Friday, October 29, 2010

November and December 2010 Releases


TEMPESTUOUS by Lesley Livingston

I don’t love Sonny Flannery.” That’s the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn’t know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats to a haven for Lost Fae hidden deep beneath New York City. But Kelley’s not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she’s got to find out who’s after his magick—and how to use her own. She’s got to uncover who’s recruiting Janus Guards to hunt innocent Faerie. She’s got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she’s got to do it all without getting distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he’s around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with WONDROUS STRANGE and DARKLIGHT comes to a stormy head in TEMPESTUOUS, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston’s urban Faerie trilogy.

The third and final entry in the series that began with Wondrous Strange (2008), this ends the story just right...The romance! And the battles! And all the Shakespeare! It’s enjoyable [and] well plotted.” --Kirkus Reviews

Harper Teen, December 2010


THE FIRST BOOK OF SECONDS by Matthew Murrie and Steve Murrie

While some might think that being second is nothing more than being the first loser, THE FIRST BOOK OF SECONDS presents the perspective that being second can be magna cum laude. Rather than reproducing the same facts and rankings of other popular reference books, THE FIRST BOOK OF SECONDS takes a distinctive approach by presenting all of the amazing details concerning those who have eluded the first spot due to history, nature, or fortune. Check out this fascinating example:

“The world’s second largest land animal could fit inside of the world’s largest land animal with room to spare. What are these two animals? Elephants—both of them.”

Adams Media, November 2010

THE SWEETNESS OF SALT by Cecilia Galante

For the most part, Julia Winters has led an idyllic life. Except for the occasional outburst when her troubled older sister, Sophie, drops in for one of her always tumultuous visits, Julia’s life has been relatively happy. Now a senior in high school, Julia will be graduating at the top of her class, has a full ride to college, and is looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life.

But when Sophie shows up at the graduation ceremony determined to unload a family secret, Julia's plans come to a screeching halt. Instead of starting her prestigious summer internship, Julia follows Sophie back to Vermont. What follows is a season of revelations, some heartwarming, some heartbreaking, and all slowly pointing Julia toward a new understanding of herself, the nature of love, and why sadness is sometimes needed to bring out the sweetness in life.

"Like salt brings out sweetness, the drama draws out the sweet, sniffle-inducing ending."--Kirkus Reviews

Bloomsbury, November 2010

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS by Jillian Cantor

Jennifer Levenworth's perfect suburban life begins to unravel when her husband is indicted for bribery and is forced to surrender his law license. Though he claims his innocence, the Levenworths are quietly booted out of the country club and their old life.

Things take another unexpected turn when, after a trip to her herbalist, Jen starts dreaming of her friends and family. She dreams of her former tennis partner Lisa falling into a deep depression, her best friend from the city Kat longing for an affair, her sister Kelly being overwhelmed by motherhood, and her husband deeply unhappy in his former life as a judge. As Jennifer begins to see the lives around her more clearly, she starts to decipher what it is she truly wants in her own life.

Cantor puts a unique spin on this tale of a woman in transition.” --Booklist

Avon, November 2010

THE MASUDA AFFAIR by I.J. Parker

Still grieving the death of his small son, Akitada risks his freedom, career, and family to rescue an abused child from a life of misery. The search for the boy’s parentage leads him to a harrowing story of love, murder, and abandonment. Meanwhile, his faithful servant Tora loses his bride to a powerful man who pursues beautiful women and will stop at nothing to possess them. The trails of both cases lead Akitada among the prostitutes and courtesans of the amusement quarter, and murder soon follows his steps.

Terrific.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Severn House, November 2010


DAKOTA by Brenda Marshall

The lives and schemes of frontier politicians, Northern Pacific Railroad executives, bonanza farmers, and homesteaders converge in this brave and moving epic set in late 19th-century Dakota Territory. Emotionally complex, willful, and resourceful, Frances is seduced by the myths of opportunity driving the settlement of Dakota Territory and dares to dream of a new world in which to realize her unconventional desires. Kirsten, daughter of Norwegian homesteaders, observes the world around her with equal parts absurdity and insight as she grows from a voluble girl to a formidable woman. In DAKOTA, Marshall opens a window onto the history of a place little known and often misunderstood to tell an original tale of desire and ambition.

A vibrant, teeming work, filled with feeling, intelligence, and ultimately grace.” --Peter Ho Davies, author of THE WELSH GIRL

North Dakota Institute, November 2010