Norman Cousins
Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.
Attribution
Norman Cousins
March 18, 2016
I started the week with daylight saving jet lag but was perked up by an unexpected visit with Mary Kay Andrews. The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) hosted an industry event at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, New Jersey, and MKA (as we call her around the office) was on hand to talk to booksellers about her writing and her upcoming book, THE WEEKENDERS (coming May 17th). You may recall that my plan for the weekend was to kick back a notch, read it and think warm summer thoughts. I was 200 pages in on Sunday (and completely wrapped up in the story of this barrier island resort town) when I headed to Montclair.
On Tuesday, March 15th, I followed the yellow-edged subway platforms downtown from our NYC offices for a very special launch party for YELLOW BRICK WAR, the third book in Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die series.
March 18, 2016
It’s no secret that this week is simultaneously everyone’s favorite and also the most hated of the year. Daylight savings means we’re getting longer hours of light in the evening, but we all lost an hour of sleep, which really did us in. In fact, we’re still feeling the effects. The upside is that those chill rays are giving us some much-needed vitamin D. Once we recover from this grogginess, we’re sure we’ll hit the streets fast and loose. Not to mention this unseasonably warm NYC weather --- no one tell Leo, but global warming is real. We hear street crime goes down during daylight savings time, so we have no more excuses for not getting out there and finding some spring hunnies. Spring got us #sprung, so to speak. (In the spirit of optimism, we are ignoring the snow predictions for Sunday into Monday!)
Editorial Content for The Way I Used to BeBookContributorsReviewer (text)Grace P., Teen Board Member
THE WAY I USED TO BE is the powerful debut novel written by Amber Smith. This novel approaches the tough topic of sexual assault and walks us through the time after something like this happens. The main character, Eden, is raped by her brother’s best friend during her freshman year of high school. Although she was always a good, "perfect" girl, her trauma changes her entirely, putting her at odds with the people around her. The story follows her journey through her high school years dealing with the aftermath of the assault. Read More Teaser
Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes. What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved --- who she once loved --- she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be. PromoEden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes. What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved --- who she once loved --- she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be. About the BookIn the tradition of SPEAK, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault. Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes. What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved --- who she once loved --- she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be. Told in four parts --- freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year --- this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart. Copyright © 2026 The Book Report, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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