Reading Ahead: June 2013, part 1

I think I may call 2013 the summer of the thriller, because by my count, fully half of the "big name" releases slated for this summer are suspense/thriller titles.  Here are a few to get you started.

The 9^th Girl, by Tami Hoag

Second Honeymoon, by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Choke Point, by Ridley Pearson

The King’s Deception, by Steve Berry

Her Last Breath, by Linda Castillo

I don't know about you, but I hardly know where to start.  Tami Hoag is a given, of course--she has a keen gift for detail and this latest, about a transient serial killer they're calling Doc Holiday, looks like it should be creepy as all get out.  Can't wait.  Also, if you're looking for a fresh voice in the genre, I highly recommend Linda Castillo. Murder in Ohio Amish country?  Castillo makes it work like a pro.  If you're new to the series, be sure to start at the beginning, with Sworn to Silence. 

I'll be back next week with more thrillers to look forward to.  Happy Reading in the meantime!

What I was reading: April 2013

Pardon me while I play catch-up here, after last week, which was the week that never stopped!  There have been so many amazing books coming out lately, I've been in a bit of a reading frenzy.  We should all have such problems, right?  So let me fill you in on some of the great titles I've been reading.

The Burgess Boys, by Elizabeth Strout.  This was one that I was extremely excited about, and Strout (who won the Pulitzer Prize for Olive Kitteridge), as always, did not disappoint in the slightest.   Brothers Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their small Maine hometown as soon as they could.  Both bound and separated by the freak accident that killed their father when they were small, their relationship as adults is difficult at best.  Jim, now a sleek corporate lawyer, is critical and chronically frustrated with his younger, big-hearted brother.  Bob, a Legal Aid attorney, idolizes his older brother and takes the constant criticism in stride.  But when a family crisis draws them back to their hometown, long-held secrets begin to surface that will change their relationship, and their lives, forever.  Powerful, poignant, and beautifully written--this would be an amazing choice if you're looking for a title to discuss for your book club, too.  Strout does it again.  320 pages

Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson.  You already know how much I loved this--I couldn't keep it to myself!    529 pages

Widow's Tears, by Susan Wittig Albert.  I don't normally read many mystery series, but this was one I got hooked on years ago.  This latest installment of the China Bayles series was slow to pick up momentum, but once it got underway it was compulsively readable and quite a bit different from most of the rest of the series.  China's loyal sidekick, Ruby, gets a call from an old childhood friend, who has a real estate problem of the supernatural sort, and is convinced Ruby is the only one who can help.  Ruby's not quite so sure, but can't say no to one of her oldest friends.  Hurricanes, history, and hauntings are not Albert's normal fare, but she does an admirable job.  If you're looking to start the series, it's best to begin with the first title, Thyme of Death.  292 pages

Rage Against the Dying, by Becky Masterman.  Seriously one of the best thrillers I've read in years.  A fresh new voice to the genre, and one I can't wait to read more from.  You can read my review here.  PS--the audio version is pretty epic, too.  320 pages

The Accursed, by Joyce Carol Oates.  I'll admit that I found this a little challenging to get into.  I haven't read much of Oates' work, and her style is a little quirky.  I'm glad I forged ahead, though, as this was really spectacular.  In early 20th century Princeton, a curse descends, only affecting the wealthiest families and causing, among other things, the disappearance of a young bride.  When her brother sets out to find her, he encounters some of the towns most formidable figures, including Grover Cleveland and Upton Sinclair.  This is an especial must for history buffs.  669 pages

Undone, by Karin Slaughter.  We all have lists of authors or titles we've been meaning to read.  Karin Slaughter had been on my list for much too long, so when I saw some titles available on Overdrive, I downloaded it to my Kindle.  Now I'm partly sad that I waited so long, and mostly overjoyed that now I have a new-to-me author to read through, because it was phenomenal!  When a tortured young woman enters the trauma center of an Atlanta hospital, Dr. Sara Linton is thrust into a desperate police investigation with Special Agent Will Trent and his partner, Faith Mitchell. Though guarding their own wounds and their own secrets, Sara, Will, and Faith find that they are all that stand between a madman and his next victim.  Slaughter has a real gift for adding detail and nuance to her characters, making them fallible, real, and extremely relatable--highly recommended.  436 pages

The Good House, by Ann Leary.  Hildy Good, descendent of a Salem witch, may or may not be an alcoholic.  Her daughters certainly seemed sure she was, and so she went and did her 28 days to get them off her back.  Now she spends her days as sober realtor in her sleepy hometown on Boston's North Shore and her long evenings drinking alone, lest anyone find out she's drinking.  Lonely, she finds a friend in new neighbor Rebecca McAllister, who's also feeling a little lonely and out of her element.  They share gossip, and wine, and secrets, but Rebecca isn't welcomed by all of the community, and finds herself the target of gossip, and worse.  Hildy starts out trying to protect her new friend, but ultimately finds herself scrambling to cover her own ass.  The Good House is outrageous, funny, and hugely entertaining, and Leary proves that famous husband, Denis Leary, isn't the only witty one in the family.  304 pages

The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  This is a re-read for my May book club.  You can read my original review here. 322 pages


April totals:
8 titles
3,192 pages

Year-to-date totals:
27/75 titles =  36%
10,088/35,000 pages = 29%

Still in need of a few more longer novels, but I'm in good shape to reach my reading goals by the end of the year.  Anyone else have a reading challenge?  I'd love to hear about it!

Three on Thursday: Book News

Do you remember last year, when the jurors actually declined to name a Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction?  That did not happen in 2013!  A winner was announced last week, and the award goes to?  Adam Johnson's extraordinary novel set in North Korea, The Orphan Master's Son.  You can read my review here.  Need more incentive to see what the fuss is about?  Check out The Morning News 2013 Tournament of Books.

There are a lot of great books for kids that aren't necessarily kids's books.  Does that make sense?  This list may help to clarify: 28 books every geek should read to their kid before age 10.  I don't think it's necessary that you identify as a geek to appreciate it, but I think it's a great list to inspire parents to share a love of reading with their kids.

Banned books week isn't until September, but I always find it fascinating to see what titles are the most frequently challenged each year.  Here is 2012's list.  Be a rebel--read them anyway.

Can't Keep It to Myself: Life After Life

Every once in awhile, I read a book that I find is so unique, when people ask what it's like, I honestly have a really hard time answering them.  The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger was like that for me.  So was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by Davide Wroblewski.  (As an aside, I thought both of these titles were absolutely phenomenal in their own rights, so if you haven't read them, I highly recommend them.)  So when I say that Kate Atkinson's Life After Life is like the two aforementioned titles, it's not because it shares plot or format or style.  It's because it is also unlike anything else I've ever read before.  I love novels that are full of surprises, and Atkinson absolutely kept them coming.

Ursula Todd is born on a snowy night to an English banker and his wife in 1910, and dies before she can draw her first breath.  She is born again and begins to wail.  Her life, and her deaths (of which there are more than a few), make her the odd one out in her family, although none of them can say quite what makes her different.  Suffering from deja vu, which is understandable, Ursula lives, and dies, through the WWI as a child and as WWII approaches, it appears that Ursula may be the only one who can save the world.  And if she can, does that also mean she will? 

Absolutely one of the most intriguing, thought provoking novels I've read in quite some time.

Reading Ahead: May 2013, part 4

Here we are with the final wrap-up, and a bit of sad news for some.  What do I mean, well, let's look at the list and then discuss, shall we?

Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris

Echoes of My Soul, by Robert K. Tanenbaum

Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland, by Ace Atkins

The Apple Orchard, by Susan Wiggs

Followers of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels and fans of HBO's True Blood alike are in mourning the end of Sookie's adventures, as Dead Ever After is the thirteenth and final Sookie Stackhouse novel.  True Blood will continue on, as it only loosely followed the plot of the novels after the first season.  But for now, at least, Sookie is going the way of Harry Potter and other beloved characters, and fading from the spotlight.  However, fans, take heart!  There's no telling what other kinds of mischief Charlaine Harris might be getting up to in the future, so keep an eye out!

Can't Keep It To Myself: Rage Against the Dying

I love surprises.  Wait.  I should qualify that.  I love books and authors that surprise me in good ways*.  (Surprise parties are right out, okay?)  And the best surprise I've had between the covers of a book lately is Rage Against the Dying, by new author Becky Masterman.  From the first sentence, retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn is unlike any other thriller protagonist you've ever met.  Long trained during years of undercover work to keep secrets and amend truth, Quinn is very honest about just how untrustworthy she is and how much she appreciates people who don't ask questions about who she was and what she's done. 

As Quinn tries to settle down in Tucson with her new husband Carlo and his dogs, she begins to adopt her "housewife" persona.  That's all thrown to the wind, however, when the biggest unsolved case of her career, a long-cold series of murders by an unknown serial killer only known as the Route-66 Killer, rears its ugly head.  The FBI has a suspect, Floyd Lynch, and a confession.  But while Lynch knows lots of unpublicized details about the crimes, including the resting place of the last known victim, Quinn's former protegee Jessica, he seems to have a few holes in his story.  Those holes are picked up by current field agent assigned to the case, Laura Coleman, who thinks Lynch's confession is bogus and that he's not the real killer.  And while Quinn desperately wants closure on this case, she realizes that she wants retribution more than an easy win, more than she thought she would. 

This is, by far, one of the most suspenseful, unique voices in the thriller genre today.  If you're looking for a fresh voice and a tensely plotted story, this is absolutely it. 















*Bad surprises in books include unexplained character changes mid-plot, endings that make no sense, unexpected "whodunit" turns out to be no one the reader has met, and sudden cliche pile-ups, among others.

Reading Ahead: May 2013, part 3

If suspense and thrillers are your thing, you have a bunch of new titles to look forward to next month.  And if you don't think this is enough, I have to jump ahead a little and tell you that June's list?  Is HUGE!  Lots and lots of big names sure to fill your reading list in short order.  But in the meantime, here are the May suspense/thriller titles.

The Hit, by David Baldacci

Zero Hour, by Clive Cussler

Silken Prey, by John Sandford

Storm Front, by Richard Castle

The Ophelia Cut, by John T. Lescroart

I'll be back next week with the final wrap-up of our May list.  In the meantime, Happy Reading!

Reading Ahead: May 2013, part 2

It's so nice to see spring starting to make a bit of an appearance.  Longer days, warmer days, nights that aren't quite so frosty.  It makes me think of lazy summer days on the horizon, and of course, great books to pass those hours.  Here are some great ones to add to your list this summer.


And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini

Flora, by Gail Godwin

Ready to Die, by Lisa Jackson

Step of Faith, by Richard Paul Evans

Looking for Me, by Beth Hoffman

Whatever your preferred genre may be, we have you covered in the months to come.  Khaled Hosseini is an author readers will remember from The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.  (For the record, while I thought The Kite Runner was excellent, I thought A Thousand Splendid Suns was even better.  No sophomore slump for Hosseini.)  In his latest work, Hosseini takes on families--how we interact with one another, how the choices we make affect our families and generations to come.  The novel expands outward, including both distant relatives and distant locales, and the critical praise I've been reading makes me think this will be an absolute win.  It's on my list for sure. 

Another title that I think will garner quite a bit of response is Beth Hoffman's new book, Looking for Me.  You might remember Hoffman's previous title, 2010's Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, which was extremely popular.  Fans of authors like Adriana Trigiani might want to take notice of this new novel, which follows quirky Teddi Overman, restorer of cast-off furniture, who has built a business and a life in Charleston, away from her childhood home in Kentucky.  When information surfaces that Teddi's brother Josh, who had mysteriously disappeared years earlier, might be alive, Teddi is drawn home to her family once more.  And while the trip might help Teddi finally heal old wounds, she may also have to make some serious decisions about how much of her new life and old life she will choose to keep.  Guaranteed to be a great read, and both of these titles would be great book club reads, too.

I'll be back on Thursday with a slew of new thrillers to look forward to.  Happy Reading!