Like This?

Try this!

Why?

First of all, both of these intoxicating sagas come from the same genius mind: L. J. Smith. The TV show Vampire Diaries is based on her book series of the same name. One thing I love about TVD is that there are so many storylines going on, and I’m invested in all of them! There are various characters to root for and more and more supernatural twists every episode. Smith’s  Night World series does this so so well too! It starts out with one girl, Poppy, who is dying of a terminal illness and is given a tempting offer. From there, the series grows to add more characters whose stories weave in and around each other to build a world you really get invested in quickly. It’s been a year since TVD ended, and if you’re missing some quality supernatural world building and, let’s face it, romance (TEAM DAMON FOR LIFE), do yourself a favor and pick up this series!

Helpful tip: You can read THE FULL BOOK right now! Night World is currently a featured read on Riveted until August 28th!

Guess who’s back and ready to spoil another book with her powers of prediction? Me, obvs. Honestly, I’m getting so good at it that I don’t even have to read books anymore. Well ok, I still do, but it’s just to prove that I’m right. Or *ahem* ok…so maybe I wasn’t exactly right last time…but I’m definitely going to be right this time.

Ok, so this time we’re taking a look at The Rattled Bones by S. M. Parker, (extended excerpt available until August 28!) Here’s the description so we are all on the same page:

Maine-bred, independent Rilla Brae is no stranger to the deep. She knows the rhythms of hard work and harder seas. But when she experiences the sudden death of her father, the veil between the living and the dead blurs and she begins to be haunted by a girl on a nearby, uninhabited island. The girl floats a song over the waves, and it is as beautiful as it is terrifying. Familiar and distant.

Then Rilla meets Sam, a University of Southern Maine archeology student tasked with excavating the very island where the ghostly girl has appeared. Sam sifts the earth looking for the cultural remains of an island people who were forcibly evicted by the state nearly a hundred years ago. Sam tells Rilla the island has a history no locals talk about—if they know about it at all—due to the shame the events brought to the working waterfront community. All Rilla knows for sure is that the island has always been there—an eerie presence anchored in the stormy sea. Now Sam’s work and the ghostly girl’s song lure Rilla to the island’s shores.

As Rilla helps Sam to unearth the island’s many secrets, Rilla’s visions grow—until the two discover a tragedy kept silent for years. And it’s a tragedy that has everything to do with Rilla’s past.

Going from this description, you might assume that Rilla is descended from the mysterious island people and that the ghost girl is trying to alert her to their history. You’d be wrong. Rilla is actually descended from mermaids that inhabit the area around an island just to the northeast of the ghost girl’s island, and let me tell you, they are not friends. The mermaids and the ghosts (the girl is their leader) are at war because, you guessed it, love. The mermaid queen called dibs on Sam, the archeology student, but one of the ghost people wants him too. As a descendant of the mermaids, Rilla should really take their side and hand over the human guy, but she doesn’t know about her heritage and the ghosts are using this to their advantage. Now the ghost girl is subliminally convincing Rilla to keep Sam on the island once he finishes his archaeological dig. Lots of confusing dreams and blackouts ensue, and in all the excavating, the pair discovers that they are siblings (a mermaid leaves a certificate of Sam’s aquatic birth on the ghost island shore in hopes of luring Sam off the island). He doesn’t leave though, and it all comes to a head when the ghosts take Rilla and Sam hostage. Sam promises to use his archeological prowess for good and make them a little museum if they’ll just let Rilla go, but Greg, the ghost in love with Sam, is not having it. Just as he’s going in for what is essentially an off-brand Dementor’s kiss, Rilla’s dad (yep, faked his death so he could go be a merman in peace) bursts in. He’s given up his fin and place with the mermaids to save his daughter and their very own Helen-of-University-of-Southern-Maine. It works. The ghosts are so disturbed and distracted by his new, pickle-y legs that Rilla and Sam crawl out of the metaphysical net of twine and anguish holding them captive. The three run for the water, determined to escape the mermaids and ghosts forever. And my friends, that’s where the book ends! I know, cliffhanger! Hopefully there’s a sequel. My guess is there will be mermaids, and maybe robots.

So now that you’ve read my prediction, you have to tell me if I’m right. Start reading now and let me know!

New York City is the perfect backdrop for all kinds of stories because it always seems to be just on the line between reality and something else. There’s this understanding that at any moment, anything can happen and it wouldn’t surprise you because you’re in NYC. Like sure, you could just go to NYC to stay with your dad’s friends for a relaxing week of sightseeing while he’s away on business, but you wouldn’t really bat an eye at the possibility that you could become the target of a mysterious murderous hunt either. It happens! Well, it happens in the first few pages of Out of Control by Sarah Alderson, which you can read for free until August 14!

This book is action-packed, with an intense mystery and amazing characters. It will lure you in on the first page and keep you on the edge of your seat until the last! Ok, I know I’m being vague. Here are 5 concrete reasons why you need to read this book.

1. The Action

A girl and a car thief on the run? This could totally be the formula for some campy, one-dimensional action story. But this book pushes past any labels or stereotypes and presents relatable characters in a situation out of their control (see what I did there??). That being said, the action was actually great. There were some really intense, well-crafted moments. I’m a person whose feelings are always visible on my face, and I definitely got some concerned looks while reading this in public. Someone actually asked me if I was ok.

2. Livia

I loved Livia. There were a few times I wanted to shake her for being so naive, but I realized I for sure wouldn’t be any better in those situations. Plus, she’s actually incredibly strong and capable, and regularly saves Jay’s life. Her weaknesses and challenges made perfect sense in the context of her life, but ultimately, she finds the strength to push past them.

3. Livia’s Abnormal Backstory

Livia has not had a normal life. In fact, one might argue that being chased in NYC is the most typical thing to happen to her yet. She grew up with a bodyguard, went to a school that had high level security walls, and had survived multiple kidnapping attempts. She’s also an adrenaline junkie who loves climbing as high as she can. All of this makes for some amazing character history and development. It also means that there are some interesting and sketchy characters that show up in her life.

4. Jay Moreno

Sorry I’m not sorry for being this person, but wowza, Jay Moreno (short for Jaime) is a dreamboat. Livia makes initial judgements about him, but he proves her wrong and becomes her perfect on-the-run partner. He’s also incredibly kind (which ALWAYS gets me with book bfs), and shows that he’s a loyal friend.

5. The Mystery

So what the heck is actually going on? What is the mysterious hunt for her life? Why are gunmen after her? Why do people keep dying around her? The answer is not what I expected, and the repercussions of that answer made me respect Liva even more. Read it for free til August 14!

Lord of Shadows is finally here and I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED! I’ve already devoured it once and I’m happily going through my second reading.

In case you haven’t gotten your copy yet (um, what have you even been doing?), or if you’ve realized the benefits of having more than one copy (there’s safety in numbers!), you should know that there are (at least) SEVEN different versions of Lord of Shadows available! One of my favorite surprises was the fact that ALL first edition copies include 40 (YES FORTY) never-before-seen runes by Val Friere (the original designer of the Shadowhunter runes) printed on the backside of the cover but otherwise, each of the various exclusive editions have a little something extra to set them apart. To help you with your potential purchasing decision, here’s a round-up of all the exclusive editions there are to choose from!  After all, why have just one copy when you can have seven?!

US Exclusive Editions

Barnes & Noble:

This edition features a deleted scene in which Emma and Julian meet on Blackfriars Bridge in London and discuss a certain trio of Victorian Shadowhunters we all know and love. Get it here.

Target:

This edition features a stunning, detailed map of Alicante, the Shadowhunters’ hidden European country. Finally, we can all put a visual to the place we’ve been trying to book tickets to for ten years!

Get it here.

Costco:

If you haven’t read Lady Midnight, tiny spoiler, Julian creates a beautiful portrait of Emma. Guess what? That portrait is in this edition! You can only get it if you’re a Costco member…but I think it might be worth it.

Books-A-Million:

This edition features an exclusive bonus poster that includes all your favorite Shadowhunters! Get it here.

UK Exclusive Editions:

W.H. Smiths:

The first 200 orders will feature a glossary of runes. Additionally, each of these copies is hand-stamped with a rune that incorporates Cassandra Clare’s signature. Get it here.

Waterstones:

This special edition paperback features blue page edges and the deleted scene of Emma and Julian on Blackfriars Bridge. Get it here.

UK Hardcover Special Limited Edition:

There are only 2,000 of these printed! The cover is decorated with the parabatai rune, and included inside is the deleted scene and map of Alicante. Get it here.

Which one will you be reading? I’LL TAKE ONE OF EVERYTHING!

I’m really good at predicting plots. Like, so much so that my roommate doesn’t binge watch stuff with me anymore because I always call the thing right before it happens (Cause I’m the worst. Sorry roommate!). So, prepare yourselves because I am going to take a whack at The Adjustment.

My credentials: I have read The Program but not The Adjustment, I read A LOT of dystopia, and I have an imagination like that alarming corner of YouTube that you always find yourself in, confused as to how you got there.

Here’s what Suzanne Young shared about the book last week:

“The Adjustment is a procedure that takes donated memories and implants them into a returner. These donated memories help spark the returner’s own bits of retained memory, fills in the blanks, so they can get a small piece of themselves back. Only in this story, the donated memories that Wes gets from his long-term girlfriend, Tatum, are corrupted. The book explores how we idealize our relationships, how memory is perspective based on the person recalling it.”

Here’s what’s gonna happen:

So, Tatum and Wes are mostly happy. But also Wes can’t remember a lot of their relationship, so Tatum donates her memories to him. Here’s where it gets tricky. Tatum is actually the robot clone of his real girlfriend, Katum. They’re identical, and the tech is obviously pretty advanced, so Tatum figured it wouldn’t be a problem. She chose specific memories to give Wes so he wouldn’t remember that she accidentally hit Katum with her car and now Katum is in a coma in a hospital across the country. I mean, it’s not like Tatum was trying to kill her human carbon copy! It was an accident. Plus, she’s always loved Wes in her circuit-y little heart.

Long story short, Wes figures it out because, well, Tatum is a robot and she’s acting pretty shady. And all her donated memories feel a little bit fabricated because Tatum borrowed them from Katum’s comatose head via android telepathy. Wes tricks Tatum into giving him the location of the hospital and rushes to Katum’s side. Unfortualtely, she’s definitely in a coma. But by this point, Wes’s memories are all pretty mixed around what with the Program and the Adjustment, so he’s content to just wait by her side because it’s the only real thing in his life. And he does. He waits there for the rest of his natural life. On the bright side, the hospital hires him as an orderly so it’s not like he’s broke. Win some, lose some.

I’m probably pretty close right? I guess you’ll have to check out the extended excerpt this week and read the full book to find out for sure!

It’s Princess Week, and I am so excited to use this as an excuse to talk about Snow White because her story holds a special place in my heart. For a couple of summers in my teens, I got to play Snow White at a fairytale festival for kids. As glamorous as it sounds—signing autographs, taking photos, making dreams come true—I discovered there’s a dark side to being a princess. Performing outside in July wearing a long, thick dress and getting kissed (drooled on) by Prince Charming (a guy younger than me with a big crush) 6 times a day really puts it all into perspective. It’s a good thing I did a bunch of character research (yep. nerd.) and read every Snow White retelling I could find to prepare myself for any potential unmagical sides of the fairy tale. While lying, fake-comatose and drooled upon, on a wooden stage isn’t exactly having your stepmother try to kill you, it is pretty rough. Take my advice and thank your lucky stars you can just read this dark, enchanting tale, and you don’t have to live it.

When you’re done doing that, check out my list of favorite Snow White retellings and let me know what you think in the comments! Did I miss any of your favorites?

In The Unexpected Everything, Andie’s perfectly planned summer gets completely scrapped when her father’s political scandal changes everything. She ends up spending the summer doing the farthest thing from her planned pre-med internship: walking dogs. As someone who has also unexpectedly been a part-time dogwalker, I can relate a bit. But let’s all be honest, hanging out with dogs is probably THE BEST consolation prize for unexpected plan changes. In celebration of changed plans and dogs, enjoy this introduction to some of the dogs (and cats because HELLO CATS) in our lives here at Riveted.

Cooper Dahlin, supermodel

Gary, professional cuddlebug

Tessie, majestic queen

Dori, goofball extraordinaire

Roux, one-eyed champion

Rory, expert troublemaker

Noah and Bella, frenemies for life

Oliva, hat connoisseur

Fee-Fee, not a mop

Garfield, America’s Next Top Cat Model (#smize)

Cookie Dough, better than the real thing

Huushur (means “dumpling” in Mongolian)

Sadie, passive-aggressive friend to all

Jake, the coolest cat

We’ve been chatting a lot about Alex, Approximately on Riveted these past couple weeks and by now, you are totally in love with it right? If not, go read the extended excerpt! It’s available until April 17. I’ll just add my voice in saying it’s a perfect twist on the they-don’t-know-they-love-their-nemesis formula.

If you’re like me and LOVE this plot line, please enjoy these listening/viewing/reading options to get through the post-Alex, Approximately-slump:

Not Exactly a Love Story by Audrey Coulombis

This twist set in the 1970s is a little different because the guy knows who the girl is from the start. Like Bailey, Vinnie moves after his parents’ divorce and has a lot to sort out. Not like Bailey, Vinnie starts calling his popular neighbor every night at midnight—and she keeps picking up. Soon they’re falling for each other, but Vinnie’s secret threatens to mess it all up.

She Loves Me (1963)

(photo via playbill.com)

This musical tells the story of two coworkers who hate each other’s guts, but are—unbeknownst to them—actually pen pals. It’s got all the happy, dancey goodness of a classic musical, and all the angst/twitterpation of the secretly-in-love story. The musical has had a few revivals, most recently last year with Zachary Levi (feast your ears). She Loves Me is based on the 1940s film The Shop Around the Corner, just like . . .

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Honestly just the swooniest romcom of all time for book lovers. Set against the big-box-store-vs-indie, You’ve Got Mail never gets old. One of the reasons I love Alex, Approximately is how place-specific it is—the atmospheric beach town is almost its own character. You’ve Got Mail feels so New York City you can almost smell the pretzels. Also, can we talk about when Joe and Kathy finally meet in Riverside Park and Joe says, “don’t cry, shopgirl”?! I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING.

Being a teenager means sometimes wanting to get as far away from your parents as possible…but it also means realizing how much you need them. After all, they may not be the coolest humans, but they’re the ones that always have your back. If your parent were to go missing, you’d want to find them right? In Tom Levine’s Hellworld, Abby finds herself in just that situation. Five years ago, Abby Booth’s mom, cohost of a ghost hunting reality show, went missing while filming in a ‘haunted’ cave in Arizona. Now she’s determined to go back to the cave and find out, once and for all, what really happened to her mom.

If you’re intrigued and want to know more about Abby’s story, we’re featuring an extended excerpt of Hellworld through April 3rd. Go check it out! If you finish that and find yourself itching for more of the parent-searching narrative (or if you feel like you could use some reads that will help you appreciate your parents more), you’re in luck! I’ve compiled a list of books with protagonists who are missing (in a variety of ways) a parent. Happy reading!