nomadreader

The backstory: All Dressed in White  is the second in the Under Suspicion series, following The Cinderella Murder . The series follows Under Suspicion, a television news special focused on unsolved cold cases. The basics: The cold case at the center of All Dressed in White follows the disappearance of Amanda White on the night before her wedding day. Did she run away or did something terrible happen? Laurie and her crew reunite the entire wedding party, plus Amanda's now divorced parents, at the same hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. My thoughts: While I loved the concept of The Cinderella Murder  and enjoyed reading it, I was disappointed with the resolution but curious to read the next book. I both enjoyed the reading experience of All Dressed in White  more, but it's also a better mystery. There's a cozy element to this book, in that I never felt like anyone was in danger, even knowing that a killer might be among the group. Still, the mystery in this book is what ...

The backstory: Karen Russell is one of The New Yorker 's 20 Under 40 and she'll be in Albany tonight for the New York State Writers Institute with Julie Orringer . My recap of the event will post Sunday. U pdate: Swamplandia! was longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize , a finalist for the 2012 Carnegie Medal , and a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize . My thoughts: Although I had high expectations for this novel, I had no specific expectations. I knew very little about it, and I had the pleasure of being transported into this quirkily delightful family immediately. The book is narrated by Ava, a thirteen-year-old girl who knows little of the world beyond her home. Despite Russell using a vocabulary beyond Ava's means, her voice is authentic, and I was drawn to her. The first surprise in this novel was how funny it is: "We leased an expensive billboard on the interstate, just south of Cape Coral: COME SEE "SETH," FANGSOME SEA SERPENT AND ANCIENT LIZARD...