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August 12, 2014

20SomethingReads.com Newsletter August 12, 2014
Life is Short. Oy Bey.
Teenreads.com 5-Minute Survey: Help Name a YA Website
20SomethingReads.com's Third Annual Beach Bag of Books Feature, Winners Announced!
"REAL TALK Publishing": Annie Philbrick, Bookstore Owner
Young Adult Reviews
Adult Reviews
Life is Short. Oy Bey.
Click on the image above to read our review of Murakami's new masterpiece.
Click on the image above to read our review of Murakami's new masterpiece.

We’ve been dreaming about an endless summer. Oy Bey. While we aren’t at the end of summer quite yet…there’s a handful of things that will come to an end as the summer fades away. Importantly, the longer days are getting shorter. More importantly, the final days of the summer mark the end of the #OnTheRun tour (and possibly the end of J + B as the world has come to love their love). Most importantly, one of our mutually favorite HBO shows, “True Blood,” will come to a dramatic series close in the upcoming weeks. We feel particularly devoted to this specific series, kind of the way we felt with “Breaking Bad,” but all good things must come to an end.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock without your parents’ HBOGo password, you know that “True Blood” is about vampires “coming out of the coffin” and trying to coexist with mortals in the world. That’s where the cold, unbeating heart of the series lies: the tension (sexual and otherwise) between the immortal vampires and the more vulnerable humans around them.

Every Sunday for the past seven years, we’ve been indulging in the tension (sexual…and otherwise) between these opposing forces. This past Sunday night’s episode specifically got us thinking more than ever about mortality because (SPOILER ALERT!) Bill is fatally ill and has chosen death over a cure…for now. And even though 99.9% of the audience is sick (no pun intended) of Bill and his insufferable flashbacks (Rust Cohle was right about one thing, time really is a flat, boring circle, at least on HBO), it’s kind of insane for a TV protagonist to choose his own death.

Wondering what the motive for Bill’s unexpected decision was? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Bill wants what his immortality always prevented him from having: his humanity. He finally has a choice, and he’s choosing freedom in death. Obviously, the show has been building up to this very moment.

The irony in Bill’s unexpected decision is that immortality, for regular people, is the ultimate prize. In books and movies like TUCK EVERLASTING, Death Becomes Her and The Fountain, to name just a few, characters are actively pursuing eternal life. Not only do they want to live forever, they want to be young forever (shoutout to Hova). But characters in those stories --- just like Bill --- usually learn that there’s sweetness in endings. There can be peace in the end. All the best sundaes (Sundays?) have expiration dates.

The point we’re trying to make here is sometimes (and by sometimes, we mean most of the time) there’s something nice about endings. They make us more aware of everything leading up to the finale, so to speak. As the end of summer draws near, we’re appreciating it more and more. We’re savoring these final hot days by spending them eating tons and tons of ice cream in the sun (when we’re not watching “True Blood,” obviously) because we know that they won’t last forever.

Of course, this may be the perfect time to go back and re-read the books the series is based on by Charlaine Harris starting with DEAD UNTIL DARK through DEAD EVER AFTER --- 13 novels in all!

Speaking of all good things coming to an end, we're paying our respects to the late, great Robin Williams. Almost all of our favorite movies from our childhoods were a Williams' movie...Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Hook, Jack and Jumanji...just to name a few. (In fact, he was Nikki's first real celebrity crush [she always had a thing for older men]). His insurmountable genius and ability to put a smile on our face and a spring in our step will never be forgotten.

Here are some books we are looking forward to this month, all complete with reviews.

COLORLESS TSUKURU TAZAKI AND HIS YEARS OF PILGRIMAGE, the latest Haruki Murakami book, hit stores as of midnight. It's safe to say that people are going nutso for it, lining up outside bookstores around the country for this long-awaited new novel that sold more than a million copies the first week it went on sale in Japan. This novel tells the remarkable story of Tsukuru Tazaki, a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. It is a story of love, friendship and heartbreak for the ages. Click here to read our review.

DOLLBABY by Laura Lane McNeal is for those who love Southern, historical fiction, like the mega-bestseller, THE HELP. When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother, Fannie. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been --- and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum --- is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets. And there are LOTS of secrets.

THE FORTUNE HUNTER by Daisy Goodwin is winning all kinds of office accolades right now. Charlotte Baird is a clever, plainspoken heiress whose money gives her a choice among suitors. She falls in love with Captain Bay Middleton, the first man to really notice her. When Empress Elizabeth of Austria joins the legendary hunt organized by Earl Spencer in England, Bay is asked to guide her on the treacherous course. Their shared passion for riding leads to an infatuation that jeopardizes the growing bond between Bay and Charlotte, and threatens all of their futures.

Carol attended a book group event where The League Book Group, which is made up of twentysomething book group members, met with Daisy during her U.S. tour (she is from the UK) to talk about THE FORTUNE HUNTER. You can read about that here. By the way, if you ever have thought about starting a book group, Jamie, who runs this one, has a great system for pulling their group together that is worth reading about!

Lastly, but not leastly, JOE AND MARILYN: Legends in Love by C. David Heymann is a new biography on the glamorized relationship between these two super celebrities of the '50s. When Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe eloped in January 1954, they became an international sensation. Though their marriage only lasted nine months, they remained close until Monroe’s mysterious death in 1962 at the age of 36. Talk about a love story.

If you’re interested in all the movies-based-on-books we’re excited about through the end of the year, check out our Books on Screen bookshelf. And if you're still hitting the beach in these last few summer weeks, looking for a good beach read about the beach (how meta!), check out our Beach Bound: 20 Books Set Near the Surf bookshelf.

Lastly, are you interested in sharing your opinions to help name a real YA website? Yes? We thought so. Then take this short 5-minute survey. What's cooler than being an influencer? Nothing. Well, you also can enter to win a bestselling YA novel once you finish the survey. Bonus! Timing is everything, so get on this by next Monday, August 18th!

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1) Shark Week 2014
2) Riding out the rest of the summer in style = beach every day, all day
3) "Outlander" TV adaptation + superhunk Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser
4) The August 22nd theatrical release of the book-of-the-same-name IF I STAY. Mark. Your. Calendars.

5) "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" teaser, premiering February 2015

Nicole Sherman ([email protected]) + Emily Hoenig ([email protected])

 

Teenreads.com 5-Minute Survey: Help Name a YA Website
Want to be an influencer? Want the chance to help name a YA book website?

Want to be one of 25 people to win a copy of a bestselling YA novel?

If those things sound appealing to you, take a Teenreads.com 5-minute survey! You'll get to ponder five possible names, give valuable feedback and be eligible to win a fabulous book.

The deadline to take the survey is next Monday, August 18th. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Click here to take the "Name a YA Website" Survey!
20SomethingReads.com's Third Annual Beach Bag of Books Feature, Winners Announced!

Congratulations to the five winners of our annual Beach Bag of Books contest! Click here to see if you were one of the five chosen! And while the contest portion of our annual Beach Bag of Books feature is over, these featured titles still make great reads for the beach, the pool, the park...anywhere, in fact. Click on each book title to read more. Enjoy!

 

 

 

"REAL TALK Publishing": Annie Philbrick, Bookstore Owner

For our fifth "REAL TALK Publishing" feature, we chatted with Annie Philbrick. When Annie was telling the story of Bank Square Books at a panel on store succession, a fellow panelist exclaimed, "To buy a bookstore never having owned one before --- and never having worked in one before! That’s crazy!” Her response? "Yeah!"

Crazy or not, Annie has owned the legendary Mystic, Connecticut bookstore since 2006, and since then has made it even more of a community institution: she's expanded the space, hosted some unforgettable events and made sure her cocker spaniel makes customers feel at home.

In Part 1, Annie talks about the initial challenges of buying the store, a memorable customer interaction and how she chooses which books to sell! In Part 2, she tells us about some of her favorite Bank Square Books author events and how Mystic has influenced the store. In Part 3, she shares some of her recent favorite books, advises aspiring bookstore owners and talks about the store's amazing recovery from Hurricane Sandy.

A Little Bit More About the REAL TALK Publishing Feature...

Over the next few months, we'll sit down with book editors, librarians, booksellers, children's literature professors, book cover designers, publicists, professional reviewers and more, giving you insight behind the books. Through interviews, guest posts and sometimes sneak peeks inside their offices, you'll get to learn more about the book industry and all the work that goes into creating some of the world's best written word.

 

Young Adult Reviews

I LOVE I HATE I MISS MY SISTER by Amelie Sarn, translated by Y. Maudet (Young Adult, Fiction)
Eighteen-year-old Sohane loves no one more than her sister, Djelila. But now, Djelila is embracing her life as a secular teen, and Sohane is becoming more religious. Djelila is repeatedly harassed for not following Muslim customs. Sohane can’t help thinking that Djelila deserves what she gets. She never could have imagined just how far things would go. In the year following Djelila’s tragic death, Sohane struggles with her feelings of loss and guilt, revealing a complex relationship between two sisters, each girl’s path to self-discovery and the consequences they face for being true to themselves. Reviewed by Maya B., Teen Board Member.

LET'S GET LOST by Adi Alsaid (Young Adult, Romance)
Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth --- sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way. Reviewed by Sabrina Abballe.

 

 

Adult Reviews

BAGMEN by William Lashner (Thriller)
At a low point in his lowly career, Victor Carl finds himself skulking through the streets of Philadelphia carrying a bag full of money for an ambitious politician. It is a rotten job on the wrong side of anyone’s line, but with bag in hand, Victor is suddenly hobnobbing with the city’s elite, filling his bank account and having sex with the politician’s gorgeous and deranged sister. But just when Victor begins to think he has a future in the political game, one of his payoffs ends up in the pocket of a dead woman, and Victor goes from bagman to fall guy. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)
The setting: a gorgeous beachfront community in Australia. The women: three kindergarten moms who don’t always tell the truth to others --- or to themselves. The novel: a page-turner that’s part mystery, part black comedy and part feminist manifesto, from the author of last summer’s hit, THE HUSBAND’S SECRET. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

COLORLESS TSUKURU TAZAKI AND HIS YEARS OF PILGRIMAGE by Haruki Murakami (Fiction)
COLORLESS TSUKURU TAZAKI AND HIS YEARS OF PILGRIMAGE is the long-awaited new novel --- a book that sold more than a million copies the first week it went on sale in Japan --- from the award-winning, internationally bestselling author Haruki Murakami. Here he gives us the remarkable story of Tsukuru Tazaki, a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. It is a story of love, friendship and heartbreak for the ages. Reviewed by Michael Magras.

DEAR DAUGHTER by Elizabeth Little (Thriller)
Former “It Girl” Janie Jenkins is acerbic, whip smart, and fresh out of prison. Ten years ago, at the height of her glamour and fame, she was incarcerated for the murder of her mother, a philanthropist best known for her string of rich husbands. Now, released on a technicality, Janie chops off her trademark hair, determined to chase down the one lead she has about her mother’s killer. The only problem? Janie doesn’t know if she’s the killer she’s looking for. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

DOLLBABY by Laura Lane McNeal (Historical Fiction)
When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother, Fannie. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been --- and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum --- is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

DRY BONES IN THE VALLEY by Tom Bouman (Thriller)
The lone policeman in a small township on the sparse northern border, Henry Farrell has watched the steady encroachment of gas drilling bring new wealth and erode neighborly trust. The drug trade is pushing heroin into the territory, and outlaws are cooking meth in the woods. When a stranger turns up dead, Henry’s search for the killer will open old wounds, dredge up ancient crimes, and exact a deadly price. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

END GAME: A Jonathan Grave Thriller by John Gilstrap (Thriller)
Assassins have eliminated a Chechen scientist who's been working as a double agent for the U.S. government. The feds know who to call: Jonathan Grave and his elite rescue team. Their mission: find the dead man's teenage son, who's on the run --- and off the grid --- with crucial information that must not fall into the wrong hands. There's one problem: the boy's bodyguard is a security specialist with unusual talents, and she's not giving up without a fight. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE FORTUNE HUNTER by Daisy Goodwin (Historical Fiction)
A clever, plainspoken heiress whose money gives her a choice among suitors, Charlotte Baird falls in love with Captain Bay Middleton, the first man to really notice her. When Empress Elizabeth of Austria joins the legendary hunt organized by Earl Spencer in England, Bay is asked to guide her on the treacherous course. Their shared passion for riding leads to an infatuation that jeopardizes the growing bond between Bay and Charlotte, and threatens all of their futures. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

THE GIRLS OF AUGUST by Anne Rivers Siddons (Fiction)
Every August, four women gather to spend a week together at the beach. When one of them dies tragically, the group drifts apart and the vacations come to a halt. Years later, a new marriage reunites them and they come together once again on a remote island off the coast of South Carolina. There, far from civilization, the women make startling discoveries that will change them in ways they never expected. Reviewed by Donna Smallwood.

THE GOOD GIRL by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Mia Dennett is abducted one night by an enigmatic stranger named Colin Thatcher, whose job was to kidnap Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin. Mia's mother and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE HOME PLACE by Carrie La Seur (Fiction)
The only Terrebonne who made it out, Alma thought she was done with Montana. But an unexpected call from the local police takes the successful lawyer back to her provincial hometown and pulls her into the family trouble she thought she’d left far behind: Her lying, party-loving sister, Vicky, is dead. When she returns home to bury Vicky and see to her orphaned niece, she discovers that the death may not have been an accident. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.

HOUNDED: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Legal Thriller/Mystery)
After getting a mysterious phone call from a good friend, policeman Pete Stanton, Andy Carpenter appears at the scene of a crime, where the body of ex-convict Danny Balfour has been discovered. It isn’t long before Pete himself comes under suspicion for Danny’s murder, and he needs defense attorney Andy to represent him…and to find out what really happened in Danny's house that day. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

JOE AND MARILYN: Legends in Love by C. David Heymann (Biography)
When Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe eloped in January 1954, they became an international sensation. C. David Heymann's JOE AND MARILYN reveals the true inside story of these two iconic figures whose marital troubles were Hollywood legend. Though their marriage only lasted nine months, they remained close until Monroe’s mysterious death in 1962 at the age of 36. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

THE LIAR’S WIFE: Four Novellas by Mary Gordon (Fiction)
In Mary Gordon’s novellas of relationships at home and abroad, both historical and contemporary, we meet the ferocious Simone Weil during her final days as a transplant to New York City; a vulnerable American grad student who escapes to Italy after her first, compromising love affair; the charming Irish liar of the title story, who gets more out of life than most of us; and Thomas Mann, opening the heart of a high school kid in the Midwest. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE LOST ISLAND: A Gideon Crew Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller/Adventure)
Gideon Crew is living on borrowed time. When his mysterious employer gives him an eyebrow-raising mission, he has no reason to refuse. His task: steal a page from the priceless Book of Kells. Gideon accomplishes the impossible --- only to learn that hidden beneath the gorgeously illuminated image is a treasure map dating back to the time of the ancient Greeks. The treasure to which it leads is no ordinary fortune. It is something far more precious: an amazing discovery that could perhaps even save Gideon's life. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

NO SAFE HOUSE by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
Seven years ago, Terry Archer and his family experienced a horrific ordeal that nearly cost them their lives. Today, the echoes of that fateful night are still audible. When his daughter, Grace, foolishly follows her delinquent boyfriend into a strange house, the Archers must do more than stay together. They must stay alive. Because now they all have been unwillingly drawn into the shadowy depths of their seemingly idyllic hometown. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE OLEANDER SISTERS by Elaine Hussey (Historical Fiction)
Beth "Sis" Blake has always been the caretaker, the dutiful one, with the weight of her family's happiness --- and their secrets --- on her shoulders. She dreams of taking off to pursue her own destiny, but not before doing whatever it takes to rescue her sister, Emily, an unwed mother who wants the security of marriage for the sake of her five-year-old son. But secure is the last thing she feels with her new husband. Now she must put aside pride, and trust family to help her find the courage to escape. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

PAW AND ORDER: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn (Mystery)
In the seventh book of Spencer Quinn’s mystery series, canine narrator Chet and P.I. Bernie journey to Washington, DC, and the dog-eat-dog world of our nation’s capital. Soon Chet and Bernie are sucked into an international conspiracy, battling unfamiliar forces under the blinking red eyes of a strange bird and the menacing Barnum, a guinea pig with the fate of the nation in his tiny paws. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE PERFECT STRANGER by Wendy Corsi Staub (Thriller)
During the darkest period of her life, Landry Wells found solace in a group of bloggers who had been in her shoes and lived to tell the tale. She has shared things with her online friends that even her husband and children didn't know. One of the bloggers is dead, the victim of a random crime. Or was it? At the funeral, Landry is about to come face to face at last with the others. These women are her closest confidantes in the world --- and one of them might be a cold-blooded killer. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

POWER PLAY: An FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter (Thriller)
Natalie Black, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James, returns to Washington with her job in jeopardy. She is being blamed for her fiancé’s death and has survived two attempts on her life, but only FBI Special Agent Davis Sullivan believes her. Meanwhile, someone is following Lacey Sherlock. She is shot at, and an Atlanta mental hospital warns her that Blessed Backman, a psychopath out for revenge against Sherlock, has escaped. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

SIGHT UNSEEN by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen (Thriller)
Before the experimental surgery that gave her sight, Kendra Michaels developed her other senses to an amazing capacity. Law enforcement agencies clamor for her powers of perception and observation. When Kendra realizes that an apparent traffic accident on San Diego's historic Cabrillo Bridge is in fact a murder scene, she rushes to alert the police. As the body count rises, a gruesome pattern emerges. Someone is killing people in ways that mirror Kendra's most notorious cases…and he is not working alone. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY by Joshilyn Jackson (Romance)
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 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.

THIS IS THE WATER by Yannick Murphy (Psychological Suspense)
At a swim meet, Annie watches as her daughters glide through the water. However, her thoughts drift lazily to Paul, a swim-team parent who has taken notice of her. When a girl on the team is murdered at a nearby highway rest stop --- the same spot where Paul made a gruesome discovery years ago --- Annie and her fellow swim-parents find themselves adrift. With a serial killer too close for comfort, they must make choices about where their loyalties lie. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE WOLF by Lorenzo Carcaterra (Thriller)
When the world's most powerful mob boss loses his wife and daughters in a terrorist attack funded by one of his rivals, he resolves to turn the tables. Rallying the heads of the globe's top criminal organizations, Vincent Marelli launches a war that may be his last. With the weight of the criminal world on his shoulders, he has only one desire in his heart: to know who ordered the hit that took out his girls. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

 

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