Kindle First

[Dngrsone]

Grave of Hummingbirds sounds interesting, though the teaser could use a little tweaking. I might try Out of Sorts... I'll have to ponder this for a while.

[Wearever]

These look like interesting books, I'll have a harder time deciding, might pick up a couple this time.

[phloxy]

Hmm at least three of these are books I think I'd like to try. Usually my choice is clear. Not sure what I'll do!

[reise]

I think I will select a Death in Sweden.

[Dngrsone]

I decided to go with Hummingbirds; because Out of Sorts might hit a little too close to home (I am a grumpy old man).

[Wearever]

I almost forgot I hadn't picked a book yet, busy time of year ! I went with " A Death in Sweden."

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Wearever

I almost forgot I hadn't picked a book yet, busy time of year ! I went with " A Death in Sweden."

Thanks for the reminder. I nearly missed it.

I picked up Terms of Use.

[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

Fields of Wrath (Luis Chavez Book 1) by Mark Wheaton [Genre: Mystery]

Following his ordination as a priest, Father Luis Chavez returns to the mean streets of his youth, hoping to put his past behind him. But the brutal murder of a worker in Ventura County’s vast farm fields compels Luis to return to his criminal roots in order to unravel a massive conspiracy. Teaming up with Michael Story, an ambitious Los Angeles deputy DA, Chavez goes undercover as a farm laborer to bring down an immense human-trafficking ring tied to one of California’s most prominent and powerful families.

Fighting to stay on the path of the righteous while confronting evil at every turn, Father Chavez finds himself in a battle of good versus evil, with the souls of hundreds hanging in the balance.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Father Luis Chavez is one of the most original, thought-provoking characters I’ve encountered in a long time, someone who sees every nuance in the people around him. Having spent his youth in an East LA gang that was very, shall we say, Old Testament, he’s got survival skills he didn’t learn in seminary. But through gang negotiations, stakeouts, and gunfights, he retains a formidable drive to find justice for those who are so often ignored by society.

I wrestled with the contrast between Chavez’s steady faith and the harsh situations in which he finds himself, but ultimately I was fascinated by one of the book’s underlying questions: What happens in the darkest corners of the real world when someone takes his faith very seriously? When the Los Angeles DA’s office runs out of leads in the murder of a migrant worker with ties to Chavez’s parish, the young priest doesn’t just offer prayers—he takes action. Cynical DA Michael Story just wants to make sure he comes out of the scandal looking good, but Chavez knows that doing the right thing isn’t always pretty. He’s the real public servant here: he’s worried about the next person who needs help, not the next rung on the political ladder.

Chavez’s struggle for justice still has me captivated—no matter what comes next for this complex, conflicted character, I’m along for the ride.

- Kjersti Egerdahl, Editor

The Moonlit Garden by Corina Bomann (Author), Alison Layland (Translator) [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

Lilly Kaiser had come to terms with her solitary, uncomplicated life after becoming a young widow. So when a stranger delivers an old violin to her Berlin antiques shop and tells Lilly it belongs to her, she’s completely bewildered. Why should she be the one to inherit such an exquisite instrument?

Together with her best friend, Ellen, and handsome musicologist Gabriel Thornton, Lilly sets out to explore the violin’s legacy. From England to Italy to Indonesia, she follows its winding trail. Along the way, she learns of Rose Gallway, a beautiful woman of English and Sumatran descent who lived among Sumatra’s lush gardens more than a hundred years earlier. A celebrated and sought-after musician, Rose once owned Lilly’s violin and regularly played concerts for Sumatra’s colonial elite—until, one day, she simply disappeared.

As Lilly unravels the mystery behind Rose’s story—and uncovers other unexpected secrets—she’ll come to see her own life in an entirely new light. And as each shared discovery brings her closer to Gabriel, her heart might finally break its long-held silence.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Like the colorful array of unexpected gems I admire on a Saturday stroll through the antique shop, this sweeping novel is a treasure hunter’s paradise, rich and rewarding, full of connections to distant lands and relics of more glamorous times. The Moonlit Garden opens with a stranger handing shopkeeper Lilly a rare violin and claiming it belongs to her, a woman with no trace of musical ability. She has no choice but to learn why and heads off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Lilly’s story is interwoven with the tale of famed violinist Rose Gallway, who visits Sumatra in the early twentieth century to perform for wealthy plantation owners. As Lilly investigates the violin’s origins with the help of a handsome musicologist, the novel travels back in time to find Rose in the sensual paradise of a moonlit garden, where she is enjoying the fresh air. The scene is so vividly described that I can still smell the blooming jasmine, see the moon reflected in the fountain, and hear the birds singing. When we return with Lilly to this site in the present day, the colonial mansion may be long gone, but we can hear echoes of the birds’ glorious song, and the jasmine, though growing wild and free, smells just as sweet. As does the violin itself, this location embodies its past, like a living antique.

By traveling to Sumatra herself, Lilly’s senses come alive, and she finds not only the missing link in her history but also a newly open heart. Like any treasure, her heart grows better with age.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

Captain Riley (The Captain Riley Adventures Book 1) by Fernando Gamboa (Author), Alexander Woodend (Translator) [Genre: Action Adventure]

It’s 1941, and Captain Alexander M. Riley and his crew of deep-sea treasure hunters believe they’re setting off on yet another adventure—to find a mysterious artifact off the coast of Morocco for an enigmatic millionaire with questionable motives. Part-time smugglers, world travelers, and expats who have fought causes both valiant and doomed, Riley and his crew soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a deal much more dangerous than the one they bargained for. From Spain to Morocco to an Atlantic crossing that leads to Washington, DC, Captain Riley must sail his ship, the Pingarrón, straight through the eye of a ruthless squall and into a conspiracy that goes by the name Operation Apokalypse—a storm that only he and his crew can navigate.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Fernando Gamboa’s Captain Riley shoots out of the gate on an exceptional adventure that propelled me through high-octane escapades against a backdrop of World War II spycraft and Nazi intrigue. As I flew through the book, I was put in mind of my favorite adventurers: Indiana Jones, Humphrey Bogart’s Rick in Casablanca, and the dashing daredevils in the historical thrillers of Clive Cussler or Ken Follett.

Captain Alexander Riley leads his semi-willing crew of friends, lovers, wisecracking seafarers, and war refugees on a journey that morphs from a seemingly simple salvage and smuggling mission to something much darker and more menacing. From the coast of France, across the sands of Morocco, to the roiling waves of the North Atlantic, the adventures unfold, with Gamboa constantly ratcheting up the tension. Meanwhile, old loyalties falter, new alliances are forged, betrayal lurks, dramatic rescues erupt, and constant peril looms—all conspiring to make this first book of The Captain Riley Adventures an un-put-down-able read for me.

I hope you enjoy meeting antihero Alex Riley, his idealism stripped by the horrors of his wartime experience; his loyal friend, the sardonic and romantic Jack Alcántara; and peerless seductress Carmen Debagh and look forward to their future escapades as much as I do.

Bon voyage!

- Elizabeth DeNoma, Editor

Harmony Black (Harmony Black Series Book 1) by Craig Schaefer [Genre: Fantasy]

Harmony Black is much more than your average FBI special agent. In addition to being a practicing witch, she’s also an operative for Vigilant Lock, an off-the-books program created to battle occult threats—by any means necessary. Despite her dedication to fighting the monsters threatening society, Harmony has become deeply conflicted about her job. Her last investigation resulted in a pile of dead bodies, and she suspects the wrong people are being punished for it.

While on a much-needed vacation, Harmony gets pulled back into action. This time, though, she’s gone from solo work to being part of a team. Their target: the Bogeyman, a vicious and elusive figure…and the creature that destroyed Harmony’s childhood.

Surrounded by quirky, fascinating characters as dedicated to one another as they are to their new partner, Harmony must learn to trust her team—and a new romantic interest—on a dangerous and deadly mission that conjures up memories she’d much rather forget.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Harmony Black is a morning person. She always wears business suits when working and prefers Diet Coke. She is also a witch, who uses her power to protect the innocent from supernatural threats. I am not a morning person, and I’m definitely not a witch, yet despite this, I relate to Harmony. Within the pages of Harmony Black, author Craig Schaefer has created a character so vivid, I feel as if she is really out there, behind the scenes, keeping us safe.

Harmony Black’s world is dark, and the forces of chaos are fighting to make it darker for the humans that inhabit it. But that’s what people like Harmony and the under-the-radar government organization she works with, Vigilant Lock, are there for: to protect us from the things that go bump in the night. As Harmony learns to embrace her supernatural abilities, she also becomes part of a team of individuals who have powers similar to hers and who share her mission. Vigilant Lock is a glimmer of hope, providing laughter and friendship in an otherwise terrifying place. And when the Bogeyman comes calling, Harmony needs the rest of her team as much as the world needs her.

This book has some frightening moments, but through it all, I trusted Harmony to live up to her name. She uses compassion and love alongside her magical abilities to fight the demons that live among humans. The depth of character in both Harmony and her Vigilant Lock colleagues is what makes this book stand out. I’ll happily follow Harmony and her team on any perilous adventure, confident that the forces of good will prevail in the end.

- Adrienne Lombardo, Editor

Becoming Marta by Lorea Canales (Author), Gabriel Amor (Translator) [Genre: Literary Fiction]

Thanks to her wealthy and well-connected family, twenty-six-year-old Marta is used to getting whatever she wants. And what she wants is a good time.

That is, until her father’s wife—the woman who raised her—becomes ill. Beautiful young Marta is forced to witness her unfaithful, brutish father abandon her adoptive mother in her final moments. After her father’s swift remarriage, Marta is surprised to discover that she is now the sole heir of her late mother’s sizeable estate. For the first time, she can choose to cut ties and establish her true self, apart from her parents, her social standing, and the complications of a life of excess. From the balmy beaches of Mexico to New York City, Marta searches for clues to her unconventional heritage and seeks to shed her family’s tradition of secrecy and betrayal as she finds her own way.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

With money, beauty, and connections, twenty-six-year-old Marta—the heroine of this understated debut by critically acclaimed Mexican American novelist Lorea Canales—may seem to have it all. But no matter how pristine things look from the outside, we all face inner doubts. Marta’s unexpected honesty and sharp wit would make her a key addition to my circle of fictional confidants, alongside the fierce Gertrudis from Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate and the eloquently sophisticated Maria Wyeth from Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays.

Becoming Marta offers a fresh take on self-discovery and presents Marta’s journey in a thoughtful, introspective voice: Canales doesn’t waste words, nor does she take the path most traveled. Moving fluidly through time, the story weaves together the voices of Marta, her birth mother, and her adoptive mother, who raised her. Marta looks through old photos and heirlooms and realizes how little she really knows about her family’s history in Mexico City. How did the women before her live with the secrecy and rigidity of their upper-class world? Marta sees more than a set of features as she stares into the mirror: she sees her surroundings, her history, and the women who came before her, hearing echoes of the wisdom they passed on. They’ve brought her this far, and now it’s Marta’s chance to lead, to go out and seek that something that is hers and hers alone. By loosening the ties that bind her, she discovers she can create that spark of inspiration for herself.

I can’t thank Marta—and the author who invented her—enough for taking me along on her journey. I gained some much-needed perspective, and now I find myself seeing things a little differently when gazing into the mirror. Our friends can offer us support, but we each learn confidence on our own.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

The Oddfits (The Oddfits Series Book 1) by Tiffany Tsao [Genre: Literary Fantasy]

Eight-year-old Murgatroyd Floyd doesn’t fit in—not as a blue-eyed blonde living in Singapore, not in school, and certainly not with his aloof expatriate parents, who seem determined to make his life even harder. Unbeknownst to him, there’s a reason why he’s always the odd boy out: he is an Oddfit, a rare type of human with access to the More Known World, a land invisible to most people. Yet unfortunate circumstances keep Murgatroyd stranded in the Known World, bumbling through life with the feeling that an extraordinary something is waiting for him just beyond reach.

Seventeen years later, that something finally arrives when a secret organization dedicated to exploring the More Known World invites Murgatroyd on a mission. But as the consummate loser begins to grow into the Oddfit he was meant to be, the Known World becomes bent on exterminating him. For once in his underachieving life, will Murgatroyd Floyd exceed expectations and outsmart those trying to thwart his stupendous destiny?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Like The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and The Magician King, The Oddfits is an intelligent—and hilarious—fantasy novel rooted in the real world, stretching the limits of that fickle term reality. As a reader with a hungry imagination, I was ready to believe there might be creases in the sea that expand our globe beyond its visible dimensions, ready to leave the world as I know it behind and join the Quest.

The Oddfits is full of details so richly described you can feel, taste, and smell them, like the star-flavored ice cream protagonist Murgatroyd Floyd discovers in the Great Freezer. These vibrant subtleties are Tiffany Tsao’s strong suit, and each character is decked out with unique attributes I won’t soon forget. One of my favorite characters is Ann, the gatekeeper to the More Known World, who arrives in Singapore to introduce Murgatroyd to the Quest. She’s a sophisticated, black-velvet-eye-patch-wearing woman all dressed in green to match her one eye, who marvels at Murgatroyd’s strange compassion for the people who find fun in teasing him. Ann lives in a floating house on the sea, carved into the trunk of a tree, with walls so thin you can watch fish swim past its transparent, knotty skin. In other words, my dream house. And she walks effortlessly in heels and understands the importance of proving her love to her mother. If this is what oddness looks like, I’m in. Why settle for ordinary when you’ve been handed an invitation to the beyond?

I for one am ready to see what marvels await in our universe’s creases and what oddities abound in the More Known World as the series continues.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

[Dngrsone]

I'm going to try Oddfits, though I considered Harmony Black...

[murg]

Captain Riley becoming the oddfits Martha in the harmony black moonlight garden in the Fields of Wrath.

[TrevorViking]

Most months I have at least two or three that I can't decide between; this month I don't think any look appealing. Not even considering books that are part of a series makes it harder.....

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

I'm going to try Oddfits, though I considered Harmony Black...

That's the one I went with too, it sounds intriguing if done well.

[tubemonkey]

Captain Riley

[Wearever]

I'll go with Captain Riley as well.

[GlenBarrington]

Maybe next month.