Hello friends. As a literary acquaintance used to note, Friday the Thirteenth comes on a Thursday this month. Additionally, the full moon is a Snow Moon, which happened on the 12th, but it's close enough to warrant waving our hands at the synchronicity of everything. We hope you have not neglected any of your usual full moon rituals: pointing at people with soft bread, staying up a half hour past your usual bedtime, howling back at the coyotes, and—oh my, look at the time. Let's talk about some books.
The hot release this week (which is much appreciated given the cold snap rolling in) is Brynne Weaver's Scythe & Sparrow, the final volume in her Ruinous Love Trilogy. This time around, we've got a murderous motorcycle hellion (whose day job is performing with a traveling circus) and a broken-hearted small town doctor with secrets. Naturally, their eyes meet across the emergency room and all sorts of sparks start to fly. This is Weaver, so you know the list of tropes and sexy banter is quite long. This is way up there on the five-chili spicy scale.
And speaking of rollercoaster rides you can't get off once they've started moving, Jo Nesbø is back this week with Blood Ties, a standalone crime drama about a pair of innocent looking fellas who are minding their own business in a small town. Carl manages the local spa and Roy runs the gas mart. Roy is the dreamer of the pair and has plans to open an amusement park, but when they learn about plans to build a new highway that will cut off their small town, they get . . . well, it's Nesbø, so let's just say that things get messy. Recommended.
And we're thrilled to see a new book from Sara Gran. This one is Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight. It's a short story collection (including a story with Claire DeWitt!), but since these are Gran stories, they're going to invert, upend, and fold inside out the mystery genre. Her work is—like it says in the subtitle—always a delight. Recommended.
Jojo Moyes returns as well with We All Live Here. It's the story of Lila Kennedy, a woman who has a lot going on: failed marriage, kids she can't keep track of, a house that is falling apart, and an ailing stepfather who appears to have taken root in the guest room. Naturally, things get even more complicated when her birth father shows up on the doorstep and says, "Surprise!" As you can imagine, this one is about family—both found and unfamiliar—and will resonate with readers.
Heather Fawcett continues her faerie tale adventures with Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales. This time around, Wilde must contend with a curse that has been laid upon the land by a vanished faerie queen, and it's going to take all of her extensive knowledge of faerie folklore to save the kingdom. Emily Wilde is a delightful protagonist, and we're happy to see her again. Recommended.
And speaking of smart ladies putting their brains to work, here is Marie Benedict's The Queens of Crime. It's a historical mystery featuring five of the greatest women writers from the early 20th century. These five form their own Detection Club, and set out to show the boys they know a thing or two about chasing clues. We love this premise, and are delighted to see Dorothy L. Sayers, Dame Agatha, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy get some attention. After you finish The Queens of Crime, you can chase down some of the works by these authors. You won't be disappointed.
And speaking of incredible women writers, Anne Tyler's got a new book out this week. Three Days in June follows Gail Baines, who—and this seems to be the trope of the month—is having a midlife crisis. Her estranged daughter is about to get married, her career is in shambles, and her long-divorced husband has just shown up with not more to his name than a cat. Naturally, Gail's daughter has a secret to reveal—right before the wedding!—which sets everything a-tumble. Other people working their personal sh*t out seems to be a comforting read these days. Plan accordingly.
Meanwhile, James Patterson's uber-detective Michael Bennett is back on the case in Paranoia. Bennett is the sort of stalwart hero of the people that doesn't have time for personal crises as there's always another crackpot killer to catch, and in Paranoia, Bennett must catch a killer who appears to thrive on—wait for it—isolation and paranoia.
See, dear friends? You hang out with other people, and you get drama. You stay home and mind your own business, and you get a creepy stalker. Where's the middle ground?
And speaking of searching for the balance of all things, Kelly Link's The Book of Love is out in paperback this week. Link, as you may know, has brought magic to the mainstream, and The Book of Love reinvents the fantasy novel for contemporary fiction readers. Marvelous and enchanting.
Also out this week in paperback is Yangsze Choo's The Fox Wife. This one is more of a historical fantasy, where a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth must unravel the mystery of a courtesan's death and the unusual gathering of foxes that seem to haunt the young woman's death. Superbly spooky and masterful!
And finally, here is Sam Rebelein's new collection of horror stories. The Poorly Made and Other Things is a return to Rebelein's Renfield County (where his novel Edenville was set). Things haven't gone well for the residents of this area since that thing happened in the farmhouse, which drew the other thing to town. Rebelein explores the aftermath of a horrific encounter with the supernatural, reminding us that even though we may have vanquished the evil in our midst, its presence lingers.
Brr. There's definitely a chill in the air. Keep your warm socks handy, and it's okay to wear your mittens around the house, but only if they don't interfere with your ability to turn the pages. And no, you can't use your tongue. Page licking went out of vogue with Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose (spoiler alert, sorry).
Don't forget there is a Sip Sumner event this weekend. We'll be serving something fun and different, and the other shops will be providing festive beverages. Bundle up and come visit. We'd love to see you.
