Falling into Bounty: Fall & Winter First Novels
By Barbara Hoffert -- Library Journal, 10/01/2009
Poignant. Imaginative. Passionate. Original. These are some of the words LJ’s reviewers used to describe the first novels forthcoming this fall and winter. We haven’t been able to review them all yet, but we are providing a listing here, grouped by type, so that librarians can start planning their purchases. Where available, we are quoting from the LJ review and indicating which ones we starred. Enjoy!
POP FICTION
Jane Borodale. The Book of Fires. Pamela Dorman Bks: Viking. Jan. (UK)
Trevor Byrne. Ghosts and Lightning. Doubleday. Dec. (Ireland)
Michelle Cameron. The Fruit of Her Hands: The Story of Shira of Ashkenaz. Pocket: S. & S. Sept. (New Jersey) “Cameron’s famed 13th-century ancestor Meir ben Baruch was the catalyst that set this novel in motion, and the rich details show.” (LJ 8/09)
Patrizia Chen. It Takes Two. Scribner. Nov. (New York)
Sallie Day. The Palace of Strange Girls. Grand Central. Sept. (UK)
Terri DuLong. Spinning Forward. Kensington. Nov. (Florida)
Matthew Flaming. The Kingdom of Ohio. Amy Einhorn: Putnam. Dec. (Oregon)
*Amy Foster. When Autumn Leaves. Overlook, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). Oct. (Tennessee) “Fans of Alice Hoffman and Joanne Harris will love getting to know the residents of this cozy, charming little town. Highly recommended” (LJ 9/1/09)
*Beth Hoffman. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. Pamela Dorman Bks: Viking. Jan. (Kentucky) “Exemplifying Southern storytelling at its best, this coming-of-age novel is sure to be a hit with the book clubs that adopted Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees.” (LJ 10/1/09)
James Magruder. Sugarless. Terrace Bk: Univ. of Wisconsin. Oct. (Maryland)
*Leila Meacham. Roses. Grand Central. Jan. (Texas) “Readers who like an old-fashioned saga will devour this sprawling novel of passion and revenge. Highly recommended.” (LJ 8/09)
Randy Susan Meyers. The Murderer’s Daughters. St. Martin’s. Jan. (Massachusetts)
K.R. Moorhead. The First Law of Motion. St. Martin’s. Nov. (UK)
Kristin Bair O’Keeffe. Thirsty. Ohio Univ. Oct. (China)
Pai Kit Fai. The Concubine’s Daughter. St. Martin’s. Oct. (Australia)
Lisa Patton. Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Sept. (Tennessee)
Ann Pearlman. The Christmas Cookie Club. Atria: S. & S. Oct. (NA) “Humorous and heartbreaking.” (LJ 10/1/09)
Melanie Rose. Life as I Know It. Bantam. Jan. (England)
Dacre Stoker & Ian Holt. Dracula: The Undead. Dutton. Oct. (South Carolina, New York) “Stoker is a descendant of Bram, and Holt is a noted Dracula historian…. Readers who enjoy dark fantasy with fast-paced action will plow through this book.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Kathryn Wagner. Dancing for Degas. Bantam. Dec. (Washington, DC)
Therese Walsh. The Last Will of Moira Leahy. Shaye Areheart: Harmony. Oct. (New York) “This tender tale of sisterhood, self-discovery, and forgiveness will captivate fans of contemporary women’s fiction.” (LJ Xpress Reviews, 9/04/09)
Ken Wheaton. The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival. Kensington. Jan. (New York)
LITERARY
Emily Arsenault. The Broken Teaglass. Delacorte. Sept. (Massachusetts)
Jimmy Santiago Baca. A Glass of Water. Grove. Oct. (New Mexico)
Mehrdad Balali. Houri. Permanent. Dec. (California)
Alan Bilton. The Sleepwalker’s Ball. Dufour. Nov. (Wales)
Ryan Boudinot. Misconception. Black Cat: Grove. Sept. (Washington) “This book will appeal to a wide range of fiction readers, especially those who enjoy coming-of-age stories.” (LJ 8/09)
Janet Skeslien Charles. Moonlight in Odessa. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Sept. (France) “Charles’s first novel vividly contrasts life in Odessa…with the materialism and isolation of life in America.” (LJ 6/1/09)
Leila Cobo. Tell Me Something True. Grand Central. Oct. (Florida)
Elizabeth Eslami. Bone Worship. Pegasus. Jan. (Oregon)
Maha Gargash. The Sand Fish: A Novel of Dubai. Perennial: HarperCollins. Nov. (Dubai) “Gargash’s poignant plot will appeal to diehard fans of world literature, but Noora’s story just might pack more punch on the big screen.” (LJ 9/15/09)
Joshua Gaylord. Hummingbirds. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. (New York) “Gaylord has delivered a story that’s ripe with acute and wry observations on men and women, competition, sexuality, and secrets.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Amy Greene. Bloodroot: A Novel. Knopf. Jan. (Tennessee)
Brian Hart. Then Came the Evening. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Jan. (Idaho)
Adam Haslett. Union Atlantic. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Jan. (New York)
Margaret Hawkins. A Year of Cats and Dogs. Permanent. Oct. (Illinois)
Mark Heinz. Shine. Livingston. Oct. (Kentucky)
Angela Jackson. Where I Must Go. Triquarterly: Northwestern Univ. Sept. (Illinois)
Jayne Joso. Soothing Music for Stray Cats. Dufour. Nov. (UK)
Joseph Kertes. Gratitude. St. Martin’s. Oct. (Canada) “An imaginative re-creation…peopled with such historical figures as Raoul Wallenberg, Adolf Eichmann, and Alexander Korda, lending authenticity to a somewhat old-fashioned saga.” (LJ 9/15/09)
James Landis. The Last Day. Steerforth, dist. by Random. Sept. (New Hampshire) “Debut novelist Landis’s creation of Jesus as a regular guy with amusing yet wise words and [protagonist] Warren’s blend of sensibility and spirituality turn a potentially proselytizing work into a powerful story.” (LJ 8/09)
*Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. Daughters of the Stone. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Sept. (New York) “This commanding exploration of women’s history will resonate with readers of strong African American feminist narratives like those of Toni Morrison and Ntozake Shange.” (LJ 9/1/09)
*Victor Lodato. Mathilda Savitch. Farrar. Sept. (Arizona and New York) “Engaging and humorous yet grappling with serious issues.” (LJ 8/09)
Jacqueline Luckett. Searching for Tina Turner. Grand Central. Jan. (California)
David McConnell. The Silver Hearted. Alyson. Jan. (New York)
*Jason Quinn Malott. The Evolution of Shadows. Unbridled. Oct. (Kansas) “This is a passionate, wrenching tale of love and war whose tone and subject matter offer an update to Hemingway.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Nancy Mauro. New World Monkeys. Shaye Areheart Bks: Harmony. Sept. (New York) “While this material has been mined before…the book will appeal to urban hipsters who favor happy endings and romantics who insist on believing that love really does conquer all.” (LJ 7/09)
Maaza Mengiste. Beneath the Lion’s Gate. Norton. Jan. (New York)
*Shandi Mitchell. Under This Unbroken Sky. Harper: HarperCollins. Sept. (Canada) “Superb historical fiction filled with tension, unforgettable characters, and a dramatic setting; enthusiastically recommended.” (LJ 9/15/09)
Aska Mochizuki. Spinning Tropics. Vintage. Dec. (Japan)
Marie Mockett. Picking Bone from Ash. Graywolf. Oct. (New York)
Suruchi Mohan. Divine Music. Bayeux Arts. Sept. (California)
H.M. Naqvi. Home Boy. Shaye Areheart: Harmony. Sept. (East Coast and Pakistan) “Original, well researched, and sharply observed.” (LJ 8/09)
Shira Nayman. The Listener. Scribner. Jan. (New York) “Featuring a plot as rich as the characters, this is a thought-provoking and psychological exploration of love, war, and human identity.” (LJ 10/1/09)
Jean Davies Okimoto. The Love Ceiling. Endicott & Hugh. Sept. 2009 (Washington)
Gaile Parkin. Baking Cakes in Kigali. Delacorte. Sept. (NA) “Parkin’s first novel is not without moral complexity, yet it is ultimately a story of hope and recovery for a country torn apart by genocide and AIDS.” (LJ 8/09)
Ivy Pochoda. The Art of Disappearing. St. Martin’s. Sept. (New York)
Mattox Roesch. Sometimes We’re Always Real Same-Same. Unbridled. Sept. (Alaska) “Recommended for adventurous readers and fans of small towns everywhere” (LJ Xpress Reviews, 9/11/09)
Irene Sabatini. The Boy Next Door. Little, Brown. Sept. (Switzerland)
Ali Shaw. The Girl with the Glass Feet. Holt. Jan. (UK)
Jackson Taylor. The Blue Orchard. Touchstone/Fireside: S. & S. Jan. (New York)
Jennie Walker. The Rules of Play. Soho, dist. by Consortium. Jan. (UK)
*Jeanette Walls. Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel. Scribner. Oct. (Virginia) “Essential reading for anyone who loves good fiction.” (LJ 7/08)
Louise Young. Seducing the Spirits. Permanent. Nov. (Pennsylvania)
THRILLERS
Belinda Bauer. Blacklands. S. & S. Jan. (Wales)
Kenneth Butcher. The Middle of the Air. Blair. Oct. (North Carolina)
*Alex Dryden. Red to Black. Ecco: HarperCollins. Sept. (UK) “An exceptional novel by any standard.” (LJ 6/1/09)
A.J. Franze. The Chief Justice. Reagent. Nov. (Washington, DC)
Betsy Harrigan. 9800 Savage Road: A Novel of the National Security Agency. Forge: Tor. Sept. (Arizona)
Rhodi Hawk. A Twisted Ladder. Forge: Tor. Sept. (New Jersey)
John J. Le Beau. Collision of Evil. Oceanview. Sept. (Germany)
Patrick Lee. The Breach. Harper: HarperCollins. Jan. (Michigan)
*Lou Manfredo. Rizzo’s War. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Oct. (New Jersey) “With McBain gone, there’s need for a quality New York City police procedural series.... Manfredo could fill the bill” (LJ 8/09)
Paul Miller. Vantage Point. Paul Miller Bks. Oct. (Minnesota)
Barry Pollack. Forty-Eight X: The Lemuria Project. Medallion. Dec. (California)
Sharon Potts. In Their Blood. Oceanview. Sept. (Florida)
Stephen Jay Schwartz. Boulevard. Forge: Tor. Sept. (California) “Plot twists and turns plus an unusual denouement make Schwartz an author to watch.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Claire Seeber. Lullaby. St. Martin’s. Jan. (UK)
Barry Smith. Only Milo. Inkwater. Sept. (Kansas)
Sara Stockbridge. Grace Hammer: A Novel of the Victorian Underworld. Norton. Sept. (UK)
James Thompson. Snow Angels: An Inspector Vaara Novel. Putnam. Jan. (Finland)
Norb Vonnegut. Top Producer. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Sept. (New York) “Vonnegut makes his irreverent protagonist someone we can root for...a promising debut.” (LJ 6/15/09)
J.P. White. Every Boat Turns South. Permanent. Sept. (Minnesota)
*Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski. Level 26: Dark Origins. Dutton. Sept. (NA) “Zuiker, the creator of the television crime drama CSI, dubs this thrilling series debut the world’s first 'digi-novel.’” (LJ 8/09)
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
*Paolo Bacigalupi. The Windup Girl. Night Shade. Oct. (Colorado) “East meets West in a clash of cultures brilliantly portrayed in razor-sharp images, tension-building pacing, and sharply etched characters.” (LJ 9/15/09)
Alex Bell. The Ninth Circle. Gollancz, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Nov. (UK) “Bell captures the first-person feel of a diary of the damned in this intimate confessional story.” (LJ 9/15/09)
J.L. Bourne. Day by Day Armageddon. Pocket: S. & S. Oct. (Washington, DC)
*John Brown. Servant of a Dark God. Tor. Oct. (Utah) “A welcome addition to large-scale fantasy.” (LJ 9/15/09)
Laura Bynum. Veracity.Pocket: S. & S. Jan. (Virginia)
A.M. Dellamonica. Indigo Springs. Tor. Oct. (Canada)
Toby Frost. Space Captain Smith and God Emperor of Didcot. Myrmidon, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Oct. (UK) “Fans of comic sf in the tradition of Douglas Adams should appreciate this very British, very funny addition to the genre.” (LJ 8/08)
Erica Hayes. Shadowfae. Griffin: St. Martin’s. Oct. (Australia) “Hayes’s debut and series opener exemplifies erotic urban fantasy at its most visceral, illuminating the splendor and squalor of life on the edge.” (LJ 9/15/09)
Coleman Luck. Angel Fall. Zondervan. Sept. (California)
Z.A. Recht. Plague of the Dead. Pocket: S. & S. Jan. (California)
Sarah Jane Stratford. The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel. St. Martin’s. Oct. (New York)
Terence Taylor. Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament. St. Martin’s. Sept. (New York) “Taylor has received raves for his short stories in the 'Dark Dreams’ anthologies but has not made a successful leap to the novel form.” (LJ 8/09)
David Wong. John Dies at the End. St. Martin’s. Sept. (Illinois)
ROMANCE
Loretta Brabant. Kiss and Tell. Avalon: Thomas Bouregy. Oct. (Australia)
Marilyn Brant. According to Jane. Kensington. Oct. (Illinois)
Cathy Marie Buchanan. The Day the Falls Stood Still. Voice: Hyperion. Sept. (Toronto) “Historical fiction readers will appreciate the excellent period detail, especially the depiction of the era’s social mores.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Louisa Edwards. Can’t Stand the Heat. St. Martin’s. Sept. (Ohio) “Exceptional culinary detail and page-singeing sexual chemistry combine with a fascinating group of characters to produce a sophisticated modern romance that…will win over most contemporary romance fans.” (LJ Xpress Reviews, 8/14/09)
Tina Gabrielle. Lady of Scandal. Kensington. Sept. (New Jersey)
Beverley Kendall. Sinful Surrender. Zebra: Kensington. Jan. (Georgia)
Pamela Klaffke. Snapped. Mira: Harlequin. Jan. (Canada)
Annette McCleave. Drawn into Darkness: A Soul Gatherer Novel. NAL: Signet Eclipse. Sept. (Canada)
Shana Mahaffey. Sounds Like Crazy. Accent Trade: NAL. Oct. (California)
Courtney Milan. Proof by Seduction. HQN: Harlequin. Jan. (Pacific Northwest)
Jill Myles. Gentlemen Prefer Succubi. Pocket: S. & S. Jan. (Texas)
Joss Ware. Beyond the Night. Avon. Jan. (Michigan)
WESTERN
David E. Unruh. Train to Cheyenne. Avalon: Thomas Bouregy. Dec. (Alaska)
Stone Wallace. Denim Ryder. Avalon: Thomas Bouregy. Jan. (Canada)
MYSTERY
Roy Chaney. The Ragged End of Nowhere. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Nov. (Missouri) “Winner of the second annual Tony Hillerman Prize for the best first mystery set in the West; the ending is a zinger of a cliff-hanger.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Barbara DeShong. Too Rich and Too Thin: Not an Autobiography. Echelon. Oct. (Texas)
Gerald Elias. Devil’s Trill. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Sept. (Utah) “A first novel that entertains, enlightens, intrigues, and ultimately delights the reader.” (LJ 8/09)
Brandon Hebert. My Own Worst Enemy. Five Star: Gale Cengage. Dec. (Louisiana)
David Heinzmann. A Word to the Wise. Five Star: Gale Cengage. Dec. (Illinois)
Karin Hofland. Sacrificial Lamb. Five Star: Gale Cengage. Sept. (California)
Tracy Kiely. Murder at Longbourn. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Sept. (Maryland) “This fast read is more chick lit; Jane Austen fans and modern cozy mystery readers will appreciate.” (LJ 8/08)
Charles Kipps. Hell’s Kitchen Homicide: A Conor Bard Mystery. Scribner. Sept. (New York)
Stuart Neville. The Ghosts of Belfast. Soho, dist. by Consortium. Oct. (Northern Ireland) “The buzz around this novel is well deserved and readers will be anticipating the next book in the series.” (LJ 9/15/09)
Brad Parks. Faces of the Gone. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Dec. (Virginia)
Jonny Porkpie. The Corpse Wore Pasties. Hard Case Crime: Dorchester. Dec. (New York)
Al Roker & Dick Lochte. The Morning Show Murders. Delacorte. Nov. (New York, California)
Sheldon Russell. The Yard Dog. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Sept. (Oklahoma)
Hank Schwaeble. Damnable. Jove. Sept. (Texas)
Beth Solheim. At Witt’s End. Echelon. Jan. (Minnesota)
Mary Ann Winkowski & Maureen Foley. The Book of Illumination: A Novel from the Ghost Files. Three Rivers Pr. Oct. (NA)
CHRISTIAN FICTION
Ariel Allison. Eye of the God. Abingdon. Oct. (Texas)
Linda S. Clare. The Fence My Father Built. Abingdon. Oct. (Oregon)
Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck. The Sweet By and By. Thomas Nelson. Sept. (Tennessee, Florida) “This Southern mother-daughter story is refreshingly well written and will easily engross readers of women’s fiction.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Myra Johnson. One Imperfect Christmas. Abingdon. Sept. (Oklahoma) “Some stilted prose and a predictable plot in this debut novel are balanced by a heartwarming story.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Joyce Magnin. The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. Abingdon. Sept. (Pennsylvania) “This delightfully eccentric tale…will stay with readers long after they finish it.” (LJ 9/1/09)
Dan Walsh. The Unfinished Gift. Revell. Sept. (Florida)
| Author Information |
| Barbara Hoffert is Editor, LJ Book Review |
