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Spring 2015 Debut Fiction Sampler
The Penguin Random House Library Marketing Spring 2015 Debut Fiction Sampler is filled with fresh new voices that will appeal to all types of readers—from literary fiction devotees to coming-of-age fans to thriller fanatics and more.
Be among the first to discover this spring’s hot new authors! This is a great resource for building your personal TBR pile, but also makes a perfect Readers’ Advisory tool.
Be among the first to discover this spring’s hot new authors! This is a great resource for building your personal TBR pile, but also makes a perfect Readers’ Advisory tool.
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First published March 17, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 25, 2015
I think it's fun to preview a new collection of books coming out.
Here's what we've got: The Penguin Random House 2015 Debut Fiction Sampler
"The Silver Swan", Elena Delbanco
.....sounds terrific! A great cellist use to play upon a Stradivarius known as "The Silver Swan". ( this is where the title comes from).
Classical music - (sounds alluring to me) - mixed with a complex story between a father and
his daughter. Debut!
"The Ghost Network", Catie Disabato
.......Contemporary modern culture...a look at celebrity, pop music, kinky sex, crime, politics mystery, & romance. Suspenseful and definitely original......in this digital age! Debut!
"The House of Echoes", Brendan Duffy
.......Thriller! ....the mystery psychological story sounds page- turning 'superb'.
Damn... Why haven't I read this? The characters sound complex - the plot about a couple
at crossroads -with their kids with their own problems. ... Sounds pretty incredible to me.
"Hausfrau", Jill Alexander
.........I've read this! 5 Stars!!! It's FABULOUS! Any doubts ... read my review .. and many
other great reviews on Goodreads.
"Muse", Jonathan Galassi
........A fiction story about the rivalry between the two publishing companies..satire, lies,
gossip, egos, etc. This story sounds fun...maybe even partially true?...lol,,, especially the part about the pressures of working in the business world.
"The library at Mount Char", Scott Hawkins
........A fantasy fiction thriller. 12 children, a slave of murder, A character that dies and comes back again, a librarian, POV characters...and a 'Father'
The Father is the one who adopted the 12 children. When they don't obey, they must be
punished. But then the Father goes missing. The children want to find him.
This story sounds dark, ... Definitely fantasy.... And quite compelling.
"The Star Side of Bird Hill", Naomi Jackson.
.......GREAT BOOK!!! Wonderful - unique- charming- insightful -coming-of-age novel.
The setting, traditions, language, and customs of Barbados was enchanting! 5 stars!
"Bradstreet Gate", Robin Kirman
........ 3 friends meet while students at Harvard University. I'd like to read this. Sounds like Great character development at each of the characters and their relationships and complexities together. Just before graduation, when student is murdered. A profession is suspected of the crime. It sounds like the type of book, that I'd have a hard time putting down.
"Freedom's Child", Ajax Miller
...........Sounds like a very interesting read. The main character is in a witness program --
and regretting it. She, (Freedom), has been living her present day today life, without any of her
neighbors, employees, or community knowing anything about what she hides.
When she gets troubling news from her past...its 'heck-with- the- deal' she made with the
Feds. --- Freedom sets out on her own - unprotected by the Government - she's on a fierce mission. Sounds like Freedom is one hell of a fearless woman -- and the story suspenseful
with surprise twists.
"Girl At War", Sara Novic
.......I've been wanting to read this for a long time. It's high on my list to read.
A young girl's experience when war arrives at her doorstep. A Croatian Girl who lived in
Yugoslavia during the early 90s in there Civil War, and in New York in the early 2000s.
Grueling and heartbreaking the war is, this seems like a powerful story -- reminding us
the effect of war from a child's point of view.
"Re Jane", Patrick Park
......Jane is Half Korean and half American. Inspired by Jane Eyre -- with a more
modern twist. Insights into the world from Jane as an immigrant living in Manhattan and Queens. A look at the Korean-American community... and how Jane finds harmony between the two cultures.
"The Valley", John Renehan
.......This novel gives takes readers on a dangerous journey. It's a story that can
sure have us appreciate more than ever sacrifices made by our US troops stationed in Afghanistan. Horrific, hazardous, demanding, and surreal experiences living under constant threat of attack. This story sounds very realistic... but a novel that may answer some questions
and open more.
"Little Bastards in Springtime", Katja Rudolph
.......Such a beautiful book cover! A debut novel about the siege of Sarajevo and its
immigrant survivors. A teen boy and his family have already lived through destruction...
yet finding peace moving forward is not without hardships.
This is another war story that truly sounds powerful and deeply moving
"The Bennington Girls Are Easy", Charlotte Silver
.........Two close friends Who grew up together, attend Bennington - later to
Cambridge, and then New York. The friendship begins crumpling at some point.
Contemporary culture - a little satire & realism.
"The Ambassador's Wife", Jennifer Steil
......."from a real-life ambassador's wife comes a harrowing novel about the kidnapping of and American women in the Middle East and the heartbreaking choices she and her husband each messed make in the hope of being reunited".
Told as hey suspense story... Sounds very engrossing!
Thank You to Penguin Random House, Netgalley, and the authors!
We've many wonders to choose from.
Here's what we've got: The Penguin Random House 2015 Debut Fiction Sampler
"The Silver Swan", Elena Delbanco
.....sounds terrific! A great cellist use to play upon a Stradivarius known as "The Silver Swan". ( this is where the title comes from).
Classical music - (sounds alluring to me) - mixed with a complex story between a father and
his daughter. Debut!
"The Ghost Network", Catie Disabato
.......Contemporary modern culture...a look at celebrity, pop music, kinky sex, crime, politics mystery, & romance. Suspenseful and definitely original......in this digital age! Debut!
"The House of Echoes", Brendan Duffy
.......Thriller! ....the mystery psychological story sounds page- turning 'superb'.
Damn... Why haven't I read this? The characters sound complex - the plot about a couple
at crossroads -with their kids with their own problems. ... Sounds pretty incredible to me.
"Hausfrau", Jill Alexander
.........I've read this! 5 Stars!!! It's FABULOUS! Any doubts ... read my review .. and many
other great reviews on Goodreads.
"Muse", Jonathan Galassi
........A fiction story about the rivalry between the two publishing companies..satire, lies,
gossip, egos, etc. This story sounds fun...maybe even partially true?...lol,,, especially the part about the pressures of working in the business world.
"The library at Mount Char", Scott Hawkins
........A fantasy fiction thriller. 12 children, a slave of murder, A character that dies and comes back again, a librarian, POV characters...and a 'Father'
The Father is the one who adopted the 12 children. When they don't obey, they must be
punished. But then the Father goes missing. The children want to find him.
This story sounds dark, ... Definitely fantasy.... And quite compelling.
"The Star Side of Bird Hill", Naomi Jackson.
.......GREAT BOOK!!! Wonderful - unique- charming- insightful -coming-of-age novel.
The setting, traditions, language, and customs of Barbados was enchanting! 5 stars!
"Bradstreet Gate", Robin Kirman
........ 3 friends meet while students at Harvard University. I'd like to read this. Sounds like Great character development at each of the characters and their relationships and complexities together. Just before graduation, when student is murdered. A profession is suspected of the crime. It sounds like the type of book, that I'd have a hard time putting down.
"Freedom's Child", Ajax Miller
...........Sounds like a very interesting read. The main character is in a witness program --
and regretting it. She, (Freedom), has been living her present day today life, without any of her
neighbors, employees, or community knowing anything about what she hides.
When she gets troubling news from her past...its 'heck-with- the- deal' she made with the
Feds. --- Freedom sets out on her own - unprotected by the Government - she's on a fierce mission. Sounds like Freedom is one hell of a fearless woman -- and the story suspenseful
with surprise twists.
"Girl At War", Sara Novic
.......I've been wanting to read this for a long time. It's high on my list to read.
A young girl's experience when war arrives at her doorstep. A Croatian Girl who lived in
Yugoslavia during the early 90s in there Civil War, and in New York in the early 2000s.
Grueling and heartbreaking the war is, this seems like a powerful story -- reminding us
the effect of war from a child's point of view.
"Re Jane", Patrick Park
......Jane is Half Korean and half American. Inspired by Jane Eyre -- with a more
modern twist. Insights into the world from Jane as an immigrant living in Manhattan and Queens. A look at the Korean-American community... and how Jane finds harmony between the two cultures.
"The Valley", John Renehan
.......This novel gives takes readers on a dangerous journey. It's a story that can
sure have us appreciate more than ever sacrifices made by our US troops stationed in Afghanistan. Horrific, hazardous, demanding, and surreal experiences living under constant threat of attack. This story sounds very realistic... but a novel that may answer some questions
and open more.
"Little Bastards in Springtime", Katja Rudolph
.......Such a beautiful book cover! A debut novel about the siege of Sarajevo and its
immigrant survivors. A teen boy and his family have already lived through destruction...
yet finding peace moving forward is not without hardships.
This is another war story that truly sounds powerful and deeply moving
"The Bennington Girls Are Easy", Charlotte Silver
.........Two close friends Who grew up together, attend Bennington - later to
Cambridge, and then New York. The friendship begins crumpling at some point.
Contemporary culture - a little satire & realism.
"The Ambassador's Wife", Jennifer Steil
......."from a real-life ambassador's wife comes a harrowing novel about the kidnapping of and American women in the Middle East and the heartbreaking choices she and her husband each messed make in the hope of being reunited".
Told as hey suspense story... Sounds very engrossing!
Thank You to Penguin Random House, Netgalley, and the authors!
We've many wonders to choose from.
Read
February 23, 2022(Review originally published on my blog, March 2015)
I don't normally read the whole of these publishers' samplers; I get them so I can pull out a list of titles, look them up, decide whether or not I'm interested. This one, though, being adult debut fiction coming soon from Penguin Random House, seemed like a better bet than most. As an experiment, I decided to do the opposite of my usual strategy, and read the extracts first, then look up the details of the books. Here are the results...
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco
Skimmed over this. I guessed it was one of those books that contrasts a historical plotline with a modern-day one, possibly revolving around the same family or something, but it appears it's a contemporary novel with music as the main theme. Seems to have that kind of 'elegant' but completely pallid prose that has pretensions towards literary fiction without quite getting there, and just doesn't engage me at all. I'm probably being totally unfair; this just isn't something I would have looked at under any other circumstances.
The Ghost Network by Catie Disabato
This extract has catapulted The Ghost Network, which was already vaguely on my radar, into my top five most anticipated books of the year. I stayed up late just to finish it, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to read the rest of the book. Written as if it's non-fiction (with the author describing herself as a mere 'editor' of an existing manuscript) in a faux-academic style, it's the story of two missing women: an internationally famous pop star, and a superfan who tried to find out what happened to her. Just a few pages is all it takes to be hooked. If you loved Marisha Pessl's Night Film as much as I did (though that may not actually be possible), you'll want to get this on your wishlist STAT.
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
Immediately had the feel of a horror novel. An intriguing prologue, with the main character making a gory discovery amongst some ruins near his new home. Some clichéd (but nevertheless very fun) elements typical of horror - the big old ramshackle house with a creepy history, the middle-of-nowhere location, and very obviously portentous imagery - are dragged down by irritating stock characters (the author self-insert protagonist, the impossibly perfect wife, the annoying kid) who I now see are described in the blurb as 'achingly sympathetic'. Haha... no. By the end of the extract I'd been thoroughly put off any notion of seeking this out.
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
Skipped this because I already have the book and I don't want to spoil any of the story before I start it properly. Watch this space!
Muse by Jonathan Galassi
Now this I think will definitely be categorised as literary fiction. It's set in a publishing house in New York, with a somewhat bland (at least in this opening chapter) protagonist, and has a slightly disconcerting and quickly exhausting, though not entirely unlikeable, style with endless diversions into little stories about various characters. And there are lots of them: this short extract alone introduces a seemingly endless parade of bit players in a society drama with a literary theme. Now I've looked into the book, I know that the author is a poet, which fits with the tricksy style. The plot sounds intriguing, but I think the quirky humour might get a bit wearing.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Definitely a fantasy. Very... fantasy-ish... fantasy. Reminded me a little of Lev Grossman's Magicians books with its juxtaposition of contemporary language, humour and recognisable motifs with situations straight out of a high fantasy epic. 100% definitely not for me, although according to Karen's review it does get better, so perhaps the first few chapters aren't the best part to pull out as a sample.
The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson
Family saga? Set in Barbados. Quite a short extract anyway compared to some of the others, but while I didn't particularly dislike it, nothing about this engaged me.
Bradstreet Gate by Robin Kirman
Another book already on my radar and tentatively on my wishlist. It's a campus novel about tangled friendships, an ill-advised affair and, ultimately, a murder, although it opens ten years after that murder, with one of the students who was involved - now a mother with a terminally ill husband - being visited by a journalist looking to find out more about the old case. While I'm not wild about the way it's written (it's a bit pedestrian), and it didn't get me madly excited about the book like the Ghost Network extract did, there's enough here to make Bradstreet Gate an intriguing prospect and one I'll be keeping an eye out for when it's published.
Freedom's Child by Jax Miller
The first line is 'My name is Freedom Oliver and I killed my daughter', so it's safe to assume this is a thriller. The book's blurb is full of praise from the likes of Lee Child and Karin Slaughter, which gives you an idea of the target audience. However, despite the gung-ho super-American style and a heroine who's the embodiment of a 'tough female character' brainstorm, I found enough about the extract compelling that I could probably quite happily read the whole of this.
Girl at War by Sara Nović
A novel of recent history, seemingly set in the early 1990s, dealing with the Yugoslavian civil war as seen from the viewpoint of a young girl in Croatia. The first few chapters see protagonist Ana and her friend Luka negotiating the new political landscape, trying to understand the new system of relations through the actions of their parents, neighbours and teachers. The publisher's description says the book goes on to look at Ana's life ten years later, when she's a student in New York. I have to admit, I've previously been offered a review copy of this and hadn't even considered it (the fact that it has a really boring cover doesn't help), and while I'm not going to be scrambling to read it as soon as possible, the elegant and emotionally engaging content here is enough for me to give it another look.
Re Jane by Patricia Park
Another book that appears to be set in the 90s (circa the 'dotcom bubble'), focusing on a group of Korean-American characters in an outer borough of New York. Zingy and overtly humorous, this opening was a bit too farcical for my tastes. I assume it gets a bit more serious later on, though, as it's apparently a modern retelling of Jane Eyre - which makes sense of the book's name: I thought it was 'Re: Jane', like the title of an email.
The Valley by John Renehan
Blah blah blah soldiers, war, the military. I couldn't even concentrate hard enough on this to make out any of what was going on. Profoundly dull.
Little Bastards in Springtime by Katja Rudolph
Opens in 1941 with a girl on the run; in a slightly surreal and fast-moving scene, she is quickly drawn into the machinations of a rebel political group. Coincidentally, this seems to be another book about war in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and the main character is a boy who I presume must be a descendant of the woman portrayed in this extract. However, the style of this didn't captivate me anywhere near as much as the excerpt from Girl at War.
Bennington Girls are Easy by Charlotte Silver
This seems to be the only extract that doesn't begin at the very beginning... although it's very difficult to tell, because for some reason the formatting is really messed up and a lot of lines are cut off mid-sentence, only to reappear in truncated form in a completely different place. Consequently, I couldn't have read it properly if I'd wanted to. From what I can make out, it's one of those coming-of-age stories about rich graduates in New York that will probably get compared to Girls. Seems very name-droppy and chick-lit-like and not that interesting.
The Ambassador's Wife by Jennifer Steil
Terrible title: I assumed straight away that it was going to be a sugary historical romance. In actual fact it seems to be a political/war thriller, albeit one focused on the eponymous wife. Based on this extract, I'm not keen on the tone, took an instant dislike to the main character, and I'm worried it might actually be kind of racist. Not for me at all.
I don't normally read the whole of these publishers' samplers; I get them so I can pull out a list of titles, look them up, decide whether or not I'm interested. This one, though, being adult debut fiction coming soon from Penguin Random House, seemed like a better bet than most. As an experiment, I decided to do the opposite of my usual strategy, and read the extracts first, then look up the details of the books. Here are the results...
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco
Skimmed over this. I guessed it was one of those books that contrasts a historical plotline with a modern-day one, possibly revolving around the same family or something, but it appears it's a contemporary novel with music as the main theme. Seems to have that kind of 'elegant' but completely pallid prose that has pretensions towards literary fiction without quite getting there, and just doesn't engage me at all. I'm probably being totally unfair; this just isn't something I would have looked at under any other circumstances.
The Ghost Network by Catie Disabato
This extract has catapulted The Ghost Network, which was already vaguely on my radar, into my top five most anticipated books of the year. I stayed up late just to finish it, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to read the rest of the book. Written as if it's non-fiction (with the author describing herself as a mere 'editor' of an existing manuscript) in a faux-academic style, it's the story of two missing women: an internationally famous pop star, and a superfan who tried to find out what happened to her. Just a few pages is all it takes to be hooked. If you loved Marisha Pessl's Night Film as much as I did (though that may not actually be possible), you'll want to get this on your wishlist STAT.
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
Immediately had the feel of a horror novel. An intriguing prologue, with the main character making a gory discovery amongst some ruins near his new home. Some clichéd (but nevertheless very fun) elements typical of horror - the big old ramshackle house with a creepy history, the middle-of-nowhere location, and very obviously portentous imagery - are dragged down by irritating stock characters (the author self-insert protagonist, the impossibly perfect wife, the annoying kid) who I now see are described in the blurb as 'achingly sympathetic'. Haha... no. By the end of the extract I'd been thoroughly put off any notion of seeking this out.
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
Skipped this because I already have the book and I don't want to spoil any of the story before I start it properly. Watch this space!
Muse by Jonathan Galassi
Now this I think will definitely be categorised as literary fiction. It's set in a publishing house in New York, with a somewhat bland (at least in this opening chapter) protagonist, and has a slightly disconcerting and quickly exhausting, though not entirely unlikeable, style with endless diversions into little stories about various characters. And there are lots of them: this short extract alone introduces a seemingly endless parade of bit players in a society drama with a literary theme. Now I've looked into the book, I know that the author is a poet, which fits with the tricksy style. The plot sounds intriguing, but I think the quirky humour might get a bit wearing.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Definitely a fantasy. Very... fantasy-ish... fantasy. Reminded me a little of Lev Grossman's Magicians books with its juxtaposition of contemporary language, humour and recognisable motifs with situations straight out of a high fantasy epic. 100% definitely not for me, although according to Karen's review it does get better, so perhaps the first few chapters aren't the best part to pull out as a sample.
The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson
Family saga? Set in Barbados. Quite a short extract anyway compared to some of the others, but while I didn't particularly dislike it, nothing about this engaged me.
Bradstreet Gate by Robin Kirman
Another book already on my radar and tentatively on my wishlist. It's a campus novel about tangled friendships, an ill-advised affair and, ultimately, a murder, although it opens ten years after that murder, with one of the students who was involved - now a mother with a terminally ill husband - being visited by a journalist looking to find out more about the old case. While I'm not wild about the way it's written (it's a bit pedestrian), and it didn't get me madly excited about the book like the Ghost Network extract did, there's enough here to make Bradstreet Gate an intriguing prospect and one I'll be keeping an eye out for when it's published.
Freedom's Child by Jax Miller
The first line is 'My name is Freedom Oliver and I killed my daughter', so it's safe to assume this is a thriller. The book's blurb is full of praise from the likes of Lee Child and Karin Slaughter, which gives you an idea of the target audience. However, despite the gung-ho super-American style and a heroine who's the embodiment of a 'tough female character' brainstorm, I found enough about the extract compelling that I could probably quite happily read the whole of this.
Girl at War by Sara Nović
A novel of recent history, seemingly set in the early 1990s, dealing with the Yugoslavian civil war as seen from the viewpoint of a young girl in Croatia. The first few chapters see protagonist Ana and her friend Luka negotiating the new political landscape, trying to understand the new system of relations through the actions of their parents, neighbours and teachers. The publisher's description says the book goes on to look at Ana's life ten years later, when she's a student in New York. I have to admit, I've previously been offered a review copy of this and hadn't even considered it (the fact that it has a really boring cover doesn't help), and while I'm not going to be scrambling to read it as soon as possible, the elegant and emotionally engaging content here is enough for me to give it another look.
Re Jane by Patricia Park
Another book that appears to be set in the 90s (circa the 'dotcom bubble'), focusing on a group of Korean-American characters in an outer borough of New York. Zingy and overtly humorous, this opening was a bit too farcical for my tastes. I assume it gets a bit more serious later on, though, as it's apparently a modern retelling of Jane Eyre - which makes sense of the book's name: I thought it was 'Re: Jane', like the title of an email.
The Valley by John Renehan
Blah blah blah soldiers, war, the military. I couldn't even concentrate hard enough on this to make out any of what was going on. Profoundly dull.
Little Bastards in Springtime by Katja Rudolph
Opens in 1941 with a girl on the run; in a slightly surreal and fast-moving scene, she is quickly drawn into the machinations of a rebel political group. Coincidentally, this seems to be another book about war in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and the main character is a boy who I presume must be a descendant of the woman portrayed in this extract. However, the style of this didn't captivate me anywhere near as much as the excerpt from Girl at War.
Bennington Girls are Easy by Charlotte Silver
This seems to be the only extract that doesn't begin at the very beginning... although it's very difficult to tell, because for some reason the formatting is really messed up and a lot of lines are cut off mid-sentence, only to reappear in truncated form in a completely different place. Consequently, I couldn't have read it properly if I'd wanted to. From what I can make out, it's one of those coming-of-age stories about rich graduates in New York that will probably get compared to Girls. Seems very name-droppy and chick-lit-like and not that interesting.
The Ambassador's Wife by Jennifer Steil
Terrible title: I assumed straight away that it was going to be a sugary historical romance. In actual fact it seems to be a political/war thriller, albeit one focused on the eponymous wife. Based on this extract, I'm not keen on the tone, took an instant dislike to the main character, and I'm worried it might actually be kind of racist. Not for me at all.
May 7, 2015
This book is an EXCELLENT book for the general public in addition to Reviewers because you get to read a few chapters out of all the books that are in this book! You get a LOT more than what you would get at Amazon or any other place, so it's very worth your time to read! You can plan ahead this way, too, for your summer reading!
I LOVE these sampler books, especially the DEBUT authors! This book gives us a variety of new books that may have already been released, books that will be releasing within a few weeks or months time, and the ability to request books for review. We get the opportunity to read a few chapters from them, and some of them even offer more than just a few chapters, in fact, one had six! All of the books are New Releases coming out within the current season, this being Spring!
This book happens to be "debut" books, and some of them are already on my "To Be Read" list! I always find the BEST books in these book's pages because they will give us a great assortment of books that are coming out, and we also get a great opportunity to read many chapters from the books, too. I LOVE that part! This allows us to know if the book will be a good fit for us rather than going into a book blindly. We get the opportunity to see if we really like the books and if we want to buy them or not, and then for Reviewers, some of these books are available for review, too!
This particular book got me a little confused as to how to request the books for review. All publishers who offer books like these to try out have different ways of offering Reviewers opportunities to request them, and that is what I missed with this book.
I am more used to some of the publishers who provide a widget inside their books for reviewers to click on and request to review the books directly 'from the book itself', but it does not work that way with this book. To request books from this book you must go to NetGalley and either do a 'search', or go to your Shelf, go to this book, read through the Description, and click on the books under 'Links'. This publisher does not allow a lot of books to be requested like some of the others do, but I'll take getting to read a little bit about each book any day!
It takes a little longer that way, and was a little confusing to me at first, and I ended up requesting some books accidentally! I don't even know what they were! Ooops! That's okay, though. Lately there has not been ONE book I have not enjoyed, so if I do get the books, I will be more than happy to review them! (As long as they are not about war and killing! LOL!!! No! None of them are unless I missed one!) You can see at the bottom of this post there are 5 books in orange that are still available to request for Reviewers, so most of the books have already been requested, and/or are released. I think I found this book a little later than what I usually do.
What I didn't like about this book is there was not a Table of Contents in the book itself. If you were out and about, and felt like reading a certain few chapters of one of the books, you better have bookmarked it! This is ONLY available as an ebook, so you are completely blind as to what is in the book without that Table of Contents.
I did end up getting tired of flipping through the pages every now and then, but I could have bookmarked the page, but if you don't Bookmark that page you wanted, you're out of luck! It looks like there should be a Table of Contents because it is listed, but the black coloring is a very light black, so it's not available and you can't click on it. Hopefully the next time they do this they will ADD a Table of Contents.
Despite the fact that the books have already been released is fine! If you liked the chapters you've read in a book, you can now go on over to wherever you like to buy your books and purchase the books there! You are guaranteed to get it that way, too!
Many different publishers have books all similar like this one, and they ALL work differently. These happen to be some of my favorite books! I find new authors from them quite a bit! Enjoy! Here is the publisher's description:
Description
The Penguin Random House Library Marketing Spring 2015 Debut Fiction Sampler is filled with fresh new voices that will appeal to all types of readers—from literary fiction devotees to coming-of-age fans to thriller fanatics and more.
Be among the first to discover this spring’s hot new authors! This is a great resource for building your personal TBR pile, but also makes a perfect Readers’ Advisory tool.
SPRING 2015 DEBUT FICTION SAMPLER
Table of Contents (scroll down this page to Links to request each full book on NetGalley)
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco (Other Press, May 2015)
The Ghost Network: A Novel by Catie Disabato (Melville House, May 2015)
House of Echoes: A Novel by Brendan Duffy (Ballantine Books, April 2015)
Hausfrau: A Novel by Jill Alexander Essbaum (Random House, March 2015)
Muse: A Novel by Jonathan Galassi (Knopf, June 2015)
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (Crown, June 2015)
The Star Side of Bird Hill: A Novel by Naomi Jackson (Penguin Press, June 2015)
Bradstreet Gate: A Novel by Robin Kirman (Crown, July 2015)
***The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Muse by Jonathan Galassi
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco
I received this book from the publisher, Penguin and Random House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVE these sampler books, especially the DEBUT authors! This book gives us a variety of new books that may have already been released, books that will be releasing within a few weeks or months time, and the ability to request books for review. We get the opportunity to read a few chapters from them, and some of them even offer more than just a few chapters, in fact, one had six! All of the books are New Releases coming out within the current season, this being Spring!
This book happens to be "debut" books, and some of them are already on my "To Be Read" list! I always find the BEST books in these book's pages because they will give us a great assortment of books that are coming out, and we also get a great opportunity to read many chapters from the books, too. I LOVE that part! This allows us to know if the book will be a good fit for us rather than going into a book blindly. We get the opportunity to see if we really like the books and if we want to buy them or not, and then for Reviewers, some of these books are available for review, too!
This particular book got me a little confused as to how to request the books for review. All publishers who offer books like these to try out have different ways of offering Reviewers opportunities to request them, and that is what I missed with this book.
I am more used to some of the publishers who provide a widget inside their books for reviewers to click on and request to review the books directly 'from the book itself', but it does not work that way with this book. To request books from this book you must go to NetGalley and either do a 'search', or go to your Shelf, go to this book, read through the Description, and click on the books under 'Links'. This publisher does not allow a lot of books to be requested like some of the others do, but I'll take getting to read a little bit about each book any day!
It takes a little longer that way, and was a little confusing to me at first, and I ended up requesting some books accidentally! I don't even know what they were! Ooops! That's okay, though. Lately there has not been ONE book I have not enjoyed, so if I do get the books, I will be more than happy to review them! (As long as they are not about war and killing! LOL!!! No! None of them are unless I missed one!) You can see at the bottom of this post there are 5 books in orange that are still available to request for Reviewers, so most of the books have already been requested, and/or are released. I think I found this book a little later than what I usually do.
What I didn't like about this book is there was not a Table of Contents in the book itself. If you were out and about, and felt like reading a certain few chapters of one of the books, you better have bookmarked it! This is ONLY available as an ebook, so you are completely blind as to what is in the book without that Table of Contents.
I did end up getting tired of flipping through the pages every now and then, but I could have bookmarked the page, but if you don't Bookmark that page you wanted, you're out of luck! It looks like there should be a Table of Contents because it is listed, but the black coloring is a very light black, so it's not available and you can't click on it. Hopefully the next time they do this they will ADD a Table of Contents.
Despite the fact that the books have already been released is fine! If you liked the chapters you've read in a book, you can now go on over to wherever you like to buy your books and purchase the books there! You are guaranteed to get it that way, too!
Many different publishers have books all similar like this one, and they ALL work differently. These happen to be some of my favorite books! I find new authors from them quite a bit! Enjoy! Here is the publisher's description:
Description
The Penguin Random House Library Marketing Spring 2015 Debut Fiction Sampler is filled with fresh new voices that will appeal to all types of readers—from literary fiction devotees to coming-of-age fans to thriller fanatics and more.
Be among the first to discover this spring’s hot new authors! This is a great resource for building your personal TBR pile, but also makes a perfect Readers’ Advisory tool.
SPRING 2015 DEBUT FICTION SAMPLER
Table of Contents (scroll down this page to Links to request each full book on NetGalley)
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco (Other Press, May 2015)
The Ghost Network: A Novel by Catie Disabato (Melville House, May 2015)
House of Echoes: A Novel by Brendan Duffy (Ballantine Books, April 2015)
Hausfrau: A Novel by Jill Alexander Essbaum (Random House, March 2015)
Muse: A Novel by Jonathan Galassi (Knopf, June 2015)
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (Crown, June 2015)
The Star Side of Bird Hill: A Novel by Naomi Jackson (Penguin Press, June 2015)
Bradstreet Gate: A Novel by Robin Kirman (Crown, July 2015)
***The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Muse by Jonathan Galassi
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco
I received this book from the publisher, Penguin and Random House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2018
ARC courtesy of the author and publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: Adult Fiction
The collection of excerpts from 15 debut novels from new authors are varied and appealing. The selections range from coming-of-age to thrillers. I have selected three stories for this review.
Bradstreet Gate by Robin Kiman
The story opens 10 years after the college graduation of three friends. A murder occurs on the campus shortly before graduation that will remain unsolved for years. One of their professors is accused of the crime but was not convicted. Ten years after graduation, one of the friends is visited by a journalist, who begins asking questions about the old case. The few chapters offered give a glimpse of their tangled bonds of friendship, murder, secrets, and guilt.
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
This book is a gothic horror novel about a family moving to an isolated rural area from the big city for a fresh start. The neighboring small village is an unfriendly close-knit secret community.
The book opens with a letter from 1777 describing the brutal winter. The letter is one of a series that date back to the revolutionary war when the founding families huddled together in the estate during Indian raids.
Deep woods surround the estate. Charlie, their son, plays a strange game of tag with the "Watcher" in the woods that he never actually sees. Dead animals begin to appear along with unexplained noises and fires.
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco
Alexander Feldmann was a brilliant world renowned cellist. His daughter, Mariana, is a gifted cellist in her own right. She has assumed her father's Stradivarius cello (Silver Swan) will be hers since her father has passed. When the will is read, however, she finds the cello is bequeathed to the daughter of her father's unknown long time mistress.
Genre: Adult Fiction
The collection of excerpts from 15 debut novels from new authors are varied and appealing. The selections range from coming-of-age to thrillers. I have selected three stories for this review.
Bradstreet Gate by Robin Kiman
The story opens 10 years after the college graduation of three friends. A murder occurs on the campus shortly before graduation that will remain unsolved for years. One of their professors is accused of the crime but was not convicted. Ten years after graduation, one of the friends is visited by a journalist, who begins asking questions about the old case. The few chapters offered give a glimpse of their tangled bonds of friendship, murder, secrets, and guilt.
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
This book is a gothic horror novel about a family moving to an isolated rural area from the big city for a fresh start. The neighboring small village is an unfriendly close-knit secret community.
The book opens with a letter from 1777 describing the brutal winter. The letter is one of a series that date back to the revolutionary war when the founding families huddled together in the estate during Indian raids.
Deep woods surround the estate. Charlie, their son, plays a strange game of tag with the "Watcher" in the woods that he never actually sees. Dead animals begin to appear along with unexplained noises and fires.
The Silver Swan by Elena Delbanco
Alexander Feldmann was a brilliant world renowned cellist. His daughter, Mariana, is a gifted cellist in her own right. She has assumed her father's Stradivarius cello (Silver Swan) will be hers since her father has passed. When the will is read, however, she finds the cello is bequeathed to the daughter of her father's unknown long time mistress.
September 27, 2016
First Impressions:
Very few things catch my attention like a pretty book cover. The Silver Swan,House of Echos, and The Library at Mount Char, immediately had my attention for just that reason. Those books instantly went on my TBR list before I even read the excerpts.
Unfortunately, my love for pretty covers often means that a book with an ugly cover will have to work twice as hard to catch my attention (The Star Side of Bird Hill, and Bennington Girls Are Easy- I'm looking at you).
I'm not going to go too into depth on my thoughts on these books, because there were a LOT of them. My initial expectations of the beautiful books were spot on. The Silver Swan, House of Echos (this is the book I am probably VERY MOST excited for. I have been craving something just a little creepy) and The Library at Mount Char are all beautiful, engaging novels. I cannot wait to read the full versions.
I didn't love the fact that The Ghost Network comes littered with footnotes. They make me feel like I'm interrupting my reading for clarification. The story is pretty intriguing and I would love to read the rest, I just feel like it is a book best reserved for a slow day that you have time to really savor the novel and pay attention to footnotes.
I had previously heard of hausfrau, but had never really paid it much attention. I am so glad I got to read an excerpt! I can hardly wait to read the full version!
Very few things catch my attention like a pretty book cover. The Silver Swan,House of Echos, and The Library at Mount Char, immediately had my attention for just that reason. Those books instantly went on my TBR list before I even read the excerpts.
Unfortunately, my love for pretty covers often means that a book with an ugly cover will have to work twice as hard to catch my attention (The Star Side of Bird Hill, and Bennington Girls Are Easy- I'm looking at you).
I'm not going to go too into depth on my thoughts on these books, because there were a LOT of them. My initial expectations of the beautiful books were spot on. The Silver Swan, House of Echos (this is the book I am probably VERY MOST excited for. I have been craving something just a little creepy) and The Library at Mount Char are all beautiful, engaging novels. I cannot wait to read the full versions.
I didn't love the fact that The Ghost Network comes littered with footnotes. They make me feel like I'm interrupting my reading for clarification. The story is pretty intriguing and I would love to read the rest, I just feel like it is a book best reserved for a slow day that you have time to really savor the novel and pay attention to footnotes.
I had previously heard of hausfrau, but had never really paid it much attention. I am so glad I got to read an excerpt! I can hardly wait to read the full version!
April 5, 2015
Haven't read Silver Swan yet and look forward to it but as this sampler contains Hausfrau I have to encourage people to read it. Hausfrau has been one of my favorite books this year, dark and twisting. Bradstreet Gate was character driven, but it was the ending that left the novel flat. Bennington Girls Are Easy is one of those novels where the reader doesn't feel close to the characters, it's youthful but I never connected. I would like to read Girl At War and House of Echoes.
February 25, 2022
Excellent book!!!
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