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20SomethingReads.com Newsletter |
June 30, 2016 |
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May the Fourth Be With You
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Rebecca's swag from First In Line |
It doesn’t really feel like summertime until the Fourth of July weekend rolls out. So although technically it’s already been summer for 10 days (solstice, anyone?), sun’s out buns out doesn’t go into effect until this weekend, and we couldn’t be more pumped. What’s that saying? Long hair, don’t care? Count us in. We’re a baker’s dozen of Lime-A-Ritas away from some fun in the sun, some stellar firework oohing and ahhing, and some weird tan lines. And for those of us who are still working through our “Game of Thrones” withdrawal after last week’s killer season finale, the holiday couldn’t come at a better time. Here’s to making the weekend great again!
Whether you’re staying local or heading out of town for the holidaze, one thing’s for sure: There is no shortage of the good ol’ #YOLO attitude and #pride this time of year. So grab your BFFL, your S.O. or your HBOGo password and let the good times roll because Cormac McCarthy is still alive, well and kicking it in the desert (despite rumors earlier this week). Just don’t mention NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN because it’s a touchy subject these days. Maybe you like riding roller coasters, maybe you like watching videos of people riding roller coasters on YouTube, now if the time to celebrate all the things that make you YOU.
Would you believe it’s already been a year since GO SET A WATCHMAN came out and took the book world by storm? Read as: got us trippin’. So, GO SET WATCHMAN is turning one, ‘Murica is turning 240, and our love of listing the ages of things is timeless. Wowzers. And, while it isn’t either of our birthdays...we’re celebrating the third anniversary of our co-authorship. That’s right, folks. Like Time Warner’s Triple Play option or the colors of the American flag, our years together are numerous and 2/3 primary. Plus our newsletter theme cohesion has only gotten tighter. We’re the OG two-woman ticket, y’allllllll.
Speaking of freedoms, personal and professional, the first look at Kanye’s latest music video for “Famous” has got us feeling many things. The broke rapper, fashion designer, Kim K. consigliere and Twitter ranter extraordinaire dropped his controversial commentary on fame in America this week and everyone from Lena Dunham to our local subway barber lost their $%*! We’re not officially saying thumbs up or thumbs down on the video, but if we could make our own wax figures to lie in bed with us, our list would go as follows (in highly specific order): Scott Speedman, Beyoncé, Rami Malek, Dory, Linda Rodin, Skarsgård-as-Tarzan, Helen Mirren (would be down), young Bill Pullman (this is *not* an Independence Day plug), Cormac McCarthy, and Kanye because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and every so often life imitates art. The heart wants what it wants.
As long as we're talking about first looks, check out First In Line, a program that lets booklovers set the trends by reading new YA books before they hit the shelves. They offer exclusive giveaways for advance reader copies, the opportunity to win branded First In Line swag, special author videos and more. Rebecca, our Teenreads.com Editorial Coordinator, has been a longtime member, and recently won her very first package. See the pic above to get a sneak peek at what’s included and scroll down to learn more about First In Line. Let's get real: If you're not first, you're second.
Also, the 2016 Beach Bag of Books Feature + Contest is still going on. Click here to enter now through Monday, August 1st at noon ET for your chance to be one of five lucky winners who will each score a prize package. Scroll down to see the featured titles and good luck!
If you’re looking for some stellar recs for the upcoming long weekend, don’t worry we gotchu. Here are our top picks of the week:
In MARKED FOR LIFE by Emelie Schepp, a high-ranking head of the migration board is found shot to death in his living room and there is no shortage of suspects. But no one expects to find mysterious, child-size fingerprints in this childless home. A few days later, the body of a derelict preteen is discovered, and with him, the murder weapon that killed the official. As she attends his autopsy, public prosecutor Jana Berzelius recognizes something familiar on his body. Cut deep into his flesh are initials that scream child trafficking and trigger in her a flash of memory from her own dark childhood. Now, to protect her own horrific but hidden past, she must find the real suspect behind these murders before the police do.
WE WERE NEVER HERE, an exquisitely written and emotionally charged young adult debut by Jennifer Gilmore, explores how sometimes the wounds you can’t see are the most painful. Did you know your entire life can change in an instant? For 16-year-old Lizzie Stoller that moment is when she collapses out of the blue. The next thing she knows, she’s in a hospital with an illness she’s never heard of. But that isn’t the only life-changing moment for Lizzie. The other is when Connor and his dog, Verlaine, walk into her hospital room. Lizzie has never connected with anyone the way she does with the handsome teenage volunteer. However, the more time she spends with him and the deeper in love she falls, the more she realizes that Connor has secrets and a deep pain of his own....
Millennial favorite (or at least your college boyfriend’s favorite) Chuck Klosterman returns with BUT WHAT IF WE'RE WRONG?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past. Though no generation believes there’s nothing left to learn, every generation unconsciously assumes that what has already been defined and accepted is (probably) pretty close to how reality will be viewed in perpetuity. And then, of course, time passes, ideas shift and opinions invert. What once seemed reasonable eventually becomes absurd, replaced by modern perspectives that feel even more irrefutable and secure --- until, of course, they don’t. BUT WHAT IF WE’RE WRONG? visualizes the contemporary world as it will appear to those who will perceive it as the distant past.
Have a happy fourth!
5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. The trailer for American Pastoral, directed by and starring Ewan McGregor and adapted from the book of the same name by Philip Roth
2. #Brexit break up songs
3. HBO announcing a new comedy series "Prep," based on Curtis Sittenfeld's debut novel of the same name
4. Lisa Frank's new adult '90s coloring book
5. USA swimming hunk Ryan Lochte officially being at the Rio Olympics
Nicole Sherman (Nicole@bookreporter.com) + Emily Hoenig (Emily@bookreporter.com)
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Beach Bag of Books 2016 Feature + Contest
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It's time to think about summer reading. We're talking about the kinds of books that you're glad you now have time to kick back with and enjoy. The way we see it, it wouldn't be summer without sun, surf and great reading. You supply the beach chair, and we'll provide the fantastic book ideas in our Fifth Annual Beach Bag of Books Feature and Contest. From now through Monday, August 1st at noon ET, five lucky readers will win a selection of the featured books.
This year's featured titles include (click on each title to read more):
Click here to enter the contest.
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Be the First to Read the Last Line
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Made by serious YA readers for serious YA readers, First In Line offers you the novelty of having the next big book all to yourself and the reward of being a literary trendsetter.
Being the first at anything is no easy feat, but you already knew that.
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You were reading The Hunger Games before volunteering as tribute was cool.
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You were feeling the feels from THE FAULT IN OUR STARS before it was TFIOS. Okay? Okay.
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You knew your faction while other people were being sorted into their houses.
Now, make sure to sign up for First In Line, so that you can always be the first to read the last line of the next big YA books. Join First In Line now for exclusive access to all things YA including never-before-seen behind-the-book content, deleted scenes, cover reveals, exclusive giveaways, VIP event invitations, and more!
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Reviews
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BRIGHTON by Michael Harvey (Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Stephen Mendel
Kevin Pearce was only 15 when he and his buddy, Bobby Scales, committed heinous violence for what they thought were the best of reasons. Kevin didn’t want a pass, but he was getting it anyway. Bobby would stay and face the music; Kevin’s future would remain bright as ever. At least that was the way things were supposed to work. Twenty-six years later, Kevin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist for the Boston Globe. When he learns that Bobby is the prime suspect in a string of local murders, he heads home to protect his friend and the secret they share. To report this story to the end and protect those he loves, he must face not only an elusive, slippery killer, but his own corrupted conscience. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
BUT WHAT IF WE'RE WRONG?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman (Social Science/Popular Culture)
Audiobook available, read by Fiona Hardingham and Chuck Klosterman
Though no generation believes there’s nothing left to learn, every generation unconsciously assumes that what has already been defined and accepted is (probably) pretty close to how reality will be viewed in perpetuity. And then, of course, time passes, ideas shift and opinions invert. What once seemed reasonable eventually becomes absurd, replaced by modern perspectives that feel even more irrefutable and secure --- until, of course, they don’t. BUT WHAT IF WE’RE WRONG? visualizes the contemporary world as it will appear to those who will perceive it as the distant past. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
A DANGEROUS AGE by Kelly Killoren Bensimon (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Jorjeana Marie
Four sophisticated best friends who once took New York by storm are secretly falling apart at the seams. Lucy’s marriage to a renowned artist is slowly crumbling, with an explosive secret that threatens them both. Sarah, in the middle of auditioning for an auspicious new television show, realizes that her socialite standing is in jeopardy after countless disastrous events. Billy has finally left her former life behind to become a highbrow cuisine artist. And Lotta, a knockout downtown art dealer, spends her free time guzzling cocktails in both the grittiest and most expensive clubs around town --- but now, she’s taken it a little too far. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
DARK HORSE: An Eddy Harkness Novel by Rory Flynn (Mystery)
When a late-summer hurricane slams into Boston, Detective Eddy Harkness and his Narco-Intel crew are thrown into the eye of a very different kind of storm. Dark Horse --- an especially pure and deadly brand of heroin --- has infiltrated the gritty Lower South End. Harkness soon finds that the drug is also at the center of an audacious land grab by the city’s corrupt new mayor and his shadowy power brokers. Meanwhile, Lower South End residents displaced by the storm use an obscure bylaw to move into Eddy’s hometown, and soon enough tensions are running high along Nagog’s tree-lined streets. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
FALLING: A Daughter, a Father, and a Journey Back by Elisha Cooper (Memoir)
Elisha Cooper spends his mornings writing and illustrating children's books, his afternoons playing with his two daughters. But when he discovers a lump in five-year-old Zoë's midsection as she sits on his lap at a Chicago Cubs game, everything changes. In FALLING, Elisha writes about what it took for him and his wife to preserve a sense of normalcy and joy in their daughters' lives; how the family emerged from this experience profoundly changed; and how we are all transformed by the fear and hope we feel for those we love. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE GIRLS by Emma Cline (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cady McClain
Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged --- a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
GOODNIGHT, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN by Anna Noyes (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan and Eva Kaminski
Moving along the Maine Coast and beyond, the interconnected stories in GOODNIGHT, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN bring us into the sultry, mysterious inner lives of New England women and girls as they navigate the dangers and struggles of their outer worlds. Debut novelist Anna Noyes explores the ruptures and vicissitudes of growing up and growing old, and shines a light on our most uncomfortable impulses while charting the depths of our murky desires. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
HERE'S TO US by Elin Hilderbrand (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Erin Bennett
Celebrity chef Deacon Thorpe has always been a force of nature with an insatiable appetite for life. But after that appetite contributes to Deacon's shocking death in his favorite place on earth, a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage, his family is reeling. Now Deacon's three wives, his children and his best friend gather on the island he loved to say farewell. The three very different women have long been bitter rivals, each wanting to claim the primary place in Deacon's life and his heart. But as they slowly let go of the resentments they've held onto for years and remember the good times, secrets are revealed, confidences are shared and improbable bonds are formed. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS by Iain Reid (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Candace Thaxton
Debut novelist Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic UNDER THE SKIN and Lionel Shriver’s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS is an edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping and atmospheric, it pulls you in from the very first page and never lets you go. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
LAST NIGHT, A SUPERHERO SAVED MY LIFE edited by Liesa Mignogna (Essays)
In LAST NIGHT, A SUPERHERO SAVED MY LIFE, authors share their most hilarious and most heartwrenching experiences with their chosen defender to explain why superheroes matter, what they tell us about who we are, and what they mean for our future. Contributors include New York Times bestsellers Christopher Golden, Leigh Bardugo, Brad Meltzer, Neil Gaiman, Carrie Vaughn, Jodi Picoult and Jamie Ford, as well as award-winners and mainstays like Joe R. Lansdale, Karina Cooper and Ron Currie, Jr., among many others. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
THE LONG COSMOS by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (Science Fiction/Adventure)
Audiobook available, performed by Michael Fenton Stevens
2070-71. Nearly six decades after Step Day, a new society continues to evolve in the Long Earth. Now, a message has been received: “Join us.” The Next --- the hyper-intelligent post-humans --- realize that the missive contains instructions for kick-starting the development of an immense artificial intelligence known as The Machine. But to build this computer the size of an Earth continent, they must obtain help from the more populous and still industrious worlds of mankind. This concluding volume of the Long Earth series explores the greatest question of all: What is the meaning of life? Reviewed by Roz Shea.
MARKED FOR LIFE by Emelie Schepp (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christine Lakin
When a high-ranking head of the migration board is found shot to death in his living room, there is no shortage of suspects. But no one expects to find mysterious, child-size fingerprints in this childless home. A few days later, the body of a derelict preteen is discovered, and with him, the murder weapon that killed the official. As she attends his autopsy, public prosecutor Jana Berzelius recognizes something familiar on his body. Cut deep into his flesh are initials that scream child trafficking and trigger in her a flash of memory from her own dark childhood. Now, to protect her own horrific but hidden past, she must find the real suspect behind these murders before the police do. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE MAXIMUM SECURITY BOOK CLUB: Reading Literature in a Men's Prison by Mikita Brottman (Literary Criticism)
Audiobook available, read by Beverley Crick
On sabbatical from teaching literature to undergraduates, and wanting to educate a different kind of student, Mikita Brottman starts a book club with a group of convicts from the Jessup Correctional Institution in Maryland. She assigns them 10 dark, challenging classics that don’t flinch from evoking the isolation of the human struggle, the pain of conflict and the cost of transgression. Although Brottman is already familiar with these works, the convicts open them up in completely new ways. Their discussions may “only” be about literature, but for the prisoners, everything is at stake. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.
ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE ENIGMA by Eric Van Lustbader (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Holter Graham
On the eve of Russian general Boris Karpov's wedding, Jason Bourne receives an enigmatic message from his old friend and fellow spymaster. In Moscow, what should be a joyous occasion turns bloody and lethal. Now Bourne is the only one who can decipher Karpov's cryptogram. He discovers that Karpov has betrayed his sovereign to warn Bourne of a crippling disaster about to be visited on the world. Bourne has only four days to discover the nature of the disaster and stop it. The trail Karpov has been following leads Bourne to Cairo and the doorstep of Ivan Borz, the elusive international arms dealer infamous for hiding behind a never-ending series of false identities. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE SECOND GIRL by David Swinson (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Christopher Ryan Grant
A decorated former police detective, Frank Marr retired early and now ekes a living as a private eye for a defense attorney. A long-functioning drug addict, Frank has devoted his considerable skills to hiding his usage from others. But after accidentally discovering a kidnapped teenage girl in the home of an Adams Morgan drug gang, Frank becomes a hero and is thrust into the spotlight. He reluctantly agrees to investigate the disappearance of another girl --- possibly connected to the first --- and the heightened scrutiny may bring his own secrets to light. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
UNDER THE HARROW by Flynn Berry (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Fiona Hardingham
When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: Her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder. Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can’t return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can’t trust them to find her sister’s killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora’s fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
VINEGAR GIRL by Anne Tyler (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kirsten Potter
After years out in the academic wilderness, Dr. Battista is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: His brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost. When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying on his daughter, Kate, to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around? Reviewed by Carole Turner.
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Young Adult Reviews
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ALL THE FEELS by Danika Stone (Fiction)
College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: the "Starveil" movies are her life...and her last tangible connection to her deceased father. Thus, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can't. Deal. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a call that ignites the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life and her disapproving mother's new boyfriend. Reviewed by Alyssa Cami.
BEING JAZZ: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings (Memoir)
Audiobook available, narrated by Jazz Jennings
At the age of five, Jazz Jennings transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview. In this memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn’t all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy --- especially when you began your life in a boy’s body. Reviewed by Chrissy Bentlyewski.
CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE by Christian McKay Heidicker (Fiction)
Prepare to be cured by this quirky and hilarious debut novel about a 16-year-old loner who is sent to rehab for video game addiction --- perfect for fans of Ned Vizzini and Jesse Andrews. Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab...10 minutes after meeting a girl. A living, breathing girl named Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him. Jaxon’s first date. Ever. In rehab, Jaxon can’t blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He can’t slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has four days to earn one million points by learning real-life skills. Reviewed by Rachel D., Teen Board Member.
THE DARKEST LIE by Pintip Dunn (Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult 13+)
Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student. Now, at the start of her senior year, between dealing with her grieving father, and the nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline --- the same place her mother worked. As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s suspicions about her mom’s death resurface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives --- including CeCe’s own… Reviewed by Laura T., Teen Board Member.
DOREEN by Ilana Manaster (Fiction)
If Doreen Gray were to take a selfie upon her arrival at the elite Chandler Academy, it would capture a face marked with acne, a head full of frizz and eyes looking anywhere but at the lens. What Chandler queen bee Heidi Whelan sees is a desperate hunger for acceptance and the makings of a willing and useful protégé. Heidi’s roommate works her Photoshop magic to create a stunning profile pic of Doreen --- that Doreen initially rejects...only to wake up the next morning transformed as the girl in the picture. But Doreen quickly becomes accustomed to her newfound power and lives without considering consequences of her actions. Only the picture knows the truth, and she will do anything to protect her secret. Reviewed by Alison S., Teen Board Member.
WE WERE NEVER HERE by Jennifer Gilmore (Fiction)
In this exquisitely written and emotionally charged young adult debut, Jennifer Gilmore explores how sometimes the wounds you can’t see are the most painful. Did you know your entire life can change in an instant? For 16-year-old Lizzie Stoller that moment is when she collapses out of the blue. The next thing she knows, she’s in a hospital with an illness she’s never heard of. But that isn’t the only life-changing moment for Lizzie. The other is when Connor and his dog, Verlaine, walk into her hospital room. Lizzie has never connected with anyone the way she does with the handsome teenage volunteer. However, the more time she spends with him and the deeper in love she falls, the more she realizes that Connor has secrets and a deep pain of his own.... Reviewed by Alyssa Luis.
WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook (Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Whitney Dykhouse
For fans of WE WERE LIARS and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN comes a chilling, addictive psychological thriller about a teenage girl who cannot remember the last six weeks of her life. Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron's senior trip to Italy was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. And then the accident happened. Waking up in a hospital room, her leg in a cast, stitches in her face, and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be, Jill comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident in her travels abroad. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care --- care that includes a lawyer. Reviewed by Grace P., Teen Board Member.
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