There are some interesting titles coming out in September by some lesser known authors.
David Cronenberg is a Canadian move director who specializes in 'body horror' or psychological horror. He has directed two of Robert Pattinson's latest films. On September 30th he has a debut novel arriving, Consumed. I am always kind of fascinated by these successful people in one field who late in life, decide to become authors. This one sounds kind of like a horror film and I don't suggest reading it if extreme, off color incidents bother you. Two competing photojournalists, Naomi and Nathan, are in some sort of relationship. At least, they meet in hotel rooms when they are in the same city. Both go their separate ways, Nathan to do a story on breast surgery in Budapest and Naomi to focus on a French philosophy professor who has apparently killed and eaten his wife. Strangely enough, their stories are closely intertwined. That should give you a flavor of what you are getting into if you decide you want to read this one.
On September 9th, James Ellroy has Perfidia coming out. This is his first book in a second "L.A. Quartet" for those who read 'The Black Dahlia; The Big Nowhere; L.A. Confidential; and White Jazz). This one actually starts before the first, on December 6, 1941 and the bombing of Pearl Harbor and internment of Japanese Americans. It blends together war, romance and mystery. The story revolves around the brutal murder of a Japanese family on the day BEFORE the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. He explores the theses of fidelity and betrayal on many levels. If you liked the 1st Quartet - this one will be a must read.
Tedd Moss was the deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of African Affairs when he was attempting to write his first novel, The Golden Hour. The title, which comes out on September 4th, concerns the 100 hours after a coup takes place when diplomacy or military action MIGHT make a difference. It features Judd Ryker, appointed director of the newly formed State Department Crisis Reaction Unit when a coup erupts in Mali. Ryker races from location to location, not know who to trust or what is REALLY going on. Suspenseful and a quick read according to reviewers.
On September 2nd, Faye Kellerman's next Peter Decker novel, Murder 101, finally arrives. Peter Decker has left L.A. for the upstate New York's Greenbury Police Department. Wanting a slower way of life, he was becoming bored until some Tiffany panels at the town mausoleum were replaced by forgeries AND a college co-ed was found dead.
Lastly for this week, Jussi Adler-Olsen has the next Department Q story, The Marco Effect coming on September 9th. Adler-Olsen is one of those Danish crime writers that have become so popular in this country. In this title, Detective Carl Morck and his colleagues get caught up in a missing persons case that touches on Marco Jameson, a 15 year old teen rebelling against his powerful Gypsy uncle.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
September Titles
I am going to start off this week talking about 2 nonfiction titles. I am not a big nonfiction reader but these two titles have caught my interest.
On September 25, Terry Pratchett, the creator of Discworld, is coming out with a collection of nonfiction essays, A Slip of the Keyboard. This is a man who has stepped out from the shadows in support of some causes to include Alzheimer's research and animal rights. He writes with passion for causes, humor, and humanity about things as varied as mushrooms, banana daiquiris and the writing life. I might have to read this one.
The next nonfiction is written by Tavis Smiley. I heard him speak and was entranced - no surprise as he speaks on television and NPR, but he is very approachable in person. His title, Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year, comes out on September 9th. I had not realized how discouraging that last year must have been for him. He was brushed aside by President Johnson and was being challenged by the press, African American militants and members of the middle class. I believe it will be eye opening.
Robert Jackson Bennett may not be a name you are familiar with but then again, maybe you are. He has won an Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award and a Philip K Dick citation. On September 9th, he has City of Stairs coming which is both high fantasy and suspense. Once a conquering city, Bulikov has become a colonial outpost. The powers that be send Shara Divani to take up a modest post but in actuality, she is a spy sent to investigate the murder of a historian.
Christina Dodd is probably best known for her romance but on September 9th, she definitely is taking a step to suspense with Virtue Falls. Elizabeth Banner has grown up believing that her father murdered her mother when she was only 4. When she comes home to Virtue Falls as an adult, she does some investigating and decides her father was innocent and that her mother was the victim of a serial killer who is still at large.
How I didn't put this on the big name list for September, I don't know but Philippa Gregory has the final entry in the "Cousins' War" series coming on September 9th. The King's Curse has Margaret Pole becoming lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon as she marries her dead husband's brother, Henry VIII. A really popular series with those who read historical fiction.
Deborah Crombie gives us To Dwell in Darkness on September 23rd. This is the latest in the Duncan Kincaid-Gemma James series for those who enjoy mysteries with a British touch. Duncan investigates a lethal bombing at St. Pancras Station.
Lastly, for this time, Julie Lawson Timmer has a debut novel, Five Days Left coming on September 9th. It is a novel about love and loss and has attracted all sorts of raves. Mara, a lawyer, is losing her battle with a fatal disease and plans to say good-bye quickly. Scott, a middle school teacher, has been raising an 8 year old boy whose mother was in prison. The mother is being released and Scott is dreading saying good-bye. Both Mara and Scott have five days left with their loved ones. This one sounds like it might make me cry so I don't know. However one reviewer said that it was "profoundly affecting, memorable and insightful". She also said it made a big impression on her and that she wasn't going to be able to get it out of her head for a really long time. Almost makes me want to try it. How about you?
On September 25, Terry Pratchett, the creator of Discworld, is coming out with a collection of nonfiction essays, A Slip of the Keyboard. This is a man who has stepped out from the shadows in support of some causes to include Alzheimer's research and animal rights. He writes with passion for causes, humor, and humanity about things as varied as mushrooms, banana daiquiris and the writing life. I might have to read this one.
The next nonfiction is written by Tavis Smiley. I heard him speak and was entranced - no surprise as he speaks on television and NPR, but he is very approachable in person. His title, Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year, comes out on September 9th. I had not realized how discouraging that last year must have been for him. He was brushed aside by President Johnson and was being challenged by the press, African American militants and members of the middle class. I believe it will be eye opening.
Robert Jackson Bennett may not be a name you are familiar with but then again, maybe you are. He has won an Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award and a Philip K Dick citation. On September 9th, he has City of Stairs coming which is both high fantasy and suspense. Once a conquering city, Bulikov has become a colonial outpost. The powers that be send Shara Divani to take up a modest post but in actuality, she is a spy sent to investigate the murder of a historian.
Christina Dodd is probably best known for her romance but on September 9th, she definitely is taking a step to suspense with Virtue Falls. Elizabeth Banner has grown up believing that her father murdered her mother when she was only 4. When she comes home to Virtue Falls as an adult, she does some investigating and decides her father was innocent and that her mother was the victim of a serial killer who is still at large.
How I didn't put this on the big name list for September, I don't know but Philippa Gregory has the final entry in the "Cousins' War" series coming on September 9th. The King's Curse has Margaret Pole becoming lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon as she marries her dead husband's brother, Henry VIII. A really popular series with those who read historical fiction.
Deborah Crombie gives us To Dwell in Darkness on September 23rd. This is the latest in the Duncan Kincaid-Gemma James series for those who enjoy mysteries with a British touch. Duncan investigates a lethal bombing at St. Pancras Station.
Lastly, for this time, Julie Lawson Timmer has a debut novel, Five Days Left coming on September 9th. It is a novel about love and loss and has attracted all sorts of raves. Mara, a lawyer, is losing her battle with a fatal disease and plans to say good-bye quickly. Scott, a middle school teacher, has been raising an 8 year old boy whose mother was in prison. The mother is being released and Scott is dreading saying good-bye. Both Mara and Scott have five days left with their loved ones. This one sounds like it might make me cry so I don't know. However one reviewer said that it was "profoundly affecting, memorable and insightful". She also said it made a big impression on her and that she wasn't going to be able to get it out of her head for a really long time. Almost makes me want to try it. How about you?
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
LibraryReads for September
The top 10 titles being released in September according to librarians across the country were announced Monday. There are a few in this list that surprised me. Particularly the top vote getter - not because I had not ordered it but just because......
Top title went to Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by debut author Caitlin Doughty comes out on September 15th. Part memoir, part expose of the death industry and part instruction manual for aspiring morticians - a quirky, humorous in part story for fans of Mary Roach.
The remaining nine in no particular order are:
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel comes on September 9th. I am amazed that this did not get top listing. Every reviewer who has read it, praises it dramatically. People have said things like " This is a beautiful, gripping novel told by a masterful hand." It is dystopian fiction when a strain of the swine flu (called Georgia flu by the way) wipes out 99% of the world's population. The remaining people settle in outposts but the story centers on a troupe of traveling Shakespearean actors that perform at the outposts. There is the feeling that just to survive is not enough and that the apocalypse is a way to reinvent freedom.
Tana French publishes The Secret Place on August 28th (that's almost September). This is the fifth in the Dublin Murder Squad series. In this one the murder squad takes on the world of teenage girls when one comes forward with evidence from a murder. Tension-filled - really makes you look at friendship.
Lauren Oliver has written several very popular teen books but on September 23rd, she comes out with her first adult novel, Rooms. When an estranged family comes back to a home after the father's death, they must learn to deal with the past and move on BUT in on the whole conversation are two ghosts who live in the walls of the old house. Both the living and the dead are haunted by painful truths. Said to be a searing family drama.
Ian McEwan gives us The Children Act on September 9th. Most except this to win a Booker nomination (it will not qualify this year as the long list is already out) so literary fiction lovers give this a try. Judge Fiona Maye is having marriage problems and her husband has moved out because she refused the idea of an open marriage. She concentrates on her work and becomes deeply involved - maybe too involved. A 17 year old boy and his parents are refusing allowing doctor's to give the boy a blood infusion for religious reasons. A poignant tale.
Helen Giltrow has The Distance, her debut, coming on September 9th. A tense thriller about a socialite who is a hidden tech guru in secret. Only one person has ever seen her in her 'secret' persona - and that person needs her for a job that could get them both in trouble or even dead. Everyone has layers, everyone is living some kind of double life, and everyone says that this is an edge of your seat read.
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix arrives on September 23rd. It takes place in an IKEA type store where things are being damaged at night. 5 young employees are asked to work a dusk to dawn shift to find out what or who is happening. This is a horror story which is laid out like an IKEA catalog. Everyone has praised the inventiveness of the layout and the growth of the characters over the night. One reviewer said "This story is super creepy, has a lot of surprises, is clever and funny, AND left me in deep thought." Sounds like a winner to me.
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters comes on September 16th. Waters has been short listed for the Booker prize 3 times so perhaps we have another possible nominee here. Her specialty is historical fiction and this one fits the bill. After WWI, many homes lost their husbands and brothers. An impoverished widow, Mrs. Wray, and her 'spinster daughter, Frances are forced to take in lodgers. The arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a lower class couple with marriage problems, shake up the house in unexpected ways. One reviewer says "A love story, a tension-filled crime story, and a beautifully atmospheric portrait of a fascinating time and place, The Paying Guests is Sarah Waters's finest achievement yet."
Kim Harrison's The Witch with No Name which arrives on September 9th is another surprise for me. I think it is unusual for an urban fantasy novel to make the list but I guess there are a lot of people who like it and this is the very last book in her Hollows series so perhaps it is the ending of the series that made it this popular. Rachel Morgan and all her friends face their toughest battle yet.
Lastly, Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley is being republished on September 2nd. Originally, this was published back in 2001. More of a romance than a suspense, actress Celia Sands takes a role in the modern day, that another Celia Sands (no relation) was suppose to play. Italy, romance and a small amount of suspense.
OK - hopefully there are a few in here for you. I have 3 more on my TBR pile.
Top title went to Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by debut author Caitlin Doughty comes out on September 15th. Part memoir, part expose of the death industry and part instruction manual for aspiring morticians - a quirky, humorous in part story for fans of Mary Roach.
The remaining nine in no particular order are:
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel comes on September 9th. I am amazed that this did not get top listing. Every reviewer who has read it, praises it dramatically. People have said things like " This is a beautiful, gripping novel told by a masterful hand." It is dystopian fiction when a strain of the swine flu (called Georgia flu by the way) wipes out 99% of the world's population. The remaining people settle in outposts but the story centers on a troupe of traveling Shakespearean actors that perform at the outposts. There is the feeling that just to survive is not enough and that the apocalypse is a way to reinvent freedom.
Tana French publishes The Secret Place on August 28th (that's almost September). This is the fifth in the Dublin Murder Squad series. In this one the murder squad takes on the world of teenage girls when one comes forward with evidence from a murder. Tension-filled - really makes you look at friendship.
Lauren Oliver has written several very popular teen books but on September 23rd, she comes out with her first adult novel, Rooms. When an estranged family comes back to a home after the father's death, they must learn to deal with the past and move on BUT in on the whole conversation are two ghosts who live in the walls of the old house. Both the living and the dead are haunted by painful truths. Said to be a searing family drama.
Ian McEwan gives us The Children Act on September 9th. Most except this to win a Booker nomination (it will not qualify this year as the long list is already out) so literary fiction lovers give this a try. Judge Fiona Maye is having marriage problems and her husband has moved out because she refused the idea of an open marriage. She concentrates on her work and becomes deeply involved - maybe too involved. A 17 year old boy and his parents are refusing allowing doctor's to give the boy a blood infusion for religious reasons. A poignant tale.
Helen Giltrow has The Distance, her debut, coming on September 9th. A tense thriller about a socialite who is a hidden tech guru in secret. Only one person has ever seen her in her 'secret' persona - and that person needs her for a job that could get them both in trouble or even dead. Everyone has layers, everyone is living some kind of double life, and everyone says that this is an edge of your seat read.
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix arrives on September 23rd. It takes place in an IKEA type store where things are being damaged at night. 5 young employees are asked to work a dusk to dawn shift to find out what or who is happening. This is a horror story which is laid out like an IKEA catalog. Everyone has praised the inventiveness of the layout and the growth of the characters over the night. One reviewer said "This story is super creepy, has a lot of surprises, is clever and funny, AND left me in deep thought." Sounds like a winner to me.
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters comes on September 16th. Waters has been short listed for the Booker prize 3 times so perhaps we have another possible nominee here. Her specialty is historical fiction and this one fits the bill. After WWI, many homes lost their husbands and brothers. An impoverished widow, Mrs. Wray, and her 'spinster daughter, Frances are forced to take in lodgers. The arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a lower class couple with marriage problems, shake up the house in unexpected ways. One reviewer says "A love story, a tension-filled crime story, and a beautifully atmospheric portrait of a fascinating time and place, The Paying Guests is Sarah Waters's finest achievement yet."
Kim Harrison's The Witch with No Name which arrives on September 9th is another surprise for me. I think it is unusual for an urban fantasy novel to make the list but I guess there are a lot of people who like it and this is the very last book in her Hollows series so perhaps it is the ending of the series that made it this popular. Rachel Morgan and all her friends face their toughest battle yet.
Lastly, Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley is being republished on September 2nd. Originally, this was published back in 2001. More of a romance than a suspense, actress Celia Sands takes a role in the modern day, that another Celia Sands (no relation) was suppose to play. Italy, romance and a small amount of suspense.
OK - hopefully there are a few in here for you. I have 3 more on my TBR pile.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Big Names in September
I am starting with a nonfiction title this month because Steve Harvey has been so tremendously popular with Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man that his new one Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success may get the same reaction. This title is coming on September 8th and tries to help readers identify their particular talents and use them well.
Margaret Atwood is coming out with her first collection of short stories since 2006. This one, Stone Mattress: Nine Tales arrives on September 16. Atwood has been very popular with The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace among many others and is sure to be popular with those who read literary fiction.
Ken Follett wraps up his "Century" trilogy with Edge of Eternity on September 16. It follows the five entwined families (American, German, Russian, English and Welsh) up through the end of the century. His eye for historical detail is amazing and the plots are always fast moving. Those who have read the first two are sure to want this one.
Walter Mosley gives us another Easy Rawlins mystery with Rose Gold which arrives on September 23. Think Patty Hearst era when a black ex-boxer heads a revolutionary cell, Scorched Earth, that kidnaps the daughter of an arms manufacturer. The FBI asks Easy to get involved.
James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge have another Michael Bennett thriller coming on September 29. Burn has Bennett coming back to New York City to take over the Outreach Squad in Harlem. A call reports well dressed men attending a party in a condemned building and then a charred body is found inside. Fast paced as usual.
Blood on the Water by Anne Perry continues her William Monk series. For those who like British historical mysteries, Perry is a must read. Monk views the explosion of a pleasure boat carrying over 200 people who die. Monk should have handled the investigation but it was turned over to the commissioner of the Metro Police who quickly caught and tried an Egyptian man who is sentenced to die. Monk presents evidence that he was not the one who committed the crime. The investigation is then turned over to Monk but is in horrible disarray. Perry has made the bestseller list with her last 3 Monk titles. Will this one make it too?
We have not heard from Jan Karon for a while and on September 2, she gives us Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good: The New Mitford Novel. Father Tim returns to Mitford after his retirement and vacation in Ireland. He brings and attracts those who are struggling with issues. There hasn't been a Mitford novel since 2005. Let's see how this goes.
Jonathan Kellerman joins his son, Jesse Kellerman to give us The Golem of Hollywood on September 16.
This is still a fast paced thriller but it adds in some mystical incidents dealing with The Golem of Prague (created by a 16th century rabbi to avenge the Jews). Detective Jacob Lev is the new protagonist and he is assigned to a murder in the Hollywood Hills that has left behind only the severed head. He ties this into a serial killer who practices his killing across the country.
Hilary Mantel has won award after award for her Thomas Cromwell series (Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies). On September 30, she gives us some short stories in The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher and Other Stories. While waiting for her completion of the series, you might want to give these a try.
Lee Child has another Jack Reacher novel coming on September 2. Personal has the army tracking Reacher down again because someone is taking shots at the French President. There is only one person who could be doing it and Reacher is the only one who can stop him. Reacher fans rejoice.
Clive Cussler also has The Eye of Heaven coming on September 2. Sam and Remi Fargo uncover a Viking ship preserved in ice and carrying pre-Colombian artifacts from Mexico. As they try to figure out how this could be, they find themselves being chased through the jungles of Central America by all sorts of people up to no good.
Catherine Coulter has another 'Brit in the FBI' titles written with J.T. Ellison coming out on September 30. The Lost Key has FBI Agent Nicolas Drummond and partner Mike Caine investigating a Wall Street stabbing death.
Finally, and perhaps this isn't the biggest name but an interesting idea that puts her on this list, Sophie Hannah. Hannah was approached by Agatha Christie's estate about writing a new Christie mystery. The Monogram Murders arrives on September 9. Hannah has chosen to write a Hercule Poirot novel. A puzzle mystery indeed which starts when a young women interrupts Poirot's supper to tell him she is going to be killed. Sounds interesting to me and I have put it on my list.
Margaret Atwood is coming out with her first collection of short stories since 2006. This one, Stone Mattress: Nine Tales arrives on September 16. Atwood has been very popular with The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace among many others and is sure to be popular with those who read literary fiction.
Ken Follett wraps up his "Century" trilogy with Edge of Eternity on September 16. It follows the five entwined families (American, German, Russian, English and Welsh) up through the end of the century. His eye for historical detail is amazing and the plots are always fast moving. Those who have read the first two are sure to want this one.
Walter Mosley gives us another Easy Rawlins mystery with Rose Gold which arrives on September 23. Think Patty Hearst era when a black ex-boxer heads a revolutionary cell, Scorched Earth, that kidnaps the daughter of an arms manufacturer. The FBI asks Easy to get involved.
James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge have another Michael Bennett thriller coming on September 29. Burn has Bennett coming back to New York City to take over the Outreach Squad in Harlem. A call reports well dressed men attending a party in a condemned building and then a charred body is found inside. Fast paced as usual.
Blood on the Water by Anne Perry continues her William Monk series. For those who like British historical mysteries, Perry is a must read. Monk views the explosion of a pleasure boat carrying over 200 people who die. Monk should have handled the investigation but it was turned over to the commissioner of the Metro Police who quickly caught and tried an Egyptian man who is sentenced to die. Monk presents evidence that he was not the one who committed the crime. The investigation is then turned over to Monk but is in horrible disarray. Perry has made the bestseller list with her last 3 Monk titles. Will this one make it too?
We have not heard from Jan Karon for a while and on September 2, she gives us Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good: The New Mitford Novel. Father Tim returns to Mitford after his retirement and vacation in Ireland. He brings and attracts those who are struggling with issues. There hasn't been a Mitford novel since 2005. Let's see how this goes.
Jonathan Kellerman joins his son, Jesse Kellerman to give us The Golem of Hollywood on September 16.
This is still a fast paced thriller but it adds in some mystical incidents dealing with The Golem of Prague (created by a 16th century rabbi to avenge the Jews). Detective Jacob Lev is the new protagonist and he is assigned to a murder in the Hollywood Hills that has left behind only the severed head. He ties this into a serial killer who practices his killing across the country.
Hilary Mantel has won award after award for her Thomas Cromwell series (Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies). On September 30, she gives us some short stories in The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher and Other Stories. While waiting for her completion of the series, you might want to give these a try.
Lee Child has another Jack Reacher novel coming on September 2. Personal has the army tracking Reacher down again because someone is taking shots at the French President. There is only one person who could be doing it and Reacher is the only one who can stop him. Reacher fans rejoice.
Clive Cussler also has The Eye of Heaven coming on September 2. Sam and Remi Fargo uncover a Viking ship preserved in ice and carrying pre-Colombian artifacts from Mexico. As they try to figure out how this could be, they find themselves being chased through the jungles of Central America by all sorts of people up to no good.
Catherine Coulter has another 'Brit in the FBI' titles written with J.T. Ellison coming out on September 30. The Lost Key has FBI Agent Nicolas Drummond and partner Mike Caine investigating a Wall Street stabbing death.
Finally, and perhaps this isn't the biggest name but an interesting idea that puts her on this list, Sophie Hannah. Hannah was approached by Agatha Christie's estate about writing a new Christie mystery. The Monogram Murders arrives on September 9. Hannah has chosen to write a Hercule Poirot novel. A puzzle mystery indeed which starts when a young women interrupts Poirot's supper to tell him she is going to be killed. Sounds interesting to me and I have put it on my list.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Wow - a List of the Rest of August Titles
Once again, time has gotten ahead of me. This was suppose to be done last weekend, but instead - I added 2 dogs to my household and couldn't make myself leave them alone at home that long. So here I am with a long list of titles and a short synopsis of what they are about before moving on to the September books.
Robin Hobb has Fool's Assassin coming out on Aug. 12 for those who read fantasy. I happen to have read Hobb's Assassin series and this is a continuation of this work. It is very good - if you like that type of thing. FitzChivalry has left his royal assassin job behind, living in the country with his wife. Unexpectedly, even though she is beyond child bearing years, she finds herself pregnant. All the family think this is in her mind, not a fact. The resulting child is different in many ways and really the focus of this new series.
Terry Goodkind has Severed Souls out on Aug. 5. This is a continuation of his very popular Seeker of Truth series. Richard Rahl and his wife, Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell continue their adventures. Once again for those who prefer fantasy over reality.
Before, During, After by Richard Bausch comes out on Aug. 12. Bausch has won most of the literary awards for his work. This one focuses on a Congressional Aide and an Episcopal priest who are engaged. Before their wedding, the priest appears to be lost in 9/11 and the Aide has a traumatic experience in Jamaica. Although they come back together, can their life ever be the same? This one falls into the literary fiction genre.
Graham Joyce has The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit coming on Aug. 5. Joyce writes in the psychological drama/horror mode. In this title, David takes a job at a beach resort where his biological father disappeared 15 years earlier. Weird things start happening and then things get really scary.
Now on to the true suspense/mystery genre. Elizabeth Little has Dear Daughter coming on July 31. Jane Jenkins was in prison for 10 years after being found guilty of killing her mother. On her release, she begins to track down the real killer. Her investigation leads her to South Dakota where she discovers her mother had secrets that she buried deep.
Don't Look Back is coming from Gregg Hurwitz on Aug. 19. On a rafting and hiking tour, Eve Hardaway spots a man throwing machetes at something. Then she discovers the camera and pill bottle of a missing woman. I think you can guess what follows.
Arnaldur Indridason has a new Icelandic Inspector Erlendur novel coming on Aug. 26. In Strange Shores, the Inspector is hunting for two people who vanished long age - one being his brother who was lost in a snowstorm.
William Kent Krueger, after the success of Ordinary Grace, on Aug 19 has gone back to his Cork O'Connor series with Windigo Island. The residents of Bad Bluff reservation blame the Windigo, a mythical beast, for the battered body of a girl washed up on the shores of Lake Superior. Cork though, blames sex trafficking that has increased in the area.
One of my personal favorites, Spencer Quinn, returns with Chet and Bernie in Paw and Order on Aug. 5. I have this one on my list already and can't wait. Bernie is arrest while visiting his girlfriend in DC. I LOVE Chet. But then remember I have 2 new residents in my household.
As long as I am on a dog trend here, I throw in Ellen Cooney's The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Changes which arrives on Aug. 5. Evie signs up for dog-training school at the Sanctuary but finds herself being the one rescued. A must read for dog lovers.
Certainly with this many titles, there must be something that interests you. Enjoy!
Robin Hobb has Fool's Assassin coming out on Aug. 12 for those who read fantasy. I happen to have read Hobb's Assassin series and this is a continuation of this work. It is very good - if you like that type of thing. FitzChivalry has left his royal assassin job behind, living in the country with his wife. Unexpectedly, even though she is beyond child bearing years, she finds herself pregnant. All the family think this is in her mind, not a fact. The resulting child is different in many ways and really the focus of this new series.
Terry Goodkind has Severed Souls out on Aug. 5. This is a continuation of his very popular Seeker of Truth series. Richard Rahl and his wife, Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell continue their adventures. Once again for those who prefer fantasy over reality.
Before, During, After by Richard Bausch comes out on Aug. 12. Bausch has won most of the literary awards for his work. This one focuses on a Congressional Aide and an Episcopal priest who are engaged. Before their wedding, the priest appears to be lost in 9/11 and the Aide has a traumatic experience in Jamaica. Although they come back together, can their life ever be the same? This one falls into the literary fiction genre.
Graham Joyce has The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit coming on Aug. 5. Joyce writes in the psychological drama/horror mode. In this title, David takes a job at a beach resort where his biological father disappeared 15 years earlier. Weird things start happening and then things get really scary.
Now on to the true suspense/mystery genre. Elizabeth Little has Dear Daughter coming on July 31. Jane Jenkins was in prison for 10 years after being found guilty of killing her mother. On her release, she begins to track down the real killer. Her investigation leads her to South Dakota where she discovers her mother had secrets that she buried deep.
Don't Look Back is coming from Gregg Hurwitz on Aug. 19. On a rafting and hiking tour, Eve Hardaway spots a man throwing machetes at something. Then she discovers the camera and pill bottle of a missing woman. I think you can guess what follows.
Arnaldur Indridason has a new Icelandic Inspector Erlendur novel coming on Aug. 26. In Strange Shores, the Inspector is hunting for two people who vanished long age - one being his brother who was lost in a snowstorm.
William Kent Krueger, after the success of Ordinary Grace, on Aug 19 has gone back to his Cork O'Connor series with Windigo Island. The residents of Bad Bluff reservation blame the Windigo, a mythical beast, for the battered body of a girl washed up on the shores of Lake Superior. Cork though, blames sex trafficking that has increased in the area.
One of my personal favorites, Spencer Quinn, returns with Chet and Bernie in Paw and Order on Aug. 5. I have this one on my list already and can't wait. Bernie is arrest while visiting his girlfriend in DC. I LOVE Chet. But then remember I have 2 new residents in my household.
As long as I am on a dog trend here, I throw in Ellen Cooney's The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Changes which arrives on Aug. 5. Evie signs up for dog-training school at the Sanctuary but finds herself being the one rescued. A must read for dog lovers.
Certainly with this many titles, there must be something that interests you. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 19, 2014
August LibraryReads
They announced the August LibraryReads this week. There are some good ones in here that made me add items to my TBR list. I am excited because the one that came in number one, with the most endorsements from other librarians, is the one I would have chosen. During BookExpo in NYC, the author was a member of a panel. Hilariously, she had us in stitches because she did not realize the coincidence of coming to the panel with a broken foot that was the result of a soccer kick, while promoting her new title One Kick. The author is Chelsea Cain and the title is out on Aug 19th. She prefaced a summary about this book by explaining that she wrote it because she wanted to write something she wasn't embarrassed about having her father read. This one though starts with a young 12 year old girl being rescued by the FBI from some child pornographers where she had been living for 6 years. OK - so that sounds much more x rated than it is - because most violence or brutality take place off page. The girl Kit "Kick" Lannigan focuses on never allowing herself to be a victim again. She becomes an expert in all martial arts and weapons handling. As an adult, she catches the attention of John Bishop, who with access to unlimited funds, wants her help to go after other child pornographers. Very, very quick pace and suspenseful. A definite read in one day.
Amy Bloom's Lucky Us made the list. It comes out on July 29th. It is the story of 2 half sisters who crisscross 1940's America looking for someplace to belong. It focuses on the themes of love, reinvention and the families we are born into and the families we choose for ourselves. You can't help but care about the characters in this story. I have the Advance Reader's Copy and it hooked me on the first page.
Next is Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This is coming out on Aug. 26th and is one of two titles that this month are in the romance genre. Annie - an actress who has turned to puppetering to try to make a living, is forces to an island off the coast of Maine in the dead of winter. Her mother has left her a cottage - that she needs financially in the worst way - if she stays there for 2 months. Also on the island is Theo - a teenage crush of Annie's who became one of her tormentors in her teen years. Now, a well known horror author, he presents a dark and threatening atmosphere. Hmmmmm - wonder what happens.......
Lock In by John Scalzi comes out on Aug 26th. Scalzi is known for his military science fiction novels but he takes a different path here. This has some distopia mixed in with a political crime thriller and some reviewers have noted that it helped them understand this title right from the beginning if they had read Scalzi's short online novella at the following link (http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/05/unlocked-an-oral-history-of-hadens-syndrome-john-scalzi) OK - the premise of the story is that there is this horrible flu like disease (the description of the disease and it's spread is covered in the novella) that sweeps the globe. Four percent of the world's population develop meningitis and one percent become 'locked in" - unable to move or respond to stimulus. There are two technologies that help these victims - one allows them to function in a virtual-reality environment but the other allows them to control some people's brains. Hmmmm, where do you suppose that leads? Sounds frightening to me.
Jessie Burton has The Miniaturist coming out on Aug 26. This is a debut novel that has received a lot of hype from reviewers and the publisher. It is a historical novel that takes place in Amsterdam in the late 1600's. 18 year old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam on the steps of her new husband's home. There is no warm welcome for her as we examine the ductotomy that is Amsterdam of that time period. Her husband gives her as a gift, a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish it, Nella turns to a miniaturist and begins to wonder when small furnishing start to arrive that she has not ordered.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty comes out on July 29th. Another one that is almost August. I spoke of this one in my July listings and said "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." I have an advanced readers copy of this one too and have started it. There is humor in this one.
Here is the other romance this month, The Truth about Leo by Katie MacAlister. This one is in her regency Noble series. MacAlister is another author who specializes in humorous romances. In this case, her heroine - Dagmar, a poverty stricken Danish princess, is about to be placed in a nunnery when she finds an unconscious man in her garden - an English spy and the Leo of the title. Dagmar marries the unconscious Leo and uses him for free passage to England. When he wakes up --- will they stay together?
An Unwilling Accomplice by Charles Todd - the mother/son writing duo - comes out on Aug. 12th. This World War I series is very popular partly because of the accurate time and place descriptions. Bess Crawford, the battlefield nurse/detective, must find a missing soldier who had been put in her charge and is suspected of murder.
The Magician's Land, the third in Lev Grossman's Magician trilogy is out on Aug 5th. Reviewers say reading the first 2 in the trilogy isn't necessary but all 3 are good fantasy. In this one, Quentin Coldwater, has been cast out of the magical land of his childhood dreams and he finds himself back teaching at the high school he use to attend. This is a novel of love and redemption and the story of a boy becoming a man.
Lastly, Thrity Umrigar has The Story Hour coming out on Aug 19. This is a book about relationships - friends and spouses. Maggie, a psychologist married to an Indian man, takes on Lakshmi as a patient. Lakshmi had attempted suicide because of a loveless marriage to a controlling man and pure loneliness. Against all principles, Maggie becomes 'friends' with Lakshmi - revealing some of herself which endangers many of her relationships and Lakshmi's.
There are some pretty good ones on the list this month. I hope you decide to read one or two.
Amy Bloom's Lucky Us made the list. It comes out on July 29th. It is the story of 2 half sisters who crisscross 1940's America looking for someplace to belong. It focuses on the themes of love, reinvention and the families we are born into and the families we choose for ourselves. You can't help but care about the characters in this story. I have the Advance Reader's Copy and it hooked me on the first page.
Next is Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This is coming out on Aug. 26th and is one of two titles that this month are in the romance genre. Annie - an actress who has turned to puppetering to try to make a living, is forces to an island off the coast of Maine in the dead of winter. Her mother has left her a cottage - that she needs financially in the worst way - if she stays there for 2 months. Also on the island is Theo - a teenage crush of Annie's who became one of her tormentors in her teen years. Now, a well known horror author, he presents a dark and threatening atmosphere. Hmmmmm - wonder what happens.......
Lock In by John Scalzi comes out on Aug 26th. Scalzi is known for his military science fiction novels but he takes a different path here. This has some distopia mixed in with a political crime thriller and some reviewers have noted that it helped them understand this title right from the beginning if they had read Scalzi's short online novella at the following link (http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/05/unlocked-an-oral-history-of-hadens-syndrome-john-scalzi) OK - the premise of the story is that there is this horrible flu like disease (the description of the disease and it's spread is covered in the novella) that sweeps the globe. Four percent of the world's population develop meningitis and one percent become 'locked in" - unable to move or respond to stimulus. There are two technologies that help these victims - one allows them to function in a virtual-reality environment but the other allows them to control some people's brains. Hmmmm, where do you suppose that leads? Sounds frightening to me.
Jessie Burton has The Miniaturist coming out on Aug 26. This is a debut novel that has received a lot of hype from reviewers and the publisher. It is a historical novel that takes place in Amsterdam in the late 1600's. 18 year old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam on the steps of her new husband's home. There is no warm welcome for her as we examine the ductotomy that is Amsterdam of that time period. Her husband gives her as a gift, a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish it, Nella turns to a miniaturist and begins to wonder when small furnishing start to arrive that she has not ordered.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty comes out on July 29th. Another one that is almost August. I spoke of this one in my July listings and said "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." I have an advanced readers copy of this one too and have started it. There is humor in this one.
Here is the other romance this month, The Truth about Leo by Katie MacAlister. This one is in her regency Noble series. MacAlister is another author who specializes in humorous romances. In this case, her heroine - Dagmar, a poverty stricken Danish princess, is about to be placed in a nunnery when she finds an unconscious man in her garden - an English spy and the Leo of the title. Dagmar marries the unconscious Leo and uses him for free passage to England. When he wakes up --- will they stay together?
An Unwilling Accomplice by Charles Todd - the mother/son writing duo - comes out on Aug. 12th. This World War I series is very popular partly because of the accurate time and place descriptions. Bess Crawford, the battlefield nurse/detective, must find a missing soldier who had been put in her charge and is suspected of murder.
The Magician's Land, the third in Lev Grossman's Magician trilogy is out on Aug 5th. Reviewers say reading the first 2 in the trilogy isn't necessary but all 3 are good fantasy. In this one, Quentin Coldwater, has been cast out of the magical land of his childhood dreams and he finds himself back teaching at the high school he use to attend. This is a novel of love and redemption and the story of a boy becoming a man.
Lastly, Thrity Umrigar has The Story Hour coming out on Aug 19. This is a book about relationships - friends and spouses. Maggie, a psychologist married to an Indian man, takes on Lakshmi as a patient. Lakshmi had attempted suicide because of a loveless marriage to a controlling man and pure loneliness. Against all principles, Maggie becomes 'friends' with Lakshmi - revealing some of herself which endangers many of her relationships and Lakshmi's.
There are some pretty good ones on the list this month. I hope you decide to read one or two.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Suspense for August - Part 1
There are quite a few suspense, thriller, mystery type of books being published in August by authors that you might not know.
Charles Cumming has A Colder War coming on August 5th. If you have been missing the Le Carre type of spy thriller, this one is the second in a series featuring Thomas Kell a disgraced M16 agent. This time 3 recent recruits by Western intelligence meet unfortunate fates and then a veteran M16 agent dies in a plane crash. The powers that be, call on Kell to investigate and dig out a mole.
Back Channel by the author of The Emperor of Ocean Park, Stephen L. Carter, comes out on July 29th. That is almost August, right? This story is part fact and part fiction. It takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis when Kennedy and Khrushchev were looking for a way to negotiate behind the scenes. Strangely enough, the person that was chosen to be this 'back channel' is a 19 year old black Cornell sophomore. She holds the fate of the world in her hands as she is pursued by those who do not want her to succeed.
Dan Fesperman has Unmanned coming on August 12th. If you like your thrillers a little darker than most, this one is for you. Darwin Cole 'piloted' a Predator drone and is haunted by the memory of a mission when he say an Afghan child running for her life. He tries to drown the memory and finds himself a washout-drunk living by himself in a trailer. He teams up with three journalists to discover who was calling the shots during that mission. He finds himself running for his life also.
Now here is another name you might not know, Chris Ewan. Ewan is a British author and he has gained in popularity here in the US recently. In fact, the Huffington Post has a poll that declared him one of America's favorite British authors. Dead Line features Daniel Trent, a specialist in hostage negotiation - it comes out on August 5th. He is anxious to talk to the chief suspect in the kidnapping of his fiancee. Unfortunately, the suspect has disappeared. It appears that the suspect has been kidnapped too! Can he manage to free the suspect to figure out where his fiancee is in time?
Karin Fossum has I Can See in the Dark coming out on August 12th. Fossum has been called the Norwegian Queen of Crime. If you like your mysteries with a Scandinavian tilt, Fossum would be your cup of tea. She has a series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer but this title is a stand alone. It features an odd and troubled 40 year old man called Riktor. Riktor is a loner who is always on the outside - he has been accused of a crime he did not commit, but he has committed another crime which he needs to hide.
See if any of these appeal to you and I will be back next week with some more options for you.
Charles Cumming has A Colder War coming on August 5th. If you have been missing the Le Carre type of spy thriller, this one is the second in a series featuring Thomas Kell a disgraced M16 agent. This time 3 recent recruits by Western intelligence meet unfortunate fates and then a veteran M16 agent dies in a plane crash. The powers that be, call on Kell to investigate and dig out a mole.
Back Channel by the author of The Emperor of Ocean Park, Stephen L. Carter, comes out on July 29th. That is almost August, right? This story is part fact and part fiction. It takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis when Kennedy and Khrushchev were looking for a way to negotiate behind the scenes. Strangely enough, the person that was chosen to be this 'back channel' is a 19 year old black Cornell sophomore. She holds the fate of the world in her hands as she is pursued by those who do not want her to succeed.
Dan Fesperman has Unmanned coming on August 12th. If you like your thrillers a little darker than most, this one is for you. Darwin Cole 'piloted' a Predator drone and is haunted by the memory of a mission when he say an Afghan child running for her life. He tries to drown the memory and finds himself a washout-drunk living by himself in a trailer. He teams up with three journalists to discover who was calling the shots during that mission. He finds himself running for his life also.
Now here is another name you might not know, Chris Ewan. Ewan is a British author and he has gained in popularity here in the US recently. In fact, the Huffington Post has a poll that declared him one of America's favorite British authors. Dead Line features Daniel Trent, a specialist in hostage negotiation - it comes out on August 5th. He is anxious to talk to the chief suspect in the kidnapping of his fiancee. Unfortunately, the suspect has disappeared. It appears that the suspect has been kidnapped too! Can he manage to free the suspect to figure out where his fiancee is in time?
Karin Fossum has I Can See in the Dark coming out on August 12th. Fossum has been called the Norwegian Queen of Crime. If you like your mysteries with a Scandinavian tilt, Fossum would be your cup of tea. She has a series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer but this title is a stand alone. It features an odd and troubled 40 year old man called Riktor. Riktor is a loner who is always on the outside - he has been accused of a crime he did not commit, but he has committed another crime which he needs to hide.
See if any of these appeal to you and I will be back next week with some more options for you.
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