2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino

Released: August 2014

2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino couldn't have been more of a perfect pick for the holiday season. The entire novel takes place on the eve of Christmas Eve, and focuses on three main characters searching for love and life fulfillment in the wintry, snow-covered streets of Philadelphia. This novel is super original and incredibly witty, and I couldn't read it fast enough!

The Dinner by Herman Koch

Released: February 2013

Herman Koch's The Dinner is one of those novels that takes place entirely in one evening (throughout a family dinner!). I LOVE books written in this format since they're usually relatively fast-paced. Let me say that The Dinner is excellent -- I breezed through this novel in just under two days, and you will, too!

Dreadful dinner plans

The novel opens with narrator Paul Lohman arriving at a fancy restaurant with his wife, Claire. The couple has plans to meet with Paul's annoying, high-maintenance politician brother Serge and his wife Babette. Both couples have 15-year-old sons who are best friends; but, unfortunately, both teens have committed a horrible, unspeakable crime that could land the boys in jail for the rest of their lives. The purpose of the dinner is to discuss how the matter should be handled, and for both couples to come to an agreement about their son's futures.

Urban Gothic by Brian Keene

fantasticfiction.co.uk

Released: August 2009

Brian Keene is one of my favorite horror novelists, so of course I couldn't resist picking up Urban Gothic when I found it in the bookstore. I flew through this novel in two days! I absolutely loved it. A great prelude to Halloween.

White suburban teens get stranded in the ghetto

After attending a hip-hop concert somewhere in Philadelphia, three teenage girls and their boyfriends are stranded in a broken-down, low-income neighborhood when their car breaks down during a wild goose chase for a bag of weed. While trying to fix their car, the teens are frightened away by a group of scary-looking black teens who only wanted to help. Desperate to get away, the teens escape to a nearby deserted, boarded-up house.

Smoke by Catherine McKenzie

amazon.com

Released: October 2015

I've been a huge fan of Catherine McKenzie since I first read Spin back in 2012 (here's my review for Spin). Her protagonists are always incredibly familiar, personable, and intelligent, and it's never too difficult for me to relate to each and every one of them.

Smoke is McKenzie's newest release, and hits the shelves October 20.

Another scary wildfire in the Rocky Mountains

After having spent years in the field putting out dangerous wildfires, Elizabeth is now living a more low-key life as an arson investigator for Nelson County in the Rocky Mountains. When Elizabeth wakes up to the not-so-distant smell of smoke, she soon learns that an out-of-control wildfire is threatening her home and small town. While local residents point the finger at the gentle, innocent old man who lost his house to the fire, Elizabeth suspects that a group of defiant teens are to blame for starting the fire. Caught in the middle of the investigation is Elizabeth's ex-best friend Mindy, the mother of one of the boys suspected to have started the fire.