Sheila over at Book Journey is once again hosting the "First Book of the Year" event. My pick last year turned out to be a hot mess and so did my year so fingers crossed that this year's pick will turn out to be a much better selection!
My first book of 2018 is going to be The Listener by Robert McCammon.
I've done a decent job at shielding myself from the plot, but I'll include the Goodreads blurb here so you can see what it's about. (McCammon is an auto-read for me so I prefer to go into it blind.)
1934. Businesses went under by the hundreds, debt and foreclosures boomed, and breadlines grew in many American cities.
In the midst of this misery, some folks explored unscrupulous ways to make money. Angel-faced John Partlow and carnival huckster Ginger LaFrance are among the worst of this lot. Joining together they leave their small time confidence scams behind to attempt an elaborate kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in New Orleans.
In a different part of town, Curtis Mayhew, a young black man who works as a redcap for the Union Railroad Station, has a reputation for mending quarrels and misunderstandings among his friends. What those friends don't know is that Curtis has a special talent for listening... and he can sometimes hear things that aren't spoken aloud.
One day, Curtis Mayhew's special talent allows him to overhear a child's cry for help (THIS MAN IN THE CAR HE'S GOT A GUN), which draws him into the dangerous world of Partlow and LaFrance.
This gritty depression-era crime thriller is a complex tale enriched by powerfully observed social commentary and hints of the supernatural, and it represents Robert McCammon writing at the very top of his game.
A friend was sweet enough to send me her ARC. Since it doesn't release until February, I've been holding on to it until 2018. I try not to read any books before the year they are published in case they wind up being a "best of the year" book. I always have the highest of hopes!
Do you have a special book planned for the first book of the year? I'd love to hear what you will be reading!
