New Releases: January 27, 2014

It's the last week of January and a busy week for new releases. That could be good news or bad news depending on the size of your bedside stack o' books. I'm not telling how tall mine has grown, but I will say this week is not helping matters. Here's a look at a handful of the books hitting bookstores this week. Some I've read, some I plan to....

Big, big, big. That's about all there is to say about this first in a dystopian trilogy by Pierce Brown and published by Del Rey (January 28, 2014). Lots of pre-publishing chatter going on about this one and the reviews have been very good. I suspect it will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and Ender's Game and since I fall in that category, I'm all about that - provided, that is, it doesn't prove to be a blatant knock-off. I've got a library hold on it so I don't feel robbed if it's a let down. I suspect it's going to be a huge winner though.

Jenny Offill's writing (Knopf, January 28, 2014) has been likened to Claire Messud's, but with style and class. This compelling story of a middle age wife and mother in the middle of a marital crisis and questioning her life choices is related in journal/random thoughts, making the format rather jarring and disjointed for some readers, searingly honest for others. While admittedly not my normal genre fare I found myself drawn into the mind and life of the narrator, both frustrated by her choices and devastatingly sympathetic to her plight in turn. Recommended, but only after you've read enough reviews to decide whether it suits your reading style. (My copy provided by the publishing house.)

Allende's latest novel hits the shelves this week and is sure to be a big seller (Harper, January 28, 2014). Ripper is about a very smart teenage girl whose mother goes missing prompting her to begin her own investigation into a string of murders in San Francisco. While I've never been a huge Allende fan in the past, this one caught my attention, at least enough for me to jot down the title with the intention of reading it in the near future. Maybe.

Let's be honest. Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Wiley Cash? Few authors capture the atmosphere of the South like Cash does in his dark thrillers and I have yet to find a negative review of his writing. His latest effort takes readers to western North Carolina and once again, he revives the theme of the broken family and redemption all wrapped in a thriller presentation. Exquisite. (William Morrow, January 28, 2013.) My copy provided by the publishing house.

Anna Quindlen fans are rejoicing at the release of her newest novel (Random House, January 28, 2014). And I am especially looking forward to this story of a woman whose career is waning and so she decides to leave the big city for the small town, making huge discoveries about life along the way. Quindlen has a knack for reminding readers of the important things in life and I always walk away from her novels feeling a bit richer. I pre-purchased this one!

Jane Sanderson's latest novel is a real treat for Downton Abby fans (William Morrow, January 28, 2014). Set in 1904 Yorkshire, Ravenscliffe is the story of a small English country town, it's nobility, it's commoners, it's trials, tribulations and more than anything how they all cope with the great changes they are faced with at the turn of the new century. Beautifully written and lovingly crafted, Sanderson is the equivalent to Downton Abby in print. My copy was provided by the publisher.

Should I quit while I'm ahead? Or should I also mention that one of my favorite novels from 2013 - Philipp Meyer's The Son - is being released this week in paperback?

Or that Carl Hiaasen has a new collection of hysterically funny columns being released this week? Okay, okay....I'll stop now....