 MY SEASON OF SCANDAL |
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 April's Affections and Intrigues: Love and Mystery BloomAuthors To Watch
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AFTER EDEN by Helen Douglas (5
November; Bloomsbury)
The day Eden met Ryan changed her world forever. Actually, not just her world.
Ryan has time traveled from the future to save the world. In a few weeks, Eden’s
best friend Connor will discover a new planet—one where human life is possible.
The discovery will make him famous... And ruin the world as we know it. When
Ryan asks Eden for help, she must choose between saving the world and saving her
best friend’s greatest achievement. And a crush on Ryan complicates things more
than she could have imagined. Because Connor is due to make the discovery after
the girl he loves breaks his heart. That girl is Eden. My take: This realistic world and love triangle should appeal to both readers who love dystopian/science fiction stories and readers who don’t. |
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PALACE OF SPIES
(Palace of Spies #1) by Sarah Zettel (5 November;
Harcourt)
Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan, coerced into posing as a lady in
waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to
suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy
can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a
court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome
young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love . . . My take: An underused historical setting and a witty, engaging heroine? I can’t say it any better than this starred review from Kirkus Reviews: “A rollicking spy caper in corsets... This witty romp will delight fans of historical fiction as well as mystery lovers.” |
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KETCHUP CLOUDS by Annabel Pitcher (12
November; Little Brown)
Zoe has an unconventional pen pal-Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate
and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell.
A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the
other. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will
know her story-somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Zoe (not her real name) reveals the last year in letters, but not until the end does she reveal which boy is which, and her role in the end game. “By turns heartbreaking and hilarious... Zoe's voice is witty and introspective as she explores issues relating to family, grief, and love." (Booklist starred review) My take: I know it’s an odd pick, but this has been garnering starred reviews by the handful. I love epistolary novels and this seems to have a Gillian Flynn sort of vibe: unusual and engrossing with rollercoaster emotional punch, something to read when you’re tired of the same old thing. |
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BROKEN by CJ Lyons (5 November;
Sourcebooks Fire)
Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, Scarlet has come to terms
with the fact that she's going to die. It could be tomorrow, or it could be next
year. But the clock is ticking...
All Scarlet asks is for a chance to attend high school—to be just like everyone
else. But Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with each slammed
locker and vicious taunt. Is this normal? Really? Yet there's more going on than
she knows. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart
does... My take: A little Maureen Johnson mixed with a lot of Kathy Riechs. A thriller with an angsty teen twist from a New York Times Bestselling author of thrillers. Sounds like excellent study break reading. |
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THE LIVING by Matt de la Peña (12
November; Delacorte Press)
Shy took the summer job on a luxury cruise liner planning to rake in the tips
and help his mom and sister out with the bills. Free food and girls in bikinis
are just a plus. But everything changes when the Big One hits California while
he’s at sea. And the massive earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly
it's a fight to survive for those left living. What follows is “An addictive
page-turner and character-driven literary novel with broad appeal for fans of
both.” (Kirkus, starred review. ) My take: A heart-pounding adventure with tsunamis, killer-sharks, desert-island, eco-slash-contagion catastrophe PLUS deft social commentary from an amazing author? It’s like the SyFy Channel and PBS had an awesome baby. |
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THE NATURALS by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (5
November)
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. She’s never considered
her skill exceptional until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified
program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they
need Cassie. She’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual
as her own and it soon it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is
what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a
lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to
use all of their gifts just to survive. Gripping psychological thriller with killer appeal, a to-die-for romance, and the bones of a gritty and compelling new series. My take: A high concept mystery thriller from an author I always enjoy. An excellent pick for fans of Ally Carter’s GALLAGHER GIRLS. The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars meets Criminal Minds. |
Quick Takes
Speaking of felonies, it would be a killer oversight if I didn’t mention these installments in popular series:
DAYLIGHTERS (The Morganville Vampires finale) by Rachel Caine
CHAMPION (Legend finale) by Marie Lu
HORIZON (Soul Seekers #4) by Alyson Noel
THE FIERY HEART (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead
CURTSIES & CONSPIRACIES (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger
I should point out these are the finales of of Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series and Marie Lu’s Legend series. You know how when a TV series ends and you spend the whole weekend in your pajamas eating Hot Pockets and marathoning it on Netflix? If you haven’t read these series, you need to do the book version of that. (Though it may take you longer than a weekend.)
While you’re doing that, I’ll be scoping out future releases and enjoying my Thanksgiving Tofurky. Happy Reading!
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