Mr Ripley's Enchanted New Book/Choice Picks: November 2012

J . Barton Mitchell - Midnight City (Conquered Earth) - Published by St Martin's Griffin - 13 Nov, 2012

Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Assembly. The human adult population is gone, having succumbed to the Tone - a powerful, telekinetic super-signal broadcast across the planet, which has reduced them to a state of complete subservience. But the tone has one critical flaw. It only affects the population once they reach twenty-one or twenty-two years old. This means that there is one group left to fight. Teens. Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter, and his current target is Mira Toombs, a treasure seeker who has escaped from Midnight City after being sentenced to death. It's not long before Holt bags his prey, but their instant connection isn't something for which Holt bargained. Neither is the Assembly ship that crash-lands near them shortly after he captures Mira. Venturing inside the ship, despite the tied-up Mira's objections, Holt finds a young girl who can't remember anything except her name: Zoey. The three soon begin an adventure through alien-conquered North America, encountering young freedom fighters, powerful artefacts of strange science that seem like magic, pirates and brigands, and frightening mutated creatures of the night, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the Assembly. Zoey, in the meantime, starts to exhibit amazing powers while Holt and Mira begin to realize that this young girl just may be the key to stopping the alien invaders.

   

                                        

Mark Steensland - Behind The Book Case - Published by Random House     International - 20 Nov 2012

A girl stumbles into a fantastic world in this tale perfect for fans of Coraline, Alice in Wonderland, and The Twilight Zone.

Spending the summer at her grandmother's house is the last thing Sarah wants to do—especially now that Grandma Winnie has died—but she has no choice. Her parents have to fix the place up before they can sell it, and Sarah and her brother, Billy, have to help. But the tedious work turns into a thrilling mystery when Sarah discovers an unfinished letter her grandmother wrote: Strange things are happening behind the bookcase. . . . 

Sarah's mother dismisses the letter as one of Grandma Winnie's crazy stories, but Sarah does some investigating and makes a remarkable discovery: behind the bookcase is a doorway into Scotopia, the land where shadows come from. With a talking cat named Balthazat as her guide, Sarah begins an unforgettable adventure into a world filled with countless dangers. Who can she trust? And can she face her fears, not only in Scotopia, but also back at Grandma Winnie's house, where more secrets and strange goings-on await her?

                                          

Philip Caveney - Crow Boy - Published by Fledgling Press - 8 Nov 1012

Young Tom Afflick has never felt so alone. His parents have split up and his mother has relocated him, hundreds of miles away from his home in Manchester to the unfamiliar city of Edinburgh. At his new school, Tom is simply known as 'The Manc' - a blow-in, an outsider. On a routine school trip to the historic site of Mary King's Close, Tom follows the ghostly figure of a young girl - only to find himself transported back in time to 1645, the year of the Edinburgh plague. Apprenticed against his will to a violent plague doctor, Tom needs to use all of his modern-day skills in order to survive, while he desperately searches for a way back to his own time. This children's historical novel is a departure for Philip Caveney - acclaimed author of the Sebastian Darke thrillers for children and the Alec Devlin mysteries - and is sure to be a hit with them.

                                        

Antony John - Elemental - Published By Dial Book - 21 Nov 2012

In the near future, most of the population of the United States has been destroyed by the plague. The few remaining survivors live in colonies on the barrier islands off the East Coast. In one colony near Cape Hatteras, almost all the members have elemental powers and can control wind, water, earth, and fire. All but sixteen-year-old Thomas. When the Guardians, the powerful adult leaders, are kidnapped by pirates seeking to take over their colony, it is up to Thomas and a small group of teens to save them and preserve the mysteries of the island.

New Books: Published November 2011 - UK

                                 

Christopher Paolini - Inheritance: Inheritance Cycle, Book 4 - Published by Doubleday - 8 Nov - 2011

Not so very long ago, Eragon - Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider - was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now, the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come farther than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

Featuring spectacular artwork by cult artist John Jude Palencar, this stunning book brings the bestselling Inheritance cycle to a breathtaking conclusion.

                                  

Joanne Harris - Runelight - Published by Doubleday - 3 Nov 2011

The squabbling Norse gods and goddesses of Runemarks are back! And there's a feisty new heroine on the scene: Maggie, a girl the same age as Maddy but brought up a world apart - literally, in World's End, the focus of the Order in which Maddy was raised. Now the Order is destroyed, Chaos is filling the vacuum left behind... and is breaching the everyday world.

A chilling prophecy from the Oracle. A conflict between two girls. And with just twelve days to stave off the Apocalypse, carnage is about to be unleashed . . .

                                         

                                          

Jasper Fforde - The Song of the Quarkbeast: A Last Dragonslayer Novel - Published by Hodder & Stoughton - 10 Nov 2011
A long time ago magic faded away, leaving behind only yo-yos, the extremely useful compass-pointing-to-North enchantment and the spell that keep bicycles from falling over.

Things are about to change. Magical power is on the rise and King Snodd IV of Hereford has realised that he who controls magic controls almost anything. One person stands between Snodd and his plans for power and riches beyond the wildest dreams of avarice.

Meet Jennifer Strange, sixteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam, the employment agency for sorcerers and soothsayers.

With only one functioning wizard and her faithful assistant 'Tiger' Prawns, Jennifer must use every ounce of ingenuity to derail King Snodd's plans. It may involve a trip on a magic carpet at the speed of sound to the Troll Wall, the mysterious Transient Moose, and a powerless sorceress named Once Magnificent Boo.

But one thing is certain: Jennifer Strange will not relinquish the noble powers of magic to big business and commerce without a fight.

John Flanagan - Brotherband:The Outcasts - Published by Bodley Head - 3 Nov 201

There is only one way to become a warrior.

Boys are chosen for teams called Brotherbands and must endure months of gruelling battles in the treacherous sea.

Hal finds himself the unwilling leader of a band of outcasts, the boys that no one wants. They are small and wiry but what they lack in size, they make up with skill and courage. Now they must battle against the other bands in the ultimate race where there can only be one winner.

The icy waters make the sea a deadly playing field. Especially when - for some - this is anything but a game...

                                    

Ian Beck - The Haunting of Charity Delafield - Published by Bodley Head - 3 Nov 2011

A magical, enchanting tale, with stunning illustrations that will transport you into another world.

Flame-haired Charity Delafield has grown up in a vast, isolated house - most of which she is forbidden to explore - with her fiercely strict father. With only her kindly nurse, Rose, and her cat Mr Tompkins for company, she knows very little of the outside world - or of her own family's shadowy past. What she does know is that she is NEVER to go outside unsupervised. And she is NEVER to over-excite herself, because of the mysterious 'condition' that she has been told she suffers from.

But Charity has a secret. All her life, she has had the same strange dream - a dream of a dark corridor, hidden somewhere in the house. Then, one day, Charity stumbles across the corridor. It leads to a door . . . and suddenly she realises things are not quite what they seem.

New books out in November 2009

These are some of the best picks due to come out in the very quiet month of November. I find that near the festive time there are less quality reads and more novelty books or books to give as presents.

Jeanette Winterson - The Battle of the Sun - Published by Bloomsbury 2 Nov 2009 - H/B


Synopsis
Jack is the chosen one, the Radiant Boy the Magus needs in order to perfect the alchemy that will transform London of the 1600s into a golden city. But Jack isn't the kind of boy who will do what he is told by an evil genius, and he is soon involved in an epic and nail-biting adventure, featuring dragons, knights and Queen Elizabeth I, as he battles to save London. 


Chris Ryan - Battleground(Code Red) - Published by Doubleday 5 Nov 2009 - H/B


Synopsis
You wake up in a dark room with no idea where you are. You are gagged and forced into a waiting truck. You have done nothing wrong. What would you do? Fourteen-year-old Ben travels to Pakistan on a school exchange programme. Ben and his Pakistani host, Aarya, find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. They see something they're not supposed to and are kidnapped by some strange men. Caught up in a terrifying planned terrorist attack that could destroy Southern Afghanistan, killing thousands, Ben and Aarya are dragged through the most terrifying battleground in the world. 


Barbara Mitchelhill - Dangerous Diamonds - Anderson Press 5 Nov 2009 - P/B


Synopsis
When Dad goes missing, twins Harry and Charlie scour Edinburgh to find him. But why are others determined to stop them? And how is a strange wooden box linked to his disappearance? The twins soon find they are in terrible danger but push themselves to the limits in their attempt to outwit those who are holding their father. 


Anthony Horowitz - Crocodile Tears(Alex Rider) - Published by Walker Books- 12 Nov 2009


Synopsis
Targeted by a hitman and under threat of his past being exposed by the media, Alex reluctantly turns to MI6. But their help doesn't come cheap: they need Alex to spy on the activities at a GM crop plant. There he spots Desmond McCain, a high profile charity organiser, who realises that Alex is on to him and the real plans for the money he's raising. Kidnapped and whisked off to Africa, Alex learns the full horror of McCain's plot: to create an epic disaster that will kill millions. Forced to ask MI6 for protection, Alex finds himself being manipulated in a deadly game that could lead to the destruction of an entire East African country.





Mr Ripley's pick of the month book.


Dave Steven's - The Rocketeer:The Complete Deluxe Edition - Published by IDW Publishing - 11 Nov - H/C


Synopsis
The phenomenally popular Rocketeer by the legendary Dave Stevens is collected in its entirety for the first time as an oversized hardcover, in a beautiful slipcase, including hundreds of never-before-seen Rocketeer drawings and preliminaries by Dave Stevens! This impressive collection combines The Rocketeer and The Rocketeer: Cliff's New York Adventure into a single volume, completely re-colored, as per Dave Stevens' wishes, by renowned colorist Laura Martin. The best possible reproduction and the highest production values will ensure that this is the definitive Rocketeer collection. Additionally, hundreds of drawings, sketches, and preliminaries by Dave Stevens, nearly all published here for the very first time, will make this a very special book.