November 2010's Must-Reads

If you are boldly attempting the NaNoWriMo challenge, you may not have too much time to devote to reading this month. On the other hand, you might appreciate a good book to make your procrastination interesting and/or to help inspire your own words. If you have no idea what NaNoWriMo is (see my earlier post on the subject) and just need help finding your next favorite book, read on for some of November's best and brightest.

The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick (Nov. 1st) - "Hollick does a remarkable job of bringing to life a little known but powerful queen, as well as the milieu and world she inhabited. The scope is vast and the cast is huge, but Hollick remains firmly in control, giving readers an absorbing plot that never lags over the course of a fat, satisfying book." - Publisher's Weekly

The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent (Nov. 8th) - "Kent doesn't disappoint in this prequel to The Heretic's Daughter, taking readers back to Massachusetts before the Salem witch trials as strong-willed 23-year-old Martha Allen falls in love with strong-armed hired hand Thomas Carrier...Kent weaves in references to her first novel while creating an immersive stand-alone...Kent brings colonial America to life by poking into its dark corners and finding its emotional and personal underpinnings. - Publisher's Weekly

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (Nov. 9th) - "A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor, in this enthralling romantic thriller from Australian author Morton." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (Nov. 9th) - "King fans (and those who have always wanted to give him a shot) will devour this collection of campfire tales where marriages sway under the weight of pitch-black secrets, greed and guilt poison and fester, and the only thing you can count on is that 'there are always worse things waiting.' Full Dark, No Stars features four one-sitting yarns showcasing King at his gritty, gruesome, giddy best, so be sure to check under the bed before getting started." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010)

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (Nov. 11th) - Mosley (Known to Evil) plays out an intriguing premise in his powerful latest: a man is given a second shot at life, but at the price of a hastened death...Mosley's depiction of the indignities of old age is heartbreaking, and Ptolemy's grace and decency make for a wonderful character and a moving novel." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

The Baker Street Irregular by Jon Lellenberg (Nov. 30th) - "Lellenberg...makes an impressive fiction debut with this gripping period spy novel...His own background as former director of the Pentagon's special operations bureau's policy and strategy office serves him well in recreating the grind and tedium of actual intelligence work." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

*If you do happen to be participating in NaNoWriMo, honorable mention goes to the book you are writing. Keep up the good work!