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August 13, 2015

20SomethingReads.com Newsletter August 13, 2015
How (Many People) Do You Love?
20 Coloring Books for Adults + What to Color With?
Books on Screen: June - December 2015
Reviews
Young Adult Reviews
Graphic Novel Reviews
How (Many People) Do You Love?

Last week, we had a pretty intense brush with death. We were casually making our way back to the office after lunch, when the elevator abruptly stopped on the 10th floor and plummeted two flights. Our lives flashed before our eyes...and Nikki actually saw stars for a second. When we started to drop, we instinctively grabbed each other and held on for dear life. This very scary moment made us question: Who would you want to be stuck in a suspended elevator with? (Clear winner: Fassbender.) And then the obvious next question: Who do you love?

Seems like we’re not the only ones asking this question. This week, we were lucky enough to go to Jennifer Weiner’s book party at Dylan’s Candy Bar for her latest book, titled --- you guessed it! --- WHO DO YOU LOVE. Listen, if you give us free candy, we’re going to like you and your book, and that’s just the way of the world. But candy or not, Weiner is genuinely smart and hilarious (and we conducted a thorough background check, i.e. catching up on her #BachelorInParadise) and her book is a late-summer must-read (we'll have the review later this week, so be sure to check back). So it was a pretty sweet situation all around.

All this, plus Vanity Fair’s controversial exposé about Tinder and the “Dating Apocalypse,” got us thinking about the current state of modern love and dating. Something we’ve never thought about/written about/called our moms crying about/tweeted about ever before. But real talk: This article has gotten Vanity Fair more attention than Lenny Kravitz’s piercing (we’re still waiting on the Steven Tyler follow-up), and not all in a good way. For those of you who haven’t accessed the internet in the past few days, the article’s basic claims are that ever-Tinder-lovin’ 20somethings are more promiscuous than ever and, for all intents and purposes, romance is dead. And while it’s not necessarily #news that the kids are just trying to hookup, the author also draws the questionable conclusion that young women are getting the raw end of the stick (pun intended).

We can’t speak for everyone, but that has most definitely not been our experience. Much of the internet seems to agree that the article manipulated certain information to make a point. The author definitely set out to prove her initial hunch, and the sample she interviewed is suspect, to say the least. What we’ve seen is that Tinder --- and dating in general --- is a very varied experience, and while technology gives us more options than past generations have had, we all end up making our own choices. Tinder came back with a semi-insane Twitter rebuttal, claiming that the article completely misrepresented their service. Point is, our dates --- and our data, apparently --- are all different.

We would sooner point to our favorite summer guilty pleasure, ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise,” for proof that romance is, if not dead, at least suffering from a very serious sunstroke. Sure, there’s a difference between reality and reality TV, but as Bob Flowerdew always says, “If the rose fits….” While Jared (an audience favorite from Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season) toys with two women’s hearts, Jade (from Chris Soule’s season) and Tanner (also from Kaitlyn’s season) seem to have a solid relationship. Rumor has it that their love blossoms into a Bachelor-style engagement at the end of the season, but no one is holding their breath...not even good ol’ Chris Harrison. Truth is, we don’t even mind that love is made into a ruthless game in #BIP, because wouldn’t we all do anything to have a three-week long tanning sesh? Plus, we’d just be Tindering the whole time anyway. LOLOLOLOLOL.

All to say, if you happen to be Tindering in our area, can we get a right swipe??? We’re busy Sunday and Monday nights from 8 to 10pm ET, but after that we’re all yours. Bonus if you bring us candy.

Here are three books we would totally right swipe:

Ruth Ware’s bachelorette weekend was very tasteful, unlike the one in her thrilling debut, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD. When a friend she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years invites reclusive crime writer Nora to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead.

Mary Kubica’s debut novel, THE GOOD GIRL, was a runaway hit, ringingly endorsed as “GONE GIRL with heart.” Now, she follows up with an impressive sophomore effort, PRETTY BABY, about Heidi Wood, who, despite her husband's objections, takes in a young mother and her four-month-old baby. As clues into the girl’s past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go --- and what she's willing to risk --- to help a stranger. Let's just say, after reading, we will not be housing strangers with babies.

In ORPHAN #8, Kim van Alkemade’s buzzed about debut, Rachel Rabinowitz is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan’s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Mildred Solomon, who subjected her to X-ray treatments that left her disfigured as a child. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveals to Rachel the complexities of her own nature.

And for all you multitaskers out there, we recommend trying out the latest trend while watching your favorite summer TV shows: coloring books. For old hands and newcomers alike, here is a roundup of our favorite coloring books, "20 Coloring Books for Adults: Inky Adventures, Stress Relievers, Mandalas and More." Look here for a comprehensive list of colorful pens, crayons, pencils --- and even an eraser --- you can use to color your pages. Rediscover your inner Picasso!

We’d also like to welcome our newest 20SomethingReads contributor, Ronnie Alvarado, a graduate of Wesleyan University and a fellow Columbia Publishing Course alum! Her first blog post is about Kate Bolick’s super-hyped SPINSTER (how appropos), and how it changed her life for the better. Check it out here.

Also be sure to check out the last two weeks of the Summer Reading promotion on Bookreporter.com. We'll be running 24-hour contests to win one of five copies of THE GIRL OF THE GARDEN by Parnaz Foroutan, A WINDOW OPENS by Elisabeth Egan and MARRIED SEX by Jesse Kornbluth, just to name a few. Click here to sign up to receive the Summer Reading newsletter, if you don't already, to get the contest announcements and alerts. Click here to see the Summer Reading feature.

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. BROWNIE BATTER OREOS
2. The most devastating celeb couple to call it quits: Miss Piggy and Kermie (question: You think Kermit's on Tinder yet?)
3. The trailer for Life, a movie about James Dean starring Em's #baes, Rob Pattinson and Dane DeHaan
4. All the strong female showrunners and characters over at the CW television network
5. This...could they be wearing any better clothes?

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

20 Coloring Books for Adults + What to Color With?

Coloring books have been growing in popularity lately, and they’re not just for kids. Many of them, such as SECRET GARDEN and THE MINDFULNESS COLORING BOOK, have been designed especially for busy, stressed-out grown-ups who find the calming routine of working on sophisticated, beautifully crafted coloring books to be a welcome break from their hectic, everyday lives. Partially due to adult coloring book pages being featured on sites like Pinterest and partially due to the ease with which people can purchase them online, coloring books are increasingly in vogue with adults who feel the need to unplug and treat themselves to a form of art therapy that can be as simple and pleasing as choosing the perfect shade of blue.

Take a look at our bookshelf for a selection of gorgeous adult coloring books, some of which came from suggestions from our readers. Whether you’re after a break from your everyday routine, an opportunity for meditation Tibetan monk-style, or simply to have fun and feel like a kid again, we bet there’s something there for you.

And if you need some art supply suggestions, we got 'em! Click here to see a roundup of colored pencils, fine-tip markers, gel pens and more, which will get you started on your new hobby in no time.

 

Books on Screen: June - December 2015

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.

 

Reviews

ALERT: A Michael Bennett Novel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Thriller)
After two inexplicable high-tech attacks, New York City is on edge. Detective Michael Bennett, along with his old pal, the FBI's Emily Parker, have to catch the shadowy criminals who claim responsibility. In the wake of a shocking assassination, Bennett begins to suspect that these mysterious events are just the prelude to the biggest threat of all. Soon he's racing against the clock to save his beloved city before everyone's worst nightmare becomes a reality. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE BEST TEAM MONEY CAN BUY: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse by Molly Knight (Sports)
In 2012, the Los Angeles Dodgers were bought out of bankruptcy in the most expensive sale in sports history. Los Angeles icon Magic Johnson and his partners hoped to put together a team worthy of Hollywood: consistently entertaining. By most accounts they have succeeded, if not always in the way they might have imagined. Now Molly Knight tells the story of the Dodgers’ 2013 and 2014 seasons with detailed, previously unreported revelations. Reviewed by Miriam Tuliao.

BROKEN PROMISE by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent. Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions that will affect not only his family, but the entire town. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BRUSH BACK: A V. I. Warshawski Novel by Sara Paretsky (Mystery)
For six stormy weeks back in high school, V.I. Warshawski thought she was in love with Frank Guzzo. When he broke up with her, she went off to college and he started driving trucks for Bagby Haulage. She forgot about him until the day his mother was convicted of bludgeoning his kid sister to death. Newly released from prison after 25 years behind bars, Stella is looking for exoneration, so Frank asks V.I. for help. Her questions about the case lead her straight into the vipers’ nest of Illinois politics she’s wanted to avoid. Reviewed by Jennifer McCord.

CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)
Beryl Markham's unconventional upbringing transforms her into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships. Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.

COMING OF AGE AT THE END OF DAYS by Alice LaPlante (Fiction)
Never one to conform, Anna always had trouble fitting in. When a sudden melancholia takes hold of her life at the age of 16, she loses her sense of self and purpose. Then the Goldschmidts move in next door. They're active members of a religious cult, and Anna is awestruck by both their son, Lars, and their fervent violent prophecies for the Tribulation at the End of Days. Within months, Anna's life will undergo profound changes. But when her newfound beliefs threaten to push her over the edge, she must find her way back to center with the help of unlikely friends. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

IN A DARK, DARK WOOD by Ruth Ware (Psychological Thriller)
Leonora, known to some as Lee and others as Nora, is a reclusive crime writer, unwilling to leave her “nest” of an apartment unless it is absolutely necessary. When a friend she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years unexpectedly invites Nora (Lee?) to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal (Fiction)
When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine --- and a dashing sommelier --- he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. Each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE NAKED EYE by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen (Thriller)
Kendra Michaels was instrumental in bringing serial killer Eric Colby to justice. And yet, despite his apparent execution, Kendra is convinced that Colby is still alive. The problem is that she can't prove it. Even her razor-sharp powers of observation --- developed to an amazing capacity during the 20 years she spent blind and now in constant demand by law enforcement agencies --- have gotten her nowhere. But then a reporter who very publicly humiliated Kendra is murdered. Visiting the crime scene in search of anything that might link the brutal homicide to Colby, Kendra instead finds evidence that points to her. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW by Kevin O'Brien (Thriller)
In July 1970, actress Elaina Styles was slain in her rented Seattle mansion along with her husband and their son’s nanny. When the baby’s remains were found buried in a shallow grave close to a hippie commune, police moved in --- only to find all its members already dead in a grisly mass suicide. Now, decades later, a film about the murders is shooting at the mansion. As on-set caterer Laurie Trotter digs deep into what happened all those years ago, a legacy of brutal vengeance reaches its terrifying climax. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE NOVEL HABITS OF HAPPINESS: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
Isabel Dalhousie is introduced to a six-year-old boy who has been experiencing vivid recollections of a past life, which include a perfect description of an island off the coast of Scotland and a house on the island where he claims to have lived. When the boy’s mother asks Isabel to investigate, Isabel, along with her husband and their son, set off for the island. They actually locate the house that the boy described, which leads to more complicated questions, as Isabel’s desire to find rational explanations comes up against the uncanny mystery unfolding before her. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER by Elizabeth Adler (Mystery/Thriller)
One moment Angie Morse is standing on the deck of a large luxury yacht, and the next she feels a stinging blow to her head. And then a push. She is in the water. She can see people on the yacht, but they don't seem to notice that she is gone. These are her friends and one is her love. Each one had a reason for getting rid of her, though she never would have thought it would come to this. Revenge burns so deeply inside her that she knows she will survive somehow. She will get them all. One way or another. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

OPEN GRAVE by Kjell Eriksson (Mystery)
Professor Bertram von Ohler has been awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine. This news causes problems in his otherwise quiet upper-class neighborhood in Uppsala, Sweden, as not everybody is happy with the choice of winner. Mysterious incidents start to occur. “Boyish pranks” say the police, but what follows is certainly not innocent amusement. Detective Inspector Ann Lindell becomes involved in the case and immediately is transported back into her own past. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

ORPHAN #8 by Kim van Alkemade (Historical Fiction)
Rachel Rabinowitz is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan’s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Mildred Solomon, who subjected her to X-ray treatments that left her disfigured as a child. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveals to Rachel the complexities of her own nature. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

THE PINE TAR GAME: The Kansas City Royals, the New York Yankees, and Baseball's Most Absurd and Entertaining Controversy by Filip Bondy (Sports)
On July 24, 1983, during the finale of a heated four-game series between the dynastic New York Yankees and small-town Kansas City Royals, umpires nullified a go-ahead home run based on an obscure rule, when Yankees manager Billy Martin pointed out an illegal amount of pine tar on Royals third baseman George Brett’s bat. The call temporarily cost the Royals the game, but the decision was eventually overturned, resulting in a resumption of the game several weeks later that created its own hysteria. THE PINE TAR GAME chronicles this watershed moment. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

PRETTY BABY by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home. Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

SIGNAL: A Sam Dryden Novel by Patrick Lee (Thriller)
Sam Dryden lives quietly in a small coastal town in southern California, buying and fixing up old houses. But his peaceful life is shattered when he gets a phone call from an old friend in trouble. For FBI agent Marnie Calvert, it all begins at a secluded trailer in the Mojave Desert --- the scene of a horrifying crime, but also of an impossible and mysterious act of heroism. At least, it should have been impossible. Determined to learn the truth, what Calvert discovers leads her to Dryden --- an ex-Special Forces operative whose ordinary life has suddenly become anything but. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY: A Memoir by Judy Brown (Memoir)
The third of six children in a family that harks back to a gloried Hassidic dynasty, Judy Brown grew up with the legacy of centuries of religious teaching, and the faith and lore that sustained her people for generations. But her carefully constructed world begins to crumble when her "crazy" brother, Nachum, returns home after a year in Israel living with relatives. Though supposedly "cured," he is still prone to retreating into his own mind or erupting in wordless rages. If God could perform miracles for Judy’s sainted ancestors, why can't He cure Nachum? And what of the other stories her family treasured? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE TRAVELS OF DANIEL ASCHER written by Déborah Lévy-Bertherat, translated by Adriana Hunter (Fiction)
Who is the real author of The Black Insignia? Is it H. R. Sanders, whose name is printed on the cover of every installment of the wildly successful young adult adventure series? Or is it Daniel Roche, the enigmatic world traveler who disappears for months at a time? When Daniel’s great-niece, Hélène, moves to Paris to study archaeology, she does not expect to be searching for answers to these questions. In so doing, she uncovers an explosive secret dating back to the darkest days of the Occupation. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

WOMAN WITH A SECRET by Sophie Hannah (Psychological Thriller)
A controversial newspaper columnist named Damon Blundy has been murdered, and the detectives begin peppering Nicki Clements with questions. Why was she seen fleeing the scene? What is her connection to the victim? Why was the knife that killed him used in such a peculiar way? Why were the words “HE IS NO LESS DEAD” painted on the wall of Blundy’s study, and what do they signify? One simple answer could clear her. But she can’t explain why she fled that day without revealing the secret that could ruin her. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

 

 

Young Adult Reviews

DROWNED CITY: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown (Graphic Novel)
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage --- and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality. Reviewed by Maya B., Teen Board Member.

EMMY & OLIVER by Robin Benway (Youth Fiction 14+)
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life but her parents can't seem to let her grow up --- not since the day Oliver disappeared. While, Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart…He'd thought that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling. Reviewed by Brianna Robinson.

THE NEXT BIG THING: A History of the Boom-or-Bust Moments That Shaped the Modern World by Richard Faulk (Nonfiction, Technology)
We are always hearing about the Next Big Thing. Whether it is a new iPhone or the New World, the freshest and newest inventions, discoveries, and fads loom large in the public mind. The impact that everyone thinks these "next big things" will have is often more important than the actual impact it generates. After all, if it fails, it will be almost immediately forgotten. THE NEXT BIG THING searches through 3,000 years of Western culture to find the colorful and key steps (and missteps) that led us to where we are today. Reviewed by Cassandra H., Teen Board member.

 

Graphic Novel Reviews

DIVINITY by Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine (Graphic Novel)
From New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (THE VALIANT, MIND MGMT) and blockbuster artist Trevor Hairsine (X-MEN: Deadly Genesis) comes a shocking new vision of 21st century science fiction! At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union --- determined to win the Space Race at any cost --- green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that...changed him. Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity --- one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Now the rest of the world's powers must decide for themselves --- will the enigmatic Divinity offer his hand in friendship, or will Earth's heroes find themselves helpless against the wrath of the divine? Collecting Divinity #1-4. Reviewed by Matt Lazorwitz.

 

 

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