My latest library stack is very ambitious-looking, but in my defense several of the books I'd been waiting ages for came in all of a sudden--at the same time as a couple that I had only recently requested. That's always the case, though, isn't it? I've hijacked Teresa's Good Reads tag--marked as to-investigate--as then there are no guilty connotations then associated with my lovely stack of books, which I hope to read (each and every one) but will see what I can manage. Am hoping that I can renew a few of these at least. So here's what I have this time around:
PopCo by Scarlett Thomas - Dorothy wrote about this a while back and just recently mentioned it again as a contemporary novel she liked very much. That's enough for me to give it a go, but I do like the idea of a story about a sinister toy company called PopCo that includes lessons in cryptanalysis. It sounds playful and fun.
Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth - Booklist calls this a cross between "a rich vintage of sparkling Dorothy Sayers and grounded Donna Leon." This murder mystery is set in Aix-en-Provence.
Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva - This is this year's Edgar Winner for best first novel, and I've heard many good things about it. I'm not sure I can picture Providence, Rhode Island as a crime setting, but what do I know.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - I've been on the waiting list for this for so long I'm not sure I even want to still read it. I'm not a big fan of vampire stories, though I know they are hugely popular these days. It sounds as though it is a hybrid of sorts, though--part history and magic, romance and suspense--according to the blurb. Has anyone read it?
Among the Missing by Morag Joss - Joss has written a number of standalone thrillers and a series of books set in Bath featuring a cellist. I've yet to read any of her books, but I'm not sure this appeals to me as much as some of her other titles, but I still had to check it out.
The Storm at the Door by Stefan Merrill Block - Rachel has a knack for making books she really enjoyed sound so wonderful that I have to look for them, too. The author was inspired by his grandparent's lives in writing this novel. It's a story of "an enduring marriage interrupted by madness".
Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek - This is a psychological thriller by a German author, which I first heard about from Judith. The story revolves around a psychologist whose twelve-year-old daughter has gone missing without a trace.
Drinking the Rain by Alix Kates Shulman - I love the sound of this book--the author spent a transformative summer in a cabin on an island off the coast of Maine that had no electricity, phone or plumbing. While I'm not sure I could do without so many amenities, I certainly could go for the windswept beach aspect of her stay. And I can certainly read about someone undertaking such a voyage of discovery. Another recommendation from Judith.
The joys of a stack of library books!