A LETTER FROM ELIZABETH STROUT..(Need I say more?!)

coverWTR
Dear Joyce,
I am writing to you about a debut novel that I loved to pieces, Daniel Lowe’s All That’s Left to Tell.
I first read this debut while recovering from an illness. I have often thought I wanted to write a book strong enough that someone convalescing could read it and disappear in it, but I had never had that experience myself until reading All That’s Left to Tell. I got an early copy in the mail, I opened it up, and then I was gone.
There are so many things to say about Daniel’s lovely book, but it feels strange to divide up the aspects of it, because it is such a beautiful whole. Ostensibly, it is about an American businessman named Marc, who is being held captive in a foreign land and the relationship he develops with Josephine, his interrogator. Every day, Josephine visits Marc and they tell each other stories. And it is through these stories that we see how grief, imagination, empathy, and ultimately the power of storytelling can redeem us.
All That’s Left to Tell made me think at times of another book I love, Philip Roth’s American Pastoral. But that said, I have never read anything like Daniel Lowe’s novel. It is such a brave book. The prose is splendid—Daniel Lowe’s authority on the page never wavers. Oh, I was with him every single word of the way.
I think you will feel the same way, and I hope you pick up a copy of this astonishing debut.
With best wishes,
Elizabeth Strout

ENOUGH ALREADY


If talk of politics makes you think back to a life away from cable news, Twitter and all the rest......
THE GIRL BEFORE by J.P. Delaney offers a great escape. Bookreporter.com had an interesting review...
By the way, JP Delaney is a pseudonym for a writer who has published best selling fiction under
other names...Guess who?!




THE GIRL BEFORE by JP Delaney (Psychological Thriller)

Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control. The space is intended to transform its occupant --- and it does. After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street, she is instantly drawn to the space --- and to its aloof but seductive creator. Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to her in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror as the girl before.

NEW THIS WEEK..JANUARY 2017


According to the New York Times, there  are plenty of options this week. Ottessa Moshfegh, author of the acclaimed novel EILEEN (Which I am currently reading....no opinion yet)  has published a collection of short stories, HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER WORLD.

Lucinda Rosenfeld's new novel satirizes liberal Brooklynites and their pieties about class and race. Plus, AndrĂ© Aciman has a new novel....And Marilyn Stasio's Crime column looks at a debut medical mystery, another thriller with "girl" in the title, and a chilly suspense novel by Randall Silvis.

IDAHO by first time author Emily Ruskovich, has been described as a beautifully written lyrical book that almost reads like poetry.

IDAHO by Emily Ruskovich

Random House
Sam McPhee
Set in the wilderness of northern Idaho, Emily Ruskovich’s haunting debut novel Idaho is told from the perspectives of married couple Ann and Wade, and Wade’s first wife, Jenny, who is now in prison. Though Wade’s memory is now fading from early onset dementia, Ann tries to unravel the mystery of what exactly happened to Wade, his ex-wife, and their daughters, and the tragic, shocking act that shattered their lives. 
Publication date: Jan. 3

WHAT WE'LL BE READING IN 2017

So many new books debuting in the next few months...lots of well known authors and many newcomers. I still haven't finished my list for 2016, but hope to catch up...too many distractions!

A new novel by Elizabeth Strout titled "Anything is Possible" is at the top of my 2017 list...also Paula Hawkins of "Girl on the Train" fame debuts "Into the Water." (At the bottom of my list...)

Colin Toibin retells the Greek legend of Clytemnestra titled "House of Names" and short story master, George Saunders has a first novel titled "Lincoln in the Bardo."

 Some notable non fiction in March includes Joan Didion and Ariel Levy...all eagerly anticipated.

Stay tuned for more book announcements....