Enter the Big Top.

A title by another first time author that is causing a lot of discussion is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  Imagine Ms. Morgenstern’s reaction when as a rookie novelists whose book is not due out until September, Summit Entertainment, the group that brought us the Twilight films, bought the rights to her novel.  Summit Entertainment wants to describe this as a young adult novel but that is wrong. This is a tale of greed, fate and love. This is a story of two dueling magicians who fight their battle within the confines of a black and white circus that is only open at night. This is beautifully written and spellbinding to read.  One review calls it a self-assured and entertaining, another compelling, well-drawn. I call it inspired. It is not fantasy although there are elements of fantasy; it is not a romance although the love between the two protagonists is strong and eternal; it is an enchanted fable that is hard to put down.

Reginald Hill minus Dalziel and Pascoe

Reginald Hill is a British crime author who is known mostly for the Dalziel and Pascoe series that has become a BBC tv series.  Hill is considered by the London Times to be one of the 50 greatest crime writers in the world. When I discovered he was publishing a stand alone title in the US, I thought I would give it a quick perusal. I have been a member of some email discussion groups where Hill was a member and he was very quick witted and positive. I have had a hard time following his most recent entries in the Dalziel series but I thought - well - I'd see if the stand alone interested me.

The Woodcutter will publish in the states on July 26, 2011. It was published in Great Britain in 2010. I opened the book and was immediately grabbed by the story and the characters. This is a stunning psychological thriller. The main character, 'Wolf' Hadda, starts out as a very wealthy, attractive, powerful entrepeneur and quickly ends up in prison, found guilty of child pornography and financial crimes. You would think he would not be an attractive character, but somehow, Hill makes the reader care about what happens to him. All of his characterizations are well rounded and interesting, the plotting is intricate but riveting and for a book of over 500 pages, I could not put it down. Get ready for late nights finishing this one.

Don't Go To Sleep!!!!

As the person who purchases books for the library, I frequently find out about new titles or authors who will be publishing in the near future. Perhaps there are others out there that might be interested in finding out about books that have created ‘buzz’ in the publishing world. That will be the focus of this blog with perhaps some additions of older titles that might have been missed.

As my first entry, a work that will be coming out on June 14^th is Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson. Watson is a first time author and the title is definitely in the thriller category. People can just not stop talking about this book. I read an advanced reading copy in 2 days hating every time I had to put it down. Some of the comments are:

            “Quite simply the best debut novel I have ever read.” (Tess Gerritsen)

            The summer’s single most suspenseful plot belongs to BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP. . . . pure page-turner.” (New York Times)

            Amazon has named it a “Best Book of the Month” even before it is being sold!

The story focuses on a woman who wakes up every morning not knowing where she is, how old she is, her husband, her house, and basically nothing that has apparently happened in the last several decades. Her memory disappears every time she goes to sleep. She discovers that she has been seeing a doctor behind her husband’s back and keeping a journal of things that have happened or that she remembers. When she find written on the front of the journal “Don’t trust Ben” (her husband), her world becomes even more confusing. A definite page turner that I know is worth the wait.