Reading Ahead: November 2013, part 5

 Here we are--the wrap-up of all new releases coming in November.  And I have saved you some very special titles!  All three are guaranteed to be funny and satisfying. 

The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, by Fannie Flagg.  Yes, you know the name from books like Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and I Still Dream About You.  She's back with a comic mystery about two women who are forced to re imagine who they are.  Sookie has just married off her last daughter and is looking forward to traveling with her husband.  The last thing she must contend with is her larger-than-life mother, Lenore.  While Lenore might be well-loved by others, her daughter finds her downright overshadowing.  Then Sookie stumbles upon a secret that changes everything, sending her out west and then into researching the 1940s as she seeks to unravel her own past.  Ms. Flagg is a sure bet for sweet, witty and inspiring.

The Supreme Macaroni Company, by Adriana Trigiani.  Adriana Trigiani has been making quite a name for herself with readers over the last thirteen years, making the biggest splash with last year's The Shoemaker's Wife.  So her latest, which begins on the eve of a wedding in Greenwich Village, taking readers through New Orleans and on to Tuscany, is sure to be much adored by readers everywhere. 

The Widow’s Guide to Sex and Dating, by Carole Radziwill.  This author may be unfamiliar, but I don't think that will be the case for very long!  Claire Byrne is a quirky and glamorous Manhattanite who has recently been very famously widowed.  She has spent her marriage with older man Charlie burying her own ambitions in favor of supporting his.  Now, widowed and adrift, Claire resolves to reinvent herself, with a little help from the professionals, even as she grieves for Charlie.  I think this is going to be a knock-out.

Reading Ahead: November 2013, part 4

If you're in the market for a new mystery next month, you know by now that I've got you covered.  Whether you're looking for something sharp and witty, something cozy, or perhaps a mystery along more serious lines, I've got something for everyone.

Takedown Twenty, by Janet Evanovich.  Most readers are familiar with this author's name, as well as that of her main protagonist, Stephanie Plum.  (If you're not, you've got some catching up to do!  I suggest starting at the beginning, with One for the Money.)  In this installment, Stephanie is hoping to take down a mob boss.  Unless, of course, he takes her out first.  Evanovich's tales are madcap fun, guaranteed.

No Man’s Nightingale, by Ruth Rendell.  Ruth Rendell is an institution in the mystery genre, her first mystery having been published in 1964.  The main character in that novel (which was titled From Doon with Death--available from the library as an audiobook, if you're interested) was Chief Inspector Wexford, and while his last case was rumored to be in 2009's The Monster in the Box, that was only partially true.  Inspector Wexford is retired, but returns again in No Man's Nightingale. 

The Missing Dough, by Chris Cavender.  Cavender's Pizza Lover's mystery series (starts with 2009's A Slice of Murder) has been steadily gaining a loyal following.  Eleanor Swift and her sister Maddy own and operate A Slice of Delight, a small-town Southern pizzeria in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Unfortunately, murder also shows up on the menu from time to time, and this time?  It's Maddy's lousy ex-husband Grant.  No one's sad to see him go, but when Maddy becomes the prime suspect, her sister will do everything possible to find the real killer.  

I'll be back Thursday with a few more titles to tickle your fancy.  In the meantime, happy reading!

Reading Ahead: November 2013, part 3

Historical fiction is one of my (many) favorite genres to read.  Fact blended with a great story--who could ask for more?  I hope you're with me on this, because November has several great selections to choose from!

Stella Bain, by Anita Shreve.  A story of an amnesiac American WWI nurse, found on a French battlefield and unable to remember anything of the last four months of her life, and the surgeon who takes her in.  From London to America and back again, this is a story of love and the meaning of memory.  I cannot wait. 

Bellman & Black, by Diane Setterfield.  A little ghost story, a little historical, and entirely Setterfield, author of 2006's The Thirteenth Tale.  (FYI, I adored her first novel.  You can read my review here.)  As a youth, William Bellman gets caught up in a moment of boyish competition and commits an act of cruelty.  As he grows up, however, this memory fades until is completely forgotten.  Someone else, however, has remembered all these years, and William is about to get his comeuppance.  This is bound to be spooky and delicious.

The Valley of Amazement, by Amy Tan.  Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club (among others), is finally back from a long break after 2005's Saving Fish From Drowning.  Spanning forty years and two continents, Tan's story takes readers from Chinese villages in remote, mist-shrouded mountains to lavish Shanghai parlors, across the crumbling of the Last Dynasty and the rise of the Republic.  Tan does what she does best--explores the relationships of mothers and daughters, complicated by culture, location and generation gaps.  I am awaiting this with baited breath--Tan is a quiet powerhouse.

Looking for a mystery to sink your teeth into next month?  I've got you covered in next Tuesday's post.  In the meantime, happy reading!

In Memoriam: Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy, author of numerous best-selling spy-thrillers (many of which also became movie block-busters), died on October 1, 2013.  He was 66.  A Baltimore-born former insurance agent, Clancy made a huge splash in 1984 with his first novel, The Hunt for Red October, later adapted for film starring Sean Connery and Harrison Ford.  Of his 28 books, seventeen hit the New York Times bestsellers list, many reaching the coveted #1 spot.  His writings also spawned several top-selling video game series including Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon.

His final novel, Command Authority, will be released this December.  (The library has ordered multiple copies, which will be available to request shortly.)   Mr. Clancy will be sorely missed by millions of readers world-wide.

Reading Ahead: November 2013, part 2

I know, I know.  It's hard to think about November when it's only just the beginning of October.  I really do understand!  I've been ordering Christmas books since this past May!  Yesterday, I was ordering new books which are slated for release in February 2014.  So it could be worse--I could be sharing titles six months ahead!



New Suspense/Thrillers in November:

Silencing Eve, by Iris Johansen (Publication date bumped up to October 1!)

Hostage, by Kay Hooper

Dust, by Patricia Cornwell

Mirage, by Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul

King and Maxwell, by David Baldacci

White Fire, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Cross My Heart, by James Patterson

I'll be back on Thursday with some more up-and-coming bestsellers.  In the meantime, happy reading!

Reading Ahead: November 2013, part 1

We're coming into the season of the "feel-good" book.  Full of sentiment, gentle reminders and miracles, these books tug at the heart-strings and make a reader stop and think and be thankful.  If you're looking for something to help you slow down as the season revs up, one of these might be just what you need.

Someone Else’s Love Story, by Joshilyn Jackson.  Shandi Pierce has more than enough going on in her life already, she has no time for love.  She is finishing college, raising her three-year-old son on her own, and playing referee between her long-divorced parents.  Then she's caught in a stick-up and a man steps between the robber and her son.  How can she help but fall in love with him?  Little does she know, her hero has a laundry list of complications of his own.  Critics are calling it inspiring, charming, poignant and vividly drawn.  I'm calling it a natural choice, especially for book clubs.

The First Phone Call from Heaven, by Mitch Albom.  Albom first made a splash with readers with Tuesdays with Morrie.  His books have continued to be bestsellers, and this one should be no different.  A small town in Michigan receives international attention when its residents begin to get phone calls from the afterlife.  Is this a miracle?  Or a hoax?  A moving page-turner, guaranteed to be a hit.