Genre Alert: Forthcoming Historical Fiction (2017)

• "What is Historical Fiction? These are novels set in the past, before the author's lifetime or experience. Through its serious respect for historical accuracy and details of time, place, and character, historical fiction enhances a reader's knowledge of past events, lives, and customs. The goal of historical fiction is to bring history to life in novel form." Source: NoveList Genre Outline - "Getting Up to Speed in Historical Fiction" by Joyce Saricks; updated by Sarah S. Davis (Jul 2016)  

I enjoy historical fiction and while stories set in ancient times are my favorites, the history major in me is easily drawn to any time period. If you are a fan of this genre and interested in learning about new titles coming in 2017, I have a great readers advisory tip for you.

Check out this great Forthcoming Historical Novels for 2017 list compiled by Sarah Johnson and Sarah Cuthbertson for the Historical Novel Society blog (an excellent source for reviews in this genre!). 

• HNS's "Defining the Genre" article says "To be deemed historical (in our sense), a novel must have been written at least fifty years after the events described, or have been written by someone who was not alive at the time of those events (who therefore approaches them only by research)."

I will be able to indulge my fondness for ancient history quite easily in 2017 as a majority of the titles below can attest; take a look at their one-sentence descriptions on the linked list to see what I mean. Although ... thanks to Sarah and Sarah, you can learn about forthcoming novels from any time period including many that cross over into genres such as mystery and romance. The list also includes upcoming titles from established series. 

The following titles have been added to my personal "must check into these" reading schedule. Looks like I will have at least two (sometimes more) historical fiction books to occupy myself with for the next few months. :-)

January:
Emily Hauser, For the Most Beautiful
Nancy Peacock, The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson

February:
Paul Auster, 4 3 2 1
Charlie Lovett, The Lost Book of the Grail

​David Osborne, The Coming

March:

Margaret George, The Confessions of Young Nero​ 

​Greer MacAllister, Girl in Disguise​
​David Vann, Bright Air Black​

April:
Emily Holleman, The Drowning King​
​Crystal King, Feast of Sorrow

Alyssa Palombo, The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence​

May:
Claire Cameron, The Last Neanderthal
​​Natalie Haynes, The Children of Jocasta 
​Sarah Shoemaker, Mr. Rochester​
​Dana Stabenow, Silk and Song​
​Colm Tóibín, House of Names​
​Melodie Winawer, The Scribe of Siena​

​

June:
Michael Crichton, Dragon Teeth
Leonard Goldberg, The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes 

Emily Hauser, For the Winner​
Ian Mortimer, The Outcasts of Time​

​
July:​
Ashley Hay, The Body in the Clouds
Andrew Wilson, A Talent for Murder

​
August:​

​Linnea Hartsuyker, The Half-Drowned King​
​Katherine Nouri Hughes, The Mapmaker’s Daughter​

September:

Robert Downes, Windigo Moon

Hannah Kent, The Good People 

They keep updating the list so I will be visiting the link again but as for now ... I may have just laid out a portion of my reading challenge for 2017! 

Thanks again, Sarah and Sarah. :-)​

Four4U: Kennedy Speculation

It's November and the forthcoming release of a nonfiction title by the granddaughter of Abraham Zapruder, got me thinking about books related to the Kennedy assassination. There are plenty of books about this event (too many to count!), so using this new title as a guide I concentrated on books that focused on the impact of JFK's assassination on an individual or family.

This led to three fiction titles covering a range of genres: time travel, hard-boiled mystery, and historical fiction, tapping into the personal impact theme of the new memoir.

11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) - a high school English teacher learns how to time travel and is convinced he can 'fix' history for himself and others by going back and preventing the Kennedy assassination

Ask Not by Max Allan Collins (2013) - a detective investigates the deaths (suicides, accidents, murders) of Kennedy assassination witnesses who's stories all conflicted with the Warren Commission's "one-man, one-shooter" conclusion

Top Down by Jim Lehrer (2013) - at the behest of the daughter of a former Secret Service agent, a reporter investigates why the security bubble top was not in place during Kennedy's fatal ride through Dallas

Twenty-Six Seconds: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film by Alexandra Zapruder (Nov 2016) - the granddaughter of Abraham Zapruder relates how his home movie impacted her family as well as the American public

Twitter: #44U or #4-4-U

Fou4U Bonus!: 'The Tempest' Retold

Well, it's not Friday but I couldn't resist posting this Bonus #44U list ... :-)

Beginning in October 2015, the Hogarth Shakespeare series (part of Penguin Random House) began publishing re-imaginings of Shakespeare's plays with each novel being written by a best-selling novelist using contemporary settings and prose. Earlier this week, the newest title in the series was published, a re-telling of The Tempest written by none other than Margaret Atwood.

This seemed a perfect opportunity to spotlight other variations on The Tempest in a new #44U list. Each story employees a different setting: ranging from a contemporary prison, to steampunk science fiction, to the cultural conflict of the early 1960s, to a new fantasy version coming in 2017.

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (2016) - using a contemporary setting, Atwood envisions Shakespeare's The Tempest with a betrayed theater director plotting his revenge from inside prison and staging a production of the play to draw in those who crossed him

The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Clarence Palmer (2010) - an imprisoned writer who's only 'companions' aboard a perpetually floating zeppelin, are the disembodied voice of his mad lover, Miranda and her cryogenically frozen father, Prospero, an insane, genius obsessed with creating a perpetual motion machine.

Prospero's Daughter by Elizabeth Nunez (2006) - in the early 1960's a white scientist, exiled for performing experiments on his patients, retreats with his daughter to a Caribbean island and will have to learn to deal with the fact that his child has fallen in love with a young boy of mixed-race.

Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey (Feburary 2017) - a dark, fantastical exploration of the budding relationship between a dutiful, loving daughter and the reluctant servant her father bewitched into servitude

 Twitter: #44U or #4-4-U 

Four4U: A Twist on Austen

It's #Four4UFriday!

The guiding theme for this #44U list is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, although the titles are not simply continuations or spin-offs on Miss Austen's tale. The four titles below offer a different twist on the story of Pride and Prejudice and cross over into a variety of genres: horror, mystery, historical fiction, and contemporary women's fiction. 

  

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Graham-Smith (2009) - the mash-up combining classic literature with horror, that kicked off the mash-up craze.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James (2011) - six years after their happily ever after, all is not well for Elizabeth and Darcy when the relatives come to visit and a murder occurs.

Longbourn by Jo Baker (2013) - looks at the downstairs life of the Bennett family servants during the time of events related in Pride and Prejudice.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (2016) - a fun, 21st Century re-envisioning of the classic with all the same characters in modern day roles and situations.

Give these a try and see if you don't look at Miss Austen's classic in a whole new way. Enjoy! :-)

Twitter hashtag: #44U or #4-4-U

February Audiobook of the Month

Keeping Valentine's Day in mind, the February selection is a Historical Fiction novel with a touch of romance. Hope you like it! :-)

Check the For Listeners tab for new audiobook suggestions each month. 

Titles to Watch for NEXT WEEK: August 23-29, 2015

Forthcoming titles which may be of interest ...

ADULT FICTION

The Fall of Princes by Robert Goolrick - "In a compelling, wholly seductive narrative voice, Rooney tells of his high-flying days as a Wall Street trader during the 1980's; however, his fall is as precipitous as his rise, and he recounts his days of great wealth and even greater excess with both wistfulness and regret, never failing to mention the people he hurt along the way." (Booklist review, June 2015)

A Good Family by Erik Fassnacht - "Fassnacht's debut works as a read-alike for both Jennifer Weiner and Jonathan Franzen for the way it so convincingly melds domestic drama, suburban angst, and beautifully descriptive writing." (Booklist review, July 2015)

• Fantasy 

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore - "In San Francisco, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing and you know that can't be good in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore's delightfully funny sequel to A Dirty Job" (HarperCollins, publisher)

• Historical Fiction

Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig - "Raised in the mid-1950's by his beloved grandmother in Montana's Two Medicine Country, orphaned Donal Kyle fells as if he's been tossed into cold water when Gram, recovering from surgery, sends him to live with her bossy and mean-spirited sister in Wisconsin. Aunt Kate is so put out with Kyle that she sends him back, to be placed in the custody of the authorities. Gratifyingly, though, Kate's harassed husband slips away to join him." (Library Journal review, March 2015)

• Mystery

Last Ragged Breath by Julia Keller (A Bell Elkin mystery)  - "A beautifully craftey mystery in which Keller (Summer of the Dead, 2014, etc.) explores love, hate, and poverty in a place of stunning natural beauty with pockets of overwhelming ugliness. The ending may leave you in tears." (Kirkus Reviews, June 2015)




Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (A Chief Inspector Gamache novel) - "A strong sense of place, a multilayered plot, and well-crafted (and for Penny's fans, familiar) characters combine for a thoughtful, intriguing tale. More than a simple mystery, Penny's novel peels away the emotional and psychological layers of the inhabitants of Three Pines." (LJ Reviews, July 2015)


X by Sue Grafton - " ... features a remorseless serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes. Once again breaking the rules and establishing new paths, Grafton waste little time identifying this sociopath. The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim." (Penguin Putnam, publisher)

• Suspense Thriller

 Iron Wolf by Dale Brown - "The first woman president of the United States is tested by a Russian invasion of Ukraine and Moldova that compel a previous U.S. president to organize a radical counterattack involving manned robot soldiers." (NoveList annotation)

• Women's Fiction

If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins - "A divorced wedding-dress designer tries to extricate herself from her ex-husband's new life by moving from Manhattan to her suburban hometown, just in time to see her sister's marriage rocked by a sexually graphic text." (Kirkus Reviews, July 2015)

A Window Opens: A Novel by Elisabeth Egan - "... Elisabeth Egan brings us Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all, sandwich generation heroine for our social-media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age. Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as "wearing many hats" and wishes you wouldn't, either)." (Simon and Schuster, publisher)

ADULT NONFICTION 

Machines of Loving Grace: The Quest for Common Ground Between Humans and Robots by John Markoff - "...New York Times reporter John Markoff, the first reporter to cover the World Wide Web, offers a sweeping history of the complicated and evolving relationship between humans and computers." (HarperCollins, publisher)


Rising Strong by Brené Brown, Ph.D. - " Brené Brown isn’t a spiritual guru, or someone who’s risen from the ashes to tell us how to live our lives. She’s a researcher. And Rising Strong isn’t some feel-good-get-over-it regimen; it’s more investigative reporting on the common denominators of people who whole-heartedly get back up and go another round after getting their asses handed to them in big and small ways." (Amazon Best Books of August 2015 review)

• Biography / Memoir

The Face That Changed It All: A Memoir by Beverly Johnson - "Featuring stunning never-before-seen photos, the first black supermodel to grace the cover of Vogue and one of the most successful glamour girls ever shares her childhood growing up in the racially charges 1960's, her meteoric rise to fame, her struggles with racism, drug addiction and divorce and her triumph over adversity." (Baker & Taylor annotation)

Kissinger’s Shadow: The Long Reach of America’s Most Controversial Statesman by Greg Grandin - "A new account of American's most controversial diplomat that moves beyond praise or condemnation to reveal Kissinger as the architect of American's current imperial stance." (McMillan Palgrave, publisher)




The Last Love Song: A Biography of Joan Didion by Tracy Daugherty - "Explores the life of the distinguished American author and journalist, following Didion's life as a young woman in Sacramento to her adult life as a writer interviewing those who know and knew her personally. (Baker & Taylor annotation)

Titles to Watch For NEXT WEEK: August 9-15, 2015

Here are some of the titles coming out next week ...

ADULT FICTION:

• Fantasy

Fool's Quest: Book II of the Fritz and the Fool Series by Robin Hobb - "The harrowing adventures of Fitz Chivalry Farseer and his enigmatic friend the Fool continue in Robin Hobb's triumphant follow-up to Fool's Assassin." (Random House Inc, publisher)

• Historical Fiction 

The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham - "A darkly satirical novel of love, revenge, and 1950s haute couture—soon to be a major motion picture starring Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth" (Penguin Group USA, publisher)




Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson (A Medieval Fairy Tale) - "A beautiful maiden who poaches to feel the poor. A handsome forester on a mission to catch her. Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest." (Thomas Nelson, publisher)

• Mystery 

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes: A Rose Gardner Mystery by Denise Grover Swank - "For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV is bad even before she has a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, but this one is different. She’s never seen herself before." (Crooked Lane Books, publisher)



Plantation Shudders: A Cajun Country Mystery by Ellen Byron (Series debut) - "Prodigal daughter Maggie Crozat has returned home to her family's plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast in Louisiana. When one of their guests dies from unnatural causes, Maggie and her family suddenly become suspects in a murder." (Crooked Lane Books, publisher)

• Romance 

Brown-Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas - "A conclusion to the series that began with Sugar Daddy finds cynical wedding planner Avery avoiding the advances of seductive wedding guest Joe, who challenges her beliefs about love and commitment." (Baker & Taylor annotation)

• Science Fiction

 The Lightning Stones by Jack B. Du Brul - "When his mentor is killed while conducting vital underground research into climate change, Philip Mercer launches an effort to find answers and exact vengeance." (Baker & Taylor annotation)

• Suspense/Thriller 

The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips - "Becoming increasingly uneasy about suspicious activities at a new job she felt lucky to land, Josephine makes a terrible realization and is forces to confront dangerous and powerful elements in order to protect her loved ones." (Novelist annotation)



Black-Eyed Susans by Julie Heaberlin - "Rendered famous as the only survivor of a serial killer 20 years earlier, Tessa discovers clues that the wrong person was convicted and that the true killer is preparing to finish what he started. By the author of Playing Dead." (Baker & Taylor annotation)

• Women's Fiction 

Silver Linings: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie Macomber - "Set in Cedar Cove's charming Rose Harbor Inn, Debbie Macomber's captivating new novel follows innkeeper Jo Marie and two new guests as they seek healing and comfort, revealing that every cloud has a silver lining, even when it seems difficult to find." (Random House, Inc, publisher)


The State We're In: Maine Stories by Ann Beattie - "An award-winning short story master presents a collection of new, linked tales that impart the diverse perspectives of women orbiting around a disaffected teen who is staying with relatives while attending summer school." (Baker & Taylor annotation)


Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner - "First meeting as young children in the hospital, a wealthy girl with a congenital heart defect and an underprivileged boy with athletic talents meet periodically over the course of three decades before considering whether their growing affections will overcome their differences. By the best-selling author of In Her Shoes." (Baker & Taylor annotation)


ADULT NONFICTION:


Mess: One Man's Struggle to Clean Up His House and His Act by Barry Yourgrau - "Hilarious and poignant, a glimpse into the mind of someone who is both a sufferer from and an investigator of clutter." (W.W. Norton, publisher)




You're Never Weird on the Internet 
(Almost): a Memoir by Felicia Day - "From online entertainment mogul, actress, and "queen of the geeks" Felicia Day comes a funny, quirky, and inspiring memoir about her unusual upbringing, her rise to Internet-stardom, and embracing her individuality to find success in Hollywood." (Simon & Schuster, publisher)

TEEN / YOUNG ADULT:

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood - "In this charming story of one guy's efforts to get it together when his life is falling apart, award-winning author Fiona Wood introduces an irresistible voice and a delightfully awkward character who is impossible to forget." (Little, Brown & Co, publisher)

HAPPY READING to one and all!