With the weather ready to change on a dime, it's always a good idea to have a good book (or two!) on hand in case of a snow day. If you're looking to be prepared, here are a few new books coming in the next few weeks that I am recommending already!
The Glass Forest, by Cynthia Swanson. Swanson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller (2015) and she's returning to readers with a tale of literary suspense. In the autumn of 1960, Angie Glass is living an idyllic life in her Wisconsin hometown, married to charming, handsome Paul and having just welcomed their newborn son. One phone call changes everything. Paul's neice Ruby calls to say that her father has committed suicide and her mother, Silja, is missing. Paul and Angie drop everything to help Ruby in upstate New York, but while Angie thinks they're coming to Ruby's rescue, Ruby is resistant to any attempts at comfort. The longer Angie stays, the more she learns about Paul's family, and the more she begins to doubt her own marriage... If you love your suspense meticulously plotted and beautifully written, add this to your list.
Mrs., by Caitlin Macy. Billed as potentially the next Big Little Lies, Mrs. is the story of Philippa Lye. Having left behind a shadowy past, she has become the envy of the New York elite after marrying her successful banker husband even as she struggles to remain aloof from the gossips in their circle. Enter Gwen Hogan, a friend from Philippa's past who could bring her present crashing down around her. And also Minnie, a newcomer with a vast fortune and a past that puts everyone on high alert. A novel of love, betrayal, fate and chance, and a brilliant page-turner. If you're in the mood for a novel to devour in a weekend, I'd recommend this one.
As Bright As Heaven, by Susan Meissner. Author of staff favorite A Fall of Marigolds (2014) among others, Meissner's latest takes place in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. Even as her young men go off to fight in the Great War, Philadelphia in 1918 is a city of promise. Banking on this promise is Pauline Bright and her husband, who have brought their three daughters with hopes for a better life for their family. Just months after their arrival, however, the Spanish flu reaches American shores and the pandemic ravages the city's population. Even as the Brights lose loved ones, amidst tragedy and challenges, they determine what they can not do without, and what they are willing to do to keep it. I'd recommend this to readers casting about for a novel like The Nightingale.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Meg's Picks: February 2018, part 2
My fellow suspense and psychological thriller readers, here are couple of February releases that are WAY at the top of my list of books I want to read ASAP!
The One, by John Marrs. A decade ago, the company called Match Your DNA claimed they'd found a way to match you to your soulmate genetically. Since then, millions of people worldwide have been matched. In the process, however, thousands of couples have broken up, and all conventional ideas of love, romance and dating have been discarded. Now, five very different people have been notified that they've been "matched". But matches don't mean happily every after. Sometimes, "the one" has some dark secrets they'd rather you didn't discover. This has been a HUGE hit in the UK, and I expect it to be a word-of-mouth favorite here in the US as well.
Force of Nature, by Jane Harper. After the huge success of Harper's The Dry (2017), I'd be remiss if I neglected to let my fellow readers know about her new novel, due out in early February. When five colleagues are forced to go out into the wilderness on a corporate retreat as a "team building exercise," they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start down the muddy path. But one of the five never returns. Each of her companions, however, has a slightly different story to tell as to what happened. Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk's (of The Dry) investigation into the whereabouts of the missing hiker takes him deep into the isolated forest, and into a web of betrayal, suspicion and personal and professional relationships. But did it all lead to murder? If you're a fan of Harper's debut, or if you're just in the mood for a great suspense novel with a satisfying finish, this should absolutely be on your reading list.
The One, by John Marrs. A decade ago, the company called Match Your DNA claimed they'd found a way to match you to your soulmate genetically. Since then, millions of people worldwide have been matched. In the process, however, thousands of couples have broken up, and all conventional ideas of love, romance and dating have been discarded. Now, five very different people have been notified that they've been "matched". But matches don't mean happily every after. Sometimes, "the one" has some dark secrets they'd rather you didn't discover. This has been a HUGE hit in the UK, and I expect it to be a word-of-mouth favorite here in the US as well.
Force of Nature, by Jane Harper. After the huge success of Harper's The Dry (2017), I'd be remiss if I neglected to let my fellow readers know about her new novel, due out in early February. When five colleagues are forced to go out into the wilderness on a corporate retreat as a "team building exercise," they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start down the muddy path. But one of the five never returns. Each of her companions, however, has a slightly different story to tell as to what happened. Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk's (of The Dry) investigation into the whereabouts of the missing hiker takes him deep into the isolated forest, and into a web of betrayal, suspicion and personal and professional relationships. But did it all lead to murder? If you're a fan of Harper's debut, or if you're just in the mood for a great suspense novel with a satisfying finish, this should absolutely be on your reading list.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Meg's Picks: February 2018, part 1
If you're looking for something riveting to read, I have a few suggestions...
The Hush, by John Hart. Hart's latest is a big deal for several reasons. First is Hart himself, the only author to have ever won consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel (2008 for Down River and 2010 for The Last Child). Second is that The Hush takes place in the same world Hart created in his incredibly popular The Last Child. It's been ten years since the events that changed Johnny Merrimon's life and rocked his community. While Johnny has tried to maintain his privacy, books have been written about his experiences, and after a decade, the fascination remains. His only friend is a hold-over from childhood, and they share a bond of what they experienced in their youth...and what they lost. Jack, however, is unnerved by the darkness that Johnny now calls home, and seeks to bring his old friend back. A novel of persistence, the power of friendship, the pain of the past.
White Houses, by Amy Bloom. Bloom's latest novel (following 2014's Lucky Us) is a unique historical love story, that of Eleanor Roosevelt and "first friend" Lorena Hickok. The two met in 1932 when Hickok was reporting on FDR's first presidential campaign. Told from "Hick's" point of view over the course of meeting, becoming friends, and ultimately the open secret of her presence in the White House and her job in the Roosevelt administration. A poignant tale of fascinating people in compelling times.
The Hush, by John Hart. Hart's latest is a big deal for several reasons. First is Hart himself, the only author to have ever won consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel (2008 for Down River and 2010 for The Last Child). Second is that The Hush takes place in the same world Hart created in his incredibly popular The Last Child. It's been ten years since the events that changed Johnny Merrimon's life and rocked his community. While Johnny has tried to maintain his privacy, books have been written about his experiences, and after a decade, the fascination remains. His only friend is a hold-over from childhood, and they share a bond of what they experienced in their youth...and what they lost. Jack, however, is unnerved by the darkness that Johnny now calls home, and seeks to bring his old friend back. A novel of persistence, the power of friendship, the pain of the past.
White Houses, by Amy Bloom. Bloom's latest novel (following 2014's Lucky Us) is a unique historical love story, that of Eleanor Roosevelt and "first friend" Lorena Hickok. The two met in 1932 when Hickok was reporting on FDR's first presidential campaign. Told from "Hick's" point of view over the course of meeting, becoming friends, and ultimately the open secret of her presence in the White House and her job in the Roosevelt administration. A poignant tale of fascinating people in compelling times.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Reading Ahead: February 2018, part 3
Feel like you have no time to read? You're not alone. There are many ways to fit a little extra reading into your life. Like short stories (see the latest title from Joyce Carol Oates, below) which take hardly any time at all. Or some easy reading (like Sophie Kinsella's latest), in which the pages simply fly by!
Beautiful Days, by Joyce Carol Oates. Oates's stories are, like her novels, richly diverse, exploring the intimate, secret inner lives of people both like us, and very unlike us. These are characters independent, bold, defiant, sometimes with grave consequences. If you share her fascination with the social, psychological and moral boundaries that govern our behavior (and really, isn't that what all good stories are about, deep down?), this collection should absolutely be on your reading list.
Surprise Me, by Sophie Kinsella. No one can ever know what goes on inside a marriage...sometimes not even the couple themselves. Sylvie and Dan have been together for ten years and they have a great life together: good communication, fulfilling jobs, lovely twin daughters. And then someone mentions that they could be together another sixty-eight years, and the suggestion breeds instant panic. The couple decides to implement Project Surprise Me, each of them surprising one another with gifts, dates and experiences, in order to keep things fresh. Some of these, of course, wind up with hilariously disastrous results. Other endeavors, however, reveal secrets each never dreamed the other might have been keeping all this time...
Beautiful Days, by Joyce Carol Oates. Oates's stories are, like her novels, richly diverse, exploring the intimate, secret inner lives of people both like us, and very unlike us. These are characters independent, bold, defiant, sometimes with grave consequences. If you share her fascination with the social, psychological and moral boundaries that govern our behavior (and really, isn't that what all good stories are about, deep down?), this collection should absolutely be on your reading list.
Surprise Me, by Sophie Kinsella. No one can ever know what goes on inside a marriage...sometimes not even the couple themselves. Sylvie and Dan have been together for ten years and they have a great life together: good communication, fulfilling jobs, lovely twin daughters. And then someone mentions that they could be together another sixty-eight years, and the suggestion breeds instant panic. The couple decides to implement Project Surprise Me, each of them surprising one another with gifts, dates and experiences, in order to keep things fresh. Some of these, of course, wind up with hilariously disastrous results. Other endeavors, however, reveal secrets each never dreamed the other might have been keeping all this time...
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Reading Ahead: February 2018, part 2
Suspense novels, legal thrillers, psychological puzzlers... Intrigued? Read on!
Fifty Fifty, by James Patterson & Candice Fox. Fifty fifty? Are the chances that Sam Blue is innocent of the serial murders of at least three women. Detective Harriett Blue is convinced of her brother's innocence and is determined to prove it. What are the chances of a young woman being held hostage who could crack Harriett's case wide open? You guessed it! Also available in Large Print.
Poison, by John Lescroart. After being wounded, Dismas Hardy (last seen in 2014's The Keeper) is recovering, and finally looking to ease into retirement. He's pulled back into the courtroom, however, when a wealthy business owner is murdered. The prime suspect is the bookkeeper--she's been receiving payments under the table from the company, which doesn't make her look so innocent, despite her claims. But as Dismas begins to investigate the family behind the business, what he finds is a dark and twisted web of secrets, jealous siblings, gold-diggers, betrayal and blackmail. The deeper he digs, however, the bigger the target on his own back...
Night Moves, by Jonathan Kellerman. Kellerman's newest Alex Delaware novel (following 2017's Heartbreak Hotel) finds LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis in need of psychologist Delaware's help as he's confronted with a crime as baffling as it is brutal. There's no blood, no evidence of a struggle, but the victim's missing hands and face make identification difficult. And the corpse was not a resident in the upscale L.A. family home where it was found. It's only after Sturgis and Delaware try to pierce the facade of the wealthy neighborhood that the real secrets start to leak out. Also available in Large Print.
Fifty Fifty, by James Patterson & Candice Fox. Fifty fifty? Are the chances that Sam Blue is innocent of the serial murders of at least three women. Detective Harriett Blue is convinced of her brother's innocence and is determined to prove it. What are the chances of a young woman being held hostage who could crack Harriett's case wide open? You guessed it! Also available in Large Print.
Poison, by John Lescroart. After being wounded, Dismas Hardy (last seen in 2014's The Keeper) is recovering, and finally looking to ease into retirement. He's pulled back into the courtroom, however, when a wealthy business owner is murdered. The prime suspect is the bookkeeper--she's been receiving payments under the table from the company, which doesn't make her look so innocent, despite her claims. But as Dismas begins to investigate the family behind the business, what he finds is a dark and twisted web of secrets, jealous siblings, gold-diggers, betrayal and blackmail. The deeper he digs, however, the bigger the target on his own back...
Night Moves, by Jonathan Kellerman. Kellerman's newest Alex Delaware novel (following 2017's Heartbreak Hotel) finds LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis in need of psychologist Delaware's help as he's confronted with a crime as baffling as it is brutal. There's no blood, no evidence of a struggle, but the victim's missing hands and face make identification difficult. And the corpse was not a resident in the upscale L.A. family home where it was found. It's only after Sturgis and Delaware try to pierce the facade of the wealthy neighborhood that the real secrets start to leak out. Also available in Large Print.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Reading Ahead: February 2018, part 1
Happy New Year! Here's to lots of great reads, trying new things, and whatever your chosen reading challenges may be this year! To get us started, here are a few books that are coming in February that readers are already clamoring for!
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah. This was one of my sneak previews for 2018, because Hannah made such a huge impression with her 2015 blockbuster novel The Nightingale. Her new novel follows a family in the Alaskan wilderness in 1974. Leni's dad is a Vietnam vet and has moved the family off the grid. As summer's glory fades into the long winter's chill, life becomes more difficult in a multitude of ways. You can read my original preview here.
Look For Me, by Lisa Gardner. A new title in Gardner's bestselling Detective D.D. Warren series, following 2016's Find Her. The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four dead, and the fifth, a sixteen-year-old girl, missing. Did she escape or was she kidnapped? Detective Warren is on the case, but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane, each of them seeking a different kind of justice. Also available in Large Print.
A Death in Live Oak, by James Grippando. This latest in Grippando's long-running Jack Swyteck series, following 2017's Most Dangerous Place, finds attorney Swyteck defending a client amid a maelstrom of political unrest, racial tension, and sensational media: the stakes could not be higher. Is his client guilty? Or is the crime actually a sinister plan that goes much deeper? It's up to Jack to find out, before the clock runs out.
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah. This was one of my sneak previews for 2018, because Hannah made such a huge impression with her 2015 blockbuster novel The Nightingale. Her new novel follows a family in the Alaskan wilderness in 1974. Leni's dad is a Vietnam vet and has moved the family off the grid. As summer's glory fades into the long winter's chill, life becomes more difficult in a multitude of ways. You can read my original preview here.
Look For Me, by Lisa Gardner. A new title in Gardner's bestselling Detective D.D. Warren series, following 2016's Find Her. The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four dead, and the fifth, a sixteen-year-old girl, missing. Did she escape or was she kidnapped? Detective Warren is on the case, but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane, each of them seeking a different kind of justice. Also available in Large Print.
A Death in Live Oak, by James Grippando. This latest in Grippando's long-running Jack Swyteck series, following 2017's Most Dangerous Place, finds attorney Swyteck defending a client amid a maelstrom of political unrest, racial tension, and sensational media: the stakes could not be higher. Is his client guilty? Or is the crime actually a sinister plan that goes much deeper? It's up to Jack to find out, before the clock runs out.
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