January 2011's Must-Reads

Kick off the new year with some fantastic new books! This month's selections include a coming-of-age story with a dash of magic, an engaging new detective series set in South Africa, an enthralling treatment of the 1920 Wall Street bombing, a Shakespeare-quoting, lively trio of homeward-bound sisters and the poignant stories of military wives. If January is any indication, 2011 is sure to bring outstanding books for all!

Among Others by Jo Walton (Jan. 18th) - "World Fantasy Award-winner Walton (Tooth and Claw) turns the magical boarding school story inside out in this compelling coming-of-age tale...this outstanding...tale draws its strength from a solid foundation of sense-of-wonder and what-if." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The October Killings by Wessel Ebersohn (Jan. 18th) - "South African author Ebersohn kicks off a promising new series pairing psychologist Yudel Gordon...with Abigail Bukula, chief director of South Africa's justice department, who can more than hold her own with the brilliantly eccentric Gordon...The complexities of South Africa a decade after the end of white rule help fuel a compelling plot that builds to several dramatic climaxes." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld (Jan. 20th) - "The 1920 bombing of Wall Street, the most deadly act of terrorism in the United States until the Oklahoma blast of 1995, provides the framework for Rubenfeld's excellent follow-up to The Interpretation of Murder...Rubenfeld deftly wends his way through the shifting landscape with a historian's factual touch and a storyteller's eye for the dramatic and telling." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (Jan. 20th) - "The Weird Sisters in Eleanor Brown's delightful debut could have been weirder, considering their upbringing...With lively dialogue and witty collective narration, the sisters' untangling of their identities and relationships feels honest and wise, and the questions they raise about how we carry our childhood roles into our adult lives will resonate with all readers, especially those with their own weird sisters." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2011)

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon (Jan. 20th) - "The crucial role of military wives becomes clear in Fallon's powerful, resonant debut collection, where women are linked by absence and a pervading fear that they'll become war widows...Fallon writes with both grit and grace: her depiction of military life is enlivened by telling details, from the early morning sound of boots stomping down the stairs to the large sign that tallies automobile fatalities of troops returned from Iraq. Significant both as war stories and love stories, this collection certifies Fallon as an indisputable talent." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

December 2010's Must-Reads

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, you may be on the lookout for the perfect gift for loved ones. You may also be longing for a good book to help escape the hubub of this busy time of year. Look no further than this month's list of must-read books for the solution to both quandaries!

The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip (Dec. 7th) - World Fantasy Award winner McKillip (The Bell at Sealey Head) offers a rich, resonant story of poetry, riddles, mystery, and magic...McKillip seduces readers with lyrical prose; intriguing, complex characters; and resonant riddles-within-riddles." - Publisher's Weekly

The Four Stages of Cruelty by Keith Hollihan (Dec. 7th) - "Hollihan manages to combine a labyrinthine plot, full of intrigue, secret societies, and arcane lore, with a nuanced, character-driven narrative that provides insights into prison life while keeping readers guessing until the last page." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings (Dec. 7th) - "Meekings is a bangup storyteller, and his easy handling of rich and varied material - rustic splendor, class warfare, profound anguish, drastic social changes - will keep readers apt. This is a beautifully told love story as well as an absorbing study in Chinese folklore and history." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal (Dec. 21st) - "O'Neal's tale of strong-willed women and torn family loyalties is a cut above the standard women's fiction fare, held together by lovingly sketched characters and real emotion." - Publisher's Weekly

The Radleys by Matt Haig (Dec. 28th) - "This witty vampire novel from British author Haig (The Possession of Mr. Cave) provides what jaded fans of the Twilight series need, not True Blood exactly, but some fresh blood in the form of a true blue family." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

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!

October 2010's Must-Reads

As the month and season change, so does the list of must-read books. This month's list includes lyrical storytelling from the Pacific Northwest, a thoughtful and romantic monster, an intriguing mystery set in 1686 Paris, distinct stories linked by a perplexing writing desk and a promising crime novel debut. Just enough to keep you happily reading all month long.

Mink River by Brian Boyle (Oct 1st) - "The fantasical blends with the natural elements in this original, postmodern, shimmering tapestry of smalltown life that profits from the oral traditions of the town's population of Native Americans and Irish immigrants. Those intrigued by the cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest will treasure every lyrical sentence." - Publisher's Weekly

Frankenstein's Monster by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe (Oct. 5th) - "The eponymous monster of gothic horror rises once again in this well-wrought sequel to Mary Shelley's classic tale...O'Keefe credibly extrapolates the moods and thoughts of the monster from how Shelley first imagined them in one of the better recent treatments of the Frankenstein theme." - Publisher's Weekly

Great House by Nicole Krauss (Oct. 5th) - "This stunning work showcases Krauss's consistent talent. The novel consists of four stories divided among eight chapters, all touching on themes of loss and recovery, and anchored to a massive writing desk that resurfaces among numerous households, much to the bewilderment and existential tension of those in its orbit..." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

The Rhetoric of Death by Judith Rock (Oct. 5th) - "Rock's superb historical debut opens with 28-year-old Charles du Luc arriving in 1686 Paris to serve as a teacher of rhetoric in a Jesuit school...With an experienced writer's ease, Rock incorporates details of the political issues of the day into a suspenseful story line." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva (Oct. 12th) - "The serial torching of Mount Hope, a deteriorating Providence, R.I., neighborhood, sparks an investigative reporter's mission to smoke out the firebug in DeSilva's promising debut...A twist in the tale will keep reader's turning the pages until the bitter end." - Publisher's Weekly

September 2010's Must-Reads

Something new to look forward to is a regularly scheduled post of each month's must-read fiction. Here you will find info about some of the best books being published in a given month. Ready your bookmarks and place your holds - here are the must-reads of September!

Ape House by Sara Gruen (Sept. 7th) - "Gruen's astute, wildly entertaining tale of interspecies connection is a novel of verve and conscience." - Booklist (Starred Review)

The Countess and the King by Susan Holloway Scott (Sept. 7th) - "In this vivid portrait of Katherine Sedley, mistress of King James II, Scott unravels the intricate web of court intrigues that has long fascinated historical romance enthusiasts." - Publisher's Weekly

The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass (Sept. 7th) - "Glass handles the coalescing plot elements with astute insights into the complexity of family relationships, the gulf between social classes, and our modern culture of excess to create a dramatic, thought-provoking, and immensely satisfying novel." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Revew)

Room by Emma Donoghue (Sept. 13th) - "Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered..." Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best of the Month selection, September 2010)

Fame by Daniel Kehlmann (Sept. 14th) - "Layers of connection, irony, despair, and humor distinguish this masterful work and announce Kehlman as a worthy heir to Bowles and Camus." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)