February 11, 2015

It’s time to address the giant slate elephant in the room: No, not Beck winning Album of the Year at the Grammys; we mean the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon, coming soon to a theater near you! Things have been building in anticipation of this release: first we got the trailer (they don’t call them “teasers” for nothing…), then we got Beyoncé’s new track (uh oh uh oh uh oh oh no no) and, most recently, the movie’s disastrous PR tour.

In case you’ve been living somewhere without an internet connection for the past year, let us whip you into shape. The movie stars Jamie Dornan as the titular tortured billionaire with decidedly dark sexual preferences, and Dakota Johnson as the girl who (literally; E L James is not known for her subtle use of metaphor) falls for him. It’s based on the megaselling E L James book, which was originally available only online as Twilight fan fiction. It became so popular that publishers could not resist their attraction to it...contracts were signed...and an explosive relationship was born. Life imitating art, no doubt. Holy cow!

Say what you will about the quality of the book --- to date it has successfully sold over 100 million copies. Meaning, at the height of its popularity, a copy was being bought every second somewhere in the world. Oh my! You can’t argue with those numbers, even if your tastes are...singular.

Don’t quote us on this, but perhaps FIFTY SHADES is the ROMEO AND JULIET of our generation --- and no one is rolling around in his grave over that comparison. (We’re looking forward to the Baz Luhrmann reinterpretation in 5+ years.) This movie is scored by Danny Elfman (famous for The Nightmare Before Christmas and the “Beetlejuice” TV series, among other notable things) and the amazing soundtrack includes top artists such as Bey, Sia, The Weeknd, Ellie Goulding and Annie Lennox. We must admit we’re a little disappointed that the NC-17 rating of our dreams was bumped down to a mere R. Double crap! You can’t win ‘em all.

We’re going to a special pre-screening of the movie hosted by Sephora tonight and we CANNOT wait. Not that we weren’t looking forward to spending our Valentine’s Day weekend seeing this movie, but it’s nice to get it over with ahead of the crowds. One and done. This frees us up to spend the weekend entering into ill-advised contracts with handsome billionaires...and maybe flipping a pancake or two. Either way, here’s to hoping the movie finally answers the age-old question: What is it about elevators? Suffice it to say, our inner goddesses are doing backflips in anticipation.

It’s (un)safe to say that housewives across the country are dusting off those handcuffs they bought four years ago. Blame it on the Henny, blame it on V-Day, or blame it E L James, but any which way you slice it, we’ll be looking at a Fifty Shades population boom in nine months. It’s also been recently confirmed that the studio will be adapting the second and third books in the series, so come at us, Sequel Babies™! We aim to please.

Here are some Valentine’s Day-worthy books for you to get lost in this weekend.

In WE SHOULD HANG OUT SOMETIME: Embarrassingly, a True Story, Josh Sundquist tells the story of the only girlfriend he’s ever had...for 23 hours in eighth grade. Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong? The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love --- or at least a girlfriend --- in all the wrong places.

I WAS HERE by Gayle Forman is about Cody who is understandably shocked and devastated when her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room. But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, plus some secrets of his own...

And last but not least, check out Kelly Link’s new collection of fantastic and bizarre short stories, GET IN TROUBLE. The protagonists, most of them young women, include a teenager who hears voices in her head, an actress from a ghost-hunting reality show, a 15-year-old gamer who travels from Iowa to New York to meet an older man she met online, and a woman who departs from a bar in the company of a man who claims to be a wolfman. Perfect for the reader who needs a bit of irreverence this weekend.

In her latest blog post, “Fifty Shades of Fan Fiction,” 20SomethingReads contributor Lauren Sarner takes us back to the early days of Fifty Shades of Grey, when it was still just a diamond in the rough seas of fan fiction. Lauren helps us define what, exactly, fan fiction is, and thinks critically about how its success will affect the book world.

Our second annual “Books to Fall in Love With 2015” Valentine’s Day Feature and Contest is live through Monday, February 16th at noon ET. Enter here to win one of five prize packages that includes some great titles and delicious treats.

Lastly, our review for SEARCHING FOR GRACE KELLY is now posted! Want to win a copy? Enter here by Tuesday, February 24th at noon ET to be one of 25 LUCKY winners.

Laters, baby.

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. Kanye almost pulling another Kanye at the Grammys this past Sunday.
2. Harper Lee is publishing another novel. Have you heard about it? See the slated cover design here.
3. B+J are rumored to be releasing a joint album. Amen!
4. The teaser trailer for Magic Mike XXL. Our boys are back and bigger...we mean better...than ever.
5. Eloise reimagined by Mallory Kasdan for the hipster generation in her adorable book, ELLA.

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

For a small-town girl with a big dream in 1955, there is no address more glamorous than New York’s Barbizon Hotel. Together, three girls embark on a journey of self-discovery that will take them from the penthouse salons of Park Avenue to the Beat scene of Greenwich Village to Atlantic City’s Steel Pier --- and into the arms of very different men who will alter their lives forever.

In this 20SomethingReads.com Special Contest, we have 25 copies of SEARCHING FOR GRACE KELLY to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which came out on January 27th. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, February 24th at noon ET. Good luck!

- Click here to read more in our Special Feature and to enter the contest.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for an excerpt.
- Click here for the book website.
- Click here to read more about the author, Michael Callahan.
- Click here for read a Q+A with the author.

The countdown to "V Day" is on! And we're spreading the love with our Valentine's Day contest and feature. From now through Monday, February 16th at noon ET, readers will have the chance to win one of our five 20SomethingReads.com Valentine's Day prize packages, which includes one copy of each of our featured books and some divine chocolate. If you're feeling frisky, share with us your all-time book character crush. Don't be shy, we all got 'em! We'll post your top ten literary loves and lusts...and the five winners on Valentine's Day, so be on the lookout!

Our featured Valentine’s Day titles are:

• ALTERED by Jennifer Rush
• BEFORE I GO by Colleen Oakley
• THE DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE by Julia London
• DIRTY RUSH by Taylor Bell
• THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater
• WALKING ON TRAMPOLINES by Frances Whiting
• WHAT IF by Rebecca Donovan

Click here to enter the contest.

Winter is an atmospheric time, filled with blowing winds and falling snow, and its color palette --- that vast, empty white, like a blank sheet --- has inspired comics creators from Bill Watterson of Calvin & Hobbes, whose snowy final strip choked up millions, to Craig Thompson in his lovesick masterpiece BLANKETS. This season boasts some terrific titles from a number of great artists and writers, old hands and newcomers alike. Take a look at GNR's picks for winter reading for the graphic novel lover here.

We are looking for 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].

Not sure you want to commit long-term? We know what that's like and would love to hear your idea for a "one-off" piece if you are not ready for commitment. If you are interested in more of a long-term commitment, the deal is, if you write for us enough, we'll add you to our Contributors page.

THE BEIGE MAN: An Inspector Irene Huss Investigation Set in Sweden by Helene Tursten (Mystery)
The high-speed chase of a stolen BMW takes a chilling turn when the two police officers involved witness a gruesome hit-and-run. But what they uncover is an entirely different horror: the half-naked corpse of a young girl in a nearby root cellar. As Detective Inspector Irene Huss and her colleagues struggle to put the pieces together, they discover that the man whose car was stolen --- a retired police officer --- is none other than the victim in the hit-and-run. Could it be a strange coincidence? Or is something larger at play? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BREAKING CREED by Alex Kava (Thriller)
Ryder Creed and his dogs have intercepted several major drug stashes being smuggled through Atlanta’s airport. But their newfound celebrity has also garnered some unwanted attention. Meanwhile, FBI agent Maggie O’Dell is investigating a series of murders and suspects it’s the work of a cunning and brutal assassin. Unfortunately, by the time she uncovers a hit list with Creed’s name on it, it might be too late. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

CRASH & BURN by Lisa Gardner (Thriller)
Nicole Frank shouldn’t have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero. Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury, and the police shouldn’t trust anything she says. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Elisabeth de Mariaffi (Literary Thriller)
Rookie crime beat reporter Evie Jones is haunted by the unsolved murder of her best friend, Lianne Gagnon, who was killed in 1982, back when both girls were 11. The suspected killer, a repeat offender named Robert Cameron, was never arrested, leaving Lianne’s case cold. Now 21 and living alone for the first time, Evie is obsessively drawn to finding out what really happened to Lianne. She leans on another childhood friend, David Patton, for help --- but every clue they uncover seems to lead to an unimaginable conclusion. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS by Sara Blaedel (Thriller)
An older woman recognizes the body of an unidentified woman as Lisemette, a child she once cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette, like the other children in the institution, was abandoned by her family and branded a "forgotten girl." But Louise Rick, the new commander of the Missing Persons Department, soon discovers something more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates more than 30 years ago. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

GET IN TROUBLE: Stories by Kelly Link (Fiction/Short Stories)
Kelly Link’s new story collection presents nine tales of the fantastic and the bizarre. The protagonists, most of them young women, include a teenager who hears voices in her head, an actress from a ghost-hunting reality show, a 15-year-old gamer who travels from Iowa to New York to meet an older man she met online, and a woman who departs from a bar in the company of a man who claims to be a wolfman. Reviewed by Michael Magras.

IN SOME OTHER WORLD, MAYBE by Shari Goldhagen (Fiction)
In December 1992, three groups of teenagers head to the theater to see the movie version of the famed Eons & Empires comic books. For Adam, it's a last-ditch effort to connect with a girl before he leaves town for good. Sharon skips school so she can fully appreciate the flick without interruption from her vapid almost-friends. And Phoebe and Ollie simply want to have a nice first date and maybe fool around in the dark, if everyone they know could just stop getting in the way. Over the next two decades, these characters criss-cross the globe, becoming entwined by friendship, sex, ambition, fame and tragedy. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

INSIDE A SILVER BOX by Walter Mosley (Speculative Fiction)
Two people brought together by a horrific act are united in a common cause by the powers of the Silver Box. They join to protect humanity from destruction by an alien race, the Laz, hell-bent on regaining control over the Silver Box, the most destructive and powerful tool in the universe. The Silver Box will stop at nothing to prevent its former master from returning to being, even if it means finishing the earth itself. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.

THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson (Psychological Thriller)
On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. He talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. When Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done, Lily calmly states that she would like to help --- and they begin to plot Miranda's demise. Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive…with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE MIME ORDER by Samantha Shannon (Urban Fantasy)
Paige Mahoney is now the face of a rebellion, having broken out of the clairvoyant prison camp. She’s also the most wanted person in Scion-controlled London at the moment, with her photo repeatedly plastered on screens across the city. The underworld might be able to protect her from Scion, but she isn’t content to hide. She wants to expose the Rephaim, the immortal inhabitants of the Netherworld, for what they are. It seems that Paige isn’t ready to give back her acquired title of rebellion leader just yet. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah (Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction)
With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. THE NIGHTINGALE tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

ONE STEP TOO FAR by Tina Seskis (Psychological Thriller)
A happy marriage. A beautiful family. A lovely home. So what makes Emily Coleman get up one morning and walk right out of her life? Emily now has become Cat, working at a hip advertising agency in London and living on the edge with her inseparable new friend, Angel. Cat has buried any trace of her old self so well, no one knows how to find her. But she can't bury the past --- or her own memories. And soon, she’ll have to face the truth of what she's done --- a shocking revelation that may push her one step too far. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

PRIVATE VEGAS by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller)
In Las Vegas, Lester Olsen treats gorgeous young women to five-star restaurants, splashy shows and limo rides --- and then teaches them how to kill. Private Jack Morgan spends most of his time in Los Angeles, where his top investigation firm has its headquarters. But a hunt for two criminals leads him to the city of sin --- and to a murder ring that is more seductively threatening than anything he's witnessed before. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE SACRIFICE by Joyce Carol Oates (Fiction)
When a 14-year-old girl is the alleged victim of a terrible act of racial violence, the incident shocks and galvanizes her community, exacerbating the racial tension that has been simmering in this New Jersey town for decades. In THE SACRIFICE, Joyce Carol Oates explores the uneasy fault lines in a racially troubled society. In such a tense, charged atmosphere, Oates reveals that there must always be a sacrifice --- of innocence, truth, trust and, ultimately, lives. Reviewed by Rebecca Killberg.

SEE HOW SMALL by Scott Blackwood (Fiction)
Two strangers walk into an ice cream shop shortly before closing time. They bind up the three teenage girls who are working the counter, set fire to the shop and disappear. SEE HOW SMALL tells the stories of the survivors who must endure in the wake of atrocity. Justice remains elusive in their world, human connection tenuous. Hovering above the aftermath of their deaths are the three girls, who try to connect with and prod to life those they left behind. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

SHARK SKIN SUITE by Tim Dorsey (Fiction/Humor)
Ruthless at taking down the greedy banksters kicking people out of their homes, young lawyer Brook Campanella --- one of Serge Storms’ old flames --- lands a major class-action lawsuit and wins big. The opposition is determined to shut her down, and they’ll go to extreme lengths to do it. Luckily for her, Serge has been hired to do some investigative legwork on the case. There's nothing he likes better than saving a damsel in distress, especially when it means kicking a bunch of shyster butt. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and Roz Shea.

THE SOUL OF DISCRETION: A Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler Mystery by Susan Hill (Mystery)
Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler is asked to take the principal role in a potentially dangerous undercover operation. He must leave town immediately, without telling anyone --- not even his girlfriend Rachel, who has only just moved in with him. To complete his special operation, Simon must inhabit the mind of the worst kind of criminal. This takes its toll on him and --- as the investigation unfolds --- also on the town and some of its most respected citizens. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

TRIGGER WARNING: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman (Fiction/Short Stories)
In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. TRIGGER WARNING includes previously published pieces of short fiction --- stories, verse, and a very special "Doctor Who" story that was written for the 50th anniversary of the beloved series in 2013 --- as well as “Black Dog,” a new tale that revisits the world of AMERICAN GODS, exclusive to this collection. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

WATCH ME GO by Mark Wisniewski (Noir Thriller)
Douglas “Deesh” Sharp has managed to stay out of trouble living in the Bronx, paying his rent by hauling junk for cash. But on the morning Deesh and two pals head upstate to dispose of a sealed oil drum whose contents smell and weigh enough to contain a human corpse, he becomes mixed up in a serious crime. When his plans for escape spiral terribly out of control, Deesh quickly finds himself a victim of betrayal --- and the prime suspect in the murders of three white men. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE WITCHES OF ECHO PARK by Amber Benson (Fiction, New Adult)
When Elyse MacAllister’s great-aunt Eleanora, the woman who raised her, becomes deathly ill, Lyse puts her comfortable life in Georgia on hold to rush back to Los Angeles. And once she returns to Echo Park, Lyse discovers her great-aunt has been keeping secrets --- extraordinary secrets ---from her. Reviewed by Lexibex V., Teen Board Member.

I WAS HERE by Gayle Forman (Fiction, Mystery, Romance)
When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, and some secrets of his own. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open --- until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question. Reviewed by Cassandra H., Teen Board Member.

I'M GLAD I DID by Cynthia Weil (Young Adult, Historical Fiction)
It's the summer of 1963 and JJ Green is a born songwriter --- which is a major problem, considering that her family considers the music business a cesspool of lowlifes and hustlers. Defying them, she takes an internship at the Brill Building, the epicenter of a new sound called rock and roll. JJ is finally living her dream and even finds herself a writing partner in Luke Silver, a boy with mesmerizing green eyes who seems to connect instantly with her music. Best of all, they’ll be cutting their first demo with Dulcie Brown, a legend who’s fallen on hard times. Though Dulcie is now a custodian in the Brill Building, JJ is convinced that she can shine again. But Dulcie’s past is a tangle of secrets, and when events take a dark turn, JJ must navigate a web of hidden identities and shattered lives --- before it snares her, too. Reviewed by Emma Kantor.

THE MANY FACES OF JOSEPHINE BAKER: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy by Peggy Caravantes (Young Adult, Biography, Performing Arts)
With determination and audacity, Josephine Baker turned her comic and musical abilities into becoming a worldwide icon of the Jazz Age. THE MANY FACES OF JOSEPHINE BAKER: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy provides the first in-depth portrait of this remarkable woman for young adults. This lively biography covers her outspoken participation in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, espionage work for the French Resistance during World War II and adoption of 12 children --- her “rainbow tribe.” Reviewed by Maya B., Teen Board member.

WE SHOULD HANG OUT SOMETIME: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist (Young Adult Memoir, Nonfiction)
Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend. For 23 hours. In eighth grade. Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong? The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love --- or at least a girlfriend --- in all the wrong places. Reviewed by Corinne Fox.

DISPLACEMENT: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley (Graphic Novel, Comic Book)
In her graphic memoirs, New York Times-best selling cartoonist Lucy Knisley paints a warts-and-all portrait of contemporary, twentysomething womanhood, like writer Lena Dunham (Girls). In the next installment of her graphic travelogue series, DISPLACEMENT, Knisley volunteers to watch over her ailing grandparents on a cruise. Reviewed by Jess Costello.

THE SCULPTOR by Scott McCloud (Graphic Novel, Comic Book)
David Smith is giving his life for his art --- literally. Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought --- and discovering the love of his life at the 11th hour isn't making it any easier! Reviewed by John Maher.