Horror for Halloween: The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

The Accursed
Unusual things begin happening in peaceful, polished Princeton, NJ around the turn of the 20th century.  Residents dream about vampires, daughters start to vanish, and a bride-to-be runs away with a man who she believes is a prince, but may actually be the Devil.  The reader will be taken on a fantastically dark, yet engrossing, journey as the bride-to-be's brother sets out to find her.

"Oates brings her nightshade humor and extraordinary fluency in eroticism and violence, American history and literature (her magnetizing characters include Mark Twain, Jack London, and Upton Sinclair) to this piercing novel of the devastating toll of repression and prejudice, sexism and class warfare. A diabolically enthralling and subversive literary mash-up." - Booklist Reviews

A Stunning Debut Novel: The House Girl by Tara Conklin

The House Girl
Law associate Lena Sparrow's life and destiny is forever altered when she is assigned to find the perfect poster child for a class-action suit on behalf of the descendants of American slaves.  Sparrow searches for a descendant of Josephine Bell, who was a house girl said to have been the actual artist of a series of beautiful paintings credited to her white mistress.  As Sparrow reveals information about Josephine's past, she discovers upsetting truths about her own parents and a disturbing lie that formed that basis for her own past.  The House Girl goes back and forth between centuries and characters and remains consistently compelling throughout the tale.


"Conklin's debut is a seamless juxtaposition of past and present, of the lives of two women, and of the redemptive nature of art and the search for truth and justice. Guaranteed to keep readers up long past their bedtimes." - Library Journal Reviews

New Historical Fiction: Guests on Earth

Guests on Earth
After falling into depression following her mother's death, Evalina Touissaint is sent to the infamous Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina by her mother's lover. Highland is known for it's radical treatment methods, such as shock therapy to treat mental illness. Evalina spends years in and out of the hospital and over time she begins to consider the hospital workers and patients her family.  
 Through a shared interest in music, Evalina comes to know the most famous patient at the hospital, Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of the famed author F. Scott.  Both women consistently contradict the acceptable standard for how females should behave, which essentially guarantees that no matter how often Evalina escapes the hospital or is released for improvement, she will always return to Highland. 

"Perennially best-selling Smith (Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger, 2010) presents an impeccably researched historical novel that reveals the early twentieth century's antediluvian attitudes toward mental health and women's independence." 
- Booklist Reviews

Gripping Mystery Novel: Inherit the Dead

Inherit the Dead
IN ORDER TO FIND AN ANGEL, HE MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.

Twenty notable writers combined forces to tell the story of private investigator Perry Christo.  Christo is a former NYPD homicide cop who's been hired by a society woman to find her missing daughter, Angel, who stands to inherit a fortune.  The caveat is that Angel only inherits if she signs some essential documents by her twenty-first birthday, which is quickly approaching. Christo feels that something isn't quite right with the case, but as he's short on cash, he has no choice but to accept.

"There are some stylistic variations between the 20 authors—John Connolly doesn't sound like Charlaine Harris—but, for the most part, the story moves as though there were a single hand on the tiller. Not merely a genre curiosity, the book is a well-told mystery that stands on its own two (or 40) feet." - Booklist Reviews

The Thrilling New Novel in the #1 New York Times Bestselling Series

Storm Front
Virgil Flowers and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension have been given an interesting new case - a local college professor has stolen an artifact from an Israeli archaeological dig, traveled back to the States and then promptly disappeared. An Israeli investigator is on her way to hunt the professor down and reclaim the artifact, however, the case isn't as straightforward as it seems and Virgil Flowers is convinced the Israeli investigator isn't revealing everything she knows.

John Sandford's seventh Virgil Flowers mystery will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of the series.

Click here for more information about the books in John Sandford's Virgil Flowers series.

For Fans of Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice

Longbourn
Longbourn is a tale that takes place in the Bennett household, however, unlike Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this book tells the story of the servants in the house and primarily of one housemaid in particular, Sarah.  Sarah's days are long, ruthless and filled with grueling and demeaning chores  She can't help but wonder if this is all that life has to offer her until a new footman is hired and she begins to believe that happiness may be in future after all.    

"This exquisitely reimagined Pride and Prejudice will appeal to Austen devotees and to anyone who finds the goings-on below the stairs to be at least as compelling as the ones above." - Library Journal Reviews 


New Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Book!

Cross and Burn
Cross and Burn, the sequel to The Retribution and McDermid's eighth novel to feature forensic psychologist Tony Hill and detective Carol Jordan finds the crime fighting duo on the outs. However, the partners may have no choice but to team up again, as there is a murderer on the loose and he appears to be targeting blue-eyed, blond haired women who bear a striking resemblance to Jordan. 

"McDermid earns her customary high marks for planting clues, mastering procedural detail and maintaining suspense as the net closes. As usual, however, the endlessly fraught relationships among the continuing characters are the real draw." Kirkus Reviews

Click here for more information on author Val McDermid.



The Final Novel in Trigiani's Valentine Trilogy

Supreme Macaroni Company
The final novel in Trigiani's Valentine trilogy finds career minded Valentine Roncalli planning a lavish wedding with fiance, Gianluca Vechiarelli.  It takes time for Valentine to adjust to married life and eventually motherhood, as she and Gianluca struggle to find marital bliss while juggling their careers and complicated family lives. Trigiani's conclusion to the Valentine series will keep readers engrossed and certainly entertained.

For here for more information on Adriana Trigiani and the Valentine series.

The Return of Hannah Smith

Deceived
Hannah Smith returns in a stunning new adventure.

Attractive, gutsy and no-nonense PI Hannah Smith returns (after 2012's Gone), and her plate is full. Her mother is driving her crazy, and Hannah has decided that she's in love with Doc Ford, star of White's other series.  However, Doc unexpectedly leaves for Venezuela, and Hannah's life becomes increasingly dangerous as a bogus charity that is scamming senior citizens turns out to be a front for a real-estate-development scheme that could potentially wipe out Hannah's tiny home town, and the people behind the scheme are utterly ruthless.

New Mystery Fiction by Meg Cabot, Her Fifth Heather Wells Novel

Bride Wore Size 12
In this sequel to Size 12 Is Not Fat, Heather Wells is trying to rebuild her life at New York College, where she works as an assistant director at Fischer Hall, a dormitory. Heather, who has been busy working and planning her wedding to Cooper Cartwright, a private detective who is also a media heir, is caught off guard when Jasmine, one of her RAs, ends up dead.  She takes it upon herself to start investigating the murder, which results in a hilarious and exciting mystery tale.    

Book Review: Stella Bain

Stella Bain
Stella Bain is a psychological drama that takes place in London, during World War I. The main character is a young woman who wakes up with amnesia in a battlefield hospital tent in Marne, France.  She believes her name to be Stella Bain and she has no memories before being found wounded on the battlefield, however, she does realize that she has nursing skills and is able to drive an ambulance. As she recovers from her amnesia, she returns to duty, caring for the wounded and dying at the front. 

Thanks to psychoanalysis treatment by the couple who nursed her back to health, Stella's memories return, and the reader is treated to a story of love, memory and war.


Click here to visit Anita Shreve's website.  

Fall Into Fantasy Fiction

Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a fairy tale type story for adults, narrated by a man who has returned home to England for a funeral. He feels compelled to visit his childhood home and visit the Hempstock family home which is located just down the lane from where he grew up.  As the man takes in his surroundings, he is flooded with memories of childhood and his friend Lettie Hempstock.  The reader is then taken on a magical, sometimes terrifying, journey back when the man was just a seven year old child and inadvertently helped a demonic predator from another world enter into ours. 

"Gaiman (Anansi Boys) has crafted a fresh story of magic, humanity, loyalty, and memories "waiting at the edges of things," where lost innocence can still be restored as long as someone is willing to bear the cost." - Publishers Weekly 

For more information, click here to view Neil Gaiman's website.

Book Review: The Tilted World

The Tilted World
The Tilted World is an emotionally moving novel that takes place in the Mississippi Delta, during the Great Flood of 1927. 

Ted Ingersoll and his partner are on a mission to track down a couple of local bootleggers.  The duo come upon a botched robbery that left a baby boy the only survivor.  Ingersoll deposits the child with Dixie Clay Holliver, a sad young woman whose son had died two years before.  Ingersoll finds himself attracted to Dixie Clay, but doesn't know that she is the infamous creator of Black Lightning, the region's finest moonshine, or that she and her shady husband were the last to see the missing men.

"The authors superbly depict the bonds of maternal, romantic, and brotherly love, and their slangy dialogue and piquant metaphors enrich their setting. This is a full-bodied shot of bluesy Americana with just the right amounts of grit, heart, and woeful longing, and it goes down smooth and satisfying." - Booklist Reviews

New John Grisham Releasing Today!

Sycamore Row
John Grisham takes you back to where it all began . . .

Sycamore Row takes the reader back to Ford County, MS and lawyer, Jake Brigance, the hero of A Time to Kill.  This time around, an elderly man, Seth Hubbard, has hung himself and left most of his estate to his Lettie Lang, his African-American caretaker.  As Hubbard's assets exceed $20 million, his children lawyer up when they learn about their disinheritance and Brigance has a battle on his hands, as he's representing Hubbard's interests.

"All the author's strengths are in evidence—his capturing the rhythms of small-town life in Clanton, Miss., his skill at making legal minutiae comprehensible, and his gift at getting readers to care about his characters." - Publishers Weekly Reviews

The Definitive Book on the History and Practice of Scientology

Going Clear
A defining look at Scientology.

Plenty of celebrities have been linked to the Church of Scientology - Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes and Kirstie Alley to name a few.  Scientology, a controversial religion that some critics call a cult, is described in depth in Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief.

In Going Clear, Wright paints a picture of the religion's origins and it's leader, David Miscaviage, who rules by violence and intimidation, as well as describes stories regarding celebrities interactions with the religion.

"Going Clear offers a fascinating look behind the curtain of an organization whose ambition and influence are often at odds with its secretive ways." - Booklist Reviews





The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America

The Unwinding
A riveting examination of a nation in crisis, from one of the finest political journalists of our generation - a National Book Award Finalist.

Packer, staff writer for the New Yorker, examines the last 30 years of life in America by following several citizens, from a factory worker to an Internet billionaire.  In addition, throughout the books are profiles of Newt Gingrich, Colin Powell, Raymond Carver, Sam Walton, Jay-Z, as well as alarming headlines, news bites, song lyrics, and slogans that capture the unsettling feeling that the nation and its people are adrift.


"Packer offers an illuminating, in-depth, sometimes frightening view of the complexities of decline and the enduring hope for recovery." -                                                     Booklist Reviews

National Book Award Finalists Announced

The finalists for the National Book Awards were announced this past Wednesday, one month before the winners will be named at a ceremony in Manhattan.  In the fiction category, the finalists are:

Flamethrowers

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

The year is 1977 when Reno heads to New York, hoping to make art with her fascination of motorcycles.  After befriending some artists/squatters in not-yet-chic Soho, she ends up falling for the scion of an Italian motorcycle empire and travels to Italy, where she's drawn into the radical movement there.

The Lowland

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Subhash and Udayan Mitra, brothers born 15 months apart, couldn't be more different: Udayan joins the insurgent Naxalite movement, while Subhash conducts scientific research in America. But when tragedy strikes, Subhash must return home to Calcutta.

The Good Lord Bird


The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

Henry Shackleford, a child slave, must flee with abolitionist John Brown after Brown clashes with Henry's master. Complicating matters even further, Brown thinks Henry is a girl, a disguise Henry maintains up to the bold raid on Harpers Ferry.           


Bleeding Edge

Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon

Maxine Tarnow, a fraud investigator, finds herself caught up in an eccentric underworld of New York City after looking into the finances of a billionaire computer geek.


Tenth of December

Tenth of December by George Saunders

George Saunders, an undisputed master of the short story creates his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet.   The collection includes "Home," a story about a soldier's return home from war; "Victory Lap," about an abduction attempt; and the title story, in which a cancer patient on the verge of suicide ends up saving the life of a young misfit.

Click here to view the finalists in all categories.  

Read It Before It Hits the Silver Screen!

The Wolf of Wall Street
In The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, an arrogant bad boy of finance, shares his story as a master of his own universe.  By day he made more money than he could count, and by night he spent it as fast as he could, on drugs, sex, and international globe-trotting.

This is a story of greed, power, and excess no one could invent - the extraordinary story of an ordinary guy who went from hustling Italian ices at sixteen to making hundreds of millions. Until it all fell apart.

Movie Release Date: December 25, 2013

Who’s starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey

Click here to visit the official movie site and view the trailer.

Satisfy Your Inner Child

Mirror, Mirror
Once upon a time…

…long after fairy tales were new, five bestselling authors spin versions that take the classic stories Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, and other enduring characters into a new dimension.  

Mirror, Mirror includes five new romantic takes on classic fairy-tale themes by five romance authors.  "The stories are smoothly written and refreshingly original, with likable characters and magical aspects that will keep the romance audience invested." - Kirkus Reviews

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

The Reason I Jump
Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and non-verbal thirteen-year-old boy with autism, The Reason I Jump is a one-of-a-kind memoir that presents how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. This is a must read for parents, family members and friends who are trying to find ways to get inside the head of an autistic loved one.  

In the book, which was written with the use of a special alphabet grid, Higahida "describes the difficulty of expressing through words what the brain wants to say, the challege of focusing and ordering experience, the obsessiveness of repetition, the comfort found in actions that others might find odd, and the frustration of being the source of others' frustration." - Kirkus Reviews

Book Review: Deadline by Sandra Brown

Deadline
Well-respected journalist, Dawson Scott has returned from Afghanistan and is greatly haunted by his experience.  As he is silently suffering, he gets a call regarding a new development that has come to light in a story that began 40 years ago - its a big story, one that he has a vested interest in and one that promises to lift him from his depression. 

"Readers should be prepared for some cringe-worthy dialogue before reaching the propulsive final scenes." - Publishers Weekly Reviews 

Haunting, Unforgettable Memoir

Trafficked
Sophie Hayes willingly traveled to Italy, with her supposed lover, Bledi. Little did Sophie know that Bledi would force her to sell her body to help him pay off a debt.  Sophie worked the dangerous streets night after night, she was trapped with no money, friends or family.  There were nights were she would see as many as 30 clients.  Sophie was completely at Bledi′s mercy for food, clothes and shelter, however, she refused to give up; she believed that she would find a way to escape.

"Her disturbing look at sex slavery starkly raises awareness and should achieve her stated goal that the story "might help to keep other girls safe."" - Publishers Weekly Reviews

The Quest: Nelson DeMille's First Novel

The Quest
Originally Released in 1975 and Now Rewritten and Updated

Nelson DeMille's first novel is an intense thriller that follows the story of an unlikely group of four people - two reporters, a mercenary soldier, and a strikingly good looking photographer - on a quest to to find the fabled Holy Grail.  

Set in the overgrown jungles of Ethiopia during a civil war, The Quest is an exciting adventure story that will give the reader a chance to decide if this is a brand new DeMille novel or a historical curiosity. 


Click here for a printable list of books written by Nelson DeMille.  




Book Review: The Realm of Last Chances by Steve Yarbrough

The Realm of Last Chances
Kristin Stevens has no choice but to move to the East Coast with her husband, Cal, after she loses her administrative job in California’s university system.  The move takes a toll on the marriage and introverted Cal withdraws into himself even further, while Kristin, who feels acutely isolated, becomes close with one of their new neighbors, Matt Drinnan.

"Yarbrough has written a deeply intelligent and wildly moving story about the many permutations of love, betrayal and redemption." - Kirkus Reviews




Thrilling Sequel to a Classic Horror Story: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

The Shining

The Shining

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep

Danny Torrance, the young boy from The Shining, is back in Doctor Sleep.  Clearly, the events that took place in the Overlook Hotel have affected him - he's a drunk just like his dad - and he has been haunted by the hotel's inhabitants ever since.

Danny ends up settling in a New Hampshire town and gets a job in a nursing home where his "shining" abilities provide a crucial final comfort to the terminally ill.  When Dan meets Abra Stone, it is her spectacular shining gift, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. 

"Less terrifying than its famous predecessor, perhaps because of the author's obvious affection for even the most repellent characters, King's latest is still a gripping, taut read that provides a satisfying conclusion to Danny Torrance's story." - Publishers Weekly Reviews 

A New Novel from the Bestselling Author of The Joy Luck Club

Valley of Amazement
A Booklist "starred review," The Valley of Amazement is a story about Lulu, an America who is running a first-class courtesan house in Shanghai in 1905, her daughter, Violet and granddaughter, Flora.  The book explores the complicated and complex relationships between mothers and daughters, as well as tradition and new beginnings.

"Spanning fifty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement is a deeply moving narrative of family secrets, the legacy of trauma, and the profound connections between mothers and daughters, that returns readers to the compelling territory Amy Tan so expertly mapped in The Joy Luck Club. With her characteristic wisdom, grace, and humor, she conjures a story of the inheritance of love, its mysteries and senses, its illusions and truths." - Booklist Reviews

New Nicholas Sparks Novel

The Longest Ride
Nicholas Sparks latest novel, The Longest Ride, is the story of two profoundly different couples whose lives intersect in surprising and remarkable ways, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

Fall Into Historical Fiction: The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes


The Girl You Left Behind

Liv Halston doesn't have much joy in her these days, but she always find comfort when looking at the 100-year old painting (titled The Girl You Left Behind) given to her as a wedding present by her late husband, David. When the artist's heirs sue Liv to reclaim what they are calling ill-gotten goods, seemingly misappropriated by German soldiers during WWI, Liv refuses to just hand over her painting, there are many unanswered questions that she is determined to get to the bottom of first.  Did the artist’s wife—the subject of the portrait—give or sell it? Can anyone establish a clear trail of legitimate ownership? Does emotional attachment to a work of art have cash value? Can love ever trump greed? At its heart, such questions, thrumming in the background, add depth to what is an uncommonly good love story. 


In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most - whatever the cost.




Get Inspired! The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life by Tory Johnson


The Shift
Weight had always been an issue for Tory Johnson, and she couldn't remember a time when she wasn't ashamed of how she looked.  Tory experienced something profound when a network executive warned her that if she didn't lose weight her television career could be over, and she coined her burning desire to change her eating habits "the shift." She knew she didn't just want to change, she needed to change.

The Shift begins with this eye-opening incident and follows Tory on her weight-loss journey.  For anyone who has struggled to make a big life change, The Shift offers valuable lessons and inspiration for taking charge of your weight once and for all.


A Thrilling, New Mystery Novel: The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

The Edge of Normal
To those who don't know her, Reeve LeClaire looks like a typical twenty-two year old girl - she’s lives on her own in San Fransisco, waitresses to pay the bills, and tends to be shy around new people, however, the truth is, Reeve is anything but normal.

Ten years ago, Reeve was kidnapped and held captive for four years. After escaping, she spent the next six years trying to rebuild her life with the help of her therapist, Dr. Ezra Lerner.  Things are going okay, until Dr. Lerner asks Reeve to help another kidnapping victim.

Will Reeve find the strength to help Dr. Lerner's new patient?

"Winner of a Royal Palm Literary Award for best unpublished mystery, this nail-bitingly delicious tale will be a treat for psychological thriller fans." - Library Journal Reviews