Kirkus Reviews Spring & Summer 2006

Check out Kirkus Reviews' Spring and Summer 2006 preview. They list 35 titles to watch for.

Highlights include Daniel Handler's (Lemony Snicket) third adult novel, Adverbs; Possible Side Effects, a collection of essays from Augusten Burroughs (Dry); and How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life, a debut novel from Kaavya Viswanathan, a teenage Harvard student, about a teenager struggling to get in to Harvard. This from Viswnathan's editor at Little, Brown: "There's a real intelligence and seriousness to the writing, but Kaavya also pulls off the most outrageous comedy with utter aplomb."

I'm looking forward to another debut novel - Londonstani from British writer, Gautam Malkani, depicting the marginalized South Asian populations in London - Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Sikh, Muslim, Hindu - particularly the young gansta wannabes of this society.

Also, A Dirty Job is due out from Christopher Moore in April, and no one loves to make me laugh like Christopher Moore (Fluke, Lamb, The Stupidest Angel). In this one, a second-hand store owner and new Dad has the responsibilities of Death (himself) thrust unexpectantly upon him. Should be good.