Just Not That Into Books - Macmillan Library

The Big Idea: Steven Gould on Whatever

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Ali Fisher

Steven Gould's latest novel in the world of JUMPER is now available! It's called IMPULSE and the story follows Cent, Davy's daughter, who is a second generation Jumper.

There are few things I love more than listening to two fantastic authors chat it up (this is also why I love all of the events at the Pop Top Stage during ALA conferences so freaking much). So I'm aggressively directing you (think stuttering neon arrow sign) toward Whatever, John Scalzi's blog, where Scalzi extended his soapbox to Gould for a quick rundown of the scientific revelations in the Jumper universe and how they magnify the drama of the stories.

Gould starts with the science,

"In the first book we learned a few things about Jumping: 1. Jumping does not conserve momentum. Davy can jump off a cliff or a tall building and, as long as he jumps before he goes splat at the bottom, he carries none of the acquired downward velocity with him when he appears elsewhere."

Then gives us a sneak peek of how Cent will manipulate that in IMPULSE,

"Cent [...] takes this to another place, exploiting rule 1: Momentum is not conserved."

And comes around to his personal journey through the series,

"I was that teenage boy with the alcoholic father. I was the reluctant parent unsure whether my own childhood would poison my ability to parent well. And, now with IMPULSE, I have daughters who amaze and surprise me."

Go read more in The Big Idea: Steven Gould!

On IMPULSE Kirkus Reviews says, "Mr. Gould, please write faster."

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Great Books for Guys on the Tayshas Consideration List!

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Ali Fisher

We're proud to see two of our incredibly entertaining and fierce Young Adult books on the consideration list for the 2013 Texas Tayshas Reading List! We're even more excited that we have both a novel and a nonfiction title under consideration and that both books are 100% dude-friendly.

The titles under consideration:

THE HUNT
by Andrew Fukuda

I AM A SEAL TEAM SIX WARRIOR
Memoirs of an American Soldier
by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin

We're rooting to see both of these books make the final list!

Download the full list of candidates at TxLA.org/groups/TAYSHAS under "2013 Consideration List."

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He’s Just Not That Into Books: Video Games Cont’d

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Ali Fisher

A few weeks back we did a series of posts on recommendations for the ever elusive teen male reluctant reader. We talked about video game tie-ins, specifically BioShock and Halo, and now we have a new installment to throw into the mix:

HALO: GLASSLANDS
by Karen Traviss

The Covenant has collapsed after a long, brutal war that saw billions slaughtered on Earth and her colonies. For the first time in decades, however, peace finally seems possible. But though the fighting's stopped, the war is far from over.

Across the galaxy, a woman thought to have died is actually very much alive. Chief scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey broke every law in the book to create the Spartans, and now she's broken some more to save them.

Marooned with Chief Mendez and a Spartan team in a Forerunner slipspace bubble hidden in the destroyed planet Onyx, she finds that the shield world has been guarding an ancient secret – a treasure trove of Forerunner technology that will change everything for the UNSC and mankind.

Check out all of the He's Just Not That Into Books posts.

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Dark and Stormy? Yes, Please!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Yesterday afternoon the office went dark.

We don't always have the overhead lights on since we're lucky enough to have massive windows, but we fell to darkness when a herd of black clouds rampaged over Manhattan. See?

storm collage

As we all smashed our noses against the windowpanes, it came to me that this tempestuous sky of DOOM was reminiscent of a few very rad covers of ours:

Young Adult stormy covers

THE HUNT, TEMPEST, and PAST CONTINUOUS are all wrapped up in dramatic images of storms and lightning bolts.

It's also worth noting that all three of these blustery Young Adult titles are led by fierce and heroic teenage male protagonists.

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He’s Just Not That Into Books: Something Strange

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Sometimes I think teen ladies have it made when it comes to fast-paced, page-turning, character-driven novels with a twist of the otherworldly. Bookshelves groan with kick-a** teen heroines vanquishing evil and saving the world (and to be clear, I am NOT complaining!).

But let's take a look at some of kick-a** heroes dealing with the paranormal day-to-day.

INFINITY
Sherrilyn Kenyon

The author of the Dark-Hunter Novels has turned her attention to the streetwise 14-year-old, Nick Gautier. When Nick is approached by a mysterious warrior and sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters he learns of the immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. During his heroic escapades Nick skirts death, destruction, and suspension in order to help save the world. INFINITY is the first in this series, followed by INVINCIBLE.

TEMPEST
Julie Cross

Jackson Meyer has something in common with Nick Gautier, his world is not what it seems. But in Jackson's case, he's the anomaly. Having recently discovered he can travel through time, Jackson is testing the limits of his power when men arrive to recruit him. In his resistance, his girlfriend is shot. Now Jackson must save the girl and take down the bad guys. Typical hero business.

ENDER'S GAME
Orson Scott Card

After those two titles, you hit 'em with a classic page-turner and they're hooked for life.

Well, that's it for our week of recommendations for the ever elusive teen male reluctant reader. Check them all out here (or under the tag "Just Not That Into Books") and let us know what we left off!

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He’s Just Not That Into Books: Blockbuster Books

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Ali Fisher

This week we're recommending books that will catch the attention of the ever elusive teen male reluctant reader. Today, we're focusing on movie tie-ins, specifically summer blockbuster hits. Popcorn not included.

COWBOYS & ALIENS (available 8/2/2011)
Joan D. Vinge

The title alone should get them hooked. The trouble might be fending off the ladies (and gentlemen) who find themselves suitably impressed by Daniel Craig's sexy cover shot. (Why yes, we do have the poster up in our office.) Craig aside, the Wild West cowboys taking on the big bad aliens will be a helluva ride. This is the only novelization of the group, but in the hands of multiple Hugo Award-winner Joan D. Vinge, you wouldn't know it. The film from Universal Pictures and DreamWorks will open tomorrow!

I AM LEGEND
Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson’s classic horror story was transformed by Warner Bros. into a major motion picture back in 2007. I am personally fond of the TERRIFYING original cover, but Will Smith isn't so bad of an alternative. This high-concept creeper will undoubtedly keep readers up late into the night with a flashlight under the covers.

JUMPER
Steven Gould

Hayden Christensen can teleport; er, I mean, Davy Rice can teleport. And it's a dangerous game with some excellent tourism opportunities. Davy needs to learn to control this power, not only to survive, but to find the others like him. (This one also has a sweet original cover.) The 20th Century Fox/New Regency adaptation was released in 2008.

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He’s Just Not That Into Books: Superheroes & RPG Stories

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Ali Fisher

This week we're recommending books that might just catch the attention of the ever elusive teen male reluctant reader. Today, we're focusing on a superhero and RPG inspired collection of short stories—Wild Cards.

WILD CARDS I
edited by George R.R. Martin

Original contributor Melinda Snodgrass describes the first collection in the series (published in 1987) as a "shared-world anthology based on a RPG that we played ad nauseum." The series went on to earn a reputation among readers as a smart reimagining of the superhero idea.

Watch the original Wild Cards writers chat about the series in this hilarious video of the 1988 WorldCon Panel Interview.

The current reissue shown above has been expanded with original tales set at the beginning of the Wild Cards universe, by Hugo Award–winner David Levine, Michael Cassutt, and Carrie Vaughn.

INSIDE STRAIGHT and FORT FREAK
edited by George R.R. Martin

In 2008, a new generation of Wild Cards writers emerged and created a new generation of Wild Cards heroes and villains. INSIDE STRAIGHT was the first release in this future setting. Publishers Weekly says, "this fast-paced and sardonic story will appeal to comic book aficionados and heroic fantasy fans alike."

FORT FREAK is the most recently released collection.

Last week, a few of the new generation of Wild Cards writers and George R.R. Martin gathered at Comic Con to celebrate the series:

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He’s Just Not That Into Books: Video Games

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Ali Fisher

You know the type. He's only at the library to pick up his sister, sleep through study hall, or use the computer.

But wait. What's this? BioShock... the book? Halo... you can read?!

If you play your cards right, maybe that brooding young man will walk away with a good read tucked into the back pocket of his overlarge jeans.

This week we'll be recommending books that might just catch the attention of the ever elusive teen male reluctant reader. Today, we're focusing on video game tie-ins.

BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE is the story of the rise and fall of the city Rapture, already abandoned and in ruins at the beginning of BioShock.

This story begins at the end of World War II, when America's sense of freedom is diminished and many are desperate to take their freedom back. Among them is a great dreamer who sets out to create the impossible, a society free from government, censorship, and moral restrictions on science—Rapture. This dream is realized only to fall to tragedy.

HALO: CRYPTUM also takes place well before the earliest chronological game (Halo: Reach).

100,000 years ago, the galaxy was populated by a great variety of beings. But one species—eons beyond all others in both technology and knowledge—achieved dominance. They ruled in peace but met opposition with quick and brutal effectiveness*. They were the Forerunners. And then they vanished.

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