Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: A Thousand Splendid Suns/Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders/Unnatural Magic/The Family Upstairs



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!



A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, 2007)
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.
Why I want to read this: The Kite Runner is among my all time favorite books, and so when A Thousand Splendid Suns came out, I scooped it up as soon as it came out. Perhaps it was the hype or something else that kept me from picking it up to read it right away. And there it still sits, waiting patiently. I do want to read it at some point still.


Have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? If so, what did you think? If you haven't, does it sound like something you would enjoy? 


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders (A Woman of WWII Mystery #1) by Tessa Arlen
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Berkley
The start of an exciting new World War II historical mystery series featuring charming, quirky Air Raid Warden Poppy Redfern....

Summer 1942. The world has been at war for three long and desperate years. In the remote English village of Little Buffenden, the Redfern family's house and farmland has been requisitioned by the War Office as a new airfield for the American Air Force.

The village's Air Raid Warden, twentysomething Poppy Redfern, spends her nights patrolling the village and her days writing a novel of passion. It is a far cry from the experience of the other young women in town: within days, two of the village's prettiest girls are dating American airmen and Little Buffenden considers the "Friendly Invasion" to be a success.

But less than a week later, Doreen Newcombe, the baker's daughter; and the popular Ivy Wantage are both found dead. Poppy realizes that her community has been divided by murder, and the mistrust and suspicion of their new American neighbors threatens to tear this town, already grappling with the horrors of war, apart. Poppy decides to start her own investigation, but she soon unearths some unfortunate secrets and long-held grudges. She will have no choice but to lay a trap for a killer so perilously close to home, she might very well become the next victim.... [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I love Tessa Arlen's Lady Montfort's series and am eager to try her new series. 


Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Ace
Onna can write the parameters of a spell faster than any of the young men in her village school. But despite her incredible abilities, she’s denied a place at the nation’s premier arcane academy. Undaunted, she sails to the bustling city-state of Hexos, hoping to find a place at a university where they don’t think there’s anything untoward about providing a woman with a magical education. But as soon as Onna arrives, she’s drawn into the mysterious murder of four trolls.

Tsira is a troll who never quite fit into her clan, despite being the leader’s daughter. She decides to strike out on her own and look for work in a human city, but on her way she stumbles upon the body of a half-dead human soldier in the snow. As she slowly nurses him back to health, an unlikely bond forms between them, one that is tested when an unknown mage makes an attempt on Tsira’s life. Soon, unbeknownst to each other, Onna and Tsira both begin devoting their considerable talents to finding out who is targeting trolls, before their homeland is torn apart…  [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: How could I not want to read this one? Magic and a mystery, and two intriguing heroines . . . 


The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Atria Books
Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London.

It’s happening, says the message. The baby is back.

Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now twenty-five, she’s astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now it’s hers.

As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?  [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this:  Family secrets and an inherited old house . . . I have to read this one!


Do any of these sound like novels you would like to read? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? 


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30 comments:

  1. Oooh! All of these books sound interesting! I especially love the cover to Unnatural Magic!

    Here’s my WoW!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Ronyell - I am eager to read them all! Thank you for visiting!

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  2. I'm always up for a Lisa Jewell book.

    I've read one of Hosseini's book and loved his writing.

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    1. Kathy - I have yet to try one of her books, but so many of them sound good. Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. I loved The Kite Runner, so I don't know why I never read A Thousand Splendid Suns! I'm intrigued by both Poppy Redfern and Unnatural Magic and love both covers. The opinions of The Family Upstairs have varied, but I enjoyed it. :)

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    1. Jenclair - I wonder that too. Maybe because we loved it so much we worry the next one wouldn't live up to our expectations. I am glad you enjoyed The Family Upstairs! I look forward to reading it. Thank you for visiting, Jenclair!

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  4. I've heard of The Kite Runner and of A Thousand Splendid Suns but I haven't read them. And cool cover on Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders. I'd definitely read these. Enjoy them if you get to them!

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    1. Naida - Isn't that cover wonderful? I'm really excited to give her new series a try. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. I love the cover for Unnatural Magic! I know what you mean about the backlog books, I need to do that as well. Right now I'm doing a post every Saturday where I'm going through the books that I just have saved on my Goodreads TBR, but don't necessarily own.
    Check out my Wednesday Post

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    1. Lisa - I love the cover of Unnatural Magic too. Thank you for visiting!

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  6. I won a copy of Unnatural Magic but haven't read it yet. I have WAY too many backlog books so I feel your pain!

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    1. Barb - I hope we both enjoy Unnatural Magic! Thank you for stopping by. :-)

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  7. These are some great picks! I am especially excited for The Family Upstairs.

    My CWW

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    1. Jenea - I am too! I can't wait to read it. Thank you for visiting!

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  8. They all sound good, but I think today I am most intrigued by the last one. Hope you enjoy them all when you get to them! My WoW

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    1. Laura - I can't wait to read them. Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. I read A Thousand Splendid Suns a number of years ago. Think it was one of the first selections for the afternoon book group I moderated at the library. I remember liking it a lot, but I don't remember much about the story. I ought to reread it.

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    1. Kay - I should try and read it soon. Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I just got Poppy Redfern in the mail and I'm so excited about it. It looks great. And the Lisa Jewell book looks good! I've listened to 2 of her books and am really loving her books.

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    1. Katherine - I hope we both love it! Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. All your new books on the list sound great, it's impossible for me to say which I hope you'll read soon (so I can read your review) :p

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    1. Eustacia - I am not sure I can decide which I would read first either. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  12. A Thousand Splendid Suns is good...but not as good as The Kite Runner. I absolutely loved The Kite Runner. A Thousand Splendid Suns didn't strike me in quite the same way; it felt sadder to me. But I still liked it.

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    1. Lark - I have heard wonderful things about A Thousand Splendid Suns, but perhaps because I loved The Kite Runner so much, it has made me worry my expectations will be to high for the other. Thank you for visiting!

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  13. I think that I had a copy of A Thousand Splendid Suns at one point but got rid of it during one of my purges. I am not sure if I am still interested in it or not so I look forward to your thoughts. I just got my hands on a copy of Unnatural Magic and can't wait to start reading!

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    1. Carole - I hope we both love Unnatural Magic! Thank you for stopping by.

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  14. I think that often happens to me with a second book from an author I love. I get so excited and somehow the book ends up a shelf sitter. I also haven't gotten around to reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. All the new books you listed sound so good!

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    1. Iliana - Exactly! It's happened more than once for me. Thank you for visiting!

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