Thriller Thursday bonus: DECODED

Thriller Thursday bonus: DECODED

HOT TITLE ALERT! We want to make sure this gripping debut novel is on your radar: DECODED by multi-award-winning author Mai Jia. 

One of China's bestselling novels, it reveals the mysterious world of Unit 701, a top-secret Chinese intelligence agency whose sole purpose is counterespionage and code breaking. Brilliantly combining the mystery and tension of a spy thriller with the psychological nuance of an intimate character study and the magical qualities of a Chinese fable, DECODED discovers in cryptography the key to the human heart.

The New York Times jumped on DECODED early and ran an interview with Jia on their Sinosphere Blog and reviews have been outstanding:

“Told by a shadowy narrator who draws on interview transcripts and declassified documents, the book ranges in style from mythic fairy tale to spy story to epistemological speculation. Within this fantastic framework unfolds the saga of Rong Jinzhen, a youngster of illegitimate origin and odd upbringing whose phenomenal success in his non-chosen field leads to international counterespionage.” The Wall Street Journal 

Finally, a great Chinese novel. It stands out among Chinese novels for its pace, liveliness and the sheer novelty of the tale it tells. It grips from the first page… [Jia] offers a beguiling and magical mystery tour of China. It is an absolute joy to read. The Economist 

“An espionage novelist who navigates the top-secret world of cryptography, Mai has been hailed as China’s Dan Brown. DECODED quite blithely—and deliberately—defies the genre expectations.” — The New Republic 

“Readers skate the line separating insanity from genius in Mai Jia’s riveting tale of cryptographic warfare. A denouement at once heartbreaking and thought-provoking leaves readers pondering the collective sanity of a world shrouding knowledge in enigmas. Gifted translators bring English-speaking readers a Chinese literary treasure.” — Booklist, starred review

“Mai’s careful attention to pacing and the folklore-inspired narration make for a fascinating story, neatly interwoven with complex mathematical theory.”
Publishers Weekly

[...]

Know More...

For Your Consideration: May LibraryReads titles

For Your Consideration: May LibraryReads titles

May LibraryReads collageSpring is coming, we promise! If you're still stuck with winter weather, stay indoors, read, and nominate* your favorite May 2014 titles for the next LibraryReads list!

*(deadline for nominations is April 1. More details here.)

THE SNOW QUEEN by Michael Cunningham
In the “tender, funny, and sorrowful” (Booklist, starred review) new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of THE HOURS, Cunningham examines the complex dynamics between a couple and a brother and a mysterious light in the sky.

THE HOLLOW GROUND by Natalie S. Harnett
Set amongst the deadly coal mine fires of 1960s Pennsylvania, this extraordinary debut tells the coming-of-age story of Brigid Howley, a young girl struggling to keep her family together despite the "curse" laid upon them generations earlier. “This cursed Irish-American clan will grab you by the brisket and not let go.” — Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY

DARK AEMILIA by Sally O'Reilly
A tale of sorcery and passion in 17th century London—where witches haunt William Shakespeare and his dark lady, the playwright's muse and one true love. “O’Reilly casts her story with witches, doomed royals, evil courtiers, and star-crossed lovers, as if it were a Jacobean play. But her finest accomplishment is not the tribute she pays to these historical figures, but the bold imagination she displays in bringing them together.” — Publishers Weekly  

INVISIBLE CITY by Julia Dahl
In Julia Dahl's accomplished debut, young journalist Rebekah Roberts finds herself drawn into her mother's tight-knit world when she's assigned to cover the murder of an Hasidic Jew. “The secretive society of Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Jews provides the backdrop for Dahl’s impressive debut. Dahl’s convincing dialogue and perfect pacing make for a real page-turner. And her storytelling skills illuminate the intriguing worlds of the tabloid press, Hasidism, the NYPD, and Brooklyn’s 20-somethings—as well as the fragile boundaries of family, religion, and life itself.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

BONE DUST WHITE by Karin Salvalaggio
When a young woman witnesses the murder of her mother who had abandoned her as a child, Detective Macy Greeley must solve the case and stop a killer in this “...haunting debut...that readers won't soon forget.” — Publishers Weekly 

MY REAL CHILDREN by Jo Walton
Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Walton delivers the haunting and powerful tale of Patricia Cowan—a woman who lived two lives: one in which she marries and has four children, and the other in which she raises three children with her partner instead. Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history; each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs. 

THE SHELF: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose
Can you have an Extreme Adventure in a library? Phyllis Rose casts herself into the wilds of an Upper East Side lending library in an effort to do just that. Hoping to explore the “real ground of literature,” she reads her way through a somewhat randomly chosen shelf of fiction, from LEQ to LES. “Rose's...understanding of readers and reading is candid and sincere.” — Library Journal  

For more May LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!

[...]

Know More...

For Your Consideration: April LibraryReads titles

For Your Consideration: April LibraryReads titles

The March LibraryReads list may have just been announced (thank you to everyone who voted for PRECIOUS THING!!!), but we're already excited about April's potential picks. With February being such a short month and the Winter Olympics distracting us from reading time, the March 1 deadline to nominate April 2014 publications will be here faster than Shani Davis can break a new speedskating record!

Here's the inside track on our hot April titles: 

KEEP QUIET by Lisa Scottoline
In New York Times bestselling author Scottoline's latest standalone, Jake Whitmore is enjoying a rare bonding moment with his sixteen-year-old son, Ryan, when they get in a terrible car accident that threatens to derail Ryan’s future. Jake makes a split-second decision that saves his son from formal punishment, but plunges them both into a world of guilt, lies, and secrecy. When a malevolent outsider comes forward with the power to expose them, Jake must do anything he can to prevent the further unraveling of his family.

THE PLOVER by Brian Doyle
When Declan O Donnell flees his troubled life on land by setting out on the Pacific Ocean in his boat, the Plover, he discovers something much more interesting than the solitude he sought. "Doyle (editor, Portland Magazine) has written a novel in the adventurous style of Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson but with a gentle mocking of their valorization of the individual as absolute. Readers will enjoy this bracing and euphoric ode to the vastness of the ocean and the unexpectedness of life." — Library Journal, starred review

SEDITION by Katharine Grant
In this "...witty, dark, and sophisticated tale" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), four nouveau rich fathers make their five marriageable daughters learn to play the piano in an effort to attract men and marry well. However, the girls' lascivious (and French) piano teacher has an education beyond music in his plans. "[A] fun, lascivious gambol through the lives of women and men with decidedly carnal appetites... Suggest to fans of Sarah Dunant and Sarah Waters." — Booklist

DESTROYER ANGEL by Nevada Barr
In the next book in Barr's New York Times bestselling Anna Pigeon series, a camping trip in Minnesota goes harrowingly wrong when Anna's friends are taken hostage by armed thugs. "Once again, Barr lays down a riveting mystery and permeates the pages with scrupulous descriptions of Anna's struggle with the cold, with the night, and with the terror and fear of not rescuing her friends." — Library Journal, starred review 

DON'T EVER LOOK BACK by Daniel Friedman
In this "alternately humorous and moving sequel" (Publishers Weekly) to the Edgar Award-nominated debut DON'T EVER GET OLD, feisty octogenarian Buck Schatz is trying to close the case on some unsolved robberies from his past.

'TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY by Lauren Francis-Sharma
This buzzed about debut novel is a glorious and moving multi-generational, multicultural saga that begins in the 1940s and sweeps through the 1960s in Trinidad and the United States. "Why the buzz: Voice, Voice, Voice! A story that takes you places you have never been and will stay with you forever." — Publishers Weekly, ABA's Winter Institute 9 round-up

MIMI MALLOY AT LAST by Julia MacDonnell
An April 2014 Indie Next pick! "MacDonnell captures perfectly the family dynamics between sisters, mothers, and daughters, as if she were sitting in on their gab sessions, taking copious notes. For readers who enjoy Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, this is a highly engaging family chronicle, with a healthy dose of Irish history laced in as well." — Booklist 
 

THE OTHER STORY by Tatiana de Rosnay
The internationally bestselling author of SARAH'S KEY returns with another absorbing novel about a young writer who, while digging into his family’s deeply buried secrets, finds the key to his future.

For more April LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!

[...]

Know More...

Sneak Peek: The March 2014 Indie Next list

Sneak Peek: The March 2014 Indie Next list

Indie Next logoWe're shaking off the winter blues with great news: we've got four fantastic books on the March 2014 Indie Next list, including the #1 pick! 

SHOTGUN LOVESONGS by Nickolas Butler (#1 Pick!)
Butler's atmospheric debut novel about the relationship between four friends in a little Wisconsin town is an ABA Spring 2014 Indies Introduce selection, a Maximum Shelf Awareness feature, and a "love letter to the Midwest." (Publishers Weekly)

RUNNER by Patrick Lee
There's a good reason we've been hyping this new thriller starring retired special forces operative Sam Dryden–it's got three starred reviews, sold international rights in seven countries, and the film rights were optioned by Warner Brothers with director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) attached. (Now can we pleeeease get Channing Tatum to star?!)

THE WIVES OF LOS ALAMOS by TaraShea Nesbit
Nesbit's debut novel about the wives of the men who created the atom bomb is also an ABA Spring 2014 Indies Introduce selection, a Barnes & Noble Spring 2014 Discover Great New Writers selection, and has two great starred reviews with major media coverage to come.

THE BLACK-EYED BLONDE by Benjamin Black
Black's "pitch-perfect recreation" of Raymond Chandler's incomparable private eye Philip Marlowe goes "beyond mere thoughtful homage" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) when a seductive young heiress asks Marlowe to find her former lover.  

Make sure to get whitelisted on Edelweiss and get your digital review copies of these great titles! [...]

Know More...

Monday Fun Day! (2/25/2013 Edition)

Monday Fun Day! (2/25/2013 Edition)

Welcome to another week, you gorgeous librarians.

How about those Oscars, hmm? Were you surprised by the winners? Did you call 'em all months ago? Well, if you or your patrons have a sudden increased interest in the inner workings of Hollywood, we recommend Christine Sneed's juicy, hypnotic debut, LITTLE KNOWN FACTS.

"As Sneed illuminates each facet of her percussively choreographed plot via delectably slant disclosures––overheard conversations, snooping, tabloids, confessions under duress, and journal entries, among them—she spotlights 'little known facts' about the cost of fame, our erotic obsession with movie-star power, and where joy can be found." -Booklist (starred review)

"A clear-eyed story that paints a disturbing portrait of how those closest to celebrities are forever shadowed." -Shelf Awareness (starred review)

And speaking of debuts, the German Book Office in New York (a project of the Frankfurt Book Fair) has selected Nele Nauhaus' American debut (and international bestseller) SNOW WHITE MUST DIE as their February Book of the Month! See the GBO Facebook page for details here

And speaking of debuts, Angela Carstensen from School Library Journal posted a great interview with debut author, R.S. Belcher, about his first book, THE SIX-GUN TAROT (now available from Tor Books). Find out how Belcher come up with his magical Weird West adventure story set in Nevada, 1869, on SLJ.com.

And speaking of debuts, the winner of a signed copy of Ben Schrank's Adult debut, LOVE IS A CANOE, is Carol Lee Saffioti-Hughes, Director of the Wabeno Public Library! Congratulations, Carol.

[...]

Know More...

Monday Fun Day! (10/15/2012 Edition)

Monday Fun Day! (10/15/2012 Edition)

Happy Monday, librarians! Here are a few links to kick off the week and some Fall debut highlights from Library Journal!

- Cory Doctorow, author, blogger, and activist, did an AMA (ask me anything) over on Reddit. Check it out!

- The Wall Street Journal reviewed Deborah Levy's SWIMMING HOME and Juan Pablo Villalobos's DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE. Read it here!

- And Barbara Hoffert put together a list of some "Fabulous Fall Firsts" in the October 1st issue of Library Journal. We were very excited to see some excellent Macmillan debuts on that list including:

THE CURSING MOMMY'S BOOK OF DAYS by Ian Frazier 

"We can trust Macmillan director of library marketing Talia Sherer when she says that Franzier's first novel, based on his long-running New Yorker series, is really hilarious."

MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE by Robin Sloan

"Sought out by more librarians than any other Macmillan title at BEA or ALA..."

RU by Kim Thuy

"An immigrants life reimagined, this work won Canada's Governor General's Award."

CITY OF SAINTS by Andrew HUnt

"Set in the 1930s Salt Lake City and featuring country deputy Art Oveson, who's Mormon, this book won the 2011 Hillerman Prize."

THE WITCH OF BABYLON by D.J. McIntosh

"This first in the Mesopotamian Trilogy won the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Elis Award for best unpublished novel, was short-listed for the CWA Debut Dagger Award, and was one of CNN's Six Enduring Historical Thrillers."

SACRIFICE FLY by Tim O'Mara

"Cop-turned-schoolmaster Raymond Donne, the game but conflicted hero of this 'resounding debut,' turns amateur sleuth whne one of his students disappears."

THE ACCOMPLICE by Charles Robbins 

"Campaign-redy: bright-eyed politico Henry is compromised when working for a presidential hopeful."

CHINESE WHISKERS by Aiyar Pallavi

"A tale of two kitties."

THE HEAT OF THE SUN by David Rain

"What happened to the son of Madame Butterfly, Puccini's eponymous heroine."

WILDERNESS by Lance Weller

"From a winner of Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers, this debut features a Civil War veteran who finally returns home."

THIS CASE IS GONNA KILL ME by Phillipa Bornikova

"Strong storytelling, appealing charaters, and an intriguing setting."

IRONSKIN by Tina Connolly

"Connolly mixes up alternate history, fantasy, and gothic romance..."

THREE PARTS DEAD by Max Gladstone

"The story of a young necromancer who must bring a god back to life."

IN A FIX by Linda Grimes

A "fresh take on the genre."

STORMDANCER by Jay Kristoff

"A Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week and an LJ 'Books for Dudes' highlight."

[...]

Know More...

css.php The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.