Thursday, July 27, 2017

Meg's Picks: August 2017, part 2

I can't believe it's going to be August next week! Where is this summer going? Good thing there's plenty of summer reading yet to be had, so readers can soak up as much summer fiction as possible. Here's what's made my list for August!

The Misfortune of Marion Palm, by Emily Culliton. This debut has been getting lots of great reviews already. Marion has always lived on the cusp of poverty, and along the way, she's developed a talent for sticky fingers and doctoring numbers in order to make ends meet. When she meets and marries a rich, successful poet, she thinks those hard days are behind her, only to find he's not as wealthy as she thought and that her talents will be called for once again. Readers meet her on the day she leaves her family with $40,000 in a backpack that she's embezzled from her daughter's private school. Wickedly clever, this is a debut I expect will be in high demand.

How To Find Love in a Bookshop, by Veronica Henry. Emilia's final promise to her father upon his deathbed is that she'll take over his small-town bookstore, and after his death, she seeks to fill his role at Nightingale Books. What she hasn't realized is that her father was a beloved fixture of their small English town, and she has very large shoes to fill. This is sure to charm Anglophiles and bibliophiles alike--I'm recommending this for fans of Jenny Colgan and Nina George in particular.

Afterlife, by Marcus Sakey.  Already slated to be turned into a movie produced by Ron Howard, this otherworldly thriller follows two FBI agents as they explore the "echo", a postmortem plane, in a manhunt that defies death, even as a subterranean battle between gods and monsters rages. Part fable, part gruesome thriller, I'd recommend this to fans of The Walking Dead as well as Sakey's earlier work. 

Girl in Snow, by Danya Kukafka. For fans of tautly-plotted thrillers comes a new voice. The life and death of 15-year-old Lucinda Hayes is examined by three residents of Broomsville, CO. Suspicion immediately falls on Cameron, disturbed son of a disgraced cop who abandoned his family, who loved Lucinda from afar. Then there's Jade, who took Lucinda's babysitting job and her best friend. And Russ, Cameron's dad's former partner, who promised that he'd look out for Cameron, but what if Cameron's guilty? If your beach read of choice is page-turning suspense, add this to your beach bag.

Are You Sleeping, by Kathleen Barber. Billed as Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Serial. When mega-hit true-crime podcast hosted by a journalist drags an old murder case back into the light, it is with the claim that the man convicted for the crime is actually innocent. But one of the victim's surviving family members, daughter Josie, has worked hard to escape from the fallout that followed  her father's murder and has established a quiet life for herself. This is completely upended as more new episodes of the podcast are released, each creating bigger waves for Josie and her estranged family members. An intense plot and character study should make for a gripping read.

A Stranger in the House, by Shari Lapena. Lapena won a following with her first thriller, 2016's The Couple Next Door, and her second outing will win her more. A woman awakes after an accident where a dead body was found, but has no memory of the incident, nor what caused her to be there at the time. The police and her own husband are suspicious. Now she must piece together the events of that night, her best friend the only one who seems to believe her, and discover what happened, and what it may mean for her future.
Also available in Large Print.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Meg's Picks: August 2017, part 1

I warned you that I have a LOT of picks for next month. Here's the low-down on what made my list and why.

The Burning Girl, by Claire Messud. Messud (The Woman Upstairs, The Emperor's Children, etc.) follows friends since childhood Julia and Cassie as they grow up and apart. The burning girl in the title? She ultimately puts not only their friendship but their very lives in danger.

Emma in the Night, by Wendy Walker. Two sisters disappeared three years ago. Now, one has returned with a fantastical tale about a mysterious island where they were held. When her story is dissected by a forensic psychiatrist, the truth turns out to be one of betrayal and violated boundaries, much stranger than the concocted fiction. If twisted psychological thrillers are your thing, add this to your list. Also available in Large Print

The Driver, by Hart Hanson. From the creator of the TV show Bones, a debut thriller about a former US Army Special Forces sergeant who now runs a limo company. On a job carting around skateboarding mogul Bismark Avila, he saves his client from two gunmen, and winds up a person of interest in the murder of one of Avila's personal bodyguards. Expect a sequel. Fans of Lee Child's Reacher series might consider testing the waters here.

Young Jane Young, by Gabrielle Zevin. Zevin is the international bestselling author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (2014). Finding herself pariah after an affair with her very married, much-admired Congressman  boss, Aviva Grossman moves away and tries to start over. But is that possible when the Internet never forgets? Equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking.

My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent. Fourteen-year-old Turtle wanders the Northern California coast, inevitably circling back to her troubled father, since her mother's death. But when she meets Jacob, who finally causes her to question the future of her existence with her father. For fans of Emma Donoghue's Room.

The Ice Cream Makers, by Ernest Van Der Kwast. A tale of passions left unfulfilled, when a poet returns home to Northern Italy to help run his family's ice cream business. Recommending this for fans of Adriana Trigiani (The Shoemaker's Wife) and Nina George (The Little Paris Bookshop).

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Reading Ahead: August 2017, part 4

From history to mysteries, the library has something for everyone this summer. Don't believe me? Read on!

The Last Tudor, by Philippa Gregory. Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl, The White Princess, etc.) continues with her tales of the Plantagenets and Tudors in her latest novel. Lady Jane Grey was crowned queen instead of Mary Tudor, but reigned a mere nine days before the forces backing Mary Tudor's rightful place on the throne overthrew Grey and her family, locking Lady Jane in the Tower. Refusing to convert to Catholicism to appease Queen Mary, Lady Jane went the executioner's block as a martyr. Yet Jane left behind two sisters, Katherine and Mary, each of whom would go on to defy their queen in their own turns--this is their story. Also available in Large Print

The Right Time, by Danielle Steel. Orphaned as a teenager, Alexandra Winslow finds solace in writing, filling her spare time with characters and plots. While she finds luck in the publishing world at a young age, she also chooses to use a male pseudonym when publishing her crime novels, creating a double life that becomes increasingly difficult to manage. Also available in Large Print

Glass Houses, by Louise Penny. Thirteenth in Penny's immensely popular Inspector Gamache mystery series (following 2016's A Great Reckoning), Glass Houses finds Gamache's own conscience standing trial. A mysterious figure appears on a rainy November day, a figure that remains unmoving in the cold sleet. But what can Gamache do about this? The next day the figure is gone...but a body has been found. And in the months that follow, it will be an unraveling of what happened, and what he might have done differently, that pulls readers through to the very end.

Y is for Yesterday, by Sue Grafton. The darkest Kinsey Milhone novel to date, Y begins in 1979, when four young men attack a classmate and film the attack. When the tape goes missing, the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. One boy turns state's evidence, two are sentenced, and the ringleader disappears without a trace. Ten years later, one of the perpetrators is released from prison, only to have the missing tape delivered with a ransom demand. His parents contact Kinsey Milhone for help, and while she is drawn into the investigation, she keeps a close eye on the young ex-con. Because someone with a grudge is coming... Also available in Large Print.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Reading Ahead: August 2017, part 3

We have three of a kind in today's post! If you're a sucker for an easy read in the summer, here are three to choose from next month.

Any Dream Will Do, by Debbie Macomber. Two people, each at a crossroads, strike up a friendship that each desperately needs. For Shay, a family situation has left her looking for a place to stay and an opportunity to start over. For Pastor Drew, the loss of his wife has eclipsed all but his love for his children, leaving his flock mostly untended. Shay finds a champion and Drew rediscovers his purpose, but when Shay's past rears its ugly head, everything each is building may be destroyed. Also available in Large Print.

You Say It First, by Susan Mallery. Pallas Saunders is trying to turn her business, Weddings In A Box, into something solvent. She hires sculptor turned carpenter Nick to help at the venue. But when a bride begs for something different, Nick and Pallas decide to revamp the business. In the process, love seems inevitable for the duo. Need a sweet love story? This is a sure thing. Also available in Large Print.

Map of the Heart, by Susan Wiggs. In a tale that moves between present-day Delaware and the battlefields of WWII France, Wiggs's latest uncovers one family's secret past and what that means for the next generations. For Camille Palmer, personal tragedy has led her to hide away with her teenage daughter in a sleepy coastal town. When a package mysteriously appears at their door, Camille, as well as her daughter and father, embark upon a trip to her father's hometown in France, uncovering family roots Camille didn't know about, as well as a way forward toward peace. Also available in Large Print.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Reading Ahead: August 2017, part 2

I've come to the conclusion that there are just so many new titles coming out next month, I may have to add a few extra posts to cover them all! In the meantime, here are some new thrillers on the horizon that will be doing battle on the best-sellers list next month!

The Store, by James Patterson & Robert DiLallo. Another stand-alone novel from the prolific Patterson and crew. Jacob and Megan Brandeis have landed jobs with the super successful, extremely secretive Store. Life seems perfectly safe, but they will learn that it is anything but. Especially since they have a secret of their own--they plan to write a tell-all book about their experiences working for the Store. Is it possible to keep their secret, and their lives, safe? Also available in Large Print

Exposed, by Lisa Scottoline. Fifth in her Rosato & DiNunzio series (following 2016's Damaged), Exposed finds Mary DiNunzio in a tough predicament: she wants to represent an old friend in a case of wrongful termination, but her partner Benni Rosato already represents the parent company. When matters come to a head over this conflict of interest, a battle of epic proportions ensues, one that may ultimately rip the firm to shreds. Also available in Large Print.

Crime Scene, by Jonathan Kellerman & Jesse Kellerman. First in a proposed new series, Crime Scene introduces readers to Alameda County Coroner's Deputy Clay Edison. His job is to determine whether the cause of each death was natural causes or foul play--he leaves motives and evidence to the detectives. But when what seems to be an open and shut case--a once respected psychology professor dead of booze and a bad heart--doesn't hold up to scrutiny, Clay finds himself drawn in to the grim facts of the professor's life, uncovering a link to another verified homicide. CSI fans may want to check out this new series. Also available in Large Print

Without Fear or Favor, by Robert K. Tanenbaum. Tanenbaum's latest in his long-running Butch Karp & Marlene Ciampi series (after 2016's very well received Infamy) finds the husband and wife team up against a radical organization of armed militants bent on the cold-blooded murder of on-duty police officers. If you're wondering if there's a suspense series out there you should be reading, this is it.

Barely Legal, by Stuart Woods & Parnell Hall. It is time for the protege to become the hero, as Stone Barrington's pet project, Herbie Fisher, has been transformed from bumbling sad sack into a capable young addition to white-shoe law firm Woodman & Weld. But all of his training is now put to the test as he encounters his most daring adventure to date. First in a new series.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Reading Ahead: August 2017, part 1

These are the busiest days at the library, these mid-summer, summer-reading-challenge, I-finally-have-time-to-read days. And we love it! We love seeing our patrons checking out armfuls of books, love helping you find what you're looking for. And if you're reading ahead and looking at what you might want to read next month? Of course, I've got you covered.

The Good Daughter, by Karin Slaughter. Taking a break from her Will Trent series, Slaughter treats fans to a stand-alone novel. Twenty-eight years ago, tragedy struck Pikeville and left the Quinn family shattered. Twenty-eight years later, tragedy has returned to Pikeville, the surviving members of the Quinn family come face to face with the dark and terrible truth of their history. Fans (myself included) won't want to miss out. Also available in Large Print.

I Know A Secret, by Tess Gerritsen. Though the TNT adapted series Rizzoli & Isles has ended after seven seasons, Gerritsen's characters continue in her novels, and fans are delighted! Boston PD detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are each going through significant personal issues. Now they're also faced with two seemingly unrelated, and thoroughly baffling, homicides. A piece of this puzzle is dangled by Dr. Isles's birth mother, terminally ill convicted serial killer Amalthea Lank. This is only the beginning of the twisted path the duo will follow to catch a killer.

Seeing Red, by Sandra Brown. Kerra Bailey is a TV journalist hot on the trail of a story guaranteed to skyrocket her career to new heights. Twenty-five years ago, Major Franklin Trapper became a national icon when he was photographed leading a handful of survivors to safety after the bombing of a Dallas hotel. For years, he gave frequent speeches and interviews but then suddenly dropped out of the public eye, shunning all media. Now Kerra is willing to use any means necessary to get an exclusive with the Major--even if she has to secure an introduction from his estranged son, former ATF agent John Trapper. And that's going to get very complicated, very quickly. Also available in Large Print.

Friday, July 7, 2017

What I've Been Reading: June 2017

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend--I know I did! I am back, reasonably rested, and ready to share what I've been reading! I'll be back in full swing next week with some August fiction to look forward to. In the meantime, here's what's been good around here.

Right Behind You, by Lisa Gardner. Gardner is one of my favorites when it comes to thrillers--she is reliably entertaining, her characters relate-able, her plotting tight and fast. If you want a page-turner to keep you guessing, this is one I recommend highly. At thirteen, Sharlah Nash has had a tough life. She witnessed the death of her parents at the hands of her older brother, Telly, who was nine at the time. She bounced around the foster system for a number of years before landing with FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner, Rainie Conner. This is, finally, the best possible place for her, and Sharlah is just starting to settle in when her estranged brother pops back up on the radar--evidence suggests that he's on a killing spree and his ultimate target may be Sharlah... One of the best thrillers I've read in recent memory.

Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin. This is my book club's selection for our July meeting. I have to admit--this was a hard one for me to get into. I switched to the audiobook after a few chapters and had better luck. Eilis Lacey is unable to find a good job in Ireland in the years following World War II. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor her to live and work in America, Eilis ultimately decides to go, though it means leaving behind her mother and older sister. She works through her homesickness, working in a department store during the day and attending night classes, until tragic news from home brings her to have to make a final choice between returning to her past in Ireland or forging ahead with her plans in America. A short novel in which Eilis is less of a main character than a lense through which the reader experiences life in 1950s Brooklyn. I know this is a favorite of many, but I'm unfortunately not among them.

Woman No. 17, by Edan Lepucki. Writer Lady Daniels is taking a break from her marriage, but then finds herself confronted with the dilemma of coping with her two children, particularly her toddler, while trying to write under a deadline. She hires magnetic young artist S, who will live in the guesthouse out back, care for two-year-old Devin, and keep an eye on Lady's older teenage son, Seth. S is immediately indispensable, bonding with Devin and becoming a confidant to Lady. But the line between employee and something more blur quickly between S and the Daniels family as it seems everyone is keeping dark secrets which could spell destruction for everyone involved. Fraught with tension, this kept me guessing to the very end. For those who liked novels like You by Caroline Kepnes or Jessica Knoll's The Luckiest Girl Alive, consider adding this to your reading list.

Any Day Now, by Robyn Carr. Summer wouldn't be summer without some beachy reads. Here, in the second of Carr's new Sullivan's Crossing series (following 2016's opener, What We Find), Sierra Jones aims to leave her troubled past behind her as she stops for a visit with older brother Cal and his fiancee Maggie at Sullivan's Crossing, the campground at the crossing of the Continental Divide and Colorado trails. Sierra's future is not clear, however, and so she does not intend to put down roots here. She finds work, but never expected to find love, or a place to belong. Sweet, gentle, relaxing, easy reading. Just what a summer read ought to be.

Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery, by Jenny Colgan. The followup to Colgan's delightful Little Beach Street Bakery (2015) revisits Polly Waterford and her life on the tiny island off the southern coast of England. She's running a thriving bakery, she's got a home, a boyfriend, a pet puffin, and a community she loves. All of this slowly starts to crumble, however, when her landlady passes and the new property manager sacks her. Her boyfriend goes back to America to help with a family crisis. Polly, however, is nothing if not resourceful--she meets calamity head-on and finds a way through. Heartwarming, laugh-out-loud funny, this is classic Colgan. If you're looking for a new author to add to favorites like Elin Hilderbrand and Jane Green, I recommend Jenny Colgan.

Hunger: a memoir of (my) body, by Roxanne Gay. Gay is the best-selling author of Bad Feminist and Difficult Women. Here, she presents a searingly honest look at self-care, hunger, body image, and trauma as she has experienced them. She uses her own struggles to shed light on the shared cultural anxieties surrounding health, pleasure, appearance, and consumption. Eloquent and enlightening.

Come Sundown, by Nora Roberts. Latest by best-seller Roberts. Bodine Longbow is a businesswoman with strong family ties--she runs a sprawling resort on her family's Montana ranch, and three generations of Bodines and Longbows work alongside her. She is meticulous, vetting new hires herself, and that includes Cal Skinner, who has returned to his hometown after years in Hollywood. The crush Bo had on him years ago? That's not even on her radar...until it is. But life at the bustling resort gets an added dose of frenzy when old grudges rear their ugly heads, and a dark family secret comes home to roost. While the cast of thousands could have been pared back a little for this reader's taste, the book stands as a solid page-turner. As always, I like Roberts's characters, and they make reading a pleasure.