The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson

Happy Monday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Joshilyn Jackson's latest, The Opposite of Everyone.

Paula hasn't spoken to her mother for quite some time. And yet she never neglects her monthly check. The money is to atone for something Paula did long ago, and she has no idea how long that atonement will take. Then her latest check arrives voided and returned to sender with a note saying that her mother is dying and she doesn't want to see Paula. 

The news is a shock that isn't lessened by the passing of time. And when a surprise visitor arrives, a brother Paula never knew about, she finds her life turned completely upside down. 

This is a super simplified in a nutshell description of Joshilyn Jackson's latest. Paula is a divorce lawyer who had a very atypical childhood. She was born while her mother was in jail, they hopped around place to place with the changing of her mother's whims and boyfriends. Her name, never meant to be Paula, was taken from Eastern religion as were the bedtime stories she grew up with.

But the break between her and her mother is huge. Life changing and life shaping - not just for Paula. The relationship between her and her mother and exactly what happened between them make up the real meat and bones of the story - the base for what Paula becomes and the catalyst for how her life changes later on.

Paula has remade herself seemingly to spite her mother. A divorce attorney, one who is ruthless in her job, is so far removed from the wanderlust lifestyle she and her mother shared years ago. And as we get to know Paula the reasons behind this become so much more clear. The interesting thing, though, is that the path she's put herself on and the insular existence she's created for herself begins to change almost the instant she believes her mother has died. Some of that change is subtle, so much so that Paula doesn't even notice, but it's clear by her panic attacks that she's not ok.

Obviously Paula affected me. I loved her, I sympathized with her, but there's so much more to The Opposite of Everyone than just Paula. And that's what I love about Joshilyn Jackson's books. (I should note that Paula is a returning character from Someone Else's Love Story.) There are so many facets and layers to the story and the characters. And while Paula is our main character, I loved Birdwine and Julian equally as much. I could go on and on for days about them! Her stories are so rich and her characters so genuine that it's easy to slip inside their world and lose yourself in their story!

If you haven't read Jackson before, you're in for a treat. And if you're a fan, you're going to love this one just as much as the others!

Rating: 5/5

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Joshilyn Jackson and her work you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New Releases 3/1/16

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

A Bed of Scorpions by Judith Flanders

Nowhere Girl by Susan Strecker

The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell

The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins

North of Here by Laura Saville

Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher

The Considerate Killer by Lene Kaaberbøl & Agnete Friis

Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire

Black City Saint by Richard A. Knaak

When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris

Gone Again by James Grippando

Arkwright by Allen Steele

America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallero

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie

Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios

Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr

The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente

New on DVD:
Don Verdean
The Night Before
Legend
Creed
Room
The Danish Girl
I Miss You Already

New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints by P. J. Brackston

Dead Before Dying by Kerry Schafer

Maureen Keslyn doesn't want the job her FBI friend, Abel, is offering. Not even when she finds out it's a special request from a revered colleague. But when she finds her husband has kicked her out and moved his mistress in, all while Maureen was hospitalized thanks to a gunshot wound, she realizes she has no choice. The job does come with living arrangements after all. 

Shadow Valley Manor isn't supposed to be a nursing home, per se. But even under the guise of an active seniors complex, Maureen isn't fooled. What Maureen isn't sure about is exactly what she's supposed to be investigating. And when the man who lured her into the job in the first place dies the very night they're supposed to meet, she's at a further loss. One thing she does know: Shadow Valley Manor is weird. And Maureen specializes in weird. 

So we do know from the start that paranormal beings exist in the world of Dead Before Dying. We also know that Maureen Keslyn hunts these paras in some capacity for the FBI. And that she was injured on the job. Her history and her particular employment don't come out until later on in the book but we also know that Phil, the man who's put her on the job at Shadow Valley Manor, is a heavy in the para business. Someone who's request means a lot to Maureen.

Maureen takes the job blind. Again, she has no choice. She's to live undercover in Shadow Valley Manor as part of an operation Phil is heading. The Manor, once a home for unwed mothers, is led by an awful director who immediately dislikes Maureen. The folks who live there are wealthy and secretive, some of them (the ninety-something-year-old man who claims to be a vampire) are downright weird, too. And even though Maureen has files briefing her on the facility, its history, and the people associated with it, she's relying on Phil to explain everything.

Unfortunately, Phil's dead. And though the coroner declares it natural causes, Maureen isn't so certain. It's the makings of a GREAT paranormal mystery, one that plays out oh, so satisfactorily!

I am not kidding you when I say this book was completely awesome! I'd never read (or heard of) Kerry Schafer before this, but you may recall I jumped on board with the Candace Robb tour last fall and adored the series. So Diversion Books, the publisher of the Robb titles and Dead Before Dying, was known to me. Considering how much I enjoyed the Robb books, I decided to seek out more of their titles and stumbled upon this one from Schafer. And boy am I glad I did!

Maureen is a bit of a refreshing lead - especially in the paranormal mystery world. She's in her 50s, not old enough to even be a resident at Shadow Valley Manor, and extremely seasoned in the para field. She's incredibly clever, too. And the more we learn about her, her world, and her job, the more intriguing the book becomes.

It does sound as though there may be plans to continue Maureen's story as a series. Considering how blown away I was and how much I love this character,  I sincerely hope that's the case.

Dead Before Dying is out now. You can check out an excerpt from chapter one over on Kerry's site (linked above). There's also a great interview with Kerry over on My Bookish Ways.

Rating: 5/5

The Widow by Fiona Barton

Everyone's looking for the next Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, which means there's a veritable ton of titles coming out compared to those two. And as a mood reader who very much does find herself looking for things "in the vein of" sometimes, I don't really mind as long as they're appropriate.

I take these particular comparisons to mean a book will be dark and twisty, psychologically complex, and will (hopefully) feature a somewhat (or incredibly) unreliable narrator. And I think Fiona Barton's The Widow hits exactly those marks.

Jean Taylor's husband has died in a tragic accident, mowed over by a bus in the prime of his life. And absolutely everyone is dying to get an interview with the new widow. But why? 

It's all because of Bella, the girl Jean's husband was suspected of kidnapping just a few years ago. 

It was 2006 and the two-and-a-half-year-old girl was playing in her front garden when she was snatched by a person unknown. Witnesses first claimed to have seen a long-haired man in the neighborhood. Then, a possible break in the case led to Glen Taylor. Jean stood by him through it all, as their life was ripped apart, as their every move became headline fodder, as her husband's name was dragged through the mud time and again... and now everyone wants to know her side of the story.

Barton's debut takes readers back and forth between Jean's present and the 2006 case. The interesting thing is that the reader never quite knows the full story. Jean is as quiet throughout as she has been with the police and reporters, only offering readers rare and small glimpses into her true thoughts and feelings. So the mystery is a mystery, unraveling as the story progresses rather than spilled straight from Jean's lips at the very start. And it doesn't take long at all for the reader to begin to wonder just how truthful Jean is being in her narrative.

The Widow is a smart read, one that's hard to step away from. Indeed it's a bit of a book hangover inducing debut that will likely send you racing for even more Gone Girl and Girl on The Train comps. I'd go one further and say that The Widow earns its own place in the comparable title list. Maybe we'll be seeing some "Perfect for fans of The Widow" comps soon?

If your curiosity is piqued, and I do hope that it is, you can check out an exclusive trailer and excerpt over at Entertainment Weekly. Go on, see what all the fuss is about!

I'm Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjørk

Mia is ready to end it all. She's counting down the days, in fact. But her plans go awry when her old boss, Holger Munch, pays her a very important visit. 

A six-year-old girl has been found hanging from a tree. The body has been carefully cleaned and dressed, posed with a schoolbag full of books and a sign reading "I'm traveling alone" placed around her neck. Once upon a time, Mia was part of an elite investigative squad whose job was to handle cases exactly like this. But scrutiny on a particularly touchy and personal case caused the squad to be disbanded and its members scattered. In spite of all of that, Mia's skills have never been in doubt and it's her insight the police need now. Unfortunately, Mia can't offer a quick solution or the killer's head on a silver platter. What she can offer is worse: the assurance that this is just the first in what will surely be a string of child murders. 

A crime so egregious means even those most staunchly against reuniting Munch's crew have to admit that the squad - including Mia and led by Munch - is their best chance to solve this case and hopefully prevent more death. But can Mia overcome her own personal issues in order to be of any use?

I'm Traveling Alone kicks off what I expect will be a quite exciting new Scandinavian crime series! The plot is twisted and extremely well built, worthy of characters like Mia, Munch, and the others. In fact, while Mia and Munch quickly shoot to the head of the list as possible main characters, Bjørk's debut features the team as a whole (with admittedly heavy focus on Mia and Munch) rather than a true lead character.

It's a fun way to set up such a series because it gives the author a chance to highlight each character's skills.

One downside to this is that Bjørk switches narrators quite frequently, not limiting himself even to the team. Various players and witnesses are introduced throughout the novel to show different aspects of the growing mystery. It's a method that can quite often work against the author and reader, making the story harder to get fully engrossed in. I have to say, however, that in this instance I thought it worked. Each new narrator, rather than taking me out of the story or jarring the narrative, offered a new layer to the overall plot.

To date there are two titles in the series in Bjørk's native Norway (Samuel Bjørk, by the way, is the pseudonym used by Frode Sander Øien for his thrillers). I'm Traveling Alone has just been released here in the States and I do very much hope we'll get to see The Owl soon!

Rating: 5/5

Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Happy Monday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Meg Cabot's latest, Remembrance. And guest what?! It's a Mediator novel!

It's been sixteen years since Cabot debuted the Mediator series (as Jenny Carroll) - the books about Susannah Simon and her ghostly abilities. We met her when she moved to California in Shadowland and followed her through high school and all that entails (with ghosts) until 2005's Twilight. And now she's back! And all grown up! And getting married! To Jesse!

Note: You don't have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy Remembrance.

Susannah has made it safely into adulthood and is working on a degree that will (hopefully) earn her a paying job as a therapist. But while she finishes classes she's taken a temp position at her old high school alongside Father Dominic (because having friends in high places helps with the whole job thing these days). And sure, she'd love a paycheck but the experience will look oh, so good on a resume one day. 

But she's worried the experience may not be worth it when she comes into contact with the particularly malicious and deceptively cute Lucia, a young NCDP (Non-Compliant-Deceased-Person) hell bent on "protecting" a student at Mission Academy. Lucia is none too pleased when she begins to view Susannah as a threat to the student and makes it her mission to handle the situation as violently as possible. It'll take all of Susannah's Mediator and budding therapy skills if she's to have any hope of calming this ghostly threat and helping her cross to the other side before Jesse handles it his own way. 

As if that weren't enough, Paul Slater has popped up again. His informative (harassing) email warning her of the impending demolition of her old house comes with a threat to Jesse that he claims is straight from the Book of the Dead. And while Susannah knows she can't ever really trust anything Paul has to say, especially since he's using this to blackmail her into seeing him again, the possibility of even a kernel of truth here is enough for her to risk everything to save the man she loves.

Again you do not have to have read any of the previous books to thoroughly enjoy Remembrance. Trust me, my memory is so shot that I recall very little of the early books at this stage. Fans of the series, however, will be particularly pleased to see the return of these characters. All of Cabot's signature wit and charm are present and Susannah is as stubborn and sarcastic as ever.

This and a new e short are (at least so far) the only planned adult installations in the series. Rumor has it (I have no idea how long this rumor has been floating around) that the Mediator series is in talks to become a tv show, something I'd most definitely welcome. Given this latest, though, (and my age) I think I might actually like to see the adult Susannah as a tv show instead.

If, by chance, you missed out on this fabulous series when it was first released and are coming to it now with Remembrance, I know you'll want to go back and start from the beginning (they're totally bingeworthy reading!):

Shadowland
Ninth Key
Reunion
Darkest Hour
Haunted
Twilight
Proposal: A Mediator Novella
Remembrance

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Meg Cabot and her work you can visit her website here. You can also check out her blog, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

New Releases 2/23/16

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

I'm Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjørk

What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin

13 Ways of Looking At a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

The Oxford Inheritance by Ann A. McDonald

Good Girls by Glen Hirshberg

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon

Out of the Blues by Trudy Nan Boyce

A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino

Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton

Cat Shout for Joy by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard

She's Not There by Joy Fielding

Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon (which I mistakenly listed last week)

The Lavender Lane Lothario by David Handler

Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach

Dreamfever by Kit Alloway

The Smell of Other Peoples Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Behold the Bones by Natalie C. Parker

Dove Exiled by Karen Bao

After the Woods by Kim Savage

New on DVD:
The Secret in Their Eyes
Spotlight
The Good Dinosaur

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Charles Thomas Tester is a hustler: he'll do anything to bring in money really, he works to support himself and his ailing father. So whether it be playing his guitar for the masses as they board the trains of New York City or taking on more odd and under the table jobs, if there's money involved Tommy'll do it. 

His first mistake was taking a page from Ma Att's book. He knew what the book could do and he knew that Ma Att would be at a loss without that final page. But he also knew to keep a low profile or risk being caught. 

His second mistake was taking a ridiculous job in Flatbush. It was ridiculous first because the man wanted Tommy to sing and Tommy has a terrible voice. Even more ridiculous because of the $500 promised pay for playing, an astronomical sum in the 1920s. But Tommy needs the money and it's more than he's ever pulled for a single job, especially one so easy. 

Turns out there really is no such thing as easy money for a black man in 1920s New York. 

I have a confession to make, while I love the mythology of HP Lovecraft's work and ALL of the varying works inspired by that richly detailed world, I've yet to read any of the source material. That's right, I've never read Lovecraft. There. I said it.

But while I'm certain that fans of Lovecraft might get a bit more out of LaValle's book, you don't have to be at all familiar with Lovecraft to enjoy this dark horror story.

Interestingly, as I tried to find a way to voice exactly how I felt about the story, I came across this piece by Charlie Jane Anders for i09. Victor LaValle himself is quoted as saying: "I wanted to write a story set in the Lovecraftian universe that didn’t gloss over the uglier implications of his worldview. I also wanted it to be a hell of a lot of cosmic doom-filled fun."

Finding that quote was a bit serendipitous considering A. LaValle accomplishes both counts 100% and B. the racial issues were exactly what I was trying to work myself up to tackling. It was obvious in my reading, because I've followed some of the current... issues... around Lovecraft, that LaValle was giving voice to just that.

First, LaValle's character (based on EVERYTHING I've heard about Lovecraft) is all LaValle's own. Tommy Tester is a man of his times, one trying to rise above regardless of the restrictions set upon him by society. And this is part of his problem, a huge part of the driving force of his arc in fact.

The story is split into two parts with Tommy being our narrator for just one of those. The other half is told from the perspective of a cop, one who has the ability to see things that many around him can't. Malone, described as cadaverous and quite dogged, really isn't a good guy. He lies his way through the story to get what he wants, but in actuality gets what he deserves. (Mwahaha!) Reading from his perspective, while somewhat unpleasant given his views, flips the story around and gives the reader a chance to see the progression in a way that allows Tommy's fate to remain something of a mystery for a while. It also gives LaValle a chance to illustrate one of the fundamental problems faced by conscientious Lovecraft fans today - the man was a rampant racist with a creative talent.

Again, whether you're an avid Lovecraft reader or someone with little to know knowledge of Cthulu, the Great Old Ones, or Miskatonic University, you're bound to enjoy LaValle's tale. If you like 'em dark, that is :)

Rating: 4/5

Koreatown: A Cookbook by Deuki Hong & Matt Rodbard

My first taste of Korean food was on a trip to New York City ages ago. Mike and I found a Korean BBQ restaurant that we just had to try. At this stage, I can't remember what we ate but I do recall the experience itself: cooking food on a tiny grill set into the table, trying dishes that had familiar flavors but were completely new to us... it was novel and it was fun. And it was something we couldn't do back home.

Skip forward a few years and surprise! We have a Korean BBQ restaurant of our very own now. And it's amazing! What's more, we have two "world" markets that offer such a wide variety of foods that we can actually recreate these dishes at home.

Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard's Koreatown: A Cookbook is a little bit of a dream come true in that sense. It's a guidebook to cooking Korean food in your own home! Just about every imaginable aspect of Korean food, too.

Now if you've ever been to a Korean BBQ place yourself, then you know that one of the coolest parts of the meal is the plethora of side dishes. Everything from multiple kimchis, pancakes, and fish cakes to fermented bean sprouts and potato salad. Yes, potato salad. So it's fitting that the very first chapter of the book is focused on Kimchi and Banchan or side dishes. I hadn't realized, until cracking the book open, that kimchi is not actually the name of the fermented cabbage dish in particular. Kimchi actually just refers to the pickling method itself. With one base and cure the authors offer up five different quick kimchi recipes for the home cook - and none of them are cabbage! That's actually the next recipe in the book, "Baechu Kimchi aka Napa Cabbage Kimchi" something that still intimidates the crap out of me. Many of the recipes themselves - "Our Mildly Insane Kimchi Bokkeumbap aka Kimchi Fried Rice,"This is Not a Bibimbap Recipe aka Mixed Rice Bowl," and "Mukeunji Kimchi Mandu aka Aged Kimchi Dumplings" - all call for cabbage kimchi, some in a variety of increasing ages too. Fortunately, though, the authors have instructions on how to request aged kimchi from Korean grocery stores or age your grocery story kimchi yourself.

One of the things I appreciate most about the book is the fact that while lots of recipes include varying elements that can be purchased (like cabbage kimchi), recipes for those elements and bases are provided throughout the book as well. For example, the "Soondubu Jjigae aka Soft Tofu Soup" and the "Budae Jjigae aka Spicy Army Base Soup" both call for "Anchovy Stock," and while I've never asked my local Asian market if they sell this, I don't have to. The recipe is in the book. (Spicy Army Base Soup has Spam in it!)

If you're looking to try your hand at Korean food at home you just can't do better than Koreatown! The book has everything: Kimchi and Banchan; Rice, Noodles & Dumplings; Barbecue: Grilled, Smoked & Fired; Drinking Food: Pojangmacha; Soups, Stews & Braises; Respect: Guest Recipes (which includes Paul Qui's Kimchi Triple-Cream Grilled Cheese and a killer Korean Sloppy Joe); Drinks; and Sweets & Desserts. There are even essays on varying aspects of Korean food and "Koreatown" as well as contributions from critics and other personalities sharing their own love for Korean food.

Rating: 5/5

Per Blogging for Books requirements: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect Days by Raphael Montes

Teo doesn't have a lot of friends. He isn't really comfortable around other people, much less women. But when he meets Clarice he is immediately smitten.

Teo is a medical student living alone with his wheelchair-bound mother. It's because of his mother that he meets Clarice in the first place: she's goaded him into attending a barbecue he's intent on ditching when he stumbles upon Clarice. They talk about little things, she tells him about the screenplay she's working on, he expresses interest, and, with visions of their happily ever after spurring him on, he finds a way to meet up with her again. 

It's a story told time and time again when anyone is interested in pursuing a love interest. But for Teo and Clarice, this story is anything but ordinary. 

Raphael Montes's US debut is most definitely one of the darkest and twistiest reads I've ever read. And if you've been here a while you know that dark and twisty are generally what I'm drawn to - so when I say darkest and twistiest, I do mean it.

This is a story about lust. And obsession. But out leading man believes it is instead a story about love and passion. About going to great lengths for his soulmate. About securing a future meant for him.

Teo's attempts at crossing paths with Clarice quickly go well beyond the norm and straight into stalker land. When she calls him out on it, albeit nicely, he can see he's losing her and decides force is the only way to go.

What's interesting is that Teo doesn't exactly snap at this point. How can that be, you might be asking? I mean, he does kidnap her and shove her in a suitcase - that certainly sounds like he's snapped. But Teo doesn't exactly see what he's done as bad. In him, Montes has built a character so deluded - you could argue due to nature or nurture thanks to his backstory - that he honestly believes it'll all turn out ok...

From there you probably have an inkling of just how bad things can get. But I think Montes will still manage to surprise you quite a bit.

Perfect Days is out now. It isn't actually Montes's debut - he's released three books so far in Brazil and I believe this is actually his second one there - but it is the first time his work has been released Stateside.

Rating: 4/5

(Psst - check out the FABULOUS book trailer. That Montes at the typewriter!)

The Big Rewind by Libby Cudmore + a Giveaway

Hi, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Libby Cudmore's debut, The Big Rewind.

Everyone loved KitKat. Well, her neighbor Jett thought everyone loved KitKat anyway. But when a mix tape meant for her ends up in Jett's mailbox, Jett's world is turned upside down. 

KitKat has been murdered, beaten to death with her rolling pin while her latest batch of pot brownies scorched away in the oven. And Jett's the one who stumbled upon the body. Her own tenuous connection to a local detective agency lands Jett with a strange request too - KitKat's sister wants her to find out who murdered the beloved Barter Street baker. Jett's first clue: the mysterious mix tape.

I have been craving a great mystery with a fabulous amateur sleuth. Craving it. And so I'd been looking forward to diving in and savoring this one. I have to say "savoring" was a little tough considering it's such a quick read!

So Jett as an investigator: she's got a Master's in music journalism and thought New York City would be the perfect place to land a job with said degree. Instead she's working as a temp proofreading for a PI agency in the city. She does land a strange new promotion as the story gets underway, however. Oh, and Jett's favorite pastime is bingeing on crime shows with her best friend. Although that pastime is more about the hope that the friend will become a boyfriend at some stage. Jett is also of an age that mix tapes are something she has lots of experience with.

So - music aficionado, peripheral PI experience, lots of practice watching cop shows, and working knowledge of what goes into making a mix tape and WHAT IT ALL MEANS! I give her top marks as an amateur sleuth :)

The mystery itself is interesting. KitKat is well liked and no one really witnessed anyone coming or going. What's more, the door to the dead girl's apartment was locked when Jett found the body leading her to suspect that the killer was someone KitKat let in in the first place. The most obvious suspect, and the one the police hone in on, is KitKat's boyfriend, Bronco. Jett isn't so sure, though, and neither are the neighbors. It's a tight knit community and both the victim and the suspect are well liked by everyone.

Plus, there's that darn mix tape. Jett is in fact gifted all of KitKat's mix tapes and discovers that this is the fourth from a sender only known as "GPL."

Agh, this book was so much fun! The Big Rewind is fun and funky as well as a great mix of mystery and nostalgia (I definitely regretted having abandoned my own mix tapes when I moved!). It hit the spot for me!

(There's a playlist over on Spotify if you're interested!)

Considering how much I'd been looking forward to this one, I'm super stoked to be able to share it with you today and offer up a copy to one of you lucky readers as well! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, February 29. US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Libby Cudmore and her work you can visit her blog here. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Top Ten Tuesday: Songs I Wish Were Novels

I've decided to jump on board with Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week the topic is: songs we wish were books.

I love listening to music while I read, so there are literally tons of songs and artists I've linked to memories of reading certain books (John Mellencamp and Stephen King) or of certain times in my reading history (Counting Crows and anything I read in high school). Certain music is perfect for certain genres and a lot of songs I've loved throughout the years would make great inspiration for novels. Here are ten-ish off the top of my head (I'm linking videos where I can):





1 & 2. Just Like Heaven and Lullaby by The Cure  - I love these songs. Love them. I imagine Just Like Heaven as a contemporary romance that's sweet, charming, and full of British humor. (This could easily apply to Mint Car as well.) Lullaby on the other hand would be a horror novel. It has to be. I want it to be! (I'm a big fan of The Cure, this could be a whole TTT full of their songs, but I'll stop here.)

3. Um pretty much anything by Counting Crows - Mr. Jones could be a total bromance about a wild night of partying, American Girls I see as a bit of Crazy/Beautiful, then there's Mrs. Potter's Lullaby and Recovering the Satellites...

4 & 5. Heavy in Your Arms and Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine and  - Flo's songs all kind of sound like books anyway, so it's really hard to pick just one. These two would be my top two picks, though. And they'd be dark! Cosmic Love would have an epic fantasy or possibly fairy tale element to it, too.

6. So I'm addicted to My Chemical Romance and considering they've done two concept albums (Black Parade and Danger Days) that would both make great inspirations for books, it's really hard to narrow it down to one song here too! Their videos are super cinematic so I can't help but be influenced by them. Black Parade would be a dark, gothic tale set in a world based specifically on the Welcome to the Black Parade video. While Danger Days would be a futuristic dystopian inspired by the world set forth in the videos for Na Na Na and Sing (sorry I can't find an unedited Na Na Na this morning). (BTW that extra song on the Black Parade album is totally perfect soundtrack for Stephen King's "Little Sisters of Eluria.")

7. Beast by Nico Vega practically screams for a book. It'd be disturbing and bleak for sure, a post apocalyptic dystopian maybe. Dystopian for sure (no, I'm not tired of them). One with a kick ass heroine worthy of Aja Volkman's insane vocal chords!

8. I Believe by Nico Vega - this one gets it's own instead of a pairing because it's SOOOO different from the other one. Equally fabulous but much more light. This one would be a fabulous feel good read!

9. For an imploding relationship read, Wild Child's Pillow Talk would be absolutely heartbreaking. On the other hand, their Someone Else would be a more comedic failed relationship tale. Depends on what mood you're in.

10. And finally (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To by Weezer - a total feel good romantic comedy about a super cool nerdy guy falling in love :)

Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson + a Giveaway

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Julia Claiborne Johnson's debut, Be Frank With Me.

It's been over twenty-five years since M. M. Banning's groundbreaking debut, The Pitcher, was released and in all that time everyone has waited to see what she'd do next. Fortunately for her publisher, she's finally ready to write something new. Not totally voluntarily, unfortunately, considering she's got to churn something out in order to recoup the money she's recently lost after being swindled in a bad investment scheme. And so her editor sends his assistant to help. 

Alice is everything Mimi has asked for: No Ivy Leaguers or English majors - check. Drives, cooks, tidies - all things Alice is quite capable of. Computer whiz - she is a former genius. Good with kids - she's also a former teacher. And finally: quiet, discreet, and sane - good on all counts. 

But Alice isn't quite prepared for frosty Mimi and her eccentric son Frank. 

Much of Alice's day is spent minding Frank. Simply keeping up with him and keeping him out of Mimi's hair while she works is job enough! Frank is a classic film aficionado, a treasure trove of fun facts, and a snappy dresser to boot. But Frank also has a tendency to melt down whenever the rules are broken (touching his things without his permission, touching him without his permission, along with any number of other upsets) and has more trouble than most in social situations. In spite of all of that, Alice is drawn to the boy but when days, weeks, and even months start to go by without Mimi producing any pages for Alice's review, it starts to look like her efforts might all be in vain.

Be Frank With Me no doubt draws some inspiration from a certain famously closed-off author who we all know has just released her second book. Some - such as personality and career. It ends there, though. Mimi has lived a bit of a tragic life. She's lost most of her family and is alone but for Frank and Xander. (Xander himself is mostly legend for Alice in the beginning considering he doesn't make an appearance until she's been there for some time.) And while it takes some time for Alice to begin learning of Mimi's past, it's clear to her from the start that Mimi's isolation is more than just a way to keep herself apart from rabid fans.

Mimi's built a little bubble for herself and Frank, though, and even Alice can see quite obviously the affection the author has for her child. Frank is willful and brilliant but his issues, while never laid out specifically with any diagnosis, don't deter the young assistant one bit. Neither does Mimi's frankly awful attitude towards her. She's not totally non-objective in her narrative but she is to enough of an extent that she is both incredibly likable and easy to sympathize with. In other words, she's able to draw the reader in fabulously.

Not that I think any reader would have trouble getting drawn into a story about a young woman being forced to live with a crusty writer and her son while said writer pecks away at a new book (or not). Trust me, you'll wonder right alongside Alice exactly what Mimi is doing behind closed doors and whether the floor will turn out to be littered with "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy."

You can probably tell that I never did warm to Mimi. Alice, Frank, and Mr. Vargas, though, had me from the start. (Xander not so much, Mimi can keep him.)

Be Frank With Me is a book for book lovers, for readers who love unique characters, and for anyone who enjoys a good heartwarming tale. It's also a quite wonderful debut from an author I sincerely hope doesn't take a page from Mimi's book!

Rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher, I get to give away two copies of Be Frank to Me! To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, February 29. Open US only and no PO boxes please.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.
For more on Julia Claiborne Johnson and her work you can like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

New Releases 2/16/16

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer

The Widow by Fiona Barton

Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbø

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky

The Orion Plan by Marl Alpert

Perfect Days by Raphael Montes

The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardóttir

The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Interior Darkness by Peter Straub

Why They Run the Way They Do by Susan Perabo

Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw

No Shred of Evidence by Charles Todd

The X Files: The Truth is Out There ed by Jonathan Maberry

Back Blast by Mark Greaney

The Rule of Mirrors by Caragh M. O'Brien

Bluescreen by Dan Wells

Take the Fall by Emily Hainsworth

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

New on DVD:
Black Mass
The 33
Trumbo
Steve Jobs

Pre Pub Book Buzz: Thin Air by Michelle Paver

Happy Saturday, all. I know it's almost over but better late than never, right?

I have a very odd fascination with mountaineering expeditions. Expeditions in general, but mountaineering in particular. Probably because it's something I have no interest in ever taking part in anything along those lines in reality (heights, cold, general outdoor activity...). Worse yet, the fact that there are bodies littered all over Everest is something that saddens me and freaks me out but still seems to me like such an obvious plot piece for some kind of fabulous horror novel that needs to be written!

And so when I stumbled upon Thin Air by Michelle Paver it immediately got added to my wish list. I should note that sadly it is a UK release only at this stage so while I will be keeping an eye out for any possible US release date I will be planning to have to order it overseas.

Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

In 1935, young medic Stephen Pearce travels to India to join an expedition with his brother, Kits. The elite team of five will climb Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain and one of mountaineering's biggest killers. No one has scaled it before, and they are, quite literally, following in the footsteps of one of the most famous mountain disasters of all time - the 1907 Lyell Expedition.

Five men lost their lives back then, overcome by the atrocious weather, misfortune and 'mountain sickness' at such high altitudes. Lyell became a classic British hero when he published his memoir, Bloody, But Unbowed, which regaled his heroism in the face of extreme odds. It is this book that will guide this new group to get to the very top.

As the team prepare for the epic climb, Pearce's unease about the expedition deepens. The only other survivor of the 1907 expedition, Charles Tennant, warns him off. He hints of dark things ahead and tells Pearce that, while five men lost their lives on the mountain, only four were laid to rest.

But Pearce is determined to go ahead and complete something that he has dreamed of his entire life. As they get higher and higher, and the oxygen levels drop, he starts to see dark things out of the corners of his eyes. As macabre mementoes of the earlier climbers turn up on the trail, Stephen starts to suspect that Charles Lyell's account of the tragedy was perhaps not the full story...

Thin Air is due out in October from Orion. 

Ex-Isle by Peter Clines

I know I'm not the only one who was a little concerned when the final pages of Ex-Purgatory drew the story to a close. Was that it?! Was that all we'd see of St. George, Stealth, Zzzap, Corpse Girl, Captain Freedom, and The Driver?

Fortunately for us all, it wasn't the end!

The Mount has been doing ok but growing needs and the ever-present threat of the exes means the time has come for expansion. This is made even more clear when fire decimates part of the surrounding area. That's where Eden comes in. Once a thriving community garden, Stealth and the others have been working to fortify it so it can be a reliable food source for The Mount. Unfortunately it's starting to look like they haven't been working fast enough. 

Meanwhile, Zzzap has been searching worldwide for other survivors and has found an interesting settlement somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Hundreds of people have apparently banded together to create a floating island made of a variety of ships. They've even begun farming on the deck of a tanker. But the fact that the "island" is floating freely means Zzzap and St. George have very little time for a recon mission if they're to find it again easily. And with the growing concerns about getting Eden ready for the coming grow season, The Mount can't really afford to spare the two heroes. 

A plan is devised and the two, along with Corpse Girl, set off for a one week mission. But as with most plans, things quickly begin to get out of control both for the mission and for Eden.

So we're multiple years into the "zombocalypse" and our heroes have so far thrived in their new community. To an extent. They're still reeling from the events of Ex-Purgatory and a few of them are having a harder time coming to grips with that than others.

But the community soldiers on nonetheless!

Of course the time would come when scavenged can foods and such would start to become scarce, though as Kennedy points out in Ex-Isle, much of LA has still yet to be bled dry in that sense. But it makes sense that the community would now have outgrown its earlier attempts at farming and that a larger and more permanent solution would be needed.

Eden offers not only that but a great way to move the plot out of The Mount and add some different sources of tension to the growing series. As does Lemuria, the floating island of ships!

Peter Clines is definitely a favorite in our house. In fact, hubs yet again stole this one before I had the chance to dive in. He (Clines) is also one of my favorites to recommend to readers looking for a fun new series to start. In addition to being action-packed (it's superheroes and zombies, y'all, it'd have to be), Clines has a great sense of humor and a penchant for fabulous pop culture references (um, if you miss the Stephen King one in Ex-Isle I feel sad for you). Plus, as the series grows we're learning more and more about the various characters, new and old.

Clines splits the books into "Then" and "Now" chapters, offering readers insight into heroes and non and how they've changed throughout their ordeal. In this case, parallels between characters at The Mount and Lemuria gives readers the chance to see just how the two different communities evolved into what they are "now."

As always, I've tried not to give you anything too spoilery here, especially if you've yet to read the series. I do highly suggest reading the books in order: Ex-Heroes, Ex-Patriots, Ex-Communication, Ex-Purgatory, and then Ex-Isle.

Rating: 5/5

PS If you happen to be suffering from a major book slump, this is a perfect slump-busting series!

The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge

DI Helen Grace and (some of) her team are back in this third entry in M. J. Arlidge's series!

A body has been discovered on a remote beach and DI Helen Grace and her team are on the case. Strangely enough, the body has been there for over a year but when they identify the girl they find that her father has been receiving text messages from his daughter the whole time. Then they discover that another girl has just gone missing. One who resembles the dead girl they've just found. And this new missing girl is sending texts and tweets at the very same time as those still coming through from the dead girl. 

After successfully solving two serial cases, it looks as though Helen Grace may have found herself a third. 

But in the time since those first two very public cases, Helen's trusted team has dwindled - Charlie is out on maternity leave and only Sanderson remains now. Fortunately it hasn't kept Helen from doing her job - much to the disappointment of DS Harwood. They've come to a somewhat frosty agreement in the workplace since the Ella Matthews case, or so Helen thinks. In reality, Harwood has made it her goal to either shine beyond Helen's limelight or make sure Helen is ruined.

If you haven't read him before, M. J. Arlidge comes up with some truly twisted plots! They're fantastic, though. That said, I would suggest reading the books in order (Eeny Meeny, Pop Goes the Weasel, and then The Doll's House). They stand fairly well on their own but I think they really need to be read in sequence to truly understand the characters' back stories and the dynamics between the  various characters as well.

So Helen has lost most of her team now and the newly promoted members are there by the grace of Harwood. Sanderson and Charlie both recognize it but neither is in much of a position to do anything about it: Sanderson has been overlooked for promotion and Charlie, as mentioned above, is out on maternity leave. Helen still believes that those around her will do their jobs simply because it's their duty, but Sanderson herself can feel the tension in the team and is all too aware that as a Helen supporter she's on the outs.

But again, it doesn't stop Helen from doing her job. She's dogged and determined (as is Sanderson, she's a great side character!) and well aware that the clock is ticking for their latest victim.

As usual, Arlidge offers readers alternating perspectives throughout the book - Helen, Harwood, Sanderson, and others on the force as well as the killer and Ruby, the missing girl. And like the past two installments, Ruby and the other victims go through a truly harrowing ordeal.

The tension and pacing here are absolutely phenomenal. And I do mean that sincerely - phenomenal! An up-all-nighter, a can't-put-it-downer, a book that you'll be dying to get back to if you do have to set it aside for any reason. You know, a call-in-to-work-so-you-can-finish kind of book. The best kind :)

The Doll's House is brand new out on shelves now. If you're looking for a great thriller, you definitely should run out and buy a copy. (This is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Haynes, by the way!)

Rating: 5/5

New Releases 2/9/16

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becques

Arcadia by Iain Pears

Find Her by Lisa Gardner

Ice Chest by J.D. Rhoades

Violent Crimes by Phillip Margolin

Into Oblivion by Arnaldur Indridason

Floodgate by Johnny Shaw

Runaway by Peter May

Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau

The Lion's Mouth by Anne Holt

Shutter Man by Richard Montanari

The Fine Art of Murder by Emily Barnes

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

The Wolves by Alex Berenson

Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue

Murder on a Summer's Day by Frances Brody

Second House From the Corner by Sadeqa Johnson

I'll See You In Paris by Michelle Gable

The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley

The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Hostile Witness by Leigh Adams

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly

Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse

New on DVD:
Crimson Peak
99 Homes
Freaks of Nature
Spectre

New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig

Pre Pub Book Buzz: A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain

April 11 sees the release of Julie McElwain's debut, and, readers, it sounds like a doozy!

Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.

What do you think, is this one worthy of your own TBR pile? It's already in my must have list, that's for sure!

Mad Dogs

Ugh, this weather is kind of taking it out of me. I hate winter with a passion. My sister very kindly reminds me (frequently) that I maybe shouldn't have moved to Colorado. Thanks, sis. So I found myself in need of a mental health break and couldn't (wouldn't) leave the house thanks to snow this week. And the blah mood translated into a book funk as well.

Fortunately, the first full season of Mad Dogs finally made it to Amazon Prime last month!

For those of you who may not know, Amazon offers viewers the chance to watch original pilots and give feedback on those pilots as they decide which to put into production. Bosch was my first, thanks to being notified by Michael Connolly's followers, and I've looked forward to the process ever since. The bad thing is that it takes a while for the shows to finally air. Basically you get to watch a fully produced first episode and then wait a long time to see more. Long being relative.

Anyway, Mad Dogs was on the list (if I remember correctly) alongside The Man in the High Castle, both of which I thought were fantastic.

Side note, this wasn't my introduction to Mad Dogs. Amazon's version is a remake of an older UK show that I'd been desperately hoping would make a debut Stateside. My hopes have been somewhat in vain considering we still can't watch the original here. That original started in 2011 and ran for four seasons. It starred Max Beesley (who I'd seen in the fabulous Survivors), John Simm (Doctor Who, Life on Mars... he's in lots of stuff), Marc Warren (who's since done Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell), Philip Glenister (also of Life on Mars - that'd be the UK version for both him and Simm), and Ben Chaplin... of Mad Dogs. Yes, Ben Chaplin stars in both versions!

(Having not seen the UK version at all, I can't compare the two. I'm fine with that.)

The show finds five friends - Joel (Ben Chaplin), Lex (Michael Imperioli), Gus (Romany Malco), Cobi (Steve Zahn), and Milo (Billy Zane) - meeting up in Belize where Milo has plans to show off his riches and his manse while celebrating his "early retirement" with the others. It's to be a crazy reunion/vacation full of good times, partying, and reminiscing. Except that things very quickly take a dark and unexpected turn and Milo drags the others into a mess that they keep making worse (yep, each episode finds them digging their hole deeper and deeper).

It's dark and hilarious. And dark.

Mike and I loved it.

The cast is excellent. Steve Zahn provides a nice bit of goofiness and is perfectly cast for his role. As are the others, though they're all a bit more serious than Zahn is. Again, he's perfect for his role. Other cast includes María Botto (who also starred the original), Rachel Holmes, Phillip Davis, and a very welcome appearance by Allison Tolman (of Fargo). If you've seen the show then you know there are a few others very worthy of mention, but I'm afraid listing them would be a smidge spoilery.

The show's only ten episodes long at this stage. I don't know if I should be embarrassed to admit it only took us two sittings to complete, but again I needed that mental health break! It's definitely appropriately bingeworthy!

If you like dark comedy, this is one you definitely shouldn't miss. So far there's no news on renewal, but I do hope it gets enough viewership to warrant a second season. I'd be interested to see how the men's stories plays out should they continue further.

(You can check out the trailer for Mad Dogs here.)

Guest Post by Suzanne Redfearn

As promised, Suzanne Redfearn herself is here on the blog today. Before I hand things over, though, here's a bit about the book from the publisher:

Faye Martin never expected her husband to abandon her and her three children . . . or that she'd have to struggle every day to make ends meet. So when her four-year-old daughter is discovered through a YouTube video and offered a starring role on a television series, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But when the reality of their new life settles in, Faye realizes that fame and fortune don't come without a price. And in a world where everyone is an actor and every move is scrutinized by millions, it's impossible to know whom to trust, and Faye finds herself utterly alone in her struggle to save her family.

(If you missed my review of her latest, No Ordinary Life, you can check that out here.)


And now, here's Suzanne!

Selling a Novel

by Suzanne Redfearn

Selling a novel is easy. Ha!

All you need to do is write something that's guaranteed to make money for the agent and the publisher and you're good to go.

With the current state of publishing being what it is—only three out of every ten books earning back their advance—it's no wonder editors are looking for a sure bet. So the question is, how do you deliver that? Simple, you need to write a novel with the ever-elusive, infuriating “hook” agents and editors are always talking about.

The last thing an agent or editor wants is another murder-mystery about a down-and-out, ex-cop/current cop/lawyer turned private detective, or a paranormal romance involving vampires, werewolves, zombies or aliens. Michael Connelly and Stephenie Meyer are alive and well...and, well...they are Michael Connelly and Stephenie Meyer. So save the paper because you're not them, and why would anyone want to buy a replica when the real thing is already on the shelf? These ideas are sinkers unless you figure out how to tell one of these well-worn storylines in a new way or with a twist so unique you can ride the wave of these blockbusters while still blazing your own trail.

Hush Little Baby (my debut novel) was my fifth novel, but the first one to make it into the marketplace past all the hurdles of agents, editors, readers, senior editors, and the ever-daunting marketing department. And the reason I believe it turned out to be “the one” was because I stumbled on a concept that was already a proven winner but that had never been written before—my novel had a hook.

Hush Little Baby is a story of domestic violence, a battered woman who needs to escape from her abusive husband. The hook: the story is also about marital sabotage, how one spouse can set up the other to lose everything, including custody of the children. The idea was inspired by a couple I knew who were going through a horrible divorce. There was a lot of he said/she said and it was impossible to know who was telling the truth. The idea of the husband being abusive came after the initial idea of writing a story about a psychological war between a husband and wife going through a custody battle. So though the story is primarily about an abused woman fighting for survival (a story already told in dozens of other novels), it’s the contemporary twist that made it unique enough to survive the labyrinth of obstacles to getting a first novel published.

Other great examples of debut novels with wonderful hooks are:

Water for Elephants—There are hundreds of books about the depression, but throw a circus into the mix and you've got a twist that makes me jealous of Sara Gruen’s moment of inspiration.

Twilight – Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles along with centuries of other bloodsucker novels preceded Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster success, but the reason hers made it beyond the slush pile is no one else ever wrote a story about “vegetarian” vampires who only drink the blood of animals, thereby allowing them to fall in love with a mortal. Brilliant!

The Lovely Bones—A murder mystery narrated through the eyes of the fourteen-year-old victim in heaven. Alice Sebold reinvented the first-person narrative with her unique perspective.

There are other ways to get a debut novel published. You can be so extraordinarily talented that, even if you are telling a story that's already been told, you stand out among the pack. You can write something so ground-breaking and revolutionary that the world stops revolving when an editor reads it. You can be a celebrity or a kidnap victim or an ex-cult survivor. But if you are a mere mortal with no extraordinary credentials aside from a modicum of talent and a boatload of perseverance, the trick is to give agents and editors what they need—a proven winner that is easy to define but still unique enough to stand out.

Good luck and happy writing.

About the author: Suzanne Redfearn is the author of Hush Little Baby, which was chosen as a Target Recommends selection and Target’s Emerging Authors program. She graduated summa cum laude from California Polytechnic University and, prior to becoming an author, was an architect. She is an avid surfer, golfer, skier, and Angels fan. She lives with her husband and children in Southern California. No Ordinary Life is her second novel.

Big, big thanks to Suzanne for being here today and equally big thanks to her publicist for setting up this stop on the blog tour. 

For more on Suzanne Redfearn and her work you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.