Readers, it was good while it lasted. I'd been running ahead of the game for my 2017 reading challenge (you can follow along with me on GoodReads.com, if you fancy). But recently, with the holiday, a new fascination with podcasts (Lore is my current obsession, but I've also been listening to The Black Tapes, The Bright Sessions, and Alice Isn't Dead, all of which I highly recommend) which have replaced my normal audiobooks while I commute, and a number of hit-or-miss attempts at getting into new books... Well, I've fallen behind a bit, and my reading list for November feels a little pitiful compared to my usual. Ah well, in any case, here's what I've been reading...
Sleeping Beauties, by Stephen King & Owen King. This first father/son King collaboration is an eerie, chilling tale. The women of the world are falling asleep only to begin to hibernate, shrouded in cocoons. Attempts to wake the women result in...dangerous consequences. After a few days, even the last few holdouts are dropping off, leaving the men to fend for themselves. But what is actually happening to the women as they sleep? And what has caused the phenomenon? And finally, what of the rumors of a woman at the Dooling Women's Prison who can sleep and wake again without any of the effects of the Aurora phenomenon? Fascinating and goosebump-inducing.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, by Matthew J. Sullivan. The dynamite debut was one of the most compelling, surprising novels I've read in some time. Lydia Smith works as a bookseller, a custodian both of the written word and also the Book Frogs, the lost and lonely regulars who are a fixture of the shop. When one of the Book Frogs, a troubled young man named Joey, commits suicide in the bookstore just before closing one night, he leaves Lydia (his favorite of the staff) with a clue as to what might have prompted his early exit. The clue is a picture of Lydia as a child, and the past it brings back is fraught with long-suppressed memories of a trauma that made national headlines. Lydia is left with only one choice: to finally deal with the demons of her past in hopes of finding an answer to Joey's troubling end. I loved the language, the pacing, the story--this novel was perfection.
The Last Mrs. Parrish, by Liv Constantine. Like twisted psychological thrillers that keep you guessing every step of the way? Me, too! In which case, this needs to be on your list of books to read ASAP. Amber Pearson knows exactly what she wants and will do anything and everything to get it. The problem? She wants someone else's life, specifically that of Daphne Parrish, the perfect wife, perfect mother, and perfect socialite of the elite Bishops Harbor, CT. The best part of the package, though, is Daphne's devastatingly handsome (and super-rich) husband, Jackson. Amber begins to insinuate herself into the Parrish's life, preying on Daphne's sympathy and graciousness, soon becoming her most trusted confidante. But everyone has secrets, even the most perfect of people, which may just ruin everything for Amber. This was a great page-turner, it kept me guessing right to the end--very satisfying!
The Double Bind, by Christopher Bohjalian. This is my book club's selection for our December meeting. A single encounter can change a person's life, for good or ill. For Laurel Eastbrook, a violent attack during a bike ride along rural roads during her college years is such a defining moment. She goes on to become a social worker, working with the homeless, and retreats into her photography. Then she meets Bobbie Crocker, a homeless man with a history of mental illness and a box of photos he won't let anyone else see. When Bobbie dies, Laurel discovers a secret that takes her far from her small, safe lift. Speaking of twists? This is masterfully plotted.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Meg's Picks: 2018 Sneak Preview!
I know it's early days yet, with the turkey hangovers and the Black Friday bruises still healing. But if you need something to dream about during the holiday shenanigans, an image of quiet time with a book on a cozy evening after the holiday rush is over to get you through? (Cuz I know I do!) Here are a few of the titles coming in 2018 that I am the very most excited about!
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah. Slated for release in early February 2018, this new novel by best-selling author Hannah (and her first since her runaway hit The Nightingale was published in 2015) takes place in a very different setting: 1974, in the Alaskan wilderness. Leni is just 13 when her father, a former Vietnam POW, convinces her mother Cora to take their family from Seattle to settle in Alaska and live off the land, and off the grid. While the summer of their arrival is full of golden glory, the winter snows bring trouble to Leni and her family. Readers are already placing their holds--make sure you're one of them!
The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin. Due out in mid-January, this novel has been generating buzz for months already. In 1969, a mystical woman has come to New York City's Lower East side, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The four Gold children, adolescents on the cusp of adulthood, sneak out to hear their fortunes. What they each learn that night, they hide from one another, and yet their fortunes shape the next five decades for each of them. If you like family sagas and character driven stories both deep and ambitious, I'm recommending this for you.
The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Tana French and Ruth Ware, take note! Looking for a new twisted psychological thriller to while away the cold? Look no further than this debut novel, already an international bestseller. Anna Fox is a recluse, living alone in her New York City home, unable to venture out. She spends her time day drinking, watching old movies...and spying on her neighbors. Of particular interest is the new family who has moved in across the street, a couple and their teenage son. They seem perfect, until one night Anna sees something she shouldn't and her reality begins to crumble. This is due out just after the first of the year, so place your holds now!
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah. Slated for release in early February 2018, this new novel by best-selling author Hannah (and her first since her runaway hit The Nightingale was published in 2015) takes place in a very different setting: 1974, in the Alaskan wilderness. Leni is just 13 when her father, a former Vietnam POW, convinces her mother Cora to take their family from Seattle to settle in Alaska and live off the land, and off the grid. While the summer of their arrival is full of golden glory, the winter snows bring trouble to Leni and her family. Readers are already placing their holds--make sure you're one of them!
The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin. Due out in mid-January, this novel has been generating buzz for months already. In 1969, a mystical woman has come to New York City's Lower East side, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The four Gold children, adolescents on the cusp of adulthood, sneak out to hear their fortunes. What they each learn that night, they hide from one another, and yet their fortunes shape the next five decades for each of them. If you like family sagas and character driven stories both deep and ambitious, I'm recommending this for you.
The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Tana French and Ruth Ware, take note! Looking for a new twisted psychological thriller to while away the cold? Look no further than this debut novel, already an international bestseller. Anna Fox is a recluse, living alone in her New York City home, unable to venture out. She spends her time day drinking, watching old movies...and spying on her neighbors. Of particular interest is the new family who has moved in across the street, a couple and their teenage son. They seem perfect, until one night Anna sees something she shouldn't and her reality begins to crumble. This is due out just after the first of the year, so place your holds now!
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Reading Ahead: December 2017, part 3
Count to Ten, by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi. This latest installment of Patterson's Private series (if you're new to this particular series, start with Private, 2010) finds Jack Morgan, head of the Private agency, working to convince Santosh Wagh to come back (Santosh had quit as head of Private India after almost dying during an incident in Mumbai) and head up the new headquarters in Delhi. Santosh reluctantly accepts, but soon finds himself in another life-and-death situation. (Please note: This was originally scheduled for publication in December, and the release date has been moved up to mid November--this title is currently available at the library.)
Enchantress of Numbers, by Jennifer Chiaverini. Chiaverini continues her tradition of illuminating the lives of fascinating women in history through fiction, here focusing on the first computer programmer, Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace (she also happened to be Lord Byron's only legitimate child). Estranged from her very famous (and infamous) father, Ada was raised by her mathematician mother and provided with a very rigorous education grounded in math and science. Fearing any hint that her daughter would follow in Byron's footsteps, Ada's mother snuffs any signs of creativity, passion or poetry in her young daughter. Once debuting in London society as a highly eligible young heiress, Ada finally comes into her own, making friends who share her love of learning, falling in love...and uncovering the secret behind her parents estrangement. For readers who enjoy historical fiction, this should be a natural addition to your reading lists.
Happy Thanksgiving, readers! I'll be back next week to share what I've been reading, as well as a sneak preview of some of the great books coming in 2018. Happy reading!
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Reading Ahead: December 2017, part 2
While the list for December publications is rather scant, I've come to the conclusion that January is overflowing with new titles! So we'll finish off December's list a bit early this month and get a jump on next year, what do you think?
Death at Nuremberg, by WEB Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV. Fourth in the father-son writing team's Clandestine Operations series (following 2016's Curtain of Death), this new novel takes place during the creation of the CIA and the beginning of the Cold War. When Jim Cronley finds out he's just won the Legion of Merit, he's only waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure enough, he's also being reassigned: he'll be protecting the U.S. chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials from a rumored Soviet kidnapping. Cronley is also supposed to hunt down and dismantle the infamous Odessa, an organization dedicated to helping Nazi war criminals escape to South America. His hands are more than full, his life on the line. Who will prove to be the most dangerous threat? Time will tell. Fans of espionage fiction will want to make sure to add this to their reading list.
The Demon Crown, by James Rollins. Book thirteen in Rollins's long-running and extremely popular Sigma Force series (after The Seventh Plague, 2016) finds the Sigma Force members faced with an impossible choice: join forces with the newly resurrected Guild, their most hated enemy, or allow the world to face an extinction-level event, the weaponization of a compound found in bones encased in amber and hidden for more than a century. The fan-base for this series is growing steadily--are you among them?
Death at Nuremberg, by WEB Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV. Fourth in the father-son writing team's Clandestine Operations series (following 2016's Curtain of Death), this new novel takes place during the creation of the CIA and the beginning of the Cold War. When Jim Cronley finds out he's just won the Legion of Merit, he's only waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure enough, he's also being reassigned: he'll be protecting the U.S. chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials from a rumored Soviet kidnapping. Cronley is also supposed to hunt down and dismantle the infamous Odessa, an organization dedicated to helping Nazi war criminals escape to South America. His hands are more than full, his life on the line. Who will prove to be the most dangerous threat? Time will tell. Fans of espionage fiction will want to make sure to add this to their reading list.
The Demon Crown, by James Rollins. Book thirteen in Rollins's long-running and extremely popular Sigma Force series (after The Seventh Plague, 2016) finds the Sigma Force members faced with an impossible choice: join forces with the newly resurrected Guild, their most hated enemy, or allow the world to face an extinction-level event, the weaponization of a compound found in bones encased in amber and hidden for more than a century. The fan-base for this series is growing steadily--are you among them?
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Reading Ahead: December 2017, part 1
The list for new December fiction may run on the short side this year, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality! Read on to see what I mean.
The Wanted, by Robert Crais. Crais's newest entry in his long-running, award-winning Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series (following 2015's The Promise). When single mother Devon Connor contacts PI Elvis Cole, it's because her troubled teen son suddenly has money to burn and she's worried that he's dealing drugs. The truth is much worse: with two others, the boy has been responsible for a series of high-end burglaries, and after the trio steals from the wrong man, they find themselves under fire from hired assassins. Cole and Pike may not even be a match for the hitmen...
Year One, by Nora Roberts. First in a new series (Chronicles of the One) from prolific best-seller Roberts, Year One begins on New Year's Eve at the start of an epidemic that quickly decimates half the world's population. As society collapses, science and technology are replaced by magick, some good and some bad. But a new authority has risen and neither the immune nor the gifted are safe. In the wake of the end, what will the new beginning be? This is a little different for Roberts, and may win her some new fans.
The Wanted, by Robert Crais. Crais's newest entry in his long-running, award-winning Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series (following 2015's The Promise). When single mother Devon Connor contacts PI Elvis Cole, it's because her troubled teen son suddenly has money to burn and she's worried that he's dealing drugs. The truth is much worse: with two others, the boy has been responsible for a series of high-end burglaries, and after the trio steals from the wrong man, they find themselves under fire from hired assassins. Cole and Pike may not even be a match for the hitmen...
Year One, by Nora Roberts. First in a new series (Chronicles of the One) from prolific best-seller Roberts, Year One begins on New Year's Eve at the start of an epidemic that quickly decimates half the world's population. As society collapses, science and technology are replaced by magick, some good and some bad. But a new authority has risen and neither the immune nor the gifted are safe. In the wake of the end, what will the new beginning be? This is a little different for Roberts, and may win her some new fans.
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