Summer Reading List Recommendations

What’s on your summer reading list? Here at Glass House, we like to spend the long days being transported to a faraway time and place. I mean, anything to take us away from the responsibilities of the real world, right?!

Not only do our authors write, they love to READ as well! We asked them to share with us what they’ve got on their summer reading list this year, and why it should be on yours, and we’ll be featuring recommendations from all of our authors over the next few weeks for your summer reading (and perhaps even stretching into fall…).

So kick back, grab a cold drink and a good book, and enjoy the recommendations from our first three authors!

Nikki Vogel

To begin my summer reading, I blazed through Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. She writes for a similar audience as me, and I not only enjoyed the story, but also liked paying attention to how she handled certain things. As a learning opportunity and stuff.

I also recently read Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series. This chick can WRITE. I love her stories and am filled with envy when I read her books.

I read Borne by Jeff VanderMeer because I totally loved his Annihilation series. Borne was entertaining, though I didn’t love it as much as the Annihilation series.

Coming up … well, I have a list of steampunk books I’m going to read because it’s a genre I’m not that familiar with, and my WIP is going to have elements of steampunk in it. The list includes Ticker by Lisa Matechev, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittridge, and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve.

I also have a couple of research books on my list: Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffry Gantz and Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis.

I also have the second book of V.E. Schwab’s Monsters of Verity series to read, as well as 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster and Caraval by Stephanie Garber.

That should keep me busy for awhile. :)

PT McHugh

Bernard Cornwell (my favorite historical fiction writer) has written yet another novel regarding his second-best character, Lord Uhtred, my favorite Dane who wreaked havoc over a thousand years ago (Netflix has done a great job adapting his books into the series Kingdom, which I highly recommend). And of course you can never go wrong with Lee Child's novels when you’re hitting the beach.

George Ebey

Broadcast Hysteria by A. Brad Schwartz (non-fic), Perchance to Dream by Charles Beaumont (classic sci fi/horror short story collection), and then I need to get going on Freedom of the Mask by Robert McCammon (historical fiction). Because who can go wrong combining history and fiction?

That’s it for the moment! What’s on your summer reading list? Are there books you think we’d love? Books we ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO READ? Send us recommendations on Twitter or FB, and we’ll let you know the moment we get around to them!

Love,

The Glass House Gang

Top Books of 2016

2016 has been an amazing year for books--both new and old. And it was tough, but we do it every year, so some of the authors and staff at Glass House Press have thought long and hard to come up with our top books of 2016. Following please find some of our favorites this year--we tried to keep it to a top two each!--and our reviews.

Our Picks for the Top Books of 2016

R.K. Brainerd 

GOODREADS

"OH! I know my favorite! Six of Crows! And its sequel Crooked Kingdom! Duh. (I'm not sure Six of Crows was actually published this year but the second one was, for sure). They're by Leigh Bardugo, and what hit me most was how refreshing and original they were. I'm usually not a multiple POV fan but I LOVED all the stories in there and how they wove together. I loved how broken and beautiful and real the characters were. I loved that the quest's goal was selfish, yet evolved into so much more. I loved how the redemption/forgiveness theme played out and how (again) flawed and real everyone was. Both books were gritty and dark and poignant... And oddly, unexpectedly, beautiful." 

J. David Wilcox

GOODREADS

"Find Her by Lisa Gardner. Just so well written by such an experienced professional. Intense plot and chilling characters. 5 stars."

Linda Foster 

GOODREADS

"My signed copy of Lady Midnight Cassandra Clare. Never fails to amaze me with her worlds and characters."

Carrie White-Parrish 

GOODREADS

"Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell: incredibly well done, supremely original, and holy wow was this creepy."

GOODREADS

"This Savage Song, Victoria Schwab. Absolutely wonderful. Haunting and tragic and dark and twisty, with just enough hope thrown in to keep you on the edge of your seat. This book is a slow burn, though--you spend the first two thirds or so falling right into the world and characters, and it's a very sophisticated sort of journey. Definitely not your standard YA"

Mary Fan 

GOODREADS

"Heir of Thunder--epic fantasy about a princess on the run." 

GOODREADS

"The other one(s!) I had in mind was Children of Chaos... actually the whole Chaos Born Trilogy. Amazing world building, fantastic characters, compelling premise... also, it's a little bit Flynn (dark fantasy), a little bit Fated Stars (epic fantasy)." (For those who don't know, Flynn and Fated Stars are two of Mary's very own series!)

George Ebey 

GOODREADS

"This is a bit of cheat because it came out in 2015 but it's the closet one I have since I spent most of 2016 catching up on older stuff. I like this book because I'm a history buff and this was a fascinating story that I never knew about. You've heard of Lewis and Clark. But just a few years after that voyage, John Jacob Astor (a big wig in the fur trade) sent another expedition to the Oregon coast with the hopes of expanding his fur empire and even creating a new country that he could control. This book tells the story of that disastrous enterprise. It's nonfiction but reads like a thriller with a little wilderness survival thrown in as well."

That's our list. What do you think? What was your #1 read for the year? Leave a comment so we can fill our Goodreads shelves!

Happy Reading, guys! And happy 2016-is-finally-almost-done week (is anyone else as relieved as we are???)!

love, the GHP fam

Meet Our New Authors: Kimberly Mitchell and J. David Wilcox

This week, Glass House Press is pleased to introduce you to two of our newest authors, Kimberly Mitchell and J. David Wilcox! They both sat down and answered ten questions about themselves, their books, favorite holidays, etc. Look for more information from Kimberly and J. David, as well as their books, soon. We've heard rumors that they might have stories coming up sooner than we expect!

KIMBERLY MITCHELL

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Bill Wallace (A Dog Called Kitty and many other books) spoke at my school when I was in the 3rd grade. I remember thinking he seemed so normal, but being in awe at the same time because he was an author. That's when the seed was planted. 

2. What is your favorite genre to write? I love science fiction/fantasy, but I also enjoy historical novels and mysteries. Anything I write will include a good adventure and probably a journey of some kind because I love to travel and can't always do it, so my characters get to!

3. What five words would you use to describe your new book? Mysterious, chilling, survival, light, dreams.

4. Tell us about your book.

For seven years, half of Rainan’s life, the Emperor has scoured the desert for the Abed children that survived the war over water. If captured, they’re taken to the City, imprisoned, and never heard from again. Survival is one day at a time. Rainan uses her Dreams to find hidden water beneath the sand and keep her family, the other young survivors, alive.

During a midnight raid on the City’s food supply, Rainan’s worst fear is realized. Young Joel sacrifices his freedom to protect Rainan and is caught by the Emperor’s soldiers. Rainan is determined to save Joel. Hiding is no longer an option. 
  

Rainan must make a choice: she can surrender the family she loves to Joshua, an enigmatic Abed who has established Elior, a secret underground city harboring hundreds of gifted Abed children, or she can strike out on her own for the City, where the Nas rule and the Abed are hated, to find Joel.

One choice brings war; the other, death. In the midst of her struggle, Rainan begins to understand that her Dreams, and the other mysterious giftings the Abed children possess, are more than just a means of survival.

Rainan must use her Dreams, wits and the help of those around her, both Abed and Nas, to either save or destroy both peoples.

The choice is hers, but the consequences will shake the Nations.   

5. Do you have any quirks when you write? Eat a certain snack? Listen to a certain type of music? I try not to snack when I'm writing, but when I do, it's usually popcorn popped the old fashioned way on the stove top with lots of salt and some butter thrown in. I listen to NPR a lot because it's easy to tune out their mellow voices. I find I work better when it's not completely silent in the room. 

6. What is your favorite TV show at the moment? We just finished Stranger Things! I can always rewatch a Gilmore Girls and M*A*S*H. 

7. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be? I'll go with Star Wars.

8. What is something that most people seem afraid of, that you aren't? Public speaking.

9. Halloween is coming up. What would you dress up as if you could? My family dresses up every year! This year I actually have my own Jedi robe so that's probably the direction I'll take. 

10. What is your favorite color? Sunshine Yellow. No sky blue. No Razorback red. Ummm.

BONUS speed round:

Dogs or cats - Cats

Past or future - Past

Winter or Summer - Summer

Scary book or funny book - Funny

Halloween or Valentine's Day - Halloween! 

Shout out to one person who helped you in this publishing journey. My husband has been incredibly supportive of my writing for MANY years. So gotta give the shout out to him, although others have played major roles. More shout outs to come. 

ABOUT KIMBERLY: Kimberly Mitchell loves journeys, real or imagined. She has traveled to five continents, speaks four languages, and holds Bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and International Relations and a Master’s degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults. She spent three years in Yemen and can't get the desert out of her blood. She lives on a small farm in Northwest Arkansas with her husband, many animals,  and the best souvenir she ever found, a Yemeni cat. Find out more about Kimberly at kimberlymitchell.us. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @KSMitch17.

J. DAVID WILCOX

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote my first book with my best friend in 2nd grade, and eight-year-old me was really excited and proud of it! I think I've been trying to recapture that feeling ever since.

2. What is your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy is my oldest love, though I also really enjoy hard sci-fi and fairy tales.

3. Tell us about your story in five words.

The tragedy of growing up.

4. Tell us about your book in more than five words.

Nineteen years into humanity's first attempt at interstellar colonization, a horrible explosion occurs. Of the four-thousand souls aboard, only seven teenagers are left alive. The youngest of them, Eden, must face down her own crippling fears to become the leader they need and ensure humanity survives.

5. Do you have any quirks when you write? Eat a certain snack? Listen to a certain type of music?

When I'm in the zone, I usually go hours without eating anything, until I get so hungry I have to run to the kitchen and scarf something down quick. I put together playlists of soundtracks that fit the feel of my project to write to, and listen to those endlessly. Sometimes, if a song hits a scene perfectly as I'm writing it, I'll note it in the manuscript and put it on repeat while I write/edit the scene, until I've squeezed all the juice from it.

6. What is your favorite TV show at the moment?

That's tricky. Comedy? Silicon Valley. Drama? Stranger Things. If Stranger Things counts more as a short series, then my drama would've been The Good Wife before it ended - so that leaves Scandal. 

Can I have more categories?

7. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Interstellar.

8. What is something that most people seem afraid of, that you aren't?

Spiders, based on the wife and daughter I live with.  

9. Halloween is coming up. What would you dress up as if you could?

Tristan Thorn from Stardust. Unless I could get an amazing prosthetic, then it would be Captain Hook. 

10. What is your favorite color?

Blue.

BONUS speed round:

Dogs or cats - Cats

Past or future - Past

Winter or Summer - Winter in a place that snows, Summer in the place I live now

Scary book or funny book - Scary 

Halloween or Valentine's Day - Halloween 

Shout out to one person who helped you in this publishing journey.

My best friend since the 6th grade, Jeff Brooks (@redjackalope).

ABOUT J. DAVID: J. David is a reader, writer, and martial arts instructor residing in Portland, Oregon. He studied writing in southern Oregon and Utah Valley and now, given the perpetually overcast state of the Columbia River Basin, he dreams and writes of landscapes where one can see - or live amongst - the stars. You can find him on twitter @jdavidwilcox, Pinterest @JdavidWilcox, and Instagram @granitespire

Leave a comment to welcome Kimberly and J. David to the Glass House Press family! We're incredibly excited to have them, and can't wait to see their books in print. Next week, the GHP authors will share their biggest fears ... just in time to count down to Halloween!

Happy Reading,

The GH Family

I LOVE FALL! BOOKS for the most EXCELLENT of Seasons

I love fall. It is my favorite time of year. I love when the leaves change, pumpkin decorations are everywhere, Halloween... oh my land! It makes me giddy that in a few short days, it will be September and that means FALL!!!

Picture by Kelly Martin

Another thing we here at Glass House Press love is books (I mean, of course!). There is nothing better than taking a book to your child's practice or reading after they go to bed, snuggled up under a warm blanket. That's why this week, I wanted to give you some book recommendations to keep you company this fall.

Looking for a YA? This book is AMAZING! THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab has so many good reviews it is ridiculous! 

#1 New York Times Bestseller

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from acclaimed author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books, This Savage Song is a must-have for fans of Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater, and Laini Taylor.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives. In This Savage Song, Victoria Schwab creates a gritty, seething metropolis, one worthy of being compared to Gotham and to the four versions of London in her critically acclaimed fantasy for adults, A Darker Shade of Magic. Her heroes will face monsters intent on destroying them from every side—including the monsters within.

Get Yours Here

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

Does a Fairy Tale Retelling Strike your Fancy? Check out TELL ME MY NAME by Mary Fan! AND it is only 99 cents!

In Mary Fan's second novella from Glass House Press, a teen girl wakes up in an icy cell, alone and frightened. She has no memory of who she is or how she came to be there.

She does know that she must get out, at all costs. And that escape must start with remembering the simple things - her own name. Her place of origin. Her possible powers.

When a group of dark magicians reveal themselves to be her captors, she finds herself in the clutches of those who will stop at nothing to uncover the secrets locked within her lost memories. With her life fading under their merciless spells, the need to escape becomes dire.
But can she get out when she doesn't even know who she is? Can she count on one unlikely ally for help? Or is it already too late for her, a girl without a name?

Tell Me My Name introduces the main characters in Mary's new fantasy series, Fated Stars, with the first book, Windborn, due in 2016.

GET YOURS HERE!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Want a GREAT SciFi? Don't miss DEBBI by George Ebey! ONLY 99 cents!

A game to end all games. On the line: her family’s future. Will Helen’s creation be enough to win the day? Or will she lose, and take her family down with her?

Helen Hunter’s father hopes to make his fortune by sending a robotic rover, controlled from Earth, to mine the surface of Mars for precious ores.

But there’s a catch. To do it, he’ll have to assume financial responsibility for the rover.  And on the harsh and desolate surface of Mars, one false move can mean the difference between untold riches and utter disaster. It’s a risky move that could spell doom for the entire family … and their hopes for the future. 

Unless Helen can intervene. 

The company behind the mining system—MARSCORP—is holding a junior gaming competition at their annual convention, and this is her chance. Grand prize is a one-year lease on a brand new Mars mining rover. Winning would mean that her father gets his shot at the Martian bonanza without any risk to the family.

But it won’t be easy. Teens from all over the country have come to compete. Some are smart. Others, ruthless. And Helen’s not the only one who needs to win. The mission: use her personally designed robot to fight it out in a high-tech arena that can simulate any environment, real or imagined. Beat the competitors. Bring home the prize.

Luckily for Helen, gaming and robot design are her specialties. 

And when she unleashes her newest creation on the competition, a miniature homemade rover she calls DEBBI, the world is going to see just how skilled she really is.

The question is … will it be enough?

GET YOURS HERE

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

LOVE Paranormal? One of the coolest paranormal series you will ever read is The Realm of the Claimed series.

Ash never thought going to a party could be dangerous. He certainly never thought it would change his life. But when a man with red eyes begins following him - and his sister - he realizes he was wrong. Soon they're running, leading the man on a desperate chase over icy roads. When Ash crashes his car, nearly killing his sister, the red-eyed man offers Ash a choice - save his sister, but pay the highest price possible. Bring Grace back to life, at the cost of his own soul. Suddenly, Ash is facing a choice he never sought. But will he use that choice to save his sister? And if he does what will it mean for Ash himself? 

Someone has started a revolution in Heaven, his betrayal and lies tearing the fabric of the angels apart. Things are coming quickly to a head, and before long the angels will find themselves at war with each other. Friends and allies will turn against each other, each choosing their own side of right and wrong. If that happens, the world as they know it will end. It's up to Kali, protector of angels and humans, to stop the treachery before war breaks out and peace is shattered forever. But how far is she willing to go to save the lives of the angels? Will she turn against her own dearest friend to save her world? And if she does will anything be left for her to come home to? 

Join Ash and Kali on their individual adventures as we see what - and who - led them to find each other in Soul Bound, the first book in the Realm of the Claimed.

GET YOURS HERE

AMAZON

Last but not least... Have a kid who LOVES to read? OR do you love MG books yourself? History buffs (and non-history buffs) will love KEEPER OF THE BLACK STONE by PT McHugh!

Awkward in his own skin, shy around girls and worried about anything and everything, Jason Evans is just like a million other teenage boys in high school, with one very large exception: he has been given a gift that allows him to jump through time. A set of stones has fallen into his lap that gives him access to any place - and any time - that he chooses. But along with that gift comes the responsibility of stopping the man who is using those very stones to travel through time and change history for his own purposes. A man who is now holding Jason's grandfather hostage, and threatening the world's very existence. Jumping through time with his best friend and body guard, Jason must enter the world of Medieval England, learn its customs, navigate unimaginable danger, and help Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth, in the name of finding his grandfather, rescuing a beautiful girl from the clutches of a corrupt church, and destroying the one man who pledges to turn history inside out.

GET YOURS HERE

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

INDIEBOUND

That's it! I hope you check out these amazing fall reads! Be sure to let me know what you think. I'm reading Spell Bound right now! Which books do you recommend for fall reading? Leave them in the comments. I wanna check them out.

Until next Monday...

Happy Reading!

~GHP