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20SomethingReads.com Newsletter |
June 16, 2016 |
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Hello Summer, My Old Friend
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Big news this week!: Our mother site, Bookreporter, recently joined Pinterest, and we couldn’t be more pumped. So far, we have Carol Fitzgerald’s "Bets On" picks from 2009 to the present (she's the one who founded our network of book sites) and the books you can win in the ongoing Bookreporter Summer Reading feature. We’ll be developing more boards in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, we invite you to feast your eyes on some great books and their luscious covers.
We’ve been holding our breath for quite some time now for the screen debut of THE LITTLE PRINCE. We can finally rejoice as it was recently announced that the old-time, childhood favorite by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry will make its appearance in theaters and on Netflix on August 5th. Call us crazy, call us old, but we’re 10/10 choosing the big screen over the overplayed #netflixandchill. In any case, the 1943 classic will feature voice performances by some of the best and brightest in Hollywood: Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco and Ricky Gervais, to name a few. It seems to us that it will be a star-studded affair...one for the ages, if you will. You can read more about it and check out the trailer here, which has us making like Proust and reliving childhood memories in run-on sentences.
It’s not often that we read the same book, but Emma Cline’s red-hot debut, THE GIRLS, had both of us intrigued. Teen years nostalgia? Check. Complicated female friendships? Check. A Charles Manson-like hippie cult? Check, check, check! The book hit stores just this past Tuesday, but we got some reading in ahead of time and can enthusiastically vouch for this one. It’s simultaneously dreamy and sinister, which is basically our favorite combo. At the moment (and we know this changes hourly) it's #17 on Amazon’s bestsellers and #5 in new releases, and while we can’t predict the future, we have our fingers crossed it’ll make it’s way onto the NY Times bestseller list. Not that these published listicles mean anyyyyyyything in the grand scheme of things. But, we say: Give credit where credit’s due, eh? Read our review here. And, enter our Beach Bag of Books giveaway for a chance to win a copy, along with some other great titles. Scroll down for more information.
For all you readers who fall into the center of the Bachelor Nation-20SomethingReads Venn diagram, these past two weeks have been exciting! Not only did we get some meaty drama courtesy of our all-time favorite reality TV villain, Chad Johnson, it was also announced that he’ll be joining the cast of "Bachelor in Paradise," our guiltiest late-summer pleasure. Not to mention that last week brought us back Lifetime’s “Unreal,” the fantastic scripted drama about all the ruthless machinations that go on behind the scenes of a “Bachelor”-type show. The show is in its second season, and it’s super legit considering it was written by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, a former “Bachelor” producer. We caught a great profile of her in The New Yorker, which you can check out here. Whether our TV is highbrow or lowbrow, we’re all for the strong girl power vibes.
Speaking of reality TV and men our dads would never let us date, we’re gearing up to celebrate the special men in our lives this weekend. That’s right, in case you forgot, it’s Father’s Day this coming Sunday, June 19th. And besides recommending a nice tie, some Whiskey cubes, fancy poker chips or a monogrammed card case, we think a book (or a few books) makes the perfect last-minute gift. If you’re looking for a few suggestions, we recommend checking out the Best Books for Dad 2016 feature on Bookreporter.com here. You can also enter to win all of the books included on the feature up until noon ET on Monday, June 20th. Don't forget that belated gifts are still gifts.
Not only does the Father’s Day contest end on Monday, so does spring. It is officially summer on Monday at 6:34pm ET, which means that it’s the day of the year with the most hours of daylight. People always correct Carol when she says it's the "longest day" as it still has 24 hours in it, so we want to be clear here before you write us and tell us we have this all wrong.
All different places partake in various summer solstice activities. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, people in Sweden celebrate by eating the first strawberries of the season (and we wouldn’t mind watching some Swedes eat fruit, if you know what we mean). Stonehenge becomes a gathering place for druids, and the like. Those in Times Square can get flexy with day-long yoga activities. What will we do? Throw back a few Bud Light Limes and get twisty, ‘cause this time of year means Summer Rules™ and trouble trouble trouble.
Another great way to usher in summer is to pick up a new book and catch some of those rays outside. Officially summer = officially reading outside weather. Here are a few we recommend this week:
In MODERN LOVERS by Emma Straub, friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth, Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch to their own offspring. Now nearing 50, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn. The summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adult lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose can never be reclaimed.
BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley tells the story of 11 people --- 10 privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter --- who depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York on a foggy summer night. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs --- the painter --- and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members, the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens.
Matthew Quick of THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is back with his latest, EVERY EXQUISITE THING. Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper --- a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic --- the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price.
Enjoy the solstice and remember to lather on that sunscreen!
5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. "Animal Kingdom" on TNT. We. Love. It.
2. T. Swift + T. Hiddleston?!
3. Designing your own ice cream pops. À la Magnum's pop up shop in NYC.
4. The indie to catch this month: Hunt for the Wilderpeople, based on the Barry Crump book WILD PORK AND WATERCRESS
5. BBQ
Nicole Sherman ([email protected]) + Emily Hoenig ([email protected])
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Beach Bag of Books 2016 Feature + Contest
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It's time to think about summer reading. We're talking about the kinds of books that you're glad you now have time to kick back with and enjoy. The way we see it, it wouldn't be summer without sun, surf and great reading. You supply the beach chair, and we'll provide the fantastic book ideas in our Fifth Annual Beach Bag of Books Feature and Contest. From now through Monday, August 1st at noon ET, five lucky readers will win a selection of the featured books.
This year's featured titles include (click on each title to read more):
Click here to enter the contest.
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Reviews
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ALL SUMMER LONG by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Bernadette Dunne
ALL SUMMER LONG is the story of how plans evolve and lives change in unexpected ways, how even those who have everything are still looking for something more. Dorothea Benton Frank’s latest novel asks the ultimate question: Can money buy happiness? From Sullivans Island to Necker Island to Nantucket to the beaches of Southern Spain, readers will come to recognize the many faces of true love, love that deepens and endures but only because one woman makes a tremendous leap of faith. And that leap changes everything. Reviewed by Jamie Layton.
BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff
On a foggy summer night, 11 people --- 10 privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter --- depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs --- the painter --- and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members, the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
BLOOD FLAG: A Paul Madriani Novel by Steve Martini (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Dan Woren
Paul Madriani and Harry Hinds have a new client: Emma Brauer, a woman accused in the “mercy killing” of her aged father, Robert Brauer. Digging into Robert’s military history, Madriani discovers that other members of the Army unit Robert served with have recently died --- under similarly suspicious circumstances. When he finds that a box sent to Brauer shortly before he entered the hospital relates to a mysterious talisman that went missing at the end of World War II --- a feared Nazi relic known as the “Blood Flag” --- Madriani and Hinds realize they are in for the fight of their lives. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
BOAR ISLAND: An Anna Pigeon Novel by Nevada Barr (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Barbara Rosenblat
Elizabeth Jarrod is driven to despair by the disgusting rumors spreading online and bullying texts. When Heath finds her teenage daughter in the midst of an unsuccessful suicide attempt, she reaches out to her aunt Gwen and her friend, Anna Pigeon. Since Anna is about to start her new post as Acting Chief Ranger at Acadia National Park in Maine, the three will join her and stay at a house on the cliff of a small island near the park, Boar Island. But the stalker has followed them east. And Heath (a paraplegic) and Elizabeth aren't alone on the otherwise deserted island. At the same time, Anna has barely arrived at Acadia before a brutal murder is committed by a killer uncomfortably close to her. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
DIE OF SHAME by Mark Billingham (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Billingham
Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about shame. But when one of the group is murdered, it quickly becomes apparent that someone else in that circle is responsible. The investigation is hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these individuals and their therapist together, which makes things difficult for Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner. What could be shameful enough to cost someone their life? And how do you find the truth when secrets, lies and denial are second nature to all of your suspects? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DISHONORABLE INTENTIONS: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
Stone Barrington’s latest lady friend is full of surprises, but she also has some unfinished business with a temperamental man who believes Stone is an intolerable obstacle in the way of his goals. In a cat-and-mouse game that trails from sun-drenched Bel-Air to a peaceful European estate and gorgeous Santa Fe, Stone and his friend remain just one step ahead of their opponent. But their pursuer is not a man who can stand to be thwarted. Tensions are mounting and may soon reach the boiling point. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
END OF WATCH by Stephen King (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Will Patton
Retired police detective Bill Hodges now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney --- the woman who delivered the blow to the head of Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, that put him on the brain injury ward. When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk, as well as those of Bill’s heroic young friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE FAR EMPTY by J. Todd Scott (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by T. Ryder Smith
Seventeen-year-old Caleb Ross is adrift in the wake of the sudden disappearance of his mother more than a year ago, and is struggling to find his way out of the small Texas border town of Murfee. Chris Cherry is a newly minted sheriff’s deputy, a high school football hero who has reluctantly returned to his hometown. When skeletal remains are discovered in the surrounding badlands, the two are inexorably drawn together as their efforts to uncover Murfee’s darkest secrets lead them to the same terrifying suspect: Caleb’s father and Chris’ boss, the charismatic and feared Sheriff Standford “Judge” Ross. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
FORGIVE ME by Daniel Palmer (Thriller)
Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways. But in the wake of her mother's sudden death, she makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among the mementos in her parents' attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and a handwritten message on the back: "May God forgive me." Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother's possessions. The lies she unearths will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice --- and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE FOUR-NIGHT RUN by William Lashner (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Berkrot
J.D. Scrbacek has just won the biggest trial of his career, but even as he crows to the press, his entire life blows sky-high. Was the bomb meant for him, or for his mobster client? In this seaside casino town where the tables run hot and the tensions run high, the odds say the attorney is a marked man. Alone and on the run, Scrbacek flees into the city’s forgotten underbelly, a ruined corridor called Crapstown, where he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past, his present and his future. Somewhere in the sordid stream of his own existence lie the answers he needs. But in order to emerge from the depths of Crapstown, Scrbacek must argue for his life before a jury of the forgotten and the damned. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
A GAME FOR ALL THE FAMILY by Sophie Hannah (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Lucinda Clare, Fiona Hardingham and Gavin Stenhouse
You thought you knew who you were. A stranger knows better. You’ve left the city --- and the career that nearly destroyed you --- for a fresh start on the coast. But trouble begins when your daughter withdraws, after her new best friend, George, is unfairly expelled from school. You beg the principal to reconsider, only to be told that George hasn’t been expelled. Because there is, and was, no George. Who is lying? Who is real? Who is in danger? Who is in control? As you search for answers, the anonymous calls begin --- a stranger, who insists that you and she share a traumatic past and a guilty secret. And then the caller threatens your life. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE GIRLS IN THE GARDEN by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Suspense)
Imagine that you live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses. You’ve known your neighbors for years, and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really? On a midsummer night, as a festive neighborhood party is taking place, preteen Pip discovers her 13-year-old sister Grace lying unconscious and bloody in a hidden corner of a lush rose garden. What really happened to her? And who is responsible? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE HIGH PLACES: Stories by Fiona McFarlane (Fiction/Short Stories)
Fiona McFarlane's stories skip across continents, eras and genres to chart the borderlands of emotional life. In "Mycenae," she describes a middle-aged couple's disastrous vacation with old friends. In "Good News for Modern Man," a scientist lives on a small island with only a colossal squid and the ghost of Charles Darwin for company. And in the title story, an Australian farmer turns to Old Testament methods to relieve a fatal drought. McFarlane’s first story collection dissects the feelings --- longing, contempt, love, fear --- that animate our existence and hints at a reality beyond the smallness of our lives. Reviewed by Alex Bowditch.
HOME GAME: Big-League Stories from My Life in Baseball's First Family by Bret Boone and Kevin Cook (Sports/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Bret Boone
Bret Boone didn't care about family legacy as he fought his way into the Major Leagues in 1992; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a 14-year career that included three all-star appearances, four Gold Gloves, a bout with alcoholism, and the ignominy of being traded for the infamous "player to be named later." Now that he's coaching minor leaguers half his age, and his 15-year-old son has the potential to be a fourth-generation major leaguer, Bret is ready to reflect on and tell the story of baseball from the perspective of his family's 70-year history in the sport. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
HOT LITTLE HANDS: Fiction by Abigail Ulman (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Gemma Whelan
Over the course of nine loosely connected stories, HOT LITTLE HANDS introduces us to young women, at once clever and naïve, who struggle to navigate the chronic uncertainty and very real dangers that come with being impatient for the future and reluctant to leave childhood behind. Abigail Ulman’s voice feels of the moment --- sharp and powerful --- as she deftly explores ageless themes of sex and maturity among girls who are both confident and frighteningly exposed. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE HOUSE OF SECRETS by Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick and January LaVoy
Hazel Nash wakes up in a hospital and is told she's been in a car accident that killed her father and injured her brother. But she can't remember any of it, because of her own traumatic brain injury. Then a man from the FBI shows up, asking questions about her dad --- and about his connection to the corpse of a man found with an object stuffed into his chest: a priceless book that belonged to Benedict Arnold. Trying to put together the puzzle pieces of her past and present, Hazel needs to figure out who killed this man --- and how the book wound up in his chest. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
IN THE CLEARING by Robert Dugoni (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Sutton-Smith
Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, she has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime. So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl 40 years earlier, she agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
INK AND BONE by Lisa Unger (Psychological/Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Molly Pope
Visited by people whom others can't see and haunted by prophetic dreams, Finley Montgomery has never been able to control or understand the things that happen to her. When her abilities start to become too strong for her to handle, she turns to her grandmother Eloise Montgomery, a renowned psychic. Merri Gleason is a woman at the end of her tether after a 10-month-long search for her missing daughter. With almost every hope exhausted, she resorts to hiring Jones Cooper, a detective who sometimes works with Eloise. Finley and Eloise are ultimately drawn into the investigation, which proves to have much more at stake than even the fate of a missing girl. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE LAST INNOCENTS: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers by Michael Leahy (Sports/History)
Legendary Dodgers Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, Wes Parker, Jeff Torborg, Dick Tracewski, Lou Johnson and Tommy Davis encapsulated 1960s America: white and black, Jewish and Christian, wealthy and working class, pro-Vietnam and anti-war, golden boy and seasoned veteran. THE LAST INNOCENTS is a thoughtful, technicolor portrait of these six players and their storied team. Bringing into focus the high drama of their World Series appearances and pivotal games, Michael Leahy explores these men’s interpersonal relationships and illuminates the triumphs, agonies and challenges each faced individually. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
LILY AND THE OCTOPUS by Steven Rowley (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Michael Urie
When you sit down with LILY AND THE OCTOPUS, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride. The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don’t want to spoil it by giving away too many details. We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can’t live without. For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog. LILY AND THE OCTOPUS reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
MERCY by Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer (Medical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
Dr. Julie Devereux is an outspoken advocate for the right to die --- until a motorcycle accident leaves her fiancé, Sam Talbot, a quadriplegic. Sam begs to end his life, but Julie sees hope in a life together. When he passes away from an unexpected heart attack, an autopsy reveals that Sam died of an unusual heart defect, one seen only in those under extreme stress. As Julie investigates similar cases, she finds a frightening pattern…and finds herself the target of disturbing threats. The more cases Julie discovers, the more the threats escalate, until she is accused of a mercy killing of her own. To clear her name and save her career, she must track down whoever is behind these mysterious deaths. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
MODERN LOVERS by Emma Straub (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jen Tullock
Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth, Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch to their own offspring. Now nearing 50, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn. The summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adult lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose can never be reclaimed. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
MONSTERS: A Love Story by Liz Kay (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Allyson Ryan
Since her husband died eight months ago, Stacey Lane has been a certified mess --- a poet who can’t write anymore, a good mother who feels like she’s failing her kids. She’s been trying to redefine herself, to find new boundaries. Tommy DeMarco has no respect for boundaries. A surprisingly well-read A-list Hollywood star, Tommy has fallen in love with Stacey’s novel-in-verse, a feminist reimagining of FRANKENSTEIN, no less. His passion for the book, and eventually its author, will set their lives on a collision course. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
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More Reviews
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THE PIER FALLS: And Other Stories by Mark Haddon (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Clare Corbett and Daniel Weyman
The tales in Mark Haddon’s new collection take many forms: Victorian adventure story, science fiction, morality tale, contemporary realism. The characters are often isolated physically or estranged from their families, yet they yearn for connection. In aggregate, the stories become a meditation on the essential aloneness of the human condition but also on the connections, however tenuous and imperfect, that link people to one another. In the title story, an unnamed narrator describes with cool precision a catastrophe that strikes a seaside town, both tearing lives apart and bringing them together. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
PORCELAIN: A Memoir by Moby (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Moby
At once bighearted and remorseless in its excavation of a lost world, PORCELAIN is both a chronicle of a city and a time and a deeply intimate exploration of finding one’s place during the most gloriously anxious period in life --- when you are on your own and betting on yourself, but have no idea how the story ends, and so you live with the honest dread that you’re one false step from being thrown out on your face. Moby’s voice resonates with honesty, wit and, above all, an unshakable passion for his music that steered him through some very rough seas. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
THE SECOND LIFE OF NICK MASON by Steve Hamilton (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ray Porter
Nick Mason has already spent five years inside a maximum security prison when an offer comes that will grant his release 20 years early. He accepts, but the deal comes with a terrible price. Whenever his cell phone rings, day or night, he must answer it and follow whatever order he is given. It’s the deal he made with Darius Cole, a criminal mastermind serving a double-life term who runs an empire from his prison cell. Forced to commit increasingly more dangerous crimes, hunted by the relentless detective who put him behind bars, and desperate to go straight and rebuild his life with his daughter and ex-wife, Nick ultimately will have to risk everything to finally break free. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
SECURITY by Gina Wohlsdorf (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Zach Villa
Manderley Resort is a gleaming, new 20-story hotel on the California coast. It’s about to open its doors, and the world --- at least those with the means to afford it --- will be welcomed into a palace of opulence and unparalleled security. But someone is determined that Manderley will never open. The staff has no idea that their every move is being watched, and over the next 12 hours they will be killed off, one by one. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE SORCERER'S DAUGHTER: The Defenders of Shannara by Terry Brooks (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
The mysterious, magic-wielding Druid order has existed for long ages, battling any evil that threatens the Four Lands --- and struggling to be understood and accepted by outsiders. But their hopes of building goodwill are dashed when a demon’s murderous rampage at a peace summit leaves their political opponents dead --- casting new suspicions upon the Druids and forcing them to flee from enemies both mortal and monstrous. Paxon Leah, the order’s appointed protector, knows that blame lies with Arcannen Rai, the vile sorcerer he has battled and defeated before. But Arcannen is playing a deeper game than Paxon realizes. Reviewed by Matthew Burbridge.
TWO FOR THE SHOW by Jonathan Stone (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by R.C. Bray
Chas is a detective who can get the goods on anyone with the tap of a keyboard, and it’s all to make sure that superstar Las Vegas mind reader Wallace the Amazing stays amazing. Thanks to Chas’ steady stream of stealthy intel, Wallace’s mental “magic” packs houses every night. But when someone threatens to call the psychic showman’s bluff, the sweet gig takes a sour --- and sinister --- turn. Who’s the clean-cut couple gunning for Wallace with an arsenal of dirty tricks? Why does Wallace keep upping the ante instead of backing down? And just how much does Chas really know about his mysterious boss’s life…or his own? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS: Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Neil Gaiman
An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his bestselling fiction. Now, THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS brings together for the first time ever more than 60 pieces of his outstanding nonfiction. Analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, this cornucopia explores a broad range of interests and topics --- offering a glimpse into the head and heart of one of the most acclaimed, beloved and influential artists of our time. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
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Young Adult Reviews
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EVERY EXQUISITE THING by Matthew Quick (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Vanessa Johansson
Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper --- a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic --- the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price. Reviewed by Bryn D., Teen Board Member.
PLACES NO ONE KNOWS by Brenna Yovanoff (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Karissa Vacker and Jesse Bernstein
Waverly Camdenmar spends her nights running until she can’t even think, trying to outrun the tiny, nagging suspicion that there’s more to life than student council and GPAs. Marshall Holt is not even close to being in Waverly’s world --- he drinks on school nights and gets stoned in the park. But then one night Waverly falls asleep and dreams herself into Marshall’s bedroom --- and when the sun comes up, nothing in her life can ever be the same. Reviewed by Alison S., Teen Board Member.
THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Amy Landon
For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime. Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone --- spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of --- that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day. Reviewed by Grace P., Teen Board Member.
STEEPLEJACK by A. J. Hartley (Fantasy)
Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice Berrit, she instead finds him dead. That same night, the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon’s theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit’s murder --- except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers her a job investigating his death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers. Reviewed by Matthew Burbridge.
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