July 30, 2015

We’re more than halfway through the summer, and we’ll be the first ones to admit we’ve had enough. We know that our readers are all over the country, but if you happen to be in the tri-state area, you can definitely commiserate with us. July has basically been one long heat wave, and there aren’t enough Fla-Vor-Ice freezer pops in the world to cool us off/make it worth it (and believe us, we’ve tried). Unrelated, does anyone have a pool or private beach they want to invite us to? We’ll bring leftover freezer pops --- and upcoming books.

In so many words, we’re ready to call it quits on summer 2015. Summer has had our brand loyalty since ‘88: In our childhood, it meant school was out, and as we got older, FROZEN MARGARITAS. But this summer has been a major letdown (meltdown?). Need proof? Check out this weak list of Songs of the Summer. We want our money back. And please, do us all a favor and don’t bring up this newsletter when we’re back in the middle of a #casualblizzard. Thanks in advance.

Speaking of calling it quits, there are lots of things we’ve had enough of and are ready to leave behind. Let’s get this rubber band ball rolling by calling out “True Detective”: Sorry Nic Pizzolatto, but we can all agree that season two has been complete garbage. We tried and tried and failed to get into it, and now that *spoiler alert* Colin Farrell’s mustache has kicked the curb, so has our interest.

That brings us to the subject of giving up on a book. How do you know when it’s time to put a tome down? In memorandum, here are some books we’ve left behind: the Harry Potter series (don’t bring it up with Nikki, but she has #noregrets for personal reasons), YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE (Emily can explain: She skipped ahead to the end and was not having it), ULYSSES (because obviously), ANNA KARENINA (NOT a summer read), the list goes on. Look, our list may not be very long; your list may be longer. Either way. It’s good to know what you like, and not be afraid to put something down.

There are lots of factors that come in to play when you’re considering quitting. Length, price, quality, how many hours you’ve already committed, what else is on TV, etc. are all things to think about. It’s much easier to give up a TV show in its first season than its fifth (#extendthemetaphor). And Lord knows it’s nearly impossible to leave a $15 movie, especially if you’ve also invested in some popcorn.

And it’s nice, as we get older, to know our interests better. Nobody’s telling us what we have to do anymore, or what’s cool, for that matter. Our time is valuable, and we’re not trying to $pend it on things that aren’t worthwhile. Over the course of our 20s, we’ve learned our limits, and how highly personal our preferences can be. Everyone’s different, and we don’t all have to want the same things. It feels good to walk away when it’s right for you.

It’s also important to give things a chance, even if other people aren’t into them. Just because a book got a bad review doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. And just because your favorite newsletter writers have had no luck on OKCupid doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try.

And then there’s some things we wish we could leave behind but just can’t seem to quit (i.e. “The Bachelorette” and every other gloriously bonkers 4-hours-a-week-timesuck part of "The Bachelor" franchise). #guiltypleasures, everyone’s got ‘em.

Here are three books that we hope you won’t quit:

We talked all about it in our last newsletter, and our review is finally here for GO SET A WATCHMAN, the follow-up to Harper Lee’s classic TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Originally written in the mid-1950s, GO SET A WATCHMAN was assumed to have been lost, but the manuscript was discovered in late 2014, and features many of the same characters 20 years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch --- Scout --- struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her. It's getting mixed reviews, but read ours to see why we think it's worth reading. BTW...Carol listened to it on audio and raved about Reese Witherspoon's narration!

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME by Ta-Nehisi Coates is getting a ton of much-deserved attention. In it, Coates discusses how Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men --- bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up and murdered out of all proportion. Framed as a letter to his adolescent son, Coates attempts to answers these questions: What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? Reviewed by our very own John Maher, this is definitely not to be missed.

MISS EMILY by Nuala O’Connor tells the story of 18-year-old Ada Concannon, who has just been hired by the respected but eccentric Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite their difference in age and the upstairs-downstairs divide, Ada strikes up a deep friendship with Miss Emily, the gifted elder daughter living a spinster’s life at home. But Emily’s passion for words begins to dominate her life. When Ada’s safety and reputation are threatened, however, Emily must face down her own demons in order to help her friend --- with shocking consequences.

While the contest portion is now closed, you can still find some good beach read recommendations in our Beach Bag of Books 2015 feature. Also, click here to see if you were a winner!

On a final note, we'd never quit Dr. Seuss. Even in our old age, he's all the rage...so read his latest WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? Trust us, it'll be no sweat.

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. The spooky trailer for Room
2. The very obvious and cringeworthy disconnect between Paper Towns' star Cara Delevingne and some pesky news anchors. A-W-K-W-A-R-D.
3. Lana Del Rey's latest track "Honeymoon," from her album releasing in September
4. Listen to Me Marlon, the new documentary on Marlon Brando that's getting rave reviews across the board
5. National #FriendshipDay, which is today!

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

• BEACH TOWN by Mary Kay Andrews
• THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness
• THE FINISHER by David Baldacci
• THE GLAM GUIDE by Fleur De Force
• I TAKE YOU by Eliza Kennedy
• KILLER INSTINCT by S.E. Green
• KILLER WITHIN: Killer Instinct #2 by S.E. Green
• ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL by Jesse Andrews
• OPENING UP by Lauren Dane
• SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater
• THE UNDERGROUND GIRLS OF KABUL: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan by Jenny Nordberg

Click here to see if you were one of five lucky winners.

We like to talk books, but we also like to talk book jobs in the "REAL TALK Publishing" feature. For the latest interview, Teenreads.com sat down with Charisse Meloto, Executive Director of Publicity for Print and Digital Publishing at Scholastic, and Sheila Marie Everett, the Associate Director of Publicity at Scholastic, and talk all things children's publicity. They shared tons of fascinating stories about their careers, including the most memorable books they've worked on, the way that unexpected events can change everything in a heartbeat, and social media's growing role in their day-to-day lives.

In this REAL TALK article, Shara, Editorial Manager of Teenreads.com, shares some of the biggest takeaways from her conversation. Read and see if you have a future career as a book publicist!

Click here to read the "REAL TALK Publishing" feature with Charisse Meloto and Sheila Marie Everett.

A few months ago, we brought you a roundup of the Books on Screen that were released from January to May. Entertainment enthusiasts know that there's still plenty of films adapted from books to look forward to in 2015 --- as a blue-eyed wise man once said, "The best is yet to come."

This summer alone has already brought us Jurassic World --- a box office success of Indominus rex proportions --- and we're still looking forward to Gillian Flynn Adaptation #2, a.k.a. Dark Places, and the fantastic-looking The Fantastic Four in August. When temperatures cool later in the year, we'll have Everest --- based on a number of books about the 1996 Everest tragedy, including Jon Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR and survivor Lou Kasischke's memoir, AFTER THE WIND --- as well as a darkly intense iteration of Macbeth, with A-list talent bringing the doomed Scots to life...and *spoiler alert* death.

We can look forward to movies about men with high-tech gadgets (Spectre, Jobs), impressive literary pedigrees (Brooklyn, The Light Between Oceans, Victor Frankenstein) and forward-thinking social politics (The Danish Girl, Carol). Not to mention movies based on books with built-in, eager fan bases, like Room and The Martian.

Check out our bookshelf here for our top 20 titles hitting the big screen later this year, and be sure to keep up with our monthly Books on Screen feature for a more in-depth look at the adaptations we'll be watching in theaters and at home.

AFTER THE STORM: A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo (Thriller)
When a tornado tears through Painters Mill and unearths human remains, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder finds herself tasked with the responsibility of identifying the bones. Evidence quickly emerges that the death was no accident, and Kate finds herself plunged into a 30-year-old case that takes her deep into the Amish community to which she once belonged. Under siege from an unknown assailant, Kate digs deep into the case only to discover proof of an unimaginable atrocity, a plethora of family secrets and the lengths to which people will go to protect their own. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

ARMADA by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction/Adventure)
Zack Lightman dreams that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Then he sees the flying saucer. Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada --- in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. His skills --- as well as those of millions of gamers across the world --- are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.

BARBARIAN DAYS: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan (Memoir)
Raised in California and Hawaii, William Finnegan started surfing as a child. He has chased waves all over the world, wandering for years through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia and Africa. A bookish boy, and then an excessively adventurous young man, he went on to become a distinguished writer and war reporter. BARBARIAN DAYS takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds and immerses us in the edgy camaraderie of close male friendships annealed in challenging waves. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

BENNINGTON GIRLS ARE EASY by Charlotte Silver (Fiction)
Bennington College, founded in 1932 as a suitable refuge for the wayward daughters of good families, maintains its saucy reputation for attracting free spirits. Cassandra Puffin and Sylvie Furst met in high school but cement what they ardently believe will be everlasting friendship on Bennington's idyllic Vermont campus. Graduation sees Sylvie moving to New York City, where, later on in their 20s, Cassandra joins her. These early, delirious years are spent decorating their Fort Greene apartment with flea market gems, dating "artists" and trying to figure out what they're doing with their lives. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Memoir)
Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men --- bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Reviewed by John Maher.

BRADSTREET GATE by Robin Kirman (Fiction)
Georgia, Charlie and Alice each arrive at Harvard with hopeful visions of what the future will hold. But when a classmate is found murdered on campus just before graduation, they find themselves facing a cruel and unanticipated new reality. Moreover, a charismatic professor who has loomed large in their lives is suspected of the crime. Though his guilt or innocence remains uncertain, the unsettling questions raised by the case force the three friends to take a deeper look at their tangled relationship. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

BULL MOUNTAIN by Brian Panowich (Thriller)
Clayton Burroughs comes from a long line of outlaws. For generations, the Burroughs clan has made its home on Bull Mountain in North Georgia, running shine, pot and meth over six state lines. To distance himself from his family’s criminal empire, Clayton took the job of sheriff in a neighboring community to keep what peace he can. But when a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms shows up at Clayton’s office with a plan to shut down the mountain, his hidden agenda will pit brother against brother, test loyalties, and could lead Clayton down a path to self-destruction. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

CODE OF CONDUCT by Brad Thor (Thriller)
Hidden deep within one of the world’s most powerful organizations is a secret committee with a devastating agenda. Its members are afforded incredible protections --- considered elites, untouchables. But when four seconds of video is captured halfway around the world and anonymously transmitted to D.C., covert wheels are set in motion, and counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath is tapped to undertake the deadliest assignment of his career. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE FLYING CIRCUS by Susan Crandall (Historical Fiction)
Three very different people find themselves bound together by need and torn apart by blind obsessions and conflicting goals: Henry “Schuler” Jefferson, son of German immigrants from Midwestern farm country; Cora Rose Haviland, a young woman of privilege whose family has lost their fortune; and Charles “Gil” Gilchrist, an emotionally damaged WWI veteran pilot. Each one holds a secret that, if exposed, would destroy their friendship. But their journey of adventure and self-discovery has a price --- and one of them won’t be able to survive it. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee (Fiction)
Originally written in the mid-1950s, GO SET A WATCHMAN was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014. GO SET A WATCHMAN features many of the characters from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD some 20 years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch --- Scout --- struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

HOSTILE TAKEOVER: A John Lago Thriller by Shane Kuhn (Thriller)
Professional assassin John Lago and his former nemesis, Alice, execute a hostile takeover of Human Resources, Inc., the “placement agency” that trains young assassins to infiltrate corporations disguised as interns and knock off high-profile targets. As HR’s former top operatives, they are successful until conflicting management styles cause an ugly breakup that locks John out of the bedroom and the boardroom. But when Alice takes on a new HR target, John is forced to return to the office battlefield in a role he swore he would never play again: the intern. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Fiction)
Hannah Martin has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles. She goes out to a bar one night with her best friend, Gabby, and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan. Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan? In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

MISS EMILY by Nuala O’Connor (Historical Fiction)
Eighteen-year-old Ada Concannon has just been hired by the respected but eccentric Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite their difference in age and the upstairs-downstairs divide, Ada strikes up a deep friendship with Miss Emily, the gifted elder daughter living a spinster’s life at home. But Emily’s passion for words begins to dominate her life. When Ada’s safety and reputation are threatened, however, Emily must face down her own demons in order to help her friend --- with shocking consequences. Reviewed by Gena LeBlanc.

NAKED GREED: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller)
Stone Barrington isn’t one to turn away in the face of danger, so when he witnesses a tricky situation underway, he jumps in to lend a hand. He never expected, though, that this favor would lead to a mutually beneficial business deal with a prominent gentleman who requires the ever-discreet services of Woodman & Weld. But in the ruthless corporate world, no good deed goes unpunished, and Stone soon finds himself the target of a ragtag group of criminal toughs who don’t appreciate his interference in their dealings. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

A NECESSARY END by Holly Brown (Psychological Thriller)
Thirty-nine-year-old Adrienne is desperate to be a mother. And this time, nothing is going to get in her way. At 19, Leah bears a remarkable resemblance to the young woman Adrienne once was. Which is why Adrienne knows the baby Leah is carrying is meant to be hers. But Leah has ideas of her own. All she wants is to live in Adrienne’s house for a year after the baby is born and get a fresh start. It seems like a small price for Adrienne to pay to get their baby. And with Adrienne’s husband, Gabe, suddenly on board, what could possibly go wrong? Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

THE REDEEMERS: A Quinn Colson Novel by Ace Atkins (Thriller)
Quinn Colson has been voted out of office as sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, thanks to the machinations of county kingpin Johnny Stagg. He has offers, but before he goes, he has one more job to do --- bring down Stagg’s criminal operations for good. But in the middle of the long, hot summer, a trio of criminals stage a bold, wall-smashing break-in at the home of a local lumber mill owner, making off with a million dollars in cash from his safe, which is curious, because the mill owner is wealthy --- but not that wealthy. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

RUN YOU DOWN by Julia Dahl (Mystery)
Aviva Kagan was a just a teenager when she left her Hasidic Jewish life in Brooklyn for a fling with a college boy from Florida --- and then disappeared. Twenty-three years later, the child she walked away from is a tabloid reporter named Rebekah Roberts. And Rebekah isn't sure she wants her mother back in her life. But when a man from the ultra-Orthodox enclave of Roseville, NY, contacts Rebekah about his young wife's mysterious death, she is drawn back into Aviva's world. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

THE AUTUMNLANDS Volume 1: Tooth and Claw by Kurt Busiek with illustrations by Ben Dewey and Jordie Bellaire (Graphic Novel, Comic Books)
When a secret conclave of wizards brings a legendary hero back from the forgotten past to save their dying world, they get a hero unlike anything they expected, and trigger a crisis none of them may survive. Reviewed by Matt Lazorwitz.

THE DIVINE by Boaz Lavie with illustrations by Asaf Hanuka and Tomer Hanuka (Graphic Novel)
Mark's out of the military, these days, with his boring, safe civilian job doing explosives consulting. But you never really get away from war. So it feels inevitable when his old army buddy Jason comes calling, with a lucrative military contract for a mining job in an obscure South-East Asian country called Quanlom. They'll have to operate under the radar --- Quanlom is being torn apart by civil war, and the US military isn't strictly supposed to be there. With no career prospects and a baby on the way, Mark finds himself making the worst mistake of his life and signing on with Jason. What awaits him in Quanlom is going to change everything. What awaits him in Quanlom is weirdness of the highest order: a civil war led by ten-year-old twins wielding something that looks a lot like magic, leading an army of warriors who look a lot like gods. What awaits him in Quanlom is an actual goddamn dragon. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.