Well, it's the last few days of July, which means mass market paperbacks and those books that are either late summer releases or early fall drops. It's hard to tell, really, what with publishing's schedule still being all wonkadoo, but hey, we're just excited about new books, aren't we? Let's get to it.
First up, here's a name we're surprised to see: Rosamunde Pilcher. One of the great romance writers of the twentieth century, Pilcher retired from writing at the turn of the millennium, and everyone has been hoarding her old hardbacks. A Place Like Home is a collection of marvelously precise short stories that are self-contained jewels of economical storytelling. Now, these fifteen pieces aren't strange oddities found in the bottom of an old filing cabinet; they're all love stories, and Pilcher ably demonstrates her command of the eternal foibles and idiosyncrasies of the human condition.
And speaking of human quirkiness, Darynda Jones is back with A Good Day for Chardonnay, the follow-up to last year's A Bad Day for Sunshine. This time around, Sunshine Vicram—the persistently put-upon sheriff of tourist hot spot Del Sol, New Mexico—has to cope with a trio of wild-eyed killers who are intent on ruining local survivalist Keith Seabright's day; a mayor who is convinced that his town is being co-opted by a secret society of dangerous daughters; Sunshine's own free-willing, free-thinking daughter, who thinks she's discovered a local serial killer; as well as the usual murder, fraud, and evidence tampering that keeps a complicated plot like this ticking along. Oh, and there's some hot sex every now and again, in case your attention was wandering. Come on. You know you want this.
And speaking of things you didn't know you wanted until right now, here's Edith Widder's Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Ocean. At an early age, Widder became professionally fascinated with the deep ocean (which we've explored a mere 0.05% of, by the way). Her career has been devoted to going deep and sitting very still, and her memoir is a delightful and passionate exploration of how little we know about what is going on down there where there is no light. Except, of course, for the illumination you bring with you. Bioluminescence is going to be the new black.
And a little closer to shore, we have Sherry Harris's A Time to Swill. It's all sun and sweet cocktails at the Sea Glass Saloon in picturesque Emerald Cove, Florida. Until saloon owner Chloe Jackson discovers an abandoned sailboat with a kitten and a skeleton. Whose boat is this? Whose skeleton is this? Oh, so many questions and you know that our intrepid saloon owner is itching for something more exciting in her life than slinging Mai Tais. Naturally, there is skullduggery and shenanigans, and where there's one skeleton, there's bound to be more . . .
And speaking of skeletons, illustrator Dave McKean has finally written a new graphic novel. It's the story of a bird, as well as the tale of a supernatural writer, as well as something between the two. It's McKean, so the art speaks for itself (except when overflowing with symbolism), and we suspect we're going to have to read it a few times to fully appreciate what is going on here, but hey, it's very pretty and mind-bending, so it totally qualifies for the theme of this week's list: What's Not to Love?
Oh, and that reminds us. Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Inheritance Games is now out in paperback. It's Brewster's Millions meets Knives Out meets The Hunger Games. We're going to let that rattle around your brains a bit.
Okay, this one's a little more straight-forward. A Life Electric is a young reader's introduction to Nikola Tesla, who invented a couple of things back in the day. This one is marvelously illustrated by Sardà Júlia, and we're quite enchanted with it.
Given everyone's interest in all things Green Knight, it's a perfect time for the Tolkien estate to reissue J. R. R.'s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the more esoteric stories from the chivalry era. On New Year's Eve, King Arthur and his knights are lounging about the Round Table when a knight clad all in green pops in and proposes a challenge. He will suffer one blow from any knight present on the condition that he be allowed to return the favor in a year and a day. Everyone has a hearty laugh, and Gawain takes up the challenge. He lops off the Green Knight's head with one swift blow from a battle axe.
Oops. Party foul. The knight, however, picks up his head and politely reminds Gawain that he'll be back in a year and a day to do the same to Arthur's knight. Much deliberation and nervousness ensue because, you know, Gawain is kind of partial to his head remaining attached to his body.
Anyway, there's a movie coming. Tolkien's translation is, well, Tolkien. Plan accordingly.
And this month's punny cozy mystery is The Cider Shop Rules, written by Julie Anne Lindsey. Listen: "Murder can squash the fun out of pumpkin season." <Shudder> As the Fall Festival festivates, Civil War re-enactors fill the corn fields, and one of the more beloved locals is found dead. Who would whack kindly old Mr. Potter? Well, Winona Mae Montgomery's cider shop is doing so well this year that she can leave it in the capable hands of her staff and go off and play amateur detective. Unfortunately, in a town where everyone is playing at being someone, there's one person who isn't playing by the rules . . .
And finally, here's Sophie Jordan's steamy The Duke Goes Down. His name is Peregrine Butler, and while some of you are totally thinking about the title in that way, we're going to point out that the reference is to Peregrine's bastard status. As such, he can't inherit the family title, and if he can't woo an appropriate lady, he's going to . . . well, you know . . .
