A Look At Random House Canada's Upcoming 2015 Titles

This month, Random House Canada invited bloggers to their headquarters to get a preview of some of their upcoming 2015 titles. It was a great time where pizza was eaten and awesome transitional slides featured Danny Castellano and Justin Timberlake were viewed. Alas, this isn’t about the lovely Danny Castellano, but about the books, and I’m here to shower you with a few that will likely litter your to-be-read (TBR) list. Let’s. Do. This.

Someone Is Watching by Joy Fielding. March 24th 2015. Ballantine/Random House. — Review Copy

Someone Is Watching by Joy Fielding (March 24, 2015)

This is the twenty-fifth novel by Joy Fielding and it centres around a woman who experiences a brutal attack that leaves her feeling like she’s being watched. She starts to spy on her neighbours and witnesses strange things. Is she just being paranoid or is someone really watching her? It’s a psychological thriller described as “Rear Window meets The Silent Wife.”

The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens (April 14, 2015)

“Five days. Four hikers. Three survivors.” This is what really hooked me when this book was being discussed. Wolf Truly gets stranded on a mountain with three hikers on his eighteenth birthday, and, as a grown man, he tells the story of what happened those five days for the first time to his son, Daniel. It’s one part coming of age and one part adventure.

The Night Stages by Jane Urquhart. April 7th 2015. McClelland & Stewart/Random House. — Review Copy

In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume (June 2, 2015)

I haven’t read a Judy Blume book (I know!) and her last adult novel, Summer Sisters, was published in 1998. In The Unlikely Event sounds fascinating and is loosely based on true events: a series of plane crashes from 1951 to 1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Blume will look at three generations of family, friends, and strangers who’ll all be affected by this event. What caused these crashes in Blume’s latest fiction? We’ll just have to read to find out.

The Night Stages by Jane Urquhart (April 7, 2015)

Urquhart’s book, Away, was part of Canada Reads 2013, and I enjoyed reading it. Her latest book returns to Ireland where Tamara, a former WWII pilot, waits in Newfoundland for a connecting flight to New York. Tamara uses this time to think about the man she loves, Niall, and his younger brother, Kieran, whose disappearance still haunts Niall. Urquhart has a way with drawing you into the story with her developed and complicated characters. I’m excited to see what she does this time.

A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson (May 5, 2015)

Kate Atkinson’s new novel tells the story of Ursula Todd’s beloved younger brother Teddy – would-be poet, RAF bomber pilot, husband, and father – as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge is facing the difficulties of living in a future he never expected to have. A God In Ruins explores the loss of innocence, the fraught transition from the war to peace time, and the pain of being misunderstood, especially as we age.

This is set in the same world as Atkinson’s Life After Life, which I have yet to read (I must). It’s a stand alone story so there’s no need to read Life After Life to enjoy this book.

His Whole Life by Elizabeth Hay (August 11, 2015)

At the outset ten-year-old Jim and his Canadian mother and American father are on a journey from New York City to a lake in eastern Ontario during the last hot days of August. What unfolds is a completely enveloping story that spans a few pivotal years of his youth. Moving from city to country, summer to winter, wellbeing to illness, the novel charts the deepening bond between mother and son even as the family comes apart.

The Winter Family by Clifford Jackman (April 14, 2015)

From the 1860s to the 1880s, the outlaws known as the Winter Family roam the harsh frontier, both serving and opposing the fierce advance of civilization. Among its twisted specimens, the Winter Family includes the psychopathic killer Quentin Ross, the mean and moronic Empire brothers, the impassive ex-slave Fred Johnson, and the dangerous child prodigy Lukas Shakespeare But at the malevolent center of this ultraviolent storm is their cold, hardened leader, Augustus Winter—a man with an almost pathological resistance to the rules of society and a preternatural gift for butchery. From their service as political thugs in a brutal Chicago election to their work as bounty hunters in the deserts of Arizona, there’s a hypnotic logic to Winter’s grim borderland morality that plays out, time and again, in ruthless carnage.

This book was described as Tarantino-esque which immediately got me curious.

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (March 3, 2015)

The Buried Giant begins as a couple, Axl and Beatrice, set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.

It’s a fantasy that centres on a marriage. Ishiguro also wrote Never Let Me Go, which was later turned into a film with Andrew Garfield. I never read the book, but I got a chance to watch the film and man, it’s a tearjerker. Don’t you dare make me cry with this one, Ishiguro!

Deceptions (Cainsville #3) by Kelley Armstrong (August 4, 2015)

Kelley Armstrong is the author of the hit series, Women of the Otherworld, and the first book in the series, Bitten, is now a Syfy channel show. Deceptions marks Armstrong’s third book in the Cainsville series, and since it’s the third book, I won’t be adding the description here for those who want to start at the beginning.

Boo by Neil Smith (May 12, 2015)

Oliver Dalrymple, nicknamed “Boo” because of his pale complexion and staticky hair, is an outcast at his Illinois middle school–more interested in biology and chemistry than the friendship of other kids. But after a tragic accident, Boo wakes up to find himself in a very strange sort of heaven: a town populated only by 13-year-old Americans. While he desperately wants to apply the scientific method to find out how this heaven works (broken glass grows back; flashlights glow without batteries; garbage chutes plummet to nowhere), he’s confronted by the greatest mystery of all–his peers. With the help of his classmate Johnny, who was killed at the same time, Boo begins to figure out what exactly happened to them (and who they really were back in America) through this story about growing up, staying young and the never-ending heartbreak of being 13.

If you enjoyed The Lovely Bones, this may be the book for you! It’s a coming of age ghost story.

Snow White and The 77 Dwarfs by Davide Cali, Illustrated by Raphaelle Barbanegre (April 14, 2015)

Snow White is on the run from an evil witch when she comes across some dwarfs in the forest. They agree to take her in and keep her safe if she will help them with their chores. She soon realizes she’s taking on a lot more than she bargained for. 77 breakfasts to make, 77 lunches to pack (don’t forget the juice boxes!), 77 pairs of pants to mend and a whole lot of dishes. Eventually Snow White decides to take her chances with the witch. There’s a surprise ending… well, it may not be so surprising. This is a hilarious retelling of the classic tale, with bright, energetic illustrations featuring busy dwarfs, and the even busier Snow White.

This sounds like a hilarious kids book that I would read and give to my younger cousin. Poor Snow White.

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan. June 16th 2015. Random House/Knopf Doubleday. — Review Copy

We Are All Made of Molescules by Susin Nielsen (May 12, 2015)

Thirteen-year-old Stewart is academically brilliant but socially clueless.
Fourteen-year-old Ashley is the undisputed “It” girl in her class, but her grades stink. Their worlds are about to collide when Stewart and his dad move in with Ashley and her mom. Stewart is trying to be 89.9 percent happy about it, but Ashley is 110 percent horrified. She already has to hide the real reason her dad moved out; “Spewart” could further threaten her position at the top of the social ladder. They are complete opposites. And yet, they have one thing in common: they—like everyone else—are made of molecules.

This book has a anti-bullying message woven throughout that doesn’t hit you over the head with it as was described during the preview.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella (June 9, 2015)

I’m extremely excited for this book which marks Kinsella’s first time writing young adult. I’ve been waiting anxiously for it since it was announced. I’ll freak out while you read the synopsis.

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan (June 16, 2015)

Kevin Kwan is back after his hit debut, Crazy Rich Asians, with his second book, China Rich Girlfriend. I’m excited for this and need to read CRA, stat.

On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancé willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won’t be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore’s It Girl, Astrid Leong, is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly minted tech billionaire husband. A romp through Asia’s most exclusive clubs, auction houses, and estates, China Rich Girlfriend brings us into the elite circles of Mainland China, introducing a captivating cast of characters, and offering an inside glimpse at what it’s like to be gloriously, crazily, China-rich.

A Robot In The Garden by Deborah Install (August 4, 2015)

Described as “if Wall-E and Short Circuit had a baby,” this sounds like cuteness will just erupt from this. A warmhearted, fable of a stay-at-home husband, Ben Chambers, learns an important lesson in life when the endearing robot, Tang, is found in his garden and the two embark on a journey to take him home. I know plenty of bloggers were excited for this one.

The Wild Oats Project by Robin Rinaldi (March 17, 2015)

The project was simple: An attractive, successful magazine journalist, Robin Rinaldi, would move into a San Francisco apartment, join a dating site, and get laid. Never mind that she already owned a beautiful flat a few blocks away, that she was forty-four, or that she was married to a man she’d been in love with for eighteen years. What followed—a year of sex, heartbreak, and unexpected revelation—is the topic of this riveting memoir, The Wild Oats Project.

I was immediately intrigued by this book when I heard what it was about. The synopsis above is only a taste, so read it in its entirety at the link above. This is definitely my most anticipated reads of 2015.

Free Days with George by Colin Campbell (May 12, 2015)

Colin Campbell adopts a neglected 140-pound Newfoundland Landseer, George, after his difficult divorce. He discovers George’s uncanny ability to surf when they made the move to Los Angeles, and Colin realizes that he didn’t just rescue George, but George also rescued him. A great story for the animal lover and those who love the heartwarming, gooey moments.

Better Than Before: Mastering The Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin (March 17, 2015)

The author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, tackles the critical question: How do we change?

Gretchen Rubin’s answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.

How do we change these habits is exactly what Rubin explores in this new book. Get out your highlighters!

Below are the cookbooks coming out of Random House in 2015. I normally don’t buy cookbooks for myself (I do for my mom), but after Lindsey‘s rave reviews of a particular cookie recipe, I’m anxiously waiting for Tara O’Brady’s book. Check out her website, which has gorgeous photos that she takes herself.