Sunday, May 19, 2013
Pages and pages of promise
Wile away long summer days with the Indy's reading suggestions
by Kirsten Akens
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With the unbelievably high gas prices this year, the best way to travel may be through the pages of a good book. Here are a few anticipated bestsellers coming from some top authors (and one celebrity).
Mystery/suspense
Robert Ludlums The Bourne Betrayal
Eric Van Lustbader
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Warner, $25.99/hardcover
Release: June5
Even though Robert Ludlum died in 2001, his characters live on through the writing of bestselling thriller author Eric Van Lustbader. This brand-new Jason Bourne tale, sharing his latest adventures in Africa, may be just what you need to tide you over until The Bourne Ultimatum hits the big screen in August.
Lean Mean Thirteen
Janet Evanovich
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St. Martin's Press, $27.95/hardcover
Release: June 19
It's summer, so it's time for Stephanie ... Plum, that is. New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich brings back bounty hunter Plum in yet another crazy escapade. Evanovich never lets her fans down, mixing humor, heat and danger as only she can. For the obsessive ones out there, when you've finished #13, come up with a groovy name for #14 and enter it at evanovich.com; your name could be listed in the next book's acknowledgments.
Sweet Revenge
Diane Mott Davidson
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HarperCollins, $25.95/hardcover
Release: Sept. 18
New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson hails from Evergreen, and her main character, caterer Goldy Shulz, makes her home in Aspen Meadow, a small (fictional) town west of Denver. A winter holiday tale, Sweet Revenge will provide the cool references needed on a hot summer day. Not just entertaining reads, Davidson's mysteries include original recipes and are perfect for those who like to cook or simply eat.
Romance
High Noon
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Nora Roberts
Penguin, $26.95/hardcover
Release: July 10
Ah, the queen of romance, Nora Roberts. With 150-plus novels to her name and more than 280 million copies of her books in print, she's one of a kind. High Noon is a chilly romantic suspense with a female hostage negotiator taking the lead. If you enjoy a book that keeps you up reading late into the night, this one has potential.
Fantasy
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Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures Volume 1
Laurell K. Hamilton
Marvel Enterprises, $19.99/hardcover
Release: July 18
Some hate the super-sexy, extra-violent direction in which Laurell K. Hamilton has taken Anita Blake. But for those who welcome the change, here's another way to enjoy the vampire huntress at her finest visually. This graphic novel binds six of Hamilton's comics in one package, perfect for tossing in a bag and taking to the mountains or the hot springs.
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Nonfiction
1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A.
& Canada Before You Die
Patricia Schultz
Workman, $18.95/paperback
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Release: June 7
Dreaming of the perfect place to visit this summer? With 2.2 million copies in print, Patricia Schultz's 1,000 Places to See Before You Die caught everyone's attention. Now, she tackles the grand old US of A (and Canada), with a thousand reasons to plan adventures a little closer to home.
Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France
Floyd Landis
Simon & Schuster, $24.95/hardcover
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June 28
Did he or didn't he? (Dope, that is.) Floyd Landis tells his version of what happened at the Tour de France 2006, alongside his life story. Will his Mennonite family history, intermingled with tour wins with Lance Armstrong, convince cycling fans one way or another? Only you can read, then decide.
Literary
On Chesil Beach
Ian McEwan
Doubleday, $22/hardcover
Release: June 5
In his 13th novel, Ian McEwan weaves a tale that is short in pages but not in meaning. In this story, the reader follows a newly married couple during the summer of 1963 and the challenges of their personal life. Not light reading, McEwan's books make his readers think hard about life and love.
For kids of all ages
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
J.K. Rowling
Scholastic, $34.99/hardcover
Release: July 21
The much-anticipated final book in the Harry Potter series hits shelves in July. It may cost more than you';ve ever paid for a novel, but the 784 pages are bound to be worth it. What will we do once the Harry craze is over? Dont worry ... after getting a solid fix this summer (the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film opens July 13), you should get to enjoy at least two more movies. After that, well have to wait for Rowling's next move.
