Tag Archives: upcoming
New Book Smell – July, 2012
For Any Book Worm
The Investigation: A Novel – Philippe Claudel (July 10)
The Investigator – a normal man as ordinary as any other – arrives in Town. He has been assigned to look into a string of suicides that have occurred at the Enterprise. But his train is delayed, the weather gets worse, and the Investigator is becoming impatient. As he grows more tired, cold, and confused, he can’t help shake the feeling that he is being watched. This story plays with the more surreal points of human existence in a way that would make Kafka proud.
For the Big Kids
Purple Daze – Sherry Shahan (July 31)
Introducing a verse novel, one that explores what it means to be a high school student living in suburban LA in 1965. In an age where our young minds are trying to find voice, here they will find echoes of the same. Not only does Purple Daze explore the universal themes of teen life, love, sex, and friendship, but it touches on race, riot, and war too—highly relevant to today’s ever-shifting and turbulent culture.
For Magicians and Astronauts
Batman: Earth One – Geoff Johns, Gary Frank (July 10)
A reimagined beginning for the Dark Knight, Earth One explores the boy before the bat. Young Bruce’s thirst for vengeance transforms him into something fierce, and no one can stop him. The timing for this graphic novel is perfect, especially for when you’re waiting in line for The Dark Knight Rises, coming out on July 20th.
For Romantics
The Great Escape – Susan Elizabeth Phillips (July 10)
Lucy, daughter of a former president, has been nothing if not perfect about upholding the family’s image…until now. Escaping from her own wedding on the back of a beat-up motorcycle with an obscene man is the one thing she could do to upset that. Lucy finds herself physically and mentally in unknown territory as she tries to figure out her own life as well as her new love’s. Can she learn to distance herself from her upbringing? And how does one get to know a man who reveals nothing about himself and only paints an ugly picture on the surface?
For Thrill-Seekers
I, Michael Bennett – James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge (July 9)
After detective Michael Bennett sends a Mexican crime lord to jail, he decides it’s time for a relaxing escape to an old family cabin. But the town he remembers and the town in which he arrives now are far from similar, and what’s worse: steel bars aren’t holding back his recent prisoner’s wrath back in NYC. Can Michael keep his family safe in one town while fighting to protect New York from an uprising?
New Book Smell – June, 2012
For Any Book Worm
The Bellwether Revivals – Benjamin Wood (June 14)
Oscar Lowe, a young nursing home assistant, feels alone amid the crowd of college students. But he soon falls for beautiful, brainy Iris, a medical student, and finds himself swept up into her quirky world, specifically when it comes to family. Iris’s brother, Eden, is emotionally detached and believes that he can heal people by the power of music, and he’s willing to go to devastating lengths just to prove it. Can Oscar and Iris determine Eden’s next move before things take a turn for the worse?
For the Big Kids
Swimming to Elba -Silvia Avallone (June 14)
For Anna and Francesca, leaving childhood is an exciting time. New curves and more passionate imaginations have taken over, and there’s nothing the girls want to do more than to headlong into womanhood. But after a stunning blow to their friendship, the girls separate only to find their sexuality taking them down roads they never thought they would travel.
For Dark and Stormy Nights
The Mammoth Book of Body Horror – Paul Kane, Marie O’Regan (June 26)
A truly gripping selection of horror stories, this book features classics from noted writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, Christopher Fowler, and Neil Gaiman, just to name a few. This collection will surely chill your blood and it is recommended that you read it with the lights on!
For Magicians and Astronauts
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas – John Scalzi (June 5)
Andrew Dahl is thrilled to be a new recruit for the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid. However, he soon learns that there are three rules that constantly seem to run their missions:
1)Every mission involves some confrontation with hostile aliens.
2)During these missions, the captain, chief science officer, and handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive.
3)One low-ranked crew member bites it.
Needless to say, these low-ranking crew members–including Andrew–try their best to not get picked for these missions. But then Andrew finds some crucial information that completely transforms his coworkers’ understanding of what these missions are really all about.
For a Good Laugh
Death by Petticoat – Mary Miley Theobald (June 5)
Think you know American history? Think again! The weird “facts” we thought were true–all that nonsense about hatters getting mad off mercury, woman had teeny-tiny waists, people bathed once a year–are exposed in this laugh-out-loud collection of debunked myths and legends.
For Memoir Maniacs
Yes, Chef – Marcus Samuelsson (June 26)
Renouned chef Marcus Samuelsson shares the rags-to-riches story of his life. It starts with his humble beginnings as a young boy orphaned through tuberculosis and soon leads us on a journey of adoption, new cultural surroundings, and a whole lot of chicken-cooking. From early on, there was no doubt what Marcus would be when he grew up.
For Romantics
Monarch Beach – Anita Hughes (June 19)
Amanda’s lost her exotic husband to another woman and it’s now time for her to heal. She knows she needs an escape and decides to do so through a lovely beach vacation. The relaxing atmosphere seems like just what she needs…until she is approached by an older divorcee who gives her all of his attention. Is this the opportunity to move on she so desperately wants and needs?
For Sherlocks
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn (June 5)
When Nick’s wife, Amy, disappears on their 5th wedding anniversary, all fingers point to him as the killer. And with dangerous daydreams filling his head, he can’t blame them. But as tensions rise and new secrets come to surface, Nick finds it harder and harder to prove his innocence, even with the help of his twin sister, Margo, who stands by his side.
For Thrill-Seekers
The Tattooist – Louise Black (June 1)
Xanthe has her abusive past-master’s name spanning the space between her shoulder blades. Japanese student Yoshiko feels too old for her spider web tattoo. Zairah is a trainee lawyer who now sees herself fiercer than the Mickey Mouse on her hip makes her feel. These three women, each with a tattoo representative of a past life, are ready to move on.
Fabrice is an alluring tattooist with the ability to cover their old markings with exquisite new ones, all the while carving barely-noticeable marks in their minds. All of the women become victims to his artful snare; only one can guess his true intentions.
New Book Smell – April, 2012
For Any Book Worm
As Though She Were Sleeping – Elias Khoury, translated by Marilyn Booth (April 17)
Newlywed Milia finds it easier to close her eyes and dream than to face her husband, Mansour, and the reality that is 1947 in the Middle East. She prefers to drift through the world behind her eyelids, where she can talk to the departed and foresee the future. But the more she travels to the safety of that parallel world, the more it becomes tangled with reality.
For the Big Kids
Dying to Know You – Aidan Chambers (April 1)
In order to learn more about her new boyfriend, Karl, Fiorella composed a list of questions. But Karl is dyslexic and has trouble talking about himself, so he tracks down Fiorella’s favorite author in hope of impressing her through the older gentleman’s words. The author finally agrees, but only if Karl consents to a series of interviews in order to learn more about him. What Karl doesn’t realize is that he may learn just as much about himself as the author.
For Dark and Stormy Nights
Unholy Night – Seth Grahame-Smith (April 1)
Grahame-Smith, mastermind behind Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, has once again spun a tale that bends history and breaks rules. This time, we follow the three “Wise Men” of the Old Testament, only they are dark thieves led by the blood-thirsty Balthazar. After escaping the clutches of King Herod, they happen upon the iconic nativity scene. Balthazar has no interest in being burdened by the holy son and his parents, but then Herod gives the word to slaughter the first born of every house in Judea and the three wise thieves have no choice but to deliver them across the Egyptian border and into safety.
For Magicians and Astronauts
Mongoliad: Book One – Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey, and Cooper Moo (April 24)
While exploring a ruined mansion in Treiste, a group of amateur archaeologists find the lost translations of Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert in linguistics and historical swordsmanship. In the late 1800′s, Burton was presented with the manuscripts in order to translate them but they had been misplaced…until now.
Hisorical secrets begin to unravel, spinning a tale of a band of warriors fighting against the Mongol invasion. But just as there are battles fought on the field, mysterious battles of powerful societies are fought in secret, manipulating the world and its history through the ages.
Join in now on the first of what is promising to be a great series by a respectable team of authors.
For a Good Laugh
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art - Christopher Moore (April 3)
A hysterical take on historical icons, Sacre Bleu takes us on a whirlwind adventure with artists Lucien Lessard and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as they unravel the mystery of a letter received from Van Gogh shortly preceding his death. What drove Van Gogh to his grave? How is Lucien’s shining woman, Juliette, connected to these events? And who is this “Colorman” who sells the blue paint to artists at their most prolific (and insane) times of their careers?
For History Buffs
In the Lion’s Shadow: The Iranian Schindler and his Homeland in the Second World War - Fariborz Mokhtari (April 1)
With new, unpublished documents that reexamine Iran’s relationship with the Nazis, In the Lion’s Shadow harbors a new look on this Middle-Eastern nation during the Holocaust. It follows the story of Abdol-Hossein Sardari, an Iranian diplomat who worked to convince the German officials that Iranians, while having followed the teachings of Moses throughout history, were not “Juden.” Facing discrimination, hatred, and abandonment even by his own country’s government, this narrative of Sadari’s life paints a picture of a part of WWII not usually remembered or realized.
For Memoir Maniacs
Found: A Memoir – Jennifer Lauck (April 24)
Sequel to Lauck’s Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found, this account of her search for her biological parents touches on the psychological impact of being separated from one’s mother so young. It’s a story of finding connection, identity, belonging, and one’s place in the world. Though it is a story that speaks for adopted or misplaced children, it very well may ring true in the hearts of most readers, as the search for acceptance is universal.
For Romantics
Oh Gad! : A Novel – Joanne C Hillhouse (April 17)
Nikki Baltimore has returned to her native home, Antigua, for her mother’s funeral. After living so many years with her father in the U.S, she finds herself in a personal and cultural whirlwind. Impulsively, she decides to stay. But her life becomes confused by family, new romance, and political turmoil. Oh, Gad! promises all the goodies of a romance without the usual cheap image of a mass-print.
For Sherlocks
Cloudland – Joseph Olshan (April 10)
A missing woman’s body is found not far from reporter Catherine Winslow’s house. An unfinished novel is missing from her shelf. An old affair left behind has returned and wants her affections. All of these clues hang over Catherine’s head like a cloud, hinting at a storm that may soon unleash the truth about a serial killer. But can the mystery be solved before the murderer strikes again?
New Book Smell – February, 2012
Welcome to the first installment of New Book Smell! Here you’ll find some upcoming books that have been hand-picked for your literary pleasure. While only a handful have made it onto this month’s list, this will be an expanding project that will keep your fingers itching to turn crisp new pages all year long!
For Any Book Worm
No One is Here Except All of Us – Ramona Ausubel (Feb. 2, 2012)
In 1939, Jewish community in Romania feels the darkness of war surrounding them. Through the suggestion of one of its children and a stranger, the village decides to turn towards their imaginations and reinvent their lives. Jobs, families, and lovers are swapped to create a new world, one that escapes the horrors of reality. But when the young girl grows up, can she find the strength to return from their make-believe land to save her family?
Lone Wolf – Jodi Picoult (Feb. 28, 2012)
International Best-Seller author Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) once again weaves a story wrought with some of the most difficult situations that life can bring–and there is no easy way out. After a horrible accident leaves his sister, Cara, injured and his father brain-dead, estranged son Edward Warren returns home after his self-prescribed exile to Thailand. Edward decides that it is time to cut off life support and donate his father’s organs, but are his decisions those of a dutiful son or of a vengeful man who cannot forgive his father?
For the Big Kids
Various Positions – Martha Schabas (Feb. 14, 2012)
The only time Georgia finds herself relieved of all the drama and hormones that come with being fourteen years old is when she dances. And when she’s accepted into a premier dance school, she revels in the idea of being the star pupil. But Georgia finds herself sprinting headlong into very adult situations. Is her teacher more than just a mentor? Is it right to hope so? And is it okay to sacrifice her morals and health to find out?
For Dark and Stormy Nights
The Wolf Gift – Anne Rice (Feb. 14, 2012)
Book shelves have been absolutely saturated with vampire blood and werewolf fur for the past few years, but Anne Rice has decided it’s time to have a go herself. And just in time for Valentine’s Day! But Rice hasn’t completely returned to grim-and-gore after her latest dabbling in angelic spiritualism; while her take on the werewolf legend leaves her protagonist hunted by society and haunted by his own fears, he finds himself initiated into a world of what seems to be an ancient race of guardian creatures. Can the “Man Wolf” accept his new transformation as a gift more than a curse?
For Magicians and Warriors
The Scar – Sergey and Marina Dyachenko (Feb. 28, 2012)
The first translation of a 1997 Russian novel, The Scar is a long-awaited arrival for English readers worldwide. It follows the downfall of Egert Soll, a member of the elite guard with an ego to boot. After killing an innocent student in a duel, he is approached by The Wanderer who leaves him scarred and cursed with cowardice. Egert can’t escape this crippling change in his personality–even too frightened of the thought of suicide–and yet he finds himself forced into the company of the murdered student’s own fiancée. This is a story that works beyond the world of fantasy and will therefore be a good story for even those who tend to avoid the genre.
For a Good Laugh
The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten.: The Tweets of Steve Martin – Steve Martin (Feb. 20, 2012)
That loveable comedian who has always made us laugh over the years has broken through the social networking scene. Steve Martin now has 1.4 million+ followers on Twitter, and now anyone can enjoy the hilarious wit he has concentrated into 140 characters. This collection is a great collector’s item for all fans, on- or offline!
For Sherlocks
Private Games - James Patterson (Feb. 13, 2012)
London, England. Summer, 2012. The Olympics are about to begin and the world’s most renowned investigation firm, Private, are called in to provide top-notch security during the games. But soon before the opening ceremonies, a man is murdered and the killer promises to restore the games back to their ancient glory. Though in peak physical, mental, and technological condition, can Private’s agents stand up to this criminal genius before it’s too late?
Nothing from NBS is guaranteed to become best-sellers, but they have been carefully chosen because they represent something new and exciting for their author and/or genre. If you would like to suggest new releases for next month, please send them to emilynorthey@unwoundmag.com.
