Teaser Tuesday #4: Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff (YA)

TEASER TUESDAYS is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading...

This is where we get to share a little snippet of what we are reading! 

PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD

by Michelle Falkoff

Release date: January 27th, 2015

Published by: HarperTeen

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Format: Hardcover, eBook

Format reading: ARC from the publisher.

SUMMARY

A teenage boy tries to understand his best friend's suicide by listening to the playlist of songs he left behind in this smart, voice-driven debut novel.

Here's what Sam knows: 

There was a party. There was a fight. The next morning, his best friend, Hayden, was dead. And all he left Sam was a playlist of songs, and a suicide note: 

For Sam — listen and you'll understand.

As he listens to song after song, Sam tries to face up to what happened the night Hayden killed himself. But it's only by taking out his earbuds and opening his eyes to the people around him that he will finally be able to piece together his best friend’s story. 

And maybe have a chance to change his own.

Part mystery, part love story, and part coming-of-age tale in the vein of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Tim Tharp’s The Spectacular Now, Playlist for the Dead is an honest and gut-wrenching first novel about loss, rage, what it feels like to outgrow a friendship that's always defined you — and the struggle to redefine yourself. 

But above all, it's about finding hope when hope seems like the hardest thing to find.

TEASER(s)

"Back to missing him. I needed to do something to make myself feel better, though. I went to the laundry basket, dug out my old Radiohead T-shirt, and put it on under the suit." ~ page 11 (ARC)

"This led to our first fight about music, the first of many, so many I couldn't count. I wish I'd realized how important those fights would be to me. Maybe I'd have realized how much fun they were." ~ pages 115-116 (ARC)

"I hadn't known Hayden thought that; we'd been around each other for such a long time that I'd felt like it would be a betrayal to admit to him how lonely I was, even with him as my friend, and it turned out he'd felt the same way the whole time." ~ page 155 (ARC)

What's your tease this week???

Stacking the Shelves #81: January 2015 Book Haul and Comic Book Haul #6

Hello bookish friends!

We are expecting some snow this weekend! We are kind of on the edge, so we may not get as much, or if any, as we would like to, lol! But we're all prepared to bunker down and enjoy some much needed snuggling in and read time :) 

Hope you all have some amazing weekend reads to get through!

I am participating in Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews!!!

My book haul...
(Please note, that the majority of my haul is Young Adult. Otherwise, books that aren't will be noted with either (A) for Adult, (NA) for New Adult, (MG) for Middle Grade, and (C) for Childrens books.)

*What I received for review from Macmillan...

- TUCK EVERLASTING 40th Anniversary Edition (HB) by Natalie Babbitt for blog tour.
- WITHERWOOD REFORM SCHOOL (ARC) by Obert Skye (MG) for blog tour.
- BECOMING JINN (ARC) by Lori Goldstein (YA) for review.
- SWEET (ARC) by Emmy Laybourne
- JOYRIDE (ARC) by Anna Banks
- REBEL MECHANICS (ARC) by Shanna Swendson 

*What I won in giveaway(s)...
- EXQUISITE CAPTIVE (Dark Caravan Cycle #1) (Signed HB) by Heather Demetrios from Miguel from The Quirky Reader's Exquisite Captive Blogger Relay giveaway!

*What I purchased...

- FROSTFIRE (Kanin Chronicles #1) (PB) by Amanda Hocking
- THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE (HB) by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell
A few Wordsworth Classics Paperback Editions to add to my tiny collection:
- THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
- GRIMM's FAIRY TALES by J.L.C. & W.C. Grimm
- ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES by Hans Christian Andersen

*My comic book haul...

by Marvel: 

- THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #1 by Ryan North, Illustrated by Erica Hendersen

- ANT-MAN #1 by Nick Spencer, Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas 

- AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1 by Sean Ryan, Jody Houser, Gerry Duggan and Jeff Loveness  

- THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 by Sean Ryan, Illustrated by Brandon Peterson

by DC Comics:

- HARLEY QUINN The New 52! ANNUAL #1: Special Rub 'n Smell Spectacular! by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Timms and Paul Mounts 

- HARLEY QUINN Invades Comic-Con International: San Diego #1 by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti 

- SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED #3 by Josh Elder, Illustrated by Adam Archer

by Boom Studios/Kaboom:

- ABIGAIL AND THE SNOWMAN #1 by Roger Langridge
- BEE AND PUPPY CAT #2 and #6 by Natasha Allegri
- THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL #1 by Frank Gibson and Tyson Hesse
- CAPTURE CREATURES #2 by Frank Gibson, Illustrated by Becky Dreistadt
- FAIRY QUEST: OUTLAWS #1 by Paul Jenkins, Illustrated by Humberto Ramos 

* * * 

A few pics from this past 2 week :)

Our first 'read' of 2015!

Our first snow!

Our first 'camp out' in the living room ;)

ALL the "series" that I need to finish or catch up on! Eeep!!!

I reorganized my bookshelves! ALL of these shelves are strictly for YA now :)

* * * 

Thank you SO much for stopping by today!!!

Don't forget to leave a comment with your link so I can visit you too, please!!!

xoxo

Blog Tour (Review and Giveaway): TEAR YOU APART by Sarah Cross (YA)

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/2015/01/tour-schedule-tear-you-apart-by-sarah.html

TEAR YOU APART
Beau Rivage #2
by Sarah Cross
Release date: January 27th, 2015
Published by: Egmont USA
Genre: Young Adult Fairytale Retelling
Format: Hardcover, eBook
Format read: ARC from the publisher.


SUMMARY

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. 

But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrificing the love that might kill her?

***

POP CULTURE CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF TWISTING FAIRY TALES: ABC's Once Upon a Time and NBC's Grimm continue to pull in high ratings. And with the anticipated Angelina Jolie Maleficent (2014), the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods (2014), and Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella (2015), Hollywood is infected with fairy tale fever.

CAMEOS FROM FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Viv, who first appeared in Kill Me Softly trailed by her brooding boy-toy Henley, takes center stage in this new Beau Rivage tale. Other familiar characters including Blue and Jewel are back to help her defy her destiny.

TEENS LOVE THIS FAIRY TALE WORLD: Kill Me Soflty was a 2013 YALSA Teens' Top 10.

Readers have been clamoring for a sequel.

A FRESH TAKE ON THE FAMILIAR: Drawing on "Snow White," "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," and "Rumpelstiltskin," Tear You Apart is very conscious of the way these stories have pervaded pop culture, twisting known tropes into an exciting new story that can stand on its own. 

FAVORITE QUOTES

"My chipmunks would bite the shit out of you. You might now want to risk it."
~ page 140 (ARC)

"Is there something wrong with my face?" the queen demanded. "Oh! I'd forgotten! This one's the fairest of them all. No wonder she doesn't like what she sees!"
~ page 233 (ARC)

"Yes, Vivian, my lovely queen wasn't fated for the underworld, so the magic has spoiled her mind. But you needn't be concerned that will happen to you. If you go mad, it will be for other reasons."
~ page 234 (ARC)


MY REVIEW

One of the most believable and amazing retellings! Incarnating popular fairytales into twisted modern classics, TEAR YOU APART is thought-provoking, eerie and fun...

Our modern-day Snow White, Viv, is constantly reminded of what soon awaits for her - her stepmothers wish for her heart to be carved out by the Huntsman. It has been a threat weighing over her for many years now, one that she has learned to accept. Until recently. When her best friend, Henley, turned true love, is cursed with having to live out what is to be Viv's tragic ending. Even with Henley's promise to never hurt her, a curse cannot be removed nor broken. But Henley is determined to to fulfill his promise and protect her as best as he can... Due to these circumstances, there relationship has taken an interesting love/hate turn, but, in the end, Viv puts a lot of trust into Henley and feels that he will follow his heart and not what the curse will force him to do.
In the meantime, it seems that Viv does not know how to be around Henley. She is short tempered and rude. And having been abandoned by her father, because he can't handle the curse that has been laid upon her, and being left with a crazed stepmother - who can blame her for being a spoiled brat with a bitchy attitude. She has every right to be anyway she needs to be in order to keep her sanity.
And by now we know that  for every doomed princess there is a charming prince who is said to be her savior.
Our prince, Jasper, lives in the Underworld. Yes, that place, down below. His family is cursed to be those who somewhat save the Twelve Dancing Princesses. They're the ones that dance and dance with the princesses, endlessly... Jasper is, to say the least, different and crude. And definitely not my favorite. But he was so well put together. I truly didn't expect him to be what he turned out to be.

I do have to admit, the love-triangle thing hardly felt like one. And I do love how things end.

Ooooh, and let's not forget the Rumplestiltskin twisty thing that happened...

There are many hidden fairytale innuendos as well as hilarious moments. I did laugh out loud a few times. Even with that, the story is dark. The characters are very complex and at times hard to swallow. The male characters are all very cruel and possessive at times. I had to keep reminding myself that they are under unbreakable curses, and that took a huge toll on their temperaments and qualities. But does can sinister curses excuse all of their horrible behaviors?

A definite new favorite! I highly recommend this to all who love fairytales, retellings and even those that love contemporary with a magical/paranormal twist! There is diversity and a ton of complex characters... However, it will help you better understand the main plot of the story if you are familiar with the main fairytales mentioned above.


*An ARC was sent to me from the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

GIVEAWAY

- 10 winners will receive a signed finished copy of TEAR YOU APART. 

- US/Canada Only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Sarah Cross

Sarah Cross is the author of the fairy tale novels Kill Me Softly and Tear You Apart (coming January 2015), the superhero novel Dull Boy, and the Wolverine comic "The Adamantium Diaries." 

She loves fairy tales, lowbrow art, secret identities and silence.

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Tumblr

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/

TOUR SCHEDULE

Week One:

1/19/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Story Post

1/20/2015- Crossroad Reviews- Spotlight Post

1/21/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Story Post

1/22/2015- Bumbles and Fairy-Tales- Review

1/23/2015- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Story Post                                                                    

Week Two:

1/26/2015- Jump Into Books- Review

1/27/2015- Du Livre- Story Post

1/28/2015- Head Stuck In A Book- Review

1/29/2015- A Glass of Wine- Story Post

1/30/2015- A Backwards Story- Story Post and Review of the novella TWIN ROSES

Cover Reveal: NEVER NEVER by Brianna R. Shrum (YA)

NEVER NEVER

by Brianna R. Shrum

Expected release date: September 22nd, 2015

Published by: Spencer Hill Press

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy - Fairytale Retelling

Format: Unknown

SUMMARY

James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child — at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does.       

                      

And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn't about Peter Pan. 

It’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.

Except one.

MY THOUGHTS

LOVE love love the cover!!!

Do you see all those Hook details???

Look at those clouds! The ship! The typography!!!

AND!!!

THIS STORY!!!
I cannot wait to read the BEFORE! 

We finally get to see Hook, when he's a boy! Why he hates Peter Pan SO much!!!

NEED!!! NOW!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Brianna R. Shrum

Brianna Shrum lives in Colorado with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband, two boys, and two big, floppy hound dogs. 

She thinks chai tea is proof of magic in the world, and loves all things kissy, magical, and strange. 

Goodreads / Twitter

Waiting On Wednesday #116: VALIANT by Sarah McGuire (MG)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!

The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!!

And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 

What I'm currently waiting for... 

VALIANT

by Sarah McGuire

Expected release date: June 9th, 2015

Published by: Egmont USA

Genre: Middle Grade Fairytale Retelling

Format: Hardcover, eBook

SUMMARY

A debut fairy tale retelling featuring a strong female character and a daring quest just right for fans of Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, and Gail Carson Levine.

Saville despises the bolts of velvet and silk that her father loves- he's always prized them more than he's ever loved her. Yet when he's struck ill, she'll do anything to survive, even donning boys' clothes and begging a commission to sew for the king.

Piecing together a fine coat is far simpler than unknotting court gossip about an army of giants led by a man who cannot be defeated. And they're marching toward Reggen to seize the throne. But Saville knows giants are just stories, and no man is immortal.

Then she meets them, two scouts as tall as trees. She tricks them into leaving, but tales of the daring tailor's triumph quickly spin into impossible feats of giant-slaying. And mere stories won't deter the Duke and his larger-than-life army.

Now only a courageous and clever tailor girl can see beyond the rumors to save the kingdom again. 

Valiant richly reimagines "The Brave Little Tailor," transforming it into a story of understanding, identity, and fighting to protect those you love most.

Why I'm waiting for VALIANT...

Firstly... it is a fairytale retelling of THE BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR!!!

Who doesn't remember watching Disney's 1938 short film starring Mickey Mouse?! As a child, I used to watch it over and over again :) Luckily for me, my dad and sister enjoyed it as well!

However, the original fairytale is called THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR, a German fairytale written by the Brothers Grimm. Obviously this version is a bit darker than the Mickey one. I am very curious to see what direction the author has decided to go with her version... 

Secondly... that cover!!! 

I'm not a fan of the color purple, but, this works so perfectly for the theme of this book!!!

Lastly... the writing is being compared to some heavy hitters - how can I not give this debut a try!!!

SO, what are you waiting for???

Blog Tour (Interview and Giveaway): THE WICKED AWAKENING OF ANNE MERCHANT by Joanna Wiebe (YA)

THE WICKED AWAKENING OF ANNE MERCHANT

The V Trilogy #2

by Joanna Wiebe

Release date: January 20th, 2015

Published by: BenBella Books

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Format: Paperback, eBook

Format read: Paperback from the publisher.

SUMMARY

Life and death, light and dark, spirit and flesh-on Wormwood Island, the lines are always blurred. For Anne Merchant, who has been thrust back into this eerily secretive world, crossing the line seems inevitable, inescapable, destined.

Now, as Ben finds himself battling for the Big V and Teddy reveals the celestial plan in which Anne is entwined, Anne must choose: embrace her darkly powerful connection to a woman known as Lilith and, in doing so, save the boy she loves... 
or follow a safer path that is sure to lead to Ben's destruction at the hands of dark leaders. 

Hoping the ends will justify the means, Anne starts down the slippery slope into the underworld, intent on exploring the dark to find the light. 

But as the lure of Lilith proves powerfully strong, 
will Anne save others - only to lose herself? 

INTERVIEW with JOANNA WIEBE

1. Where do you get your inspiration for the remote island, its natives and the school?

Oooh, well, my inspiration for the island itself comes in part from the year in which I lived in the very remote, very rugged town of Kamikawa-cho, in the middle of Hokkaido, Japan. It’s also informed by my home of Vancouver Island, a glimpse of which is shown here:

(source)

As for the people of Wormwood Island, I actually studied post-colonialist literature and cultural theory during undergrad, which perhaps makes me partial to wishing to tell the story of those who’ve been displaced by wealth and power. The Abenaki people of Wormwood Island are forced to do rather unthinkable things in order to provide for themselves after government policy removes what little of their culture they had left; in the case of the First Nations people on Wormwood Island, that is the end of whaling practices. 

And the school Cania Christy is inspired by my sheer love of boarding schools. We have a very well-known and reputable boarding school here on Vancouver Island called Shawnigan. It loosely informed Cania Christy:

(source)

2. What can we expect to see in The Wicked Awakening? Any new characters?

Yes! While writing, I was super-stoked by how much room I had in The Wicked Awakening to develop the existing characters – Anne, Ben, Harper, Pilot – and introduce some pretty cool new ones. The joy of writing novels in a series is that, outside of a few situations, you don’t need to spend quite as much time building your world in books two, three and on, so you can spend more time exploring the dimensions of each character.

But back to the new characters! In this book, the shamed Headmaster Villicus is replaced with a decidedly shameless headmaster named Dia Voletto. He’s tattooed, he says the wrong things, he makes Anne feel totally different about herself – and I lovvved writing him.

We also meet the Seven Sinning Sisters. These ladies are fab. They just so happen to be the seven deadly sins personified, which means we get to meet people like Superbia, the underworld goddess of pride, and Invidia, who is envy. Anne’s interactions with these sisters – and what they teach her about herself – was impossibly enjoyable to bring to life on the page. I can’t wait to see more of them in the third book…

3. The V Trilogy, is dark, twisted and suspenseful. How were you able to get into such a mindset to write? Do you have "writing rituals" or things that you need to have in order to help your creativity?

I tend to write in the evenings, alone, with the lights dimmed a little (as bad as that is for my eyes). I put on music that makes me feel a little eerie, like any Modest Mouse album or Air. I also think I simply lean toward darkness for God knows why, so I’m often kinda surprised to read in reviews that people find the books quite dark and creepy because I don’t feel I’m laying it on particularly thick. I’m like, “What’s creepy about a girl raised in a funeral home? Is it that dark to visit an island run by a devil who exchanges life for things like tattooing something awful to one’s forehead?” ;)

4. What is one thing you would have done differently for one of your characters?

Ah, the dreaded question. The regret question. The one thing I would have done differently for one of my characters is show the other sides of Villicus in the first book. Anyone who’s read The Unseemly Education already knows who Villicus really is, so, knowing that, it would have been possible for Villicus to look quite different than he does. He could have looked like a celebrity or someone invisible-ish. But that’s not how I saw him. I saw him as he is on the page, and I think that, unfortunately, maybe that makes him read as a villain produced from the Villain Mold. (Sure, that’s a thing.)

So that’s the one thing I might change: I’d make Villicus perhaps less obviously a bad dude.

5. Can you give us a sneak peek to what we may expect to happen in book 3?

Oh, how I’d love to... What I can say is that the Seven Sinning Sisters will be back, and Harper is going to be, um, rather aligned with them. We’ll get up close and personal with Jeannie Zin, and we’ll see a side of Ben that, I think, some fans have long expected to see. Pilot will do as he does: flip-flop between disappointing us and making us proud. Of course, the tension between Anne and Villicus will come to a head. And Anne will definitely be her most take-charge self yet, though it’s going to come with consequences to be sure.

Someone will die for good. Someone will be heartbroken. And those who had it coming will, at last, get it. At least, that’s where I have the book right now.

THANK YOU so very much for answering my questions, Joanna!

Book 3 sounds amazing! And I am really looking forward to reading it!!!

MY FAVORITE QUOTES

Oh, God. My name said by his voice. 

This is why people have names. This is why people have voices. 

~ Paperback, page 28

GIVEAWAY

BenBella Books is generously offering up 15 copies of The Wicked Awakening of Anne Merchant, please enter the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win! 

Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Bumbles and Fairy-Tales will not be held responsible for any lost, damaged, unclaimed, etc. prizes.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Joanna Wiebe

Goodreads / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

The Wicked Awakening of Anne Merchant BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, Januray 12th - Reading YA Rocks - Guest Post
Tuesday, Janaury 13th - Literary Meanderings - Interview
Wednesday, January 14th - Such a Novel Idea - Interview
Thursday, Janaury 15th - Of Spectacles and Books - Guest Post
Friday, January 16th - Feminist Reflections - Guest Post
- -
Monday, January 19th - To Each Their Own Reviews - Guest Post
Tuesday, Janaury 20th - Bumbles and Fairy-Tales - Author Interview
Wedneday, January 21st - Aphonic Book Reviews - Guest Post
Thursday, Janaury 22nd - Her Book Thoughts - Guest Post
Friday, Janaury 23rd - Book Lovers Life - Guest Post
- -
Monday, Januray 26th - Jump Into Books - Interview
Tuesday, Janaury 27h - Bad Bird Reads - Guest Post
Wedneday, January 28th - Addicted Readers - Interview
Thursday, Janaury 29th - Behind the Pages - Guest Post
Friday, Janaury 30th - Curling Up With A Good Book - Interview

http://www.kismetbt.com/

Teaser Tuesday #3: THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE by Neil Gaiman (YA)

TEASER TUESDAYS is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading...

This is where we get to share a little snippet of what we are reading! 

THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE
by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Chris Riddell

UK/AUS Release date: October 23rd, 2014 by Bloomsbury

USA Release date: September 22nd, 2015 by HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fairytale Retelling

Format: Hardcover, eBook

Format read: Hardcover

SUMMARY

A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish. 
On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. 

This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. 

Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents.

Lavishly produced, packed with glorious Chris Riddell illustrations enhanced with metallic ink, this is a spectacular and magical gift.

TEASER

"... And brave men," continued the pot-girl. "Aye, and brave women too, they say, have attempted to travel to the Forest of Acaire, to the castle at its heart, to wake the princess, and, in waking her, to wake all the sleepers, but each and every one of those heroes ended their lives lost in the forest, murdered by bandits, or impaled upon the thorns of the rose bushes that encircle the castle-"

~ The Sleeper and the Spindle, page 16

She went to sleep that night in a hayrick, in a meadow, with the dwarfs around her, wondering if she would ever wake to see another morning.

~ The Sleeper and the Spindle, page 28

What's your tease this week???

TUCK EVERLASTING 40th Anniversary Blog Tour: What if You Could Live Forever???

I am so thrilled to be a part of the TUCK EVERLASTING 40 Days For 40 Years anniversary blog tour! More excited that this book is finally being re-released in a hardcover format! And even happier to know that this is a book that will always, continuously, be shared with younger generations for many, many more years to come! A small book that will live on forever, and ever!!!...

2015 marks the 40th anniversary of Natalie Babbitt’s celebrated, ground-breaking title Tuck Everlasting (Anniversary edition on sale January 20). In celebration of the anniversary, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group will publish a special anniversary edition featuring an introduction from Wicked author Gregory Maguire.

Natalie will be in conversation with Gregory Maguire at Symphony Space in New York City on Sunday, January 25 at 1:00 PM. Alexis Bledel, star of the 2002 movie adaptation, will read from the book.

Tuck Everlasting asks readers “What if you could live forever?”
Doomed to, or blessed with, eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Then complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

Upon the book’s publication in 1975, Natalie was greeted with concern from parents and educators who were stunned to read a book about death written for children. She is an author who challenges her readers and thinks the best questions are the ones without answers.

This 40th anniversary will introduce a whole new generation to this timeless classic. The book has sold over 3.5 million copies in the US alone, and has never been out of print since publication.

TUCK EVERLASTING

by Natalie Babbitt

Foreword by Gregory Maguire

Original release date: 1975

New 40th Anniversary Edition release date: January 20th, 2015

Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan)

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy (Classic Literature)

Format: Hardcover (New 40th Anniversary Edition), eBook, Paperback

Format read: Paperback and Hardback from the publisher.

SUMMARY

Blessed with — or doomed to — eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. 

When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

A brand-new introduction from Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked, and additional bonus materials make this special edition of Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting a must-have for lovers of the book and a great way to introduce a new generation to a classic. 

WHAT IF YOU COULD LIVE FOREVER???

Ah, the question that has been asked over and over again for many, many years - what if I could live on forever and ever??? A question that will eternally be asked. A question that will always be answered in many different ways. And these some of these answers will differ for each person... and some persons will have more than just one answer. Like me. Let me explain...

If you were to ask me this question when I was Winnie's age, I would have giggled and said...

"Of course I would want to live forever! I would travel the world! Have all the toys in the world! Play with other children. Learn other languages and cultures. And never have to worry about anything, because I am just a kid. Which means, that I would always have someone to take care of me. But I would be free to do what I want to do... forever!"

Of course, I would expect my parents to be the ones by my side, for eternity. The innocence of not knowing, or caring, what the future may hold - no worries. The Peter Pan sort of life! I was sold! And also, why Peter Pan is one of my all-time favorite stories!

Now ask me again, ten years later... 

The first time I read TUCK EVERLASTING, I was a senior in high school. At this age, I had never read anything like this book. I instantly had much love for the Tuck family. For Jesse. After a few days, I reread their story. And couldn't help romanticizing the concept of being able to live forever... 

At seventeen, I would have said...

"Of course I would want to live forever! How stupid was Winnie to have done what she did. Poor Jesse. I would have done what he asked and found him - go on adventures and see the world. Nothing would get in our way! No one to tell us what to do. We'd live for each other and see everything until the end of time."

The idea of being carefree and seeing the world was a dream of mine. How wonderful it would be to live forever with your first love and do all the things everyone has always said that you couldn't do.

Another ten years go by. I'm now newly married and a first time mommy. Ask me now...

"Of course I would want to live forever! I would love to be able to go through life knowing that I don't have to worry about losing a minute of it because I know that I will always be around. I want to see my child grow up, get married, have children of his own and watch as each generation comes. With my knowledge and expertise, I would be helpful and one-of-a-kind. I would love, and be so loved! Endless love..."

There is nothing like the love of a child! A sweet baby snuggled in your arms, knowing that his love for you will be eternal - you don't want that feeling to ever go away; to never end!

Another ten years go by. Presently, I have been married for over 10 years, 3 kids, a nephew... family and friends, that are so very loved, and cherished. Ask me now, today, if I would want to live on forever... 

"All these years I have quickly answered YES, I do want to live forever! And I would give you a million and one reasons as to why I would want to. However. After reading TUCK EVERLASTING again for the umpteenth time, I've finally come to realize what Winnie saw when she was just a child. 

No. I no longer want to live on for forever. I want to cherish however much time I have; whether it may be just a few more minutes or fifty more years. I believe that if I were to live on, I would not appreciate what I have now because there will always be a tomorrow. If I was to have chosen to live forever before this time, I would have missed out on so much! I would not have my children, I would not be living my life as I am now.
I feel that I may take advantage of my time, since it would be eternal. And knowing that my loved ones may not have that same amount of time, I cannot live on and forget about them. The thought of being without them is so painful. I hope to get to see my children grow up and have families of their own - my grandmother lived until she was 104, it is quite possible that I may too. I will see plenty, witness many loving moments and little miracles. Why should I expect more than that? Why should I deserve more than that? It just doesn't seem natural to me not to experience old age. It is frightening to think of and face - especially when I'm supposedly halfway done with my life now. But as I look upon the elders in my family, and see so many of them so happy, and embracing what they've learned and experience. I feel that I am now prepared to do the same thing.
I am honored and proud to have earned my greys and wrinkles. And I finally feel brave enough to say that I am ready for my future and whatever it may hold. I will not run away from it anymore."

So, my final answer is... no. But, thank you for asking.

If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you???