Sunday, June 8, 2014

Weekly Book Recap #70 -- BEA 2014 Edition--Part 1

I've mostly finished the gargantuan, but happy task of unpacking the ARCs and books I brought home from last week's Book Expo America and pre-BEA events.  Among these many treasures are debut novels, highly anticipated books from acclaimed authors, and the newest installments in continuing series, representing many genres, and both fiction and non-fiction. It's what I call an amazing book bonanza.  I'm still pinching myself, and actually have two more suitcases of books to reveal--so stay tuned for next week's recap.

There are so many wonderful reads that I can't wait to start.  Although I'm not sure where to begin, I think I'll start with books that are already on my wish list.  Really looking forward to this year's summer reading!

These book updates are being shared on the following blogs:

  Showcase Sunday banner2a




 Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer  
Showcase Sunday hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey 

Books from Random House/Library Journal Librarian  BEA Breakfast . . .
The Bone Clocks: A Novel 2 A.M. at The Cat's PajamasLucky Us  
           Love Me Back: A Novel                   
Books from LibraryReads and the Association of American Publishers BEA Adult Librarian Lunch . . .
The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3) Bones Never Lie (Temperance Brennan Series #17) A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention
Books from Library Journal's Day of Dialog: A Conversation Among Publishers, Authors, and Librarians . . .
One Kick (Kick Lannigan, #1)LandlineAll I Love and Know: A Novel 
The UndertakingGarden of StonesThe Missing Place 
The Forgers Keep Your Friends CloseThe Witch's Boy  
Little MerciesThe Fragile WorldQuartet for the End of Time 
 The Lobster KingsThe Remedy for LoveAn Italian Wife 
The Lightkeeper's Wife Season of StormsThe Objects of Her Affection 
The Forgotten SeamstressThe Summer QueenThe Magician's Lie 
The Magician's Land / Lev Grossman
Cocktails for Book Lovers / Tessa Smith-McGovern
Eat What You Love Everyday / Marlene Koch
The American Plate: A History of the United States in 100 Bites / Libby H. O'Connell

Considering all these wonderful books, it's hard to believe I still have two more suitcases of new books to unpack . . .

Finished reading and listening to . . .
 A Vicky Hill Exclusive!        A Vicky Hill Exclusive! by Hannah Dennison
Exodus 2022    Exodus by Kenneth G. Bennett
The Returned    The Returned by Jason Mott

Currently reading . . .
The Insanity Plea    The Insanity Plea by Larry D. Thompson, for an upcoming book tour.

Listening to . . .
 Death On Demand (Death On Demand, #1)     Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart

Reading next . . .
Never Let Me Go    Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, for a book club meeting.
  
What did you read this week?  
. . . What did you add to your shelves or wish list?  
. . . . . . What are you reading next?

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Weekly Book Recap #70 -- BEA 2014 Edition--Part 1 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.





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Friday, June 6, 2014

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #45

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It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts from one of my current reads with:
  • Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
  • The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.
Today I'm featuring:
A Vicky Hill Exclusive!  
I just finished reading this new-to-me contemporary cozy mystery by Hannah Dennison, whose most recent novel is Murder at Honeychurch Hall.  A Vicky Hill Exclusive! is the rollicking start to a series set in a small English village, replete with an eccentric cast of characters and an endearing amateur sleuth. There are many laugh out loud moments, and I must now come up to speed by reading the other three books: Scoop!, Exposé!, and Thieves!

Beginning:  The brown envelope addressed to Annabel Lake sat on her empty chair.
Of course, it was marked confidential, but given that Annabel was home, suffering from a severe case of food poisoning, I thought it prudent to open it.  After all, it could be urgent and what was in a name, anyway?  Weren't we journalists all seeking truth and justice?

*********************
Page 56: "Oddly enough, I wasn't afraid of the dark.  I liked the stillness of night when I felt I was the only person awake in the whole world."
*********************  
 
From Goodreads:   Introducing Vicky Hill, a suffocatingly single reporter whose attempts at finding the right man and the scoop of a lifetime take a backseat to murder.

The debut of a brand new series set in the sleepy English town of Gipping-on-Plym features sweetly bumbling investigative journalist Vicky Hill, who will do anything to get that front-page story. But the unusual death of a local hedge-jumping enthusiast just may lead to Vicky's own deadly downfall.

Which book are you reading now?
 
Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #45 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.    
 
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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Thursday Thoughts: Review of Exodus 2022


Exodus 2022  


This post is part of a book tour hosted by Novel Publicity.

Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett 
Publisher: Booktrope
Publication date: 5/20/2014
Genre:  Science Fiction/Eco-Adventure Thriller/Fantasy

The story opens in the year 2022 at the Breakwater Motel on San Juan Island, off the coast of Washington State.  Protagonist Joe Stanton awakes in a state of panic, realizing his young daughter is missing from the room.  He is distraught and fears she is dead.  When the police are called in to investigate, readers learn that Joe is childless, and has in fact had an hallucination—the same hallucination that several other men recently experienced.  In the case of the other men, these visions quickly led to mental breakdowns and subsequent death. 

Joe and his girlfriend, Ella set out to discover the source of his debilitating mental condition and the compelling voice that is urging Joe to intercede in a looming environmental crisis.  In the course of seeking medical attention, Joe and Ella find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Sheldon Beck, an unscrupulous former soldier turned defense contractor, who hopes to capitalize on Joe's condition for his own personal gain. 

Against staggering odds, a race to save Joe’s life ensues, while the fate of life on planet earth as we know it hangs in the balance.  Can Joe and Ella outwit Beck and his henchmen?  Will imminent changes lead to disaster for humankind or a new beginning?   

Exodus 2022 is a fast-paced story driven by love, greed, and survival. Part thriller and part moral tale for our time, this highly imaginative novel is packed with action and rich in symbolism.  It is a classic battle between good and evil with enough twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats to the very end. Its appeal transcends the science fiction genre.  Readers who like thrillers, and fans of James Patterson, Michael Crichton, and adventure authors will no doubt enjoy Exodus 2022.


About the Author:  Kenneth G. Bennett is also the author of two young adult novels, THE GAIA WARS and BATTLE FOR CASCADIA.  A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son and two hyperactive Australian Shepherds.
Disclosure:  Novel Publicity provided a complimentary copy of Exodus 2022 in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday Thoughts:  Review of Exodus 2022 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be published without attribution.

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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: The Quick

 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.
 This week's anticipated book:
The Quick: A Novel 
 Publisher: Random House Publishing Group 
Publication date: June 17, 2014
From barnesandnoble.com:  For fans of Anne Rice, The Historian, and The Night Circus, an astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London.
  
1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine London that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural city populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and most bloodthirsty, men in England.

In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.

Named One of the Top 10 Literary Fiction Books of the Season by Publishers Weekly.
Which book are you waiting for?
Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine
   
Waiting on Wednesday: The Quick was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be published without attribution.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #63

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea. It's an opportunity to share the first paragraph(s) of a book I am currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening paragraphs from Murder at the Breakers, the first book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series, which I borrowed from a friend.  With summer on the horizon, this is one of the books I am planning to read this month.

Murder at the Breakers (Gilded Newport Mysteries #1) 

Chapter 1

Newport, Rhode Island, August 1895

She awoke that morning to an angry sea
battering the edges of the promontory, and
gusting winds that kicked up a spray to rattle
against her bedroom windows.  She might simply
have rolled over, closed her eyes again, and sunk
pleasantly back into sleep, if not for the--

Here the nib of my pen ran dry and scratched across the paper, threatening to leave a tear.  If not for the what?  I knew what I wanted to say; this was to be a novel of mystery and danger, but I was having a dickens of a time that morning finding the right words. 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?


What are you reading now or planning to read soon?

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #63 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.



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Sunday, June 1, 2014

Weekly Book Recap #69

The last week of May is always the best book week of the year for me.  From Wednesday to Saturday, I have been immersed in all things books.  I've been to panels, presentations, and author talks at pre-BEA events and BEA.  I've met fabulous authors and received more than 100 copies of published and forthcoming books.  This is what I call book heaven, and I feel like the kid in the candy store who can choose as many treats as she wants (and can carry away).  I'm still pinching myself because it is a dream come true.

I haven't unpacked all my goodies yet, so I'll be sharing only a portion of my haul today.  But stay tuned . . . there's a lot more to come. 

I'm sharing my reading updates on the following blogs:

  Showcase Sunday banner2a



 Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer  
Showcase Sunday hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey

Finished reading . . .
The Land of Steady Habits   The Land of Steady Habits by Ted Thompson
 
 
Listening to . . . 
The Returned    The Returned by Jason Mott
 
Currently reading . . .
  River Road   River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz
 A Vicky Hill Exclusive!     A Vicky Hill Exclusive! by Hannah Dennison
 
From the Eighth Annual BookExpo America Librarians' Dinner 
Co-hosted by the Association of American Publishers and Library Reads . . .
So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures     So We Read On:  How The Great Gatsby Came To Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan
Four Friends      Four Friends by Robyn Carr
 The Arsonist   The Arsonist by Sue Miller
I'll Be Back Right After This: My Memoir    I'll Be Back Right After This by Pat O'Brien
 
Reading next . . .
  Exodus 2022  Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett . . . for an upcoming blog tour . . .
 
. . . and if you read my Waiting on Wednesday Post earlier this week, I am happy to report that I met author Mary Kubica and got a signed ARC of her forthcoming book:
 
The Good Girl 
 

What did you read this week?  What did you add to your shelves or wish list?  What are you reading next?

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Weekly Book Recap #69 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.







 
 
 
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