National Book Store recommends suspenseful reads
THE LOVERS:
A CHARLIE PARKER THRILLER
By John Connolly
P589
MANILA, Philippines – Stripped of his license, Charlie Parker takes a job in a Portland bar. Alone and directionless, he faces at last a shadow he has lived with since his childhood: what made his father, a respected police officer, apparently shoot dead two unarmed teens and then commit suicide. His quest leads him back to little New York town where he grew up, to the secret history of the NYPD, and to the existence of mysterious friends and hidden enemies. For waiting in the shadows, as they have been throughout Charlie’s life, are man and a woman with only one purpose: to bring an end to his very existence.
SUGAR AND SPICE:
AN L.A. CANDY NOVEL
By Lauren Conrad
P359
Sugar and spice, not everyone’s nice. Fresh from being betrayed by one of her closest friends, new reality-television celebrity Jane Roberts has learned a few lessons. Most important: Know whom to trust. And in Hollywood, that list is short. Although the press is intent on creating a tabloid war between her and ex-friend/current-costar Madison Parker, Jane just wants to take control of her life. She’s started by swearing off guys and the drama that comes with them. But when her high school sweetheart Caleb and her unrequited LA crush Braden show up, both acting sweeter than ever, Jane has a hard time remembering her no-boys rule. Her best friend, Scarlett, has only one guy on her mind: her new boyfriend, Liam. The girl who once thought love was a four-letter word is now head over heels. The problem is, being on a hit reality show means hanging out with other guys on-camera, and Liam isn’t too happy with pretending to play a bit part in her love life. Just when everything feels out of control, Jane makes a shocking discovery, one that changes everyone’s definition of “reality” forever. In her deliciously entertaining novel, television star Lauren Conrad pulls back the curtain on young Hollywood and shows that sometimes the real drama is behind the scenes.
SAVOR THE
MOMENT: BOOK THREE IN THE BRIDE QUARTET
By Nora Roberts
P315
Wedding baker Laurel McBane is surrounded by romance working at Vows wedding planning company with her best friends Parker, Emma, and Mac. But she’s too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that their clients seem too long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker’s older brother Delaney, whom she’s had a mega-crush since childhood. But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her — or so she thinks. When Laurel’s quicksilver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, all-together mind-blowing kiss with Del-she’ll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever.
THE GIFT: WITCH AND WIZARD
By James Patterson and Ned Rust
P475
When Whit and Wisty were imprisoned by the wicked forces of the totalitarian regime known as the New Order, they were barely able to escape with their lives. Now part of a hidden community of teens like themselves, Whit and Wisty have established themselves as leaders of the Resistance, willing to sacrifice anything to save kids kidnapped and brutally imprisoned by the New Order. But the One has other plans in store for them: He needs Wisty, for she is “The One Who Has the Gift.” While trying to figure out what that means, Whit and Wisty’s suspenseful adventures through Overworld and Shadowland lead to a jaw-dropping climax and conclusion: the highly-anticipated fulfillment of the heart-pounding opening prologue of book one.
TRASH: PICK IT UP — AND KEEP IT HIDDEN
By Andy Mulligan
P565
In an unnamed third-world country in the not-so-distant future, three “dumpsite boys” make a living picking through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city. One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no money to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong. Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable poverty and the kind of hope and determination that can be transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, Trash is a heart pounding, breath-holding novel.
