I hope everyone had a good holiday season. It was restful but now the work has piled up and time has passed and I am running behind. The LibraryReads list came out this week - the list of the top 10 books that librarians have picked that come out in February so.....on with the list.
Number one is a title by one of my favorite authors - Anne Tyler. A Spool of Blue Thread comes out on February 10th. Tyler has said this will be her last book which makes me very sad but this is also the 50th year of her writing career so I guess I can understand. Tyler's tales are always filled with quirky characters whom you grow to love. Many of hers are the ones where you hate for it to end. This is the story of a three generations of a family, their secrets and their memories. It ought to be a good one.
The rest in no particular order:
A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott comes out on February 17th. This novel takes place during the making of Gone With the Wind and follows an aspiring screenwriter who becomes Carole Lombard's assistant. Julie Crawford observes both the on screen romance between Rhett and Scarlet and the real life romance between Clark Gable and Lombard. Based on historical facts with fictional encounters, it is said to be a very entertaining read.
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh comes out on February 10th. This is a coming of age tale which centers around Lindy, a 15 year old free spirt, track star and normal teen who is raped coming home from track practice. The rapist is not caught. The story is told from the viewpoint of a teen boy who was and is obsessed with Lindy. The story focuses on each person who may have committed the crime and why. An unreliable narrator, a violent crime and a small 'ideal' neighborhood. Quite a debut for Walsh.
The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn is out on January 27th - which is almost February. This is number four of the Smythe-Smith Quartet . This title focuses on Iris. As you could probably tell from the title, this is a historical romance. Sir Richard has to be married almost immediately and set his eyes on Iris when he went to the Smythe-Smith musicale. Iris is suspicious and the plot is Kenworthy trying to win her over while having a'dark' secret. A fun romance.
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie comes out on February 17th. This is the second in the Shattered Sea series, following Half a King. If you have read the first one, this one will be almost required reading. Many characters return from the first title. Yarvi must cross the shatter sea to stop the High King from invading Gettland. He enlists some misfits for the voyage. Among them is Thorn, the young girl who would be a woman warrior. Danger and adventure awaits them in this high fantasy.
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon comes out on February 24th. This title is psychological suspense in the vein of Reconstructing Amelia or Defending Jacob. Simon Connolly is a stay at home dad. The children are now teens but he is still anxious. Then, a shooting is reported at the school. He goes to the rendezvous point but Jake is the only one who doesn't come out. What has happened? What went wrong?
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab comes out on February 24th. This is the beginning of a fantasy series by a popular fantasy author. London is the link between parallel universes and the magician Kell is one of two Travelers who can move between them. Grey London is dirty and boring and ruled by mad King George; Red London is where life and magic are revered; White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne; and once there was a Black London. Kell flees into Grey London having been caught smuggling people between worlds and gets in trouble. His only ally is a thief.
A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders on February 24th. This is a funny debut mystery novel with an original heroine. Samantha, a British book editor, has a best selling author who goes missing after writing a tell - all book. Someone doesn't want this book to be published. Reviewers found this a great, entertaining read.
The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman comes out on February 24th. Sadly, Franklin died while writing this tour-de-force mystery. Luckily her daughter help finish it. Franklin is probably best know for her Mistress of the Art of Death series. This one is a historical mystery that takes place in the 1100's. during England's devastating civil war between King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda. A young 11 year old red headed girl, Emma, is attacked by a depraved monk and left for dead. She is found by an archer, Gwyl, who heals her and dresses her as a boy. This tale of adventure and the battle for the crown, is told by two courageous young women. I will have to read this book as I loved Franklin.
Lastly, Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King comes on February 17th. This is in her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. It is 1925 and Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes arrive home to find a stone which they last saw in the Tokyo garden of the future emperor of Japan. It is their first indication that perhaps the investigation that they did for him was not complete. More Sherlockian fun for all
Seems to me that there is almost something for everyone in this month's list. I hope you find something you would like to read.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The Last of January Before I Am Off
I am going to finish up January titles before I take off until the new year. Perhaps I can do some reading and come back with some more possibilities for you.
I am going to start out with a strange but delightful book by Emma Hooper. Hooper was written other things (nonfiction, short stories, poetry, etc) but Etta and Otto and Russell and James is her debut novel. It arrives on January 20th. Etta is an 82 year old woman who has begun to forget things. She lives with her husband Otto on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Otto has an old friend who is their next door neighbor, Russell. And James is a talking coyote. See, I told you it was strange. Emma has never seen the ocean and decides to walk the 2000 miles to see it. Oscar stays home and writes her letters he never mails. I found it delightful because it is really about their lives. One review said "This is a beautiful story with threads that weave together past and present as one, not unlike the way Etta experiences time."
This next book I had to buy because ..... well, because of the title and subject matter. Mobile Library by David Whitehouse is also out on January 20th. The story is about 12 year old Bobby Musku. Bobby is bullied at school and abused at home. His mother has left. His best friend is tragically injured. Bobby befriends a bullied neighborhood girl who had special needs. Her mother cleaned and took care of the mobile library. When the mother loses her job and Bobby is badly beaten by his father - they take off across England in the mobile library. A book that makes you redefine the meaning of family and one that stays with you after you close the cover.
OK - one more quirky book and then I will go back to bigger name authors, I promise. Brooke Davis has Lost and Found coming on January 22nd. Davis is an Australian author who wrote a PhD dissertation on grief and this eventually became the result. Basically it is about a 7 year old girl, Millie, whose father died and whose mother abandons her in a department store. She is assisted in her search for her mother by Karl, a nursing home escapee and Agatha, a reclusive bitter woman in her seventies. The three of them form a search party of sorts but it is more about death, love, companionship and dealing with grief. Highly reviewed in Australia.
Breaking Creed by Alex Kava comes out on January 27th. This title is advertised as a new series with Ryder Creed. Creed, however, was introduced in Kava's 11th Maggie O'Dell title and O'Dell is in this one too. Regardless, Creed is a former Marine who trains dogs to be search and rescue or drug dogs. Creed is searching a vessel when they discover not drugs but humans. Creed helps a 14 year old girl escape who reminds him of his sister. She happened to be a mule for a drug cartel. Maggie O'Dell is investigating a series of murders when she uncovers a hit list with Creed's name on it. Is it too late?
Jayne Ann Krentz has Trust No One coming out on January 6th. Grace Elland is an assistant to a motivational speaker who she discovers dead in his bed. Something about the murder brings back bad memories of her past and she retreats to home. After an awkward blind date with Julius Arkwright, she discovers she is being stalked and she has to rely on Arkwright, who is an ex-marine. Can they find the person after Grace before that person manages to entrap her?
Lastly, No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor comes out on Dec 30th. This is the 7th in the Pike Logan series. Logan and his partner, Jennifer Cahill, have been fired from the top secret counter terrorist unit, Taskforce, much to their shock and dismay. Then their former commander calls them with a request to find his missing niece. While investigating, they discover that there has been a series of kidnappings of high US officials children. The terrorists are threatening to kill the hostages one by one unless they counter terrorist actions. Who better than Logan to find the bad guys?
Enjoy the holiday season. I will be back in January.
I am going to start out with a strange but delightful book by Emma Hooper. Hooper was written other things (nonfiction, short stories, poetry, etc) but Etta and Otto and Russell and James is her debut novel. It arrives on January 20th. Etta is an 82 year old woman who has begun to forget things. She lives with her husband Otto on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Otto has an old friend who is their next door neighbor, Russell. And James is a talking coyote. See, I told you it was strange. Emma has never seen the ocean and decides to walk the 2000 miles to see it. Oscar stays home and writes her letters he never mails. I found it delightful because it is really about their lives. One review said "This is a beautiful story with threads that weave together past and present as one, not unlike the way Etta experiences time."
This next book I had to buy because ..... well, because of the title and subject matter. Mobile Library by David Whitehouse is also out on January 20th. The story is about 12 year old Bobby Musku. Bobby is bullied at school and abused at home. His mother has left. His best friend is tragically injured. Bobby befriends a bullied neighborhood girl who had special needs. Her mother cleaned and took care of the mobile library. When the mother loses her job and Bobby is badly beaten by his father - they take off across England in the mobile library. A book that makes you redefine the meaning of family and one that stays with you after you close the cover.
OK - one more quirky book and then I will go back to bigger name authors, I promise. Brooke Davis has Lost and Found coming on January 22nd. Davis is an Australian author who wrote a PhD dissertation on grief and this eventually became the result. Basically it is about a 7 year old girl, Millie, whose father died and whose mother abandons her in a department store. She is assisted in her search for her mother by Karl, a nursing home escapee and Agatha, a reclusive bitter woman in her seventies. The three of them form a search party of sorts but it is more about death, love, companionship and dealing with grief. Highly reviewed in Australia.
Breaking Creed by Alex Kava comes out on January 27th. This title is advertised as a new series with Ryder Creed. Creed, however, was introduced in Kava's 11th Maggie O'Dell title and O'Dell is in this one too. Regardless, Creed is a former Marine who trains dogs to be search and rescue or drug dogs. Creed is searching a vessel when they discover not drugs but humans. Creed helps a 14 year old girl escape who reminds him of his sister. She happened to be a mule for a drug cartel. Maggie O'Dell is investigating a series of murders when she uncovers a hit list with Creed's name on it. Is it too late?
Jayne Ann Krentz has Trust No One coming out on January 6th. Grace Elland is an assistant to a motivational speaker who she discovers dead in his bed. Something about the murder brings back bad memories of her past and she retreats to home. After an awkward blind date with Julius Arkwright, she discovers she is being stalked and she has to rely on Arkwright, who is an ex-marine. Can they find the person after Grace before that person manages to entrap her?
Lastly, No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor comes out on Dec 30th. This is the 7th in the Pike Logan series. Logan and his partner, Jennifer Cahill, have been fired from the top secret counter terrorist unit, Taskforce, much to their shock and dismay. Then their former commander calls them with a request to find his missing niece. While investigating, they discover that there has been a series of kidnappings of high US officials children. The terrorists are threatening to kill the hostages one by one unless they counter terrorist actions. Who better than Logan to find the bad guys?
Enjoy the holiday season. I will be back in January.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Continuing with January
Wow - this will be a short month for this blog. Probably one more after this one and then - off till the new year. Let's see how far I get today.
I don't know how many people read George Pelecanos. He has won awards for his hard boiled, gritty, kind of dark suspense and has written for the television series The Wire. If you like Michael Connelly, you could give him a try. On January 6th, he comes out with The Martini Shot, his first group of short stories and a novella. The title is a film reference to last shot of the day and is the lead story. Most of these stories deal with adults reminiscing about troubled youth - some very affecting.
Scott Blackwood has See How Small coming out on January 20th. This is not a crime/suspense story although it does revolve around the murder of three teenage girls who were tied up and then set on fire in a Texas ice cream shop. It is really about how this crime effects the parents, friends and witnesses of the event. Told in snippets of narratives jumping back and forth in time, it is an emotional read.
Uncle Janice comes out on January 6th and is by Matt Burgess. It follows Janice Itwaru who is an "uncle" (an undercover narcotics officer) for NYPD. Janice is working toward making detective when the work comes down that a quota has been instituted. Janice works toward trying to decide who the biggest criminals are - the drug dealers or her bosses. Dark and desperate while presenting a fresh take on a cop novel. If you liked Elmore Leonard, give it a try.
Jan Ellison's debut novel, A Small Indiscretion, arrives on January 20th. It focuses on Annie Black and wife and mother whose son has been in a horrible accident and lies in a coma. The story moves back and forth in time between Annie's youth in London and Paris and her current life in San Francisco. It focuses on how 'small indiscretions' of her past come back to effect her present. If you like Liane Moriarty, you might want to try this one.
Rebecca Scherm has a debut coming on January 22nd that has critics buzzing - Unbecoming. Grace from a small town in Tennessee, plans an art theft and gets two men to do the job. When the two men get arrested and sent to jail, Grace, changes her name and escaped to the outskirts of Paris as an antique restorer. The two men are released and Grace is sure they are after her. Are they? The psychological twists and the deeply flawed characters might remind you of Gillian Flynn so although it is not another Gone Girl if you like that type of story, give it a try.
The last one is another debut novel, One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis, arrives on January 27th. The work was published in the UK and hit the top of their bestsellers list. It is also in the Gone Girl genre. Emily Coleman is a lawyer with a husband and a son, suddenly she runs away and becomes Cat Brown. She lives in the seedy part of London in a group home and parties till all hours. The mystery is - why - what did she run from? The answer comes, but not till the end.
OK - there you have some brand new names to try. Enjoy.
I don't know how many people read George Pelecanos. He has won awards for his hard boiled, gritty, kind of dark suspense and has written for the television series The Wire. If you like Michael Connelly, you could give him a try. On January 6th, he comes out with The Martini Shot, his first group of short stories and a novella. The title is a film reference to last shot of the day and is the lead story. Most of these stories deal with adults reminiscing about troubled youth - some very affecting.
Scott Blackwood has See How Small coming out on January 20th. This is not a crime/suspense story although it does revolve around the murder of three teenage girls who were tied up and then set on fire in a Texas ice cream shop. It is really about how this crime effects the parents, friends and witnesses of the event. Told in snippets of narratives jumping back and forth in time, it is an emotional read.
Uncle Janice comes out on January 6th and is by Matt Burgess. It follows Janice Itwaru who is an "uncle" (an undercover narcotics officer) for NYPD. Janice is working toward making detective when the work comes down that a quota has been instituted. Janice works toward trying to decide who the biggest criminals are - the drug dealers or her bosses. Dark and desperate while presenting a fresh take on a cop novel. If you liked Elmore Leonard, give it a try.
Jan Ellison's debut novel, A Small Indiscretion, arrives on January 20th. It focuses on Annie Black and wife and mother whose son has been in a horrible accident and lies in a coma. The story moves back and forth in time between Annie's youth in London and Paris and her current life in San Francisco. It focuses on how 'small indiscretions' of her past come back to effect her present. If you like Liane Moriarty, you might want to try this one.
Rebecca Scherm has a debut coming on January 22nd that has critics buzzing - Unbecoming. Grace from a small town in Tennessee, plans an art theft and gets two men to do the job. When the two men get arrested and sent to jail, Grace, changes her name and escaped to the outskirts of Paris as an antique restorer. The two men are released and Grace is sure they are after her. Are they? The psychological twists and the deeply flawed characters might remind you of Gillian Flynn so although it is not another Gone Girl if you like that type of story, give it a try.
The last one is another debut novel, One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis, arrives on January 27th. The work was published in the UK and hit the top of their bestsellers list. It is also in the Gone Girl genre. Emily Coleman is a lawyer with a husband and a son, suddenly she runs away and becomes Cat Brown. She lives in the seedy part of London in a group home and parties till all hours. The mystery is - why - what did she run from? The answer comes, but not till the end.
OK - there you have some brand new names to try. Enjoy.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
January Titles
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Now, in this short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I am going to try to get in all of the January books that I think might be of interest. This week I will start with the bigger name authors. There are more than in December - but not what I would call alot. Therefore, there may be some names with which you are not as familiar. Maybe that means you will find some more authors that you like.
I happen to like Tim Dorsey. Maybe it's because I have lived in Florida and he is definitely a Florida author or maybe it is because he has won me over with humor. His series features Serge Storms, a pleasant serial killer - I know, I know but trust me, Storms is just that. A serial killer that you root for. Dorsey has Shark Skin Suite coming out on January 27th. Serge comes to the aid of an ex-girlfriend (Brook), current new attorney in foreclosure law. When it appears that Brook is getting ready to win and major class action lawsuit, the defendants become ready to take her down. Therefore, Serge is ready to get involved. Always a fun ride.
On January 20th, James Grippando gives us Cane and Abe. Grippando's work is always kind of twisty and dark. This one is no exception. Abe Beckham is Miami's Senior Trial prosecutor with his first wife dead and his second one gone missing, the FBI shows interest in him as the perpetrator of a series of murders by a man called The Slasher. Can Abe prove his innocence? Is he innocent? His friends and family begin to wonder.
Ever popular James Patterson teams with Maxine Paetro for the next in the 'Private' series. Private Vegas comes out on January 26th. Jack Morgan, based in the Private firm in Los Angeles, tracks 2 criminals to Vegas where he runs into Lester Olsen. Olsen is wining and dining attract young women and teaches them how to kill. How much trouble is Jack Morgan in?
If you are into contemporary romance, Maya Banks has In His Keeping coming our on January 27th. This is the second of the 'Slow Burn' series. Ariel was abandoned as a baby and raised by a wealthy couple in the lap of luxury. She was also kept isolated and protected because she had telekinetic powers. Now she is of age, she also has a stalker. Her parents hire a security specialist to keep her protects. Beau Devereaux almost immediately falls for Ariel. Will he have to pay with his life?
Charles Todd, the mother and son writing duo, has A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery coming out on January 6th. Anyone who enjoys literate, historical mysteries will love this (?these?) author/s. They write 2 series. One featuring Bess Crawford, a World War I nurse and this one featuring Detective Ian Rutledge. His past titles have been after World War I but this one gives his back story. Just a month or two before WWI was declared, Rutledge proposes to Jean and his marriage is part of his focus. Jean would like him to go to war to become a hero for her. He is chasing around trying to solve a string of murders that may lead him to a serial murderer. What decisions will he make?
Finally, Stuart Woods comes out with the next Stone Barrington book on January 6th. Insatiable Appetites is the 32nd in the series. An old nemesis comes into view while Stone is attempting to distribute the estate of an old friend. In the process, secrets are unearthed - some surprising and some scary. Can Stone keep his cool?
Hopefully one of these will catch your fancy for January.
I happen to like Tim Dorsey. Maybe it's because I have lived in Florida and he is definitely a Florida author or maybe it is because he has won me over with humor. His series features Serge Storms, a pleasant serial killer - I know, I know but trust me, Storms is just that. A serial killer that you root for. Dorsey has Shark Skin Suite coming out on January 27th. Serge comes to the aid of an ex-girlfriend (Brook), current new attorney in foreclosure law. When it appears that Brook is getting ready to win and major class action lawsuit, the defendants become ready to take her down. Therefore, Serge is ready to get involved. Always a fun ride.
On January 20th, James Grippando gives us Cane and Abe. Grippando's work is always kind of twisty and dark. This one is no exception. Abe Beckham is Miami's Senior Trial prosecutor with his first wife dead and his second one gone missing, the FBI shows interest in him as the perpetrator of a series of murders by a man called The Slasher. Can Abe prove his innocence? Is he innocent? His friends and family begin to wonder.
Ever popular James Patterson teams with Maxine Paetro for the next in the 'Private' series. Private Vegas comes out on January 26th. Jack Morgan, based in the Private firm in Los Angeles, tracks 2 criminals to Vegas where he runs into Lester Olsen. Olsen is wining and dining attract young women and teaches them how to kill. How much trouble is Jack Morgan in?
If you are into contemporary romance, Maya Banks has In His Keeping coming our on January 27th. This is the second of the 'Slow Burn' series. Ariel was abandoned as a baby and raised by a wealthy couple in the lap of luxury. She was also kept isolated and protected because she had telekinetic powers. Now she is of age, she also has a stalker. Her parents hire a security specialist to keep her protects. Beau Devereaux almost immediately falls for Ariel. Will he have to pay with his life?
Charles Todd, the mother and son writing duo, has A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery coming out on January 6th. Anyone who enjoys literate, historical mysteries will love this (?these?) author/s. They write 2 series. One featuring Bess Crawford, a World War I nurse and this one featuring Detective Ian Rutledge. His past titles have been after World War I but this one gives his back story. Just a month or two before WWI was declared, Rutledge proposes to Jean and his marriage is part of his focus. Jean would like him to go to war to become a hero for her. He is chasing around trying to solve a string of murders that may lead him to a serial murderer. What decisions will he make?
Finally, Stuart Woods comes out with the next Stone Barrington book on January 6th. Insatiable Appetites is the 32nd in the series. An old nemesis comes into view while Stone is attempting to distribute the estate of an old friend. In the process, secrets are unearthed - some surprising and some scary. Can Stone keep his cool?
Hopefully one of these will catch your fancy for January.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Amazon's Top Ten for 2014
Amazon recently announced their top ten titles for 2014. In reviewing the titles, the editors at Amazon read nearly 500 works.
Number one on their list is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. This is a debut novel about a family (the father is Asian and the mother Caucasian) living in 1970s Ohio. One of their daughter's is found dead in the middle of a lake. The book is about how and why she died but even more is about the people that make up the family and how the tragedy uncovers their division.
Two on the list is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This is the story of a blind French girl and a German orphan boy - both growing up during World War II. It has been called astonishing, enthralling, beautifully atmospheric and deeply moving. Doerr is a respected author who routinely gets good reviews but this one surpasses his efforts in the past.
Next comes a nonfiction work, In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides. In 1879, the editor of The New York Herald funded a naval expedition to explore the Arctic Ocean and hopefully find the North Pole which was thought to possibly be a temperate island. Obviously wooden ships don't deal well with ice packs and the ship sunk leaving the men 1000 miles north of Siberia. This work chronicles their adventure. Said to be a historical "The Perfect Storm".
Another work of nonfiction is next, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs. This is a biography of an African-American man who managed to escape the slums of Newark via a scholarship to Yale University who could not escape the dangers of the streets when he returned home. Said to change the way we think about race, class and the meaning of friendship.
Fifth on the list is Redeployment by Phil Klay. This title recently (as in this week) won the National Book Award for fiction overcoming many well known authors. Klay was a Marine Captain who spent over a year in Iraq. The Dartmouth graduate came back and got his MFA on his return. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the New York Daily News. He says this book, a series of short stories about the experience of war and also of homecoming, is the only way he could work out his experiences in his head. The Washington Post said it is "one of the most compelling depictions to date of the Iraq war." The New York Times called it "the best thing written so far on what the war did to people's souls." All the critics seem to agree that this will be a classic.
Next on the list is Revival by Stephen King. Amazon says it is "the best kind of King book: a little horror, but mostly pitch perfect details about youth and faith and family." Over 50 years ago, a small boy meets the new minister and one can not imagine the things that occur in the future. Called rich and disturbing and a masterpiece. I guess Amazon agrees.
The next is the last of the nonfiction works, Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman. Back in 1961, Michael Rockefeller disappeared in the jungle of New Guinea. No one has known what happened to him. Carl Hoffman retraced his steps and traveled to New Guinea and has come up with the answer. A fascinating tale.
Next comes Cristina Henriquez's The Book of Unknown Americans. The story takes place in an apartment building in Delaware and is told in alternating voices by it's residents. All of the residents are Spanish speaking immigrants but the main story features Mayor, a male teenager from Panama who has lived in the country since he was little and Maribel, a beautiful but brain injured girl whose family came from Mexico so she might be able to recuperate.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty comes next. This was one was really a breakout title which made her a real name in the United States. The story of three women in Australia and the death at a school trivia night. Dazzling, humorous and hard to put down. It is hard not to like this kind of writing.
The last on the list is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. An apocalyptic novel that follows the relationships among a troupe of traveling actors. How even after most of the population has died, there are those who travel around bringing Shakespeare to those that remain is somehow comforting. Called a compelling page-turner; a meditation on fragility and a cracked mirror that reflects both our lives and our hopes and fears.
Enjoy some of the above.
Number one on their list is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. This is a debut novel about a family (the father is Asian and the mother Caucasian) living in 1970s Ohio. One of their daughter's is found dead in the middle of a lake. The book is about how and why she died but even more is about the people that make up the family and how the tragedy uncovers their division.
Two on the list is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This is the story of a blind French girl and a German orphan boy - both growing up during World War II. It has been called astonishing, enthralling, beautifully atmospheric and deeply moving. Doerr is a respected author who routinely gets good reviews but this one surpasses his efforts in the past.
Next comes a nonfiction work, In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides. In 1879, the editor of The New York Herald funded a naval expedition to explore the Arctic Ocean and hopefully find the North Pole which was thought to possibly be a temperate island. Obviously wooden ships don't deal well with ice packs and the ship sunk leaving the men 1000 miles north of Siberia. This work chronicles their adventure. Said to be a historical "The Perfect Storm".
Another work of nonfiction is next, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs. This is a biography of an African-American man who managed to escape the slums of Newark via a scholarship to Yale University who could not escape the dangers of the streets when he returned home. Said to change the way we think about race, class and the meaning of friendship.
Fifth on the list is Redeployment by Phil Klay. This title recently (as in this week) won the National Book Award for fiction overcoming many well known authors. Klay was a Marine Captain who spent over a year in Iraq. The Dartmouth graduate came back and got his MFA on his return. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the New York Daily News. He says this book, a series of short stories about the experience of war and also of homecoming, is the only way he could work out his experiences in his head. The Washington Post said it is "one of the most compelling depictions to date of the Iraq war." The New York Times called it "the best thing written so far on what the war did to people's souls." All the critics seem to agree that this will be a classic.
Next on the list is Revival by Stephen King. Amazon says it is "the best kind of King book: a little horror, but mostly pitch perfect details about youth and faith and family." Over 50 years ago, a small boy meets the new minister and one can not imagine the things that occur in the future. Called rich and disturbing and a masterpiece. I guess Amazon agrees.
The next is the last of the nonfiction works, Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman. Back in 1961, Michael Rockefeller disappeared in the jungle of New Guinea. No one has known what happened to him. Carl Hoffman retraced his steps and traveled to New Guinea and has come up with the answer. A fascinating tale.
Next comes Cristina Henriquez's The Book of Unknown Americans. The story takes place in an apartment building in Delaware and is told in alternating voices by it's residents. All of the residents are Spanish speaking immigrants but the main story features Mayor, a male teenager from Panama who has lived in the country since he was little and Maribel, a beautiful but brain injured girl whose family came from Mexico so she might be able to recuperate.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty comes next. This was one was really a breakout title which made her a real name in the United States. The story of three women in Australia and the death at a school trivia night. Dazzling, humorous and hard to put down. It is hard not to like this kind of writing.
The last on the list is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. An apocalyptic novel that follows the relationships among a troupe of traveling actors. How even after most of the population has died, there are those who travel around bringing Shakespeare to those that remain is somehow comforting. Called a compelling page-turner; a meditation on fragility and a cracked mirror that reflects both our lives and our hopes and fears.
Enjoy some of the above.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Other December titles
As I said last week, December is not a popular month for publishing. That does not mean that there are not good titles coming out, just that you have to look deeper to find them. It is also a month where titles by authors who have been published in other countries are hitting the U.S. market.
Ursula Archer is an example. She is a popular Austrian author who has specialized in teen and children's novels. Five is her first adult title and it comes out on December 9. This title combines geocaching with murder. Those unfamiliar with geocaching will appreciate the fact she does give basic information. It is a process where you enter GPS coordinates into your cell phone and then go searching for treasure. In this case, the treasure is pretty gruesome. This will be a series featuring DI Beatrice Kaspary who is investigating a dead body that has map coordinates tattooed on her feet. Said to be spine tingling.
Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher Fowler comes out on December 2nd. This is the 11th in the series so the characters have already been developed ... and they are characters in many ways. If you like this series, you like whimsy, quirky and strangeness all mixed with a good does of social commentary. Here Bryant and May are assigned different cases. May is investigating the death of a teen, one of two teens saw a dead man rising from his grave. Bryant is sent to investigate who stole the ravens from the Tower of London. Apparently, legend has it that Britain will fall when the ravens disappear. The appearance of dead bodies increase as the two cases intertwine.
Rebecca James is an Australian author. Sweet Damage, her new title, arrives on December 2nd. This I have seen defined as a thriller, romantic suspense and a Gothic mystery. You will have to read it to find out what you think.Tim Ellison, a aimless surfer dude, finds a cheap room to rent in a beautiful old home where his task is to keep Anna London, the owner, connected to the outside world. Anna is agoraphobic and can't leave the house. Tim strange things start happening in the house at night. Tim becomes emotionally involved with Anna and then her past comes back to haunt them both.
Fifty Mice by director and screenwriter Daniel Pyne comes out on December 30th. Jay Johnson is nabbed from his normal humdrum life by the FBI and placed in Witness Protection on Catalina Island. He has no idea what they think he saw and can find no reason for it in his memory. Reviewers have said this is a "gut-wrenching psychological thriller that really messes with your brain."
Lastly, Kazuaki Takano has Genocide of One coming out on December 2nd. This title has won awards in Japan and is his first introduction to the English speaking world. A 3 year old boy, Akili, is identified as the smartest being on the planet. He can perceive patterns and predict future events. However, emotionally, he is still a 3 year old. The President of the U.S., decides that this threat to humanity must be destroyed. Jonathan Yeager leads the international team assigned to take care of the task. Yeager has a sick child and is torn about his orders. Perhaps Aliki is the only hope for his son.
I hope there are a few here that interest you. They are all in the catalog so pick one or two to try.
Ursula Archer is an example. She is a popular Austrian author who has specialized in teen and children's novels. Five is her first adult title and it comes out on December 9. This title combines geocaching with murder. Those unfamiliar with geocaching will appreciate the fact she does give basic information. It is a process where you enter GPS coordinates into your cell phone and then go searching for treasure. In this case, the treasure is pretty gruesome. This will be a series featuring DI Beatrice Kaspary who is investigating a dead body that has map coordinates tattooed on her feet. Said to be spine tingling.
Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher Fowler comes out on December 2nd. This is the 11th in the series so the characters have already been developed ... and they are characters in many ways. If you like this series, you like whimsy, quirky and strangeness all mixed with a good does of social commentary. Here Bryant and May are assigned different cases. May is investigating the death of a teen, one of two teens saw a dead man rising from his grave. Bryant is sent to investigate who stole the ravens from the Tower of London. Apparently, legend has it that Britain will fall when the ravens disappear. The appearance of dead bodies increase as the two cases intertwine.
Rebecca James is an Australian author. Sweet Damage, her new title, arrives on December 2nd. This I have seen defined as a thriller, romantic suspense and a Gothic mystery. You will have to read it to find out what you think.Tim Ellison, a aimless surfer dude, finds a cheap room to rent in a beautiful old home where his task is to keep Anna London, the owner, connected to the outside world. Anna is agoraphobic and can't leave the house. Tim strange things start happening in the house at night. Tim becomes emotionally involved with Anna and then her past comes back to haunt them both.
Fifty Mice by director and screenwriter Daniel Pyne comes out on December 30th. Jay Johnson is nabbed from his normal humdrum life by the FBI and placed in Witness Protection on Catalina Island. He has no idea what they think he saw and can find no reason for it in his memory. Reviewers have said this is a "gut-wrenching psychological thriller that really messes with your brain."
Lastly, Kazuaki Takano has Genocide of One coming out on December 2nd. This title has won awards in Japan and is his first introduction to the English speaking world. A 3 year old boy, Akili, is identified as the smartest being on the planet. He can perceive patterns and predict future events. However, emotionally, he is still a 3 year old. The President of the U.S., decides that this threat to humanity must be destroyed. Jonathan Yeager leads the international team assigned to take care of the task. Yeager has a sick child and is torn about his orders. Perhaps Aliki is the only hope for his son.
I hope there are a few here that interest you. They are all in the catalog so pick one or two to try.
Friday, November 7, 2014
December's Big Names - Not Many
December is not the most popular publishing month. At least not for the big name authors. November was bigger by far and January will be pretty big - but December - not so much. There are a few and I will include some relatively well known ones to round out the week.
Phillip Margolin, the lawyer/author from the northwest, has Woman with a Gun coming out on December 2nd. This is a departure for Margolin whose plots usually involve a young lawyer. This time, the plot features a young aspiring author who sees a photo in the museum and becomes obsessed with finding out the story behind it. She quits her job and moves to the area where the murder associated with the photo took place. Her investigation causes murders to begin again. Perhaps, from the reviews, more of a man's book but give it a try and see what you think.
Tess Gerritsen has another Rizzoli & Isles Novel coming out on December 30th, Die Again. Many have come to Gerritsen's series because of the television show which is a shame because Gerritsen has been writing 'can't put down' thrillers since 1996 and the Rizzoli & Isles series since 2001. Another interesting fact is the Gerritsen is actually a retired physician. Perhaps that makes you look slightly differently at her medical examiner character, Dr. Maura Isles. In this title, Rizzoli is investigating the death of a big game hunter found hanging upside down with the body of a white snow leopard in his apartment. The crime takes Rizzoli to Botswana where she discover it is tied to a deadly camping safari 4 years prior and sets her off after the lone survivor.
Jack Higgins has Rain on the Dead coming on December 30th. Two Chenchen mercenaries attempt to kill Jake Cazalet, the past president of the United States, while he was vacationing on Nantucket. Unfortunately for them, Sean Dillon, the black ops hero of many of Higgins works, and his partner Captain Sara Gideon were visiting. The evening ended with both mercenaries dead. Dillon though wondered how they knew Cazalet would be there. Upon investigating, what he found, chilled him to the bone.
Cormac McCarthy has a screenplay that is being reprinted after almost 40 year, Gardener's Son. The title is coming on December 23rd. The film was broadcast on PBS in 1976 and received two Emmy Award nominations. It is the story of two Southern families, the mill owning Greggs and the mill employees, McElvoys.
Karen Robards specializes in romantic suspense. She is becoming more popular than Mary Higgins Clark. On December 2nd, Hush arrives. Riley Cowan discovers her estranged husband dead in his mansion, the police rule it a suicide. Riley, however, is convinced it was murder by an angry investor. Riley's father-in-law was guilty of a huge financial fraud which lost many investors retirement savings. Riley reunites with an old flame, Fin Bradley - an FBI agent, to track down the murderer before he can murder again.
Lastly, James W. Hall has The Big Finish coming out on December 2nd. Hall is an author who perhaps is not as well known. He is an award winning author and professor from Florida and many of his works take place there. He has written 18 novels and this is the 14th in the Thorn series. Thorn's son has gone underground hoping to make an ecological statement. Thorn receives a postcard from him asking for help. On his way to North Carolina, Thorn is intercepted by an FBI agent who tells him he is too late. He says that Thorn's son was an FBI informant and he has been executed when that was revealed. But....is that the truth????
Phillip Margolin, the lawyer/author from the northwest, has Woman with a Gun coming out on December 2nd. This is a departure for Margolin whose plots usually involve a young lawyer. This time, the plot features a young aspiring author who sees a photo in the museum and becomes obsessed with finding out the story behind it. She quits her job and moves to the area where the murder associated with the photo took place. Her investigation causes murders to begin again. Perhaps, from the reviews, more of a man's book but give it a try and see what you think.
Tess Gerritsen has another Rizzoli & Isles Novel coming out on December 30th, Die Again. Many have come to Gerritsen's series because of the television show which is a shame because Gerritsen has been writing 'can't put down' thrillers since 1996 and the Rizzoli & Isles series since 2001. Another interesting fact is the Gerritsen is actually a retired physician. Perhaps that makes you look slightly differently at her medical examiner character, Dr. Maura Isles. In this title, Rizzoli is investigating the death of a big game hunter found hanging upside down with the body of a white snow leopard in his apartment. The crime takes Rizzoli to Botswana where she discover it is tied to a deadly camping safari 4 years prior and sets her off after the lone survivor.
Jack Higgins has Rain on the Dead coming on December 30th. Two Chenchen mercenaries attempt to kill Jake Cazalet, the past president of the United States, while he was vacationing on Nantucket. Unfortunately for them, Sean Dillon, the black ops hero of many of Higgins works, and his partner Captain Sara Gideon were visiting. The evening ended with both mercenaries dead. Dillon though wondered how they knew Cazalet would be there. Upon investigating, what he found, chilled him to the bone.
Cormac McCarthy has a screenplay that is being reprinted after almost 40 year, Gardener's Son. The title is coming on December 23rd. The film was broadcast on PBS in 1976 and received two Emmy Award nominations. It is the story of two Southern families, the mill owning Greggs and the mill employees, McElvoys.
Karen Robards specializes in romantic suspense. She is becoming more popular than Mary Higgins Clark. On December 2nd, Hush arrives. Riley Cowan discovers her estranged husband dead in his mansion, the police rule it a suicide. Riley, however, is convinced it was murder by an angry investor. Riley's father-in-law was guilty of a huge financial fraud which lost many investors retirement savings. Riley reunites with an old flame, Fin Bradley - an FBI agent, to track down the murderer before he can murder again.
Lastly, James W. Hall has The Big Finish coming out on December 2nd. Hall is an author who perhaps is not as well known. He is an award winning author and professor from Florida and many of his works take place there. He has written 18 novels and this is the 14th in the Thorn series. Thorn's son has gone underground hoping to make an ecological statement. Thorn receives a postcard from him asking for help. On his way to North Carolina, Thorn is intercepted by an FBI agent who tells him he is too late. He says that Thorn's son was an FBI informant and he has been executed when that was revealed. But....is that the truth????
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