Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Wishing to Read Wednesday: Old and New (#1)



Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. 


What Happened That Night by Sandra Block
Release Date: June 5, 2018 by Sourcebooks Landmark
One moment Dahlia is a successful Harvard student. The next, she wakes up from a party, the victim of a brutal assault. Her life veers into a tailspin, and what’s worse, her memory of the attack has been ripped away, leaving a cold rage in its wake.

Now, years later, Dahlia is a tattooed paralegal suffering from PTSD, still haunted by that night. Until one day, a video surfaces online, and Dahlia sees her attack for the first time. Now she knows what happened to her. And she knows who to blame. Her rage is no longer cold, but burning, red hot.

And she is about to make everyone pay.
 [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this one: Sometimes a good revenge story is just what this reader needs.

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The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah
Release Date: June 19, 2018 by William Morrow
Sweetbitter meets The Nightingale in this page-turning novel about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy and unexpectedly uncovers a lost diary, an unknown relative, and a secret her family has been keeping since World War II.

To become one of only a few hundred certified wine experts in the world, Kate must pass the notoriously difficult Master of Wine Examination. She’s failed twice before; her third attempt will be her last. Suddenly finding herself without a job and with the test a few months away, she travels to Burgundy, to spend the fall at the vineyard estate that has belonged to her family for generations. There she can bolster her shaky knowledge of Burgundian vintages and reconnect with her cousin Nico and his wife Heather, who now oversee the grapes’ day-to-day management. The one person Kate hopes to avoid is Jean-Luc, a neighbor vintner and her first love.

At the vineyard house, Kate is eager to help her cousins clean out the enormous basement that is filled with generations of discarded and forgotten belongings. Deep inside the cellar, behind a large armoire, she discovers a hidden room containing a cot, some Resistance pamphlets, and an enormous cache of valuable wine. Piqued by the secret space, Kate begins to dig into her family’s history—a search that takes her back to the dark days of the Second World War and introduces her to a relative she never knew existed, a great half-aunt who was teenager during the Nazi occupation.

As she learns more about her family, the line between Resistance and Collaboration blurs, driving Kate to find the answers to two crucial questions: Who, exactly, did her family aid during the difficult years of the war? And what happened to six valuable bottles of wine that seem to be missing from the cellar’s collection? [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this one: I love stories involving lost and found diaries, looking back into the past, World War II settings, and family secrets. This one sounds like it will be right up my alley.

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Island of the Mad (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #15) by Laurie R. King
Release Date: June 12, 2018 by Random House/Bantam

A June summer's evening, on the Sussex Downs, in 1925. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are strolling across their orchard when the telephone rings: an old friend's beloved aunt has failed to return following a supervised outing from Bedlam. After the previous few weeks--with a bloody murder, a terrible loss, and startling revelations about Holmes--Russell is feeling a bit unbalanced herself. The last thing she wants is to deal with the mad, and yet, she can't say no.

The Lady Vivian Beaconsfield has spent most of her adult life in one asylum after another, yet he seemed to be improving--or at least, finding a point of balance in her madness. So why did she disappear? Did she take the family's jewels with her, or did someone else? The Bedlam nurse, perhaps?

The trail leads Russell and Holmes through Bedlam's stony halls to the warm Venice lagoon, where ethereal beauty is jarred by Mussolini's Blackshirts, where the gilded Lido set may be tempting a madwoman, and where Cole Porter sits at a piano, playing with ideas...
[Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this one: I have wanted to read this series forever, and have heard nothing but good things about it. Not to mention this cover keeps calling to me.


Do these books sound like ones you would like to read too?
What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading? 


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If I am going to draw attention to the upcoming releases I long to add to my TBR pile, why not also give some love to those unread books already sitting on my shelves?


Books from the Back is a weekly meme, hosted by the wonderful Carole of&nnahnbsp;Carole's Random Life in Books to spotlight and discuss the neglected books sitting on our shelves still waiting to be read.. 



The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1) by Laurie R. King (Minotaur Books, 1994)
Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes' pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: As I mentioned above, I have heard nothing but great things about this series and have had this first book on my book shelf waiting to be read forever.  Well, it feels like forever (2010, if I'm honest). I don't know what's stopping me from reading it. I really don't.

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Press, 2015)
In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: Will I be the last one to read this book? It sounds just like the sort of book I would love from the World War II setting to the characterizations to the plot lines.


Have you read either of these (most of you have, I bet!)? Do you recommend them?


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46 comments:

  1. So many books to catch up on, no matter they are old or new. For me, it's never too late to read them as long as we read them. ;)

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    1. Melody - Even if I read all day and night for the rest of my life I don't think I would get to them all! We can try to get to some of them though. :-)

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  2. What Happened That Night was really good, and I hope you get to read your picks soon. They all sounds really good too.

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    1. Jenea - I think so too! I can't wait to read that one. Hopefully soon. :-)

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  3. Ooh! I'd love to read - What Happened that Night!

    Thanks for the heads up.

    Here is mine for this week: http://www.bit.ly/arCWW1

    Hope you're having a good week!

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    1. Sassy Brit - Doesn't it sound good? I think so too!

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  4. Ooh I like the sound of What Happened That Night too. Sometimes a revenge read is somewhat cathartic lol.

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    1. Greg - I agree. Sometimes a little revenge reading can be cathartic. :-)

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  5. I've never heard of the series (although it looks intereesting) but I completely agree with you that the cover of Island of the Mad is really appealing.
    My Waiting on Wednesday for this week.

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    1. Louise - I just love it. I hope I can start the series sooner than later!

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  6. Ooooh, I really liked The Nightingale so The Lost Vintage sounds amazing to me! I hope you get the chance to read it(:

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    1. Eustacia - I am glad to hear you liked The Nightingale. I am sure I will too when I finally get to it. I can't wait to read The Lost Vintage. :-)

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  7. You're right about What Happened One Night - a good revenge story is just what I need from time to time. The Lost Vintage looks really good too.

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  8. What Happened That Night sounds like my kind of book! I'm curious to see what Dahlia does once she founds out the truth. I've been wanting to read The Nightingale for a while now. I read Kristin's Night Road several years ago and loved it but I haven't read anything else by her. Hope you enjoy all these books! :)

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    1. Lauren - I am too! It should be a good read. You'd think I would have read The Nightingale by now given my interest in World War II fiction. One of these days . . .

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  9. I'm looking forward to the Sandra Block book too. I've read at least one other by her and wonder if this one is part of her series or a standalone. Will have to check. You should read the first Mary Russell book. Read it years ago and have read two or three others in the series. Not one I keep up with faithfully. And you're not the only one who hasn't read The Nightingale. I haven't either, but I do own it. One day.

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    1. Kay - I haven't read anything by Sandra Block, but I know she's well liked. Yes, one day we will get to The Nightingale. :-)

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  10. Oooh! All of these books sound interesting! Great picks!
    Here’s my WoW!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Ronyell - Thanks! I am looking forward to reading them. :-)

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  11. You've featured great new and old books today, Wendy. I'm putting some of them on my wish list. Also hoping to catch up on the Mary Russell series one of these days--it's really a gem.

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    1. Catherine - Thank you! I hope you enjoy whichever ones you read! I am glad to hear you like the Marry Russell series. I look forward to giving it a try.

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  12. I've really enjoyed the Laurie R. King series though I'm a few books behind. It's really detailed so I'd really like to go back and reread it from the beginning but we know that's never going to happen. I hope you do get to it soon! That cover for the newest one is amazing! My library just added the audio of The Lost Vintage and I liked the look of the cover but didn't know much about the actual book. It looks great!

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    1. Katherine - I am glad you enjoy the King series. I have been wanting to read it for awhile now. I just love the premise behind it.

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  13. Scrolling down it was the cover of Island Of The Mad that caught my attention. Reading the synopsis it is this, closely followed by What Happened That Night that I'd like to read. Alas neither the cover, title nor synopsis of your third book speaks to me.

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    1. Tracy - Isn't that cover of Island of the Mad gorgeous? Hopefully it and What Happened That Night will live up to my expectations of them.

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  14. I've always wanted to start the Laurie King series but man, I can't believe it's on book 15 already. That's a lot to catch up on. What Happened That Night sounds like a pretty intense read!

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    1. Barb - Fifteen books does make starting the series a bit intimidating. I am trying to look at it from the perspective that there is more to look forward to if I do like it. :-)

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  15. What Happened That Night sounds like it's a real edge-of-your-seat read! I did read The Beekeeper's Apprentice, but I was rather uneasy about the age difference and the fact he is teaching her... So decided not to continue. But I think Laurie King sorted that issue out in subsequent books and, like you, I've heard a lot of love for this series.

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    1. Sarah - I think so too. Hopefully it will be as good as it sounds. I don't know much about the King series in terms of the initial relationship between the characters. Something like that tends to bother me too. It'll be interesting to see what I think when I read it.

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  16. I liked The Beekeeper's Apprentice...and really want to read What Happened That Night! :)

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    1. Lark - I am glad you enjoyed The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I hope I will too!

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  17. Thanks for joining in, Wendy! I have had a copy of The Nightingale for a long time myself. The rest of the books are new to me but I have heard great things about Sandra Block.

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    1. Carole - One of these days we will get to The Nightingale, right?

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  18. I save the unread ones at home for emergencies like when the library can't get them in from other libraries fast enough :)

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  19. I just text my mum about What Happened That Night. She LOVES those types of books (and that sounds right up her street!) whereas I hide from them, lol.

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    1. Nicola - I hope your mom loves What Happened Last Night. It does sound intense!

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  20. The Beekeepers Apprentice is one that I have wanted to read and now that I think about it I may actually have a copy on my kindle.

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    1. Cyndy - We both should make a point to read that one sooner than later. :-)

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  21. I've never heard of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, but I think I'm going to have to check that out :)

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    1. Wattle - I hope you like the series if you give it a try. I hope I do too!

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  22. Hi Wendy, all these books look good and great cover on Island of the Mad. I've also had my eye on The Nightingale for a while. Have a great week :)

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    1. Naida - I am glad to know I am not the only one who hasn't read The Nightingale. :-)

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  23. Oh goodness I've not read any of these but they all sound good. Especially the first one. What a thriller! Hope you guys are having a wonderful holiday weekend!

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    1. Iliana - Don't they sound good? I hope I can make time to read them. :-)

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