Larry Bond's military thriller EXIT PLAN has already received two starred reviews! When a group of SEALs are forced to abandon their submarine, they're taken hostage in Iran. Escape goes from a desire to a requirement when they uncover an imminent plot against the United States.

In their starred review Publishers Weekly said,

"Set in 2013, this ripped from the headlines tale of SEAL adventures and global politics from bestseller Bond (RED STORM RISING with Tom Clancy) shows once again his absolute mastery of the military action novel. [...] Bond’s refusal to demonize most of the Iranians gives the characters a solid, real-life feel that cranks up both the tension and believability."

In their starred review Kirkus Reviews said,

"The writing is clear and crisp, the characters strong and deserving of sympathy. The reader may feel tempted to mentally wave a flag and chant “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” as our country takes extreme measures to preserve the peace, but Israelis and Iranians are also portrayed as strong, tough and generally principled patriots.

"Iran’s nuclear ambitions are prominent in the news. That makes this novel a perfectly timed, first-class read."

THE LOVER'S DICTIONARY is the story of a relationship told in the form of dictionary entries, it's a 2012 Alex Award winner, and we have 20 hardcover copies to give away to our cleverest commenters here on the blog!

In THE LOVER'S DICTIONARY each page is a dictionary entry that describes one couple's relationship from the intimate, day-to-day minutiae to the deepest joys and fears of their lives together.

Booklist gave THE LOVER'S DICTIONARY a starred review and said, "Levithan demonstrates, intimacy is sometimes enigmatic and, as he notes under ineffable, 'No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.'"

Here are a few of the entries:

autonomy, n.

"I want my books to have their own shelves," you said, and that’s how I knew it would be okay to live together.

dumbfounded, adj.

And still, for all the jealousy, all the doubt, sometimes I will be struck with a kind of awe that we’re together. That someone like me could find someone like you--it renders me wordless. Because surely words would conspire against such luck, would protest the unlikelihood of such a turn of events.

I didn't tell any of my friends about our first date. I waited until after the second, because I wanted to make sure it was real. I wouldn’t believe it had happened until it had happened again. Then, later on, I would be overwhelmed by the evidence, by all the lines connecting you to me, and us to love.

yearning, n. and adj.

At the core of this desire is the belief that everything can be perfect.

How to enter:

Leave a comment below in the style of a dictionary entry. Include one word and an unexpected definition for that word.

On March 1st Talia and I will pick our 20 favorite entries (be they silly, sassy, or heartbreaking). The winners will each receive one copy of THE LOVER'S DICTIONARY!

This sweepstakes is open to librarians in the United States. More eligibility details below!