I'm sort of shocked, looking back at this past month, at just how many books I managed to read! It's a mix, historical fiction, memoir, suspense, contemporary fiction. I typically read whatever strikes my fancy at any given moment, so it can vary wildly! There are so many this month, I'm shortening my reviews just a bit. Without any further ado...
Mrs., by Caitlyn Macy. Three women who don't quite fit the mold are thrown together by social happenstance--all three have children who attend the same elite NYC grammar school. Philippa is a woman with a shadowy past, Gwen is often mistaken for the family nanny, and Minnie is a newcomer, determined to find a way into the elite social circles. But when scandal strikes, nothing will ever be the same...for any of them. If you love a good, gossipy summer read, add this to your list.
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. While I'd read Jane Eyre in college, I decided to reread it for my May book club meeting. I'd forgotten how sad Jane's story was, orphaned young and ill-treated by her distant relatives before being sent away to a school where she'd make the best friends of her life. And later, the mysterious Mr. Rochester enters the scene, both enthralling and ominous. We got some excellent discussion from this classic!
Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee. A 2017 National Award Finalist, Pachinko follows the story of one Korean family from the early 1900s, from the poor daughter of a lame fisherman who falls for a wealthy stranger, and after finding that she is pregnant and he is already married, marries a sickly but kind pastor and emigrates with him to Japan. Their family struggles on, through war and lean times, into the 1980s, and new opportunities. Excellent, moving and very entertaining.
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris. I love David Sedaris; his essays and stories make me laugh like no other. Tales here include his move to Paris and his valiant efforts to learn French, his experiences as a performance artist, and his disastrous year as a writing professor. I laughed til I cried.
Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen before setting foot in a classroom. She'd never been to see a doctor or a nurse; her father was deeply mistrustful of the medical establishment. It was years before she had an actual birth certificate, and no one in her family is sure, still, what her exact birthday is--the government was not to be trusted. And yet, after one of her older brothers goes off to college, Tara decides to try a different kind of life, one that ultimately leads to Harvard and Oxford. Completely fascinating--I could not put this down.
Never Too Late, by Robyn Carr. I borrowed this from Overdrive, as the library's print copy is being replaced. Clare Wilson is starting over. She's ending her marriage to a serial cheater, finding work that she enjoys, reconnecting with her family. But it takes a brush with death to make her take stock of what's most important. Carr is reliable for fast, easy, character-driven stories.
End of Watch, by Stephen King. Retired police detective Bill Hodges is in failing health, something his friends and his PI partner Holly have been suspecting for months. The thing that keeps him going, though, is a new series of supposed suicides that are just too strange and coincidental to sit right with him. It was the original MO of the murderous Mr. Mercedes, Brady Hartfield, who now sits in what appears to be a vegetative state in the brain injury ward of the local hospital. But, Bill wonders, what if Brady is much more alert and aware than he lets on? With the time on his clock running down, Bill sets out to prove his theory right, and stop Brady once and for all. I needed to read this before I went on to King's new book, The Outsider, and I'm really glad I did.
Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate. In the theme of Christina Baker Kline's The Orphan Train, Wingate's bestseller flips back and forth between past and present. In the past, it is 1939 and Rill Foss's parents have gone into town to the hospital for her mother to have a baby. And then she and her siblings find themselves wards in an orphan's home, slowly being sold off to wealthy families. In the present, Avery Stafford comes from a wealthy, influential family, though she's worried for her grandmother's failing memory. When she stumbles across a long-kept family secret, past meets present in a hurry. Slightly uneven, as the past story was more compelling, but still very readable and made even more enthralling as the events were based on a real "baby broker".
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr. While this has been on my reading bucket list for some time, it took the recent miniseries to get me to finally dig in. In 1896 New York City, criminal profiling is in its infancy. A reporter and a psychologist (an "alienist") team up for an unprecedented endeavor--creating a psychological profile of a serial killer in order to predict his next moves...and stop him. With a fast-paced plot and exquisite historical detail, this is a suspense novel like no other.
Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng. Three families. One, a childless couple waiting impatiently to adopt. Another, large and wealthy, well-established. And a third, a mother and daughter who move often and are only in town perhaps for a year while the mother, an artist, works on a new series of photographs. What none of them expect this year is that all three families will become hopelessly entwined and forever changed, that some will come out stronger, more sure, and others will find their trajectories altered irrevocably. I read this in a sitting, I just couldn't put it down.
Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, by Sue Halpern. I am so in love with this book, I cannot begin to tell you. Kit has run from her past, and hides in plain sight as a librarian in the failing mill town of Riverton, New Hampshire. She lives a small, solitary life and prefers it that way. The last thing she wants is to spend a summer shadowed by fifteen-year-old Sunny, who has been sentenced to a summer of community service at the library for trying to steal, of all things, a dictionary from a book store. Sunny, however, becomes the crack in the foundation of Kit's carefully constructed walls, and the summer is one of growth and change and challenges for both of them, each extricating herself from a past beyond her control. I never expected to love this book the way I do.
The Whispering Room, by Dean Koontz. Second in Koontz's new series featuring rogue FBI agent Jane Hawk follows Jane as she pursues the shadowy cabal of powerful, influential players who are at the helm of a mind-control conspiracy of terrifying proportions. They never banked on a woman driven by love and fear, a woman willing to go rogue to take them down.
Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett. One chance encounter, one uninvited guest at a family gathering, and the fates of two families are changed for generations. The Keating and the Cousins families would never have known one another until there are two divorces, a marriage, and suddenly all of the kids are spending summers in West Virginia together, and half of them are in California the rest of the year. Their bonds, lasting into adulthood, stem from a shared disillusionment of their parents and a strange sort of kinship in the wake of one tragic summer. While initially I had a little trouble with the timeline, once I figured it out, I was hooked. I adore Patchett's writing.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Meg's Picks: June 2018, part 2
Are you a fan of those great beach reads, you know the ones? The ones full of secrets and lies, truths hidden so long that they couldn't possibly be exposed...until they are and everything comes crashing down in spectacular fashion? The dishy ones you can't possibly put down? Yeah, those ones. If you are, here are a few you won't want to miss, coming to the library next month!
Jar of Hearts, by Jennifer Hillier. Georgina "Geo" Shaw is a high-powered executive with a wealthy CEO fiance, but all of that comes crashing down when it's uncovered that 14 years ago, her then-boyfriend killed her best friend Angela...and that she helped him dispose of Angela's body. Her role, and her silence, get her up to five years of jail time. Told alternating between past and present, the story begins at the start of Geo's jail term, and with one mystery solved, it's only a matter of time before more truth is uncovered. If you're looking for a slick, sharp thriller with plenty of twists, this is for you.
You Were Made for This, by Michelle Sacks. If you liked A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window, you'd do well to check out Sacks's buzzworthy debut. Merry and Sam seem like the perfect married couple, complete with adorable baby boy. Merry appears to be a devoted wife and mother, and Sam's pleased to see Merry as such a domestic goddess. Sam seems to be the quintessential breadwinner, but has encountered scandal at work. She doesn't seem to notice his erratic behavior, and he misses her discontent in the role he's made for her. No one notices, in fact, until Merry's childhood friend comes for a visit and immediately sees through Merry's facade. But each woman holds a piece to the other's secrets...who will be left standing when truths are revealed?
Social Creature, by Tara Isabella Burton. Small town girl Louise is managing to scrape by in New York City. Then she meets wealthy, off-kilter Lavinia, who introduces the country mouse to champagne, private box seats at the theater, and underground cabaret. The two become inseparable besties, until Lavinia's darker nature starts to show itself, and then it may be too late for Louise. There is a lot of good word-of-mouth going about this debut, sort of a modern day The Talented Mr. Ripley. Expect your friends to be talking this up before the summer's over.
Jar of Hearts, by Jennifer Hillier. Georgina "Geo" Shaw is a high-powered executive with a wealthy CEO fiance, but all of that comes crashing down when it's uncovered that 14 years ago, her then-boyfriend killed her best friend Angela...and that she helped him dispose of Angela's body. Her role, and her silence, get her up to five years of jail time. Told alternating between past and present, the story begins at the start of Geo's jail term, and with one mystery solved, it's only a matter of time before more truth is uncovered. If you're looking for a slick, sharp thriller with plenty of twists, this is for you.
You Were Made for This, by Michelle Sacks. If you liked A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window, you'd do well to check out Sacks's buzzworthy debut. Merry and Sam seem like the perfect married couple, complete with adorable baby boy. Merry appears to be a devoted wife and mother, and Sam's pleased to see Merry as such a domestic goddess. Sam seems to be the quintessential breadwinner, but has encountered scandal at work. She doesn't seem to notice his erratic behavior, and he misses her discontent in the role he's made for her. No one notices, in fact, until Merry's childhood friend comes for a visit and immediately sees through Merry's facade. But each woman holds a piece to the other's secrets...who will be left standing when truths are revealed?
Social Creature, by Tara Isabella Burton. Small town girl Louise is managing to scrape by in New York City. Then she meets wealthy, off-kilter Lavinia, who introduces the country mouse to champagne, private box seats at the theater, and underground cabaret. The two become inseparable besties, until Lavinia's darker nature starts to show itself, and then it may be too late for Louise. There is a lot of good word-of-mouth going about this debut, sort of a modern day The Talented Mr. Ripley. Expect your friends to be talking this up before the summer's over.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Meg's Picks: June 2018, part 1
Summer always feels like Christmas for readers, there's such an embarrassment of riches! I hope you've saved a little room on your reading list, because the party is only just beginning!
Us Against You, by Frederik Backman. From the bestselling author of reader favorites like A Man Called Ove and Beartown, this follow-up to Beartown is about hockey...and everything else. Here, the residents of Backman's secluded Swedish village resume their lives where the previous novel left off, amidst the turmoil of the news that their much beloved local hockey league is meant to be disbanded. In the ensuing season, tensions run high, both among Beartown's residents and also between Beartown and their hockey arch-rivals in the neighboring town of Hed. Backman's story-telling is magic, and Beartown peopled with characters that leap off the page. If you're looking to sink into a great story, you can't do better.
Three Days Missing, by Kimberly Belle. Belle, author of The Last Breath (2014) and The Marriage Lie (2016), grips readers with a new tale of suspense. Kat Jenkins's son Ethan is kidnapped from an overnight school trip. But it's the mayor's wife, and mother to Ethan's almost look-alike classmate Sammy, who receives a call with a ransom demand. But Sammy is safe, but does he hold clues to Ethan's whereabouts? As the search for Ethan intensifies, the two families are drawn far closer than either is comfortable with, and secrets will out, as they always do. Suspense readers, add this one to your list.
The Secrets Between Us, by Thrity Umrigar. Umrigar revisits the beloved protagonist, Bhima, from her best-selling 2007 novel The Space Between Us. Bhima has long served the upper-middle-class Dubashes, but after she speaks up about a crime committed against her own family, she is promptly fired. Soon, though, she begins selling fruits and vegetables with an older woman named Parvati, and she discovers a deep and abiding friendship with her new companion, as well as the secrets of the Mumbai slums that link them irrevocably. Fans of the first novel will not want to miss out.
Us Against You, by Frederik Backman. From the bestselling author of reader favorites like A Man Called Ove and Beartown, this follow-up to Beartown is about hockey...and everything else. Here, the residents of Backman's secluded Swedish village resume their lives where the previous novel left off, amidst the turmoil of the news that their much beloved local hockey league is meant to be disbanded. In the ensuing season, tensions run high, both among Beartown's residents and also between Beartown and their hockey arch-rivals in the neighboring town of Hed. Backman's story-telling is magic, and Beartown peopled with characters that leap off the page. If you're looking to sink into a great story, you can't do better.
Three Days Missing, by Kimberly Belle. Belle, author of The Last Breath (2014) and The Marriage Lie (2016), grips readers with a new tale of suspense. Kat Jenkins's son Ethan is kidnapped from an overnight school trip. But it's the mayor's wife, and mother to Ethan's almost look-alike classmate Sammy, who receives a call with a ransom demand. But Sammy is safe, but does he hold clues to Ethan's whereabouts? As the search for Ethan intensifies, the two families are drawn far closer than either is comfortable with, and secrets will out, as they always do. Suspense readers, add this one to your list.
The Secrets Between Us, by Thrity Umrigar. Umrigar revisits the beloved protagonist, Bhima, from her best-selling 2007 novel The Space Between Us. Bhima has long served the upper-middle-class Dubashes, but after she speaks up about a crime committed against her own family, she is promptly fired. Soon, though, she begins selling fruits and vegetables with an older woman named Parvati, and she discovers a deep and abiding friendship with her new companion, as well as the secrets of the Mumbai slums that link them irrevocably. Fans of the first novel will not want to miss out.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Reading Ahead: June 2018, part 5
From the heartwarming to the dishy, June's beach reads are sure to please even the pickiest reader!
The Perfect Couple, by Elin Hilderbrand. It wouldn't be summer without an entertaining new beach read from the Queen of Summer herself. Summer, aka Nantucket wedding season, has arrived and the Otis-Winbury wedding will be an affair to remember. The groom's family owns a posh oceanfront estate, after all, and are sparing no expense. But the big day may be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is found in the harbor just hours before the ceremony is scheduled to begin. Everyone, including the wedding party, is considered a suspect. As the police interview the families and friends, what becomes apparent is that nobody is what they seem...and no couple is perfect. Also available in Large Print.
Dreams of Falling, by Karen White. Lark fled her home of Georgetown, South Carolina nine years ago, humiliated and vowing never to return. When she discovers her mother has disappeared, however, she realizes she has no choice but to go back to the place she both loves and dreads, the place where her friends and family have never stopped missing her. When Lark's mother is found, she's injured and unconscious, found in the crumbling ruin of her ancestral plantation house. Lark digs for answers, but what she finds is startling--secrets buried more than fifty years, love, sacrifice, and betrayal. Also available in Large Print.
Between You and Me, by Susan Wiggs. When Philadelphia surgeon Reese Powell is called upon to treat an Amish boy severely injured in a farming accident, she never expects it to be more than a routine case. The attraction she feels for the boy's guardian, Caleb, is a surprise to both parties. Is there any hope of a future together when their worlds are so very different? Also available in Large Print.
The Perfect Couple, by Elin Hilderbrand. It wouldn't be summer without an entertaining new beach read from the Queen of Summer herself. Summer, aka Nantucket wedding season, has arrived and the Otis-Winbury wedding will be an affair to remember. The groom's family owns a posh oceanfront estate, after all, and are sparing no expense. But the big day may be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is found in the harbor just hours before the ceremony is scheduled to begin. Everyone, including the wedding party, is considered a suspect. As the police interview the families and friends, what becomes apparent is that nobody is what they seem...and no couple is perfect. Also available in Large Print.
Dreams of Falling, by Karen White. Lark fled her home of Georgetown, South Carolina nine years ago, humiliated and vowing never to return. When she discovers her mother has disappeared, however, she realizes she has no choice but to go back to the place she both loves and dreads, the place where her friends and family have never stopped missing her. When Lark's mother is found, she's injured and unconscious, found in the crumbling ruin of her ancestral plantation house. Lark digs for answers, but what she finds is startling--secrets buried more than fifty years, love, sacrifice, and betrayal. Also available in Large Print.
Between You and Me, by Susan Wiggs. When Philadelphia surgeon Reese Powell is called upon to treat an Amish boy severely injured in a farming accident, she never expects it to be more than a routine case. The attraction she feels for the boy's guardian, Caleb, is a surprise to both parties. Is there any hope of a future together when their worlds are so very different? Also available in Large Print.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Reading Ahead: June 2018, part 4
Beach reads are upon us, whatever the weather!
All We Ever Wanted, by Emily Giffin. A single photograph, snapped in the midst of drunken moments at a party, change everything for three people, uniting them in scandal and forcing them each to choose between their families and their deeply-held values. Nina is living a life beyond her wildest dreams, married to a rich man, mother to an Ivy League student. But has she strayed so far from her modest upbringing? Single dad Tom is working multiple jobs, trying to be a provider and good parent for his headstrong daughter, Lyla. So when she wins a scholarship to a prestigious private school, is it finally safe to ease up on the reins a little? And Lyla, with a strict father and a humble home life, is out of place amidst so much excess in her new environment. Thoughtful beach reading for Giffin fans here. Also available in Large Print.
How Hard Can It Be?, by Allison Pearson. Pearson picks up with Kate Reddy of I Don't Know How She Does It (2002) seven years after the first book closes. Kate is at a crossroads. She's facing her 50th birthday, her children have become impossible teenagers, her mother and her in-laws are in failing health. She's been years out of the workplace, but her husband's midlife crisis has her pining for her career. Several years out of practice, will she still be able to keep all of these balls in the air? Pearson is a gem.
When Life Gives You Lululemons, by Lauren Weisberger. Set in Greenwich, CT, Weisberger's latest finds Emily Charlton (fans may remember her as Miranda Priestly's assistant in The Devil Wears Prada) working as an image consultant...and desperate for a new client. Through a mutual friend, she lands Karolina: former supermodel, wife to a presidential hopeful...and just arrested for a DUI. From the ladies who lunch to the glorified sales-pitches called parties, no one one escapes unscathed in this beauty of a beach read.
All We Ever Wanted, by Emily Giffin. A single photograph, snapped in the midst of drunken moments at a party, change everything for three people, uniting them in scandal and forcing them each to choose between their families and their deeply-held values. Nina is living a life beyond her wildest dreams, married to a rich man, mother to an Ivy League student. But has she strayed so far from her modest upbringing? Single dad Tom is working multiple jobs, trying to be a provider and good parent for his headstrong daughter, Lyla. So when she wins a scholarship to a prestigious private school, is it finally safe to ease up on the reins a little? And Lyla, with a strict father and a humble home life, is out of place amidst so much excess in her new environment. Thoughtful beach reading for Giffin fans here. Also available in Large Print.
How Hard Can It Be?, by Allison Pearson. Pearson picks up with Kate Reddy of I Don't Know How She Does It (2002) seven years after the first book closes. Kate is at a crossroads. She's facing her 50th birthday, her children have become impossible teenagers, her mother and her in-laws are in failing health. She's been years out of the workplace, but her husband's midlife crisis has her pining for her career. Several years out of practice, will she still be able to keep all of these balls in the air? Pearson is a gem.
When Life Gives You Lululemons, by Lauren Weisberger. Set in Greenwich, CT, Weisberger's latest finds Emily Charlton (fans may remember her as Miranda Priestly's assistant in The Devil Wears Prada) working as an image consultant...and desperate for a new client. Through a mutual friend, she lands Karolina: former supermodel, wife to a presidential hopeful...and just arrested for a DUI. From the ladies who lunch to the glorified sales-pitches called parties, no one one escapes unscathed in this beauty of a beach read.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Reading Ahead: June 2018, part 3
From the seriously twisted to the twistedly funny and then a little bit of both, there are some great reads on the horizon.
Bring Me Back, by B.A. Paris. From the bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors (2016) and The Breakdown (2017) comes a new novel already setting critics abuzz. Ten years ago, Finn and Layla were driving back from a romantic ski weekend in France when they stop at a service station. Finn leaves the car to go inside, and when he comes back, Layla is gone. Though no body is ever discovered, Finn is accused of her murder. Shocked and grieving, he retreats to the home he's once shared with Layla. Slowly, years later, he finds love again...with Layla's sister, Ellen. After they announce their engagement, however, strange things begin to happen. Finn receives emails claiming Layla is still alive and she has been sighted around town. The couple must accept that Layla might yet live...and what Finn never told the police about her disappearance. If you're in the market for a new psychological thriller, this should certainly be on your list.
The Word is Murder, by Anthony Horowitz. In his second stand-alone adult novel (following The Magpie Murders), the author himself plays a starring role in a real-world twist on the first-person narrative. This meta-mystery opens with a woman planning her own funeral shortly before she's strangled to death. Unlikeable and famously difficult detective Daniel Hawthorne gets the case, but he has the helpful novelist Anthony Horowitz to play Watson to his Holmes. Full of sharp wit and red herrings, this should be a delightful read for fans of classic mysteries. Also available in Large Print.
The Moscow Deception, by Karen Robards. In this follow-up to 2017's The Ultimatum, master thief Bianca St. Ives has recently discovered a shocking secret about herself and she's being pursued to keep that secret quiet. When she learns that there's a million dollar contract out on her life, her adoptive father tells her he can get the contract called off...but only if she can recover King Priam's treasure, a priceless artifact thought to have been owned by Helen of Troy and taken by the Soviets during World War II. With the help of her hacker pal Doc, Bianca sets out to kick some ass and claim some treasure. Equal parts humor and over-the-top adventure, this sequel will have fans clamoring for more.
Bring Me Back, by B.A. Paris. From the bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors (2016) and The Breakdown (2017) comes a new novel already setting critics abuzz. Ten years ago, Finn and Layla were driving back from a romantic ski weekend in France when they stop at a service station. Finn leaves the car to go inside, and when he comes back, Layla is gone. Though no body is ever discovered, Finn is accused of her murder. Shocked and grieving, he retreats to the home he's once shared with Layla. Slowly, years later, he finds love again...with Layla's sister, Ellen. After they announce their engagement, however, strange things begin to happen. Finn receives emails claiming Layla is still alive and she has been sighted around town. The couple must accept that Layla might yet live...and what Finn never told the police about her disappearance. If you're in the market for a new psychological thriller, this should certainly be on your list.
The Word is Murder, by Anthony Horowitz. In his second stand-alone adult novel (following The Magpie Murders), the author himself plays a starring role in a real-world twist on the first-person narrative. This meta-mystery opens with a woman planning her own funeral shortly before she's strangled to death. Unlikeable and famously difficult detective Daniel Hawthorne gets the case, but he has the helpful novelist Anthony Horowitz to play Watson to his Holmes. Full of sharp wit and red herrings, this should be a delightful read for fans of classic mysteries. Also available in Large Print.
The Moscow Deception, by Karen Robards. In this follow-up to 2017's The Ultimatum, master thief Bianca St. Ives has recently discovered a shocking secret about herself and she's being pursued to keep that secret quiet. When she learns that there's a million dollar contract out on her life, her adoptive father tells her he can get the contract called off...but only if she can recover King Priam's treasure, a priceless artifact thought to have been owned by Helen of Troy and taken by the Soviets during World War II. With the help of her hacker pal Doc, Bianca sets out to kick some ass and claim some treasure. Equal parts humor and over-the-top adventure, this sequel will have fans clamoring for more.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Reading Ahead: June 2018, part 2
So many series, so little time! Need help deciding what to add to your reading list? Read on!
The Pharaoh Key, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. This fifth entry in the bestselling duo's Gideon Crew series (following 2016's Beyond the Ice Limit) takes professional thief Crew and his loyal sidekick Manuel Garza, from their home base in NYC after their employer mysteriously and abruptly shuts down operations, to Egypt in search of the treasure that had been the object of their last, unfinished case. Crew, terminally ill, believes that the contents of the stone tablet they seek could in fact save his life...or end it with a bang. Preston and Child are masters of suspense, and fans of their Agent Pendergast series should absolutely be reading this spinoff series, too.
Turbulence, by Stuart Woods. Woods keeps cranking out new Stone Barrington novels, almost faster than fans can read them! Stone and some friends are vacationing in Florida when a hurricane dampens their vacation. Worse still, the storm blows a particularly obnoxious politician onto their doorstep. Though they part ways quickly, Stone soon finds he hasn't seen the last of his unpleasant new acquaintance. This official has some shady friends and a nefarious plot in the works. Could Stone have finally met his match? Also available in Large Print.
The Woman in the Woods, by John Connolly. Connolly's latest Charlie Parker thriller (after 2017's A Game of Ghosts) is a perfect blend of natural and supernatural. The body of a woman is found in the woods, and Charlie is tasked with tracking down the woman's infant, as it is obvious that she gave birth shortly before she was killed. However, a terrifying pair with sinister intentions is also in search of the child. A story that is both unnerving and moving, populated by Connolly's signature well-drawn characters, this is a tale of death versus betrayal, and readers will be unable to put it down. Connolly only keeps getting better.
Tom Clancy: Line of Sight, by Mike Maden. Two decades ago, Jack Ryan, Jr.'s mother, a doctor, saved the eyesight of a young Bosnian, Aida, who had been injured during the Balkans conflict. Now Aida has disappeared from the streets of Sarajevo, and as Jack Jr. searches for her, he learns that for Aida, the war never really ended. Also available in Large Print.
The Pharaoh Key, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. This fifth entry in the bestselling duo's Gideon Crew series (following 2016's Beyond the Ice Limit) takes professional thief Crew and his loyal sidekick Manuel Garza, from their home base in NYC after their employer mysteriously and abruptly shuts down operations, to Egypt in search of the treasure that had been the object of their last, unfinished case. Crew, terminally ill, believes that the contents of the stone tablet they seek could in fact save his life...or end it with a bang. Preston and Child are masters of suspense, and fans of their Agent Pendergast series should absolutely be reading this spinoff series, too.
Turbulence, by Stuart Woods. Woods keeps cranking out new Stone Barrington novels, almost faster than fans can read them! Stone and some friends are vacationing in Florida when a hurricane dampens their vacation. Worse still, the storm blows a particularly obnoxious politician onto their doorstep. Though they part ways quickly, Stone soon finds he hasn't seen the last of his unpleasant new acquaintance. This official has some shady friends and a nefarious plot in the works. Could Stone have finally met his match? Also available in Large Print.
The Woman in the Woods, by John Connolly. Connolly's latest Charlie Parker thriller (after 2017's A Game of Ghosts) is a perfect blend of natural and supernatural. The body of a woman is found in the woods, and Charlie is tasked with tracking down the woman's infant, as it is obvious that she gave birth shortly before she was killed. However, a terrifying pair with sinister intentions is also in search of the child. A story that is both unnerving and moving, populated by Connolly's signature well-drawn characters, this is a tale of death versus betrayal, and readers will be unable to put it down. Connolly only keeps getting better.
Tom Clancy: Line of Sight, by Mike Maden. Two decades ago, Jack Ryan, Jr.'s mother, a doctor, saved the eyesight of a young Bosnian, Aida, who had been injured during the Balkans conflict. Now Aida has disappeared from the streets of Sarajevo, and as Jack Jr. searches for her, he learns that for Aida, the war never really ended. Also available in Large Print.
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Reading Ahead: June 2018, part 1
Need a new thriller to peak your interest? There are so many to choose from coming out in the next few weeks. Here's a sampling, just to whet your appetite...
The President is Missing, by Bill Clinton & James Patterson. Filled with the kind of inside information that only a former president can know, this new thriller written by Clinton and Patterson is groundbreaking. Uncertainty grips the nation as whispers of espionage and cyberterror begin to circulate. Security at the White House is tight, but after the President himself comes under suspicion, he goes missing from public view. Readers are lining up already, so I suggest placing your hold now!
Also available in Large Print.
The Outsider, by Stephen King. Coming out toward the end of May (the publication date was moved up, as sometimes happens), King's latest is an extension of his Bill Hodges detective trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch). Det. Ralph Anderson seems to have beloved baseball coach Terry Maitland dead to rights when he publicly arrests him for the grisly murder of an 11-year-old boy. Except that even though Maitland's DNA and fingerprints had been found at the scene, he's got a rock-solid alibi. These contradictions bring investigators to work with Holly Gibney, the former assistant of Hodges. What begins as a hunt for a possible doppelganger soon takes a classic King turn for the supernatural. Fans, myself included, cannot wait.
Liar, Liar, by Lisa Jackson. To detectives, it looks like a straightforward suicide, or perhaps a publicity stunt gone wrong--a leap from a skyscraper by an aging former Las Vegas celebrity impersonator after publishing a tell-all memoir. But her star was on the rise again after decades out of the business, so why would Didi have killed herself. Her daughter, Remmi, however, knows something more sinister is up. Because the woman on the sidewalk? That wasn't her mother, even if Remmi hadn't seen her in fifteeen years. But if it isn't Didi, then who is it? And what is the connection?
Bloody Sunday, by Ben Coes. Thriller writer Coes's star is on the rise, and fans of authors like Brad Thor and Vince Flynn should absolutely be checking out his work. (If you like to start at the beginning of a series, his Dewey Andreas series begins with 2010's Power Down.) In this eight series entry, CIA agent Dewey is ready to retire. Until, that is, he gets a new assignment: stop a nuclear arms deal between North Korea and Iran that would spell certain destruction. Only an agent with Dewey's skills could pull this off as the clock ticks down. If you're not reading Coes, you are absolutely missing out.
The President is Missing, by Bill Clinton & James Patterson. Filled with the kind of inside information that only a former president can know, this new thriller written by Clinton and Patterson is groundbreaking. Uncertainty grips the nation as whispers of espionage and cyberterror begin to circulate. Security at the White House is tight, but after the President himself comes under suspicion, he goes missing from public view. Readers are lining up already, so I suggest placing your hold now!
Also available in Large Print.
The Outsider, by Stephen King. Coming out toward the end of May (the publication date was moved up, as sometimes happens), King's latest is an extension of his Bill Hodges detective trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch). Det. Ralph Anderson seems to have beloved baseball coach Terry Maitland dead to rights when he publicly arrests him for the grisly murder of an 11-year-old boy. Except that even though Maitland's DNA and fingerprints had been found at the scene, he's got a rock-solid alibi. These contradictions bring investigators to work with Holly Gibney, the former assistant of Hodges. What begins as a hunt for a possible doppelganger soon takes a classic King turn for the supernatural. Fans, myself included, cannot wait.
Liar, Liar, by Lisa Jackson. To detectives, it looks like a straightforward suicide, or perhaps a publicity stunt gone wrong--a leap from a skyscraper by an aging former Las Vegas celebrity impersonator after publishing a tell-all memoir. But her star was on the rise again after decades out of the business, so why would Didi have killed herself. Her daughter, Remmi, however, knows something more sinister is up. Because the woman on the sidewalk? That wasn't her mother, even if Remmi hadn't seen her in fifteeen years. But if it isn't Didi, then who is it? And what is the connection?
Bloody Sunday, by Ben Coes. Thriller writer Coes's star is on the rise, and fans of authors like Brad Thor and Vince Flynn should absolutely be checking out his work. (If you like to start at the beginning of a series, his Dewey Andreas series begins with 2010's Power Down.) In this eight series entry, CIA agent Dewey is ready to retire. Until, that is, he gets a new assignment: stop a nuclear arms deal between North Korea and Iran that would spell certain destruction. Only an agent with Dewey's skills could pull this off as the clock ticks down. If you're not reading Coes, you are absolutely missing out.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
What I've Been Reading: April 2018
I'm reading up a storm over here! Want to know what's good? Read on!
Need to Know, by Karen Cleveland. CIA analyst Vivian Miller loves her job and her family. Her husband is her best friend, they know one another better than anyone. Or so she thinks. One chance click as she researches brings her personal life crashing down around her, forcing Vivian to wonder whether her whole life is really a lie. This thriller from newcomer Cleveland is fast-paced and tightly plotted, gripping and compelling. I absolutely couldn't stand to put it down. Highly recommended. Also available in Large Print and audio.
My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent. Tallent's debut novel is not a read for the faint of heart. Fourteen-year-old Turtle lives a life unimaginable to her neighbors and classmates. Her father and grandfather live off the grid, her father obsessed with the certainty that doomsday is nigh. He prepares Turtle for this eventuality, teaching her to forage, to shoot, to hunt, to survive. She does survive, but she only imagines thriving after meeting Jacob, a boy who makes her want to live a normal, safe, sustainable life. Turtle must struggle to be her own hero, to extricate herself from the twisted relationship with her father. This is a harrowing, heartbreaking story, and I cannot wait to see what Tallent writes next. Also available in audio.
George & Lizzie, by Nancy Pearl. It has been a month for me to read debut novels, it seems. Nancy Pearl is "America's librarian" and a regular NPR commentator. Her first novel is about relationships, and how we can become stuck by our decisions, by what we keep from our past and what we choose to let go. George and Lizzie are as different as they could possibly be. George is from a warm, close family, Lizzie an only child raised by two very emotionally distant psychologists. Their marriage reflects this--George is happy, Lizzie is chronically unfulfilled and full of secrets. When crisis looms, Lizzie must decide once and for all, does she move on at long last? Or does she stick with what she knows? Wryly funny, this story really grew on me, and upon reflection with a little distance, I find myself looking forward to rereading this in the future with the benefit of foresight. Also available in Large Print.
A Stash of One's Own, edited by Clara Parkes. This collection of essays by knitters, designers, writers, spinners, and shepherds, among others, focuses on the individuality and approach to the ubiquitous yarn stash. For some, more is (almost) always more. Others have developed a zen-like minimalist approach, a KonMari-esque method of keeping only that which inspires one to create. Still others only keep on hand that which is necessary to design, refusing to keep anything beyond. Knitters are each as unique as artists in any other medium, and these essays were quite eye-opening on how widely varied their approach to their stash can be.
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi. I've been reading ahead a bit for my book club--this is our selection for our June meeting. I was hesitant to read this, the memoir of a brilliant neurosurgeon turned patient with stage IV lung cancer, because I didn't want to read something sad. And yet, I read it early so that I might have some distance when we talked about it for book club. What I did not expect was to be completely overwhelmed by the wisdom, the deep thoughtfulness, that Kalanithi conveyed as his future disappeared and he was forced to stop planning and live in a perpetual present. Words like "beautiful" and "deeply moving" are inadequate to describe this slim volume teeming with meaning. Also available in Large Print and audio.
Spoonbenders, by Daryl Gregory. Teddy Telemachus is a con man with a talent for sleight of hand and some very unsavory associates who tricks his way into a classified government experiment concerning the use of telekinesis for intelligence-gathering. It's there that he meets the woman he's going to marry, Maureen McKinnon, a genuinely powerful psychic. Their Amazing Telemachus family becomes a show-biz act, each of the children with a gift of his or her own, until a television appearance that could have made them big-time goes horribly awry, and begins to tear the family apart from the inside. Two decades later, the family is growing steadily more dysfunctional, full of love-affairs, mob debts, and inexplicable behavior. The CIA is sniffing around again. And then things start to get weird... Laugh-out-loud funny and perfectly told, this is for the dreamers and believers in all of us.
Sourdough, by Robin Sloan. From the author of the extremely awesome Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore comes a new novel about food and technology. Lois Clary is a programmer working for a San Francisco company specializing in robotics tech. She enjoys her grueling work, but her joy comes from her regular takeout from a hole-in-the-wall eatery that brings her spicy soups and sandwiches each night. When the eatery suddenly closes, the owners gift Lois with their sourdough starter, and Lois suddenly finds herself baking bread. Then selling bread and gifting it. Then finds herself invited into a new breed of farmers' market seeking to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, really? Funny and insightful, Sloan's second novel delivers. I look forward to his next!
The Family Gathering, by Robyn Carr. Third in Carr's newest series, Sullivan's Crossing, The Family Gathering finds Dakota Jones freshly a civilian after a long career with the military. He decides to head to the Crossing, where both his older brother and youngest sister have settled down with their respective significant others. He's drawn to the place and its people, but also finds himself a magnet for trouble, especially that of the female variety. He's been trying to keep his options open, and trouble is something he'd like to avoid. He and his siblings gather for a family wedding, the first time all four have been together as adults, and it's here that he starts to understand their shared history a little better, and how he'd like to direct his life in the future. A sweet and easy read, if slightly overstuffed. Also available in Large Print and audio.
Need to Know, by Karen Cleveland. CIA analyst Vivian Miller loves her job and her family. Her husband is her best friend, they know one another better than anyone. Or so she thinks. One chance click as she researches brings her personal life crashing down around her, forcing Vivian to wonder whether her whole life is really a lie. This thriller from newcomer Cleveland is fast-paced and tightly plotted, gripping and compelling. I absolutely couldn't stand to put it down. Highly recommended. Also available in Large Print and audio.
My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent. Tallent's debut novel is not a read for the faint of heart. Fourteen-year-old Turtle lives a life unimaginable to her neighbors and classmates. Her father and grandfather live off the grid, her father obsessed with the certainty that doomsday is nigh. He prepares Turtle for this eventuality, teaching her to forage, to shoot, to hunt, to survive. She does survive, but she only imagines thriving after meeting Jacob, a boy who makes her want to live a normal, safe, sustainable life. Turtle must struggle to be her own hero, to extricate herself from the twisted relationship with her father. This is a harrowing, heartbreaking story, and I cannot wait to see what Tallent writes next. Also available in audio.
George & Lizzie, by Nancy Pearl. It has been a month for me to read debut novels, it seems. Nancy Pearl is "America's librarian" and a regular NPR commentator. Her first novel is about relationships, and how we can become stuck by our decisions, by what we keep from our past and what we choose to let go. George and Lizzie are as different as they could possibly be. George is from a warm, close family, Lizzie an only child raised by two very emotionally distant psychologists. Their marriage reflects this--George is happy, Lizzie is chronically unfulfilled and full of secrets. When crisis looms, Lizzie must decide once and for all, does she move on at long last? Or does she stick with what she knows? Wryly funny, this story really grew on me, and upon reflection with a little distance, I find myself looking forward to rereading this in the future with the benefit of foresight. Also available in Large Print.
A Stash of One's Own, edited by Clara Parkes. This collection of essays by knitters, designers, writers, spinners, and shepherds, among others, focuses on the individuality and approach to the ubiquitous yarn stash. For some, more is (almost) always more. Others have developed a zen-like minimalist approach, a KonMari-esque method of keeping only that which inspires one to create. Still others only keep on hand that which is necessary to design, refusing to keep anything beyond. Knitters are each as unique as artists in any other medium, and these essays were quite eye-opening on how widely varied their approach to their stash can be.
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi. I've been reading ahead a bit for my book club--this is our selection for our June meeting. I was hesitant to read this, the memoir of a brilliant neurosurgeon turned patient with stage IV lung cancer, because I didn't want to read something sad. And yet, I read it early so that I might have some distance when we talked about it for book club. What I did not expect was to be completely overwhelmed by the wisdom, the deep thoughtfulness, that Kalanithi conveyed as his future disappeared and he was forced to stop planning and live in a perpetual present. Words like "beautiful" and "deeply moving" are inadequate to describe this slim volume teeming with meaning. Also available in Large Print and audio.
Spoonbenders, by Daryl Gregory. Teddy Telemachus is a con man with a talent for sleight of hand and some very unsavory associates who tricks his way into a classified government experiment concerning the use of telekinesis for intelligence-gathering. It's there that he meets the woman he's going to marry, Maureen McKinnon, a genuinely powerful psychic. Their Amazing Telemachus family becomes a show-biz act, each of the children with a gift of his or her own, until a television appearance that could have made them big-time goes horribly awry, and begins to tear the family apart from the inside. Two decades later, the family is growing steadily more dysfunctional, full of love-affairs, mob debts, and inexplicable behavior. The CIA is sniffing around again. And then things start to get weird... Laugh-out-loud funny and perfectly told, this is for the dreamers and believers in all of us.
Sourdough, by Robin Sloan. From the author of the extremely awesome Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore comes a new novel about food and technology. Lois Clary is a programmer working for a San Francisco company specializing in robotics tech. She enjoys her grueling work, but her joy comes from her regular takeout from a hole-in-the-wall eatery that brings her spicy soups and sandwiches each night. When the eatery suddenly closes, the owners gift Lois with their sourdough starter, and Lois suddenly finds herself baking bread. Then selling bread and gifting it. Then finds herself invited into a new breed of farmers' market seeking to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, really? Funny and insightful, Sloan's second novel delivers. I look forward to his next!
The Family Gathering, by Robyn Carr. Third in Carr's newest series, Sullivan's Crossing, The Family Gathering finds Dakota Jones freshly a civilian after a long career with the military. He decides to head to the Crossing, where both his older brother and youngest sister have settled down with their respective significant others. He's drawn to the place and its people, but also finds himself a magnet for trouble, especially that of the female variety. He's been trying to keep his options open, and trouble is something he'd like to avoid. He and his siblings gather for a family wedding, the first time all four have been together as adults, and it's here that he starts to understand their shared history a little better, and how he'd like to direct his life in the future. A sweet and easy read, if slightly overstuffed. Also available in Large Print and audio.
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