These are a few of the books I'm excited about reading over the next few months. (Summaries are from publishers' websites.)
What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?
The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen (W.W. Norton hardcover, September 17, 2012).
On a small snow-covered island—so tiny that it can’t be found on any
map—lives twelve-year-old Minou, her philosopher Papa (a descendent of
Descartes), Boxman the magician, and a clever dog called No-Name. A year
earlier Minou’s mother left the house wearing her best shoes and
carrying a large black umbrella. She never returned.
One morning Minou finds a dead boy washed up on the beach. Her father
decides to lay him in the room that once belonged to her mother. Can her
mother’s disappearance be explained by the boy? Will Boxman be able to
help find her? Minou, unwilling to accept her mother’s death, attempts
to find the truth through Descartes’ philosophy. Over the course of her investigation Minou will discover the truth about loss and love.
Killer Librarian by Mary Lou Kirwin (Pocket Books mass market, November 27, 2012).
(How could I resist a book with this title? Here's the summary from the publisher.)
Champion of the mystery section at a small-town Minnesota library, Karen
Nash is about to embark on a dream trip to London—a literary tour
inspired by every murderous intrigue, wily suspect, and ingenious crime
found in the pages of the British mysteries that she devours. But she’s
clueless why the love of her mid-life, Dave, would dump her hours before
takeoff—until she spies him at the airport with a young honey on his
arm! She decides the best revenge (for now) is to get on that plane
anyway . . . and entertain schemes for Dave’s untimely demise while
crossing the pond.
After touching ground in the hallowed homeland
of Christie, Sayers, and Peters, she checks into a cozy B & B run
by charming bibliophile Caldwell Perkins. Soon she’s spilling tears in
her pint at the corner pub, sharing her heartbreak saga with a stranger.
That night, a B & B guest drops out of circulation—permanently. And
when Dave and his cutie turn up in London, Karen realizes they are an
assassin’s target. With the meticulous attention to detail that makes
her a killer librarian, Karen sleuths her way through her own real-life
mystery—in which library science meets the art of murder.
Hanging by a Thread by Sophie LIttlefield (Delacorte Books for Young Readers hardcover, September 11, 2012).
Summer is the best part of the year in Winston, California, and the
Fourth of July is the highlight of the season. People consider
themselves lucky to live in the quaint, serene beachside town, and
native Clare Knight, now a city girl, feels doubly lucky to be moving
back there a week before the July festivities kick off.
But the
perfect town Clare remembers has changed, and everyone is praying that
this summer will be different from the last two—that this year’s Fourth
of July festival won’t see one of their own vanish without a trace,
leaving no leads and no suspects. The media are in a frenzy predicting a
third disappearance, but the town depends on tourist dollars, so the
residents of Winston are trying desperately to pretend nothing’s wrong.
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (Little, Brown hardcover, September 27, 2012).
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market
square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a
town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents,
wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their
pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon
becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will
triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected
revelations?
You always read such an interesting mix of stories. Sophie Littlefield is an award-winning author, so her YA book should be good. And I'm very curious to see the reactions to J.K. Rowling's first adult mystery.
ReplyDeleteGreat-looking list, Marlyn! Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteAs both L.J. and Jodie mentioned, your list is quite interesting. And, like L.J., I'm very anious to see what happens with J.K. Rowling's new one.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read YOUR reviews!
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