Ben Aaronovitch has created an unforgettable and magical world in his Rivers of London series, and despite being the latest entry, What Abigail Did That Summer is an excellent presentation of what the series has to offer for anyone new to it.
Flashing back to the summer of 2013, we follow the titular Abigail as she attempts to solve the mystery of recently-disappeared teenagers who remain silent about the ordeal upon their return.
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The Art of Interrogation
“The Last Stone” by Mark Bowden – Subverting a Liar
The Complex Intricacies of Science
“Wherever Seeds May Fall” by Peter Cawdron – The Impending Contact
The Sins of the Past
“The Brutal Telling” by Louise Penny – Into the Woods of Antique Mystery
Into the Colombian Heart
“Infinite Country” by Patricia Engel – Visions of a Better Life
Making Use of the Set-up
“The Lost Village” by Camilla Sten – Disappearance Without a Trace
Chasing the Dream of the Future
“The Immortality Code” by Douglas E. Richards – The Double-Edged Sword of Progress
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“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Maynard Pirsig – The Fundamental Odyssey
Robert Maynard Pirsig was recognized numerous times as a unique and exceptional author for the depth of reflection found in his unusual books. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was arguably his greatest work, telling a largely autobiographical story of a road trip he took with his son, learning quite a bit about life in the process.
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“The Princess Spy” by Larry Loftis – The Girl who Served her Country
Larry Loftis is quickly becoming a voice worth listening to in the realm of biographies, and he has recently reinforced this notion further upon publishing The Princess Spy.
Mixing small bits of inconsequential fiction with hard, cold facts, it recounts the life of Aline Griffith, a regular girl from suburban New York who really wanted to do her part and serve her country during World War II.
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“Lust for Life” by Irving Stone – The Price of Being Special
Irving Stone has without a doubt earned his place as a pillar of American literature through a number of genre and era-defining works, and Lust for Life, published all the way back in 1934, is one of them.
Best-described as a semi-fictional biographical novel, it follows the unusual life of the artist Vincent Van Gogh, who experienced both the greatest highs and the lowest depths of human existence.
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“Chapterhouse: Dune” by Frank Herbert – On the Verge of Total Conquest
Frank Herbert unfortunately never had the time opportunity to complete his magnum opus, the Dune series, with the sixth book, Chapterhouse: Dune, unexpectedly marking the end of it.
The story now focuses on the Bene Gesserit and their struggle for survival in a time when Arrakis is destroyed and the Old Empire have fallen prey to the Honored Matres, whose total conquest of the known world is nearly complete.
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“Priestdaddy” by Patricia Lockwood – The Weight of Family Tradition
Patricia Lockwood had a childhood unlike most people, being even uncommon for the realm of religious upbringing. In her memoir titled Priestdaddy, Lockwood looks back on her childhood, adolescence and young adulthood which were strongly marked by her father, Greg Lockwood, a larger-than-life Catholic priest who defied all conventions.
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“A Rule Against Murder” by Louise Penny – Domestic Summer Storm
Louise Penny seems determined never to give Chief Inspector Gamache a moment of respite, and in the fourth book of the series, titled A Rule Against Murder, he finds himself drawn into an investigation while celebrating his wedding anniversary with Reine-Marie. The isolated manor they’re staying at is also host to family reunion, one which leaves a dead body behind in the wake of a storm.
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“Second Foundation” by Isaac Asimov – The Invisible Insurgency
Isaac Asimov changed the landscape of science-fiction back in his day with the original Foundation trilogy, and the third novel, titled Second Foundation, brings the epic story to its conclusion.
With the Mule seemingly reigning supreme over the galaxy, he has one final goal left to achieve before total domination: to find the elusive second Foundation, possibly the only ones capable of standing up to him.
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“The Rage Colony” by Shanon Hunt – Secret Society of Mistakes
Shanon Hunt has given us an interesting glimpse into the terrifying possibilities of tomorrow with The Pain Colony, and in the second book of the series, The Rage Colony, our heroes inch ever closer to the truth.
On one hand, Layla is inside the secretive colony, and is willing to risk her own life to uncover its secrets. On the other hand, in the outside world, an investigative reporter is trying to expose an illegal “biohacking” ring.
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“A Thousand Ships” by Natalie Haynes – The Lost Perspective
Natalie Haynes has been exploring many venues of literature through the novels and books she has written, with her latest one, A Thousand Ships, taking us back to antiquity once again.
Following the fall of Troy at the hands of the immortalized ruse by the Greeks, the book follows the stories of many women all affected in one way or another by the war and its resolution.
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