Spooky Reads & Eerie-sistible Treats

Hello readers, I'm excited to be back with a spooky reads post, as I love the fall season and the countless books that fit the season's mood. This post is in partnership with Penguin Teen for their 2019 YA Wicked Reads Campaign. Today I will be sharing book recommendations based on your favorite sweet treats. Stayed tuned to find out which book you should read.

If you like Hershey's Dark Special Dark Chocolate... 

If you like the bitter and spine-tingling taste of dark chocolate, you should pick up Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Hershey's may seem kind of basic and plain to you on the outside, but the flavor of the dark chocolate is complex, twisted and quite unique. It is a perfect metaphor for this book, which takes on a very classic and simple look, however it is filled with dark accents and multi-dimensional characters.

If you like Skittles...

Want to read the rainbow? Not only does Noteworthy feature a handful of LGBTQ+ characters, but just like skittles, this book contains a multitude of flavors. There are moments in this book that will make you keel over and laugh, but then there are moments that will ground you with serious discussions about gender norms and diversity. You can get a taste for everything that Young Adult has to offer in this book. 

If you like Kit Kat...

You guessed it... a book that will break your heart! The Hearts We Sold is by far the most jarring book I've ever read. It sweeps you off your feet but also cracks your little heart into tiny pieces. When the book came out in 2017, it made my list of top reads for the year. This book has so many complex layers you can peel apart, which is personally how I love eating my Kit Kats. 

If you like Sour Patch Kids...

The Power was a recent read for me, one that I had to include on this list because I truly recommend it for this fall spooky season. Like a sour patch, this book has a serious flavor change. The book starts off pretty sour and then starts to slowly but surely become sweeter. I was all over the place while reading this book, sometimes wanting to cheer because my favorite characters prevailed and also the feeling of I-want-to-throw-my-book-across the other side of the room (which I did actually do btw). 

If you like candy corn...

Here lies a book that I personally thought I loved but everyone didn't, just like candy corn. I am a candy corn fiend and am always taken aback when people say they don't enjoy the super sweet and chewy treat. Everless was a book with very mixed reviews, but in short I had so much fun reading it and it definitely gives you a lot to chew on with the fantastic magic system and world building. 

If you LOVEEEEEE Snickers...

Last but not least for my favorite Halloween candy of all time. The Beautiful is recent release from master storyteller Renee Ahdieh. You know what you love best about Snickers: the smooth candy bar that looks super clean but then you take one bite and you get the exciting bite of a peanut, as a string of caramel runs down your chin. Reading The Beautiful is like taking a bite out of a Snickers bar. It's the sensation of surprise and gooey goodness that is sweet but also a little bit tart. Damn, I should really be a food critic. 

Cover Reveal | Henderbell by J.D. Netto

I am so honored to share the cover for one of my author friend's upcoming books in a brand new Young Adult fantasy series. J.D. isn't new to the Young Adult genre. His first series, The Whispers of the Fallen, is one that is known to the YA audience. This fall, prepare yourself for an all-new series featuring magic, friendship, and darkness. Click here to read a preview of some of the chapters of the first book! 

Title: Henderbell: The Shadow of Saint Nicholas
Author: J.D. Netto
Pages: 302 pages
Release Date: November 11th, 2019
Genre: Fantasy

"Maybe this was the reason why I always felt like an outsider growing up. I never belonged in the ordinary. I was born to live amidst magic." Enzo Griffin

Enzo and Ava Griffin never expected to face their worst nightmare on Christmas Eve. Through they always dreamed of magic, they never thought of its actual existence, and the consequences it carries. During a violent snowstorm, they're visited by fowl creatures called Shadow Spirits. The eerie beings kidnap both of their grandparents, vanishing into a portal found on the bark of a tree.

After the frightening incident, Enzo and Ava discover Henderbell, a world full of magic, wonder, and secrets. But an impending doom is revealed to them. The king and queen of Henderbell are missing, and their absence could trigger the destruction of this new-found world and the human realm. On the quest to find both Henderbellian rulers, Enzo and Ava learn of a curse placed upon their own bloodline. But other ancient enemies have risen from their graves, seeking revenge for a past unknown to them.

Enzo and Ava find friendship, courage, and love as they face unimaginable darkness in the quest to redeem the world they belong and the one they live in.

Can you discover the curse hidden in the shadows?

Preorder now!

Amazon

 J.D. Netto 

Born in a small town in Brazil, J.D. relocated to the United States when he was eleven years old. At an early age, J.D. discovered his passion for fantasy stories and alternate universes. His first book series, The Whispers of the Fallen, has captivated readers around the world, becoming a prominent voice in young adult fantasy. J.D. is also the founder of the Saved by the Page movement.

J.D. Netto is also a visual artist, musician, and entrepreneur. 

This Book Is Not Yet Rated by Peter Bognanni | Author Interview

Title: This Book Is Not Yet Rated
Author: Peter Bognanni
Pages: 336 pages
Source: Hardcover from publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

The Green Street Cinema has always been a sanctuary for Ethan. Maybe it's because movies help him make sense of real life, or maybe it's because the cinema is the one place he can go to still feel close to his dad, a film professor who died three years ago. Either way, it's a place worth fighting for, especially when developers threaten to tear it down to build a luxury condos.

They say it's structurally unsound and riddled with health code violations. They clearly don't understand that the crumbling columns and even Brando, the giant rat with a taste for sour patch kids, are a part of the fabric of this place that holds together the misfits and the dreamers of the changing neighborhood the cinema house has served for so many years.

Now it's up to the employees of the Green Street Cinema--Sweet Lou the organist with a penchant for not-so-sweet language; Anjo the projectionist, nicknamed the Oracle for her opaque-but-always-true proclamations; Griffin and Lucas who work the concessions, if they work at all; and Ethan, known as "Wendy," the leader of these Lost Boys--to save the place they love.

It's going to take a movie miracle if the Green Street is going to have a happy ending. And when Raina, Ethan's oldest friend (and possible soul mate?), comes back home from Hollywood where she's been starring in B-movies about time-traveling cats, Ethan thinks that miracle just may have been delivered. But life and love aren't always like the movies. And when the employees of the Green Street ask what happens in the end to the Lost Boys, Ethan has to share three words he's not been ready to say.

Out now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I am so excited to be apart of this tour and to present an interview with the brilliant Peter Bognanni. Peter is actually a professor at the college I attend, and I sat in on one of his creative classes when I was a prospective student. it brings me great joy to support the work and creativity of my profs who love what they do and enjoy teaching their craft with students who aspire to do the same. So without further ado, I asked Peter some questions about his writing process and his teachings.

Q: This novel is a lot different than your previous Young Adult novel, Things I'm Seeing Without You. How do you decide the subject matter of your books before you write them?

Usually I realize I have a book idea if there’s an obsession that I just can’t let go of. In the case of Things I’m Seeing Without You, it was the idea of digital grief and mourning someone you only knew on the internet. For this book, it was the idea of finding your first work family. I kept coming back to these ideas and taking notes. Then I took notes on the notes. Before too long, I had the beginnings of a book.

Q: What inspired the story of This Book Is Not Yet Rated? Are there going to be movie references scattered throughout the book?

I grew up watching a lot of movies. My dad was a film buff and we used to go to the movies almost every Saturday when I was growing up. Later I worked at a small movie theater in Minneapolis called the Oak Street Cinema. Then, my first book was made into a movie and I got a chance to see what things were like on that side of things. All of these experiences cohered into book about the movies, family relationships, and a friendship between a theater worker and an actress. Oh, and yes, lots of film references!

Q: So not only are you an established Young Adult author, but you're also a professor of Creative Writing. What experiences have you gained as an author that you feel are valuable to share with your students?

I mostly teach the craft of writing, so branching out from adult to young adult has opened up another avenue for classes. I taught a YA literature course at Macalester for the first time last year, and the student work was amazing. I always start with the art of telling a good story, making a narrative work, creating tension and urgency, making the reader care. From there, I move to the smaller, fancier things like lyricism, psychic distance, and point of view.

Q: What's the most important writing tip you give to your students who are aspiring writers?

When you’re young, you just have to keep working. You wrote something good? Great, get back to work. Something bad? Make more work. It takes a while to find your own truth and the style that makes it unique. And most problems along the way can be solved by just writing your way through them. The rest of the answers are in books. So read lots of those.

Author Info
Peter Bognanni is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His debut novel, The House of Tomorrow, won the Los Angeles Times Book prize for first fiction and the ALA Alex Award and has been adapted into a feature film. He teaches creative writing at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota.