I was practically born with a book in my hands. An avid reader my entire life, I read about 70-80 books a year. Yep, bona fide book nerd! I mainly read fiction, mysteries, fantasy, and some sci-fi. My favorite book of all time is Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh - read it as a kid and probably 100 times since then. I walked into a library around age 5 and thought I had found heaven, which explains why I am happy as a clam being a public librarian today! My favorite conversation starter: "Read any good books lately?"
Mitchell's book Cloud Atlas is geting a lot of attention these days because of the movie with the same name that will be released in October. He is a great writer and I actully enjoyed this one better than Cloud Atlas. It's a coming of age tale in Britain and very accessible.
I just discovered Michael Robotham. Read Wreckage in almost one sitting - great thriller that interweaves current events in the Mideast with a crime spree in Britain. How he ties it all together and makes it work means you are in for a good read!
In addition to writing books, Dennis Lehane is overseeing a line of books and publishing a select few fiction titles via his publisher. The first one he has selected is The Cutting Season. This is Locke's second book and another solid mystery. Set on Belle Vie, an antebellum plantation between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the book follows Caren Gray and her efforts to discover who really killed a female migrant worker found on the estate. Character, setting and great prose make this a title worth a read.
I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of the book Harriet the Spy. Imagine my thrill when I discovered the Flavia de Luce series from Alan Bradley! Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first in a four book series, with the fifth due next spring, Speaking From Among the Bones. Think British Harriet the Spy with great fun and mysteries!!!
After The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo hit it big, Scandanavian crime writers became all the rage. Every time you turn around there is another mystery series debuting from that region. This book is set in Copenhagen and Louise Rick is a strong female detective challenged to find out if the murder she is investigating is an honor killing. Good read from among the many Nordic newcomers.
