Lots of new books have been crossing my nightstand lately, so here’s the latest “fresh titles”…
–Marissa
1. The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos
I’ve been a devotee of poet-turned-author de los Santos since her debut novel, Love Walked In. Her writing is so lyrical and compulsively readable, and I just love her character development. In this novel, Taisy has her life pretty well figured out – until a phone call from her estranged father Wilson compels her to come home again. There, she interacts with her half-sister who is clearly the favorite, her icy father, and the boy she left behind. Told in alternating voices, this is a great example of women’s fiction with character development, fantastic prose, and a satisfying ending. Recommended!
2. Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon
This one was recommended to me by my friend Nat, and was a great read. Jake, the high school son of the Connellys has always been a bit…different, but is beloved by stay-at-home dad Simon. When a school shooting occurs and Jake is nowhere to be found, Simon and Rachel take very different opinions of where their son is. This is a great novel that weaves together several threads – the mystery of where Jake is, the stress of parenting, especially for a stay at home father, dealing with the media, and overall family dynamics. Much more than a cookie-cutter mystery – recommended to anyone looking for a good standalone mystery!
3. Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight
I’ll recommend this mystery – but with reservations. McCreight (who wrote the fantastic Reconstructing Amelia) has penned a new novel that begins with a baby being found, dead and abandoned, near a college campus. Molly, a novice reporter, is assigned the case – despite her recent heartache as a parent herself. While this is a decent novel, my quibbles are two: there are WAY too many unresolved red herrings, and I suggest you start a scorecard early to keep track of who is who and who is connected to who, no matter how tenuously! I felt like I figured out a lot of the mystery pretty early, and that the things I was interested in were totally unresolved. Proceed with caution…
I also just finished The Master by Kresley Cole – the second in her holy-steaminess-Batman “Game Maker” series. Hot (though The Professional remains my favorite of the two)!
I also reread Me Before You by JoJo Moyes for a book discussion group I help lead for my library. It was one of the best books I read in 2012, and even after rereading, I still adored it. So, so good….
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