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Showing posts with label Stacey Lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stacey Lee. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 09, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Shiny New Releases I Can't Wait to Read
Even though I've already got enough books on my shelves, Kindle, and TBR lists to last me several lifetimes, I just can't seem to stop myself from salivating over all the shiny up-and-comers 2024 has to offer. I look forward to today's TTT topic—Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024—and its counterpart for the second half of the year, all year long. If I were smart, I would skip these topics altogether and save myself from getting excited about a bunch of new books when I already have SOOOO many "old" ones to tackle. But alas, I'm a glutton for punishment. Bring on the new releases!
Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hostess, Jana, some love. While you're there, link up your list of anticipated new releases so you can get in on the TTT fun. It's a good time, I promise.
Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024
To no one's surprise, my list is a mix of mysteries/thrillers and historical fiction, but I did throw in a non-fiction book and a MG fantasy just to keep you guessing :) Here's my list, in order of publication date:
1. Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh (available TODAY)—Violet Jessop is famous for surviving not just the sinking of the Titanic and the Britannic, but also a collision at sea while working on the Olympic. This historical novel tells Violet's story as well as that of a fictional orphan turned secret agent in France during World War II. When the lives of the two women intersect, they form a connection that will change them both forever.
2. The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green (available January 23)—Green's newest centers around two women from different walks of life who join a motley collection of performers on a USO musical tour performing for American troops stationed in North Africa during World War II. The group is already having difficulty finding unity when the tour manager announces he will recommend just one of them for a lucrative job in Hollywood. As they move closer to the front lines, it's not just their jobs and their friendships that are in jeopardy, but also their very lives.
3. End of Story by A.J. Finn (available February 20)—I've been waiting for a new book from Finn to come out ever since I read—and loved—his debut, The Woman in the Window. His sophomore novel concerns a reclusive mystery writer who invites his longtime pen pal, Nicky Hunter, to come to his mansion in order to write his life story. Nicky's soon embroiled in the novelist's own mystery, the disappearance of his first wife and their son, twenty years earlier. Did the author get away with the perfect crime? When a corpse turns up at the mansion, it soon becomes apparent that the writer's past has come calling.
4. The Hunter by Tana French (available March 5)—I always look forward to a new mystery/thriller from this Irish author. This is the second installment in her Cal Hooper series, which features a retired American cop who is now living in a rural Irish village. When the estranged father of a local teen returns to the village unexpectedly, with an English millionaire in tow no less, Cal's suspicions are immediately raised. He feels protective of the kid and will do whatever he can to keep him safe. Just what will that entail in this sketchy situation?
5. The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans (available March 12)—Did you know that the dead bodies of up to 150,000 Americans go unclaimed every year? What happens to them when there are no friends or family members to make sure they're properly taken care of? In this work of narrative nonfiction, two sociologists tackle that very intriguing question, uncovering a hidden world of abandoned dead people and the strangers who work to ensure that their remains are treated with honor and care.
6. The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (available March 12)—I've already mentioned this historical novel because (1) Ryan is one of my favorite hist fic authors and (2) I love a bookish book. As is clear from its title, the story concerns three women from different backgrounds who come together to save the London library that has become their refuge during World War II.
7. Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda (available April 9)—Hazel Sharp is the daughter of Mirror Lake's longtime detective. When he dies, leaving Hazel his home, she reluctantly returns to her hometown. A drought is drying up the lake, uncovering dark secrets from the town's past, including clues to the truth behind the disappearance of Hazel's mother.
8. The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon (available April 9)—When infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy decides to shun his life of crime, he discovers that's a lot easier said than done. Especially when he meets singer Jane Touissant, who asks him to protect her while she goes on a singing tour across America. Butch fears his reputation will put the songbird and her young son at risk and he's not wrong...
9. Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (available April 23)—Lee is one of my favorite YA writers, so I always get excited when she publishes a new book. This one revolves around Lulu Wong, a starlet of the silver screen and the darling of the Chinatown community where she grew up. When three sisters, childhood friends of Lulu, discover her dead body, they vow to find her killer, knowing the local police won't lift a finger to help a Chinese woman, famous or not. With the fate of Chinatown hanging in the balance, it's up to the Chow sisters to solve the case and save their beloved home.
10. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (available May 7)—Without her grandpa around to liven things up, 11-year-old Dally is left to stew in her grief and boredom. When she intercepts a sealed envelope that her grandpa intended to give her, she discovers a map that leads to an incredible library full of books that act as portals to all kinds of different adventures. As she delves into this fantastical world, she is faced with a host of questions and mysteries about her family, its history, and about her own identity.
There you go, ten new releases I'm looking forward to reading. Do any of these appeal to you as well? Which 2024 books are you most excited about? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, August 01, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books By (Some of) My Favorite Authors That I Haven't Read Yet
I like to think I have a fair amount of self-control when it comes to the shiny and new. My head does get turned by the latest and greatest, but not that much. Although I do get hit by the FOMO bug sometimes, it's not like an epidemic with me. And yet, something keeps stealing my attention away from all the older books sitting on my bookshelves waiting patiently to be read! Today's TTT topic addresses this very subject: Top Ten Forgotten Backlist Titles (Spread love for books that people don't talk about anymore!). I could probably do a Top 500 list for this topic, but I'll try to keep it to ten backlist books by some of my favorite authors that I still need to get to.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over to her blog and give her some love.
Top Ten Backlist Books By (Some of) My Favorite Authors That I Haven't Read Yet
1. The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong (2015)—I've been on a big Armstrong bend this year, but I haven't read this thriller yet. It's about two teens who are unenthusiastically attending a weekend therapy camp when it's raided by three masked men. As their captors get more violent, Riley and Max have to figure out how to get the whole group out of a terrifying and increasingly deadly situation.
2. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (2006)—I adore Raybourn's Veronical Speedwell mystery series, so I'm sure I'll love her Lady Julia Gray one as well. This series opener begins with the death of Sir Edward Gray, a popular figure among London's elite. When his private inquiry agent suggests to Edward's wife, Julia, that her husband's death was murder instead of the result of a long-standing illness, she's shocked. Determined to find out the truth, she persuades the inquiry agent to help her investigate.
3. Snowbound by Blake Crouch (2010)—On a deserted highway during a violent electrical storm, a woman disappears. Falsely accused of doing his wife harm, her husband takes their daughter and runs. When an FBI agent shows up at their door, claiming to have an idea about what really happened to the missing woman, the distraught husband jumps at the chance to discover the truth and clear his name.
4. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (2008)—I've loved Hannah's recent books, but I haven't read many of her older ones. This popular novel stars Kate and Tully, two girls who are each other's opposites as well as each other's very best friend. Vowing to be close always, they're unprepared for the choices and events that tear them apart after three decades of close friendship.
5. The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee (2016)—Lee is one of my favorite writers of YA historical fiction. Besides her newest book—Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies—this is the only one of Lee's novels I haven't read yet. It's a romance about a 16-year-old girl who's one of the last two aromateurs on the planet. She knows her destiny is to use her special gift with aromas to help others fall in love, never experiencing the sensation for herself lest she lose her abilities. Enter a handsome soccer star. Suddenly, Mim's in real danger of falling hard. What's a twitterpated aromateur to do?
6. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson (2013)—Jackson's Southern women's fiction is always top notch. I mentioned this novel in a recent TTT list. It stars Laurel Hawthorne, a woman who is awakened in the night by the ghost of her teenage neighbor. When the girl's body is found floating in her swimming pool the next day, the town assumes it was nothing more than a tragic accident. Laurel isn't so sure. Why would the girl's ghost appear to her unless the apparition was pleading for help? Laurel's determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious death.
7. Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds (2019)—This middle grade book is a novel told in ten parts, from ten different perspectives. I'm not entirely sure what the plot is, but it's Reynolds, so it doesn't matter. I'm reading it.
8. In the Shadow of the Moon by Karen White (2000)—White's debut is a time slip novel about a woman who's transported back to Civil War Georgia, where she finds herself fighting for her life—and for her heart.
9. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan (2017)—I've read all of Ryan's novels but this one. It's about a group of English women during World War II who defy their vicar's order to shut down their church choir. Instead, they band together to sing, support each other, and face a bleak-looking future with optimism and courage.
10. O' Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor (2003)—Taylor's Maggie D'Arcy crime series is one of my favorites. This book, her debut and the first in an earlier mystery series, revolves around a college professor with an interest in cemetry art. When she encounters a strange graveyard carving that hints at an old murder, she's intrigued. Investigating in the isolated community where the statue resides, she discovers even more secrets and mysteries.
There you are, ten backlist books by some of my favorite authors that I still need to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which backlist books are on your list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: If I Like These Ten Books and Authors, What/Who Else Would I Enjoy?
If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you definitely do), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Okay, so here's the idea. I'm going to list ten of my favorite authors who are currently writing books and what I like about their work. Then, I would LOVE it if you would recommend similar books/authors that you think I might enjoy. I'm open to new genres (except for erotica and anything too graphic), but my go-tos are definitely mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, historical mysteries, general/women's fiction, and family sagas. I tend to shy away from anything too literary or strange or fantasy-y. Non-fiction recs would be awesome as well. Make sense? Alright, put your thinking caps on and give me some great new books/authors to try!
If I Like These Ten Books and Authors, What/Who Else Would I Enjoy?
- in no particular order; images are of my favorite book by the author or the first book in my favorite series by them -
1. Kathy Reichs
- Writes: mysteries/thrillers/crime with a focus on forensic science (Reichs is a forensic anthropologist.)
- What I like about her books: strong female lead; likable, complex characters; forensics explained in a way that is approachable, but not condescendingly simple; upbeat vibe, edge-of-your-seat plotting, and humor throughout
2. Kate Morton
- Writes: historical fiction, family sagas, family secrets novels, dual-timeline
- What I like about her books: atmospheric settings, complex family dynamics, compelling plots, clean content, Gothic vibes
- Writes: mysteries/thrillers/crime for adults and YA; also writes urban fantasy and supernatural novels, but I haven't read any of those (not my genre)
- What I like about her books: strong female leads, humor, exciting plots, complex characters and relationship dynamics, understated romance as subplots
4. Ruta Sepetys
- Writes: YA historical fiction
- What I like about her books: unique settings, vivid historical detail, sympathetic characters, engaging prose
5. Louise Penny
- Writes: mysteries/thrillers/crime with a bit of a literary bent
- What I lilke about her books: rich, detailed settings; complex, sympathetic characters; lead character with wisdom and morals; interesting mysteries; easy to sink into
- Writes: YA contemporary fiction and YA mysteries/thrillers
- What I like about her books: warm vibe; page-turners; likable characters; twisty mysteries
7. Stacey Lee
- Writes: MG and YA contemporary and (mostly) historical fiction with a focus on the Chinese-American experience
- What I like about her books: rich, historical settings/details; unique take on known historical events; compelling plots; clean content; engaging
8. Riley Sager
- Writes: thrillers, psychological thrillers, mysteries, spooky books
- What I like about his books: creepy without being terrifying; intriguing premises; addicting stories; plots that pull me in and keep me reading fast and furious
- Writes: historical fiction
- What I like about her books: upbeat in spite of heavy subject matter; likable, sympathetic characters; strong female characters; vivid historical settings/details; engaging reads; clean content
10. Susan Meissner
- Writes: historical fiction, dual-timeline
- What I like about her books: dual-timelines, engaging plots, likable characters, vivid historical settings/details, complex relationships, family secrets, clean content
There you go, ten of my favorite authors who are still writing books. Have you read any of them? What readalikes can you think of for me? What did you do for your list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to your comments here (although I've been a *little* slow at it lately).
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: "Heart" Books On My TBR List
Freebies always stump me and today's is no exception. I wracked my brain to come up with a creative topic for the Valentine's/Love Freebie, but nothing came to mind. In the end, I just decided to go with books on my TBR with "heart" in the title. I'm not much for romance reading, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover I had ten (but not many more) on my want-to-read list.
If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Books On My TBR List With "Heart" in the Title
- in no particular order -
1. Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country in the World by Sarah Smarsh—The product of generations of Kansas wheat farmers on her paternal side and generations of teenaged mothers on her maternal side, Smarsh is well-acquainted with the effects of intergenerational poverty. This close, intimate look at what it means to be part of America's working class poor sounds fascinating.
2. The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee—I'm a big fan of Lee's YA historical novels. This book is the only one the author has written that I haven't read yet. It's a contemporary story about a 16-year-old girl who uses her ability as an aroma expert to help others find true love. As much as she longs to be a normal high school kid, she knows that if she falls in love, her gift will disappear. When she finds herself falling for the perfect guy, her whole life begins to change...Sounds like a cute love story!
3. The Metal Heart: A Novel of Love and Valor in World War II by Caroline Lea—Following the Allies' win in North Africa, a large group of Italian soldiers are shipped to a remote island off the Scottish coast until the end of the war. When Dorothy and Constance—sisters who have been orphaned—volunteer to tend to the sick and injured men, Dorothy finds herself drawn to one of the prisoners. Their forbidden friendship causes strain between Dorothy and her sister as well as Dorothy and her community. When she is faced with an impossible choice, Dorothy must decide where her true loyalties lie.
4. Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story by Mazie K. Hirono—As a genealogist and the descendant of Europeans who immigrated to America in the 1800s, I'm endlessly fascinated by immigration stories. This one is written by a woman who was born in Japan, immigrated to Hawaii as a young child, and is now a U.S. Senator.
5. Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert—This YA novel sounds odd, but intriguing. It concerns a teenaged girl who is experiencing strange occurrences that seem to be linked to her mother's mysterious past. With the help of the boy next door, she starts digging into the secrets her enigmatic parent is clearly hiding.
6. Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier—When the remains of a woman missing for fourteen years are discovered, it leads to the reopening of a cold case that stirs up the lives of three best friends, forcing them to reckon with dark secrets and terrifying truths.
7. A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan—I've never heard of Madge Oberholtzer, but her story sounds intriguing. Her deathbed testimony outed KKK leader D.C. Stephenson, which brought the organization to its knees.
8. The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis—Louis' books sound like romances I would actually like to read. This one revolves around a grieving widow who finds solace in playing music in a London Tube station. When someone begins leaving the sheet music for her dead husband's favorite songs on the station's piano, the widow is incredulous, curious, and, for the first time in a long time, hopeful. Could this—whatever it is—be her second chance at life and love?
9. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng—I still haven't read Ng's newest, which is about a boy who embarks on a quest to find the mother he has never had a chance to know except through her banned poetry.
10. Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur—When Vale, a bartender in New Orleans, is informed that her estranged mother is missing after a violent tropical storm ravaged her Vermont town, she feels compelled to go home. As she looks for her mom, she digs deep into her family's roots and history, revealing shocking secrets that change everything.
There you go, ten "heart" books on my TBR list. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What did you do for today's Valentine's/Love freebie? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Shiny New Releases
Are you the kind of reader who keeps a close eye on all the new releases coming out? Or are you one of those who couldn't care less? Maybe somewhere in between? I love keeping tabs on the up-and-comers so I know when my favorite authors are releasing new titles and which others I don't want to miss out on. It's not necessarily that I'm going to read them all right away; I just like knowing what's coming down the pipe. This week's TTT prompt is right up my alley: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023. Mine includes my usual blend of historical fiction, mystery/thriller, and a couple middle-grade reads to round things out. I can't wait to see what's on your list this week. My TBR list is going to be in trouble this week, I can already tell!
If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you do!), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023
- in order of publication date -
1. The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (published January 3)—Dystopian fiction might be passé, but I'm still a fan. This first installment in a planned series sounds compelling. It's about a luxury liner-turned-refugee ship that's been confined to the oceans since a devastating war turned the world into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. The passengers are getting antsy, desperate to see what's left of civilization on dry land, and they're about to take drastic action in order to escape the Arcadia, which has become—to them—a floating prison.
2. All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (available January 10)—Isabelle Drake has barely slept a wink since her toddler was snatched from his crib one year ago. Even suffering from severe insomnia, she has only one purpose: finding her son. Desperate for any lead, she agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster. His disturbing obsession bothers her, as does the paranoia and doubt that seem to be taking over her mind. Is she slowly going insane? Is she misremembering something from the night her baby disappeared? Where is Mason and how far will Isabelle go to bring him home?
3. Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies by Stacey Lee (available February 7)—I love Lee's Chinese-themed YA historical fiction, so I'm intrigued by her newest, a middle-grade fantasy. It's about a 12-year-old boy who prevents a robbery at a curiosity shop in Chinatown and is gifted an item from the store as a reward. Winston's disappointed when he gets a perfectly ordinary broom and dustpan, until strange things start happening and he wonders what exactly he's gotten himself into...Sounds fun!
4. The Woman With the Cure by Lynn Cullen (available February 21)—This historical novel tells the true story of Dorothy Horstmann, a woman from humble, immigrant beginnings who became a medical doctor when it was almost unheard of for females to do so. In the 1940s and 50s, she's at the forefront of the race to find a vaccine for polio. When push comes to shove, she has to decide what she's willing to sacrifice in order to save the world from a devastating disease.
5. Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen (available March 7)—I enjoy Nielsen's historical middle-grade novels as well as books about maritime disasters, so I'm excited to read her newest. It's about a young stowaway on Titanic. One minute, Hazel's marveling at the great ship; the next, she's fighting for her life as the mighty vessel sinks into the sea.
6. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (available March 7)—In 1975, Jane Larkin disappears from her home without a trace, leaving behind her husband and three children. There are no signs of a struggle and her pocketbook remains in its proper place. Although authorities suspect Miranda's husband of murder, they can't prove it, and he remains free to raise his trio of traumatized children. When Miranda's body is found two decades later, the family is forced to reexamine what happened to Jane and who is at fault.
7. A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon (available April 1)—Deborah Samson, a penniless indentured servant, longs for freedom and adventure. The Revolutionary War provides a surprising opportunity for liberation. Deborah disguises herself as a boy and joins up. Will fighting for her country finally give her life purpose? Is she brave enough to be a hero? Will she be able to conceal her secret long enough to find out?
8. Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling (available April 4)—Camp Zero is an American building project located in Canada's frozen tundra. In an effort to help her mother, a Korean immigrant displaced by climate change, Rose agrees to work as a spy to uncover Camp Zero's many secrets. What is the building project really about? And why is there an army of elite women soldiers camping nearby? Rose won't stop until she finds the answers, however dangerous the investigation might be.
9. Homecoming by Kate Morton (available April 11)—Of all the books on my list, this is the one I'm most looking forward to. Morton is one of my favorite authors and she only publishes every 2-3 years, so I always get excited when she announces a new book. This one concerns a horrifying crime in Australia that has remained unsolved for many years. When Jess, a journalist living in England, gets a call summoning her to her grandmother's home in Sydney, she discovers a shocking connection between her family and the long-ago crime. What really happened on Christmas Eve 1959?
10. The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (available April 11)—I'm a fan of Miranda's propulsive thrillers, so I'm excited for this one. It's about a group of friends who reunite on the tenth anniversary of a terrible accident. When one of them disappears, it casts a whole new light on the decade-old tragedy.
There you go, ten new releases I'm eagerly awaiting. Are you familiar with any of them? Which up-and-comers are you looking forward to reading? I would truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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