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St. Martin’s Griffin

So, You Want to be a Writer? Keep Reading!

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I’m sampling canapés at a party when someone walks up with a J.K. Rowling gleam in their eye. “I hear that you’re an editor. I have this great idea for a book, but I’m not sure how to get started. What do you recommend?” As I stifle the urge to fling the hummus in their general direction, I recommend those classics that I’ve long used for classes, writing workshops and myself: On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (Harper Perennial, 2006) by William Zinsser, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (Anchor, 1995), and Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg (Shambhala, 2005). For guys, I’ll usually toss in Stephen…

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Wild for Ampersands: 9 Fab Books Sporting the Stylish Symbol in the Title

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If I had to pick a favorite grammatical symbol, it would definitely be an ampersand. It’s all curves and swooping lines, and it’s just as fun to write as it is to say. Look at this little guy and tell me you’re not in love: & When an ampersand is added to a book title, it instantly lends a certain panache to any novel. The title suddenly flows, making those books using the word ‘and’ seem needlessly long. While it’s not quite as common to see ampersands in titles as of late, a few authors are still holding onto the trend (bless their hearts!). Plus, there are always the classics to refer back to again and again. Here are nine awesome books that…

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Summer Reading: Books for Firefly Evenings

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that fireflies are one of the best things about summer. They’re the beautiful glowy harbingers of lazy evenings that you stay outside to watch, even if the mosquitoes are getting at your ankles.    So, as summer dwindles down, let’s take a moment to appreciate one of nature’s most hypnotizing and lovely creatures! Well, actually, we’ll need more than a few moments, because we’ve picked out the perfect firefly-themed books for you to read during summer evenings before the season ends. Firefly Summer, Nan Rossiter (Kensington, July 26, 2016) This moving novel of love and loss is a really contemplative read that’s perfect for peaceful summer evenings. It tells the story of the four…

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15 Female Romantica Authors Leaving Us Hot and Bothered!

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Thanks to books like Fifty Shades of Grey, there’s been a huge boom in mainstream erotica novels. In fact, the popularity has birthed an entirely new genre, one that combines traditional romance novel tropes with steamy erotic situations. These new novels are called romantica — and we can’t get enough of them. Like romance or erotica, romantica is mostly written by and for women. It also includes all kinds of sexy tropes, but the most common is definitely lite-BDSM. These are stories about powerful men dominating equally-powerful women who can hold their own both in and out of the bedroom. But unlike straight-up erotica, the man and woman also fall in love, creating a compelling romantic storyline as well as some…

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Summer Reading Extravaganza: WIN 15 Fabulous Books!

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Do we really need an excuse to give away a big pile of books? We definitely do not! So since we’re overflowing with books in the BookTrib office, we wanted to share the wealth and keep your summer reading going strong. From Young Adult, to thriller, to historical romance and everything in between we’ve got you covered! So ENTER HERE to WIN this awesome pile of books!                                                     ENTER TO WIN!

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‘Stranger Things’ is Your New Summer Must-Watch — Plus, a Companion Book List

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If you’ve watched the trailer for Netflix’s new show Stranger Things eight times like we have, you’re definitely able to see why it’s so magnetic. Also, you might be a little crazy. The E.T. with a super-dark twist vibe is giving us major ’80s nostalgia, and is not something to be missed. And with Winona Ryder, who is herself “strange and unusual,” how can this show be anything but awesome? Ryder plays Joyce, single mom of two growing up in small-town Indiana during the 1980s. When her youngest, Will, suddenly disappears, the local police aren’t getting very far due to top-secret government experiments. Will’s buddies take the lead on their bikes to find their missing friend (*cough cough, Goonies, cough,…

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LGBTQ Reads: Jazz Jennings and Kody Keplinger Among Authors Embracing Pride Month

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June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month, and in light of the upcoming election and the tragedy that occurred in Orlando, reading books about LGTBQ characters is more important than ever. Ten years ago it was almost impossible to find queer main characters in popular literature, with readers often needing to seek out indie titles or search through self-published e-books to find non-heteronormative stories. But lately there has been a boom in LGBTQ publishing, particularly in genres like Young Adult literature. And while we definitely still have a long way to go, it’s clear that readers are clamoring for more and more books that celebrate the LGBTQ community. So as we close out Pride Month, we thought it only fitting…

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Who Needs Sleep? The Books That are Keeping Us Awake All Night Long

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The other day I sent an email to one of my BookTrib editors (and fellow writer), Beth. “UMM I started reading The Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day and I can’t stop,” it read. “I only got two hours of sleep last night!” After she chastised me for just now discovering the sexiness that is Crossfire, Beth and I commiserated over what it’s like to stay up until dawn because we’re physically unable to put a book down. Sometimes it feels like we go into a trance while reading, the rest of the world fading away until the birds chirping outside remind us that an entire night has gone by. Other times we’re perfectly aware of the time, but we just don’t…

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The Top 10 April Books We’re Crazy About

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If you live in a cold climate, April is that heartbreak month where you’re ready for warm weather but you just keep getting dumped with rain and snow. Luckily, there are some great new books coming out soon to warm us up while we desperately pray for spring flowers, sunshine and warmth. Here are 10 April releases that we’re pretty crazy about: One with You: A Crossfire Novel by Sylvia Day (St. Martin’s Griffin, April 5) Day’s Crossfire series has captivated fans across the world, becoming an international bestseller and a phenomenon that just can’t seem to quit. One with You is the final book in the series, wrapping up the romance between the two damaged soulmates, Eva and Gideon. Often compared to 50…

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TED Talks: Candy Chang Discusses Her Before I Die Project

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Art has the power to create inspiration from hardship, the power to bring emotional clarity to difficult times, and the power to make people laugh like idiots. Artist Candy Chang, in this week’s TED Tuesday pick, describes her Before I Die project, where she took a blank public wall and created a community art piece that is as charmingly funny as it is deeply contemplative. Her experiment in public participation, with the goal of turning “a neglected space into a constrictive one” as she puts it, has grown into a global movement. Chang’s emotional and stirring talk proves that visual art has the power to heal, amuse, and bring people together in unexpected ways. Recommended Reading: Before I Die, Candy…

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Fargo: The Best TV Show You Aren’t Watching

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It may have been easy to miss the Season 2 premiere of FX’s Fargo this past Monday. In a slew of other hotly anticipated autumn premieres over the past two weeks, like The Walking Dead, American Horror Story: Hotel, and Arrow, FX’s anthology series based on the Coen Brothers film of the same name may have snuck by unnoticed. However, a show as utterly flawless as Fargo deserves not only your weekly attention, but your love, your theorizing and every Emmy. Seriously, every single Emmy. There are a few special elements that set Fargo apart from its fall competition. For one, the simple, yet sharp, writing is so darkly hilarious that watching it actually makes you feel smarter. Secondly, there’s…

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