What I've Been Reading: August 2017

My reading material this past month has been all over the map, as usual. Suspense novels and thrillers, a funny and touching memoir, a re-read for my bookclub, and some fiction that is both familiar and innovative. Curious? Read on.

Two Nights, by Kathy Reichs. Reichs is best known for her long-running Temperance Brennan series, the basis for the TV show Bones. What she's not known for is stand-alone novel, which is what her most recent work is, though it sets itself up nicely to kick off a possible sequel or series. Sunday Night is a woman with a dark past, full of secrets. Perhaps that's why she's so good at uncovering the secrets of others. In this case, it's a missing girl who is the sole presumed survivor of a terrorist attack which made her an orphan, a girl who vanished without a trace. Sunday, patient and ruthless, must backtrack the cold case only to find herself racing against the clock when the terrorist cell activates once more. This was a fast read but densely packed--skimming forward resulted in my paging back looking for clues I'd inadvertently skimmed over. I definitely hope for at least a sequel, though, as Sunday has more secrets of her own yet to be revealed.

Sworn to Silence & Pray for Silence, by Linda Castillo. These are the first and second entries in Castillo's Kate Burkholder series. Police chief Kate Burkholder works in Painter's Mill, Pennsylvania, a small community that relies heavily on tourist trade, owing mainly to its Amish community. And murder is bad for business. In the series opener, Chief Burkholder and her small but capable department find themselves racing against the clock when a single murder soon becomes part of a series, the murderer escalating quickly. In the follow-up, nearly a year later, the department works to solve a mass murder on an Amish farm. When a suspect's suicide yields a note confessing everything, the case should be closed, but the Chief is convinced the man wasn't working alone and must lay a trap to lure the accomplice out of hiding. These are excellent thrillers and I'm looking forward to picking up the next in the series.

Theft by Finding: diaries (1977-2002), by David Sedaris. Humorous essayist, playwright and memoirist Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, etc.) has kept diaries for decades, meticulously recording the interesting bits of his life each day. Here is the first half of his culled entries, ranging from his early twenties when he was perpetually broke, picking fruit and doing odd jobs, to his early years of success as a writer and playwright. Searingly funny and thoughtful, I loved every bit. The audiobook, read by the author, is an absolute winner.

Meddling Kids, by Edgar Cantero. For those of us who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons with Scooby-Doo and the gang, this second English language novel from Barcelona native Cantero scratches a particular nostalgic itch. In 1977, the Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in Oregon's Zoinx River Valley) unmasked a the villain in their final case: a low-life fortune-hunter who was pretending to haunt an abandoned mansion and mine in order to get his hands on the riches supposedly hidden in the depths of the mansion. And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids. But did they catch the real culprit after all? Fast-forward thirteen years, however, and that final case is still haunting the remaining members of the Club, who have grown up and apart. At long last, the group decides that they need to return to the scene and put their ghosts to rest, once and for all. This was such a fun read! Funny, spooky, a little zany and totally endearing. I'd love to see a sequel.

The Good Daughter, by Karin Slaughter. This stand-alone thriller from best-selling Slaughter (Cop Town, etc.) During a home invasion, two sisters are forced out into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. The other is left behind. In the aftermath of tragedy, the Quinn family and their happy, small-town existence is broken beyond repair. Twenty-eight years later, younger sister Charlotte is a lawyer, having followed in the footsteps of her father. But the ideal life she should be living is crumbling, even before violence revisits their small town of Pikeville, causing severe flashbacks for Charlie and her family. Shocking twists and relentless pacing in this story left me absolutely breathless, as secrets find the light of day and what has been hidden so long is at last revealed. I've read all of Slaughter's work and I think this just might be her best to date. Highly recommended.

Crimson Shore, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. I'm nearly caught up with the Agent Pendergast series! This, the thirteenth in the series, finds Agent Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, on a case which takes them to the quaint seaside village of Exmouth, Massachusetts. Initially, they are there to investigate the theft of an artist's priceless wine collection. When the wine-cellar reveals a hidden chamber where the skeleton of a man was once housed, the case takes a decidedly darker turn. A Grey Reaper walks the salt marshes, bodies marked with occult symbols wash ashore, screams rend the silent nights. Is there validity to the old tale that when the trials began in Salem in 1692 that the real witches fled to hide in Exmouth? This was a somewhat slow start for the series, but when it picked up, it churned along at a breakneck pace. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A Sudden Light, by Garth Stein. This is a reread for me--my bookclub is reading it for our September meeting. You can read my original review here.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan. Clay Jannon has gone from San Francisco web-designer to unemployed in the Great Recession, and within the first few days working at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Clay finds that the place is stranger than either its name or its rather gnome-like owner. In fact, none of the patrons ever seem to purchase anything. Rather, they "check out" large volumes from strange nooks and crannies in the store. Clay, with the help of a few friends, begins to catalog and analyze the customers behavior, but when the findings are brought to the owner, Clay discovers that the bookstore's secrets go far deeper than he could have ever imagined. Incredibly inventive, entertaining and captivating, I never wanted it to end!

Meg's Picks: September 2017, part 2

I've saved the best for last!

Caroline: Little House, Revisited, by Sarah Miller. In a new novel authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust, Sarah Miller brings to life one of the most beloved characters from Laura Ingalls Wilder's series, Caroline "Ma" Ingalls, as never seen before. In February 1870, the Ingalls family packs up, leaving Big Woods, Wisconsin behind for a new life in the Kansas Indian Territory. The pioneer life is a hard one without the benefit of friends or kin nearby, the work shouldered alone, illness managed without aid of doctors, babies birthed without mothers and sisters to assist. And yet their new life is also full of the tender joys of family and of turning their new cabin into a home. A cherished tale for decades now retold for an adult audience, I think this will be a new favorite for those looking to feel again the magic of the original tale.

Sourdough, by Robin Sloan. Sloan's debut novel, 2012's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, has been a favorite of bibliophiles everywhere. Here, she does for food what her debut did for the world of books. A software engineer in San Francisco is dedicated to her job at a cutting-edge robotics firm: she codes all day, only to come home and collapse each evening. Her most meaningful human contact is with the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall where she gets her dinner every night. Until disaster strikes, the brothers close up shop and make one last delivery to Lois: their sourdough starter, complete with care and feeding instructions. Soon she's feeding everyone she knows with her homemade bread, providing it to the cafeteria at work, and when she seeks to take her product to the local farmers market, she finally meets resistance. But why? And who is this secret, underground marketplace that would bring her in instead? Sloan's work is absolutely, delightfully unique and I can't wait to read this latest work.

Meg's Picks: September 2017, part 1

Today I bring you a highly anticipated debut, a new novel from a book club favorite, and a buzz-worthy thriller. Read on!

George & Lizzie, by Nancy Pearl. "America's Librarian" and NPR books commentator Pearl treats fans to a debut work of fiction. George and Lizzie approach their marriage very differently, owing to their different upbringings. George was raised in a warm, boisterous family; Lizzie was the only child of two famous psychologists, as much experiment as offspring. George remains happy in their marriage as time passes, while Lizzie remains...unfulfilled. Until a shameful secret from Lizzie's past emerges and the two must reevaluate the relationship they've built.

Love and Other Consolation Prizes, by Jamie Ford. Bestselling author Ford (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, etc.) presents a powerful new novel, based on a true story. For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a charity student at a boarding school, the chance to go to the 1909 World's Fair feels like a dream come true. Once he's there, however, the dream quickly sours: he finds that he's to be raffled off as a "healthy boy to a good home." The winner? The flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, notorious for educating her girls. Ernest becomes her houseboy and, against the odds, makes friends and feels at home. Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle's second World's Fair, Ernest and his wife seek to shelter their grown daughters from the secrets of their past.

The Child Finder, by Rene Denfeld. Private investigator Naomi is especially good at locating missing children, because she was once lost herself. Now she's trying to track down Madison Culver, who vanished three years ago in Oregon's Skookum National Forest. Her search begins to bring up bits of memory that threaten to deliver something dark if they ever coalesce. There's a lot of buzz on this one--expect people to be talking about it in the months to come.

Reading Ahead: September 2017, part 5

Just because September is on the horizon doesn't mean that publishers are slowing down anytime soon. If you love some light reading regardless of the season, read on!

The Summer That Made Us, by Robyn Carr. In this stand-alone novel from Carr (Any Day Now, etc.), a television talk-show host finds herself out of a job after losing ratings. In the aftermath, she retreats to her family's neglected summer home. As her female relatives gather in support, they also share the very different ways they each remember their last summer together at the house. Also available in Large Print.

Second Chance Girl, by Susan Mallery. Second in Mallery's new Happiness Inc. series (after You Say It First, 2017). Mathias Mitchell has been badly wounded in a past relationship, and has moved to Happiness, Inc. California, the wedding destination town. He figures the steady stream of bridesmaids will suit his new "no promises, no pain" lifestyle. And yet his neighbor, gamekeeper Carol Lund, holds a powerful attraction, perhaps because of her shyness. Can each put their past hurts aside long enough to try again? Also available in Large Print.

To Be Where You Are, by Jan Karon. Karon returns to Mitford in her new novel, the 14th in her bestselling series. Here readers find Episcopal priest Tim Kavanagh coming to terms with retirement, while just outside of town, newlyweds Dooley and Lace face a crisis that affects both their bank account and their family vet practice. In fiction, as in real life, there are no guarantees. And yet, Karon weaves together the comic and compelling lives of two Kavanagh families in familiar Mitford in such a way that is sure to delight fans.

Reading Ahead: September 2017, part 4

While this post could have waited for my Meg's Picks segments, I felt that each of these three novels deserved a little extra attention for various reasons. Intrigued? Read on!

The Ninth Hour, by Alice McDermott. McDermott (Charming Billy, Someone) may not be prolific, but when she publishes, awards follow. She's won both the National Book Award and the American Book Award (both for Charming Billy) and she's been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction twice: At Weddings and Wakes in 1992 and After This in 2006. What I'm saying is, pay attention. In the aftermath of a tenement fire in Brooklyn in the early part of the twentieth century, a young widow and her unborn child are cared for by the nuns who serve the community. Described as a masterful, compassionate, suspenseful drama, I have no doubt this will be a reader favorite in the years to come.

Keep Her Safe, by Sophie Hannah. Hannah is making a name for herself with her own suspense novels as well as writing new Hercule Poirot novels for Agatha Christie's estate. In her latest contemporary suspense, Cara Burrows flees her home and family and holes up in a five-star resort, which she really can't afford. When a mistake at the front desk results in her walking in on two people already in her room, it's irritating, but it's no big deal. Except that one of the people is supposed to be dead, one of the most famous murder victims in history, whose parents are serving life sentences for the crime. But did Cara really see what she thinks she saw? Like your novels intense and tightly plotted, full of twists and turns? This is a sure bet.

Forest Dark, by Nicole Krauss. Krauss (The History of Love, etc.) crafts a novel about personal transformation in her latest, interweaving the stories of an older lawyer and a young novelist whose transcendent searches lead them both to the same Israeli desert. Jules Epstein is, at 68, a man undergoing metamorphosis. His parents have passed, his thirty-year marriage is over, and he's retired from his New York law firm. He feels compelled to give away his possessions with a nebulous plan to do something to honor the memory of his parents. Meanwhile, the well-known young novelist, suffering from writer's block and a failing marriage, arrives in Tel Aviv hoping to jump-start her creativity in life and in work. If there's a sleeper hit waiting to happen, this one has my bet.
Also available in Large Print.

Reading Ahead: September 2017, part 3

Secret societies, undercover missions, and hauntings of various kinds abound in next month's roundup of suspense and thrillers.

The Romanov Ransom, by Clive Cussler & Robin Burcell. Husband and wife team Sam and Remi Fargo (last seen in 2016's Pirate) investigate a kidnapping which may be connected to the Nazi-stolen Romanov ransom, a case complicated by the heinous acts of a guerilla faction that would establish the Fourth Reich.

Vince Flynn's Enemy of the State, by Kyle Mills. Latest in Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series, now written by Mills, begins in the aftermath of a secret non-aggression pact that America will cover up evidence of Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks in exchange for oil, evidence of hostile Saudi activity forces Mitch Rapp to resign from the CIA and assume the guise of a traitor as part of a covert mission to keep the peace.

A Legacy of Spies, by John Le Carre. A long-awaited Smiley novel (the last one was 1990's The Secret Pilgrim) finds George Smiley and several other former members of the British Secret Service facing charges for decades-old, once-toasted intelligence operations by a generation that is unfamiliar with the dynamics of the Cold War. Should make for some very interesting reading.
Also available in Large Print.

Haunted, by James Patterson & James O. Born. Patterson returns with a 10th Michael Bennett novel, following 2016's Bullseye. After a series of crises, Detective Michael Bennett is in need of a serious vacation. He escapes to the picturesque woods of Maine, only to find himself drawn into a case that has shocked the tight-knit community: kids are disappearing at an alarming rate, and now bodies are beginning to surface... You can take Bennett out of New York City, but you can't take the cop out of the man.
Also available in Large Print.

Reading Ahead: September 2017, part 2

From cops taking down bad guys to monsters of the future and monsters of the past, next month's thrillers are sure to entertain.

Sleeping Beauties, by Stephen King & Owen King. What if women disappeared from the world of men? In this novel of an alternate near-future, this is what happens--when women fall asleep, they fall dormant, travel to another world. If disturbed or woken, they become spectacularly violent. And so men are left alone, becoming increasingly primal. The exception to the women's affliction is Evie, but why is she exempt? Is she blessed or cursed? Should she be studied or slain? There's some setup involved but from early reviews, the payoff is spectacular and worth it in spades.

Secrets in Death, by J.D. Robb. Book 45 in Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) long-running series featuring NYPSD cop Eve Dallas. A professional gossip reporter is murdered, and it appears it's not about what she had said, but rather, it may have been about what she kept secret, and who she was blackmailing... It's up to Eve Dallas to dig into the reporter's dirty bag of secrets, and it soon becomes clear that she'll uncover some dirt about people very close to her. A more personal turn for a Dallas case. Also available in Large Print.

Enigma, by Catherine Coulter. FBI Agents Savich and Sherlock (last seen in 2016's Insidious) have not one case to solve, but two, in this latest from Coulter. A pregnant woman is attacked and later, her baby is stolen from the hospital, the case worked by Sherlock and her team. Meanwhile, Savich heads a team tracking a convicted bank robber who escaped while in transit to a federal prison. New to the series? You're in luck--this works as well as a stand-alone as it does in the series as a whole, and may be a good entry-point for you.

The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, by David Lagercrantz. Lagercrantz became the new writer for Steig Larsson's Lisbeth Salander series with The Girl in the Spider's Web (2015). Lisbeth Salander, the brilliant hacker with the dragon tattoo, has long been unable to uncover the full extent of her childhood trauma, something she believes might finally help her understand herself. Of course she's enlisted journalist Mikael Blomkvist to help her with her digging. Tenacious as ever, Lisbeth won't let anything stand in her way, not an extremist group, not the deadly reach of her long-lost twin Camilla, and certainly not those responsible for her trauma.

Reading Ahead: September 2017, part 1

I know, this is the part of the blog that is tough. But we're already talking about September books. However! Thanks should be given to the fact that I am not talking about holiday books.

Yet.

The Saboteur, by Andrew Gross. One last August release that somehow slipped past me until the eleventh hour. In his new historical thriller, following his very popular The One Man (2016), Gross follows the actions of a hero who must weigh duty against his heart in order to single-handedly end the one threat that could alter the course of WWII. Fans will want to make sure to snap this one up. 

A Column of Fire, by Ken Follett. In the vein of his previous historical epics, The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, Follett's latest begins in 1558, when the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down upon a town torn apart: Catholics vs. Prostestants, royalty vs. commoners. In the turbulent years to come, readers follow two star-crossed lovers who find themselves on opposing sides, their love surely doomed by circumstance. Or is it?

The Cuban Affair, by Nelson Demille. Demille (Radiant Angel, 2015, etc.) introduces a new character (possibly the first in a new series?) in his latest outing. US army combat veteran turned boat captain, Daniel "Mac" MacCormick, seems to be living the good life in Key West, chartering his fishing boat. But his finances are more than a little shaky, and he reluctantly agrees to take a job after initially refusing: the price is right, but it feels off. He'll either walk away rich...or not at all...

Don't Let Go, by Harlan Coben. It's not just the big secrets that can fracture a relationship, a family, or a town--it's the little lies, too. For fifteen years, New Jersey detective Napoleon "Nap" Dumas has been working to find the truth, not just on the job, but the truth behind his own personal tragedies: the suspicious death of his twin brother, Leo, and the disappearance of his girlfriend, Maura. When Maura's fingerprints turn up in the car of a suspected murderer, Nap latches onto this clue, digging ever deeper. And what he finds may be darker than what he'd ever imagined. Coben is known for his twisted psychological thrillers; expect this one to be on par.
Also available in Large Print.

What I've Been Reading: July 2017

There is a quote from Sir Francis Bacon: "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention."

This quote has resonated with me this last month, as I've hit upon several books in a row which require more diligence and attention than much of my normal fare. So while the list this month seems a bit slim in comparison to some others, I have only felt a lack in speed, not in depth.

Since We Fell, by Dennis Lehane. Lehane (Shutter Island, Mystic River, etc.) has a real gift for psychological thrillers. After television journalist Rachel Childs has a crippling panic attack while on the air, her career is in shambles and she becomes a virtual shut-in. That aside, she seems to live an ideal life with an ideal husband. Until small clues start to hint that the reality she's constructed for herself isn't at all what she thought, and that she may be living with a stranger. Gripping, tightly plotted and constantly surprising, this was an incredible novel and I recommend it very highly, especially in audiobook format.

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. This is a reread for me after many years--I know that the adaptation on Hulu is very popular, though I haven't had time to check that out yet. However, the audiobook is read by Claire Danes, and how could I pass that up? Offred (literally Of Fred) is a Handmaid of the Republic of Gilead, and while she can remember personal freedom in the time before, her days now are strictly regulated to daily walks and steps to ensure her health, because her worth now is in the child she is meant to produce. With Atwood's delicate touch, the tale is at once horrifying and unexpectedly funny, altogether convincing.

Sycamore, by Bryn Chancellor. Out for a hike in scorching Sycamore, Arizona, a newcomer to town happens upon what appear to be human remains. As news travels within the small community, residents fear that these may be the remains of Jess Winters, a teenager who disappeared one night eighteen years earlier. This dredges up old memories, stories and rumors about what happened surrounding Jess's disappearance, an event which, as the story unfolds, appears to have shaken the community to its very core, the aftershocks still felt after nearly two decades. Chancellor's prose is beautiful, and her images beg readers to stop and savor them. This is one that will haunt me for some time.

The Leavers, by Lisa Ko. Ko's debut follows mother Polly and son Deming/Daniel through the events surrounding and following one fateful day, when Polly, an undocumented Chinese woman, leaves their apartment for her shift at a NYC nail salon, and disappears without a trace. Deming enters the foster system, is adopted by his white foster family, his name becoming Daniel. Daniel is a keeper of secrets and self-destructive behaviors, constantly haunted by his mother's disappearance throughout his adolescence and early adulthood. Polly's story in China later fills in some of the gaps that plague Daniel.

Saints for All Occasions, by J. Courtney Sullivan. Sullivan (Maine, The Engagements, etc.) excels at telling a story from multiple points of view and across decades. Here, she tells a new story in her signature style. Sisters Theresa and Nora leave rural Ireland in the early 1960s and travel to Boston, where Nora's fiance and his family await. The girls find work and struggle to adapt to America, only to have a single chance encounter change everything for both of them. In the decades that follow, the sisters live apart, but constantly bound by the events that redirected their courses, until they finally meet once more. Sullivan's characters are captivating, I couldn't stand to put this down for a moment.