Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For May, we’re looking at historical fiction that spans everything from the 19th century to WWII, a new mystery series out of Spain, a fun fantasy romance, an ode to librarians out West, a nonfiction chronicle about the Shackleford Expedition, and an audiobook that’s being billed as the Tudors during Prohibition.
If you love historical fiction:
Hanna Pylväinen’s The End of Drum-Time (2023)
In 1850s Scandinavia, the son of a Sámi reindeer herder falls in love with the daughter of the Lutheran missionary who’s been trying to convert his people to Christianity for years. Complications ensue.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Charles Frazier.
Rachel Heng’s The Great Reclamation (2023)*
A lot of WWII fiction is centered around Europe, but this novel, which blends historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, is set in Singapore. Ah Boon is the son of a fisherman, and he has mystical powers that allow him to find previously unknown islands. But he’d rather spend his time playing with Siok Mei, the girl down the street. This idyllic existence comes crashing down when the Japanese invade.
*Ebook and audiobook also available on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoyed Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko and the work of Lisa See.
If you prefer mysteries:
Juan Gómez-Jurado’s Red Queen (2023)
Antonia Scott is a half-British, half-Spanish detective who’s a true prodigy when it comes to solving crimes. She’s so good that they call her the Red Queen. That is until a personal tragedy leaves her unwilling to even leave her home. A disgraced detective named Jon convinces her to resume her work after a bizarre murder and the kidnapping of one of the richest men in Spain. This is the first book in a trilogy that is translated from Spanish, and the entire series is being adapted for streaming by Amazon.
Recommended for those who enjoyed Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy.
If you enjoy fantasy:
Marcia Lynn McClure’s Midnight Masquerade (2022)**
In this retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Stavos the son of the king of Ethiarien has been commanded by his father to woo one of the twelve princesses of Abawyth. However, he finds himself more intrigued by their cousin, Evony. They say she’s from a poor, unfortunate background, but he detects a much more refined background in her every move and suspects there’s more to the story. You can tell where this is headed. . . .
**Ebook also available on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoy fantasy romance that’s fairly low heat.
If you like Westerns:
Hazel Rumney’s Librarians of the West (2022)
In this collection of four stories by a variety of Western authors, the focus is on librarians in the Wild West. Whether they’re running a library in Montana, falling in love with an illiterate cowboy, or starting a library in the wilds of the North Dakota frontier, the protagonists have a mixture of humorous and heartfelt adventures.
Recommended if you like slice-of-life Westerns with strong female characters.
If you want nonfiction:
Wilson McOrist’s Shackleton’s Heroes: The Epic Story of the Men Who Kept the Endurance Expedition Alive (2019)***
Ernest Shackleton is well-known for his Antarctic expeditions. Less famous are the men of the Mount Hope Party who saved the lives of Shackleton and the rest of the men on the Endurance by caching food depots for them. McOrist delves into diaries of the Mount Hope men to capture their own group camaraderie, as well as the grueling conditions they faced on their own mission.
***Ebook also available on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Alfred Lansing.
If you need an audiobook:
Jeannette Walls’s Hang the Moon (2023)****
Jeannette Walls is best known for her nonfiction, particularly her heartrending memoir The Glass Castle; however, she’s also written her share of novels. In this one, she chronicles the life and adventures of Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of a volatile but well-to-do Virginian. She remembers little of her own deceased mother, and her relationship with her father has been stormy, particularly after he has his longed-for son with her stepmother. Still, as a young woman, she’s drawn into her father’s lucrative bootlegging business, and when he dies, there’s a huge power vacuum left in his wake. It’s the Tudors meets Prohibition. No, really, Sallie’s older half sister is named Mary and her younger half brother is Eddie.
****Ebook and audiobook also available on Libby, physical copy also available in system
Recommended for those who enjoyed Ron Rash’s Serena.
What’s your favorite new-ish books? What books are you buzzing about these days? Have you read any of these books? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of these items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 