This is a little early because of the July 4th holiday - a long weekend for me. There are a few big names coming out with titles in August. I've summarized the ones that I think might interest you.
Colleen McCullough gives us Bittersweet on August 19th. This is being advertised as her 'first sweeping romance' since Thornbirds - and that was a long, long time ago. Reviewers seem to have loved it or thought it was boring. I think that romance literature has moved quite far beyond the pace in Thornbirds. Those who loved it, loved the pace though so.....if you liked Thornbirds than of course you will want to read this story of the Latimer sisters. Edda, Tufts, Grace and Kitty are the four sisters (2 sets of twins) and the events take place between the 1st and 2nd World Wars. All enroll in a training program for nurses and all experience problems in the male dominant society.
Debbie Macomber has her third Rose Harbor novel coming on 8/12, Love Letters. It returns us to the B & B of Jo Marie Rose and deals with the problematic relationships of her guests and really of Jo's as well. At some time in the past, someone has written them a letter that will help them in the current day. The novel deals with the courage it takes to be willing to open yourself to love.
One Kick by Chelsea Cain arrives on 8/19. I heard Cain during Book Expo talk about this new effort which perhaps be a new series. She said she started this book because she wanted to write something her father could read. Therefore, if you find her Sheridan/Lowell series too explicit, give this one a chance. This one features Kick Lannigan who had been kidnapped by a child predator at 6 and rescued at 11. She had been trained in bomb making and killing. After her rescue, she took training in the martial arts. It should come as no surprise that she has 'issues'. She is a private investigator when a mysterious man named Bishop asked her to help with a missing child case. I have read a portion of it, it is fast paced and grabs you from the first page.
Margaret Maron returns with her 19th Judge Deborah Knott title, Designated Daughters, on 8/12. Knott along with her husband, Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant investigate her dying Aunt Rachel when she is smothered to death in hospice. Was it murder or was it mercy? Soon, they realized that Rachel's last words held a deep secret. Maron's sense of place is always strong and her quirky characters are interesting. For those who enjoy her, this one is a must read.
James Patterson and Michael White have co-authored Private Down Under which comes out on 8/26. This is obviously in the Private series. Here, surprise, surprise, the agency opens an office in Sydney Australia. P.I. Craig Gisto is the head of this branch. He is celebrating at the launch party when a young man with his eyes gouged out arrives. This isn't the only case of course. Get ready for more Patterson taking place in Australia. Most of the comments I've read have been from annoyed Aussies because although the names and places are correct, all the slang and terminology is strictly American. Don't know if that will bother us.
That's it for the big names. There are more secondary ones or even unknown authors but those I will save for the rest of July. Happy 4th!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Last of July Titles
I have been on vacation for a week but want to get these last few July titles out there for you to consider. There are some good ones from perhaps lesser known authors. I am always looking for those which might not have a holds list but are still very good reads.
Taylor Stevens has The Catch coming out on July 15. This is the 4th in her series starring Vanessa Michael Munroe. She is the child of African missionaries who had an abusive and violent childhood and has become an African based informationist/adventurist. Her boss sends her to be part of an security team on a gun-running mission off Somalia. Then the pirates attack. With Munroe on board, the pirates don't know what they have to deal with.
Brad Taylor's Days of Rage is also coming out on the 15th. This is the 6th in the Pike Logan series. This time Logan goes up against an extreme Islamic sect in Nigeria. Russia gives the sect a potential weapon of mass destruction that they believe is too old to do much damage. They are wrong and the sect is ready to use it again the US.
John Verdon has the 4th in the Dave Gurney series coming out on July 1st. Peter Pan Must Die has Gurney coming out of retirement to investigate the murder of a real estate developer with political ambitions. The wife has already been convicted of the shooting but Gurney finds things fishy.
Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver comes out on July 3rd. Emily Kane arrives at her sister's home to discover the meal on the table but no sign of her sister and family. Emily and her former boyfriend, a missing person investigator, try to find out what happened. This title has already been a bestseller in Britain but is Tim Weaver's American debut.
Amanda Kyle Williams gives us Don't Talk to Strangers on July 15th. Atlanta FBI profiler Keye Street, a recovering addict now working freelance, is asked to investigate the murders of several young women in the woods 90 miles from Atlanta.
The Book of Life, the last in the Deborah Harkness trilogy that started with The Discovery of Witches, arrives also on the 15th. Witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to continue hunting for Ashmole 782 - the long missing magical manuscript.
Liane Moriarty has Big Little Lie coming out on July 29. One parent ends up dead after a terrible riot at Pirriwee Public's annual school trivia night. It appears to be murder. It follows the lives of three women who are at a crossroads and gives Moriarty the chance to visit issues of parenting, divorce and shattered families.
Stephanie Evanovich has a followup (or perhaps prequel) to her popular Big Girl Panties coming on July 8th, The Sweet Spot. It focuses on Chase and Amanda who were a big part of the first book and how they met. Pro baseball player Chase Walker falls for Amanda instantly but she isn't interested in trying to compete with his skinny groupies.
Lastly Brad Thor has the 13th in his Scot Horvath series, Act of War, which arrives on July 8th. The death of a CIA agent overseas causes the president to request Scot Horvath's teams involvement. They uncover a dangerous plot and need to prevent the unspeakable attacks.
Enjoy deciding which of these interests you. I'll be back next week with August titles.
Taylor Stevens has The Catch coming out on July 15. This is the 4th in her series starring Vanessa Michael Munroe. She is the child of African missionaries who had an abusive and violent childhood and has become an African based informationist/adventurist. Her boss sends her to be part of an security team on a gun-running mission off Somalia. Then the pirates attack. With Munroe on board, the pirates don't know what they have to deal with.
Brad Taylor's Days of Rage is also coming out on the 15th. This is the 6th in the Pike Logan series. This time Logan goes up against an extreme Islamic sect in Nigeria. Russia gives the sect a potential weapon of mass destruction that they believe is too old to do much damage. They are wrong and the sect is ready to use it again the US.
John Verdon has the 4th in the Dave Gurney series coming out on July 1st. Peter Pan Must Die has Gurney coming out of retirement to investigate the murder of a real estate developer with political ambitions. The wife has already been convicted of the shooting but Gurney finds things fishy.
Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver comes out on July 3rd. Emily Kane arrives at her sister's home to discover the meal on the table but no sign of her sister and family. Emily and her former boyfriend, a missing person investigator, try to find out what happened. This title has already been a bestseller in Britain but is Tim Weaver's American debut.
Amanda Kyle Williams gives us Don't Talk to Strangers on July 15th. Atlanta FBI profiler Keye Street, a recovering addict now working freelance, is asked to investigate the murders of several young women in the woods 90 miles from Atlanta.
The Book of Life, the last in the Deborah Harkness trilogy that started with The Discovery of Witches, arrives also on the 15th. Witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to continue hunting for Ashmole 782 - the long missing magical manuscript.
Liane Moriarty has Big Little Lie coming out on July 29. One parent ends up dead after a terrible riot at Pirriwee Public's annual school trivia night. It appears to be murder. It follows the lives of three women who are at a crossroads and gives Moriarty the chance to visit issues of parenting, divorce and shattered families.
Stephanie Evanovich has a followup (or perhaps prequel) to her popular Big Girl Panties coming on July 8th, The Sweet Spot. It focuses on Chase and Amanda who were a big part of the first book and how they met. Pro baseball player Chase Walker falls for Amanda instantly but she isn't interested in trying to compete with his skinny groupies.
Lastly Brad Thor has the 13th in his Scot Horvath series, Act of War, which arrives on July 8th. The death of a CIA agent overseas causes the president to request Scot Horvath's teams involvement. They uncover a dangerous plot and need to prevent the unspeakable attacks.
Enjoy deciding which of these interests you. I'll be back next week with August titles.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Continuing July Titles
I am headed for vacation so will post this early for this weekend. I hope to finish the July titles between this post and one more on the weekend of June 28. Enjoy reading about these titles. There are some goods ones coming.
Rebecca Makkai has The Hundred-Year House arriving on July 10. This is one that I have to read. An Academic is married to the heir of an estate that was once an art colony. He hopes to finish an article which will help his academic standing by searching the colony's files. The secrets he discovers are dangerous ones. This is written using four completely different time periods starting with the end of the 20th century and moving backward for 100 years.
Rebecca Rotert has Last Night at the Blue Angel coming on July 1. The story features a self destructive jazz singer, Naomi, and her 10 year old daughter, Sophia. Sophia longs for her mother's attention and is forced to grow up early in an early 1960's Chicago jazz club. This story is told from alternating points of view between the mother and daughter. You expect to feel sorry for the daughter, but one Naomi reveals her life experience, it is easy to identify with both of them.
Inside Man, Jeff Abbott's new one, also comes out on July 1. This is from his Sam Capra series. Capra's friend Steve has been murdered and the only lead causes Sam to go undercover into one of Miami's most prominent and dangerous families. Abbott's work is becoming quite popular. You might want to dive in early, before he gets the big reserve numbers. I read Abbott years ago when his mysteries were paperback and almost cozies. His agent advised him to harden up the plot like so he could move into hardbacks and he has. His plots were always strong. See what you think.
Ace Atkins, an Auburn graduate and Mississippi resident, was chosen by the estate of Robert B. Parker to continue his Spenser series. Atkins has his own series featuring County Sheriff Quinn Colson. On July 24, The Forsaken will be published. The case of a rape of a fourteen year old girl and the murder of her friend is reopened and Quinn finds it related to the hanging of a black man. Both Quinn's uncle and his father had a hand in the original case. Uncovering the truth may result in knowing more than he wants to know.
Sam Cabot is the writing team of Carlos Dews (the head of the English Department for John Cabot University - an American university in Rome, Italy) and S. J. Rozan (an Edgar Award winning author). This is the second title they have written together that features Father Thomas Kelly. Skin of the Wolf involves a murder at Sotheby's involving an Iroquois ritual mask. When native beliefs and the Catholic Church collide, a shape shifter lies in the wings waiting for a chance to bring devastation to the world.
House Reckoning by Mike or Michael Lawson comes out on July 2. This is in the 9th in the Joe DeMarco series. DeMarco always knew that his father worked with the local mafioso but he didn't know he had been a hit man until he was murdered. 20 year later, one of Gino's former mob associates is dying and wants to confess something about the murder. The information is shocking - mostly because the person responsible is about to take a very powerful governmental position.
Greg Rucka has Bravo coming out on July 22. This one is in the Jad Bell series. This is political thriller at it's most thrilling. Bell wants to get the person responsible for the terrorist attack that nearly killed his ex-wife and daughter. However, behind that person is his employer who is already planning a more devastating attack. Rucka has a fast paced plot with sharp and realistic dialogue.
Rebecca Makkai has The Hundred-Year House arriving on July 10. This is one that I have to read. An Academic is married to the heir of an estate that was once an art colony. He hopes to finish an article which will help his academic standing by searching the colony's files. The secrets he discovers are dangerous ones. This is written using four completely different time periods starting with the end of the 20th century and moving backward for 100 years.
Rebecca Rotert has Last Night at the Blue Angel coming on July 1. The story features a self destructive jazz singer, Naomi, and her 10 year old daughter, Sophia. Sophia longs for her mother's attention and is forced to grow up early in an early 1960's Chicago jazz club. This story is told from alternating points of view between the mother and daughter. You expect to feel sorry for the daughter, but one Naomi reveals her life experience, it is easy to identify with both of them.
Inside Man, Jeff Abbott's new one, also comes out on July 1. This is from his Sam Capra series. Capra's friend Steve has been murdered and the only lead causes Sam to go undercover into one of Miami's most prominent and dangerous families. Abbott's work is becoming quite popular. You might want to dive in early, before he gets the big reserve numbers. I read Abbott years ago when his mysteries were paperback and almost cozies. His agent advised him to harden up the plot like so he could move into hardbacks and he has. His plots were always strong. See what you think.
Ace Atkins, an Auburn graduate and Mississippi resident, was chosen by the estate of Robert B. Parker to continue his Spenser series. Atkins has his own series featuring County Sheriff Quinn Colson. On July 24, The Forsaken will be published. The case of a rape of a fourteen year old girl and the murder of her friend is reopened and Quinn finds it related to the hanging of a black man. Both Quinn's uncle and his father had a hand in the original case. Uncovering the truth may result in knowing more than he wants to know.
Sam Cabot is the writing team of Carlos Dews (the head of the English Department for John Cabot University - an American university in Rome, Italy) and S. J. Rozan (an Edgar Award winning author). This is the second title they have written together that features Father Thomas Kelly. Skin of the Wolf involves a murder at Sotheby's involving an Iroquois ritual mask. When native beliefs and the Catholic Church collide, a shape shifter lies in the wings waiting for a chance to bring devastation to the world.
House Reckoning by Mike or Michael Lawson comes out on July 2. This is in the 9th in the Joe DeMarco series. DeMarco always knew that his father worked with the local mafioso but he didn't know he had been a hit man until he was murdered. 20 year later, one of Gino's former mob associates is dying and wants to confess something about the murder. The information is shocking - mostly because the person responsible is about to take a very powerful governmental position.
Greg Rucka has Bravo coming out on July 22. This one is in the Jad Bell series. This is political thriller at it's most thrilling. Bell wants to get the person responsible for the terrorist attack that nearly killed his ex-wife and daughter. However, behind that person is his employer who is already planning a more devastating attack. Rucka has a fast paced plot with sharp and realistic dialogue.
Lastly, on July 15, Daniel Silva has his 14th Gabriel Allon entry arriving, Heist. Not much is known about the plot but Allon, art restorer and occasional spy and assassin searches for a stolen masterpiece by Caravaggio.
Enjoy choosing from among these. I've got a few on my TBR pile.
Friday, June 13, 2014
LibraryReads List for July
The LibraryReads list for July came out this week. All titles are available for holds in the catalog. Some of these I wholeheartedly agree with - others, perhaps not so much. See what you think of these titles.
The top choice coming out in July is Landline by Rainbow Rowell. Rowell has recently published some very successful teen titles. I expect the demand by teens to be up for this one also. Georgie and Neal McCool's marriage is in trouble. When Georgie backs out of a planned trip, Neal packs up the children and leaves without her. While they are gone, Georgie discovers a way to revisit the past. Should she fix her marriage before it started to go bad or would they have been better off never marrying at all? Said to be written with humor and grace with incredible insights into ordinary life.
Jojo Moyes has become very popular. She has one out in July that made the list, One Plus One. In this plot, a weird and quirky family with a smelly dog meet a wealthy computer geek. One can only imagine the outcome. Jess works as a cleaner trying to support her math genius 10 year old daughter and you goth stepson. When her daughter is offered a chance of a lifetime, the family piles in the car along with the dog and the geek. What a trip that will be. Said to be perfect for a quick summer read.
Next on the list is a debut. Lori Rader-Day has The Black Hour coming out. A psychological thriller said by reviewers to be riveting. Amelia Emmet is a professor trying to get back to teaching classes after being shot by a student who then kills himself. The suspense is in the why - not the who. Right from the beginning we know who did it but why would an unconnected student whom she didn't teach, try to kill her. Her new graduate student, Nathaniel Barber, isn't doing too well himself and he would like to figure out why also.
Next on the list is The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. You can tell from the title, I think, that this will be a fantasy. It is and it is also the first of a trilogy. Some reviewers have loved the book and couldn't put it down but others are dismayed because of some inconsistencies. Regardless, there were enough who loved it to get it on the list. There is a princess trying to claim the family throne, magic and a really bad queen. If you like fantasy, give it a try. There is an apocalyptic twist.
Best selling list favorite, Chris Bohjalian, made the list with Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands. Said to be an amazing portrait of a teen in crisis; emotionally gripping and realistic - reviewers universally loved this book. Many noted it is very different from his prior work. Emily Shepherd is on the run after the nuclear plant in her Vermont hometown suffers a meltdown and her father seems to have caused it. She is orphaned and homeless and on her own at 16. Reviewers say it will grab hold of any age reader and pull them in because of Bohjalian's ability to convey emotions.
Next is World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters.This is the third and final conclusion from his 'Last Policeman' series before a 6 mile comet crashes into earth. Hank Palace, a former police detective that can't stop detecting wants to see his sister one last time before the end of the world.Maybe not the upbeat story you want to take to the beach but said to be an extremely satisfying conclusion to a masterpiece of an idea series.
Edan Lepucki's California made the list for July. Cal and Frida leave the crumbling city of Los Angeles behind and go to live in a shack in the wilderness by themselves. They can survive without civilization - at least they thought they could until Frida finds out she is pregnant. Unsure of their ability to raise a child on their own, they set out for the nearest community which turns out to be a place with dark secrets. Described both as beautiful and haunting AND tense and thrilling.
Next, Dollbaby by debut author Laura Lane McNeal. Ibby Bell's father unexpectedly dies in the summer of 1964 and her mother deposits her with her eccentric grandmother Fannie in New Orleans. Fannie, is .... well perhaps not the best person to raise a child but she has a cook, Queenie, and Queenie has a daughter, Dollbaby, who take up the chore of raising Ibby in the ways of the south.
The one nonfiction work on this month's list is The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee by Marja Mills. Chicago Tribune journalist Mills got the Lee's blessing to move into the house next door to the sisters and spend 18 months getting to know Harper and her sister and the south. As the only journalist with that kind of access, this should be quite a read.
Lastly, Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman. Another debut that takes place in northeastern Pennsylvania where secrets and feuds go back generations. The lone policeman, Henry Farrell, has watched the coming of gas drilling and the drug trade - both heroin and meth. When a stranger ends up dead, Henry's investigation may open old wounds. Said to have wonderful characterization and flawless pacing.
That is it for this week. See if any of these sound good to you.
The top choice coming out in July is Landline by Rainbow Rowell. Rowell has recently published some very successful teen titles. I expect the demand by teens to be up for this one also. Georgie and Neal McCool's marriage is in trouble. When Georgie backs out of a planned trip, Neal packs up the children and leaves without her. While they are gone, Georgie discovers a way to revisit the past. Should she fix her marriage before it started to go bad or would they have been better off never marrying at all? Said to be written with humor and grace with incredible insights into ordinary life.
Jojo Moyes has become very popular. She has one out in July that made the list, One Plus One. In this plot, a weird and quirky family with a smelly dog meet a wealthy computer geek. One can only imagine the outcome. Jess works as a cleaner trying to support her math genius 10 year old daughter and you goth stepson. When her daughter is offered a chance of a lifetime, the family piles in the car along with the dog and the geek. What a trip that will be. Said to be perfect for a quick summer read.
Next on the list is a debut. Lori Rader-Day has The Black Hour coming out. A psychological thriller said by reviewers to be riveting. Amelia Emmet is a professor trying to get back to teaching classes after being shot by a student who then kills himself. The suspense is in the why - not the who. Right from the beginning we know who did it but why would an unconnected student whom she didn't teach, try to kill her. Her new graduate student, Nathaniel Barber, isn't doing too well himself and he would like to figure out why also.
Next on the list is The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. You can tell from the title, I think, that this will be a fantasy. It is and it is also the first of a trilogy. Some reviewers have loved the book and couldn't put it down but others are dismayed because of some inconsistencies. Regardless, there were enough who loved it to get it on the list. There is a princess trying to claim the family throne, magic and a really bad queen. If you like fantasy, give it a try. There is an apocalyptic twist.
Best selling list favorite, Chris Bohjalian, made the list with Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands. Said to be an amazing portrait of a teen in crisis; emotionally gripping and realistic - reviewers universally loved this book. Many noted it is very different from his prior work. Emily Shepherd is on the run after the nuclear plant in her Vermont hometown suffers a meltdown and her father seems to have caused it. She is orphaned and homeless and on her own at 16. Reviewers say it will grab hold of any age reader and pull them in because of Bohjalian's ability to convey emotions.
Next is World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters.This is the third and final conclusion from his 'Last Policeman' series before a 6 mile comet crashes into earth. Hank Palace, a former police detective that can't stop detecting wants to see his sister one last time before the end of the world.Maybe not the upbeat story you want to take to the beach but said to be an extremely satisfying conclusion to a masterpiece of an idea series.
Edan Lepucki's California made the list for July. Cal and Frida leave the crumbling city of Los Angeles behind and go to live in a shack in the wilderness by themselves. They can survive without civilization - at least they thought they could until Frida finds out she is pregnant. Unsure of their ability to raise a child on their own, they set out for the nearest community which turns out to be a place with dark secrets. Described both as beautiful and haunting AND tense and thrilling.
Next, Dollbaby by debut author Laura Lane McNeal. Ibby Bell's father unexpectedly dies in the summer of 1964 and her mother deposits her with her eccentric grandmother Fannie in New Orleans. Fannie, is .... well perhaps not the best person to raise a child but she has a cook, Queenie, and Queenie has a daughter, Dollbaby, who take up the chore of raising Ibby in the ways of the south.
The one nonfiction work on this month's list is The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee by Marja Mills. Chicago Tribune journalist Mills got the Lee's blessing to move into the house next door to the sisters and spend 18 months getting to know Harper and her sister and the south. As the only journalist with that kind of access, this should be quite a read.
Lastly, Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman. Another debut that takes place in northeastern Pennsylvania where secrets and feuds go back generations. The lone policeman, Henry Farrell, has watched the coming of gas drilling and the drug trade - both heroin and meth. When a stranger ends up dead, Henry's investigation may open old wounds. Said to have wonderful characterization and flawless pacing.
That is it for this week. See if any of these sound good to you.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
July Titles
I am back from New York City and BookExpo. It was so much fun. I saw so many authors and heard about their new titles that my head is full. Most of them won't be out until the fall so as they come available, I will let you know my impressions of the author. Right now I can tell you that Neil Patrick Harris is coming out with a 'choose your own autobiography' in the fall. He is just as funny in person as on TV and Lisa Scottoline could be a comedian. One of the things I did is take a tour of the Recorded Books recording studio. They have the studio in NYC because that is where most of their narrator's live and work. If you use our audio books at all, most are from Recorded Books because their product is a very high quality. The tour was nteresting. So, on with the titles for July - at least the big name authors who are coming out with work in July.
James Lee Burke has Wayfaring Stranger coming out on July 15. This one is not - repeat NOT - in the Robicheaux series. This is a very different book that follows Weldon Avery Holland as a teen, through his experience in World War II, his return to Texas with a new wife and his battle against the forces of evil that threaten his new family. Burke is a renowned storyteller and this one should be no different.
Marcia Clark has become very popular here. She has The Competition coming out on July 8. This is the fourth in her Rachel Knight series and TNT has optioned Guilt by Association for a one hour drama. So, the plot here has LA District Attorney Knight leading the case involving a massacre at a high school. On her investigation, it appears that the two students identified as the killers, might actually be victims and the killer or killers are still at large.
Catherine Coulter's Power Play is coming out on July 8 also. This is the 18th in Coulter's very popular FBI series. Coulter has really gained a wide audience since she moved from romance to suspense. This series feature Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock is the reason. Someone is trying to kill Natalie Black, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. The only one who believes her is FBI Special Agent Davis Sullivan. Meanwhile, Blessed Backman has escaped the mental hospital and is after revenge and Sherlock. Sounds like the usual excitement for this crew.
Iris and Roy Johansen, the mother and son writing team, has Sight Unseen arriving on July 15. Kendra Michaels is brought back into the plot. She is a 'consultant' for the CIA and FBI as after being blind for 20 years, her other senses have become especially en tuned to crime. When she has a regenerative process which allowed her to see again, she has become an extremely valuable resource. A multi car, lethal incident on the San Diego Cabrillo bridge has Michaels believing that this was no accident but murder. The hunt is on.
Dean Koontz's The City comes out on July 1. Koontz may be an acquired taste but this one is slightly different and is suppose to lead up to his December 2014 book which will be the last in the 'Odd Thomas' series. Odd is not in this work, it follows Jonah Kirk, a musical prodigy beginning to explore his gifts, and is a coming of age tale in his battle of good against evil. The reviewers have called this 'a joy to read'; 'a solid, riveting, enthralling, and suspenseful read from a master story teller; and that Koontz 'has the ability to make the reader visualize the exact circumstance he is highlighting on the page.'
Lastly, Stuart Woods has his next Stone Barrington novel, Cut and Thrust, coming on July 15. Barrington is joined in this plot by another Woods' character, Santa Fe lawyer Ed Eagle. Stone travels to Los Angeles for the Democratic Convention with Kate Rule Lee - the First Lady/CIA director who wants the nomination. Eagle is there supporting a senator from New Mexico. Someone is sending threatening emails to Kate so things are getting dicey. There is more than enough suspense and action to keep the pages turning in the one.
Enjoy these - see if there are any that interest you. Next week we will look at some names you might not know as well as these.
James Lee Burke has Wayfaring Stranger coming out on July 15. This one is not - repeat NOT - in the Robicheaux series. This is a very different book that follows Weldon Avery Holland as a teen, through his experience in World War II, his return to Texas with a new wife and his battle against the forces of evil that threaten his new family. Burke is a renowned storyteller and this one should be no different.
Marcia Clark has become very popular here. She has The Competition coming out on July 8. This is the fourth in her Rachel Knight series and TNT has optioned Guilt by Association for a one hour drama. So, the plot here has LA District Attorney Knight leading the case involving a massacre at a high school. On her investigation, it appears that the two students identified as the killers, might actually be victims and the killer or killers are still at large.
Catherine Coulter's Power Play is coming out on July 8 also. This is the 18th in Coulter's very popular FBI series. Coulter has really gained a wide audience since she moved from romance to suspense. This series feature Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock is the reason. Someone is trying to kill Natalie Black, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. The only one who believes her is FBI Special Agent Davis Sullivan. Meanwhile, Blessed Backman has escaped the mental hospital and is after revenge and Sherlock. Sounds like the usual excitement for this crew.
Iris and Roy Johansen, the mother and son writing team, has Sight Unseen arriving on July 15. Kendra Michaels is brought back into the plot. She is a 'consultant' for the CIA and FBI as after being blind for 20 years, her other senses have become especially en tuned to crime. When she has a regenerative process which allowed her to see again, she has become an extremely valuable resource. A multi car, lethal incident on the San Diego Cabrillo bridge has Michaels believing that this was no accident but murder. The hunt is on.
Dean Koontz's The City comes out on July 1. Koontz may be an acquired taste but this one is slightly different and is suppose to lead up to his December 2014 book which will be the last in the 'Odd Thomas' series. Odd is not in this work, it follows Jonah Kirk, a musical prodigy beginning to explore his gifts, and is a coming of age tale in his battle of good against evil. The reviewers have called this 'a joy to read'; 'a solid, riveting, enthralling, and suspenseful read from a master story teller; and that Koontz 'has the ability to make the reader visualize the exact circumstance he is highlighting on the page.'
Lastly, Stuart Woods has his next Stone Barrington novel, Cut and Thrust, coming on July 15. Barrington is joined in this plot by another Woods' character, Santa Fe lawyer Ed Eagle. Stone travels to Los Angeles for the Democratic Convention with Kate Rule Lee - the First Lady/CIA director who wants the nomination. Eagle is there supporting a senator from New Mexico. Someone is sending threatening emails to Kate so things are getting dicey. There is more than enough suspense and action to keep the pages turning in the one.
Enjoy these - see if there are any that interest you. Next week we will look at some names you might not know as well as these.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
June Titles
Next week I am headed to New York City to attend Book Expo. Hopefully I will come back with new authors and titles to tell you about. I will not be able to publish another blog until June 2nd when I return though so store up the titles today.
David Guterson, the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, has Problems with People coming out on June 3rd. This contains 10 short stories that focus on people's deep need for connections with others. Guterson started his literary career with short stories and this is his return to the format with which he excels.
Jennifer Murphy has her debut novel, I Love You More, coming out on June 17th. Picasso Lane is twelve years old when her father, Oliver, is murdered at their summer home. Picasso knows more than she is telling about her father's life. Picasso's mother is the prime suspect until the police discover that Oliver had 2 more wives. Even though everyone is denying knowing this, Picasso knows this isn't true. Much excitement about this one.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, a debut author, comes out on June 26th. Set in small town Ohio in the mid-1970's, it examines the lives of a Chinese-American family after the death of a favored child. Critics have called it beautifully written, poignant, touching and captivating.
Megan Abbott has The Fever coming out on June 17th. This is the story of an epidemic that begins plaguing only the girls in one high school causing seizures and hallucinations. A community wide panic results as more and more girls succumb. Said to be a tight and haunting story and one reviewer called it compelling, lyrical and urgent.
Alafair Burke has All Day and a Night coming out on June 10th. This is the fifth in the Ellie Hatcher series. Hatcher and her partner, J.J. Rogan, are tapped to take a fresh look at the conviction of a serial killer serving time for a total of six murders from 20 years ago. Alternating chapters are told by Carrie Blank, the half-sister of one of the victims and currently a defense attorney on the case.
Phantom Instinct by Meg Gardiner comes out on June 26th. Harper Flynn is tending bars the night that an attack and firebombing occurs at an LA club. Her boyfriend is killed and police think that the 2 attackers were killed in the fire at the club. Harper thinks a third man escaped. The only person who will listen to her is Aiden Garrison, an ex sheriff's deputy who was injured that night. They start a hunt but discover that secrets could kill them. Fast-paced. Reviews say it is a can't-put-it-down book with an ending you won't see coming.
David Ignatius has The Director coming out on June 2nd. A thriller of political intrigue and spy craft. Newly appointed CIA director Graham Weber has only been in place for one week when he discovers that the CIA has been hacked. Unsure of where to turn, he enters the world of cyberespionage. That is a scary place to be.
Another novel of political intrigue, this one by debut novelist Matthew Palmer. The American Mission arrives on June 26th. Palmer has spent 20 years in the U.S. Foreign service so he knows what he is writing. Alex Baines has been stripped of his security clearance in a debacle in Darfur. His mentor offers him a chance to start over in the Congo and Baines jumps at it. On arriving, he finds a shady U.S. based mining company everywhere he turns and struggles to balance the best interests of the US and the fate of the Congo and it's people.
A novel that has been getting a lot of play from reviewers is The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. Daniel's parents have left England and retired to a farm in Sweden. Until he receives a frantic phone call from his father, he believed his parents were headed into a well-deserved retirement. After the call, he is caught between his parents, unsure of who is telling the truth and who he can trust. Daniel's mother implicates his father in a horrible crime and a conspiracy.
Lastly, Chevy Stevens new novel, That Night, is coming out on June 17th. Toni Murphy and he boyfriend were wrongly convicted of the murder of her younger sister Nicole. 17 years later, they get out on parole and instructed not to contact each other. Ryan, the boyfriend, is convinced they can find the real killers. The nasty, bullying girls from high school are still nasty and still bullying. They have their own secrets and prefer that Toni and Ryan not discover them.
OK - that should give you some choices for next month. I will see you again after June 2nd.
David Guterson, the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, has Problems with People coming out on June 3rd. This contains 10 short stories that focus on people's deep need for connections with others. Guterson started his literary career with short stories and this is his return to the format with which he excels.
Jennifer Murphy has her debut novel, I Love You More, coming out on June 17th. Picasso Lane is twelve years old when her father, Oliver, is murdered at their summer home. Picasso knows more than she is telling about her father's life. Picasso's mother is the prime suspect until the police discover that Oliver had 2 more wives. Even though everyone is denying knowing this, Picasso knows this isn't true. Much excitement about this one.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, a debut author, comes out on June 26th. Set in small town Ohio in the mid-1970's, it examines the lives of a Chinese-American family after the death of a favored child. Critics have called it beautifully written, poignant, touching and captivating.
Megan Abbott has The Fever coming out on June 17th. This is the story of an epidemic that begins plaguing only the girls in one high school causing seizures and hallucinations. A community wide panic results as more and more girls succumb. Said to be a tight and haunting story and one reviewer called it compelling, lyrical and urgent.
Alafair Burke has All Day and a Night coming out on June 10th. This is the fifth in the Ellie Hatcher series. Hatcher and her partner, J.J. Rogan, are tapped to take a fresh look at the conviction of a serial killer serving time for a total of six murders from 20 years ago. Alternating chapters are told by Carrie Blank, the half-sister of one of the victims and currently a defense attorney on the case.
Phantom Instinct by Meg Gardiner comes out on June 26th. Harper Flynn is tending bars the night that an attack and firebombing occurs at an LA club. Her boyfriend is killed and police think that the 2 attackers were killed in the fire at the club. Harper thinks a third man escaped. The only person who will listen to her is Aiden Garrison, an ex sheriff's deputy who was injured that night. They start a hunt but discover that secrets could kill them. Fast-paced. Reviews say it is a can't-put-it-down book with an ending you won't see coming.
David Ignatius has The Director coming out on June 2nd. A thriller of political intrigue and spy craft. Newly appointed CIA director Graham Weber has only been in place for one week when he discovers that the CIA has been hacked. Unsure of where to turn, he enters the world of cyberespionage. That is a scary place to be.
Another novel of political intrigue, this one by debut novelist Matthew Palmer. The American Mission arrives on June 26th. Palmer has spent 20 years in the U.S. Foreign service so he knows what he is writing. Alex Baines has been stripped of his security clearance in a debacle in Darfur. His mentor offers him a chance to start over in the Congo and Baines jumps at it. On arriving, he finds a shady U.S. based mining company everywhere he turns and struggles to balance the best interests of the US and the fate of the Congo and it's people.
A novel that has been getting a lot of play from reviewers is The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. Daniel's parents have left England and retired to a farm in Sweden. Until he receives a frantic phone call from his father, he believed his parents were headed into a well-deserved retirement. After the call, he is caught between his parents, unsure of who is telling the truth and who he can trust. Daniel's mother implicates his father in a horrible crime and a conspiracy.
Lastly, Chevy Stevens new novel, That Night, is coming out on June 17th. Toni Murphy and he boyfriend were wrongly convicted of the murder of her younger sister Nicole. 17 years later, they get out on parole and instructed not to contact each other. Ryan, the boyfriend, is convinced they can find the real killers. The nasty, bullying girls from high school are still nasty and still bullying. They have their own secrets and prefer that Toni and Ryan not discover them.
OK - that should give you some choices for next month. I will see you again after June 2nd.
Friday, May 16, 2014
The June LibraryReads List
The June LibraryReads list came out this week. Once again, these are the top ten books published in June that librarians across the country love. All have been ordered for our library. There are several that I agree with enthusiastically. Speaking of that, I read the top pick for the April LibraryReads list, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey. It was DELIGHTFUL! I loved it. It was an easy read and I highly recommend it. Anyway, on with this list.
The top pick is Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey. This title is both a mystery and a portrayal of the frightening experience of memory loss. The story is told by Maud, a woman who is suffering from dementia. Maud is looking for her friend Elizabeth, who might or might not be missing. You get a feeling for what happens in an affected brain, how it switches between past and present and how that makes it impossible for someone to realize what is happening around them. This story line is very intense but there is humor too. Reviewers have loved this one.
The rest:
China Dolls by Lisa See. It is set in 1938 San Francisco and follows the lives of three young women up through World War II. Helen, Ruby, and Grace meet while auditioning for dancers at the Forbidden City, a nightclub near Chinatown. Although they come from different backgrounds, they become fast friends and navigate the world of prejudice. The novel is written in the first person by all three with different chapters by each individual. The story ends 50 years later when they reunited for a 50th Anniversary show at the Forbidden City. It is said to be rich in atmosphere and period details with wonderfully deep character development. Critics love this title.
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman. More historical fiction, this one dealing with Malka, a Russian immigrant girl who was run over and crippled by an ice vendor's horse. Her family abandoned her but the Italian ice vendor adopted her and put her to work. Here her destiny was shaped and the smart, sarcastic, unattractive, crippled Malka became Lillian, Catholic, educated and shrewd, tenacious and driven to be a success. She learns all about the family ice business and marries Albert Dunkle eventually becoming the "Ice Cream Queen". She presents a motherly, fun loving image but in reality she is scheming, lying and drinks too much. When her worlds collide, she has some thinking to do.
I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum. This debut novel covers the high and low points of a marriage. Richard Haddon, an artist, is fresh off an affair. Ann, his sophisticated wife and the mother of his daughter, discovers the extent of the affair. Richard must win back his family while both struggle with the pain.
The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand. Dabney Kimball Beech is a 48 year old fifth generation Nantucketer. She loves the island and refuses to leave. Her high school sweetheart left to take a journalist position but she refused, raising their daughter by herself. Eventually she marries a Harvard professor. Dabney's talent is matchmaking and she has several long lasting marriages to her credit. When she is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she tries to find matches for all the people close to her. A tearjerker.
Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch. Koch's last book, The Dinner, was extremely well reviewed. This title follows Marc Schlosser, a very unlikeable doctor to the rich and famous. One of his patients, Ralph Meier, and actor, invites Marc and his family on a holiday. Ralph ends up dead and the medical board accuses Marc of negligence while Ralph's wife accuses him of murder. What is the story behind this twisted tale?
The Lobster Kings by Alexi Zentner. A story with a strong sense of place. Loosewood Island is a fictional place somewhere between Canada and the U.S. The family that has run a lobster fishing company for generations, the Kings, reach a point when an heir to the business must be names. Woody King, the patriarch, has three daughters. The oldest, Cordelia, loves the way of life, the company and the work. She is determined to carry on her family's legacy and is prepared to fight the local drug smuggling gang for the right to do so. The story has some flavor of Shakespeare's King Lear.
The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank. I just spoke of this last week. This is what I said: "Frank's specialty is sense of place and the place is the Lowcounty in Carolina. Friends since the first day of college, Ashley Anne Waters and Mary Beth Smythe are living in Ashley's parents Sullivan Island beach house rent free. Ashley knows her mother would be appalled at the idea of holding catered parties on the first floor so she doesn't tell her. Liz is dealing with her mother. This story of 3 generations of different families is warm and funny and true." The reviewers say it is perfect for summer reading.
The Quick by Lauren Owen. Some of the things that have been said about this upcoming debut are:
"An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London" and also it was named as one of the top 10 literary fiction books of the season by Publishers Weekly. Although hard to describe this book is a Victorian Gothic with parts adventure and detective novel. It takes place in London in the last 1800's when a poet goes missing and his sister comes to London to try to find him.
Lastly, Rogues edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. This anthology features some of the most well known fantasy/suspense authors of today. Martin adds a tale from the Game of Thrones series, Gillian Flynn has a short story, Garth Nix of The Art of Racing in the Rain is in there. There are 21 total. I want to read it.
So, we have things we can read in June. I can't wait for some of them - how about you?
The top pick is Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey. This title is both a mystery and a portrayal of the frightening experience of memory loss. The story is told by Maud, a woman who is suffering from dementia. Maud is looking for her friend Elizabeth, who might or might not be missing. You get a feeling for what happens in an affected brain, how it switches between past and present and how that makes it impossible for someone to realize what is happening around them. This story line is very intense but there is humor too. Reviewers have loved this one.
The rest:
China Dolls by Lisa See. It is set in 1938 San Francisco and follows the lives of three young women up through World War II. Helen, Ruby, and Grace meet while auditioning for dancers at the Forbidden City, a nightclub near Chinatown. Although they come from different backgrounds, they become fast friends and navigate the world of prejudice. The novel is written in the first person by all three with different chapters by each individual. The story ends 50 years later when they reunited for a 50th Anniversary show at the Forbidden City. It is said to be rich in atmosphere and period details with wonderfully deep character development. Critics love this title.
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman. More historical fiction, this one dealing with Malka, a Russian immigrant girl who was run over and crippled by an ice vendor's horse. Her family abandoned her but the Italian ice vendor adopted her and put her to work. Here her destiny was shaped and the smart, sarcastic, unattractive, crippled Malka became Lillian, Catholic, educated and shrewd, tenacious and driven to be a success. She learns all about the family ice business and marries Albert Dunkle eventually becoming the "Ice Cream Queen". She presents a motherly, fun loving image but in reality she is scheming, lying and drinks too much. When her worlds collide, she has some thinking to do.
I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum. This debut novel covers the high and low points of a marriage. Richard Haddon, an artist, is fresh off an affair. Ann, his sophisticated wife and the mother of his daughter, discovers the extent of the affair. Richard must win back his family while both struggle with the pain.
The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand. Dabney Kimball Beech is a 48 year old fifth generation Nantucketer. She loves the island and refuses to leave. Her high school sweetheart left to take a journalist position but she refused, raising their daughter by herself. Eventually she marries a Harvard professor. Dabney's talent is matchmaking and she has several long lasting marriages to her credit. When she is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she tries to find matches for all the people close to her. A tearjerker.
Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch. Koch's last book, The Dinner, was extremely well reviewed. This title follows Marc Schlosser, a very unlikeable doctor to the rich and famous. One of his patients, Ralph Meier, and actor, invites Marc and his family on a holiday. Ralph ends up dead and the medical board accuses Marc of negligence while Ralph's wife accuses him of murder. What is the story behind this twisted tale?
The Lobster Kings by Alexi Zentner. A story with a strong sense of place. Loosewood Island is a fictional place somewhere between Canada and the U.S. The family that has run a lobster fishing company for generations, the Kings, reach a point when an heir to the business must be names. Woody King, the patriarch, has three daughters. The oldest, Cordelia, loves the way of life, the company and the work. She is determined to carry on her family's legacy and is prepared to fight the local drug smuggling gang for the right to do so. The story has some flavor of Shakespeare's King Lear.
The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank. I just spoke of this last week. This is what I said: "Frank's specialty is sense of place and the place is the Lowcounty in Carolina. Friends since the first day of college, Ashley Anne Waters and Mary Beth Smythe are living in Ashley's parents Sullivan Island beach house rent free. Ashley knows her mother would be appalled at the idea of holding catered parties on the first floor so she doesn't tell her. Liz is dealing with her mother. This story of 3 generations of different families is warm and funny and true." The reviewers say it is perfect for summer reading.
The Quick by Lauren Owen. Some of the things that have been said about this upcoming debut are:
"An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London" and also it was named as one of the top 10 literary fiction books of the season by Publishers Weekly. Although hard to describe this book is a Victorian Gothic with parts adventure and detective novel. It takes place in London in the last 1800's when a poet goes missing and his sister comes to London to try to find him.
Lastly, Rogues edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. This anthology features some of the most well known fantasy/suspense authors of today. Martin adds a tale from the Game of Thrones series, Gillian Flynn has a short story, Garth Nix of The Art of Racing in the Rain is in there. There are 21 total. I want to read it.
So, we have things we can read in June. I can't wait for some of them - how about you?
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