Waiting on Wednesday #109: Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz. It's due out December 8, 2015 from Bantam.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

THE MUST-READ THRILLER OF THE YEAR: Featuring the most exhilarating heroine in memory and a sophisticated, endlessly ingenious, brilliantly paced narrative through dark territory and deep mystery, this is a new milestone in literary suspense and a major new breakout book from the long acclaimed master.

At twenty-two, Bibi Blair’s doctors tell her that she’s dying. Two days later, she’s impossibly cured. Fierce, funny, dauntless, she becomes obsessed with the idea that she was spared because she is meant to save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell. This proves to be a dangerous idea. Searching for Ashley Bell, ricocheting through a southern California landscape that proves strange and malevolent in the extreme, Bibi is plunged into a world of crime and conspiracy, following a trail of mysteries that become more sinister and tangled with every twisting turn.

Unprecedented in scope, infinite in heart, Ashley Bell is a magnificent achievement that will capture lovers of dark psychological suspense, literary thrillers, and modern classics of mystery and adventure. Beautifully written, at once lyrical and as fast as a bullet, here is the most irresistible novel of the decade.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like Dean Koontz's writing. This book sounds good and somewhat different from his others.  I like the suspense and the idea that it will appeal to a broad population of mystery readers. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Leave it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Published October 20, 2015
by Redhook

Nathan seemed to be flirting with me, but I wasn't sure. Flirting was for me, an ancient language, like Phoenician or Ammonite, the peculiarities of which have been lost to lack of usage and also antiquity.

~ location 762 on my Kindle app.

Would you read on? What's your teaser this week? Please share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!

Review: Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off by J.A. Lang

Published October 12, 2015
by Purple Panda Press

Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off by J.A. Lang is the third book in the Chef Maurice series.

Chef Maurice and Arthur are at it again. Chef Maurice has been displaced as a judge for the bake off because a famous television chef, Miranda Matthews, is coming to Beakley for the Fayre. Miranda Matthews isn't the most pleasant person in real life, no matter what her adoring fans think. After her demonstration, she disappears only to reappear as a body in a brook. Miranda has so many enemies; there are so many choices for possible murderers. Chef Maurice must interview them all. Will he solve the mystery before PC Lucy and the rest of the force?

PC Lucy has her hands full investigating and trying to keep an eye on the Chef and Arthur as they conduct their own investigation. And if that wasn't enough on her plate, she is worried that Patrick, the sous chef and her boyfriend, is going to leave Beakley to work in his mother's bed and breakfast as a chef.

This is another fun installment in the series. Chef Maurice is a force unto himself once he has begun investigating, nothing will deter him. And of course, he cannot investigate on an empty stomach. Arthur is particularly grateful for that since his wife has put him on a diet.

The mystery moves along fast enough. The only thing I felt was a drawback was that more wasn't done with PC Lucy and Patrick's mother. The synopsis makes out like the bulletproof pudding Lucy makes is a big plot point, but it disappears much to Lucy's relief.  And Hamilton only had a cameo appearance. I'm guessing due to his increased girth he is no longer quite the portable micro-pig.

I liked that I couldn't guess who the killer was right up until the end. I had it all wrong. And I enjoyed the humor.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #108: The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos Hernandez

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

The book I am waiting on this week is The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos Hernandez. It's due out January 1, 2016 from Rosarium Publishing.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Assimilation is founded on surrender and being broken; this collection of short stories features people who have assimilated, but are actively trying to reclaim their lives. There is a concert pianist who defies death by uploading his soul into his piano. There is the person who draws his mother’s ghost out of the bullet hole in the wall near where she was executed. Another character has a horn growing out of the center of his forehead—punishment for an affair. But he is too weak to end it, too much in love to be moral. Another story recounts a panda breeder looking for tips. And then there’s a border patrol agent trying to figure out how to process undocumented visitors from another galaxy. Poignant by way of funny, and philosophical by way of grotesque, Hernandez’s stories are prayers for self-sovereignty.

Why am I waiting on this book? The reviews I've read indicated that this collection of short stories is varied in topics. And they also agree that it is a funny book. These stories are Science Fiction and Fantasy. I don't read Science Fiction that  much, but I really enjoy Urban Fantasy and Magical Realism. All 3 genres are supposed to be present in the book. Also, I am a big fan of humorous fiction. This promises to be a good collection for that.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.
Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off by J.A.Lang

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off is the third book in the Chef Maurice series by J.A. Lang. It was published October 12, 2015 by Purple Panda Press.

Near the front of the tent, there were gasps and shouts as a little girl, set off by the panic, ran head first into the long white tablecloth hanging off the Bake Off entries table, pulling the material with her as she went. Cakes, tarts, and pastries came sliding over the edge like a sugar-laden Niagra Falls. PC Lucy watched as her own cake executed a gentle forwards roll, then landed, seemingly unscathed on the grass.

Drat, she thought, then shook herself.

~ 18% on my Kindle

It might not be clear in this sample, but PC Lucy is disappointed that her cake wasn't destroyed.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Thanks for coming by!

P.S. If you are interested in the series, Book One is available today for Kindle for free.

What was the first scary book you read on your own?

What was the first book that you remember reading on your own that scared you? For me, the one that stands out is The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs. There were other Halloween books before that and many since then. The ones before that one weren't as scary I think because I wasn't reading them alone. The House with a Clock in Its Walls, on the other hand, was scary among other reasons because I was reading it on  my own.

Brief synopsis from Goodreads:
Orphaned Lewis Barnavelt comes to live with his Uncle Jonathan and quickly learns that both his uncle and his next-door neighbor are witches on a quest to discover the terrifying clock ticking within the walls of Jonathan's house. Can the three of them save the world from certain destruction?

I think for my daughter, the first scary books she read on her own were the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. 

If you were asked, what books would you recommend for the young to read for pleasant chills? I would still recommend The  House with a Clock in Its Walls and other books by John Bellairs, books by R.L. Stine, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz.  What would you add to this list? I'm sure there are lots more out there.

Review: Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant

Published October 13, 2015
by Simon and Schuster

I get the title, Dispatches from Pluto. Pluto is the town in the Mississippi Delta area that Richard and Mariah move to. I don't quite get the subtitle though, Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta. Not sure what was supposed to have been lost, but it's easy to see that they found a whole new way of life in Pluto during this year in a life view.

Richard and Mariah move into Doc Foose's old house. There they make battle with the wildlife including alligators, cottonmouths, armadillos, rats and more. And they learn to live closer to the land, hunting and growing some of their own food. The homey parts of the book are many at first and then the direction changes and there is less about setting up house and more of a discussion of racism in the Delta area.

It's an intriguing book. The culture of the Delta is different from many other places including other places in the Southern United States. The culture itself is really split. There is black culture and white culture and even subdivisions within those categories.

It was nice to read about the generosity and hospitality that most of the people showed Mariah and Richard. Whether the people were white or black, for the most part, they had positive encounters with them. Headshaking encounters occasionally, but more often than not pleasant encounters.

I found the book to be interesting whether the author was writing about the struggles with setting up and maintaining a household in Pluto or having adventures of sorts meeting new and different people. He visits juke joints and a prison. He follows around a candidate for mayor. He visits blues legend, T-Model Ford. There are many more mini-adventures that make up the overall large adventure of moving from New York City to the Mississippi Delta area.

If you are curious about the region and racism issues there, then this would be a good book for you. If the topic of racism bothers you, then don't pick up the book. It just can't be avoided in this memoir. And remember this is just a slice of life in the area and it varies depending on where you go in Mississippi and the South.

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5. It's well written. It keeps moving and doesn't get bogged down in one place. And the people are interesting too.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #107: Practical Sins for Cold Climates by Shelley Costa

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Practical Sins for Cold Climates by Shelley Costa is the first in a new series featuring Val Cameron, a senior editor with a New York publishing company. It's due out January 27, 2016 from Henery Press.

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

When Val Cameron, a Senior Editor with a New York publishing company, is sent to the Canadian Northwoods to sign a reclusive bestselling author to a contract, she soon discovers she is definitely out of her element. Val is convinced she can persuade the author of that blockbuster, The Nebula Covenant, to sign with her, but first she has to find him. 

Aided by a float plane pilot whose wife was murdered two years ago in a case gone cold, Val’s hunt for the recluse takes on new meaning: can she clear him of suspicion in that murder before she links her own professional fortunes to the publication of his new book? 

When she finds herself thrown into a wilderness lake community where livelihoods collide, Val wonders whether the prospect of running into a bear might be the least of her problems.

Why am I waiting on this one? Shelley Costa won an Agatha Award for her first novel, You Cannoli Die Once. So, I expect good quality writing. And Henery Press is publishing the book. In my past experience, Henery Press has good taste when it comes to choosing authors to publish. I like books that have to do with publishing and writing and this one will most likely have a little of that. And, the mystery itself takes place in a small town which sounds good. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out!

Teaser Tuesday: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

If you put a bunch of chameleons on top of a bunch of chameleons on top of a bowl of Skittles what would happen? Is that science? Because if so, I finally get why people want to do science.

p. 20

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) has a lot of quotable moments. It was hard to choose just one.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.

Waiting on Wednesday #106: Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week the book I am waiting on is Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep. This is book two in her Black Blade series. It's due out October 27, 2015 from Kensington I reviewed book one in the series, Cold Burn of Magic, here.

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.

Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.

As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone's going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing's for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...

Why am I waiting on this book? I enjoyed book one in the series and I want to see where book two takes Lila Merriweather, the main character in the books. I like that it is sort of a cross between urban fantasy and regular fantasy. It's a city in the US, but a magical city that everyone knows has fantastical goings on. And it's a Jennifer Estep book. I enjoy her writing in general.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.

Teaser Tuesday: Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

The ravages of malaria continued into the 1940s and during bad outbreaks, a Delta planter might propose marriage to his belle by saying, "Miss Lucy, may I have the honor of buying your coffin?"

~ 3% through on my Kindle

I drove there from Martha's house on a hot June morning, passing bizarre natural sculpture gardens created by the invasive kudzu vine. It can grow up to 12 inches a day under optimal conditions, and not many places in the world can out-fecund the Mississippi Delta in early summer.

~ 6% through on my Kindle

Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant is due out October 13, 2015 from Simon and Schuster.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: Quotes are from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition.