@simonschusterca / simonschusterca.tumblr.com
“There are romance novels for literary lovers, YA fans, thriller and mystery enthusiasts, and even for your book club! There are also at least eight solid reasons (possibly many more) why every book-lover should pick up one of these books and give it a shot.”
Jacquelynne, Marketing Assistant: This weekend I’m reading To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han. I know, I know, I am WAY behind on this series. I am just getting back into contemporary YA novels and I thought, why not start with a classic? (And just in time for Always and Forever, Lara Jean, out this year!)
Holley, Publicity Assistant: I have been a Zoe Whittall kick lately. After reading Holding Still for as Long as Possible, I dove into The Best Kind of People. Both novels are very different but equally compelling. Over the holidays I began Bottle Rocket Hearts. It’s a coming of age story set in Montreal in the 90’s. Whittall has such a talent for character development that, no matter what is going on, I need to read more about the interesting individuals she has created. Jordyn, Sales Operations Assistant: I am currently reading the second edition of Y: The Last Man, which is a graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughan. It’s incredibly well done, beautifully drawn, and the plot is super intriguing. The premise alone – looking at a world where all men/male animals have been wiped out – is mind boggling, and offers an interesting view of gender dynamics. I highly recommend checking out this series!
What’s new in the world of books you ask? The publishing industry is always hustling and bustling and we’ve rounded up some of the headlining news from the last two weeks.
In case you were living under a rock, BookExpo America (BEA) took place last week in Chicago, IL. It seems all of Hollywood had a meeting and decided it was the year of celebrity memoirs: Amy Schumer, Bryan Cranston, Carrie Fisher, Anna Kendrick – the list goes on, trust us.
Speaking of Hollywood, some of our favourite books are getting the big screen treatment. Grab some tissues and watch the brand new trailer for The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. They’re already talking Oscar buzz for Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. Also recently announced is the adaption of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. Get a peek at the stunning Idris Elba in costume as The Gunslinger.
The Internet was a buzz this week when Jenny Han announced (very tastefully) that she will be releasing a third installment to her Lara Jean series—Always and Forever, Lara Jean. This will be the final book in the series and a follow up to To All The Boy’s I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You. We absolutely adore this series and also that cake.
Have you ever wanted to publish your own book? This week Wattpad announced the launch of Wattpad Studios, a multi-channel network for its platform of over two million creators. They are hoping to partner with the entertainment industry in order to source stories for print, film, television, and digital platforms. This is your chance, writers!
Author Iain Reid, was featured on the Humans of Kingston Facebook page. He talks about his new thriller, I’m Thinking of Ending Things and the reasons he keeps gravitating back to Kingston, from living on a farm to now as a writer.
The author whose books lined our bookshelves growing up, and as adults is officially on Tumblr! Judy Blume will be sharing insights into her writing, images, playlists, and much more.
And now to end our weekly round up, we present you with a gif of Idris Elba fully aware of his magic powers.
In Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Lara Jean writes love letters to her secret crushes. Lara Jean doesn't plan on mailing these letters—they're just for her—until one day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly her crushes know exactly how she feels about them.
Check out our Valentine’s Day 2016 event daily for reading recommendations, excerpts, and other fun, bookish things!
#TBT to our favourite summer romances from 2015!
Cheers to a great summer of romance reading and time to say hello to September!
he’s so bad but he does it so well…
I spy Jenny Han!
We don’t get many opportunities to put pen to paper anymore. Most work and note taking are done on our computers. Conversations are had via email or text messaging. But the act of letter writing is a great exercise for expressing thoughts into words (not just gifs). Putting ink onto paper requires a more careful thought process, where we can’t simply hit the delete button if we don’t like what we’ve written. We gave some letter writing tips in an earlier post, and now we’ve put together a reading list we hope will inspire a love of letter writing in young readers.
Picture Books
Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin
Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada
Middle Grade
Sincerely by Courtney Sheinmel
Dear Anjali by Melissa Glenn Haber
Dear Max by Sally Grindley
Young Adult
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Jenny Han at POWERHOUSE Arena, 5/26/15
An illustrated representation of the letter jennyhan received, and kept, from the teacher who influenced her the most.
We’re celebrating #12daysofYA reads!
We’re kicking off day 1 with Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Love Before. You could win a copy for you and a friend: Follow @simonschusterca on instagram, repost with #12daysofYA and tag a friend to enter. 1 winner a day! Canada only.
It may be snowing outside, but we’re holding fast to our plans for Spring!
Whether it’s a fun, flirty crush or a dark, intense love story, we’ve got your next Spring romance.
Check out these great new YA reads and enter our Spring Romance sweeps. You could win a Spring Romance YA library, a $100 GC to Garage Clothing and a collector’s edition TOTBILB t-shirt!
*Contest is for Canada only.*
