[Ann in Arlington]

9 titles this month, and we get to pick 2 free (or reduced if not a Prime member)

The list and links:

First reads for January

Suspense: The Shadow Box

Contemporary Fiction: Hadley and Grace: A Novel

Thriller: Not One of Us

Historical Fiction: West with Giraffes: A Novel

Espionage Thriller: Water Memory: A Thriller

Literary Fiction: Gerta: A Novel

Memoir: Widowish: A memoir

Global Fiction: The Ardent Swarm: A Novel

Children's Picture book: Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket

Water Memory looks like the first in a series. The "Global Fiction" title is a translation from French. Gerta is a translation from Czech. At first glance, none of these jump out -- off to read the blurbs

 

[Linjeakel]

Compared to the US we have one extra book on this month's list for the UK - a police procedural called An Eye For An Eye.

We can choose two books for free this month - but once again nothing particularly appeals to me.

 

[Ann in Arlington]

Compared to the US we have one extra book on this month's list for the UK - a police procedural called An Eye For An Eye.

We can choose two books for free this month - but once again nothing particularly appeals to me.

That one doesn't look too bad to me ..... all the US one -- you know, I'm thinking it might be just how the blurb writers describe it. They all come off as either really meaningful or the lead has all these inner secrets to work through. Or expose such secrets in those close to them. I have nothing against some character growth, but I wish the emphasis was on solving the crime.

Maybe they never do straight up mysteries -- historical, cozies, etc -- because they don't need to promote them any extra for them to sell well; these are the books that are going to be harder to shift. Don't ever do standard Romances for the same reason.

 

[Linjeakel]

That one doesn't look too bad to me ..... all the US one -- you know, I'm thinking it might be just how the blurb writers describe it. They all come off as either really meaningful or the lead has all these inner secrets to work through. Or expose such secrets in those close to them. I have nothing against some character growth, but I wish the emphasis was on solving the crime.

Maybe they never do straight up mysteries -- historical, cozies, etc -- because they don't need to promote them any extra for them to sell well; these are the books that are going to be harder to shift. Don't ever do standard Romances for the same reason.

I think you're right. Although I like rounded characters, I'm more often interested in the mystery itself, rather than the inner demons of the person trying to solve it. Also, I'm starting to feel as though every month it's the same set of books as before, just with different titles. Be nice if they could mix it up a bit.

 

[jlaughs]

Great! Thanks a lot!

 

[CS]

I went with Hadley and Grace and Water Memory.

The first was compared to Thelma and Louise and the second to The Bourne Identity. With how unappealing most of these books usually look, I'll take any scrap I can get that makes them sound even remotely more interesting.

The reviews for Water Memory are incredibly stupid though - complaining about the ratio of female-to-male authors in Kindle First Reads selections. Maybe it's a problem with First Reads (one of many), maybe not - I can't say I've ever noticed either way - but what does that have to do with the book itself?

 

[Ann in Arlington]

I skipped this month. I guess we'll see what's on offer starting tomorrow.