THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin
Paperback, published 5/11, $16.00
Every summer presents us with a big, fat must-read book and this summer that book is The Passage. Combining the epic good-versus-evil feel of The Stand by Stephen King and the end-of-days flavor of The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Cronin has added vampires to the mix. Actually, not vampires in the true sense, but close enough. After a military experiment goes horribly wrong, 12 vampire-like virals are released to wreak havoc over the land. For every nine people killed, one is turned, and very quickly, the fate of humankind stands in the balance. The book then fast-forwards 100 years to an isolated human outpost. Here, they’ve managed to eke out an existence under the constant threat of attack.

The Passage is an addictive read, a stay-up-all-night-to-finish kind of read, and, I would even argue, a very thoughtful one. My only complaint: this is only part one of a trilogy. Even though the fate of the world is at risk, we can only wait.

Update – the wait is soon to be over. THE TWELVE comes out in August this year!
Recommended by Laura

LIVE TO TELL by Lisa Gardner
Paperback, published 12/10, $7.99
Ever since Lisa moved to the Valley, I have been a fan and I think this book is her best yet. Live to Tell had me riveted from the get go and I stayed that way through the last page. The book opens with three separate women, one of whom is D.D. Warren, the tough as nails Boston detective who readers have met in previous books. Then there’s Danielle, a nurse who works on the pediatric pysch ward of a local hospital. She’s caring and giving, but she has a tormented past that tends to catch up with her every so often. Victoria is the third character. A successful career woman, she is now mostly confined to her house and dreams of the days before. The three women are all connected – unbeknownst to them – and Lisa does a masterful job of pulling them together and unveiling the sinister link.
Recommended by Laura

HUSBAND AND WIFE by Leah Stewart
Paperback, published 5/11, $13.99
Sarah Price had dreams of becoming a poet. But two small children later, her freelance writing gets traded for a steady job to support her husband, Nathan, a successful fiction writer. So, of course, the last thing she wants to discover one evening, while hurriedly getting ready for a wedding, is that nathan’s last novel about infidelity is anything but fiction.

What happens after his confession makes for a great story about love, fidelity, children, family and what it means to forgive. Sarah’s journey is funny, heartfelt and ultimately satisfying. I loved her children in all their “kid” moments. And Stewart has managed to perfectly portray all those difficult and joyous ups and downs of a marriage. This is a wonderful summer read.
Recommended by Barbara

STILL MISSING by Chevy Stevens
Paperback, published 5/11, $14.99
I have been accused by the Mystery Book Club of having a dark side and, as far as fiction goes, I would agree. Every now and then, I like a gritty, scary mystery/thriller to get my blood pumping. Well, this summer, that book is Still Missing. I had the pleasure of meeting Chevy at an author dinner and she explained that her idea for the book came from thinking about what would happen if you were gone from your life for a long time – like six months or a year. What would it look like when you came back? From there, she couldn’t help but wonder why you would disappear for that length of time – and that’s where we get the story.

Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, gets abducted from an open house and taken to a remote cabin in the wilderness by a sadistic psychopath. Many of the details about the year she spent there unfold during sessions with her therapist – and it was a harrowing, horrific time. The second narrative of the novel follows her as she tries to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor. Check your locks before you read this one – but definitely read it!

Update – book two of this series came out in July. NEVER KNOWING is a great second book and just leaves you wondering what will happen next. Chevy Stevens is definitely here to stay!
Recommended by Laura

THE SENATOR’S WIFE and THE LAKE SHORE LIMITED by Sue Miller
Paperback, published 1/09, $14.95 and paperback, published 5/11, $15.00
I had not read Sue Miller before these two novels and now I regret it. Both books offer a very interesting look into commitments, relationships and love. The Senator’s Wife is particularly interesting in this day and time because the senator in question is a consummate philanderer. His wife’s relationship with him is he backbone of the story and is incredibly interesting and complex. In The Lake Shore Limited, Miller has taken a playwright and her play to examine the aftermath of 9/11 for its characters. I found both books fascinating although they were quite different plot-wise. I particularly liked Miller’s writing style and how the stories played out. In both cases, Miller saved life-changing events for the very last pages. I’m still thinking about them even now.
Recommended by Laura