Shelving Books: Swapna’s Picks is a series profiling books that have been released in the past two weeks, posting every other Monday. These are books that I am excited about, but will not get the opportunity to review for a few months.
Mysteries Abound!
I’ve been really getting into cozy mysteries lately, so I’m excited for Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent (Gallery, March 29, 2011), which is the beginning of the Daphne Martin cake mystery series. On a completely different mystery track, The Bone House by Brian Freeman (Minotaur, March 29, 2011) is a standalone about a high school teacher who is accused of having an affair with a student. When the student’s younger sister is found murdered, guess who the prime suspect is? This sounds like a great mystery/thriller.
“Fortune” Favors the Histories and Mysteries
I enjoyed the first book in the Dido Kent series, Bellfield Hall, so it’s with great excitement that I await the sequel, A Gentleman of Fortune by Anna Dean (Minotaur, March 29, 2011). It’s sure to be a wonderful historical mystery, and Dido is an amusing and resourceful heroine. But I also love the history without the mystery, which is why I’m eager to read Sisters of Fortune: America’s Caton Sisters at Home and Abroad by Jehanne Wake (Touchstone, April 5, 2011). It’s about the Caton sisters, early 19th-century American heiresses.
The Dreaded Comparison
I am really looking forward to Bent Road by Lori Roy (Dutton, March 31, 2011) but I hate that it’s been compared to Tana French’s. French is a phenomenal writer and crafter of mysteries, but she has a certain style. I would hate to pick up Roy’s book, expecting French and receiving something else equally as impressive, but not be able to appreciate it because of my expectations. Still, I am very curious about this book.
I Love Me Some Women’s Fiction
In the women’s fiction universe, the start of the summer season is approaching, so there are a lot of great books on the horizon. I’m really excited about The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher (Bantam, March 29, 2011). I loved Asher’s novel My Husband’s Sweethearts, so I have high hopes for this one. I also enjoyed Sarah-Kate Lynch’s House of Daughters, so her novel Dolci Di Love by Sarah-Kate Lynch (Plume, March 29, 2011) looks wonderful. I mean, it’s set in Tuscany - what more could I really want?
And Of Course, the Non-Fiction
I’m always on the lookout for new non-fiction, and Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler by Jessica Speart (William Morrow, April 5, 2011) looks fascinating. I mean, I didn’t even know there was a market for butterfly smuggling. And how does one transport them? I’m assuming a Tupperware container wouldn’t work. And in travelogues, Cycling Home from Siberia: 30,000 Miles, 3 Years, 1 Bicycle by Rob Lilwall (Howard Books, April 5, 2011) seems like it would be incredible (yet very painful - hence why I want to read about it, and not undertake the journey myself.)
11 comments:
Love this feature. And no matter how good the rest of them look, I can't get past the one compared to French. She is up in the stratosphere with me, so it would be very very dangerous for anyone to compare them. That is a set up for failure. YOU read it, and tell me what you think!!! I'm too scared.
They have really set the bar high with that Roy book. I do want to read it. Somehow I missed this one in my round-up.
I actually haven't read French (I know! I need to!) so I can't compare but I have been very pleasantly surprised with Bent Road (which I just started today). I was thinking of a different author comparison, but I won't say it for now, LOL!
Somehow I hadn't heard of Bent Road at all, but the French comparison is enough to make me add it to my list. I'm always looking for literary thrillers, and even if this one isn't as good as French I'll probably still like it. We also don't really publish many (if any) literary thrillers, so I'm always excited to hear about a new one.
I love the Women Selection books. They sound great. I'll also be reading Winged Obsession. Happy reading!
This a great idea for a feature... I enjoy reading them and well, usually making note of the books. Somehow I had heard of the butterfly book. It was in the back of my mind that I wanted to read it, but seeing it here reminded me. :)
I also just got Sisters of Fortune, and am eager to get started with it, but the way things are going, it looks like it might be awhile. I am also really interested in Winged Obsession as well. Lots of great books there. I hope that you get to make time for them soon!
I will be reading THE BONE HOUSE soon. I'm definitely looking forward to it. Brian Freeman will be a new author for me, but I've had his series waiting for me for awhile now.
I agree that a comparison to French is a dangerous one. However, it enticed me enough that I requested Bent Road from my library. Also requested The Bone House.
i just saw sisters of fortune the other day, it looks so good. great list!
I picked up a copy of Bent Road yesterday at the UCF Book Festival and met Lori Roy. It looks fantastic.
Still loving this feature. :)
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