July 14, 2015

The book world has been abuzz these last few months with news that Harper Lee’s previously unpublished manuscript, GO SET A WATCHMAN, is being released after 50+ years. Today is the big day, and we’ll finally get to see how Scout --- one of the coolest six-year-olds out there --- now called Jean Louise, thinks and acts as a 20something in the '50s. We’re taking the early reviews in stride, even though unedited prose and a racist Atticus sound less than ideal. The first chapter was released on Friday, along with the first chapter of the audiobook, narrated by Reese Witherspoon, who takes on an interesting Southern accent throughout. If you don’t plan to rush out today and buy it, read and listen here.

When we heard there was a sequel to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, our expectations skyrocketed. It got us thinking about the second installments of some of our favorite things. Magic Mike XXL came out in the beginning of the month, which was basically an excuse for women (and men) across the country to gawk (again!) at Tatum’s washboard abs, Bomer’s perfect jawline, and Manganiello’s big...arms. Needless to say, the movie got us feeling some type of way. When the first Magic Mike came out three years ago, it was the stripper movie we never knew we wanted. And Magic Mike XXL turned out to be the sequel we never knew we wanted. But, ohhh! chan chan, did we need it. Can you blame us for needing seconds?

We felt just as strongly about “True Detective,” the smash hit of Summer 2014. Saying sayonara to McConaughey, Harrelson, Fukunaga (and his man-braids) and co. wasn’t easy, but news of a second season definitely softened the blow. We eagerly devoured casting news and teaser trailers as they hit our local webz, and were not the least bit discouraged by reports that season two would in no way resemble season one (time may be a flat circle, but TV writing most certainly is NOT). Season two premiered to mixed reviews, and the dissolution of one of entertainment’s power duos (don’t worry, not us) may have a lot to do with it. But whether you’re watching-watching or hate-watching, you have to admit the show is just as addictive. As Marcel Proust always used to say: You gotta ride the hype, not let the hype ride you.

And speaking of sequels we didn’t know we wanted (and probably still don’t want), E.L. James’ GREY has been bangin’ up against a few obstacles (and we don’t mean the kind Christian Grey would be into) since it pubbed on Chris’s birthday last month. In an effort to promote the latest installment, James invited people to tweet question @ her using the hashtag #AskELJames. Let’s just say, we haven’t seen this level of abuse since Christian invited Ana into the Red Room. We’re not too worried about James, who is probably drying her tears with million dollar bills.

If you read our last newsletter, you know we’re big fans of things that come in pairs. Sequel, follow-up, second installment: Call it what you will, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, as far as we’re concerned. Sure, with a sequel you run the risk of disappointment, or worst case scenario tarnishing the reputation of the original. But that’s not going to stop us! Let’s all learn a lesson from Vince Vaughn, a funnyman who signed up to play a not-quite-going-straight gangster on TV’s darkest drama; it’s important to take risks...even if they sometimes don’t pay off.

If you haven’t already gotten your hands on a copy of WATCHMAN, check out these books while you’re biding your time...

CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND, Kevin Kwan’s follow-up to his 2014 hit CRAZY RICH ASIANS, picks up on the eve of Rachel Chu’s wedding to Nicholas Young. She should be over the moon, but she still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Meanwhile, Singapore's It Girl, Astrid Leong, is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly minted tech billionaire husband.

Erika Swyler’s THE BOOK OF SPECULATION is a dazzling debut about Simon Watson, who discovers a shocking family secret when an old book arrives on his doorstep. The book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things, including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned --- always on July 24th, which is only weeks away. Could there be a curse on Simon's family? What does it have to do with the book, and can he get to the heart of the mystery in time to save his sister? Make sure to check out our intern Isabel DaSilva’s blog post about the book; you won’t be able to resist this one!

Isabel also discovered this contest where “[Swyler’s] publisher is giving away copies of her hand-made manuscripts of THE BOOK OF SPECULATION to three lucky readers on July 24th --- a portentous date known in her book as 'Drowning Day' because of the (not-so-happy) fates that await the characters. Through her unique creation of these manuscripts and by gifting them to her readers, Swyler has taken her message from THE BOOK OF SPECULATION about the power of passing along books and is making it a reality.”

Count on Chevy Stevens to deliver another riveting psychological thriller. THOSE GIRLS is about the three Campbell sisters, who live on a remote ranch in Western Canada where they work hard and try to stay out of the way of their father's temper. One night, a fight gets out of hand, and as events spiral out of control, they find themselves in a horrifying situation and are left with no choice but to change their names and create new lives. Eighteen years later, they are still trying to forget what happened that summer. But when one of the sisters goes missing, followed closely by her niece, they are pulled back into the past.

We always looking for reasons to celebrate strong female voices in literature! That’s why we decided to pull together a weekly #wcw blog post. Every Wednesday, the current 20SomethingReads staff will share our picks of awesome and inspiring ladies of literature, from authors to poets to the female protagonists who remind us that women are so much more than only sidekicks and love interests. Check out our inaugural post here, and make sure to visit each Wednesday for our latest lady loves!

And how could we not mention San Diego Comic-Con (#SDCC), one of the entertainment events of the year? Thousands gathered at the San Diego Convention Center over the weekend to celebrate comic culture and beyond --- including some of the most buzzed about shows on TV and movies we cannot wait to see. The west coast’s Comic-Con is particularly exciting because stars and celebrities turn up en masse to promote their work and get a piece of the action. The point is, FASSBENDER WAS THERE AND WE MISSED IT AND WE’LL NEVER FORGIVE OURSELVES. This amazing Steve Jobs trailer is a small consolation prize. The Eisner Awards --- which, according to our graphic novel expert, are basically “the Oscars of comics” --- were awarded over the weekend; here’s a list of all the winners.

Have you ever listened to an audiobook, or wanted to try one? Well, we have the perfect way for you to test this out with a one-month "free" (one of our favorite words) trial from Audiobooks.com. Download the app, find a book you like and listen for free for a month. Oh, and we are running a contest where you can win FREE three months of Audiobooks.com, and this will be combined with the one-month free trial if you win. Details here. It's a great way to listen to/read the books you don't have time to read otherwise.

Lastly, the Beach Bag of Books 2015 giveaway is open until Monday, July 27th at noon ET. You have the chance to enter to win a selection of the featured titles here. There are only five winners for this, so enter now!

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. #LoveWins
2. Allllllll of the cool trailers from SDCC, but especially Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad
3. Matty D's luscious ponytail
4. Trainwreck, our girl Amy Schumer's big screen debut
5. Ben H. potentially being the next #TheBachelor

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

• BEACH TOWN by Mary Kay Andrews
• THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness
• THE FINISHER by David Baldacci
• THE GLAM GUIDE by Fleur De Force
• I TAKE YOU by Eliza Kennedy
• KILLER INSTINCT by S.E. Green
• KILLER WITHIN: Killer Instinct #2 by S.E. Green
• ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL by Jesse Andrews
• OPENING UP by Lauren Dane
• SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater
• THE UNDERGROUND GIRLS OF KABUL: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan by Jenny Nordberg

Click here to enter the contest.

A few months ago, we brought you a roundup of the Books on Screen that were released from January to May. Entertainment enthusiasts know that there's still plenty of films adapted from books to look forward to in 2015 --- as a blue-eyed wise man once said, "The best is yet to come."

This summer alone has already brought us Jurassic World --- a box office success of Indominus rex proportions --- and we're still looking forward to Gillian Flynn Adaptation #2, a.k.a. Dark Places, and the fantastic-looking The Fantastic Four in August. When temperatures cool later in the year, we'll have Everest --- based on a number of books about the 1996 Everest tragedy, including Jon Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR and survivor Lou Kasischke's memoir, AFTER THE WIND --- as well as a darkly intense iteration of Macbeth, with A-list talent bringing the doomed Scots to life...and *spoiler alert* death.

We can look forward to movies about men with high-tech gadgets (Spectre, Jobs), impressive literary pedigrees (Brooklyn, The Light Between Oceans, Victor Frankenstein) and forward-thinking social politics (The Danish Girl, Carol). Not to mention movies based on books with built-in, eager fan bases, like Room and The Martian.

Check out our bookshelf here for our top 20 titles hitting the big screen later this year, and be sure to keep up with our monthly Books on Screen feature for a more in-depth look at the adaptations we'll be watching in theaters and at home.

 

Are you in a book group? We want to hear about it! We endlessly are asked, "Are twentysomethings in book groups?" We want to know the answer.

We've pulled together questions to tell us more about you and your group --- and how you discover and select books --- and talk about them. One person answering told us they loved this chance to really think about their book group. Another said, I got IDEAS from this survey. Love hearing this!

Those who complete the survey will be eligible to win one of the following prizes:
1 (one) Grand Prize - $250 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.
10 (ten) First Prizes - $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.
50 (fifty) Second Prizes - $25 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.

The survey will be open through Wednesday, July 15th. If you are in a book group, we would appreciate your participation! And please share with your friends in book groups too!
 

ANA OF CALIFORNIA by Andi Teran (Fiction)
Fifteen-year-old orphan Ana Cortez has just blown her last chance with a foster family. It’s a group home next --- unless she agrees to leave East Los Angeles for a farm trainee program in Northern California. Despite being a fish out of water in this rural setting, Ana eventually comes to love Garber Farm. But when she inadvertently stirs up trouble in town, Ana is afraid she might have ruined her last chance at finding a place to belong. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

BOBBY WONDERFUL: An Imperfect Son Buries His Parents by Bob Morris (Memoir)
When he finds his parents approaching the end of their lives, Bob Morris begins to see his relationship to them in a whole new light, and it changes his way of thinking. How does an adult child with flaws and limitations figure out how to do his best for his ailing parents while still carrying on and enjoying his own life? And when their final days on earth come, how can he give them the best possible end? BOBBY WONDERFUL recounts two poignant deaths and one family's struggle to find the silver lining in them. Reviewed by Stephen Febick.

BUM RAP by Paul Levine (Legal Thriller)
NFL linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter has had it with shifty clients, dirty prosecutors and a legal system out of whack. It’s enough to make a man want to leave Miami and never look back --- until he gets a call from Victoria Lord, the better half of hot local legal team Solomon & Lord. Her partner in life and law has been arrested for murder. What’s worse: the only person who can clear him has fled the city. Now it’s up to Jake and Victoria to track down the witness before she’s roped in by the feds…or eliminated by the Russian mob. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND by Kevin Kwan (Fiction)
On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over the moon. But she still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Meanwhile, Singapore's It Girl, Astrid Leong, is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly minted tech billionaire husband. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

DEXTER IS DEAD by Jeff Lindsay (Thriller)
Dexter is arrested on charges of murder. He has lost everything --- including his wife, his kids and the loyalty of his sister. Now completely alone, Dexter faces a murder charge (for a crime, ironically, he did not actually commit). His only chance for freedom lies with his brother, Brian, who has a dark plan to prove his innocence. But the stakes are deadly, and the epic showdown that lies in Dexter's path may lead to his demise once and for all. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

DINNER WITH BUDDHA by Roland Merullo (Fiction)
The first 50 or so years of Otto's journey were pretty good. He felt he had it all until one day he didn’t. Looking for answers, he calls on his enlightened brother-in-law, Volya Rinpoche, a wise man with Russian roots, a Tibetan heritage, and an international reputation as a spiritual teacher. They embark on a road trip over highways and back roads across the middle of America, hoping to sort out what’s troubling them. They encounter a diverse cast of characters along the way as they look for answers to life’s mysteries. Reviewed by Miriam Tuliao.

DOES THIS BEACH MAKE ME LOOK FAT?: True Stories and Confessions by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella (Humor/Essays)
From identity theft to the hazards of bicycling to college reunions and eating on the beach, Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella, tackle the quirks, absurdities and wonders of everyday life with wit and warmth. As Lisa says, "More and more, especially in the summertime when I'm sitting on the beach, I'm learning not to sweat it. To go back to the child that I used to be. To see myself through the loving eyes of my parents. To eat on the beach. And not to worry about whether every little thing makes me look fat. In fact, not to worry at all." Reviewed by Carole Turner.

DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN: A Detective Peter Diamond Mystery by Peter Lovesey (Mystery)
In a Sussex town on the south coast of England, a widely disliked art teacher at a posh private girls’ school disappears without explanation. Meanwhile, a Sussex detective has been suspended for failing to link DNA evidence of a relative to a seven-year-old murder case. When detective Peter Diamond realizes that the suspended officer is an old friend who is not known to make such mistakes, he begins to notice unsettling connections between the cold case and the missing art teacher. Could the two mysteries be connected? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

ENCHANTED AUGUST by Brenda Bowen (Fiction)
Lottie Wilkinson, Rose Arbuthnot, Caroline Dester and Beverly Fisher each decide to take a break from their current lives to spend time at Hopewell Cottage, an old, pretty cottage on a small island. When they arrive, they are transformed by the salt air, the breathtaking views, and the long, lazy days. Gradually, the ladies begin to open up: to one another and to the possibilities of lives quite different from the ones they’ve been leading. Change can’t be that hard, can it? Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

THE ENGLISH SPY by Daniel Silva (Thriller/Adventure)
She is an iconic member of the British Royal Family, beloved for her beauty and charitable works, resented by her former husband and his mother, the Queen of England. But when a bomb explodes aboard her holiday yacht, British intelligence turns to one man to track down her killer: legendary spy and assassin Gabriel Allon. Gabriel's target is Eamon Quinn, a master bomb maker and mercenary of death who sells his services to the highest bidder. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU by A.J. Rich (Psychological Thriller)
Morgan Prager, who is completing her thesis on victim psychology, is newly engaged to Bennett, a seductive but possessive and secretive man. She returns from class one day to find Bennett mauled to death and her dogs covered in blood. When Morgan tries to locate Bennett’s parents to tell them about their son’s hideous death, she discovers he was not the man he said he was. Suddenly Morgan’s research into Bennett takes on the urgency of survival: to stay alive, she must find out who is killing the women to whom Bennett was closest. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

INVASION OF PRIVACY by Christopher Reich (Thriller)
FBI agent Joe Grant and a confidential informant are killed in a deadly shootout. The official report places blame for the deaths on Joe's shoulders, but the story just doesn't add up, and Joe’s wife, Mary, has too many troubling questions that need answers. Stonewalled by the FBI, Mary will be drawn into a deadly conspiracy that puts her in the crosshairs of the richest and most powerful men in America…and the newest and most terrifying surveillance system known to man. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE MELODY LINGERS ON by Mary Higgins Clark (Thriller)
As the sole assistant to a famous upscale interior designer, Lane Harmon is accustomed to visiting opulent homes. When called upon to assist in redecorating a modest townhouse in Bergen County, she learns the home belongs to the wife of notorious and disgraced financier Parker Bennett, who has been missing for two years. Gradually, Lane finds herself drawn to Eric, the Bennetts’ son, who is determined to prove that his father is not guilty. Lane doesn’t know that the closer she gets to the Bennetts, the more she puts her life --- and her daughter's life --- in jeopardy. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

AS NIGHT FALLS by Jenny Milchman (Psychological Thriller)
In her isolated home in the shadowy woods, Sandy Tremont prepares dinner after a fight with her daughter, Ivy. Nearby, two desperate men on the run make their way through the fading light, bloodstained and determined to leave no loose ends or witnesses. After almost 20 years as prison cellmates, they have become a deadly team: Harlan the muscle, Nick the mind and will. Opening the door to the Tremont home, Nick brings not only a legacy of terror but a secret that threatens to drag Sandy with him into the darkness. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

A PARIS AFFAIR by Tatiana de Rosnay (Romance/Short Stories)
In her new collection of short stories, Tatiana de Rosnay takes the notion of Paris as the city of love and makes it something so much more passionate. In each story, she manipulates both characters and readers into believing that everything is as it should be, then changes the dynamics completely, leaving them in a tangled mess. It’s a little book full of intensity, love and agony. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

SPEAK by Louisa Hall (Fiction)
Each of the characters in SPEAK is attempting to communicate across gaps --- to estranged spouses, lost friends, future readers, or a computer program that may or may not understand them. Louisa Hall explores how the chasm between computer and human --- shrinking rapidly with today’s technological advances --- echoes the gaps that exist between ordinary people. Though each speaks from a distinct place and moment in time, all five characters share the need to express themselves while simultaneously wondering if they will ever be heard or understood. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

SWERVE by Vicki Pettersson (Psychological Thriller)
It’s high summer in the Mojave Desert, and Kristine Rush and her fiancé, Daniel, are en route from Las Vegas to Lake Arrowhead, California, for the July Fourth holiday weekend. But when Daniel is abducted from a desolate rest stop, Kristine is forced to choose: return home unharmed, but never to see her fiancé again, or plunge forward into the searing desert to find him…where a killer lies in wait. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

THOSE GIRLS by Chevy Stevens (Psychological Thriller)
Jess, Courtney and Dani Campbell live on a remote ranch in Western Canada where they work hard and try to stay out of the way of their father's temper. One night, a fight gets out of hand, and the sisters are forced to go on the run. As events spiral out of control, they find themselves in a horrifying situation and are left with no choice but to change their names and create new lives. Eighteen years later, they are still trying to forget what happened that summer. But when one of the sisters goes missing, followed closely by her niece, they are pulled back into the past. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

THE WOMAN WHO STOLE MY LIFE by Marian Keyes (Fiction)
After recovering from a serious illness, Stella Sweeny finds out that her neurologist, Dr. Mannix Taylor, has compiled and self-published a memoir about her illness. Her discovery comes when she spots a photo of the finished copy in an American tabloid --- and it’s in the hands of the vice president’s wife! As her relationship with Dr. Taylor gets more complicated, Stella struggles to figure out who she was before her illness, who she is now, and who she wants to be while relocating to New York City to pursue a career as a newly minted self-help memoirist. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

BETWEEN US AND THE MOON by Rebecca Maizel (Youth Fiction, Romance)
Sarah --- Bean to her friends and family --- is an aspiring astronomer and champion mathlete. For as long as she can remember, she's also lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Scarlett. But after a traumatic end to the school year, Sarah goes to Cape Cod for the summer with her family, determined to grow up. It's there that she meets gorgeous, older college boy Andrew. He sees her as the girl she wants to be. He thinks she's older too. For Sarah, it's a summer of firsts. But by the end of August, she might have to choose between falling in love and finding herself. Reviewed by Pranshu A., Teen Board Member.

SHADOWSHAPER by Daniel José Older (Youth Fiction, Art, Fantasy)
Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her friends. But then her grandfather becomes sick and he starts apologizing repeatedly. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep real tears…Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on. With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one --- and the killer believes Sierra is hiding their greatest secret. Now she must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come. Reviewed by Charles Payseur.

THE WITCH HUNTER by Virginia Boecker (Youth Fiction, Fantasy)
Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake. But is helped by a man named Nicholas Perevil, who offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him. But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past and as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates and one all --- too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies and of love and hate. Reviewed by Brianna Robinson.