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December 10, 2014

20SomethingReads.com Newsletter December 10, 2014
Are the Holidays Here? Present!
Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature/Contest --- DEADLINE EXTENDED!
"REAL TALK Publishing": Erin Hennicke, Film Scout
Reviews
Are the Holidays Here? Present!

NEWSFLASH: The holidays are here! While there are many things to enjoy about this festive season --- mistletoe! crackling fires! Rumple Minze! latkes! --- there are definitely some Xmas lights that need untangling, if you know what we mean. If you don’t know what we mean, let us S-P-E-L-L it out for you: The holidays can get strange...and uncomfortable. From pesky travel companions to party snafus and a whole lot of holi-baloo in between, we’ve seen it all. It’s Murphy’s holiday law --- what can go wrong in December will go wrong in December --- with a candy cane on top.

So for all those awkward scenarios that pop up like so many terrifying lawn Santas, here are 10 wise gifts to help you navigate your holiday path.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #1: The holidays are nigh and you’ve been slacking on your gift-giving game. We get it; you’re a procrastinator. You waited ‘til the last minute and now you don’t have gifts for all your friends (and Amazon is sold out of the season one “Orange is the New Black” box set...wait, what?).
Solution: Why not buy them books? Stay tuned for our next newsletter, coming your way on Thursday, December 18th, where we’ll give you book gift suggestions for even the grinchiest readers in your life.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #2: Your inbox is full of online retailer promotion emails.
Solution: Unsubscribe.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #3: The guy sitting next to you on the plane/train/automobile home is still drunk from pre-holiday festivities. He’s trying to get you in a selfie to send his SO. (It happens. It has happened, if you believe Nikki’s stories.)
Solution: Get in that selfie! If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! #YOLO

Awkward Holiday Scenario #4: You’re stuck in your parents' house and the WiFi goes out.
Solution: Go old school and read a book. This one’s a [no]brainer.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #5: Your grandparents are taking over your bedroom and you’ve been demoted to the pull-out couch...in the basement. At least they didn’t forget your birthday, Molly Ringwald.
Solution: If you haven’t already decked those downstairs halls with rainbow holiday lights, sneak out and have a slumber party at your BFF’s house for old times’ sake. You can even wear your matching pajama set, for street cred.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #6: If you have to watch Frozen with your sibling’s kids one more time, you’re going to let it go. It being your sanity.
Solution: Throw on those noise-canceling headphones and catch up on the latest episode of “Serial.” It’ll help put things into perspective.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #7: You spot your high school/college crush at your alumni holiday party and you’ve only been pre-gaming with non-alcoholic eggnog.
Solution: Play on, playa. For a list of topics to talk about see:#trending.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #8: You’re at the party (still), and you’ve finally worked up the courage to talk to your high school hottie. In a tizzy of excitement, you spill red wine all over your shirt. Party foul!
Solution: Why aren’t you wearing sequins to begin with?! Everyone knows their main appeal is that they are stain resistant. Form [check] AND function [check].

Awkward Holiday Scenario #9: Your work wife/husband surprises you with an early holiday gift, and you didn’t get anything for her/him!
Solution: Offer to handle one of her/his timely tasks. It also couldn’t hurt to pick up a family-sized bag of Halloween candy on sale.

Awkward Holiday Scenario #10: Your family took a holiday trip to Paris and accidentally left you behind! And two small-time crooks are trying to break into your house!
Solution: Come on, Macaulay Culkin, we can spot your irony from here.

Have fun out there! Remember to bring your A game when you can, and when you can’t…better luck in 2015!

Here are our top reviews for the week:

UGLY GIRLS by Lindsay Hunter is the story of Jamey, an alleged high school student from a nearby town, who has been pining after Perry from behind the computer screen for some time. When Perry and her friend, Baby Girl, finally agree to meet Jamey face-to-face, they quickly realize he’s far from the shy high school boy they thought he was --- and they’ll do whatever is necessary to protect themselves.

In NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris, NPH lets you, the reader, live his life. And at each critical juncture of your life, you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for “Doogie Howser, M.D.” and whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak and a hideous death by piranhas.

Aspiring novelist Stacey Kim can't erase an iconic photo from her mind and soon becomes embroiled in a plot of great intrigue in WOMAN WITH A GUN by Phillip Margolin. Why did the "Woman with a Gun" kill her husband on their wedding night? Did she actually do it? And why does the one person with answers, photographer Kathy Moran, remain silent? Stacey must reconcile conflicting accounts and find a way to reach the reclusive Moran, or the truth may never see the light of day.

We extended the deadline for our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature/Contest. Make sure to enter here by Friday, December 19th at noon ET for your chance to win!

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1) The New York Times “100 Notable Books of 2014”
2) The A-M-A-Z-I-N-G cast announcements for Suicide Squad, AND SPECTRE, the new Bond movie. Google it.
3) The “Broad City” holiday promo #blessed
4) Watching all the made-for-TV movies on basic cable; here’s looking at you, Lifetime and ABC Family!
5) Finally getting to see Wild in theaters.

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

 

Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature/Contest --- DEADLINE EXTENDED!
The holidays are right around the corner, and as our gift to you, we are spotlighting some amazing books. We've extended the deadline of our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature/Contest to Friday, December 19th at noon ET. Enter for your chance to be one of five lucky readers who will win a copy of each of the featured titles below, along with some incredibly festive goodies.

This year's featured titles include:

Click here to enter the contest now!

 

 
"REAL TALK Publishing": Erin Hennicke, Film Scout

Some of our favorite movies were books first, from The Hunger Games to The Godfather. But have you ever wondered how that transition happens?

Well, it starts with people like Erin Hennicke --- a film scout at Franklin & Siegal Associates. As Erin explains, it's a film scout's job to "cover the publishing waterfront" in New York City --- reading books and magazines and talking to agents to figure out what might make a great movie, and then reporting back to film studios in Los Angeles.

In Part 1 of our three-part interview, Erin talks about how she became a scout, what she looks for when reading manuscripts and the New York Magazine article that inspired American Gangster. In Part 2, she talks about how she knows if something would make a good movie or TV show, who she'd cast in every movie if she had the choice and her favorite book-to-screen adaptations. In Part 3, Erin talks about the biggest change since she began as a book scout 14 years ago, the most surprising part of her job and the popular TV series she hated when she read the script.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

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

In REAL TALK Publishing, we sit down with book editors, librarians, booksellers, children's literature professors, book cover designers, publicists, professional reviewers and more to give you insight about the work that goes on 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.

 

 

Reviews

ALL DAYS ARE NIGHT by Peter Stamm, translated by Michael Hofmann (Fiction)
Gillian is content with her marriage to Matthias, even if she feels restless at times. One night following an argument, the couple has a terrible car accident: Matthias, who is drunk, dies in the crash. Gillian wakes up in the hospital completely disfigured. Only slowly, after many twists and turns, does she put her life back together and reconnects with a love interest of the past who becomes a possible future --- or so it seems. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

BAD COUNTRY by CB McKenzie (Mystery)
Retired from the rodeo circuit, Rodeo Grace Garnet doesn't have much choice but to say yes when offered an unusual case. An elderly Indian woman from his own Reservation has hired him to help discover who murdered her grandson, but she seems strangely uninterested in the results. Her attitude appears to be heartless, but as Rodeo pursues interrelated cases, he learns that the old woman's indifference is nothing compared to true hatred. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BETRAYED: A Rosato & DiNunzio Novel by Lisa Scottoline (Mystery)
When Judy Carrier begins an investigation into the murder of Iris, the housekeeper and best friend of Judy's beloved Aunt Barb, she discovers a shocking truth that confounds her expectations and leads her in a completely different direction. Before she knows it, she finds herself plunged into a shadowy world of people who are so desperate that they cannot go to the police. Judy finds strength within herself to try to get justice for Iris and her aunt --- but it comes at a terrible price. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

BRYANT & MAY AND THE BLEEDING HEART: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher Fowler (Mystery)
A teenager sees a dead man rise from his grave --- and moments later is killed in a sudden hit-and-run accident. Seven ravens housed in the impenetrable fortress that is the Tower of London vanish without a trace --- and legend has it that when the ravens leave, the city will fall. Arthur Bryant and John May must figure out how these two inexplicable, seemingly unrelated mysteries fit together as they begin an investigation that finds them confronting a group of latter-day body snatchers and exploring the corridors of an eerie funeral parlour, all to unearth the truth behind the gruesome legend of Bleeding Heart Yard. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen by Charlie Lovett (Literary Mystery)
Book lover and Jane Austen enthusiast Sophie Collingwood has recently taken a job at an antiquarian bookshop in London when she is drawn into a mystery that will cast doubt on the true authorship of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE --- and ultimately threaten Sophie’s life. This dual narrative alternates between Sophie’s quest to uncover the truth and a young Jane Austen’s touching friendship with the aging cleric Richard Mansfield. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

THE FORGERS by Bradford Morrow (Literary Thriller)
The rare book world is stunned when a reclusive collector, Adam Diehl, is found on the floor of his home with his hands severed. Adam’s sister, Meghan, and her lover, Will --- a convicted if unrepentant literary forger --- struggle to come to terms with the seemingly incomprehensible murder. But when Will begins receiving threatening handwritten letters, he understands that his own life is also on the line --- and attempts to forge a new beginning for himself and Meg. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD by Brock Clarke (Fiction)
Take the format of a spy thriller, shape it around real-life incidents involving international terrorism, leaven it with dark, dry humor, toss in a love rectangle, give everybody a gun, and let everything play out in the outer reaches of upstate New York. There you have an idea of Brock Clarke’s new novel, THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

HOPE TO DIE: The Return of Alex Cross by James Patterson (Thriller)
Detective Alex Cross is being stalked by a psychotic genius, forced to play the deadliest game of his career. Cross' family --- his loving wife Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children --- have been ripped away. Terrified and desperate, Cross must give this mad man what he wants if he has any chance of saving the most important people in his life. What will Cross sacrifice to save the ones he loves? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger (Mystery Anthology)
The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were recently voted as the top mystery series of all time. Now, Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger have assembled a stellar group of contemporary authors from a variety of genres and asked them to create new stories inspired by that canon. Readers will find Holmes in times and places previously unimagined, as well as characters who themselves have been affected by the tales of Sherlock Holmes. Reviewed by L. Whitney Richardson.

THE JOB: A Fox and O’Hare Novel by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (Mystery/Thriller)
The FBI had one demand when they secretly teamed up Special Agent Kate O’Hare with charming con man Nicolas Fox --- bring down the world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons. This time it’s the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire. The FBI doesn’t know what their target looks like, where he is or how to find him, but Nick Fox has a few tricks up his sleeve to roust this particular Knipschildt chocolate–loving drug lord. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris (Autobiography/Humor)
In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. And at each critical juncture of your life, you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for “Doogie Howser, M.D.” and whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak and a hideous death by piranhas. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE PERFECT MOTHER by Nina Darnton (Psychological Thriller)
A midnight phone call shatters Jennifer Lewis’ carefully orchestrated life. Her daughter, Emma, who’s studying abroad in Spain, has been arrested after the brutal murder of another student. Jennifer rushes to her side, certain the arrest is a terrible mistake and determined to do whatever is necessary to bring Emma home. But as she begins to investigate the crime, she starts to wonder if she ever really knew her daughter. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

SWEET DAMAGE by Rebecca James (Psychological Suspense)
When Tim Ellison finds a cheap room to rent in his dream location, it seems nothing more than a wonderful stroke of luck. But when strange and terrifying things start happening in the house at night, Tim wonders if renting the room has been a terrible mistake --- until his feelings for the house’s owner, Anna London, start to change. As Tim falls for Anna, her past comes back with a vengeance…and he finds himself caught in the middle of the storm. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

UGLY GIRLS by Lindsay Hunter (Fiction)
Jamey, an alleged high school student from a nearby town, has been pining after Perry from behind the computer screen for some time now. When Perry and her friend, Baby Girl, finally agree to meet Jamey face-to-face, they quickly realize he’s far from the shy high school boy they thought he was --- and they’ll do whatever is necessary to protect themselves. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

WOMAN WITH A GUN by Phillip Margolin (Mystery/Thriller)
Aspiring novelist Stacey Kim can't erase an iconic photo from her mind and soon becomes embroiled in a plot of great intrigue. Why did the "Woman with a Gun" kill her husband on their wedding night? Did she actually do it? And why does the one person with answers, photographer Kathy Moran, remain silent? Stacey must reconcile conflicting accounts and find a way to reach the reclusive Moran, or the truth may never see the light of day. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television by Al Michaels with L. Jon Wertheim (Sports/Memoir)
No sportscaster has covered more major sporting events than Al Michaels. He is the only play-by-play commentator to have covered all four major sports championships: the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final. He has also witnessed firsthand some of the most memorable events in modern sports, and in this highly personal and revealing account, brings them vividly to life. Reviewed by Miriam Tuliao.

 

 

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