It’s officially eBook season, that time of year when
eReaders are purchased for the holidays and recipients are eagerly looking
forward to the experience of reading on their new devices. Here are my favorites
from 2017 and a sneak peek into some of the books I’ll be reading in 2018:
1. Split
Seconds by Maggie Thom, the third book in the Caspian Wine Series, just proves that Thom keeps getting better and
better. The suspense begins immediately, spiriting us across Canada and
introducing us to a myriad of characters with so many levels and facets that we’re
left guessing who we can really trust. The mystery deepens at every turn and
the book sports two climactic scenes, each of which will leave you breathless.
2. The
Firebird by Susanna Kearsley takes us back in time and across Europe as
we discover the abilities of a woman that can hold an object and know its past.
We are taken from London to Scotland and then to St. Petersburg under the reign
of Catherine. It is a fascinating glimpse into how and why St. Petersburg was
built and has interested me in touring the city. It also delves into
psychometry and telepathy with such realism that it truly is riveting. There
are two main characters—a woman in current times as well as another living 200
years in the past.
3. Spivey’s
Web by Sandra Warren and illustrated by Susan Fitzgerald is a lovely
children’s book intended for the preschool audience. I have serious
arachnophobia but couldn’t help but admire Spivey the barn spider’s beautiful
web spinning—and the brilliant light that shines through it to calm a baby in a
manger.
4. Great
Jobs for Everyone 50+ by Kerry Hannon and published by AARP contains
terrific advice even for job hunters under the age of 50, such as considering three
types of resumes and how to get past employers’ computerized black hole of
resume accumulation. The days of retiring at 65 to sit on the front porch and
play chess are long gone while the technological world is progressing at a rate
never before experienced and people are now working well into their 70’s and
beyond.
5. Downsizing
the Family Home by Marni Jameson and also published by AARP is a
terrific book originally meant for cleaning out a parent’s home after they’ve
left it, but it’s also a valuable resource for anyone wishing to rid themselves
of clutter. Only 17% of us take the time to look at the things we’ve
accumulated through the eyes of heirs, and it’s definitely an eye-opener. Some
tidbits: more than 50K books can be stored on an eReader; all those pictures
from our youths can be scanned and maintained electronically; and music can be
stored electronically now as well. Scaling back doesn’t mean getting rid of the
things we love but learning how we can have it all with a smaller footprint.
Books on my radar for 2018 include:
1. Bloodstains
by Jeff Mudgett is an intriguing look at Jeff’s search for his ancestry,
revealing the fact that his ancestor, Herman Webster Mudgett (better known as
H. H. Holmes) was America’s first serial killer. As Jeff delves deeper into his
ancestor’s sinister and terrifying past, he becomes afflicted with what is
known as the Holmes Curse, first reported by the New York Times in the 1890s: a form of seizure that occurs whenever
the alien voice in his head is disobeyed. His search for his ancestry quickly
turns into the struggle to survive. New
York Times bestselling author Jeff Mudgett is also one of the headliners at
the 2018 Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers
Conference and Book Fair, a free event to raise awareness of the link
between high crime rates and high rates of illiteracy.
2. Havana
Blues by David Pereda will be released on Kindle in 2018, transporting
us to 1952 and the eve of the Cuban Revolution. It is a coming-of-age story for
young Ramon Rodriguez against the backdrop of Cuban history, including the
prosperity under President Carlos Prio Socarras, the coup staged by CIA-backed
General Fulgencio Batista and ultimately another coup by Fidel Castro that
transforms Cuba.
3. Buried
in the Sky by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan is the true story of the
Sherpas that make mountain climbing possible on ice-covered K2, including the
deadliest day for Sherpas on the mountain which occurred during the 2008
climbing season. I am a huge fan of Into
Thin Air by Jon Krakauer about the deadly Everest expedition of 1996,
and I’m looking forward to reading this one, which takes me to K2, the second
highest peak—and by far the most dangerous and deadliest.
4. The
Color of Forever by Julianne MacLean is the 10th book in the
Color of Heaven Series, in which
average people are affected by real life magic that transforms their lives.
This book takes us to a sea village along the jagged coast of Maine and to an
eerie, historic inn that holds deadly secrets of the past.
5. The
Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley takes me to one of my favorite
settings: an ancient castle and a tragic love. This castle is in France during
the German occupation of World War II, combining the same blend of history,
mystery and romance that Kearsley is known for.
What are you reading?
