Every year I post a list of must-read books for the year ahead. I normally give you twelve amazing sounding books that you are going to want to pre-order and devour immediately. This year I've got seventeen books for you, because 2017 is going to be one heck of a year! So, bookmark this post to review every month, or pre-order these amazing titles today. Any purchases through my site will help me save a few pennies towards my next book purchase. And since you know me as well as you do - you know I need the pennies. Thanks for reading and shopping.
17 Books You Must Read in 2017
A story that is described as floating between past and present, The Wicked City sounds like an entertaining read. With scenes set in the 1920s in New York City, filled with flappers, a speakeasy and a free-spirited redhead (I mean, come on, I HAVE to read it - right?) it's piqued my interest. A spin on historical fiction that sounds enjoyable and fun, with a touch of mystery to seal the deal.
Family secrets are at the heart of This Is How It Always Is. Claude is one of our primary characters. And Claude is a 5-year-old boy, the youngest of his siblings, who enjoys wearing dresses and dreams of being a princess someday. A boy who says he wants to be a girl when he grows up. I'm curious to see how this story plays out and I look forward to seeing the dynamic that Frankel sets up for the entire family.
Copycat has a bit of a familiar feel to it. It sounds like a movie you've seen or maybe even a book you've read before. Girl makes friend with girl. Girl decides she wants to be like girl. Girl decides she wants to BE girl? Maybe. But there's something that pulls me in anyway. I've never read Lawson Roby's work before - so maybe that's it - interest in an author that's new to me. Either way, it seems like an interesting approach to this type of tale.
Kailey thinks she has everything. And maybe she does. But one night she's leaving a restaurant after a beautiful meal with her fiancé and approaches a homeless man - only to find that he is - he was - the love of her life. If that's not enough to make you want to read Always? Well, of course there's more, it's just that that's all I'm going to give you. Let's chat next month after we both read the book!
Pam Jenoff is well-known in historical fiction circles. And I've heard only amazing things about The Orphan's Tale from friends who have had a chance to read an advance copy. Set during World War II, the main character of Noa is who we follow as she finds herself turning to a traveling circus to hide herself. Becoming friends with Astrid is how she settles in - but things change - impacting both of them way beyond their expectations.
You guys - Colleen Oakley is back and I want to cry - I'm that happy. Before I Go was such an incredible read that I cannot wait to dive into this one. The intro in the description? Jubilee Jenkins has a rare condition: she's allergic to human touch. Right? That's it. That's all I need. She meets someone and how their relationship does or does not develop all hinges on this one sentence. So, Close Enough To Touch is on my must-read list, without a doubt.
I've never read anything by Peter Heller before, but Celine has pulled me in. I can't truly explain why I want to read it - the story itself seems interesting - but not groundbreaking - and still, I want to know more. Celine is a woman on a mission. She finds missing people. And in this story she's on the search for a photographer gone missing. And she's looking because she's been asked to by his daughter, who isn't sure he's really gone, as his body was never found. It seems like the combination of mystery and adventure, with a journey to the great outdoors, and I like it.
I love the cultural side to See's writing. The way she introduces us to things we know nothing about - and does so in a way that pulls together a story of family, relationships, bonds and life. There's a mother-daughter story in The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane, and I, for one, am here for it.
A story about the secrets between three sisters, a mother who molded them to be all they could be and then some, and twenty or so years of time gone by. With reflections on dreams of the past, The Promise Sisters find their way back to one another after drifting apart into simple and uninspiring lives. Their mother, Minerva Promise, shares that she essentially created them to succeed, and they did not. Want to know more? Me, too.
One Perfect Lie, Lisa Scottoline - April 11, 2017
Killer twists. Secret identities. Moms and their sons. A community baseball team. One Perfect Lie is just that. Or is it? Sounds like Chris Brennan (is that his real name? yeah. no.) has plans for the small Pennsylvania town he's moved into, but we have no idea what they are. A secret plan that involves the baseball team? What's with this guy and how much are we going to hate him? Let's read One Perfect Lie together and see.
Paula Hawkins is best known for her debut novel, The Girl On The Train. With Into The Water we appear to be in for another thriller. The water represents the river that runs through the town - a river that has been taking lives. The orphaned teenage girl who just lost her mother to these waters finds herself in the care of her aunt, an aunt who has secrets. Secrets. Memories. The past. The present. It's all in this one. Can't wait to dive in!
The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Amanda Quick - May 9, 2017
A peek at the drama surrounding Hollywood in the 1930s, in The Woman Who Knew Too Much Quick (author Jayne Ann Krentz), brings us a reporter, Irene, who is searching for the scoop that will get her name recognition - only to find her source at the bottom of a pool. Digging into the drowning gets her closer to the secrets she was hoping to find - and closer to the danger surrounding those involved.
With her first novel this year, Camille Di Maio quickly moved to the top of my list of favorite authors. Before The Rain Falls looks like a beautiful read. The kind that shifts from the story in 'present day' and one of years ago. The story of Della Lee, a woman just released from prison after serving 70 years for the murder of her sister (what!?! I know, right?) and her secrets - I'm already signed on for this one. Plus - isn't the cover just gorgeous?
The Simplicity of Cider, Amy E. Reichert - May 16, 2017
I'm a big fan of Reichert's books. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake was one of my favorite reads a few years ago. I'd like to tell you to read this book just because Reichert wrote it - but a small intro follows anyway. The Simplicity of Cider is the story of Sanna, a fifth-generation cider maker living on her family's apple orchard, and Isaac, someone with a complex history. I look forward to reading as they connect and can't wait to see how the story unfolds.
The Switch, Joseph Finder - June 13, 2017
I have not read any of Joseph Finder's books - but the premise of The Switch caught my attention. So I've added him to a list of authors I need to check out. This story is a story of a MacBook mix-up, where a regular 'joe' (or Mike, in this case) ends up with a senator's laptop - and access to loads of secret files. Senator Robbins finds herself fearful of the worst. A play on today's political goings on, The Switch should hold our attention as we try to figure out what will happen next.
The Breakdown, B.A. Paris - June 20, 2017
Another chilling novel from B.A. Paris? Sign me up. If The Breakdown is anything like Behind Closed Doors it's going to be the kind of book you can't put down until you're done. A murder and some mysteriously silent phone calls leave our main character Cass in a bit of a tizzy - and I, for one, want to know what's going on.
Not much info out about this one except that it's Dan Brown and it's another Robert Langdon story. And if you're into Dan Brown and like his writing? You'll probably want to get this one, too. Origin. It comes out in September - not that any of us want to wait that long. Pre-order today.
For more 2017 book information, you need to read this post:
For more 2017 book information, you need to read this post:
12 Books To Read in Early 2017
And to catch up on what I've been reading:
The Best Books I Read This Year
And for some fun and funny book recs:
13 Authors Who Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
Another great list to add to my To Read list. Ups always give me great suggestions so I am definitely going to be reading some of these! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just finished This is How It Always Is and it was truly fantastic. Had me feeling the whole spectrum of emotions and is really accessible.
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