This weeks best non fiction books to read focus on struggle. Follow along with struggles in science with Richard Dawkins in Brief Candle in the Dark and international struggles with Yeonmi Park in In Order to Love.
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Tell us a little bit about your new release, Rider's Revenge.
It follows a young woman, K'lrsa, as she tries to avenge her father's murder and finds that the broader world isn't at all what she thought it would be. She's used to spending her days riding her horse, hunting, and basically doing what she wants. She finds herself a dorana in the court of the Toreem Daliphate where everything she does is under someone else's control and she's dressed up in what basically amounts to a golden cage.
She thinks it's all worth it as long as she can get her revenge—which involves killing the Daliph and destroying the entire Daliphate. Problem is, there's a young man she's been dreaming of and when she finds out that he's real, it throws all of her plans into chaos.
It's definitely a fantasy novel—I won't say more because I don't want to give too much away—but it's also about growing up and proving yourself and struggling to figure out what the right choice really is.
What's rocking your world this month?
Häagen Daz sea salt caramel gelato. Sooo good.
If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
My father. He passed away twenty years ago when I was eighteen. He was an amazing man who overcame some incredible challenges in his life. I thought I understood what they were, but now that I've had a chance to live an adult life I know that I didn't understand half of the challenges he faced to be the amazing father he was and I'd like to tell him that.
Plus, I haven't found anyone who can match him at backgammon since.
Which book from your childhood or teenage years has stuck with you as an adult?
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. I think I own at least four copies of it, including one in Spanish. My dad gave me a copy when I was sixteen and I found it so poetic and thought-provoking that I devoured everything else I could find by Gibran.
Where did you get the inspiration for the names of your characters in Rider's Revenge?
Hm. Good question…
I tend to be one of those people who absorbs the idea of something but forgets the details so I often navigate by instinct.
K'lrsa's name just came to me and then I knew if her name was like that then all of the tribal names would need to also have that sort of initial consonant with an apostrophe. I'd seen it before in the Dragonrider books by Anne McCaffrey, but I think it was also drawn from a book set in Africa that I read in high school (since the setting for the novel is similar to the Saheel region in Africa) and my study of Quiche Mayan which uses glottal stops. (Not that I expect anyone to pronounce the names using glottal stops.)
For the names in the Daliphate I wanted a different feel, so you'll see that compared to the tribal names, a lot of which end in an a and are short, the names in the Daliphate are longer and end with -oon or –en or –el or –il sounds. I want to say it was a Middle Eastern feel I was going for, but not quite.
I like to take reality and then twist it a few degrees off center so that there's an echo of the real world but you know it's not the real world.
BAM. You're a superhero. What's your superpower?
I've always loved stories about people who were telepaths, like the Darkover novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley, so I think I'd have to choose that as my superpower. But…I don't think I'd actually want to know what most people are thinking most of the time and I KNOW I wouldn't want others to know what I'm thinking most of the time. Not that it's bad or anything, but I'm a writer so most of the time spent in my head I'm off in some fantasy world spinning stories for myself.
What's your favorite quote or scene from Rider's Revenge
There are a couple scenes towards the end that I really had fun writing. I happen to be what's called a "pantser" as a writer, so even I don't know what's coming until it happens sometimes. And in two cases I wrote a scene and then said, "Where the hell did that come from?", but it's great to surprise yourself as a writer and I hope I surprise readers with it, too. Although my readers may be smarter than me and see 'em both coming. (Ideally they won't but will nod to themselves and think, "Oh, yeah, of course. That makes sense.")
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
I have a forty-page file of favorite quotes that I keep on my computer, but this one seemed like a good choice because it's the philosophy I've been living by for the last year: “…following your dreams and having fun is far more important than making a lot of money, because you can always make more money if you run out, but you can’t bring back a dream that you’ve passed up for too long.” – Patricia C. Wrede (A great person and author, by the way.)
Alessandra Clarke is the author of the new book Rider's Revenge.
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Are you already a fan of Margaret Atwood Books? Join the rest of the fanclub this week in welcoming a new book into our shelves.
The Heart Goes Last is Margaret Atwood's newest release. An at times vicious look at love, marriage, freedom, and death, The Heart Goes Last is just as heart wrenching as the rest of Margaret Atwood's books. Consider her newest book to be a mix between the apocalyptic landscape of the MaddAddam Series, mixed with the social and sexual commentary of The Handmaids Tale.
In The Heart Goes Last the reader follows along with the dual point of views of Charmaine, a sweet, positive woman with a hidden dark side, and her husband Stan, a blunt, self aware, but often negative man. The book begins with the couple living in their car in a financially ruined urban landscape, with thieves and worse in every alley. Their lives take a lovely, idyllic turn when they sign themselves up for, and effectively sacrifice their futures to, a new sort of planned community: Consilience, a part prison, part retro village compound, the likes of which will soon sprout up around the nation. As the book progresses Stan and Charmaine come to know the dark secrets that lie behind the cheerful veneer of Consilience's media campaigns, as well as the darkness that hides behind their own content smiles.
If you've already picked up the new Margaret Atwood book, also check out our post on new books to read if you like Margaret Atwood.
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Bookish people - if you're looking for gorgeous pictures that celebrate the love of all things literary, you're going to love Bookstagram. Bookstagram is the name for the Instagram community of book bloggers, readers, authors, publishers, and anyone who posts about books and reading. We love discovering new people to follow and getting inspiration from other bookstagrammers on great pictures to try on our own Instagram account.
We've been keeping track of our favorite photos from the Bookstagram community this week. Check them out below, and give the ones you like a follow!
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We love this creative take on the #bookandtree tag.
thedarkestpartsofsnow's account is full of gorgeously framed books.
We love her use of natural elements and perfectly organized props. Her photos really get you excited about a book from the mood she portrays with the staging.
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We love the autumnal feeling of crimeofrhyme's breakfast post.
The colors in the granola are perfectly accented with fall leaves. Crisp white bedding is the perfect setting for this scene.
We're transported to a snuggly morning with an indulgent breakfast and a great book.
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This the season for Halloween candy! We love thesenovelideas' playful (and seasonal) feature of Amy Poehler's book Yes Please.
Anybody else craving candy corn?
Pro tip: the hardcover version of Yes Please has a bunch of hilarious 'motivational posters' like this one. Highly recommend picking it up.
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We featured Dumplin' recently, and were so excited to see this great photo show up in our feed.
We love the black, white, and red color theme, and buttermybooks' red sunglasses are the perfect accent.
We have a similar pair that shows up in our feed from time to time!
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Thing we didn't know we needed: a tee shirt that says "Sorry I Only Date Wizards."
We love newleafwriter's Harry Potter themed post. As a Hufflepuff, the Slytherin ephemera is making me a little twitchy, but I must admit that the silver and green tones are beautiful.
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Sometimes simple is best.
Wonder is a fantastic book, and we love the way that bookotter adorned the cover with curling ribbon.
The angle is perfect, the color matches so well - everything about this is just fantastic.
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Tell us a little bit about your new release, Dragon Day.
DRAGON DAY is the third installment of the Ellie McEnroe series set in China that began with ROCK PAPER TIGER. While it may not be the last, DRAGON DAY wraps up some plot threads that began in RPT and continued through the second book, HOUR OF THE RAT. The books deal with the misadventures of Ellie McEnroe, a young, accidental Iraq War vet who lives in Beijing and gets involved with a dissident Chinese artist and frequently finds herself in dangerous situations well above her pay grade. In DRAGON DAY, Ellie gets tangled up with an extremely powerful – and occasionally homicidal – Shanghai billionaire who wants her to investigate his spoiled son’s shady American business partner. Of course, things don’t go the way Ellie would like, someone ends up dead, and Ellie gets sucked into a huge scandal involving members of China’s rich and powerful elite. You can read more about the book and about some of the real-life inspirations for the story here.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
Seek therapy.
What's something you're truly terrible at doing?
Walking in high heels. I’m not even going to try. I’ve turned into the new millennium version of the embarrassing gray-haired hippy woman walking around in Birkenstocks – except I’m wearing those creepy Vibram toe shoes.
Who is your favorite fictional character from literature?
Something else I’m truly terrible at doing – choosing “favorites,” “bests,” “worsts” etc. I just don’t have a memory that maintains those kinds of lists. I’m drawing a total blank here.
You’re hosting a dinner party and can invite anyone, alive or dead, fictional or real. Who's coming to dinner?
Uh oh, another “list question.” I think I mentioned that I suck at list questions. Okay. In no particular order, and this is nearly totally random, because honestly, if you said to me, “Hey! How ‘bout if I invite So-And-So and What’s-her-name” to dinner,” I’d be like, “Sure! I’ve always thought So-And-So and What’s-her-name” sounded interesting!” Anyway, I’m going to go with real people who have passed away.
Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China. Helen Foster Snow, Edgar Snow’s first wife. She also went to Yan’an when it was the Red Army HQ during the Second World War. Maybe Gertrude Bell, who I know very little about but who was a female adventurer at a time when that was a difficult thing to be. Tony Gwynn and Ken Caminiti, because they are two of my favorite Padres, and they died too young. Thomas Jefferson. Susan B. Anthony. Rachel Carson. I don’t know, this is too hard! Could you just invite me to your dinner instead?
What's on your writing desk?
My laptop. An ergonomic mouse. Random novels. A Swiss Army knife. Kleenex. Some fitness bands. And a really good San Diego IPA.
Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?
Truthfully there are so many. Around Mission Bay and the beach not far from my house. Balboa Park. The backyard on a beautiful day (most of them are here). Driving along the California coast. There are many places in China that give me joy – the mountains and rivers of Yangshuo, the incredible wild beauty of Guizhou, the hipster mountain town vibe of Dali.
But right now, I’m going to say the ballpark. We have a wonderful ballpark in San Diego, Petco Park. The concourses are open and airy, there are wonderful views of the city, the Park at the Park has a statue of Tony Gwynn. The moment I walk through a passage from the concourse and see the baseball diamond spread out in front of me, I’m happy.
What's your favorite quote from Dragon Day?
"Dragons and China. It’s the biggest fucking cliché."
Do you have a favorite local bookstore we can give a shoutout to?
The fabulous Mysterious Galaxy. They are so incredibly supportive of writers and readers and of the community in general.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Will I need to set an alarm, or can I sleep in?
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What advice would you give your teenage self?
Ignore the advice to get a ‘proper’ job. You will spend years climbing the wrong ladder. Be true to your creative calling and start writing now. Don’t wait until you’re in your thirties. Life is too short.
Do you listen to anything while you write? If so, what's your audio of choice?
I listen to Rain and Thunderstorms on repeat. It blocks out the noise of the world, especially if I am writing in a cafe or public place, and gets me into the creative state quickly. If I am on the internet, I also use noisli.com where you can mix various natural sounds.
What are you currently craving?
A longer travel adventure! I’m planning a trip to Japan. All my books are based around detailed research and my own travels. I love to explore new places and feel like an outsider in a different culture. I always come back with tons of ideas, notes in my journals and the memories will find their way into different stories, even years later. For example, there’s a scene in Deviance where one of the characters scuba dives and encounters the octopus that inspires her full body tattoo. That’s based on a real dive I had in New Zealand back in 2002 where I had a similar experience. I find that memories emerge as I write, so I need to keep filling the creative well so I have more to draw on.
If The London Psychic Series is turned into a movie, who would you pick to play Jamie (or Blake) ?
I always cast my characters! Jamie would be Jennifer Connelly and Blake’s role is reserved for Jesse Williams. Jesse is mixed race, half Swedish-American and half African-American and I always had him in mind as I wrote the books.
If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?
I love reading so I would probably read more. My Kindle To Read list is massive! I particular enjoy thrillers with an edge of the supernatural. My favorite authors include James Rollins, Daniel Silva, John Connolly, Mo Hayder and Stephen King. I also read travel books, entrepreneurship and self help.
What is the one movie that you can quote the most?
I never remember quotes but my favorite movies would be Legends of the Fall and Con Air. Two very different stories but I love explosion action adventure movies and I’ll never forget Brad Pitt as Tristan on a bloody rampage after his brother’s death.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
I’ve always been a big reader and I’ve written journals since I was a teenager. I decided to write my first non-fiction book when I wanted to change my life after years as a cubicle slave. I was so miserable in my job, so I wrote that first book as a way to change it. That started me into writing books in general and then I did NaNoWriMo in 2009, writing the first scenes of what became Stone of Fire, the first in the ARKANE series. I caught the writing bug and discovered what I was really meant to do with my life and now I can’t stop!
What's your favorite quote or scene from Deviance?
The tattoo and body mod community continues to fascinate me and the scene at the Tattoo Convention is based on an afternoon I spent researching there. I’ve read a lot about the psychology behind tattooing, how it’s become an almost sacred rite of passage in an increasingly secular world. You can see many of the pictures that inspired the book, including the tattoos, on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/jfpenn/deviance/
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“Have you made art today?”
I have this question on my wall and I look at it every day. I measure my life by what I create, so I try to make art every day.
Tell us a little bit about your new release, Deviance.
Who is the sinner and who is the saint?
LONDON. When the body of a priest is found in the ruins of Winchester Palace, his tattooed arms flayed, his mouth stuffed with feathers, the artists and outcasts of Southwark huddle in fear.
Private investigator Jamie Brooke begins the hunt for the murderer aided by Blake Daniel, a psychic researcher, who is haunted by visions of the past. As violence erupts, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake, Jamie and Blake must find the skin collector before those they love are taken down.
A crime thriller with an edge of the supernatural, Deviance is the story of a struggle for power and a fight for freedom against the backdrop of modern-day London.
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The end of September is near, which means we are less than two months from Thanksgiving! If you can't almost taste the turkey you're not looking forward to seeing your family enough. Reader that you are, you may not honor the tradition of rough housing in the leaves, but who can avoid over eating? And then there's going to the movie theater. You may be excited to see what's coming out in November. And, just a month later, the Yuletide arrives, and with it, another sweep of films fighting for award contention.
If you're a book lover, you may be excited (or disappointed) to hear that a number of loved books (9 all told) are being shown in film form. Put these on your "Books to read before someone watches the movie and ruins it for you" List, or your "Movies to be compared with the book" List and prepare yourself for whatever lies ahead, be it (hopefully) good, or (all too often) bad. We're particularly excited about The Martian!
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Summary: A girl from Ireland finds love with a man in America. A classic story about the often-at-odds love for ones partner and love for ones family.
Published: May 5th, 2009
Author: Colm Toibin
Director: John Crowley
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson
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Summary: James Bond is out to end a shadowy league of evil known as Spectre.
Published: April 1, 1963
Author: Ian Fleming
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes
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Summary: In this end to the Hunger games trilogy, finally we learn the fate of Catniss, Peeta, and the country.
Published: August 24, 2010
Author: Suzanne Collins
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Jon Hutcherson
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Summary: Student blinded by obsession with life creates something he cannot handle the responsibility of, as a result forcing dire consequences on his life and the lives of his family.
Published: 1818 Anonymously, 1823 as Mary Shelley
Author: Mary Shelley
Director: Paul McGuigan
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy
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Summary: An astronaut is stuck on Mars, stranded to provide for himself with a combination of ingenuity and previous knowledge.
Published: Feb 11, 2014
Author: Andy Weir
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon,
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Summary: The biography of the first person to undergo transgender surgery.
Publishing Date: February 1, 2001
Author: David Ebershoff
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard
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Summary: Shakespeare's play has had more than a few adaptions, and while this will have a limited release, it has a promising cast.
Published: 1623
Author: William Shakespeare
Director: Justin Kurzel
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard
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Summary: This story recounts the true account of a whaling excursion, which is said to have inspired Melville's Moby Dick.
Published: May 8, 2000
Author: Nathaniel Philbrick
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy
December 25th:
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Summary: A frontiersman, mauled by a bear and left for dead, survives to seek vengeance.
Published: 2002
Author: Michael Punke
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy
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There is a good reason that John Grisham is hailed as the master of the legal thriller - John Grisham books are fantastic. Every one of the John Grisham books are filled with Grisham's own experiences as a lawyer in Mississippi. If you devour all of the courtroom thrills that are classic of John Grisham books, check out out list of new book releases below. All of these books like John Grisham's novels are sure to keep you turning the pages.
Our list of new books like John Grisham includes authors that will be very familiar to Mystery / Thriller readers. Harlan Coben's The Stranger came out in March and was an immediate bestseller. Sandra Brown's latest book, Friction, is very highly-rated and is rises to the high expectations that readers of John Grisham books have of their thrillers. Michael Connelly's new book The Crossing comes out in November, and we can't wait to get caught up in Michael Connelly's signature suspense.
The Stranger
Harlan Coben
Release date: March 24, 2015
NYPD Red 3
James Patterson and Marshall Karp
Release Day: March 16, 2015
Friction
Sandra Brown
Release Date: August 18, 2015
The Crossing
Michael Connelly
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Make Me
Lee Child
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Gathering Prey
John Sandford
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Want more books like this? Check out our newest post on books by authors like John Grisham.
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Tell us a little bit about your new release, Between the Notes.
BETWEEN THE NOTES is the story of a musician named Ivy whose family loses their house due to financial hardship caused in part by the cost of therapy for her mentally disabled little brother. They move from their large, affluent neighborhood to a small apartment on “the wrong side of the tracks.” Ivy must give up her beloved piano and adjust to her new circumstances, but she resists the change and lies to her friends to avoid embarrassment. Throw in a cute new boy at school with secrets of his own, and a frustrating new boy next door who threatens to ruin everything! Ivy must figure out who she really is, and what’s important, to find her way home.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
The popular boys in high school will not be that interesting in a few years. Pay more attention to the smart ones, the creative ones, the kind ones, the odd ones. Also, don’t let your mother pick out your clothes. That tan velour sweater is really hideous.
Do you listen to anything while you write? If so, what's your audio of choice?
I usually write in total silence. Sometimes, when I must write somewhere other than the quiet of my home, I will listen to a white noise soundtrack of stormy rain.
What are you currently craving?
Right at this moment? I could go for a cheeseburger. I have a large vegetable garden and our summer meals are mostly veggies, but every now and then I crave a juicy burger.
What's your favorite scene from your book?
I can’t tell you! It would be too spoilery. I will say that it is near the very end, and there is kissing involved. You’ll have to read it to find out.
If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?
Reading! I have a huge TBR pile and it grows daily, but I never have as much time as I’d like to read.
What is the one movie that you can quote the most?
I’ve never been good at remembering quotes from movies, but the one that comes to mind right now is from Napoleon Dynamite. I watched it recently with my 15-year-old son and now, whenever I ask him to do anything he does not want to do, he says, “Gawd!” in that Napoleon Dynamite way. Now the whole family is doing it so we all walk around “Gawd”-ing each other.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
I worked in public relations for more than 20 years, and wanted to try something different. I was handling publicity for the Delaware Book Festival at the time, and meeting lots of authors. Though I’d written in non-fiction formats (magazine articles, press releases, etc.) for many years, the writing of a novel seemed like it would require some sort of magical powers. And I had never even taken a creative writing class. One of the authors at the book festival was Mary Kennedy, who is multi-published in middle grade, YA and adult mystery. I mentioned to her that I wished I could write a novel. She said, “Why don’t you?” Her own background had been in marketing before she pursued writing, and it was then that I first realized it might be possible. She encouraged me to write what I liked to read, and as I was re-reading one of the Harry Potter novels at the time, I decided to try YA.
Do you have a favorite local bookstore we can give a shoutout to?
My local bookstore is the Hockessin Book Shelf, which is less than a mile from my house. They hosted my book launch on June 16, and were absolutely wonderful. I stop by the store often, order all of my new books from them, and also shop their used books!
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
I don’t have a motto, per say. But I believe in kindness and hard work. Also naps.
Sharon Roat is the author of the new book Between the Notes.
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The Sleeper and the Spindle is Neil Gaiman's newest book. Previously published in his short story collection Trigger Warning, which is certainly on the list of best new fantasy books in 2015, this is a fantastic take on a classic fairy tale.
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