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November 26, 2013

20SomethingReads.com Newsletter November 26, 2013
What Does the Turkey Say? Newsletter Edition!
Special Feature: SEMPRE and SEMPRE: Redemption
20SomethingReads.com's Holiday Bundle of Cheer
We're looking for YOU. Yes, YOU!
What's NEW on 20SomethingReads.com?
Young Adult Reviews
Adult Reviews
What Does the Turkey Say? Newsletter Edition!

Pass the pepppppppppa, please. When you're caught like a deer in the headlights at the dinner table next Thursday because your dad is asking you how your Halloween night went (and we all know your night is not, cough cough, dinner-time, family-time appropriate), we've got a joke on hand to deflect the interrogation: What does the turkey say? Try the veal!

If that joke doesn't work, you may not be thankful for your good comedic timing, but there's plenty of other things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Your family may not actually go around the table and verbalize your gratitude (at least ours don't, and we're thankful for that, too). But if they do, you wanna come as prepared as all the side dishes on your table. So, like the good, well-(b)raised 20Somethings that we are, let's go over twenty 20Something things we're thankful for this year (in no specific order):

1. That we aren't angsty teenagers anymore. Let’s be honest, it was a long time coming.

2. That we've grown to respect our parents so much more than we ever did before (and now they're our best friends). Awwwww.

3. All our new friends (Emily + Nikki 4EVA)...

4. ...and of course the old (whether they read our newsletters or not).

5. Those amazing AT&T commercials.

6. Not having to do our own laundry over the holidays.

7. Late-night syndicated television (because "Friends" never gets old, no matter how many times you've seen each episode).

8. Buzzfeed, Spotify, Vulture...basically anything on the Internet.

9. Dystopian YA novels that come in trilogies.

10. Skyfall currently streaming on Netflix --- Cheers, Danny Craig!

11. Listicles (see above and below)

12. Tinder, and for those times when we run out of matches (admit it, you’ve been there), Candy Crush.

13. Last week we were thankful for the Kimye “Bound 2” music video…

14. ...and this week we're thankful for the Seth Rogen and James Franco parody “Bound 3” music video.

15. The satisfying conclusion to “Breaking Bad,” and Emily’s subsequently reaffirmed faith in television.

16. That our Halloween newsletter-writing window is closed. At least for 11 months.

17. Nori West, Prince George and all the celebrity babies! (At least someone’s having them, and it’s not us.)

18. Online dating --- jkjkjkjkjk. What are we, crazy?!

19. The snooooooooooooooze button, over and over and over.

20. Dr. Oz, because now, more than ever, we need his aging health advice.

And in case you thought we were all rainbows and sunshine, here are a handful of things we’re not thankful for:

The government shutdown (although the jokes kind of made it worth it).
Another year closer to being out of our 20s --- and longer-lasting hangovers. Womp womp.
Jury duty!
Noisy neighbors and nosy neighbors.
When inclement weather complicates our travel plans.
Celebrities writing open letters.
Boring snapchats.

So whether your thanks are playful or serious this year (you can tell by how many puns they include), small or large, free-range or organic, DON'T EAT THE TOFURKEY. It never ends well.

We're also thankful for our three featured books, recently reviewed, which you should check out! ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth is the third and final installment in the dystopian thriller series, Divergent. This explosive conclusion reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in DIVERGENT and INSURGENT. Is the Divergent series the new Hunger Games? Judging by all the hype and the the highly anticipated movie, set to hit theaters in March 2014, it just might be! Secondly, Mitch Albom's newest work THE FIRST PHONE CALL FROM HEAVEN tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN were super popular when we were kids, and now Albom's back in a big way. Lastly, but definitely not leastly, is I AM MALALA: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai, with Christina Lamb. This heartbreaking memoir shares the arduous journey of a young Pakistani girl fighting for her right to education while recovering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. Pick up a copy if you're looking for an inspirational tearjerker!

Our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature and Contest is LIVE with seven great titles that you have the chance to win, along with some holiday-themed goodies. For more details, scroll below. Enter by Thursday, December 19th at noon ET to exercise your luck!

Share with us your Thanksgiving traditions and what you're thankful for as a 20Something via social media on our Facebook page or tweet @20SomethingRead using #Bound4Home.

Wishing you all a restful, stress-free and filling Happy Thanksgiving, and a Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate! L'Chaim! (...and for the trifecta win: A happy "you-are-over-the-hill" birthday to Emily! [Editorial note: Emily's not laughing --- she can't afford the wrinkles.])

--- Nicole Sherman ([email protected]) and Emily Hoenig ([email protected])

 

Special Feature: SEMPRE and SEMPRE: Redemption

The enticing series from author J.M. Darhower, SEMPRE and SEMPRE: Redemption, are passionate stories about love, sacrifice, death and freedom. SEMPRE is the first book in the series and is available in eBook as of November 25, 2013. Two teenagers, Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco, come from very different worlds. When they fall in love in the midst of a mafia-run sex trafficking ring, they start to question everything they once believed. SEMPRE will be released for the first time in paperback on February 25, 2014. SEMPRE: Redemption is the thrilling sequel to SEMPRE and will be available in eBook on December 16, 2013. This time around, Haven and Carmine find themselves implicated in the mafia-run organization they once tried to overthrow, and desperately try and find new ground in their relationship. SEMPRE: Redemption will be released for the first time in paperback on April 1, 2014.

- Click here to learn more about the series.

More about SEMPRE:
Two young lovers, Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco, come from very different worlds. When they fall in love in the midst of a mafia-run sex trafficking ring, they begin to question everything they once believed. This is a story about sacrifice...death...love...freedom. This is a story about forever.

Available in eBook NOW. Available in paperback on February 25, 2014.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for an excerpt.

More about SEMPRE: Redemption:
In this thrilling sequel to SEMPRE, Haven and Carmine find themselves implicated in the mafia-run organization they once tried to overthrow, and desperately try and find new ground in their relationship.

Available in eBook on December 16, 2013. Available in paperback on April 1, 2014.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for an excerpt.

 

20SomethingReads.com's Holiday Bundle of Cheer

Here at 20SomethingReads we're kicking off the holiday season with our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Contest and Feature. As our gift to you, we are spotlighting some amazing books. Five lucky readers will win a copy of each featured title to curl up with this holiday season, along with some incredibly festive goodies.

This year's featured titles are:

CRASH INTO YOU by Katie McGarry
CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge
THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stiefvater
FOREPLAY by Sophie Jordan
THE LAST TELEGRAM by Liz Trenow
THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner
SECRET by Brigid Kemmere

Click HERE to enter by Thursday, December 19th at noon ET to be one of five lucky winners.

 

We're looking for YOU. Yes, YOU!

Do you have your own "Bound 2" parody video? Do you have strong feelings about Angelina Jolie in the Maleficent trailer? Do you know there's a new Muppets movie coming out?! Do you enjoy spending your Saturdays curled up with the latest from Mary Higgins Clark or Dave Eggers?

If so, we want to hear from you. We are looking for ongoing contributors for book reviews and blog posts who would like to impart their wisdoms on life, love, books, TV, movies, pop culture and all the other stuff we 20Somethings just can't get enough of. Send a cover letter and writing samples to [email protected] and [email protected]. Write for us enough and we'll add you to our Contributors page.

 

What's NEW on 20SomethingReads.com?

BLOG: Throwback Thursday: What Does the Turkey Say?
On Thanksgiving Thursday, we clink our pumpkin-infused beverages and give thanks. For our family, for our friends, for our health and for the Kimye music video...and for books that have some of the most memorable meals.

BLOG: Hunger Games Crash Course: Catching Up for Catching Fire
If you haven't seen the movie yet, update yourself with some keys plot twists and game changers from the first book, first movie and the second book.

BLOG: YA and Wine: My Experience at the HarperTeen Author Dinner
Staffer Emily Hoenig attends a HarperTeen Author dinner and gets a blast from her teenage past.

BLOG: Ten Books That Changed the World (No, Really)
Austin "Dallas" rounds up ten books that caused significant, widespread and lasting change to the world we live in. Ten books worth knowing about.

BLOG: Junot Diaz: Fueling the Imaginary
John Hogan of GraphicNovelReporter.com sees Diaz speak live and shares his afterthoughts.

BLOG: Gotham City Moves West
On Batkid, turning San Francisco into Gotham City, and making headline news with heartfelt gestures.

BLOG: Throwback Thursday: My Heart is an Autumn Sunset
There's a variety of throwbacks in this TBT as we say farewell to Fall and the long days of sunlight.

 

Young Adult Reviews

ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth (Dystopian Thriller)
What if your whole world was a lie? What if a single revelation --- like a single choice --- changed everything? What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected? The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in DIVERGENT and INSURGENT. Reviewed by Caroline Osborn.

IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE by Gabrielle Zevin (Dystopian Romance)
Life has been more bitter than sweet for Anya Balachine. Perhaps hardest of all, her decision to open a nightclub with her old nemesis Charles Delacroix has cost Anya her relationship with Win. But after a terrible misjudgment leaves Anya fighting for her life, she is forced to reckon with her choices. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

REALITY BOY by A.S. King (Realistic Fiction)
Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality TV crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he is still haunted by his rage-filled youth. In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child "star" struggling to break free of his anger. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

 

Adult Reviews

BECOMING MR. OCTOBER by Reggie Jackson, with Kevin Baker (Memoir)
BECOMING MR. OCTOBER is a revelatory self-portrait of baseball icon Reggie Jackson at the height of his public fame and private anguish. Filled with anecdotes about the notorious “Bronx Zoo” Yankees of the late 1970s and bluntly honest portrayals of his teammates and competitors, this is baseball history as can be told only by the man who lived it. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

CITY OF LIES by R.J. Ellory (Thriller)
John Harper has just made a discovery: the father he believed to be dead for more than 30 years is alive, though lying in a coma in a Manhattan hospital. Harper finds himself seduced by a lifestyle that he seems to have inherited --- an underworld life of power, treachery and menace. As he desperately tries to uncover the facts of his own past, he becomes more and more entangled in a dark and shocking conspiracy. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

DUST: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell (Thriller)
The body of a young woman named Gail Shipton has been discovered on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's rugby field. Physical evidence links the case to a series of uniquely weird homicides in Washington, D.C., where Kay Scarpetta's FBI husband has been deployed to help capture a serial killer dubbed the Capital Murderer. The cases all connect and yet seem to conflict. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

THE FIRST PHONE CALL FROM HEAVEN by Mitch Albom (Fiction)
THE FIRST PHONE CALL FROM HEAVEN tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.

FOUND: A Matt Royal Mystery by H. Terrell Griffin (Mystery)
The quiet of Longboat Key, Florida, is shattered when an old man is shot to death, and his murderer is killed while fleeing the police. Retired attorney Matt Royal and Detective Jennifer Diane (J.D.) Duncan are pursued by men who would do them harm. As the mystery deepens, a ragtag group of devious and dangerous characters intrudes on the lives of the islanders, creating a kind of havoc unusual for a sun-splashed island full of retirees and beach bums. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

I AM MALALA: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb (Memoir)
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was 15, she was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school. Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU? by Paula Daly (Thriller)
During an impossibly hectic week, Lisa Kallisto takes her eye off the ball for a moment and her world descends into a living nightmare. Not only is her best friend’s 13-year-old daughter missing, but it’s Lisa’s fault. Wracked with guilt over her mistake, she sets out to right the wrong. As she begins digging under the surface, she learns that everything is not quite what it first appears to be. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

KING AND MAXWELL by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Teenager Tyler Wingo learns that his father was killed in action in Afghanistan. Then the extraordinary happens: Tyler receives a communication from his father after his supposed death. Tyler hires Sean King and Michelle Maxwell to solve the mystery surrounding his father. But their investigation quickly leads to deeper, more troubling questions. Could Tyler's father really still be alive? What was his true mission? Could Tyler be the next target? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE LAST COWBOY: A Life of Tom Landry by Mark Ribowsky (Biography)
More than a decade after Tom Landry's death, acclaimed sports biographer Mark Ribowsky finally takes a fresh look at this much-misunderstood legend. THE LAST COWBOY tells us as much about our country's fascination with football as it does about Landry himself. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

THE MINOR ADJUSTMENT BEAUTY SALON: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
Precious Ramotswe has taken on two puzzling cases. Lawyer Mma Sheba, the executor of a deceased farmer’s estate, has a feeling that the young man who has stepped forward may be falsely impersonating the farmer’s nephew in order to claim his inheritance. Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that the Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon is using dangerous products that burn people’s skin. Could someone be trying to put the salon out of business? Reviewed by Roz Shea.

A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE FAMILY by Russell Banks (Fiction/Short Stories)
Suffused with Russell Banks's trademark lyricism and reckless humor, the 12 stories in A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE FAMILY examine the myriad ways we try --- and sometimes fail --- to connect with one another, as we seek a home in the world. The book charts with subtlety and precision the ebb and flow of both the families we make for ourselves and the ones we're born into, as it asks how we know the ones we love and, in turn, ourselves. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

PURGATORY: A Jack Taylor Novel by Ken Bruen (Mystery/Thriller)
Recovering from the severe mental and physical wounds inflicted from his recent past, former cop Jack Taylor has finally found a modicum of peace. Yet this fragile existence is threatened when a vigilante killer begins targeting the scum of Galway, signing mysterious notes with the moniker “C 33.” The killer addresses these cryptic letters to Jack, trying to goad him into joining the murderous spree. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE SECOND-CHANCE DOG: A Love Story by Jon Katz (Memoir)
Most men go courting with roses, wine and chocolates. But not dog-lover and prolific author Jon Katz, whose choice is beef jerky. He is a man with a mission: to woo and win Maria Wulf, an emotionally fragile artist who has lost confidence in her art. Maria owns a rottweiler-shepherd mix who does not like men and will not let anyone near her owner. Katz has his work cut out for him. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

SENSE & SENSIBILITY by Joanna Trollope (Fiction)
Jane Austen’s classic tale of two sisters --- one eminently reasonable, the other deeply romantic --- has already yielded one fine movie, three miniseries, and a parody novel awash in sea monsters. Now it’s been catapulted into the 21st century by a veteran British writer, with results that confirm its enduring fascination. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

SILENCING EVE: An Eve Duncan Novel by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
In TAKING EVE, the game began. In HUNTING EVE, the chase was on. Now, in SILENCING EVE, the prey is cornered. Will Eve Duncan survive? Will those she loves take the fall with her? And will the secrets of Eve’s past ultimately become her undoing? All these questions will be answered in a shocking, you-never-saw-it-coming conclusion. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

SOMEONE ELSE'S LOVE STORY by Joshilyn Jackson (Fiction)
In this delightful and nuanced tale, young single mom Shandi Pierce stumbles into the middle of a mini-mart robbery. Although her main concern is for her three-year-old son, Natty, the actions of a stranger named William Ashe cause her to plunge irrevocably in love with him. Considering that Shandi has issues with her parents and with circumstances surrounding the virgin birth (yes, virgin birth) of Natty, and that William has considerable baggage of his own, the hopeful romantic is in for quite the ride. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

TAKEDOWN TWENTY: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich (Mystery)
When powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game. The godfather is his actual godfather, and his grandmother is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

WHITE FIRE by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
Special Agent Pendergast’s arrival at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who begins burning down mansions with the families locked inside. Eventually, he uncovers a mysterious connection between several miners who were killed 150 years earlier and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story --- one that might just offer the key to the modern-day killings as well. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

 

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