April's In the Queue

Here are April's In the Queue.

Fiction

Warriors: An Alex Hawke Novel
Ted Bell
As Tensions mount between China, North Korea and the U.S., Alex Hawke and Inspector Congreve must infiltrate China and stop WWIII.

 

Frog Music: A Novel
Emma Donoghue

In  the sweltering fall of 1876, a San Francisco French Burlesque dancer risks everything to bring his friend's murderer to justice.

 

And the Dark Sacred Night

Julie Glass

Kit Noonan seeks the father he never knew when his world falls apart. As he searches for answers, he learns what it means to be a father.

Everything to Lose
Andrew Gross

A dead driver and a satchel full of money entangle a desperate mother in a murderous conspiracy to keep a 20-year-old secret buried.

 

The Book of You: A Novel

Claire Kendal

This debut novel is a mesmerizing psychological thriller about a woman who fights to escape an expert manipulator who seeks to possess her. Kendal paints a disturbing portrait of compulsion, control and terror. If you enjoyed Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson you will love this book.

The Last Bride

Beverly Lewis

Tessie Miller is Amish and although her father disapproves of the man she loves; she elopes with him. She keeps her marriage a secret until an unexpected challenge threatens the couple with censure.

The Serpent of Venice

Chris Moore

Moore brings back Pocket of Dog Snogging, his prodigious companion, Drool, and pet monkey Jeff for another round of satirizing the Bard of Avon by way of the Marx Brothers. Prepare for a rollicking play filled with historical whimsy.

The Other Story

Tatiana De Rosnay

Nicholas Duhamel discovers a family secret and in sorting through it writes a bestselling novel. Years pass and Nicholas learns that deeply buried family secrets don’t stay buried for long.

Non Fiction

 

Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton describes with humor the ups and downs of living in a beauty obsessed world.

 

The Women of Duck Commander: Surprising Insights From the Women Behind the Beards About What Makes This Family Work

Kay Robertson

This is an inside look at the Robertson women, you’ll find both fun and inspirational stories.

Everybody's Got Something

Robin Roberts

The beloved Good Morning America anchor shares her incredible journey and the lessons she learned along the way as she battled breast cancer, a rare blood disorder and coped with her mother’s death.

New Releases by Best Selling Authors

  

Robert B. Parker’s Cheap Shot by Ace Atkins

The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry

Starfire by Dale Brown

Ghost Ship by Clive Cussler

Walking on Water by Richard Paul Evans

Suspicion by Joseph Finder

The One and Only by Emily Giffen

A Family Affair by Fern Michaels

Field of Prey by John Sandford

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

All Fall Down By Jennifer Weiner

Carnal Curiosity by Stuart Woods

 

 

 

 

 

Great Composers in Fiction

Celebrate Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday (March 21st) by reading some novels about composers.  There are tons of biographies out there but just a few, good fiction books.  So, for those of you who are musically inclined (not me!), try some of the following books and movies:

Books

Too Many Notes, Mr. Mozart by Bernard Bastable

Mozart's Ghost by Julia Cameron

Mozart's Sister by Rita Charbonier

Hidden Voices: The Orphan Musicians of Venice
by Pat Lowery Collins (ebook)

The Four Seasons: a Novel of Vivaldi's Venice 
by Laurel Corona

Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell

The Chopin Manuscript by Jeffery Deaver (CD Book)

Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black and Other Stories
by Nadine Gordimer

The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon

Sleeping with Schubert by Bonnie Marson

In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story by Carolyn Meyer

Stitches in the Air: a Novel about Mozart's Mother 
by Liane Ellison Norman

Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees

Violin by Anne Rice

Mozart's Wife by Juliet Waldron (ebook)

Movies

Amadeus (DVD and Blu-Ray)

Copying Beethoven (DVD)

Immortal Beloved (DVD)

Life of Verdi (DVD)

Mozart's Sister (DVD & Blu-Ray)
 



Let us know if you have any favorites that are not on this list.

April Debut Novels

A debut novel occurs only once in a lifetime for an author. Since it is the first book they ever write, it has to be good if they hope to get a following. Many debut novelists put their heart and soul into every page they write,...hoping the reader will pick it up, read it, fall in love and want to read the next book they write.  

Reading a debut novel can be exciting and scary at the same time. The first book written by an author means you do not know that what you find will be worth your time.  A debut novel is a blank canvas. There are no preconceived ideas about what you may read.  All you know is the small blurb on the back of the book or on the inside flap. I encourage you to be brave and face the unknown!

Today set aside any doubts you may have and give a debut novel a try.  Yes, these books are a gamble, but you may find gold under the cover.

Here are several excellent reasons to try a debut novel. These recent titles were debut novels and their authors have become well renowned for their writing prowess. The list begins with JK Rowling's Harry Potter series; Kathryn Stockett's The Help; Lisa Genova's Still Alice,  Veronica Roth's Divergent, Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman and Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. 

Listed below are debut novels which are being released in April. Ok, I cannot help myself, a few listed here debuted earlier than that, but they were excellent so in case you missed them I had to include them. Perhaps you will find a pot of gold under one of these covers. 

April Released Debut Novels
 Bend of the World: A Novel by Jacob Bacharach
Steal the North: A Novel by Heather Brittain Bergstrom
Ruby: A Novel by Cynthia Bond
Team Seven by Marcus B. Burke
When the Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon
'Til the Well Runs Dry: A Novel by Lauren Frances-Sharman
Sea House: A Novel by Elisabeth Gifford
Terms & Conditions: A Novel by Robert Glancy
Steady Running of the Hour: A Novel by Justin Go
Word Exchange: A Novel by Alena Graedon
The Book of You: A Novel by Claire Kendal
Intern's Handbook: A Thriller by Shane Kuhn
In the Light of What We know: A Novel by Zia Haider Rahman
Chop Chop: A Novel by Simon Wroe

Other notable Debut Novels
Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson
The Returned by Jason Mott
Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

Post-Apocalyptic Superheroes With A Side Of The Undead

Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines

 

Over the past few years, we have seen a preponderance of both zombie and superhero related books and movies. Individually, they have both been done so heavily that some people, myself included, have an instinctual eye-roll, when hearing of a new film or title dealing with either the undead or some caped crusader  (admittedly, the eye roll is followed by grabbing it to see it its any good because let’s face it, both can be pretty entertaining).  When I spotted Ex-Heroes it was no different. Yet, Clines brings both the undead and superheroes together in a decidedly entertaining way. First, our superheroes are holed up in the now fortified Paramount studios lots. Second, the handful of heroes is attempting to rebuild some semblance of civilization with a few thousand normal survivors. There is also a competition amongst the normal guards to see who can put down the greatest number of celebrity zombies.

 

Cline brings us into the story about 2 years after the initial outbreak. The Mount, where everyone is holed up, is a mostly functioning society with the heroes acting as guardians and, to a degree, the government. Yet, they start to learn that scrounging for supplies and avoiding the undead is not the only things they have to worry about. An L.A. street gang seems to be growing in strength and growing in power. But the oddest thing is that the gang seems to somehow have control over the zombies, including a few superheroes turned zombies.

 

                There is very little surprising in Ex-Heroes, but Clines does an excellent job about breaking up the main plot with a mixture of the heroes’ backstory and the events leading up to the apocalypse. Additionally, he does a solid job giving each of the heroes dimension and character.  It certainly is not a story to tickle your intellect, but certainly an amusing caper for a few afternoons.

 

 

Mystery Novels, Part 2

 

Mysteries are one of the most beloved genres in literature. It is second only to romance novels. They are favorites because most people have an innate sense of curiosity when posed with a problem be it a murder, a theft or assault.  Most people find looking at the clues and trying to figure out who did it to be fun and exciting.  The only harm that may befall a mystery novel lover is the moment when the story ends and it is the wee hours of the morning,...their trip up the dark stairwell may be quite exhilarating. In part 1 of my mystery series I covered locked room puzzle mysteries and cozy mysteries. Now I want to talk about some of my favorite sub-genres of mysteries, the thrillers.

 

There are medical thrillers, suspenseful thrillers and legal thrillers. These novels  are all fast paced and filled with action. Even the suspenseful thrillers are heart palpitating stories that keep readers on the edge of their seat trying to guess whodunit and why. Here are some new and old thrillers that I am sure will keep you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning.  Here are some of the newest and a few of the oldest thrillers that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

 

Medical Thrillers

Resuscitation by D.M. Annechino

Coma by Robin Cook

Sphere by Michael Crichton

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

A Circle of Wives: A Novel by Alice La Plante

Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane

Stress Test by Richard Mabry

Spiral by Paul McEuen

The Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons (new debut novel)

 

Legal Thrillers

 

First Family by David Baldacci

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson

The Gods of Guilt: A Novel by Michael Connelly

Primal Fear by William Diehl

The Client by John Grisham

Defending Jacob by William Landay

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Proof Positive by Phillip Margolin

Unleashed by David Rosenfelt

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

The Seven Minutes by Irving Wallace

 

Suspenseful Thrillers

Deception Point by Dan Brown

The Innocent by Harlan Coben

The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver

Act of Treason by Vince Flynn

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Tell Me by Lisa Jackson

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

The Inner Circle by Brad Metzer

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Amazonia by James Rollins

Beautiful Lies: A Novel by Lisa Unger

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

 

 



Rainbow Rowell: An Author as Awesome as Her Name

Back in August of 2013 I wrote a review of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. All said and done, it is still one of my favorite books of 2013. Rowell was new to the YA scene and still fairly new to the literary realm as a novelist. Her debut novel, Attachments, is an adult novel that was released in 2011. After finally reading Attachments, I can easily say that I will devour anything Rainbow Rowell writes.

Rowell was slightly ahead of the curve with Attachments, a book that combines emails into the storyline. Mixed media/format books are somewhat of a current trend. The chapters alternate between the narrative and email correspondence between two friends who work at a newspaper. Lincoln, a gentle giant hired for internet security, is required to screen emails that get trapped in the internet filter and send out warnings to email policy violators. The problem is, he feels it is slightly unethical and it only manages to fill a fraction of his time. Even though Lincoln knows it is wrong, he manages to get overly involved in the email correspondence of Beth and Jennifer. Their emails continue to get flagged by the filtering software, but Lincoln is in too deep before he realizes it is too late to send a warning.

What can you do when you start to fall in love with the person writing the offending emails that you are secretly reading? That is a tough question, but Rowell lets Lincoln lead us through that sticky situation. The character development of Attachments is great. The reader is given Lincoln’s back story of heartache and personal growth, but just enough is omitted to make it feel very real—like you are living Lincoln’s memories, imperfect but significant. The other character, such as Jennifer and Beth, take shape through Lincoln’s eyes until the moment they step out of the emails and onto the page.

Overall, a fun and easy read. This would be a great book for relaxing, a trip, or the beach—just fun and engaging. Landline, Rainbow Rowell’s fourth book, is due on shelves in July.

Happy Birthday Vermont!

On March 4, 1791, Vermont became the 14th state to join the Union and the first after the original 13 colonies.
About 2.5% of Vermonters speak French at home--probably because of their proximity to Quebec.
It is the 2nd least populated state, the 6th smallest state, and produces more maple syrup than any other state in America.
So it is small, not crowded, and very, very sweet.

Try one of the following Green Mountain State authors and see why good things come in small packages.

Chris Bohjalian--(Midwives, The Sandcastle Girls)--he is an American writer of 15 novels.  He was born in New York but has lived in Vermont since 1987.

Castle Freeman Jr.--(All That I Have, Go With Me)--Texas-born novelist, raised in Illinois.  He has lived in Vermont since 1972.

Shelby Hearon--(Footprints, Year of the Dog)--she is an American novelist and short story writer. She was born in Kentucky but lives in Burlington, Vermont.

David Huddle--(Nothing Can Make Me Do This)--Virginia-born writer and professor.  He teaches at the University of Vermont and Middlebury College.

John Irving--(The World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meaney)--New Hampshire-born novelist and Oscar-winning screenwriter. He divides his time between Vermont and Toronto.  His latest novel is In One Person.

Archer Mayor--(Open Season, etc.)--he lives in Newfane, Vermont and writes the Joe Gunther crime novels.  The 25th book in the series, Proof Positive, comes out in September 2014. When he's not writing he works as a death investigator and a deputy sheriff.

Howard Frank Mosher--(Walking to Gatlinburg, The Great Northern Express)--American author of 12 books who lives in Irasburg, VT.  Most of his novels take place in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and are set in the mid-20th century.

Jay Parini--(The Last Station, Robert Frost: a Life)--Pennsylvania-born writer and academic who teaches at Middlebury College.  He has lived in Vermont since 1982.

Sarah Strohmeyer--(The Cinderella Pact, Bubbles Unbound, etc.)--award-winning author best known for her crime novels about Bubbles Yablonsky (hairdresser/amateur detective).  The author was born in Pennsylvania but lives in Middlesex, VT where she is the town clerk.

A Street Cat Named Bob

This one's for all you cat-lovers out there, or those of you who really enjoy a feel-good story. You may have heard about Bob the cat--after all, he's got videos on YouTube, his own Twitter account, and his own Facebook page. Simply put, this cat's famous. But for those of you who aren't familiar with his story, A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life by James Bowen is a good place to start. James actually found Bob sitting outside of a ground-floor flat one gloomy March evening in London, England. This ginger-furred beauty with piercing green eyes caught James's attention right away, and when the man who lived in that flat made no claim on the cat, James took him in. Now James was a bit of a stray himself, and he was certainly down on his luck at the time. He was a recovering heroin addict, estranged from his family, and barely had a friend in the world. But with Bob at his side, something magical happened: James began to feel more like a real person and less like an invisible man shunned and ignored by those around him. Bob filled a void in his life and gave James a sense of purpose that went far beyond day-to-day survival. He gave James a reason to try again. A reason to live.

Trust me, you'll be rooting for Bob and James throughout this wonderful book! And if you want more, you'll definitely want to put yourself on the waiting list for The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Street-Wise Cat, due out in May.  

Spademan's Waste Disposal

Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh

A delightful mix of pulp fiction and dystopia, Shovel Ready follows Spademan as he makes his way through New York. He used to be a garbageman New York City until a series of attacks left Times Square a radioactive zone and most of the people fled. Now he has switched jobs, taking out people instead of trash.  All he wants is payment and a name, until the name belongs to the pregnant daughter of a rich and powerful Evangelist. The job gets even more complex as Spademan crosses between the expensive, slick computer fantasy that occupies the rich and powerful and the gritty reality of the real world.

This is an interesting book stylistically. The sentences are short and choppy, the voice of a man that is not prone to brevity through habit. The entire structure of the book, paragraphs and chapters, are all equally brief. While the lack of quotations offsetting the various speakers takes some getting used to, the style lends itself very well to the pulp feel of the novel.

There are some depictions of blood and violence, but that is to be expected with this genre of book. Sternbergh treats with the same succinct style that works so well with the story. When the dust settles and the bodies disposed of, Spademan is an excellent mix of sci-fi, noir, and thriller. Also, there is supposedly a second Spademan novel in the works.

 

March's In The Queue

Here are this month's hot new picks!

Fiction
Steeped in Evil by Laura Childs
This cozy mystery has plenty of action, humor and a tantalizing array of teas and recipes as our heroine, Theodosia, sets out to solve another mystery.

Waking the Dead by Heather Graham
Danielle Cafferty and Michael Quinn must confront an evil work of art that somehow frees the people within the portrait to commit bloody crimes.

A Circle of Wives by Alice La Plante
Dr. John Taylor is dead and leaves behind three wives whom all had motives to kill him. Detective Adams must determine which wife, if any, led to Taylor's demise.

The Weight of Blood: A Novel by Laura McHugh
Lucy Dane is haunted by the loss of her mother and death of her friend, Cheri. She sets out to uncover the mystery of Cheri's death and discovers a secret that ties the two disappearances together.

The Accident: A Novel by Chris Pavone
This is a day in the life of Isabel Reed, a literary agent, who reviews a manuscript filled with powerful secrets that others do not want published!

Without Warning by David Rosenfelt
Katie and Jake Robbins have tried to put the past behind them, but small towns have long memories and the memories are stirred when a hurricane unearths a time capsule that holds deadly predictions.

Empress of the Night: A Novel of Catherine the Great By Eve Stachniak
This novel is told in the voice of Catherine the Great as she reflects on her ascension to the throne, her rule over the world's greatest power, and the sacrifices that made her the most feared woman of her time.

The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer
Emmett and Sophie are a U.S. foreign service couple stationed in Budapest. When Emmett is shot and killed Sophie flies under the radar in a quest to root out his assassin.

Nonfiction
You Can Date Boys When You're Forty: Dave Barry on Parenting and Other topics He Knows Very Little About By Dave Barry
A Brilliantly funny explorations of the twin mysteries of parenthood and families.

Exodus: A Memoir by Deborah Feldman
Deborah Feldman returns with an extraordinary follow-up that traces her new life as an independent young woman and single mother, and her search fo an authentic and personal Jewish identity.

Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler
Join Chelsea Handler as she recounts her mishaps and adventures from around the world.