It’s anniversary time again. This is our 26th anniversary issue and once again we are proud to still be bringing to readers of London, surrounding areas, and around the world, another reason to love books. Since April 1998, Shelf Life has been providing readers with the best books to add to their lists, and read with as much passion as the reviewers from Shelf Life have found in these books.
This venture has been an honour and showing no signs of slowing down as the books from publishers continue to come in at a dizzying page, with so many amazing titles to showcase for your, the faithful reader. Our commitment to you continues, offering the most highly recommended titles that you can read with pleasure and hopefully tell your friends about.
This issue is filled with over 45 books of note, definitely something for everyone. Thank you for staying with us all these years and to our newer readers thank you as well for coming along for the ride.
Paul Sutter
Editor/Publisher
shelf-life1@rogers.com
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*** FICTION SECTION ***
There Should Have Been Eight
by Nalini Singh
(Dutton – $37.99 – 410 pages)
“Nalini Singh has a unique way of creating great characters and plots.”
Payback in Death
by J.D. Robb
(St. Martin’s Press – $40.00 – 360 pages)
“Book number fifty-seven of the fantastic, futuristic series creates the same action and tension of all previous books.”
What We Kept To Ourselves
by Nancy Jooyoung Kim
(Atria – $36.99 – 400 pages)
“This is a most complex work that, while a bit slower in sports, finds that patience pays off in the end.”
Deadly Cross
by James Patterson
(Little Brown – $38.00- 404 pages)
“James Patterson offers another complex, definitely one of the top five books of this lengthy series.”
The Island
by Adrian McKinty
(LIttle Brown – $24.00 – 377 pages)
“Barely fifty pages into the book, I knew I would have trouble putting it down.”
Take Your Breath Away
by Linwood Barclay
(William Morrow – $34.99 – 355 pages)
“…perfectly written in every sense of the word.”
The Man Trapped By Shadows
by Pete Zacharias
(Thomas & Mercer – $24.95 – 320 pages)
“Pete Zacharias has created a most empathetic character with Rooker…one can only eagerly anticipate more books in this saga.”
The Wild Coast
by Lin Anderson
(Macmillan – $39.99 – 470 pages)
“With a book of 470 pages, Anderson does not let up at all in the storytelling.”
Unnatural History
by Jonathan Kellerman
(Ballantine – $38.99 – 303 pages
“…no mater how often we meet (Alex Delaware), we never tire of his take on crime and solving the crimes.”
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge
by Spencer Quinn
(Forge – $35.95 – 293 pages)
“…this book is doggone entertaining from beginning to end.”
Big Swiss
by Jen Beagin
(Scribner – $36.00 – 323 pages)
“Jen Beagin elicits a lot of emotions in the book, with souls laid bare, and individuals coming to terms with their faults and fantasies.”
Kill Show – A True Crime Novel
by Daniel Sweren-Becker
(Harper – $ 24.99 – 222 pages)
“KILL SHOW skewers the media for glorifying crime. It shames those who should be shamed, while entertaining us totally.”
Dead Against Her
by Melinda Leigh
(Montlake – $23.95 – 300 pages)
“The deeper into the book, the deeper the puzzle thickens, as we discover who wanted revenge the most with Bree.”
Cutting Teeth
by Chandler Baker
(Flatiron- $36.99 – 312 pages)
“…a dark comedy with murder, mayhem and children behaving badly..”
Fear No Evil
by James Patterson
(Little Brown – $37.00 – 398 pages)
“…Patterson at his best, another gem of a thriller.”
None of This is True
by Lisa Jewell
(Atira – $26.99 – 370 pages)
“…the type of book you wish there were more hours in the day to read.”
The Hunt
by Kelly J. Ford
(Thomas & Mercer – $24.95 -338 pages)
“It makes for a deep dive into human emotions and beliefs, creating an amusing tale, unlike many you have read before.”
Loyalty
by Lisa Scottoline
(Putnam – $37.99 – 420 pages)
“LOYALTY enters the world of historical fiction with a most sweeping story that seems to blend fact and fiction.”
The Medici Murders
by David Hewson
(Canongate- $40.95 – 284 pages) – Reviewed by John M. Milner
“Part history lesson, part murder mystery, with a great, fun character at the centre of it all, whether he likes it or not.”
The Harbor
by Katrine Enberg (Translated by Tar Chace)
(Scout Press – $22.00 – 343 pages)
“…a well-written police procedural that gets more intriguing by the page.”
Salvage This World
by Michael Farris Smith
(Little Brown – $35.00 – 260 pages)
“…as dark as they come. It has apocalyptic and noir overtones, filled with people you can warm up to and despise at the same time.”
In Her Tracks
by Robert Dugoni
(Thomas & Mercer – $23.95 – 392 pages)
“Robert Dugoni keeps the tension coming all throughout the book, making it one of the best in the Tracy Crosswhite series.”
Worthy Opponents
by Danielle Steel
(Delacorte Press – $38.99 – 246 pages)
“…in true Danielle Steel type, love will save the day, bringing Spencer the happiness she deserves in life and business.”
The Scorpion’s Tale
by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
(Grand Central – $24.99 – 404 pages)
“For those who believe that everything Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child touch turns to gold, you will find 24 Karat excellence in THE SCORPION’S TALE. “
Just the Nicest Couple
by Mary Kubica
(Park Row – $35.99 – 320 pages)
“…recommended reading for those who enjoy their books shrouded in mystery and doubt. “
The Breakaway
by Jennifer Weiner
(Atria – $26.99 – 388 pages)
“The characters and situations are true to life…a breakaway winner in the Jennifer Weiner tradition. “
Stealth
by Stuart Woods
(Putnam – $37.00 – 311 pages)
“…shows even more how tragic the loss was of a literary giant. This is book fifty-one of the Stone Barrington series, and another classic.”
All The Devils
by Barry Eisler
(Thomas & Mercer – $21.95 – 352 pages)
“Barry Eisler holds nothing back, making this book one devilishly brilliant read.”
*** Non-Fiction Section ***
Tales of An Unsung Sourdough (The Extraordinary Adventures of Johnny Lind)
by Phil Lind and Robert Brehl
(Page Two – $39.95 – 124 pages)
“For lovers of history and the rush for gold, the book is definitely a thorough and informative treat.”
In the Groove: The Vinyl Record and Turntable Revolution
by Matt Anniss, Gillian Garr, Ken Micallef, Martin Popoff & Richie Unterberger
(Motorbooks – $53.00 – 196 pages)
“No lover of vinyl should be without this book, a true trip down memory and music lane.”
The League of Lady Poisoners
Written and Illustrated by Lisa Perrini
(Chronicle – $37.95 – 210 pages)
“…an exceptional journey to the dark side of life.”
Behind the Mask (A Revealing Look at Twelve of the Greatest Goalies in Hockey History)
by Randi Druzin
(Greystone – $29.95 – 280 pages)
“Hockey fans will enjoy the thoroughness of her choices.”
She Bop: The Definitive History of Women in Popular Music Revised and Updated 25th Edition
by Lucy O’Brien
(Jawbone Press – $29.95 – 416 pages)
“…a literary masterpiece that encapsulates the music industry from decades earlier to the present.”
Zeppelins The Golden Age of Airships
by James Trautman
(Firefly – $49.95 – 194 pages)
“James Trautman has captured the essence of those massive wonders, in words and rare photos.”
Doppelganger (A Trip Into the Mirror World)
by Naomi Klein
(Knopf Canada – $38.00 – 404 pages)
“It makes for great debates and further proof that Naomi Klein is one of the most necessary intellectuals of our time.”
Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline
by Anthony Breznican, Amy Ratcliffe, and Rebecca Theodore-Vachon
(DK Books – $66.00 – 344 pages)
“…most thorough in that it not only allows all the recent movie events, but studies the multiverses that have flowed from it.”
Edible Wild Plants & Herbs (A Compendium of Recipes and Remedies)
by Pamela Michaels – Painting by Christabel King
(Grub Street – $45.00 – 260 pages)
“You will be tempted to try many of the recipes, curious how they will turn out.”
In Case You Get Hit By A Bus (How To Organize Your Life Now For When You’re Not Around Later)
by Abby Schneiderman & Adam Seifer
Workman – $23.95 – 244 pages
…a common sense approach to dealing with life after death.”
Surely You Can’t Be Serious (The True Story of Airplane)
By David Zucker, Jim Abrahams & Jerry Zucker
(St. Martin’s Press – $47.00 – 348 pages)
“…(an) intensely entertaining look back at the movie AIRPLANE.”
Deadly Triangle (The Famous Architect, His Wife, Their Chauffeur and Murder Most Foul)
by Susan Goldenberg
(Dundurn – $23.99 – 260 pages)
“…a most intriguing look, told in great detail, that any true crime lover will enjoy.”
Enough
by Cassidy Hutchinson
(Simon & Schuster – $39.99 – 363 pages)
“She is a hero in every sense of the word, truly showing great courage by setting the record straight.”
Psych The Story of the Human Mind
by Paul Bloom
(Ecco – $39.50 – 470 pages)
“…more than a refresher course for psychology students, rather an advancement in information for the human mind and how it works, reacts, and defines who we are.”
Gibby Tales of a Baseball Lifer
by John Gibbons and Greg Oliver
(ECW Press – $38.95 – 256 pages)
“…a great book that Jays fans and all fans of baseball will appreciate.”
Crime Suspenstories The EC Archives Volume 1
(Dark Horse – $25.95 -220 pages)
“It is the little twists to the stories that make them so endearing. They charm and intrigue the reader.”
Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse The Art of the Movie
by Ramin Zahed
(Abrams – $50.00 – 228 pages)
“Author Ramin Zahed has done an exceptional job of not only bringing the characters to life but telling how the move was created, along with specific scenes.”
Hitler’s Boy Soldiers (How My Father’s Generation Was Trained to Kill and Sent to Die for Germany)
by Helene Munson
(The Experiment – $36.50 – 312 pages)
“…an up close and personal look at war through the eyes of Helene Munson’s father Hans Dunker.”
*** Books for Younger Readers ***
The Girl Who Loved Poutine
by Lorna Schultz Nicholson – Illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi
(Sleeping Bear Press – $25.99 – 32 pages)
“Great illustrations highlight this story of food, family, and friendship.”
Ary’s Tree
by Deborah Kerbel – Illustrated by Sophia Choi
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside – $23.95 – 32 pages)
“This is a wonderful picture book with many lessons for children to be learned, about saving plant life around them.”
The Smallest Owlet
Written and Illustrated by Georgia Graham
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside – $24.95 – 32 pages)
“This is a true nature book with amazing lifelike illustrations from author Georgia Graham.”
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