Anne Brashares, New York Times Bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, has produced yet another beautifully executed romance filled with intrigue and fantasy. Her new (adult) book, My Name is Memory, blasts us through history and the many lives of Daniel and Lucy (as they are known in their present life). Brashares poses the question of what a person would do if they had spent not just one lifetime, but many lifetimes searching for the same lost love, only to lose them over and over again?
Welcome to the frustrating world of Daniel Grey, a teenager who is old beyond the years of his current body. Daniel has the ability to remember, in excruciating detail, all of his past lives, dating back to the year 541 in North Africa. As Daniel says, "I have fallen in love, and she is the one who endures...I always search for her; I always remember her. I carry the hope that one day she will remember me." To him, Daniel's memory is both a gift and a curse. For you see, despite always loving Lucy (or Sophia, as Daniel prefers to remember her as), he has never grown old with her. Theirs is a painful, haunted history, filled with heartbreak and love torn apart.
The present-day love story is interwoven with details about Daniel and Lucy's previous encounters, and the heartbreak that tore them apart. Central to their heartache is Daniel's older brother from his first life, who is as different from David as two souls can be. Joaquim is spiteful, violent, and unpredictable. What's worse, he too, has the ability to remember his past lives, and will stop at nothing to prevent Daniel and Lucy from being together lifetime after lifetime. Daniel must find a way to stop Joaquim once and for all if he is to have any chance of finally being with the woman he has unequivocally loved for fifteen hundred years.
Though technically classified as a romance, there are elements of mystery, thriller, and fantasy laced into this finely crafted plot. As with The Last Summer (of You & Me), Brashares has mastered the craft of creating characters in a way that most writers can only dream of. The subtle nuances of each character's personality are captured so completely that it's hard to believe they are works of fiction, and not people you have known and loved all of your life. They will stay with you long after you've read the final page.
--Jenn C.
Showing posts with label romances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romances. Show all posts
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Fall Releases
The hectic summer days are passing: the kids are back in school, the blistering heat and crushing humidity are finally relenting, and we find ourselves with a little breathing room before the frantic pace of the holidays is upon us. Enjoy your down time with one of these great new books, set to release this fall. Follow the links to reserve your copy today!
September Releases
Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks
The author of The Notebook and Dear John returns with another inspirational romance. When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Katie seems determined to avoid forming friendships, but reluctantly befriends Alex, a widowed store owner.
Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. Even though she is starting to fall in love, Katie still carries a dark secret that haunts her. She realizes that she cannot run from her past forever, and that in order to have love, she must face her demons.
Getting to Happy – Terry McMillan
Fifteen years after Waiting to Exhale, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah is facing single life again-at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her divorce settlement dwindle, and has convinced herself that a few pills will help. Robin’s dream of getting married has gone unrealized. Gloria learns that being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another.
October Releases
The Confession – John Grisham
The master of legal thrillers has produced yet another gripping page turner. What happens when the only person who can save an innocent man from being executed is the man who committed the crime? In 1998, Trais Boyette abducted and strangled a high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.
Nine years later, Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his entire life, he decides to do what’s right and confess. But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?
The Reversal – Michael Connelly
Can’t get enough courtroom drama? Try this new nail-biter from the author of The Scarecrow. After 24 years in prison, convicted child killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Convinced that Jessup is guilty, defense attorney Mickey Haller agrees to prosecute Jessup’s retrial. With LAPD detective Harry Bosch as his investigator, Haller sets off on a case fraught with political and personal danger.
Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years. With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.
--Jenn C.
September Releases
Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks
The author of The Notebook and Dear John returns with another inspirational romance. When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Katie seems determined to avoid forming friendships, but reluctantly befriends Alex, a widowed store owner.
Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. Even though she is starting to fall in love, Katie still carries a dark secret that haunts her. She realizes that she cannot run from her past forever, and that in order to have love, she must face her demons.
Getting to Happy – Terry McMillan
Fifteen years after Waiting to Exhale, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah is facing single life again-at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her divorce settlement dwindle, and has convinced herself that a few pills will help. Robin’s dream of getting married has gone unrealized. Gloria learns that being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another.
October Releases
The Confession – John Grisham
The master of legal thrillers has produced yet another gripping page turner. What happens when the only person who can save an innocent man from being executed is the man who committed the crime? In 1998, Trais Boyette abducted and strangled a high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.
Nine years later, Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his entire life, he decides to do what’s right and confess. But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?
The Reversal – Michael Connelly
Can’t get enough courtroom drama? Try this new nail-biter from the author of The Scarecrow. After 24 years in prison, convicted child killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Convinced that Jessup is guilty, defense attorney Mickey Haller agrees to prosecute Jessup’s retrial. With LAPD detective Harry Bosch as his investigator, Haller sets off on a case fraught with political and personal danger.
Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years. With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.
--Jenn C.
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