Bonnie Lynn Wagner - Page 12

You might want to grab a poncho, bookworms. I'm about to drool all over you today. I loved OPEN ROAD SUMMER by Emery Lord. Loved, loved, loved. And you know I don't say that lightly! Contemporary novels--and especially contemporary YA--are not my favorite thing to read. I can't tell you what it was about OPEN ROAD SUMMER, but I absolutely adored it. In March, I was going through a really bad reading slump, and this book plus Kasie West's THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US pulled me out of the slump (When no fantasy could!). If you haven't read it, you should. No, really, I don't care what genre you read. You should! This reminds me of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, a book I never thought I'd love, but I'm constantly re-reading various parts and I just love it and the characters so much. OPEN ROAD SUMMER has that same emotion for me, albeit in very different ways.

Good news, bookworms!  In a YA world littered with series and cliffhangers, THE SHADOW SOCIETY is that rare species in the wild known as a stand-alone novel. Marie Rutkoski ties things up in such a way that readers will be satisfied, yet there are traces of possibilities in the event she decides to re-open this world in the future.  Either way, readers will be satisfied with the overall outcome by the time the last page is turned.

Yesterday, it was announced that The CW is developing Lesley Livingston's 2017 YA release THE VALIANT for TV........To whet your appetite, here's my review of THE VALIANT.

This is the greatest time for fantasy fans. The genre is hotter than ever, and Hollywood is racing to scoop up best-selling sci-fi/fantasy series, hoping to share some of the success HBO experienced with Game of Thrones. In just the past month, BroadwayWorld has covered announcements on adaptations for Octavia Butler's DAWN and Nnedi Okorafor's WHO FEARS DEATH. Now, TNT wants in on the action and has just announced that it is adapting N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth Trilogy for TV.

They say the book is always better than the movie. In the case of The Circle, based on the book by Dave Eggers, I would venture to say that I enjoyed the Lionsgate movie more, which is rare for me. In full disclosure, I watched the movie first, then read the book directly after, so both were fresh in my mind during the comparison.

CITY MOUSE by Stacey Lender is a story so many people who live and work in NYC will relate to. New York is EXPENSIVE. You get very little, yet pay so much. Eventually, everyone whose livlihood is in NYC must decide: stay or commute? The decision becomes even harder once you have a family; those one-bedroom apartments can feel overflowing fast.

The cover has been revealed for this fall's highly-anticipated TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN, the first book from New York Times Best Selling Author John Green in over five years.

Yesterday, it was announced that Hugo and Nebula Award Winner Octavia E. Butler's Xenogenesis / Lilith's Brood series, which begins with DAWN, will be adapted into a TV series by Ava DuVernay (Selma, 13th, the upcoming 2018 release A Wrinkle in Time) and Victoria Mahoney (Queen Sugar, Yelling to the Sky) in their most recent collaboration.

In high school, my favorite books were all by Tamora Pierce, beginning with her adventures about Alanna, the daring girl who switched places with her twin brother, disguised herself as a boy, and went off to learn how to be a knight while he went to the convent to study magic. Ever since, I've had a soft spot for books where the girl disguises herself as a boy and goes on to do great things. This past year at BEA, I was talking with the publicist at First Second Books, Macmillan's graphic novel arm. She told me about a really cool graphic novel series, Four Points by Hope Larson. I was sold when she mentioned pirate ships, twins, and a girl disguised as a boy!

Looking for a fantasy series as deadly and somber at times as Game of Thrones? Look no further because The Lotus Wars Trilogy by Jay Kristof will leave you just as emotionally wrecked as a book from George R. R. Martin does!

THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET by Natasha Pulley is very different from a lot of other books out. It contains magical realism. It uses alternative history to weave Victorian England in the late 1800s with political upheaval occurring in Japan during the same period. It has really cool clockwork gadgets such as a 'living' pet octopus named Katsu. The book jumps back and forth in time in a way that is most intriguing, especially when you find out that one character interprets time and memory differently from everyone else--and that's all I can say on that front without spoilers.

San Diego Comic-Con was last weekend, and Penguin Random House plus LucasFilms Publishing gave sneak peeks at new Star Wars novels coming to the franchise. They hosted a panel featuring bestselling, fan-favorite authors Ben Blacker (STAR WARS: JOIN THE RESISTANCE), Christian Blauvelt (STAR WARS MADE EASY), Cullen Bunn (STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL), Christie Golden (BATTLEFRONT II: INFERNO SQUAD), Claudia Gray (LEIA: PRINCESS OF ALDERAAN), Jarrett J. Krosoczka (STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY: THE FORCE OVERSLEEPS), Cavan Scott (STAR WARS ADVENTURES), Beth Revis (STAR WARS: REBEL RISING), and Landry Walker (STAR WARS ADVENTURES). The session featured exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming stories, had a few surprise guests, and was moderated by Lucasfilm's Michael Sirloin.

Who doesn't love a good book cover? Even better when we get a behind-the-scenes look at how it was all put together.

This coming Tuesday, August 1, 2017, The Circle releases on Blu-Ray and DVD. Starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson, the movie is based on the best selling novel by Dave Eggers. 

San Diego Comic-Con was last weekend, and Penguin Random House brought three authors for their DC ICONS: YA AUTHORS MEET DC SUPERHEROES panel. DC Superheroes are getting a reboot--this time as teenage superheroes. The first four books in the line will be written by powerhouse authors already well-known to YA readers, and the first three authors to release their titles were at SDCC.

Have you ever wanted to win the lottery...while falling in love and trying to get into your dream college? Maddie finds herself a winner in Kasie West's new release LUCKY IN LOVE! See how she deals with her sudden change in fortune!

Sci-Fi is always an area that's touch and go for me. Oftentimes, it stretches my mind to the point where I feel dumb because I'm not good enough at math/science to understand the concepts making up the book's core. Thankfully, in Tal. M. Klein's debut novel THE PUNCH ESCROW, the science is broken down in a way that anyone can understand. And you never feel stupid about it, either.

Anticipation has been running rampant for Ernest Cline's popular novel READY PLAYER ONE ever since the movie rights were picked up. Buzz got even louder when the legendary Steven Spielberg signed on to direct. Yesterday during the San Diego Comic-Comic, the first teaser trailer was released for one of 2018's most anticipated movies, READY PLAYER ONE.

Today marks the start of San Diego Comic-Con, one of the most buzzed-about fan events held each year. I decided to join in this year in my own special way: By reviewing a book that takes place during Comic-Con!

Yesterday, Bloomsbury UK published its Quarterly Trading Update, which announced that two new Harry Potter books will publish in October 2017.