September is actually also Self-Care Awareness month, so here are a couple of popular self-care books!

1. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

The #1 New York TimesBestseller You Are A Badassis the self-help book for people who desperately want to improve their lives but don’t want to get busted doing it.

In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, #1 New York TimesBestselling Author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word. If you’re ready to make some serious changes around here, You Are a Badasswill help you: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, blast past your fears so you can take big exciting risks, figure out how to make some damn money already, learn to love yourself and others, set big goals and reach them – it will basically show you how to create a life you totally love, and how to create it now.

By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.

2. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (Magic Cleaning #1) by Marie Kondō, Cathy Hirano(Translator)

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international best seller featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home – and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

3. Rising Strong by Brené Brown

The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough often enough, we will fall. The author of Daring Greatlyand The Gifts of Imperfectiontells us what it takes to get back up, and how owning our stories of disappointment, failure, and heartbreak gives us the power to write a daring new ending. Struggle, Brené Brown writes, can be our greatest call to courage, and rising strong our clearest path to deeper meaning, wisdom, and hope.

 

Enjoy!

*All description taken from Goodreads*

 

On September 12, 2019 from 10AM – 6PM the Capital Book Fest will happen in the Woodrow Wilson Plaza in Washington DC. 

Browse over 12,000 gently used books, CDs, and DVDs, all on sale for under $6. Books are provided by Carpe Librum, a used, donation-based bookstore benefiting the DC nonprofit Turning the Page.

There’s something for everyone at this sale: children’s books, teen reads, brand-new bestsellers in amazing condition, classic vintage hardbacks, and more!

Hope to see you there!

Here are a couple of anticipated YA book releases happening in September!

*All summaries taken from Goodreads*

1. Five ​Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4) by Kendare Blake

After the battle with Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, leaving her out of her mind and unfit to rule. Arsinoe must find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist rests heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone. Mirabella has disappeared.

Queen Katharine’s rule over Fennbirn remains intact—for now. But her attack on the rebellion exacted a high price: her beloved Pietyr. Without him, who can she rely upon when Mirabella arrives, seemingly under a banner of truce? As oldest and youngest circle each other, and Katharine begins to yearn for the closeness that Mirabella and Arsinoe share, the dead queens hiss caution—Mirabella is not to be trusted.

In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

The fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens.

2. Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

3. Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3) by Jay Kristoff

A ruthless young assassin’s journey for revenge comes to a stunning end in the conclusion of this acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy.

The Republic of Itreya is in chaos. Mia Corvere has assassinated Cardinal Duomo and rumors of Consul Scaeva’s death ripple through the street of Godsgrave like wildfire. But buried beneath those same streets, deep in the ancient city’s bones, lies a secret that will change the Republic forever.

Mia and her brother Jonnen must journey through the depths of the ancient metropolis. Their quest will take them through the Godsgrave underdark, across the Sea of Swords, back to the library of the Quiet Mountain and the poisoned blades of Mia’s old mentors, and at last the fabled Crown of the Moon. There, Mia will at last discover the origins of the darkin, and learn the destiny that lies in store for her and her world. But with the three suns now in descent, and Truedark on the horizon, will she survive?

New York Times and internationally bestselling author Jay Kristoff’s writing has been praised by critics and readers alike and has won many awards, including five Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, and David Gemmell Morningstar and Legend awards.

4. Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2) by Rainbow Rowell

The story is supposed to be over.

Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…

So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…

That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.

Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun.

5. Capturing the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper #4) by Kerri Maniscalco

In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

 

Enjoy!

September is National Suicide Awareness Month, so here are some YA books that deal with the topic.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

2. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

3. Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

From the show’s creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen.

Dear Evan Hansen,

Today’s going to be an amazing day and here’s why…

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore–even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He’s confident. He’s a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.

4. I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

 

Enjoy!

 

According to Dessy’s best friend Veronica, there are two types of people in the world: the
heartbreakers and the heartbroken. Veronica is obviously a heartbreaker and Dessy’s heartbroken
– especially since she just got dumped – but Dessy has always wanted to be more like Veronica.
To be carefree and wild and not worry about what other people think but she can’t seem to do it.
So their writer's workshop in Prague is the perfect time for Dessy to break out of her shell, and
maybe finally get over her ex by finding a hot European guy.
As things start to heat up in Prague with a psycho roommate out to get Veronica and a
wall of hot boys, Dessy starts to lose sense of who she is. She realizes that she’s not Veronica
and that she needs to find her own way in this unfamiliar environment. As friendships fall apart
and guys start to fall into Dessy’s lap, she needs to figure out who she is and what she wants out
of this trip.
A Field Guide for Heartbreakers is the perfect adventure with a summer fling. Reading
this book you will fall in love with Dessy and root for her through her crazy adventures. Kristen
Tracy perfectly combines teenage romance into finding one’s self and teaches us an important
lesson that shows us the way to one’s heart: be yourself.

Ariel Stone is the perfect candidate for Harvard: expected valedictorian, volunteer,
dedicated synagogue member, and first chair violin. He spends all of his time on his school work
and is left with practically no time for friends. When Ariel unexpectedly fails a calculus quiz, he
must ask his long-time family friend and classmate Amir to help him study. As Amir helps Ariel
get back on track, Ariel discovers an underlying feeling for Amir that doesn’t have anything to
do with math.
Ariel feels at home with Amir and he knows that he should focus, but he can’t help it.
However, as college application deadlines loom and classes get more rigorous, Ariel must decide
if his new relationship is putting too much on himself. What is the true cost of perfection?
You Asked for Perfect is the perfect novel for anyone struggling in life and not giving
themselves a break. Falling into Ariel’s life shows you how important forgiving yourself and
giving yourself space is when you are being pushed into perfection. Laura Silverman perfectly
captures the feelings of an overwhelmed student and she helps you find a way out of the mess of
high school.

Alice has had the worst luck. So much so that she doesn’t believe in it anymore. However,
she still believes in love. Especially in her love for Teddy, her best friend. As a joke, Alice buys
Teddy a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday. Using numbers that mean something to them,
somehow, Teddy actually wins. Not just a few dollars, but the whole jackpot! At first, everything
seems amazing and like nothing could go wrong. That is until Alice realizes that there’s such
thing as a lottery curse.
As Teddy gets more and more wrapped up in the money, Alice can feel him drifting away
from her and starts to wonder if hitting the jackpot was such a good thing. With people taking
advantage of Teddy and using Alice in the process, she needs to figure out a way to get out of the
mess of the money and how to get Teddy back.
Windfall is the perfect book for anyone trying to find love or luck. Reading this book you
will ache for Alice through her heartbreak and cheer for her during her triumphs. Jennifer E.
Smith has written a beautiful novel about the struggles of growing up and learning how to take
on responsibility.