July 2012

There is merely a week left in July as I’m writing this newsletter, and I’m suddenly wishing for more time. The summer is going by unbelievably fast, and I find that I still have so many things I want to do before...drumroll here…school starts. Among them is finishing some of the books I have picked up for pleasure reading this summer. Are you reading anything exciting right now, or are you purely sticking to your required summer reading? Well, if you’re in one of those awkward lulls when you’ve just finished a book and don’t know what to read next, check out this month’s newsletter and see if anything tempts you.

My son FINALLY ordered his summer reading books….he has to read five of them. I can see him procrastinating. Are you procrastinators too? Be honest! Okay…this sounds too much like school!!!

Let’s stay focused on pleasure reading….

One of the most talked-about books of the summer is SERAPHINA, Rachel Hartman’s debut novel. In this highly-anticipated fantasy, a fragile peace stands between the humans and dragons of the kingdom of Goredd, when a gifted musician named Seraphina comes just in time to be drawn into a murder investigation. But will her own deep dark secrets interfere? Click here to read our review.

Last month, we featured an interview with mother-daughter writing team Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer about their first YA book, BETWEEN THE LINES. This month, we have our review! Delilah is obsessed with a fairy tale and the charming prince, Oliver, within its pages. One day, Delilah finds herself talking to Oliver as if he was a real person; imagine her surprise when he talks back! They now must work together to get him out of the book.

On August 21st, the newest installment in Pittacus Lore’s Lorien Legacies series, THE RISE OF NINE, releases, and we will be awarding a copy to the winner of our Word of Mouth contest (along with NEVERMORE: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure by James Patterson). Until then, please take a look at our review of THE LOST FILES: THE LEGACIES, which is a collection of three action-packed novellas that give the backstories of some of your favorite Loriens.

We are announcing a special contest to celebrate the release of BEFORE YOU GO. If you enter before Friday, August 17th at noon ET, you may be one of the five lucky readers who wins a copy of James Preller's debut novel for teens. The author introduces us to a boy named Jude, who has finally started to live again after the tragic death of his sister. But just as his life is starting to feel normal, it is thrown into utter chaos.

In anticipation of the August 14th release of BLOOD CRAVE, we are giving you a chance to read BLOOD ON THE MOON, the first book in Jennifer Knight’s paranormal romance series, for free! Faith Reynolds finds herself trying to solve the murders of young college coeds instead of getting a normal college experience. Before long, she is entangled in a battle between werewolves and vampires. Click here to access the entire book, which also includes an excerpt from the sequel. This link to the eBook will only be available until Monday, August 6th at noon ET, so the time to download and read is now!

We are also featuring a review of THE FORSAKEN by Lisa M. Stasse, about a 16-year-old girl named Alenna who is sent to “the Wheel,” a dirty prison island where the prisoners aren’t expected to survive more than two years. Alenna and the others plan to escape, but as they embark on this journey, they uncover shocking secrets about their country and about themselves. To get a sneak peek of the book, take a look at the excerpt we're providing. I had the ABSOLUTE PLEASURE of meeting Lisa recently and had a wonderful time hearing her talk about her book. We hope to have a blog post from her to share with you very soon!

And be sure to enter our Grab Bag of Books contest to win a copy of THE FORSAKEN, along with four other fantastic reads: 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER by Jessica Brody, DRAIN YOU by M. Beth Bloom, A LONG WAY FROM YOU by Gwendolyn Heasley and SO CLOSE TO YOU by Rachel Carter. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, August 15th at noon ET.

We continue our Multi-Book Giveaway, where readers have a chance to win all four books featured in Macmillan Publishing Group’s "Fierce Reads" campaign: MONUMENT 14 by Emmy Laybourne, OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks, STRUCK by Jennifer Bosworth and SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo. Enter by Tuesday, August 7th at noon ET, and you could be one of five winners who will be sent all four books.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Beach Bag of Books contest! Even if your name is not on the list, we encourage you to take a look at our selections. These are books you’ll want to read this summer!

This month’s Cool & New Books roundup includes DIVA, the conclusion to Jillian Larkin's Flappers series, the story of three girls growing up in 1920s New York; HIDE AND SEEK, the fourth book in Sara Shepard's The Lying Game series, in which Emma continues her search to find her sister Sutton’s murderer and figure out what exactly her parents are hiding; and WHERE THINGS COME BACK, an award-winning book from debut novelist John Corey Whaley that introduces readers to a teen who is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town.

Among our latest reviews are FATED: The Soul Seekers, Book 1 by Alyson Noël, MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick and AMELIA ANNE IS DEAD AND GONE by Kat Rosenfield. Plus, don’t miss Adult Books You Want to Read, reviews that we’ve recently featured on our site for adults, Bookreporter.com. This month’s additions are WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin, THE NEXT BEST THING by Jennifer Weiner and SERPENT’S KISS: A Witches of East End Novel by Melissa de la Cruz.

Be sure to answer our new poll about how many books you usually pack for a week-long vacation. We all know my answer --- way too many!

Enjoy the time you have left this summer before school gets underway. We hope you’ll get inspired to head on over to your local library or bookstore to pick up some of our featured titles.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman (Fantasy)
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. An unusually gifted musician, Seraphina joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered, and she's drawn into the investigation. All the while, she struggles to protect her own secret, the discovery of which could mean her very life. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.

BETWEEN THE LINES by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer (Fantasy/Romance)
Delilah is obsessed with Between the Lines, a fairy tale featuring Prince Oliver, who really speaks to her. And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. So Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read an interview with the authors.

I AM NUMBER FOUR: THE LOST FILES: THE LEGACIES by Pittacus Lore (Science Fiction/Adventure)
I AM NUMBER FOUR: THE LOST FILES: THE LEGACIES contains three action-packed novellas that give the heart-pounding backstories of some of your favorite Loriens. Originally published as the e-novellas SIX'S LEGACY, NINE'S LEGACY and THE FALLEN LEGACIES, now, for the first time ever, their backstories are together in one volume. Reviewed by Benjamin Boche.

-Click here to read more about the book.

We are celebrating the release of BEFORE YOU GO --- the story of a teen boy whose life keeps spinning out of control --- with a special contest. Five readers will have the opportunity to win a copy of James Preller's first young adult novel. The deadline for entries is Friday, August 17th at noon ET.

BEFORE YOU GO by James Preller (Fiction)
The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much --- it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her.

Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

-Click here to read James Preller’s bio.

-Click here to visit James Preller’s official website.

-Click here to read more about the book on the publisher’s website.

In anticipation of the August 14th release of BLOOD CRAVE, we're giving you the opportunity to read the first book in Jennifer Knight's paranormal romance series, BLOOD ON THE MOON, for free online.

Click here to access the entire book, which also includes a sneak peek of the sequel. This link will only be available until Monday, August 6th at noon ET, so the time to download and read is now!

BLOOD ON THE MOON by Jennifer Knight (Paranormal Romance)
Boys, romance, classes and annoying roommates are all within the realm of the expected for a college freshman. Trying to solve the mysterious murders of young college coeds near campus is not. Darkness seems to be creeping into every corner of Faith Reynolds' life, no matter the hour. And when she seeks the truth, danger seems to be the only thing that finds her. Before long, she finds herself entrenched in the deep-seeded battle between werewolves and vampires.

BLOOD CRAVE by Jennifer Knight (Paranormal Romance)
After surviving being kidnapped by a vampire, Faith would just love to focus on some alone time with her hot (though occasionally furry) boyfriend, Lucas. Unfortunately, with a vampire uprising on the horizon and her best friend, Derek, about to wake up and find himself transformed into a half-werewolf, half-vampire being without a beating heart, Faith has a few other things to take care of first.

-Read more about BLOOD ON THE MOON and BLOOD CRAVE.
-Click here to read Jennifer Knight’s bio.
-Visit Jennifer Knight’s official website and blog.
-Connect with Jennifer Knight on Facebook and Twitter.

THE FORSAKEN by Lisa M. Stasse (Dystopian Thriller/Adventure)
After failing a government personality test, 16-year-old Alenna Shawcross is exiled to "The Wheel," a mysterious prison island where all would-be criminals end up. The life expectancy of its prisoners is just two years, and the conditions are dirty, violent and chaotic. So when Alenna meets Liam, a charismatic warrior who wants to escape, she decides to embark on an epic journey that will uncover shocking secrets about the UNA (the super-country that was once Mexico, the USA and Canada) --- and her own identity as well.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to visit the book’s Facebook page.
-Click here to read Lisa M. Stasse’s bio.
-Click here to visit Lisa M. Stasse’s official website.
-Connect with Lisa M. Stasse on Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for some cool reads this summer? Here are 5 titles you'll want to consider. They are books that teens will love!

• THE FEAR by Charlie Higson
• FROM WHAT I REMEMBER… by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
• THE SLEEPWALKERS by J. Gabriel Gates
• TAKEN BY STORM: A Raised by Wolves Novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin

July's roundup of Cool & New Books includes SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman, the highly anticipated debut novel about a talented young musician who must discover who killed a member of the royal family and why; DIVA, the conclusion to Jillian Larkin's Flappers series, the story of three girls growing up in 1920s New York; and HIDE AND SEEK, the fourth book in Sara Shepard's The Lying Game series, in which Emma continues her search to find her sister Sutton’s murderer and figure out what exactly her parents are hiding.

Among the paperbacks releasing this month are THE POWER OF SIX, a continuation of Pittacus Lore’s Lorien Legacies series, and its companion, THE LOST FILES: THE LEGACIES; LOST IN TIME, the next-to-last Blue Bloods novel by Melissa de la Cruz, which shows what happens when Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force attempt to find the mysterious Gate of Promise; and WHERE THINGS COME BACK, an award-winning book from debut novelist John Corey Whaley that introduces readers to a teen who is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town.
 

FATED: The Soul Seekers, Book 1 by Alyson Noël (Paranormal Fantasy/Romantic Suspense)
When strange things start happening to Daire Santos, whose dreams are haunted by a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. This is a woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are --- the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker --- one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead. Reviewed by Amy Alessio.

BATMAN, Volume 1: THE COURT OF OWLS written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Greg Capullo (Graphic Novel)
After a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, Batman begins to realize that perhaps these crimes go far deeper than appearances suggest. As the Caped Crusader begins to unravel this deadly mystery, he discovers a conspiracy going back to his youth and beyond to the origins of the city he's sworn to protect. Reviewed by John Hogan.

WAITING by Carol Lynch Williams (Fiction)
Growing up in Africa and Latin America as the children of missionaries, London and Zach were as close as could be. But when Zach dies, London finds herself torn between her brother’s best friend and the handsome new boy in town as she struggles to find herself. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Romance)
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not --- loud, numerous, messy, affectionate --- and every day from her balcony perch, 17-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them…until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Samantha is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Reviewed by Leah Schiano.

MONUMENT 14 by Emmy Laybourne (Post-Apocalyptic/Science Fiction)
Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. Outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world --- as they know it --- apart. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER by Jessica Brody (Fiction)
Lexington Larrabee has never had to work a day in her life. Which is why, on Lexi’s 18th birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

AMELIA ANNE IS DEAD AND GONE by Kat Rosenfield (Mystery)
Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life. Reviewed by Amy Alessio.

THE WILD QUEEN: The Days and Nights of Mary, Queen of Scots by Carolyn Meyer (Historical Fiction)
Mary Stuart struggled most of her life. She was sent to France at the age of five only to be abandoned when her future husband died. She returned to Scotland, became entangled in an unhappy marriage and a murder scandal, and had to keep a watchful eye on Elizabeth I, Queen of England. It was all of these things that Mary had to fight to keep alive, especially Elizabeth, who would kill anyone who threatened her place on the throne. Reviewed by Molly Horan.

ONCE: An Eve Novel by Anna Carey (Dystopian Romance/Adventure)
Eve is being protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America, but she was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America. Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past --- and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. Reviewed by Hannah Gómez.

DEAD RECKONING by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill (Western/Historical Fantasy)
When zombies invade a small town in Texas in 1867, it’s up to Jett, Honoria, and White Fox to figure out who is behind the horrific attack and stop them dead in their tracks. Killing zombies isn’t easy though, and the Wild West is full of dark and mysterious secrets. Reviewed by Benjamin Boche.

TOKYO HEIST by Diana Renn (Mystery/Thriller)
When 16-year-old Violet agrees to spend the summer with her father, an up-and-coming artist in Seattle, she has no idea what she's walking into. Her father's newest clients, the Yamada family, are the victims of a high-profile art robbery: van Gogh sketches have been stolen from their home, and, until they can produce the corresponding painting, everyone's lives are in danger --- including Violet's and her father's. Reviewed by Benjamin Boche.

Throughout the year, we feature books from Bookreporter.com, our site for adult readers, that we think will have appeal to teen audiences.

Here are our latest featured titles:

WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Marian Caldwell, a 36-year-old television producer, is living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and a satisfying relationship, Marian has everyone convinced that her life is going just the way she wants it to be. But when Kirby Rose, an 18-year-old with a key to Marian’s past, shows up on her doorstep, everything Marian has worked so hard to keep secret pours out. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE NEXT BEST THING by Jennifer Weiner (Fiction)
Ruth Saunders headed west with her 70-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to be hired as a television writer. Four years later, she finally hits the jackpot when the sitcom she wrote, “The Next Best Thing,” gets the green light. But her dreams are threatened by demanding actors, number-crunching executives, a crush on her boss, and her grandmother’s impending nuptials. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

SERPENT’S KISS: A Witches of East End Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (Urban Fantasy)
Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the-map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions, and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down. Reviewed by Kathleen M. Purcell.

How many books do you typically pack for a week-long vacation?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
More than 10
None
None, I buy books on vacation.
None, I have an eReader.