Christmas is coming!!! We are all so excited for the holiday cheer and of course we have to start thinking about presents for others to put under the tree. Our staff of writers here at Riveted by Simon Teen wants to share our favorite books we’d like to get this holiday season and exactly why they are our favorites. You can get some gift ideas for your besties, and maybe some for yourself too. Happy Holidays from the Riveted Team to you!!

Our Favorite Books We Like to Give (and Get)!

Alissa recommends From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

What about this book did you love? 

“If you thought Dimple and Rishi were adorable, wait until you meet Twinkle and Sahil. It’s rom-com, movie magic, and it’s quintessential Sandhya Menon!”

Annika recommends The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

What about this book did you love? 

“I love a good dragon story and it’s just such a great and magical adventure!”

Christian recommends The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

What about this book did you love? 

“It was a good kind of weird…and I loved following the main character and learning about all the other characters too; they were all very complex.”

Devin recommends The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

What about this book did you love? 

“I love dogs and bespectacled boys with dimples!”

Diego recommends Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

What about this book did you love? 

“I loved how it was actually really scary but a different kind of scary–like a creature fear–and I loved all the artwork.”

Emily recommends The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

What about this book did you love? 

“It was really cool how a historical aspect was woven into the story and I loved all the characters.”

Francie recommends City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

What about this book did you love? 

“I just want to be a Shadowhunter and be a part of that world! It was so cool how this series took normal living people and put them into a whole fantasy aspect.”

Jasmine recommends To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

What about this book did you love? 

“It was in a way personal because it was the first time I read about someone with a similar cultural background to myself. Also, Peter Kavinsky is bae!”

Kate recommends Limitless by Leah Tinari

What about this book did you love? 

“It was absolutely amazing. The art, the message, it’s so inspiring and I can’t love it enough. Every single person needs to read this book.”

Lili recommends Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi

What about this book did you love? 

“It really gives a good understanding on how modern relationships involve technology in our generation.”

Natasha recommends What I Leave Behind by Alison McGee

What about this book did you love?  

“It was such a touching and emotional story about a boy and how he wanted to express his feelings and make a difference. I also really appreciated his quest to make the perfect cornbread.”

Nicole B. recommends Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

What about this book did you love? 

“The characters are SO real and it feels like you want to be best friends with them. There are so many plot lines that interconnect and fit perfectly together. It was the best!”

Nicole F. recommends Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

What about this book did you love? 

“There is a perfect balance of spooky and fantasy. It had all the feels.”

Sam recommends Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

What about this book did you love? 

“I really loved that enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trail this book had going on.”

Thandi recommends Bad Girls With Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten

What about this book did you love? 

“I really didn’t see anything coming. There were so many different surprises that kept me guessing until the end…and of course that love in the distance that couldn’t quite be reached was the star on top.”

We want to give you something extra special to round out an awesome 2018. And what’s better than free books? We’re excited to offer 25 free reads this December, each available for 24 hours only. See the schedule below and mark your calendars! Let’s read!

Celebrate #25DaysOfDecember with These Free Reads!

Dec 1- The Year of Living Awkwardly by Emma Chastain

Dec 2- Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi

Dec 3- Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

Dec 4- Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Dec 5- People Kill People by Ellen Hpkins

Dec 6- Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

Dec 7- Our Stories, Our Voices edited by Amy Reed

Dec 8- See All the Stars by Kit Frick

Dec 9- Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

Dec 10- For Every One by Jason Reynolds

Dec 11- The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell

Dec 12- I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout and Jenn Abelson

Dec 13- From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Dec 14- Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Dec 15- The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith

Dec 16- Period Power by Nadya Okamoto

Dec 17- A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti

Dec 18- Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennentt

Dec 19- Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Dec 20- Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Dec 21- The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Dec 22- The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody

Dec 23- American Panda by Gloria Chao

Dec 24- This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada

Dec 25- Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith

It’s one of our favorite times of the year! YALLFest is almost here! Here’s a comprehensive schedule of all our Riveted by Simon Teen activity this year. Get your calendars ready because there’s something happening every hour on Saturday! Don’t forget to follow us @SimonTeen and the hashtag #getriveted on Twitter and in our Instagram Stories for up-to-the minute news and content from our authors at YALLFest. See y’all soon!

Everything Happening With Riveted by Simon Teen @ YALLFest 2018

Saturday, November 10th

All day long at the Riveted Booth!

• Play the #ShelfQueens Lollipop Wall and have a chance to win an ARC of: The Cold is in Her Bones, Slayer, Crown of Feathers, Girls with Sharp Sticks, or Sky Without Stars!
• Enter our Magnus Bane giveaway to win a special Shadowhunters Magnus Bane plush.
• Get a wristband for our Shadowhunter Army recruitment event where attendees will receive a deluxe tote bag, enamel pin, and a Queen of Air and Darkness chapter sampler when they sign up for the Shadowhunter Army newsletter.
• Stop by to pick up your #ShelfQueens crown and snap a photo!

10:00am

• Jenn Bennett book giveaway (Riveted Booth)
  
• Mary H. K. Choi signing (Blue Bicycle Books)
• Opening Keynote: Jenny Han & Morgan Matson (Music Hall | 37 John St)

11:00am

• This Lie Will Kill You ARC giveaway (Riveted Booth)
  
• Neal Shusterman signing (Blue Bicycle Books tent)
• Palaces from Paragraphs Panel with Lisa Maxwell (Ballroom)
• Morgan Matson signing (Train Museum)
• Siobhan Vivian signing (Blue Bicycle Books)

12:00pm

• Read it Before You See It: Light as a Feather giveaway (Riveted Booth)
  
• Fans and Fandom panel with Jenny Han (Music Hall)
• Magnus Bane raffle winner announced (Riveted Booth)
  

1:00pm

• Read it Before You See It: Five Feet Apart giveaway (Riveted Booth)
• Hits You in the Feels: Writing Emotions panel with Neal Shusterman and Deb Caletti (Cinema)
• Second Love panel with Jessica Brody (Museum)
• Sorry Not Sorry: Prickly Protags panel with Mary H. K. Choi (Ballroom)
• Lisa Maxwell signing (Museum lobby)

2:00pm

• Barely Missing Everything ARC giveaway (Riveted Booth)
  
• Jenny Han signing (Train Museum)
• A Really Frank Discussion of Death and Murder panel with Neal Shusterman (Museum)
• Blood Is Thicker than Water panel with Deb Caletti and moderator Morgan Matson (Museum)
• Jessica Brody signing (Blue Bicycle Books courtyard)

2:30pm

• Read it Before You See It: Tweak giveaway (Riveted Booth)
  

3:00pm

• Deb Caletti signing (Train Museum)
• Friendmance panel with Mary H. K. Choi and moderator Siobhan Vivian (Museum)
• Shadowhunter Army Recruitment event (Charleston Museum Courtyard) *ticketed- stop by the Riveted Booth to get a wristband and you’ll get a Shadowhunter tote, pin, poster, and Queen of Air and Darkness sampler at the event!

 3:30pm

• Read it Before You See It: Hush, Hush giveaway (Riveted Booth)

4:00pm

• Pitter Patter: Writing Fresh Love Stories panel with Siobhan Vivian and Jessica Brody (Ballroom)
• Magnus Bane raffle winner announced (Riveted Booth)

5:00pm

• Secrets and the Ones Who Keep Them panel with Lisa Maxwell (Cinema)
• Closing Keynote with Neal Shusterman (Music Hall | 37 John St)

And don’t forget to come say hi to us at the booth all day!

For anyone who might not know, NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) is the magical time that comes around every year where writers from around the world dedicate themselves to completing a novel in one month. November 1^st marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo so we thought we’d give you a little inside look at what this whole thing is all about. On the surface it appears as a challenge to write a bunch of words in a small amount of time but it’s actually so much more! Whether you’re a writer or a reader, see below for only some of the reasons why we love NaNoWriMo!

Everything To Love about NaNoWriMo

1. A challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days (easy, right?)

2. Writing roughly 1,667 words a day

3. A chance to connect with friends and the writing community (online and IRL!)

4. Healthy competition that allows your NaNoWriMo buddies to encourage you and keep you on track

5. The push to finally get that story that’s been sitting in your brain onto paper (or computer screen)

6. Learning to embrace the suck (nothing can hold you back!)

7. An excuse to hide from your relatives during the holidays

8. A chance to test how much caffeine you truly need to function after a late night spent writing

9. Knowing what everyone on Twitter is talking about

10. One of the most challenging things you can do, but also one of the most rewarding!

If you are interested in taking part or want to learn more, check out the website. Let us know on social media if you’re participating this year!

Happy #Shustermonth! We’re so excited for the release of Dry by Neal & Jarrod Shusterman on October 2nd that we’ve deemed September #Shustermonth and we’re hosting a sweepstakes!

Here’s how it works:

• Take the “Which Neal Shusterman Book Should You Read Next?” Quiz at the bottom of this Post
• Share your quiz results on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with #Shustermonth
  • Don’t forget the to include the hashtag, and
  • Make sure your social is public or we won’t know you entered!
• You will be entered for a chance to win a finished copy of Dry, a paperback of Scythe, a SIGNED copy of Thunderhead, and a box set of the Unwind Dystology!
• There will be 4 winners

Read the full sweepstakes rules and privacy policy here.

If Neal Shusterman is not already on your TBR list, you need to stop what you are doing and put his books on it right now!  Neal has had quite a writing career, putting out fast-paced reads like Unwind, Everlost, and the New York Times bestselling books from the Arc of the Scythe series.  Neal has a new book coming out this October called Dry, which he wrote with his son Jarrod, and we are SO EXCITED for it.

But say you haven’t read of his books yet… Which one should you read first?? We have you covered!

Take this quiz to determine which Neal Schusterman book you should read right now!

We’re getting ready for Ellen Hopkins latest book People Kill People! To prepare, we’re giving away a full set of Ellen Hopkins titles!

Ellen Hopkins is more than an author; she’s a legend. Her books have pushed the envelope for Young Adult literature, allowing YA readers to find their own difficult struggles in books. Though many of her novels have been banned (usually by adults who don’t think teens need literature that addresses the difficult parts of life), that has never stopped her from putting forward new books, each more gripping than the last! Ellen puts forth books that change lives.

Enter below for a chance to win Ellen Hopkins entire collection including an early finished copy of People Kill People!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deb Caletti’s next book A Heart in a Body in the World comes out on September 18th, and we’re so excited to share it with all with you! To lead up to the release we’re re-reading some of our favorite Deb Caletti novels! Each book will be featured on Riveted as a Full Read for you to read-along with us!

It’s time for Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti which is available to read until August 13! To celebrate the kickoff, we’re giving away a paperback of Honey, Baby, Sweetheart and an ADVANCE COPY of A Heart in a Body in the World! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter for a chance to win these two incredible books!

Make sure to mark your calendars for the next two Deb Caletti read-alongs, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart from 7/30-8/12, and Nature of Jade from 8/13-8/26!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Look alive, Shadowhunters fans! You may have heard of the Eldest Curses, a new series of novels set in Cassandra Clare’s sprawling Shadowhunters universe that focus on a fan-favorite couple: High Warlock Magnus Bane and Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood. Whether this is (very exciting) news to you, or something you’ve been anticipating for a while, we have four important pieces of information about the Eldest Curses:

1. The first book is called The Red Scrolls of Magic (read up on what it’s about here).
2. It was co-written by Cassandra Clare and award-winning novelist Wesley Chu.
3. It hits shelves April 2, 2019 (that’s just FOUR MONTHS after Queen of Air and Darkness, you guys).
4. You can see the cover for The Red Scrolls of Magic RIGHT NOW over on EW.com!

We can’t wait to hear what you think of the new cover!

Want to stay up-to-date on all things Shadowhunters, including The Red Scrolls of Magic? Join the Shadowhunter Army fan club to get monthly emails with behind-the-scenes information, exclusive content, giveaways and more!

There’s no shortage of great books that came out this month! Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted contemporary or a beautifully told historical fiction, we have the book for you! Make sure you add all of these May 2018 releases to your TBR!

7 Must-Read Books That Hit Shelves in May 2018

1. Tradition by Brendan Kiely

Prestigious. Powerful. Privileged. This is Fullbrook Academy, an elite prep school where history looms in the leafy branches over its brick walkways. But some traditions upheld in its hallowed halls are profoundly dangerous.

2. From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

3. Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s destination wedding where she’s hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken. Then her travel plans change and suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with her brother Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan and a stolen library book titled Ireland for the Heartbroken.

4. What I Leave Behind by Alison McGhee

After his dad dies of suicide, Will tries to overcome his own misery by secretly helping the people around him in this exquisitely crafted story made up of one hundred chapters of one hundred words each, by award-winning and bestselling author Alison McGhee.

5. Four Letter Word by Christa Desir

Eight friends. One game. A dozen regrets. And a night that will ruin them all, in this high stakes gripping story of manipulation and innocence lost, from the author of Bleed Like Me. 

6. The Dead Enders by Erin Saldin

For fans of One of Us Is Lying, this novel set during the summer in the small tourist town of Gold Fork features four teens all sharing one secret from their past—and one explosive truth that could change everything.

7. Jazz Owls by Margarita Engle

Thousands of young Navy sailors are pouring into Los Angeles on their way to the front lines of World War II. They are teenagers, scared, longing to feel alive before they have to face the horrors of battle. Hot jazz music spiced with cool salsa rhythms calls them to dance with the local Mexican American girls, who jitterbug all night before working all day in the canneries. Proud to do their part for the war effort, these Jazz Owl girls are happy to dance with the sailors—until the blazing summer night when racial violence leads to murder.

We can never get enough of the gorgeous bookstagrams that we find, and some books were just made to be bookstagrammed, like Sandhya Menon’s From Twinkle, With Love! We were recently scrolling through the #FromTwinkleWithLove hashtag and knew we had to share our favorites!

Check out these photo masterpieces starring From Twinkle, With Love! Make sure you tag us in your bookstagram photos, we love seeing them!

A post shared by Dana (@somethinggoodbg) on May 28, 2018 at 7:32pm PDT

We love seeing From Twinkle, With Love packed for vacation!

A post shared by Brittany ??☕ (@bookswrotemystory) on May 27, 2018 at 6:51am PDT

This photo aesthetic is perfect. We can’t look away!

Did a little FROM TWINKLE, WITH LOVE photoshoot at the beach ☀?

A post shared by The YA Room (@theyaroom) on May 26, 2018 at 12:46am PDT

The perfect beach read!

A post shared by Emma’s Book Nook (@emmasbooknook) on May 25, 2018 at 8:19pm PDT

A cover recreation!

A post shared by Ri Tam (@hiveretcafe) on May 25, 2018 at 10:02am PDT

This is the perfect photo prop!

A post shared by love, ella (@ellanescent) on May 24, 2018 at 7:02pm PDT

This photo looks perfectly comfortable!

A post shared by ?? | बौप | ?? | She/Her | (@thatreadingwraith) on May 23, 2018 at 11:33am PDT

We’re jealous of the photography skills behind this picture.

A post shared by J.K.S. (@scrubsandbooks) on May 22, 2018 at 1:47pm PDT

We would love to drink this tea while reading From Twinkle, With Love!

A post shared by Tara Michelle (@spinatale) on May 21, 2018 at 8:59pm PDT

We’re very jealous of the gorgeous props in this photo.

A post shared by Jess |?| ?|?? (@jessheartsbooks) on May 8, 2018 at 9:46am PDT

We would love to steal these candles. They’re the perfect colors to match From Twinkle, With Love!

A post shared by Courtney ♡ (@librarycutie) on Apr 30, 2018 at 3:44am PDT

Twinkle & Sahil character cards!!!!

A post shared by ♡ Kristin ♡ (@superspacechick) on Apr 25, 2018 at 9:02am PDT

More character cards!

A post shared by Allison (@abookishalli) on Apr 22, 2018 at 5:16pm PDT

More cover recreations!

A post shared by Jordan • xvii (@pagetravels) on May 19, 2018 at 1:14pm PDT

We would like to steal this coffeehouse reading set up.

A post shared by Jordan (@theheartofabookblogger) on May 23, 2018 at 6:28pm PDT

Don’t Twinkle & Dimple look great together?

A post shared by Sophie S. (@mindofabookdragon) on May 22, 2018 at 7:00am PDT

More proof that Twinkle & Dimple were meant to be photographed together.

A post shared by Lisa ⚯͛⠀ོ☁︎ (@lifeinlit) on May 22, 2018 at 3:20am PDT

More proof!!! (Just try and tell us we’re wrong.)

A post shared by Sandhya Menon (@sandhyamenonbooks) on May 21, 2018 at 6:17pm PDT

Last but certainly not least, this adorable picture of Sandhya recreating the cover of her book!