12.21, by Dustin Thomason

Very much in the tradition of Michael Crichton, 12.21 is a rollicking, fast paced thriller. Chel Manu, a Guatemalan American artifact researcher at the Getty Museum, recieves a copy of a smuggled ancient Mayan codex- an invaluable find that she knows was illegally looted, yet she can't resist trying to find out what it says.
At the same time, in a charity hospital in East LA, an intelligent and perceptive resident, Michaela Thane, begins to suspect that the disease a John Doe is suffering from might be prion-based, and contacts Gabe Stanton, a CDC investigator and expert on prion diseases.
This is a stuffed-to-bursting book, with ancient history, speculation, high-tech labs and old-school potions, hints of romance, lots of action, and an ending that ties it all together and leaves the reader wanting more. For fans of Dan Brown, Michael Crighton, or Richard Preston.

Visit Sunny Chernobyl, by Andrew Blackwell

Excellent and interesting disaster tourism. Blackwell visits some of the world's most polluted areas, and tries to figure out what kind of legacy and meaning the idea  of "unspoiled nature" still has- given that it is ALL SPOILED, jesus christ, so let's look at the really bad things and see what beauty or meaning can be salvaged.
From the fishing in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, to sightseeing in Alberta's oil sands to the foul sounding Yamuna River in India, he hits some amazing little-seen sights, and although his own personal heartbreak takes his writing off course, still a great read.

Broken Harbor, Tana French

Excellent 4th book in French's Dublin Murder Squad series. Set in a lonely, half-built "luxury estate" on the coast, Detective "Scorcher' Kennedy is faced with a gruesome crime in a place that has it's own harrowing memories for him.
So well done- the mix of psychological thriller and police procedural is brilliantly done, and her in-depth characterizations are wonderful.

After the Snow, by S.D. Crockett

Post-apocalyptic ice age neo-feudalism in the woods, with a corrupt government dystopia in the cities. Well done. Willo's outsider skills and Mary's city knowlege were nice touches.

The Gathering Storm, by Robin Bridges

ABSURD YA. Set among the Russian aristocracy in the 1890s, I thought this had promise, but the inclusion of vampires, zombies, witches and so on was a bit much.

In-Flight Entertainment, by Helen Simpson

Wonderful and heartfelt collection of short stories.
My favorite is the title story, but there were many stong ones among the 13 stories.
Each story is a snapshot of how removed we are in the western world from what is changing the planet, even as they soar above it. Turbulence ahead.

In Search of The Rose Notes, by Emily Arsenault

Wonderful thoughtful mystery. Charlotte and Nora were 11 when their teenage babysitter dissapeared, and they tried to 'solve' the case using seances and oujji boards and such, but as adults, when they get together again, they realize they knew more than they thought.

The Next One to Fall, by Hilary Davidson

Absorbing sequel to The Damage Done, set in and around Macchu Pichu.

The Damage Done, by Hilary Davidson

Excellent mystery with a powerful protagonist. one to follow.

Dust & Decay, by Jonathan Maberry

Great sequel to Rot & Ruin. Zombies, etc.

Rot & Ruin, by Jonathan Maberry

Excellent YA zombie novel.

The Art of Creative Pruning, by Jake Hobson

Phenomenal and inspiring book. Breathtaking.

Bad Intentions, by Karin Fossum

Another positively miserable Nordic Noir, from the relentlessly depressing Karin Fossum. Bleak and unpleasant.

Midnight Movie, by Tobe Hooper

Very meta B-Book based on a fictional B-movie that has the power to turn viewers into zombies. Fast paced and fun horror, if that's not too much of an oxymoron.

Pompeii, by Robert Harris

Wonderfully detailed historical fiction set in the days leading up to the eruption of Pompeii.

World War Z, by Max Brooks

Pretty much my favorite zombie book, and I read A LOT of zombie books.

Gone West, by Carola Dunn

Another enjoyable Daisy Dalrymple mystery. Solid series, growing nicely.

I Brake for Yard Sales, by Lara Spencer

Eh. She has some great finds, but obviously is in a large urban market, with a taste for midcentury, neither of which is true of me, so not a lot for me in this.

Enlightened Polymer Clay: Artisan Jewelery Inspired By Nature, by Rie Nagumo

Beautiful and inspiring pieces. So many great ideas and techniques in this, this is one I'd like to own.

Sugarhouse, by Matthew Batt

expected a funny take on home renovation, similar in tone to The House on First Street , but despite the fun looking cover and title, the book really turned into a kind of depressing family story.
Even the parts about the home renovation tasks that the author and his wife took on were not terrifically funny or interesting, and the smug satisfaction kind of reeked.
Yes, it is very cool that they laid a slate floor- but seriously, every person who has laid tile of any kind has that same exact story, and manage to not sound like Smug McSmuggery about it.
There was hardly any mention of any amusing/frightening/interesting encounters with neighbors or ex-users of the crack house (which, honestly, it didn't seem to have been one) and the home repair parts were dull, the smugness clouded everything, and if I had wanted to read a book about a gold-digger named Tonya fleecing a guy's grandad out of his money, I would have chosen a book that didn't pretend to be a funny book about renovating a house.
Misleading and not funny. Depressing and smug.