Maddie Crane is a sixteen year old girl who lives in Hawthorne, MA, just miles away from the site of the infamous Salem witch trials. She’s friends with the most popular girls in school, a clique known as the Sisters of Misery. The Sisters are all from families of powerful women in Hawthorne, a legacy that goes back centuries. When Maddie’s eccentric cousin, Cordelia, moves to Hawthorne, Maddie is torn between staying a part of Sisters and relinquishing to the mystical way of life that her cousin and aunt have embraced. Her decision is quickly made for her when Maddie becomes involved in one of the Sisters’ schemes, a plan that destroys her life and the lives of all those that are close to her. While Sisters of Misery is categorized as a YA book, audiences of all ages will be pulled into the gothic style writing of Megan Kelly Hall. I’m impatiently looking forward to more from this amazing debut author.

The narrator is a gorgeous porno actor that crashes his car while driving on a winding mountainous road.   He wakes up in a burn unit with third degree burns over most of his body.   To make things worse, if that is even possible, he spilled a bottle of bourbon in his lap right before his accident, and his “livelihood” is burnt beyond repair and has been removed.    He wants his life to end. 

 Throughout his recovery, rather than planning what he will do once he is released from the hospital, he plans his suicide.  And then a beautiful, but visibly disturbed, gargoyle sculptress appears in his room and is certain that they were lovers in medieval Germany. He is released into her care and he is ultimately convinced that the story she tells of their history must be true.

This second chance at love is completely implausible, but I was drawn in from the beginning. Davidson’s tale of love is strange yet mesmerizing. This debut author has immense talent and I look forward to reading more of his work!

Emmy, Leigh, and Adriana have been friends for over a decade. Emmy was recently dumped by “the guy”, the man she thought she would marry and have children with. Leigh is a young publicist. She has the perfect job, the perfect apartment, the perfect man. Then she signs on as editor for Jesse Chapman a brilliant, yet impossible, writer. She begins to realize that the life isn’t that perfect. And finally, Adriana is the stunning daughter of a renowned supermodel. She has no qualms with flaunting and using her Brazilian charm to get any man she wants. Emmy and Adriana make a pact to put an end to their dismal lives. Emmy decides that she should expand her “knowledge” of men by traveling around the world and bedding a man from each country. Adriana resolves to pick one of many potential suitors and settle down. A year later the girls must decide just how much in their lives has changed. While I can admit that this was an engaging beach read, it reminded me a bit too much of Sex in the City. I kept envisioning Emmy, Leigh, and Adriana as Charlotte, Carrie and Miranda. The similarities between the two sets of characters are uncanny.

Michael DiBianco is a Professor at Harvard Divinity School. He’s committed his entire life to discovering the hidden truths within the Bible. In a matter of moments, his world is upended. He is questioned by the FBI about some research he did on the Newton papers, a document that details the exact date of the end of the world and the Second Coming. Murders of important officials and dignitaries have occurred, and DiBianco appears to be the prime suspect. He learns about a brotherhood known as the Descendants of Lucifer (DoL) who are attempting to prevent the Second Coming so that their master can assume his rightful position. DiBianco also discovers that his entire life, as he has known it, as been a lie. He was implanted with a nanoprocessor that has been sending flashes of false memories, and in the days following his confrontation with the FBI, has begun to send him messages. DiBianco soon learns that some of his closest friends can no longer be trusted, and begins a long journey to stop the DoL in their plot to destroy mankind. Newton Prophesies is a mind-blowing, faced-paced and exciting book! Very reminiscent of Dan Brown, but yet very unique as well. There is a great and exciting future in store for this up and coming author!

I’m not even certain where to begin with this book. Several different subplots simultaneously take place and unbelievably they all tie in together at the end. First, Sixteen year-old Adam Baye has been distant and emotionally removed lately. His best friend, Spencer, committed suicide and Adam’s parents, Tia and Mike, take action before he follows suit. They install a spy program on his computer that allows them to receive daily reports of his computer activity. They become instantly alarmed when they view some alarming messages that Adam has received. Meanwhile, Spencer’s mother has discovered some evidence that indicates that her son did not commit suicide. She confronts Adam, his best friend, and he disappears. A murderer is on the loose, killing women and leaving their bodies so badly beaten they are not recognizable. And finally, an adolescent girl is taunted at school after her teacher makes a comment about her appearance. Four seemingly very different subplots all come to one by the end of this suspenseful book. This was my first taste of Coben’s writing and I plan on continuing the experience!