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!