Nightshade - Michael Connelly

I had heard that Michael Connelly had a new book out -  Nightshade. What I had missed was that this was the first book in a new series!

I was reticent to jump up and down until I had a few chapters under my belt. After that, I was on board. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been moved back to policing Catalina Island. It's beautiful but he's capable of so much more. When a body is found in the harbor he goes to work. But he's told to let the mainland detectives in charge and to stay out of it. Yeah, you know what happens right? He can't stop...

Connelly has done an excellent job in creating a lead that you can't help but be behind. The plotting kept me engaged from first page to last. The supporting cast are well drawn. The set is well drawn and actual places are included.

Just a winner all round! I'll be waiting for book number 2.

Worst Case Scenario - T.J. Newman

T.J. Newman was a flight attendant before she turned her hand to writing. She writes what she knows. Her previous two books, Falling and Drowning, were runaway bestsellers and you'll also be seeing those titles as major motion pictures! Having read both of those first books, I was eager to read her newly released third book Worst Case Scenario. 

There's a plane on each book cover, as you can see. This time around it's a nuclear power plant and the damage done when a passenger plane comes down.

I enjoy the way that Newman builds a core cast of characters that drive the book forward. And that they're all quite different - nuclear experts, firemen, everyday folks stepping up and so many more. Newman gives the core group detailed personal lives - and how that will affect what happens.

That detailing also covers the plot in terms of how the nuclear plant runs and what can be done to avert disaster. I'll leave it you to discover the rest of the plot... 

I turned the last page and wondered and how much was fiction and how much was fact. I adamantly believe that this is not as farfetched as you might imagine. 

This was another addicting read from Newman. I'll be looking forward to the next book.

See for yourself - read an excerpt of Worst Case Scenario.

The #1 Lawyer - James Patterson and Nancy Allen

New from James Patterson and Nancy Allen - The #1 Lawyer -  releases today! 

Patterson and Allen take us down to Biloxi, Mississippi and to the law office of Stafford Lee Penney. Stafford Lee hasn't lost a case yet - hence the #1. But you know what they say - what goes up, has to come down....

I have always enjoyed legal thrillers. The machinations behind closed doors, the hunt for a clue, a witness, that 'thing' that will turn the tables and secure a favorable win. In this case Stafford Lee is a defense lawyer. I enjoy the theatrics of the courtroom, the keen eyes that 'read' the jurors and the abilty to turn tactics on the spot. 

Patterson and Allen give us a great case in the first few chapters of the book. And it was everything I detailed above. There's a great surprise at the end of that case that caught me off guard. And the book took a different direction. One I was happy to follow! The direction the plot took kept me engaged.

Now, the characters. Stafford Lee is a good lead and embodies what you would expect in a lawyer as a lead. He thinks quick on his feet, but again - that up has to come down. I really liked Jenny, the firm's private eye. She's tough, thinks for herself and is driven.

The novel is told in short chapters and succinct sentences - classic Patterson style. Nancy Allen is a lawyer herself and the book benefits from that inside knowledge. Patters and Allen have co-written two previous legal tales together. I wonder if there will be a second book with Stafford Lee and company? I would happily pick it up.

See for yourself - read an excerpt of The #1 Lawyer. 

Learned by Heart - Emma Donoghue

Emma Donoghue is such a brilliant author. I've read all of her titles and have enjoyed them all. I picked up Learned by Heart without even looking at the fly leaf.

Donoghue's new title is based on actual historical figures, times and places. Learned by Heart is set in 1805 York (England) at a girls boarding school. When they meet, Eliza and Anne are fourteen years old and sharing a small room under the eaves. 

The setting is so very detailed. The details of the lessons, learning, the girls, their teachers, where the goal is to be a wife and more. There are many supporting players, who express many of the thoughts of the times on many topics. 

Learned by Heart is a coming of age story, a time for exploration of one's self, of love and trying to find  where you fit. But love is at the heart of the book. I'll let you discover the plot for yourself. 

It was not until I read the author's notes at the end of the book, that I realized the inspiration for the book was indeed fact based. Donoghue has taken some literary license and introduced some conjuncture to tell her tale. I encourage you to take the time to read the author's notes as they're absolutely fascinating. And the research is so detailed. 

Learned by Heart is the perfect title, as it be can used in more than one way in the book. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Learned by Heart. 

Short and Sweet #5 - Dopesick - Beth Macy

What? Well, time flies and sometimes I just seem to run out of it! So, Short and Sweet will be just that - some brief thoughts on books I've read or listened to. And when you see S and S, chances are I'm either busy, tired or on vacation!

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy.

From the publisher - Little, Brown and Company:

"An instant New York Times and indie bestseller, Dopesick is the only book to fully chart the devastating opioid crisis in America: “a harrowing, deeply compassionate dispatch from the heart of a national emergency” (New York Times) from a bestselling author and journalist who has lived through it.

In this masterful work, Beth Macy takes us into the epicenter of America’s twenty-plus year struggle with opioid addiction. From distressed small communities in Central Appalachia to wealthy suburbs; from disparate cities to once-idyllic farm towns; it’s a heartbreaking trajectory that illustrates how this national crisis has persisted for so long and become so firmly entrenched.

Beginning with a single dealer who lands in a small Virginia town and sets about turning high school football stars into heroin overdose statistics, Macy endeavors to answer a grieving mother’s question-why her only son died-and comes away with a harrowing story of greed and need. From the introduction of OxyContin in 1996, Macy parses how America embraced a medical culture where overtreatment with painkillers became the norm. In some of the same distressed communities featured in her bestselling book Factory Man, the unemployed use painkillers both to numb the pain of joblessness and pay their bills, while privileged teens trade pills in cul-de-sacs, and even high school standouts fall prey to prostitution, jail, and death.

Through unsparing, yet deeply human portraits of the families and first responders struggling to ameliorate this epidemic, each facet of the crisis comes into focus. In these politically fragmented times, Beth Macy shows, astonishingly, that the only thing that unites Americans across geographic and class lines is opioid drug abuse. But in a country unable to provide basic healthcare for all, Macy still finds reason to hope-and signs of the spirit and tenacity necessary in those facing addiction to build a better future for themselves and their families." Read an excerpt of Dopesick.

My Thoughts:

Another fantastic social commentary. Dopesick takes a look at the opioid epidemic that has swept across all lines - age, gender, economic status and more. Macy details the beginnings of the opioid crisis - the greed and push of BigPharma to saturate the populace with these highly addictive and massively destructive drugs. And at what cost? Macy includes stories of addicts and their families - their struggles and their losses. These are simply heartbreaking to read. I learned much from Macy's book. I have no answers, but do have a clearer understanding of what has happened and what is being done by those trying to turn the tide and those trying to  change their lives.

If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, Don't! - Elise Parsley

If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, Don't! is the third book in the 'Magnolia' series by Elise Parsley. Parsley is both the author and illustrator.

Magnolia has previously brought an alligator to school and a piano to the beach. So is a circus in the library a good idea? Well, the poster says...."You Can Do Anything at the Library!"

I work in a public library and have a small grandson who adores being read to as well as visiting the library so this newest book was a great fit for us.

He was interested in the book right away - the cover caught his eye - and it held his interest 'til the last page.

He started to remember the 'chorus' line with repeated readings...."You can do anything at the library - except......" and shouted the lines as they came up. There's a wonderful rhythm to reading this book out loud and so many opportunities to be vocally expressive. I do wonder if another word could have been found for 'concessions' (used in the food sense) as I ended up paraphrasing. There's a countdown moment that he loved as well.

Subsequent readings had us stopping to look at the pictures more closely (Library Gramma quite enjoyed the posters!) to see details more closely. There's lots of opportunity for discussion based on the book -  talking about what his library looked like and what he does at the library and what he might like to do - both 'approved' and over the top like Magnolia. I do want to say as a library employee that things have changed over the years. Things do get 'loud' at the library sometimes and we do bring in 'events'. Not a circus so far though....

Magnolia as a lead character is wonderful - she is full of life, enthusiasm and imagination. The illustrations are colourful and quirky. The facial expressions allow a little one to interpret what the characters might be thinking or feeling.

Gramma and Little Guy both enjoyed this book. You can connect with Elise Parsley on Twitter.

Rise the Dark - Michael Koryta

Michael Koryta is a new to me author, but he's not new to the game of writing - he's a New York Times bestselling writer. His latest book is Rise the Dark.

Garland Webb has just been released from prison. He's beat a murder charge, thanks to a zealous young lawyer. The murder victim? Investigator Markus Novak's wife. And with his release, Novak is hot on his trail. That trail leads him to a decidedly odd, yet sinister Florida town called Cassadaga.

Miles away in Montana, Sabrina Baldwin is abducted - by Garland Webb. But what Webb and his cohorts want is to control Sabrina's husband Jay, a high voltage lineman.

Are the two cases related? Why does Webb need a linesman? Will Novak catch up with them? And much, much more....

Rise the Dark was a completely different read than I expected. I went in expecting a serial killer thriller. But Koryta has woven much more into his story. I didn't realize that this was the second Mark Novak book. But, there are enough back story references that I understood what had come before. So, yes there is a killer, but also mixed in is fanaticism, homegrown terrorism and a cult. His plotting is large and far reaching. And really, not so far fetched. Simmering underneath it all is - gosh, I'm not sure how to describe it. Mysticism? Paranormal? Supernatural? But it's not overdone or overblown. It was woven seamlessly into the story. And it wouldn't be the story it is without it.

Koryta's style of writing is very easy to become immediately drawn into. I very much liked Novak as a lead character - there's enough uncertainty mixed with the toughness to make him seem much more 'real' than a character who doesn't fall down. I must say though, I had a real liking for his Uncle Larry - I hope he appears in the next entry in the Novak books. And there will be another I'm sure. There's one loose end that isn't resolved.....

So, yes a very different read for me. But one I quite enjoyed. I'll be watching for the third in the series. Read an excerpt of Rise the Dark.

You can connect with Michael Koryta on his website, follow him on Twitter and find him on Facebook.

The Revisionists - Thomas Mullen

When I first started to read  The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen, I immediately thought of the film/novel The Adjustment Bureau . Although there are similarities in the beginning, The Revisionists takes the story much farther, questioning many things in our society, but the ultimate question is - does the means justify the end?

Operative "Z" is from the future - a time they call the Perfect Present. His job is to make sure that things progress as they should - marching towards the Great Conflagration the marks the beginning of the Perfect Present. But others, known as hags (historical agitators) are also working - but to alter events and therefore change history. Although he is supposed to leave no trace of having been there,  Z finds himself involved with Tasha - a young lawyer whose brother died in Iraq while serving in the military. As she questions the government's role in his death, Z begins to question his own society and sacrifices in fulfilling the role he has been assigned. An almost parallel story is of Leo, a disillusioned operative who also questioned his role in the CIA and left under cloudy circumstances. He too see a chance for redemption when he offers to help a young Indonesian woman escape her tyranical employers.

Although The Revisionists falls under the sci-fi umbrella, I really found the time travel aspect to be a vehicle for an exploration of what is happening in the world now and what the future may hold for the global village. The characters's explorations of their own beliefs, emotions and actions will provide many questions readers will find themselves asking.

I read the ending more than once, as I think it could go several ways.  I quite enjoyed the uncertainty Mullen left me with. This was definitely a different read for me.

Read an excerpt of The Revisionists.  You can find Mullen on Facebook or on his blog.

Father's Day Roundup Giveaway!!

Any of these titles would make a great Father's Day gift....or maybe one for yourself as well!? Thanks to Little, Brown and Company, I have TWO sets of five books to giveaway. That's right - 2 full sets! Including:

The Ridge by Michael Koryta 

"On an isolated ridge in the Kentucky woods stands a homemade lighthouse, hundreds of miles from any substantial body of water. Local reporter Roy Darmus has always found it an amusing oddity- until he is selected as the recipient of a suicide note from its builder. Roy enters the bizarre structure to find the walls covered in maps bearing the names of the dead--including his own parents, who were killed in a car accident when he was a boy. Roy soon has a storytelling assignment more daunting than anything he's seen before: convincing people that an age-old legend has in fact come to life. With haunting atmosphere and tension-coiled plot, The Ridge is a terrifying journey into the heart of darkness."

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

"Mickey Haller has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home. Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too--and he's certain he's on the right trail. Despite the danger and uncertainty, Haller mounts the best defense of his career in a trial where the last surprise comes after the verdict is in" 

The House That Ruth Built by Robert Weintraub

"The untold story of Babe Ruth's Yankees, John McGraw's Giants, and the extraordinary baseball season of 1923.
Before the 27 World Series titles--before Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter-the Yankees were New York's shadow franchise. They hadn't won a championship, and they didn't even have their own field, renting the Polo Grounds from their cross-town rivals the New York Giants. In 1921 and 1922, they lost to the Giants when it mattered most: in October. But in 1923, the Yankees played their first season on their own field, the newly-built, state of the art baseball palace in the Bronx called "the Yankee Stadium." The stadium was a gamble, erected in relative outerborough obscurity, and Babe Ruth was coming off the most disappointing season of his career, a season that saw his struggles on and off the field threaten his standing as a bona fide superstar. It only took Ruth two at-bats to signal a new era. He stepped up to the plate in the 1923 season opener and cracked a home run to deep right field, the first homer in his park, and a sign of what lay ahead. It was the initial blow in a season that saw the new stadium christened "The House That Ruth Built," signaled the triumph of the power game, and established the Yankees as New York's-and the sport's-team to beat. From that first home run of 1923 to the storybook World Series matchup that pitted the Yankees against their nemesis from across the Harlem River-one so acrimonious that John McGraw forced his Giants to get to the Bronx in uniform rather than suit up at the Stadium-Robert Weintraub vividly illuminates the singular year that built a classic stadium, catalyzed a franchise, cemented Ruth's legend, and forever changed the sport of baseball."

Life by Keith Richards


The long-awaited autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Ladies and gentlemen: Keith Richards. With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life. Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones's first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever. With his trademark disarming honesty, Keith Richard brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.

The Pale King by David Foster Wallace

"The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety of personalities drawn to this strange calling. And he has arrived at a moment when forces within the IRS are plotting to eliminate even what little humanity and dignity the work still has. The Pale King remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace's death, but it is a deeply compelling and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions--questions of life's meaning and of the value of work and society--through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallace's unique gifts. Along the way it suggests a new idea of heroism and commands infinite respect for one of the most daring writers of our time."

Open to residents of the U.S. or Canada. No P.O. Boxes, please. (Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.)

To be entered - let me know which book you'd keep for yourself! Ends Sunday July 3rd! Good luck!