Chapter 2 - Back to Books

So after talking about vacation and what I read last week, I think it is time to get back to talking about books to come. There are so many new books coming out this year and more than a few of them have caught my eye from January publication lists. Interesting January books appear to be a mix of both established and debut authors including a new series from one of the best authors of mystery fiction.

With so many books coming out, (and I'm not even considering the nonfiction ones at this point), it is hard to know where to put your time and money. I have combed through more than a few lists to determine which will be on my TBR list. I hope these might appeal to you as well.

The books I am highlighting below were all published January 7.

The Granddaughter by Bernard Schlink - Schlink is the acclaimed German author of The Reader, The Weekend, and many other novels. In his latest novel Kaspar finds out after his wife, Birgit, dies that she had to leave her baby behind when she fled East Germany to be with him. Closing up his Berlin bookshop, Kaspar travels to the east to find his wife's daughter and granddaughter. The story is a mix of themes but centers on how the past impacts the present.

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen - This is a tale of one couple across sixty years. Haiwen is buying bananas at a market in Los Angeles when he sees Suchi for the first time in sixty years. Suchi was seven when she first met Haiwen and they immediately felt a bond. When he left to join the nationalist army to save his brother from conscription, all he left her was his violin and a note saying Forgive me. The story follows their individual lives across the turbulent years of Chinese history.

The Note by Alafair Burke - Alafair Burke is not new to writing thrillers. The daughter of James Lee Burke, she is an attorney and author of more than 15 books. Her latest novel is about three women who have been through a lot together from the time they were teens. When they decide to go to the Hamptons for vacation, a drunken prank goes wrong and suddenly they are on the wrong side of a police investigation.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - Fiona Davis is one of my favorite authors. Her books always have a New York landmark as one of the characters. In The Stolen Queen, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is featured. In 1936, Charlotte Cross is offered a spot on an archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Fast forward to 1978 when Charlotte is associate curation for Egyptian Art, Annie Jenkins is a young woman tasked with coordinating the famous Met Gala, and one of the most treasured Egyptian artifacts goes missing. Is the curse of the Queen reawakening?

The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison - Abe and Ruth should never have gotten together if you asked Ruth. But a blind date in college lead to 70 years of marriage. While the couple have fallen in and out of love with each other over the years, now Ruth's health and a determined Abe truly learn what commitment is all about.

Do any of these sound good to you? Let me know what you'd like to read!