So the May Kindle First reads came up in my email today. I'm trying to decide which to get, One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson or Thin Air by Lisa Gray. Has anyone here picked up either one? If so, did you like it?
These are the two that interest me as well, both seem to have a kind of "Jane Hawk" feel (just going by the descriptions). I'll probably pick Thin Air, because a detective tracking down herself seems interesting. Both of these are part 1 of a two part series though. Doesn't anyone just write a single (stand-alone) novel anymore? I probably won't be getting to whichever book I choose for (at least) a couple weeks (maybe a month), as I've already got a couple I'm reading (Devil in the White City and a non-fiction book on Scrivener) and the last Jane Hawk novel (a series that has been drawn out way too much) on hold on Overdrive. After that I think I'm done with Dean Koontz.
Device: Samsung Galaxy and Windows devices. RIP: Palm & Nook devices.
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Originally Posted by rcentros
These are the two that interest me as well, both seem to have a kind of "Jane Hawk" feel (just going by the descriptions). I'll probably pick Thin Air, because a detective tracking down herself seems interesting. Both of these are part 1 of a two part series though. Doesn't anyone just write a single (stand-alone) novel anymore? I probably won't be getting to whichever book I choose for (at least) a couple weeks (maybe a month), as I've already got a couple I'm reading (Devil in the White City and a non-fiction book on Scrivener) and the last Jane Hawk novel (a series that has been drawn out way too much) on hold on Overdrive. After that I think I'm done with Dean Koontz.
Sorry to ramble.
I enjoyed Devil in the White City; Erik Larson's one of my go-to authors.
This month, I chose The Mask Collectors: A Novel by Ruvanee Pietersz Vilhauer. Now onward, to pick my IHG freebies for 2Q2019.
An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder—twice?
NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling has had her eye on Alex Traynor ever since his friend Cori fell to her death under suspicious circumstances a year ago. Cori’s death was ruled a suicide, but Sheryn thinks Alex—a wartime photojournalist suffering from PTSD—got away with murder.
When Alex’s fiancée, Emily, a talented and beloved local doctor, suddenly goes missing, Sheryn suspects that Alex is again at the center of a sticky case. Sheryn dislikes loose ends, and Cori’s death had way too many of them.
But as Sheryn starts pulling at the threads in this web, her whole theory unravels. Everyone involved remembers the night Cori died differently—and the truth about her death could be the key to solving Emily’s disappearance.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
I’m thrilled about Hilary Davidson’s new series. Her writing is so fresh and engaging. Harlan Coben says One Small Sacrifice is Hilary’s “best work yet,” and I couldn’t agree more.
NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling knows there’s more to an old case that was ruled a suicide. She can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to Alex Traynor, the dead girl’s friend, than meets the eye. There is something about him that sparks a deep intuition—intuition she’s come to trust on the job. Now Traynor’s fiancée has gone missing, and Sterling won’t rest until she uncovers the truth about him and finds the missing woman. But the more Sterling digs into the investigation, the more she realizes nothing is what it seems. She’ll have to look past everything she thinks she knows to see the reality.
One Small Sacrifice grabs you from page one and won’t let go. Detective Sheryn Sterling is the kind of character you root for and admire—ruthless in her fight against New York City crime. I was propelled through the pages, following the twists and turns as Sterling unearthed secret after secret. - Megha Parekh, Editor
For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, debut author Suzy Krause delivers a quirky, colorful story about love, loss, second chances, and what it means to truly live.
Valencia, a timid debt collector with crippling OCD, is afraid of many things, but the two that scare her most are flying and turning thirty-five. To confront those fears, Valencia’s therapist suggests that she fly somewhere—anywhere—before her upcoming birthday. And as Valencia begins a telephone romance with a man from New York, she suddenly has a destination in mind. There’s only one problem—he might not actually exist.
Mrs. Valentine is an eccentric old woman desperate for company, be it from neighbors, telemarketers, or even the funeral director (when you’re her age, you go to a lot of funerals). So she’s thrilled when the new cleaning girl provides a listening ear for her life’s story—a tale of storybook love and incredible adventures around the world with her husband before his mysterious and sudden disappearance.
The stories of Valencia and Mrs. Valentine may at first appear to have nothing in common…but then again, nothing in life is as straightforward as it seems.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
There’s a difference between being alive and living. This is a story about living.
When it comes to fiction, the first thing to win me over is the author’s voice—the feeling that it almost doesn’t matter what’s happening in the story itself because the way in which it’s being told is so utterly captivating. Debut novelist Suzy Krause has one of those rare voices that completely sucked me in from page one—both humorous and serious, lighthearted and thoughtful, smart and accessible.
Even better, Krause’s characters are equally as charming as her voice is. I found myself enraptured by Valencia’s resilience and wholeheartedly rooting for her to realize that she is worthy and deserving of happiness. And I was completely enchanted by Mrs. Valentine’s eccentricity and vibrant sense of life (despite her being near the end of it).
For fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove, this quirky novel is almost certain to deeply resonate with readers around the world. With the perfect blend of humor and heart, Krause expertly explores themes of mental health, aging, guilt, forgiveness, adventure, love, and second chances. And with a twist I didn’t see coming, the ending left me reaching for the tissue box, smiling through my tears.
Valencia and Valentine is a beautiful reminder that despite the bad things that can happen in life, there is still love and hope and laughter to be found in the world. This special novel made me realize that it’s not enough to merely be alive—I want to truly live.- Alicia Clancy, Editor
The Price of Paradise by Susana López Rubio (Author), Achy Obejas (Translator) [Genre: Historical Fiction]
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In a city as corrupt as it was luxurious, those who dared to dream were bound to pay the price.
Havana, Cuba, 1947. Young Patricio flees impoverished Spain and steps into the sultry island paradise of Havana with only the clothes on his back and half-baked dreams of a better life. Blessed with good looks and natural charm, he lands a job as a runner at El Encanto—one of the most luxurious department stores in the world.
Famous for its exquisite offerings from French haute couture to Arabian silks, El Encanto indulges the senses in opulent extravagance. It caters to visiting Hollywood stars, rising politicos, and prerevolutionary Cuba’s wealthiest power players, including the notorious mobster César Valdés.
Falling in love with the mobster’s young wife, Gloria, is suicide. But Patricio is irresistibly drawn to the beautiful girl with sad eyes, a razor-sharp intellect, and a penchant for both Christian Dior’s clothes and Einstein’s theories. Within the walls of El Encanto, anything seems possible, even a love that promises to heal them and a desire that thrums with the mambo beat of the city itself.
In a reckless love affair that spans half a century, Patricio’s and Gloria’s lives entwine time and again, challenged by every twist of fate—for in a world of murder, betrayal, and revolution, those who dare to reach for paradise seldom survive unscathed.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
As a devoted fan of period dramas set in exotic locales, I’m always on the lookout for books that are able to make a particular time and place come alive as vividly as the characters. Written with a distinctly cinematic flair, The Price of Paradise transports us to a world that is now forever lost in the sands of time. Gloria and Patricio are a pair of star-crossed lovers in 1950s Cuba, on the cusp of the revolution. With El Encanto—the iconic Havana department store that set the bar for luxury shopping around the world—as the center of their love affair and a symbol of all that was and could have been, the glamour and decadence of prerevolutionary Cuba comes galloping into view. In the tradition of the great epic storytellers—with an added touch of the telenovela—Gloria and Patricio’s romance, spanning half a century and set against the tragic backdrop of a country in the midst of great political violence and change, is a love story for the ages. - Liza Darnton, Editor
“Lisa Gray explodes onto the literary stage with this taut, edge-of-the-seat thriller, and her headstrong protagonist, Jessica Shaw, reminiscent of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, delivers a serious punch.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author
She investigates missing persons—now she is one.
Private investigator Jessica Shaw is used to getting anonymous tips. But after receiving a photo of a three-year-old kidnapped from Los Angeles twenty-five years ago, Jessica is stunned to recognize the little girl as herself.
Eager for answers, Jessica heads to LA’s dark underbelly. When she learns that her biological mother was killed the night she was abducted, Jessica’s determined to solve a case the police have forgotten. Meanwhile, veteran LAPD detective Jason Pryce is in the midst of a gruesome investigation into a murdered college student moonlighting as a prostitute. A chance encounter leads to them crossing paths, but Jessica soon realizes that Pryce is hiding something about her father’s checkered history and her mother’s death.
To solve her mother’s murder and her own disappearance, Jessica must dig into the past and find the secrets buried there. But the air gets thinner as she crawls closer to the truth, and it’s getting harder and harder to breathe.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
Jessica Shaw is the kind of character that gets under your skin from the word go. A weather-beaten private detective specializing in missing person cases, she is fearless, but not without her troubles. And her biggest challenge of all comes when she receives an anonymous email with a photograph of an all-too-familiar little girl: because the last person she expected to have to track down was herself.
This protagonist burst into life as soon as I met her, and I felt an immediate connection to her story, which is brimming with suspense and tinged by tragedy. Her life has been a struggle; she never knew her mother, who disappeared when Jessica was young, and she lost her father two years ago. Now her world has come crashing down once again. And to add insult to injury, Jessica learns that her mother didn’t disappear at all. She was murdered.
What lies at the heart of Thin Air, however, is a mystery. Who killed her mother and why? How is it connected to the gruesome events that draw her deeper into the neon noir of the Los Angeles underworld?
It’s a thriller that had me gasping for air as I raced to the final page, and I’m sure you’ll be too after you’re hooked by Jessica’s story. Here’s a piece of advice before you dive in: don’t forget to breathe. - Jack Butler, Editor
A fierce young female adventurer battles time itself to claim her destiny in a sweeping new fantasy saga from the author of the Hundredth Queen series.
Everley Donovan is living on borrowed time. The lone survivor of her family’s unexplained assassination, she was saved by an ingeniously crafted clockwork heart. But the time she was given won’t last forever. Now, every tick-tock reminds her how fragile her existence is and hastens her quest to expose Killian Markham, the navy admiral who shattered her world and left her for dead. But Everley’s hunt for justice will be a long and hard-won voyage.
Her journey takes her to a penal colony on a cursed isle, where she will be married off and charged to build the new world. It is here, and beyond, that hidden realms hide, treasures are unearthed, her family secrets are buried, and young love will test the strength of her makeshift heart. When Everley discovers Markham may not be who he seems, her pursuit for truth is bound to his redemption, her tragic history, and her astonishing destiny.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
Emily R. King’s Hundredth Queen Series introduced an ambitious new voice in feminist fantasy, and her new series—The Evermore Chronicles—carries this torch with dazzling results. Before the Broken Star begins the epic coming-of-age story of Everley Donovan, the lone survivor of her family’s murder when she was just seven years old. Saved by an innovative and magical clockwork heart, Everley now lives with a heart that’s not built to last, and she knows she doesn’t have long to avenge her family.
But for Emily King, time is not merely a matter of suspense. It’s not even merely the basis of the story’s unique magic system. More than either of these, ideas about time provide the story’s vocabulary, imagery, and metaphor—serving as a prism through which Everley’s life and story shine, crystallizing the voice through which the story truly sings. And while time itself is a pretty well-traveled theme in fantasy and science fiction, in Emily King’s hands, ways of thinking about, measuring, enduring, and living in time feel totally new as they thread through the story like—well, like magic.
Add a memorable cast of streetwise, straight-talkin’ women. Add lush settings that range from a forsaken island to a forest trapped in time. Add pitch-perfect dialogue, witty or heartbreaking, depending on the scene. Add a murder mystery, a countdown, and a voyage at sea, then give it the overall feel of a hundred wonderful fairy tales woven together, and you begin to get a sense of why fantasy readers of all ages will find so much to love in this book, and in its two sequels—Into the Hourglass and Everafter Song—coming out later this year. - Jason Kirk, Editor
An exhilarating memoir about one woman’s globe-trotting journey of inspiring awakening and self-discovery.
Shaken by the loss of her father, drained by her job at the United Nations, and conflicted over failed relationships, Natasha Scripture asked herself the question at the heart of her anxiety: What is my purpose? The answer was not about finding love; it was about recognizing its source. The result is Man Fast, a true and intimate spiritual detective story.
With courage, honesty, and wit, Natasha shares the story of her awakening. Starting with the decision to fast from dating, she embarks on a journey that takes her from New York to an ashram in southern India to toiling in a vineyard on Mount Etna to a solo safari in southern Tanzania. In stepping away from the modern demand to couple up, Natasha finally finds a reflective space where she can be fully aware: of her grief, of her identity, and of love as a mystical, ever-present force.
An antidote to a culture that prizes finding the right man, Man Fast is an emotionally charged journey that leaves us with a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Revised edition: This edition of Man Fast includes editorial revisions.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
Sometimes a good cleanse is what’s needed to rid the body of toxins. But how does one purify the soul? Man Fast is the story of one woman’s dating detox and the transformation it sets off in her quest to find balance between independence and expectation.
Natasha Scripture begins this luscious memoir a bit adrift. The death of her father, a string of bad dates, and an intense—but perplexing—love affair with a woman have left her with more questions than answers about who she is and what she wants out of love and life. Determined to rid herself of the poisonous thoughts and feelings that can come with being a thirtysomething single woman, Scripture takes to all corners of the globe in search of deeper meaning. Through the practice of ancient healing and meditative traditions and deep examination of relationships, Scripture moves into a space where she allows herself to transcend cultural norms and become fully present and awake—to her grief, to her true identity as a woman, and to love as a power that we all inherently possess.
In the vein of Eat, Pray, Love, this part spiritual journey, part travel memoir is a call to reset for anyone for whom the conventional ethos to couple up has at one time or another felt too much to endure—and a reminder to all of us who are partnered to take the time to know and love your true self. - Erin Calligan Mooney, Editor
A murder investigation becomes a dance with the devil in a breakthrough novel of illusion, conspiracy, and belief.
The alumni of an international boarding school have gathered at a campground in rural New Jersey when a scream breaks the silence of the woods. Classmates are shocked to find journalist Angie Osborne suddenly dead. The medical examiner’s report isn’t what anyone expects. Oddly, the death scene reminds anthropologist Duncan McCloud of a thovile, a Sri Lankan ritual he’s spent years studying.
When Duncan’s new employer, a pharmaceutical giant, sends him overseas under shadowy pretenses, and his wife, Dr. Grace McCloud, starts to receive anonymous warnings to doubt everyone and everything, the threads of a sweeping conspiracy begin to unravel. Risking more than their own lives, Duncan and Grace embark on a treacherous journey through occult ceremonies and their own hidden pasts to discover a secret worth killing for.
In taut, precise language, Ruvanee Pietersz Vilhauer’s debut novel The Mask Collectors tells a story about deception, the power of belief, and what is left unspoken between husbands and wives.
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
What if you were told that in the very near future, you could take a pill from a doctor, and any ailments you may have will disappear with no side effects? When anthropologist Duncan McCloud is hired by a pharmaceutical giant, that’s exactly what he’s told he’ll be working toward. But how can an anthropologist—especially one specializing in a Sri Lankan healing ritual—help with this ambitious project? As Duncan dives further into his research, his wife, Dr. Grace McCloud, starts receiving anonymous messages warning her about ambiguous dangers around this company, including some about the traditional masks involved in her husband’s research. And then, people she knows start mysteriously dying.
Reading Ruvanee’s debut novel had me turning the pages faster than any book in recent memory. Just like Grace, I too wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. But what kept me in awe was not only the vast conspiracy that Ruvanee masterfully spins in this delightful literary suspense, but also that in her writing she allows us to spend time in the quieter moments—of the bonds a husband and wife have and the secrets they may keep from each other. In the end, this book weaves a compelling story from New Jersey to Sri Lanka, all the while tackling with ease huge issues like our trust in Big Pharma and how our cultural backgrounds can play their own part in our belief systems. - Vivian Lee, Editor
It’s summertime, and you’re invited for a rollicking day at the pool with Charlie and his pet dragon (and best friend!), Rosie. But be careful—swimming with a dragon can be, um, challenging. As Rosie and Charlie blow bubbles (don’t forget your umbrella!), practice flutter kicks (watch out for tidal waves!), and offer shoulder rides (hang on tight!), Rosie proves that dragons make the most fun pets ever. Now if only Charlie can keep Rosie’s attention focused on the rules at the pool and NOT on her gummy snacks (you know, the ones that cause stinky dragon breath!)…Grab your towels and sunscreen and join Rosie and Charlie for a fun-filled summer adventure!
Editor Notes:
Spoiler:
The first time that I met Rosie the dragon and Charlie on the manuscript’s pages, I found myself immediately smitten with their loyal and fun-loving personalities. And when the art came in, I was even more in love. Rosie, a rotund, bright-pink dragon, has all the characteristics of your favorite pet—she’s a little shy at first but eager to please and completely silly, with just a touch of rebellion. Charlie, on the other hand, takes his job as Rosie’s owner and best friend very seriously, and he’s always there for Rosie with a reassuring word or a big hug. It’s not easy teaching a dragon how to swim! But Charlie never gives up on his best pal, Rosie...even if she does cause a few calamities along the way. From ice pops by the pool to cannonballs under the blazing-hot summer sun, this lively romp exudes all the best things that summertime fun has to offer. I hope you’ll enjoy taking a splash with this adorable duo! - Marilyn Brigham, Editor
Just curious, are you sure this works without having to pay for Prime on each account?
Amazon's page on Family Sharing suggests it's a shareable benefit, but I haven't tried it yet. It's listed under Prime benefits you can share, but purchased ebooks are covered as digital content you can share. There's not two books I want enough to try, and this has been true for most months (probably all of them).
Amazon's page on Family Sharing suggests it's a shareable benefit, but I haven't tried it yet. It's listed under Prime benefits you can share, but purchased ebooks are covered as digital content you can share. There's not two books I want enough to try, and this has been true for most months (probably all of them).
Thanks, that is why I was asking. I would assume it works like you suggest, but it could also mean that free First Reads books are shareable after picking one like any other digital content.
Thanks, that is why I was asking. I would assume it works like you suggest, but it could also mean that free First Reads books are shareable after picking one like any other digital content.
Yeah, I'm hoping JSWolf will pop back in and tell us for sure. If not I may give it a try simply to provide an answer for the forum.
I enjoyed Devil in the White City; Erik Larson's one of my go-to authors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wearever
I went with Thin Air also, I won't be able to read it anytime soon I still have books I'm reading for May. I also liked Devil in the White City .
I finished it pretty quickly (by my slow standards). I know the "star" of the show was Holmes, but I found the fair, itself, to be more interesting. Larson did too good of a job getting into Holmes character for my taste. What a creep (Holmes, not Larson). I almost wonder if Larson could have broken this up into two books.
Maybe I will go to Thin Air right away. I'm reading something called One Word Kill which I think was a First Read choice a month (or two) back. It's set in 1980s England — I wonder if it was originally written then. Sure "feels" like it. It's short and reads quickly (again, by my standards) so I shouldn't be long on this one.
Device: Oasis 2,Voyage, Kindlle hdx 8.9, Ipad mini 4. Air 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by rcentros
I finished it pretty quickly (by my slow standards). I know the "star" of the show was Holmes, but I found the fair, itself, to be more interesting. Larson did too good of a job getting into Holmes character for my taste. What a creep (Holmes, not Larson). I almost wonder if Larson could have broken this up into two books.
Maybe I will go to Thin Air right away. I'm reading something called One Word Kill which I think was a First Read choice a month (or two) back. It's set in 1980s England — I wonder if it was originally written then. Sure "feels" like it. It's short and reads quickly (again, by my standards) so I shouldn't be long on this one.
My all time favorite Erik Larson book is Thunderstruck. Very similar in writing style to Devil in the White City. This had two stories going on at the same time also. The inventor( Marconi ) of the first overseas telegraph communication. At the time seemed supernatural, and was a time when many had sought supernatural communications with mediums, including Arthur Conan Doyle, the part where Larson really gets me like Holmes did in The Devil in the White City, was when Doyle meets with a famous medium at the time and tries to communicate with a spirit in a secluded place off the mainland. His assistant was with him, and the medium was absolutely terrifying ! It made the other story, about the famous murderer Hawley Crippen seem not as bad, Lol. Who's attempt to flee arrest was foiled by Marconi's new invention in a very public way. Highly recommended.
I can also liked One Word Kill last months selection.
False Step by Victoria Helen Stone [Genre: Domestic Suspense]
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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
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]
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“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]
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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]
Quote:
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
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]
Quote:
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]
Quote:
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
Last edited by Manabi; 06-19-2019 at 04:06 AM.
Reason: Missed books 7 & 8
I'm late looking for a book this month. I'll need to think about them before the month is over
Ok I chose Trance the Psychological Thriller.
I was thinking about that one too. Let me know if it is any good before the month is over. It sounded a little bit too scary with the blurb saying it is not a real superpower, but in theory possible.
05-03-2019, 11:20 PM
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