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Weeks of December 13 and 20, 2021

New in Paperback

Weeks of December 13 and 20, 2021

Paperback releases for the weeks of December 13th and 20th include WILD THING, Philip Norman's vivid reconstruction of Jimi Hendrix’s remarkable career, from playing segregated clubs on the Chitlin’ Circuit to achieving stardom in Swinging London; DOMINION, the fifth volume of Peter Ackroyd’s masterful History of England, which begins in 1815 as national glory following the Battle of Waterloo gives way to a post-war depression and ends with the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901; THE HOUSE UPTOWN by Melissa Ginsburg, an emotional coming-of-age novel about a young girl who goes to live with her eccentric grandmother in New Orleans after the death of her mother; and Kwei Quartey's SLEEP WELL, MY LADY, which finds PI Emma Djan investigating the death of a Ghanaian fashion icon and social media celebrity, Lady Araba.

Count to Three by T.R. Ragan - Thriller

December 14, 2021

On her first day of kindergarten, five-year-old Tinsley disappeared without a trace. Five agonizing years later, her divorced mother, Dani Callahan, is a private investigator. She and Quinn Sullivan, a promising young assistant, are devoted to helping others find missing loved ones. And for Dani, finding Tinsley is still a never-ending obsession. Their newest case is Ali Cross, a teenager who vanished while walking home. A troubled boy’s eyewitness testimony to Ali’s abduction provides their only clues. And as their search for Ali gets underway, new information about Tinsley’s disappearance begins to surface too. As their investigations lead down two twisting paths, disturbing secrets are revealed and new victims find themselves in mortal danger.

Dominion: The History of England from the Battle of Waterloo to Victoria's Diamond Jubilee by Peter Ackroyd - History

December 14, 2021

DOMINION, the fifth volume of Peter Ackroyd’s History of England, begins in 1815 as national glory following the Battle of Waterloo gives way to a post-war depression and ends with the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901. Spanning the end of the Regency, Ackroyd takes readers from the accession of the profligate George IV, whose government was steered by Lord Liverpool, whose face was set against reform, to the “Sailor King” William IV, whose reign saw the modernization of the political system and the abolition of slavery. But it was the accession of Queen Victoria, at only 18 years old, that sparked an era of enormous innovation.

The House Uptown by Melissa Ginsburg - Fiction

December 14, 2021

Following her mother’s death, 14-year-old Ava is on a train heading to New Orleans, to stay with the grandmother she barely remembers. Lane is a well-known artist in the New Orleans art scene. She spends most of her days in a pot-smoke haze, sipping iced coffee, and painting, which has been her singular focus for years. Ava’s arrival unsettles Lane. The girl bears an uncanny resemblance to her daughter, from whom she was estranged before her death. Now her presence is dredging up painful and disturbing memories, which forces Lane to retreat even further into her own mind. As Ava and Lane attempt to form a bond, the oppressive heat and history of New Orleans bears down on them, forcing a reckoning neither of them are ready for.

The Love Con by Seressia Glass - Romantic Comedy

December 14, 2021

Sometimes Kenya Davenport believes she was switched at the hospital. How else could a lover of anime, gaming and cosplay come from STEM parents? Still, Kenya dreams of being able to turn her creative hobby into a career. She finally has a chance to make it big when she joins the reality show competition “Cosplay or No Way.” There's just one catch: the challenge for the final round is all about iconic pairs, and the judges want the contestants' significant others to participate. Unfortunately, Kenya is as single as can be at the moment. Luckily her best friend, Cameron Lassiter, agrees to be her fake boyfriend for the show. Can Kenya and Cam fake it until she makes it, or will she be real about her feelings, knowing it could cost her the best friend she’s ever had?

Sleep Well, My Lady: An Emma Djan Investigation by Kwei Quartey - Mystery

December 21, 2021

Hard-hitting talk show host Augustus Seeza has become a household name in Ghana, though notorious for his lavish overspending, alcoholism and womanizing. He’s dating the imposing, beautiful Lady Araba, who leads a self-made fashion empire. Fearing Augustus is only after her money, Araba’s religious family intervenes to break them up. A few days later, Araba is found murdered in her bed. Her driver is arrested after a hasty investigation, but Araba’s favorite aunt, Dele, suspects Augustus Seeza was the real killer. Almost a year later, Dele approaches Emma Djan, the only female PI at her agency. To solve Lady Araba’s murder, Emma must not only go on an undercover mission that dredges up trauma from her past, but navigate a long list of suspects with strong motives.

Wild Thing: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix by Philip Norman - Biography

December 14, 2021

Today, Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) is celebrated as the greatest rock guitarist of all time. But before he was setting guitars and the world aflame, James Marshall Hendrix was a shy kid in Seattle, plucking at a broken ukulele. Bringing Hendrix’s story to vivid life against the backdrop of midcentury rock, and interweaving new interviews with friends, lovers, bandmates and his family, WILD THING vividly reconstructs Hendrix’s remarkable career, from playing segregated clubs on the Chitlin’ Circuit to achieving stardom in Swinging London.