Meredith Duran: That scandalous summer, Lady be good ja Luck be a lady

Meredith Duranin kirjasarja "Rules for the reckless" on malliesimerkki historiallisesta viihdekirjallisuudesta, jossa pinnan alta ei tunnu löytyvän mitään kovin syvällistä, ja se lienee tarkoituskin. Helppolukuisia rakkausromaaneja, joissa lähestulkoon kaikki on ennalta-arvattavaa. Toisaalta teksti ei kauheasti takkuile, eli lukija saa mitä luultavasti odottaakin.

That scandalous summer (Pocket Books, 2013; ISBN 978-1-4516-0696-6)

In the social whirl of Regency England, Elizabeth Chudderley is at the top of every guest list, the life of every party, and the belle of every ball. But her friends and admirers would be stunned to know the truth: that the merriest widow in London is also the loneliest. Behind the gaiety and smiles lies a secret longing--for something, or someone, to whisk her away.... Raised in scandal, Lord Michael de Grey is convinced that love is a losing gamble--and seduction the only game worth playing. But when duty threatens to trump everything he desires, the only way out is marriage to a woman of his brother's choosing. Elizabeth Chudderley is delightful, delicious--and distressingly attractive. With such a captivating opponent, Michael isn't quite sure who is winning the game. How can such passionate players negotiate a marriage of necessity--when their hearts have needs of their own?

Lady be good (Headline Eternal, 2015; ISBN 978-1-4722-2234-3)

Born to a family of infamous criminals, Lilah Marshall has left behind her past and made herself into the perfect lady. Working as a hostess at Everleigh's, London's premier auction house, she leads a life full of art, culture, and virtue. All her dreams are within reach - until a gorgeous and enigmatic viscount catches her in the act of one last, very reluctant theft

Luck be a lady (Headline Eternal, 2015; ISBN 978-1-4722-2236-7)

They call her the 'Ice Queen'. Catherine Everleigh is London's loveliest heiress, but a bitter lesson in heartbreak has taught her to keep to herself. All she wants is her birthright - the auction house that was stolen from her. To win this war, she'll need a powerful ally. Who better than infamous and merciless crime lord Nicholas O'Shea? A marriage of convenience will no doubt serve them both.

Having conquered the city's underworld, Nick seeks a new challenge. Marrying Catherine will give him the appearance of legitimacy - and access to her world of the law-abiding elite. No one needs to know he's coveted Catherine for a year now - their arrangement is strictly business, free from the troubling weaknesses of love. Seduction, however, is a different matter - an enticing game he means to ensure she enjoys, whether she wishes to or not.

Victoria Connelly: A summer to remember

Victoria Connellyn romaania mainostetaan "kesäkirjaksi", mikä tarkoittanee että se on helppolukuista viihdettä: A summer to remember (Avon, 2014; ISBN 978-1-84756-284-5).



En lukenut kirjaa kesällä, eikä sen lukemisessa kulunut kauankaan. Tarina on melkolailla höttöinen, eikä romaanin ihmishahmoja voi kovin syvällisiksi kuvailla, mutta jonkinlaista reippaan lämmintä henkeä teoksessa on, se ei ollut läheskään niin teollisen tuotteen makuinen kuin pelkäsin.

Escape deep into the English countryside in this perfect summer's day read. Fans of Alexandra Potter and Katie Fforde won't be able to resist. Nina Elliot is tired of her life. She's not sure how it happened but, somewhere along the way, she lost track of where it was all going. So one fateful day, she makes a brave decision: she's going to leave it all behind. Taking a job deep in the English countryside, Nina does just that. Ensconced at the Old Mill, she settles into daily life with the Milton family, where she works as a researcher for author Dudley. With endless summer days stretching out ahead of her, Nina couldn't be happier. But her quiet life is soon interrupted when the handsome Milton boys return home - for they plan to make sure this really is a summer to remember.

Emily Carroll: Through the woods

Emily Carrollin sarjakuvakirjan tarinat ovat melkolailla hyytäviä, minkä voi arvata jo kansikuvastakin jos sitä vähän tarkemmin katsoo: Through the woods (Margaret K. McElderry, 2014; ISBN 978-1-4424-6595-4).



Teos on saanut Ignatz Award -palkinnon vuonna 2015, ja ansiosta. Lyhyet tarinat iskevät, jättävät levottoman olon, ikään kuin maailmaa olisi ravistettu paikaltaan.

Journey through the woods in this sinister, compellingly spooky collection that features four brand-new stories and one phenomenally popular tale in print for the first time.

These are fairy tales gone seriously wrong, where you can travel to 'Our Neighbor's House' - though coming back might be a problem. Or find yourself a young bride in a house that holds a terrible secret in 'A Lady's Hands Are Cold.' You might try to figure out what is haunting 'My Friend Janna,' or discover that your brother's fiancée may not be what she seems in 'The Nesting Place.' And of course you must revisit the horror of 'His Face All Red,' the breakout webcomic hit that has been gorgeously translated to the printed page.

Already revered for her work online, award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll's stunning visual style and impeccable pacing is on grand display in this entrancing anthology, her print debut.

Noelle Stevenson: Nimona

Noelle Stevensonin fantasiasarjakuvan päähenkilö on Blackheart-niminen pahis, jolla on apulaisena hahmosta toiseen muotoa muuttava Nimona-tyttö: Nimona (HarperTeen, 2015; ISBN 978-0-06-227822-7).



Sarjakuvassa on kieli poskella tehdyn makua, ja tarina rullaa eteenpäin mallikkaasti. Ihan loppuun asti juoni ei kanna, mutta kieltämättä tämän sarjakuvan kanssa vietetty aika ei tuntunut hukkaan heitetyltä. Mallikas suoritus tekijältä.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

John Scalzi: The human division

Luin John Scalzin romaaneja perä-perää, ja lopulta pääsin samaan kohtaan missä aiemmin lukuinto lopahti: The human division (Tom Doherty Associates, 2013; ISBN 978-0-7653-6955-0).



Mitenkään iso yllätys ei ollut, että lukuinto lopahti jälleen kerran. Saman tarinan toistaminen kerta kerran jälkeen ei toimi, varsinkaan kun romaaneissa ei ole mitään erityistä yllätystä, ei varsinkaan sitä outoutta jota näistä tieteisromaaneista yritin löytää.

Following the events of THE LAST COLONY, John Scalzi tells the story of the fight to maintain the unity of the human race. Now the CU's secrets are known to all. Other alien races have come on the scene and formed a new alliance - an alliance against the Colonial Union. And they've invited the people of Earth to join them. For a shaken and betrayed Earth, the choice isn't obvious or easy.