Secret Lover...

For a few weeks now, I have been dying... DYING to tell you about an awesome wonderful amazing book I listened to on CD, and a new release I can't wait to read. But since I bought the CD book for my bestie in Australia's birthday and haven't shipped it yet (sorry Dan), I still can't tell you about it or I'll ruin the surprise! But secret love #2 is out of the closet: Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner is OUT! I was supposed to keep it quiet so buddy Jess could buy it for her hubby Dan, but since it came out March 23, I feel like there's been enough of a grace period I can safely say -- in blogosphere psuedo public -- I'm so friggin excited to read this book! As anyone who's read any of my MWT related blog posts can attest (like this, or this), I LOVE THESE BOOKS.

Further proof I'm a total geek: this series leaves me starstruck. A few weeks ago I actually introduced myself to my YA bookstore goth girl like a total dweeb... "I'm Kate... I love your book recs." And then she told me she blogs too! And she got an ARC (that's totally I'm-cool-I-know-things book lingo for Advanced Reader Copy) and wrote about Conspiracy of Kings already! Squee!

As she puts it, "I rediscovered my longstanding, abiding love for Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series, rereading the three previous books leading up to the newly released A Conspiracy of Kings. I am simply amazed that her books have stood up to second (and even third) reads. The new book is not something to scoff at either. Gorgeous and wonderful it was and I can’t wait to reread it before the fifth book comes out in the series… here that, Turner… I demand a fifth book! Post haste."

My experience of meeting Krys (I know her name from the little paper slips in the YA section... which makes me feel a little like a stalker) also brought out the geekiest of geeky actions. Upon telling me about her blog, I blurted out, "Jeff Woodman commented on my blog!" In case you haven't heard yet, Jeff Woodman commented on my blog! And even if it was just my bf pretending to make my day (week, month, year, and quite possibly, decade!) it worked. Because Jeff Woodman commented on my blog! But more importantly, Jeff Woodman was a (literary) rock star and improved and enhanced my Attolia books.

So I've been pretty friggin excited for Conspiracy of Kings to hit the shelves, and in anticipation I started re-reading The Thief, of course loving it, and having a rather deja vu experience. You see, in anticipation of Kristin Cashore's sophomore novel Fire last year, I reread Graceling... another of the "books you must read" and simultaneously listened to Woodman's/Whalen Turner's Attolia books. Now, the tables have turned with a fun and delightful full cast recording of Graceling, while reading The Thief. Life doesn't get much better than this.