The Bookslingers Bookslinging Podcast #16: Which podcast is this again?

The 2012 Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Awards Shortlist has been announced! As have the 2012 Joe Shuster Awards.

No Book of the Week this week, but instead, a theme: pirate books! Some good pirates as well as some bad pirates, and some discussion of how if you attack other ships and steal their stuff, you're still a pirate, no matter what you call yourself or how favourably you are looked upon by the Queen of England.

Books from this week's podcast:

• The Sleeping Army by Francesca Simon
• Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
• The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (and because this book is now in the public domain, have an e-book link!
• Lady Grace Mysteries: Betrayal by Grace Cavendish
• Peter And The Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Download the Bookslingers Podcast #16! (Right-click and Save As...)

The Bookslingers Bookslinging Podcast #15: Twin Spica Special

This week in books, there has been a predictably pearl-clutching study revealing that - DUN DUN DUUUUUUN - there are swear words in young adult novels. The "study" comes out of Brigham-Young University, so take that with a grain (or a canister) of salt, since this is the same university that requires its student body to sign a pledge enforcable by the morality police. More important info about said "study:" apparently "fart" is an obscenity. Who knew? (Normally this is where we would link to the article, but we don't really want to give this thing more links, so if you really want to read it, you are more than welcome to Google) I don't know about you guys, but as a teenager, I'm pretty sure most of my cussing vocabulary was not coming from such "profane" tomes as Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Maybe I was just reading wrong?

Also, Steve Jobs has been made into a children's book, this time in the form of his very own volume in the "Who Was" series, which is meant to educate children about important historical figures. Please enjoy the highly entertaining cover.

The Nebula Awards have been... awarded! Winners of various Nebula-related prizes include the ever-excellent Neil Gaiman and Her Awesomeness, Connie Willis (this is her new title).

This week is our long-promised (and possibly very disappointing?) Twin Spica Special! It is composed mainly of long, fraught pauses and mournful sighs. Pro Tip: We recommend not reading the last three issues of this manga on public transit (unless you really enjoy crying in public, then go nuts).

Books from this week's podcast:

• Twin Spica by Kou Yaginuma
• Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen
• The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
• Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
• Water Wars Cameron Stracher
• Blood Secret Kathryn Lasky
• Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

Download the Bookslingers Podcast #15! (Right-click and Save As...)

Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley

Chime is the story of Briony, who thinks she's going to burn in Hell. Briony lives in a town where witches are hanged, and she's also spent the past several years believing herself not only a witch, but responsible for all the ills of her family.

Enter the Hot Guy, AKA: the Lion Boy, AKA: Eldric.

Eldric is clever, and kind, and interesting - all the things that Briony Does Not Need, considering how busy she is denying herself anything that makes her happy.