Chapter 9 - The Best Is Yet To Come

Every time I see a new list of books being published for the month I get excited, then overwhelmed because I know I will have to be very selective about which I pick to read and review. I will never be able to read all the books which get published on a weekly basis much less in a year. That is why I strongly advocate not finishing books. I've said this before - I use the rule which is 100 pages minus my age. If the book hasn't captured me by then, I put it in the DNF (Do Not Finish) pile. I have a dear friend who insists on finishing every book she reads even if she doesn't like it. Not me, I have no patience or heart for a book I'm not loving EVEN IF I've enjoyed the same author before.

There were quite a few books published in February which have caught my eye and some which are scheduled for the beginning of March. Fortunately they are by authors, tried and true, so they are easier suggestions. But make no mistake, if they don't pan out they will be jettisoned. Life is too short to read a bad book. That being said, here are my picks for new books to check out.

We All Live Here by JoJo Moyes - Lila Kennedy feels like life is overwhelming her. She is divorced, has two wayward daughters, and it seems like her stepfather has moved in with her in her rapidly falling apart house. When her real father appears on her doorstep she is ready to give up. This is a novel about love in all its forms.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict - In 1930's London, five brilliant women writers band together to show their male counterparts they are not to be trifled with. Their goal is to solve a crime. A young nurse is found dead in a park in France and these five - Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy decide they will be able to solve the mystery. This is base on a true story.

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff - As you know I love historical fiction and I believe that everything Pam Jenoff writes is gold. In this World War II era novel Louise is trying to adjust to her post-war role of housewife when she sees a necklace in a box at a secondhand store. Recognizing the name of a Paris department store on the box, Louise is certain she has seen the necklace before when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi occupied France. As Louise tries to uncover the mystery of the necklace she is reunited with people and mysteries from her past life.

The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian - Here is another historical fiction novel this one taking place during the American Civil War. In 1864 Virginia , the wife of a missing Confederate soldier finds a wounded Yankee officer left for dead in a neighbor's abandoned house. She needs to make an ethical decision of whether to help an enemy or leave him to die. If she does help him should she use him as a bargaining chip to find her own husband? Sounds like a terrific read as Bohjalian never fails to delight.

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli - I know I have told you about Elizabeth Gilbert's theory (written in Big Magic) that there are ideas floating around the universe and people pick them up to act on them. So, this novel takes place in 1938 and, similar to Marie Benedict's novel, four well-known female mystery writers band together to uncover a murder at the gala they have hosted to support Britain's war effort. A totally different novel with the same people, it should be interesting to see what each of these authors bring to the story.

Anything on your radar for your own TBR pile? Please share!