July 2012 Movers & Shakers
Here are the noteworthy titles that have been racing up our most popular charts this month.
(showing 1-6 of 6)
Tigers in Red Weather
by Liza Klaussmann
A dark undercurrent runs through this suspenseful novel rich with family secrets, marriages gone wrong, and a shocking murder mystery. At a glamorous Martha's Vineyard estate in the 1950s and '60s, five different narrators slowly dig up buried regrets and betrayals. Jane calls it "a great summer read about hot summer nights, gin drunk from jelly jars, and sneaking around in the shadows." A dark undercurrent runs through this suspenseful novel rich with family secrets, marriages gone wrong, and a shocking murder mystery. At a glamorous Martha's Vineyard estate in the 1950s and '60s, five different narrators slowly dig up buried regrets and betrayals. Jane calls it "a great summer read about hot summer nights, gin drunk from jelly jars, and sneaking around in the shadows."
Alif the Unseen
by G. Willow Wilson (Goodreads Author)
Hacker-for-hire Alif goes on the run from the government of an unnamed Middle Eastern state when the woman he loves gives him a powerful book, The Thousand and One Days. This colorful techno-thriller blends folklore and political intrigue. Nagpochenpo calls it "one of the most original, exciting books I've read in a long time—topical and magical (where else will you find the Arab Spring, hackers, computers, the Quran, djinns, and a whole host of characters from the 1001 Nights)." Hacker-for-hire Alif goes on the run from the government of an unnamed Middle Eastern state when the woman he loves gives him a powerful book, The Thousand and One Days. This colorful techno-thriller blends folklore and political intrigue. Nagpochenpo calls it "one of the most original, exciting books I've read in a long time—topical and magical (where else will you find the Arab Spring, hackers, computers, the Quran, djinns, and a whole host of characters from the 1001 Nights)."
The Last Rhinos: My Battle to Save One of the World's Greatest Creatures
by Lawrence Anthony
Endangered by war and relentless poaching, the northern white rhino could become the largest land mammal since the woolly mammoth to go extinct. Renowned African conservationist Lawrence Anthony (1950-2012) plunged into the Congolese jungle to negotiate with warring rebels for the animals' protection. He recounts his efforts in this memoir. Verna calls it a "fantastic narrative of how one person can make a difference. Poignant, exciting, beautifully written...a posthumous tribute to the author!" Endangered by war and relentless poaching, the northern white rhino could become the largest land mammal since the woolly mammoth to go extinct. Renowned African conservationist Lawrence Anthony (1950-2012) plunged into the Congolese jungle to negotiate with warring rebels for the animals' protection. He recounts his efforts in this memoir. Verna calls it a "fantastic narrative of how one person can make a difference. Poignant, exciting, beautifully written...a posthumous tribute to the author!"
The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows
by Brian Castner (Goodreads Author)
Bomb squad veteran Brian Castner survived hairy conditions diffusing IEDs in Iraq before he came home to face a new enemy: the psychological toll of war, which he dubs "the Crazy." Castner started his memoir to make sense of the Iraq experiences and finished with a vivid, comprehensive account of the hazards of both combat and civilian life. Liz says, "The best firsthand account of war and its aftermath on an individual's psyche that I've ever read. Period." Bomb squad veteran Brian Castner survived hairy conditions diffusing IEDs in Iraq before he came home to face a new enemy: the psychological toll of war, which he dubs "the Crazy." Castner started his memoir to make sense of the Iraq experiences and finished with a vivid, comprehensive account of the hazards of both combat and civilian life. Liz says, "The best firsthand account of war and its aftermath on an individual's psyche that I've ever read. Period."
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce
With nothing but the clothes on his back, a shy, henpecked husband impulsively decides to walk the length of England on foot—more than 500 miles—to deliver a letter to a dying friend. He hopes that his journey will keep her alive in this poignant novel full of cheeky British charm. Gretchen says, "What will happen is that you're going to cry, you're going to laugh, and when you close the pages, you're going to think. And then, if you're like me, you're going to read it again." With nothing but the clothes on his back, a shy, henpecked husband impulsively decides to walk the length of England on foot—more than 500 miles—to deliver a letter to a dying friend. He hopes that his journey will keep her alive in this poignant novel full of cheeky British charm. Gretchen says, "What will happen is that you're going to cry, you're going to laugh, and when you close the pages, you're going to think. And then, if you're like me, you're going to read it again."
Insignia (Insignia, #1)
by S.J. Kincaid (Goodreads Author)
In this futuristic action adventure for young adults, corporations are the puppet masters of nations, and even clean water is patented. Recruited by the military, teen con artist Tom Raines leaves the casino circuit to train in virtual-reality tech for the ongoing war being waged for territorial rights in space. Brodie says, "Behind the awesome technology and corrupt politics, this book has spirit, thanks to its outstanding characters." In this futuristic action adventure for young adults, corporations are the puppet masters of nations, and even clean water is patented. Recruited by the military, teen con artist Tom Raines leaves the casino circuit to train in virtual-reality tech for the ongoing war being waged for territorial rights in space. Brodie says, "Behind the awesome technology and corrupt politics, this book has spirit, thanks to its outstanding characters."
