Books we're looking forward to in 2013

[Celeste]

What's the book you're most looking forward to that comes out in 2013?

For me, it's , by Neil Gaiman, which I thought for ages was going to be a follow-up to his novel American Gods, but looks like it's a standalone.

[Linda]

For me it is the new Kate Atkinson, Life after Life. It has had brilliant reviews already

[Linda]

Also the new Mohsin Hamid, How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Just loved his Reluctant Fundamentalist - a brilliant writer.

[Monty]

How literature saved my life by David shields - his Reality hunger: A manifesto from a few years ago was intense, formally inventive and never boring on writing...few reviews I've read have been excellent.

And Paul Auster and J M Coetzee's new collection of letters, 'Here and now'- seems they struck up a friendship in correspondence and now, it's a book..

[Paula 1]

"And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini...

Have been waiting and waiting for another book from this man...

[Paula 1]

Linda wrote: "For me it is the new Kate Atkinson, Life after Life. It has had brilliant reviews already"

Sounds good...

[Bethlehem]

Linda wrote: "Also the new Mohsin Hamid, How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Just loved his Reluctant Fundamentalist - a brilliant writer."

What's in a title? I'm not sure why but I love the sound of this author and both these books. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Katrina]

Linda wrote: "For me it is the new Kate Atkinson, Life after Life. It has had brilliant reviews already"

This! I'm 29 on the reserve list..

[Sue]

The marvellous Alexander McCall Smith will be releasing a new "Scotland Street" novel in July (UK)and another in 'The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series in October (UK). He is also writing a book on Auden, whom he greatly admires and quotes from time to time in his own work.Alexander McCall Smith has millions of devoted fans worldwide, so they have lots to look forward to!!

[Susannah]

There is a book by a new author coming out this year called "The Shining Girls" by Lauren Beukes. It is about a time-travelling serial killer and has been described as "The Time Traveler's Wife meets The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." I don't usually read thrillers, but I am tempted to read this one. Here's the plot:

"In Depression-era Chicago, Harper Curtis finds a key to a house that opens on to other times. But it comes at a cost. He has to kill the shining girls: bright young women, burning with potential. He stalks them through their lives across different eras until, in 1989, one of his victims, Kirby Mazrachi, survives and starts hunting him back."

[Fiona]

Susannah wrote: "There is a book by a new author coming out this year called "The Shining Girls" by Lauren Beukes." I recognised her name: WCL has her Zoo City. It's well-written and action-packed. I'm ashamed to admit I didn't finish it - might have been the science fantasy world (not a genre I've read for years) but if that doesn't put you off it's worth a read (it's on the catalogue here)

[Fiona]

The book I'm most looking forward to at the moment is "Lost Cat: A true story of love, desperation and GPS technology" ever since I read about it (& saw the illustrations) on the Brain Pickings blog.

[Celeste]

Fiona wrote: "Susannah wrote: "There is a book by a new author coming out this year called "The Shining Girls" by Lauren Beukes." I recognised her name: WCL has her Zoo City. It's well-written and action-packed..."

Ooh, I heard her speak a couple of years ago -- she was really compelling. She's a South African author, and it sounds like that's an interesting dimension to her work -- Zoo City is supposedly a reimagined Johannesburg.

[Tiffany]

Paula 1 wrote: ""And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini...

Have been waiting and waiting for another book from this man..."
:) Ditto. I don't even know the plot of the new one but will be reading it regardless.

I'm also really looking forward to "Big Brother" by Lionel Shriver (she of "We Need to Talk About Kevin" fame). I've loved everything she's written. She is an absolute genius with words, although her books are frequently depressing ("So Much For That"!). Her new one dwells on our fear of fat. She apparently lost her own brother to "complications from obesity" three years ago so I expect it to be a rather heartbreaking book in parts.

Linda wrote: "Also the new Mohsin Hamid, How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Just loved his Reluctant Fundamentalist - a brilliant writer."
Duh, I had no idea it was the same author. I'd heard good things about "Filthy Rich" but now that I know it's by "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" guy, I will have to bump it higher up my To Read list. Thanks for that insight, Linda :)

[Paula 1]

Tiffany wrote: "Paula 1 wrote: ""And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini...

Have been waiting and waiting for another book from this man..."
:) Ditto. I don't even know the plot of the new one but will be ..."
Exactly!! Will be reading this one regardless of negative/positive reviews...can't wait!

[June]

Celeste wrote: "What's the book you're most looking forward to that comes out in 2013?

For me, it's , by Neil Gaiman, which I thought for ages was going to be ..."
I can't wait for the next Lee Child offering Never go Back - the 18th Reacher novel. Yum!

[Celeste]

June wrote: "I can't wait for the next Lee Child offering Never go Back - the 18th Reacher novel. Yum!"

Gah -- I *still* haven't read any Lee Child. And I remember getting a recommendation from someone in this group a while ago. Right -- will have to go find one to read before they bring out the next movie... Or is that too contentious a topic? ;-)

Do you have to start at the beginning? Or can you dip in anywhere?

[June]

Celeste wrote: "June wrote: "I can't wait for the next Lee Child offering Never go Back - the 18th Reacher novel. Yum!"

Gah -- I *still* haven't read any Lee Child. And I remember getting a recommendation from so..."

Dip in anywhere as each novel retells a bit of Reacher's story

[Celeste]

June wrote: "Dip in anywhere as each novel retells a bit of Reacher's story"

Right -- I will! Thank you :-) I did some googling, and these are some suggested ones to start with -- Persuader, Without Fail, Die Trying, Killing Floor.

And apparently Killing Floor is the first one, so I think I'm going to start there. I've noticed that sometimes series just keep getting better, and the first book in the series isn't necessarily the best one to start with, but apparently with the Reacher books, that's not the case. They're all good. Yay! New reading material :-)

[Celeste]

And they must be good, because the library has five copies, and they're all out on loan. I had to reserve :-)

[Bethlehem]

Linda wrote: "Also the new Mohsin Hamid, How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Just loved his Reluctant Fundamentalist - a brilliant writer."

I loved How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. It's a really unique idea and beautifully written. The economy of words and the briskness with which Hamid recounts his protagonist's life and transformation from rural poverty to power and wealth, and ultimately, back to poverty and the lonely vulnerability of old age says so much about the fleeting nature of life, wealth and relationships. His story is told in such a matter of fact way as a step by step guide for wannabe entrepreneurs. At the same time, however, there's a real warmth to this character whose name we don't even know. That's a hard balance to achieve but for me Hamid does it brilliantly. I found myself willing him to find happiness and the girl he loves from childhood. Great book. Top marks Hamid!

[Celeste]

June wrote: "I can't wait for the next Lee Child offering Never go Back - the 18th Reacher novel. Yum!"

June, I finished the first Reacher novel, and I loved it! And I've got about 17 more, so :-D Happy!

[lucy]

Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox. Her other Ya Books Dream Catcher and Dream Quake are some of the best Ya I have ever read.

[Celeste]

lucy by the sea wrote: "Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox. Her other Ya Books Dream Catcher and Dream Quake are some of the best Ya I have ever read."

Hi Lucy -- I've never read any Elizabeth Knox, although people keep telling me I should because I would like them, which sometimes seems to work against books, I don't know why... Does anyone else do this, or is this just me being stubborn? :-)

I just looked up Dream Catcher and Dream Quake, and got this sentence "alternate universe Edwardian version of a New Zealand", which sounds like something I would definitely enjoy, so :-) Yay for new reads, even if they're ones I should have tried ages ago... :-)

And I love YA and fantasy/sci-fi too :-) (Are they fantasy/sci-fi?)

[lucy]

yeah they are fantasy, maybe sort of steam punk ish before steam punk was a thing. they have also been published as one book called The Invisible Road

[Celeste]

lucy by the sea wrote: "yeah they are fantasy, maybe sort of steam punk ish before steam punk was a thing. they have also been published as one book called The Invisible Road"

Okay, then I should definitely read them :-) Have you tried Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century books? If you like steampunk, they might be worth a try. They're set sort of around the American Civil War, but kind of if it never ended. They're really really good, if you like steampunk :-) I've heard them described as "American steam punk", since most steampunk seems to by default be set in Victorian London, or close enough that it makes no difference...

[Celeste]

June wrote: "Celeste wrote: "June wrote: "I can't wait for the next Lee Child offering Never go Back - the 18th Reacher novel. Yum!"

Gah -- I *still* haven't read any Lee Child. And I remember getting a recomm..."

Also, June, I think I might have a bit of a Reacher problem... I've read 5 Reacher books in a week... Might be time to stop and tackle Mt. Laundrymore :-P

[June]

I think I've passed the bug to the Bookclub as two people had read Reacher novels this month.

[Celeste]

:-) I even had a bit of a panic when I ran out last night, then remembered I had an ereader and went and downloaded a couple from the eLibrary. It was a near thing :-P

[June]

Thanks goodness for ereaders. I was in bed unwell for a few days and - horror- ran out of books! Like you I was able to download some titles. Whew!

[Celeste]

Have you ever read any Robert B. Parker? For some reason, reading Lee Child, I think you might like his books...

[June]

Yes , I have read several and love them . Must read some more.

[Celeste]

Yup, I love them too. Spenser reminds me a bit of Reacher, which is probably why I thought you'd like them :-)

[Chloe]

I am now (somewhat sadly) looking forward to Diana Wynne Jone's last book "The islands of Chaldea" though I see that it is due out next year.

[Megan]

Just been reading this thread. Love the sound of 'Lost cat' and promptly reserved it!

[Celeste]

Chloe wrote: "I am now (somewhat sadly) looking forward to Diana Wynne Jone's last book "The islands of Chaldea" though I see that it is due out next year."

Me too! And it's her sister writing it, who is also an author -- that would be a strange and sad experience, but also maybe good?

[Celeste]

Megan wrote: "Just been reading this thread. Love the sound of 'Lost cat' and promptly reserved it!"

Let us know what you think! :-) If I'm judging it by its cover (which I know I shouldn't do...) it looks fun :-)

[Megan]

Read 'Lost Cat' and loved it! It's such a quirky tale and being the mother of an elderly ginger, furry boy with a touch of dementia, I totally 'got it'...The illustrations are sweet and it's a great wee read.

[Bethlehem]

A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, the true story of a lost little five year old in India and how he survives to go on and write his own story at the age of 30....I'm totally in the mood for something epic and heartwarming like this ;) Big thanks to the customer at Central Library who asked about it and drew it to my attention. We hadn't received it then but now we have it...reserve away!