I Apologize Again

The blog as again gone silent for 2 weeks. I spent those 2 weeks trying to finish up end of the fiscal year chores. I promise for real this time that the blog will be one a week - maybe not always the same day of the week - but one a week unless some other unforeseen emergency arises.

So now - I should be doing July books and I am going to start by talking about the LibraryReads for July. The list just came out this week so....it makes sense to tell you about them now. There are some good ones.

Number one of the list is Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. It is one of those genre blending science fiction thrillers. Crouch is the author of the Wayward Pines trilogy that has been on television. This is a stand alone but....what a story. A quiet physic professor was hit on the head on his walk home in Chicago and awakens to find himself in another world where his house is not his house, his wife is not his wife and he isn't himself. One reviewer called it a "Mind-blowing tale about the ramifications of the choices we make versus the proverbial road not taken."

The rest in no particular order:

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist had an traumatic experience with an intruder and escapes when assigned to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise ship that is touring the north sea. Then, after a night of drinking, she sees a body tossed off the ship. When she goes to tell the woman she had met in the cabin next door, no one is there. In fact, all passengers are accounted for. Did she imagine it???? Well worth the read.

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva. Twelve contestants are sent into the wilderness for a reality television show. While they are away, something horrible happens to the world outside. When one of the contestants stumble across devastation - the line between reality and the 'shows' reality begins to blur. What is real and what is not? Reviewers call it thought provoking.

Among the Wicked - A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is asked to go undercover in a remote Amish settlement to uncover clues to the death of a young girl. She poses as an Amish woman and infiltrates the community. What she uncovers puts her in grave danger.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore. This is a coming of age novel with hints of mystery. Ada Sibelius is 12 and her single father is homeschooling her and taking her with him to the computer lab every day. To Ada, her father is the center of her world but then...his mind starts to fail and Ada must move in with a trusted colleague. With her father gone, she discovers he was not who he said he was and Ada is determined to uncover the truth.

Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty. Moriarty has become very popular so her new book comes with great anticipation. 3 couples and 3 young children attend an afternoon barbecue when something terrible happens. We don't know what happened right away but we do know it affected everyone. This is a look at friendship, marriage and family. Enjoy.

All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker. This sounds like a real summer beach read in the genre of Defending Jacob. A masked rapist attacked Jenny, a 10th grader. He left no forensic evidence behind. Jenny's parents allow the doctors to give her a memory erasing drug but pain is still present. Her father wants vengeance and her mother is in denial. Jenny tries to regain her memories to help her deal with the pain. Was it someone close to the family?

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close. Matt is an aspiring politician and moves from NYC to Washington, DC with his wife, Beth. Beth has a hard time making friends but finally finds another transplant in Ashleigh and her husband Jimmy. The four become friends but as time goes by Beth starts to realize things about her husband, their marriage and their friends. A story of young marriage, career ambition and friendships.

Siracusa by Delia Ephron. Another novel about marriage and friendship, New Yorkers Michael, an author, and Lizzie, a journalist, travel to Italy with their friends from Main (Finn, his wife Taylor, and their daughter Snow). Told in alternating points of view, they discover lies and unfaithfulness, past and present.

Lastly, Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen. This story relates how one dress has touched and often profoundly changed the lives on individually. As the title describes, the dress makes it way through nine different people. It might sound light and fluffy but is said to be enthralling and charming.

OK - there you have the 10 titles coming in July for this months LibraryReads. I think it was a pretty good choice!