A romance to remember

Premiere, A Love Story
Tracy Ewens
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
October 2014

It's been a while since I read this involving of a romance.  It was a pleasant read.

What's different about this title 
The premise for this story is an intricately envisioned and well-written world with characters that the reader cares about and becomes emotionally involved with.  There are some points where I grew impatient with the heroine -- but I was involved enough that I wasn't aware of reading.

What I'll do now that I've read this 
There are a lot of library patrons who prefer ebooks -- and who enjoy a good romance.  While our libraries don't circulate Kindle editions, I'll encourage those who have that device or an app for Kindle reading to look this title up.  I'm lLooking forward to the sequels that will complete this series.

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Lots of action, easy to keep one's attention

Tainted Blood: Book 2 in the Hell's Belle Series
Karen Greco
October 2014

To properly enjoy this book, I needed to purchase and read the first in the series.  It was worth it:  I enjoyed the action and the relationships -- an entertaining read if less smooth than something out of a big publishing house.

What's different about this book 
The  heroine is tough-assed military: half vampire and, as she learned in the first book, half witch.  That combination is a new one for me.  The vampire theme is a common one in today's popular market, but this story takes some of the best from what's gone before:  strong relationships within a family of sorts, tight action, and lots of plot twists. The difference comes in the fresh feel and the new environment.  (The super-duper motorcycle sold me, as well.)

What I'll do now that I've read it 
This series would probably be a quick sell to someone who needs lots of action to keep his/her focus, and to someone who enjoys the extended motif of supernatural creatures (lots of them in these tales).  After all, it was that action and plot challenges that caught my eye.  I'll be talking this title to my studied-out colleagues.

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Narrative at its most literary

All the Light We Cannot See
Scribner
2014

Sometimes "literary" narrative is not a good draw for someone just looking for a "good read."  This book brings the best of compelling story and literary narrative together:  a must-read, and I claim this as someone who doesn't not use the phrase "must-read" lightly.

 What's different about this book?
The jacket blurbs and the brief reviews I had read about this book did not convince me to read it.  But I kept seeing those reviews and the sheer weight of those reviews caught me.  This book is different because the war story and the blind girl and the Nazi youth somehow come together to make an amazingly engaging story.  I don't believe any words I could write would convince someone to read this -- but I may be able to add to the avalanche of reviews that will reach some other reader's eyes.

What I'll do now that I've read it
I am already book-talking this to my fellow librarians, and am scheduled to do so with my patrons in the coming weeks.  On so many levels, this book will appeal to readers: those who love historical fiction, those who love romance, those who love coming-of-age tales and mystery and political intrigue.  Family is important in this story, and friendships and community.  This is now a part of my library collections.

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A Political Thriller -- in a Literary Device

All the Old Knives

by Olen Steinhauer
St. Martin's Press
March 2015

Spy-thriller Steinhauer has written another powerful story, this about two CIA agents still imperiled years later by an international terrorist event.  The plot line in his latest book takes several surprising 180-degree turns that has the reader racing to keep up with the story.  In all, this suspense tale presents a great read, though different in several ways from his The Tourist trilogy.

What's different about this book 
Described as "cerebral" by the publisher, this book is built on the literary technique of a single point in time serving as the narrative focus.  At a quiet dinner, ten years after they were involved in a political fiasco, two agents arrange to meet once again.  This device of having as much of the action as possible occur at a single setting is well-crafted, and by skillfully providing background and context, Steinhauer succeeds in developing his cast of characters as well as drawing the reader into the storyline.  Unexpected twists and developments in the narration slowly serve to reveal earlier puzzling references.  This tale is masterfully crafted and delivered to the reader who should trust Steinhauer to make it all make sense.

What I'll do now that I've read it
This will be easy to book-talk to my mystery-suspense genre readers of all ages.  Putting this book on the library shelf next to the Tourist trilogy will seem somehow incongruous -- the "feel" of the book is different from those earlier stories.  But All the Old Knives will be an entertaining read, if not to the same depth of engagement as The Tourist.

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