It'll Be 2011 Before We Know It! #1

We're only a month or so away from the end of the year, and many of the publishers have already released their first half 2011 catalogues. I get a great pleasure from anticipating forthcoming novels (even with the horrendous TBR pile that exists in my house already) and so I thought I would bring you a series of posts with links to the aforementioned catalogues and my own picks from them. We'll share - I'll tell you mine and you tell me yours!


Canongate

Here is the catalogue for Canongate.

Two books instantly jumped out from this catalogue for me, those being:

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

A veil of melancholy has fallen over Jacob Marlowe. He's the last of his kind. Hunted by his enemies and haunted by his past, he's worn out by centuries of decadence and debauchery, and by the demands of his lunatic appetites. He decides to submit to the authorities at the next full moon. But as Jacob counts down to suicide, a violent murder and an extraordinary meeting plunge him straight back into the desperate pursuit of life. Gory and sexy, The Last Werewolf is a thrilling take on our relationship with the wild side, what it means to be alone and the transformative possibilities of love.

Bed by David Whitehouse

Mal is different from other kids. Part-prophet, part tyrant, he runs rings around his family and friends and dreams of changing the world. But as he grows up he experiences an extravagant metamorphosis. Recounted by Mal’s charming younger brother, Bed tells of the rise and dramatic fall of Mal and those around him. Enchanting, enigmatic and unforgettable, it captures brotherhood, romance and parenthood, and explores how love always has a price. Bed also asks what it is we need to get out of bed in the morning.

I've read I, Lucifer in the past by Glen Duncan and I like his subversive, dark comedy so I am looking forward to this book. The blurb to Bed sounds interesting!

Orion Fiction

This is the full catalogue for Orion, so includes Gollancz etc, but in this first post I'll just be dealing with Orion Fiction!

These are my picks:

Postcards From the Heart by Ella Griffin

Saffy feels like she has it all: a great job and a gorgeous boyfriend, Greg, who she is sure is about to propose. Greg's best mate Conor has two children with the love of his life, Jess, yet she refuses to get married. So, for these four friends, it seems their happy endings are playing hard to get. Everyone's keeping secrets and it will take some tough questions, and even tougher answers, to find out what they really want.

The Secret Shopper Affair by Kate Harrison

Best mates Sandie, Emily and Grazia thought they'd be friends forever. But they reckoned without the dividing effects of men and money. Shopping guru Sandie is happily pregnant, but facing an unusual battle with her boyfriend's mother. Bitter Emily has been banned from having a second child by her boyfriend, and faces a new temptation. Grazia must decide whether to give up on her career for a new, needy lover. Can they reconcile their differences? Or is it time to shut up shop?

Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon brings back one of her most compelling characters: Lord John Grey - soldier, gentleman, and no mean hand with a blade. Set in the eighteenth century, Lord John's world is one of mystery and menace. The strands of his secret and public lives weave together, to capture the tormented and courageous career of a man who fights for his crown, his honour, and his own secrets.

The Breakers by Michael Marshall

Bill Moore has it all: a high-income job, the perfect home and a loving wife. But then he is sent a business card - blank except for the word 'modified'. He dismisses the seemingly random event until the word begins to pop up in other places. Bill soon finds out, in the most terrifying way, that his life has become the subject of a sinister and deadly game...

Bringing Up Scarlett by Annie Sanders

Alice McLean is living the life she always dreamed of: no ties, no constraints and no worries. But her charmed existence is about to come to an abrupt end. Her best friend and husband have been killed in a car crash and Alice is now the legal guardian of their young daughter. So begins a journey that will force Alice to reassess her dreams, as she realises that sometimes the greatest adventures are the ones you never thought of taking...

Anything that caught your eye in these two catalogues? I will bring you my picks from Orbit, Quercus, Gollancz and Simon & Schuster in forthcoming editions.