Summer is
here! Dust of the deck chairs and grab a great book: like one of
these releases you can expect to see in July!
If the main
character in the summer flick-based-on-a-book Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (M) interests you but the undead elements do not, you might be
interested in a reimagining of Lincoln's life that is more based in
our own earthly plane.
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln (M) by Stephen L. Carter (July 10) is
still taking liberties with the historical record, but there are no
vampires here. From the publisher: "An electrifying, provocative
new novel that asks the question: What would have happened had
Lincoln not been assassinated? President Abraham Lincoln survives the
assassination attempt at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 - only to
be charged with overstepping his Constitutional authority during the
Civil War, and faced with impeachment. Abigail, a young black woman
recently graduated from Oberlin, is hired by a D.C. law firm to
assist in Lincoln's defence." 
On the Island (M) by Tracey Garvis Graves (July 10). This is the sort of
success story we all like to dream about. Graves originally
self-published her first novel about a teacher who becomes stranded
on a deserted island with only her young student to keep her company.
The book was recently picked up by a division of Penguin and has been
optioned for a film adaptation. Get your hold in now to be ahead of
the crowd!
The premise
of Year Zero (M) by Rob Reid (July 10) makes me so happy: I'm not
sure what that says about me. In a nutshell, sometime in our past
(about 1977) distant aliens first heard the pop music of earth: and
they loved it. However, their illegal downloading activities now mean
that they owe so much to us earthlings in copyright infringement
fines that they are now bankrupt and the quickest solution to their
problem is to simply destroy us all. Lawyer Nick Carter has 48 hours
to broker a solution and save the world. Early reviews have lots of
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy comparisons for this zany Sci Fi
treat.
Fallen Angel (M) by Daniel Silva (July 17): It's time for the latest
installment in his popular series, featuring the art restorer by day,
intelligence agent by night: Gabriel Allon. In this one Allon is
called to investigate the discovery of a body in the Vatican: the
police think it's suicide, Allon suspects otherwise. These fast
paced, intricately plotted novels by a former CNN correspondent have
quickly become favourites amongst readers looking for spy thrillers
in the mood of John le Carré or Alan Furst. (digression: Alan Furst
had a new book out last month—if you haven't already checked out
Mission to Paris (M), you might want to add that to your summer
reading list too!)
I have a
bit of soft spot for translated thrillers so it's not surprising that
I'm rounding out this list with Pimp's Notes (M) by Giorgio Faletti
(July 20), a translated from Italian, 1970s set noir thriller. From
the publisher "It’s 1978. Italy has just been shocked by the
kidnapping of the politician Aldo Moro by the left-leaning terrorist
group the Red Brigades. In Milan, the upper class continues to amuse
itself in luxury restaurants, underground clubs, and cabarets. This
is Bravo’s milieu. Enigmatic and cynical, Bravo makes his living
catering to the tastes, fantasies, and fetishes of the wealthy and
depraved. When the mysterious Carla enters his life, what begins as a
clandestine romance quickly becomes a nightmare that will transform
Bravo into a man wanted by the police, by organized crime, and even
by the Red Brigades." While you're waiting for the release date
for this one, why not check out Faletti's first book, I Kill (M).
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