Book to Movie Alert - 'Odd Thomas'

Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz's #1 New York Times Best-Selling Novel, has been made into a motion picture starring Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin and William Defoe. The movie will be releasing this Friday (February 28, 2014). 

Odd Thomas seems like a normal guy, but he's harboring a paranormal secret: he sees dead people. Over a period of two days, Odd Thomas and a group of allies, including his soulmate, Stormy Llewellyn, fight an epic battle of good versus evil in a dark, terrifying world. 

"This is Koontz working at his pinnacle, providing terrific entertainment that deals seriously with some of the deepest themes of human existence: the nature of evil, the grip of fate and the power of love." - Publishers Weekly Reviews

Horror for Halloween: The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

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

New Zombie Thriller: Devil's Wake

A mysterious epidemic turns people into rampaging zombies driven to attack and feed on other humans.  Within six months, civilization has collapsed with pockets of survivors seeking each other out. Among them are teen Kendra, who saw her family attacked, and a pack of juvenile delinquents. Traveling from Washington to California, Kendra and her companions endure encounters with zombie gangs and opportunistic humans.  Co authored by award winning writers (and husband and wife team) Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, Devil's Wake is a book zombie lover's won't be able to put down!

First in new trilogy: 'The Watchers'

An atmospheric new trilogy opens with Jon Steele's The Watchers.  Memory-challenged British private detective Jay Harper investigates a series of murders that may be the handiwork of a gang of international killers - or fallen angels.  Set in Switzerland's historical Laussanne Cathedral, the story is somewhat reminiscent of Hunchback of Notre Dame or Richard Harvell's The Bells, but with a paranormal element.  Happy reading!

Post-apocalyptic thrills in new series starter 'Devil's Wake'

For an exciting start to a thrilling new paranormal series, try Devil's Wake by husband and wife writing team Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, coming out on July 31st.  When an unprecedented infection sweeps across the world, humanity must fight for control of Earth against a sinister alien life-form.  Trapped in the northwestern United States as winter begins to fall, Terry and Kendra have only one choice: they and their friends must cross a thousand miles of no-man's-land, battling ravenous hordes, human raiders, and their own fears. In the midst of apocalypse, they find something no one could have anticipated . . . love.

Try new authors in 'Hex Appeal'

Looking for paranormal romance with real sizzle?  Try the new short story collection Hex Appeal, which features famous authors like Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Carole Nelson Douglas, P. N. Elrod, Simon R. Green, Lori Handeland, Erica Hayes, and Carrie Vaughn.  Spellbinding stories feature bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty- third century named Silicon Lily.  Take advantage of this great opportunity to sample the work of various "bewitching" authors and maybe even discover a new favorite!

Krentz's hot new series-starter: Copper Beach

Copper Beach, the first book in the new Dark Legacy series by popular author Jayne Ann Krentz, has just been released.  This paranormal romance/suspense story features pyschic Abby Radwell, whose talent at deciphering the secrets within the pages of very rare books sometimes taken her into dangerous territory. After a deadly incident in the private library of an obsessive collector, Abby receives a blackmail threat, and rumors swirl that an old alchemical text known as "The Key" has reappeared on the black market. A number of ruthless people are searching for the book. Some believe that Abby can find it for them ....

Love steamy paranormal romance with a high level of action?  You can also try Christine Feehan's Shadow Game, the first book in the "Ghostwalkers" series that is currently 9 books long.  Novelist also recommends Out of Body, the first book in the "Court of Angels" series by Stella Cameron.

Snowed in with a good book

Check out the December book display downstairs in the Fiction section at your Community Library! Featured books fit a "snowed in" theme, and are perfect for curling up with on a long winter's night. Titles on display include a range of snowbound stories, from classics like Call of the Wild, in which a dog explores Alaska's Klondike gold fields, to Kiss of Snow, a sizzling paranormal romance between a mortal woman and a member of the SnowDancer werewolf pack.  For a wintery mystery, try Snow Angels, in which a racially charged murder around Christmas in Finland takes a toll on Inspector Vaara's marriage.   Although the weather in the Shirley area has been surprisingly mild so far, these snowy reads will have you reaching for the hot chocolate.

Moning's "Shadowfever": Read-alikes

Fans of Karen Moning's bestselling paranormal thriller Shadowfever (book 4 in the ongoing "Fever" series) have a few good read-a-like options. NoveList, a readers' advisory database that MMSCL patrons can access for free online, recommends:

Shadowplay by Tad Williams

If you like epic fantasy fiction that goes beyond battles between good and evil and beings with special powers, you may like both Shadowfever and Shadowplay. In both, the protagonist discovers a family secret that prompts him (or her) to seek revenge. This is book 2 in a series; if you're a stickler for reading books in order, start with Shadowmarch.

Belladonna by Anne Bishop

If you like steamy fantasy fiction in which a strong female protagonist must fight the forces of evil, you may want to read both Shadowfever and Belladonna. In order to combat evil, both women possess supernatural powers. This is the second book in a two-book set; consider starting with the first book, Sebastian.

Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Acheron and Shadowfever are both fantasy quests that are part of larger series. Both have elements of romance, and in each of these titles a female protagonist seeks to understand and solve an ancient mystery while fighting forces of evil.