[Manabi]

This month's Amazon First Reads selections are out, they are:

False Step by Victoria Helen Stone [Genre: Domestic Suspense]

Stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In this marriage of secrets and lies, nothing is what it seems.

For days, all of Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, little Tanner Holcomb. Then, a miracle: handsome, athletic Johnny Bradley finds him, frightened but unharmed, on a hiking trail miles from his wealthy family’s mountain home.

In a heartbeat, his rescuer goes from financially strapped fitness trainer to celebrated hero. The heat of the spotlight may prove too much for Johnny’s picture-perfect family, however. His wife, Veronica, despises the pressure of the sudden fame, afraid that secrets and bitter resentments of her marriage may come to light. And she’s willing to do anything to keep them hidden.

But when a shocking revelation exposes an even darker side to Tanner’s disappearance, Veronica realizes that nothing in her life can be trusted. And everything should be feared.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

My favorite type of summer read is something I can devour in one sitting but will linger with me days after reading the final page, which is why I’m thrilled to introduce False Step by Victoria Helen Stone. It’s both fast-paced and unforgettable.

Victoria is a master of page-turning suspense, bringing readers deep into the lives of complex characters whose dark impulses threaten to destroy everything they hold dear. In False Step, she delivers a riveting story of a family that becomes instant media darlings when husband and father Johnny Bradley finds a young child who’s been missing for days. The sheen of celebrity is short-lived, however, as his wife, Veronica, starts to suspect something sinister is behind Johnny’s rescue—and as her own deep, dark secrets are put at risk.

False Step is a chilling reminder that we all have things we keep hidden and begs the reader to ask, How well do I really know the people closest to me? It’s a question I guarantee you’ll consider long after you put down the book. - Chris Werner, Editor

Along the Broken Bay by Flora J. Solomon [Genre: Historical Fiction]

From the bestselling author of A Pledge of Silence comes a story of resistance, intrigue, and risking it all in the WWII Philippines.

December 1941. War has erupted in the Pacific, spelling danger for Gina Capelli Thorpe, an American expat living in Manila. When the Japanese invade and her husband goes missing, Gina flees with her daughter to the Zambales Mountains to avoid capture—or worse.

Desperate for money, medicine, and guns, the resistance recruits Gina to join their underground army and smuggles her back to Manila. There, she forges a new identity and opens a nightclub, where seductive beauties sing, dance, and tease secrets out of high-ranking Japanese officers while the wildly successful club and its enemy patrons help fund the resistance.

But operating undercover in the spotlight has Gina struggling to stay a step ahead of the Japanese. She’s risked everything to take a stand, but her club is a house of cards in the eye of a storm. Can Gina keep this delicate operation running long enough to outlast the enemy, or is she on a sure path to defeat that will put her family, her freedom, or even her life at risk?

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

This stunning book brings to light the devastation, destruction, and, ultimately, heroism that gripped the Philippines after the Japanese military invaded during World War II. At the time, the Philippines was home to many American expats who suddenly found themselves at the mercy of a ruthless enemy. Some abandoned their homes for the remote jungles of the Zambales Mountains. Many were imprisoned in internment camps. Others, like Gina Capelli Thorpe—the stirring character at the heart of this story, inspired by true events—fought back.

When we first meet Gina, she’s living a pampered life in Manila. After the Japanese invade, she and her daughter seek refuge in the Zambales; however, the atrocities inflicted by the Japanese are too great to ignore. Gina decides she must act and becomes a pivotal player in an underground resistance network whose stealth helps cripple the enemy.

Joining the resistance feels like an impossible challenge for Gina. It requires a resolve and braveness she’s not sure she has, and, most devastatingly, Gina is forced to leave her daughter behind with friends. Yet she knows she must come out of the shadows in order protect her country and its people. Gina’s story is just one example of the resilience and self-sacrifice that took root in the Philippines during its darkest hour, a testament to the fact that it’s often the most trying of times that show us who we really are and what we’re capable of achieving. - Chris Werner, Editor

Trance by Adam Southward [Genre: Psychological Thriller]

“A tense, original thriller that perfectly blends the nail-biting suspense and shocks of Silence of the Lambs and Shutter Island.” —John Marrs, bestselling author of When You Disappeared

His victims are powerless. He is in control. This is his revenge—and he’s only just begun.

Three university scientists are found dead in a gruesome murder-suicide, and the only suspect in the case, Victor Lazar, is quickly captured. When the spate of violent suicides follows him to prison he is moved to solitary confinement, reserved for the highest-risk inmates. And then his assigned psychologist inexplicably takes his own life.

Alex Madison, a former forensic psychologist turned private therapist, is brought in to interview Victor. He suspects that Victor is controlling his victims, somehow coaxing them into a suggestive trance. It seems like science fiction, but as Alex digs deeper he uncovers a frightening reality of secret research and cruel experimentation—and the perpetrators are closer to home than he could ever have imagined.

Too late, Alex learns the true extent of what Victor is capable of—and who he’s after. With everything he holds dear at risk, can Alex take control of a dangerous mind—before it takes control of him?

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Victor Lazar is a villain like no other. His control is absolute. As a reader I felt uneasy from the first page; Victor’s voice had already gotten inside my head as easily as it did for his victims, doomed from the moment he opened his mouth. And just like with them, once he had me, he didn’t let go.

The moment that I felt myself slipping into this novel came during a scene where we watch the protagonist, Dr Alex Madison, observing footage of one of Victor’s crimes. A fellow inmate commits a horrible suicide with nothing but Victor’s whisper in his ear. Even though I knew it was fiction, and even though I was watching through Alex’s eyes, I was transfixed with horror. How could the killer coax his victims to commit such terrible acts upon themselves and others? The answer was just as terrifying, because Victor’s ability was real.

As Alex’s investigation into this formidable monster deepened, I felt the suspense and fear take over, knowing what Victor was capable of. But the further Alex delved into Victor’s past, the more frightening the truth became.

The ruthless pace and psychological suspense of Trance ensnares and takes hold of you until the very last page. And with such a shocking conclusion, you won’t be able to resist flipping back to the start, like I did, to submit yourself once more. - Jack Butler, Editor

Stars in His Eyes by Martí Gironell (Author), Adrian Nathan West (Translator) [Genre: Biographical Fiction]

From the fascist Franco regime to Hollywood’s glamour—an epic historical novel based on the meteoric rise of one of the world’s most celebrated restaurateurs.

Ceferino Carrión is desperate for a new life—one of opportunity, fortune, and fame. But he knows he’ll never find this life in war-torn Spain. With his home country under the heel of the devastating Franco dictatorship and call-up papers on his doorstep, Cefe knows there’s only one thing he can do: run.

A new life awaits in America, as does a new name—Jean Leon. From the concrete valleys of the Bronx to the sun-soaked hills of California, Jean crosses paths with legendary superstars, political powerhouses, and dangerous mobsters as he flees his past and pursues his dreams. With friends like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean to see him through, Jean soon gets his own taste of stardom, opening his glamourous Beverly Hills restaurant, La Scala, to nightly swarms of celebrities.

But with every new adrenaline rush of celebrity, Jean is further distanced from everyone he loves. Only in searching through his ever-receding past in Barcelona can he find the key to unlock the dream life he has risked so much to build.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

After the Second World War, the American dream burned so brightly you could see it from across the globe—specifically in this case, from Spain, where our hero, Ceferino Carrión, stows away on a transatlantic ferry to escape conscription by the Franco regime.

Drawn by the lights of the silver screen, he crossed the country and became a new person—Jean Leon—his life intersecting with the golden age of American postwar politics and Hollywood glamour in a dazzling and brilliant way. Leon becomes good friends with aspiring actor James Dean, as well as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe, to name only a few. His chutzpah and the affluence of the era, combined with the magic of the Hollywood moment, led Leon to establish himself as one of the first celebrity restaurateurs, bringing the romance of the old country’s food and wine to a thirsty American public.

All this glamour comes with a price, though, and it’s one paid largely by Leon’s family on both sides of the Atlantic. Watching Jean come to terms with his past and present choices gave the novel a real emotional resonance for me.

I simply couldn’t help but devour this bestselling novel by Catalan author Martí Gironell, based on the real life of La Scala restaurateur Jean Leon. Nor could reading audiences in Gironell’s native country, which crowned the book with Novel of the Year honors in both Spanish and Catalan.

Bon appétit—I welcome you to dig in and enjoy the feast! - Elizabeth DeNoma, Editor

The Blue Period by Luke Jerod Kummer [Genre: Literary Fiction]

A riveting novel about the tragic romance that nearly destroyed a young Pablo Picasso—while granting him his first flight of creative genius.

From rowdy Barcelona barrooms to the incandescent streets of turn-of-the-century Paris, Pablo Picasso experiences the sumptuous highs and seedy lows of bohemian life alongside his rebellious poet friend with a shadowy past, Carles Casagemas.

Fleeing family misfortune and their parents’ expectations, the two young artists seek their creative outlet while chasing inspiration in drugs, decadence, and the liberated women of Montmartre—creatures far different from the veiled ones back home.

The new life feels like bliss, and nothing can come between them…until a dark-haired, enigmatic muse enters the picture. The two artists’ passion for Germaine will lead to a devastating turn. Amid soul-searching and despair, however, Picasso discovers a color palette in which to render his demons and paint himself into lasting history.

Bringing the exuberance of the era vividly to life, this richly imagined portrait of Picasso’s coming of age intertwines the love, death, lust, and friendships that inspired the immortal works of a defiant master.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Behind every great piece of art is a story. Behind the early work of Pablo Picasso, there was a drama so tragic and intense, it’s surprising that a novel like this has never been written.

In Luke Jerod Kummer’s The Blue Period, we see the real-life story of how Picasso ventured to Paris as a young man and found himself entangled in a love triangle that nearly ruined him before inspiring his great period of artistic achievement.

I love how this novel gave me the experience of being in Paris at the turn of the twentieth century—before the city was the center of artistic expression, and long before Picasso’s groundbreaking work in cubism began. In the novel, we come to understand and see the young artist, barely an adult, arrive in Paris from Barcelona and discover his potential. I was fascinated to learn that from that span of time emerged what art historians now call the Blue Period, thought by many to be a reference only to his palette but that also encompasses the early, dark mood that beset Picasso—until true love saved him at last, and led to the Rose Period that first brought him fame.

Luke Jerod Kummer managed to take what was once a few paragraphs in Picasso’s biography and turn it into a wonderfully told coming-of-age novel. After reading this book, I’ll never look at another Picasso painting the same way. - Carmen Johnson, Editor

The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out by William Dameron [Genre: Memoir]

A candid memoir of denial, stolen identities, betrayal, faking it, and coming out.

Do you know me?, the email began, sparking tremors of fear that turned into a full quake of panic when William Dameron discovered that his selfie had been stolen by strangers. On social networks and dating sites, his image and identity—a forty-year-old straight white male—had been used to hook countless women into believing in lies of love and romance. Was it all an ironic cosmic joke? Almost a decade prior, William himself had been living a lie that had lasted for more than twenty years. His secret? He was a gay man, a fact he hid from his wife and two daughters for almost as long as he had hidden it from himself.

In this emotional and unflinchingly honest memoir of coming out of the closet late in life, owning up to the past, and facing the future, William Dameron confronts steroid addiction, the shame and homophobia of his childhood, the sledgehammer of secrets that slowly tore his marriage apart, and his love for a gay father of three that would once again challenge the boundaries of trust. At the true heart of The Lie is a universal story about turning self-doubt into self-acceptance and about pain, anger, and the long journey of both seeking and giving forgiveness.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

We are a species of pretenders. As children, we invest in the world of make believe and imaginary friends; we cling to stories where animals talk and the good guys always win. In adulthood, we create captivating optical illusions of ourselves on social media, at work, and at times even with our own families. But how do you find your true self when you’ve lived a lie for so long? This is the question William Dameron has to confront after his image and identity are stolen and used to catfish countless women around the world into false online relationships. Though William’s marriage ended a decade ago, the catfishing scheme forces him to relook at the emotional betrayal he inflicted on his ex-wife and two kids, in which he convinced them that he was someone he wasn’t.

Are you gay? Katherine asks him one day in a Walmart parking lot, summoning the courage to begin the end of their twenty-year marriage and giving him the gift of a chance at an authentic life. In The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out, William takes us on a dark journey of steroid abuse, obsession, self-loathing, and a husband and father’s irreparable secrets as he grapples with the demons of his past: a mother’s rejection, the homophobia of his upbringing, the cultural landscape of violence against LGBTQ people, and the damage that he himself inflicted on those he loved most. With unflinching honesty and bravery, William takes readers on a journey through the messy business of forgiveness (who is it for and who has a right to ask for it?), asking perhaps one of the hardest questions of all: Who is he without his lifelong lie? With stunning prose and great heart, The Lie teaches us that the hardest questions are the ones most likely to set us free. - Hafizah Geter, Editor

Spiky by Ilaria Guarducci (Author, Illustrator), Laura Watkinson (Translator) [Genre: Children's]

When Spiky loses his spikes, he must learn to share his softer side.

Spiky lives in the dark of the forest, where he spends his days being very, very bad, bullying the other forest creatures and sharpening the spikes on his body. Those spikes are handy for keeping everybody at a distance, and that’s just how Spiky likes it! But then one day the unthinkable happens: Spiky starts losing his spikes! Soon he is left looking as soft and as pink as a soft, pink marshmallow. What will Spiky do, now that he can no longer scare away the other forest creatures? Will he have to (gulp!) make friends? It’s a good thing Bernardo the bunny comes along to show him how it’s done.

First published in Italy, this charming story of friendship will have children giggling until the very end.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

What happens when our armor falls away, and we can no longer hide our true selves from the world? Spiky explores this question—but in the most delightful way possible! In this book, we meet a creature who rejoices in bullying everyone around him. But when the spikes on his body suddenly fall off, he’s faced with an existential crisis: Who is Spiky, if he is not spiky and very, very bad? Could he maybe be...a friend?

This quirky book, originally published in Italy, has the perfect combination of heart and humor. Author/illustrator Ilaria Guarducci creates a lively anthropomorphized world that oozes with charming details (don’t miss those pink slippers!). And I just love the expressions on Spiky’s face as he goes from bold and prickly to vulnerable and real. As Spiky learns, being a friend means letting other people get close. That can be a little scary at first. But ultimately, it is a very, very good feeling to be a friend, isn’t it? - Marilyn Brigham, Editor

Still I Miss You by Inês Pedrosa (Author), Andrea Rosenberg (Translator) [Genre: World Literature]

From the acclaimed author of In Your Hands comes a heartrending novel about the struggle to hold on to what you’ve lost, and knowing when it’s time to let go.

In this keenly observant dissection of a love affair in limbo, award-winning author Inês Pedrosa masterfully draws readers into the feverish, unsparing dual confessions of a man and a woman who are finally baring their hearts, souls, fury, and grief over a relationship that was abruptly shattered and never forgotten. Until now, there was so much between them left unspoken.

With each new unguarded, darkly funny, and emotional disclosure, they’re brought back together—though impossibly so. Through the intimate voices of these unforgettable narrators unfolds a remarkable love story of regret and reconciliation, of loss and wrenching truths, told across lines few have ever considered crossing.

Praised by the New York Times for the “incantatory prose . . . absorbing in its history, as well as in its family dynamics” of her multigenerational saga In Your Hands, Pedrosa casts a seductive new spell with Still I Miss You, her second novel to be translated into English.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

There are many ways to tell a love story. Award-winning Portuguese author Inês Pedrosa’s lush, thought-provoking, emotional tour de force Still I Miss You offers a fresh and memorable narrative framework. This beautiful book surprised me from its very conceit—and lived up to the lofty expectations of the author’s vision.

The novel features two voices speaking directly to one another across an impossible divide, enveloping the reader in an intimate relationship while also revealing truths neither narrator accepts. The lyrical quality of their emotional confessions is contrasted by colder, harsher tones around the differences that divide them, resulting in a balance of power that can feel impossible in real life. And there is no one better suited to this tightrope walk than Pedrosa, in collaboration with translator Andrea Rosenberg—the New York Times highlighted how the author’s English debut with Rosenberg, In Your Hands, “intertwines the political and the personal through its incantatory prose.” Readers of Still I Miss You have sentences like these to look forward to: “In that story that no longer includes me, the story I rode like a carousel, the story that is always only a temporary dwelling place, people have questions.” And, reader, you too should be prepared for the questions this book will raise—about trust, about identity, and about the subtle ways we help each other transcend such definitions.

It is my absolute honor to share this gift of literature with you, a truly special entry into my own personal canon, to be shelved alongside such luminaries of empathy and style as Louise Erdrich and Nicole Krauss, Iris Murdoch and Albert Camus. I invite you to put all else aside and experience this beautiful book for yourself. - Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor