Kindle First

[Catlady]

I'll probably go with The Practice House. My normal inclination would be to pick the suspense offering, The Halo Effect, but it sounds like it's trying too hard to be full of deep meaning and symbolism.

[Wearever]

Can't say the same this time for me, nothing this month.

[badgoodDeb]

I'll wait half a month and see what kind of reviews they get. Nothing really grabs me, but several might suit.

[BetterRead]

I went with Hemingway Didn't Say That: The Truth Behind Familiar Quotations.

I've visited the author's Quote Investigator website several times in the past, so this was an easy choice for me.

[Manabi]

I went with The Breaking Light, although it basically sounds like Romeo and Juliet in space.

[charlyee]

I went with Practice House.


Sent from my iPhone 7 Plus

[tubemonkey]

I picked up A Criminal Defense. Normally, I'd go for the sci-fi, but The Breaking Light is romance disguised as sci-fi. I detest romance

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by BetterRead

I went with Hemingway Didn't Say That: The Truth Behind Familiar Quotations.

I've visited the author's Quote Investigator website several times in the past, so this was an easy choice for me.

On second thought, I did end up getting this book too. Thanks for the link !

[TrevorViking]

Same here, easiest choice yet.

[Alohamora]

Month's almost up, time to make a choice.

Hemingway didn't say that seems like the only title I'd be likely to read.

[Dngrsone]

I read it (Hemingway); it's a collection of items investigated by the author for his website, exploring the validity of various attributions of popular sayings and rooting out who said what when, exactly. Interesting, but likely not something I will read more than twice.

[ATDrake]

Just a reminder that today will probably be the last day to pick up one of this month's selections, if you haven't already.

[Manabi]

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

Beach Lawyer by Avery Duff [Genre: Thriller]

After five grueling years, Robert Worth is just days away from making partner at a powerful Santa Monica law firm. When a client confides in him that senior partner Jack Pierce sexually assaulted her, Robert breaks two of his mentor’s cardinal rules: Never let yourself get emotional about clients. And never make an enemy of Jack Pierce.

Robert crosses Pierce and is fired on the spot, losing not only his job but also his reputation. Advised to go quietly, Robert vows revenge against the ruthless man who betrayed him. But his investigation uncovers a twisted shadow world of sex, infidelity, and deception, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. Only one thing is clear: Pierce will go the limit to keep his secrets.

This straight shooter will need to use every angle if he hopes to win. But could victory come at too high a price?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

This cinematic legal thriller set up and down the Pacific Coast Highway transported me to sandy beaches, stately Santa Monica boardrooms, and the colorful Ocean Front Walk in Venice. Of course, I soon learned life in California is not all sunshine and palm trees—there are dark and nefarious dealings, too.

If you’ve ever experienced a horrible boss (and who hasn’t?), you’ll root for ambitious young lawyer Robert Worth. On the partner path, he put his blood, sweat, and countless hours into the job only to be shown the door by an arrogant and powerful senior partner. But Robert, like one of my all-time favorite fictional lawyers, The Firm’s Mitch McDeere, doesn’t take that treatment lying down.

Robert goes rogue, taking up a case for an underdog that pits him against his former firm. He truly thinks he’s representing his client for all the right reasons, but there are a couple of not-so-nice reasons. Like revenge. And money. Lots of it.

Trying to stay one step ahead of his former boss in this duplicitous world of backroom legal maneuvering, Robert uncovers lie after lie and the betrayals pile up page after page. And I, along with Robert, learned a very valuable lesson: trust no one.

- Liz Pearsons, Editor

Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel by Mark Sullivan [Genre: Historical Fiction]

Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders.

Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.

Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

What makes a hero? If you are Pino Lella, the protagonist in Mark Sullivan’s riveting World War II thriller, you risk everything to save as many souls as you can by sneaking them over the Swiss Alps to safety. You put yourself in harm’s way, enlisting as a German soldier and becoming an Allied spy inside the German High Command. And you forgo the life you thought you’d have to do whatever you can to stop the madness.

It’s not often I get to publish true stories, especially ones that have been crafted into page-turning fiction. But after I picked up Beneath a Scarlet Sky and read into the wee hours, I was absorbed and amazed by the story of Italy’s Pino Lella, a real-life unsung hero of World War II, and felt compelled to publish this one. The tale of a young man, at the tender age of seventeen, pushed headlong into the horrors of war is timeless, relevant, and inspiring.

I’m not sure I would ever be as brave as Pino, and I’m so honored to share his story with you. But ultimately my feelings are superseded by my hope that Beneath a Scarlet Sky will be a “stay up all night to read” book that you will not soon forget.

- Danielle Marshall, Editor

All the Lies We Tell (Quarry Road Book 1) by Megan Hart [Genre: Romantic Drama]

Everyone knew Alicia Harrison’s marriage to Ilya Stern wouldn’t last. They’d grown up on a remote stretch of Quarry Street, where there were two houses, two sets of siblings, and eventually, a tangled mess of betrayal, longing, and loss. Tragedy catapulted Allie and Ilya together, but divorce—even as neighbors—has been relatively uncomplicated.

Then Ilya’s brother, Nikolai, comes home for their grandmother’s last days. He’s the guy who teased and fought with Allie, infuriated her, then fled town without a good-bye. Now Niko makes her feel something else entirely—a rush of connection and pure desire that she’s been trying to quench since one secret kiss years ago. Niko’s not sticking around. She’s not going to leave. And after all that’s happened between their families, this can’t be anything more than brief pleasure and a bad idea.

But the lies we tell ourselves can’t compete with the truths our hearts refuse to let go…

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

The depth and truth of the emotions that author Megan Hart captures on these pages is remarkable—she gives new meaning to the phrase “It’s complicated.” Stories of unrequited love may be my favorite reading: the longing, the delayed gratification, the sweet suffering…the slow build as “unrequited” turns into an unbearable burden for the one in love, which leads to that beautiful moment of vulnerability where everything is laid bare.

But what becomes of unrequited love in the wake of a sudden, tragic death? Lost in the aftermath of grief, where does love go? Can you build a future if an essential part of your yesterday will never see another tomorrow?

All the Lies We Tell (and the follow-up, All the Secrets We Keep) are the absorbing stories of four people who let grief shape their lives. Until they let go of their guilt and suspicions, they won’t be free to follow their hearts.

Secrets, lies, passions, and intertwined relationships, woven together by a masterful novelist…Is there anything better?

- Alison Dasho, Editor

Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman [Genre: Contemporay Fiction]

Best friends Annie and Sarah need cash—fast. Sarah, a beautiful, successful lawyer, wants nothing more than to have a baby. But balancing IVF treatments with a grueling eighty-hour workweek is no walk in the park. Meanwhile, Annie, a Harvard-grad chemist recently transplanted to Southern California, is cutting coupons to afford her young autistic son’s expensive therapy.

Desperate, the two friends come up with a brilliant plan: they’ll combine Sarah’s looks and Annie’s brains to sell a “luxury” antiaging face cream to the wealthy, fading beauties in Annie’s La Jolla book club. The scheme seems innocent enough, until Annie decides to add a special—and oh-so-illegal—ingredient that could bring their whole operation crashing to the ground.

Hilarious, intelligent, and warm, Crimes Against a Book Club is a delightful look at the lengths women will go to fend for their families and for one another.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Every Saturday, after a long work week, I head to the grocery store to stock up for what’s sure to be yet another long week ahead. Inevitably, while trudging through the aisles, I become convinced that everyone else has it better than me. The other women gliding along with their carts look terrific. Their hair is styled, their yoga pants clearly aren’t meant for actual yoga, and some are even wearing heels. Heels! To the grocery store! Obviously, these women live lives of luxury. What else could explain it? And more importantly, how can the world be so unfair?

I do what comes naturally. I tell myself that these beautifully put-together women must be miserable, living empty lives populated with only manicurists, massage therapists, and stylists. I’m not proud of thinking these thoughts, but it gets me through the checkout line.

So imagine my glee when the characters in Kathy Cooperman’s delightful tale hatch a plan to squeeze a little bit of trust and a whole lot of money out of the members of La Jolla’s most exclusive book club. I couldn’t wait to see Annie and Sarah take advantage of these privileged ladies. But Cooperman doesn’t make it that easy. As intrepid as they are, Annie and Sarah find that things aren’t so black and white. Instead, as they get to know the book club members they once loathed, they find, in hilarious ways, that we all have similar struggles. There is no us vs. them. Our hearts all beat the same rhythm, and we all long for true friends and family in this complicated world—no matter what we wear to the grocery store.

- Jodi Warshaw, Editor

Paper Boats by Dee Lestari (Author), Tiffany Tsao (Translator) [Genre: Coming of Age]

She’s a free-spirited dreamer. He’s a brilliant painter. But now their shared passion for art has turned into something deeper…

For as long as she can remember, Kugy has loved to write. Whimsical stories are her passion, along with letters full of secret longings that she folds into paper boats and sets out to sea. Now that she’s older, she dreams of following her heart and becoming a true teller of tales, but she decides to get a “real job” instead and forget all about Keenan, the guy who makes her feel as if she’s living in one of her own fairy tales.

Sensitive and introverted, Keenan is an aspiring artist, but he feels pressured to pursue a more practical path. He’s drawn to Kugy from first sight: she’s unconventional, and the light radiating from her eyes and the warmth of her presence pull him in.

They seem like a perfect match—both on and off the page—but revealing their secret feelings means risking their friendship and betraying the people they love most. Can they find the courage to admit their love for each other and chase their long-held dreams?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Paper Boats is like a perfect pop song: from the first encounter, it feels familiar. The chorus stays with you, you borrow its lyrics to define your relationships, and it echoes in your head when your heart feels uncertain.

It’s no surprise the novel has this effect—author Dee Lestari is a pop star at home in Indonesia, and her talent for expressing universal feelings is on display in this beautiful story. College student Kugy is an introvert—she loves words, but she shares her secrets only with Neptune, the god of the sea. Each time she sends Neptune a message, folded into a paper boat, I feel my own burden lift alongside Kugy’s. Even though no one will ever read these notes she sends to sea, she learns a little more about herself by writing them. But from the very moment she encounters Keenan, a handsome young artist and friend of a friend, Kugy feels inspired to share her work. As they get to know each other, art unites them—but creative spirits can be tough to pin down. Is this true love or something else?

While Kugy and Keenan weave in and out of one another’s worlds, the refrain is easy to remember: when guided by inspiration, your heart will follow.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

A Small Revolution by Jimin Han [Genre: Literary Suspense]

In this powerful, page-turning debut, Jimin Han deftly shows that revolutions—whether big or small, in the world or of the heart—can have an impact that lasts through time and spans the oceans.

On a beautiful Pennsylvania fall morning, a gunman holds college freshman Yoona Lee and three of her classmates hostage in the claustrophobic confines of their dorm room. The desperate man with his finger on the trigger—Yoona’s onetime friend, Lloyd Kang—is unraveling after a mysterious accident in Korea killed his closest friend, Jaesung, who was also the love of Yoona’s life.

As the tense standoff unfolds, Yoona is forced to revisit her past, from growing up in an abusive household to the upheaval in her ancestral homeland to unwittingly falling in love. She must also confront the truth about what happened to Jaesung on that tragic day, even as her own fate hangs in the balance.

Through scenes of political upheaval and protests in South Korea, spirited conversations in cramped dumpling houses, and the quiet moments that happen when two people fall in love, A Small Revolution is a moving narrative brimming with longing, love, fear, and—ultimately—hope.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Pennsylvania. Fall 1985. Everything seems normal until Yoona Lee and three other classmates are taken hostage by a gunman in a small college dorm room. The gunman is Yoona’s onetime friend Lloyd Kang, desperate for answers about their mutual friend, who also happens to be the love of Yoona’s life.

During several tense hours of captivity, what horrors pass through these girls’ minds? How did young love end up an impetus for political activism, for hostage taking, for a brutal disaster? In a series of scenes interweaving past and present, readers discover that what unfolds is deeper than what is on the surface.

By the time I finished Jimin Han’s stunningly suspenseful and lyrical novel, I realized I hadn’t taken a full, deep breath in an hour. A Small Revolution twists and turns in haunting ways, brimming with a narrative that is full of longing and love and fear. I raced to the end to see what would happen to these college freshmen but then couldn’t bring myself to finish the book right away because I wanted to sit with these characters and Jimin’s words for a little longer.

Through poignant scenes of political turmoil and protests in South Korea, passionate exchanges about a citizen’s role in a burgeoning democracy over steaming cups of hot barley tea, and quiet moments that spring forth when two people start to fall in love, we learn that revolutions can have an impact that spans countries and cultures.

- Vivian Lee, Editor

[Dngrsone]

Blah.

Nothing here for me.

[JSWolf]

It seems to me that the selections for Kindle First have gotten worse and worse.