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20SomethingReads.com Newsletter |
November 26, 2014 |
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T is for Tradition
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If we know anything about Thanksgiving and tradition, it's that these things are synonymous with each other. It really should be called Traditionsiving or Thanksadition...or any variation that you see fit. When this time of year rolls around, it not only reminds us of past Thanksgivings, but of all of the things we are thankful for since the last time we thought about all the things we were thankful for. That’s a lot of things. Like Albert Einstein always used to say: (traditions become traditions)/time.
So, in time-honored Thanksgiving tradition at 20SomethingReads, we're sharing with you the 20 somethings we’re thankful for over the past year in our busy 20Something lives.
1. YOU, our amazing newsletter readers! Yes, you!
2. Female comedians/realists writing books...here’s lookin’ at you, Mindy, Amy and Lena.
3. PIZZA....we've heard the biggest days for pizza deliveries are the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Super Bowl Sunday.
4. Good scripts in the hands of good directors. 2014 gave us some excellent viewing, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Boyhood, Gone Girl, Birdman. And let’s not forget The Lego Movie.
5. Apple’s iOS8 --- now offering the option to opt out of pesky group chats!
6. New sincerity. It’s actually a thing. Sincerely.
7. The fashionable return of the casual sneaker.
8. Starz adapting Diana Gabaldon’s cult classic Outlander series. Fans of #JAMMF worldwide rejoiced.
9. Finally getting on the GONE GIRL bandwagon, and loving every. single. twist. and. turn.
10. Ethan Hawke’s surprisingly thoughtful Reddit AMA.
11. Office themed lunches --- our new favorite monthly tradition at The Book Report Network.
12. The announcement that “Friends” will be available for Netflix streaming January 2015. We’ll be there for you.
13. Harry Styles’ stylin’ man bun. And just man buns in general.
14. THE WORLD CUP
15. The return of #feminism to pop culture: From Beyoncé to the female Thor, women are having a real, long overdue moment in the spotlight.
16. Good Halloween costume ideas...we now know how hard they are to come by.
17. Speaking of, good friends are equally hard to come by and we’re thankful to have so many in our lives.
18. Amazing coworkers old and new and dearly departed (we miss you every day, Eric P. Rhodes).
19. “Homeland” is back on track! We never thought we’d see the day.
20. "Serial," the NPR-funded podcast currently sweeping the nation.
Speaking of "Serial," Nikki has been glued to her phone listening to the most popular podcast in the country right now. The investigative mystery --- based on a case that actually happened 15 years ago --- is some of the best storytelling we've ever heard. It’s fascinating to hear the story develop in real time, as the storyteller, Sarah Koenig, shares with us the things she’s discovering as she discovers them. Sarah doesn’t yet know where the story is going, and we’re all holding our breath waiting for it to see how it organically unfolds.
We’ve come to expect a new episode every week, and we’re running around like turkeys without heads during the holiday hiatus this week. If you haven’t gotten involved yet, now is the time to start! We highly suggest you read more about it here and download all the previous episodes immediately for that longgg Thanksgiving car ride with your family.
We have a timely new blog post from contributor Lauren Sarner. With the latest Hunger Games movie destroying the box office, dystopian YA is back in the spotlight. Here, Lauren talks about what makes for good dystopia, and shares some of her favorites in the genre.
A few Fridays ago, Nikki attended the biannual Random House Open House with Carol, and had a fantastic time. Gabrielle Hamilton of BLOOD, BONES AND BUTTER and now the PRUNE cookbook was everything she hoped for and more...serving up some deadpan insider tips on how she runs such a successful restaurant. In the spirit of cooking, the holidays and Hamilton, of course, we're pleased to present 20 Fall/Winter 2014 Cookbooks, which will give you enough holiday-cooking inspiration ‘til Thanksgiving 2015. We know you (or your T-giving host) probably already have your menu down for the big day, but all of the other nearing holidays are about storing up for the winter, packing on those lbs. to keep you warm when the snow starts piling up. And if you happen to live in parts of this country or elsewhere where snow is nonexistent, well, we're very jealous. Gobble gobble!
And in case you have some time to kill over this long weekend, might we suggest reading books? Here are our top picks:
AS YOU WISH: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden is perfect for fans of the beloved The Princess Bride. Actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley, offers a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs and interviews with plenty of costars. This is a can’t-miss for movie buffs or anyone who loves some good nostalgia.
REVIVAL, the latest from Stephen King, is set over half a century ago in a small New England town, where new minister Charles Jacobs plans to transform a local church. But when tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, Charles publicly curses god and is banished from the shocked town. Years later, a grownup Jamie Morton meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men.
And, last but not least, we finally have a review up for Amy Poehler’s YES PLEASE. We’ve already talked your ears off about this one; now go out and read it.
5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1) Queen B’s new music video for “7/11”
2) The brand new dino-mite trailer for Jurassic World
3) Tryptophan, and all natural sleep aids
4) Channing Tatum in a unitard in Foxcatcher
5) Morning-after pumpkin pie
Wishing you all a safe and sexy Thanksgiving, as sexy as you can be after the eatathon. Next week, jaws wired shut!
Nicole Sherman (Nicole@bookreporter.com) + Emily Hoenig (Emily@bookreporter.com)
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Holiday Bundle of Cheer Contest
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Here at 20SomethingReads, we're kicking off the holiday season with our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Contest and Feature. As our gift to you, we are spotlighting some amazing books. Between now and Wednesday, December 17th at noon ET, you can enter for your chance to be one of five lucky readers who will win a copy of each of the featured titles below, along with some incredibly festive goodies.
This year's featured titles include:
Click here to enter the contest now!
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Voice Your Thoughts About Audiobooks in Our Survey --- Whether You Listen or Not --- and Enter to Win a Book or an Audiobook on CD!
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Do you listen to audiobooks? If you have a Smartphone, you can easily listen to an audiobook, so we want to know if you are tuned into them or not. We want to hear from both listeners and non-listeners so chime in with your thoughts in our Bookreporter.com Audiobook Survey. The questions have been designed so you can respond either way. Finish the survey, and you can enter a drawing for the chance to win one of 25 books or audiobooks on CD. There will be 25 prizes for listeners and 25 prizes for non-listeners. The survey will be open until Monday, December 1st at noon ET. Please note that prizes are limited to respondents in the U.S. and Canada. Click here for the official rules.
Click here to take the survey.
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"REAL TALK Publishing": Erin Hennicke, Film Scout
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Some of our favorite movies were books first, from The Hunger Games to The Godfather. But have you ever wondered how that transition happens?
Well, it starts with people like Erin Hennicke --- a film scout at Franklin & Siegal Associates. As Erin explains, it's a film scout's job to "cover the publishing waterfront" in New York City --- reading books and magazines and talking to agents to figure out what might make a great movie, and then reporting back to film studios in Los Angeles.
In Part 1 of our three-part interview, Erin talks about how she became a scout, what she looks for when reading manuscripts and the New York Magazine article that inspired American Gangster. In Part 2, she talks about how she knows if something would make a good movie or TV show, who she'd cast in every movie if she had the choice and her favorite book-to-screen adaptations. In Part 3, Erin talks about the biggest change since she began as a book scout 14 years ago, the most surprising part of her job and the popular TV series she hated when she read the script.
→ PART 1
→ PART 2
→ PART 3
A Little Bit More About the REAL TALK Publishing Feature...
In REAL TALK Publishing, we sit down with book editors, librarians, booksellers, children's literature professors, book cover designers, publicists, professional reviewers and more to give you insight about the work that goes on behind the books. Through interviews, guest posts and sometimes sneak peeks inside their offices, you'll get to learn more about the book industry and all the work that goes into creating some of the world's best written word.
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Reviews
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AS YOU WISH: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden (Arts & Entertainment)
From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear and director Rob Reiner. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.
BLUE LABYRINTH by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
A long-buried family secret resurfaces when one of Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's most feared enemies shows up on his doorstep as a murdered corpse with a piece of turquoise lodged in the stomach. The gem leads Pendergast to an abandoned mine on the shore of California's desolate Salton Sea. But Pendergast learns there is more at work than a ghastly episode of family history: he is soon stalked by a killer bent on vengeance over an ancient transgression. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE CINDERELLA MURDER by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Mystery/Thriller)
Television producer Laurie Moran believes she has the ideal case to feature on an episode of her reality drama, “Under Suspicion”: the Cinderella Murder. When Susan Dempsey, a beautiful and multi-talented UCLA student, was found dead, her murder raised numerous questions. With the help of lawyer and host Alex Buckley, Laurie knows the case will attract great ratings. The suspense and drama are perfect for the silver screen. But is Cinderella’s murderer ready for a close-up? Reviewed by Renee Yeager.
THE ESCAPE by David Baldacci (Thriller)
In ZERO DAY and THE FORGOTTEN, readers met John Puller. A combat veteran and special agent with the U.S. Army, Puller is the man they call to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. But all his training, experience and skills will not prepare him for his newest case, one that will force him to hunt down the most formidable and brilliant prey he has ever tracked: his own brother. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
FLESH AND BLOOD: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell (Mystery)
Dr. Kay Scarpetta finds herself in the unsettling pursuit of a serial sniper who leaves no incriminating evidence except fragments of copper. The victims appear to have had nothing in common, and there is no pattern to indicate where the killer will strike next. When Scarpetta investigates a shipwreck, looking for answers that only she can discover and analyze, she comes face to face with shocking evidence that implicates her techno genius niece, Lucy, her own flesh and blood. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
FOR THE DEAD: A Poke Rafferty Thriller by Timothy Hallinan (Thriller)
After seven years in Bangkok, American travel writer Poke Rafferty finally feels settled. All that is endangered when his adopted daughter, Miaow, helps her boyfriend buy a stolen iPhone that contains photographs of two murdered police officers. As Miaow’s carefully constructed personal life falls apart, Rafferty discovers that the murders are part of a conspiracy that reaches the top rungs of Bangkok law enforcement and beyond. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE LAST BREATH by Kimberly Belle (Mystery/Thriller)
Gia Andrews’ father was imprisoned 16 years ago for brutally killing her stepmother. Now he’s come home to die of cancer, and she’s responsible for his care. As the past unravels before her, Gia will find herself torn between the stories that her family, their friends and neighbors have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth --- and all the lies that came before --- may have deadlier consequences than she ever could have anticipated. Reviewed by Renee Yeager.
THE LAUGHING MONSTERS by Denis Johnson (Literary Thriller)
After 10 years’ absence, Roland Nair returns to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to reunite with his friend, Michael Adriko. Adriko is an African who styles himself a soldier of fortune, newly engaged to a college girl named Davidia from Colorado. Together the three set out to visit Adriko’s clan in the Uganda-Congo borderland --- but each of these travelers is keeping secrets from the others. Their journey through a land abandoned by the future leads Adriko, Nair and Davidia to meet themselves not in a new light, but rather in a new darkness. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
MEAN BUSINESS ON NORTH GANSON STREET by S. Craig Zahler (Thriller)
Partnered with a boorish and demoted corporal, Jules Bettinger investigates a double homicide in which two policemen were slain and mutilated. The detective looks for answers in the fringes of the city and also in the pasts of the cops with whom he works --- men who stomped on a local drug dealer until he was disabled. Bettinger soon begins to suspect that the double homicide is not an isolated event, but a prelude to a series of cop executions. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE MURDER OF HARRIET KROHN by Karin Fossum (Psychological Suspense)
On a wet night in November, Charlo Torp, a former gambler, makes his way through the slush to Harriet Krohn’s apartment. Certain that paying off his debt is the only path to winning his daughter’s forgiveness, Charlo plans to rob the wealthy old woman’s antique silver collection. The following morning Harriet is found dead, her silver missing, and the only clue Inspector Sejer finds is an abandoned bouquet. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and Barbara Lipkien Gerhsenbaum.
PARCELLS: A Football Life by Bill Parcells and Nunyo Demasio (Sports/Memoir)
The modern history of the NFL can’t be told without Bill Parcells as a central character. During his decades-long tenure in the NFL, he coached some of the game’s greatest players, turned failing franchises into contenders, and mentored a new generation of its brightest coaches all on the way to his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Now, with remarkable candor, Coach Parcells opens up about his life and extraordinary career. Reviewed by Miriam Tuliao.
PRIVATE INDIA: CITY ON FIRE by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi (Thriller)
When Jack Morgan opens the Mumbai branch of Private, the world's most elite detective agency, he hands the reins to top agent Santosh Wagh. A killer is targeting seemingly unconnected women and placing strange objects at their death scenes in a series of chilling rituals. As the Private team races to find a link that will lead them to the next victim, an unseen menace threatens to destroy the agency from within --- and plunge the city into chaos. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PROOF OF ANGELS by Mary Curran Hackett (Fiction)
While fighting a horrific blaze, Sean Magee becomes trapped by flames and is nearly overcome by smoke. Just when it seems that all is lost, he’s led to a window --- by what he swears is divine intervention. And then he jumps…into a new life. Coming through that fire, he knows that he can no longer be that man whose heart is closed to the world. But before he can face his future, he must confront his past and everyone in it: the family, the friends, the woman --- and the love --- he carelessly left behind. Reviewed by Vivian Payton.
THE REMEDY FOR LOVE by Bill Roorbach (Romantic Thriller)
Danielle doesn’t really have a home. She’s squatting in a cabin deep in the woods, with no electricity or heat --- nothing but the nearby river to sustain her. She’ll need food, water and firewood --- and that’s just to get her through the storm. Eric gets her set up and departs with relief, but his car has been towed with his phone inside. There’s no choice but to return to the cabin. Danielle is terrified, then merely hostile. Who is this guy with this big idea that it’s she who needs rescuing? Reviewed by Donna Smallwood.
REVIVAL by Stephen King (Thriller/Horror)
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a new minister named Charles Jacobs will transform the local church. However, when tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief and is banished from the shocked town. Years later, a grownup Jamie Morton meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS written by Patrick Rothfuss, illustrated by Nate Taylor (Fantasy)
In THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS, we meet a girl named Auri who lives in Underthing, a maze of forgotten underground tunnels below the University. She goes about her day putting the world, and all her precious objects, to right according to her own internal rules. Auri is a wonder, a sad, slightly broken person, but one so fascinating. This continuation of the world created by author Patrick Rothfuss in his Kingkiller Chronicle series is an incredible peek into the world of the character of Auri. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
WANT YOU DEAD by Peter James (Thriller)
When Red Cameron meets handsome, charming and rich Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, it’s instant attraction at first sight. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past begins to emerge, and with it his dark side. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror. Within a year, and under police protection, she evicts him from her flat and her life. But far from being over, her nightmare is only just beginning. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
YES PLEASE by Amy Poehler (Memoir/Humor)
A collection of stories, thoughts, ideas, lists and haikus from the mind of one of our most beloved entertainers, YES PLEASE offers Amy Poehler's thoughts on everything from her "too safe" childhood outside of Boston to her early days in New York City, her ideas about Hollywood and "the biz," the demon that looks back at all of us in the mirror, and her joy at being told she has a "face for wigs." Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
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