What I'm Reading: Deadline

This is a cross post with RA for All: Horror

Last month I read the second volume in Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy, Deadline.

Click here for the full set-up, but here is a snippet from when I read Feed (book 1):

Feed is set in a near future in which the cure for the common cold, mixed with the cure for cancer has caused a zombie problem. The world is full of zombies and they are not nice. Another speculative feature of this world is that when the dead started rising, the traditional news outlets ignored the story, but not bloggers.  Bloggers saved the day by working together to figure out what was going on and pass on information on how to properly kill a zombie and protect yourself.

So in book 1, the bloggers led by Georgia and Sean (siblings) are the official reporters for the Presidential campaign.  While working they are caught up in a conspiracy that led to Georgia's death.  (Again click here for details).  Deadline picks up a year later with Sean now running one of the biggest news organizations in the world.

Sean is not taking Georgia's death well; in fact she still talks to him inside his head and he answers her out loud.  He spends most of his time trying to find out who was really responsible for his sister's death. In the process he (with the help of his team) uncovers another BIGGER conspiracy which may get to the heart of the virus which has changed the world.

As I have said before, despite the zombie backdrop, these are NOT horror books.  The Newslfesh series is pure thriller.  This book reads like you are riding a roller coaster.  There are build ups to a very fast paced action sequence, then things quiet down before again returning to a slow build up to more fast paced action, etc...  This happens over and over; there were too many little bursts of intense action for me to count.  Without the world building that was necessary in Feed, Deadline is all about the action and uncovering the conspiracy.

If you are only picking this book up because it has zombies, you may be disappointed.  The goal here is not to scare the reader.  The appeal is all about the rush.  This is not a judgmental comment because personally, I loved reading Deadline.  It was a non-stop fun thrill ride.  I was worried I wouldn't like Sean as much as Georgia, but he was great.

Another appeal here is the post-apocalyptic setting.  I know for me that is a huge plus in any book, no matter the genre.

One final word of warning with Deadline.  Make sure when you finish the book that you read the included first chapter of the next book. Without reading it you will not fully understand the ending of Deadline.

Three Words That Describe This Book: conspiracy, post-apocalyptic, thrilling

Where This Book Took Me (Summer Reading Feature): post-apocalyptic America

Readalikes:  Here is a link to the readalikes I mentioned previously.  I do want to highly suggest the Joe Ledger supernatural thriller series by Jonathan Maberry again for fans of Grant's series.

If you like the intense, cinematic action and uncovering of conspiracies and don't need the supernatural elements, you should also try Dan Brown.

Other authors with similar pacing and tone are Kelly Link, John Farris, and Koji Suzuki.

Of course if it is simply great zombie action you are after go read The Walking Dead graphic novels by Robert Kirkman or the short story collection The Living Dead.

What I'm Reading: Series Roundup Trail of the Spellmans and Blackout

In the spring I read two new books in some series I enjoy, so I thought I would do brief reviews with readalike updates in one post.

First up is the 5th installment of Lisa Lutz's hilarious San Francisco set PI series featuring the Spellman family, but narrated by Izzy, the middle child and a partner in the family own PI business.  I was so excited for Trail of the Spellmans to come out because Lutz had hinted that the 4th book (click here for my review) would be the last.

As in the "previous documents" (Lutz's running gag), Izzy is not only trying to solve a few mysteries, but she is also trying to get a handle on her eccentric family and friends.  The book evolves like the others in the series in that the Spellmans are investigating a few different individuals, except this time, many of the cases overlap, so the different investigators in the family are hilariously trying to keep information from each other so that no breaches of confidentiality happen.  But of course, as PIs they all want to know and begin trying to investigate each other instead.

New characters added to the mix this time are Izzy's boyfriend Henry's Mom, grumpy Grandma Spellman, and a new non-relative employee/resident in the Spellman household.

As a fan of this light series, I continue to enjoy Izzy's evolution into a full fledged grown-up.  Trail of the Spellmans deals with her relationship with Henry, but more importantly, she grows in her place in the business.  And this time there is an ending which resolves the mysteries but leaves a big surprise at the end; a surprise which will start a new chapter in the series.

Cheers to Lutz for keeping the series fresh and continuing to move the story forward.  Just know that with Lutz, you are in for more humor than mystery, more character than plot, tons of wit and irony, and lots of laughs.  Serious reading this is not; but it is a fun way to pass 8-10 hours.

Three Words That Describe This Book: humorous, private investigations, character centered

Readalikes:  In the past I have suggested readalikes for Lutz often.  Use this link to access them.

Some series I think are also humorous, smart, and character centered are The Ethelred and Elsie series by L. C. Tyler and the Mama series by Deborah Sharp.  Both have a family angle too.

My next series roundup review is of a last book in the Newsflesh Zombie Thriller trilogy, Blackout by Mira Grant.  Click here for the reviews of the first two books in the series.

To summarize though, here is what I said about the series at the Public Library Association Conference this past March (contact me for the full handout on "Trends in Horror Series"):

When Mira Grant began her Newsflesh series, people took notice immediately.  The series is best described as David Baldacci meets Dawn of the Dead.  It is set in a near future in which the cure for the common cold, mixed with the cure for cancer has caused a small zombie problem. The world is full of zombies and they are not nice. Another speculative feature of this world is that when the dead started rising, the traditional news outlets ignored the story, but not bloggers.  Bloggers saved the day by working together to figure out what was going on and pass on information on how to properly kill a zombie and protect yourself.  In the first novel, our three heroes run a blogger network and uncover a deadly political conspiracy.  By the second, the bloggers are starting to realize the conspiracy’s roots go back to the start of the zombie plague.

As I have said many times about this series, while there are zombies here, it is not HORROR.  The appeal in these books is in the thriller, conspiracy, and the average Joe taking down the corrupt government story lines.  The zombie angle adds frame (and some fun zombie attack scenes).

That being said, Blackout, as the conclusion of this well plotted and entertaining trilogy, did not disappoint.  The conspiracy is revealed in its entirety, old characters from the first book return, and the good guys win (but with some casualties). This is an important point.  The series reveals itself to be true thriller in how it ends--happily ever after for Shaun and Georgia.  As someone who prefers horror, I could have done with a more realistic ending (ie, tragic), but I understood the series was more Baldacci than Maberry, so I was fine with it.

In terms of appeal, this is a fast paced book with 2 alternating points of view, with two separate story lines that converge about halfway through. At times the story is all about explaining the conspiracies or the movements of characters and then just as it begins to slow down, BAM!, zombie attack and everyone is on the run.

The action sequences are very well done, and unfold in a cinematic manner.  There is a fabulous one at the end inside the White House!  If Grant's prose cannot get your heart pumping, than you may need to check if you still have a pulse.

Three Words That Describe This Book: political conspiracies, zombies, fast paced

Readalikes: You can use this link for the readalike authors I suggested when I read the first book, Feed.

I would also suggest the Bourne series by Ludlum and others for those who want more conspiracy, and the Daniel Silva Gabriel Allon series for those who want a well plotted, smart, action packed thriller.

Finally, for darker suspense which crosses over well with horror readers, try John Sandford's Prey Series or anything by Dean Koontz.

More backlog of reviews coming out soon...

What I'm Reading: Red Moon

One of the hot books of this summer is Red Moon by Benjamin Percy.  It was being marketed as a werewolf version of Justin Cronin's The Passage which readers of this blog know I love.  In fact, Cronin even reviewed this thriller in the NY Times Book Review.

Red Moon is being hyped as a literary, supernatural thriller.  Back to yesterday's post, this is one of those examples of the blurring of genre lines to the point that no one is sure where this book should be classified.

And that is where I want to start with my review, even before I get into details about the plot because I think this is essential.  In my opinion, this novel has been marketed inaccurately. I mean, NYT Book Review?  Usually that is meant for literary books or the most literary of genre fiction.  Red Moon is not that.  And that's okay.  You need to understand the dominant genre appeal here and then you will match this book with the correct reader.

So, what type of reader would most enjoy this book? At its heart, Red Moon is a thriller in the most old fashioned, textbook sense. This is a great choice for fans of techno-thrillers [a thriller with a speculative element from plausible, but not currently possible science] more than fans of paranormal or literary thrillers.  I will explain as I begin my more traditional review now.

The setting of this speculative thriller is an alternate current America where a prion that spreads through blood, bites, or sex can make people part werewolf (or lycan as they call it).  In Percy's world, this has been going on for thousands of years.  Many of the world's lycan live in their own republic near Northern Russia.  Currently, the Americans have occupied the Lycan Republic with troops for many years, both for the citizen's safety and for the uranium.

Lycans who wish to live peacefully in American must be drugged so that they cannot change at the full moon.  They must submit to drug tests to prove they are complying.  As you see this is a dystopian set-up where lycans are going to eventually rebel. (It's kinda an obvious allegory)

The novel opens with a series of brutal lycan, terrorist attacks on airplanes (again, thinly veiled 9/11).  From there we meet our three main characters: Patrick-- the only survivor of the plane attacks, he is a teenager who lives with his National Guard enrolled Dad; Claire-- a law abiding lycan living a boring life in Wisconsin whose parents are killed by the authorities after the plane attacks; Chase-- the meathead governor of Oregon (where most of the action unfolds) with Presidential aspirations.

Patrick, Claire, and Chase narrate most of the book. Eventually their stories all collide.  There are a few other secondary characters who get to take a few turns narrating.  Percy strings the narrators together well.  Watching all of their stories work toward meeting up is interesting and will keep you interested for the 500+ pages [hopefully].

In true thriller fashion, chapters end with cliff hangers to keep you turning the pages, and although there is a lot of bloodshed along the way, the good guys win in the end [with a tiny bit of evil left to survive to maybe live another day in a sequel].  But unlike most true thrillers, there is a lot of time spent building the connections between all of the problems in the novel's world and our real life one.  This bogs it down a bit.  Also, unlike most thrillers, there is not the obvious hero to root for.  That is where the literary fiction designations start to come in.  Percy inserts symbolism and nuanced characters into what should be a straight ahead thriller filled with action.  Here the blending causes an identity crisis for the novel.

If you couldn't tell yet, I did not like Red Moon.  It dragged too much for me in the middle and the thinly veiled symbolism of our reactions to the Middle East, terrorism, AIDS epidemic, 9/11 and the current political landscape were so simple they annoyed me.  But the main reason I was not a big fan was that I read for characters, and I did not feel like Percy's main characters were developed well enough.  I got a little bit of their motivations, but never engaged with them for good or bad.  I felt like he relied on too many stereotypes. For example, I found Chase to be a flat caricature, and that is a problem since he is one of the main characters. Patrick and Claire never got their hooks in me either.  See my readalikes section below where I discuss why I think I felt this way and offer "better" suggestions.

But I could see many readers who love techno-thrillers who will eat this up.  Many people will also enjoy the mix of contemporary problems and concerns with the mythology and lore of the werewolf. Just make sure they know what to expect when you hand this hot book out to readers.

Three Words That Describe This Book: techno-thriller, werewolves, shifting pov

Readalikes:  While some fans of The Passage [mentioned at the start of this review] will enjoy Red Moon, I have a few more techno-thrillers with horror tropes and characters to suggest that I think are much better matches.

Red Moon is very much like Jonathan Maberry's best-selling techno-thriller series featuring Joe Ledger. I reviewed the first book in that series, Patient Zero, here, and wrote about the difficulty of classifying it here [includes comments by Maberry himself]. The switching of pov, the terrorism angle (only here it is scientifically created zombies instead of scientifically explained lycans), and a thriller pacing/story line are all present in the Ledger books.  You can access the entire Joe Ledger series information in detail here.

Much of what I have said in this review for Red Moon is similar to what I said about Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.  I call that one David Baldacci with zombies.  I think this trilogy would be highly satisfying to people who liked Red Moon. Click each title for a review: Feed, Deadline, and Blackout.

Please Note: in my opinion, the character development, plotting, and overall flow of the Maberry and Grant series are better than Red Moon. I think this is because Maberry and Grant are genre writers, while Percy is from the literary world.  He tried to do genre here, but it is not his natural writing style, and that shows, at least to me. For a better example of a literary writer trying to write a speculative thriller, click here to see my review of Zone One by Colson Whitehead.

If you want a nice long (500+ pages), speculative thriller like Red Moon, but, in my opinion, better because it was written by gifted writers who ply their trade in genre, I would suggest 11/22/63 by Stephen King or NOS4A2  by Joe Hill [titles link to my glowing reviews].

Finally there are some people who will read anything with werewolves.  This is an important appeal to remember for all horror and fantasy readers.  They have a creature they like more than anything else, and that is how they pick their books.  In my book I have an entire chapter on shape-shifters.  You can also click here to see what users on Goodreads have tagged as "werewolves." Also, click here for some of my thoughts on werewolves. I should probably also note here that I don't really like werewolf books, so that may have biased me.

Jump Into Summer: Memorial Day Weekend 2012

I took off work today to help out and an end of the year carnival at my kids' school, so I am feeling like today is the start of the holiday weekend. Not to mention that today's weather will be just about perfect--sunny and 77.

Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff of summer.  Although I am not going anywhere this weekend, I will be hosting a family BBQ one day and hanging in Chicago with some family who are visiting from out of town another day. [I love it when the New Yorkers come to Chicago and are so surprised by how vibrant and bustling our "little" city is.]  Which leave Monday for relaxing at home.

The result is that I am feeling the summer starting, and I don't feel much like working.  But, I will not leave you without anything today.  Start off your summer reading by checking out the ever growing compilation of summer reading lists at RA Online.  They are adding lists as soon as they appear, so bookmark it and check back frequently.  They hit the full range of options from Fiction to Nonfiction too.

I started my first summer read, Blackout, the last installment in Mira Grant's Newsflesh zombie-political thriller series which came out this week.  I have gobbled the first 200 pages already. Use the embedded links to read my reviews of the first 2 books in the series-- Feed and Deadline.  I have paired this fun fluff with my listening to 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, which is amazing but totally different.  I am having trouble choosing which to read when.  I am utterly absorbed by both.

Okay, this is already a longer post than I planned.  So I will end by telling everyone to have a great holiday weekend.  Read a book.  I will be back on Tuesday with some BIG, seriously HUGE, news for all of you who live within driving distance of the BPL.  I have been holding on to this news since early March and am dying to share it.  (Dying is a clue).

PS: Those who can't wait can cheat and click here to figure it out.

What I'm Reading: City of Mirrors and The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror

Today I have my draft versions of two reviews that appear in newest issue of Booklist

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

First published May 1, 2016 (Booklist)

Four years after The Twelve ended with a cliffhanger, fans will rejoice as Cronin returns with the final installment in his bestselling, post-apocalyptic trilogy. The action picks up 98 years after the destruction of society, soon after the showdown in Iowa where the original twelve virals and their spawned armies were destroyed. Humanity has settled into a calm normalcy that no one alive has ever experienced. We catch up with old characters and observe a new generation coming into adulthood without the constant fear of attack. But while the walls are coming down and people are beginning to populate new settlements, Patient Zero, is secretly readying for a final attack to destroy humanity once and for all. The bleak and menacing atmosphere, nerve wracking tension, twisting plot, and intense battle scenes keep the pages turning as in the first two books, but this final novel also adds a saga-like quality to the entire trilogy, one that may resonate with fan’s of Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves. Readers of the series will be satisfied with the conclusion, appreciating not only the resolution of the conflict, but also the explanation of how humanity rose from the ashes to prosper again, of which readers had previously only seen fleeting glimpses.

More From Becky: Readers of this blog know that I loved The Passage. The Twelve though, was only okay. Now to be fair, I am not a fan of 2nd books in trilogies in general, so that did not surprise me.

This concluding novel though, was very good. It is satisfying both in how it wraps up the epic story, but also in how it spends time going back to explain where it all began. No spoilers, but there is a large section in the first third of the novel which goes back to explain the entire life of "Patient Zero" up to the point at the beginning of The Passage. This section is written in a different tone and style than the rest of the book, but to me, it fit perfectly because it is set in what was a different world from the world of the series. It also serves to answer many questions, which left unanswered, would have made this trilogy's conclusion less satisfying.

Another question I am getting is with the long time span between books 2 and 3, do you have to go back and re-read book 2 before beginning The City of Mirrors? My answer: no. Honestly, if you read the Wikipedia recap of The Twelve and combine that with the excellent job Cronin does incorporating some refresher information into the story, you will be fine.

And for those of you who have waited to even begin this award winning series until it was complete, you are in for one heck of a fun ride.

Three Words That Describe This Book: menacing atmosphere, returning series characters, satisfying conclusion

Readalikes: My suggestion of Seveneves in my draft above, did not make the final cut review, but I definitely thought of the Stephenson novel when I finished The City of Mirrors. 

Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy or Parasitology series are also great options for fans of scientific thriller/horror hybrid storytelling with strong characters, intense tension, and a menacing atmosphere.

You can also go back to my original review of The Passage for many more readalikes-- including the most obvious one, The Stand by Stephen King.

The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates

First published May 1, 2016 (Booklist)

STAR REVIEW

In this collection of six previously published stories, Oates has created a book of intense tales filled with unreliable narrators. Using an economy of words to produce an overflow of feelings, in particular extreme unease and tension, Oates ropes you in, seduces you, takes you on a dark and twisted ride and then pulls the rug out from under you, over and over again. Often you start to see the twist coming, but that is not her purpose, obscuring the denouement. Rather these stories are all about the anxiety, tension, mood and the extremely damaged, unlikable characters who keep your eyes glued to the page. When the story ends, you are both gasping for air and rushing to turn the page to begin the next story. The first, “The Doll-Master” may be the most predictable of the bunch, but the creepy feeling it produces lingers, casting an anxious shadow over the entire collection. Stories four and five, “Equatorial” and “Big Mama” build the collection to an intense climax, with “Big Mamma” in particular proving that Oates can be the best macabre writer in the world when she want to be. The final story, “Mystery Inc.,” a love letter to crime fiction and bookselling that could be The Storied Life of AJ Fikry’s evil twin, makes for a fun and unsettling conclusion. This is a collection with wide appeal especially for your fans of compelling and intense psychological suspense as found in the stories of Shirley Jackson, last year’s Slade House, or Gillian Flynn.

More From Becky: If you haven't read Oates ever or in a while and you prefer her more macabre stuff, this collection is worth your time. It is VERY good. [FYI I still am holding out for both her and Haruki Murakami to win the Nobel Prize, but genre bias is real.]

Three Words That Describe This Book: extreme unease, twisted, damaged and unlikeable characters.

Readalikes: I mention 3 above and you can use the links I provided to posts and reviews I have written to find many more.

For those of you who specifically want more short stories of the dark, creepy and twisted variety, check out any collection edited by Ellen Datlow.

What I’m Reading: Haven and The Burning World

I have two horror reviews in the 12/1/16 issue of Booklist. Both received stars, although I want to point out the second one here is shockingly good and it’s a DEBUT!!! Finally, both are great options for teens as well as adults.

Please note, most of the other titles in these reviews link to more reviews by me. Click through for even more information and/or readalike options.

The Burning World by Isaac Marion

Feb. 2017. 512p. Atria/Emily Bestler, hardcover, $27  (9781476799711); e-book, $9.99  (9781476799735). First published December 1, 2016 (Booklist).

In 2011, Marion released Warm Bodies, a refreshingly unique post-apocalyptic zombie novel. It told the love story of R, a recovering zombie, and Julie, a human girl. It’s popularity led to a movie and a clamoring for Marion to release a sequel. But it was clear that in order to continue R and Julie’s story, Marion would have to deepen the world building and characters, so he went back and wrote a prequel, The New Hunger (2013). Now, Marion has finally returned with that much desired sequel, The Burning World, and his efforts at laying a more stable groundwork behind the Warm Bodies world made it worth the wait. R and Julie are still helping recovering zombies rejoin the slowly healing world, but a new threat flies in, a corporate entity known as Axiom, with henchmen, secrecy, and violent domination on their minds. R, Julie and their friends, including an Axiom employee, end up on the run. What follows is a cross country journey to discover the truth behind Axiom and just how much of humanity is left out there, but along the way, our heroes also begin to understand more about themselves, their personal pasts, and how they each fit into the story of the end of the world. With exciting action sequences, intriguing new characters, and a much more epic scale to the story, The Burning World will leave readers satisfied but eagerly anticipating book four. Suggest to fans of epic horror with a science fiction tilt like Justin Cronin’s The Passage trilogy or Mira Grant’s Newsflesh series.

YA Statement- With a full cadre of “new adult” heroes trying to save the world while also looking for just how they fit into it, teens will find much to continue enjoying in this series.

Further Appeal: Okay, let’s be honest, Marion could have phoned it in here. But I really want to give him credit for going back and writing the prequel first to build up the foundation of the world and then move to the sequel to the enormously popular Warm Bodies. 

The Burning World moves the story away from its narrow scope, literally and figuratively which is a big change, but I think a good one.

Also, this novel introduces familial love back into the story through a few different characters. This makes sense as the characters are shifting from survival mode to actively trying to rebuild society.

Three Words That Describe This Book: exciting action, epic scope, moving

Readalikes: Other apocalyptic but non-zombie titles that readers may also enjoy include:

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel because like The Burning World, we see flashbacks to how the world was destroyed and see a moving portrait of how people are trying to piece it back together.
• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker because like The Burning World we see the apocalyptic event through the eyes through a young person. In this case, the full weight of the apocalypse hasn't taken hold yet, but it is coming. 

Haven by Tomy Deady

Dec. 2016. 504p. Cemetery Dance, hardcover, $40  (9781587675133). First published December 1, 2016 (Booklist).

In 1961, the small town of Haven, Massachusetts was terrorized by a series of child murders. When a local, disfigured, young man, Paul Greymore was put in jail, on shaky evidence, for the murders, the residents of Haven thought they could go back to a peaceful life. However, in the unseasonably warm spring of 1978, 17 years later, Paul has been released, is reconnecting with those who believe in his innocence like the local Priest, a young neighbor named Denny, and his best friend Billy, when the strange killings start happening again. Some old grudges are leading the police chief to target Paul, but the evidence clearly points to something evil and monstrous lurking in the caves and lake in the town’s forest. Paul and Denny lead a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, heroes with as serious things to overcome in their personal lives as they do with the human and supernatural threats endangering their community. With compelling characters (both good and evil), a shifting narration that keeps the story moving, a slowly unveiled, but relentlessly building sense of dread, a recently unearthed and devastating secret from the past, and breathless action sequences, Haven is a well crafted example of what is best about horror today, and this is only Deady’s first novel. While obviously for fans of Stranger Things and classic, 1980s, small town horror by those like King or Straub, don’t let the novel’s setting keep you looking in the past. There is a 21st Century perspective behind this tale similar to Jonathan Maberry’s award-winning Pine Deep Trilogy or Jonathan Janz’ Children of the Dark. Hand out freely to anyone looking for a solid scare.

YA Statement- With strong coming of age themes and young, outcast heroes leading the charge against the monster and town bullies, Haven is the perfect choice for teens looking for a bit complexity to go with their chills.

Further Appeal: I just want to reiterate how good this novel was. I had everything you want from an old fashioned horror novel, yet it didn’t feel dated. This is a debut novel that I want to make sure libraries order and hand out to patrons who love any of the authors I mentioned above. They will not be disappointed.

Three Words That Describe This Book: sense of dread, shifting pov, compelling characters

Readlaikes: Besides the many I crammed into the review, I would also suggest this to your fans of Paul Tremblay, especially Disappearance at Devil’s Rock and Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt.

Library Reads: November 2013

The November Library Reads list came out today.  I am particularly excited to see Mira Grant's newest horror novel on the list! [It's the last one.]

The top pick was....

Bellman & Black

by Diane Setterfield

Published: 11/5/2013
by Atria/Emily Bestler Books,
an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN: 9781476711959
“William Bellman is a happily married father with a promising future, until an event from his childhood comes to haunt him and everyone he loves. Beautifully written with a vividly enticing setting, Bellman & Black is a truly gothic tale that will you have entwined in its arms until the very end.”

Scott Lenski, Whitefish Bay Public Library, Whitefish Bay, WI

I too am excited for Setterfield's follow up to The Thirteenth Tale [a personal favorite].
 

The rest of the list includes...

 

Through the Evil Days: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery

by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Published: 11/5/2013 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9780312606848
“Reverend Clare Fergusson and Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne’s honeymoon retreat to the Adirondacks is interrupted by a brutal winter storm and a complicated police investigation involving a kidnapping, a drug ring and the murder of federal agents. Spencer-Fleming’s suspenseful and engrossing procedural introduces a fun, new character (Oscar the German Shepherd) and ends with a signature cliffhanger.”

Leslie DeLooze, Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia, NY

 

 

The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son

by Pat Conroy

Published: 10/29/2013 by Nan A. Talese
ISBN: 9780385530903
“Pat Conroy’s amazing voice is back and makes me realize how much I have missed hearing it. The Death of Santini takes a hard look at what has been the most obvious influence on Conroy’s work–his family. Happily, this is not anything close to a pity party, but rather a lesson about how redemptive the powers of love and humor can be.”

Jennifer Dayton, Darien Library, Darien, CT 

 

Someone Else’s Love Story: A Novel

by Joshilyn Jackson

Published: 11/19/2013 by William Morrow
ISBN: 9780062105653
“Being held at gunpoint during a convenience store robbery jolts Shandi, a young single mom, out of her denial about her 3-year-old miracle son’s origins. When her rescuer, William, a geneticist with Asperger’s, offers a way to find out what really happened the night her son was conceived, Shandi has to face the past to find her own love story. I loved every page of this funny and endearing Southern novel.”

Melissa DeWild, Kent District Library, Comstock Park, MI

 

The Valley of Amazement: A Novel

by Amy Tan

Published: 11/5/2013 by Ecco
ISBN: 9780062107312
“A new Amy Tan novel is an event. Under her sharp-eyed observations of mothers and daughters and their inexplicable bonds, is a powerful story of love, family, courage, and history.”

Kaite Stover, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO

 

Lies You Wanted to Hear: A Novel

by James Whitfield Thomson

Published: 11/5/2013 by Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781402284281
“What causes a person to make bad choices, and to remain on a path so disastrous it could destroy a family? Thomson’s first novel raises these questions and explores the course of a failed marriage. The story is bitter and painful, but you’ll want to stick with it for the surprising turn that makes you wonder who is most to blame.”

Nancy Russell, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH

The Cartographer of No Man’s Land: A Novel

by P. S. Duffy

Published: 10/28/2013 by Liveright
ISBN: 9780871403766
“Angus MacGrath is caught between the artist he longs to be and the naval career his father believes is more fitting for a man supporting a family on the coast of Nova Scotia. Angus enlists in World War I with the promise of a safe cartographer’s job, but finds himself thrust on the front lines of battle in France. The emotional havoc is palpable. Life changes in the blink of an eye and Duffy does a masterful job of letting the reader watch everyone desperately trying to catch up.”

Jennifer Hendzlik, Anythink Libraries, Thornton, CO

 

The Raven’s Eye: A Brock and Kolla Mystery

by Barry Maitland

Published: 11/12/2013 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9781250028969
“The latest Brock/Kolla mystery begins with a sudden death on a London houseboat. Unusual setting, great plot, wonderful writing. This fabulous series is yet to be discovered by many American lovers of British police procedurals. Great recommendation for fans of Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George, early Martha Grimes and Deborah Crombie.”

Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC

 

Death of a Nightingale: A Novel

by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

Published: 11/5/2013 by Soho Crime
ISBN: 9781616953041
“Compulsive do-gooder Nina Borg is now involved with Ukrainian detainees seeking asylum in Denmark. Among them are Natasha, an abused refugee and widow of a slain journalist, and her anxious 8-year-old daughter, Katerina. The two are pursued by a mysterious, powerful Ukrainian woman and Danish security forces, who consider Natasha a suspect in her fiance’s murder. Two plots gradually merge in a dramatic climax. Recommended for fans of Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indridison, Colin Cotterill and mystery lovers who prefer plots that explore social justice and morality.”

Margaret Donovan, Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA 

 

Parasite

by Mira Grant

Published: 10/29/2013 by Orbit
ISBN: 9780316218955
“Mira Grant’s first outing after the completion of the Newsflesh Trilogy lives up to the standard entirely. What a creepily plausible look at the medical industry and scientific experimentation. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel to this one.”

Emily Hartman, Spring Lake District Library, Spring Lake, MI


Click here for access to past Library Reads lists [in verse chronilogical order].  Remember, the old lists make for great "sure bet" suggestions.

What I'm Reading: Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

October is just on the horizon, and the spooky posts, books, ideas, articles, and displays are coming. That is both a threat and a promise.

Speaking of a threat and a promise, that is a great way to describe the title of the book I am presenting today. The October 1, 2024 issue of Booklist has my STAR review of Clay McLeod Chapman's Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, and let me tell you now....this book is a threat and a promise precisely because waking up and opening your eyes in the plot of this book has TERRIFYING consequences AND you cannot help but have your own eyes opened up after reading it.

I cannot wait for more people to read this book so that I can talk about it. I especially want to share my colleague Konrad Stump's awesome comment about the ending and why it is perfect. BUT I CANNOT UNTIL YOU READ IT!

STAR
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
By Clay McLeod Chapman
Jan. 2025. 320p. Quirk, $21.99 (9781683693956). 
REVIEW. First published October 1, 2024 (Booklist).

With his most ambitious novel yet, Chapman (What Kind of Mother), leans on established possession and zombie tropes and spins them into an original tale that hijacks readers’ nervous systems. It’s a few days before Christmas and Noah cannot reach his conservative parents in Virginia. Worried, he reluctantly leaves his family behind in Brooklyn to race south arriving at a disaster scene. His parents are clearly not well, and Fax* News is blaring in every room. But this opening is a brilliant red-herring, lulling readers into thinking they know what is coming. They do not. Told in three “phases” each with a distinct writing style, from Noah’s perspective to flashbacks of from his brother's family to a race through an apocalyptic landscape as Noah desperately heads home, incorporating social media, video transcripts, and news reports throughout, Chapman, chronicles The Great Reawakening– a virus that has patiently threaded its way through screens to infect half of America. A compelling, cinematic, visceral, and disturbing tale, driven by fully realized, sympathetic characters, this is a memorable novel that implicates all, regardless of where they stand on “the issues. A terrifying update to King’s classic Cell, for fans of discomforting, social commentary Horror like Wendig’s Wanderers duology, Felker-Martin’s Manhunt and Leede’s American Rapture.

*Fax is not a typo

Three Words That Describe This Book: visceral, nuanced, discomfitingly realistic

Further Appeal: I normally just give my editor, Susan, a sentence or two about my overall feelings about the book, to help as she edits, but for this one....oh boy, I gave her a paragraph. Here it is without spoilers (because as an editor, she often needs spoilers to make sure the tone of the overall books comes through in the review):

This book is bleak and cuts hard on liberals and conservatives. It is really a wake up call but I was not going there in my review. I mean, I will when I promote the review. Also it is GROSS. It is an all 5 senses horror book, but feels real– I tried to capture all of that with “A compelling, cinematic, visceral, and disturbing tale.”  [I gave her actual examples but I have reacted them here]. Also it uses great storytelling devices common to horror like the flashback [more reacted examples] and it uses found footage really well– a lot in section 3. As Noah is walking home from VA to Brooklyn to fill in the gaps but keep the pacing up. 

This novel is a straight up warning to everyone– no one escapes Clay’s wrath here. Not just conservatives. You can’t look away, even if you want to– hence the title. Eye opening– pun intended– especially for those who think they are most immune to the vitriol. Liberal doesn’t help you. Are you online at al?. Are you in any communities? Have you ever clicked on a link? Does your kid watch youtube?  The hook seems easy here, but the book is anything but easy. You will be implicated. If you are not, you aren’t paying attention.

It is presented in "Three Phases"– 3 different narrative choices– makes sense because three different situations. Use of social media posts and videos. 

Cinematic. It is a movie that writes itself– the book utilizes all 5 senses perfectly so that you can see and feel and hear and smell and touch everything. 

As I take notes, I keep a running list of candidates for my "three words." Here is the list for this book: 

barely fiction, squirm inducing (in every way, with your brain and your gut), visceral, triggers a full body anxiety response, possession/zombie/social commentary, nuanced, bleak.

This novel will  elicit a full body response. 

The characters here are relatable, and as they make bad choices or are put into horrible situations, readers are unable to look away, compulsively turning the pages while resisting a full body squirm. 

Final thoughts here: Chapman is a must read horror author at this point....every book. But this book specifically, it is a novel that every American needs to read. This should become a classic novel about wanting us– dystopian like The Handmaid’s Tale.

Readalikes: I came up with so many and yet, this book stands alone. First, Chapman treads the same ground Stephen King’s Cell– but updated for 21st Century. The other 3 books in the review above all have the same feel as this novel; all of them do the thought-provoking, social commentary, without sacrificing it being a good horror novel thing well.

One of the other things I love about Chapman's novels, he always shouts out all of the books he read or consulted while writing each book That is in the acknowledgements, and you can use it as a way to find readalikes as well. He does it for EVERY BOOK.

In this case it really helped me because while I was reading Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, I kept thinking

it had a similar feel to Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman but I could not explain why. And then I got to the acknowledgements he mentions it as well. Ion the same paragraph he also shouts out We Need to Do Something by Max Booth III.

I also think this is a great next generation read for fans of Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy. Get those copies out and promote that series as a "while you wait" option for this book.

This book comes out in January. Order it now!

Newer Horror Titles Worth a Look

I have been keeping track of a few new paperback horror titles that are getting a lot of positive buzz.

The first, one I am currently reading and loving.  Feed by Mira Grant was getting starred reviews in the library press this spring, so I ordered it sight unseen. I am reading it now and will have a full review in a few weeks, but here is the basic plot. A virus was accidentally unleashed on the world in 2014. It is now 20 years later and while America society is still functioning, it is quite different. One of the key changes after the virus is that the people stopped trusting the official news sources, and bloggers became more important and universally accepted as news and entertainment outlets. Our story is narrated by a young woman, who with her team get picked to cover a candidate for President. They uncover a secret conspiracy behind the virus and fight to unleash the truth upon the world.

There is a great mix of chills and social commentary here. But again, in my review I am going to ponder and dissect whether or not is true horror. I know a lot of horror readers who would not enjoy this title as horror simply because the zombies and the fear they induce has a scientific explanation.  But more on that later. If you want a smart, fun, exciting, and chills inducing read, try Feed.

The Bridge by John Skipp and Craig Spector is also garnering positive attention. Originally published in 1991, it was reissued this spring and is worth a second look.  From the Dark Scribe review:

This novel is a must-read. Powerful and well-written with unforgettable characters and a terrifying premise that will haunt your dreams, The Bridge is an uncompromising nightmare ride to destruction.

Surprisingly, only the BPL picked up this $7.99 paperback reissue in our system and no one still has the original release either. I would highly suggest other libraries grab a copy before Halloween.

In the USA Today I read this gripping review of The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell:

It's zombies meets the Southern Gothic tradition in Alden Bell's dark yet luminous novel The Reapers Are the Angels. 

Temple, the 15-year-old at the center of this ominous tale, was born into a world where "meatskins," the walking dead, are more prolific than the living.

Except for photos she sees in old magazines, she is a survivor who can't imagine what life must have been like 25 years ago before the zombies (Bell also refers to them as "slugs") roamed America.

Bell doesn't tell us how things came to be or whether the zombie plague has spread across the world. It doesn't matter. It's Temple's life and her immediate surroundings that fascinate us.

A loner by nature, Temple carries the weight of intolerable grief for acts she has been forced to commit so she can survive. In an attempt at atonement and redemption, she decides to help Maury, a mentally challenged man, travel across the South to Texas, where he has family who can care for him.

Along the way they are pursued by a man set on killing Temple to avenge his brother's death, a slew of zombies and a family of startlingly repulsive mutants. (Readers will be completely unnerved by their lifestyle.)

Most fascinating, Bell's zombies provoke compassion and are portrayed with a certain dignity. After all, who would choose to be zombified?

If you loved Justin Cronin's The Passage, this summer's vampire hit, you'll get a charge out of The Reapers Are the Angels. It's a literary/horror mashup that is unsettlingly good.

Well, enough said for me. I put the title on hold while on vacation and it is in my possession to begin after I finish devouring Feed.

On top of these buzzed about books. There are also new paperback offerings from perennial favorites John Everson and and Brian Keene.

So here is just a taste of what is out there right now in horror. I will have my full year in horror wrap up posted by mid-September to help everyone get ready for the Halloween rush, but I thought I would help you all get a head start now.