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November 18, 2016

Bookreporter.com Newsletter November 18, 2016
Greetings from Miami: I Feel Like an Author Groupie
I am in Miami, where 600+ authors are in town this week for the Miami Book Fair. I have not been to the Fair in five years, and it has grown enormously over that time. I am looking forward to my panel for Book Groups on Saturday morning. In addition to noting fall/winter books that people want to read, I have pulled together a list of the programming at the Fair, which I think will be of interest to book groups. It’s my version of a cheat sheet. It’s going to be a fast-paced, fun weekend!

On Wednesday night I attended the National Book Awards, the evening where the book business dresses up and takes note of some of the best books of the year. The awards portion of the evening opened with Katherine Paterson, the author of BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, announcing that Congressman John Lewis, Nate Powell and Andrew Aydin had won the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature for MARCH: Book Three. It is the first graphic novel ever to win a National Book Award. I remember when Chris Staros, the publisher of Top Shelf, told me about their plans for this series about the Civil Rights Movement told through Lewis’ lens. During his acceptance speech, a very tearful Lewis recalled being turned away from a library as a black child when he was growing up in rural Alabama. His encouraging teacher told him to “Read, my child, read.” From there he “tried to read everything.” The series is brilliantly done, and I highly recommend it. While it won in the Young People’s category, it’s great reading for all ages. And as someone who has embraced graphic novel reading for a while now, this series would be a terrific gateway for any of you who have not explored this format.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead won for Fiction, and the applause for this win was deafening; I am looking forward to hearing Colson interviewed in Miami on Sunday afternoon. STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi won for Nonfiction, and THE PERFORMANCE OF BECOMING HUMAN by Daniel Borzutzky won for Poetry. You can watch the live stream of the awards ceremony here.

Many of the National Book Award winners and those who made the longlist and shortlist will be in Miami this weekend. I feel like I am an author groupie following them there! For those of you who would like to watch coverage online, you can see interviews on Book TV, which airs on C-SPAN 2 from 8am Saturday to 8am Monday, focusing on political and historical books as well as the book industry. For more information, go to Book TV's official website. Also, PBS will be conducting interviews with many authors at the Fair and will be sharing those live. You can see the list of who they will be covering here. Comprehensive live stream coverage will be available on PBS Book View Now's official website and Facebook page all weekend long.

The 2016 presidential election may be in the history books, but the publication of books about this historic campaign is only just beginning. One of the most talked-about releases, Bernie Sanders’ OUR REVOULTION: A Future to Believe In, is now in stores. In this highly anticipated memoir, Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, reflecting on his remarkable run in the primaries and the people who made it possible. In addition, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial and social justice agenda that he believes will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment and provide health care for all.

Rob Bentlyewski has this to say in his review: "Written in his distinct speaking voice that leads the reader to assume he may have dictated a great deal of the book rather than typing or writing it out, OUR REVOLUTION serves as a candid, inspiring story about a politician who has stayed true to his principles despite decades of being told by Washington, DC insiders that he needs to fall in line."

Special Agent John Puller, combat veteran and the army's most hard-hitting investigator, returns in David Baldacci’s latest thriller, NO MAN'S LAND. Puller's mother, Jackie, vanished 30 years ago when he was just a boy. Paul Rogers has been in prison for 10 years. But 20 years before that, he was at Fort Monroe. One night three decades ago, Puller's and Rogers' worlds collided with devastating results, and the truth has been buried ever since. Until now. When military investigators arrive in the hospital room of Puller's father and accuse him of murdering Jackie, Puller embarks on an action-packed journey that will take him into his own past.

Ray Palen has our review and says, “Baldacci ramps up the thrills and chills, with Puller and Rogers on their way towards a head-on collision like two runaway freight trains. There are more than enough startling revelations that change the direction of the story, and this will keep the most astute thriller reader on his or her toes.”

Other books we’re reviewing this week include SWING TIME, the long-awaited new novel from Zadie Smith, which is about race, class and friendship, and moves from Northwest London to West Africa; THE SLEEPING BEAUTY KILLER, the latest collaboration from Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, who have written the third book in their Under Suspicion series; and CHAOS, the 24th thriller in Patricia Cornwell’s high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta.

Daisy Goodwin authored the bestselling novels THE AMERICAN HEIRESS and THE FORTUNE HUNTER. She is also the creator and writer of the upcoming PBS Masterpiece drama series "Victoria" (premiering January 15th), and now has delivered a novel of the same name, which is our latest New Release Spotlight title. VICTORIA draws from Queen Victoria’s real diaries, and brings the young 19th-century monarch, who would go on to reign for 63 years and shape an era, richly to life. The book releases this coming Tuesday, November 22nd, and we will feature our review in next week's newsletter. I have enjoyed Daisy’s last two books, and this one is just terrific as well.

VICTORIA is one of the prizes in our latest Word of Mouth contest (Carrie Fisher’s new memoir, THE PRINCESS DIARIST, is the other). Submit your comments about the books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll have a chance to win both books. The deadline for your entries is Friday, December 2nd at noon ET.

We’re featuring Karan Mahajan’s THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS in our Paperback Spotlight this week. The novel released in hardcover back in March, to great success, and is now available in paperback. When two Delhi schoolboys, brothers Tushar and Nakul Khurana, pick up their family’s television set at a repair shop with their friend, Mansoor Ahmed, disaster strikes suddenly. A bomb detonates in the Delhi marketplace, instantly claiming the lives of the Khurana boys. Mansoor survives, bearing the physical and psychological effects of the bomb. His life becomes entangled with the mysterious and charismatic Ayub, a fearless young activist whose own allegiances and beliefs are more malleable than Mansoor could imagine. Woven among the story of the Khuranas and the Ahmeds is the gripping tale of Shockie, a Kashmiri bomb maker who has forsaken his own life for the independence of his homeland. I started this book the other night, and it drew me in right away. It was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction. Good reading.

Our Holiday Cheer contests made their triumphant return this week! Each giveaway opens at noon ET on select days in November and December, and runs for just 24 hours, so you will have to check the site to see what is being featured. As always, we’ll be sending our special Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts. Our first three prizes were CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff (which we review this week), THE HEART OF HENRY QUANTUM by Pepper Harding (which we reviewed when it released last month), and JOHANNA’S CHRISTMAS: A Festive Coloring Book for Adults by Johanna Basford. Next week, we’ll be giving away THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT by Alexander Chee and SNOWFALL ON HAVEN POINT by RaeAnne Thayne; the first giveaway of the week will go up on Monday at noon ET.

A future Holiday Cheer prize book is THE GERMAN GIRL by Armando Lucas Correa, which we reviewed last week and is now a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Click here to read my commentary.

This month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest is still open. Let us know by Thursday, December 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve finished listening to, and you’ll be in the running to win the audio versions of Wally Lamb's I'LL TAKE YOU THERE, performed by George Guidall, and Michael Chabon's MOONGLOW, performed by George Newbern. We’ll be featuring reviews of the print editions of these novels in next week’s newsletter.

For our current poll, we’re curious about your paperback preferences. Do you typically read trade paperbacks (the large-sized paperback books) or mass market paperbacks (which are smaller-sized and less expensive). Click here to let us know!

Our previous poll asked the following: If you know that a book is the first title in a series, do you read it, or do you wait for more in the series to be published? More than two-thirds of you (67%) said you will read the book and anticipate the next installment, while just 5% prefer to wait until more books in the series are released before reading the first installment. For 21% of you, it depends on the author, while 5% do not read books that you know are part of a series. We added an “Other” option to this question, which yielded some very interesting replies from you; you can see them all here.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail: We heard from many readers with feedback about series books. Here’s what some of them had to say.

Susan: "I most enjoy series that mesh unique characters with strong personal stories into each installment. To keep me interested the characters must grow, change and endure much in their personal lives. I want to read the next installment as much to learn about the characters’ lives as knowing that the story will be engrossing and thought provoking. I also enjoy a writer who works at the craft and takes the time to develop strong imagery. Some of my favorite authors who I think do this well are: William Kent Krueger, Karin Slaughter, Ace Atkins, Craig Johnson, Dana Stabenow, Margaret Maron, Faye Kellerman, Elizabeth George, James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly. I read many others as well, but these are authors who for me a new installment in their series becomes a must read. I'm a voracious reader and read much else besides series books, but a new entry in a well-written series is like seeing a friend I've been missing.”

Jean: “I love series books because so many times the story is so interesting I hate to see it end. Knowing there will be some more books about the same people helps. I do have my favorite series authors and always look forward to the start of a new series.”

Mary: “I love series and have read 15 (I just counted). I think it is that you come to know the characters. Also I am rarely disappointed in the story because I know it will be an interesting adventure with a friend.”

Pat: “I am an avid fan of series books! I look forward to reading the next book, as it is like reading about the latest news from old friends! I have read numerous novels that are written as a series by authors such as J.A. Jance, Michael Connelly, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Robert B. Parker and Sue Grafton. Some authors have more than one series, which is great, also. I enjoy reading a variety of genres, which gives me a wide field of fiction friends to keep abreast of yearly. By the way, I have enjoyed your weekly newsletter about your family, too.”

Lora: “I avoided reading series, thinking that it was more important to me to read a variety of authors. Then I started attending Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime conventions with my husband and reading mysteries that are part of a series. As gifts, I received audiobooks of the current releases of Louise Penny, William Kent Krueger and Jacqueline Winspear. I was so intrigued by these books that I went back to read the beginning of the series. I also started in the middle with Cara Black and a few others. With the exception of Winspear, I don't think I would have continued with any of the series if I had started with the first book they wrote. I believe that most writers improve their skills as they keep writing, and their characters become richer and more consistent as they move through time. I think Louise Penny hit her stride in the fourth book and gets better and better with each new Gamache mystery. In contrast, I met J.A. Jance and decided to start at the beginning of her first series. It was written in 1985, and although I found the 'hard-boiled' detective rather endearing, I thought the writing was unskilled, stereotypical and completely written in clichés. I hear her writing is much much better now, and she admits she taught herself as she went along, but I haven't been able to bring myself to pick up another. I love your recommendations. I want to try the series by Linwood Barclay next.”

Pam: “I love to read series (The Hunger Games was a favorite). However, I feel that sometimes the author and publisher are just 'milking the system' by employing the series idea. In my opinion, a book in a series should stand on its own and have a concrete ending --- not a cliffhanger. I feel cheated when I’ve devoted so much time to a book, only to have the ending be dissatisfying.”

"The Crown'": Been enjoying this on Netflix; I think we are four episodes in and will enjoy finishing it on Thanksgiving weekend. Watch this to get into a British frame of mind before watching "Victoria" on PBS in January.

Bob Dylan: He has a previous commitment, so he will not be on hand to pick up his Nobel Prize.

For Humor: You can rent an Irish pub for your next party.

In case anyone has forgotten that the holiday season is upon us, to get your heart racing, I bring you the above photo of my Christmas cactuses, which have bloomed ahead of schedule. Some of those plants are over 30 years old, and for some reason they have bloomed like clockwork every November, not December. Perhaps I should read instructions for future bloom timing. I have put the plants outside the last two summers shading them under a tree so they could get some warm humid air, and the leaves and flowers became much more healthy.

Cory has been having car trouble, and his solution to get to his part-time job...biking! I am impressed. I fear there will be no pool time in Miami; there’s just too much going on! There will be lots of running from one event to the next.

Next week, our newsletter will arrive on Wednesday to ensure that our staff has time to enjoy the long Thanksgiving weekend. Read on, and have a great week.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Review: OUR REVOLUTION by Bernie Sanders
OUR REVOLUTION: A Future to Believe In by Bernie Sanders (Politics/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo
In OUR REVOLUTION, Bernie Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all --- and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better. For him, the political revolution has just started. The campaign may be over, but the struggle goes on. Reviewed by Rob Bentlyewski.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: NO MAN'S LAND by David Baldacci --- Book #4 in the John Puller Series
NO MAN'S LAND by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kyf Brewer
John Puller's mother, Jackie, vanished 30 years ago from Fort Monroe, Virginia, when Puller was just a boy. Paul Rogers has been in prison for 10 years. But 20 years before that, he was at Fort Monroe. One night three decades ago, Puller's and Rogers' worlds collided with devastating results, and the truth has been buried ever since. Until now. Military investigators arrive in the hospital room of Puller's father and reveal that Puller Sr. has been accused of murdering Jackie. Aided by his brother Robert Puller, an Air Force major, and Veronica Knox, who works for a shadowy U.S. intelligence organization, Puller begins a journey that will take him into his own past, to find the truth about his mother. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: SWING TIME by Zadie Smith
SWING TIME by Zadie Smith (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Pippa Bennett-Warner
Two brown girls dream of being dancers, but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It's a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early 20s. Tracey makes it to the chorus line but struggles with adult life, while her friend travels the world as an assistant to a famous singer, Aimee, observing close up how the one percent live. But when Aimee develops grand philanthropic ambitions, the story moves from London to West Africa, where the origins of a profound inequality are not a matter of distant history, but a present dance to the music of time. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight: VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin

VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin (Historical Fiction)
Early one morning, less than a month after her 18th birthday, Alexandrina Victoria is roused from bed with the news that her uncle William IV has died and she is now Queen of England. The men who run the country have doubts about whether this sheltered young woman, who stands less than five feet tall, can rule the greatest nation in the world. Surely she must rely on her mother and her venal advisor, Sir John Conroy, or her uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, who are all too eager to relieve her of the burdens of power.

The young queen is no puppet, however. She has very definite ideas about the kind of queen she wants to be, and the first thing is to choose her name.

"I do not like the name Alexandrina," she proclaims. "From now on I wish to be known only by my second name, Victoria."

Read the book, then watch "Victoria," a new drama series airing on PBS beginning January 15th. Click here for more information about this Masterpiece Presentation, which Daisy Goodwin created and wrote.

VICTORIA releases on November 22nd.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Daisy Goodwin’s bio.
-Click here to visit Daisy Goodwin’s official website.
-Connect with Daisy Goodwin on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
New Paperback Spotlight: THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS by Karan Mahajan
THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS by Karan Mahajan (Fiction)
When brothers Tushar and Nakul Khurana, two Delhi schoolboys, pick up their family’s television set at a repair shop with their friend, Mansoor Ahmed, one day in 1996, disaster strikes without warning. A bomb --- one of the many “small” bombs that go off seemingly unheralded across the world --- detonates in the Delhi marketplace, instantly claiming the lives of the Khurana boys, to the devastation of their parents. Mansoor survives, bearing the physical and psychological effects of the bomb.

After a brief stint at university in America, Mansoor returns to Delhi, where his life becomes entangled with the mysterious and charismatic Ayub, a fearless young activist whose own allegiances and beliefs are more malleable than Mansoor could imagine.

Woven among the story of the Khuranas and the Ahmeds is the gripping tale of Shockie, a Kashmiri bomb maker who has forsaken his own life for the independence of his homeland.

Karan Mahajan writes brilliantly about the effects of terrorism on victims and perpetrators, proving himself to be one of the most provocative and dynamic novelists of his generation.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Karan Mahajan’s bio.
-Click here to visit Karan Mahajan’s official website.
-Click here to connect with Karan Mahajan on Twitter.
 
Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
Featured Review: THE SLEEPING BEAUTY KILLER by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke --- Book #3 in the Under Suspicion Series
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY KILLER by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jan Maxwell
Casey Carter was convicted of murdering her fiancé, famed philanthropist Hunter Raleigh III, 15 years ago. And Casey claims she’s innocent. Although she was charged and served out her sentence in prison, she is still living “under suspicion.” Her story attracts the attention of Laurie Moran and the “Under Suspicion” news team. It’s Casey’s last chance to finally clear her name, and Laurie pledges to exonerate her. With Alex Buckley taking a break from the show, “Under Suspicion” introduces a new on-air host named Ryan Nichols, who has no problems with steering --- and stealing --- the show, and even tries to stop Laurie from taking on Casey’s case because he’s so certain she’s guilty. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: FRANTUMAGLIA by Elena Ferrante
FRANTUMAGLIA: A Writer's Journey written by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein (Essays)
Audiobook available, narrated by Hillary Huber
FRANTUMAGLIA invites readers into Elena Ferrante’s workshop. It offers a glimpse into the drawers of her writing desk, those drawers from which emerged her three early stand-alone novels and the four installments of My Brilliant Friend, known in English as the Neapolitan Quartet. Consisting of over 20 years of letters, essays, reflections and interviews, it is a unique depiction of an author who embodies a consummate passion for writing. Reviewed by Rebecca Kilberg.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature
At Bookreporter.com, we kick off the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, on select days in November and December, we are spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it. You have to visit the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter the 24-hour contest. As always, we are sending our special Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, November 21st at noon ET.

This year's featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details and see our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE GERMAN GIRL by Armando Lucas Correa
THE GERMAN GIRL by Armando Lucas Correa (Fiction)
While Cuba is in the news these days, and many of my friends have put it on a bucket list of places to visit, I confess to not being aware that during World War II Cuba was a desired safe haven for Jewish refugees trying to escape the wrath of Hitler and Nazi Germany. In his novel, THE GERMAN GIRL, Armando Lucas Correa tells their story and brings this little-discussed account to light.

The book has two interwoven stories. The first is Hannah’s. She is an 11-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who lives in Berlin with her affluent family; her mom comes from wealthy German lineage, and her father is a professor. Hannah looks Aryan, which would be confusing to many, as she is Jewish. In fact, she is photographed for a German magazine and called out as “The German Girl.” The second is Anna, who is 12 years old. She lives in modern-day New York with her mom. She’s never met her dad, who was killed on September 11th; he never even knew her mom was pregnant with her. For years she has grappled with who her father was, as her mom has faded into a deep depression.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary on the book.
More Reviews This Week
CHAOS: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell (Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Susan Ericksen
On an early autumn day, Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. Dr. Kay Scarpetta decides at the scene that this is no accidental Act of God. Her investigation becomes complicated when she begins receiving a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully who calls himself Tailend Charlie. When the 10th poem arrives exactly 24 hours after Elisa’s death, Scarpetta begins to suspect the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her investigative partner, Pete Marino, and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley. She also enlists the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta’s surprise, tracking the slippery Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone as brilliant as her niece. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

LAST GIRL BEFORE FREEWAY: The Life, Loves, Losses, and Liberation of Joan Rivers by Leslie Bennetts (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Erin Bennett
Joan Rivers was an icon and a role model to millions, a fearless pioneer who left a legacy of expanded opportunity when she died in 2014. Her life was a dramatic roller-coaster of triumphant highs and devastating lows: the suicide of her husband, her feud with Johnny Carson, her estrangement from her daughter, her many plastic surgeries, her ferocious ambition and her massive insecurities. But Rivers' career was also hugely significant in American cultural history, breaking down barriers for her gender and pushing the boundaries of truth-telling for women in public life. LAST GIRL BEFORE FREEWAY delves into the inner workings of a woman who both reflected and redefined the world around her. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

TWENTY-SIX SECONDS: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film by Alexandra Zapruder (History)
Audiobook available, read by Alexandra Zapruder
Abraham Zapruder didn't know when he began filming President Kennedy's motorcade on November 22, 1963 that his home movie would change not only his family's life but American culture and history as well. Now his granddaughter tells the whole story of the Zapruder film for the first time. With the help of personal family records, previously sealed archival sources, and interviews, she traces the film's complex journey through history, considering its impact on her family and the public realms of the media, courts, Federal government and the arts community. Zapruder shows how 26 seconds of film changed a family and raised some of the most important social, cultural and moral questions of our time. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE CLOTHING OF BOOKS by Jhumpa Lahiri (Literary Criticism)
Audiobook available, read by Jhumpa Lahiri
In this deeply personal reflection, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri explores the art of the book jacket from the perspectives of both reader and writer. Probing the complex relationships between text and image, author and designer, and art and commerce, Lahiri delves into the role of the uniform; explains what book jackets and design have come to mean to her; and how, sometimes, “the covers become a part of me.” Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.

GOOD BEHAVIOR by Blake Crouch (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Blake Crouch and Julia Whelan
Fresh out of prison and fighting to keep afloat, Letty Dobesh returns to her old tricks burglarizing suites at a luxury hotel. While on the job, she overhears a man hiring a hit man to kill his wife. Letty may not be winning any morality awards, but even she has limits. Unable to go to the police, Letty sets out to derail the job, putting herself on a collision course with the killer that entangles the two of them in a dangerous, seductive relationship. GOOD BEHAVIOR comprises three interlinked novellas, which together form a novel-length portrait of Blake Crouch’s all-time favorite character creation. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

SAY NO MORE: A Jane Ryland Novel by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Xe Sands
When Boston reporter Jane Ryland reports a hit and run, she soon learns she also witnessed the collapse of an alibi, and now she's under pressure to tell all to the police. She's also digging up the inside scoop for an exposé of sexual assaults on Boston's college campuses for the station's new documentary unit. But a disturbing anonymous message, SAY NO MORE, has Jane truly scared. Meanwhile, homicide detective Jake Brogan is on the hunt for the murderer of Avery Morgan, a hot-shot Hollywood screenwriter. As Jake chips his way through a code of silence as shatterproof as any street gang, he'll learn that one newcomer to the neighborhood may have a secret of her own. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tanya Eby
The night before the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a crowd gathers on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to watch the giant balloons fill with helium and rise toward the sky. Then the festive ritual takes a terrifying turn --- a gunshot rings out, police commissioner Logan Donovan falls, and panic erupts. When the chaos clears, another crime is revealed: Donovan’s daughter, Allie, has been kidnapped. Within hours, Special Agent Eve Rossi and her handpicked team of former convicts know a lot about the kidnapper. But Eve grapples with a harrowing question: Whom should she fear more --- a vengeful man threatening innocent lives, or a charming, arrogant cop fighting to save his daughter, who may be trying to cover up his crimes? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

THE SHADOW OF WHAT WAS LOST by James Islington (Fantasy/Adventure)
Audiobook available, performed by Michael Kramer
It has been 20 years since the god-like Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them --- the Gifted --- are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers. As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything. To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is. And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

BUTTER: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova (Cooking/History)
From its humble agrarian origins to its present-day artisanal glory, butter has a fascinating story to tell. With tales about the ancient butter bogs of Ireland, the pleasure dairies of France, and the sacred butter sculptures of Tibet, former pastry chef Elaine Khosrova details butter’s role in history, politics, economics, nutrition, and even spirituality and art. Readers will also find the essential collection of core butter recipes, including beurre manié, croissants, pâte brisée, and the only buttercream frosting anyone will ever need, as well as practical how-tos for making various types of butter at home --- or shopping for the best. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE HIGHWAY KIND: Tales of Fast Cars, Desperate Drivers, and Dark Roads edited by Patrick Millikin (Mystery/Thriller/Noir Anthology)
Audiobook available, read by Will Collyer
Like fiction, cars take us into a different world: from the tony enclaves of upper crust society to the lowliest barrio; from muscle car-driving con men to hardscrabble kids on the road during the Great Depression; from a psychotic traveling salesman to a Mexican drug lord who drives a tricked-out VW Bus. We all share the roads, and our cars link us together. Including entirely new stories from Michael Connelly, C.J. Box, George Pelecanos, Diana Gabaldon, James Sallis, Ace Atkins, Luis Alberto Urrea, Sara Gran, Ben H. Winters and Joe Lansdale, THE HIGHWAY KIND is a street-level look at modern America, as seen through one of its national obsessions. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE MOUNTAIN OF KEPT MEMORY by Rachel Neumeier (Fantasy/Adventure)
Long ago, the Kieba, last goddess in the world, raised up her mountain in the drylands of Carastind. Ever since then, she has dwelled and protected the world from unending plagues and danger. Gulien Madalin, heir to the throne of Carastind, suspects that his father has offended the Kieba so seriously that she has withdrawn her protection from the kingdom. Worse, he fears that Carastind’s enemies suspect this as well. Then he learns that he is right. And invasion is imminent. When Gulien’s sister, Oressa, overhears news about the threatened invasion, she is shocked to discover what her father plans to give away in order to buy peace. But Carastind’s enemies intend to not only conquer the kingdom, but also cast down the Kieba and steal her power. Reviewed by Carly Silver.
Next Week's Notables: Noteworthy Books Releasing on November 21st and 22nd

Below are some notable titles releasing on November 21st and 22nd that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of November 21st, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

November 21st

CROSS THE LINE by James Patterson (Thriller)
A brutal crime wave sweeps the D.C. region. All of the victims have criminal pasts. Alex Cross pursues an adversary who has appointed himself judge, jury and executioner. He must take the law back into his own hands before the city he's sworn to protect descends into utter chaos.

November 22nd

CONCLAVE by Robert Harris (Thriller)
The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 118 cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next 72 hours, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth.

THE DAILY SHOW (THE BOOK): An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests by Chris Smith (Entertainment/History)
This oral history of “The Daily Show” takes the reader behind the curtain for all the show's highlights --- from its origins as Comedy Central's underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart's long reign to Trevor Noah's succession.

I'LL TAKE YOU THERE by Wally Lamb (Fiction)
Felix is a film scholar who runs a Monday night movie club. One evening, while setting up a film in the projectionist booth, he’s confronted by the ghost of Lois Weber, a trailblazing motion picture director from Hollywood’s silent film era. Lois invites Felix to revisit --- and, in some cases, relive --- scenes from his past as they are projected onto the cinema’s big screen.

MOONGLOW by Michael Chabon (Fiction)
MOONGLOW unfolds as the deathbed confession of a man the narrator refers to only as “my grandfather.” It is a tale of existential doubt and model rocketry, of the shining aspirations and demonic underpinnings of American technological accomplishment, and, above all, of the destructive impact --- and the creative power --- of keeping secrets and telling lies.

THE PRINCESS DIARIST by Carrie Fisher (Memoir)
With excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, THE PRINCESS DIARIST is Carrie Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time --- and what developed behind the scenes.

THE SPY by Paulo Coelho (Historical Fiction)
When Mata Hari arrived in Paris, she was penniless. Within months she was the most celebrated woman in the city. As a dancer, she shocked and delighted audiences; as a courtesan, she bewitched the era’s richest and most powerful men. But as paranoia consumed a country at war, she was arrested in her hotel room, accused of espionage.

VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin (Historical Fiction)
Drawing on Queen Victoria’s diaries, Daisy Goodwin --- creator and writer of the new PBS/Masterpiece drama "Victoria" and author of THE AMERICAN HEIRESS and THE FORTUNE HUNTER --- brings the young 19th-century monarch, who would go on to reign for 63 years, richly to life in her latest novel.

VICTORIA: THE QUEEN: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird (Biography)
Julia Baird brings to life the story of a woman who struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents, combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for meaning. VICTORIA: THE QUEEN gives us a Victoria for our times, a Victoria who endured.
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Our Latest Poll: Your Paperback Preferences
Do you typically read trade paperbacks (the large-sized paperback books) or mass market paperbacks (which are smaller-sized and less expensive)?

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Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from November 18th to December 2nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE PRINCESS DIARIST by Carrie Fisher and VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin.


To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
 
Click here to enter the contest.
Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!

Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from November 1st to December 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Wally Lamb's I'LL TAKE YOU THERE, performed by George Guidall, and Michael Chabon's MOONGLOW, performed by George Newbern.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
 
Click here to enter the contest.

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