The last book I am featuring during this year's event is one that has a title that immediately brings to mind one of the most iconic romantic comedy movies.
When Dimple Met Rishi obviously brings to mind When Harry Met Sally and sounds like it is going to be equally cute. I am a big fan of contemporary young adult novels and I am very excited about this one in particular.
The Goodreads synopsis is already brings to mind the cutest of romantic comedies and I think it'll be a fantastic addition to the YA contemporary genre.
A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
Sandhya was kind enough to answer a few questions for this event. They've made me want to read this even more, if possible.
1 Describe When Dimple Met Rishi using three words.
1.Kismet
2.Family
3.Love 2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included?
Ooh, there’s a scene in When Dimple Met Rishi where they eat gelato, so I’ll go with those flavors. Dimple would definitely choose cherry and Rishi would scarf down banana chocolate swirl until he got sick. I wonder if they have cherry-banana-chocolate swirl?
Everything about this book sounds cute, and perfectly adorable. I cannot wait to read it and feel all those warm fuzzy feelings that a good rom com instill in me.
When Dimple Met Rishi releases May 30, 2017 and is available for pre-order from your favourite retailer right now!
Sandhya Menon was born and raised in India on a steady diet of Bollywood movies and street food. She pretty much blames this upbringing for her obsession with happily-ever-afters, bad dance moves, and pani puri.
She currently lives in Colorado in the United States, where she’s on a mission to (gently) coerce her husband and children to watch all 3,220 Bollywood movies she claims as her favorite.
Her YA novel WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI will be out on May 30, 2017 from Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster). You can preorder it on Amazon: http://bit.ly/wdmrhardcover or add it on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/dimplerishi
Every single time that a new Emery Lord novel is announced. I get giddy. We're talking ridiculous dancing around the house levels of giddy.
I flail and immediately want to know all that I can about the book, and the characters within it. An Emery Lord novel will leave you with feelings overload and I am so excited to see what she has in store for us from a book she calls 'feelings camp'.
The Goodreads synopsis is already bringing the feelings so I am sure the book is going to leave everyone an emotional mess.
Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?
Emery was kind enough to take some time and answer a few questions about this book and, if possible, I am now even more excited to read it.
1 Describe The Names They Gave Us using emojis.
2 If someone were to make a signature drink in honour of your book, what might be included?
This is tricky! There's a lot of tea in this book. And a lot of cheap liquor consumed by teenagers around a bonfire!
3 This novel seems to deal with labels, and the names we give ourselves and others. What inspired you to a write a novel dealing with this particular subject?
Well, I think a lot about nomenclature- the names we give people, the names that feel right to us, and why. I've always been preoccupied with it, but writing brings it out since you're naming characters (and books and sometimes towns and, and...).
4 Your novels always have flawed, imperfect characters at their heart. I love that you make these characters unapologetic about these imperfections. Why do you, personally, feel this is important to include in your writing?
The simple answer is that I write realism, and my goal is always going to be to write deeply human characters. But beyond that, I dislike the idea that we should only like or relate to or choose people who make the same choices we'd make. It's an exercise in empathy for me to stretch and give my characters flaws I don't relate to. After spending a year/80,000 words in a characters' head, I understand actual humans- who are different than I am- better than I did when I first sat down to write.
5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
It is still Frell, imaginary nation ruled by Char and Ella.
6 What 2017 release are you most anticipating?
WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI and also SAINTS, MISFITS, MONSTERS & MAYHEM!
7 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of The Names They Gave Us.
The first prom crisis is manageable.
Bonus question - This novel has been described, by you, as going to feelings camp. How many tissues do you think the reader should have on hand before starting your book?
Haha! I don't know. I cried a lot writing it. But that is because I had to confront and work through some difficult things. And if it helps readers confront/work through those difficult things, then perhaps...a few tissues. At least one.
Dance party in honour of a new Emery Lord book coming out in 2017! I cannot wait to read this while drinking a delicious glass of wine and am even looking forward to the aforementioned tears.
The Names They Gave us releases May 16, 2017 and is available for pre-order from your favourite retailer right now, and I highly recommend doing so.
You can also follow Emery on Twitter, visit her website, and the publisher website for all the details about The Names They Gave Us.
Emery also writes two AMAZING newsletters. The Em Dash is one. It is like having a drink with a friend who is filling you in on all this amazing stuff you need to know about. It's focuses on a little bit of everything but is always an inspiring read. The other newsletter, The Paris Geller School For Girls, is just bad ass and equally inspiring. The links let you sign up for either and I highly recommend both.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the last book that made this year's list!
You discover your favourite author has a new book coming out. You're filled with excitement right? You immediately want to pre-order it and curse the number of days that stretch between you and what is sure to be your next obsession.
Combine that excitement with the thrill of getting to interview that author about their new book. Trust me, it pretty much looks a lot like this gif...
Getting a new Jodi Lynn Anderson novel in 2017 is a huge deal for me. I have majorly loved her previous novels and am confident this new one will be just as amazing.
Just check out this Goodreads synopsis and tell me you don't immediately want to read this!
Kansas, 2065 Adri has been handpicked to live on Mars. But weeks before Launch, she discovers the journal of a girl who lived in her house over a hundred years ago, and is immediately drawn into the mystery surrounding her fate. While Adri knows she must focus on the mission ahead, she becomes captivated by a life that’s been lost in time…and how it might be inextricably tied to her own.
Oklahoma, 1934 Amidst the fear and uncertainty of the Dust Bowl, Catherine longs for the immortality promised by a professor at a traveling show called The Electric. But as her family’s situation becomes more dire -- and the suffocating dust threatens her sister’s life -- Catherine must find the courage to sacrifice everything she loves in order to save the one person she loves most.
England, 1919 In the recovery following World War One, Lenore tries to come to terms with her grief for her brother, a fallen British soldier, and plans to sail to America in pursuit of a childhood friend. But even if she makes it that far, will her friend be the person she remembers, and the one who can bring her back to herself?
While their stories spans thousands of miles and multiple generations, Lenore, Catherine, and Adri’s fates are entwined in ways both heartbreaking and hopeful.
Everything about this sounds incredible and I am sure it is going to be filled with the kind of beautiful writing Jodi Lynn Anderson is known for. I am especially excited for the cover to officially be revealed!
As mentioned, Jodi has also kindly taken the time to answer a few questions about her book. The fact that I got to do this will never cease to amaze me.
1. Could you please provide a Twitter pitch for Midnight At The Electric (140 characters or less)?
A mystery tracing 3 lives through 3 different time periods intertwined by electricity and a very old tortoise
2. If someone were to make a signature drink in honour of your book, what might be included?
Whiskey, elderberry syrup, and club soda
3. If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
I’m into the Dark Ages right now and the imagery of that time -- the darkening of Rome, and how Christianity crept toward the Celts. Only I wouldn’t want to go as a person – more like, a cloud looking down on everything. I’d like to see it but would hate to be there because, you know, swords.
4. What 2017 release are you most anticipating?
Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed.
5. One of the things we know about this novel is it features three different eras. What kind of research (if any) did you do for this novel as a result?
I read quite a bit. Most notably The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan -- which is this gorgeous, yank-your-heart-out look at the people who lived through the Dust Bowl. Another standout was The Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin, which totally changed how I think about colonizing Mars (the book makes such a compelling case for it being realistic, and very much in our grasp).
6. Do you have a personal favourite out of the three eras included in the novel?
The idea for the book began with the Dust Bowl -- with a picture in my head of Catherine Godspeed standing by a bare tree in her dusty yard, stripped of just about everything. That was the driving force behind the story for me – the optimism and the big mistakes and the fear and the stark, scary beauty of something so enormous as those storms. I think in a way it’s the lynchpin that pulls the other stories together.
7. If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Midnight At The Electric?
Does the epigraph count? Because I love it and I think it says a lot about the story. It’s from a Woody Guthrie song about the Dust Bowl: “Sweethearts sat in the dark, and sparked.”
Tiger Lily is one of my favourite Jodi Lynn Anderson's books, so I felt this gif was warranted. There is also something magical about not only about her writing but the characters she creates as well. It is like a little bit of pixie dust has been sprinkled on all of her books so it doubly fit.
I love the idea of three stories from various time periods being interconnected and I cannot wait to discover what their connection is. I anticipate that it'll tear my heart out like her previous books but make it thankful that it did.
Midnight At The Electric is scheduled for release on June 13, 2017! Just in time for my summer reading list and a blissful reading day at the park.
It is available for pre-order from your favourite retailer right now, and I highly recommend doing so.
You can also follow Jodi on Twitter, visit her website, and the publisher website for all the details about Midnight At The Electric (including the official cover reveal when it happens).
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book that made this year's list!
Today I have Jackie from Simon and Schuster Canada offering up her choices for most anticipated reads of 2017. We have titles for the Middle Grade and YA fans, and even some adult titles for those who are looking for those.
There are a lot of amazing sounding titles and each one links to the Goodreads page, where available, so you can find out more about them. I highly recommend checking them all out.
The next book I picked has a main character who sounds like she may have been inspired by one of my favourite female characters ever.
Amy Dunne from Gone Girl is complex, and unlike any female character I had read before. Riley Stone is a character who seems to be modeled after Amy. Riley is perfect (or so appearances would have you believe) but it is evident there is more going on underneath.
The Goodreads synopsis is pretty sparse which leads me to believe that there are plenty of secrets waiting to be discovered with the pages of this book.
Riley Stone is just about perfect. (Ask anyone.)
She has a crush on her French teacher, Alex Belrose. (And she suspects he likes her, too.)
Riley has her entire life planned out. (The plan is nonnegotiable.)
She's never had a secret she couldn't keep. (Not ever.)
Riley is sure that her life is on the right track. (And nothing will change that.)
She's nothing like a regular teenager. (But she doesn't have any problem admitting that.)
Riley doesn't usually play games. (But when she does, she always wins.)
She thinks a game is about to start…
But Riley always has a plan…
And she always wins.
A student teacher relationship, a girl who plays to win, and what sounds like a possible twisted main character all have me VERY excited to pick up this book.
Amanda has kindly taken the time to answer a few questions about Such A Good Girl.
1 Twitter pitch Such A Good Girl (140 characters or less) Wow, this was tough! I stole this from the description and shortened it a bit: "Pretty Little Liars meets Luckiest Girl Alive in this novel about a perfect girl who's willing to do anything to make sure it stays that way" 2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included? Oh, man! I'd say a TON of chocolate, with bits of cookie dough and fudge, and a few nuts. 3 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel (if you didn't listen to music let me know and I can quickly send another question) I didn't actually listen to this song WHILE I was writing, but my friend Lexi Larsen, who is a singer songwriter, wrote a song called "Bad" that is debuting next month that is PERFECT for this book. We have talked about it being the theme song for Such a Good Girl! 4 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel? Maybe back to the Victoria era, just to try on the dresses - or back to just before I was born, so I could meet my grandfathers. 5 What 2017 release are you most anticipating? The Adjustment by Suzanne Young! She's one of my critique partners and great friends, and I love everything she writes. :) 6 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Such A Good Girl Something to know about Riley Stone: 1) Riley Elizabeth Stone is just about perfect. Ask anyone.
I am so excited to find out what secrets this book holds! I am expecting it to be a fun, twisty, thrilling read and with its June 20, 2017 release date it'll be perfect for those of you looking for a beach read that is not contemporary romance.
It is available for pre-order from your favourite retailer right now.
Today I have Vikki from Penguin RandomHouse Canada stopping by to share her own list of must read books in 2017. There are so amazing sounding titles on this list that I am predicting many will have their 'to be read' list grow after reading this post.
A huge thank you to Vikki for taking the time to do this!
EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IS NOT RUINED is a real weeper about the relationship between Ingrid and her mother, the beautiful but volatile opera star Margot- Sophia LaLonde. When the novel starts, Ingrid is at the beginning of an extreme wilderness experience, along with a group of high-risk teens, having never so much as camped before. She has made a deal with her mother; if she makes it through a summer in the wilderness, then she can pursue her dreams of becoming a performer. Canadian author Danielle Younge-Ullman has created not one but TWO compelling narratives and managed to weave them together in a way that makes it impossible to put this book down. I can’t decide which plot I like better: Breakfast Club in the woods—with convicts!—or mother-daughter drama that plays out like The Glass Castle (only if the mother was an opera singer.) There are stolen kisses in the wings of a theatre, moments of bad-assery that would make Khaleesi proud, swoony ex-convicts, and so much more.
Attention all L.M. Montgomery fans! Penguin Teen has a novel inspired by the teen years of Canada’s most famous author (Sorry, Margaret Atwood!) MAUD is impeccably researched by LM Montgomery scholar and debut Canadian author Melanie J. Fishbane and illuminates the hopes, fears, challenges and triumphs of the woman who would grow up to write ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, one of the most beloved children’s books of all time. Motherless at a young age, Maud bounced between family members, including her strict grandparents, a cold, resentful aunt, and her estranged father and his new wife, who treat Maud like a nanny and try to marry her off to her older, dreadfully dull teacher. Anne fans will delight in the true-to-life people and incidents that inspired some of the most iconic Green Gables touchstones: The Lake of Shining Waters, a supportive female teacher with shades of Miss Stacy, and a scholarly rivalry that turns to romance with a handsome local boy.
It’s been a great couple of years for funny, poignant memoirs from girl-crush worthy women (Mara Wilson, Phoebe Robinson, Jessi Klein, Mindy Kaling… just to mention a few). Buzzfeed writer Erin Chack may not have the same celeb status as these women (yet), but her memoir about life, love, and adulting belongs on the same shelf. THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING is a collection of essays in which Erin recounts everything from meeting her soulmate at age 14 to her first chemotherapy session at age 19 to what really goes on behind the scenes at a major Internet media company. For a little taste, follow her on twitter: @ErinChack.
THE ONE MEMORY OF FLORA BANKS is a breathless puzzle of a book; a thriller without the guts, gore, or murder. Flora has a condition in which she cannot form short term memories. She lives under the careful watch of her parents, in a town she is familiar with, among people who are equally familiar with her story. And then she kisses her best friend’s boyfriend, Drake, the night before he sets off for Norway, and everything changes: She remembers him and that kiss. Flora sets off on a dangerous journey to find Drake, who she believes is the key to restoring her memory for good. Emily Barr takes the conceit of an unreliable narrator and cranks the stakes way, way up. Flora’s tenacity, strength, mistakes, and triumphs are writ large against the harsh yet beautiful landscape of Svalbard. I read this with white knuckles and my heart in my throat. A must-read for fans of We Were Liars.
My next selection for this event is a book with a seriously swoon worthy cover. It is a cover that makes other covers want to sexy wink at it. It also happens to have a European trip, boys falling for each other, pirates, and lots of debauchery (of the 18th Century variety) within its pages.
A novel that will most likely fill you with wanderlust and have you packing your bags to head off to Europe and so much more!
After reading the Goodreads synopsis it is pretty much impossible to not want to read this book.
An unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
Witty, romantic, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a sumptuous romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.
If this hasn't made you desperate to get your hands on this novel perhaps Mackenzi's brilliant teaser video will. This video not only shows how insanely talented she is, but makes this book sound INCREDIBLE.
Mackenzi has also kindly taken the time to answer a few questions about The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue.
Describe The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue using only emojis.
🇬🇧➡️🇫🇷➡️🇪🇸➡️🇮🇹➡️(I cannot for the life of me make the Greek flag emoji work but that’s what should be here :)
♥️♣️♦️♠️
⚓
️
2 If someone were to make a signature drink in honour of your book, what might be included?
Funnily enough, I don’t really drink. But my main character, Monty, does. A lot. And in spite of being a classy rich boy, Monty’s also the sort who would drink whatever cheap, crappy booze gets him drunk fastest.
So I’d probably say the drink would be an old fashioned, with whiskey and citrus and cherry….except the ice cube would be infused with vodka, so as it melted the drink got boozier.
It gets you wasted fast but you look super classy drinking it. 3 Your book revolves around two gentleman taking the Grand Tour. Which countries would be on your own Grand Tour of Europe?
I am really lucky because I actually got to take a grand tour of Europe when I was in college, and I visited everywhere Monty, Percy, and Felicity go on their tour. The place I most wanted to see while I was abroad that I missed out on was Prague, so definitely it would be on the list, and definitely Edinburgh (which I get to visit very soon and I’m so very excited!). But also, can I just go everywhere!? Even countries I’ve already explored I feel like have so much more to see! It can get very overwhelming very fast when you think of how mind-blowingly huge and amazing the world is. 4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel (if you didn't listen to music let me know and I can quickly send another question)
Since Monty is sort of an eighteenth century party boy, I listened to a lot of the music I thought he’d like if he were alive today. Which meant I wrote this book to pop music I would never, ever have listened to otherwise, like Sia, Lady Gaga, Fergie, Miiike Snow, Jessie J--even Uptown Funk was on my list.
But also “Paris” by Kate Nash, “Ship to Wreck” by Florence + The Machine, “A Question” by Bombadil, “Ne Me Quitte Pas” by Regina Spektor, “Keep Yourself Warm” by Frightened Rabbit, “Outlaws” by Alesia, and “This Year” by the Mountain Goats. All of which is much more to my usual taste. 5 I am guessing a lot of research went into this novel, particularly in regards to the time period this is set in. What was the most surprising thing you discovered while researching?
But the most surprising thing about reading these journals was, in spite of the aforementioned crazy luxury and privilege, how much I could relate to the sentiments of these tourists. In spite of having several hundred years and a fortune separating us, and both of us living lives that on the surface the other couldn’t possibly seem to relate to, I read their journals and found so much emotion I could relate to. Things like obsessive crushes and depression and anxiety and preoccupation with your future--just further proof that the world may change, but it really doesn’t change that much. 6 What 2017 release are you most anticipating?
I have to just pick one?! That seems cruel.
I am aggressively excited about THE PEARL THIEF by Elizabeth Wein. Because ZOMG MORE VERITY. I’m fine. 7. If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
On the morning we are to leave for our Grand Tour of the Continent, I wake in bed beside Percy. For a disorienting moment, it’s unclear whether we’ve slept together or simply slept together.
Anyone else itching to plan a Grand Tour of their own? I haven't even read the book and I am ready to pack my bags. I can only imagine the wanderlust that will hit when I actually get to read this book.
The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue is scheduled for release on June 20, 2017! It will be required reading for anyone heading to Europe for the summer (and the perfect beach bag accessory).
It is available for pre-order from your favourite retailer right now, and I highly recommend doing so.
You can also follow Mackenzi on Twitter, visit her website, and the publisher website for all the details about The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue.
What countries would be a must visit on your own Grand Tour? Do you love travel inspired stories? Let me know in the comments.
And if you're wanting to chance to read this book early... I recommend visiting again near the end of the event for a giveaway that will include an eARC!
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book that made this year's list!
The next book on my 2017 Most Anticipated list is a book in which two sisters meet and fall for the same guy. If that were not complicated enough, there is another twist to this drama filled situation - the guy in question just happens to be a Prince. Yup, a PRINCE!
A novel that is inspired by both Anne and Mary Boleyn, and Kate and Pippa Middleton (except Pippa never dated William).
The Goodreads synopsis not only hints at the delicious drama that will unfold within these pages but also alludes to the fact that sisterhood is stronger than any guy. The sisterly bond is one of elements I am most excited for, and the complication that arises when they both are into the same guy, and this novel seems to promise both in equal measure.
For the first time ever, the Weston sisters are at the same boarding school. After an administration scandal at Libby’s all-girls school threatens her chances at a top university, she decides to join Charlotte at posh and picturesque Sussex Park. Social-climbing Charlotte considers it her sisterly duty to bring Libby into her circle: Britain’s young elites, glamorous teens who vacation in Hong Kong and the South of France and are just as comfortable at a polo match as they are at a party.
It’s a social circle that just so happens to include handsome 17-year-old Prince Edward, heir to Britain’s throne.
Charlotte’s had her eye on Edward, and soon they’re snogging all over the campus lawn and common rooms—while Libby busies herself with settling into her studies and navigating the complicated social code of Sussex Park. Eager to put her sister at ease, Charlotte encourages Libby to hang out with her new boyfriend. And much to everyone’s surprise, Libby and Edward hit it off.
Actually, they really hit it off.
In this juicy, contemporary girl-meets-prince story, two sisters find themselves at odds over the same boy amid high-society expectations and paparazzi scandals. In the end, there may be a price to pay for romancing the throne . . . and more than one path to happily ever after.
Nadine was kind enough to take some time to chat with me about this royal triangle and, if possible, she's made me even more excited to read this one. 1 Describe Romancing The Throne in three words
Sisters before misters 2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included?
Rocky Road (like the path to happiness and forgiveness for Charlotte and Libby!) plus some rose gummies (because, man, do those boarding school kids like to drink); 3 Your book revolves around two sisters competing for the heart of a Prince. Did any fictional or real life sisters provide inspiration?
As far as real life sisters, obviously Kate and Pippa were a big inspiration - they have such a supportive, tight-knit relationship and I find it fascinating. Pippa’s one of Kate’s only true confidants, and so she’s privy to many of the secrets behind the throne. I thought a lot about Anne and Mary Boleyn while writing, too: the idea of dating somebody and then having him stolen out from underneath you by your own sister. I’ve had a lot of early readers express (happy!) surprise that the main love story in romancing the throne isn’t actually between Charlotte and Edward or Libby and Edward, but actually between Charlotte and Libby. It’s ultimately a story about the bond between sisters and how that comes before any guy, Prince or not. 4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel (if you didn't listen to music let me know and I can quickly send another question)
This is so embarrassing—not to mention jarring, considering the material!—but I listened to Eminem’s Lose Yourself whenever I felt creatively blocked and needed a jolt. It works every time!
5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
I’d love to be in France in the 1920’s, ideally in the South of France with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and Gerald and Sara Murphy. Those people seriously knew how to throw a party. 6 What 2017 release are you most anticipating?
It’s hard to pick just one! The 2017 releases I’m especially excited for are The Hate U Give, Caraval, and #Famous. 7. If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Romancing The Throne
My serve has been my secret weapon ever since I mastered it at Wimbledon junior tennis camp two years ago.
The 'sisters before misters' description made my heart swell with happiness and giggle. I cannot wait to meet Charlotte and Libby.
Naturally, the other thing that caught my eye was rosé gummies! I was curious about what they were and had to Google them. Turns out they are delicious sounding gummies that are infused with rosé wine. Big surprise that I need to try them, right?
Sugarfina has them and I highly recommend checking them out. Thanks to Nadine I intend to buy some next time I am in New York City.
Romancing The Throne is scheduled for release on May 30, 2017! It has all the makings of a perfect summer treat (complete with the above ice cream, naturally).
You can pre-order it so it'll be ready for that June beach bag at your favourite retailer.
Today I have Melissa visiting from Raincoast Books to share a some of her most anticipated titles of 2017. There is zero overlap with any of my own personal selections so it will help round out the books on your to be read list.
A huge thank you to Melissa for being her usual lovely self and agreeing to write this up!
2017 Most Anticipated Books
2017 is going to be another incredible year for books, and I know my TBR pile has been steadily increasing. While it’s always difficult to narrow it down, here are 5 YA titles that I’m highly anticipating:
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz See more about this book on Goodreads.
THIS BOOK. I can barely talk about this book without wanting to jump up and down with delight. All of my colleagues (and anyone who participated in Raincoast’s TeensRead Preview) have seen my excitement over this book first hand. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s first novel since the highly acclaimed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and it is another gorgeous story that offers a realistic glimpse of teenagers who are trying to find their place in the world while dealing with everything that life throws at them. You can’t help but fall in love with these characters, and I hope that everyone loves this book as much as I do.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber See more about this book on Goodreads.
Kathy mentioned this book during her last Most Anticipated event, but I am just going to reiterate her points! This book features a magical setting, a strong bond between sisters, an intriguing love interest, and very real danger—what’s not to love? Stephanie Garber crafts a beautiful and compelling story that will have you swept away in the magical world of Caraval.
Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan See more about this book on Goodreads.
When Chronicle Books first introduced this book to us at our sales conference, one of the first things they mentioned is how much the story resonated with everyone who read it, which (of course) immediately caught my attention. This book is a debut from author Kayla Cagan and tells the story of Piper as she navigates her last year of high school, her friendships, and her passion for art and artistic expression.
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco See more about this book on Goodreads.
“Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave…” As soon as I read this opening line of The Bone Witch, I knew this is one that I would want to read. While I still haven’t had a chance to read it, I am incredibly excited for this book! Featuring powerful magic, danger, and emotional stakes—according to the author, they all literally wear their hearts around their necks—this is definitely one to check out in March!
Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy, edited by Ameriie See more about this book on Goodreads.
This is a short story anthology about VILLAINS. Need I say more?! In case that fact alone didn’t convince you, this book pairs some incredible authors and YouTube Book Reviewers as they each write a short story from a villain’s point of view. Contributing authors include: Renée Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon. So, I’m just saying that you should probably add this to your TBR list immediately!
