September is HTDYF month

2 September, 2008

On 16 September How To Ditch Your Fairy will find its way on to the book shelves of the USA and Canada. I am vastly excited.

Why am I excited? you ask.

I mean, yes, this is my fourth novel. You would think that I’d be jaded and bored with the whole thing by now and yet I am not. Here’s why:

  1. This is my first novel in 18 months. Yes, it’s been a veritable drought!
  2. It’s my first non-Magic or Madness novel. I will confess that by book three I was bored out of my gourd with Reason and Tom and Jay-Tee.1 It was a huge pleasure to write something completely different.
  3. And trust me it really is completely different. For starters it’s funny. Also there are no mathmatical geniuses to hurt this poor writer’s head. There’s lots of sport, even cricket. Not to mention mangosteens and ——s. I know how much you lot love ——s.
  4. Even if you hate sport you will still enjoy it. I road-tested it on several of my sport-hating friends2 and they didn’t even notice the sport. Cunning, aren’t I?
  5. It’s my first novel with my brand new publisher Bloomsbury and they’re sending me on my very first tour. I know! How exciting is that? Vastly! I only have a few dates confirmed so far but will let you all know as soon as I know.

There’s an extract from the book here, also a list of known fairies, and a glossary.

So I don’t seem like a total self-promoting bore let me mention some other books that are out this month.3 Books that are so brilliantly awesome your brains will explode with joy as you read them:

    Kin by Holly Black
    Part one of the best graphic novel ever. Faery and betrayal.

    Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
    Also the best graphic novel ever. A non-wimpy Rapunzel. Hurrah!

    Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
    Gorgeous sex-changing screwball comedy.

    Bliss by Lauren Myracle
    Clever creepy scary excellence. *Shudder*

    Skinned by Robin Wasserman
    A different kind of creepy excellence. My favourite YA science fiction novel of the year.

Although these books could not be more different they all have one thing in common: I read them in one sitting. Completely unable to put the book down. Go forth and read!

And while you’re at it check out Scott’s interview with Lauren.

  1. I don’t know how authors of long-running series do it. I think I’d kill myself. [↩]
  2. Of whom I know way to many [↩]
  3. Or just came out. [↩]

11 comments

  1. Lauren on #

    Wow, I’m in seriously good company this month and I now have my new reading list. Thanks!

  2. Chanel on #

    Please please please please please please please please please come to LA! Everyone loves mangosteens/Elvis/cricket there!!! Please, please, please! There isn’t even anything to do in San Francisco, Justine!! Please, please, please come to LA!!!!!!! I’ll buy 10 copies of HTDYF!!! Please!!! Sorry if I sound like annoying whiny fangirl Chanel, but nobody ever comes to LA!
    *mope*
    Please???

  3. Chanel on #

    And I’d be very grateful if you came…

  4. Katie on #

    You have at least one fan in Dallas!
    Don’t make me drive to San Antonio!
    But congrats on the new book. Can’t wait to read it… 🙂

  5. khy on #

    You need to come farther south in California. Like, the Los Angeles area. *cough*

  6. caitlin on #

    I second Justine on the list — though I have yet to read Bliss because one of my co-workers currently has it in her stash. Please come to Seattle. For the anti-car lover Seattle is currently banning driving on select streets on Sundays and in Jan. we will start charging 20 cents per paper/plastic bag.

  7. Liset on #

    nothing to do in San Francisco?
    Chanel you are seriously trippin!
    Though I understand that you want Justine in YOUR area…
    BUT Justine come to SF!
    Thats where ALL the cool people are!
    ^-^
    tehe

    hmm… now i need to go count my pennies so I can buy HTDYF….

  8. Justine on #

    Pssst, Liset, have a look at the appearances. Chanel was dissing SF because I’m doing an appearance there.

  9. Chanel on #

    hey, no offense to SF! I’m just being jealous ‘cuz all the awesome authors go there! Sorry for being rude, though. I didn’t mean it like that.

  10. Lissa on #

    I have been looking forward to reading Skinned. That you say that it’s your favorite YA science fiction novel of the year just makes me that more eager!

    Currently, my favorite YA science fiction book is Neal Shusterman’s Unwind. Yeah, I know, it was published in Nov last year – but that’s technically within a year. 🙂

    My favorite non-science fiction YA novel that’s still in hardcover is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

  11. Liset on #

    lol
    i was just joking Chanel.
    I don’t go around saying “trippin”

    but yay for Justine in SF!
    I hope she can make it to LA too!!!

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