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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie

Good morning, everyone! Are you ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow? I know I am.

Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Deborah Crombie's Garden of Lamentations, the 17th installment in her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series.

When a young girl is found dead in one of Notting Hill's private gardens, Gemma James isn't initially part of the investigation. She soon learns, though, that the girl was both a full time nanny and a part time babysitter and model for a good friend. At first, as a favor for her friend, she only accompanies her to offer condolences to the family. But soon, Gemma finds herself drawn into the case.

Meanwhile, Duncan has learned that his former boss is back in the office and is on the hunt for answers. Still reeling from the loss of a fellow officer, Duncan has never had an explanation about why he was transferred so suddenly out of his former position. It appears his suspicion of corruption at the Yard might be on point, cryptically confirmed by the very same old boss. But when that man is attacked just moments after meeting with Duncan, he realizes the issue is much deeper than he'd initially thought. And now he wonders if his family is at risk. 

I love this series! If you're looking for a fantastic set of mysteries with characters you can root for and a deep backlist to keep you busy, Deborah Crombie's series is it!

I've mentioned in past reviews of series installments that you can read these out of order, but (fair warning) each one does link directly to the one before. In this one, there are a lot of threads that tie back to To Dwell in Darkness. A lot! And of course by diving straight in here you do miss a lot of the backstory of these characters and their relationships.

And yet, I feel comfortable saying that the worst would be potential spoilers for the previous novel. The plotting and pacing of each new book is always stellar and Crombie pays ample attention in each new book to further developing her characters and their stories, so there is plenty to fall in love with even if you are new to the series. Enough to hook you and make you want to go back and read those earlier books!

If you want to start the series from the beginning, the series list is:

A Share in Death
All Shall Be Well
Leave the Grave Green
Mourn Not Your Dead
Dreaming of the Bones
Kissed a Sad Goodbye
A Finer End
And Justice There is None
Now You May Weep
In a Dark House
Water Like a Stone
Where Memories Lie
Necessary as Blood
No Mark Upon Her
The Sound of Broken Glass
To Dwell in Darkness
Garden of Lamentations

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

For more on Deborah Crombie 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

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Guest Post by Christy Carlyle

Hi, readers! Today I have a special treat, I'm hosting author Christy Carlyle, author of How to Woo a Wallflower! Before I hand things over to Christy, here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

An Unconventional Wallflower…

Clarissa Ruthven was born to be a proper lady, but she’s never wanted to live up to the expectations her late father set. Determined to use her inheritance to help the less fortunate women of London, she’s devastated to learn that she won’t be inheriting anything until she marries, a fate she has no interest in. Unwilling to let go of her plans, Clary works at Ruthven Publishing for Gabriel Adamson, a man who’s always hated her. She’s always returned the feeling, but as she begins to turn her family’s publishing company upside down, she finds herself unable to forget her handsome boss.

Never Follows the Rules…

Gabriel Adamson believes in order. He certainly doesn’t believe Clary should be sticking her nose in the publishing company, and she definitely has no business invading his every thought. But Gabe soon finds he can’t resist Clary’s sense of freedom or her passionate kisses and he starts to crave everything she’s willing to give him.

Especially When It Comes to Love…

When Gabe’s dark past comes back to haunt him, he’ll do anything to make sure that Clary isn’t hurt…even if it means giving up the only woman he’s ever loved.

The fact that this one involves a woman working in publishing, makes it all that much more appealing to me!

And now, over to Christy!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower in Historical Romance 
by Christy Carlyle 

I relate to wallflowers in fiction. Could be because, way back in the Stranger Things era, I kind of was one.

If you time traveled back to the 1980’s, you’d find me somewhere in the cluttered rush of a high school hallway. I wasn’t the cool girl or the super fashionable one. I was bookish and bespectacled, though I did have an elaborately decorated locker.

There weren’t any fancy balls in my life, no Empire gowns or chairs at the back of a room full of elegant dancers. I was just quirky. I didn’t fit in any of the cliques that existed at my high school. Maybe I was a bit of a loner. I certainly never got an invite to the prom.

Maybe that’s why I’ve never defined wallflowers as the shy unassuming girl, but the unique one. Sure, she might prefer books to most people, or be awkward when she means to be eloquent, but there’s more to every wallflower, and she’ll surprise you every time.

I think of wallflowers on a continuum that includes Molly Ringwald’s Andie in Pretty in Pink every bit as much as Anne Elliot in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Take the time to notice an unappreciated young woman, and you might just find someone who’s fierce and clever and as interesting as any heroine ever written.

History—where the marriage plot rules and women who didn’t conform to society’s expectations were likely to be scorned or overlooked— isn’t the same as historical romance. Romance is the ideal place to celebrate the wallflower who no one expects to be fabulous. In historical romance being unusual isn’t a curse. It’s an opportunity to shine.

So, who are a couple of my favorite recent quirky, unconventional wallflowers in historical romance?

Lisa Kleypas gave us a perfect example in one of my favorite books this year, Devil in Spring. The story opens with Lady Pandora Ravenel sitting in a chair at a ball, bored out of her mind. Oh, so relatable. And we soon find that Pandora isn’t shy or meek. She’s loyal, stubborn, and bold. And once the hero actually takes the time to notice her—let’s just say, in an odd situation—he can’t stop noticing how unique and appealing she is. Pandora is the quintessential unconventional wallflower.

Lily Maxton’s recent The Rogue’s Conquest gave me a wallflower to love too. Eleanor Thompson is more interested in entomology than etiquette, and she’s bold enough to go and present her paper at a men’s scientific society—in disguise, of course. And, of course, former prize fighter James MacGregor notices her, including her faulty disguise, and does what a rogue should never do. He becomes bewitched by a wallflower.

In my latest book, How to Woo a Wallflower, I loved allowing my quirky heroine to revel in all of her uniqueness. Clary Ruthven was the girl in the back of the ballroom who nobody asked to dance, partly because she has no intention of conforming to society’s expectations. Despite being the daughter of an etiquette book writer, she’s a natural born rebel and never follows the rules, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. She’s not your typical Victorian lady, but she’s one of my favorite wallflowers.

Who are your favorite literary wallflowers? 

About the author: Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, USA Today bestselling author Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there's nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings.

Huge, huge thanks to Christy for being here today. And huge thanks to her fabulous publicist for setting this up!   

My own favorite literary wallflowers, the wife in Rebecca and Jane of Jane Eyre!

How to Woo a Wallflower is the third in the Romancing the Rules series and is out on shelves now.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

New Releases 11/21/17

It's slim pickings this week because of the holiday, but here goes. Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Poison by Galt Niederhoffer

Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

New on DVD:
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Birth of the Dragon
Valerian
Leap

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Pre Pub Book Buzz: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Say it with me now, Murderbot! Murderbot! Murderbot!

When I started Martha Wells's All Systems Red earlier this year, I really didn't know what I was in for. Yes, the description sounded fun but I was new to Martha Wells. Aside from the fact that I've loved just about every Tor.com novella thus far, I didn't really know what to expect.

Readers, it was oh, so freaking fabulous! And now, the second installment in Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries is probably the sci fi title I'm most looking forward to at this very moment! Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”.

But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

This one doesn't come out until May, but you can tide yourself over until then by reading the first one if you haven't yet. Trust me, you want to - you're in for a huge treat!

Friday, November 17, 2017

The Missing by C. L. Taylor

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for C. L. Taylor's The Missing.

It's been six months since Billy went missing and not a day goes by that Claire doesn't try to find him. Her family is falling apart and the police seem to have given up, but she refuses. She knows, without a doubt, that he's out there somewhere. All she wants is for her family to be together again, the way they used to be.

The public are sure the family is involved. It's always the way, isn't it? But Claire is just as certain her family can't have had anything to do with Billy's going missing. But as more time goes by, Claire begins to realize her own family is full of dark secrets.

The Missing is a dark and twisty read. It clocks in at almost 500 pages, but it moves along at a super fast pace.

Of course part of the pacing is the mystery about Billy's disappearance. Claire drives the story along with her relentless search for answers, taking the reader right along with her as she attempts to comb through Billy's world. Any minute clue she can find leads her down another path, all in an attempt to find answers.

But Claire's having blackouts. The first happens not long into the story, just a day or so after the six month appeal on tv. She's with a friend, when the friend makes a comment about moving on and next thing she knows, she's waking up in a B&B her family used to visit when her sons were young.

Of course one black out would be worrisome, but then it happens again.

Meanwhile, her family is literally falling apart. Her nineteen-year-old son is drinking, his relationship with his live in girlfriend is rocky, and Claire finds out both he and her husband are keeping things from her.

The Missing kept me guessing right through to the end!

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

For more on C. L. Taylor and her work you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Anne of Green Gables Deluxe Edition Giveaway

Happy Thursday, all! Today I have a special treat for all you "Anne with an e" fans. The good folks over at Penguin have just released a brand new, deluxe edition of the L.M. Montgomery classic and it is gorgeous!

Here's a little bit of info from the publisher:

If you’re anything like me, you grew up reading and loving Anne of Green Gables, the classic coming-of-age tale by L.M. Montgomery. For more than a century now, Anne has been a literary icon—clever, scrappy, and imaginative, a heroine for the ages whose journey continues to capture the hearts of readers everywhere.

This fall, Penguin Classics is excited to publish a brand new deluxe edition of Anne of Green Gables, featuring a foreword by the New York Times bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan (Maine, Commencement, The Engagements) and an introduction by L.M. Montgomery scholar Benjamin Lefebvre. This new publication also features reviews and a selection of early writing by Montgomery about the process of creating the book, along with stunning cover art by Siobhán Gallagher, whose artwork has been featured in US Weekly, Lenny Letter, Bustle, and more.

Mark Twain once described Anne as “the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice,” and The New York Times calls the novel, “a Canadian cultural export matched only by hockey and the Mounties.” Since its original publication in 1908, Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into 36 languages. Anne’s tale is a celebration of fierce individualism, and the power of the families we create, rather than the ones we are born into.

In other words, if you're an Anne fan, you definitely want this book! 

Thanks to Penguin, I am offering up one copy of this new edition to one of you lucky readers. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, December 4. Open US only and no PO boxes please. 

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

Lois Clary is a programmer. Her job is just one of many at General Dexterity, working to make robot arms as good as the real thing. But the long days and lonely nights have left Lois with a twisted up stomach and no real friends.

All of that changes when she finds the Clement Street Soup and Sourdough menu taped to her door. They serve two things: a spicy soup or a spicy sandwich, which you can order as a combo (double spicy) that comes with sourdough bread for dunking. And it's amazing! Life changing amazing! Lois orders so often the brothers who run Clement Street Soup and Sourdough call her their #1 eater.

But then the brothers announce that they're leaving, their visas have run out. Before they go, though, they gift Lois with their starter - a living, breathing thing that needs to be cared for an fed! It's the start of a new adventure for Lois, one that'll change her life in ways she couldn't imagine!

Lois, who's never baked and has barely managed to keep a cactus alive, has to take care of a sourdough starter. But it's not just any sourdough starter. This one has to be kept happy and fed like any other, but she's also been instructed to play it music. And the bread that results from this starter, when Lois tries her hand, has faces in it!

But it's a magnificent bread, one that Lois shares and eventually sells. But the bread, and the brothers who gave it to her, have an odd history. Chaimen and Beoreg call themselves Mazg, something Lois has never heard of and can't really find anything about online. In an age when everything is available online!

This is such a lovely book! There's really no better word to describe it, it's just absolutely delightful! And it's weird - the kind of book that doesn't really easily fit into a category. Annalee Newitz listed it on this Sci Fi and Fantasy list, so Imma go with it being sci fi. And it does certainly have elements of that, not least of which is the market that Lois eventually becomes part of, which is focused on new innovation in food. But again, genre aside, it's a feel good book that I'm certain will appeal to anyone looking for a read that'll give them the warm and fuzzies!

This was another audio book for me and I just adored it. The narrator, Therese Plummer, was fantastic - wry and charming and the perfect embodiment (through voice, obvs) of Lois. Not only that, but the audio includes the music of the Mazg.

Whichever way you choose to read it, print or audio, Sourdough is unique and fabulous. Definitely one I highly recommend!



Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Artemis by Andy Weir

It's Artemis release day!!!

Jazz Bashara lives on the moon. She wasn't born there, children under a certain age aren't allowed to live on the moon because it affects their development, but she's lived there most of her life. And she owns the place! Not literally, but she knows all the nooks and crannies and is one of the top smugglers in Artemis. She can get you pretty much anything you need. Which is how she ends up getting tangled up in a job that's much bigger than anything Jazz could ever have imagined. Now, with people gunning for her on all sides, she'll have to execute a masterful crime in order to set things right and save her own skin!

I loved Jazz! She's a little different from Mark Watney, but probably just as smart. She doesn't have the discipline, that's for sure. She does know how to think her way out of a problem, though, so they have that in common.

Jazz is a troublemaker. She's been told from day one that she's gifted and smart, but she wants no part of it. She just wants to do her thing and be on her own. And she pretty much is, but not necessarily by choice, as we come to learn.

Artemis is a small community. Made up of domes named after famous astronauts. And the domes are divided, somewhat, by class. Jazz doesn't live in the worst, but she doesn't live in the best either. Her living quarters, all she can currently afford, are little more than a cubby with a bunk and a little storage space. Her dream is to save up enough to buy a place that'll allow her the privacy of her own bathroom!

Which is why she takes on a job that's highly illegal and definitely dangerous. And while Jazz is a bit reckless, she was spunky and snarky, the kind of character I most enjoy!

Artemis is fun - high stakes, lots of action, and the same super accessible hard sci fi as The Martian. I read it in one sitting, quite happily. At least until it was done and I realized I'd have to wait that much longer for another read from Andy Weir. Ah, the plight of a book junkie!


Sunday, November 12, 2017

New Releases 11/14/17

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Artemis by Andy Weir

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

The Paris Secret by Karen Swan

Creatures of Will & Temper by Molly Tanzer

After the End of the World by Jonathan L. Howard

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

End Game by David Baldacci

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

The Woman in the Camphor Trunk by Jennifer Kincheloe

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emma Lang

Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda

Goldeline by Jimmy Cajoleas

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi

New on DVD:
Wind River
Atomic Blonde

Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Power by Naomi Alderman

Imagine if our history was different. If women held power rather than men. If matriarchal societies were the norm and men were viewed as the nurturing caregivers. Naomi Alderman has done just that, imagined a world where an event flips the current hierarchy as we know it making men vulnerable and leaving women in control.

Roxy was one of the first. Two men came for her mother - Roxy wasn't supposed to be home. And while Roxy hid, something blossomed inside her. Something she could use against the men to save her mother. 

Allie, orphaned and left at the mercy of a family who never should have had a child, uses her power to free herself. Guided by the voice in her head, she makes her way to a safe place - a place where her own voice becomes a guiding light for other girls just like her. 

Margot is one of the first who learns that the young ones can pass it on, awakening it in older women. She keeps her power secret even as her own daughter struggles to control the unpredictable ebb and flow of electricity that runs through her. Margot can't let her own talent slip, she's in a position to effect real change, but only as long as she isn't viewed as a threat. 

And then there's Tunde. On break from college when a girl uses the power on him. When he next witnesses it, during an incident at the grocery store, he catches it on camera and becomes one of the leading names documenting the shocking events now taking place all over the world. 

Each of their stories intertwines, telling a story within a story. A "fictional" take on how Neil and Naomi's world came to be. And even as Naomi has trouble imagining a time when men were soldiers and maybe even rulers, Neil stands by his story. 

Naomi Alderman is a co-creator and writer of Zombies, Run!, which is actually what first caught my eye with regards to The Power. That and comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale, amongst other accolades.

It's an interesting statement piece. A book within a book and set in a world that's the opposite of the one we currently inhabit. And it begins with "Naomi" stating that a world where men were in charge would surely be a more peaceful one!

Certainly the world in The Power is not a peaceful one by any means. The power itself awakens in women and proves to be tied to a skein along their collarbones. And while a small number of women never develop the power, the majority do and use it to enact change. And yet, Alderman's story is one where power itself is the big bad. Regardless of who has it, it's twisted and turned until the very forces fighting against corruption become corrupt themselves.

It's a dark story, to be sure, and a pretty brutally violent one as well. And things don't necessarily come to a nice neat ending for any of our main characters. But it's also a powerful and thought provoking read as well, one that's earned Alderman heaps of praise so far. (It's been out for some time but was just released in October here in the States.)

I actually listened to this one in its entirety on audio. Overall I think the main narrator, Adjoah Andoh, did a pretty good job, affecting different accents and tones for each of the varying characters. (If you're an avid audiobook listener, Andoh also reads Chimamandah Ngozi Adichie's Americanah and Ann Leckie's books, amongst others.) There were also fun audio guide outtakes from the museum of cataclysmic history.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

In 1989, Salem was the site of a horrendous crime. It was Halloween and three women were brutally murdered, left in the same location the bodies of the accused witches were left all those centuries ago. There was a suspect, a woman found walking Salem's streets seemingly out of her mind. There was also a survivor - a little girl, the daughter of one of the victims. 

Today the crime is still unsolved. But the crime is never far from peoples' thoughts. And when the suspect in that very same case is accused of murder once again, it's all the local police chief can do to keep a woman he knows is innocent out of prison. Things are further complicated with the girl who survived, now grown, returns to town. The spitting image of her dead mother, it's only a matter of time before the real killer realizes who she is. 

Brunonia Barry's latest absolutely screams fall. Of course it should, it begins in Halloween. But the atmosphere she's built throughout the story is all cool breezes, crackling leaves, and the scent of cider!

Rose Whelan was a respected historian in Salem until that Halloween in 1989. She and three other women went down to the place the bodies were left after the Salem witch trials to consecrate the grounds. Note, it's not the final resting place. Apparently all the bodies disappeared shortly after their execution. Rose's one goal was and has been to identify the hanging tree from those very trials. A tree, not a gallows, and a location very much different from the one history says it is. But the events of that night have left her a literal shell of the woman she once was, rambling about banshees and death.

Callie remembers the night her mother was murdered, but she was just a child. She was told, in the wake of the event, that Rose had died. And so she had no reason to return to Salem at all until Rose is accused of murder once again. It's the news report of the incident that reveals the fact that Rose is still alive!

And so Callie returns to Salem. Callie has a touch of mysticism about her, so she fits right in. Especially amongst the women at Towner Whitney's tearoom. But Towner's husband, the local police chief, worries that too many people knowing Callie's true identity could be a real danger to the woman. He knows Rose Whelan is no killer, but he also knows that the fact she's been a scapegoat for so long has clearly made whoever did the killing comfortable in knowing they'll never get caught.

As Halloween turns to Thanksgiving and beyond, the town is in an uproar over Rose. Which means tensions are getting pretty high in Salem. Barry builds that suspense quietly, giving readers a chance to get to know the characters and ease into the story. There's always an underlying worry about the inevitable end of the story, but it creeps throughout rather than overwhelming the tale.

The attention to Salem history and the characters themselves is something I really appreciated in this one. And again, that atmosphere. I could almost taste the tea at Towner's tea room! It all makes for a compelling read and a great mystery, that's for sure!

If you're familiar with Barry's work, you'll see some familiar faces within the pages of her latest. Zee Finch of Map of True Places is Rose Whelan's (the accused woman) therapist and of course there's Towner Whitney of The Lace Reader. The Fifth Petal is, however, a complete stand alone. It's my understanding, too, that Barry's next book will actually take place prior to The Fifth Petal in the Salem timeline.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

I think every book person longs for those reads that are so fantastic that you just have to tell everyone about it. A book so good you have to shout it from the rooftops! Krysten Ritter's debut, Bonfire, was one of those books for me.

First off yes, that Krysten Ritter. Known for her roles on Jessica Jones, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, and (my favorite) Veronica Mars. And given I'm a fan, Bonfire made my must have list as soon as it was announced. And while I hoped, as is the case with any book, that I would like it, it turns out I actually quite adored it!

Abby Williams left Barrens, Indiana after graduation and never planned to return. But, ten years later, working as an environmental lawyer, she finds Barrens calling her home once again. 

Optimal Plastics took a dying town and breathed new life into it. They've given money for new additions to the local school, for a brand new community center, and, of course, employ a massive number of locals. But when a farmer complains that his crops are suffering because of tainted water, he places the blame right at the feet of Optimal. And his isn't the only complaint. Which is where Abby and her team come in. 

For Abby, though, it's much more than just the current claims against Optimal. When Abby was a senior, a fellow group of classmates began exhibiting strange symptoms. In the end, the girls responsible convinced everyone it was all fake, but the leader of the so called prank disappeared shortly after. Abby always wondered what happened to Kaycee Mitchell, but returning to Barrens has turned that wondering into obsession. Especially when she convinces herself Kaycee might have been telling the truth about her illness and that Optimal could have been the cause.  

Bonfire is a great mystery but it's more than that too. It's a story about a girl facing her past.

Abby wasn't popular. She was actually bullied by Kaycee Mitchell and her friends, which is part of the reason she left in the first place. But her home life wasn't great either and her drive as a lawyer is at odds with her almost overwhelming desire to avoid her father at all cost.

So she's there for work, and it's not an easy job investigating a company that can basically do no wrong in the eyes of most of the community, she's reunited with the very people she didn't get along with in school, and avoiding her father is out of the question. We soon learn, too, that Abby turns to the bottle a little too quickly when under stress - and returning the Barrens is nothing but!

And that's all in the beginning of the book. As we get deeper into the story, we learn much more about the town Abby grew up in and the secrets that have been buried there for so long.

Bonfire is an abandon everything read. A book that sucks you in and demands that you finish it in as few sittings as possible. I know, because I would have finished in one sitting but obligations tore me away! So it took me two sittings. But don't think it wasn't on my mind every second I was away from it! Ritter's story invaded my brain and actually hasn't left it. And now I want all of you to read it and love it too!

Monday, November 6, 2017

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sara Pekkanen

Good morning, readers! Today I have a special treat for you, I'm part of an early blog tour for the upcoming thriller, The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

Nellie is about to be married and couldn't be happier. Richard is everything she's ever wanted in a man. He's kind and caring, and soon he'll be her husband. But the nagging feeling that she's being watched won't go away. 

Vanessa loves Richard in spite of their divorce. And she's tried to move on. She's living with her aunt and has even started a new job. But when she hears that she's been replaced, she won't sit idly by. 

First off, this book isn't what you think it is. And that's half the fun!

Nellie is a preschool teacher who is looking forward to marriage. Richard is older, but the age difference doesn't matter, they love one another and Nellie is certain they'll be happy together.

Vanessa is a broken woman. She can't believe her husband is already getting married again and it's affecting her deeply. She drinks, she misses work, she becomes obsessed with ensuring this new marriage doesn't happen.

Hendricks and Pekkanen have created a seamlessly woven thriller full of unexpected twists. And each one came as a complete surprise! And that's in spite of my efforts throughout the book to predict exactly what each twist was going to be and when it was going to hit.

This is a book I definitely don't want to give away too much about. Like I said, the twists are half the fun. Know this, though, The Wife Between Us is a whiplash paced read that you'll absolutely gobble up. Once you start, there's pretty much no setting it down until you get to the end and find out the truth about the story!

The Wife Between Us is due out January 9 from St. Martins.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

New Releases 11/7/17

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

The Missing by C. L. Taylor

Overneath by Peter S. Beagle

Jade City by Fonda Lee

Mrs. Osmond by John Banville

The Revolution of Marina M. by Janet Fitch

The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith

Wonder Valley by Ivy Pochoda

The Midnight Line by Lee Child

The End We Start From  by Megan Hunter

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

 Follow Me by Sara Shepard

Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvuda

Devil in Ohio by Daria Polatin

The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin

Eight Days on Planet Earth by Cat Jordan

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

The Speaker by Traci Chee

New on DVD:
Ingrid Goes West
Cars 3
The Glass Castle

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Sci Fi Month!


You guys, I didn't know Sci Fi month was a thing! And it's definitely a thing I need right at this moment. I was literally trying to pick my latest read last night and pondering over multiple SF reads. I figured whichever one I picked (Artemis, with the help of some votes) it would kick off a sci fi binge - and now I have the perfect excuse.

Sci Fi month is being hosted by Lisa and Imyril - you can find the sign up page at the link I've provided for Imyril. And I found out about it thanks to Tammy at BooksBonesBuffy.

As I mentioned, I'm starting the month with Andy Weir's latest, Artemis. I also have An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon, some Expanse titles to get through (in anticipation of the upcoming release of Persepolis Rising in December), and a slew of other possibilities this month.

I do have some non sci fi related scheduled posts this month as well, but it will be overwhelmingly science fiction up in here this month and I'm super stoked!

A few lists to get you started if you want to read along:

This list courtesy of Annalee Newitz and arstechnica is a smorgasbord of science fiction she says will get you through the holidays! (I have most of these on hand and will be reading through them for sure!)

This list from the Verge is a mix of science fiction and fantasy they say you should read in November.

Oh, and there's an official Twitter account, @scifimonth, to follow along as well!