Categories
Giveaways

Win the Complete SUMMONER series by Tarah Matharu!

We are giving away copies of the complete Summoner series by Taran Matharu!

Here’s what it’s all about:

Fletcher is working as a blacksmith’s apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

Along with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire’s war against the savage Orcs. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow. With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of the Empire is in his hands.

Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click the cover image below:

Categories
Book Radar

Daveed Diggs, The Glass Castle, and more blips on the Book Radar!

Holy CATS, it is hot here in Maine. But everything is green and the air smells so good – it’s perfect reading weather. I hope it’s lovely where you are, too. (But, um, Colorado, what was up with that snow???) Here’s a bunch of bookish news to start your week off right. And remember, I love you and I like you. – xoxo, Liberty


Sponsored by the Lessons In Control Series

What would you do if someone offered to fulfill your wildest fantasies?

Seductive.

Charming.

Dominant.

Dean Sova is everything Maya Clery craves. From the first touch, their connection is intense. After leaving her troubled past behind, Maya thought she was happy—she is happy—but meeting Dean forces her to acknowledge dark needs she longs to explore yet has never had the courage to face.  


All the Deal News You Can Use

lovecraft countryJordan Peele to produce HBO series Lovecraft Country (based on the book by Matt Ruff) with J.J. Abrams, Misha Green.

The Chaperone, based on Laura Moriarty’s best-selling American novel, will reunite Elizabeth McGovern and Julian Fellowes. 

Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness to be developed as a limited series.

Netflix is developing and producing a new English-language drama series based on the fantasy saga The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski.

Daveed Diggs (of Hamilton fame) is set to star in TNT’s Snowpiercer pilot.

Ian McKellen, Gabriel Byrne and Connie Nielsen are set to star in Hamlet Revenant.

Today in Why Stop at Four: A fifth Game of Thrones spin-off is in the works.

Universal has bought the movie rights to the New York Times column You May Want to Marry My Husband, written by the late author Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Grace And Frankie actress June Diane Raphael is writing a book to help women run for office.

Cover Reveals

Book Riot got the exclusive cover reveal of Jen Wang’s The Princess and the Dressmaker!

The Mary Sue revealed the shiny new cover of Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh.

And last but not least, the cover of Caleb Roehrig’s new thriller, White Rabbit.

Sneak Peeks!

The Alienist series is coming! I looooove this novel. (It’s hard to believe it has been 23 years since its release. I got the book right before *cough* graduation *cough*.)

alias graceNetflix debuts first images from its new miniseries based on Alias Grace, the Margaret Atwood novel.

 The first trailer for The Glass Castle, starring Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson.

The trailer for The Hippopotamus, based on the novel by Stephen Fry.

The trailer for The Limehouse Golem, based on Peter Ackroyd’s 1994 novel Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem.

Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning star in How to Talk to Girls at Parties, based on the short story by Neil Gaiman.

Book Riot Recommends

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders new release index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week!

the prey of godsThe Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden (June 13, Harper Voyager)

Can a young girl, a politician, a pop diva, and a teen stop the rise of a powerful demigoddess who is set on making her big hellish comeback? You should read this and find out because WOW WOW WOW. If I had to sum this up in two words: banana pants. This fantastic futuristic South African novel has witches, robots, genetic engineering, and mammal/crustacean sex. And that’s just for starters!

the gentleman's guideThe Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (June 27, Katherine Tegen Books)

A bisexual British lord heads out on a wild world journey with his best friend/secret crush in this fun 18th century romp! Monty has reached an age when he is expected to finally settle down and act like a gentleman. But before he does, he takes his BFF Percy on one last adventure around the globe, which quickly turns dangerous – both romantically and to their actual lives! This is fun with a capital “YES.”

And this is funny.

Who is driving the car?

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships May 19

Happy Friday, my fellow fans of skiffy and fanty! Let’s get to it.

The Locus Award finalists, like the Arthur C Clarke shortlist, include Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This is interesting because the Locus Awards are selected via an open poll to readers, rather than by a panel of judges based on publisher submissions (although there is a “recommended” list provided by editors and reviewers). It had not occurred to me before I saw the Clarke list that anyone would consider it science fiction of the same kind as, say, Death’s End. But perhaps I am in the minority? In the meantime, the First Novel category has much beloveds Ninefox Gambit, Everfair, and Roses and Rot, and I now need to read every other debut nominated as well.

Andy Weir’s next book will be about a heist on the Moon and everyone is really freaking excited about it. Which I get — the words “heist” and “Moon” are an excellent combination.

Some food for serious thought: who gets to be a geek? The essay Dragons Are For White Kids With Money looks at the inclusion issues that continue in geekdom on the fan side, and is well worth the read.

Back to the adaptations corner:
The Left Hand of Darkness is getting an adaptation and I have many concerns, which Margaret articulates very well! How will they cast it? Le Guin has said she used “he/his/him” pronouns at the time of the novel’s publishing because that was the accepted default, but my fear is that Hollywood will take this literally. Le Guin is a consulting producer, so I will be over here crossing my fingers and toes and hoping she doesn’t let them.
– I don’t know if Scalzi’s Collapsing Empire will ever get to the big screen but I want it so badly, thanks to this fancast. (His odds are probably very good, considering this newsletter has to have an adaptations corner!)
– You already know this if you clicked the Andy Weir link above but Artemis has also already been optioned.

Not an adaptation per se: we finally have a trailer for Star Trek: Discovery! And it is gooooooooood. I have been skeptical about this show for a variety of reasons, but I’m taking off my skeptic’s hat and starting to get excited.

Last but most certainly not least, a dinosaur got named after a Ghostbusters character and that is just the best news ever.

And now, let us discuss bioengineering and music magic.

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

Borne by Jeff VanderMeerYou’ve likely seen reviews all over the place for Borne, and for good reason. VanderMeer has been working in sci-fi for many years but broke through in a big way with the Southern Reach trilogy (which maybe we’ll talk about another time; you’ve all read them though, right? Right?!). So Borne couldn’t help but be a big deal. For me and I’m sure many others, the question was: could it measure up to Area X? The answer is a resounding yes.

The book follows Rachel, a young woman and former refugee making a life by scavenging in the ruins of a city (in my head, Los Angeles) ruled by a giant bioengineered flying bear named Mord. No, really. And the plot kicks off when she finds a creature of indeterminate origin — is it vegetable? animal? mineral?? — stuck to Mord’s fur, takes it home, and names it Borne, where it proceeds to grow into sentience. No, really! Rachel’s increasingly maternal relationship with Borne creates problems with her partner and lover Wick, while other forces in the city threaten their tenuous existence. Also featured: talking foxes, many skeletons, mutant children, the nefarious Company. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but I don’t want to spoil the ending for you.

If you’ve read VanderMeer, none of this will particularly surprise you; his imagination is decidedly weird, and his plots don’t always bother to make sense. This is part of their power — I cannot tell you how many text, DM, and in-person exchanges I’ve had debating what actually happened in one of his books. The internal logic is always sound, the characters are compelling and often feel deeply familiar, and his ability to twist and reshape reality is frequently jaw-dropping. And in Borne, it’s his characters — specifically Rachel and Borne — that resonated the most for me. Their relationship, which is also the engine for the plot, shifts all other relationships as well as the very structure of their world, and I would have happily read another hundred pages of it.

If you’re already a fan, you want this on your shelf. If you’ve never read him this is a great entry point (although by no means an “easy” read); Borne will introduce you to the pyrotechnics VanderMeer is capable of, and I guarantee you’ll never look at a bear the same way.

 

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-GarciaIf you took The Craft and set it in 1980s Mexico City, you’d have something very like Signal to Noise. Half of you are already on your way to the Buy button; let me convince the rest of you!

Mercedes “Meche” Vega, a teenager in Mexico City in 1988, lives for her vinyl collection and the occasional mixtape. She’s not pretty, she’s not popular, she doesn’t like books, school is a drag, and her parents are always fighting. She’s sullen and judgmental, and I loved her. Then there are her friends Sebastian and Daniela. Sebastian is bookish and awkward; Daniela is a good-hearted pushover who suffers from lupus. They’re brought together more for their social status rather than any shared interests, but they also get each other. And when Meche discovers that she can make strange, magical things happen with the right song, they form a coven and set about making their lives better. Fast forward to 2009, and Meche has returned home to help bury her father. She hasn’t talked to Sebastian or Daniela since 1989, and the book alternates between the book’s past and present as we find out why.

Moreno-Garcia has nailed her characters here. Meche’s thorny edges and flashes of anger, Sebastian’s impatience with his situation, Daniela’s hesitant journey towards confidence, and the ways that they both hurt and heal each other are all perfectly captured. It’s also hard to fault the internal logic of the magic; who hasn’t had a full-body-and-brain experience with the right song at the right time? While they’re very different books on the surface, Signal to Noise reminded me of another favorite, Emma Bull’s War For the Oaks, in terms of my reaction. I needed those songs in my ears, and I needed to know what happens next.


This newsletter is sponsored by The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson.

Noble Servant by Melanie DickersonNew York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson returns with The Noble Servant, a retelling of the fairytale classic, The Goose Girl. In this medieval tale, Lady Magdalen is on her way to join the Duke of Wolfberg in marriage when her maidservant betrays her, takes her identity, and sends her down to the lowliest household position—tending the geese. But while out in the field, Magdalen encounters a mysterious shepherd who reveals that not all is as it seems in the castle, and it is up to them—the lowest of the low—to regain all that is lost.

Categories
Riot Rundown

051817-TraitorsKiss-Riot-Rundown

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty.

An obstinate girl who will not be married.
A soldier desperate to prove himself.
A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a proper lady—which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for a suitable marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls—and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls’ military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust—and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.

With secret identities and a tempestuous romance, Erin Beaty’s The Traitor’s Kiss is full of intrigue, espionage, and lies.

Categories
The Stack

051817-Creepshow-The-Stack

Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Gallery 13.

The graphic novel adaptation of the classic horror anthology film written by Stephen King, with art by Bernie Wrightson.

Categories
Giveaways

Win a Young Adult Book Subscription Box!

We have 10 OwlCrate boxes to give away to 10 Riot readers.

Here’s what OwlCrate is:

OwlCrate is a monthly subscription service that delivers bookish fun straight to your door! Each box will contain one brand new hardcover Young Adult novel, as well as a whole bunch of bookish keepsakes to help set the mood for your literary adventure. Every box is built with a super fun and creative theme in mind, and also includes special goodies right from the author! OwlCrate also has a brand new box for younger bookworms! OwlCrate Jr is perfect for readers aged 8-12, or anyone young at heart. Happy reading!

Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click on the OwlCrate box photo below. Good luck!

Categories
Audiobooks

Where to Find Free Public Domain Audiobooks

I have long been a fan of Open Culture and I don’t know why people don’t talk about or use it more. Do people not love free things as much as I do? I love free things so much. And Open Culture is chock full of free things–-ebooks, audiobooks, lectures, and videos–-all in the public domain. Sure you can root around on different sites for different things, but wouldn’t you rather have a whole bunch of it in one place? Me, too. Some of these are short stories; pieces by Jamaica Kincaid are read by Edwidge Danticat and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and others, like C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, are full novels. There are a variety of formats, including MP3s, which leads me to my next item…


Sponsored by Audiobooks.com

100,000 titles, 1 app, endless listening! Your first book is free when you sign up for Audiobooks.com, the premier membership service for audiobook lovers. You can stream books live or download for offline listening, and enjoy great features like sped-up narration, sleep timer and custom bookmarking. Browse by genre or curated lists, check out promotions and giveaways, and switch seamlessly between devices with cloud-syncing technology. Plus, Audiobooks.com integrates with CarPlay, Android Auto, Sonos and tvOS for easy listening in your car and home. Try Audiobooks.com today!


Is the MP3 dead?

It’s hard to feel like something is dead when you have 6 billion of them living on your computer and you use them all the time, but okay, I guess.

What’s that? You want *more* free audiobooks? OK, I’ve got you covered (BOOK PUNZ!). Kim Komando talks LibriVox Audio Books.

New Releases

Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology

From Lydia Yuknavich’s review in the New York Times:

There is a difference between reading a book and listening to stories, a difference amplified to epic proportions in the case of Norse Mythology. I knew it immediately when all of the hairs on my arm shot up during the retelling of how Odin lost his eye when he traded it for a sip from the well of wisdom. My theory was confirmed when my 16-year-old son passed by my bedroom door one night and could not stop himself from coming in to listen — for an entire hour. Hearing a story aloud, you are seduced by the wonder of an ancient oral tradition.”

Nevertheless by Alec Baldwin

The Washington Post says of Baldwin’s narration, “Baldwin’s trained delivery, his air of candor and, above all, his engagement with what he is reading elevates this book above its printed form.” Want to hear for yourself? Listen to an excerpt of it here.

WaPo also reviews In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant, saying, “Nicholas Boulton delivers the general narration in a courteous, gentlemanly manner, a temperate foil to his virtuoso performance in capturing the extravagant, Renaissance personalities of the story’s many characters.”

An upcoming release for the young feminist in your life:

She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton (on sale 5/30)

This book is marketed as being for ages 4-8, but I think people of all ages could use a reminder about the awesome-ness of the women covered in this book. Among the lives recounted by Clinton: Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Clara Lemlich, Nellie Bly, Maria Tallchief, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, Margaret Chase Smith, Sally Ride, Florence Griffith Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, and Sonia Sotomayor. 

Links for Your Ears

Audible Highlights 10 Books Where Small Towns are Gigantic Characters

Cory Doctorow talks “Cage-Free Audiobooks and Libro.fm”

Students Learning to Read by Listening: I am incredibly stoked to see this happening. I have long been a believer that our educational system is too rigid in how we teach literacy skills. If you get kids hooked on the story, they’re going to want to learn how to consume that story. Or so says me.

Turn books into audiobooks (if you have Windows, that is).

Are you a writer? Concerned about your novel getting proper audiobook treatment?

My bad:

Last week, I mentioned an awesome Audible article about audiobook narrators first taking the mic. And then I linked to the wrong article. I’m very sorry and you should definitely check out the *right* article here.

Categories
What's Up in YA

Mental Health and Illness in YA Fiction: A List of Reading Lists

Happy Monday-or-whenever-you’re-reading-this YA readers!

This week’s “What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Pin It from Chronicle Books.

Brightly colored pins styled into fun patterns and designs are the hottest new hairstyling trend. Pin It! gives short- and long-haired fashionistas tips and tricks to create 20 colorful bobby pin hairstyles for any occasion. Step-by-step photos make it easy to follow along, and five DIY projects for personalizing bright and sparkly pins make the looks even more fun and unique.

____________________

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This annual awareness campaign has been around since 1949 (!) and seeks to educate Americans about mental health, signs of illness, and more.

Rather than share a whole host of YA books that explore mental illness, I wanted to take this issue of the newsletter to highlight some of the pieces others have written about YA and mental health. At the end, I’ll note some of the more recent titles that have explored mental health, as well. This is meant to be a robust, though not comprehensive, look at what’s out there for readers to better understand mental health and how it plays a big role in YA fiction.

One thing worth noting before going on: not all mental health angled YA books are going to be “good.” But it would be challenging to note which ones are “good” and which are “bad,” since mental illness itself manifests so differently for every single person. Suggesting there’s a single experience is dangerous, though there are absolutely places to tread lightly for those who might be triggered by raw or graphic depictions of illness. This is one reason, among many others, that bibliotherapy shouldn’t be practiced by anyone who isn’t also certified in psychiatry or other mental health focused related medical fields. The wrong book in the wrong hands could end up being far more dangerous than intended. What can be criticized more clearly and thoughtfully on the “good” or “bad” scale when it comes to mental health depiction, though, are the tropes that emerge with them. Tropes such as romance “curing” the mental illness of a character or tropes wherein the mental illness is simply a ruse can be quite dangerous not just for those who struggle with mental illness but for those who haven’t quite grasped how severe and debilitating mental illness can be. It’s not a mystery to be solved or a hole to be filled with love; mental health is a real, complex thing that requires real, compassionate consideration and care.

That said, let’s get to the resources for books, books, and more books.

  • Disability in KidLit is one of my favorite resources out there, period. The work they’ve done in talking about mental illness is especially excellent, and you can access both a wealth of reviews of specific YA titles, as well as guest posts and discussions on various aspects of mental health here.

 

 

 

  • s.e. smith talked about mental health representation in YA lit back in 2011 at Bitch Media, and their discussion of 13 Reasons Why is particularly interesting, given recent dialog about the book and its adaptation.

 

 

 

 

And here’s a round-up of some of the recent and forthcoming YA books that have hit shelves which depict some aspect of mental illness. This isn’t comprehensive, but rather, rounds out some of the lists linked above.

 

100 Days of Cake by Shari Goldhagen

There are only three things that can get seventeen-year-old Molly Byrne out of bed these days: her job at FishTopia, the promise of endless episodes of Golden Girls, and some delicious lo mien. You see, for the past two years, Molly’s been struggling with something more than your usual teenage angst. Her shrink, Dr. Brooks isn’t helping much, and neither is her mom who is convinced that baking the perfect cake will cure Molly of her depression—as if cake can magically make her rejoin the swim team, get along with her promiscuous sister, or care about the SATs.

Um, no. Never going to happen.

But Molly plays along, stomaching her mother’s failed culinary experiments, because, whatever—as long as it makes someone happy, right? Besides, as far as Molly’s concerned, hanging out with Alex at the rundown exotic fish store makes life tolerable enough. Even if he does ask her out every…single…day. But—sarcastic drum roll, please—nothing can stay the same forever. When Molly finds out FishTopia is turning into a bleak country diner, her whole life seems to fall apart at once. Soon she has to figure out what—if anything—is worth fighting for.

 

The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller (July 11)

Matt hasn’t eaten in days.

His stomach stabs and twists inside, pleading for a meal. But Matt won’t give in. The hunger clears his mind, keeps him sharp—and he needs to be as sharp as possible if he’s going to find out just how Tariq and his band of high school bullies drove his sister, Maya, away.

Matt’s hardworking mom keeps the kitchen crammed with food, but Matt can resist the siren call of casseroles and cookies because he has discovered something: the less he eats the more he seems to have . . . powers. The ability to see things he shouldn’t be able to see. The knack of tuning in to thoughts right out of people’s heads. Maybe even the authority to bend time and space.

So what is lunch, really, compared to the secrets of the universe?

Matt decides to infiltrate Tariq’s life, then use his powers to uncover what happened to Maya. All he needs to do is keep the hunger and longing at bay. No problem. But Matt doesn’t realize there are many kinds of hunger… and he isn’t in control of all of them.

 

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios (July 13)

Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her California town, too small to contain her big city dreams. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone.

Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it’s too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she’s unable to escape.

Deeply affecting and unflinchingly honest, this is a story about spiraling into darkness—and emerging into the light again.

 

Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.

 

Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno (June 6)

Lottie Reeves has always struggled with anxiety, and when her beloved Aunt Helen dies, Lottie begins to fear that her own unexpected death might be waiting around every corner.

Aunt Helen wasn’t a typical aunt. She was the author of the best–selling Alvin Hatter series, about siblings who discover the elixir of immortality. Her writing inspired a generation of readers.

In her will, she leaves one last writing project—just for Lottie. It’s a series of letters, each containing mysterious instructions designed to push Lottie out of her comfort zone. Soon, Lottie’s trying some writing of her own, leaping off cliffs, and even falling for a boy she’s only just met. Then the letters reveal an extraordinary secret about the inspiration for the Alvin Hatter series. Lottie finds herself faced with an impossible choice, one that will force her to confront her greatest fear once and for all.

 

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

 

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (August 8)

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn’t sure if she’ll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new…the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel’s disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself–or worse.

 

Madness by Zac Brewer (September 18)

Brooke Danvers is pretending to be fine. She’s gotten so good at pretending that they’re letting her leave inpatient therapy. Now she just has to fake it long enough for her parents and teachers to let their guard down. This time, when she’s ready to end her life, there won’t be anyone around to stop her.

Then Brooke meets Derek. Derek is the only person who really gets what Brooke is going through, because he’s going through it too. As they start spending more time together, Brooke suddenly finds herself having something to look forward to every day and maybe even happiness.

But when Derek’s feelings for her intensify, Brooke is forced to accept that the same relationship that is bringing out the best in her might be bringing out the worst in Derek—and that Derek at his worst could be capable of real darkness.

 

Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life With OCD by Allison Britz (September 18)

Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home.

But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality.

It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing.

Unable to act “normal,” the once-popular Allison became an outcast. Her parents questioned her behavior, leading to explosive fights. When notebook paper, pencils, and most schoolbooks were declared dangerous to her health, her GPA imploded, along with her plans for the future.

Finally, she allowed herself to ask for help and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This brave memoir tracks Allison’s descent and ultimately hopeful climb out of the depths.

 

Optimists Die First by Susin Neilsen

Life ahead: Proceed with caution.

Sixteen-year-old Petula De Wilde is anything but wild. A family tragedy has made her shut herself off from the world. Once a crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula now sees danger in everything, from airplanes to ground beef.

The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class. She has nothing in common with this small band of teenage misfits, except that they all carry their own burden of guilt.

When Jacob joins their ranks, he seems so normal and confident. Petula wants nothing to do with him, or his prosthetic arm. But when they’re forced to collaborate on a unique school project, she slowly opens up, and he inspires her to face her fears.

Until a hidden truth threatens to derail everything.

 

 

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.

But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.

Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?

 

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back.

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

 

What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard

What sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has lost so far: forty pounds, four jean sizes, a boyfriend, and her peace of mind. As a result, she’s finally a size zero. She’s also the newest resident at Wallingfield, a treatment center for girls like her—girls with eating disorders. Elizabeth is determined to endure the program so she can go back home, where she plans to start restricting her food intake again.She’s pretty sure her mom, who has her own size-zero obsession, needs treatment as much as she does. Maybe even more. Then Elizabeth begins receiving mysterious packages. Are they from her ex-boyfriend, a secret admirer, or someone playing a cruel trick?

 

Thanks for hanging out, YA friends. Until next week.

– Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars

Categories
Kissing Books

Harlequin to Discontinue 5 of Their Romance Lines

Hey there, lovers. It’s been a crazy couple weeks in Romancelandia. Know how I said they needed a break? Well, they had their fun at the RT Convention, and now it’s time for all the Shitteth to Hitteth the Fan…eth.


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Let’s start with the less good news, just to get it out of the way.

Harlequin has informed authors and other relevant publishing professionals that it will be discontinuing five of its lines over the course of the next 18 months. Here’s a quick rundown. This is…distressing. And I will join the chorus that, while sad about all five lines needing to close, is most distressed about them making the decision to close the line that publishes an overwhelming majority of their romance by authors of color—black authors in particular. This makes me hope that they are going to fold their corps of authors into their other lines, making all of them much more diverse; it’ll be nice to see someone darker than a Sheikh on the cover of a Desire book. I hope Harlequin knows we’re all going to be watching its publications and acquisitions like hawks after December 2018.

Meanwhile, moments after I hit publish on the last KB, KFC decided a fun thing to do would be to commission a special romance novel for Mother’s Day called Tender Wings of Desire. I was curious enough that I downloaded it on a whim (y’know, free), but I couldn’t bring myself to open it. This felt like punch-down humor from a place that sells (admittedly delicious) chicken (that I haven’t eaten in years), and I still don’t know how I feel about it. On one hand, it’s kinda funny. A romance starring The Colonel. I chuckled. On the other, it was obviously made with the distinct purpose of making fun, and not in the Chuck Tingle or Velociraptor Sex way. Did you read it? Hit reply and tell me your thoughts.

In happier news, with RT Convention comes the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards. I haven’t read all of them, but I’ll have to get on that soon. The ones I have read include Marrying Winterborne  and Forbidden, which are definitely deserving.

Have you noticed that even with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon making so much original content, we still aren’t at the level of romcom greatness that we were two decades ago? Some of us have, and an intrepid group of women came together to start PassionFlix, which is not porn, if your friends ask. The future streaming platform will not only feature romantic favorites, but also produce new feature-length films based on our favorite romances. The list of those in production currently includes titles by Alessandra Torre and Jill Shalvis, with tons more on the way. Want to play a part in the endeavor? You can become a Founding Member.

Pardon my squeals, but Gail Carriger has finally de-secrefied her super secret project, nicknamed SAS in communiques over the course of the past several months. If you’ve read her short Marine Biology, you’ll be familiar with Biff, the main character of The Sumage Solution: San Andreas Shifters #1. Carriger’s Parasolverse novels are great, but I’m excited to see what G. L. Carriger’s modern paranormal work looks like!

Over on Book Riot:

Want to make your TBR explode? Check out Amanda Diehl’s list of 100 books by International Romance Authors to check out. Oh man. Lots of good stuff and so many new discoveries to make.

Do you like tinyletters? A couple of the authors Annika mentions in her list of good tinyletters about books and writing to follow are romance writers. Maybe they can help get me off my behind and finish that first draft I’ve been working on forever.

On To Recs!

Bombshell, CD Reiss

Are you ready to fall in love? There are three people to fall for in this book, which was apparently born out of a fan feeling the need for party boy Brad to have a kid. That kid is Nicole, who we meet in quite the situation at the nanny HQ where Cara is waiting to sign a contract. She doesn’t work for Hollywood types, but Nicole doesn’t want anyone but her. The compromise Cara and Brad come up with is all kinds of precious, and the exchanges throughout the book are the same. If there’s a good word to describe this book, it’s sweet—but there is also quite the bit of spicy. Like serious spicy. Sweet, cute, heartbreaking, and sexy. What else do you want in your romance?

cover of concourseConcourse, Santino Hassell

This was my first Santino Hassell book, but I went ahead and got Sutphin Boulevard when I finished; I need to start this series from the beginning. And I need to get more of Santino’s writing in my brain. In Concourse, we meet Val and Ash, an Odd Couple if we ever saw one: Val is an amateur boxer who does odd jobs for his super, while Ash is a glam Kardiashanesque socialite with the Instagram following to show for it. Valdrin’s parents moved to The Bronx from Albania, and his mom was Ashton’s nanny, meaning the two pretty much grew up together. Val will do anything for Ash, as we discover very early on.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with these two; almost immediately, you can tell there’s something special about their relationship, even if they both drive you mad with frustration. If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers story with complex characters who have even complexer issues, this is the book for you. Also, you can hit two Read Harder Challenge categories with this one.

As usual, some books to keep an eye out for:

Haven, Rebekah Weatherspoon (in case you didn’t last time)

Lethal Lies, Rebecca Zanetti

Buns, Alice Clayton (5/23)

Guilty Pleasure, Brenda Jackson (5/29)

In Name Only: 9 Fake-It-To-Make-It Romances (5/29)

Called Out, Jen Doyle (5/29)

Shacking Up, Helena Hunting (5/30)

Until You, Denise Grover Swank (5/30)

Time to get back to reading (catch up? what’s that?). In the meantime, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Until next time, m’loves!

Categories
Giveaways

BLACKOUT giveaway

We have copies of Blackout by Marc Elsberg to giveaway, plus one winner will get a $100 Powell’s gift card!

Here’s the lowdown on Blackout:

When the lights go out one night, no one panics. Not yet. The lights always come back on soon, don’t they? Surely it’s a glitch, a storm, a malfunction. But something seems strange about this night. Across Europe, controllers watch in disbelief as electrical grids collapse. There is no power, anywhere.

A former hacker and activist, Piero Manzano investigates a possible cause of the disaster. The authorities don’t believe him, and he soon becomes a prime suspect himself. With the United States now also at risk, Piero goes on the run, desperate to uncover who is behind the attacks. After all, the power doesn’t just keep the lights on—it keeps us alive.

Ready? Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click the cover image below. Good luck!