A man, and a former homeless man at that, has been shortlisted for a major romance writing prize. Tom Gamble, who slept rough in London and now lives in Paris, has been acclaimed by the Romantic Novelists’ Association for his debut novel, Amazir.
Just a quick round-up of three new new titles from Seven Seas coming soon in February and March.
Amnesia Labyrinth: Volume 1 (February 1st)
Story by Nagaru Tanigawa, Art by Natsumi Kohane
From the author of the acclaimed Haruhi Suzumiya series comes a new offbeat tale of murder and twisted love!
With the help of his cheery and spunky new girlfriend Yukako Sasai, straight-laced Souji is about to venture into a mysterious world that might just be the death of him.
Preview this title at GoManga.com
Read more about Amnesia Labyrinth
Gunslinger Girl Omnibus: Volume 1 (February 1st)
Story and Art by Yu Aida
The long-awaited relaunch of Gunslinger Girl! This omnibus edition contains the first three volumes of the hit Gunslinger Girl manga series completely relettered and retranslated.
Preview this manga at GoManga.com
Read more about Gunslinger Girl
Vampire Cheerleaders: Volume 1 (March 15th)
Story by Adam Arnold, Art by Shiei and Comipa
Two supernatural tales from the creative team behind fan favorite series Aoi House!
Visit the Facebook Fan Page where a new sample page is posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Read more about Vampire Cheerleaders
Filed under: News 
Lucky Stiff by Deborah Coonts gets a starred review in Library Journal.
Below is the full review:
Lucky Stiff: In an ironic twist, loan shark Numbers Neidermeyer’s body is found in a shark tank in a Vegas casino. Everyone, it seems, wanted Numbers dead, and soon Lucky O’Toole (Wanna Get Lucky?), customer relations pro at the Babylon, is drawn into the case. She was one of the last people to see Numbers alive, and one of her best friends is the primary person of interest. Other lively subplots include Lucky’s mother, a Vegas madam, auctioning off a young woman’s virginity; Lucky’s boyfriend being offered a music deal that will result in a long tour; and a top Mafia godfather asking Lucky for a favor she can’t refuse. VERDICT Watching Lucky navigate the dangerous shoals of the male-dominated world of gambling is a delight. Las Vegas is the perfect setting for this witty tale of misdirection and larger-than-life characters. Fans of J.A. Konrath’s Jack Daniels series will love this.
What others are saying about Lucky Stiff:
“This wonderfully funny and entertaining mystery stars Lucky O’Toole, head of customer relations at a Las Vegas resort. Readers who like cozy mysteries with a lot of sass, great dialogue and a plot that flies will love this.”
—Romantic Times
“[A]s lively and endearingly wacky as Wanna Get Lucky?”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Very much in the spirit of Carole Nelson Douglas’ Midnight Louie mystery series (sans talking cats), Coonts covers similar Sin City territory with a dash of CSI and Janet Evanovich in her second glitzy, lighthearted novel featuring Lucky O’Toole.”
—Publishers Weekly
Lucky Stiff
Coonts, Deborah (Author)
Feb 2011. 368 p. Forge, hardcover, $24.99. (9780765325440).
Filed under: News 
I love this story from Stony Stratford, near Milton Keynes. Local residents, keen not to lose their library to cost-cutting measures, showed their support by taking out every single book from the building – 16,000 volumes.
The Huffington Post was complaining about the cost of textbooks yesterday. In this short piece a Santa Clara University student named Christine was bemoaning the fact that her Human Genetics textbook cost more than $1 per page.
This is only the cost if you refuse to shop around. We just looked this exact textbook up on AbeBooks (Human Genetics by Yashon and Cummings) and you can have it for $40 (including shipping) if you live in the states or about $46 if you’re a Canuck like me.
Christine if you’re listening, it’s not too late to save money on your textbooks this semester. It sounds like you are just a junior and have not learned the textbook ropes yet, check the prices at AbeBooks and I promise we will save you some money over the next few years!
