The Books I'm Reading Now
I'm reading Nocturne, Alyssa Wees's fantasy novel about a prima ballerina in 1930s Chicago and her mysterious benefactor, to be published tomorrow; I'm listening to Rebecca Makkai's novel I Have Some Questions for You (also to be published tomorrow), about a mysterious death at a boarding school and a return to the case and all the past issues it raises; and I'm reading the newest mystery from Stacy Willingham (A Flicker in the Dark author), All the Dangerous Things.
What are you reading these days, bookworms?
01 Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
In Alyssa Wees's slim (it's 240 pages) fantasy novel Nocturne, set in the Little Italy of 1930s Chicago, promising young dancer Grace dreams of becoming a success as a prima ballerina.
As the Depression rages, orphaned Grace rises through the ranks of the Near North Ballet Company--losing friends, becoming more jaded, and ultimately gaining a valuable, secretive benefactor--but he may not be what he seems.
As Italian immigrant Grace is faced with compromises and tradeoffs, she'll have to decide her own loyalties and determine how far she's willing to go to grab hold of her long-held dream.
I received a prepublication edition of this book, scheduled for publication Feburary 21, courtesy of NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine.
02 I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
I'm listening to the audiobook of Rebecca Makkai's upcoming (to be published February 21) I Have Some Questions for You, narrated by Julia Whelan and JD Jackson.
I've been eagerly awaiting the release of this story--part whodunit, part boarding school novel.
Bodie Kane is a professor and podcaster, and she has left firmly in the past the events of her boarding school years, when her roommate Thalia was murdered--and the school's athletic trainer was convicted of the crime.
But when her alma mater invites her to return to teach a course, Bodie is drawn back to the case, its shoddy investigation, its faulty conclusions--and to wondering who really killed Thalia.
I received an audiobook edition of this book courtesy of Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group.
03 All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
A year ago, Isabelle Drake's toddler son was taken from her. She can't rest until Mason is returned to her, so she says yes when a true-crime podcaster offers to interview her and get the story out so Mason may be more likely to be found.
But her own pain and delirium make her wonder if she's paranoid, or if the podcaster is taking too deep of an interest in Isabelle's own past.
She begins to wonder if she's an unreliable source of memories surrounding Mason's death--but she can't stop searching for her son.
I have a tough time reading missing-children stories, and somehow I missed that key aspect of Willingham's newest mystery, but I feel like I'm in good hands with Willingham, and I'm hooked on the story..
Willingham is also the author of A Flicker in the Dark.
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