Though the historical record is sketchy, we know that Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) was born sometime in 1412 because she told her prosecutors in 1431 that she was then around nineteen years old. We all know that Joan was burned at the stake by the English and their French collaborators for her involvement in the Hundred Years' War.

A fascinating new biography called The Maid and the Queen : the Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Bazelon Goldstone has just been released. It tells how a young peasant girl came to influence the King of France. Amazingly, you can see visit Joan's house in Domremy France.

Place a hold on The Maid and the Queen here.

I kept hearing great things about Jonathan Maberry's zombie book Rot & Ruin so I finally picked it up before I went on vacation last week. Guess what? It was SUPER good! I don't think I've read as good of a subtly creepy zombie book since Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Anyway, I'm on a crazy zombie reading spree again and wanted to share the joy, so I made this little gem of a book list for you all: Brains... Teen Zombie Books. Happy reading! :)

Here's a book that will keep you glued to your couch. The dishes will pile up, the phone will ring, the laundry will overflow and there will be you, on the couch, eyes as big as saucers turning pages.

I started this when I couldn't sleep last week at 2 a.m.; I finished it a few hours later:
Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Can't wait to read E.L. James' book Fifty Shades of Grey? Then check out our '50 Shades Read-alike' list here.

Enjoy!

Did you hear the news? Seventeen Magazine has committed to stop digitally altering the bodies of their models! They're still going to use Photoshop to smooth out a clothing wrinkle or hide a zit, but body shapes and sizes are going to be depicted as they really are. Fantastic news for young people who struggle with their body self-image. Read the article for more infos: bit.ly/NsV4Oc