Chapter 5 - Check This Out!

As you know I always have my eyes out for interesting, potentially good books. January is sometimes a slow month for the new and notable and I think this is because people are still reading books which they received for the holidays. To me, January is the perfect time to dig into something new or unexpected. January is often the month for debut novels, non fiction new books, or even authors I've never read before.

Here are some January published books I'm putting on my TBR (to be read) pile for the month.

Anna O by Matthew Blake - This debut thriller has been raved about by critics and readers alike. Anna was a budding 25 year old writer when one night she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive. Even stranger Anna has fallen into a deep sleep, "resignation syndrome" the doctors call it, and cannot be awakened. Psychologist, Benedict Prince is an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides and is the last hope of solving the case and waking Anna up to stand trial. Benedict has secrets of his own however and if Anna wakes up it may put them both in danger.

Ilium by Lea Carpenter - Another thriller here but this novel deals with the world of international espionage. A young woman, the anonymous narrator of the book, meets and falls in love with Marcus on her 21st birthday. Coming from a lower class background, she is thrilled when Marcus, a man with obvious wealth, wants to marry her. They marry in his home in Croatia and that is when he drops the bombs on her - first, he needs her to pose as an art critic to get into a wealthy Russian's home and second, Marcus is dying. The twists and turns in this book sound intriguing, the Cold War isn't really over!

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford - I love books about seniors because everyone each of us has a story. In this book Jennifer Quinn lives in a picturesque English village and, according to her husband Bernard, she has a superpower, it is her baking. While Bernard is happy with his clever wife, Jennifer wants something more than just a life in a cute village. Secretly she applies to appear on the TV show, "Britain Bakes" and suddenly her success brings memories and secrets out that she just wasn't prepared for.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns - Published at the beginning of January, Mercury is a coming of age story.

It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West finds herself in Mercury Pennsylvania. Looking for stability in her young life she meets the Joseph brothers and soon they become her whole world. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business starts to take a downturn Marley does what she can to prop the family up. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance.

Diva by Daisy Goodwin - Daisy Goodwin is the very talented author of a number of books including Victoria, The American Heiress, and The Fortune Hunter as well as the screenwriter for PBS's series Victoria. Her latest book is Diva, a novelized account of the life of Maria Callas, the opera singer and long time lover of Aristotle Onassis. From her humble beginnings in Nazi-occupied Greece to her shock at the marriage of Ari to Jackie Kennedy, the well researched book shows the strength and talent of an extraordinary woman.

Do you have any recently published books on your wish list? Let me know!