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December 1, 2016

20SomethingReads.com Newsletter December 1, 2016
2017 is Going to Gleam
Special Feature: VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin
Holiday Bundle of Cheer 2016 Feature + Contest
Fall/Winter Cookbooks Bookshelf
Reviews
Young Adult Reviews
2017 is Going to Gleam

With only a couple newsletters left in 2016, we have quite a bit to look forward to in the 2017 entertainment landscape (complaints about Peak Prestige Season™ aside). Since we’re already planning #NYE --- including, more importantly, which pair of sparkly pants we’re going to wear --- it only seems fitting to look ahead to the future. Luckily, the future is bright (or dim if you’re trying to conserve battery life) with plenty of books and adaptations coming to screens of all shapes and sizes near you.

Mother Nature of vampire stories Anne Rice announced that her classic Vampire Chronicles will finally be made into a TV series. We kinda sorta lost it when we heard the news because 1) Anne Rice is G-O-D, and 2) if it’s anything like the ‘96 movie Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt at their ultimate prime, then we’re betting this is going to be epic. Rice’s dreamcast scenario is also swoonworthy: Matt Bomer and Matthew Macfadyen (think: Darcy in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation) are frontrunners, according to the rumor mill. Another thing to celebrate: Rice’s talented son and novelist himself (and frequently shirtless internet presence), Christopher, will be executive producing the series. We can only hope that means the Queen of Vampires (read: Anne) will be able to maintain some degree of creative control --- and we really like the sound of that. Also, things will probably get super sexy; we’re thinking “True Blood” 2.0. Audience applause.

Boston’s baby brother Casey Affleck has been getting a lot of attention lately for his excellent, understated non-Oscar bait Oscar bait performance in Manchester by the Sea, but his big sad brother Ben has a few tricks up his sleeve, too, just in time for awards season. The elder Affleck is directing and starring in Live by Night, an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane book of the same name that’ll be in theaters for a limited run just in time for Xmas. We got an embarrassment of gangster riches last year with Legend --- which starred not one but TWO Tom Hardys (Hardies?) --- but we’re definitely thirsty for another hit.

Another hit for 2017: The Dark Tower, as adapted from Stephen King’s series of the same name. While it won’t be out in theaters until mid-summer (which doesn’t even seem like a real thing, as temps drop to winter lows), the internet has been very chatty about it, especially because of the two hunks leading the pack: Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. Also, Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road, Bringing Up Baby, 300: Rise of an Empire, Deadpool) is doing the music, and Ron Howard (Bitter Harvest, When Your Lover Leaves, Katy Perry: Part of Me) is on board in a production role.

Add to the list: The Glass Castle (based on the book by Jeannette Walls), which will also debut in 2017, with no set release date as of now. Room’s Brie Larson will star alongside Naomi Watts and Woody Harrelson. It will be quite the cast, and the stills from the set look phenom. We’re pumped, to say the least.

Among the hordes of books that will hit the silver screen in 2017, one of the most hotly anticipated will come sooner than later: Fifty Shades Darker, the second installment in the Fifty Shades series, which will hit theaters on February 10th. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as the steamy duo, who not only heated up theaters across America, but also brought the drama offscreen with their contentious PR tour to promote the first film. We say: If the second is anything like the first, keep ‘em coming.

Speaking of coming, fantasy lovers across the globe can tentatively rejoice about the renewed again promise of the imminent-ish release of the highly highly highly highly highly highly highly (no, our CD isn’t scratched, we just can’t stress enough how long and eagerly fans have been waiting for this book) anticipated sixth book in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series: THE WINDS OF WINTER. Recent word on the street is that Martin is planning to spend much of the new year holed up inside finishing it up, so...these girls --- and the rest of the Westeros-crazed planet --- can hope. Look, we aren’t confirming anything and we’re not holding our breath...but we’re probably due for a bit of good news tbh. Not to worry: If we hear any insider tidbits, we will most definitely spare a square. Winky winky.

While you semi-patiently wait for winter to come, here are some books to check out now:

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of “The Daily Show” began with a criminal act: his birth. He explains in BORN A CRIME: Stories from a South African Childhood, that he was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

FRANTUMAGLIA: A Writer’s Journey by Elena Ferrante invites readers into her workshop. It offers a glimpse into the drawers of her writing desk, those drawers from which emerged her three early stand-alone novels and the four installments of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND, known in English as the Neapolitan Quartet. Consisting of over 20 years of letters, essays, reflections and interviews, it is a unique depiction of an author who embodies a consummate passion for writing.

In OUR REVOLUTION: A Future to Believe In, Bernie Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all --- and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better. For him, the political revolution has just started. The campaign may be over, but the struggle goes on.

If you want to try your hand at winning some books, then enter our Holiday Bundle of Cheer contest here. We’re giving away 7 books to 5 lucky readers, so get in there before Wednesday, December 21st at noon ET. Scroll down to see what titles are included or for some holiday reading inspo.

Has your relative’s dry turkey got you aching for something better? We got you covered. Click here to see our cookbook recommendations for the season. Tastebuds exploding? Check. Droolworthy dishes? Check. Stunning Photos? Check. We guarantee that every selection is great to give, to get and gift to yourself. You do you.

Until next time, love you lots.

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. Holiday parties
2. A new J. Cole album
3. Prince Harry meeting RiRi
4. The "Gilmore Girls" reboot on Netflix --- "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life"
5. One of our fave correspondents, Jake Soboroff, returning to one of our fave shows, "Chelsea"

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

 

Special Feature: VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin

Early one morning, 18-year-old Alexandrina Victoria is roused from bed with the news that her uncle William IV has died and she is now Queen of England. The men who run the country have doubts about whether this sheltered young woman can rule the greatest nation in the world. But Victoria has very definite ideas about the kind of queen she wants to be. Everyone keeps saying she is destined to marry her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but she found him dull and priggish when they met three years ago. She is quite happy being queen with the help of her prime minister, Lord Melbourne, who may be old enough to be her father but is the first person to take her seriously. Author Daisy Goodwin is also the writer for the PBS Masterpiece "Victoria," based off of her book. The show will premiere on Sunday, January 15th at 9pm ET.

- Click here to see the Special Feature.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for an excerpt.
- Click here to read more about author Daisy Goodwin.

 

Holiday Bundle of Cheer 2016 Feature + Contest
The holidays are right around the corner, and as our gift to you, we are spotlighting some amazing books. The deadline to enter the Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature/Contest is Wednesday, December 21st 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!
 
Fall/Winter Cookbooks Bookshelf

For many, this time of year is the best time of year. It means more family and friends gatherings. It means you have mouths to feed with your homemade digestible delights. Ultimately, it means more excuses to eat, eat, eat, and...never stop eating. With weeks-ahead and down-to-the-minute menu planning in full swing, it's only natural to turn to the newest books in search of the perfect canapé, a crowd-pleasing side dish or the most decadent, drool-worthy desserts.

There's cookbooks from longtime kitchen stalwarts, some from famous restaurateurs around the country and total newcomers hot on the scene. If you aren't the homecook type, don't worry. There's no reason you can't use any one of these cookbooks as ideal foodie inspo or --- for the true gourmand --- just to gawk at the stunning pictures. Whatever your preference, it'll probably be satisfying. Now, we know the timer is ticking, so click here to see our roundup of this season's most noteworthy culinary compendiums over on Bookreporter.com

 

 

Reviews

ANATOMY OF A SONG: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop by Marc Myers (Music/History)
Audiobook available, read by Jonathan Yen
Every great song has a fascinating backstory. In ANATOMY OF A SONG, based on the ongoing Wall Street Journal column, writer and music historian Marc Myers brings to life five decades of music through oral histories of 45 transformative songs woven from interviews with the artists who created them. Bringing readers inside the making of a hit, the book includes the Isley Brothers' memorable song "Shout," Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" and R.E.M's "Losing My Religion." Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Keith Richards, Cyndi Lauper and many other leading artists reveal the emotions, inspirations and techniques behind their influential works. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

BORN A CRIME: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Memoir/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of “The Daily Show” began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

CHAOS: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell (Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Susan Ericksen
On an early autumn day, Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. Dr. Kay Scarpetta decides at the scene that this is no accidental Act of God. Her investigation becomes complicated when she begins receiving a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully who calls himself Tailend Charlie. When the 10th poem arrives exactly 24 hours after Elisa’s death, Scarpetta begins to suspect the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her investigative partner, Pete Marino, and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley. She also enlists the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta’s surprise, tracking the slippery Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone as brilliant as her niece. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tanya Eby
The night before the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a crowd gathers on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to watch the giant balloons fill with helium and rise toward the sky. Then the festive ritual takes a terrifying turn --- a gunshot rings out, police commissioner Logan Donovan falls, and panic erupts. When the chaos clears, another crime is revealed: Donovan’s daughter, Allie, has been kidnapped. Within hours, Special Agent Eve Rossi and her handpicked team of former convicts know a lot about the kidnapper. But Eve grapples with a harrowing question: Whom should she fear more --- a vengeful man threatening innocent lives, or a charming, arrogant cop fighting to save his daughter, who may be trying to cover up his crimes? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

CROSS THE LINE by James Patterson (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ryan Vincent Anderson and Pete Bradbury
Shots ring out in the early morning hours in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. When the smoke clears, a prominent police official lies dead, leaving the city's police force scrambling for answers. Under pressure from the mayor, Alex Cross steps into the leadership vacuum to crack the case. But before Cross can make any headway, a brutal crime wave sweeps across the region. The deadly scenes share only one common thread --- the victims are all criminals. As Cross pursues an adversary who has appointed himself judge, jury and executioner, he must take the law back into his own hands before the city he's sworn to protect descends into utter chaos. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

FRANTUMAGLIA: A Writer's Journey written by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein (Essays)
Audiobook available, narrated by Hillary Huber
FRANTUMAGLIA invites readers into Elena Ferrante’s workshop. It offers a glimpse into the drawers of her writing desk, those drawers from which emerged her three early stand-alone novels and the four installments of My Brilliant Friend, known in English as the Neapolitan Quartet. Consisting of over 20 years of letters, essays, reflections and interviews, it is a unique depiction of an author who embodies a consummate passion for writing. Reviewed by Rebecca Kilberg.

GOOD BEHAVIOR by Blake Crouch (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Blake Crouch and Julia Whelan
Fresh out of prison and fighting to keep afloat, Letty Dobesh returns to her old tricks burglarizing suites at a luxury hotel. While on the job, she overhears a man hiring a hit man to kill his wife. Letty may not be winning any morality awards, but even she has limits. Unable to go to the police, Letty sets out to derail the job, putting herself on a collision course with the killer that entangles the two of them in a dangerous, seductive relationship. GOOD BEHAVIOR comprises three interlinked novellas, which together form a novel-length portrait of Blake Crouch’s all-time favorite character creation. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE HANGING CLUB by Tony Parsons (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Colin Mace
A band of vigilante executioners roam the hot summer nights, abducting evil men who they judge unworthy of living and hanging them by the neck until dead. But do these rogue hangmen crave true justice --- or just blood? As the bodies pile up and violence explodes all over the sweltering city, DC Max Wolfe embarks on his most dangerous investigation yet, hunting a righteous gang of vigilante killers who many believe to be heroes. But before The Hanging Club is confronted, Max must learn some painful truths about the fragile line between good and evil, innocence and guilt, justice and retribution. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE HIGHWAY KIND: Tales of Fast Cars, Desperate Drivers, and Dark Roads edited by Patrick Millikin (Mystery/Thriller/Noir Anthology)
Audiobook available, read by Will Collyer
Like fiction, cars take us into a different world: from the tony enclaves of upper crust society to the lowliest barrio; from muscle car-driving con men to hardscrabble kids on the road during the Great Depression; from a psychotic traveling salesman to a Mexican drug lord who drives a tricked-out VW Bus. We all share the roads, and our cars link us together. Including entirely new stories from Michael Connelly, C.J. Box, George Pelecanos, Diana Gabaldon, James Sallis, Ace Atkins, Luis Alberto Urrea, Sara Gran, Ben H. Winters and Joe Lansdale, THE HIGHWAY KIND is a street-level look at modern America, as seen through one of its national obsessions. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE INFINITE by Nicholas Mainieri (Fiction)
Jonah McBee has deep roots in New Orleans, but with hardly any family left, he half-heartedly is planning to enlist in the army after high school. Luz Hidalgo, an undocumented Latina and budding track star, followed her father there after Hurricane Katrina. When Jonah and Luz fall in love, it is intense, addictive and real. But everything changes when Luz discovers that she’s pregnant. In a moment of panic, her father sends Luz back to Mexico so her grandmother can help raise the baby. Devastated, Jonah decides to take a road trip with his best friend when he doesn’t hear from her. Little does Jonah know, Luz is fighting for her life. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

LAST GIRL BEFORE FREEWAY: The Life, Loves, Losses, and Liberation of Joan Rivers by Leslie Bennetts (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Erin Bennett
Joan Rivers was an icon and a role model to millions, a fearless pioneer who left a legacy of expanded opportunity when she died in 2014. Her life was a dramatic roller-coaster of triumphant highs and devastating lows: the suicide of her husband, her feud with Johnny Carson, her estrangement from her daughter, her many plastic surgeries, her ferocious ambition and her massive insecurities. But Rivers' career was also hugely significant in American cultural history, breaking down barriers for her gender and pushing the boundaries of truth-telling for women in public life. LAST GIRL BEFORE FREEWAY delves into the inner workings of a woman who both reflected and redefined the world around her. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

THE MISTLETOE SECRET by Richard Paul Evans (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Richard Paul Evans and Madeleine Maby
Thinking no one is reading, a blogger who calls herself LBH writes about her most personal feelings, especially her overwhelming loneliness. She goes from day to day showing a brave face to the world while inside she longs to know how it would feel if one person cared about her. Alex Bartlett cares. He’s reading her posts in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nursing his own broken heart and trust issues, he finds himself falling for this sensitive, vulnerable woman whose feelings mirror his own. He ultimately tracks down LBH, a woman who is as beautiful and kind as he imagined she would be. How can he tell her that he knows her secret? What’s holding him back? Reviewed by Carole Turner.

MOONGLOW by Michael Chabon (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by George Newbern
MOONGLOW unfolds as the deathbed confession of a man the narrator refers to only as “my grandfather.” It is a tale of madness, of war and adventure, of sex and marriage and desire, of existential doubt and model rocketry, of the shining aspirations and demonic underpinnings of American technological accomplishment at midcentury, and, above all, of the destructive impact --- and the creative power --- of keeping secrets and telling lies. It is a portrait of the difficult but passionate love between the narrator’s grandfather and his grandmother, an enigmatic woman broken by her experience growing up in war-torn France. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

NO MAN'S LAND by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kyf Brewer
John Puller's mother, Jackie, vanished 30 years ago from Fort Monroe, Virginia, when Puller was just a boy. Paul Rogers has been in prison for 10 years. But 20 years before that, he was at Fort Monroe. One night three decades ago, Puller's and Rogers' worlds collided with devastating results, and the truth has been buried ever since. Until now. Military investigators arrive in the hospital room of Puller's father and reveal that Puller Sr. has been accused of murdering Jackie. Aided by his brother Robert Puller, an Air Force major, and Veronica Knox, who works for a shadowy U.S. intelligence organization, Puller begins a journey that will take him into his own past, to find the truth about his mother. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

OUR REVOLUTION: A Future to Believe In by Bernie Sanders (Politics/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo
In OUR REVOLUTION, Bernie Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all --- and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better. For him, the political revolution has just started. The campaign may be over, but the struggle goes on. Reviewed by Rob Bentlyewski.

SAY NO MORE: A Jane Ryland Novel by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Xe Sands
When Boston reporter Jane Ryland reports a hit and run, she soon learns she also witnessed the collapse of an alibi, and now she's under pressure to tell all to the police. She's also digging up the inside scoop for an exposé of sexual assaults on Boston's college campuses for the station's new documentary unit. But a disturbing anonymous message, SAY NO MORE, has Jane truly scared. Meanwhile, homicide detective Jake Brogan is on the hunt for the murderer of Avery Morgan, a hot-shot Hollywood screenwriter. As Jake chips his way through a code of silence as shatterproof as any street gang, he'll learn that one newcomer to the neighborhood may have a secret of her own. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

SCRAPPY LITTLE NOBODY by Anna Kendrick (Humor/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Anna Kendrick
Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird and “10 percent defiant.” At the ripe age of 13, she had already resolved to “keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged. Forever. But here’s the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out.” In SCRAPPY LITTLE NOBODY, she invites readers inside her brain, sharing extraordinary and charmingly ordinary stories with candor and winningly wry observations. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY KILLER by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jan Maxwell
Casey Carter was convicted of murdering her fiancé, famed philanthropist Hunter Raleigh III, 15 years ago. And Casey claims she’s innocent. Although she was charged and served out her sentence in prison, she is still living “under suspicion.” Her story attracts the attention of Laurie Moran and the “Under Suspicion” news team. It’s Casey’s last chance to finally clear her name, and Laurie pledges to exonerate her. With Alex Buckley taking a break from the show, “Under Suspicion” introduces a new on-air host named Ryan Nichols, who has no problems with steering --- and stealing --- the show, and even tries to stop Laurie from taking on Casey’s case because he’s so certain she’s guilty. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

 

 

Young Adult Reviews

THE DIABOLIC by S. J. Kincaid (Dystopian, Dystopian Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult 14+, Youth Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Candace Thaxton
Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. She would also take as many lives as necessary to keep Sidonia safe. When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Nemesis travels to the court disguised as Sidonia --- a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a nest of vipers with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything. Reviewed by Makayla H., Teen Board Member.

LOST STARS by Lisa Selin Davis (Fiction, Music)
Before her older sister, Ginny, died, Carrie was a science nerd, obsessively tracking her beloved Vira comet. But now that Ginny is gone, sixteen-year-old Carrie finds herself within the orbit of Ginny’s friends, a close-knit group of seniors who skip school, obsess over bands and party hard. Fed up with Carrie’s behavior, her father enrolls her in a summer work camp at a local state park. And when she meets Dean, a guy who likes the real Carrie, she starts to get to the heart of who she is and who she wants to be. Reviewed by Niraja S., Teen Board Member.

 

 

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