Help 20SomethingReads.com
and The Book Report Network Expand
Happy New Year! Happy Resolutions! Hopefully, you’re still sticking to them. Word on the street is that resolutions typically fail on or around January 17th, which was yesterday. So, if you’re still rocking your resolution(s) today, keep with it because you’ve made it over one of the beginning humps. Also, remember that it takes about three weeks for new habits/behaviors to really sink in and become a part of your routine. It’s a mind over matter sort of thing, and it only takes one person in a room of a hundred people to believe in you. So, make that person be you.
The Book Report Network is looking to make some big changes to 20SomethingReads.com in 2019, including:
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A complete eye-catching site redesign
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New features and content that keeps up with trends
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Easy-to-share functionality for all your social media needs
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Better mobile accessibility
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Links to add to your reading lists on Goodreads
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Produce and air a weekly Bookreporter.com podcast with author interviews, book recommendations and more
For the past two decades, all of the Network’s expansions have been self-funded. We've been pleased to provide free content to our readers and our plan is to continue doing so. This is the first time we are turning to our very supportive reader community for help to expand.
We have launched a GoFundMe campaign and are kindly asking for your donation. We have already done some outreach and have seen incredible support from our donors who include readers, authors, agents and publishers. We are definitely headed in the right direction. We've raised about $17,000 so far!
Now, this is where YOU come in. Any level of donation is sincerely appreciated. You can also help by sharing this campaign with others; GoFundMe makes that easy to do. You can read more about our plans and donate here. If you would rather donate via check, our address is:
The Book Report, Inc.
850 Seventh Avenue - Suite 901
New York, NY 10019
Thank you so much for your consideration and your donation.
Besides our multi-site expansion, Rihanna’s impending album release, the second season of “Killing Eve” (mark your calendars for April 7th), and the Motorola Razr coming back, 2019 seems to be on the up and up. The first foray into awards season with the Golden Globes a couple of weeks ago gave us a lot of promise for the future in terms of entertainment. One of my favorite celeb crushes, Rami Malek, took home Best Actor in a Drama for Bohemian Rhapsody, and Patricia Arquette (another long-time celeb crush) won Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora,” a series I binged in two nights and really loved. Be sure to check it out.
Speaking of binging, I spent the better part of the first weekend of January watching all the movies. Some quick takeaways? I loved The Hate U Give, based on the 2017 YA book of the same name, and The Favourite. I cannot recommend either enough. I enjoyed First Man, the story of Neil Armstrong and his journey to becoming the first man on the moon, and Green Book, based on the true story of an African-American classical pianist and his Italian-American driver finding common ground. Beautiful Boy made me cry my eyes out for all two hours of it, I found Widows to be entertaining, but not my fave. Of course, I rewatched the greatest movie of the year, A Star Is Born (it’s now available on digital, so go get it!), which further cemented my love for Bradley Cooper.
Now, I’m fully invested in Netflix’s “You,” which is based on the 2014 series of the same name by Caroline Kepnes. It stars Penn Badgley, who you probably remember from his “Gossip Girl” days as lonely boy Brooklynite Dan Humphrey. Real talk: It’s kind of hard for me to shake him as Dan, but I’m pushing through. In any case, Badgley plays a stalker-obsessed psycho who also happens to manage a bookstore in NYC. He follows this whatever-blonde girl, and strangeness ensues. Even though it’s taken me longer than usual to get through, it tickles my millennial inclinations. Others are enjoying it too, so you might as well!
I’ve watched a few episodes of Netflix’s “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” based on the super famous book by Marie Kondo. It’s just okay! It’s nice that Marie can be a support system and teacher in helping people get rid of their junk, but I find it to be a little boring. Sorry! I watched Hulu’s documentary on the Fyre Festival the other night and was completely mesmerized. I will definitely be checking out Netflix’s documentary on it tonight (it just came out today!) to see how it compares. The story is mindblowing and very millennial-centric, if that speaks to you.
I’ve just finished NPR’s podcast “Believed,” about the Larry Nassar sexual abuse survivors. It is excellent, and I really recommend it if you’re a podcast lover or looking to get into podcasts. The way the story builds is very interesting. The two hosts interview some of the the girls, some parents and some of the lawyers involved to really develop a comprehensive perspective on how this horrific scandal affected so many people for so many years. Warning: It is graphic.
The much-anticipated follow-up book to The New Yorker’s viral “Cat Person” story is finally here. YOU KNOW YOU WANT THIS: "Cat Person" and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian is this week’s hottest release. Rebecca Munro is coming at you with the review, so read up here.
Sylvia Plath’s long-lost story, MARY VENTURA AND THE NINTH KINGDOM, will come out this coming Tuesday, January 22nd in paperback. As a huge Plath fan, I’ll definitely be picking up a copy next week, and obviously I have high hopes. You can read more about the never-before-published story here.
If all of the above isn’t enough recs for you, then check these out:
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money and leave in AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive, and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding. As Jess’ paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
In THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict, Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich's plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband's castle. She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone --- if anyone will listen to her.
WATCHING YOU by Lisa Jewell tells the story of Tom Fitzwilliam, a headmaster who is beloved by one and all --- including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with him. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenage son Freddie --- a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5 --- excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father. One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced that her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. Meanwhile, 20 years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam.
5 Things To Obsess About This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. THE NOTEBOOK is coming to Broadway
2. This new "Game of Thrones" trailer
3. "Stranger Things" season three will premiere on July 4th
4. TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN is being made into a movie
5. "My Brilliant Friend" is coming back for a second season
Happy reading,
Nicole Sherman
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Barrie Kreinik and Julia Whelan
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive, and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding. As Jess’ paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE BOY by Tami Hoag (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he's ever seen. Genevieve’s seven-year-old son, KJ, has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well. Meanwhile, Nick's wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits in the emergency room with the grieving Genevieve. Annie understands the emotional devastation this woman is going through, but is troubled by a story that makes little sense. Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind? When the very next day KJ's sometimes babysitter, 12-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
THE BURGLAR by Thomas Perry (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christina Delaine
Elle Stowell is a young woman with an unconventional profession: burglary. But Elle is no petty thief --- with just the right combination of smarts, looks and skills, she can easily stroll through ritzy Bel Air neighborhoods and pick out the perfect home for plucking the most valuable items. But after stumbling upon a grisly triple homicide while stealing from the home of a wealthy art dealer, Elle discovers that she is no longer the only one sneaking around. Somebody is searching for her. As Elle realizes that her knowledge of the high-profile murder has made her a target, she races to solve the case before becoming the next casualty. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE DAY THE SUN DIED written by Yan Lianke, translated by Carlos Rojas (Fiction)
In a little village nestled in the Balou mountains, 14-year-old Li Niannian and his parents run a funeral parlor. One evening, he notices a strange occurrence. Instead of preparing for bed, more and more neighbors appear in the streets and fields, carrying on with their daily business as if the sun hadn’t already set. Li Niannian watches, mystified. As hundreds of residents are found dreamwalking, they act out the desires they’ve suppressed during waking hours. Before long, the community devolves into chaos, and it’s up to Li Niannian and his parents to save the town before sunrise. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
A DELICATE TOUCH: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
When an old acquaintance reaches out to Stone Barrington requesting assistance, the job seems easy enough. She needs an expert in an esoteric field, someone with both the knowledge and careful dexterity to solve a puzzle. But the solution to one small problem blows the lid open on a bigger scandal going back decades, and involving numerous prominent New Yorkers who would prefer that the past stay buried. With this explosive information in-hand, Stone Barrington is caught between a rock and a hard place, his only options either to play it safe to the detriment of others, or to see justice done and risk fatal exposure. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
FREEFALL by Jessica Barry (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Hillary Huber, Karissa Vacker and MacLeod Andrews
When her fiancé’s private plane crashes in the Colorado Rockies, Allison Carpenter miraculously survives. But the fight for her life is just beginning. Allison has been living with a terrible secret, a shocking truth that powerful men will kill to keep buried. In the small community of Owl Creek, Maine, Maggie Carpenter learns that her only child is presumed dead. She, too, harbors a shameful secret: she hasn’t communicated with her daughter in two years, since a family tragedy drove Allison away. Maggie doesn’t know anything about her daughter’s life now --- not even that she was engaged to wealthy pharmaceutical CEO Ben Gardner. As Allison struggles across the treacherous mountain wilderness, Maggie embarks on a desperate search for answers. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
GHOST WALL by Sarah Moss (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Christine Hewitt
In the north of England, far from the intrusions of cities but not far from civilization, Silvie and her family are living as if they are ancient Britons, surviving by the tools and knowledge of the Iron Age. For two weeks, the length of her father’s vacation, they join an anthropology course set to reenact life in simpler times. Mixing with the students, Silvie begins to see, hear and imagine another kind of life, one that might include going to university, traveling beyond England, choosing her own clothes and food, and speaking her mind. The ancient Britons built ghost walls to ward off enemy invaders. When the group builds one of their own, they find a spiritual connection to the past. What comes next but human sacrifice? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE GIRL AT THE BORDER by Leslie Archer (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Brittany Pressley
Renowned archaeologist Richard Mathis is half a world away on the island of Crete when he learns that his daughter, Bella, has gone missing. Within 20 minutes, he’s on his way back to the States. Two days later, he’s dead. Richard’s young assistant, Angela Chase, is devastated by the loss of the man who had become both mentor and friend, and she’s determined to find the missing girl, who seems to have made dangerous connections --- and whose lonely childhood so resembles Angela’s own. Born Laurel Springfield, Angela now spends her days digging up the origins of a lost civilization while struggling to keep her own past buried. But will the search for Bella expose Angela’s carefully disguised identity --- and will she find Bella before she’s lost forever? Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
HUNTING ANNABELLE by Wendy Heard (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tim Chiou
Sean Suh is done with killing. After serving three years in a psychiatric prison, he’s determined to stay away from temptation. But he can’t resist Annabelle, who alone can see past the monster to the man inside. Then Annabelle disappears. Sean is sure she’s been kidnapped --- he witnessed her being taken firsthand --- but the police are convinced that Sean himself is at the center of this crime. And he must admit, his illness has caused him to “lose time” before. What if there’s more to what happened than he’s able to remember? Though haunted by the fear that it might be better for Annabelle if he never finds her, Sean can’t bring himself to let go of her without a fight. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
IN A HOUSE OF LIES by Ian Rankin (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by James MacPherson
Rebus' retirement is disrupted once again when skeletal remains are identified as a private investigator who went missing over a decade earlier. Rebus' old friend, Siobhan Clarke, is assigned to this case, but neither of them could have predicted what buried secrets the investigation will uncover. Rebus remembers the original case --- a shady land deal --- all too well. After the investigation stalled, the family of the missing man complained that there was a police cover-up. As Clarke and her team investigate the cold case murder, she soon learns a different side of her mentor, a side he would prefer to keep in the past. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
INVISIBLE by Andrew Grant (Mystery/Thriller)
As a young man, Paul McGrath rebelled against his pacifist father by becoming a standout Army recruit and the star of his military intelligence unit. But lingering regrets about their relationship make him return home, only to find his father dead, seemingly murdered. When the case ends in a mistrial, something doesn’t smell right to McGrath. So he puts his arsenal of skills to work to find out just how corrupt the legal system is. And to keep digging, he gets a job at the courthouse as a janitor. While McGrath knows that nothing he discovers can undo his past wrongs or save his father, he finds his new calling brings him something else: the chance to right current wrongs and save others --- that is, if the powerful and corrupt don’t kill him first. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE NEW IBERIA BLUES: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee Burke (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Will Patton
Detective Dave Robicheaux has discovered the body of a young woman who’s been crucified, wearing only a small chain on her ankle. She disappeared near director Desmond Cormier’s Cyrpemort Point estate, and Robicheaux is looking for answers. Neither Cormier nor his enigmatic actor friend Antoine Butterworth is saying much, but Robicheaux knows better. As always, Clete Purcel and Davie’s daughter, Alafair, have Robicheaux’s back. Clete witnesses the escape of Texas inmate Hugo Tillinger, who may hold the key to Robicheaux’s case. As they wade further into the investigation, they end up in the crosshairs of the mob, the deranged Chester Wimple, and the dark ghosts Robicheaux has been running from for years. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne Toren
Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich's plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband's castle. She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone --- if anyone will listen to her. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
THE PARAGON HOTEL by Lyndsay Faye (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
The year is 1921, and "Nobody" Alice James is on a cross-country train, carrying a bullet wound and fleeing for her life following an illicit drug and liquor deal gone horribly wrong. Desperate to get as far away as possible from New York City and those who want her dead, she has her sights set on Oregon. She befriends Max, a black Pullman porter who leads her to the Paragon Hotel upon arrival in Portland, the only all-black hotel in the city. The Ku Klux Klan has arrived in fearful numbers --- burning crosses, inciting violence, electing officials and brutalizing blacks. And only Alice, along with her new "family" of Paragon residents, are willing to search for a missing mulatto child who has mysteriously vanished into the Oregon woods. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
RADIANT SHIMMERING LIGHT by Sarah Selecky (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lisa Flanagan
Lilian Quick is a 40-year-old single woman working as a pet portrait artist. Her estranged cousin has become internet-famous as "Eleven" Novak, the face of a massive feminine lifestyle empowerment brand. When Eleven comes to town on tour, the two women reconnect. Despite 20 years of unexplained silence, Eleven offers Lilian a place at The Temple, her Manhattan office. Lilian accepts, moves to New York, and quickly enrolls in The Ascendency, Eleven's signature program: an expensive, three-month training seminar on leadership, spiritual awakening and marketing. Eleven is going to help her cousin become her best self. In just three months, Lilian's life changes drastically. But can she trust everything Eleven says? Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
SCRUBLANDS by Chris Hammer (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Rupert Degas
In Riversend, an isolated rural community afflicted by an endless drought, a young priest kills five parishioners before being taken down himself. A year later, journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend. His assignment is simple: describe how the townspeople are coping as the anniversary of their tragedy approaches. But as Martin meets the locals and hears their version of events, he begins to realize that the accepted wisdom --- that the priest was a pedophile whose imminent exposure was the catalyst for the shooting --- may be wrong. Then the bodies of two German backpackers --- missing since the time of the church shootings --- are discovered. As the media flocks to the scene, Martin finds himself thrown into a whole new mystery. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
SUGAR RUN by Mesha Maren (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
In 1989, Jodi McCarty is 17 years old when she’s sentenced to life in prison. When she’s released 18 years later, she finds herself at a Greyhound bus stop, reeling from the shock of unexpected freedom but determined to chart a better course for herself. Not yet able to return to her lost home in the Appalachian Mountains, she heads south in search of someone she left behind, as a way of finally making amends. There, she meets and falls in love with Miranda, a troubled young mother living in a motel room with her children. Together they head toward what they hope will be a fresh start. But what do you do with your past --- and with a town and a family that refuses to forget, or to change? Reviewed by Rachel McConnell.
VERSES FOR THE DEAD: A Pendergast Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Rene Auberjonois
A. X. L. Pendergast and his new colleague, junior agent Coldmoon, are assigned to investigate a rash of killings in Miami Beach, where a bloodthirsty psychopath is cutting out the hearts of his victims and leaving them with cryptic handwritten letters at local gravestones. The graves are unconnected save in one bizarre way: all belong to women who committed suicide. But the seeming lack of connection between the old suicides and the new murders is soon the least of Pendergast's worries. Because as he digs deeper, he realizes that the brutal new crimes may be just the tip of the iceberg: a conspiracy of death that reaches back decades. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
WATCHING YOU by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gabrielle Glaister
As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all --- including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with him. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenage son Freddie --- a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5 --- excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father. One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced that her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. Meanwhile, 20 years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
THE WATER CURE by Sophie Mackintosh (Dystopian Fantasy)
Audiobook available; read by Hannah Murray, Gemma Whelan and Morfydd Clark
King has tenderly staked out a territory for his wife and three daughters. He has lain the barbed wire, anchored the buoys in the water, and marked out a clear message: Do not enter. Or viewed from another angle: Not safe to leave. Here women are protected from the chaos and violence of men on the mainland. The cult-like rituals and therapies they endure fortify them from the spreading toxicity of a degrading world. But when their father disappears, they retreat further inward until the day two men and a boy wash ashore. Over the span of one blistering hot week, a psychological cat-and-mouse game plays out. Sexual tensions and sibling rivalries flare as the sisters confront the amorphous threat the strangers represent. Can they survive the men? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE GIRL KING by Mimi Yu (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Eunice Wong, Allison Hiroto and James Chen
Sisters Lu and Min have always known their places as the princesses of the Empire of the First Flame: Lu will become the dynasty's first female ruler, while Min will lead a quiet life in Lu's shadow. Until their father names their male cousin Set his heir instead. Lu has no choice but to go on the run, leaving Min to face the volatile court alone. Lu soon crosses paths with Nokhai, a survivor of the Ashina, a clan of wolf shapeshifters. Nok never learned to shift, but working with the princess might be the only way to unlock his power. As Lu and Nok form an alliance, Min's own hidden power awakens, a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set's reign...or win her the throne instead. Reviewed by Ilona Kaydanov.
THE SIMILARS by Rebecca Hanover (Science Fiction)
This fall, six new students are joining the junior class at the elite Darkwood Academy. But they aren't your regular over-achieving teens...they're clones of Darkwood students. The Similars are all anyone can talk about, but Emmaline couldn't care less. Her best friend, Oliver, died over the summer and it's all she can do to get through each day without him. Then she comes face-to-heartbreaking-face with Levi --- Oliver's exact DNA copy and one of the Similars. Emma wants nothing to do with the Similars, except she can't escape the dark truths about the clones or her prestigious school. No one can be trusted...not even the boy she is falling for with Oliver's face. Reviewed by Hannah B., Teen Board Member.
SLAYER by Kiersten White (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Madeleine Maby
It’s hard to be normal when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers --- girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic. Until Nina becomes the newest Chosen One --- and the last Slayer, ever. Period. As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied… But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested --- because someone she loves might be next. One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard. Reviewed by Jena Brown.
TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET by Karen M. McManus (Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Sophie Amoss and Kirby Heyborne
Ellery's never been to Echo Ridge, but she knows her aunt went missing there at age 17. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows. Before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing. Ellery, who has secrets of her own, soon learns that in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself. Reviewed by Ellie Tiemens.
THE WICKED KING by Holly Black (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Caitlin Kelly
After the revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe, so she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. Reviewed by Alice D., Teen Board Member.
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