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December 5, 2012

20SomethingReads.com Newsletter December 5, 2012
Celebrate the Holidays with Books and Sweet Treats from 20SomethingReads.com!
Still Ongoing on 20SomethingReads.com
What's NEW on 20SomethingReads.com?
What's Coming Up on 20SomethingReads.com?
This Week's Reviews
Take the 2012 YA Readers Survey!
Celebrate the Holidays with Books and Sweet Treats from 20SomethingReads.com!

I have a confession to make --- I never believed in Santa. It always makes my mother very sad when I say this, but it doesn't make it any less true. What's really surprising though is that THE POLAR EXPRESS --- which is all about believing in the magic of the season ---was my favorite children's book. I may not believe in Santa, but I believe in THE POLAR EXPRESS and I can still hear that bell ringing.

My nephew recently got a chance to ride on the polar express --- yes, it really exists. When asked if he had fun riding on the polar express he simply said, "It's just a train."

While I couldn't arrange for a bell from one of Santa's reindeer, we do have a special treat for you this month that is just as good. Our first annual Holiday Bundle of Cheer contest is now open, and we're offering five readers the chance to win five great reads --- SWEET TOOTH by Ian McEwan, EASY by Tammara Webber, DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver, SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi and PERRY'S KILLER PLAYLIST by Joe Schreiber --- along with some holiday-themed prizes. The deadline for entries is Thursday, December 20th at noon ET, so don't miss out!

Over on Bookreporter.com, the Holiday Author Blogs are back once again, providing you with stories of giving and receiving from your favorite authors. This year's line-up incudes Lee Woodruff, Nelson DeMille and many more!

Our blog has been busy this month, and we have two new posts for you. The first is from debut author of CREWEL Gennifer Albin. She has a great post titled, "I Was In a Teenage Love Triangle," in which she defends the use of love triangles in YA books, because, well, as the title suggests, she has some experience with that.

The second blog, How Gatsby Scarred Me Forever, discusses my love of THE GREAT GATSBY and the inspiration for my literary tattoo. If any of you have literary tattoos, send the pics our way! Or if you just have a really cool tattoo that you want to share that works too. Just drop me a note at Maureen@bookreporter.com.

For all of our YA readers, there's still time to take our 2012 YA Reader Survey on Teenreads.com. The survey features questions about your reading habits, and is open until Tuesday, January 1st. Anyone who takes the survey can also enter to win one of 450 (!) free books, which you won’t want to miss out on!

In case you didn't get your fill at Thanksgiving, our Holiday Cookbooks shelf is filled with recipes to get everyone in the spirit! Compiled by Amy Alessio --- librarian, cookbook collector and cook extraordinaire --- the collection includes classic recipes and new cookbooks, all featuring great ideas for the holiday season. May we inspire you to buy one --- and cook something special this holiday season to dazzle family and friends.

Every year my family goes to the movies the day after Christmas. Last year we split into two groups: the boys went to see Sherlock Holmes and the ladies went to see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, because nobody says, "Happy Holidays," quite like Lisbeth Salander.

This year I was really looking forward to seeing The Great Gatsby, but unfortunately that got pushed back to May 2013, so it looks like we will be seeing Les Miserables. I highly recommend a holiday movie. There are so many choices this year, so be sure to check out our December Fall Books on Screen bookshelf feature if you need help picking one. From The Hobbit and Anna Karenina, to Jack Reacher --- seriously, who is Tom Cruise trying to kid? Jack Reacher, he is not. Either way, I hope you get to see one.

And don't forget to read/watch The Polar Express! If you've never heard of The Polar Express, then it's probably best for you to keep that to yourself.

Happy Holidays and remember, Journey said it best when they said, "Don't stop, believin'!"

--- said the Santa non-believer (Maureen Linehan, Maureen@bookreporter.com)

Still Ongoing on 20SomethingReads.com

Bookshelf: Holiday Cookbooks
It's that time of year! With the holidays quickly approaching, our contributor Amy Alessio assembled a collection of holiday cookbooks to help you plan your menu!

 

What's NEW on 20SomethingReads.com?

Holiday Bundle of Cheer
Here at 20SomethingReads we're bringing you our Holiday Cheer Contest and Feature. As our gift to you, we are giving five readers a chance to win 5 amazing books, along with some incredibly festive goodies. Make sure to enter the contest before Thursday, December 20th at noon ET for your chance to win!

SWEET TOOTH by Ian McEwan
EASY by Tammara Webber
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver
SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

PERRY'S KILLER PLAYLIST by Joe Schreiber

Holiday Author Blogs
Throughout the holiday season, a number of authors will be sharing their favorite memories of giving or receiving a book at the holidays over on our sister site Bookreporter.com’s Author Holiday Blog.

Blog Post: I Was In a Teenage Love Triangle by Gennifer Albin
Much like her character in CREWEL, Gennifer Albin was in a teenage love triangle. In this blog post, Gennifer defends the love triangle in YA novels and tells us about her own experience.

Blog Post: How Gatsby Scarred Me Forever by Maureen Linehan
How THE GREAT GATSBY inspired 20SomethingReads.com's Maureen Linean to get a literary tattoo.

What's Coming Up on 20SomethingReads.com?
Interview: TWENTYSOMETHING: Why Do Young Adults Seem to Suck? by Robin Marantz Henig and Samantha Henig (December)

New Bookshelf: Downton Abbey-Themed Bookshelf (December)

Blog: 20 Questions for Alexandra Bracken (January)

This Week's Reviews
A WORKING THEORY OF LOVE by Scott Hutchins (Fiction)
Neill Bassett is working hard to become accustomed to his life as a recently divorced single while also trying to breathe new life into his father. Although Neill Bassett Senior died years ago, he left behind tons of detailed journals that his son has inputted into an artificial intelligence company's computer. Shockingly, the experiment may actually work, resurrecting the man who, while alive, was a mystery to his son. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY: A Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler Mystery by Susan Hill (Mystery)
Haunting prose; smart, civilized characters --- and a good dose of spine-tingling suspense. The latest in the superb Simon Serrailler series is a macabre tale of an elusive killer of elderly women. But Susan Hill’s brainy chief superintendent, while able to crack the most difficult cases, is not so adept at solving his personal problems. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

THE THIEVES OF LEGEND by Richard Doetsch (Thriller)
In a world of dark and light, where East meets West, a horrific act of violence propels former thief Michael St. Pierre into a mystery that began 500 years ago. With his girlfriend’s life on the line and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, can Michael stop a madman from attaining an ancient artifact before he can turn its deadly power against the rest of the world? Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE COLONY by A. J. Colucci (Thriller/Horror)
When a deadly supercolony of ants begins a series of gruesome attacks on New York City, the desperate mayor turns to the greatest ant expert in the world, Paul O'Keefe, who then calls on his ex-wife Kendra Hart, an entomologist studying fire ants in the New Mexico desert, for help. When the ants launch an all-out attack, Paul and Kendra hit the streets of New York to search for the coveted queen and unlock the secrets of an indestructible new species before the president nukes Manhattan. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE HOLLOW MAN by Oliver Harris (Thriller)
The first book in a series of tense and twisting police procedurals, THE HOLLOW MAN starts with London police detective Nick Belsey at rock bottom, and then embroils him in a brazen identity theft scam and possible murder that could leave him either wealthy or dead. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

SLEEP NO MORE: An Eve Duncan Novel by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan knows what it's like to be haunted by the past. For years after her daughter Bonnie was stolen from her, she fought for closure. But now as she's striving to begin anew, she can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen --- or maybe already has. When her mother, Sandra, asks for help in finding a missing friend named Beth Avery, Eve is sure that she's hiding something. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

THE SANCTUARY by Ted Dekker (Thriller)
Vigilante priest Danny Hansen is serving a 50-year prison term for the murder of two abusive men. Filled with remorse, Danny is determined to live out his days by a code of non-violence. But when Renee Gilmore, the woman he loves, receives a box containing a bloody finger and draconian demands from a mysterious enemy on the outside, Danny must find a way to escape. Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt.

A DEATH IN THE SMALL HOURS by Charles Finch (Historical Mystery)
Charles Lenox is at the pinnacle of his political career and is a delighted new father. He plans a trip to his uncle's estate, Somerset, in the expectation of a few calm weeks to write an important speech. However, the quiet village of Plumley greets him with a series of strange vandalisms upon the local shops. Only when a far more serious crime is committed does he begin to understand the great stakes of those events, and the complex and sinister mind that is wreaking fear and suspicion in Plumley. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

DEAD ASLEEP by Jamie Freveletti (Thriller)
Biochemist Emma Caldridge comes to a remote tropical island in the Caribbean in search of minerals believed to reverse the aging process. What she finds instead are the bloody remnants of a bizarre religious ritual. And here, where the local people speak in whispers about sea monsters, ancient voodoo curses and rampaging evil, she discovers something far more real...and more terrifying. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

NEVER COMING BACK by Hans Koppel (Psychological Thriller)
Mike Zetterberg's wife, Ylva, doesn't come home as expected one night. Given the sudden and mysterious circumstances of her disappearance, Mike becomes the chief suspect. But what no one knows is that Ylva is being held hostage in the cellar of the house across the street. A secret camera has been set up in her own home so that Ylva can only watch her family on the screen. They cannot see her --- and they most certainly cannot hear her scream. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Take the 2012 YA Readers Survey!
Our 2012 YA Readers Survey is live! We ask about YA books and authors, but also delve into your thoughts on a whole lot more that is happening with pop culture media.

By completing the survey, you are eligible to enter a contest to win one of 450 books our publisher friends have provided to us. There are PLENTY of prizes, which means spread the word! The 2012 Readers Survey is for everyone who loves reading YA books who is over 10 years old and living in the U.S. (We still love all of you in Canada and overseas, but we know enough of the questions are U.S.-centric and those residing elsewhere wouldn’t be able to reply.)

We assume it will take between 20-30 minutes to complete. Please allow the appropriate amount of time to complete it in one sitting. We had a test group take it and they remarked that the time to take it flew by!

Click here for more details and to take the survey.
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