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Showing posts with label Emma Berquist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emma Berquist. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Top Ten Tuesday: New Authors, Old Year
6:58 AM
It's Tuesday and you know what that means! Time for my favorite weekly meme, Top Ten Tuesday. Today's prompt is all about new authors you discovered in 2018, which will be a fun one. Before we get to that, though, here are the deets on how to join in the TTT fun. It's simple: click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few guidelines, make and share your own list, then hop around the book blogosphere visiting other people's posts. It's a great way to spread the bookish love by revisiting favorite blogs, discovering new ones, and, of course, adding great-sounding books to your toppling TBR pile. What's not to love?
Okay, here we go with Top Ten New (to Me) Authors I Discovered in 2018:
1. Emily Carpenter—You know I love me a good Gothic yarn, especially when it involves family secrets, creepy old houses, and some nail-biting suspense. Emily Carpenter's books deliver on all accounts. She only has three out so far (with another one coming in March) and I read all of them in 2018. My favorite: The Weight of Lies.
2. Lori Rader-Day—I'm a big psychological thriller fan, so Rader-Day's books definitely caught my attention. I read three out of her four this year and enjoyed two of them. My favorite: Under a Dark Sky.
3. Dervla McTiernan—I loved this Irish author's debut, The Ruin. It's a dark, but very compelling mystery. A sequel, The Scholar, will be out on May 14. I can't wait!
4. Kristina McMorris—I'm a sucker for historical fiction and I find books about orphans and children in crisis especially moving. Naturally, then, I wanted to read Sold On a Monday as soon as I heard about it. I enjoyed it and plan to read more of McMorris' work.
5. Hester Fox—Fox's ghostly, atmospheric debut, The Witch of Willow Hall, earned lots of buzz last year. And deservedly so. I can't wait to see what Fox does next!
6. Elizabeth Byler Younts—The Solace of Water, Younts' most recent novel, was one of my favorite 2018 reads. It convinced me to start Younts' Promise of Sunrise trilogy, which is about how World War II affects an Amish community in Delaware. Having been raised Amish, Younts has a unique perspective on the culture/religion, which gives her books a refreshing authenticity. My favorite: The Solace of Water.
7. Alison Gaylin—Domestic thrillers are my jam, so I had to give Gaylin's books a go in 2018. I read and enjoyed two of hers. My favorite: And She Was.
8. Emma Berquist—I loved Devils Unto Dust, Berquist's debut novel. It's a Western/horror mash-up that satisfies on every level. I can't wait for her newest, Missing, Presumed Dead, which comes out in May.
9. Joanna Barker—Regency romance is far from my favorite genre, but I do count on them for light, amusing entertainment that I can sandwich between heavier reads. It's rare for me to really love a book in this genre, but Barker's debut, The Truth About Miss Ashbourne, really charmed me with its tight prose, engaging plot line, and well-developed characters. I'm definitely keeping an eye out to see what this talented newcomer does next.
10. Sarah Maine—The first book I read in 2018 was The House Between Tides, Maine's atmospheric debut. I enjoyed it and have been meaning to try the author's other two novels ever since.
So, there you go—ten authors I discovered last year. Hm, I just realized that they're all white women and most of them are debut authors. Interesting. Perhaps I need to work on diversifying my reading this year? Anyway, have you read any of these authors? What do you think of their work? Which new-to-you authors did you discover in 2018? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will happily return the favor.
Happy TTT!
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
YA Zombie Western Satisfies On Every Level
1:10 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Dusty and desolate, the mostly abandoned town of Glory, Texas, is little more than a pile of dirt in a vast, unforgiving desert. It's a miracle anything survives in the rough, ugly settlement. With "shakers"—mindless, cannibalistic zombies—haunting Glory's perimeter and greedy, heartless men-monsters ruling its interior, no one escapes Glory unscathed.
Daisy "Willie" Wilcox lost her mother to the shaker disease last year, but the 17-year-old is determined not to let any harm come to her three younger siblings. They might be penniless, but she's doing everything in her power to keep them sheltered and safe. When a pair of violent shaker hunters accuses Willie's no-good, never-around father of stealing from them, Willie knows she has to take their threats against her family seriously. She doesn't have $3 to give the men, let alone $300, but with a little help, she thinks she can track down her drunken dad. After tricking a pair of more benign shaker hunters into accompanying her, she sets off on a desperate, perilous journey across the cruel, callous desert. Willie will do anything, risk everything, to protect her siblings. Even if it kills her—and it probably will—she'll fight to the death to save her family.
As a desert dweller who's enjoyed a number of YA westerns in the past little while, I found everything about Devils Unto Dust—a debut novel by Emma Berquist—appealing. From its gritty cover to its enthralling premise to its action-packed plot to its endearing characters, this is one of those books that just satisfies on every level. True, it's not the most original zombie tale out there, but what it lacks in creativity it makes up for in solid writing, relatable characters, and an engrossing storyline. Besides a little blood and gore, it's also a clean novel that has a lot of crossover appeal. I thoroughly enjoyed Devils Unto Dust and can't wait until Berquist's new book (not a sequel) comes out next year.
(Readalikes: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Devils Unto Dust from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
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