Book Review
24 inviting reads to kick off ‘ 24
By Tom Mayer
If current trends continue , there will be about 1 million new books published this year , the vast majority by authors we ’ ve never heard of and never will . The big names — King , Grisham , Hoover , even Pilkey with “ Dog Man ’ s ” loyal legion — grab the bulk of the attention … and why not ? Dependable storylines , top-notch editing and deep discounts make for predictably good-reading weekends .
But what about the others similarly worthy of recognition and , more importantly , a place in your online cart ? While I can ’ t diligently discuss the other 999,976 books that could paper your fireplace reading , I can offer 24 for the beginning of 2024 … with a few caveats and a bit of a cheat .
First , this isn ’ t a “ best-of ” list — the new year is too new for that . A few of the books here were scheduled for publication after the turn of the calendar and are either available now or soon will be ; other titles were published later in 2023 but might not yet be on your reading radar . I ’ ll note the distinctions by including the publication dates . Second , there are a couple of headline-catching names in the list , but only because of their late 2023 publication dates . And third , I ’ m going to end with a few older titles by a couple of literary giants that one praiseworthy publishing house , Blackstone Publishing , has seen fit to resurrect with new and outstanding productions .
1 . “ The Sandbox ” ( The Sandbox Series Book 1 ) by Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson ( Blackstone Publishing , July 25 , 2023 ) debuted as a techno-thriller that “ redefines the meaning of murder in the 21st century ” which , of course , is code for a story delving deep into the world of artificial intelligence . Throw in the Pentagon , a Green Beret , a female protagonist homicide detective with a gift for reading people and it is a story that ’ ll have you reading into the night .
2 . “ The Caretaker ” by Ron Rash ( Doubleday , Sept . 26 , 2023 ) is a deceptively simple story set in 1951 Blowing Rock about a 16-year-old outcast , among others , who people this amazingly accurate , if fictional , place in the mountains of the Old North State .
3 . “ The Life and Times of Hanna Crafts : The True Story of The Bondswoman ’ s Narrative ” by Gregg Hecimovich ( Ecco , Oct . 17 , 2023 ) was named a “ most anticipated title ” in 2023 by a myriad of news outlets . Set in North Carolina , the book is about a woman who escapes from a plantation in 1857 and later writes about her enslaved life , “ The Bondwoman ’ s Narrative ,” a success when published in 2002 by an unknown author . Professor Hecimovich unravels the secret of that author ’ s identity .
4 . “ American Girl ” by Wendy Walker ( Blackstone Publishing , Oct . 17 , 2023 ) is a well-drawn thriller about an autistic 17-year-old who is involved in murder and small-town secrets that lead to a complexity of suspects and a dangerous denouement .
5 . “ Let Us Descend ” by Jesmyn Ward ( Scribner , Oct . 24 , 2023 ) is a reimagining tale about American slavery and a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation .
6 . “ The Last Applicant ” by Rebecca Hanover ( Lake Union Publishing , Oct . 24 , 2023 ) is a contemporary novel about an admissions director of an exclusive Manhattan private school whose every boundary is tested by a woman determined to get her son into the city ’ s most prestigious class of … kindergarteners . Secrets not only abound , they unravel in this tautly told story .
7 & 8 . “ The Aeronaut ’ s Windlass ” by Jim Butcher ( Ace , original 2015 ) is not a new book , but available again now in paperback to complement the next chapter of The Cinder Spires series with “ The Olympian Affair " released by Ace on Nov . 7 , 2023 .
9 . “ Resurrection Walk ” by Michael Connelly ( Little , Brown and Company , Nov . 7 , 2023 ) The author ’ s seventh Mickey Haller novel begins with Haller ’ s half-brother , Harry Bosch acting as driver for The Lincoln Lawyer . Those who know both characters will not only find this unusual , but downright disturbing . The surprises keep coming as Haller and Bosch take on the case of a woman on death row who was convicted of killing her husband , but just might be innocent .
10 . “ Good Girls Don ’ t Die ” by Christina Henry ( Berkley , Nov . 14 , 2023 ) While I have a rule against reviewing dystopian literature , it was bent here because , one , Henry lulled me into the story that is only part dystopia and , two , I really , really wanted to know how this story of total misdirection — where nothing is as it seems — would come out . Well done , Ms . Henry .
11 . “ Silent Calvary ” by Howell Raines ( Crown , Dec . 5 ) As if the pedigree of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author wasn ’ t enough , the subtitle would have brought me to this compellingly tome : “ How Union Soldiers from Alabama Helped Sherman Burn Atlanta — And Then Got Written Out of History .” A riveting tale about an unsung regiment of 2,066 Alabamian yeoman farmers includes one of those men from Raines ’ own lineage .
12 . “ Unbound ” by Christy Healy ( Blackstone Publishing , Jan . 16 , 2024 ) A gender-bent reimagining of Beauty and the Beast with a double dose of Irish mythology and folklore . Destined to be a new classic .
13 . “ The Devil ’ s Daughter ” by Gordon Greisman ( Blackstone Publishing , Jan . 23 , 2024 ) The author writes with screenwriter credentials in a tale that roams from vice-riddled Manhattan to tonier climes where lies and secrets cloud every aspect of a murder .
14 . “ Almost Surely Dead ” by Amina Akhtar ( Mindy ’ s Book
34 • MERIDIAN LIFE