Imagine the joy on my face when I arrived at my office to find this on my desk. An original creation by the one and only amazing Annie Mazes, who has managed to capture all of my favorite things on one frame. Nothing says Christmas like Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand and Cher, all topped off with I Love Lucy! All of my favorite things made by one of my favorite people. Also note the Maker’s Mark, my Nancy Pearl doll, Blistex, and me and Pat in Greece, so many favorites. From my Happy Desk to yours. 

And as a bonus, since a present is only great if you can share it.  

Bette Midler’s Cool Yule album is AWESOME!

Cher sings O Holy Night better than anyone. ever. You’re welcome.

Barbra Streisand sings Jingle Bells like noone else.

And finally, the I Love Lucy (Rarely Seen) Christmas special just aired IN COLOR. Mind. Blown. 

Merry Christmas!

– Virginia

PS: Happy Holidays everyone…hope Santa is good to all of you! – Annie

For our next debut author, allow me to introduce Emma Healey, author of Elizabeth is Missing. 

Simultaneously a sophisticated mystery and a heartbreakingly honest meditation on memory and identity, Elizabeth is Missing possesses an unforgettable narrator in Maud, a grandmother fighting a losing battle against the devastating effects of memory loss.

But while she may be losing her grip on everyday life, much to the frustration of her family—particularly her daughter, Helen—she’s determined not to forget about her best friend Elizabeth, who has mysteriously vanished. To Maud’s frustration, no one will take her seriously: not Helen, not her carers, not the police, and especially not Elizabeth’s mercurial son, Peter. Armed only with the pocketfuls of reminder notes that she writes dozens of times a day, and a vague hunch that something is wrong, Maud resolves to discover the truth.

This singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud’s rapidly dissolving present, but the clues she discovers seem only to lead her deeper into her past, which was dominated by another unsolved disappearance; that of her sister, Sukey, who vanished just after World War II. Vivid memories of what happened over fifty years ago come flooding back to give her quest new momentum. Could the mystery of Sukey’s disappearance help Maud uncover the truth about Elizabeth? 

Kimberly McCreight, author of Reconstructing Amelia, says this novel is "ingeniously structured and remarkably poignant…. A riveting story of friendship and loss that will have you compulsively puzzling fact from fiction as you race to the last page.”

– Annie

Last night, I finally finished all my Christmas shopping (I think; I hope).  I also hope you have been equally as lucky in your shopping endeavors, as we’re officially down to the last few days before the Big Day.  If you still haven’t quite crossed off all those names, we have one more list of suggestions for you, this time for your foodie friends and family.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays by Ree Drummond: an assortment of meal ideas for holidays throughout the year—from a Resolution Smoothie on New Year’s Day to Dessert Shots on New Year’s Eve—accompanied by dozens of Ree’s signature step-by-step photos.

L.A. Son by Roy Choi: the maverick chef and co-founder of the Kogi BBQ trucks compiles his favorite recipes that reflect the creative, inventive, and border-crossing spirit of his hometown.  Roy is a personal friend of TV chef personality Anthony Bourdain, who also happens to love the next lady on the list, renowned food critic Marilyn Hagerty.

Grand Forks by Marilyn Hagerty: rather than making a cookbook, this 86-year-old, down-to-earth, food critic brought together a collection of her best, no-nonsense restaurant reviews—from Red Lobster to Le Bernadin— from across her fifty-year career.

All right everyone, this is it.  The final countdown.  Good luck, and Happy Holidays!

-Amanda

Dear Librarian,

My wife and I recently moved back to our beloved North Carolina after a ten year hiatus, and before we even had a house of our own I had a library card with the New Hanover County Public Library system. Kipp, a librarian at the Myrtle Grove branch, must’ve seen the desperation on my face when she allowed me to use my in-laws’ mailing address as my temporary residence. My wife and I were staying in her old bedroom at her parents’ house while our new home was being built, and Kipp understood that my need for the library went beyond a need for reading material and internet access; I had those things at my in-laws’ house. What I needed was a place to go. And that’s what I did. I went to the library every single day and spent hours in a dedicated study space, writing essays and blog posts and responding to email interviews about my new novel, This Dark Road to Mercy. I also found plenty of time (and peace and quiet) to get some serious work done on a new novel. None of this would’ve happened if the library hadn’t been there when I needed it. 

Libraries give many of us a place to go, and librarians like you offer us much needed assistance once we arrive. Kipp and her colleague Laura gave me a tour of the library, told me about the research databases, and explained how to use my iPad to check out e-books, something I never would’ve figured out on my own.

Libraries and librarians have always been invaluable to me. In my family, my siblings and I all got our first library card the day we turned 6. It was one of the defining moments of my life. I got my New Hanover County Library card a few days after turning 36. It was one of the defining moments of my life.

I wanted to write this note and say how much I appreciate the support you’ve given me not just as an author, but also as a reader and a community member. I hope to have the opportunity to one day thank you in person. Until then, Happy Holidays and my best to you and yours.

With so many end-of-years lists coming out in tandem with the season of gift giving, it seems appropriate that beloved librarian Nancy Pearl would offer up some of her own favorites from 2013 and suggestions for the perfect literary gift for one and all. 

For any of your mystery-lover friends and family, Nancy suggests James Rollins’ Innocent Blood and its prequel Blood Gospel as great mystery books to give this season.  Maybe next year you can give his forthcoming The Kill Switch and The Sixth Extinction and make it a James Rollins holiday tradition? 

Also making Nancy’s perfect gift list is, of course, the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth, for fans of YA adventure and fantasy books.  Now that the final book in the series, Allegiant, has finally come out, it is the perfect time to give—and the perfect excuse to subsequently borrow—the books before the movie adaptation of Divergent, the first in the trilogy, releases in March. 

Nancy also names David Wayne’s Back to Wando Passo, a sweeping tale of love, betrayal, race, revenge, and redemption carried across generations, as a great fiction book to give this season. 

You can check out the full list of Nancy’s picks and suggestions here.  I don’t know about y’all, but if I were going to choose an end-of-year list to pick my holiday gifts from, who better to listen to than someone who has spent years and years selecting the perfect books for people to read?

-Amanda

We are going to start a new blog feature that introduces you to debut authors. First up is Yvette Manessis Corporon, author of When the Cypress Whispers. a richly-told story of one woman’s journey to her grandmother’s home in Greece, where the past and present collide and a fateful decision must be made.

Daphne’s young husband died in a car accident, leaving her with a newborn and stacks of bills. She immersed herself in work to push aside her grief, eventually opening her own Greek restaurant and becoming an acclaimed chef. She is about to marry her wealthy and powerful fiancé, and all seems right in the world, but appearances aren't everything.

One person can see through the storybook perfection of Daphne’s new life—the one person who, despite the miles between them, can always read Daphne’s deepest thoughts and hear her secret, silent prayers. That one person is Daphne’s beloved Yia-yia.

Daphne and her young daughter return to Greece to find nothing is as remembered, but Yia-Yia has brought Daphne home to help her one last time: to teach her that she is meant for greater things, that security is not the same as love, that her life can be filled with meaning again. 

This is a beautiful story about love and family, set against the gorgeous island landscape of Greece (somewhere I'd love to be right now instead of watching snow pelt my window. At least I have a window, I suppose). Available on Edelweiss.

– Annie 

The votes were counted and HarperCollins is honored to have been rewarded THREE spots on the January LibraryReads list! 

The Days of Anna Madrigal by Armistead Maupin: The ninth and probably final novel in Armistead Maupin’s bestselling “Tales of the City” series, following Anna Madrigal’s family road trip to Burning Man and told through the interweaving tales of several familiar characters.

The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton: A gripping tale of survival and an epic love story in which a husband and wife—separated by the only battle of World War II to take place on American soil—fight to reunite in Alaska’s starkly beautiful Aleutian Islands.

The Kept by James Scott: Reminiscent of Charles Portis, Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O’Connor, a gothic western transferred to the ice-locked wilds of upstate New York at the turn of the 20th century, a brutal and searing debut novel about a mother’s obsession and a son’s search for answers in the wake of a terrible and violent tragedy.

All three can be found on Edelweiss, so get reading. 

– Annie

All right everyone, we’re getting down to the wire: less than two weeks until Christmas to get all of your shopping done.  You’ve gotten something for your general reader, your historian, and your movie buff.  How about something for the romance lover?

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean: A favorite of librarians across the country (#1 LibraryReads pick for December!) about the Killer Duke and the woman he supposedly murdered years before who reappears with a tempting bargain that could help him get his life back.

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani: fan favorite Valentine Roncalli returns in a story that travels from Greenwich Village to New Orleans to Italy, about work, romance, family, and the unexpected turns of life and fate (and also happens to be a Top 10 LibraryReads Pick for December).

Wait for You by J. Lynn: from the hot New Adult genre (college-aged romance plotlines usually on the steamier side), about a college freshman and the hunky guy who may be the key to her finally escaping her dark past.

-Amanda

Hopefully you were able to get a lot of quality holiday shopping done with the help of a few  of our previous suggestions.  However, if you haven’t yet found that perfect fit, we’re back with a few more ideas, this time for the historian in your lives.

The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester: A comprehensive look at the individuals—explorers, thinkers, and innovators—who worked tirelessly to discover, connect, and bind the citizens and geography of the U.S.A from its beginnings.

Camelot’s Court by Robert Dallek: An authoritative portrait of JFK and his inner circle of advisors—their rivalries, their personality clashes, and their political battles—who influenced the most crucial and lasting policy decisions of JFK’s years in office.

1356 by Bernard Cornwell: A gift for someone who likes their history with a little fiction mixed in, about war between the French and the English—led by the heir to the throne, the Black Prince—and the search for a holy weapon that could change the tide of battle.

-Amanda

A story of prison and death row inmates, The Enchanted (available on Edelweiss) could easily be categorized as something very different than what it actually is – an imaginative and lyrical debut. It is told from the point of view of a convict whose magical interpretations of prison life allow him to find absolute joy while isolated from the rest of humanity. For readers of Alice Sebold and Toni Morrison, it's a very unique and engaging read. 

FYI: Library Journal just gave it a starred review, and I tend to listen to those smarty pants people over there:

"Filled with themes of pain and suffering and still a pleasure to read, this impressive debut from author/journalist Denfeld (All God’s Children) is set in a decaying, dark, corrupt prison, but as the opening line reveals, it “is an enchanted place.” The Lady, a death-row investigator (similar to mitigation specialist Denfeld) uses her unique perspective as a victim of terrible childhood abuse and conditions to research the lives of inmates. Working with her are a fallen priest, who is hiding secrets and hurt of his own, and the warden, whose wife is dying of cancer. Much of the story is told from the fantastical perspective of a reclusive prisoner on death row, preferring to remain unseen for his own protection and those around him. In many ways, this is a tale about being seen, understood, possibly forgiven, and maybe even loved. VERDICT While dark enough to appeal to fans of fantasy and horror (think Stephen King’s The Green Mile), this is also a work of love and redemption. Read this magical book, and prepare to be spellbound." —Shaunna E. Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll. Lib., VA

– Annie

Like Annie, I’ve left my holiday shopping to the very last minute, but unlike Annie, I’ve done it because giving good gifts is really hard!  To save some of you a similar pain, over the next few days I will post targeted lists for an assortment of tastes to help you give gifts you know that special someone will enjoy.  For anyone wondering what to get the movie buffs in their lives, here are a few ideas to toss around.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art & Design– A companion to the second movie in The Hobbit series coming out in a few weeks, this book contains more than one thousand images of concept art, photographs, development paintings and more by the artists working behind the scenes to bring Middle-earth to life.

Doctor Who: The Vault-The ultimate guide to 50 years of the BBC cult classic, filled with many previously unseen photos and other material from the BBC archive as well as from private collections.

Labor Day by Joyce Maynard- Over a long Labor Day weekend, a mother and son are forever changed when a mysterious man enters their lives.  The movie adaptation comes out January 31; just enough time for you and your giftee to read the book before seeing the movie together!

I hope this helps cross one more name off your list!

-Amanda

Happy Holidays!!

If you are like me, you have completely left Christmas shopping to the last minute, and are scrounging around for ideas. Let's hope not many are like me or else a lot of people are getting high-fives and hugs for the holidays.

As a helpful guide, I thought I'd put together my top fave novels for 2013…

1. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell: A debut about two young sisters who attempt to keep on living their lives without the outside world finding out about the mysterious death of their parents. I am a sucker for sister stories!

2. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: Such a unique, engaging and well researched debut; a combination of vivid historical fiction and magical fable, about two supernatural creatures in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York. Have recommended to everyone I know.

3. The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer: From the author of The Confessions of Max Tivoli comes the romantic story of a woman who undergoes electroshock therapy and finds herself transported to the “other lives” she might have lived, where she must wrestle with the unpredictability of love and the consequences of even her most carefully considered choices.

4. Help for the Haunted by John Searles: Who doesn't love John Searles?! A fantastically creepy novel about a young girl's search for the person responsible for her parent's murders. 

5. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight: The story of a mother's investigation into her daughter's apparent suicide. Full of mean girls, old rivalries and a really excellent use of social media.

6. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson: The moving story of a single mom who falls in love with a damaged man, and discovers that her love story definitely is not what she intended it to be. 

I hope you read, gift, enjoy all these books – they really are fantastic.

– Annie

I’ve never been scuba diving or to anywhere in the Caribbean, but after finishing Night Diver by Elizabeth Lowell, I feel like I could zip down there and discover centuries-old sunken treasure all by myself.

Business advisor Kate Donnelly hasn’t returned to the Caribbean since she was eighteen years old, after the truly horrifying night both of her parents died while diving.  However, after a phone call from her brother Larry—now the owner of the Diving Donnellys’ empire—asking for her help to save the failing family business, Kate knows she has to return to the place of her nightmares to try to save the only family she has left.  Larry has signed a one-sided contract that could drive the diving business into ruin (sink it, if you will), but he and his crew believe they have finally found one of the greatest shipwrecks in the Caribbean—the same wreck that Kate’s parents were looking for when they died.  The threat is sexy, British, ex-military diver Holden Cameron, who has been sent by the agency who is funding the dive to investigate why so little treasure is being found.  Sparks fly between Kate and Holden as they get closer and closer to discovering where the missing treasure may be hidden and who is sabotaging the dive. 

Fans of Lisa Gardner, Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Nora Roberts will enjoy the romantic suspense elements, and long-time fans of Lowell will revel in her return to the mystery genre.  Sunken treasure, hot beaches, hotter romance, and a heaping spoonful of action and suspense: check it out on Edelweiss!

-Amanda

Welcome to the HarperCollins READing Terminal Market!

Pick up the latest hot titles at the
HarperCollins Adult Book Buzz 

Amanda, Virginia, and Annie

 Saturday, January 25, 2014
10 – 11:15am
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Room 114 Lecture Hall

 Seating is limited, so RSVP to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com today!

See you there!

On this rainy Thanksgiving Eve, we here in Library Land wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope the weather is better where you are! Luckily, I'm hosting this year so don't have to travel.

We hope that you celebrate and enjoy yourselves, love your family, eat copious amounts of food and maybe kick back with a great read. If you do, please share!

My Turkey Day read this year is going to be Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit.  Seems in keeping with the holiday spirit!

Happy Turkey Day!

Gobble, gobble

– Annie

The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I am greatly bummed that I have to wait for the next book in the trilogy. You'd think after 800 pages, I'd be ok with taking a break, but I want to know what happens next!

Natchez Burning is an engrossing and layered mystery that deals with race relations in Mississippi and Louisiana. It stars well known Iles character, Penn Cage, as he initially tries to determine if his beloved, Atticus Finch-esq father has committed a murder. However, after doing some digging, he realizes that is just the tip of the ice burg, for this specific death brings into question several horrific, unsolved murders from the 1960s. 

I've never read anything by Greg Iles before (slightly blasphemous to admit around the office), but now I fully intend to discover his backlist, especially since he does a really cool job of referencing past cases (read: books) that Penn Cage has worked on (i.e. The Quiet Game). I am intrigued. 

As soon as it becomes available on Edelweiss, I will let you know because it.is.good!

– Annie

A few months ago, Annie gushed about Brian Payton's historical novel The Wind Is Not a River, told in the alternating voices of a reporter covering the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands during WWII, and his wife, who goes on a quest to find him when his plane is shot down.  Sounds exciting and romantic, right?  Well buzz surrounding this book has only gotten better! 

A STARRED review from Library Journal says: "This moving and powerfully written novel explores themes of war, life and death, morality, and love in a unique World War II battleground that very few people outside Alaska know about or remember. VERDICT Payton, known for his nonfiction works Shadow of the Bear and The Ice Passage, has written a suspenseful, beautifully researched title that readers will want to devour in one sitting. As a nearly lifelong inhabitant of Alaska and having spent three years on Adak in the Aleutians, this reviewer was particularly gratified by the accuracy of the author's portrayal of the land and people of the 'birthplace of the winds.' Bravo!"

And from Booklist: "Part adventure tale, part love story, this beautifully written novel offers a moving portrait of a couple whose lives are forever changed by the only battle of WWII to take place on American soil…. Payton, in the loveliest of prose, illuminates a little-known aspect of WWII while portraying a devoted couple who bravely face down the isolation, pain, and sacrifice of wartime."

Now that you've heard from the ultimate triumvirate in all things literary, you definitely can't miss out on this book. 

-Amanda

Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Good Luck of Right Now, stopped by the office to say hi to you fabulous librarians. Matthew is a huge fan of libraries and visits them whenever possible. His newest book is a funny, feel-good story of a young man who, in the aftermath of his mother’s untimely death, forms an unlikely family with three other outsiders, including Richard Gere (kind of).

ISBN: 9780062285539
$25.99
eBook ISBN: 9780062285553

– Annie

More than movies, music, or any other medium, books have the ability to completely transport readers to new cities, countries, continents, and planets, and even through time.  Every book has this capability: fiction or nonfiction, realistic or the highest fantasy.  A story only has to exist for it to create a new world.  In addition to this ubiquitous (but still amazing) function of reading, The Rich and the Dead by Liv Spector and The Widow’s Walk by Robert Barclay also send their characters on romps through time and space within the story itself, all while simultaneously doing the same for the reader sitting comfortably in his or her favorite chair.  So meta. 

The Rich and the Dead: The year is 2018, and ex-Miami PD officer Lila Day is not doing so well.  Four years earlier, on New Year’s Day 2014, twelve of the world’s most powerful people were found killed in the basement of a lavish Star Island estate.  Lila was lead investigator in the case, but she was never able to find the murderer, leading her to be dismissed from the force.  Now, reclusive billionaire Teddy Hawkins has approached her with the chance of a lifetime—to travel back in time to before the murders occurred to collect evidence that will convict the killer in the present day.  Seems like a good plan, until Lila starts to care for the people who are destined to die.  Can she say goodbye, or will she risk setting events in motion that would change the future—her present—forever?

The Widow’s Walk: Garrett has always wanted to live by the sea, and now he has the chance to purchase and renovate the old home known as Seaside that has always captivated him.  Then one night he sees Constance Elizabeth Canfield, who says she’s lived at Seaside for over 150 years.  She’s not a ghost though, instead claiming to be somehow stuck between this life and the next.  Love soon blossoms between the two, but as their relationship grows, Constance begins to fade away.  Will their love fade along with Constance’s presence, or will it somehow be able to transcend time and death itself?

So you want to go to the beach?  Fall in love?  Solve a cold murder case?  Here’s your golden ticket to any place and any time you can imagine.

-Amanda

LibraryReads has just posted it's fourth list, but in case some of you aren't familiar with the fantastic, amazing, genius concept, I thought I'd provide some info:

What is LibraryReads? We have a handy FAQ!

Are you a public librarian who is signed up with Edelweiss? Then you are ready to vote for your favorite books each month!

Want to be able to vote? Here's how you can sign-up!

For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website.

Remember: Vote early! Vote often!  

– Annie                                          

Enter to win one book or audiobook for your personal library—and five books or audiobooks for your local library! Be one of ten winners to choose from this selection of new books.  For complete details and to enter for a chance to win, click here.

End of Days by James Swanson: The The New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt brings to life the minute-by-minute details of the JFK assassination–from the Kennedys’ arrival in Texas to the shooting in Dealey Plaza and the shocking aftermath.

The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom: The story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. Part mystery, part allegory, this novel is a heart-racing page-turner and an soul-fulfilling tale of faith, hope and love.

Innocent Blood by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell: The second installment in the bestselling The Order of the Sanguines Series, about an ancient order who speak the truth behind Christ’s miracles and strive to protect the world from evil

The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell: The latest installment in the Saxon Tales, the epic saga of the making of England, magnificently brought to life by “the reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today).

Ripper by Isabel Allende: Continuing her foray into YA crossover started with Maya’s Notebook, and also deciding to tackle the thriller genre, Allende tells a gripping story about a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco and the teenage girl determined to find him/her. Booklist starred review.

The Trident by Jason Redman: A Navy SEAL’s highly-charged account of his combat missions in Iraq and his miraculous recovery from wounds that might have killed him—if it were not for his grit and the devotion of his wife and family.

We Are Water by Wally Lamb: From the New York Times bestselling author of Shes Come Undone, a disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy.

Worthy Brown's Daughter by Phillip Margolin: Nearly thirty years in the writing–and a remarkable departure for house best-selling author Phillip Margolin–Worthy Brown’s Daughter is a gripping novel of frontier justice based on a heart-breaking true story of racism in the 19th-century Oregon Territory.

Click here for all the contest details!

My love for Willy Vlautin's writing is well documented. The Motel Life is one of my favorite books, and his latest novel, The Free is fabulous as well.

“In The Free, Willy Vlautin gives us a portrait of American life that is so hard and so heartbreaking that it should be unbearable, but it isn't. The straightforward beauty of Vlautin's writing, and the tender care he shows his characters, turns a story of struggle into indispensable reading.  I couldn't recommend it more highly.” —Ann Patchett

"Willy is brilliant in the way his simple prose gets to my heart; I worried about the characters for days after I finished the book. I can’t wait to start recommending The Free to library patrons and book groups.” —Robin Beerbower, Salem Public Library, Oregon

The votes are in, and congratulations are in order for the fabulous Sarah MacLean and her latest novel, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished. It has the number one spot on LibraryReads' December list. The talented and beloved, Adriana Trigiani also made the list with The Supreme Macaroni Company. 

Are you voting? If not, you should be! Voting is processed through Edelweiss, but if you need instructions on how to sign-up, please click here.

Have questions about LibraryReads?? Here is a handy (and attractive) FAQ sheet.

– Annie

The ever so talented Ann Patchett stopped by the studio to say hello to librarians and thank you all for the hard work you do. Her latest book, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, is on sale now.

Judging by the cold snap we had in New York this week, winter is on its way.  While I am looking forward to ice skating, hot chocolate, and fluffy socks, I’m also more than a little worried about the freezing sleet, treacherous ice patches, and runny noses that are the inevitable consequences of the season.  So instead of braving the long trek to the grocery store in a winter not-wonderland, I think I’ll celebrate my victory over the season and experience the cold vicariously by staying inside, curling up in a warm cocoon of blankets, and reading these wintery books.

In Mind of Winter, Holly is stuck in the house on a snowy Christmas morning with Tatiana, her adopted daughter from Russia.  As more and more snow falls, Holly becomes increasingly convinced that something followed her and her husband home from Russia, something evil now inside the house, inside themselves.  With each passing hour, Tatiana becomes more and more moody, her behavior increasingly disturbing and frightening, until Holly finds she can no longer recognize her daughter.  A psychologically suspenseful tale of denial and guilt, Mind of Winter is sure to make you consider leaving the house after all.

As Russia celebrates victory over the Nazis, shots ring throughout the streets of Moscow in One Night in Winter.  Two schoolchildren are found dead—murder? Suicide pact? A love triangle? A conspiracy against Stalin himself?—leading to a terrifying investigation in which Stalin orders the arrest of children ages seven to seventeen.  Though every parent’s worst nightmare, the investigation unveils two potentially fatal love affairs at the children’s elite school.  Based on real events, this is a passionate tale of love, marriage, adultery, family, and childhood.

Now all I have to do is stock up on soup and I’ll be ready for my annual hibernation!

-Amanda