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Week of May 16, 2016

New in Paperback

Week of May 16, 2016

Paperback releases for the week of May 16th include WILDFLOWER, a portrait of Drew Barrymore's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges and incredible experiences she’s had throughout her life; THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR, in which historian Kenneth C. Davis brings to life six emblematic battles, revealing untold tales that span our nation's history --- from the Revolutionary War to Iraq; THE SCARLET GOSPELS, which takes readers back many years to the early days of two of Clive Barker's most iconic characters in a battle of good and evil as old as time; and DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY by Bill Clegg, a magnificently powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy.

Coup de Foudre: A Novella and Stories by Ken Kalfus - Fiction/Short Stories

May 17, 2016


Ken Kalfus’ latest collection of short fiction is a mix of experimental works and stories that borrow from recent news items. The piece that likely will receive the most attention is the title novella, in which a figure based on Dominique Strauss-Kahn has a sexual encounter with a housekeeper from Guinea at New York’s Sofitel hotel. Other stories in this provocative book touch upon topics like the Iraq War, the Large Hadron Collider, and execution by lethal injection.

Did You Ever Have A Family by Bill Clegg - Fiction

May 17, 2016


On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, June Reid’s life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke --- her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor. Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.

The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West by Michelle Goldberg - Biography

May 17, 2016


When Indra Devi was born in Russia in 1899, yoga was virtually unknown outside of India. By the time of her death, in 2002, it was being practiced around the world. Here, Michelle Goldberg tells the globetrotting story of the incredible woman who helped usher in a craze that continues unabated to this day. A sweeping picture of the 20th century that travels from the cabarets of Berlin to the Mysore Palace to Golden Age Hollywood and beyond, THE GODDESS POSE brings the Devi’s little known but extraordinary adventures vividly to life.

The Governor's Wife by Michael Harvey - Mystery

May 17, 2016


It’s been two years since disgraced Illinois governor Ray Perry disappeared from a federal courthouse in Chicago moments after being sentenced to 37 years in prison on corruption charges. P.I. Michael Kelly gets an anonymous email offering to pay him nearly a quarter of a million dollars if he will find Perry. Kelly’s investigation begins with the woman Perry left behind --- his wife, Marie. Ostracized by her former friends and hounded by the feds, Marie tells Kelly she has no idea where her husband is. Like everyone else, Kelly doesn’t believe her.

The Hidden History of America at War: Untold Tales from Yorktown to Fallujah by Kenneth C. Davis - History

May 17, 2016


Multi-million-copy bestselling historian Kenneth C. Davis sets his sights on war stories in THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR. He brings to life six emblematic battles, revealing untold tales that span our nation's history, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq. Along the way, he illuminates why we go to war, who fights, the grunt's-eye view of combat, and how these conflicts reshaped our military and national identity.

How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz - Fiction

May 17, 2016


When college roommates Anna and Kate find Georgiana Leoni passed out on a lawn, they wheel her to their dorm in a shopping cart. Twenty years later, they gather around a campfire at a New England mansion. What came between --- the wild adventures, unspoken jealousies and one night that changed everything --- is the witty, poignant story of our strongest friendships, the people who know us better than we know ourselves. Anna is the de facto leader, as fearless as she is reckless. Quirky Kate is the loyal sidekick, until she’s pushed too far. And stunning George is always desired but just as frequently dumped.

I Refuse written by Per Petterson, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett - Fiction

May 17, 2016


Per Petterson weaves a tale of two men whose accidental meeting one morning recalls their boyhood 35 years ago. Back then, Tommy was separated from his sisters after he stood up to their abusive father. Jim was by Tommy's side through it all. But one winter night, a chance event on a frozen lake forever changed the balance of their friendship. Now Jim fishes alone on a bridge as Tommy drives by in a new Mercedes, and it's clear their fortunes have reversed. Over the course of the day, the life of each man will be irrevocably altered.

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni - Mystery/Thriller

May 17, 2016


Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, she has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime. So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl 40 years earlier, she agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric.

It's a Long Story: My Life by Willie Nelson with David Ritz - Autobiography

May 17, 2016


Having recently turned 80, Willie Nelson is ready to shine a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his collaborations, and his biggest lows and highs --- from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid. Nelson and his music have found their way into the hearts and minds of fans the world over, winning 10 Grammys and receiving the Kennedy Center Honors. Now it's time to hear the last word about his life --- from the man himself.

Joan of Arc: A History by Helen Castor - Biography/History

May 17, 2016


Helen Castor tells afresh the gripping story of the peasant girl from Domremy who hears voices from God, leads the French army to victory, is burned at the stake for heresy, and eventually becomes a saint. But unlike the traditional narrative, a story already shaped by the knowledge of what Joan would become and told in hindsight, Castor’s book takes us back to 15th-century France and tells the story forwards. Instead of an icon, she gives us a living, breathing woman confronting the challenges of faith and doubt.

Numero Zero written by Umberto Eco, translated by Richard Dixon - Fiction

May 17, 2016


A newspaper committed to blackmail and mud slinging. A paranoid editor reconstructing 50 years of history against the backdrop of a plot involving the cadaver of Mussolini's double. The murder of Pope John Paul I, the CIA, and events that seem outlandish until the BBC proves them true. A fragile love story between two born losers, a failed ghostwriter, and a vulnerable girl, who specializes in celebrity gossip yet cries over the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh. And then a dead body that suddenly appears in a back alley in Milan. Set in 1922, NUMERO ZERO foreshadows the mysteries and follies of the following 20 years.

Reagan: The Life by H. W. Brands - Biography

May 17, 2016


H. W. Brands establishes Ronald Reagan as one of the two great presidents of the 20th century, a true peer to Franklin Roosevelt. REAGAN conveys how the confident force of Reagan’s personality and the unwavering nature of his beliefs enabled him to engineer a conservative revolution in American politics and play a crucial role in ending communism in the Soviet Union. He shut down the age of liberalism, Brands shows, and ushered in the age of Reagan, whose defining principles are still powerfully felt today.

The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker - Horror/Dark Fantasy

May 17, 2016


THE SCARLET GOSPELS takes readers back many years to the early days of two of Clive Barker's most iconic characters in a battle of good and evil as old as time. The long-beleaguered detective Harry D'Amour, investigator of all supernatural, magical and malevolent crimes, faces off against his formidable and intensely evil rival, Pinhead, the priest of hell. Barker's horror will make your worst nightmares seem like bedtime stories. The Gospels are coming. Are you ready?

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction

May 17, 2016


A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature threaten the intrepid pioneers until only a handful of survivors remain. Five thousand years later, their progeny embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown…to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.

Sweet Caress by William Boyd - Historical Fiction

May 17, 2016


When Amory Clay was born, her disappointed father gave her an androgynous name and announced the birth of a son. But this daughter was not one to let others define her; Amory became a woman who accepted no limits to what that could mean, and, from the time she picked up her first camera, one who would record her own version of events. Moving freely between London and New York, between photojournalism and fashion photography, and between the men who love her on complicated terms, Amory establishes her reputation as a risk taker and a passionate life traveler.

Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty by Charles Leerhsen - Biography

May 17, 2016


Ty Cobb is baseball royalty. His lifetime batting average is still the highest of all time, and when he retired in 1928, he held more than 90 records. But the numbers don’t tell half of Cobb’s tale. Setting the record straight, Charles Leerhsen pushed aside the myths and re-traced Cobb’s journey, from the shy son of a professor and state senator who was progressive on race for his time, to America’s first true sports celebrity. In the process, he tells of a life overflowing with incident and a man who cut his own path through his times.

Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out the Gospel by Kevin Palau - Christian Life/Religious Studies

May 17, 2016


In 2007, Kevin Palau and a few dozen pastors approached Portland’s mayor and posed the question: How can we serve you with no strings attached? Officials identified five initial areas of need and began a partnership, CityServe, between the city and a band of churches seeking to live out the gospel message. Since then, the CityServe model has inspired communities across the country to take up the cause in their own cities. UNLIKELY not only tells the story of the inception of CityServe, but also challenges readers to evaluate their understanding of the gospel.

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore - Memoir/Humor

May 17, 2016


WILDFLOWER is a portrait of Drew Barrymore's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and how laundry may have saved her life), getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross country road trip, saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood, and many more adventures and lessons that have led her to the successful, happy and healthy place she is today. It is the first book Drew has written about her life since the age of 14.