#5Books: Keep calm and read these book recs

The first book rec is about fathers and daughters — the kind that didn’t know the other existed. Yup. And they meet at a comics convention for the first time. I know it’s very random, but a comics convention? There’s more to it of course, but the geek in me couldn’t resist.

The second is about human trafficking and sisters — one who is still searching for her younger sister. She’s a cop. She also has no problem killing anyone she can’t arrest. The dichotomy there makes me want to read — also because she’s been described as a Lisbeth Salander sort of character.

The third is actually a short story/novella, but… but I couldn’t quite resist how out of my comfort zone it is, and how intriguing it is.

Fourth … I don’t know quite how to describe. It’s about something horrible that happens, but it’s about chance too, the things that change lives.

Fifth, the fifth book is about revenge, fueled by the worst kind of tragedy. But there are secrets to be shared about the tragedy, and they’re ready to come out.

Loving Day: I mean any family drama book that starts because the family in question meet at a comics convention deserves a second look right? Warren, who is biracial, returns to Philadelphia after his marriage ends, and after his father dies to find himself the owner of a broken-down mansion. And, himself a father when he recognises a girl that could only be his daughter at a convention. Look, forget how he’s going to recognise anything in the madness of a convention, and go with the promise of a story about fathers and daughters and race. Tal, his daughter, has been raised as white. 

Livia Lone: Livia and Nason her sister were sold by their Thai parents, and ended up in the US. Separated through the years, Livia has become a cop and is searching for Nason. She also has a habit of killing the predators she can’t arrest, so she can be ruthless when she has to be. Which is a good thing, because when she finds new clues about Nason, they lead her to the government and a conspiracy… so yes, a character who TOTALLY reminds me of Lisbeth is a big YES from me

Panty: Yup, Panty.  A woman in Calcutta moves into a house and finds a single pair of leopard print silk undies in a cupboard. And she starts to imagine the woman’s life — how wild and unhinhibited it must’ve been. And then the lives of the two begin to mingle… and what does that mean? How do they mingle? Was the other woman’s life as exciting as imagined? I’m more than a little impressed at an author weaving an entire talk around underwear — have you read anything like this? A tale set around something unexpected?

Waking Lions: Dr Eitan Green kills an African immigrant on the road with his car one night, and covers it up. Then the immigrant’s wife finds him and asks for his help in return for her silence: what does she want him to do? What secrets and lies does she harbour? No, I’m not making that up, the blurb says as much. Is Eitan immune to the guilt of his actions? Is this going to be an exploration of a character and how far he is willing to go to ensure his freedom? Which, is kind of what some immigrants and refugees do themselves: they go to lengths we would never think of to ensure their futures. This sounds like it has such potential, so we shall see!

Boy, 9, Missing: Oh my, when is an accident not really accident? When there’s a 9 year old witness to the drowning of his friend, who refuses to speak. And 23 years later, the boy, Sam, is now a father with a son who goes missing. The prime suspect is the dad of the boy who died all those years ago — he’s never recovered from his loss. But would he go so far as to kidnap this kid? What secrets is Sam hiding about the night his friend died? I feel like this has tragedy written all over it, yes?

Livia Lone and Loving Day might be edging to the top of my list from this bunch — what about you?