Eric Luper is like the Nick Hornby of teen authors, I’ve decided. Are you familiar with Nick Hornby? Because if you’re not, you should be. He wrote High Fidelity, which was made into a movie with John Cusack. The movie is okay, but the novel is a vivid peek inside the mind (and heart) of a man who is suffering from some serious post-breakup insanity.

Why, you ask, am I bringing up some lad lit author named Nick Hornby when I’m supposed to be telling you about a book by Eric Luper? Well, it’s because I consider High Fidelity to be the gold standard of books about guys who are unhappy in love. And Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto is, without a doubt, the gold standard of books about teen guys who are unhappy in love.

Our hero, Seth, has just been dumped by his girlfriend. To make things worse, he sees his father at Applebee’s with some woman who is not his mother. And he gets fired from his fourth job in a year. So he harnesses his angst and starts a podcast called The Love Manifesto, which is one of the most awesome things I’ve seen in print. Come June, readers will get to peruse partial transcripts from Seth’s show, which I’m happy to report are incorporated into this novel. (Rumor has it we’ll even be able to listen to The Love Manifesto, as Eric and Harper Collins are actually working on bringing the podcast to life. I can’t wait to listen in.)

Right. So what is it I adore so much about this book? It’s hilarious. It’s heart-wrenching. It’s insightful. It includes a list of things Seth Baumgartner loves about his ex-girlfriend, and the items on the list are brilliant in a way that is reminiscent of Harry Burns (from When Harry Met Sally, which I realize I harp on about all the time, but it is an excellent movie). I may be a bit too old for Seth, but even I know that when he grows up, I’m going to marry him, because he is one of the most fall-in-love-with-able characters in all of teen fiction.

Seriously, my friends. I don’t do this preview thing too often, just in case a pub date gets pushed back. But what I’m telling you is that you must go and pre-order this novel. You must read it the day it is released, which is supposed to be June 8. You must then report back here, where I’m sure we’ll be having a huge party for Seth Baumgartner and his creator, Eric Luper.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bunch of other books to eat read this weekend.*

Much love,
brina

*I changed my mind. Am re-reading Love Manifesto. It’s that good.

Thankfully, Scholastic’s twist on the dating book is so awesome that I now have something I can honestly recommend to friends with relationship woes. The Vampire Is Just Not That Into You by “Vlad Mezrich” debuts next month, and it’s chock full of fantastic advice about how to make a vamp love you (and what to do when he inevitably leaves you or tries to eat you).

When Scholastic sent me their book list and I saw this title, I was all, “No! No more vampires! No dating books about vampires. What is the world coming to???”

Thankfully, any time David Levithan is involved with a project you can count on either (a) hilarity, or (b) hilarity, or (c) both.

My biggest complaint? The book is being published as a paperback and then being sold for only $7.99. If a girl is silly enough to want to date a vampire, she should pony up a few more bucks for some good advice. This should be a hardcover at the very least. Preferably covered in 24-carat gold leaf.

Anyway. Coming next month, to a bookstore near you. Buy it, read it, come back here and discuss it.

PS. This is the Last Vampire Book Ever. More on that when the tome’s pub date rolls around.

Okay, the book isn’t out yet, but it will be in April, and I want you to be on notice for it. Today when I was at Brownstone Books, I came across a galley of it. (By the way, if you’re in Bed Stuy and you haven’t been to Brownstone Books, you’re missing out. The owner is a fantastic woman who will go out of her way to help you find books you’ll love, and she also happens to give out free galleys.)

I can’t wait for April, or risk waiting for April, to let you know that King of the Screwups is coming, and you’re going to love it when it does. It’s sad, and it’s funny, and it’s just generally one of those titles that will suck you in and force you to keep reading until you reach the last page.

Quick aside: If you don’t know about galleys, or ARCs, they are advance reader copies that have not yet been copyedited. They’re often full of typos, but this one was practically typo-free. Seriously, it was squeaky clean. It’s always a pleasure to read an early copy that is already in practically perfect shape. Which is not to say other galleys aren’t great — just that this one is particularly scrumptious, so please keep it filed in the back of your mind under “great books to expect in coming months.”

Let me say it louder: May 26.

Let me say it softer: Actually, not May 26. Scroll to the bottom of this preview for more info.

Diana Peterfreund has written her first YA novel, and I’ve just this moment finished reading it. (Diana’s other novels were often mistaken for YA, which must have been frustrating to her. She’s the author of the Secret Society Girl series, which has been constantly mis-shelved.)

Anyway, Rampant is fantastic. Seriously awesome. A little bit of fantasy, a little bit of chick lit, and a bunch of unicorns.

That’s right. Unicorns.

Okay, so here is where I admit that I met Diana at a party awhile back. She told me she was writing her first YA novel, and she said it was about unicorns. I smiled and nodded, and I thought, “Unicorns??? She’s crazy. That might work for eight-year-old girls, but no properly developed teenager wants to read about unicorns.”

I’m sorry, Diana. So very sorry for misjudging you.

… Because, you see, Diana’s unicorns aren’t pink and sparkly. No, actually they’re hideous evil man-eating monsters. YES.

I’m not giving anything away here. And I’ll write a proper “review” once the book comes out. On May 26. But just be warned, my friends. Go pre-order this thing from Amazon.com or your local bookseller. I’m telling you, Diana’s book is going to be a huge hit.

(PS. This book almost makes me understand the unicorns versus zombies arguments between a bunch of YA authors. Almost, but not quite. After reading Rampant, I’m totally siding with unicorns.)

EDIT: The publication date of this book has been pushed back to September of ‘09. So, umm, please change the date in your calendars, and remember to pick up a copy of Diana’s fantabulous upcoming evil unicorn thriller in September. If you go to the store for it in May, you’ll be sadly disappointed!

But first, mark this date on your calendars: March 1, 2009.

Got it? Okay, now let me tell you why you’re marking that particular date. It’s because you, like any sensible gal, love romances. And you love historical fiction. And you especially love reading about dukes and duchesses and marquesses, and fancy ball gowns and debutantes. And you adore mystery novels with strong female protagonists.

I’m hoping Sarah will guest blog for us before her novel’s debut, and I’ll also be doing an interview with her, assuming neither of us gets hit by a bus before we’re able to sit down and chat.

Seriously, you should be getting excited right about now, the same way you got excited before Lauren Mechling’s Dream Girl came out this summer, and the same way you get excited over all things Libba Bray. Because Sarah’s novel is like a delicious combination of the two. That’s all I’ll say for the moment.

Other than MARK YOUR CALENDARS. I mean it. I’ll know if you don’t. And I’ll come bop you on the head. Promise.