What is ‘New Adult’ Fiction?

September 14, 2013September 6, 2013 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Every now and then the publishing industry trots out a new genre name for a particular type of book. Most of the time it is a title that can be applied to books that have been around for a long time as a tool to ramp up sales via marketing.”New Adult’ is the latest of these new genres, and very few people, including those in publishing or bookstores, seem to know just what to do with this new label. So, here are the basics about New Adult books.In general the ‘New Adult’ label is now applied to books with main characters between the ages of 18 and 25 as they face the challenges of leaving home, developing sexuality, and negotiating education and career choices. The books are typically about characters in the transition of becoming an adult while society still seems to consider them children. Some of the books in this category are still accessible and appropriate for teens, while others have more sexual content than most parents would be comfortable with their teens reading, and some have conflicts and situations have little interest to those that have not faced similar issues. The majority of books currently being released under this label seem to be contemporary romance, but this is not a requirement of the genre.This genre is typically said to be a small step up from young adult books, which I find belittling to some of the fantastic young adult books that are available. It is also insulting to some of the books shoved in this genre that are just as sophisticated as ‘adult’ fiction but happen to deal with protagonists in the 18-25 year old age range. Over all, I am not a big fan of genre labels as a rule, since readers often see a genre label and assume they will not like a book because it is fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, young adult or whatever while they only like another genre. Many books have cross over appeal but do not get the chance they deserve because of the labels or marketing that are attached to them.

Some of the books in our collection currently being released and marketed as ‘New Adult’ include:

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire-
Abby Abernathy is re-inventing herself as the Good Girl as she begins her freshman year at college, which is why she must resist lean, cut, and tattooed Travis Maddox, a classic Bad Boy.

Tempest by Julie Cross-
After his girlfriend Holly is fatally shot during a violent struggle, nineteen-year-old Jackson uses his supernatural abilities and travels back in time two years, where he falls in love with Holly all over again, learns that his father is a spy, and discovers powerful enemies of time who will stop at nothing to recruit him for their own purposes.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry-
Rendered a subject of gossip after a traumatic night that left her with terrible scars on her arms, Echo is dumped by her boyfriend and bonds with bad-boy Noah, whose tough attitude hides an understanding nature and difficult secrets.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover-
High school senior Sky meets Dean Holder, a guy with a promiscuous reputation that rivals her own. Only by courageously facing some stark revelations can Sky and Holder hope to heal their emotional scars and find a way to live and love without boundaries.

Other recent examples of this genre include: The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen, Losing It by Cora Carmack, and Where She Went by Gayle Forman.

Some other books that fit the official description of ‘New Adult’ but were published prior to the label becoming into fashion, or simply escaped it in some manner include:

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Sunshine by Robin McKinley, Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride, The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, and Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.

In Memorium, Ann C. Crispin 1950-2013

September 11, 2013September 9, 2013 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

Just barely a month ago, I was sitting on a panel next to writer Ann Crispin hashing out issues with the film, Star Trek: Into Darkness. I’d known she’d been battling cancer for some time, but I was surprised how well she seemed. I guess she was very good at hiding it, for she passed away on September 6, 2013, just 3 days after posting to her fans that she was not doing well after all. She was 63 years old.

Ann was a gifted science fiction and fantasy writer. She wrote Star Wars novels, V novels, the StarBridge series, and created novels and backstory for Pirates of the Caribbean, but her Star Trek novels, Yesterday’s Son, and later, Sarek, are often regarded as among the best Star Trek novels ever written; they are certainly in my top ten, and I’ve read hundreds. Ann knew and truly loved her material, and it showed in her clever and conscientious works. Earlier this year, she was named the 2013 Grandmaster by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.

A native of Connecticut, Ann served as Regional Director and later Vice-President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She cofounded Writer Beware, a subgroup of the SFWA, to help writers avoid the myriad con artists and scams aimed at them, and prosecute the people running them. At her workshops she would drill into her students, “Money flows to the writer, never away. If someone is asking you for money up front to publish your work, run. It is a scam.”

Ann was a frequent guest at science-fiction conventions, often running workshops for writers, one of which I attended perhaps 15 years ago. Ann was a tough teacher and a tough editor, which was not unreasonable. Like Hollywood, the writing industry is a tough business, and it’s best to get the stars out of your eyes at the start. While I felt gifted for not getting her “You need to go back and take a class in basic grammar and sentence structure” speech, my hands shook for the next year with every word I put to paper. She helped greatly, but at the time it felt like getting pushed off a cliff.

Ann’s books will survive, but they are a shadow to such a brilliant and talented writer.

On Our Shelves: New Paperbacks

September 8, 2013June 5, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

New paperbacks to suit a variety of tastes.

Big Sky Wedding (Parable, Montana) by Linda Lael Miller – Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn’t enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by Hutch Carmody. She’s over Hutch now, and running a multimillion-dollar business is challenging enough for this country gal. So she should avoid falling head over boot heels for A-list actor Zane Sutton.

Gentle On My Mind (Caribou Crossings Series) by Susan Fox – Brooke Kincaid knows second chances don’t come cheap. She’s spent five years repairing past mistakes and making her life in Caribou Crossing steady and predictable. But now a stranger’s Harley has shattered her fence and her peace of mind in one swoop.

Against The Mark (The Against Series) by Kat Martin – A young woman’s quest to find the murderer of her estranged father and the private investigator who helps her.

Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi – Buttoned-up book lover DJ is all sensible shoes, drab skirts and studious glasses. After an ill-advised spring-break-fueled fling left her mortified, she’s committed to her prim and proper look. When she’s hired by a rural library in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, she finally has the lifestyle to match—and she can’t wait to get her admin on.

The Hero (A Thunder Point Novel) by Robyn Carr – In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister took her daughter and fled a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can’t be worse than what they’ve left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need.

For The Love of Magic (Spellbound Falls Series) by Janet Chapman – After forty years of marriage, Rana Oceanus has done the unthinkable and run away from her mighty, magical husband. Not that she ran very far, having purchased a house in Spellbound Falls right on the shore of the Bottomless Sea, where she intends to prepare for the scariest battle of her life. The only flaw in her plan, however, is that she is still very much in love with Titus…

The Knight’s Temptress by Amanda Scott – Sir Ian Colquhoun has never feared danger. So when Lady Lachina MacFarlan is captured by a ruthless enemy, mounting a daring rescue seems only natural for the courageous knight.

Realm of Shadows (The Alliance Vampires) by Heather Graham – Tara Mason wants more than tourist sights out of her trip to the city of dreams, something strange and off the beaten path. But is it her own curiosity that draws her to an ancient cemetery on the outskirts of Paris? Or is she lured by a dark, immortal force she is powerless to resist?

Clammed Up (A Maine Clambake Mystery) by Barbara Ross – Summer has come to Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and tourists are lining up for a taste of authentic New England seafood, courtesy of the Snowden Family Clambake Company. But there’s something sinister on the boil this season.

Love Inspired selections: The Boss’s Bride by Brenda Minton, The Doctor’s Family Reunion by Mindy Obesnhaus, A Father’s Promise by Carolyne Aarsen.

Sharon Reads: Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

September 5, 2013October 23, 2013 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Weather Witch

Weather Witch by Shannon Delany is a young to new adult novel with a bit of a steam punk feel. In the New World rank is everything, and being deemed to carry some sort of magic is the worst curse of all. Jordan is from one of the highest ranked families in society, and she is celebrating her seventeenth birthday, a moment when she should have been clear of any suspicion of magic and ready to start planning marriage and her future. However, a back alley dealing leads to Jordan testing positive as a witch. She, and her family, lose rank and all respect in the society as Jordan is whisked away to be tested further and ‘made’ into a usable source of power. But the Maker is having trouble doing changing Jordan. Meanwhile, Jordan’s friend and romantic interest Rowen seems to be the only one of rank that has not given up on her and does everything he can to save her, while an escaped witch works to bring down the man and culture that made him an outcast.

Weather Witch is a more complicated story than I expected when I picked up the book, in a good way. I expected the standard fare of young adult finds out they are ‘special’ and both good and bad happen because of it. While there is a certain aspect of this here – Jordan is considered special – there is also deep world building and several related story lines running through the book as well. We get to see into the heart and personal life of the Maker, who without that insight would have simply been the bad guy. We get to see into the psyche of a good number of side characters as well. At times it felt like it would soon become overwhelming, for me it never crossed that line, rather it made me curious to see how everything would come together. I was not disappointed, well maybe in a couple twists but only because I liked the characters that I knew would no longer appear after certain moments. I could understand others getting confused by the voice changes and the incremental world building, but it really worked for me. I really enjoyed getting inside the head of Rowen, Jordan, the Maker, and even some servants to see the whole picture, rather than the limited perspective a single character might offer. I do not want to talk about the plot more, or give away any good stuff, because I found the book to be a surprising journey and would hate to ruin that for anyone.

I would recommend Weather Witch to readers that enjoy steam punk, coming of age tales, historical fiction, science fiction or fantasy, and simply reading something that feels fresh and new.l I think that young adults and adults would both enjoy the book, while the majority of main characters are of the teen set, the setting and political factions will keep everyone interested and turning the pages. Frankly, the only thing that really bothered me about the book was an ending that was obviously a set up for a sequel, and the knowledge that Stormbringer will not be released until January of 2014. I would give Weather Witch 4 stars.

This review was originally published on Sharon the Librarian.

Fifty Shades of Grey – The Movie

September 4, 2013May 1, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

The casting decisions have been made and production will begin soon for the movie version of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Charlie Hunnam

Thirty-three year old Charlie Hunnam has been cast as Christian Grey. He recently starred in the movie “Pacific Rim” and appeared in the FX series “Sons of Anarchy”.

Dakota Johnson

Twenty-three year old Dakota Johnson has been cast as Anastasia Steele. She is the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. She recently appeared in the short-lived Fox sit-com “Ben and Kate” and had roles in “The Social Network” and “The Five-Year Engagement”.

Focus Features will release the film on August 1, 2014. Sam Taylor-Johnson is directing the project. It will be interesting to see if they can keep it ‘R’ rated or will they have to go to NC17?

Alexis Bledel

Matt Bomer

UPDATE: It seems not everyone is happy with the above choices. Angry fans of the book are petitioning to have Alexis Bledel and Matt Bomer cast as the leads. The petition has 20,000 signatures so far.