Chapter 32 - New and Notable

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you know that I love new (just published) books. There have been so many published this summer and so many terrific ones coming out this fall that I have a lot to choose from. I am lucky inasmuch as sometimes I get advanced reader copies and can geek out early. Others I just have to wait for like everyone else.

Like most readers I have to have a stack on my TBR (to be read) pile. This gives me more choices because as a reader you don't always know what you are in the mood for. It could be World War II history or historical fiction, adventure, or even women's fiction. It just depends.

Here are some new books I have read lately, some on my TBR pile, and some I plan on getting sometime soon.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva - I am a Daniel Silva fan and, if I ever get kidnapped, I'd want to be save by his protagonist Gabriel Allon (if my husband was not available, of course). Allon is a former Mossad assassin, head of Israeli intelligence, and is currently retired and restoring art. He is asked to help break up a notorious art forgery ring. The story will definitely keep you entertained.

Life on the Mississippi by Rinker Buck - I first became familiar with Buck's work when I read The Oregon Trail where he and his brother took a Conestoga wagon across country from St Louis, Missouri to Oregon following a similar route to what the original settlers must have done. This book details his travel down the Mississippi on a flat boat. He tells of his experiences, frustrations, and successes all the while adding the history of flat boat travel. This is one of those books where it is a lot of information to absorb but much of it untold in history books.

One Hundred Saturdays by Michael Frank - I received this book as an advance reader copy and loved it. Michael Frank met Stella Levi when he went to interview her to find out what life was like growing up in a Sephardic neighborhood in Rhodes in the 1920's and 30's. As Stella tells her tale through the 20th century, she unravels a history and inner strength that resonate throughout the book.

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clara Poole - I fell in love with Poole's writing with her debut novel The Authenticity Project. This is her latest about a group of people who commute everyday together. Iona Iverson, an advice columnist, is on the train when another commuter chokes on during the ride only to be rescued by a nurse on the same train. This opens up the floor for the group to get to know each other and become friends. This is on my pile to be read.

Carrie Sotto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Reid is another favorite author of mine. In this one, tennis star Carrie Sotto is unhappy that a young girl might be beating her win record. Carrie decides to go for one last tournament. If you've been following any of Serena Williams' attempt at one more win, this is the book for you. Reid also includes a few of her previous characters in the book.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman - This is the third in the Beartown series and I book I definitely want to pick up. The original young people in Beartown grow up and leave, only to return home and instill their town with new energy. Meanwhile the heated rivalry between Beartown and Hed escalates into violence and a young boy who blames the town for his sister's death seeks revenge. I am sure Backman has included his universal truths in his latest book.

Is there any new book you are looking forward to? Please let me know!