January 10, 2014

The staff had a terrific break and appreciated having two weeks away from deadlines to relax --- and get some reading done. We were on the Outer Banks for the holidays where I did exactly what I wanted: read, knit, sleep, watch movies, watch football (some GREAT games), walk on the beach, and have “hang time” with the family. We have been staying in the same house for nine years now, which I realize is half of Cory’s life. So setting up the tree and decorations there is what we have come to expect. We bring it all --- tree, ornaments, outdoor lights, assorted decorations, placemats, holiday dishes and tableware. One day, a workman came by to drop off some propane for the grill and was amazed to see the full-on celebration we had in gear. I had forgotten that this is not “normal” and was amused when he said, “You bring ALL of this?”

Proving that the sitcom that is my life can have episodes outside of the New York area, there were many amusing adventures. Greg and I went thrift shop shopping one day where I tried to channel author Mary Kay Andrews and find fabulous chic items for a great price. We got holiday glasses with Christmas trees on them for $.14, each marked down 75% from their usual $.58, a silver skate ornament for $2, and some cool bark-covered vases for $4 each for housing knitting needles. Such fun! New glasses inspired me to create a holiday-themed cocktail with Mojito rum, ginger beer, lime, pomegranates, mint, and either agave or maple syrup. You can see my creation above.

Cory’s friends, Josh and Stephen, “joined our cast,” and the three of them played a prank on me, wrapping my cell phone in Saran Wrap and placing in the crisper bin in the fridge. Of course, they did this the ONE day I needed to make a call and they forgot about it. So Tom and I were searching for it all day while they were playing board games and hanging out/sleeping. Tom asked Cory at one point if perhaps it had fallen into the laundry pile that I had folded for them (note that “I will do your laundry” gets boys to the kitchen faster than “Dinner is on the table;” I timed it), and he said no, clearly forgetting their antics the night before. Later when quizzed, he and Stephen said nonchalantly, "We put it in the fridge." Next time I will start my search by looking in the fridge.

I got to visit with Jeanne at Knitting Addiction, where I bought yarn to make both a hat and a scarf, which I made during the week. We had dinner with Lou and Joan, the lovely couple who lives in the house next to us; Lou is the brother of Judy, who is one of our readers. One year, she asked where the house was that we were staying in, and we concluded it was next to where we were; whenever we are down at the same time, we have dinner with them.

And we visited with Jamie Layton, a bookseller friend whose stores Duck’s Cottage in Duck and Duck’s Cottage Downtown in Manteo are always stops for us. Jamie and I whipped through her galley pile and displays talking about the books we both loved. Greg bought some books about North Carolina history, which he has only seen at these stores. Whenever he travels, he loves picking up books about the history of the area. Jamie has a terrific collection of these books, and she talked about her plan to make them more available on the store’s website. Fun sharing ideas like that!

I read…a lot. I posted about many of the books on the Bookreporter.com Facebook page during the break. I compiled the entire list of what I read into a blog post here; three of these titles we review this week! I also read an interesting opinion piece in the New York Times about reading today called “The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Reader,” which I wanted to share with you.

And now to the main event…we’re getting 2014 off to a sensational start as we share 20 new reviews with you this week. The first three I read and am thrilled to see the high praise they got from our reviewers. First up is THE INVENTION OF WINGS, the new selection of Oprah's Book Club 2.0. In this latest novel from THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES author Sue Monk Kidd, 11-year-old Sarah Grimke is given ownership of Hetty “Handful” Grimke, her family’s household slave. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next 35 years, as both strive for a life of their own. Jana Siciliano has our review and advises readers, “Be sure you don’t pick up the book in the midst of a busy week. Save it for some frigid day when you can curl up in a corner and never stop reading until the end. THE INVENTION OF WINGS is too good to put down until you have traveled the entire 35 years with these remarkable young women.” I think this is Sue’s BEST book! Click here to read an interview with her.

Next up is FEAR NOTHING by Lisa Gardner, which marks the return of Boston Detective D.D. Warren, who is going through some very tough times, to say the least. D.D. is seriously injured after visiting a crime scene at night and has been unable to return to work. Six weeks later, a second woman is discovered murdered in her own bed, her room containing the same calling cards from the first. It soon becomes apparent that the killer isn’t just targeting lone women --- he is targeting D.D. Reviewer Joe Hartlaub proclaims, “Lisa Gardner is at her absolute best in FEAR NOTHING, particularly when she lobs a bomb or two into the proceedings, which she does to great effect. But the primary attraction here is the chilling, twisted and brilliant villain of the piece, who will have you checking under the bed as you read and long after you finish.”

Lisa Unger is back with her latest psychological thriller, IN THE BLOOD. Following the disappearance of her closest friend, Beck, the police have a lot of questions for Lana when the story about her whereabouts the night he disappeared doesn’t match up with eyewitness accounts. Lana will do anything to hide the truth, but it might not be enough to keep her ominous secrets buried. Ray Palen has our review and raves, “IN THE BLOOD will unveil Lana’s secrets --- as well as those of the many characters in her life --- with the precision that only an expert psychological novelist like Lisa Unger can display. This is a welcome start to 2014 and one that has already set the bar for thrillers to come.”

Ishmael Beah follows up his bestselling 2007 memoir, LONG WAY GONE: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, with his debut novel, RADIANCE OF TOMORROW. Benjamin and Bockarie are two longtime friends who return to their hometown of Imperi after the civil war in Sierra Leone. As more villagers begin coming back, they try to forge a new community by taking up their former posts as teachers, but beset by a number of obstacles, Benjamin and Bockarie search for a way to restore order. According to reviewer Jane Krebs, “RADIANCE OF TOMORROW promises hopefulness and anticipation for better things, and Ishmael Beah delivers on this pledge in his first novel. However, be prepared for stories of the mutilation and destruction of families, their homes and culture.”

We’re also reviewing THE ASCENDANT, a debut thriller from Drew Chapman that’s been getting lots of buzz leading up to its release this week. I read it as an early galley and loved it. When bond analyst Garrett Reilly discovers that US Treasury bonds are being sold off at an alarming rate, he sees a chance to become incredibly rich. But when the United States military arrives at his office, Garrett learns that he has stumbled upon the first attack in a covert war of unthinkable proportions. Joe Hartlaub says this in his review: “[Chapman's] cinematic background...serves him well here, as demonstrated by the pace and flow of the narrative, which seems to effortlessly transport readers from beginning to end, leaving one looking forward to the promised sequel."

Averil Dean’s ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES, a Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title we featured last month, is now in stores. Ten years ago, someone ruined Alice Croft's life. She now has a chance to right that wrong and thinks she has found the perfect man to carry out her plan. However, it isn't long before she finds herself involved with a man who is more dangerous than she ever could have imagined. Norah Piehl has our review and says, “Alice is a complicated character with a multilayered back story that Dean explores skillfully and carefully, offering readers insight not only into why this particular character acts the way she does, but also on how past trauma --- even if it's not as extreme as what Alice experienced --- carries lifelong repercussions.” We also have an interview with Averil, which you can read here.

Also in stores now is STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit, another Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title. Shortly after Lacey and her husband move in to what they think is their dream home, the warm and welcoming house becomes cold and dark. There is something malevolent within the walls that wants to hurt Lacey’s unborn child --- a terrifying presence that only she can sense. To save her family, Lacey must discover the truth about the house and confront an evil that has lingered in wait for years. According to reviewer Kate Ayers, “STARTER HOUSE is a true spine-tingler, from the first moment the reader meets its ghost to the last. This creepy psychological thriller defines the word 'eerie' and transcends the usual haunted house genre.” Sonja was kind enough to answer some questions for us; you can read her interview with Kate here.

Releasing Tuesday, January 14th is PERFECT, a new book from Rachel Joyce, whose debut novel was the much talked-about THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY. Byron Hemmings wakes to a morning that looks like any other. But when he, his mother and his sister leave home, the morning takes an unmistakable turn. In one terrible moment, something completely unexpected happens. While his mother seems not to have noticed, 11-year-old Byron understands that nothing can be the same. We’ll have our review next week, but in the meantime, you can click here to read an excerpt.

We’ve added two titles to our Paperback Spotlight feature. First up is THE IN-BETWEEN HOUR by Barbara Claypole White, which is now in stores. Bestselling author Will Shepard loses his young son in a car accident. But when his father's aging mind erases the memory, Will rewrites the truth. Holistic veterinarian Hannah Linden is a healer who can only watch as her grown son struggles with inner demons. When she rents her guest cottage to Will and his dad, she finds solace in trying to mend their broken world, even while her own shatters. Click here to read more about the book.

Our second Paperback Spotlight title is CALLING ME HOME by Julie Kibler, a 2013 hardcover release that’s now available in paperback. Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle wants her hairdresser, Dorrie, a black single mom in her 30s, to drop everything to drive her from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. With no clear explanation why. Tomorrow. Dorrie, fleeing problems of her own and curious whether she can unlock the secrets of Isabelle's guarded past, scarcely hesitates before agreeing, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives. Click here to read more about the book.

Speaking of paperbacks, we have many more to tell you about in this month’s New in Paperback roundups. Among those being featured are A WEEK IN WINTER by the late Maeve Binchy (her final novel); THE SON by Philipp Meyer; UNSEEN by Karin Slaughter; BENEDICTION by Kent Haruf; LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson; and AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF US by Aria Beth Sloss, a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection when it released in hardcover and the latest prize book in our “What Are You Reading?” monthly contest on our newly redesigned ReadingGroupGuides.com site.

A quick reminder that we’re giving you a few more days to enter our Bookreporter.com Bets On Contest. ONE very lucky reader will be awarded ALL of my 36 Bets On selections for 2013, while 36 others will each receive one book. To enter, please fill out this form by noon ET on Monday, January 13th.

On the site right now is a contest for HAPPIER AT HOME: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin. One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen felt hit by a wave of homesickness. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. “Of all the elements of a happy life,” she thought, “my home is the most important.” In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home. We’re giving 10 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book, which is now available in paperback. All you have to do is fill out this form by Monday, January 27th at noon ET.

We’ve updated our Books on Screen feature for January. Theatrical releases include Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (January 17th) and Labor Day (January 31st). On the small screen, don’t miss the highly anticipated TV movie version of the cult classic FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, which will air Saturday, January 18th at 8pm ET/PT on Lifetime. And out on DVD this month are Carrie (January 14th) and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (January 28th).

For our first poll of 2014, we’d like to know which social networks (if any) influence your purchasing of books. I don't mean just hearing about books, but actually purchasing them. Please weigh in as this is a question on everyone’s minds these days. Be sure to answer by Friday, January 24th at noon ET. In our last poll of 2013, we were curious about your opinions of "Best of the Year" book lists. Click here to see those results.

And in our final Question of the Week for 2013, we asked what you thought was “The Book of the Year.” The book mentioned most frequently was ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes, one of my Bookreporter.com Bets On selections. Other top contenders included THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion, AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini, THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt, and HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Louise Penny. Click here for all our readers’ picks.

We also have a brand new Word of Mouth contest to start the year. Let us know what you’ve read by Friday, January 24th at noon ET, and you’ll have an opportunity to win a copy of ANDREW’S BRAIN by E.L. Doctorow, THE DEAD IN THEIR VAULTED ARCHES: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley, and MRS. LINCOLN’S RIVAL by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Whew…have we ONLY been back five days?

I got a Fitbit for Christmas, which measures how far I walk and all kinds of other fitness/wellness things, and I have been having great fun with it. It is harder to walk 10,000 steps than I thought. I bought those great walking shoes above to keep me stepping. Our friend Bettie, who lives in Virginia, sent me a link to SeedSaver.org, where they sell Jade Blue Corn (pictured above) with sweet steel-blue kernels that turn jade-blue when boiled. This is one of the only sweet corns that can be grown in containers. I ordered the seeds; picture me with blue corn next summer, and it was the thing to buy on one of the coldest nights of the year while dreaming of summer picnics.

Here’s wishing you all a great week of reading….read on…

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

In 2012, after spending 20 years working in an office, Averil Dean decided to pursue her dream of writing full-time. Her efforts, it seems, have paid off with her buzzworthy debut novel, ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES. It’s an erotic psychological thriller about Alice Croft, whose lust for revenge becomes complicated the night she breaks into Jack Calabrese’s house --- and starts lusting for darker and more dangerous things. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Norah Piehl, Dean talks about her obsession with all things noir, as well as how her fascination with “the interplay between deviant minds” led her to write the book. She also explains how she was able to successfully give life to an unlikable protagonist, why her personal blog is like a “lifeline,” and the reason that more women --- especially after the success of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY --- are jumping on the erotic fiction bandwagon.

ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES by Averil Dean (Psychological Thriller)
Ten years ago, someone ruined Alice Croft's life. Now, she has a chance to right that wrong. She thinks she has found the perfect man to carry out her plan --- Jack Calabrese. However, it isn't long before she finds herself drawn into a labyrinth of terrifying surrender to a man who is more dangerous than she ever could have imagined. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Averil Dean’s bio.
-Visit Averil Dean’s official website and blog.
-Click here to connect with Averil Dean on Twitter.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.

STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit (Thriller)
Shortly after Lacey and her husband move in to what they think is their dream home, the warm and welcoming house becomes cold and dark. There is something malevolent within these walls that wants to hurt Lacey’s unborn child --- a terrifying presence that only she can sense. To save her family, Lacey must discover the truth about the house and confront an evil that has lingered in wait for years. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Sonja Condit’s bio.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.

CALLING ME HOME by Julie Kibler (Fiction)
In CALLING ME HOME by Julie Kibler, 89-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis. It's a big one. Isabelle wants Dorrie, a black single mom in her 30s, to drop everything to drive Isabelle from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. With no clear explanation why. Tomorrow.

Curious whether she can unlock the secrets of Isabelle's guarded past, she agrees, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives.

Over the years, Dorrie and Isabelle have developed more than just a business relationship. They are friends. But Dorrie, fretting over the new man in her life and her teenage son’s irresponsible choices, still wonders why Isabelle chose her.

Isabelle confesses that, as a willful teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell deeply in love with Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the black son of her family's housekeeper --- in a town where blacks weren’t allowed after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences makes it clear Dorrie and Isabelle are headed for a gathering of the utmost importance and that the history of Isabelle's first and greatest love just might help Dorrie find her own way.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Julie Kibler's bio.
-Click here to visit Julie Kibler's official website.
-Connect with Julie Kibler on Facebook and Twitter.

We’re giving readers more time to enter our special contest featuring Carol Fitzgerald’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks from last year. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded ALL of her 36 selections for 2013, while 36 others will win a copy of one of these titles.

To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, January 13th at noon ET.

Here are the 2013 Bookreporter.com Bets On titles:

• AFTER HER by Joyce Maynard
• AND THEN I FOUND YOU by Patti Callahan Henry
• APPROACHING THE SPEED OF LIGHT by Victoria Lustbader
• THE ASHFORD AFFAIR by Lauren Willig
• AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF US by Aria Beth Sloss
• THE AVIATOR'S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin
• THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon
• THE BOY ON THE WOODEN BOX by Leon Leyson
• A CERTAIN SUMMER by Patricia Beard
• FLAT WATER TUESDAY by Ron Irwin
• THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND by Jojo Moyes
• HEART OF PALM by Laura Lee Smith
• THE HEN WHO DREAMED SHE COULD FLY by Sun-mi Hwang
• THE HUSBAND’S SECRET by Liane Moriarty
• IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt
• LEAVING HAVEN by Kathleen McCleary
• LETTERS FROM SKYE by Jessica Brockmole
• LIFE AFTER LIFE by Jill McCorkle
• LONGBOURN by Jo Baker
• ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes
• MOONRISE by Cassandra King
• MY MOTHER’S SECRET: A Novel Based on a True Holocaust Story by J.L. Witterick
• THE OBITUARY WRITER by Ann Hood
• ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS by Ronald H. Balson
• ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger
• ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline
• PALISADES PARK by Alan Brennert
• THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE by Ellen Sussman
• THE PROMISE OF STARDUST by Priscille Sibley
• THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion
• THE SILENT WIFE by A. S. A. Harrison
• SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky
• WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall
• THE WHOLE GOLDEN WORLD by Kristina Riggle
• THE WIDOW WALTZ by Sally Koslow
• Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

ON SUCH A FULL SEA by Chang-rae Lee (Fiction)
In a future, long-declining America, society is strictly stratified by class. In this world lives Fan, a female fish-tank diver, who leaves her home in the B-Mor settlement when the man she loves mysteriously disappears. Fan’s journey to find him takes her out of the safety of B-Mor, through the anarchic Open Counties, where crime is rampant with scant governmental oversight, and to a faraway charter village, in a quest that will soon become legend to those she left behind. Reviewed by John Maher.

RADIANCE OF TOMORROW by Ishmael Beah (Fiction)
Benjamin and Bockarie are two longtime friends who return to their hometown of Imperi after the civil war in Sierra Leone. As more villagers begin coming back, they try to forge a new community by taking up their former posts as teachers, but they’re beset by such obstacles as a scarcity of food and a rash of murders, thievery, rape and retaliation. As Benjamin and Bockarie search for a way to restore order, they’re forced to reckon with the uncertainty of their past and future alike. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.

THE ASCENDANT by Drew Chapman (Thriller)
When bond analyst Garrett Reilly discovers that US Treasury bonds are being sold off at an alarming rate, he sees a chance to become incredibly rich. But when the United States military arrives at his office, Garrett learns he has stumbled upon the first attack in a covert war of unthinkable proportions. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING: On Writers and Drinking by Olivia Laing (Social History)
In THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING, Olivia Laing examines the link between creativity and alcohol through the work and lives of six extraordinary men: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, John Berryman, John Cheever and Raymond Carver. All six of these writers were alcoholics, and the subject of drinking surfaces in some of their finest work. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE DESCENT: Book Three of the Taker Trilogy by Alma Katsu (Supernatural Mystery)
Lanore McIlvrae once spent her days terrified, knowing that Adair, the former lover she imprisoned, would someday find her. Now, many years later, she’s looking for Adair, hoping to convince him to help her locate their mutual companion. She is plagued by nightmares and needs answers to past wrongs. Not knowing what she’ll find, Lanore goes looking for the man who gave her immortality. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

HAZARDOUS DUTY: A Presidential Agent Novel by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV (Thriller/Adventure)
Mexican drug cartels are shooting up the streets of Laredo and El Paso. Somali pirates are holding three U.S. tankers for ransom. The President is fed up and has what he thinks is a pretty bright idea --- to get hold of Colonel Charley Castillo and his merry band and put them on the case. But everybody knows that the President hates Castillo’s guts, has just had him forcibly retired from the military, and now Castillo’s men are scattered far and wide, many of them in hiding. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

MY VENICE AND OTHER ESSAYS by Donna Leon (Essays)
The Guido Brunetti mysteries, set in Venice, are perennial bestsellers, but Donna Leon’s latest book is a departure from the crime mode: an affectionate, acerbic look at the city where she’s lived for the last 30 years. She proves a fine companion for a wander around La Serenissima, as well as an amusing and highly opinionated raconteur on subjects as diverse as mice and men, foot-binding and opera-going, crime novels and CNN. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

THE WAY OF ALL FISH by Martha Grimes (Fiction/Humor)
In Martha Grimes’s sequel to FOUL MATTER, hit men Candy and Karl once again venture into the murky Manhattan publishing scene. This time they come to the aid of a writer who is being sued by her unscrupulous literary agent, a man determined to get a 15 percent commission for a book he didn’t sell. The contract killers join forces with a publishing mogul and a mega-bestselling writer to rid the mean streets of the agent, not by shooting him, but by driving him crazy. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE WRONG QUARRY by Max Allan Collins (Hard-boiled Crime Fiction)
Bestselling mystery writer Max Allan Collins brings back his professional hit man, Quarry, in the 10th installment of the series, which began in 1976. Quarry goes up against a pair of killers and the family who hired them. But who are the good guys and who are the bad ones in this pulp noir classic? Reviewed by Tom Callahan.

OUT OF THE WOODS: A Memoir of Wayfinding by Lynn Darling (Memoir)
When her only child left home to attend college, Lynn Darling, totally adrift and rudderless, left her apartment in New York to move into "Castle Dismal," a sort-of-a-house deep in the Vermont woods. With only a puppy to keep her company, she hoped to somehow find a direction for the rest of her life. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM DYING: A Book About Life by David R. Dow (Memoir)
In THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN EXECUTION, David Dow enraptured readers with a searing and frank exploration of his work defending inmates on death row. But when Dow's father-in-law receives his own death sentence in the form of terminal cancer, and his gentle dog Winona suffers acute liver failure, the author is forced to reconcile with death in a far more personal way --- both as a son and as a father. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

THE FIRE DANCE: An Inspector Irene Huss Investigation Set in Sweden by Helene Tursten (Mystery)
Detective Inspector Irene Huss hasn’t seen Sophie Malmborg for over 15 years, but she’s still haunted by the strange young ballerina’s role in the fire that killed her stepfather. All her questions resurface when Sophie disappears, and the charred remains of a dancer are found in an abandoned warehouse. Irene has a startling realization that could shed light on the case that has been lingering in the back of her mind since the beginning of her career. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE BOY DETECTIVE: A New York Childhood by Roger Rosenblatt (Memoir)
Talented and prolific author Roger Rosenblatt has crafted a book that is part memoir, part fantasy, part poetry, part history, and part love letter to New York City. As he walks the city streets of his childhood, he slips in and out of the past, inviting the reader to stroll along beside him. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

THE COURIER by Andrew Britton (Thriller)
Thanks to an incredible discovery in the Arctic, our global enemies now have a nuke, capable of unleashing unthinkable terror. To hunt down the devastating package before it can be used, Ryan Kealey forms an unlikely partnership with the young Farsi-speaking nuclear physicist Rayhan Jafari. But once on the ground, they're on their own --- trusting only their guts and each other --- to conduct the dirty business of combating horrific destruction. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

FROM THE DEAD: A Tom Thorne Novel by Mark Billingham (Mystery)
A decade ago, Alan Langford’s charred remains were discovered in his burnt-out car. His wife Donna was found guilty of conspiracy to murder her husband and sentenced to 10 years in prison. But before she is released, Donna receives a nasty shock: an anonymous letter containing a photo of her husband. How is it possible that he’s still alive? Where is he? Who sent the photo, and why? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from January 10th to January 24th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ANDREW’S BRAIN by E.L. Doctorow, THE DEAD IN THEIR VAULTED ARCHES: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley, and MRS. LINCOLN’S RIVAL by Jennifer Chiaverini.