After yesterday's rather weighty post I was thinking something a little lighter and easygoing was what's called for today. Earlier last month I shared a few new and forthcoming books from my wishlist. I mentioned that I'd add more titles to that list but haven't had a chance to do so, but now seems the perfect time. It seems as though fall is usually traditionally a busy time with new books being published, so I'm sure my list will grow as the weeks progress and summer (and I sincerely hope the heat as well) comes to a close. I still have lots left on my list that I've added over the course of the last couple of months. Here are a few more highlights. A few of these might be newly published or forthcoming in the UK (with no due date as yet here in the US--sorry about that, I can't help myself and always hope I can get my hands on the book somehow).
The Fishing Fleet: Husband Hunting in the Raj by Anne de Courcy -- de Courcy has written a number of interesting sounding books (several grace my reading piles), so when I saw this, it was an automatic addition to my wishlist. The fishing fleet mentioned here refers to the many young women who couldn't find husbands in England and so went out to India to try their fortunes there. I can't wait to get my hands on this--though will have to try and wait for the paper edition, I'm afraid.
Death in Breslau: An Eberhard Mock Investigation by Marek Krajewski -- This series has been available for a while in the UK and finally it is being published here in the US. "Occupied Breslau, 1933: Two young women are found murdered on a train, scorpions writhing on their bodies, an indecipherable note in an apparently oriental language nearby ...Police Inspector Eberhard Mock's weekly assignation with two ladies of the night is interrupted as he is called to investigate."
The Knot by Jane Borodale -- "Across Europe, a new era of natural science is dawning. In a remote, damp corner of Somerset, an unlikely pioneer is working to change the course of English botany. Passionate, private, meticulous - Henry Lyte has begun to neglect his other responsibilities in the pursuit of knowledge."
Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide -- "Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, a beautifully atmospheric novel about an English country house and the people who inhabit it, upstairs and downstairs, over the course of 240 years. A novel about people, architecture, and living history, Ashenden is an evocative portrait of a house that becomes a character as compelling as the people who inhabit it."
The Books They Gave Me: True Stories of Life, Love, and Lit by Jen Adams -- "The Books They Gave Me collects 200 poignant, funny, and provocative stories that together comprise a love letter to literature and the physical book. Some of the stories are disastrous, some touching, but all are illuminating, revealing volumes about the relationships." This one has "stocking stuffer" written all over it!
Beautiful Lies by Clare Clark -- "London 1887. For Maribel Campbell Lowe, the beautiful bohemian wife of a maverick politician, it is the year to make something of herself. A self-proclaimed Chilean heiress educated in Paris, she is torn between poetry and the new art of photography. But it is soon plain that Maribel’s choices are not so simple. As her husband’s career hangs by a thread, her real past, and the family she abandoned, come back to haunt them both. When the notorious newspaper editor Alfred Webster begins to take an uncommon interest in Maribel, she fears he will not only destroy Edward’s career but both of their reputations."
The Facility by Simon Lelic -- "In a near-future dystopian Britain, democracy has been undermined. Emboldened by new anti-terrorism laws, police start to 'disappear' people from the streets for unspecified crimes. But when unassuming dentist Arthur Priestley is snatched and held prisoner at a top-secret facility, his estranged wife, Julia, and a brave but naive journalist named Tom Clarke embark on a harrowing quest for the truth. Following a trail that leads to the very top of government, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives."
Kafka in Love by Jacqueline Raoul-Duval -- "In this charming book, author Jacqueline Raoul-Duval follows the paper trail of Kafka's ardor. She uses his voice in her own writing, and a third of the book is pulled from Kafka's journals. It is the perfect introduction to this giant of world literature, and captures his life and romances in a style worthy of his own."
Mistress of My Fate by Hallie Rubenhold -- "Set during a period of revolution and turmoil, Mistress of My Fate is the first book in a trilogy about Henrietta Lightfoot, a young woman who was abandoned as a baby and raised alongside her cousins, noble children of a lord and lady. At just sixteen years old, circumstance and a passionate love affair tear Henrietta away from everything she knows, leading to a new life fending for herself on the streets of 18th century London as a courtesan, gambler, and spirited intellect of the city."
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante -- "A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship."
Ah the joy of new books to look forward to. I've not been to a bookstore for a proper brose in months! I'm looking forward to finally doing so when I go to San Francisco. I have a feeling it's going to be very dangerous . . .