as he brings it closer to the webcam to give me a better view. He has had to pay a sizeable bond to the smugglers to get this material and he doesn't want to lose any of it. The final destination is Western Europe, he says. "Turkish merchants sell it to dealers in Europe. They call them, send pictures... people from Europe come to check the goods and take them away." Ahmed will have to return the looted artefacts to his Syrian contacts, as I am clearly not buying them, but he won't be returning to his homeland. "If I went back I'd be killed," he says.

The Dealer

It's an unremarkable tourist shop in the centre of Beirut. Inside the glass cases are ancient oil lamps, rings and glassware but the shop owner, a laconic man in his late 40s, has an unusual selling tactic - he says much of it is fake. However, he assures me he does have genuine pieces from the Hellenic and Byzantine periods, around 1,000 years old. I'm interested what other items he can get, mosaics for example? I had been advised by archaeologists that mosaics would almost certainly be looted - at the moment, that would mean most likely from Syria. He asks which kind I want. Faces, animals, geometric designs? "If you're serious we can have a serious negotiation... there is always a way," he promises. When I ask if it's legal he smiles as he tells me the only way to legally ship these items is with official documentation from a museum saying they have been cleared for export.

If it was only a small mosaic I wanted, I could take the chance and try to smuggle it out myself but he warns it's a serious decision, as I could get caught. For a fee he can have them shipped to the UK but it will cost me many thousands of pounds. We shake hands as I leave and he gives me his business card. It has only taken 10 minutes to be offered illicit antiquities. Arthur Brand, an investigator who helps recover stolen antiquities isn't surprised, it chimes with his experience in Lebanon. "I've been there several times and at times and it really is amazing," he tells me from his base in Amsterdam. "The illicit trade is run as a professional business with offices and business cards and you can buy antiquities from Lebanon, but also from countries like Syria, Iraq." The link between smugglers and dealers is the dirty secret the art world doesn't want to admit to, he says.

The Cop

He could easily pass for the star of an Arabic cop show but Lt Col Nicholas Saad is a real policeman, head of Lebanon's bureau of international theft. In his office, filled with certificates from the FBI and Scotland Yard, he shows me photos of huge Roman busts seized in a recent raid in Lebanon. We go up to the roof of his police station, where out to the east, beyond the mountains, is the border with Syria. This is where refugees pour into the country and are exploited by the smuggling gangs.

"The refugees come in big numbers and the gangs put things between the belongings of the refugees," he explains. Since the conflict in Syria he has noticed a significant increase in the smuggling of looted artefacts, "especially from the Islamic parts, Raqqa (the base) of the Islamic State", he adds. His team has seized hundreds of Syrian artefacts. "We have the archaeology expert that said they're very valuable from the Roman period, from the Greek period, years before Christ," he says. But there isn't a market for them in Lebanon. "Lebanon is a transit station, it's one of the the doors that goes to Europe. The real money is made in Europe."

The Treasure

Inside the Beirut National museum are treasures from the cradle of civilisation - Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine statues, busts and sarcophagi 3,000 years old. Hidden away from the public in a store room below the main galleries, seized looted antiquities wait to be returned to Syria. My guide is Dr Assaad Seif, an archaeologist and head of excavations at the directorate general of antiquities in Beirut. He rings a bell and a wrought iron door is unlocked. Inside are scores of items - pottery, stonework - but the most valuable items are sealed away in a warehouse. "We have huge funeral sculptures, representing men and women used to seal the tombs, from Palmyra," he says.

Most of the seized items are from excavations rather than thefts from museums. The looters target warehouses at ancient sites like Palmyra, a Unesco world heritage site. "The warehouses at archaeological sites have objects they know are not listed or catalogued yet, and they think it could be easier to sell them," he says. "The Palmyra objects had value for people in Syria... it gives a kind of identity," he says. Although reluctant to put a price on any of the bigger items, after some coaxing he relents. "We have a dozen objects that would sell for $1m each on the open market." I understand why they keep them out of sight of curious foreign visitors.

The Destination 

It has taken days to get through to Dr Maamoun Abdulkarim, the archaeologist in charge of Syria's dept of antiquities in Damascus. When I do reach him, he's angry. "The sites under the control of ISIS, in these areas we have a disaster, a lot of problems. IS attack all things just for the money," he says. "It is our memory, our identity, for the government, the opposition, for all Syria." It's impossible to stop the looting but he is adamant more could be done to crack down on the trade. "We are sure through all the sources a lot of objects go from Syria to Europe, in Switzerland, in Germany, in UK - and Gulf countries like Dubai and Qatar," he says.

It was a common refrain. Everyone from the Lebanese police to Mohammed the smuggler and Ahmed the go-between said the main market was Europe. In the UK there have been no prosecutions or arrests for selling looted Syrian artefacts but Vernon Rapley, who ran the Metropolitan Police's art and antiquities squad for almost a decade, says too much shouldn't be read into this. "I'm quite confident that there have been seizures of material like this," he confidently states, as we stroll around his new workplace, the Victoria and Albert museum, where he is director of security.

Rapley still liaises closely with his former police unit and he is certain that artefacts from Syria are being sold here. He wants the trade in these antiquities to become "socially repugnant and unacceptable" so that in the future, he says, "we don't have interior decorators looking for these things to decorate people's houses".

Author: Simon Cox | Source: BBC News Website [February 17, 2015]

Kitty Norville is a DJ for a Denver radio station. She’s also a werewolf, a secret that she’s been able to keep from her audience. One night, however, things change. She brings up the topic of “Bat Boy”, a local phenomena that frequently appears in the news. Hundreds of calls start pouring in, comments ranging from “My girlfriend, a werewolf, won’t bite me” to recommendations on exorcisms. And thus, “The Midnight Hour”, a supernatural advice show, is born! Kitty is overjoyed at the success of her new show. But her pack leader, Carl, is not. He’s afraid the show is casting too much attention on their pack. Nevertheless, Kitty continues to broadcast, and a rift forms between her and her pack. Her desire for independence is misunderstood as an attempt to gain power within the pack. When Kitty accidentally reveals herself as a werewolf on one airing of a show, her life is in danger. When Cormac, a werewolf hunter, threatens her life, Kitty, and her show, are brought to the attention of the local police. Hardin, a local detective, asks for Kitty’s advice on a batch of unsolved murders. Murders originally thought were the work of wolves. Kitty visits the crime scene and it’s instantly obvious—a rogue werewolf is killing people.

The first in a series, KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR is a very addictive read. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series!

To enter to win a copy of KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, comment on this post. To be entered twice, blog about it. To be entered three times, become a follower of this blog. Drawing will take place Friday, February 20th. US and Canada only, no P.O. Boxes.

Check out my blog each week as I review (and give away!) all six books in the “Kitty Norville” series, leading up to a blog tour on March 25!

The twelve Greek gods are still alive...and are residing in a run-down townhouse in London. Their lives are quite pathetic. Artemis, the goddess of hunting is a dog walker. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, is a phone sex operator. And Apollo, god of the sun, is a TV psychic. The gods, in their boredom, are in constant battle with one another. Aphrodite decides to pull a trick on Apollo. Using the powers of Eros, the god of love and sexual desire, she makes Apollo fall in love with an audience member during his TV show. The unknowing victim is Alice, a quiet and meek janitor for the television station. The battle between the gods escalates when Alice doesn't reciprocate Apollo's love. The future of humankind is in question, and it's up to two lowly mortals to save it.

GODS BEHAVING BADLY is a hysterical take on the Greek gods. It starts out quite humorous, but takes on a serious spin when love and the fate of the fate of the world comes in to play. A very quick read; you definitely won't want to put this one down! Highly recommended.

The international team of researchers warns that localized issues, such as declining water quality from nutrient pollution or deforestation, can exacerbate the effects of climatic extremes, such as heat waves and droughts. This reduces the ability of ecosystems to cope with the impacts of climate change.

"We show that managing local pressures can expand the 'safe operating space' for these ecosystems. Poor local management makes an ecosystem less tolerant to climate change and erodes its capacity to keep functioning effectively," says the study's lead author Marten Scheffer, chair of the Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management at the Netherlands' Wageningen University.

The authors examined three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Spain's Doñana wetlands, the Amazon rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. While many ecosystems are important to their local people, these ecosystems have a global importance--hence their designation as World Heritage Sites. For instance, the Amazon rainforest is a globally important climate regulator.

Like coral reefs, rainforests and wetlands around the world, these sites are all under increasing pressure from both climate change and local threats.

For example, the Doñana wetlands in southern Spain are Europe's most important wintering site for waterfowl, hosting over half a million birds, and home to numerous unique invertebrate and plant species. Nutrient runoff from the use of agricultural fertilizers and urban wastewater is degrading water quality in the wetlands, causing toxic algal blooms, which endanger the ecosystem's biodiversity. A warming climate could encourage more severe blooms, causing losses of native plants and animals, say the researchers.

"Local managers could lessen this risk and therefore boost the wetlands' climate resilience by reducing nutrient runoff," says co-author Andy Green, a professor at the Doñana Biological Station. He added that nutrient control measures could include reducing fertilizer use, improving water treatment plants and closing illegal wells that are decreasing inputs of clean water to the wetlands.

Rising temperatures and severe dry spells threaten the Amazon rainforest and, in combination with deforestation, could turn the ecosystem into a drier, fire-prone and species-poor woodland. Curtailing deforestation and canopy damage from logging and quickening forest regeneration could protect the forest from fire, maintain regional rainfall and thus prevent a drastic ecosystem transformation.

"A combination of bold policy interventions and voluntary agreements has slowed deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon to one fourth of its historical rate. The stage is now set to build on this success by ramping up efforts to tame logging and inhibit fire," says Daniel Nepstad, executive director of Earth Innovation Institute.

The Great Barrier Reef is threatened by ocean acidification and coral bleaching, both induced by carbon dioxide emissions. Local threats such as overfishing, nutrient runoff and unprecedented amounts of dredging will reduce the reef's resilience to acidification and bleaching.

"It's an unfolding disaster. The reef needs less pollution from agricultural runoff and port dredging, less carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, and less fishing pressure. Ironically, Australia is still planning to develop new coal mines and expand coal ports, despite global efforts to transition quickly towards renewable energy," says co-author Terry Hughes, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.

"As a wealthy country, Australia has the capability and responsibility to improve its management of the reef," adds Hughes.

"All three examples play a critical role in maintaining global biodiversity. If these systems collapse, it could mean the irreversible extinction of species," says Scheffer.

The authors suggest their evidence places responsibility on governments and society to manage local threats to iconic ecosystems, and such efforts will complement the growing momentum to control global greenhouse gases.

Yet, in the three cases they examined, they found local governance trends are worrisome.

"UNESCO is concerned that Australia isn't doing enough to protect the Great Barrier Reef. It would be disastrous for the $6 billion reef tourism industry and Australia's reputation if they list the GBR as 'in danger.' We need to put science into action to prevent this from happening," urges Hughes.

According to co-author Scott Barrett, the problem is one of incentives.

"These ecosystems are of value to the whole world, not only to the countries that have jurisdiction over them. It may be necessary for other countries to bring pressure to bear on these 'host' countries or to offer them assistance, to ensure that these iconic ecosystems are protected for the benefit of all of humanity," says Barrett, who is also a professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

Above all, the paper raises awareness of the great opportunities for enhanced local action.

"Local management options are well understood and not too expensive. So there is really no excuse for countries to let this slip away, especially when it comes to ecosystems that are of vital importance for maintaining global biodiversity," says Scheffer.

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison [March 19, 2015]

Grace by Elizabeth Scott is my 5th Scott Contemporary (although it is arguable that this is not quite Contemporary) and it has firmly cemented the idea that I (quite atypically) much prefer Scott's lighter Contemporary novels to her darker more... issue-y set. Grace is a good book, don't get me wrong, but that's all it was. Just a way to spend an afternoon, flipping pages, which is, I assume, not what you are supposed to feel when reading a book about a suicide bomber who decides she doesn't want to die.

Grace was an angel — raised from birth, or just after, that she would be blessed to die for the cause, to die in a fight for freedom against tyranny. But when it comes time to actually die, she places her bomb and walks away, knowing that it will go off, but that she will go 'free'. Now she is on the run and she meets up with a man at the train station, running from something himself. They talk, because sitting on a train for hours, there's not really anything else to do and both learn things that will change their lives.

I never really connected with Grace or the man she travels with. I knew that there stories were ones that should have been emotional but I never felt it. And Grace had such a disregard for life that I had a hard time with her. I understand why — When you have known your whole life that you are going to die for the cause and that it is an honor, and that your death is more important if you are able to take other lives with you — life doesn't mean the same thing as it does to most people. But it took her so long to realize that what she had done — setting that bomb and walking away — was wrong, because people still got hurt and people died. She never even thought about it. And then, there is a scene on the train when Grace should have been taken off by soldiers for being one of the rebels, but they sacrifice another, completely innocent woman instead. That's not okay with me — Your life isn't more important than anyone else's and sending innocent people to death so you can live isn't okay with me. I will say that the ending to this book was solid. Grace learns a lot about what it means to be human and it's something that will really make you think.

But, even with that solid ending, while I didn't hate this book, I didn't particularly like it either. I felt like the story was too vague. They spent the whole time talking around things and never really talked about them. If you want to try it — go for it. There are others out there who really connected to it. It's just... not for me.

On a totally different note:

So Much Closer was my first book by Susane Colasanti, and while I didn't love this particular book, I can see why so many people really love Colasanti's writing. I actually loved the way the story was written, but the story itself was a little... off for me.

Brooke has had a huge crush on Scott for years. She just knows that he is the one for her, despite only having had one, maybe two conversations with him. So, when he announces that he's moving with his family to New York City, she decides to follow him and move in with the dad she hasn't spoken to since he walked out on them 6 years ago.

Okay — Seriously?! SERIOUSLY?! Who DOES that?! Who honestly thinks that's a good idea?! I don't care who you are — that's creepy stalker behavior and NOT a good idea. Note to Brooke — also not a good idea to tell him about it... So, poor Brooke has chased this guy to New York only to realize that he barely knows who she is and he already has a girlfriend.

But luckily for Brooke, she has always wanted to live in NYC, so even though she's not with her dream guy, she's living in her dream city. And honestly, I would have liked this book so much better if the romance with Scott had been left completely out of it. Have her decide to move because Scott broke her heart (still kinda pathetic, but way less creepy) or because she has just decided to stop dreaming about living in New York and actually get there. Or, it could have been about her dad. She hasn't spoken to him in 6 years, although he has tried a few times, so maybe it's time to mend that relationship. Instead, it ended up being a convinient plot device, giving her a way to follow Scott. I felt that the story line with her father ended up being a lot of wasted potential. It could have added so much to her growth as a character, so much to the story, but instead, dad was just the facade for an apartment for Brooke to legally sleep in at night.

I had such a hard time believing in, or relating to Brooke's character, but I totally felt her love for the city. The descriptions of New York were phenomenal and just made me want to revisit the city. I spent a weekend there when I was doing an internship in Washington DC and I loved it (although, since it was February, it was really cold). I loved reading while Brooke discovered the city. I also really liked the new friends Brooke makes at school, especially John and Sadie. They brought so much to the story and I just loved reading about them, watching them form a solid friendship.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the book. EXCEPT for Scott. Seriously. If Scott had just been completely erased from the book, I think I would really have enjoyed it. They wouldn't even have to change the title, it could just mean so much closer to her dreams, instead of to some random guy. There is enough other stuff happening in the story that Scott really wouldn't have been missed much. Or, he could have been a totally different character with a much smaller part. Maybe I'll just pretend he isn't real and only remember the awesome New York scenes and the awesome times she has with the new friends she makes.

At a writers conference ten years ago, four aspiring writers met and became close friends. A decade later they are still friends, and very much a part of one another's lives.

Kendell Aim's writing career is in danger. Her editor goes on maternity leave, and her new editor shows no interest in her work.

Mallory St. James is an obsessed workaholic. She's constantly working on yet another best seller.

Tanya Mason is a single mom who supports her two kids and difficult mother by working two jobs.

Faye Truett is married to a televangelist and writes inspirational romances. She has a secret that no one would dare to believe.

Kendell has a quickly approaching book deadline that she needs to meet, but when she learns her husband has been cheating, she flees to her vacation home. Rather than focus on her writing, she works at fixing up her mountain hideaway. Her friends won't allow her to bear this burden alone and come together in a sort of intervention. They collaborate on a novel based on their own lives. Each of them writes a segment of the book, all under Kendell's name.

But they would have never guessed that the book would reach the NY Times Bestseller's list. When the truth is revealed on a day time talk show, they are each forced to reveal a secret they'd kept from one another. Their friendship has survived the years, but will it survive this?

THE ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER is an intriguing glimpse into the world of publishing and the difficulties that authors must face. It was interesting to learn about how many hands manuscripts pass through on the way to publication. Each of the characters suffer realistic insecurites about their writing and personal lives. I learned a great deal about the publishing process in my reading of THE ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER. It makes me appreciate and value writers even more!

About the Author:

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Wendy has come a long way since her days at Sunshine Elementary School. As a child she read voraciously, was a regular at her local library, and became fast friends with Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables. Her love affairs with language and storytelling paid off beginning with her first shift at the campus radio station while studying journalism at the University of Georgia.

After returning to her home state and graduating from the University of South Florida she worked for the Tampa PBS affiliate, WEDU-TV, behind and in front of the camera. Her resume includes on air work, voiceovers and production of a variety of commercial projects and several feature films. She may be best known in the Tampa Bay area as the host of Desperate & Dateless, a radio matchmaking program that aired on WDAE radio, and nationally as host of The Home Front, a magazine format show that aired on PBS affiliates across the country.

The mother of a toddler and an infant when she decided to change careers, she admits it was not the best timing in terms of productivity. “I’m still not certain why I felt so compelled to write my first novel at that particular time,” she says, “but that first book took forever.” Since then she’s written six more books, including Single in Suburbia and THE ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER. Her work has been sold to publishers in ten countries and to the Rhapsody Book Club. Her novel, Hostile Makeover, was excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine.

Wendy lives with her husband John and her baseball-crazy teenage sons in the Atlanta suburbs where she spends most of her non-writing time on baseball fields or driving to them. She continues to devour books and is busy producing Accidental Radio, a new feature on her web site.
You can visit her website at www.authorwendywax.com.

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Today's Fairy Tale Fortnight guest poster is Ems of In Which Ems Reviews Books. I have known Emily (aka Ems) for a loooong time and she never fails to entertain. (This also means that I can totally steal her facebook profile picture...) I love passing book recs with Emily and was so excited that she wanted to be a part of FTF! And I love her topic! Who doesn't want to sit down sometimes to examine all the awesome stuff fairy tales have taught you!?:)

Real Life Lessons You Can Learn From Fairy Tales:

I’ve often wondered why people started telling fairy tales. Do you ever think about what was going through the Grimm’s heads? How ‘bout Walt Disney? I know I do.

Here’s what I’ve decided:

Fairy tales were written as cautionary tales for US. Forget the people who lived in the same towns and villages. Pfft. No. These are definitely written for us, because of the incredibly important and real lessons we can learn from them. Besides, I’m pretty sure the people living around the Brothers Grimm weren’t even literate, so…

Here are the lessons I’ve learned:
1. Do not EVER accept apples from kindly old ladies. It will inevitably be poisoned, and you most likely will not have seven dwarves around to put you in a glass coffin shrine. Now, if she offers you an orange or grapefruit, you’re probably safe. You NEVER see a poisoned citrus fruit.

2. Make friends with the prince’s horse. You never know when it’ll come in handy having an equine ally. Just look at Rapunzel. Could she have done half of what she did without Maximillian? Okay, so she had that cool hair that she could toss around, but still.

3. ALWAYS give the old, gnarly gnome man a bit of your bread. All he wants is a bite of bread and in return, he will give you pretty much any help you need. Deny him, and you’ll wish you hadn’t ever seen him in the first place. You know what they say about Karma. So that little guy in the subway station? Drop a few coins in just to be safe.

4. Don’t touch random sharp objects. You never know when one has been enchanted and you’ll fall into a 100-year sleep. I bet Princess Aurora wishes she’d known that.

5. Always have white, shiny teeth, especially if you are a prince. Your head shots always seem to focus on the teeth, and if you have a nice, shiny smile, the ladies will remember you and probably swoon. Swoonage is always good.

6. If there is a nasty storm brewing, DO NOT THINK YOU CAN JUST GO OUT IN IT. Most likely, it is the work of an evil enchantress who is trying desperately to either a) keep you away from your goal or b) kill you.

7. Always be kind to the woodland animals. Maybe sing to them and bring them treats. When that kindly old lady comes around with her poisoned apple and you haven’t made friends with the little animals, who can you rely on to chase her off a cliff? Hmmm?

8. Become adept at carrying things on your head. You only have two hands, and your head kind of just sits there. So make it useful and learn to carry things on it. You just never know when you may need this skill. I’d like to be able to balance all my textbooks on my head, but I never learned the skill. I’m regretting it now.

9. Don’t discount the plain sorts. Was it one of the fabulous and flashy princes who saved the twelve dancing princesses, I ask you? No, it was not. It was a plain and older solider. Sometimes, the pomp and circumstance of the flashier guy masks a sadly lacking wit and ability to think outside the box. We fairy tale fans all know that there is usually more to someone than what’s on the surface.

10. Don’t ever make your spouse’s child a servant. Whether you read the Grimm version or watch the Disney version, it doesn’t end well for dear step-mama. I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking to be embarrassed in front of the prince OR be nailed into a barrel studded with nails (while you’re naked, I might add) and rolled into the sea. Just not my cup of juice, thanks.

So there you have it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t read fairy tales because “you won’t learn anything.” (imagine nice, big, sarcastic air quotes there) I’ve just proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can learn all sorts of valuable lessons from fairy tales. So there.

Haha! I love it! And ya — always share your meal with the weird little gnome guy! Although, might I add that if you are the elder child chances are your lot in these tales is just gonna suck... Sorry Ems. But the fairy tale facts speak for themselves. Lucky for me, I have an older sister... ;)

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Young Michael Jasik is killed in a car accident at the hands of his drug abusing friend, Brad Brennan. His mother, Jenny, a single mom, is destroyed by the news. When she learns that her son’s death was influenced by Brad’s drug addiction, she has to take action. She storms into the local police station and demands to be put on the undercover drug enforcement task force that she heard about on the news. Police Lieutenant Steve Morrity is leading the task force. While civilians aren’t typically involved in this type of police work, Morrity knows Jenny will take action on her own if she isn’t selected. So, after a grueling physical test, Jenny passes and becomes an undercover informant. She is forced to hide this from her two surviving children, Scott and Alicia. They notice a change in her behavior and contact their father, who has never really been a part of their lives. Jenny risks her life, and the custody of her children for this mission. I commend Jenny’s character for her strength, and the fearless acts she performed in an effort to bring down a big time drug pusher. ONE SMALL VICTORY is an amazing, heart pounding, emotional tale about one mother’s love of her children, and the steps she takes to protect them from harm.

Today begins a blog tour for an amazing series of books by Carrie Vaughn--the Kitty Norville werewolf DJ series! Every day for the next six days, check out my blog for reviews of each of Vaughn's books!

Review: Kitty and the Midnight Hour

Kitty Norville is a DJ for a Denver radio station. She’s also a werewolf, a secret that she’s been able to keep from her audience. One night, however, things change. She brings up the topic of “Bat Boy”, a local phenomena that frequently appears in the news. Hundreds of calls start pouring in, comments ranging from “My girlfriend, a werewolf, won’t bite me” to recommendations on exorcisms. And thus, “The Midnight Hour”, a supernatural advice show, is born! Kitty is overjoyed at the success of her new show. But her pack leader, Carl, is not. He’s afraid the show is casting too much attention on their pack. Nevertheless, Kitty continues to broadcast, and a rift forms between her and her pack. Her desire for independence is misunderstood as an attempt to gain power within the pack. When Kitty accidentally reveals herself as a werewolf on one airing of a show, her life is in danger. When Cormac, a werewolf hunter, threatens her life, Kitty, and her show, are brought to the attention of the local police. Hardin, a local detective, asks for Kitty’s advice on a batch of unsolved murders. Murders originally thought were the work of wolves. Kitty visits the crime scene and it’s instantly obvious—a rogue werewolf is killing people.

Check out the other blogs participating in this tour!

http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
http://acircleofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://amateurdelivre.wordpress.com/
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com/
http://www.bananas4books.blogspot.com/
http://www.chikune.com/blog
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://www.msbookish.com/
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
http://www.writeforareader.edublogs.org/
http://www.amberstults.com/
http://literaryfeline.blogspot.com/
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/
http://www.wrightysreads.blogspot.com/
http://bookzombie.blogspot.com/
http://fictiontofruition.blogspot.com/
http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://thisbookforfree.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://www.grammasreads.blogspot.com/
http://samsbookblog.blogspot.com/
http://bookseriesreviews.blogspot.com/
http://www.booksbytjbaff.blogspot.com/

Check out this great video created by Hachette Books to promote the Kitty Norville Series.

And check back on March 31 when I pick a random commenter to win the entire Kitty Norville series! So, start commenting! I will pull together all the comments on my "Kitty" posts and choose one lucky winner!

Rules: Winner must be a resident of the US or Canada. No PO Boxes, please. Books will be shipped directly from the publisher.

Lauren Willig's The Secret History of the Pink Carnation started out really well. Eloise Kelly is writing her Ph. D dissertation on a British spy named the Pink Carnation. She is too cute in the introduction to the book, and I found myself laughing hysterically at some of her comments. Especially "'Aristocratic Espionage during the Wars with France: 1789-1815' Rather a dry title, but somehow I doubt 'Why I Love Men in Black Masks' would have made it past my dissertation committee." Okay that is a great line, a really great line. So great that I read on the radio station here when I was interviewed. Did I mention that quote comes on page 3? I had high hopes for this one.

The book turns in the second chapter to the actual story of the Pink Carnation and all the other British spies. I was cool with that, kind of like time travel. Okay. The only bad thing about that is once Eloise is gone the book is no longer funny. Barely engaging. I left it as my good book to read after homework and I found myself wanting to go to bed. That's a problem. And Eloise barely reappears for most of the book. So you can probably figure out how I was feeling when she wasn't around. I missed Eloise, she was my girl. And these new people were kind of boring.

So basically, I didn't read this book all that thoroughly as I was falling asleep during quite a bit of it. I know some people think it is a really smart and good series, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. I felt like the story wasn't going anywhere. On page 188.

If you have positive review of this book then please comment with a link and I will post it at the end of this review.

This book earned a D.

Sumthinblue at Bookmarked! also has a review of this book that is more positive than mine. I really respect this review and if you're looking for a different opinion you should check it out!

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Ben Winter's

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is an interesting take on Jane Austen's first published novel. It mostly sticks to the original. Marianne is passionate and romantic, and she quickly falls in love with Willoughby. Elinor is sensible and logical. When she finds out that Lucy Steele is engaged to her love interest, Edward Ferrars she never lets on her disappointment to her family even though it is constantly weighing her down. She even gets her friend, Colonel Brandon, to help Edward when he is cast out from his family for being engaged to Lucy who is of a lower class. The only new introduction is of course the sea monsters.

Margaret, the youngest Dashwood sister, has a much larger presence in this than in the original. She is constantly shouting "K'yaloh D'argesh F'ah" which no one seems to understand. This and Elinor's dreams and visions about a five pointed star and the searing pain that accompanies them are the main changes that made me want to finish the novel. I was glad to find out what they meant at the end, but it took me some time to get through the middle of the book.

My favorite change is Elinor's attitude. She becomes much more cheeky in this version. I really admire Winters for making this change because I always felt Elinor was a little cheekier than she comes across in the original. There is also a great concentration on the word monstrous, which is used frequently in the original but takes on new meaning when they are living in a world surrounded by sea monsters. Colonel Brandon becomes quite monstrous himself in this version because his face is covered with squishy tentacles. This exchange with Mrs. Jennings really got me into the book:

Mrs. Jenning soon came in. "Oh! Colonel," said she, with her usual noisy cheerfulness,"I am monstrous glad to see you--"
Elinor gasped audibly at the inauspicious word choice. Brandon looked at his hands, and even the usually imperturbable Mrs. Jennings blanched at her poor choice of words.
"Ah yes, sorry, I am very glad to see you--I didn't mean monstrous glad, as in--not to imply that you are--sorry--beg your pardon, but I have been forced to look about me a litle, and settle my matters; for it is a long while since I have been at home. But pray, Colonel, how came you to conjure out that I should be in the Sub-Station today?" (153).

There seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, and I can understand why. At times it doesn't feel like an adaption but more like poking fun at Austen and Victorian London. If you haven't read the original, do so. If I hadn't read the original I don't think I could have got through this book because my love for the original characters is what really kept me reading. Overall it was a nice break from other books I've read but I would only give a 3/5.

Pub. Date: September 2009
Publisher: Quirk Publishing
Format: Paperback, 343pp

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.