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	<title>Book Equals &#187; Jose Alvarez</title>
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	<link>http://www.bookequals.com</link>
	<description>Every Opinion Matters</description>
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		<title>Felix Felicis: Everyone Needs a Little Luck [Harry Potter Book Challenge]</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/06/27/felix-felicis-everyone-needs-a-little-luck-harry-potter-book-challenge/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/06/27/felix-felicis-everyone-needs-a-little-luck-harry-potter-book-challenge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:28:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Chat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry Potter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry Potter Challenge]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=14084</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.&#8221; &#8211; Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince Felix Felicis is a very curious and interesting potion. Drinking it grants the drinker incredible amounts of good luck, although how long this effect lasts depends on the [...]]]></description>
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<em>&#8220;The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.&#8221;</em> &#8211; <strong>Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince</strong></p>
<p>Felix Felicis is a very curious and interesting potion.  Drinking it grants the drinker incredible amounts of good luck, although how long this effect lasts depends on the amount imbibed. You also have to be careful since drinking too much leads to over zealousness or giddiness and can be dangerous. It&#8217;s the magical world&#8217;s equivalent to performance enhancing drugs as use of the potion in sporting events, competitions, or during tests is forbidden. </p>
<p>We first see Felix Felicis (also called Liquid Luck) in <strong>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</strong> when Harry attends his first Advance Potions class given by Slughorn.  It&#8217;s one of many potions Slughorn has prepared for the class to name, which is really no challenge when Hermione is in the classroom.  Slughorn offers a small sample (about twelve hours worth) of the potion as a prize to the student who creates the best version of Draught of Living Death, which Harry wins thanks to the Half-Blood Prince&#8217;s copy of Advance Potion Making, much to Hermione&#8217;s chagrin. </p>
<p>The potion becomes an important part of the plot for the rest of the book. Harry feigns putting some in Ron&#8217;s drink right before a Quidditch match to help him overcome his jitters at being the new keeper. He drinks some of the potion to help him get Slughorn&#8217;s memories about Horcruxes, leading to a series of improbable luck and coincidences. He divides the rest of the potion among his friends in order to help protect them when the Death Eaters enter Hogwarts. </p>
<p>I thought that it was wonderful that the magical world has this very difficult to obtain potion that steers you to have good luck. It seems like the kind of thing we&#8217;d all want to try out at least once. I think if I had a small bottle of it I&#8217;d try to go out and do something dangerous like rock climbing, stunt driving, or salsa dancing (you&#8217;d understand if you ever saw me dance). </p>
<p>What would you do if you had a little bit of Felix Felicis for luck (remember no sports, contests, or tests)? I also thought it was very much like Harry to share the rest of his potion with his friends to help protect them before the Death Eaters came to the castle. Would you share your potion with friends or would you keep it to yourself? Lastly, if you were Harry, would you have kept a little bit of the potion for yourself as well just in case? I can&#8217;t wait to hear your thoughts and ideas, and feel free to talk about what you thought of <strong>The Half-Blood Prince</strong>.</p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons" rel="nofollow"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S. A. Corey [Review]</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/06/14/leviathan-wakes-by-james-s-a-corey-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/06/14/leviathan-wakes-by-james-s-a-corey-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James S. A. Corey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leviathan Wakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sci-Fi & Fantasy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=13942</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mars has been colonized and humans have settled throughout the asteroid belt, even in the outer parts of our solar system. Earth has the numbers, Mars the technology, and those living in the asteroid belt, Belters, provide minerals and water to the rest of the galaxy. A mining ship investigates an abandoned ship on an asteroid with no sign of its crew or purpose. A [...]]]></description>
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<p>Mars has been colonized and humans have settled throughout the asteroid belt, even in the outer parts of our solar system. Earth has the numbers, Mars the technology, and those living in the asteroid belt, Belters, provide minerals and water to the rest of the galaxy. A mining ship investigates an abandoned ship on an asteroid with no sign of its crew or purpose. A detective investigates a kidnapping case full of political overtones while fighting his own demons. When these two mysteries cross paths in <strong>LEVIATHAN WAKES</strong> by James S. A. Corey (a pen name used by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck), the outcome could lead to an interplanetary war and extinction of the human race.</p>
<p>One of the reasons I was so interested in reading <strong>Leviathan Wakes</strong> was that there was buzz about it being a grand space opera story. For those of you not familiar with the term, space operas are supposed to be romantic tales in a science fiction setting where there is generally some kind of conflict occurring between parties. This book doesn&#8217;t really meet these criteria, but instead brings on an amazing combination of action and noir fiction that pulls you in like a tractor beam. This combination is only enhanced by the rich science fiction background the authors weave throughout the story, especially when it came to the variety of technologies present in the different ships/locations visited throughout the book. </p>
<p><strong>Leviathan Wakes</strong>’ other highlights are the great characters Abraham and Franck put on paper.  You start off with two very compelling characters in Holden, the executive officer of the mining ship, and Miller, the detective from Ceres, but the supporting cast also brings a lot to the storyline and pacing.  Since this book is the first in The Expanse series, there are still a lot of options available to the writers for where they want to take these characters and how to develop them over a number of books. I can’t wait to see what the next book in the series will bring!</p>
<p>I would recommend this book anyone who likes science fiction stories, but also for those who like a good noir detective story.  Age wise this is suitable for older teens to adults; I don’t think younger readers will really be able to get the flow of the story and some of the complex story elements.  As an added bonus, <a href="http://www.orbitbooks.net/2010/11/01/new-wallpaper-leviathan-wakes/">Orbit Books has released wallpapers</a> for your computer or mobile device based on the cover of <strong>Leviathan Wakes</strong>, which is a cool way to share your love of sci-fi novels with others.   </p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> 4 out of 5 stars | <strong>Publisher:</strong>Orbit Books | <strong>Pages:</strong> 592 | <strong>Source:</strong> NetGalley | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316129089/?tag=daemonsbooks-20" ><strong>Buy on Amazon</strong></a></p>
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		<title>KANE CHRONICLES 2: THE THRONE OF FIRE by Rick Riordan [Review]</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/05/23/kane-chronicles-2-the-throne-of-fire-by-rick-riordan-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/05/23/kane-chronicles-2-the-throne-of-fire-by-rick-riordan-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2011 10:45:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rick Riordan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Kane Chronicles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Throne of Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Young Adult]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=13477</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Kane siblings are back and trying to save the world from the dangers of Apophis in The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. In the time since their adventures in The Red Pyramid, Sadie and Carter have been working to bring in and train other young magicians like themselves. When Carter suddenly receives a warning of impending doom, the siblings jump into action to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="float:right;padding:10px"><img src="http://s2.bookequals.com/up/2011/05/riordan-throne-of-fire.jpg" alt="" title="The Kane Chronicles 2: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan" width="184" height="280" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13480" /></div>
<p>The Kane siblings are back and trying to save the world from the dangers of Apophis in <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong> by Rick Riordan.  In the time since their adventures in <strong>The Red Pyramid</strong>, Sadie and Carter have been working to bring in and train other young magicians like themselves.  When Carter suddenly receives a warning of impending doom, the siblings jump into action to look for a way to prevent Apophis&#8217; escape. Their search will take them across the world, evading their enemies from the House of Life and even some gods who are unsure of Carter and Sadie&#8217;s intentions. To help save the world the two Kane children must be ready to sacrifice everything, including themselves, to ensure that the wrong person doesn&#8217;t take The Throne of Fire. </p>
<p>Overall I really enjoyed <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong> and can&#8217;t wait for the third book in the series, which should come out around May 2012.  The real treat with Riordan&#8217;s books is how he intertwines the Egyptian mythology to our world and turns it into a fun adventure for all. There is a lot of new information your brain has to assimilate (unless your an Egyptologist), but you never get the sense of information overload.  In fact every new god or piece of Egyptian lore you pick up through <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong> serves a purpose to the story, making it a lot more enjoyable to read through the parts of the book that are more mythology heavy.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m still a big fan of Riordan using the two Kane siblings to tell the stories in alternating chapters. It helped move the story along in <strong>The Red Pyramid</strong>, and in this book we really get a sense of the unique voice of each of the Kane kids.  This time around we get to see and understand a little more of Sadie&#8217;s life and how she&#8217;s handling both turning into a teenager and dealing with her magical powers, which works well since the first book in the series seemed to focus more on Carter. Riordan introduces (and reintroduces in one case) a few new and interesting characters in this book, giving you a better sense of the diversity in the Kane&#8217;s magical world.  </p>
<p>If there&#8217;s one thing that didn&#8217;t seem to work in <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong> it was the pacing and the action of the last third or so of the book. The action becomes very quick and fast paced, so fast that you don&#8217;t really get a moment to digest what happened before the next big moment comes up. Normally that&#8217;s not a problem, but add to it the details and information being presented during some of these scenes and there&#8217;s little room for retention.  When I was reading I found myself doing a lot of stopping and re-reading to make sure I understood what was going on. It doesn&#8217;t take away from the great story, just adds some speed bumps to parts that should be as fast moving as the River of Night.</p>
<p><strong>The Throne of Fire</strong> is a great read for young readers, especially those who read the Percy Jackson series.  Have you read <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong>? What did you think about it? How does it compare to <strong>The Red Pyramid</strong>? Please let me know what you think in the comments.</p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> 4 out of 5 stars | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Hyperion Book CH  | <strong>Pages:</strong> 464 | <strong>Source:</strong> Purchased | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1423140567/?tag=daemonsbooks-20" ><strong>Buy on Amazon</strong></a></p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons" rel="nofollow"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>DEAD OR ALIVE by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood [Review]</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/04/11/dead-or-alive-by-tom-clancy-and-grant-blackwood-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/04/11/dead-or-alive-by-tom-clancy-and-grant-blackwood-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dead or Alive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mystery & Thriller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Clancy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=12158</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the saying goes, &#8220;Good things come to those who wait.&#8221; For Tom Clancy fans, Dead or Alive was definitely worth the seven-year wait, as it provided a gripping action packed story with the characters fans have enjoyed for the last two decades. I have been a huge fan of Tom Clancy since I first read Red Storm Rising in high school, so I actually [...]]]></description>
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<p>As the saying goes, &#8220;Good things come to those who wait.&#8221;  For Tom Clancy fans, <strong>Dead or Alive</strong> was definitely worth the seven-year wait, as it provided a gripping action packed story with the characters fans have enjoyed for the last two decades. I have been a huge fan of Tom Clancy since I first read <strong>Red Storm Rising</strong> in high school, so I actually read <strong>Dead or Alive</strong> right when it came out last December and instantly loved it.  I decided to hold off on writing a review for a few months later to make sure my reaction wasn&#8217;t all fan boy glee.  After a couple of re-readings I&#8217;m pretty confident in my first impression and think that you will enjoy it as well. </p>
<p><strong>Dead or Alive</strong> starts off soon after the events of <strong>The Teeth of the Tiger</strong>. The Campus, the secret anti-terrorism organization created by Jack Ryan during his time as President, is still on the trail of a dangerous terrorist known as The Emir. Unknown to Ryan, his son has joined The Campus, and meets up with familiar faces as they try to stop an upcoming attack on America before its too late.   Meanwhile, after a quiet few years away from the public, Ryan Sr. is faced with a critical decision that could affect the course of history.</p>
<p>Although I&#8217;ve already said how much I liked <strong>Dead or Alive</strong>, lets go into some of the details.  The book&#8217;s plot lines were well paced and easily flowed together without feeling forced.  The same goes with how the different characters were integrated into the main storyline, which felt like it was done in an organic manner.  This book was actually co-authored with Grant Blackwood, though you couldn&#8217;t really tell as it read just like the other Clancy books.  </p>
<p>The one thing that didn&#8217;t sit well with me, though, was a very awkward transition near the middle of the book that just didn&#8217;t make sense. I won&#8217;t go into details to avoid spoiling folks, but at first I thought my hard cover edition was missing pages and I even checked the ebook version to see if it was different. It&#8217;s really a speed bump in the flow of the story, but it&#8217;s not going to detract from your enjoyment of the book. Hopefully the authors will explain what was going on in that part of the book or correct it in a future edition. </p>
<p><strong>Dead or Alive</strong> is great for fans of Tom Clancy books or other action packed spy or political thrillers like those from Vince Flynn or Robert Ludlum.  Age wise I&#8217;d say the book is really for adult readers, considering the some of the complicated subjects involved and some of the action scenes that can be violent (but not in a gratuitous manner).  While <strong>Dead or Alive</strong> is part of the Jack Ryan series of books, one of the things I like the most about Clancy&#8217;s books is that he does a good job in creating a self contained story for each novel, but still ties it to the overall series.  So you can start by reading <strong>Dead or Alive</strong>, just don&#8217;t be surprised if you want to go back and read Clancy&#8217;s earlier books. </p>
<p><strong>Rating</strong>: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Putnam | <strong>Pages:</strong> 848 | <strong>Source:</strong> Purchased | <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0399157239/?tag=daemonsbooks-20">Buy on Amazon</a></strong></a></p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons" rel="nofollow"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>Exclusive Interview: BLOOD PROPHECY Author Stefan Petrucha</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/01/20/exclusive-interview-blood-prophecy-author-stefan-petrucha/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/01/20/exclusive-interview-blood-prophecy-author-stefan-petrucha/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blood Prophecy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Petrucha]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=9404</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We recently had a chance to interview Stefan Petrucha, author of a variety of science fiction books and comics (you may remember his works in the X-Files comic series that won him a lot of critical acclaim). His new book, Blood Prophecy, follows Jeremiah Fall as he tries to prevent an artifact with immense power from falling into the wrong hands. You call &#8220;Blood Prophecy&#8221; [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://s2.bookequals.com/up/2011/01/Stefan_Petrucha_Blood_Prophecy.jpg" alt="Stefan Petrucha (Author) | Blood Prophecy" title="Stefan Petrucha (Author) Blood Prophecy" width="522" height="350" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9411" /></p>
<p>We recently had a chance to interview Stefan Petrucha, author of a variety of science fiction books and comics (you may remember his works in the <strong>X-Files</strong> comic series that won him a lot of critical acclaim). His new book, <strong>Blood Prophecy</strong>, follows Jeremiah Fall as he tries to prevent an artifact with immense power from falling into the wrong hands. </p>
<p><strong>You call &#8220;Blood Prophecy&#8221; a &#8220;historical paranormal&#8221; novel, was it difficult to take these two separate genres and combine them into such a compelling story?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>I found it more exciting than difficult.  Though it does add an extra layer of complexity in some ways, if you think about, from our modern perspective, the first vampire stories (Lord Ruthven, Camilla, Dracula) are in historical settings.  It almost seems more natural for a vampire story not to be present day.  That aside, exploring the concept in an earlier context helps, I think, to shakeup all those preconceptions, come at them from a fresh angle. </p>
<p>Similarly, it&#8217;s a chance to look at the myth from different cultural perspectives.  Aside from being a rip-roaring Indiana Jones-ish adventure tale, <em>Blood Prophecy</em> has several culture clashes at its heart &#8211; There&#8217;s a look at Puritanism, Native Americans, Napoleon&#8217;s intellectual atheists, the church, Islam and Gnosticism, all tied together in what I hope are interesting ways. </p>
<p>It helps that I&#8217;m a factoid freak, fascinated by odd little details.  Napoleon&#8217;s invasion of Europe held particular interest &#8211; his <em>savants</em> are on the edge of developing many modern scientific ideas, yet at the same time many believed that hieroglyphs, which <em>no one</em> could read, were magical.  They had a proto-version of evolutionary theory, but used powder made from mummies as a medicine.  In a way it&#8217;s like the Beatles, right before Sgt. Pepper, or the works of Phillip K. Dick &#8211; you can feel them pushing at the edge of something bigger, or at least different, but still confined by their old paradigm. </p>
<p>In the end, I think, we only look at history to try to see ourselves in a fresh perspective.</p>
<p><strong>I really enjoyed the attention to detail of the historical aspects of Jeremiah&#8217;s story, especially considering the wide span in time and distance it covers. How did you go about researching these different time periods and events?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>Thanks.  I&#8217;ve read the Bible and Gnostic texts previously, so I had a background in that.  In fact, Bandias, the main threat in the book, first appeared in a comic book published by Caliber Press back in 1996, around the peak of my notoriety as writer of Topp&#8217;s <em>X-Files</em> comic.  It was called <em>The Bandy Man</em> and featured art by Charles Adlard (<em>The Walking Dead</em>), Miran Kim (<em>X-Files</em>) and Jill Thompson (<em>Sandman &#038; Scary Godmother</em>) &#8211; each drawing a different time period. </p>
<p>For the rest, I was fortunate to discover some great resource material, such as Sarah Vowell&#8217;s <em>The Wordy Shipmates</em> on the Puritans.  Thanks to my sister in law, Sheila Kinney, I was also able to read the now little-known, and fairly bizarre, <em>Young Puritans</em> series by Mary P. Wells Smith (Little, Brown and Company, 1899).</p>
<p>Among many other sources, I read the excellent, <em>Mirage:  Napoleon&#8217;s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt</em> by Nina Burleigh (Harper 2007) and <em>Discovery at Rosetta</em> by Jonathan Downs (Skyhorse Publishing 2008).  Burleigh&#8217;s book in particular is a great read.</p>
<p><strong>Is there any chance we&#8217;ll see another story involving Jeremiah Fall?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>That&#8217;ll depend on sales.  Reviewer and reader response have been fantastic, but it&#8217;s a tough market out there!  Thus far I&#8217;ve either managed to stump the usual vampire-reader, or missed the curve on the undead&#8217;s popularity. </p>
<p>Still keeping my fingers crossed, I did indeed plot a second book, working title <em>Blood Legacy</em>.  I originally intended to tell Jeremiah stories from different eras, so one book could take place during the Industrial Revolution, the next WW I.  My editors felt a direct sequel would be more appealing, so the follow-up is set about a year after the first book, after the Louisiana Purchase.  The opening features Hylic being attacked by a female vampire, who claims it was Jeremiah who killed and turned her.  From there, the story involves a purported real-life effort by Aaron Burr to start his own country, and a hunt for the race that originally imprisoned Bandias in the stone.  Like the first book, there&#8217;s a lot of globe-hopping.</p>
<p><strong>You have had lots of success in both the book and comic book worlds, do you prefer one over the other? Why?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>In a &#8220;pure&#8221; sense, no &#8211; I think they&#8217;re both fantastic mediums.  In practice, I lean more toward novels &#8211; mostly because there are fewer moving parts and therefore fewer things that can go wrong.  Since I&#8217;m no artist, in comics, I have to have the right partner.  While I&#8217;ve been lucky to have worked with several great artists, and there&#8217;s a wonderful strength in a team that works, the doubling of input also creates a greater possibility for aesthetic or financial failure.  With a novel, I have only myself to blame, and no one else to consult when I have an idea I want to run with.</p>
<p><strong>How do you approach writing, is it something you do every day or do you have your own special process?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>The mortgage focuses the mind wonderfully.  Since this is how I make a living, and my advances are not yet in Stephen King territory, I have to write every day. </p>
<p>As far as process goes, I know that some writers don&#8217;t work from outlines, preferring to discover things and surprise themselves, but I do.  Imho, unless you have some idea where you&#8217;re going, or at least where you might be going, as a writer you abdicate all sorts of tools, foreshadowing, for example.  Importantly, my outlines are not set in stone at all &#8211; they&#8217;re more something to have a creative dialogue with, the outline evolves with the story. </p>
<p>For the actual prose, I tend to write in sequence, but feel free to jump around whenever inspiration strikes.  To that end, I keep a notebook for each book.  Whenever I have a stray thought or a bit of dialogue, or a scene description, or even a cool single <em>word</em> pops into my head, or a scene description, I jot it down and number it.  I don&#8217;t know why I number the notes, probably just so it&#8217;s easy to tell where one ends and another begins.  At some point, I go through the notes and either stick them into the book, or abandon them. </p>
<p>The creative part, that first draft, is very exciting and rewarding, with all the highs and artistic angst &#8211; better than drugs!  But, that said, rewriting is key to the process and full of its own rewards.  For me, it&#8217;s more relaxing, more like doing a crossword puzzle.  That may sound duller, but I get an equally big kick when I feel I&#8217;ve gotten a paragraph or a scene just right.</p>
<p><strong>Do you have a favorite snack or beverage when you&#8217;re writing?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>Not really.  I lean toward comfort foods, but when I&#8217;m &#8220;carried away&#8221; the only thing on my mind is the reality of the book.  I do like to drink <em>something</em> though.  Used to be diet drinks, but my wife considers them poison, so I&#8217;m currently sipping away at a Snapple.</p>
<p><strong>You&#8217;ve talked in the past of your fondness of science fiction in reading and writing, do you also watch a lot of sci-fi tv shows and movies? What are your favorites?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>A complete list would be huge!  Going back, there are the Whale <em>Frankenstein</em> films.  <em>Quartermass and the Pit and Colossus: The Forbin Project</em> come to mind.  On the horror side, there&#8217;s the original <em>Night Stalker</em> film.  I adored <em>Buffy</em>, until it got tired, currently love <em>Dexter</em> though I haven&#8217;t seen the newest season yet.  I&#8217;m also a big fan of 1990s Japanese Horror (<em>Cure, The Ring</em>).  More recently I enjoyed <em>Let the Right One In</em> and (though not technically horror) <em>The White Ribbon</em>. </p>
<p>Good Science Fiction is tougher, especially on TV.  <em>Firefly</em> is an all-time favorite, including the film.  When Joss Whedon is on his game, he&#8217;s a master.  I enjoy the newer <em>Dr. Who</em>, enjoyed <em>Torchwood</em>.  Lately?  <em>Fringe</em> is a lot of fun.  I suppose <em>Iron Man</em> is SF.  I liked <em>Avatar</em> and <em>Inception</em>, but didn&#8217;t gush over either.</p>
<p><strong>What were your favorite books when you were growing up?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>Again, a huge list.  I cut my teeth on comic books, Stan Lee &#038; Jack Kirby, and then gravitated to science fiction and horror, Asimov, Ellison, Phillip Dick, Poe, Lovecraft.  From there I got into things like <em>Steppenwolf</em> by Herman Hesse, <em>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</em> by Pirsig, Kakfa, Samuel Beckett, Shakespeare.  In comics, I also loved Frank Miller and Alan Moore, but by then I was in my twenties.</p>
<p><strong>Are there any upcoming books or comics you&#8217;re working on that you can tell us about?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#50a3fe"><strong>Stefan Petrucha: </strong></span>Sure &#8211; on the comic side, the parody series I&#8217;m doing with Rick Parker at Papercutz is a lot of fun.  The first book is out, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1597072176/?tag=daemonsbooks-20"><em>Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring</em></a>.  Next month, we&#8217;ll see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1597072451/?tag=daemonsbooks-20"><em>Breaking Down</em></a>, a Twilight parody, co-written by my daughter Maia Kinney-Petrucha &#8211; which is a major hoot. </p>
<p>In the land of prose, I&#8217;m <em>insanely</em> excited about Halloween 2011.  That&#8217;ll see the publication of the first of two novels from Ace books featuring Hessius Mann, zombie detective.  Book one is called <em>Dead Mann Walking</em>, a very unique take on the zombie genre, if I do say so myself.</p>
<p><em>(Author Photo Credit: Sarah Kinney)</em></p>
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		<title>BLOOD PROPHECY by Stefan Petrucha [Review]</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/01/20/blood-prophecy-by-stefan-petrucha/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/01/20/blood-prophecy-by-stefan-petrucha/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blood Prophecy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sci-Fi & Fantasy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Petrucha]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=9546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Over the holiday break I had the chance to read Stefan Petrucha&#8217;s latest book, BLOOD PROPHECY, and I really enjoyed it. The book has an interesting take on vampire mythology and the action packed sequences made it a fun read. As an added bonus, I had the opportunity to interview the author Stefan Petrucha , and his answers were very interesting. What is Blood Prophecy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="float:right;padding:10px"><img src="http://s1.bookequals.com/up/2011/01/Blood-prophecy.jpg" alt="" title="Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha" width="173" height="280" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9547" /></div>
<p> Over the holiday break I had the chance to read Stefan Petrucha&#8217;s latest book, <strong>BLOOD PROPHECY</strong>, and I really enjoyed it.  The book has an interesting take on vampire mythology and the action packed sequences made it a fun read. As an added bonus, I had the opportunity to <a href="http://wp.me/pyFMa-2rG">interview the author Stefan Petrucha</a> , and his answers were very interesting.</p>
<p><strong>What is Blood Prophecy about?</strong><br />
After his father unearths an ancient vampire, Jeremiah Fall&#8217;s days as a Puritan, colonial era farmer are over.  Unable to stay near his fellow townspeople, he goes into exile all the while facing an inner struggle between his humanity and evil.  When word reaches him of potential salvation from his new curse, Jeremiah goes out into the world to search for clues.</p>
<p>Jeremiah&#8217;s quest takes him to Egypt in the midst of war, but he soon learns there are others looking for the same information.  Facing treachery at every turn, he races across continents to attempt to prevent a much worse evil from being unleashed and possibly ending the world. Will Jeremiah choose his own salvation and risk the world? Will the evil within him make him forget his own humanity? </p>
<p><strong>What did I think about Blood Prophecy?</strong><br />
I wasn&#8217;t sure what to make of <strong>Blood Prophecy</strong> when I first started reading it.  Petrucha calls his book a &#8220;historical paranormal&#8221; story and it truly delivers in blending the historical parts of the story with the vampire mythology.  Vampire genre stories are not usually my thing, but the historical part of the story drew me in. It added another dimension to the story and provided an interesting character depth to Jeremiah Fall. </p>
<p>If there is one thing I didn&#8217;t like about the book was how complicated the plot got at the last third of the book. This was partly because the author introduced new characters and plot points during a big action sequence. There wasn&#8217;t a lot of time to digest this information before the plot moved on, so I finished the book with a feeling of &#8220;wait, what exactly happened?&#8221;  Maybe on subsequent readings I&#8217;ll feel like I have a better grasp of whats going on by the end of the novel.</p>
<p><strong>Who should read Blood Prophecy?</strong><br />
I think fans of vampire novels will enjoy <strong>Blood Prophecy</strong>, especially those looking for something unique.  I would also recommend it for readers that enjoy stories with a good historical focus because, as I said before, Petrucha really does a nice job creating an authentic setting.  </p>
<p><strong>Rating</strong>: 3 out of 5 Stars | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Grand Central Publishing | <strong>Pages:</strong> 368 | <strong>Source:</strong> Publisher | <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446555991/?tag=daemonsbooks-20">Buy on Amazon</a></strong></p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>Read the First Chapter of THE THRONE OF FIRE (Kane Chronicles 2)</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/01/14/read-the-first-chapter-of-the-throne-of-fire-kane-chronicles-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2011/01/14/read-the-first-chapter-of-the-throne-of-fire-kane-chronicles-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:19:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rick Riordan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Kane Chronicles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Throne of Fire]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=9371</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Good news for those of you anxiously awaiting the second book in Rick Riordan&#8217;s Kane Chronicles series—Riordan recently announced on his blog that the next book will be called The Throne of Fire. You can read the first chapter of the book here. Along with the title and the first chapter, we&#8217;re also getting our first look at the cover of The Throne of Fire. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://s2.bookequals.com/up/2011/01/THRONE_OF_FIRE.jpg" alt="" title="The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan" width="264" height="400" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9373" /><br />
Good news for those of you anxiously awaiting the second book in Rick Riordan&#8217;s Kane Chronicles series—Riordan recently announced on <a href="http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/2011/01/throne-of-fire.html">his blog</a> that the next book will be called <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong>.  You can <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/excerpts/2011-01-11-kane-chronicles-2_N.htm">read the first chapter of the book here</a>.</p>
<p>Along with the title and the first chapter, we&#8217;re also getting our first look at the cover of <strong>The Throne of Fire</strong>.  Riordan says on his blog, &#8220;John Rocco&#8217;s cover above may give you some hint about Carter and Sadie&#8217;s adventures.&#8221;  So what hints are there?  First, we can see Sadie and Carter on the bow of an Egyptian sailing vessel (maybe the same ship they rode in the first book?), with Sadit holding a scroll or scepter of some kind. Behind them we see the Throne of Fire, which looks interesting and a little scary. Just below the throne there looks to be a large box covered with hieroglyphs&#8211;I wonder whats in it? The last detail we can get is that the ship is crashing down on a wave (or maybe the crest of a sand dune?) with a bunch of scary looking scarabs climbing towards them.</p>
<p>The official synopsis of <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1423140567/?tag=daemonsbooks-20">The Throne of Fire</a></strong> says: </p>
<blockquote><p>In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>The Throne of Fire</strong> will be released on May 3, 2011.</p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>Jose&#8217;s Top 5 Books of 2010</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2010/12/20/joses-top-5-books-of-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2010/12/20/joses-top-5-books-of-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:14:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Chat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=8697</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith – My favorite book of the year is the secret story of our country&#8217;s sixteenth president and his battle against vampires. Seth Grahame-Smith does an amazing job of blending history and vampire lore to create a must read biographical account. It&#8217;s also being made into a movie by 20th Century Fox that should start filming in March, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://s3.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/JosesFavoriteBooks2010.jpg" alt="" title="Jose&#039;s Favorite Books 2010" width="550" height="412" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8698" /></p>
<p><img src="http://s4.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter.jpg" alt="" title="Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" width="82" height="125" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8699" />1. <strong><a href="http://www.bookequals.com/2010/03/02/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter-by-seth-grahame-smith/">Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter</a></strong> by Seth Grahame-Smith – My favorite book of the year is the secret story of our country&#8217;s sixteenth president and his battle against vampires.  Seth Grahame-Smith does an amazing job of blending history and vampire lore to create a must read biographical account. It&#8217;s also being made into a movie by 20th Century Fox that should start filming in March, 2011.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://s1.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/night-of-the-living-trekkies.jpg" alt="" title="Night of the Living Trekkies" width="82" height="125" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8701" />2. <strong><a href="http://www.bookequals.com/2010/10/25/night-of-the-living-trekkies-by-kevin-david-anderson-and-sam-stall/">Night of the Living Trekkies</a></strong> by Kevin Anderson and Sam Stall – Like bananas and peanut butter, Zombies and Star Trek make an improbable but amazing combination. The real surprise here is that the use of Trek does not overwhelm the main plot line. Instead, the authors use it to provide added depth to the characters and at times help drive the action.  There is also a good dose of humor (both dark and Trek related) throughout the book, which was a good counterbalance to the some of the more horror genre parts of the story. </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://s3.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/the_passage_full_by_justin_cronin1.jpg" alt="" title="The Passage" width="81" height="125" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8702" />3.  <strong><a href="http://www.bookequals.com/2010/06/17/the-passage-by-justin-cronin/">The Passage</a></strong> by Justin Cronin – The first time someone recommended The Passage to me they said it was like Stephen King&#8217;s The Stand, but with vampires and even better. After having read it, I can see they were right. It is a great sci-fi, dystopian story, but it&#8217;s Cronin&#8217;s storytelling style that makes this one of my faves of 2010. </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://s4.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/Lost-Hero.jpg" alt="" title="Lost Hero" width="82" height="125" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8703" />4. <strong><a href="http://www.bookequals.com/2010/10/21/the-heroes-of-olympus-the-lost-hero-by-rick-riordan/">The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero</a></strong> by Rick Riordan  – Being a fan of the Percy Jackson books, I had high expectations for Riordan&#8217;s next series set in the Olympus mythology. He delivers with a great story that adds new characters and mythology to the original series, while still sharing strong ties to what made us love the Percy Jackson books. </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://s1.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/The-Scorch-Trials-James-Dashner1.jpg" alt="" title="The Scorch Trials James Dashner" width="82" height="125" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8704" />5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385738757/?tag=daemonsbooks-20"><strong>The Scorch Trials</strong></a> by James Dashner – The sequel to The Maze Runner brings a new set of challenges the main characters must overcome to survive. It is a fast paced story full of action, but the real surprise is the incredible amount of character development that Dashner is able to introduce through the race across The Scorch.  </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner [Review]</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2010/12/15/the-scorch-trials-by-james-dashner/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2010/12/15/the-scorch-trials-by-james-dashner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Dashner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Scorch Trials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Young Adult]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=8689</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains information that will spoil those who have not read The Maze Runner, the first book in the series. Though every effort is made to make this review spoiler free, there is no feasible way to do this for The Scorch Trials without bringing up key events in The Maze Runner. If you are interested in this series and haven&#8217;t read [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="float:right;padding:10px"><img src="http://s4.bookequals.com/up/2010/12/The-Scorch-Trials-James-Dashner.jpg" alt="" title="The Scorch Trials by James Dashner" width="185" height="280" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8690" /></div>
<p><strong>SPOILER ALERT</strong>: This review contains information that will spoil those who have not read The Maze Runner, the first book in the series. Though every effort is made to make this review spoiler free, there is no feasible way to do this for <strong>The Scorch Trials</strong> without bringing up key events in <strong>The Maze Runner</strong>.  If you are interested in this series and haven&#8217;t read <strong>The Maze Runner</strong>, we recommend that you check out <a href="http://www.bookequals.com/2010/10/06/the-maze-runner-by-james-dashner/">our review</a> first. Now onto the review…</p>
<p>After having read <strong>The Maze Runner</strong> and its climactic ending, I couldn&#8217;t wait to get a hold of the next book in the series, <strong>The Scorch Trials</strong>.  The bottom line? Dashner delivers another great, action-packed story with twists and turns that leave you wanting for more. </p>
<p><strong>What Happens During The Scorch Trials?</strong></p>
<p>(Last chance if you don&#8217;t want to be spoiled about <strong>The Maze Runner</strong>…)</p>
<p>When we last saw Thomas, he and a crew of fellow Gladers had just barely escaped the Maze and their captors. Asleep in a safe location, the survivors look forward to rejoining the outside world, but soon learn that they are far from free.  WICKED, the group that created the Maze, is still holding them captive and has initiated Phase II of their experiments.  </p>
<p>When the survivors wake up they find one of their own missing, replaced by a boy with disturbing news for them all. WICKED wants Thomas and the other Maze survivors to make their way across the Scorch, a desolate expanse inhabited by those infected with a horrible disease known as the Flare.  Survive the trip and they will finally be safe, but WICKED has made sure to throw new surprises in the groups&#8217; path as part of the experiment. </p>
<p><strong>What I Thought About The Scorch Trials</strong><br />
I thought this was an excellent sequel and was in many ways better than <strong>The Maze Runner</strong>.  The opening of the book captures your attention immediately while we see Thomas and the Gladers dealing with the sudden changes in their environment.  Once they set across the Scorch, the story becomes an action packed race against time that will leave you breathless in the end. </p>
<p>In addition to the great storyline, I also enjoyed the different elements Dashner used to heighten the tension. The obstacles and monsters the Gladers face during their quest are even more terrifying than from the first book.  The story takes a number of twists and turns that affect Thomas to the breaking point, and leaves you guessing as to what will happen next. </p>
<p>Will Thomas and his friends survive the Scorch? Who is the new boy and how is he connected to Thomas and Teresa?  Why is WICKED experimenting on these children? Find out the answers in <strong>The Scorch Trials</strong> and let me know what you think in the comments. </p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> 4.5 out of 5 Stars | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Delacorte Books For Young Readers | <strong>Pages:</strong> 368 | <strong>Source:</strong> Purchased | <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385738757/?tag=daemonsbooks-20">Buy on Amazon</a></strong></p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/josedaemons"><strong>@josedaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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		<title>Coffee Table Books of the Rich and Famous</title>
		<link>http://www.bookequals.com/2010/11/30/coffee-table-books-of-the-rich-and-famous/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bookequals.com/2010/11/30/coffee-table-books-of-the-rich-and-famous/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:04:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jose Alvarez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Chat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coffee Table Books]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bookequals.com/?p=8020</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve all seen some cool coffee table books&#8211;who could forget the Seinfeld episode where Kramer creates a coffee table book about coffee tables? As cool as that is, it&#8217;s nothing compared to some coffee table books I recently discovered while flipping through an issue of Robb Report Collection. These books are like works of art and as such, they carry super expensive price tags. Paying [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://s4.bookequals.com/up/2010/11/CoversCoffeeTable1.jpg" alt="" title="Coffee Table Books" width="348" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8021" /></p>
<p>We&#8217;ve all seen some cool coffee table books&#8211;who could forget the Seinfeld episode where Kramer creates a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/190103304X/?tag=daemonsbooks-20">coffee table book about coffee tables</a>?  As cool as that is, it&#8217;s nothing compared to some coffee table books I recently discovered while flipping through an issue of <a href="http://www.robbreportcollection.com/Gilded-Pages">Robb Report Collection</a>. These books are like works of art and as such, they carry super expensive price tags. Paying up to five figures for a book full of pictures sounds a little insane, but these books all seem to come with an additional item or some exclusivity that justifies the price tag. Plus, since these books are considered collectibles, their value will increase as the years go on.  </p>
<p>Here is a list of some of the coffee table books available if you have a spare thousand (or ten thousand) in your gift budget these holidays. Even if you don&#8217;t have the spare dough this year, check out the list because some of these books are offered in non-special editions that are priced at a more realistic level.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/artists_editions/all/05093/facts.norman_mailer_moonfire_the_epic_journey_of_apollo_11.htm">Moonfire: The Epic Journey of Apollo 11</a></strong> by Norman Mailer<br />
With a special Lunar Rock Edition priced at approximately $95,000, this book is out of this world. When you buy one of the twelve copies available, you get an actual lunar rock piece, a signed framed picture of Buzz Aldrin on the moon, and a book. The book combines Norman Mailer&#8217;s essay of the Apollo 11 moon landing written for LIFE magazine with beautiful detailed pictures of the men and equipment of the lunar program. If you&#8217;re not ready to shell out that much, there is a Collector&#8217;s Edition available for a mere $1,500. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/photography/all/02612/facts.goat_champs_edition.htm">The Greatest of All Time</a></strong><br />
Also called the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), this book comes in three editions, Champ&#8217;s, Collector&#8217;s, and a regular trade version that retails for $150. The book is full of pictures of Ali spanning his life both in and out of the ring.  The Collector&#8217;s edition of 9,000 copies is being sold for $4,500, each one autographed by Ali and artist Jeff Koons (the edition comes with a picture of his sculpture &#8220;Radial Champs&#8221;).  To get the Champ&#8217;s edition, which includes the autographs, four signed pictures of Ali, and your own personal &#8220;Radial Champs&#8221; sculpture, be prepared to shell out $15,000. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.teneues.com/shop-us/books/new-books-2010/the-porsche-book-collectors-edition.html">The Porsche Book</a></strong><br />
Porsche lovers will enjoy this book, containing 300+ pages of beautiful photograph of the German sports car icon.  This Collector&#8217;s Edition also includes a signed, large-scale, limited-edition photo print that can be framed and displayed.  Unfortunately, the book, limited to only 50 copies, is priced at $3,000, meaning it&#8217;s affordable to those who already have a Porsche. </p>
<p>What do you think of these books? Do you think you would ever pay that much for one (even if it came with a moon rock)? Do you know of any other super expensive books like these? Let me know in the comments. </p>
<p><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/kristendaemons"><strong>@kristendaemons</strong></a></em></p>
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