Book picks similar to
Animal Magnet by Gary Anderson


fiction
first-reads
take-a-chance
dystopia

Toby


David Johnson - 2016
    Her formerly chaotic life seems to be settling down, until a peaceful walk in the woods leads Symphony and Toby to the reclusive cabin of Caleb Showalter, who knows more about her past than he’s telling.When an old friend resurfaces and expresses his affection, Symphony warily longs for love, and it is Toby that nudges her toward pursuing a reconnection. But when violence strikes at the hands of her possessive boyfriend, Symphony’s trust is shattered once again.Just when Symphony’s faith in humanity seems lost, Toby is injured in the woods, and she has no choice but to reach out to Caleb for help. Together, they face their fears and lost trust head-on. If they can save Toby, they might be able to let go of the past and to believe in the goodness of others—and themselves—once again.

The Art Teacher: Shocking. Page-Turning. Crime Thriller


Paul Read - 2016
    gritty, disturbing and pacy. It opens with thrilling intensity and never lets up.' --Alex Lake, author of After AnnaPatrick Owen managed seven years at Highfields Secondary School without punching a pupil in the face.Unknowingly drawn into a war against his own pupils, Patrick's patience finally snaps as he finds himself the number one target with the boy the school just can't seem to expel.When one of his Art students needs his help, she unwittingly pulls Patrick further into the line of fire, altering their lives forever.With the media circling and rumours of his involvement reaching new highs, Patrick must escape the world he lives in, or face the consequences.A gritty, harrowing page-turner. Perfect for fans of Linwood Barclay and Peter James

Blaze Returns


Bill Runner - 2021
    Ten years in the special forces and five years in the US Marshals have made Blaze a trained investigator and expert in combat.Blaze does not fight his opponents; he puts them down. He strikes first. And hard. Takes them out. Fast.Deputy Marshal Carter has gone missing in Little Butte, Nevada. The Dawsons own the town. The Mexican cartel is moving in on their meth business. A gang war is coming to town. Director Flynn asks Blaze to return for one last assignment.It is up to Blaze to find Carter before all hell breaks loose.

Genesis Code


Eliza Green - 2012
    An alien dying to stop him. Could a government conspiracy put them both six feet under?Investigator Bill Taggart will stop at nothing to find his missing wife. But standing between him and the truth is a secretive alien species on a distant planet. When his government pushes him to observe the species ahead of plans to relocate Earth’s population, Bill veers off course and straight into the path of one alien.The surprising confrontation forces Bill to question whether the investigation into the savage species is needed. But when official government intel disagrees with the cold hard facts, he worries there might be another reason for the relocation plans.A snap government order leaves the investigator in limbo and facing off against a new enemy that is more dangerous than the first. Worse, this enemy appears to live close to home.A devastating set of plans is soon revealed that will destroy the lives on two worlds. And Bill is caught in the middle. Can he stop chasing ghosts long enough to save humanity from the real enemy?Genesis Code is the first novel in this dystopian society thriller. If you enjoy incredible world building, complex characters, and disturbing secrets, then you'll love Eliza Green's intricately woven dystopian series. Fans of Lindsay Buroker, Jasper T. Scott and Chris Fox have read and enjoyed this series.

Men Like Air


Tom Connolly - 2016
    Nineteen-year-old Finn has just arrived in the city with his irrepressible and volatile girlfriend, Dilly, determined to even the score with his older brother Jack for abandoning him in the UK in the aftermath of their parents’ deaths. Across town, successful gallery owner Leo Emerson is haunted by loneliness, unsettled by the contrast between his life and that of his brother-in-law and oldest friend Isidor, who is enviably contented in his faith and his marriage. When Finn wanders into Leo’s gallery, a series of unexpected and interconnected events unfold, changing the lives of all four men, for better or worse. Leo and Isidor’s settled existences are overturned by events outside of their control, while Jack and Finn’s complex relationship reaches its long overdue showdown. Beautifully orchestrated and richly comic, Men Like Air explores the romance and solitude of cosmopolitan life, the transformative power of art, and the impact we have on one another’s lives—and what happens when the ties that bind us are tested or broken. It is an intense and uplifting story of growth and renewal, mapping the complex workings of the human heart across the streets of New York City.

Eagle Woman: A Saga of Early California II


Marian Sepulveda - 2017
    A fateful one in the history of the indigenous tribes of America. Yuma warrior, Night Wolf, is investigating reports of sheep ravaging Indian land. When he rescues a young white woman being attacked by one of the herders, he takes her to the Kumeyaay medicine woman known as Eagle Woman to treat her injuries. Strangely, she is not afraid, is even drawn to this handsome warrior. The Saga continues as Abigail Cassidy Butterfield, now living on a ranch in the San Diego back country with her family. Though this book is a sequel to Where Eagles Dance, it also stands alone. As Abby continues her fight to help the local tribes retain their land, she becomes an Indian Agent to help survey and mark the reservations. She and her family personally deliver the survey records to President Ulysses S. Grant in Washington D.C. On the return to California with the granted reservations, danger stalks them all along the way. For Abby, it will take all her medicine powers to save her people and combat the threat to her family. Enjoy the drama, the romance and a few light hearted incidents along the way.

The Names of Things


John Colman Wood - 2012
    But wanting to be with him, she endured the trip, only to fall desperately ill years later with a disease that leaves her husband with more questions than answers. When the anthropologist discovers a deception that shatters his grief and guilt, he begins to reevaluate his love for his wife as well as his friendship with one of the nomads he studied. He returns to Africa to make sense of what happened, traveling into the far reaches of the Chalbi Desert, where he must sift through the layers of his memories and reconcile them with what he now knows. Set in a windswept wilderness menaced by hyenas and lions, The Names of Things weaves together the stories of an anthropologist's journey into the desert, his firsthand accounts of the nomads' death rituals, and his struggle to find the names of things for which no words exist. Anthropologist John Colman Wood's debut novel is an exquisite, haunting exploration of the meaning of love and the rituals of grief.

A Line Too Far


B.C. Colman - 2016
    Thousands of Australian soldiers are held hostage. International realpolitik has left Australia abandoned by its supposed allies and its brittle social fabric is rapidly unwinding as the people panic. A Chinese ultimatum demands the annexation of the country’s top half in ten days, or face a full scale invasion. As other politicians clamour to sue for peace, Prime Minister, Gary Stone, in a desperate race against time and impossible military and political odds must commit to a risky and controversial plan to try and free the country …

Hooked: How I Survived Drugs, Prostitution and Bigamy in London's Nightlife


Clare Gee - 2010
    Emotionally scarred by having never known her mother, Katie escapes to London and immerses herself in a seedy world of drugs, drink, and sex, chasing happiness in the bars and clubs, and snorting cocaine in private members' bars with her rich clients. Finding herself in a cycle of prostitution and unable to break free, she turns to drug smuggling and becomes embroiled in a bigamous marriage in an attempt to secure some emotional stability. From this dark emotional pit, Katie starts her painful journey back to "wellness" and attempts to rid herself of her addictions for good. This is a graphic tale of what life as a prostitute is really like and what can happen when people search for happiness outside of themselves.

When I Was Jane


Theresa Mieczkowski - 2015
     I remember being pulled from a car. I remember flying in a helicopter. I remember voices. Female, car accident, multiple injuries.“What is your name?” he asks again. I remember what they called me. “Jane?”She awakens to a life she doesn’t remember. A husband and daughter she doesn’t know. They say her name is Audrey Gilbert—wife of heart surgeon Jason Gilbert, mother of five-year-old Daisy, and daughter-in-law to an iconic American political family. But something isn’t right. Convinced she is not who they say, she adopts the name Jane. While her doctor begins to wonder if her condition is caused by a psychological dissociation, Jane suspects Jason Gilbert may have something to gain from his wife’s memory loss. As she searches for answers, Jane unravels a tapestry of secrets and lies, ultimately revealing the shocking truth and discovering just how far someone would go to make her forget. Written with humor and insight, When I Was Jane is a compelling tale of triumph over adversity that will keep you guessing until the very end.

The Rocking R Ranch


Tim Washburn - 2020
    . . THE LEGEND BEGINS When the Ridgeway family staked their claim on more than 40,000 acres of land in northwest Texas, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Located on a sharp bend of the treacherous Red River, their new home—the Rocking R Ranch—was just a stone’s throw away from Indian territory. It was as lawless and wild as the West itself, crawling with unsavory characters, cattle rustlers, horse thieves, outlaws, robbers, and worse. But still, the Ridgeways were determined to make the Rocking R a success—and a home—for their four remarkable children: Percy, Eli, Abigail, and Rachel. This is their story. Together, the Ridgeways could endure anything. Floods, tornadoes, Commanche raids in the dead of night. But when one of their own is kidnapped . . . that’s when all hell breaks loose. This is their story. The story of the American West.

George Orwell's 1984: A Guide to Understanding the Classics


Ralph A. Ranald - 1920
    

The Nowhere Stone


Steve Kaide - 2018
    Raised in a secluded valley with only his father for company, he was unable to experience the outside world. For 16 years, the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains were the only home he’d ever known. Lucas didn’t understand why they were hidden away, but he trusted that his father was keeping them safe. It was a happy, albeit lonely, life.Until everything changed. Lucas was torn from his sheltered life and thrust into a dangerous world, far different from that which he expected. A mysterious artifact known as the Nowhere Stone seems to defy the laws of nature, and a powerful corporation called SentiCorp seeks to unlock its power. Lucas has finally been introduced to humanity, and it’s every bit as terrifying as he thought it would be.

North Korea Deception (The Deception Series #1)


Richard Lyntton - 2021
    In this espionage action thriller, Steele's encounters with blackmail, suicide bombers, double agents, unwelcome romance, rogue military forces, and a full-on tank assault will excite fans of British and American spy thrillers as he incurs the wrath of British, US, and North Korean authorities and a Russian organized-crime boss, all of whom want him dead.As if that wasn't enough, Steele alone holds the key to defeating the twisted and ruthless external reality of international politics, diplomacy, and unexpected evil in the Tumen triangle of Russia, North Korea, and China.From London to Moscow to Vladivostok and into the secret world of Pyong Yang, Steele must continually choose: fight, flight, report … or die?

I Dare You


Murray Bailey - 2016
     As she investigates people start to die and Kate is left wondering who to trust. She follows clues from England to the Czech Republic and finally to the US, all the while with the killer on her tail. Her boyfriend said: "Don't believe what you read. Don't believe what they say. Trust me. I dare you." Kate wants the truth but is the truth worth dying for?