Can't Wait Wednesday

  

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa at Wishful Endings which spotlights and discusses forthcoming books that bloggers are looking forward to reading. Generally it's about books that haven't been released yet. This meme is based on Waiting on Wednesday, formerly hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

There are so many exciting new books on the horizon, so without further ado, this week's Can't Wait For book is . . . 

  

Publisher:  Penguin Publishing Group

Release Date:  October 9, 2018

From Goodreads:  Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life – he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden – and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.

A spellbinding standalone from one of the best suspense writers working today, The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are.

My thoughts:  Tana French needs no introduction to suspense fans.  I'm looking forward to another standalone novel from this extremely talented writer.

This Can't Wait Wednesday post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Death of Mrs. Westaway.  The excerpt shared is from the hardcover version I received at Book Expo this year.  It was my good fortune to meet the author and have her sign my copy.

  

29th November, 1994

The magpies are back.  It's strange to think how much I used to hate them, when I first came to the house.  I remember coming up the drive in the taxi from the station, seeing them lined up along the garden wall like that, preening their feathers.

Today there was one perched on the frost-rimed branch of yew right outside my window, and I remembered what my mother used to say when I was little and whispered "Hello, Mr. Magpie" under my breath, to turn away the bad luck.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

The book jacket and opening lines paint an ominous picture.  Having read two of the author's previous novels, I am eager to begin this one, which I am reading for a book group.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts 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 You Were Made For This by Michelle Sacks.  The excerpts shared are from the hardcover version I borrowed from the library.

Beginning:  Merry

If you saw us you'd probably hate us.  We look like the cast of an insurance commercial: shiny, happy us.  The perfect little family, living the perfect little life.

Wasn't that another perfect day? is what we always say at the end of days like these. A confirmation.  A promise.  A warding-off of any days that might be anything less. But most are perfect here in Sweden, many more than I can count.

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Page 56: "I went outside.  The calls with my mother usually end like this.  Me in a rage."

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My thoughts:  What seems perfect on the outside is anything but.  Merry and Sam, the husband and wife in the story, are hiding disturbing secrets from each other and are less than honest with themselves.  Reading this story so far is like seeing a train wreck that you can't drag your attention away from.  

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From Goodreads:  A gripping page-turner for fans of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW and THE PERFECT NANNY, Michelle Sacks's You Were Made For This provocatively explores the darkest sides of marriage, motherhood, and friendship.

Doting wife, devoted husband, cherished child. Merry, Sam, and Conor are the perfect family in the perfect place. Merry adores the domestic life: baking, gardening, caring for her infant son. Sam, formerly an academic, is pursuing a new career as a filmmaker. Sometimes they can hardly believe how lucky they are. What perfect new lives they've built.

When Merry's childhood friend Frank visits their Swedish paradise, she immediately becomes part of the family. She bonds with Conor. And with Sam. She befriends the neighbors, and even finds herself embracing the domesticity she's always seemed to scorn.

All their lives, Frank and Merry have been more like sisters than best friends. And that's why Frank soon sees the things others might miss. Treacherous things, which are almost impossible to believe when looking at this perfect family. But Frank, of all people, knows that the truth is rarely what you want the world to see. 

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This Friday Focus post was originally written and/or compiled and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. 
Retweeting and sharing of this original work on Google+ and/or other blogs (with appropriate recognition) are appreciated.

Thursday Thoughts ~ Books from the Backlog

Happy Thursday . . .  aka, Happy Almost Friday!!

It's time for Books from the Backlog, hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books.  It's a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks . . . or on your eReader.

 

This week's neglected book is . . .

 

Release Date:  September 29, 2015

Publisher:  Riverhead Books

From Goodreads:  In a parched southern California of the near future, Luz, once the poster child for the country’s conservation movement, and Ray, an army deserter turned surfer, are squatting in a starlet’s abandoned mansion. Most “Mojavs,” prevented by armed vigilantes from freely crossing borders to lusher regions, have allowed themselves to be evacuated to encampments in the east. Holdouts like Ray and Luz subsist on rationed cola and water, and whatever they can loot, scavenge, and improvise.

For the moment, the couple’s fragile love, which somehow blooms in this arid place, seems enough. But when they cross paths with a mysterious child, the thirst for a better future begins.

Immensely moving, profoundly disquieting, and mind-blowingly original, Watkins’s novel explores the myths we believe about others and tell about ourselves, the double-edged power of our most cherished relationships, and the shape of hope in a precarious future that may be our own.

 

 

Why I selected it:  I like the plot summary and its focus on idealist characters and an uncertain future.  I'm always fascinated by how life takes unexpected turns, despite the best laid plans.  

 

 

 

This Thursday Thoughts ~ Books from the Backlog post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original work on Google+ and/or other blogs (with appropriate recognition) are appreciated. 

Can't Wait Wednesday

  

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa at Wishful Endings which spotlights and discusses forthcoming books that bloggers are looking forward to reading. Generally it's about books that haven't been released yet. This meme is based on Waiting on Wednesday, formerly hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

There are so many exciting new books on the horizon, so without further ado, this week's Can't Wait For book is . . . 

 

Publisher:  Quirk Books

Release Date:  July 10, 2018

From Goodreads:  Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted—the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic.

Part noir thriller and part bromance novel, Hope Never Dies is essentially the first published work of Obama/Biden fanfiction—and a cathartic read for anyone distressed by the current state of affairs.

My thoughts:  This sounds like a great summer read—fun, original, and with a dynamic duo who are no longer in the limelight.

This Can't-Wait Wednesday post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original work on Google+ and/or other blogs (with appropriate recognition) are appreciated.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring my current read,  Alice and the Assassin  . . .

Chapter 1

Mariah always said that I'd do anything for a pretty face, and she might be right, but I guess I'm not that different from most other men.  And I'd like to meet the one who could refuse Alice when she challenged you.  In all fairness, though, it wasn't just because she was pretty--Alice may have had her mother's face and figure, but she was her father's daughter through and through.  And in the end, I don't care what Mariah says--I don't have a single regret.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

This is the first Alice Roosevelt Mystery, a series I've been wanting to start since its publication in April 2017.  I'm happy to have now entered Alice's world.  In true Roosevelt fashion, Alice is a daring, adventurous woman ahead of her time, and Koreto has her delightfully leaping off the page as she investigates the assassination of President William McKinley, her father's predecessor in the Oval Office.

Note:  The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original work on Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition are appreciated.

Mmm--Mystery Monday

Happy Monday!!

Today marks the first time I am participating in a relatively new meme hosted by Ms. M. It's the opportunity to share a mystery you're reading or planning to read sometime soon.  Since mystery is one of my favorite genres, it's a perfect fit for me.  I'm hoping to see many of my blogger friends posting here as well.

 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, the first book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club Series . . .

 

From Goodreads:  As the newest member of the Rose Avenue Wine Club, Halsey wants to expand her palate--not solve murders. But when a neighbor is found dead, it's up to her to pair the culprit with a deadly crime . . .

Leaving behind a failed marriage, New Yorker Annie "Halsey" Hall is ready to begin the next phase of her life in coastal Southern California. From the moment she arrives at her new digs on cozy Rose Avenue, she looks forward to joining the neighborhood ladies for their weekly Wine Club gathering. With only a rambunctious yellow lab puppy to keep her company, Halsey could really use a confidant--and a glass or two of her favorite white wine . . .

Unfortunately, she finds nothing but red at the Wine Club meeting--and judging by the dead woman lying face down in the backyard, it's not spilled merlot. Halsey accidentally stumbled into the wrong address at the wrong time, and with suspicions about her past on the rise, she must prove that she isn't a killer. Enlisting the eclectic talents of the Wine Club ladies, Halsey searches for the true criminal at large. But separating friends from foes isn't easy on Rose Avenue, and as she racks up a suspect list, Halsey can't shake the feeling that someone in her inner circle has a taste for murder . . .

Why I selected it:  So many reasons:  It's the first in a new series; it's a cozy mystery; it's set in Southern California; the main character is a relocated New Yorker; it's got wine . . . need I say more? I have a library copy of this book, and I'm hoping to read it soon. 

This Mmm--Mystery Monday Meme post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original work on Google+ and/or other blogs (with appropriate recognition) are appreciated.