February 11, 2014

Finally, we get to talk about one of our all-time favorite things --- LOVE. We're in love with love! Well, maybe not exactly --- but we’re definitely in love with talking about love! Can’t you just feel our enthusiasm seeping through the screen?! Maybe another exclamation point would help! Anyway, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner (just follow the rose petals…), and whether you’re in a relationship or not, there’s plenty to celebrate this February 14th. Especially if the celebration involves chocolate.

Okay, we won’t pretend that Valentine’s Day isn’t kind of a polarizing holiday. Whether or not it was created by Hallmark to capitalize on people’s basic sentimentality isn’t as interesting as how we’ve come to define what love is all about to begin with. After spending our fair share of Valentine’s Days alone (unless you count a forty of Miller Lite and 2Pac’s Me Against the World as company), we’re feeling particularly enlightened about it this year. Call Al Gore, because global warming is happening…in our hearts! Or maybe we just hate to sit out any party. Did we mention there will be chocolate?

Valentine's Day is not just for celebrating your S.O., as we’ve mistakenly come to believe in the past. Romantic love is too narrow a definition, and it’s unnecessarily exclusionary. Valentine’s Day is also about celebrating all of the special people in your life…your family, your friends, your dog, your HBO Go, your Instagram ("I can't keep my hands off you," said the girl to her phone), the cute guy who held the door for you this morning, chocolate. (Do you recall the grade school days of celebrating Valentine's Day? Your teachers sent a note home with you that you must give everyone in your class a Valentine, even the boys who picked their noses and the girls who stole your gel pens. Some kind of "special people," right?) In any case, love can be a lot of different things: expected or unexpected, appreciated or unappreciated, fleeting or forever. But we always have it, because love isn’t a choice --- recognizing it is.

Speaking of love that comes in all shapes and sizes --- specifically a 5’10” Russian who knows his way around a skating rink --- how about that Evgeni Plushenko? Okay, our segues might be questionable, but our love for the Olympics isn’t! We could watch all day every day for the rest of our lives. From the luge to the biathlon, the Olympics are all about athletes giving their 110%. Our 110% is “pushing” ourselves to watch for hours and hours. We’re rooting for the U.S. to go for the gold, because no one wants slopey seconds (especially not those Norwegian beauties…er, we mean beasts). We’re betting million$ that those athletes are still working out off the artificial Sochi snow (wink wink) in that unchaperoned Olympic Village. Whatever you’re into, you can’t help but admire the dedication it takes to get into such good physical shape. Emily can’t work out for more than an hour without rewarding herself with a Kit Kat --- can you imagine how many Kit Kats it would take to get her to the Olympics?!

Since we're in the spirit of LOVE (it might as well be the summer of '69), we are bringing some attention to three great love-themed books. NEVER HAVE I EVER: My Life (So Far) Without a Date by Katie Heaney is the real-life story of Katie, age 25, who still has never had a boyfriend. She's barely even been on a second date. Her IRL account is funny, relatable, and inspiring and the memoir is for anyone who has ever struggled to find love, but has also had a lot of fun in the process. Maybe Katie can give us a pointer or two or three?! GLITTER AND GLUE: A Memoir by Kelly Corrigan is an honest look at the relationships between mothers and daughters. When Kelly was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” After college, she took off for Australia to see other parts of the world and gain some perspective. Soon, though, her savings dwindled, and she realized she needed a job. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, she suddenly heard her mother’s voice everywhere. Back in November, Nikki was lucky enough to go with her mother to hear Kelly speak at the Random House "Open House" event. Both Nikki and her mother were brought to tears and can't speak highly enough of Kelly's passion and dynamism. Simply put, pick up a copy of this book and check out a reading of the book by the author herself here. THE GIRL WITH A CLOCK FOR A HEART is the debut novel from Peter Swanson about George Foss, whose comfortable, predictable life is shattered when a beautiful woman who vanished without a trace 20 years ago sits down next to him at a bar. Ex-girlfriend Liana Dector, the first love George couldn’t quite forget, needs his help. Ruthless men believe she stole some money and will do whatever it takes to get it back. George makes a choice that will plunge him into a terrifying whirlpool of lies, secrets, betrayal and murder from which there is no sure escape. Nothing is more chilling than the thought of first loves…or people who resurface after disappearing for so long!

And we don't have to remind you a thousand times that it might be physically impossible for us to write a newsletter without mentioning something about our favorite TV shows, but we will. From "True Detective" (holy s%&t!) to "Downton Abbey," this brutally cold winter seems a little bit more bearable when we've got so much good viewing to look forward to and new characters to fall for. Of course, we can't fail to mention the 20Something-inspired show "Girls" as creator and author Lena Dunham's book will finally be hitting the stands on October 10, 2014. While we wait for the Fall to roll around, you can click through to stare at Hannah H. --- cough cough, Dunham posing with her tome, complete with cover image.

Our Valentine's Day contest is still going on through THURSDAY, February 13th at NOON ET. We've extended the contest a whole two extra days because we LOVE you so much and want to give you the opportunity to win. Scroll down to find out more about what books (and chocolate!) are included in the giveaway or click here to enter now.

Here's to wishing you all a very heartfelt, FUN and carefree Valentine's Day!

Connect with us via Facebook and Twitter, we love to hear from you!

Nicole Sherman (Nicole@bookreporter.com) + Emily Hoenig (Emily@bookreporter.com)

We've extended the contest through Thursday, February 13th at NOON ET!

The countdown to "V Day" is on! And we're spreading the love with our Valentine's Day contest and feature. Readers will have the chance to win one of our five Teenreads.com Valentine's Day prize packages, which includes one copy of each of our featured books and some divine chocolate. Click here to read more about the books and to enter for your opportunity to be a lucky (and beloved!) winner. If you're feeling frisky, share with us your all-time book character crush. Don't be shy, we all got 'em! We'll post your literary loves and lusts...and the five winners on Valentine's Day, so be on the lookout!

Our featured Valentine’s Day titles are:
ARE YOU MY BOYFRIEND? by C.B. Bryza
BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver
INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi
NEVER HAVE I EVER: My Life (So Far) Without a Date by Katie Heaney
SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater
THE SWISS AFFAIR by Emylia Hall

The enticing series from author J.M. Darhower, SEMPRE and SEMPRE: Redemption, are passionate stories about love, sacrifice, death and freedom. SEMPRE is the first book in the series and is now available in eBook. Two teenagers, Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco, come from very different worlds. When they fall in love in the midst of a mafia-run sex trafficking ring, they start to question everything they once believed. SEMPRE will be released for the first time in paperback on February 25, 2014. SEMPRE: Redemption is the thrilling sequel to SEMPRE and is now available in eBook. This time around, Haven and Carmine find themselves implicated in the mafia-run organization they once tried to overthrow, and desperately try and find new ground in their relationship. SEMPRE: Redemption will be released for the first time in paperback on April 1, 2014.

- Click here to learn more about the series.

More about SEMPRE:
Two young lovers, Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco, come from very different worlds. When they fall in love in the midst of a mafia-run sex trafficking ring, they begin to question everything they once believed. This is a story about sacrifice...death...love...freedom. This is a story about forever.

Available in eBook NOW. Available in paperback on February 25, 2014.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for an excerpt.

More about SEMPRE: Redemption:
In this thrilling sequel to SEMPRE, Haven and Carmine find themselves implicated in the mafia-run organization they once tried to overthrow, and desperately try and find new ground in their relationship.

Available in eBook NOW. Available in paperback on April 1, 2014.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for an excerpt.

We are looking for contributors for book reviews and blog posts who would like to impart their wisdoms on life, love, books, TV, movies, pop culture and all the other stuff we 20Somethings just can't get enough of. Send a cover letter and writing samples to Nicole@bookreporter.com and Emily@bookreporter.com.

Not sure you want to commit long-term? We know what that's like and would love to hear your idea for a "one-off" piece if you are not ready for commitment. If you are interested in more of a long-term commitment, the deal is if you write for us enough, we'll add you to our Contributors page.

BLOG: Lost in Translation: The most WTF parts added to movie adaptations of books
Contributor Lauren Sarner breaks down the highly-criticized transitions from books to the silver screen.

BOOKSHELF: Food Fiction: Delicious Flavor-Filled Stories
A delightfully delicious bookshelf of the best food fiction meticulously curated by TBRN reviewer, Amy Alessio, this roundup is sure to whet your appetite. February is all about indulgence, right?

BOOKS ON SCREEN: Books on Screen: February 2014 Edition
From Endless Love to A Winter's Tale to the new NBC TV series "About a Boy," based on the book of the same name, February is a month for love, for relationships and for some great movie/TV viewing.

THE BARKEEP by William Lashner (Thriller)
Six years ago, Justin Chase’s life was ripped apart when he discovered his mother’s bludgeoned corpse in the foyer of the family home. Now Justin’s father is serving a life sentence, and Justin, after a stint in an asylum, drowns his emotions in a pool of inner peace. But when Birdie Grackle claims to be the hit man who murdered Justin’s mother for the money, Justin is hurled back to the emotions, the past, and, most frightening of all, the father he tried to leave behind. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BURN: Book 3 of the Pure Trilogy by Julianna Baggott (Post-Apocalyptic Horror)
Inside the Dome, Partridge has taken his father's place as leader of the Pures. His intent had been to bring down the Dome from the inside with the help of the secret resistance force led by Partridge's former teacher, Glassings. But from his new position of power, things don't seem quite as clear. Outside the Dome, Pressia and Bradwell continue piecing together the clues left to them by their parents from the time before the detonations. Can they still trust their friend and ally, Partridge, to see their plan through? Or will a new war begin? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE DEEPEST SECRET by Carla Buckley (Psychological Suspense)
Eve Lattimore’s son has a rare medical condition that makes him fatally sensitive to light, which means he can never leave the house except at night. For Eve, only constant vigilance stands between an increasingly restless teenage son and the dangers of the outside world. But when tragedy strikes, it becomes clear that there are some crises Eve cannot control --- and some secrets that not even love can conceal. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE GIRL WITH A CLOCK FOR A HEART by Peter Swanson (Thriller)
George Foss’s comfortable, predictable life is shattered when a beautiful woman who vanished without a trace 20 years ago sits down next to him at a bar. Ex-girlfriend Liana Dector, the first love George couldn’t quite forget, needs his help. Ruthless men believe she stole some money and will do whatever it takes to get it back. George makes a choice that will plunge him into a terrifying whirlpool of lies, secrets, betrayal and murder from which there is no sure escape. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

GLITTER AND GLUE: A Memoir by Kelly Corrigan (Memoir)
When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” After college, Kelly took off for Australia to see things and do things and Become Interesting. But soon her savings dwindled, and she realized she needed a job. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, she suddenly heard her mother’s voice everywhere. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE LAST ENCHANTMENTS by Charles Finch (Fiction)
After graduating from Yale, William Baker, scion of an old line patrician family, goes to work in presidential politics. But when the campaign into which he has poured his heart ends in disappointment, he decides to leave New York behind, along with the devoted, ambitious and well-connected woman he’s been in love with for the last four years. Soon, however, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of unexpected friendships and romantic entanglements that threaten his safe plans. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

MY LIFE IN MIDDLEMARCH by Rebecca Mead (Memoir)
Rebecca Mead was a young woman in an English coastal town when she first read George Eliot's MIDDLEMARCH. After gaining admission to Oxford and moving to the US to become a journalist, through several love affairs, then marriage and family, Mead read and reread MIDDLEMARCH, which offered her something that modern life and literature did not. Here, she leads us into the life that the book made for her, as well as the many lives the novel has led since it was written. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

THE ORPHAN CHOIR by Sophie Hannah (Supernatural Thriller)
In Sophie Hannah's new supernatural thriller, readers are introduced to Louise Beeston, a wife and mother who is being haunted by a ghostly children's choir. Are they giving her an important message that only she can hear? Or are their motives more sinister? Reviewed by Ray Palen.

RED RISING by Pierce Brown (Dystopian Science Fiction/Adventure)
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest class of humanity living on Mars. He spends his days tunneling through earth, believing that the work he does now is helping to prepare the surface for future generations. When his wife opens his eyes to the truth, he sacrifices everything --- including the person he once was --- to find justice not only for his wife but also for his people. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

RIPPER by Isabel Allende (Mystery)
High school senior Amanda Jackson is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, an online mystery game. When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when her mother suddenly vanishes. Could her mother’s disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

STANDUP GUY: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller)
A polite, well-deported gentleman comes to Stone Barrington seeking legal expertise on an unusual --- and potentially lucrative --- dilemma. Stone points him in the right direction and sends him on his way, but it’s soon clear Stone hasn’t seen the end of the case. Several people are keenly interested in this gentleman’s activities and how they may relate to a long-ago crime. Some of them will stop at nothing to find the information they desire. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

THIS DARK ROAD TO MERCY by Wiley Cash (Fiction)
Easter and Ruby are adjusting to life in foster care when their father, Wade, suddenly appears. Since Wade signed away his legal rights, the only way he can get his daughters back is to steal them away in the night. Brady Weller, the girls' court-appointed guardian, turns up unsettling information linking Wade to a recent armored car heist. Robert Pruitt, a shady and mercurial man nursing a years-old vendetta, is also determined to find Wade and claim his due. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

TIGER SHRIMP TANGO by Tim Dorsey (Mystery/Humor)
No one loves Florida more, or can keep it safe from invasive criminal species better, than self-appointed Sunshine Sheriff Serge Storms. When a particular scam leads to the death of a few innocents and a young woman's disappearance, Serge and his perpetually self-bent sidekick Coleman --- aided by his new pal, latter-day noir private eye Mahoney --- load up the car for a riotous road trip to do right. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE UNAMERICANS: Stories by Molly Antopol (Fiction/Short Stories)
THE UNAMERICANS, a stunning exploration of characters shaped by the forces of history, is the debut work of fiction by Molly Antopol, a 2013 National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" Honoree. Again and again, Antopol’s deeply sympathetic characters struggle for footing in an uncertain world, hounded by forces beyond their control. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.