Westwood Public Library
Westwood, Massachusetts

Pre-Pub Pick: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (Expected publication: March 19, 2019 by Gallery/Scout Press).

Carty-Williams debut novel, Queenie, will be one of the top picks of 2019. Queenie is a professional 25 year old British Jamaican woman working at one of London's national newspapers, who is blindsighted by her breakup with Tom, her white boyfriend of three years. While trying to gain control of her life, Queenie is forced to confront the ugliness in her life: the racism (casual and overt), her anxiety and depression that is worsening at an alarming rate, and past trauma that is impacting all of her relationships. Queenie must both accept the things she cannot change, but also take responsibility for how the rest of her life will go. 

Cart-Williams writing is animated and intimate- this is a fast and entertaining read, but the racism, sexism and mental health are featured with the full weight of their impact- no false bravado and no glossing over. 

Queenie is an important novel because this is a story that shows how the fetishization of black women impacts everyday lives. This book also does a good job describing how ineffective good intentions are when there is an assumption of understanding, where one can never truly understand. An important and highly recommended read. *Thanks to Edelweiss and  Gallery/Scout Press for providing an e-galley for an unbiased review.*

Place a hold on Queenie by clicking here!

Pre-Pub Pick: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Celadon Books).

The Silent Patient is a fun, twisty ride through the world criminal psychology. Michaelides debut novel is dark, and full of red herrings and hard to put down. Some details might seem a bit off, but still a fast and enjoyable read for fans of A.J Finn and Fiona Barton.*Thanks to Celadon Books for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.*

Place a hold on The SIlent Patient by clicking here!

A mother’s errand turns dark and mystical in Hunt’s newest take on witches in Colonial New England. A bright-eyed Goody walks into the woods to gather berries for her husband and young son when the air turns dark. Soon our nameless protagonist is lost, and encounters a magnetic Captain Jane, a bizarre hermit named Eliza, and an ephemeral girl in a yellow dress, each one welcoming and yet exuding a cautious eagerness. Circumstances continually keep the Goody from making her way home. As the tale unravels, snippets of the Goody’s past come into focus and the reader begins to understand that Goody has much more in common with the dark, ominous forest than it first appeared.

With an unambiguous ending, In the House in the Dark of the Woods is a quick and thoroughly enjoyable horror novel. Hunt’s style will not please readers who strongly prefer prosaic writing, but the story is so engrossing that one can easily overcome any prejudices regarding narrative style. A perfect treat (or is it a trick?) for Halloween. Highly recommended for horror fans and admirers of lyrical narrative. Click here to place your copy on hold today!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.

Atkinson’s new spy novel is clever, detailed and consuming. The publisher's marketing describes Atkinson’s writing as “textured”, and the term fits as suspense, humor and a bit of grit is woven throughout. Good historical fiction has the responsibility of balancing plot with fact, and it is in the details that Atkinson’s novel moves from good to great (see her Author’s Note and accompanying bibliography for her thoughts on this aspect of writing).  A twist near the end may offend some readers who instinctually give credence to the protagonist, but you can never trust a spy. Fans of Atkinson’s will certainly be pleased. Highly recommended! Place your copy on hold here!