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You know, I said time went fast but I really mean it. I was thinking there's two more months and then all the events will start in the bookshop. But no, it's already August! And the "Rentree Scolaire" is almost right in front of us! Can you believe this? I still have some difficulties. There are a bit less books getting out in August but nevertheless I think there are quite some good ones. Let me show you which ones I would like to read (and hope I'll be able to but you know, the TBR-pile is tumbling over…).
Contemporary
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee (01/08)
In a mysterious town that lies hidden in our collective subconscious, there's a quaint little store where all kinds of dreams are sold . . . Day and night, visitors both human and animal from all over the world shuffle in sleepily in their pyjamas, lining up to purchase their latest adventure. Each floor in the department store sells a special kind of dream, including nostalgic dreams about your childhood, trips you've taken, and delicious food you've eaten, as well as nightmares and more mysterious dreams. In Dallergut Dream Department Store we meet Penny an enthusiastic new-hire; Dallergut, the flamboyant owner of the department store; Agnap Coco, producer of special dreams; Vigo Myers, an employee in the mystery department as well as the cast of curious, funny and strange clientele that regularly visit the store. When one of the most coveted and expensive dreams gets stolen during Penny's first week, we follow along with her as she tries to uncover the workings of this wonderfully whimsical world.
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum (29/08)
Raised in a conservative and emotionally volatile Palestinian family in Brooklyn, Yara thought she would finally feel free when she married a charming entrepreneur who took her to the suburbs. She’s gotten to follow her dreams, completing an undergraduate degree in Art and landing a good job at the local college. As a traditional wife, she also raises their two school-aged daughters, takes care of the house, and has dinner ready when her husband gets home. With her family balanced with her professional ambitions, Yara knows that her life is infinitely more rewarding than her own mother’s. So why doesn’t it feel like enough? After her dream of chaperoning a student trip to Europe evaporates and she responds to a colleague’s racist provocation, Yara is put on probation at work and must attend mandatory counseling to keep her position. Her mother blames a family curse for the trouble she’s facing, and while Yara doesn’t really believe in old superstitions, she still finds herself growing increasingly uneasy with her mother’s warning and the possibility of falling victim to the same mistakes. Shaken to the core by these indictments of her life, Yara finds her carefully constructed world beginning to implode. To save herself, Yara must reckon with the reality that the difficulties of the childhood she thought she left behind have very real—and damaging—implications not just on her own future but that of her daughters.
Thriller
The Trials of Marjorie Crowe by C.S. Robertson (08/08) How do you solve a murder when everyone thinks you're guilty? Marjorie Crowe lives in Kilgoyne, Scotland. The locals put her age at somewhere between 55 and 70. They think she's divorced or a lifelong spinster; that she used to be a librarian, a pharmacist, or a witch. They think she's lonely, or ill, or maybe just plain rude. For the most part, they leave her be. But one day, everything changes. Local teenager Charlie McKee is found hanging in the woods, and Marjorie is the first one to see his body. When what she saw turns out to be impossible, the police have their doubts. And when another young person goes missing, the tide of suspicion turns on her. Is Marjorie the monster, or the victim? And how far will she go to fight for her name?
Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (29/08) When the Australian Mystery Writers' Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn't pan out. The program is a who's who of crime writing royalty: the debut writer (me!), the forensic science writer, the blockbuster writer, the legal thriller writer, the literary writer, the psychological suspense writer. But when one of us is murdered, six authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime. Or commit one...
YA
The Undying Tower by Melissa Welliver (01/08)
What if living forever was a death sentence? Decades after the discovery that a small percentage of the population has stopped ageing, the Avalonia Zone is in crisis. From overpopulation to food shortages, the ‘Undying’ have been blamed for the state’s problems, banished to the fringes of society, and punished for every minor infraction. When sixteen-year-old Sadie takes the fall for an attack by a rebel group, The Alchemists, she suddenly finds herself wrenched away from her quiet life and from her ailing father. Armed with little help and even less knowledge, Sadie is thrust into a cold and cryptic ‘correctional facility’ – The Tower. Here she’ll have to rethink everything she’s been told about the Undying population in an attempt to save the life she knows, protect a group of unlikely friends, and give voice to the voiceless in a society on the brink of catastrophic upheaval.
Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (01/08)
For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours Jamie was married, and Kat had a step-brother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since. Now, Jamie is a jewel thief, and her boss, Gem, is the closest thing Kat has ever had to extended family. So it’s no wonder that Kat is crushed when Jamie breaks the news: they're going straight. Her next job will be her last—and it’s a big one. Because the woman whose necklace they’ll be stealing is Annalise Sutherland, a member of one of America’s richest families. Liam's father is not his favorite person, but since his mother's tragic death six months ago, he's had to live with him. So far all he's learned about the man is that he's serial scammer. He dates women and cons them out of money. His latest mark--Annalise Southerland. Which is how Liam and Kat end up in the same place. Ross Sutherland’s, birthday celebration, hosted at the Sutherland family compound. This final job is supposed to be easy, but from the moment Kat and Liam reunite it's clear that something is horribly, dangerously wrong. And just like those 48 hours their parents were married, they can only count on each other. Or can they? Everyone is lying and suddenly Kat is in the crosshairs of a mysterious stranger who definitely wants her dead. Or is it even a stranger?
Children's
Van Gogh’s Dog by Georgia Larson (24/08) Vincent Van Gogh is an artist with nothing to paint ... ... Enter Sunny, a dog on a mission to show Vincent that inspiration is all around him. Join our canine companion as he leads Vincent on a merry chase around the locations that inspired Van Gogh’s most famous paintings – from sunflower field to café terrace, bedroom to twinkling night-time scene, all brought to life by illustrator Grace Helmer. Featuring a studio scene showcasing photographs of Van Gogh’s work, this delightful story introduces the youngest children to these famous works and encourages them to look at the world through an artist’s eyes.
Amari and the Despicable Wonders by BB Alston (29/08)
Hope you have a fantastic Summer holiday!
This blog post is written by The Little Bookshop, your bookshop for English books in Rennes.