Some more titles to look forward to

I could go on for weeks about the upcoming books that I'm excited about. Instead, I'll finish up today with some of the other highlights that are on my MUST HAVE list. 

First up is Cecelia Ahern's Thanks for the Memories due out on April 7. Believe it or not, I am a big chick-lit fan. When Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary hit shelves in 1998, I had to have it. It was one of the first hardcover books I purchased on my own. I loved it. I definitely have my favorites in the genre and Ahern has been one of them ever since I read PS I Love You. 

And then there's Louise Ure's Liars Anonymous, due out April 14. My first of Louise's books was last year's The Fault Tree (now out in paperback). Here characters and her setting are so well written that it left me literally thirsting for more. 

Next is Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, due out May 5. Flynn's dark and somewhat disturbing debut, Sharp Objects, was quite literally one of the best books I have ever read. I've been waiting patiently for this follow-up and now I am dying to read it. 

One of my favorite debuts last year was Tom Rob Smith's Child 44, a thriller and mystery set in Stalinist Russia. His follow-up, The Secret Speech, continues Leo Demidov's story and is due out on May 19. 

June 1 sees the release of the first title in Laura Caldwell's new trilogy, Red Hot Lies. Laura was on one of the ITW (international thriller writers) panels at LCC in '07 and talked about this project. I've been anxious to dig in ever since. 

I'm always on the hunt for new horror and the UK's Conrad Williams is one of my favorite new discoveries. His bleak, post apocalyptic title One hits shelves on June 9. International Horror Guild award winner, The Unblemished, was one of the most disturbingly strange horror novels I've read in ages. I have heard that One is even better!

A thriller that's been getting tons of buzz this year is Linda Castillo's Sworn to Silence, due out June 23. Castillo is the author of numerous previous award winning titles (and she really looks too young for all that accomplishment). Sworn promises to be one this summer's hottest thrillers.

And finally, The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson, out July 28, is the follow-up to what must be one of the most talked about debuts of 2008, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Sadly, Larsson's trilogy is being published posthumously, so there is only one more book to round out the series.