November Top 5

It's the holiday season! I'm already getting into the lazy - I just want to bake cookies and read all day - mindset. November has been another slow reading month for me, but I'm nearing the end of the semester so my pile of books I need to catch up on are stacking up. I can't wait until I can get through all the books I've been meaning to read. But first - my top reads in November! 

1. Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

I'm all kinds of in love with this book. It's a gorgeous story that still gets me all worked up and agitated in the best way possible. Read my full review here and then go read it. Seriously, read it now. 

2. Cress by Marissa Meyer

This is one of the handful of series that is prominent in my heart right now. It's amazing how Marissa Meyer takes a crazy concept and makes it so complex, so large, and so plausible. It's just the most impressive thing. And Cress was the perfect addition to the group of fairy-tale inspired heroes tasked with saving Earth. 

3. Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

I just get the warm-fuzzies when I read Miranda Kenneally. Racing Savannah comes in second only to Catching Jordan in the Hundred Oaks series. Read my full review here. 

4. A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers

Another great new adult from Lisa! I was a little apprehensive about where Alessandro's story would go, but I was delighted when it brought us to Hilary and the wonders of New York. She's just killin' it in the NA world right now. My full review is here. 

5. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

I read this one at the insistence of my roommate who has impeccable and hard-to-please taste in books and it was just so impressive. I don't know how Cristin pulled off writing two different characters who are the same person, but it was a great idea. Plus, I always love books about time travel that don't make me feel like an idiot for getting confused about time travel. 

What were your top reads this month? 

Racing Savannah - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: They’re from two different worlds.
He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.
With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Miranda Kenneally keeps winning me over with every new book she writes. I love that she’s created her own community that has these strong, confident, and fun girls who each have experiences that are empowering. I also think it’s great that she keeps me guessing. She’s not writing to a formula and she’s not doing what’s expected, so it’s fresh contemporary that ultimately just leaves me totally happy. And Savannah’s story has this kind of glow around it that draws you in. 

I’ve been digging all the horse books that seem to be surfacing right now. The horses really become their own characters and it reminds me of how badly I wanted a horse when I was younger. They take a lot of care, so when you have characters who are into horses, they naturally seem more responsible, likeable, and strong than your average character. Savannah is particularly admirable. She just has a good head on her shoulders. I think it’s great that she has some pretty realistic dreams outside of going to college – although college is still in the mix of possibilities. But mostly, I just think it’s awesome how she demands to be treated well. She doesn’t let anyone treat her less than she is and it’s amazing. 

Which brings me to Jack, who could have easily been another spoiled rich kid, but instead he’s hard-working and he doesn’t shy away from making big decisions. He’s asked to take on a lot of responsibility for a teenager and I think he handles it awesomely. Even when I wanted to smack him sometimes, I just adored him and the way his relationship with Savannah unfolded. It seems like a bad idea for them to be together, but you have to love when they go there anyway. 

Also – Corndog’s little brother is a main character in Savannah’s story, which is just awesome. He’s pretty fantastic. I just have to say that it’s wonderful that these books are so jam-packed with great friendships. And then we get glimpses into what’s become of Jordan, Parker, and Kate Kelly which just makes me so giddy. (Although, in a certain instance Miranda drops a bomb about Jordan and Sam Henry, then doesn’t really explain. I’m still hung up on – what happened between them!) But there’s a really great moment where they all come together again and it just makes me giddy. 

Miranda totally killed it with Racing Savannah. Although, Catching Jordan will always have a special place in my heart, she just keeps getting better and better. She’s definitely a must read author for me and I’m so excited for what she’ll write for us next.

Racing Savannah Pre-Order Campaign

They’re from two different worlds, but Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules. . . get the next contemporary novel from blockbuster YA novelist Miranda Kenneally: RACING SAVANNAH!

Right before her senior year, Savannah’s father whisks the family off to Tennessee to work as head groom at fancy Cedar Hill Farms. Savannah finally sees it as the perfect opportunity to earn extra money as an exercise rider—no matter how many others don’t want a girl around the barn.  But she’s also caught the eye of Jack Goodwin, the owner’s son. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries. With her dream of becoming a jockey, Savannah is not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack.

We’ve put together a fun campaign to thank readers for pre-ordering: send us your proof of pre-order and we’ll send you this fabulous horseshoe key chain!

A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally

We have a special offer for U.S. and Canada YA fans for the release of RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally in stores in a little over three weeks! If you pre-order the book, we will send you an exclusive horseshoe key chain—perfect for any busy teen on the go! You have until December 2 or until quantities run out.

Here’s how to get your charm:
1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Racing Savannah Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the horseshoe key chain! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Racing Savannah when it comes out in December!

Optional: take a pic of you and your horseshoe key chain and share it with Miranda Kenneally or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Miranda @mirandakennealy and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.